WArres caused by the Pope and when 5 Worship of Saintes merites of saints their force in penaunce 34 Worshippers of thēselues at Spires 34 Welles chaunged into wine 44 Winter a boy 50 Vaunt of good workes 29 Without merites nothing 32 Saint Valentine his vertue 38 Saint Vincent his vertue 38 Vintners worshippers of s Vrban 38 Wine chaunged into the bloud of Christ Water chaunged into wine S. Vitus his vertue his feast and worship 38 Saint Vrban his feast worship and vertue 38 Vrsula 38 S. Wendelin his vertue and aide 38 S. Wolfgang his vertue and ayde 38 Whisontide 53 Women in childbed defended from Deuiles 57 wheele vsed in shewing of fastes 36 Willow branches cast before an Asse 50 Vertuous life 19 Whoredome 58 FINIS Faultes escaped The first leafe fifth verse for Sceptor reade Scepter The sixt leafe eleuenth verse for hore reade whoore The eight leafe seconde verse for dranes reade droanes The ninth leafe verse 27 for shew reade shooe The tenth leafe verse the seuenth for woode reade hoode The twelfth leafe verse 61 for Damocratus reade Democritus The thirtenth leafe verse the first for Great reade Greeke The same leafe verse .26 for doth reade to The sixtene leafe verse .17 For Damassus reade Damasus The .19 leafe verse .69 for In darkenesse lyues more nedeth it the light c. Reade thus In darkenesse doth it liue more nedes the light of holy men The twentie leafe verse .62 For shoulde reade toulde The .21 leafe verse .37 for or reade all The .26 leafe verse 50 ▪ for cherely reade clearely The same leafe verse .63 For Luke wrought reade Luke wrote The .55 leafe verse 28. For the last he takes reade the tast he takes The .44 leafe verse .3 For steates reade streates The .48 leafe verse 38. For Scent reade sent The .56 leafe verse .6 For their heape deceaues reade their hope deceaues The last leafe the first side and .29 lyue For so it is reade so is it ¶ To the right honorable and worthie Lords the gouernors and Senate of Bern Thomas Naogeorgus vvisheth c. WHEN AS I VNDERSTOODE right honourable Lordes your common vvealth to be thorovvly furnished and beautified not onely vvith good lavves and ordinances but also vvith pure religion sound doctrine and pleasantly to flourish vvith all honest and vertuous studies I can scarcely expresse hovve ioyfull it vvas vnto me and so much the more bicause you haue determined to giue no place at all to the aduersaryes of Gods truth vvho novv do labor vvith the vttermost of their force to darcken the light of Christ and to bring in againe the stinking and contagious mistes of false and ydolatrous religion This surely is the stedfastnes of the knovvne assertaine truth from vvhich in these dayes the more pittie haue great numbers vvithdravvne theirselues eyther for feare or hope of liuing revvard thā vvhich can nothing be more vvicked nor of more force to the establishing of vngodlinesse For according to the saying of saint Peter farre better vvere it for a man neuer to haue knovvne the truth than after he hath entered the path of true godlinesse to forsake the truth for any cause and refusing Christ to cleaue to the illusions of Sathan For vvhat thing do our aduersaries more shoot at thā to accuse vs of lightnesse and vnfaythfulnesse and more and more to entangle vs vvith their errors and entisements VVo bee to the vvorlde for offences sayth our sauiour Christ VVhat commendation and hovve great a glorie it is in so many stormes and tempestes yea in the Shipvvracke of such a number rightly to holde the helme and to giue neyther place to vvinde nor vvaue no man there is but knovves This glorie of your common vvelth I doe more a great vvay esteeme than if you had brought in subiection some mightie and large dominion bicause that earthly thinges vvith heauenly thinges and truth vvhich is Christ vvith the vvorlde are not to be compared and earthly things be vve pleased or displeased vvill vve or nill vve must shortly be forgone But the truth remaynes and shall keepe you for euer Go therefore happily forvvard right vvorthie Gouernors hauing obteyned such vertue and constancie For thus to heauen do vve go as the Poet in a farre more base and other thing affirmeth Greatly beholding vnto you are all those that loue and vvorship our Lorde Iesus Christ but especially the people that are vnder your gouernment Considering their neighbours round about them dvvelling in darknesse they enioy the most svveete and comfortable light of the Gospell and that thorovv your vvisedome councell aucthoritie stedfastnesse and of long time great care in aduaunceing the Gospell of god I vvish therefore vvell from the bottome of my heart both to you and your cōmon vvealth and minding to declare my good vvill tovvards you I find nothing meeter thā to dedicate this present vvorke vnto you that if it shall happen to come vnto our posteritie your commendable and carefull diligence in setting forth the Gospell may not bee passed in silence Neyther doe I doubt but that according to your accustomed gentlenesse you vvill take in good part this my poore labour and good vvill The Lorde Iesus long preserue both you and your gouernment in prosperous estate From Campidun the first of March. 1550. The spirituall Husbandrie The first Booke OF holy husbandmen and of the art we minde to sing That mortal minds doth til blinded breasts to good doth bring What noisome plants out of the harts corrupted thou shalt wéed Before that of the Gospell there thou sowste the ioyfull séed And howe the fieldes are to be drest and eke the certaine way To kéepe the séede in saftie so as it doe not decay Nor that the prince of hell abrode the cockle fowle doe fling Or of the lewdnesse of the ground or faultie soyle it spring Herein vnknowne to Poets olde that long agone did write O Christ the perfite sonne of God and fathers Image right Graunt me thine ayde for wisedome all from thée alonely springs And worthie Poets through thy helpe haue written worthie things Thine owne affayres are had in hand of this so sacred paine Thou art the cause for it belongs vnto thy heauenly raigne Thou sendes the husbandmen and art the plowmans chiefest ayde The blessed corne that springeth vp shall in thy barnes be layde And you most worthie souereigne Lords and chosen fathers graue That in this age aboue the rest the chiefest honor haue For learning and religion pure of Muses taking charge As Bern your Countrie doth declare and all your Empire large For there true godlinesse is taught and Christ and fayth withall And place assignde to vertuous wits and studyes liberall You are not as a great sort are of Christ ashamde awhit That here amongst a thousand foes in blinded world doth sit And calleth all men in the ende vnto his heauenly raigne Accept these simple verses here and fauour this my paine At
