Les illustrarions de gaulles Les illustrations de gaulles Whosoeuer please may there read it as it standeth within 6. leaues afore the end of the same how the author with deepe sorrow lamenteth the ordinance that decreed first priests to liue vnmaried shewing that amply the miseries that haue ensued in France therby imputing it vnto Calixt the pope of whom he maketh a doleful mention in Meter wherof the first I yet remember And it is thus O sancte Calixte totus mundus odit te c. O holy Calixte al the world hateth thee Which followeth in writing to all that lust to behold therin But what nede I to make longer treatise hereof for so much as you do dayly both heare and see what soule abhomination ariseth in euery corner of this pitious law made of men y t would presume to be wiser then God Men will be wiser then God thinking as we euer do that eyther he would not or els for lack of wisdom he could not shew vs a sufficient law or way to direct our lyfe and conuersation to come to the ioy and resting place of him promised and so of vs longed and looked for Wherby we both be farre vnreasonable in so deeming of him after our vnwise wit and he much dishonoured The which I beseech him to helpe Amen Answere to the 5. Article ¶ Unto the v. where ye do aske whether I beleeue that whatsoeuer it done of man whether it be good or ill commeth of necessity that is as you construe to wit whether man hath free will so that he may deserue ioy or paine I say as I sayd at the beginning that vnto the first parte of your riddle I neyther can ne wil giue any diffinitiue answer forsomuch as it surmounteth my capacitie trusting that God shall sende hereafter Free will to deserue ioy or payne other that shall be of better learning and wit then I for to endite it As coÌ„cerning the second part wheras you do interpret that is to say whether man haue free will or no so that he may deserue ioy or payne as for our deseruing specially of ioy I thinke it very slender or none euen when we do the very commandementes and law of God and that am I taught by our sauiour in s. Luke where he sayth thus Which of you quod he hauing a seruaunt that hath eared your land or fed your beastes wil say vnto him when he commeth home out of the field go thy way quickly sit down to thy meat and rather will not say vnto him make ready my supper seruing me therat vntill I haue made an end thereof and afterwarde take thy selfe meate and drinke Thinke you that he is bound to thanke his seruaunt which thus shall doe his commaundement I trowe sayth he nay Euen so you sayth he when you haue done all thinges to you commaunded say yet you be vnprofitable seruaunts haue done that which you were bound to do In which words you may clearly see that he would not haue vs greatly esteeme our merites when we haue done that is commaunded by God Merite◠〈◊〉 to be esteemed but rather reckoning our selues to be but seruants vnprofitable to God for so much as he hath no neede of our wel doing for his own aduancement but onely that he loueth to see vs doe well for our owne behoufe and moreouer that when we haue done his bidding we ought not so to magnify neither our selfe ne our owne free will but laud him with a meeke heart thorowe whose benefite we haue done if at any time we doe it his lyking and pleasure not regarding our merite but his grace and benefite Wherby onely is done all that in any wise is to him acceptable And thus if we ought not to attend our merites in doing the commandement of God Obseruing of Gods workes worketh in vs no meriâ—â—â— Ergo much less the obseruing of mennes traditions much lesse should we looke for merite for obseruing of our owne inuentions or traditions of men vnto which there is no benefite in all Scripture which Paul calleth y e word of truth and of faith promised But here may be obiected against me that the rewarde is promised in many places to them that do obserue y e preceptes of God That I affirm to be very sooth Notwithstanding such reward shall neuer be atteyned of vs except by the grace and benefite of him which worketh all things in all creatures And this affirmeth well S. Augustine S. Ambrose Fulgentius with other as you may see euery where in their workes Vnio dissidentium and specially in the treatise called Vnio dissidentium wherein he entreateth de gratia meritis And of S. Augustine I remember ij or iij. right notable sentences concerning the same Rewarde how it is promysed to workes August libe Confessioâ— One is in the 9. booke of hys Confessions in this fourme Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Quia verè non exquiris delicta vehementer fiducialiter speramus aliquem locum apud te inuenire indulgentiae Quisquis autem tibi enumerat vera merita sua quid tibi enumerat nisi munera tua O si cognoscerent se omnes qui gloriatur in Domino gloriaretur Woe be to the life of men be they neuer so holy it thou shalt examine them setting thy mercy aside Because thou doest not exactly examine the faultes of men therefore we haue a vehement hope and trust to find some place of mercy with thee And whosoeuer recounteth vnto thee his merites what other thing doth he recount but thy benefits O would God all men would see and knowe themselues and that he which glorieth would glorie in the Lord. Againe in the first booke he sayth thus vnto God Nunquid inops es gaudes lucris Nunquid auarus vsuras exigis Superogatur tibi vt debeas quis habet quicquam non tuuÌ„ Conf. lib. 1. Reddis debita nulli debens donas debita nihil perdens Doth any man giue that he oweth not vnto thee that thou shouldest be in his debte and hath any man ought that is not thine Thou rendrest debt and yet owest to no man Thou forgiuest debte and yet losest nothing And therefore his vsuall prayer was this Domine da quod iubes iube quod vis Lord giue that thou commaundest and commaund what thou wilt Also in the booke called Manuale Augustini or De contemplatione Christi he sayth in this wise Tota spes mea est in morte Domini Mors eius meritum meum refugium meum salus vita resurrectio mea Meritum meum miseratio Domini Non sum meriti inops quamdiu ille miserationum Dominus non defuerit Et si misericordiae Domini multae multus ego sum in meritis All my hope is in the Lordes death His death is my merite my refuge my health and my
was compelled to abiure All these aboue named in one key of doctrine religion did hold concord together agaynst whō were obiected 5. or 6. especiall matters to witte Consent of doctrine for speaking agaynst worshipping of saynts agaynst pilgrimage agaynst inuocatiō of the blessed virgin agaynst the sacramēt of the Lords body for hauing scripture bookes in English which bookes especially I finde to be named as these the booke of the 4. Euangelistes a booke of the Epistles of Paule and Peter the Epistle of S. Iames a booke of the Apocalips and of Antichrist of the 10. Commaundementes and Wickeliffes wicker with such other like ¶ Iohn Stilman Martyr IT would aske a long tractation tedious to recite in order the greate multitude and number of good men women Anno. 1518. beside these aboue rehearsed which in those dayes recanted and abiured about the beginning of king Henryes raigne and before Iohn Stilman Martyr Wickliffes Wicket among whō yet notwithstanding some there were whom the Lord reduced againe made strong in the profession of his truth and constant vnto death of which number one was Iohn Stilman by name who about the xxiiij day of Sept in the yeare of our Lord. 1518. was apprehended and brought before Richard Fitziames then B. of Lond. at his manor of Fulham and by him was there examined and charged that notwithstanding his former recantation oth and abiuration made about xi yeres then past before Edmund Byshop of Salisbury as well for speaking against y e worshipping praying and offering vnto Images as also for denying the carnal and corporal presence in y e sacrament of Christes memoriall yet sithens that time he had fallen into the same opinions againe and so into the daunger of relapse and further he had highly commended and praysed Iohn Wickliffe affirming that he was a saint in heauen and that hys booke called y e Wicket Ex Regist. Fitziames Lond. was good and holy Soone after hys examination he was sent from thence vnto the Lollardes tower at London and the xxij day of October then next ensuing was brought openly into the consistory at Paules and was there iudicially examined by Thom. Hed the byshops vicare generall vpon the contentes of these articles followyng 1. First I obiect vnto you that you haue confessed before my Lord of London and me D. Hed his vicar generall that about xx yeares past one Steuen Moone of the Dioces of Winchest Articles laid agaynst Ioh. Stilman With whom you abode 6. or 7. yeares after did teach you to beleeue that the going on pilgrimage and worshipping of images as the Lady of Walsingham and others were not to be vsed * Yeares of Antiquitie to be noted A godly Martyr Richarde Smart burned at Salisbury ann 1503. Wickliffes Wicket And also that afterwards one Richard Smart who was burned at Salisbury about 14. or 15. yeares past did read vnto you Wickliffes Wicket and likewise instructed you to beleeue that the sacrament of the altar was not the body of Christ all whiche thinges you haue erroneously beleued 2. Item you haue diuers times read the said book called Wickleffes Wicket and one other booke of the x. Commaundementes which the sayd Richard Smart did geue you and at the tyme of your first apprehensiō you did hide thē in an old oke and did not reuele them vnto the bishop of Salisbury before whom you were abiured of heresie about xi yeares since where you promised by oth vpon the Euangelistes euer after to beleue and hold as the Christē fayth taught and preached and neuer to offend agayne in the sayd heresies or any other vpon payne of relapse And further you there promised to performe all such penaunce as the sayd Bishop of Salisbury did enioyne you who thē enioyned you vpon the like payne not to depart his Dioces without hys speciall licence 3. Item it is euident that you be relapsed aswel by your own confession as also by your deedes in that about two yeares after your abiuration you went into the sayd place where you had hidden your books and then taking them away with you you departed the foresayd dioces without the licence of the Bishop and brought them with you to London where nowe being tached and taken with them vpon great suspicion of heresie you are brought vnto the Bishop of London By reason of whiche your demeanor you haue shewed by your impenitent and dissembled conuersation from your errours and also your vnfaithful abiuration and disobedience vnto the authoritie of our mother holy Church in that you performed not the penance in whiche behalfe you be voluntarily periured and also relapsed in that you departed the sayd dioces wythout licence 4. Item you be not onely as afore is sayd impenitent disobedient voluntarily periured relapsed by this your foresayd hereticall demeanor but also sithens your last attachment vpon suspicion of heresie you haue maliciously spoken erroneous and damnable wordes affirming before my Lord of London your Ordinary and me iudicially sitting at Fulham that you were sorye y t euer you did abiure your said opinions and had not suffered then manfully for them for they were and be good and true and therfore you will now abide by them to die for it And furthermore you haue spoken against our holy father the pope and hys authoritie damnably saying that he is Antichrist and not the true successor of Peter or Christes vicar on earth and that his pardons and indulgences which he graunteth in y e sacrament of penaunce are nought and that you will none of thē And likewise y t the colledge of Cardinals be limmes of the sayd Antichrist and that all other inferiour prelates and Priestes are the sinagogue of Sathan Wickliffes Wicket And moreouer you sayd that the doctors of the Churche haue subuerted the truth of holy Scripture expounding it after their own mindes and therfore theyr workes be nought and they in hell but that wickleffe is a Sainct in heauen and that the booke called his Wicket is good for therein he sheweth the truth Also you did wish that there were xx thousand of your opinion against vs Scribes and Pharisies to see what you would doe for the defēce of your fayth Al which heresies you did afterwardes erroneously affirme before y e Archbishop of Caunterbury and then said that you would abide by thē to dye for it notwithstanding his earnest perswasions to the contrary and therefore for these premisses you be euidently relapsed and ought to be committed vnto the secular power ¶ The burning of Iohn Stilman ¶ Thomas Man Martyr NExt to Iohn Stilman aboue mentioned followeth in this blessed order of Martyrs the persecution and cōdemnation of Thomas Man Tho. Man Martyr Who the 29. day of Marche in the yeare of our Lord. 1518. was burned in Smithfield This Tho. Man had likewise bene apprehended for y e profession of Christes Gospell about 6. yeares before the 14. day
Chaucer Gower commended for their studious exercise although it seemeth that Gower was a great deale his ancient both notably learned as the barbarous rudenes of that tyme did geue both great friends together and both in like kinde of study together occupyed so endeuoring themselues and employing their tyme that they excelling many other in study and exercise o◠good letters did passe forth their liues here right worshipfully godly to the worthye fame and commendation of theyr name Chaucers workes be all printed in one volume and therfore knowne to all men This I meruaile to see the idle lyfe of the priestes and clergye men of that tyme seeing these lay persons shewed themselues in these kinde of liberall studyes so industrious fruitfully occupyed but muche more I maruell to consider thys Chaucer a right Wickleuian how y t the bishops condemning and abolishing al maner of Englishe bookes and treatises whiche might bring y e people to anye light of knowledge did yet authorise the workes of Chaucer to remaine still to be occupyed Chaucers bokes Who no doubt saw in Religion as much almost as euen we do now vttereth in hys works no lesse and seemeth to be a right Wicleuian or els was neuer any and that all his workes almost if they be throughly aduised will testifie albeit it be done in mirth couertly especially y e latter end of hys thyrd booke of y e Testament of loue for there purely he toucheth the highest matter that is the communion Wherin except a man be altogether blind he may espy him at the full Although in the same book as in all other he vseth to do vnder shadows couertly as vnder a visour he suborneth trueth in suche sort Men brought to truth by reading Chaucers workes as both priuilye she may profite the godly minded and yet not be espyed of the crafty aduersary And therefore the bishops belike taking his woorkes but for iestes and toyes in condemning other bookes yet permitted his bookes to be read So it pleased God to blind then the eyes of them for y e more commoditie of his people to the intent that through the reading of his treatises some fruit might redound therof to his Church as no doubt it dyd to many As also I am partly enformed of certayne whiche knew the parties which to them reported y t by reading of Chaucers works The ploughmans tale in Chaucer they were brought to the true knowledge of religion And not vnlike to be true For to omitte other partes of his volume whereof some are more fabulous then other what tale can be more playnly tolde then the tale of the ploughman or what finger can poynt out more directly the Pope with his prelates to be