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
reade their workes maye beare recorde with thē against your lyes Who teacheth so moche the obedyēce towardes the hygher powers as God onely in them doth whych preache or wryte the gospell yea hath not GOD through theyr preachīges brought your kyngedome vnder the temporalle powers whyche many yeares hath vsurped ouer them Ande bycause ye wolde not be vnder the obedyence whych the scrypture teached hath coste manye a thousande mens lyues ande som prestes amonge And thys poynte I wyshe vnto all kynges that wyll not willfully be blinde to beware of you crafty ād wilye Bishoppes Although they will not considre the iniuries y t they haue done to Christes churche or congregacyon in persecutynge them vnto deth for trulye preachynge ande wrytynge Godes glorye ande minyshynge the glorie of Antychryst althogh I saye that the Kynges of the earth and other high powers will not considre Christes cause yet let them cōsidre their owne what howe tirānously y e Bisshoppes Kingdome hath vsed their progenitours Kynges of Englōde Agaynst whome they ware euer the heades and the beginners the foundacyon ande the very origynall of all mischeue Reade the storye of Wylliam Rufus and of Kynge Henry the seconnde howe he was vsed by Thomas Becket Kynge Iohā how he was vsed of ād by Stephen Lanckton Bysshoppe of Cantorbury whyche wyll pytye any Chrysten herte to heare aswell for the wicked vsinge of the goode Kynge anoynted of GOD as of the bondage ād thrauldome that he brought y e whole realme in But suche is the Charitye of Bisshoppes as well in all other realmes where they maye beare rule as In Englond And though it appere that some of y e trobles which chaunsed to the Kynges of Englonde ī tymes past came by Abbotes of these fyllthye Monasteryes ryghtfully deposed nowe of late yet came the grounde from the forked merchauntes For be thow sure neuer came any dyspleasure to anye Prynce in Englonde or elles where for sekynge any Godly redresse ande Goddes glorie but y e originall maintayners of y e same ware these forked cappes Aboue all y e mēbres of Antichryst I saie beware of them all you y t wyll not willfully be blīd They be the verye right chefe wolues y t Chryst speaketh of Mat. vii callyng them wolues in shepes clothynge What is that shepes clothīge No doubt y e worde of God vnder the pretence of the whych worde they come to confounde the worde as moche as lyeth in them Theyr actes appere to thē that will not wyll fullye be blynded Full well knowe they yf they shulde not come vnder a pretēce of holynes ād speciallie w t a pretēce of the worde of God of the churche of GOD of the doctrine of Christ of the olde true lernīg of seauen or eyght hōdreth yeares olde ce That no mā wold beleue them Yet for all theyr outward meakenes ande holines they be withyn rauening wolues accordinge to Christs saīge in the place aboue rehersed as their actes and charitye hath appered of late yeres vppon the seruauntes of GOD. And Christ here sheweth vs howe we should knowe thē Read the places ād ye shall see them descrybed as appereth .i Timo i. and .ii. and .ii. Timot. iii. ande i. Ioan. ii ād .iiii. And yf ye will geue no credite to it your own bloude vppon your heades accordinge to the sayenge of the Prophete Ezechiell in the .iii. Chapter How is thys to be lamented seynge the Kynges grace hath set out Iniunccions y t all Uycars Persons Curates shal purely ād syncerely preache y e Gospell and leaue their owne dreames and yet not with stōdyng these Iniuncciōs whosoeuer preacheth the Gospell aright but euen the very Text whych the Holye Ghost wrote ande cryeth againste the callīg vppō any sauīg helth through the wayes and workes of mās inuēcions agaīst y e which all y e Prophetes crie as is afore saide he I saie y t so truly labourethe in the vineyarde of the Lorde ye Bysshoppes will either hange him or bourne him or pryuelie murther hym And vppon the contrarye parte let them neuer so openly preache their owne dreames yet maye no man trouble them nor saye black is their eie And no maruell for Chryste had promysed them no trouble or crosse ī this worlde which preache not but persecute hys worde Thus be ye theues and robbers of all Chrystyanytye stealynge from vs the spyrytuall fode of our soules Yea a thousande tymes worse be ye then the thefe that robbe the vppon the hyghe waye for neade And yet so bewitche you the higher powers ād the riche of y e worlde y t they can not escape your robberye and no maruell for y e worlde wyll loue his owne as Christ sayth Iohan. xv O ye deuelles ye blinde guides and seducers of the people howe of late bewitched you y e Parlamēt house Euē by your inuencions ād deuelishe studie haue ye caused actes decrees to be made so cleane contrarye to the lawes of y e lyuinge God that I saye vnto you the verie bearewolfe that abhominable whore of Rome neuer made so cruell actes He neuer made it dethe