goodnesse vvhat true dealing or vvhat thing agreeing vvith the Apostolike doctrine there is among these Papistes I truelye can not see On the other side it plaine appeareth that our religion is such as the Papistes vvith all their indeuor by faythfull vvitnesse of Scriptures yet hitherto coulde neuer bee able to ouerthrovv VVhither than do they call vs Doe they thinke that vve vvill forsake the truth and follovve falshoode in so cleare a light VVhy doe they call vs Apostatas Is it a shame to forsake vngodlinesse and Idolatrie and other thinges both vaine and foolish That this religion of theirs is none other I intende so brieflye to shovve that it maye appeare as in a Table vvhereby our men maye pacientlier beare the iniuryes and reproches of these fellovves in seeing from vvhat monsters by the doctrine of the Gospell they are deliuered and our aduersaryes not beare their heades so loftie and boast themselues to bee the true Church of Christ beholding the abuses asvvell of their life as of their religion disclosed declared vnto all men I therefore exhort our brethren that they esteeme as their greatest glorie the departing from the Pope and as a singuler blessing of GOD the knovvledge of the Gospell I exhort also and admonishe our aduersaries that they leaue of in time frō slaundering not onely vs vvho in respect are nothing but rather the truth of God and the Gospell of Christ and that they vveigh the matter vvith more diligence and remooue a vvhile from their eyes the consent of numbers of people the aucthoritie of the Pope and his members and the accustomed religion of a fevv hundred yeares for these and such other like are of no force in the confirming of truth but are rather lettes and hinderaunces to the knovvledge thereof and common to the inhabitantes of the vvhole vvorlde vvho by antiquitie continuaunce aucthoritie of Kinges and Princes and the generall consent of people are able to defende their supersticious lavves But other groundes of fayth and religion ought Christians to haue as the consent of the Prophetes and the Apostles the authoritie of the holy Ghost bearing vvitnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ as vvell in scriptures as in the heartes of men These if they thorovvlye consider and vvithout parcialitie regarde I doubt not but it shall come to passe that clothing themselues vvith Christian shamefastnesse they shall amende and returne vnto more sounder and surer doctrine A great foolishnesse it is to knovve vvhat is best and to follovve the vvorst as many of our aduersaryes for gaine and their bellies sake do In the meane time most excellēt Prince great cause vve haue to reioyce of our selues beholding in hovve great darkenesse errors deceyts and vanities our enimies vvalke and to besech God that it may please him to open their eyes and their mindes that they may beholde the light of the Gospell by vvhich the quietnesse of heart is onely obtayned and that they may seeke for and enioy al things in Christ our alonely sauiour Hovve great a griefe it is to such as trauaile to bee ignoraunt of their vvay or taught amisse by some malicious guide they vvell can tell that haue had experience thereof Neyther doth it anye vvhit auaile to proue many vvayes and yet to bee farre of from the right VVhich commonly happeneth as is vvell knovvne to our enimies For many vvayes they attempt and trie and carefully vvrest their mind hither and thither to obtaine the forgiuenesse of their sinnes and euerlasting life But euery man that is Godly doth see that they striue and trauaile in vaine vvhen the only vvay vnto God is Christ vvho is made vnto vs of God the father vvisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and there is no other name in the vvorlde giuen vnto men vvhereby they may bee saued but onely the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ This vvay bicause it is plaine and not gainefull the blinde and vvicked guides doe eyther craftily shunne and leade men into thickets or vvildernesses vvhence they neuer can get out or carie the poore creatures to craggie rocks and breake neck mountaines Besides vve ought to account it no small benifite of God that vvee are deliuered from these fellovves and that vvee vnderstand their deuises and deceytes vvhereby vve may continually bevvare of them For this onely intent haue I taken this vvorke in hand that the truth and the brightnesse of the Gospell may the better shine out by setting forth the contrary deuises vvorspippings ceremonies and life of the Papistes that euery man may take heede of these and more earnestly receyue embrace and vvith all their endeuor keepe and defende the other And to you most vvorthie prince haue I dedicated this vvork for many respects all vvhich to rehearse vvere nedelesse Your singuler and gracious fauour tovvards me and liberalitie vvell beseeming a prince deserueth some greater matter and more meete for your highnesse ▪ But I knovv your grace is alvvayes vvoont more to esteeme the minde of the giuer than