Antichrist then doth the poore Pellican reasoning agaynst the greedy Griffon Under which Hypotyposis or Poesie who is so blind that seeth not by the Pellican the doctrine of Christ and of the Lollardes to be defended against the Church of Rome Or who is so impudent y t can deny that to be true which the Pellicā there affirmeth in describing the presumptuous pryde of that pretensed Church Agayne what egge can be more lyke or fig vnto an other then the wordes properties and conditiōs of that rauening griphe resembleth the true Image that s the nature and quallities of that which we call y e church of Rome in euery poynt degree and therefore no great meruaile if that narratiō was exempted out of the copies of Chaucers workes whiche notwithstanding now is restored agayne and is extant for euery man to reade that is disposed This Geffrey Chaucer being borne as is thought in Oxfordshyre and dwelling in Woodstocke lyeth buryed in the Church of the minster of S. Peter at Westminster in an I le on the southside of the sayd Church not far from the dore leading to the Cloister and vpon his graue stone first were written these two old verses Galfridus Chaucer vates fama poesis Maternae hac sacra sum tumulatus humo Afterward about the yeare of our Lord. 1556. one M. Brickham bestowing more cost vpon his tombe did adde thereunto these verses following Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olim Galfridus Chaucer conditur hoc tumulo Annum si quaeras Domini si tempora mortis Ecee nota subsunt quae tibi cuncta notent 25. Octob. Anno. 1400. * Here beginneth the reformation of the church of Christ in the tyme of Martine Luther ALthough it can not be sufficiently expressed with toūg or pen of man The corruption of the Church described into what miserable ruine desolation the church of Christ was brought in those latter dayes yet partly by the reading of these storyes aforepast some intelligence may be geuen to them whiche haue iudgement to marke or eyes to see in what blindnes and darckenes the world was drowned during the space of these 400. yeares heretofore and more By the viewing and considering of which times and histories thou mayst vnderstand gentle reader how the religion of Christ which onely consisteth in spirit and veritie was wholy turned into outward obseruations ceremonies and idolatry So many Sainctes we had so many gods so many monasteries so many pilgrimages As many churches as many reliques forged teyned we had Agayne so many reliques so many lyeng miracles wee beleued In stede of the onely liuing Lorde we worshipped dead stocks and stones In place of Christ immortall we adored mortall bread In stead of his bloud we worshipped the bloud of duckes How the people wer led so that the priestes were fed no care was taken In stead of Gods word mans worde was set vp In stead of Christes testament the Popes testament that is the Canon lawe in stead of Paule the mayster of sentence tooke place and almost full possession The law of God was litle read the vse and end therof was lesse knowne And as the ende of the lawe was vnknowne so the difference betweene the Gospell and the lawe was not vnderstanded y e benefite of Christ not considered the effect of faith not expended Through the ignoraunce wherof it cannot be told what infinite erroures sectes and religious crept into the church ouerwhelming the world as with a floud of ignoraunce and seduction And no maruell for where the foundation is not well layd what building can stand and prosper The foundation of all our Christianitie is onely this The promise of God The foundation of Christian religion in the bloud of Christ hys sonne geuing and promising life vnto all that beleeue in him Geuing sayth the Scripture vnto vs and not barganing or indenting with vs And that freely sayth the Scripture for Christes sake Rom 6. and not condicionally for our merites sake Rom. 4. Furthermore freely sayth the scripture by grace that the promise might be firme and sure and not by the workes that we doe Rom. 4. which are alwaies
Lorde meekly paciently gaue himselfe to the stake where with a corde drawne about his neck he was secretly strangled of the hangman in the Cittie of Ferraria three houres before day to the intent y e people shuld not see him nor heare him speake and after about dinner time his body in the same place was burned At the burning whereof such a fragrant and odoriferous sent came to all them there present A myracle as it is reported and so stroke theyr senses that the sweetenes therof semed to refresh them no lesse then hys words would haue done if they had heard him speake The custome is of that cittie that the bones and ashes which be lefte The death and martyrdome of Faninus should be caryed out of the city but neyther the magistrate nor the Byshop nor hys great Uicar or Chauncellor nor anye Diuine els would take any charge thereof euery man transferring that burden from themselues to him whiche was the cause of hys death Wherby it may appeare what secret iudgement and estimation all they had of that good blessed man At last the people tooke his burned bones with the cinders and caried them out of the streete of the Citie Ex Henri Pantal lib. 7. Ex Ioan Crisp. pag. 363. The name of the persecutor in the story appeareth not Dominicus de Basana Dominicus de Basana martyr At Placentia Ann. 1550. The same yeare y t the foresayd Faninus suffered in Ferraria Dominicus also suffered in the Citie of Placentia This Dominicus was Cittizen in Basana and followed the wars of Charles the Emperour in Germany where he receiued the first taste of Christes gospel Wherin he encreased more more by conferring reasoning with learned men so y t in shorte tyme hee was able to instruct manye and so did working and traueling in the Churche till at length in y e yeare 1550. he comming to y e City of Naples there preached the worde from thence proceding to Placencia preached there likewise vnto y e people of true confession of Purgatorye of Pardons Furthermore the next day entreated of true fayth of good workes howe farre they are necessary to saluation promising moreouer y e nexte daye to speake of Antichrist and to paynt him out in his colours Antichrist can not abyde to be detected When the houre came that he should begin hys sermon the magistrate of the cittye commaunded hym to come downe from the chayre in the market place deliuered him to the officers Dominicus was willing ready to obey the commaundement saying that hee did much maruayle that the deuill could suffer hym so long in that kind of exercise From thence he was led to the bishops Chauncellour and asked whether he was a priest and how he was placed in that function He answered that he was no priest oâ— the pope but of Iesus Christ by whom he was lawfully called to that office Then was he demaunded whether he would renounce hys doctrine He answered that he mayntayned no doctrine of hys owne but onely the doctrine of Christ whiche also he was readye to seale with hys bloud and also gaue harty thankes to God wbiche so accepted hym as worthye to glorifie hys name with his martyrdome Upon this he was committed to a filthy and stinking prison Where after he had remayned a few monthes he was exhorted diuers tymes to reuoke otherwise he should suffer but still he remayned constaunt in hys doctrine The martiâ—dome of Dominicus de Bassana Wherupon when the tyme came assigned for his punishment he was brought to the market place wher he preached and there was hanged Who most hartely praying â—or his enemies so finished his dayes in this miserable wretched world Ex Pantal. lib. 7. The byshop of Santangelo hys priestes Galeazius Trecius At the Cittye called Laus Pompeia in Italy Ann. 1551. Santangelo is a certayne fortresse or castle in Italy within Lombardy Galeazius Trecius martyr not farre from the Cittye called Laus Pompeia belongyng also to the same dioces In this sort of Santangelo was an house of Augustine Friers vnto whome vsed muche to resorte a certayne fryer of the same order dwelling at Pauia named Maianardus a man well expert in the study of scripture and of a godly conuersation By this Maianardus diuers not onely of the Fryers but also of other townesmen were reduced to the loue knowledge of Gods worde to the detestatioÌ„ of the popes abuses AmoÌ„g whom was also this Galeazius a gentle man of a good calling welthy in worldly substaunce and very beneficiall to the pâ—ore Who first by conference with y e fryers and also with hys brother in law began to conceaue some light in Gods truth and afterwarde was confirmed more thoroughly by Caelius Secundus Curio who then being driuen by persecution came from Pauia to the sayd place of Santangelo In proces of tyme as this Galeazius encreased in iudgement and zeale in settyng forward the wholesome word of Gods grace as a light shining in darkenes coulde not so lye hyd but at last in the yeare of our Lorde 1551. certayne were sent from the forenamed Cittie of Laus Pompeia to lay handes vppon hym The iniurious fraudulent dealyng of the Papistes and brought hym to the bishops Pallace where he was kept in handes hauing vnder hym but onely a pad oâ— straw Although his wife sent vnto him a good fetherbed with shetes to lye in yet the Byshops chaplaynes and officers kept it froÌ„ him deuiding the pray among theÌ„selues When the tyme came that he should be examined he was thrise brought before the Commissioners where he rendered reasons and causes of hys fayth answering to theyr interrogatories w t such euidence of Scriptures constancy of mind that he was an admiration to them that that heard hym Albeit not long after through the importunate perswasions of hys kinsfolkes frendes and other colde Gospellers laying many considerations before hys eyes Galeazius relenteth he was brought at length to assent to certain points of the popes doctrine But yet the mercye of God which began with him so left him not but brought him againe to suche repentance bewayling of his facte that he became afterward according to the example of Peter Galeazius repenteth and S. Cyprian and other doublewise more valiaunt in defence of Christes quarrell neither did he euer desire any thing more then occasion to be offered to recouer agayne by confession that he had lost before by denyall affirming that hee neuer felt more ioy of hart then at the tyme of his examinations where hee stoode thrise to the constant confession of the truth and contrary that he neuer tasted more sorrow in al his life then when he slipt afterward from the same by dissimulation Declaryng moreouer to hys brethren A sentence of a martyr to be marked that death was muche more sweete vnto him with testimony of the veritie then
mindes to make them put theyr fayth in our Lady and in other saynts and not in God alone to whom be honor and glory for euer Brusierd But that I beleue and knowe that God and all his Sayntes will take euerlasting reuengement vppon thee I woulde surely with these nayles of myne be thy death for this horrible and enorme iniury agaynst the precious bloud of Christ. God sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue And thou blasphemest him as though he should lay priuy snares of death for vs secretly that we shoulde not espye them Whiche if it were true we might well say then with Hugh de saynt Uictore in this maner If it be an error it is of thee O God that we be deceiued for these be confirmed with such signes and wonders which can not be done but by thee But I am assured it is vntrue and hereticall and therfore I will leaue this matter and will talke with you concerning the merites of Sayntes For once I remember in a certayne Sermon of yours you said that no Saint though his suffering were neuer so great and his life most pure deserued anye thing for vs with God either by his death or life which is contrary to S. Austen Bilney Christ sayth one thing Saynt Augusten another whether of these two shoulde we beleue For Christ willing to deliuer vs out of this darck dungeon of ignorance gaue forth a certayne parable of ten virgins of which fiue were fooles and fiue were wise By the fiue foolish virgins wanting the oyle of good workes he meant vs all sinners By the wise Uirgins he meant the companye of all holy Sayntes * God leadeth not into errour but hath left hys scriptures to lead vs into truth Math. 25. Saintes haue not merites sufficient for themselues much lesse to spare to others Now let vs heare what the fiue wise Uirgynes aunswered to the fiue foolish crauing oyle of them No say they least peraduenture wee haue not sufficient for vs and for you Get you rather to them that sell and buye of them to serue your turne Wherfore if they had not oyle sufficient for them selues and also for the other where then be the merites of Sayntes wherewith they can deserue both for themselues and for vs Certes I cannot see Brusierd You wrast the Scripture from the right vnderstanding to a reprobate sense that I am scarse able to hold mine eyes froÌ„ teares hearing with mine eares these wordes of you Fare ye well ¶ The Submission of M. Thomas Bilney THe fourth day of DeceÌ„ber the bishop of London with the other bishops his assistauntes Bilney conuented againe bâ—fore the Byshop of London assembled againe in the chapter house of Westminster whether also M. Bilney was brought and was exhorted admonished to abiure and recant who aunswered that he would stand to his coÌ„science Then the Bishop of London with the other Byshops Ex officio did publish the depositions of the witnesses with his Articles and aunsweres commaunding that they should be read That done the Byshop exhorted hym agayne to deliberate with himselfe whether he woulde returne to the Church and renouÌ„ce his opinions or no and badde him to depart into a voyd place and there to deliberate with himselfe Which done the Bishoppe asked him agayne if he would returne Who aunswered Fiat iusticia iudicium in nomine domini Bilney denyeth to recant 〈…〉 and being diuers times admonished to abiure he would make no other answere but Fiat iustitia c. And haec est dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemur in ea Then the Byshop after deliberation putting off his cap sayd In nomine patris filij spiritus sancti Amen Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici eius and making a crosse on his forehead and his brest by the counsell of the other Bishops he gaue sentence against M. Bilney being there present in this maner I by the consent and counsell of my brethren here present do pronounce thee Thomas Bilney who hast bene accused of diuers Articles to be conuict of heresy and for the rest of the sentence we take deliberation till to morow The 5. day of December the Byshops assembled there agayne before whom Bilney was brought whom the byshop asked if he would returne to the vnity of the Church and reuoke his heresies which he had preached Wherunto Bilney aunswered that he would not be a slaunder to the Gospell Bilney conuented againe befâ—re the Bâ—shop Biâ—â—ey reâ—â—iseth againe to 〈◊〉 trusting that he was not seperate froÌ„ the Churh and that if the multitude of witnesses might be credited he might haue 30. men of honest life on his part agaynst one to the contrary brought in agaynst him which wytnesses the Byshoppe sayd came to late for after publication they could not be receiued by the law Then Bilney alleadging the story of Susan and Daniel the Bishop of London still exhorted him to returne to the vnity of the Church and to abiure his heresies Lyke Byshops lyke lawes and permitted him to goe into some secret place there to consult with his frendes till one of the clocke at after noone of the same day At afternoone the bishop of London agayne asked him whether he would returne to the church and acknowledge his heresies Bilney conuented the 3. tyme. Bilney aunswered that he trusted he was not seperate from the Church and required time and place to bring in witnesses which was refused Then the Byshop once agayne required of him whether he woulde turne to the Catholicke Church Whereunto he aunswered Bilneys witnesses refused that if they could teach and proue sufficiently that he was coÌ„uict he would yelde and submit himselfe and desired agayne to haue time and space to bring in agayne his refused witnesses and other answere he would geue none Then the Byshop put M. Bilney aside and tooke couÌ„sel with his felowes and afterward calling in M. Bilney asked him agayne whether he would abiure but he would make no other aunswere then before Then the Byshoppe with the consent of the rest did decree and determine that it was not lawfull to heare a petition which was agaynst the law and enquiring agayne whether he would abiure he aunswered plainely no and desired to haue time to consult with his frendes in whom his trust was Bilney denyeth the third time to recant and beynge once agayne asked whether he would returne and instanly desired thereunto or els the sentence must be read he required the Bishop to geue him licence to deliberate wyth himselfe vntill the next morow whether he might abiure the heresies wherwith he was defamed or no. The Bishop graunted him that he should haue a litle time to deliberate with M. Dancaster but Bilney required space till the next morow to consult with M. Farmar and Mayster Dancaster But the Bishop would not graunt him his request Dancaster conferreth