for a preste to marye a wyfe But ye shame not onelye to seperate them that be maryed so contrarye to GODDES worde whyche saythe let no man seperate that wich GOD hath couplede Mathewe .xix. but haue also made it deathe Oh generacyon worse then the Uyper Dothe not saynte Paul saye let euerye man that hath not the gyfte of chastytye take hys wife .i. Cor. vii Here is no parsō excepted And that the Apostels had wyues y e scripture is playne As saynt Peter wyth other Mat. viiii Ye will saye ye haue the gifte of chastitye Well the chastytye of the moste part of you that procured those wicked actes is meately well knowen and therfore make ye it no abhominacion to kepe whores Ye abhorre y e remedy ordayned of God ande maītayne the remedy of sathā as appereth by wīchesters gardyn Well ye Bysshoppes ande ye Chanons of the churche of beell ye shutters vp of Godes worde accordynge to hys owne Prophetie Mat. xxiii Luc. xi To you I can saye no more but though y e worlde or worldlye people laugh vppō you yet will y e vengeaūce of God lyght vppon your forked cappes ād cathedrall churches of Beel one daye and that shortelye excepte ye amende betymes Ys not your aurycular confessyon also abhominable Yes ād that one of the moste fylthyest thynges vsed vppon earth as hath playnlye appered by the feates of your chaplaynes in dyuerse places of Englonde of late ād some withyn thys two yeares I coulde name the prestes and y e places also but I will passe it ouer with scylence trustyng in the Lord y e hygher powers shall ones se the myschefe that cōmeth therof and redresse it What an abhomynacyon is it that I shuld go poure oute my vyces in the eare of an vnlearned buzarde ād specyally for a woman whereby Syr Iohan
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
so rōne a whore hoūtinge And no meruell for they seke a wrōge waye Oh wicked peopel do not ye se y t both Thappost Ang. refused to be worshipped of men but wold haue all the glorye geuen to God as apereth in the .iii. of the Actes also in the .xiiii. of the Actes whē the prestes with y e people of Listra wolde haue done sacrifice to Barnabas Paule But when Thapostles Barnabas and Paule harde that they rent their clothes and rāne in amonge the people crienge and sainge Syrs why do ye this we are mortall men like vnto you preache vnto you that ye shuld turne from these vanitees vnto the liuing God These be Thapostles wordes reade the chapter and ye shall see Also S. Iohā fel downe at the fete of the Angel which opened vnto hym the secretes of God and wold haue worshipped the Angel but the Angel forbade him sainge Se thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruant Apoc. xix Here ye se that both the Apostles Aungels refused to be worshiped but wold haue all the glorye geuen vnto God when thei ware here vpon earth Whether they do not likewyse nowe seke all the glorye to God not to thēselues Iudge thow gentel reader And thīk ye not that if the blessed virgin Marie were nowe vpon earth and sawe her sonne and onely redemer thus robbed of his glori which glory ye blinde Citezens geue vnto hyr wolde not she teare her clothes like as ded the Apostles Let the godly learned iudge it Now shall ye heare what happened vnto y e people of Iuda as appereth in the .xliiii. of Ieremye for sekinge their owne inuēcions ād for offringe oblacions with their fore fathers Kynges ande heades vnto the quene of heauen whych was y e mone temptinge the Lorde so farre that the Lord myght no longre suffre the wickednes of theyr inuencions Thus sayth the Prophete Ye haue sene the myserie that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem and vpon all y e Cyties of Iuda so that thys daye they are desolate no mā dwellinge there in ād that because of y e greate blasphemyes which they cōmitted in y t they wēt backe to do sacrifice worshippe vnto straunge Goddes c. And fury er more y e saide prophete sayth in the same .lxiiii. Cha. Purposely haue ye set vp youre good meanynge ande hastely haue ye fulfylled your owne intēt What followed ī y e ende verely destrucciō Reade the ende of the same Chapter ande thou shalt se. O most dere brethern for Christes sake geue credēce vnto the Prophete ande not to y e Prophete onely but also vnto the Holy Ghoste whych spake in the Prophete and then loke vpon your selues how Ioītly ye agre wyth the sayde people of Iuda They called the mone y e quene of Heauē and ye call y e virgin Marie the quene of heauen euē as y e one is quene of heauē so is y e other Yet be ye worsse then the people of Iuda For their fautes weare writtē for your example And where as y ey called vpō one quene of heauen ye call vpon many Howe manye quenes of heauen haue ye in the letany Oh deare brethern be no longer deceyued wyth the false prophetes youre Bysshops ande theyr membres Oh ye Cytezens be ye so blynde that ye se not that this is and blasphemy to God a minishinge of the honor dew to Christes bloude