the gift neyther did I minde to giue your grace this as a recompence for your goodnesse tovvardes me for that am I neuer able to doe but onely to declare my selfe not vnmindefull of your benifites Moreouer I thought it good to giue this booke vnto you as meetest before all other Princes for your great and singuler trauaile in setting forth of the Gospell for the daungers and miseries that you haue sustained in defending of it vvherin euen to captiuitie and the great hazarde of your lyfe from the vvhich I thanke God and vvith all my heart reioyce that you are at the length deliuered and restored to the seat of your Progenitors most valiantly ye haue striuen and also for the vvonderfull and Princely courage of your heart in so many so great and grieuous temptations and constancie in keeping it You shall here beholde vvhat things they bee although you vvere not before ignoraunt of them vnto the vvhich though by sundrie deuyses assaulted you coulde by no meanes bee brought And on the other side aparantly vvhat maner of religion it is that you furthered hitherto defended and by the mightie helpe of God retayned Certaine there be that are seuere and vnmoueable in keeping their fayth heretofore deliuered them as the Turkes the Ievves and such others but setled vpon no certaine ground nor aucthorised by the vvitnesse of any holy scriptures but only by the inuentions and dreames of men But such constancie or if I may so say obstinacy is to be cōmended that hath hir foundation vpon Gods vvord and can by no meanes bee dravvne or forced to error and vngodlinesse for the vvhich the vvitnesses of Christ haue alvvaies bene vvorthily praysed Therefore bicause I thought this little work vvould not be altogither vnpleasaunt vnto you I presumed to dedicate it vnto your highnesse most humblie beseeching you to beare vvith the simplenesse thereof and to accept herein my vvell meaning minde and to receyue me into your
graces protection vvhose long prosperitie vvith the happie successe of your most noble and renovvmed children I earnestly desire God to preserue From Basill the .20 of Februarie 1553. The Popish Kingdome The first Booke THe straunge disguised shape and faith of popish prowde estate The sundry orders and the dayes they yerely consecrate Good Muse declare my force to weake can not therto attaine Ne can disclose the mysteries of such a matelesse raigne Oft haue we hearde the thundring fame of Scythian sceptor great The Turkes estate and of the Indians farther distant seat The warlyke Parthyans powre beside and stately Persian charge And of the Romanes all men knowes the auncient empire large But these are nothing in respect if any man doe way The farre surmounting maiestie and powre of popish sway Whose Lordship lifteth vp it selfe vnto the heauens hye And all the earth whereon we dwell to him doth subiect lye And all the Deuils déepe in hell at his decrées doe quake So that the thréefolde engyn of the worlde he makes to shake Nor vnaduisedly we speake nor rashly thereof fayne The Pope himselfe doth chalenge this in wordes and writings playne And lustily he doth defende the same with tooth and naile Drawe neare therefore Calliopey and let thy force preuaile And thou Apollo graunt thyne ayde great matters here I sing Whereof the fame blowne forth abrode all Europe makes to ring Guide you my lately verse begunne by perfite path and plaine Disclose the secret mysteries of this so sacred raigne For though it thorowly be knowne and easily appéeres To euery Wight that here hath séene the ende of thirtie yéeres The yonger age yet knowes it not ne children haue it séene That haue bene taught to treade the steppes of Christs religion cléene And what of our posteritie that many yéeres to come Shall not attayne to knowe the fayth nor toyes of stately Rome Being many a hundred myles from thence and dwelling farre away This booke shall well instruct them than and shew them halfe the play If wormes doe not consume it first nor Marchauntes occupye It for enclosing of their wares that they farre hence doe bye Our question first is if from heauen this lustie bloud doe spring And whether thence he slipped downe from that almightie King Or rather from the Stygian flouds he raysde himselfe so hye Created first by Sathan and the spirites that damned lye To be a plague to Christian fayth and vertuous famylie To fill the worlde with troubles broyles and wretched miserie Such as are bent to search the same bring many causes strong And weightie arguments and proues the chiefest here among They from the fruites doe first deriue and long they féede their eies To viewe the monstrous shape that doth from doubtfull parent rise It is not much amisse if that we say he came from hie For Lucifer the Prince of pride and all his companie That now doe trouble all the worlde from heauen downe did fall At his commaundment and his worde that guides and gouernes all From heauen eke fell out the floudde that all the worlde did drowne Besides on Sodom came from thence both fire and brimstome downe What if the monstrous sinnes of men wherwith the world did swarme Prouoked God to sende this plague for their deserued harme Men made but small account of Christ Gods worde esteemed vayne Eche heart was then peruersely bent and truth had in disdayne Fayth was not to be founde at all ne loue coulde once be séene And hellish sectes had put to flight the true religion cléene Eche eare was then set open wide to learne deuises mad And ioyde to heare of teachers new though they were neare so bad No difference made of right or wrong none sought the perfite way But euery man with willing minde did yéelde himselfe a pray What maruell was it now if that the almightie gaue them vp And suffred them to drinke their fill of lying errors cup Besides when all was husht and still the chiefe and learned sort Gaue ouer booke and Pulpet quite and gaue themselues to