deele the better But sorowe and bee carefull in thyne heart that Auarice and insaciate couetousnes reigne soo soore amongest them that to dooe almose they haue cleane forgotten for the common reliefe that they bestowe vpon the needy bee fayre woordes colored with Hypocrisye as alas good man God healpe the god healpe the. O counterfaited Christian god commaundeth the to healpe them and cursed arte thou of what degree soo euer thou arte that wylt not succoure thy poore neyghbour in his necessitie Bee penitent therfore in time for dampnacion hangeth ouer thy hed I suppose thou seest plainely inough what miserye and myschefe reigne euery where The poore bee despysed and Goddes woord so lytell regarded and thought vpon that that soore and lamentable saiyng of Esaye maie iustely bee spoken vnto vs in these daies It is an obstinate people vnfaithefull chyldren saieth he chyldren that wil not here the law of the Lord the .xxix. of Esai O noble Englande this lawe of the Lord thou hast moste plainly set forth vnto the as yet thy myserable state is soore to bee lamented for through thy obstinate blindnes thou prouokest God to stryke styll with durable strokes thou dooest not soo humbly submitte thy self vnto his blessed wil and testament as thy duetie is Thou arte neyther soo ioyouse ne yet so earnestly bent to haue it goe forward as God hath geuen the occasions within these fewe yeres It semeth thine hearte is setled on fantasies most fond and kepest olde dotyng dreames foo fast vnder locke yea and sauerest so much of auncient custome that the pure worde of God in thy spirite hath smal taste But heare a whyle and geue eare and thou shalte knowe more of thy duetie and determine thy selfe lowely to folowe suche histories as shall be rehersed vnto the gathered out of the lawe of the Lord. First considre when that holye man Esdras Preached vnto the people their eares were so wonderfully enclyned to the booke of the lawe and their heartes so enamored for the singuler delight they had to heare the swete wordes and pleasant promises of god that they could not but weepe the .ii. booke of Esdras the .viii. chapter Forsothe it was a greate token of grace to weepe for the feruente zeale and loue of Goddes worde Thei also made greate myrthe because they vnderstode what was declared vnto thē O happie people that so reioysed in knowledge What man is he dissendyng downe into hymselfe that wold not reioyse also to remēber what ioye and felycitie these people had in the woord of God and mourne nowe for compassion to beholde what spite and euell wyl many beare toward the holy Bible whose miserable blyndnesse is muche to be lamented truely suche is the pestilent malice of ignorantes suche bee the deceiptes and wyles of Ipocrites the one in league and full consente with the other labour with all subtilitie to wrappe the people in blyndnesse styl and yet openlye they faigne theym selfes glad and ioyouse that the truthe is come out but sorow and sigh in their heartes to haue it go forwarde Great pytie it is that any manne should goe about to endomage Christen men in the word of God For the greatest compassiō that we ought to haue on any one thyng vnder Heauen is on the rude multitude of Chrystians lackyng the trewe knowledge therof for Chrysten mennes heartes shoulde alwaies bee enclosed in that highe and heauenly wisedom of God consideryng that Ignoraunce is the most pestilent poyson that can reigne emongest men And to learne howe to abbolyshe the great and wonderfull blyndnes whiche hathe hadde a long course and continuance emongest vs thou haste the holy Byble playnely set forth vnto the and yf thou haue a hoole and a cleare heart thou mayest sone learne to folowe the trace of vertue thou shalte learne also to be strōg and quiete to beare al afflictions yea and shalte be able to enstruct suche as thou haste nouryshed to liue togither in an amiable conuersacion But alas there be many both temporal and spirituall that wyll neuer take the testament in their handes they passe lyght of it care not howe lyttell it is spoken of emongest them but if it come by chance vnto thē they esteme it as a geast nether welcome ne yet loked for Of what spirite they learne this of I muche marueil yf one call them counterfaited christians ryght scribes and Phariseis they set vp their brystels and fall in a rage Oh Lord suche are nothyng mindfull of the saiyng of Elephas vnto Iob receaue the lawe at the Lordes mouthe and laie vppe his woordes in thyne hearte and he shall geue the an haruest with suche plentifull abundaunce that it shal exceade the duste of the yearthe and looke what thou takest in hand it shall prospere Nowe Englande this Godly saiyng shoulde steere vp the and all thyne to shewe your selfes most humble and meke