brought before them After certeyne Articles being repeated vnto him the Byshoppe of London brought out before him a certeine booke called the wicked Mammon asking him whether the booke was of the same impression and making as was his booke that he had sold to others Who answered and sayd it was the same Whervpon the bishop of London asked him agayn whether the booke conteined the same errors or no. Who aunswered agayne saying I pray God that the condemnation of the Gospell and translation of the Testament be not to your shame and that ye be not in perill for it for the coÌ„demnatioÌ„ of it and of the other is all one Further he said that he had studyed holy Scripture by the space of these 17. yeares and as he may see the spottes of his face through the glasse so in reading the new Testament he knoweth the faultes of his soule Further he was examined vpon certeine points and articles extracted out of the sayd booke of the wicked Mammon as foloweth Artiâ—les 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 His opinion of Antichrist Antichrist no outward thiâ—g but a spirituall thing FIrst that Antechrist is not an outward thing that is to say a man that should sodenly appere with wonders as your forefathers talked of him but Antechrist is a spirituall thing Whereunto he answered and sayd that he findeth no fault in it Agayne it was demaunded of him touchyng the article whether fayth onely iustifieth a man To thys he sayd that if he should looke to deserue heauen by works he should do wickedly for workes folow fayth and Christ redemed vs all with the merites of his passion That the deuil holdeth our harts so hard that it is impossible for vs to consent to Gods law To that he answered that he findeth no fault in it No man iustified by merites That the law of God suffereth no merites neither any man to be iustified in the sight of God To that he aunswered that it is playne enough considering what the law is and he sayth that he findeth no ill in it The lawe reqâ—ireth thiâ—ges vnpossible That the law of God requireth of vs thinges impossible To that he answered that the law of God doth commaund that thou shalt loue God aboue all things and thy neyghbors as thy selfe which neuer man could doe and in that he doth finde no fault in his conscience That as the good tree bringeth forth fruite No lawe to the iust man so there is no law put to him that beleueth is iustified throgh faith To that he aunswered and sayd he findeth no ill in it All good workes must be done without respect of any thing or any profite to be had thereof To that he aunswered it is truth Christ with all his workes did not deserue heauen To that he aunswered that the text is true as it lyeth and findeth no fault in it The Saintes be frendes how to whom Peter and Paule and Saynts that be dead are not our frendes but theyr frendes whom they did helpe when they were aliue To that he sayd he findeth no ill in it Almes deserueth no reward of God To that he answered that the text of the booke is true The deuill not cast out by mans merites The deuill is not cast out by merits of fasting or prayer To that he answered thinking it good enough We can not loue except we see some benefite and kindnes as long as we liue vnder the law of God only The lawe worketh not in vs the loue of god where we see but sinne and damnation and the wrath of God vp on vs yea where we were damned afore we were borne We caÌ„not loue God nor can not but hate him as a tyrant vnrighteous vniust and flee from him as did Cain Man by nature is condemned To that he answereth and thinketh it good playne enough We are damned by nature as a tode is a tode by nature and a Serpent is a Serpent by nature To that he answered it to be true as it is in the booke Item as concerning the article of fasting He meaneth by communicatiâ—n not by vendicâ—tion and yet this pointe seemeth to be falsely gathered To that hee answered and sayd the booke declareth it selfe Euery one man is a Lord of whatsoeuer another man hath To that he answered what lawe canne be better then that for it is playnely ment there Loue in Christ putteth no difference betwixte one and another To that he aunswered and sayde it is playne enough of it selfe As concerning the preaching of the word of God and washing of dishes there is no difference as coÌ„cerning saluation and as touchinge the pleasing of God To that hee aunswered saying it is a playne text and as for pleasing of God it is all one That the Iewes of good intent and zeale put Christ to death To that he aunswered that it is true For if they had knowen the lord of glory they would not haue crucyfied him and the text is playne enough The sectes of S. Fraunces S. Dominicke and others be damnable To that he answered and sayd S. Paule repugneth agaynst them Loe here is no scripture broug to reueale these opynions but onely authoritye to oppresse them Which articles being so abiected answere made vnto them by Iohn Tewkesbery the sayd Bishop of London asked him whether hee woulde continue in his heresyes and errors aboue rehearsed or renouÌ„ce and forsake them Who answered thus I pray you reforme your selfe and if there be any error in the booke let it be reformed I thinke the booke be good enough Further the Bishop exhorted him to recant his errors To the which the sayd Iohn Tewkesbery aunswered as is aboue written to witte I pray you reforme your selfe and if there be any error in the booke let it be reformed I thinke it be good enough Which thing being done the bishop appoynted him to determine better with himselfe agaynst the morow in the presence of M. Iohn Cox Uicar generall to the Archbishop of Caunterbury M. Balfride Warton Rouland Philips Wiliam Philow and Robert Ridley professors of diuinity The 13. day of Aprill An other appearaÌ„ce of Iohn Tewkesbery in the yeare of our Lorde abouesayde in the Chappel within the Pallace of LondoÌ„ before Cutbert bishop of LondoÌ„ with his assistance Nicolas byshop of Elye c. Tewkesbery agayne appeared and was examined vpon the articles drawen out of the book called the wicked Mammon as foloweth First Christ is thine and all his deedes be thy deedes Christ is in thee and thou so knit in him inseperably neyther canst thou be damned except Christ be damned wyth thee neither caÌ„st thou be saued except Christ be saued with thee To this he answered that he found no fault in it Item we desire one an other to pray for vs. That done We are not saued by other mens prayers we must put our neighbour in remembraunce of his duty and that we
them that immortally hate vs what coulde we wish them so euill but they haue deserued much worse We wish them this hurt alone that God send them a better minde God be thanked we haue made all their seditious ententes sooner to shew their great malice towardes vs then to do vs much hurt yet they haue well taught vs euermore to take good heede of our ennemyes Undoubtedly it were good going to Mantua and to leaue their whelpes amongst the lambes of our flocke When we be weary of our wealth wee will euen doe then as they would haue vs now do No no as long as we shal see his heart so good towardes vs we trust vppon hys warning we shall well prouide to withstand hys cruell malice No let him now spende his deceites when they can hurt none but such as would deceiue and are deceiued They haue by sundry waies made vs priuy howe much we be bound to them It went nigh their hearts to see the iudgement of Iulye of Clement the 7. of Paule the 3. nothing to be regarded w t vs. The Popes â—urâ—es not feared in England They be afraide if wee shoulde sustaine no hurt because wee iustly reiected their primacie that other Princes woulde begin to doe lykewyse and to shake of their shoulders the heauy burthens that they so long haue borne againste Scripture all right and reason They be sory to see the way stopped y t now their tiranny auarice and pride caÌ„ haue no passage into England which was wont to walk to triumph to tosse to trouble al men They can scarse suffer priuiledges that is to say licence to spoyle our Citizens geuen them by our forefathers and brought in by errorful custome to be taken froÌ„ them They thinke it vnlawful that we require things lawful of them that will be vnder no lawes They thinke wee doe them wrong The Popes trumpery dispatched out of England because we will not suffer them to do vs wrong any longer They see their marchandise to be banished to be forbidden They see that we will buy no longer chalke for cheese They see they haue lost a faire flese vengeable sorie that they can dispatch no more pardons dispensations tot quots with the rest of their baggage and tromperie England is no more a babe There is no man here but now he knoweth that they doe foolishly that giue golde for leade more weight of that then they receiue of this Golde geueÌ„ 〈◊〉 leade They passe not though Peter Paules faces be grauen in the lead to make fooles faine No we be sorie that they shoulde abuse holy Saints visages to the begiling of the world Surely except God take away our right wittes not only his authority shal be driueÌ„ out for euer God grauÌ„t but his name also shortly shall be forgotten in England Wee will from henceforth aske counsel of him and his when we lust to be deceiued when we couet to be in error when we desire to offend God trouth and honesty If a man may gesse the whole worke by the foundation The Popes 〈…〉 where deceits beginneth the worke can any other then deceits be builded vpoÌ„ thys foundation What can you looke for in thys Mantuan councel â—he Pope 〈◊〉 a fewe â—â—nges wel â—t many 〈◊〉 may 〈◊〉 better 〈◊〉 other then the oppression of truth true religion If there be any thing well done thinke as euery maÌ„ doth bishops of Rome to be accustomed to do a few things wel that many euill may the better be taken at theyr handes They when they lust can yeelde some part of theyr ryghte They are content that some of their decrees some of their errours abuses be reprehended but they are neuer more to be sâ—ared then when they shewe themselues most geÌ„tle For if they graunt a few they aske many if they leaue a litle they will be sure of a great deale Scarse a man he may know how to handle himself that he take no hurt at their hands yea when they blesse him which seldome doe good but for an intent to do euil Certainly come who so will to these shops of deceits to these taires of frauds we wil loose no parte of our right in comming at his call The pope ought to be called and not to call that ought to be called and not to fall We wil neither come at Mantua nor send thether for this matter c. And so the king proceeding in the sayde hys Protestation declareth moreouer how the Pope after he had summoned his Councell first to be kept at Mantua the 23. of May An. 1537. shortly after directed out an other Bull to prorogate the same Councell to the month of Nouember pretending for his excuse y t the Duke of Mantua woulde not suffer him to keepe any Councel there The Pope againe prorogeth his Councell vnles he maintained a number of warriors for defence of the town And therfore in his latter bull he prorogeth this assemble commaunding Patriarkes Archbishops Byshops Abbots and other of the spiritualtie by the vertue of obedience and vnder paine of cursing to be present but sheweth no place at all where he would be nor whether they shoulde come And in very deede no great matter though no place were named For as good couÌ„cel no where to be called as where it could not be And aswell no place serued him that intended no Councell as all places And to say truth much better no place to be named then to name suche as he purposed not to come too for so shoulde hee breake no promise which maketh none And so going forward in his oration toward the latter ende he thus inferreth by his wordes of Protestation saying No we will the Pope and his adherents to vnderstand that that we oft haue sayd and now say and euer will say Princes as theâ— gaue the Pope primacye 〈◊〉 they take 〈…〉 him agayne He nor his hath no authoritie no iurisdiction in England Wee giue him no more then hee hath that is neuer a deale That which he hath vsurped against Gods lawe extorted by violeÌ„ce we by good right take from him again But he his wil say we gaue them a primacie We heare them well We gaue it you in dede If you haue authority vpon vs as long as our coÌ„sent giueth it you and you euermore wil make your plee vpon our consent then let it haue euen an ende where it began we coÌ„sent no longer your authoritie must nedes be gone If we being deceiued by fals pretense of euil alledged scriptures gaue to you y t ye ought to haue refused why may we not our error nowe perceiued your deceite espied take it againe We princes wrote our selues to be inferours to popes As long as wee thought so we obeyed them as our superiors Now we write not as we did and therefore they haue no great cause to maruill if we hereafter doe not as we did both the lawes