sport Still woondering at the worldly pompe and hunting after gaine Eche one did séeke the others fall with hatred and disdaine The stronger put the weake to worse with ayde of Princely might Thus mallice touchte the high estates who wondered at the spight And muzde what madnesse moude them thus the priestes prelats great Shoulde thus with ciuill warres enuie eche one the others seat Of these disorders lewde and great what iudge you shoulde appéere But stoppes to sounde religion and this present kingdome héere While God th' offences punished of this distempered minde And ouerwhelmde the idle heartes with mistes and darcknesse blinde ▪ For both about one time began the fonde religion vaine Of Mahomet his foolish law and eke the popish raigne Two stubborne hornes to ouerthrowe both fayth and vertuous minde And for to drowne the doubtfull worlde with vice and errours blinde For one thing both of them we sée doe striue for to attaine Which is that no remembrance might of Iesus Christ remaine And that the searching out of truth from men be pluckte away That so in errors thicke and grosse they all may sooner stray Ne shalt thou much amisse affirme if that thou doest declare That God hath plaste them in the worlde as hornes that egall are For this the Pope himselfe presumes and plainely doth decrée And as a Key of fayth doth will that it beléeued bee But for the same we will not striue but easely giue him place Yet neyther can the Pope nor such as him doe here imbrace Denie but many things he hath at Sathans handes béene tought Which both in life and doctrine here he oft hath lewdely wrought But of this wondrous Empire great the heade I now declare Surnamed Pope a name that once to those that meanest weare Amongst the Bishops common was till such time as alone The Romish Bishop chalengde it resisted then of none What coulde they doe now was he great and to be fearde of all Not onely through his earthly force but powre celestiall This Pope doth boast himselfe to haue the keyes of heauen gates And braue in scutchin blaseth them that Kings and high estates And common people bent to lyes may know that none can clime To heauen to be placed there without his power deuine Without his warraunt or his graunt for in his gift doth ly The skies and happie life and whom he list he putteth by And with a worde he hoyseth vp vnto the starry raigne Euen whom he listes and where him likes he casteth downe againe Vnto the bottome deepe of hell he byndes and loseth all Euen as a perfect Marshall of the chiefe and highest hall To great an Empire sure is this and dreadfull power to heare Whereat great Dukes haue trembled and Princes quakte for feare Both noble men and people poore their countnaunce now let fall When as they heard the name of Pope
and such a power withall For euery man accompted sure that after losse of life They should receyue eternall blisse and heauen voyde of strife But how poore wretches may they now the heauens hope to win When as the Pope doth kéepe the keyes and wardes the comming in Therefore of all men must he néedes as God be worshipped Yea no man sought to haue the ayde of God himselfe in dede Nor minded his commaundements his threates nor promises For why the terrour of this Pope eche minde did now distres That God coulde haue no part thereof who yet regardes not part But chalengeth as due to him the whole of euery hart We know full well that Peter and all such of Peters minde Receyue these heauenly keyes of Christ and powre to lose and binde But in the gospell lyes this power and farther doth not reache He shuttes and closeth fast the doores that doth this gospell preache To such as will not him beléeue men beastly voyde of shame And eke to vertuous men and good he openeth wide the same Thus doth he binde the stubborne sorte and men of froward kinde With gospels force and not by power of his presumptious minde Farre otherwise the Pope doth worke as well we may beholde He preacheth not as Peter did nor féedes the Christian folde Ne doth he trauell in the worde with any learning pure But countes himselfe the guide of fayth and life that shall endure Which powre no God nor man him gaue yet so it hath bene wayde That Emprours Kings and Dukes and all haue him as God obayde So much hath lewde perswasion done from wrested scriptures brought That for the entring heauen gates and ioyes of all men sought As subiect here the fayth he kept and heart of all men helde Except the Gréekes that neuer woulde such honor to him yelde For all the Italians Spaniardes and the French their neighbours nie The Scottes the Englishe people and the men of Germanie Th'ungarians Danes and Norweyes both Bohemians eke beside And Irelande Russia and Poland with woodes and pastures wide In fine whersoeuer the Latine name hath earst bene blowne spreade Doe honour feare and worship eke the Pope as chiefe and heade And gyuer of eternall life thus farre he rules the skies And more he séekes but on the earth he still doth exercise All things that long to God or man appoynted by the highest To be a factor here for God and Vicar vnto Christ Who euermore is present here in power and sacred breath The heade of that same spouse that he redéemed with his death And washed with his precious bloud from spots and wrinckles cléene And is not this aduoultry now and madnesse plainely séene To boast himselfe to be the head and guide an others wife Who can abide this Christ that bought hir here with losse of life Yet sayth he Christ did leaue him here hir head who payde this price Thus shames he not to blinde the worlde with falshood and with vice Moreouer least that some should spring that might his powre deface And both by scripture worde and witte depriue him of his grace He warely layes the Byble vp and willes that none doe take It otherwise than he himself doth in his comment make And with decrées he doth forbid that none so hardie bée