in settyng forwarde the woorde of GOD Surely thou deserueste greate glorye and hyghe estymacion yf thou bee agreable vnto his truthe And therfore shewe thy selfe euer couragiouse to promote his blessed testament and cease now to be styffenecked to desende thy supersticion and wilfull ignoraunce for this is playne no man shal bee excused by ignorance ne yet shal escape to geue accompte of his bailywicke Thou shuldest therefore obedientlye enbrace the liuely woord of God which is a thing most mete and requisite for all agees and degrees of men Thou shouldest studie the same both daye and nyghte and geue thy self wholy to knowe the Euangelion of Chryste for the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to strenghthen them that are holie with him the .xvi. Cha. the .ii. Chronicles This kynde of studie is most conuenable for the professours of Christ and thus to dooe is the chefest puincte of our profession in Baptime whereunto yf you answere as saieth sainct Paule He that is most abiecte emongest you is better then they that bee taken to bee of highest authoritie emongest the vngodly the .i. to the Corinthians Let vs nowe therfore plante surely in our hertes the lawe of God Let vs shewe our selfes ioyouse to heare the eternal testamēt of Christ spoken of emongest vs Let vs remember well the saiyng of Samuell vnto Saull Thou haste caste awaye the biddyng of God and therfore the Lord hath caste the away also This shoulde be no lesse fearfull vnto vs nowe least the Lord cast vs away which maie and wyll not drinke of the well of the water of life freely that is the holy Bible most godly and syncerely set forthe in oure Englishe tongue For the whiche wee oughte with reioysyng heartes to saie O the lot of our felicite most luckely chaunged For where as of late we offred sacrifice vnto Idols now we be taught to offre the sacrifice of Iustice vnto our heauenly father Of late we were obedyent vnto al damnable rites and wicked supersticion nowe we be taughte to obey onely the Gospell which is saluacion
their deuelish doctrine did not long endure The earnest mainteners of Goddes woord felt alwaies their spitefull cruell and bluddy hāds And to thinke wherfore many honest mē haue suffred we shuld al reioyce cōsidryng that losse of lyfe is an highe felicitie where perpetuall memory commeth in place Thei that haue enterprised and emploied thēselfes to do their dueties beste towardes God haue been sonest snapt vppe iniquitie hathe often soo ruled the roste Reade auncient histories and you shal fynde this plaine And nowe especially great maruaill it is what vnfaithfulnes the minysters find in the bible Sins their dreames were taken from thē they haue seldome said where arte thou Lord They folow lyghtnes and vanitie thinke it inoughe to stand at the aultre although you stand at the alter it doth not folow that you ar nerest to christ for you are nere Chryst stand worthelie at the aultre whē you shew your selfes willyng to promote his holy Gospel Cast of slouthe and sharpe youre wyttes all blunte and dull with Ignoraunce Haue ye not redde the woordes of the holye Prophete I wyll delyghte saieth he in thy commaundementes as one that hathe founde great spoile and ryches This holy Prophete reioysed soo in his heart at the liuely woord of God that he saied with a sighe Oh Lorde howe sweete bee thy woordes in the roffe of my mouthe yea they be swetter in my mouthe then the honicombe He saied furthermore the lawe of thy mouthe Lorde is better to me then thousandes of golde and syluer Esay the Prophete also as one some thyng offended with the ministers because Goddes woord was not thankefully receaued but estemed very lyghtly amongest them for thei made falsehode theyr refuge and vanitie their guyde Heare the woord of the LORD therfyre sayeth he yee mockers whyche rule the people of Ierusalem Esaye the xxviii Chapter Theyr vayn confydēce miserable blindnes and wilful ententes engendred vexaciō brought continual vnquietenes vnto these ministers yea it so sterred vp the ire and indignacion of God that they wer altogether troden vnderfote as myserable abiectes The lord deuysed a mete handelyng a worthy conuenient intertainmente for suche sheaperdes as wold not herken vnto his holy word The Lord again hymselfe perceauyngful wel the stubburnnesse of the people in reiecting his word and also sore offēded to see their ready willyng hertes sone enclyned vnto Idolatrie speaketh thus O ye people loke vpō the woord of the Lord Ieremie the fyrste Moreouer the Lord very desirouse to haue his statutes promoted and especially that his sheperdes shuld se wel vnto and noryshe their flocke speketh thus O ye sheperdes heare the worde of the Lord. Ezech. xxxiiii in the same chapter he most pitiefully lamēted ouer his