to call vpō the creatures of God created To patche and peace them with hym as to patche the potte with the potter And as though he ware a mercilesse God wold not heare but for theyr sakes Yea yet knowe not you whether thei hear you or not as the likelihode is thei do not For ye haue no promes of them but of Christe ye haue As apereth Iohan. xiiii Mat. xvii where he saith Aske and ye shall haue seke and ye shall fynde knock and yt shall be opened vnto yow c. Thus leaue ye the waye certayn for the vncertayne ye patche him with hys creatures because ye beleue not in hym nor haue that faith in hym which is of valoure before God Yea ye thinke he seeth not the secretes of your hertes Oh vnwise peple shall not he that made the hert knowe the secretes thereof Psal. xciiii Well I exhorte yowe in the name of the Lyuynge God to repent betime fall fro your accustomed Ydolatry and leaue cryenge to your quenes of Heauen ande call onely vpon the name of the Lorde whych made all the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob and serche the scripture ye shall se how oftē he hath plaged the chyldren of Israell for their ydolatrye ād whoredome and all for our ēsample Repent I saye ones againe leste the Lorde geue you wholy vp to your owne lustes as he ded the heythen Rom. i. visyte you wyth the plages of Egipte which ye haue already ryghtfully deserued He is a mercyfull God suffreth lōge but whē he stryketh felleth to the grounde Nowe to lamēt your blinde prouysyon for the deade Alas it is more thē blyndnes it self for manifestly ye cast Christes merites asyde in seking health for the soules of youre frendes departed by prouiding ā ydle lyfe for an vnlearned prest or two of Baall trustīge in theyr praier as though these prestes had ouerplus of rightuousnesse more then serued them sel ues Ye wyll saye no we trust to be saued by Christes passiō I vtterly denye your truste it is vaine and false and without hope or elles ye wold not seke so many superstycious waies For Chryst is the onelye waye to the Father and is alone suffycyent for all Heb. ix yea although Chryste be suffycyent yet ye wyll haue a prest to sige for you also as it weare for a waretack Oh ye dispisers of the bottōlesse mercy of God yea whorehounters and robbers of Goddes glorye Is Chryst a peced God or a patched Redeamer doth not y e scripture saie ther is none other name vnder heauen wher in we maye be saued Act. iiii xiii Howe mad be ye then to seke or call vppō any other The great substāce which ye bestowe vpon chauntryes obbites ande such other lyke dregges of that abhominable whore of Rome whyche most commenly ye geue for .iii. causes as ye saye is all loste First y t ye will haue y e seruice of god maītained in y e churche to goddes honour yet by y e same seruice is god dishonored for y e supper of lorde is peruerted not vsed after christes īstituciō Mat. xxvi Marc .xiiii. Luke xxii.i. Corint xi and so is that holy instytucyon turned into a vayne superstycious Cerymoniall Masse as they call it which Masse is become an abominable Idoll and of all Idoles the moste greatest neuer shal ydolatrye be quētched where that ydol is vsed after Anticristes īstitucyō Daniel .ix. Mat. xxiiii Whiche no doubt shalbe reformed when the tyme is come that God hath apointed
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
of that thynge whych is present it selfe AS touchynge this matter IOHAN fryth y e seruaūt of the LORDE whome ye ād youre False Prophetes haue burned whose bloude with others cryeth vengeance agaīst your Bysshoppes He I saye hath writē Inuyncibly in this matter whose worke I exhorte all those whiche fauoure the free passage of the gospell vnfaynedly to reade ād to studie For it is agreing to the touchstone of Gods worde ād to the olde aunciēt doctours As appereth by the same boke of his Ande I exhorte you in Gods name yf there be anie Chistian printer in London to prynte moo of those workes for there can neuer be to many of them Feare not man although death followe seīg Christ saieth he that loseth his lyfe for my wordes sake shall saue it Mathewe in the .xx. chapter And considre that neither Winchester nor London nor the rest of the Bisshoppes the vesselles of Gods Iustice without repentaunce haue no power to destroie but y e bodie onelye wherfore feare them not But feare hym onelye that can kyll both bodye and soule as apereth in the same .xx. chap. For if thou wilt liue godly in Christ thou must neades suffre persecutiō And truly he is not worthy to be a membre of the body that will suffre no dysplesure with the heade Therfor blessed are they that suffre persecucyon or anye trouble for ryghtousnes sake that is for Christes sake And in this matter I saye w t the sayde Iohan fryth that it is no pointe of our dampnaciō nor saluacyon If I beleue it not it dampneth me not But to haue the absēce of the benefyttes of his deathe and passiō in my hert may be cause of my