As moude by loue of troth or hate of falshoode for to sée The sacred leaues or to expounde them but as he doth teache Nor priuately nor openly vnto the people preache Then he himselfe alowes nor none may on the same depende But such as thereby builde his reigne and doe his power commende And thus against the scriptures force he easily buildes his forte Which scriptures should be most of weight amongst the christian sorte What helpe is now in arguments what good can reason do Or whereto serues the sharpe deuise that sheddes and partes in two The troth from falshoode all are blinde the Pope doth only see And learnings lawes and reasons good alonely iudgeth hée With Princes people Doctors and the solemne counsels hye And whatsoeuer he decrées must vnremoued lye And be receyued as a lawe whereof may no man doubt But blyndefielde euery man must â—ake whatsoeuer he settes out And with an ill vnsauery taste must downe the throte be sent What he propoundes decrees or dreames or what he doth inuent And well he lookes to this that none of him may iudgement giue Nor of his life nor wicked déedes how ill so euer he liue Yea though through his exampleâ— lewde he bringeth downe to hell Great troopes of men that viciously vpon the earth doe dwell He may doe what him list and likes and liueth here belowe As one that neyther feareth man nor any God doth knowe His will for reason onely standes and for a lawe must go Nor no man dare demaunde of him why dost thou so or so For why he can dispence withall and chaunge with euery man Of right make wrong and eke of wrong make right againe he can What lawfull is vniust he makes vniustice eke is right And when it likes his holynesse the Crow is also white The order here of nature good he turnes another way And alters quite what néedes more words on earth he beares the sway He breaketh with his worde the bonde of faithfull maried mates And couples eke in mariage bed the plaine forbidden states Gods holy lawes he alters quite or taketh cleane from hence Or wretchedly he wresteth them vnto some other sence No maruell then if that he deale with mans decrées so ill Discharging subiectes from their othe and placing whom he will. Permitting theft and robberie so he may haue his share Bestowing others goodes and bearing such as faithlesse are About his holy Aulters eke he placeth in degrée Such as haue falsely bene forsworne and beastlyest men that bée But these are trifles in effect of estimation none With him that holdes the heauenly keyes and rules the worlde alone For to the auncient scriptures old and word of God deuine Full lyke a prince he equall makes his owne commaundments fine And words that from his mouth procéedes from mouth that can not lye Nor can deceyue but doth support the truth most painefully Wherfore it is both right and iust that thus he doth perswade All such as séeke for lyfe to obey the lawes that he hath made For what can be more true than those what can be thought or done That shewes more beautifull or doth in better order runne What helpeth sooner to attaine the ioyes of happy life By this we know who is our heade and ender of all strife And who doth kéepe the glystering keyes that opens heauen wide What néede we séeke for other ayde or other Christ beside Who suffred death and cruell payne for our offences madde And satisfied his fathers wrath which we deserued hadde Besides into his hande he takes the state of Caesar
muse to sée their crooked minde And iudgement all inragde whereby agaynst both rule and kinde Of nature and agaynst the iust precepts of reasons lore And all the common ordnaunces that haue béene made therefore And eke agaynst the customes of all Nations that we know They doe commend adulterous life and mariage ouerthrow If some there be that alwayes prayse and like their lothsome trade Why should they not attempt whatsoeuer their lust doth theÌ„ perswade Thus in their filthie liues they doe continue to the ende And alter not nor any séekes their doings to amende They had rather all be torne and rent than leaue their woonted guise The Bishop also winckes for gaine nor hope of helpe he spies And more besides is Auarice a sicknesse generall Beginning first at head and so dispersed through them all They are themselues for to be solde whosoeuer is bent to buy And all things that they haue besides to sale doth open lye Giue money thou and straight the Gates of heauen open bée And eke as many soules drawne out of hell as pleaseth thée Giue money and from all thy faultes and sinnes thou shalt be frée And all made well and with their Bull it shall confirmed bée Giue money and for thine estate they pray continuallye And fast till as all ouergrowne in fatte they wallowing lye Giue money and their merites great to thée they streight will sell So that thou néedest take no care at all for liuing well Giue money and they giue thée leaue to marry at thy will In times vnlawfull and to hop about with Iacke and Gill. Giue money and they licence giue both egges and fleshe to eate As well on frydayes as in Lent and euery kinde of meate Giue money and thy childe shall soone receyue his christian vowe And after that be bishopped and noynted on the browe Giue money and thou shalt receyue of Christ the bodie true Euen as it hoong vpon the Crosse when as he suffred nue Giue money nose and eyes and eares shall then be noynted well And mouth and hand and foote and all annoynted sent to hell Giue money and thy Tombe amid the Church shall placed bée Or in the Quéere so that no raine or wet shall trouble thée Giue money then and store of Psalmes and Dirges shalt thou haue And eke with great lamenting shall thy corps be borne to graue Giue money and thou shalt be blest with store of Trentals soong And yearely in remembraunce had with Soule peales duely roong Giue money and vpon thy Tombe a princely hearse they set Still smoâ—t with Franckensence and all with