seely pore shepe he sawe they were daily robbed and mooste cruelly deuoured of all wylde rauenyng beastes of the felde they runne blyndlye on what mischefe thei lust for the sheperdes whiche should haue been their guides and conducters fed them selfes onely with most daintie delycates and neuer regarded whiche waye the flocke went The lord willing to haue his word that wel of grace and singuler comfort most highly promoted saied he would cleane rydde and vtterly deliuer his people from Idolatrie for the wycked Prophetes vsyng vnclean sprites false doctryne and deceiptful garmentes shuld be confoūded as detestable deceiptours And for the spedie perfourmaunce of this he cōmaunded his swerd to aryse and plague as well the Ignoraunt people reiectyng his woord as the euell and superstyciouse sheperdes Zacha. the .xiii. In another place also the Lord moost greuousely offended with dissēblyng mynisters whiche wroughte altogether for lucar and gayne I haue saith he no pleasure in you for whiche of you wyll kyndle fyre on myne Aultre for nought The Lord affyrmed that they vnhalowed his Aultre in that they sayed it was not to be regarded they onely thought not scorne made light of it but they regarded muche lesse what vile trumpery they offred vnto it Malachie the fyrst The Englysshe Byble forsoth may well be compared vnto this aultre for suche as shoulde promote it and esteme it most laboure for gayne they had rather worke a trentall of Masses and syng in a fewe Dirige grotes then bestowe an houre in readyng the Bible to their paryshiners Again Nabuchodonozor a prīce of high dignitie honour and worshyp whom all people kynredes tongues wōderfully feared was for his proud stomacke stiffe heart against god and his word cleane deposed frō his kingdome and so plagued that he fel from that moost renowmed dignitie and estate of a kyng to the felowshyp of beastes he refused the companye of men and became beastly hearted enclining hymself altogyther to company with Asses and in steade of his sumptuous and pryncely dishes was very glad to feede most gredily like an Oxe on fair grene grasse Daniel .v. Furthermore whan God sawe that the people folowed the filthinesse of their owne imaginacion trusted in this and that and claue not fast vnto him but walked altogyther in myserable blyndnes and appeared wonderous wilfull for the rulers were cruell the Iudges were wolfes and the preistes wer light persones dyd muche iniurie and vtterly refused the ordinance of God and cared not how lyttell the lawe was spoken of with this the Lord greuousely offended spake vnto them moost vehemently Woe vnto you abhominable fylthye and cruell whyche wyll not heare nor be reformed Sophonie the third Chapiter Dauid the holy Prophete also whiche coulde full well iudge the strength of Goddes woord for he made it alwaies his refuge and vsed it as his trustie anker saith vnto the Lorde wherewithall shal youthe clense his waie euen by rulyng hymselfe after thy woord This Prophet spake often full fayre vsyng most plesaunt woordes as a meane to atteigne his requeste and peticion wherein he desired onely this the Lord to teache hym his statutes declaryng that he would set all his delight and councell in them yea and continually talke of his wondres makyng answere vnto all blasphemers my truste is in thy word lorde This holy mā whose wordes works no mā is able to improue said also vnto god I haue more vnder stādyng then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my studie Psal Cxix these places be sufficiēt to encourage all men to read the Byble Who wold not hearyng this apply his vnderstandyng in highe thynges Who woulde not leaue his vanities and selfe studie and giue sygnes of a newe lyfe who would not lamente to see what ignorātes guide the flocke of Chryst who would hearyng this appeare a scoler to tradicions and a persecutour of the word who woulde not hearyng this submit his idle and supersticiouse hed to the obeysaunce of the Byble Who would hearyng this folowe his own blynd seemyng and opinion Pythagoras saith he that knoweth not that he ought to know is but a brute beast amongest men Who woulde not then with this Godly saiyng be drawē vnto the