dampnacion and in beleuynge of the sayde benefytes of ande through hys dethe shalbe my saluacion beinge repentaunt for my synnes But one thynge I will tell the and marke it well for it is trewe Though thou beleue he is there lyke as Antichrist and like his petye membre standish saythe ande so worshippe it as God I tell the that it is damnable For thou arte commaūded in the fyrste Table of y e cōmaundementes y t thow shalt not worshippe anye thynge y t is made after anye symylitude or lykenes that is in heauen or earthe as I haue afore sayde God is asprete ād wilbe honored in sprete and veryte I saie your blynde bloudy Byshoppes or rather butchers dishonour not onely the Sacramēt but the God of al Goddes also in mynystrynge the same And so do all prestes that other sīge or saye the popysh masse which they call a sacryfyce and therby wold haue Christes bodye daylye crucyfyed where as he offred vp his holy body vppon the crosse for our synnes ones for euer ande neuer shalbe offred agaī whyle the worlde endureth but hath instituted the holye supper or Sacrament of thankesgeuynge as afore is sayde to put vs in contynuall memory of that oblacion ād sacrifice y t we shulde beleue our sinnes to be forgeuen onely for Christes sake through his death ande so to be thankfull whych holye thynge as ye se is tourned into a popyshe masse and is to the people a domme yea no thīg els but a deade ceremonye Wherfore I will exhort all prestes that wylbe of Christes congregacion to fle and geue ouer that abhominable massinge which is a blasphemy to Christes bloude in that they make of it a sacryfice What sacryfice can y t be where no bloude is shedde Wherfore in Christes name all yow I saye that wolde be of Christes churche forsake thys whore w t all her abhominable rables ande rather begge with Christ then welthelye to lyue with the prestes of her God Beell and feare not but God shall prouyde both clothyng and foode sufficient for the bodye Considre the lylye dothe not spynne yet was Salomon neuer so gorgiouslie apparelled Mat. vi Who clothed the lilie ded not our heauenlye father clothe it And be not ye worth manye sparrowes Well then we se that pure heauēly father both clothed fedde all creatures and shall not he also clothe and feade yowe which seke his glorie trust only in him Yes yes doubt not And surely ye cā not remaine as ye do but ye muste be partakers of ther Idolatrye Perchaunce thou wilt saye I could be cōtented to liue porely to followe Christe but I feare the Byshoppes blessynge which is a fayre fyre Set afore the y e deth of Christ for prechynge his fathers will ād before hym the Prophetes ande after hym his Apostles and at this daye hys chosen seruauntes ande consydre as afore is sayde that the deuyllyshe Byshopes the vesseiles of Godes Iustyce can but destroye the bodye onelye that God will rayse it vp agayne at the great daye of y e Lorde euen as he is rysen And considre that alwayes it was the Bysshoppes ād the hyghe prestes y t put Christ and hys Apostles and his chosen seruauntes to deathe And by theyr deuellyshe sedusyng euer blynded the Prynces and other head rulers to geue ther consent ther vnto Math. in the .xxi. ande in the .xxvi. chapter O ye Babylonyshe Bisshoppes and generacion of Uipers where haue ye your auctoryte or how dar ye be so bold to kyll a man for his faith whych Christ neuer ded nor hys Apostelles For it is a gyfte which no man can eyther geue an other or yet hym selfe No no it is the gyft of God onely Ande that must be geuen a man before he can eyther do or thynke goode For all y t is done without fayth is synne Roma in y e xxiiii and Hebre. xi No nor ye put no man to death for Christes sake but for y ◠that no man shuld either preache teache or wrytte Chryst aryght which he can not do but he shall by force be constrained of the holye Ghost to wryte agaynst your pompe pryde vyle lyuinge and agaīst your abhomynable sedusing of the people leadynge them in an endlesse mase of dyrtye tradicions and folyshe ceremonyes And why cannot a man set for the Christ but he must write agaynst yow Euen bycause ye be the verye Antichristes No I saye it is not possible for anye man sent of God either to preache or wryte but he must open hys mouthe agaīst that moost wycked abomynable and detestable Antychryst of ROME as agaynste the enemy of Chryst which be you false Bysshops false Prophetes that beare the false signe of the new lawe the olde lawe with stoute stronge and sturdie Archedeacōs Deanes ād Chanons of Cathedrall churches and other your pyty membres prestes of Baall Ande he that openeth not his mouthe agaīst you cā not truly set out Christ and that is the cause why ye seke theyr deathes Ye bewytch Kīges other rulers and turne theyr laboures I meane the laboures of y e seruaūtes of God whyche crye against your Iniquytie sayīg they teache sedycyon and cause rebellyon against the higher powers Oh ye chylderne of Satan all y t