deadly sinne I say that prayer in scripture is much commended and many great and vnmeasurable benefites are shewed to ensue thereupon that men should the more lustily geue themselues therto With prayer doth S Paul bid vs to fight in diuers places coÌ„tinuing in the same agaynst our ghostly enemies A figure of this is read in Exodus when the Israelites fought in battaâ—le agaynst a nation of Infidels Exod. 17. I trow theyr Captayne was called Amalecke Moyses stood vpon a mountayne The vertue of prayer to behold what should be the conclusion and lifting vp his handes prayed that it might well succeed with the Israelites but in long holding them vp at last his feruour began to grow cold and faint his handes sagged downward and euer as his handes grew heauy which signifieth that his affection in praying abated waxed colde the Infidels preuayled but as he kept them heaued vpward wherby was meant intentiue prayer of a deuout mynde he purchased victorye to the Israelites Aaron and Hur which indited the lawe to the people and were thereof the interpreters stood with Moses which alway as they dyd see his armes to faynt did vphold them so that finally the victory came vnto Israel By Moses is signified as sheweth great Clerkes deuotion Deuotion and knowledg to be ioyned together By Aaron and Hur the knowledge of Gods doctrine Which two thinges deuotion I meane knowledge all men had need to haue presently with theÌ„ for deuotion doth eleuate the mind to God but knowledge doth susteine or vphold the same that it may with courage continue not falling down but so alway doth incense and kindle it that it mounteth vp into the presence of our heauenly father where they sauour together farre more sweetely then any fumigation either of Iuniper Incense or what soeuer els be they neuer so pleasaunt doth sauour in any mans nose Therefore S. Paule seing howe necessary the knotte of these two deuotion knowlege of Gods will was which is shewed in scripture as teacheth saynt Cyprian in these wordes The will of God sayth he is that whiche Christe both taught and wrought Paul I say seing this wished to be excommunicate and separate from God for to haue the Iewes to come to the knowledge of Christes Church Rom. 10. which is the onely right waye to saluation for whome he prayed right studiously as appeareth a litle after in the 10. chap. to the Romanes saying I beare them recorde that they haue a zeale deuotion to God but not according to the knowledge of Christes doctrine Moses not to be without Aaron c. Where you may clearelye see how the Iewes as S. Paule which is no lyer recordeth here had a zeal deuotion to God but they lacked knowledge therewith Moses was amongest them but Aaron was away whose absence payned Paul so sore that he rauished with exceeding charity wished no small harme vnto himself vpon condition that the multitude of theÌ„ might be holpen and haue better iudgement euen to be separated from God It must nedes be theÌ„ greatly hurtfull albeit men haue deuotion to be without the knowledge of God his law Deuotion withoute knowledge hurtfull signified by Aaron S. Paule also before y t he came to knowledge had such like deuotion himselfe as he reporteth Actes 26. in these wordes Act. 26. All the Iewes quoth he haue knowne my liuing that I haue led sith I entred into mans age which time as I remeÌ„ber is accounted from the xvj or xviij yeare of a mans life in Latine he calleth it adolescentia which from the beginning thereof was sayth he at Ierusalem among mine owne nation that did know me afore also from the beginning if they would say trueth that I liued after the most straitest order or sect of our religion The zeale of Saule withoute deuotion being a Pharisy And I quoth Paul a litle after thought to doe many thinges in fighting agaynst the name of Iesus Christ yea and did also being at Ierusalem and I thrust many Sayntes or holy men into prison hauing power geuen me therto of the high Priestes and when they shoulde be put to death I gaue sentence and I quoth he was commonlye in all Sinagogues punishing them and compelling them to blaspheme as menne are fayne now a daies when the Bishops make them to abiure and to deny the trueth of the Gospell yea more ouer did I quoth Paule rage agaynst them pursuing after them into straunge landes See what zeale Paul had to God afore he was instructed in the doctrine of Christ. He thought to haue pleased god highly in persecuting his seruants of whom one was S. Steuen He was then sore blinded through ignorance Zeale 〈◊〉 out knowledge and wanted the assistance of Aaron But anone as Christ which is the true Aaron had appeared to him asking hym and saying in a lamentable fourme O Saule Saule why doest thou persecute me Act 9. in troubling and striking my seruauntes the members of mine owne body of whom it is sayd He that smiteth you shall smite the tender ball of mine eie Zach. 2. His hart fell I dare say so low as his body that is euen downe to the earth repenting himselfe full sore being redye to amend and follow after a new way as appeareth by hys aunswere where he sayth O Lorde what wilt thou haue me to doe As though one woulde say Nowe I see all that I thought to haue done afore of good intention and good purpose or deuotion hath deceiued me I finde it otherwise That which I esteemed good in very deede is and was nought Teach me therfore good Lord quoth he a better way amend my iudgement that mine owne will or intentioÌ„ forsakeÌ„ I may now follow thine to please thee to do thy will And so he came to Ananias by the assignement of Christ the thick filthines of his olde wayward iudgement fell away as appeareth by the drosse or rubbish that came from his eyes euen like scales as the Scripture maketh relation and he put vpon him a new iudgement which is directed after the strayt rule of the Gospell Deuotion a deceaueable thing Whereby you may see that mens deuotion may oft beguile and seduce theÌ„ except knowledge do assist the same for to susteine direct it which knitte together shall much strengthen men in all trouble and temptations So that it is much expedient for all meÌ„ as nigh as they may to haue prayer annexed with knowledge Erasmus in Enchiridiâ— that sheweth full notably Erasmus in the second passage of EnchiridioÌ„ where he testifieth but of easye liking that he hath in saying of Mattins Saying of Mattens yea rather contrariwise he sheweth disliking and so he doth also in his exposition of the fyrst Psalme Beatus vir where the text maketh agreeably for the same it is written in this wise Blessed is the man that hath not gone
and Articles these men gather out of their bookes for errours and heresies Secondly how wittingly and willingly they wrast peruert and miscōstrue their sayings and writings in such sense as the wryters neuer spake nor ment and all to bryng them into hatred of the worlde after they haue burned their bookes So did they before wyth Iohn Wickliffe Iohn Hus Hierome So did they with M. Luther Tindal Frithe Lambert Barnes Ioy Roy Seron Articles of Wickliffe and others falsified by the Papistes and briefly yet do stil wyth all the Protestants either peruerting their sayings otherwise then they meante or noting for heresies suche as are manifest principles grounds of our religion Or els falsly belying them or vntruely mistaking them eyther in mangling y e places or adding to their words as may serue for their most aduauntage to bring them out of credite w t Princes and all the people For the more euident probation and experience wherof thou shalt see here Christen reader as in a table laid before thine eyes the booke or cataloge of such errours blasphemies and heresies whiche the Catholicke Papistes in their own registers haue extracted out of their bokes whō in this other proclamatiōs they haue condemned Wher vnto moreouer we haue annexed y t very places also of the Authors out of which euery Article is gathered keepyng the same signature of verse and page whyche they in theyr registers doe send vs vnto So that with a little diligence thou maist now louing reader easely perceiue conferring the Articles and places together what trueth and fidelitie these bloudye Catholickes haue vsed towarde the children of God First in burning vp theyr bodies then in consuming and abolishing theyr bokes and afterward drawing out Articles such as they list thēselues out of their workes to make the people beleue what damnable heretickes they were as by these articles here vnder ensuing collected and contained in their owne registers may wel appeare In al which articles there is not one speaking of these wryters which here they haue condemned but either it is a perfect truth and a principle of Christen doctrine or els it is falsly gathered or peruersly recited or craftely handled maliciously mangled hauing either something cut frō it or some more added or els rackt out of his right place or wrasted to a wrōg meaning which the place geueth not or els whych some other place folowing doth better expound declare This false malitious dealing hath alwayes bene a common practise amongst Gods enemies from the beginning to falsifie wrast and depraue all thinges what soeuer maketh not to their faction affection be it neuer so true and iust So began they w t Steuen y e 1. martyr of Iesus Christ The wordes of S. Steuen falsely depraued Act. 6.7 and so haue they continued stil yet do to this present day Long it were to recite but more greuous to behold what spite and falshoode was vsed in the articles of y e Albingenses Waldenses Wickliffe Swinderby Brute Thorpe Armachanus syr Iohn Oldcastle Iohn Hus the Bohemians and such other Which thing if the bookes and places when these Articles were gathered againste them had bene suffered to remayne we might more playnely vnderstand In the meane season as touching these Articles here present for so much as the Bishops owne Registers haue offered them vnto vs and doe yet remaine with the selfe same bookes from whence they be excerpted I shall therefore desire thee frendly reader first to cōsider the Articles and laye them with the places which the Registers themselues doe assigne and then iudge thy selfe what is to bee thought thereof The Articles gathered out of the foresayd bookes wyth the Bishops decree prefixed before the same is as here vnder followeth A publike Instrument by the Byshops for the abolishing of the Scripture and other bookes to be 〈◊〉 English IN the name of God Amen Be it knowen to all and singulare true A writing of the Bishops agaynst Englishe books and faithfull people to whome these present letters testimoniall or this present publicke and authenticke instrument shall come to be seene reade hearde or vnderstande and whome this vnder wrytten shall or may teache or appertaine vnto in any maner of wise in time to come William by the sufferaunce of almightye God Archbishop of Caunterburie Primate of all the Realme of Englande sendeth greeting in our Lorde God euerlasting We signifie vnto you all and let you well wit and know by these presents that the king our soueraigne Lorde hearing of many bookes in the English tongue containing many detestable errours and damnable opinions printed in the parties beyond the Seas to be brought into diuers townes and sondrye parties of this his Realme of Englande and sowen abroade in the same to the great decay of our faith Catholicke and perillous corruption of hys people vnlesse speedy remedy were briefely prouided hys highnesse willinge euermore to employ all his studie and mynde in the high degree which almighty God hath called hym vnto to the wealth of his subiectes that they might liue not only in tranquillitie and peace but also be kept pure and cleane of all contagion and wrong opinions in Christes Religion considering also that he being defendour of the faith woulde be full loth to suffer such euill seede sowne amongst his people and so take roote that it might ouergrowe the corne of the Catholicke doctrine before spronge in the soules of hys subiectes for the repellinge of suche booke calling vnto him of his great goodnesse gratious dispositiō not onely certein of the chief prelates clerks of his realm but also of eache Vniuersitie a certaine number of the chiefe learned men proposed such of those bookes as his grace had readye to be read vnto them requiring to heare in that behalfe their aduise and iudgement of them Who both by great diligence and mature deliberation perusing ouer the sayde bookes founde in them manye errours and heresies both detestable and damnable being of such a sort that they were like briefly to corrupt a greate parte of his people if they mighte be suffered to remaine in theyr handes any space gathering also out of them many great errors and pestilent heresies and noting them in wryting to the intente to shewe for what cause they reputed the sayd bookes damnable of which hereafter out of eache booke gathered many do ensue albeit many more there be in the said bookes which bookes totally do swarue full of heresies and detestable opinions Heresies and errours collected by the Byshops out of the booke of Tyndall named the wicked Mammon with the places of the booke annexed to the same Heresies falsly gathered by the Papistes out of wicked Māmon oute of which euery Article is collected 1. FAith onely iustifieth Fol. 59. 1. Article This Article being a principle of the Scripture and the ground of our saluation is playne enoughe by S. Paule and the
22. article Christ sayde to Peter Feede my sheepe Iohn 21. And thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Luke 22. And to his Apostles he sayd Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospell This heresie is onely to the Pope but none at all to God c. Againe S. Paule 1. Corinth 1. sayth That Christ sent him not to baptise but to preache To what other office or function he sent the Pope let thē iudge which consider the Scriptures 23 If thou binde thy selfe to chastitie to obteyne that whyche Christ purchased for thee so surely art thou an Infidell fol. 175. 23 article Reade and conferre the place of Tindall which is thys Chastitie canst thou not geue to God further then God lendeth it thee The place annexed If thou canst not liue chaste thou art boūd to marry or to be damned c. For to what purpose thou bendest thy selfe must be seene If thou do it to obteyne thereby that which Christ hath purchased for thee so art thou an Infidell Chastitye and hast no parte with Christ. If thou wilt see more of this matter looke in Deuteronomy and there shalt thou finde it more largely intreated c. 24 He denieth rebuketh and damneth miracles fol. 176. 24. article The words in Tindals Obedience be these And when they crie miracles The place annexed Miracles how farre to be beleued miracles remember that God hathe made an euerlasting Testamente whiche is in Christes bloud against which we may receiue no miracles no neither the preaching of Paule himselfe if he come agayne by his owne teaching to the Galathians neither yet by the preaching of the Aungels of heauen c. The end of Gods miracles is good the end of these miracles is euill For the offerings which are the cause of the miracles do but minister and maintaine vice sinne and all abhomination and are geuen to them that haue too much so that for very aboundance they some out theyr owne shame and corrupt the whole world with the stinch of their filthines c. 25 He sayth that no man should serue God with good intent or zeale 25. article for it is playne Idolatry fol. 177. The place is this in the Obedience Remember Saule was cast away of God for euer for his good intente God requireth obedience vnto his word The place annexed Good intentes without Gods word God abhorreth and abhorreth all good intents and good zeales which are without Gods worde for they are nothing else but playne Idolatry and woorshipping of false Gods c. ¶ Heere followe other heresies and errours collected by the Byshops out of the booke called the Reuelation of Antichrist with the places of the booke out of the which they were gathered annexed to the same 1. TO binde a man perpetually to any vowe of Religion is without doubt an errour fol. 19. Articles out of the booke called the reuelation of Antichrist The place of the booke called the Reuelation whence this Article is gathered is this as foloweth Whiche the Fathers did neither make nor keepe he meaneth vowes but with the libertie of the spirite binding no man perpetually to them For if they did without doubt they erred according to mans fragilitie 2 To say the constitutions of Religion are good because holy men did ordeyne them 2. article as Augustine Benedict Fraunces Dominicke and such other and to folow such examples of Fathers is to leaue the fayth fol. 19. The place of the article is this But they obiect the statutes and ordinances are good Holy men did make them The place annexed as Augustine Benedict Bernard Fraunces Dominicke and such other To this I aunswer That is euen it that Christ and the Apostles did meane that these works shuld be like to those things which are taught in the Gospell for that they call counterfeiting of the doctrine and priuily bringing in of sectes and heresies because they take only of the fathers examples of workes and leaue the faith c. 3 All morall diuines haue a wicked conscience full of scrupulositie 2. Pet. 2. fol. 3. 3. article Morall diuines be they whose doctrine and hope of saluation consisteth in morall vertues rather then in christian faith apprehending the free promises of God in Christ. And they that be such can neuer be certified in conscience of their saluation but alwayes be full of feare and scrupulositie S. Paule therefore sayeth It is therefore of faith that it might come by grace and y e promise might be firme and sure to the whole seede Rom. 4. Rom. 4. 4 Morall vertues as iustice temperance strength chastitie described by naturall reason maketh a Synagogue ◠article and corrupteth Christes fayth fol. 64. The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuelation is this So many he the Pope he meaneth corrupteth as he hath subdued and led vnder his lawes and imperie The place annexed And who is he in the world that is not subiect vnder him except they be infants or peraduenture some simple persons which are reserued by the inscrutable counsell and prouision of God O thou man of sinne O thou sonne of perdition O thou abhomination O thou corrupter O thou author of euill consciences O thou false maister of good consciences O thou enemie of faith and christen libertie who is able to rehearse yea or to comprehend in his mind the infinite waues of this monstrous * By this king he meaneth the king of 〈◊〉 which Daniell speaketh of 〈◊〉 the 8. chapter Kings euils If he had ordeined these his lawes in those workes of vertues that are commended in the ten precepts or else in such as the philosophers and naturall reason did describe as are iustice strength temperance chastitie mildnes truth goodnes and such other peraduenture they shoulde only haue made a Sinagoge or else haue ordeyned in the world a certaine ciuill iustice for through these also fayth should haue bene corrupted as it was amōgst the Iewes Howbeit nowe hee keepeth not himselfe within these boundes but runneth at riot and more at large raising infinite tempests of mischiefe entising and drawing vs to ceremonies and his owne fayned traditions and bindeth vs like asses and ignorant fooles yea and stockes vnto them c. 5 Christ tooke away all lawes and maketh vs free and at liberty and most of all he suppresseth all ceremonies fol. 65.63 5. article The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuelation is this Christ taking away all lawes to make vs free The place annexed and at libertie did most of all suppresse and disanull the ceremonies which did consist in places persons garmēts meates dayes and such other so that their vse shoulde be to all men most free and indifferent c. What he meaneth by taking away all lawes he declareth a little before saieng he hath not deliuered vs from the law but from the power violence
adherents do pursue therefore the Pope Byshops and Cardinals and their adherents are Antichrists I weene our Sillogismus be well made fol. 9. The place annexed The place of this Article gathered out of the Reuela is this I will shew thee an euident reason that thou mayst know without doubting which is the very Antichrist and this argument may be grounded of their furious persecution which Paul doth confirme writing to the GalathiaÌ„s We deare brethren are the children oâ— promise as Isaac was not the sonnes of the bond woman as Ismaell but as he that was borne aâ—ter the flesh did persecute him that was borne after y e spirite euen so is it now Mark Paules reason By Isaac are signified the elect and by Ismaell the reprobate Isaac did not persecute Ismaell but contrarye Ismaell did persecute Isaac Now let vs make our reasoÌ„ Bar All they that do persecute are Ismaell be reprobates and Antichristes ba But all the popes Cardinals bishops Maior and theyr adherentes do persecute ra Therefore all the popes cardinals bishops Minor their adherents be Ismaell reprobates and Antichristes I weene our Sillogismus is well made and in the first figure Read the place and see how he proueth the partes of this argument more at large Conclusio 13 I thinke verily that so long as the successours of the Apostles were persecuted and martyred 13. article there were good Christen men and no longer fol. 10. The Bishops of Rome in the primitiue Churche were vnder persecution the space welneare of 300. yeares vnder y e which persecution as good as 30. of them and moe dyed martyrs Since that time haue succeeded 204. popes whiche haue liued in great wealth and aboundance amongest whom if the booke of Reuelation thinke that there is not 4. to be found good christen men I thinke no lesse but that he may so thinke without any heresie 14 It is impossible that the worde of the Crosse shoulde be without affliction and persecution fol. 10. 14. article S. Paule sayth 2. Tim. 3. who soeuer will liue vertuously in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution And how then caÌ„ this be true in Paule and in this man heresie 15 That the Apostles did curse euer anye man 15. article truely we can not read in scripture for Christ commaunded them to blesse those that cursed them fol. 11. Upon what good ground of the ReuelatioÌ„ this heresie is wroung out let the place be conferred The place annexed which is written in these wordes following They are as mercifull as the Woolfe is on his pray They were ordeyned to blesse men but they curse as the deuill were in them Paule sayth that he hath power to edifie and not to destroy 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 13. But I wot not of whom these bloudy beastes haue their authority which do so much reioyce in cursing destruction We reade how Paule did excoÌ„municate the Corinthian and y t for a great transgressioÌ„ to the entent that he might be ashamed of his iniquity 1. Cor. 5. and desired agayne the Corinthians to receaue hym with all charitie 2. Cor. 2. but that the Apostles did curse anye man truely we can not read in scripture for Christ commaunded them to blesse those that cursed them and to pray for those that persecuted them c. 16 By workes superstitions and ceremonies we decay from the faith which alone doth truely iustifie and make holy fol. 15. 16. article Note here good reader how peruersly corruply this article is drawne For where the place of this book which is written fol. 15. expresly speaketh of trusting to workes meaning that we should put no confidence in workes but onely in fayth in Christ Iesus False wrasting this article to make it appeare more infamous and hereticall leaueth out the false trust and speaketh simply as though workes should decay fayth Read the place which is written in these wordes folowing Daniell calleth not this word Peschaim any maner of sinne but those speciall and chiefe sinnes whiche resist and fight agaynst the truth and the fayth as at the trusting in workes superstitions and ceremonies by y e which we decay from the fayth c. 17 The abusion of the Masse with all his solemnityes with vigils yeare mindes foundations burials 17. article and all the busines that is done for the dead is but a face and a cloke of godlynes and deceiuing of the people as they were good workes rather for the dead then for the quicke fol. 24. True godlines consisteth in fayth that is in the true knowledge of the sonne of God whom he hath sent and in y e obseruation of Gods coÌ„maundements All their rites additions instituted by man are no part of true godlines And who so putteth trust and confidence therein as being thinges meritorious for the dead is deceiued Suche funerals S. Austen calleth rather refreshinges of the liuing then releuinges and helpes of the dead 18 To keep and obserue one day to fast an other to abstaine to forbeare such a meate vpon the fasting day to deserue heauen therby is a wicked face and cloke agaynst Paul fol. 29. 18. Article The trueth of this article is manifest enough to be voyd of all errour and heresie vnlesse it be heresie to beleue and hold w t the scripture s. Paule sayth Galat. 2. if heauen our righteousnes come by the law then Christ died in vayne Gal. 2. 19. article 19 The multiplication of holydayes of feastes of Corpus Christi of the visitation of our Lady c. is a wicked face and colour and in deede foolish vnprofitable and vayne fol 30. This Article likewise nedeth no declaration conteining in it a true and necessary complaint of suche superfluous holydayes of the Popes making Which as they bring with them much occasion of wickednes idlenes dronkennesse and vanitie so hauing also ioined vnto them opinion of religion and meritorious deuotion and Gods seruice they gender superstition nourish the people in the same 20 Keeping of virginitie and chastitie of religion is a diuelishe thing 20 article fol. 30. The place cited in the booke of the Reuelation of Antichrist A other place falsly depraued by the Papistes doth sufficiently open it selfe speaking and meaning onely of those Monkishe vowes whiche by the canonicall constitution of the Pope are violeÌ„tly forced vpon Priests and Monkes the coaction whereof S. Paule doth rightly call the doctrine of deuils And here note by y e way another tricke of a Popishe cauiller For where the wordes of the booke speake plainely of the chastitie of the religious fraudulently turning it to an vniuersalitie sayeth the chastitie of Religion whereby it might seeme to the simple reader more odious hereticall The words of the place be these Keeping of virginitie chastitie of the religious semeth to be a godly and a heauenly thing but it is a
much vnlike so in matters of religion and in discerning truth from falshood their zeale seemed not much discrepant Although the light of the Gospell did not so fully then shine out as in the time of this latter Duke the Lord be praysed therfore yet the wisedome and towardnes of y e other Duke also touching the same was not vtterly vnworthy of his commendation A false miracle detected by Duke Humfrey of Glocester For the more manifest declaration whereof amongest many other his godly doinges we may take for example the prudent and famous acte of that noble Duke in descerning and trying out the false lying miracle and popish hipocrisie of the blinde begger at S. Albons mentioned in his story before pag. 679. For the whiche cause and for his dilligent studye in reforming that and such other blinde abuses of fayned Religion he was the more hated of the spiritualtie and suche as Winchester then was Finally as thys Lorde Protector Duke of Somerset the kinges vncle by certayne of the Counsayle was then accused arraigned cōdemned for the trespasse as it was geuen forth of felonie although I neuer heard he murdered or robbed any so the other vncle of king Henry the 6. was made away The testimonye of M. William Tindall of good Duke Humfrey The happy successe of the Duke of Somerset in his victoryes Of whose decease thus writeth Mayster W. Tindall in his practise of Prelaets At y e last they found the meanes to contriue a drift to bring their matters to passe made a Parliamēt far from the Citizens of Londō where was slayne the sayd good Duke the onely wealth of the Realme and y e mighty shield which so long had kept it from sorowe which shortly after his death fell vpon thē by heapes But the Chronicles sayth he cannot tel wherfore he dyed nor by what meanes Neuertheles this they testifie that he was a vertuous man godly and good to the common wealth But to leaue Duke Humfrey and to return to the maners and vertues of the Duke of Somerset whiche before we were about to describe as he was a gentle and courteous Duke at home so was he no lesse fortunate a Captain in warfare abroad Gods chastisement vpon the Duke of Somerset Under whose gouernment guidyng not onely diuers rebellious commotions were happily suppressed here at home but also abroad in the expedition of Scotland such a victory was geuen him of God that w t the losse scarse of sixe hundred of his own men there were of the enemies as good or little lesse then x. thousand slayn and put to flight and euen the very same day and tyme in the which all the Idolatrous Images were here burnt at London And yet al these warres notwithstanding wherunto he was agaynst his will compelled he was a man of nature singularly geuen to peace as may be seene by the sweete and peaceable exhortation by him set forth in print before and sent to the realme of Scotland But as there is nothing in this worlde so perfect in all respectes which is not blotted or darckned with some spot of vice adioyned withal so amongst the manifold commēdations of this Duke one thinge there was too whiche both desteyned his honour and estimation much and also more empayred and hindered his owne life safety which was that he in condescending to the death of his brother followed too rashly the perswasion of certayne whosoeuer they were for that matter lacked not perchaunce some singular fetche and pollicie of some more craftely then godly disposed persons as many good men haue supposed But what soeuer of that matter is to be deemed credible it is that the said Duke in suffering or procuring this death of his brother not only endamaged himselfe weakened his own power but also prouoked the chastisement of Gods scourge and rod which did so light vpon him Furthermore as touching the death and decay of the Lord Henry Earle of Surrey who suffered also at the Tower next before the Lord Admirall the Lorde Protectours brother because the casting of him was so neare to the death of King Henry The beheading of the Earle of Surrey as I know not vpon whome or what cause the same did proceede so I passe it ouer and leaue it to the Lord. Notwithstanding as for the Duke of Somerset whatsoeuer his other vices and vertues were this is certayne that his ende the Lord so working wyth him was constant in Christes truth as his life was before a great maintenance of the same Moreouer on the xxvj day of February in the same yeare was sir Rafe Uane Syr Rafe Vane Syr Myles Partrige Syr Michael Stanhop and Syr Thomas Arundell suffered at Tower hyll sir Miles Partrige both hāged at the Tower hill And sir Michaell Stanhop sir Thomas Arundell beheaded vppon the scaffold all which four were condemned by the saide Acte of vnlawfull assemblie and as accessaries vnto the Duke of Somerset Not long after the death of the Duke of Somerset in the next yeare folowing deceassed the King himselfe about the moneth of Iune whereof more shall be said the Lord graunting in his due order and course heereafter In the meane season before we come to close vp the latter end and story of this good King the place heere present seemeth not vnfitte to intermixt by the way a few other things before Religion hindered by discorde hapning within the time of his reigne namely concerning matters incident of the Church of Religiō Which state of Religion begā wel to grow to come happely forward during this Kings daies had not the vnhappy troubles of the outward state amongst the Lords not agreeing within themselues disquieted the good towardnes of things begon But the malice of the diuell how subtilly worketh it if men could see it So long as the Lordes agreed in concord among themselues Winchester and Boner with all that faction was cut short and began to condescend to good cōformitie But afterward perceauing the states and nobles of the Realme to be amōg themselues diuided and y e Lord Protectour the Kings vncle displaced and his brother the Admirall before beheaded and the yong King now left in that case they begā vpon some hope to take more hart vnto them Discorde what decay it worketh in a common wealth till at last it came to passe as they themselues desired And thus though nothing else will leade vs yet experience may teach vs what discorde worketh in publicke weales and contrary what a necessary thing concord is to the aduancemēt especially of Gods matters apperteining to his Church Examples whereof in this Kings daies be not farre to seeke For as touching the successe of the Gospell of peace D. Smyth Chadsey Standish Younge Oglethorpe reclaymed from their errours while publicke peace and the Gospel did ioine together marueilous it was how errour Popery were in themselues confounded and ashamed
places of the holy Scripture 7. Inconueniences come of the reall peesence Secondly it varieth from the articles of the faith Thirdly it destroyeth and taketh awaye the institution of the Lordes supper Fourthly it maketh precious thinges common to prophane and vngodly persones for it casteth that whyche is holy vnto dogs and pearles vnto swine Fiftly it forceth men to maintaine many moÌ„struous miracles without necessitie and authoritie of Gods worde Sixtly it geueth occasion to the heretickes which erred concerning the two natures in Christe to defend their heresies thereby Seuenthly it falsifieth the sayings of the godly fathers it falsifieth also the Catholike Faith of the Church whyche the Apostles taught the martyrs confirmed and the faithfull as one of the Fathers sayeth doe retaine and keepe vntill this day Wherefore the second parte of mine argument is true The probation of the antecedent or former part of this argument by the partes thereof THis carnall presence is contrary to the worde of God as appeareth The 7. inconueniences declared by partes Iohn 16. I tell you the trueth It is profitable to you that I goe away for if I goe not away the comfortour shall not come vnto you Actes 3. Whome the heauens must receaue vntill the time of restoring of all thinges which God hath-spoken The first inconuenience Math. 9. The children of the Bridegrom cannot mourne so long as the Bridegrome is with them But nowe is the time of mourning Iohn 16. But I will see you againe and your heartes shall reioyce The reall presence against the scripture Iohn 14. I will come againe and take you to my selfe Math. 24. If they shall say vnto you behold here is Christ or there is Christe beleeue them not for wheresoeuer the deade carcase is thither the Eagles will resort 2. The real presence agaynst the Articles of the fayth It varyeth from the articles of the faith He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the Father From whence and not from any other place sayeth S. Augustine he shall come to iudge both the quicke and the deade 3. It destroyeth the institution of the Lordes supper It destroyeth and taketh awaye the institution of the Lordes supper which was commaunded onely to be vsed and continued vntill the Lorde himselfe shoulde come If therefore he be nowe really present in the body of his flesh then must the supper cease For a remembraunce is not of a thing present but of a thing past and absent And there is a difference betwene remembraunce and presence and as one of the Fathers sayeth A figure is in vaine where the thing figured is present It maketh precious things common to prophane and vngodly persons constraineth men to confesse many absurdities 4. It prophaneth thinges holy and precious gendreth absurdities For it affirmeth that whoremongers and murtherers yea and as some of them hold opinion the wicked and faithles mise rattes dogs also may receiue the verye real and corporal body of the Lord wherin the fulnes of the spirite of light and grace dwelleth contrary to the manifest wordes of Christ in sixe places sentences of the sixt chap. of S. Iohn It confirmeth also and maintaineth that beastly kinde of crueltie of the Anthropophagi that is the deuourers of mans flesh for it is a more cruel thing to deuoure a quicke man Anthropophagi are a kinde of brutishe people that feed on mans flesh then to slay him Pie He requireth time to speake blasphemies Leaue your blasphemies Rid. I had little thought to haue hadde such reprochefull woordes at your handes West All is quiet Goe to the arguments M. Doctor Rid. I haue not many moe things to say West You vtter blasphemies with a most impudent face leaue off I say and get you to the argument Rid. It forceth men to maintaine many monstrous myracles wythout all necessitie and authoritie of Gods worde 5. It maintayneth monstrous myracles without â—â—â—cessitiâ— For at the comming of thys presence of the body and flesh of Christ they thrust away the substaunce of breade and affirme that the accidents remayne without any subiect and in the stead thereof they place Christes body wythout hys qualities and the true maner of a bodye And if the Sacrament be reserued so long vntill it mould wormes breede some say that the substance of bread miraculously returneth againe and some deny it All the 〈◊〉 that foloâ—â—eth 〈◊〉 read because the prolocutâ—â— made post hast to the argument By this deâ—uise of 〈◊〉 comitance the Papistâ— imagine 〈◊〉 much to receaued vnder 〈◊〉 kinde as both 6. It geueâ— occasion to heretickes 7. It falsifiâ—eth the saâ—â—inges of 〈◊〉 old doctor Other some affirme y t the real body of Christ goeth downe into y e stomacke of the receiuers doth there abide so long only as they shall continue to be good but another sort hold that the body of Christ is caried into heaueÌ„ so soone as the formes of bread be brused wyth the teeth O works of miracles Truely most truly I see that fulfilled in these men whereof S. Paule prophecied 2. Thess. 2. Because they haue not receiued the loue of the trueth that they might be saued God shall sende them strong delusions that they shoulde beleeue lies and be all damned which haue not beleeued the truth This grosse presence hath brought foorth that fonde phantasie of concomitaunce whereby is broken at this day and abrogated the commandement of the Lord for the distributing of the Lordes cuppe to the laitie It geueth occasion to heretickes to maintaine and defend their errours as to Martion which sayd that Christ had but a phantasticall bodye and to Eutiches which wickedly confounded the two natures in Christ. Finally it falsifieth the sayings of the godly fathers and the Catholicke faith of the church which Vigilius a Martyr and graue wryter sayeth was taught of the Apostles confirmed wyth the bloude of Martyrs and was continually maintained by the faithful vntil his tyme. By the sayings of the fathers I meane of Iustine Irenee Tertullian Origene Eusebius Emisene Athanasius Cyrill Epyphanius Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Vigilius Fulgentius Bertram and others most auncient fathers All those places as I am sure I haue read making for my purpose so am I well assumed that I coulde shewe the same if I myght haue the vse of mine owne bookes whiche I will take on me to doe euen vpon the pearill of my life and the losse of all that I maye lose in thys world But now my brethren thinke not because I disalow that presence which this first proposition maintaineth as a presence which I take to be forged phantasticall and besides the authoritie of Gods worde pernitiously broughte into the Church by the Romanistes that I therefore go about to take away the true presence of Christes body in his Supper rightly and duely ministred The true presence of Christes bâ—â—dy in the Supper
Queene Mary and her childe turned out of Latin into Englishe and ineuitable malediction and hast enioyned them that they should conceiue in sinne and beyng conceiued should be subiect to many and grieuous tormentes and finally be deliuered with the danger and ieopardy of their lyfe We beseech thee for thine exceeding great goodnes and bottomlesse mercy to mittigate the straightnes of that law Asswage thine anger for a while and cherish in the bosome of thy fauour and mercye our most gracious Queene Mary beyng now at the poynt of her deliuerance So helpe her that without danger of her lyfe she may ouercome the sorow and in due season bring forth a chyld in body beautifull and comely in mynd noble and valiant So that afterward she forgetting the trouble may with ioy laude prayse the bountifulnesse of thy mercy Anno 1554. Ianuary and together with vs praise and blesse both thee and thy holy name world withouten ende This Oh Lord we desire thee we beseeche thee and most hartily craue of thee Heare vs oh Lord and graunt vs our petition Let not the enemies of thy faith and of thy Church say Where is theyr God ¶ A solemne prayer made for king Phillip and Queene Maries childe that it may be a male chylde welfauoured and wittie c. A deuout prayer made by the Catholickes for Q Mary being great quicke with childe O Most mighty Lord God which regardest the prayer of the humble and despisest not their request bowe downe from thine high habitation of the heauens the eies of thy mercy vnto vs wretched sinners bowing y e knees of our hartes and with many and deepe sighes bewayling oure sinnes offences humbly with eyes intent hands displayed praying beseeching thee with the shield of thy protection to defend Mary thy seruant and our Queene who hath none other helper but thee and whom through thy grace thou hast willed to be conceiued with chyld and at the time of her trauaile graciously with the helpe of thy right hand deliuer her and from all danger with the child in her conceiued mercifully preserue It hath seemed good in thy sight mercifull Father by thy seruaunt Mary to worke these woÌ„ders that is to say in her hands to vanquish and ouerthrow the stout enemy to deliuer vs thy people out of the hands of * The Papistes call the Protestantes hereticks and enemies to the crosse of Christ euen as Achab called Elias the disturber of â—sraell when he was onely the disturber himselfe heretikes Infidels enemies to thee and to the crosse of thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ that of thy seruaunt thou mightest speake in farre countreys Therefore for these wonderfull workes which thou doest to thy seruaunts thou art magnified Lord God for euer and we thy people blesse thee the God of heauen which hast wrought vpon vs this great mercy and hast excluded from vs the heretike the enemy of truth the persecuter of thy church We know we know that we haue grieuously Lord sinned that we haue bene deceiued by vanitie and that we haue forsaken thee our God Our iniquities be multiplied on our head and our sinnes be increased vp to heauen and we our selues haue offended and our princes our priests for these our sinnes haue deserued an hypocrite to our prince our sinnes haue deserued a Tyrant to our Gouernour that should bryng our lyfe to bitternes We be not worthy to haue so gentle and mercifull a Queene so godly a ruler finally so vertuous a prince at the very beginning of whose raigne a new light as it were of Gods religion seemed to vs for to spring rise Q. Mary compared of the Papistes to Q. Iudith The Iews did blesse y e widow Iudith with one voice saying Thou art the glory of Ierusalem thou art the ioy of Israell thou art the honor of our people for that thou hast loued chastity and thou shalt be blessed for euer And we the English people with one agreeable consent do cry Make how forgetting his prayer he falleth to the praysing of Q Mary Thou Mary art the glory of England our ioy the honour of thy people for that thou hast embraced chastitie thine heart is strengthened for the hand of our Lord hath comforted thee and therfore thou shalt be blessed for euer But bow downe O most mercifull Father thine eare and open thine eyes and behold our affliction and our humble confession Thou knowest Lord that against Phillip not by humane but by thy ordinaunce our king and against thy seruaunt Mary by thy prouidence our Queene the restorers and maintainers of thy Testament of the faith most constaÌ„t defenders of thy church thou knowest I say that against these our two gouernors the enimies of thy holy * The TestameÌ„t setteth vp onely the glory of Christ. Testament of the Church thy spouse be most ranke Rebels and spitefull murmurers walking after their lustes whose mouth speaketh wordes of pride to the end they may set vp the kingdome of heretikes schismatikes By the power of their handes they would * If the chaunging of Gods promises destroying his inheritance stopping the mouthes of Gods people if contentions warres and schismes be tokens of heretickes who so great heretickes as the papists be chaunge thy promises and destroy thine inheritaunce and stop and shut vp the mouthes of them y t praise thee and extinguish the glory of thy catholike Church and aultar It is manifest and plaine how many contentioÌ„s how many conspiracies and seditions how great wars what tumults how many how great troublesome vexations how many heresies schismes for these be the most ready deuises and euident tokens of heretickes for our sinnes do hang ouer vs if thy seruant be taken from this life for we acknowledge that our Lord is omnipotent who hath pitched his dwellyng place in the midst of his people to y e intent to deliuer vs out of y e hands of our enemies Turne therfore thy countenance vnto vs shew vnto vs O Lord thy face Punish vs for our sinnes according to thy will pleasure onely now deliuer vs. We bowing the knees of our hart beseech thee that thou wilt not reserue vnto vs punishment for euer we shall prayse thee all the days of our life Heare our cry and the praier of thy people open to them the treasure of thy mercy thy gracious sauour the spring of liuely water Thou that hast begon make in the hand of the seruaunt a perfect worke Suffer not we pray thee the * Cry 〈◊〉 lowder 〈◊〉 Priest◠〈…〉 your God a sleepe The Lordâ— gaue a 〈◊〉 to Sâ—â—ra 〈◊〉 Eliâ—zabeth so did he noâ— to Q Maâ—â— faythlesse rebels to say of thy seruaunt and her Counsellours that they haue deuised matters which they cannot performe And graunt vnto thy seruant an happy and an easie trauail For it is not impossible to thy power nor indecent to thy