then haue stopped their wicked most pestilent purpose O Lord and yf they had knowen or at the least wold haue knowen what reuerence subiectes oughte to shew to their hedes thei wold haue trēbled and quaked to haue conspyred or thought any euel against their dere souerain lord But these holy fathers euer as full of fables as false religiō Quickely inuented howe they myght craftely cloke their wycked doynges and to stop the murmuring of the people they reysed this rumour that the kyng saied if he liued one twelmonth an half peny loofe should be worth .xl. d. amōgest them Who doth not smell this to be a shamfull and a detestable lie for his grace was tendre ouer the poore and louing to his subiectes and neuer pretended nether to them ne yet to the publikewelth any such domage He was in dede earnestly bent and very couragious to set forth the wil and pleasure of God and for this cause onely they wrought his confusion Alas these fathers were men sworne to obediēce yet thei neither preached the trace of it ne yet folowed the same they should haue been full of good graces but thei emploied thēselfes to wicked vorage tirannie thei studied so soore to augmēt their liuelod that thei had neuer leasure to thincke on the hyghe and supreme wisdome of god Wherof whosoeuer hath tastedfully wil neuer grudge against his king or Prince for the knowlege of it adiuigneth the hertes of al subiects most straightly vnto their dere souerain lord the strength vertue of it is suche that it wil neuer suffre any sparke of treason to dwell in a subiectes hert It plāteth such loue faithful obediēce where it goeth that the corrupciō of treasō can find no place to enter Treason is a thyng so horible vnto it that it cānot endure to thinke on the plagues that it iustly deserueth Yea it is of this nature that al synne wickednes is noisōe vnto it but of al other treason is the noysomest for it causeth riotouse wittes repugnaūt to reason publique quietnesse to steere vp cōmocions to slaie innocentes to folow wicked disobedience thynges most detested in Goddes syght And if we prudently weigh what daunger it hathe often broughte vnto this noble realme how it hath perished the memorie of honorable houses yea especially howe it hath blotted the estimaciō of many noble mē disherited their sonnes shamed their progenie troubled the sprites of al other their frendes Thē we wil not suffre no such folie to enter into our heades but gladly endeuor our selfes to read the Byble for this is the waie to purge and clēse al treason frō euery mannes heart O Lord what obediēce it hath taught amongest vs within these fewe yeares Who doth not knowe nowe what power God hath giuen a Kyng ouer his people Who is ignorant what obeisance is to be shewed to Goddes holy anointed who so had marked the cumming of our dere soueraine Lord king Edward the .vi. from the Towre vnto Westmīster shuld haue seen and hard plētiful tokens of true and louing hertes for al the noble citiezēs and people of the coūtrey which came farre of on euery syde were there wonderfull ioyouse to se that daie yea to se the hope glory cōfort of al true English heartes The citizēs studied forsoth very sore howe to receaue his maiestie most triumphantly as people willing to declare tokens of their obediēt heartes Thei made thēselfe very gorgeouse stode in humble order to receaue their deere lord supreme head his towardnes in vertues much spokē of amōgest them made them wonderful ioyeouse his highnes also appering personally before them al a child of cumly sobre and modest countenaunce swete visaged and of face most beautiful in whō also there wanted neyther godly educacion nor yet any acquired vertues but in all thynges most perfectly framed streighte so allured drewe vnto him al their hertes that it was wōder to se the ioie thei made to behold their gouernour the peace and tranquillitie of the wealth of England so triūphātly passe through amongest them whiche again with gentle valiant countenance looked on thē his people standyng rounde about hym on eueryside whose presence euery man soo desyred standing in goodly order that their eies daseled with long lokynge for that most gloriouse syght their heartes also aked to bee deferred from it whiche passed so pleasantly by Then thei stādyng styll prayed that his highnesse might surmoūt al other in vertue and nobilitie and that god wold geue him grace especially to walke in the waye of good deedes and in vertuouse actes as he had entered so to perseuere and that God would geue him an heart to loue vs his poore and faythfull subiectes and worke for the common weale yea and that he may bee no acceptour of persons but to regard the poore as well as the ryche This Godly peticion and other thynges there shewed were euident tokens of their faythful heartes whiche are very muche to bee regarded for the loue of subiectes is the safiete of the kyng and the defence of the realme Yea he that hathe the loue of his subiectes hathe a wonderfull treasure For I remember that I haue read an historie of Antique felicitie of the world past worthy to bee noted There was a certain ryght hygh and mightie prince a man of excellent and profound vnderstandyng whose felicite was set altogither to haue the loue of his subiectes desiryng rather their weale then his owne priuate cōmoditie It chaunced that certayne Prynces watred