holy water wet Giue money and of all thy vowes discharged shalt thou bée And eke with Gods commaundements they shall dispence for thée All things for money will they do yet neuer satisfide For diuers Masses are they féede yet one shall serue the tide Sometime a thousand vnderneath the Chalice do they lay Receyuing money for them all yet neuer a one they say Nor carefull of their guile they are the people they dispise And all the meanes they can to scrape vp golde they do deuise They diuers benifices get and serue the turne of none But onely set their minde on gaine and ydlenesse alone Both ginnes and traps and baytes and hookes they lay on euery side And present are at sicke mens willes some porcion to prouide Besides for tythes and offring pence they earnestly do call These are the things that common are vnto these members all Iudge now thy selfe if that they bée the Church of Christ that so They séeke to séeme and faine would haue themselues accounted tho Attempt they any kinde of thing that Christian rule doth teach Treade they the auncient fathers steps whereof so much they preach All things contrary shalt thou see their pompe and fonde aray Their Apish Cowles and straunge attire and beards cut quite away Their shauen crownes their mourning gownes their bedlem iesture mad Their Mitars their Crosâ—ars gilt square caps musick glad Their holy Chrisme contempt of lawes and life corrupted so And all the rest that ydlenesse inuented long ago As plagues to perfite godlinesse and toyes the worlde to daze That so the people still might haue something whereat to gaze Wherby the ground of superstition from these gay things might grow For seldome doth the common sort the truth from falsehoode know Nor trie the doctrine and the life by scriptures perfite light And rules of Prophets olde that were inspirde with holy spright The things that gorgeous are and gay as holy they estéeme And euer more do loth the things that plaine and simple séeme Hereby the Popes had easie way while as they onely sought To haue their doings of the people great and wondrous thought If they had sought the honor here and glory of Christ alone As best becomes his ministers and seruaunts euery one They simply would haue taught the flocke and vsde no colours vaine And liude according to the lawes of God and statutes plaine Now haue the people better skill of Popes decrées and lyes Than of his holy ordnaunces that framde the loftie skyes And will not way their owne estate and miserable case But stop their eares if any speake and turne away their face And rather altogither be deceyude and runne awrie And euerlastingly be damnd in hell for companie The popish Kingdome The thirde booke NOw must we here beholde their fayth and how the papacie beléeues bicause of fayth it woulde a Captaine counted be And of the Catholike Church alone of Christ to haue the fame And wondrously they boast and brag in bearing of this name Which Church if that it were in déede and doctrine as they say Great wickednesse it surely were from them to fall away But if it may be plainely prooude they trust no whit in Christ Nor worship God alone nor looke for succour of the hiest But as the Gentiles Idoles serue and worship them with care What kinde of Church it may be calde a childe may sone declare How much it alwayes shoulde be shoonde of such as Christ doe loue And onely séeke through him to please th' almightie Lorde aboue But first t' is méete for to declare the perfite fayth and right As hath before béene taught by men inspirde with holy spright One onely God we are wilde to haue and worship euermore To whose right hande we must commit our selues and all our store Abandoning all worldly care and confidence in man As he that cares for vs and guides and best of others can This whosoeuer doth both feares and him doth truly loue And puttes his onely confidence and trust in him aboue And vnto him alone doth flye in his aduersitie And calles to him being sure of helpe as best for him shall be We also must in Iesus Christ beléeue assuredlye His onely sonne who at his time came downe from heauens hye For our offences and reliefe made perfite man whereby He might redéeme vs all from
cléene So that no holy Chrisme thereon for to remaine be séene What should I here remember now what crimes haynous things Confession takes away and eke what helpe contrition brings And satisfaction for our faultes to shield our soules from paine It must buy out our misdéedes all to their purloyning gaine For all things still he doth impute to déedes of mortall men Not knowing perfite fayth in Christ nor teaching it to them But rather doth destroy it quite accounting wickedlée Our Sauiour Christ but as a man and Cypher here to bée Vndoubtedly the flocke of Christ doth euermore confesse Their sinnes and for the same repents with griefe and heauinesse Nor maketh any righteousnesse hereof nor iustifide Doth seeke to be no more than in the lawe or death beside Nor any other raunsome for their sinnes do thinke to pay But onely Christ whose precious death doth take them all away The Pope contrary cleane to this doth teach in plaine decrée And doth commaund with dreadfull lawe all faults confest to bée Vnto the Priest at Easter time or of necessitie When as the fatall houre is come and day wherein to die And that sincerely here and plaine what hath bene thought or done Else can no sinnes forgiuen bée nor absolution come Where now appéeres th'unfayned hope of sinnes forgiuen quight By Christ and euerlasting life and Sathan put to flight Who can declare what harmes the people haue receyude by this How many it hath drawne from Christ and euerlasting blis What scruple vnto consciences and trouble it doth bring For as they can not call to minde eche fault and wicked thing That they haue done whereby they may confessed thereof bée So can they not beleue that they forgiuen are and frée Besides with mumbling in a tongue vnknowne he pardons all And hath no worde to beare him out and stay his faith withall But blindly will this teacher blind haue all things credited A guide of all vngodlinesse with doltishe fansies led He absolution also giues by merites for to come And such as long agone are past and presently are done Not onely of their owne but bought with money other wheare Vnto the merites eke of Christ his death and passion deare He ioynes the merites here of Saints and makes them all as one Perswading our redemption not wrought by Christ alone In fine a satisfaction for all sinnes it doth suffice If to the Romish Chest you throw your money any wise Or vnto Abbeys giue your goods or else your welth applie In building solemne synagogs and loftie towres hie Or gad about in Pilgrimage to visite holy shrines Or say your Aue Mary euery houre fortie times And bid the blessed Virgin still good morow manerly Or what soeuer else 〈◊〉 Priest doth bid you orderly I well remember once at Spires I saw a wondrous sight Of people in the euening late with Crosse and torches bright The Crosse afore them borne and all their faces couered With backs all bare they passed throw the stréetes and market sted Commaunded for to beat them selues with whips and scourges there And truely here they trifled not nor did themselues forbere The bloud sprang out a pace and eke their backe did swell and wheale With multitude of stripes that scarce the Surgeon them could heale Thus would they wipe away their sinnes and fully satisfie Is not this same a madnesse grosse and shamefull iniurie Brought in into this world with spéede and beastly wickednesse Of this vnshamefast popishe state that truth doth still opresse Thinkst thou that with this doctrine here they trust in Christ aboue Or takste thou them for Catholikes which name they chiefely loue The godly Ministers at first did put to penance still Such as were excommunicate and openly did yll That discipline might in the Church be had continuallie Least that the heathen should suppose that eche iniquitie Might there be done vnpunished and that the others all By their example might beware how they hereafter fall And also that such punishment might please againe the mindes Of those that were offended with these former wicked crymes Not that the sinnes forgiuen were of God with penance such For lawes of God and mans decrées doe differ very much And with one sort of penance here they are not both content Nor God and man are pleased both alyke with one intent Mens mindes with punishment are pleasde and fully satisfide But God is onely pleasde in Christ and nothing else beside Through pure and perfite faith the Lorde that made both earth skies Releaseth euerlasting paynes and neuer ceassing cries But of this present life he doth release the punishment To such as onely trust in him and vertuously are bent They bid that men should in their owne good works haue all their hope And trust to merites of the Saints and pardons of the Pope Christ hath not fully satisfide they thinke assuredly And doubt not for to preach the same in audience openly Which serueth surely to their gaine for hereof doth arise Their maiestie their passing welth and Lordly liberties So likewise doth annealing last take veniall sinnes away While as for helpe vnto the Saints deuoutly they doe pray They alwayes are agaynst the Lord and Christ that here was slaine For our offences and our faults with agonie and paine And with their pompe and prowde desertes they cary downe to hell The foolish flocke that doth beléeue whatsoeuer they doe tell What ancor doe they flie vnto in all aduersitie In famine pestilence and warres and euery ieopardie Looke well about thée now and giue attentiue eies and eares For here the perfite fayth and trust of euery man appeares What hope there is in any man herein is plainely spyde The heart of euery creature here by this is truely tryde Who trustes in God alone and thinkes him mercifull to bée And eke almightie call on him in all aduersitée And vnto him he onely flies in feare and dreadfull wo As by his worde he oftentymes commaundeth vs to do But whither flies this Papacie in whom put they their trust In all things rather than in Christ or in his father iust Denying him to be their God and helper at their néede Nor that all things in heauen and earth doth from his handes procéede For if they did not in their heartes this openlye denie They would in all their troubles here to him for succour flie And all their things into his handes they would commit alway Not séeking Mediators here nor speachmen for to pray Contented onely here with one whose grace and fauour great For vs we may be well assurde doth euermore intreat But with one perfite God alone they can not well away Their chiefest trust and hope they in the Virgin Marie lay Shée pleaseth God and with hir childe in armes continually Delighteth him and what she askes he neuer doth deny Shée is the Quéene of heauen bright and with a beck can do Whatsoeuer shée determinde is and giues
lothsomenesse to breede And to offende the stomacke much as oft they doe in deede Than after reading once or twise no more aboute them stande But giue them to the Spiders Mothes or to the Grocers hande Whatsoeuer is good estéeme it well and kéepe it for thy néede And what is yll dispatch it quite and take thereof good héede But if a controuersie rise amongst the learned men And such as teach the people heare with graue and skilfull pen. If that the matter come to fight by battaile to be tride And that the skirmishe waxeth hote with bookes on euery side Let him a Newter kéepe himselfe neglecting Solons lore And meddle not with any part nor iudgement giue before He well doe vnderstand the case and wayde it perfitelie Regarding no mans person stile nor earthly dignitie Nor giftes of happie fortune here that haue bene delt to men Nor great or little companie of such as follow them Let neyther priuate loue nor hate perswade him any way Nor force him any kinde of thing on eyther part to say Nor kinne nor Countrie mooue his minde to beare his hande awrie And cause the ballance for to swarue and fall vnequallie But frée from all affections let him marke aboue the rest Which of them néerest comes to Christ and followes truth the best And kéepes the perfite rule of fayth and iustly doth agrée With euery thing that in th'apostles volumes written bée For new things no man here may fame and rightly vnderstande The worde of God to such let him assent to giue his hande And beare this alwayes in his minde that scriptures onely must Be they whome godly men are bound vndoubtedly to trust All other wrytings of such force and value ought to bée But onely where with scripture they are found for to agrée Nor must we here regarde nor wey what man the Author bée Of any learning newe nor yet howe great the companée If that he bring not with him still the perfite Bridegroomes sounde And heauenly worde of God vnto the which are onely bounde The heartes of mortall men and which we safely may applie And vanquishe both the gates and raigne of hellishe soyle therebie What thing hath more disperst it selfe through all the worlde so wide What sect hath got so many friendes and followers beside What is more constantly affirmde with sworde and fire defended And thought to come from God as from the loftie skies discended Then that so grosse and foolish law of Mahomet the blinde Whose doltish dreames among themselues contrary oft we finde What shall he doe if number great of people mooue his minde Or generall consent of all the worlde his fansie binde Or stately crownes of Emperours or Diademes of Kings With madnesse shall he runne the way that to destruction beings And doubtfull hanging iust betwixt the earth and heauen tho To hell with crowde and number great of people shall he go Go search the scriptures teacheth hee that from the heauens came Appoynted by the fathers voyce the gouernor of man. He biddes not here the doting fruite of mans deuise to way Nor what the loftie Prince commaundes nor multitude doth say For error springs with mortall men by speciall propertie And blindnesse from the mothers wombe doth all accompanie From which doth neyther Chaynes redéeme nor townes nor princely seat Nor wooll that twise hath earst béene dide in purple poyson great These are the chiefe desires of Pan and Mydas fonde delight And eke the heddie frantike rage of Princes great of might Not onely with the Gentiles lewde who lacke the light deuine But with the learnde and fleshly séede that comes of Abrahams line That now thou néedste not to condemne of Ocean seas so déepe The farthest partes that in Cimmerian mistes and darknesse sléepe For all the earth whereas the Sunne doth cast his countnance cleare Opprest with dreadfull darknesse great and blindnesse doth appeare In matters touching fayth therefore and ioyes of heauen than Let him not trust the iudgement here of any kinde of man. But know that men will alwayes lie with mindes disposed yll Except the holy ghost and worde of God doe guide them still Which whether it be done or not let scriptures here decide Considering well of euery part as Argus throughly eide Except he doth dispise the wordes that Christ did once declare Who doth commaund attentiuely false Prophets to beware The like hath Paule commaunded oft and earnestly doth will So doth the sonne of Zebedey by good and perfite skill But for the iudgement now in bookes and their examining Our Plowman must giue héede to this as to a speciall thing That to no doctor here he binde himselfe continuallie Although the same be learnde and had in estimation hie And of the people honorde much and worshipt for his skill Least by this meanes he be enforst with good to swallow ill And maintaine lies in stéede of troth yea for his maisters sake To wrest and wrie and small account of scriptures for to make But let him kepe his iudgement and reserue his libertée To alowe the things that with the holy sprite agréeing bée And to reiect the lewde and false with malice neuer mooude But onely with the loue of truth which as before I prooude Must onely here respected bée no kinde of man beside Nor loftie hats that earst hath beene with purple colour dide Nor multitudes in number great nor prease of people rife Nor miracles that haue bene ioynde with holinesse of life For since the Apostles worthie time hath not bene knowne to liue A man to whome in euery thing we credite safe may giue For through affections â—f the minde the generall companie That both in Gréeke or Latine write doe often runne awrie And from the perfite path decline and doth the scriptures wrong Inforcing them to other sense than doth to them belong While as they tooke not héede ynough or else too earnest were In things they went about for to perswade or maintaine here Oft times they supersticious things doe teach and fansies vaine That neither with the Gospell doe agrée nor christian raigne Let these be spottes and marks that in thy body fayre appere Yet thinke we them not worthie prayse nor to be made of here As on the other side for these we may not damne the rest That soundly they haue vttred here and Christianly exprest A foolish loue and all to blinde is it when we allowe The manifest deformities and them for good auowe And in a princely hall commend the dung before our face Let euery thing retaine his name his praise and eke his place And let not things contrarie quite haue both one worshipping Nor yet that matters base and vile be sealde with precious ring Wherein they shall constrayned be to trespasse now and than That in this sort addict themselues to any priuate man. But this is not the greatest harme that happeneth thereby In such as to one Author binde themselues continaully There is another greater thing