that saueth the Christian man in Christe and doubtlesse the scarcitie of Faith is nowe more and will I feare encrease then it was in the time of the greatest tyrannes that euer were and no marueil why Faith more scarser now then in the old time vnder Tyrauntes Read ye the 6. chap. of s. Iohns Reuelation and ye shall perceiue amongest other thinges y t at the opening of the fourth Seale came out a pale horse and hee that sate vpon him was called death and hell followed hym This horse is the time wherin hipocrites and dissemblers entred into the Churche vnder the pretence of true Religion The pale horse in the Apocalips chap. 6. what it meaneth Mo soules slaine by Monkes and Fryers c. then bodyes by Tytantes as Monkes Friers Nounes Massing Priestes wyth suche other that haue killed moe soules with heresie and superstition then all the tyrannes that euer were killed bodies w t fire sword or banishment as it appeareth by hys name that sitteth vpon y e horse who is called death for all soules that leaue Christe and trust to these hypocrites liue to the deuill in euerlasting paine as is declared by him that foloweth the pale horse which is hell These pretensed and pale hypocrites haue stirred the earthquakes The 6. chapt of the Apocalips opened that is to witte the Princes of the worlde against Christes church haue also darkened the Sunne and made the Moone bloudy and haue caused the Starres to fal from heauen that is to say haue darkned with mists and daily doe darken as ye heare by theyr Sermons the cleare sunne of Gods most pure worde the Moone which be Gods true Preachers whych fetche onely lighte at the Sunne of Gods word are turned into bloud prisons and chaines that theyr light can not shine vnto the worlde as they woulde whereuppon it commeth to passe that the Starres that is to say Christian people fall from heauen that is to wit from Gods most true woorde to hypocrisie most deuilish superstition and Idolatrie Let some learned man shew you al the articles of your beliefe monuments of Christian faith from the time of Christ hitherto and yee shall perceiue that there was neuer mention of suche articles as these hypocrites teach God blesse you and pray for me as I do for you Out of the Fleete by your brother in Christ Iohn Hooper To maister Ferrar Bishop of S. Dauies D. Tailor M. Bradford and M. Philpot prisonners in the kings benche in Southwarke THe grace of God be with you Amen I am aduertised by diuers An other letter of M. Hooper as well such as loue the truthe as also by suche as yet be not come vnto it that ye and I shal be caried shortly to Cābridge there to dispute in the faith and for the religion of Christ which is most true that we haue and doe professe I am as I doubt not ye be in Christ readie not only to goe to Cambridge but also to suffer by Gods helpe Commission geuen out for M. Hooper and other to dispute at Cambridge death it selfe in the maintenaunce thereof Weston and his complices haue obtained foorth the commission already and spedily most like he wil put it in execution Wherfore deare brethren I doe aduertise you of the thing before for diuers causes The one to comfort you in the Lorde that the tyme draweth nigh and is at hand that we shall testifie before Gods enemies Gods truth The next that ye shoulde prepare your selues the better for it The third to shew you what wayes I think were best to vse our selues in this matter and also to hear of euery one of you your better aduise if mine be not good Ye knowe such as shall be Censors and Iudges ouer vs breath and thirst our bloud and whether we by Gods help ouercome after the word of God or by force and subtiltie of our aduersaries be ouercome this will be the conclusion our aduersaries wil say they ouercome and ye perceiue howe they reporte of those great learned men and godly personages at Oxforde Wherefore I minde neuer to aunsweare them except I haue bookes present The counsell of M. Hooper how and vpon what cautions to dispute with the aduersaries because they vse not onely false allegation of the Doctors but also a peece of the Doctors against the whole course of the Doctors minde The next that we may haue sworne Notaries to take things spoken indifferently which will be very harde to haue for the aduersaries will haue the ouersight of all thinges and then make theirs better then it was our worse then it was Then if we see that two or three or more will speake together or with scoffes and tauntes illude and mocke vs I suppose it were best to appeale to be hearde before the Queene and the whole Counsaile and that would much set foorth the glory of God For many of them knowe already the truthe many of them erre rather of zeale then malice and the others that be indurate shoulde be aunsweared fully to their shame I doubte not althoughe to oure smart and bloudshedding For of this I am assured that the Commissioners appoynted to heare vs and iudge vs meane nothynge lesse then to heare the cause indifferently for they be ennemies vnto vs vnto our cause and be at a poynt already to geue sentēce against vs so that if it were possible with S. Stephen to speak so that they could not resist vs or to vse suche silence pacience as Christ did they will proceede to reuenging Wherefore my deare brethren in the mercy of Iesus Christe I would be glad to knowe your aduise this day or to morowe for shortly we shall be gone and I verily suppose that we shall not cōpanie together but be kept one abroade from an other They will denie our appeale yet let vs chalenge the appeale and take witnesse thereof of suche as be present and require for indifferencie of hearing and iudgement to be heard either before the Queene and the Counsaile or els before all the Parliament as they were vsed in king Edwardes dayes Further for my part I will require both bookes and time to answere Wee haue bene prisoners now three quarters of a yeare and haue lacked oure bookes and oure memorie by close keeping and ingratitude of their partes be not as present and quicke as theirs be I trust God will be with vs yea I doubt not but he will and teache vs to doe all thinges in hys cause godly and cōstantly If our aduersaries that shal be our iudges may haue their purpose we shall dispute one day be condemned the next day and suffer the third day Note how◠the Papist◠proceed agaynst all order and law And yet is there no law to condemne vs as farre as I knowe and so one of the Conuocation house sayde this weeke to Doct. Weston To whome Weston made this answere It forceth not quoth
I beleeue it to be true Here also others tooke occasion to aske hym for that he denyed the Byshop of Romes authoritie in England whether Linus Anacletus and Clement that were Byshops of Rome were not good men and he answered yes and diuers others but sayd he they claimed no more authoritie in England then the Byshop of Caunterbury doth at Rome and I striue not quoth he with the place neyther speake I agaynst the person of the Byshop but agaynst his doctrine which in most poyntes is repugnant to the doctrine of Christ. Thou art an arrogant fellow in deede then sayde the Byshop In what article is the doctrine of the Churche of Rome repugnant to the doctrine of Christ To whome George Marshe answered sayd Oh my Lord I pray you iudge not so of me Wherein the doctrine of the Church of Rome â—â—â—eth I stand nowe vppon the point of my life and death a man in my case hathe no cause to be arrogant neither am I God is my record And as concerning the disagreement of y e doctrine among many other things the Church of Rome erreth in the Sacrament For where Christ in y e institution therof did as well deliuer the cup as the bread saying Drinke ye all of this Marke reporteth that they did drinke of it in like manner S. Paul deliuered it vnto the Corinthians And in y e same sort also was it vsed in the primitiue church by the space of many hundreth yeares Now the Churche of Rome both taketh away one parre of the Sacrament from the Laity Wherefore if I coulde be perswaded in my conscience by Gods worde that it were well done I could gladly yeld in thys poynt Then sayd the Bishop Non disputandum est cum haeretico That is There is no disputing with an heretick So sayth the Turke in his Alcaron that no man must dispute of his lawe And therfore when all his answeres were read hee asked hym whether he would stand to the same beyng as they were sayd he full of heresie or els forsake them and come vnto the catholicke Churche To whom he made this full aunswere and sayde that he held no hereticall opinion but vtterly abhorred at kynd of heresie G. Marsh cleareth himselfe of heresie although they most vntruely so did sclaunder him And hee desired all the people present to beare hym wiâ—nesse if hereafter anye would sclaunder him and say y t he held any greuous heresie that in all Articles of Religion he he held none other opinion then was by law most godly established and publickely taught in England at the death of king Edward the vi and in the same pure Religion and doctrine he would by Gods grace stand liue Leach bidde to stand from Marsh. dye And here the ChauÌ„cellour spake to one Leache which â—tode neare vnto Marshe and bad him stand farther from him for hys presence did him no good This being done the Bishop tooke out a writing of his bosome begaÌ„ to read the sentence of condeÌ„natioÌ„ Sentence of condemnation read agaynst Marsh. but when the bishop had read almost halfe therof the Chauncellour called to him and sayd good my Lord stay stay for if ye proceede any further it will be to late to call it agayne and so the B. stayed Then his popish Priestes and many other of the ignorant people called vpon Marsh The Bishop stayeth in his sentence with many earnest wordes to recant and amongst other one Pulleyn a Shomaker sayd to hym for shame man remember thy selfe and recant They bad him kneele downe and pray and they would pray for him So they kneeled down and he desired them to pray for him and he would pray for theÌ„ The Bishoppe then asked hym agayne whether hee would not haue the Queenes mercy in time Gods mercy preferred before the Queenes mercy and he aunswered hee did gladly desire the same did loue her grace as faythfully as any of them but yet he durst not deny his Sauiour Christ for loosing his mercy euerlasting and so winne euerlasting death Then the Bishop put his spectacles agayne vpon his nose read forward his senteÌ„ce about v. or vi lyues and there againe the Chauncellour with a glauering and smiling countenance called to the B. and sayde The B. proceâ—â—deth in his sentence Yet good my Lord once againe stay for if that word be spoken al is past no relentyng will then serue and the Byshop pulling of his spectacles sayd I would stay and if it would be How sayst thou quoth he wilt thou recant Many of the Priestes and ignoraunt people bad him so do An other stay in reading the sentence and call to God for grace and pulled him by y e sleeue and bad him recant and saue his life To whom he answered I would as fayne to liue as you if in so doyng I shoulde not deny my mayster Christ and agayne he should denye me before his father in heauen So the bishop read out hys sentence vnto the end and straight after sayd vnto him G. Marsh. exhorted to recaÌ„t but could not be turned The B. readeth out the sentence A dogged saying of the Bishop G. Marsh deliuered to the Shiriffes The strayt keeping of Marsh in prison Nowe will I no more praye for thee then I will for a dogge And Marshe answered y t notwithstanding he would pray for his Lordship after this the bishop deliuered him vnto the Sheriffes of the city Then hys late keeper bad him fare well good George w t weeping teares whiche caused y e officers to cary him to a prisoÌ„ at the Northgate where he was very straitly kept vntill the tyme he went to hys death during which tyme he had small comfort or reliefe of any worldly creature For being in y e dongeon or darke prison none y t would hym good could speake w t hym or at least durst enterprise so to doe for feare of accusation and some of the Cittizens which loued him in God for the gospell sake wherof there were but a fewe although they were neuer acquaynted with him would sometime in the euening at a hoale vpon the wall of the City that went into the sayd darcke prisoÌ„ call to him and aske him how he did He would answere them most chearefully that he did well and thanked God most highly that he woulde vouchsafe of his mercy to appoynt him to be a witnes of his truth and to suffer for the same wherein he did most reioyce beseeching him that he would geue him grace not to faynt vnder the Crosse but patiently beare the same to his glorye and comfort of hys Churche The brotherly zeale of good men in comforting G. Marsh. with many other like godly sayinges at sondrye tymes as one that most desired to be with Christ. Once or twise he had money cast him in at the same hole about ten pence at one tyme 2. shillings at an
tell more of this then I can write Therfore deare mother receiue some admonition of one of thy poore children nowe goyng to be burned for the testimonye of Iesus Come agayne to Gods truth come out of Babilon confesse Christ and his true doctrine repent that whiche is past make amendes by declaryng thy repentaunce by the fruites Remember the readings and preachinges of Gods Prophet and true Preacher M Bucer Call to minde the threatninges of God nowe something seene by the children Leauer and others Let the exile of Leauer Pilkinton Grindall Haddon Horne Scorye Ponet c. something awake thee Let the imprisonmēt of thy deare sonnes Cranmer Ridley and Latimer moue thee Consider the Martyrdome of thy chickens Rogers Saunders Taylor And nowe cast not awaye the poore admonition of me goyng to be burned also and to receiue the like crowne of glorye with my fellowes Take to harte Gods calling by vs. Be not as Pharao was for then will it happen vnto thee as it did vnto hym What is that hardnes of hart And what then destructiō eternally both of body and soule Ah therefore good mother awake awake repent repent buskle thy selfe and make hast to turne to the Lord. For els it shal be more easie for Sodome and Gomorra in the daye of iudgement then for thee Oh harden not your hartes Oh stop not your eares to day in hearyng Gods voyce though it be by me a most vnworthy messenger Oh feare the Lord for his anger is begon to kindle Euen now the axe is layd to the roote of the tree You know I prophecied truely to you before the Sweate came what would come if you repēted not your carnall Gospelling And now I tel you before I depart hence that the eares of men will tingle to heare of the vengeaunce of God that will fall vpon you all both Towne and Vniuersitie if you repent not if you leaue not your Idolatrie if you turne not speedely to the Lord if you still be ashamed of Christes truth which you know Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repent Oh you Doctors Bachelers Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen Towne dwellers repent repent repent that you may escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your hartes come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs all say Peccauimus we haue all sinned we haue done wickedly we haue not hearkned to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our desertes but be mercifull to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon our offenses In thine anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lord God of hostes for the glory of thy names sake Spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say where is now their God Oh for thine owne sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy selfe vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in this sort my dearely beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto our father prostrate our selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shall finde mercie Then shall the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercy sake in Christ then shall we heare him speake peace vnto his people God◠mercy 〈◊〉 to Cambridge if it repent For he is gracious mercifull of great pitie compassion he can not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we weepe in the morning yet at night we shall haue our sorow to cease For he is exorable and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather would our conuersion and turning Oh turne you now and conuert yet once agayne I humbly besech you and then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nigh The eye hath not seane the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to conceiue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repent amende our liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if we repent not but be as you were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will leade you on with wicked doers you shall perish in your wickednes your bloud will be vpon your owne heades your part shal be with hypocrites where shal be weepyng gnashyng of teeth ye shal be cast from the face of the Lord for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow wo and miserie shal be both in body and soule to you world without end Oh therefore right deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amende amende your liues depart from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out from Babilon cast of the workes of darkenesse put on Christ confesse his truth be not ashamed of his Gospell prepare your selues to the Crosse drinke of Gods cup before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the day of Iudgement which is at hand and therefore prepare your selues thereto I hartely beseche you And thus I take my vale in aeternum with you in this present life myne owne deare hartes in the Lord. The Lord of mercie be with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kyngdome Amen Amen Out of prison the 11. of Februarie Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To Lankeshire and Cheshire TO all those that professe his name and true Religion of our sauiour Iesus Christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshyre An other letter of M. Bradford to Lankeshire Cheshire and specially to Manchester and specially abiding in Manchester and therabout Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not onely in boundes but also condemned for y e same true religion wisheth mercy and grace peace and increase of all godlines from God the father of all pitty through y e desertes of our Lord Iesus Christ by the working of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I heard it reported credibly my dearely beloued in the Lord that my heauenly father hath thought it good to prouide that as I haue preached his true doctrine and Gospell amongest you by worde so I shall testifie confirme the same by deede That is I shall with you leaue my life whiche by hys prouidence I first receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you and amongest you so so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ whiche exercise this crueltie vpon me I speake in respect of myne offence which is none to themwardes thinke by killing of me amongest you to affray you and others least they shoulde attempt to teach Christ truely or beleue his doctrine hereafter But I doubt not but my heauenly father will be my death more confirme you in his truth for euer And therefore I greatly reioyce to see sathan and his souldiours supplanted
of armes for we are not so able to withstand hym muche lesse to preuayle agaynst him but to beseeche hym to mercifull vnto vs and according to his wonted mercye to deale wyth vs. Rising with Dauid Let vs arise with Dauid and saye Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. i. Enter not into iudgement O Lorde with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no fleshe liuyng shal be iustified Let vs send Embassadours with the Senturion Suing with the Centurion and saye Lorde we are not worthye to come our selues vnto thee speake the word and we shall haue peace Let vs penitently with the Publicane loke downe on the earth Repenting with the Publican knocke our hard hartes to burst them and crye out Oh GOD be mercifull vnto vs wretched sinners Let vs with the lost Sonne returne and saye O Father we haue sinned agaynst heauen and earth Returâ— with thâ— lost 〈◊〉 and before thee we are vnworthy to be called thy children Let vs I say do on this sorte y t is hartily repent vs of our former euill lyfe vnthankfull gospelling past conuert and turne to God w t our whole hartes hoping in his great mercy thorough Christ and hartily calling vppon his holy name and then vndoubtedly we shall finde and feele otherwyse then yet we feele both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly we shall feele peace of conscience betweene God and vs whiche peace passeth all vnderstanding and outwardlye we shall feele muche mittigation of these miseries if not an vtter taking them away Therefore my dearely beloued in the Lorde I youre poorest brother now departing to the Lord Bradfoâ—â— vltimuâ— vale for my vale in aeternum for this present lyfe praye you beseeche you and euen from the verye bottome of my harte for all the mercies of God in Christ shewed vnto you most earnestly begge and craue of you out of prison as often out of your Pulpies I haue done that you wil repent you leaue your wicked and euill life be sorye for your offences and turne to the Lorde whose armes are wide open to receaue and embrace you whose stretched out hande to strike to death stayeth that he may shew mercy vpon you For he is the Lord of mercy and God of all comforte hee will not the death of a sinner but rather that yee shoulde returne conuert and amend He hath no pleasure in the destruction of men The day 〈◊〉 Gods 〈◊〉 at hand his long sufferyng draweth to repentaunce before the tyme of vengeance and the day of wrath which is at hand doth come Now is the axe layd to the roote of the tree vtterly to destroy the impenitente Wanton Gospell Proud Pâ—â—â—testantes False Câ—â—â—â—stians Nowe is the fire gone out before the face of the Lorde and who is able to quenche it Oh therefore repent you repent you It is enough to haue liued as we haue done It is inough to haue pleased the wanton Gospellers the proude Protestantes Hypocriticall and false Chrystians as alas wee haue done Now the Lorde speaketh to vs in mercy and grace Oh turne before hee speaketh in wrathe Yet is there mercye with the Lorde and plenteous redemption yet hee hath not forgotten to shewe mercye to them that call vppon him Oh then call vpon him while he may be found For hee is riche in mercy and plentifull to all them that call vpon hym So that hee that calleth on the name of the Lorde shal be saued If your sinnes be as redde as scarlet the Lord sayeth he will make them as white as snow He hath sworne and neuer will repent hym thereof that he will neuer remember our iniquities but as hee is good faithfull and true so will he be our God and wee shall be his people his law will he write in our hartes engraffe in our myndes and neuer will he haue in mynde our vnrighteousnesse Therefore my deare heartes in the Lorde turne you turne you to y e Lord your Father to the Lord your Sauiour to the Lord your comforter Oh why doe you stoppe your eares and harden your harts â—o day Bradford propheâ—â— of these plagues 〈◊〉 wheÌ„ you heare hys voyce by me your poorest brotâ—â—â— Oh forget not how that the Lord hath shewed hymselâ—â— true and me hys true preacher by bringyng to passe thâ—â—lagues which at my mouth you ofte heard before they came to passe specially when I entreated of Noes floud and when I preached of the 22. chapter of Saint Mathews Gospell on S. Steuens day the last tyme that I was with you And nowe by me the Lord sendeth you worde deare countrey men that if you will go on forwards in your impenitency carnalitie hypocrisie idolatry couetousnesse swearing gluttony dronkennesse whoredome c. Wherewith alas alas our countrey floweth if I say you will not turne and leaue of seyng me now burned amongst you to assure you on all sides how God seeketh you Destructâ—â—â— threatnâ—â— them 〈◊〉 repent and is sory to doe you hurt to plague you to destroy you to take vengeance vpon you oh your bloud wil be vpon your owne heades you haue bene warned and warned againe by me in preaching by me in burning As I sayd therefore I say agayne my deare harts and dearlings in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you cease from doyng euill study to do well Preceptes of lyfe away with idolatry flye the Romish God and seruice leaue of from swearing cut of carnalitie abandon auarice driue away dronkennesse flie from fornication and flattery murther and malice destroy deceiptfulnesse and cast away all the works of darkenes Put on pitie and godlines serue God after his word and not after custome vse your tongs to glorifie God by prayer thankesgeuing and confession of his truth c. be spirituall and by the spirit mortifie carnall affections be sober holy true louyng gentle mercyfull and then shall the Lordes wrath cease not for this our doyngs sake but for his mercies sake Goe to therefore good country men take this counsell of the Lorde by mee nowe sente vnto you as the Lordes counsell and not as mine that in the daye of iudgement I maye reioyce wyth you and for you the which thing I hartely desire and not to be a witnes agaynst you My bloud will crye for vengeaunce as agaynst the Papistes Gods enemies whome I beseech God if it be his will hartely to forgeue yea euen them which put me to death and are the causers therof for they know not what they do so will my bloud cry for vengeaunce agaynst you my dearely beloued in the Lord if ye repent not Bradfordes 〈◊〉 will agaynst 〈…〉 amend not and turne vnto the Lord. Turne vnto the Lord yet once more I hartely besech thee thou Manchester thou Ashton vnderline thou Bolton Bury Wigme Lierpoole Mottrine Stepport Winsley Eccles Priestwich Middleton Radcliefe and thou City of Westchester where I haue truely taught and
Christ haue lesse trow you which hath so bitterly dearely bought it If your husband could not admitte an excuse how your hart is his onely if he should haue taken your body in bed with another do you thinke that Christ will allow your body at Masse although your heart consent not to it â—sal 125. God esteemeth his children not onely of their hartes but of their pure hands and workes Reg 19. 〈…〉 and therefore in Helias tyme he counted none to be his seruants and people but such as had not bowed their knees to Baall as now he doth not in England accompt any other to be his derlings which know the truth in hart and deny it in theyr deeds as do our Masse Gospellers We ought to desire aboue all thyngs the sanctifieng of Gods holy name and the commyng of his kingdom and shall we then see his name blasphemed so horribly as it is at Masse by making it a sacrifice propitiatorie and setting forth a false Christ of the Priests and bakers makyng to be worshipped as GOD and say nothing The Iewes rent their clothes asunder in seeyng or hearing any thyng blasphemously done or spoken against God and shall we yet come to Church where Masse is and be mute Paule and Barnabas rent their clothes to see the people of Lycaonia to offer sacrifice vnto them and shall we see sacrifice and gods seruice done to an inanimate creature and be mumme What thing helpeth more or so much Antichrists kingdom as doth the Masse The Masse destroyeth pâ—eaching and the kingâ—om of Christ. And what destroyeth preachyng and the kyngdome of Christ vpon earth more then it doth And how can we then say Let thy kyngdome come and go to Masse How can we pray before God Thy will be done on earth when we will do our owne will and the will of our father or friendes How pray we Deliuer vs from euill which knowyng the Masse to be euill do come to it But what goe I about to light a candle in the Noone day that is to tell you that we may not go to Masse or to the congregation where it is except it be to reprooue it in that all men in so doyng do but dissemble both with God and man And is dissembling now to be allowed How loÌ„g will men yet halt on both knees saith God Halting sayeth Paule bringeth out of the way that is to say out of Christ which is the way so that he which is not in him shal wither away and be cast into hell fire For Christ will be ashamed of them before his father which be now ashamed of his truth before this wicked generation He diâ—suadeth her â—rom the Masse Therfore my good maistresse take good heed for it had bene better for you neuer to haue knowen the truth and there through to haue escaped from papisticall vncleanes then now to returne to it making eftsoones your meÌ„bers beyng members of righteousnesse members of vnrighteousnesse as you do if you do but goe to the Church where Masse is Be pure therefore and keepe your selfe from all filth of the spirit and of the flesh Abstaine not onely from all euil but from all appearance of euill And so the God of peace shall be with you the glory of God shall gouerne you the spirite of God shall sanctifie you and be with you for euer to keepe you from all euill and to comfort you in all your distresse and trouble which is but short if you consider the eternitie you shall enioy in glory and felicitie in the Lorde which vndoubtedly you shall not fayle but inherite for euer if so be you as the elect chylde of God put your trust in hys mercy call vpon hys name vnfainedly and yeld not ouer to the wicked world but sticke still agaynst it vnto the ende God for his holy names sake which is properly the God of the Widowes be your good and deare Father for euer and helpe you alwayes as I my selfe would bee holpen at hys handes in all thynges and especially in this hys owne cause Amen Amen Iohn Bradford ¶ To one by whome he had receyued much comfort and reliefe in his trouble and imprisonment THe mercy of God in Christ peculiar to hys children A letter of thankes to a good benâ—factour of his be euermore felt of you my derely beloued in the Lord Amen When I consider with my selfe the benefites whiche God hath shewed vnto me by your meanes if I had so good and thankfull a hart as I would I had I could not with dry eies geue him thanks for certainly they are very many and great And now beyng yet still the Lords prisoner I perceiue from him mo benefits by you For y e which I thinke my selfe so much bounde to you my good brother although you were but the instrument by whome God wrought and blessed me that I looke not to come out of your debt by any pleasure or seruice that I shall euer be able to do you in this lyfe I shall hartily praye vnto God therefore to requite you the good you haue done to me for hys sake for I know that which you haue done you haue done it simply in respect of God his word He therefore geue you daily more and more to be coÌ„firmed in his truth and word and so plentifully poure vpon you the riches of his holy spirit and heauenly treasures layd vp in store for you that your corporall and earthly riches may be vsed of you as Sacraments and significations thereof the more to desire the one that is the heauenly the lesse to esteeme the other that is the earthly For Sathans sollicitation is so to set before you the earthly that therein and therby you should not haue accesse to the consideration of the heauenly but as one bewitched should vtterly forget them altogether become a louer and worshipper of the earthlye Mammon and so to fall to couetousnes Châ—ist forsaken of many for the presâ—â—uing of worldly pelfe and a desire to be rich by that meanes to bring you into many noisome and hurtfull lustes as now a dayes I heare of many whiche haue vtterly forsaken God and all his heauenly riches for Antichrists pleasure and the preseruing of theyr worldly pelfe which they imagine to leaue to their posterity wherof they are vncertaine as they may be most certaine they leaue to them Gods wrath and vengeance in his tyme to be sent by visitation if they in tyme hartily repent not preuent not the same by earnest prayer Wherein my good brother if you be diligent harty and perseuere I am sure God will preserue you from euill and from yelding your selfe to do as the world now doth by allowyng in bodily fact in the Romish seruice that which the inward cogitation and mynd doth disallow But if you be cold in prayer and come into consideration of earthly present things simply then shall you fall into faithlesse