against him he then made neither acte nor statute but sent his louing letters amongest his subiectes desiryng theym to healpe hym with money then they consyderyng full well his noble and tendre hearte towardes theym and weere a people taughte but onely by nature to obeye their gouernoure for they knewe nothyng of the lawe of GOD spedily broughte into the treasure house soo muche money as serued the kyng .vii. yeares and yet whan the warres ceased there remained great plentie Forsoth these mennes gyftes were of gret pryce but their good wylles were of greater O gloriouse tyme. O realme moste happye where the kyng and his people were so knytte togither And contrarilye there was one Tyberius the sonne of August a destroyer of the people and very spytefull toward the Romaynes lyghte of his dooeynges vsynge outragyouse woordes vnto all good menne yea and of suche foolysshe presumpcion and boldenesse in his realme that he thoughte he might dooe what he luste in folowynge hys owne wycked and naughtie ententes ¶ This Emperour was also prowde and furiouse which thyng fylled his subiectes heartes full of sorowe and broughte vnto him selfe muche eyuell wyll and lyghte estymacion And that well appeared For after his deathe all the aunciente fathers and nobles of Rome with the reste of the people made greate Sacryfice and earneste peticion Vnto the GODDES to sende Tyberes solle into the furies of Hell he had wrought theim so muche sorowe that they would hym no ioye nor yet any part of the Goddes glory ¶ O the infelicite and daungerous estate of Rome in those daies when the Kyng and his people murmured one at another For no man that hath reason wyll repugne vnto this but that realm is wel warded where the kyng and his subiectes bee of mutuall loue and fidelitie Nowe therfore vtterly to auoyde all contencion and dyscorde and to plante for euer amongest vs a stable and louely societie of lyuyng there is no better meane then to arme oure selfes with vnitie and concorde drawyng al in one line to promote the Gospell of Chryst and to enlarge our heartes to receaue Godly and gentle perswasions as menne very wyllyng to presente theym selfes to the Byble and to flee vnto it as vnto our mooste trustie porte and gladly receaue that heauenly treasure If wee thus dooe all strangers shal feare vs as they did the sonnes of Iacob and accordyng vnto the holy Prophete our purpose shall prospere and come well to passe yea and suche shewe wyll appeare of vs that men wyl not suffre our memorie to peryshe but to renoume vs as people of vertue and worthy commendacion Wherfore moost humbly wee oughte nowe to praie the lord that he would put awaie all lettes from their stomackes that grudge secretly at his holy woord and make light of the byble that heauenly treasure set to shew amongest vs in euery churche Whervnto yf we beare faint and sturdy hertes let vs bee well assured the Lorde wyl blaste and blot our doynges with euell fortune and enuiouse mishap for as farre as I haue read there was neuer Emperour Kyng nor yet Prynce that prospered whiche tooke parte against it thou maiest fynde in diuerse notable places of the Bible how God oftē punyshed with greuouse plagues and durable strookes many regyons whiche reiected and made light of his word Again there is nothyng neither in heauen aboue nor in yearth vnderneth so pleasaunte and acceptable in God the fathers syght as to haue his liuely woorde that heauenly treasure most thankefully receaued and honored amongest vs. O then thou counterfayted Christian what spirite of errour moueth the to murmure at suche as read thenglyshe Bible Wonder it is that thou art not ashamed to accōpt thy selfe any of Christes felowshippe for in contempnyng and making light of his gospell thou declarest thy selfe a right Paganime or rather a Iewe yea I saie thy longe prayer often fastyng and almose deedes and all good woorkes that thou canst deuise shall nothyng preuayle the But appeare plainely in Goddes sight as thynges most vile detestable so longe as thou bearest a supersticiouse hearte towardes his blessed Testament Alas suffre not thy self no longer to be begiled set before thy face what doctrine Moises taught the people in the .vi. of Deutro He straightely charged them to keepe the lawe of God in their heartes and willed them also to teach it vnto their chyldren and talke of it vnto their familie this place shuld wake the out of thy dootyng dreames Sterevppe thy heart for shame vnto Chrystes gospell and reuerence it whersoeuer thou goest wherevnto bee al honour and prayse Amen FINIS ¶ Imprinted at Londō in the parishe of Christes Church within new gate by Richard Grafton Prynter to our soueraigne lorde Kyng Edward the VI. 1547. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum