glorye O Henry the seuenth a ful worthy king was he Whose noble workes in Cambrydge you may se And eke in Westminster both suÌ„ptuouse costlie As the good tree by the fruite is euer tryed So are good men by their workes espied Thus noble kynges in olde time were content To builde Abbeyes and to endue theÌ„ with rent There to remaine while y e world should endure Prayer almose and fastyng they ordeined there to be And in indifferente of good hospitalitie That the penylesse man of meate may be sure And though he there taried dayes two or thre No man would demaund from whence came he O cursed Germany woo be vnto the That first nowe began to skowre the old heresie Of the Caphernites and Arians with other diuerse mo With the was harbored the cursed Luther Decolampadius Melancton and Bullingere Carolstadious Stalbrydge and wicked Otho Marke to what ende their learning is come By warre and sedition their Realme vndone These cursed men and wicked teachers Where cleane contrarie to gods holy preachers that taught false libertie deuout vertue to hide Downe with the churche y e Masse the grayle Prayer and fasting naught doth preuayle That thing y t was good they myght not abide That good men of olde study to maynetayne Nowe Antichristes preachers hathe destroyed agayne Then Cupido and Venus in England beganne As gods for to gouerne bothe woman and man And auarice was ordeyned then puruior to be Their lust and their will to supporte vpholde With aboundaunce of treasure of siluer golde Tyll weale and welth was turned to pouertie Then be thought treason some rule to beare Which sodenlie was caught and takeÌ„ in a snare Yet chansed in England as I shall you tell Nowe kyng Edbaldus from the sayth fell And gaue his beleue to false maumentry Milletus the byssshoppe then to flee was fayne Tyll the kynge vnto Christ was turned agayne Which theÌ„ was restored to his see in CaÌ„terbury The citezins of London would not in no wise Leaue their infidelitie and to Christ agayne rise Helias made prayer to God agaynst Israell Which slewe their prophetes their aultares downe fell And I am lefte alone and they my life seke God aunswered and sayd there be yet left some That by the adoption of grace to heauen shall come With me to dwell and my seruauntes meke Thoughe some haue their faith by folye defiled Yet some remayne constant and neuer chauÌ„ged This storie doth resemble y e people in these daies That grinne at the ministers against y e aultare sayes Vtteryng out lyes couered with Ipocrisie Yet some men did espye their deuillishe intent And woulde in no wyse therevnto consent Perceauing it was newe skowered heresie Euen for the heresies y t many hath bene burned Fooles hath beleued and there vnto turned All the olde heresies that heretofore were Were put in vse by Iohn Wyckeleffe here And were confuted by William Wylford He was a famous clarke an english man borne Whose workes containe those heresies eche one Which he dyd confute as the bokes recorde Hony and poyson of swete floures are sucked So truth and falshode on scripture is gathered Some men there be that wil not beleue No writing or storie except scripture it proue As thoughe al were false but the wryting there The succession of kynges and eke lordes by hest The scripture dothe not tell of ciuill warre or conquest Yet are they true and in wryting do appeare If you wil not beleue but what scripture sayeth Then chaunge not the truth to peruerse waies The Phariseis doubted Christ gods soÌ„ne to be Desiringe from heauen some wonderouse to see By the proue thereof y e truth they might know Euen so our Perselites doth as fondlye denye The bread to be gods bodie by his word verely Vnlesse they see bloude in their tethe when they chowe O you vipers byrdes and adulterous nation Your dulnesse of faith hasteth faste your damnation Reade out the stories and marke to what ende To the church destroyers god dyd ofte sende The bibell in diuerse places doth well testifie What myserye and myschiefe hath bene in this lande What penurie and plages haue we here founde Synce we began fyrst the churche to destroye That plage neuer in no Realme hath bene But we in these dayes hath it felte or sene Yet is but in vayne herein to enterdyte What care theÌ„ befel y t at the church had despite Wittenesseth well Cromwell as you wel know Duddely the stoute with his felowes Aye Their parte on the skaffolde full well did playe That then were on hye and nowe are full lowe These men are to vs example and warning To serue our lorde God and obeye the Kynge To saye all Amen and to geue God the glorye We her subyectes are bound for the state of her maiestie For surely she is Gods chosen vessell Lyke to our Quene â–ª we may not well compare Neither y e wydowe Iudith or yet quene hester Whose worthy factes the bybel dothe tell To eche of this women God shewed ones his mercy As he hathe diuerse times to our Quene Mari Iudyth with wyne eke with fayre promise Holofernes ouercame slewe him in his dronknesse Wherby she y e citie of Bethulia hath preserued But Mary our Quene by prayer deuoute Ouercame her enemies beinge neuer so stoute Withoute fayre promyse or any gifte profered God right wel heard her chast humble praier That sodenly stroke her enemies caused theÌ„ retier Hester made her prayers for the Iewes onlye Which a man wente about by enuy to destroye Whose prayer god heard the Iues deliuered But Mary our Quene prayed in generallye That no bloude myght be shedde of her frende or enemy God heard her praier and the matter so ended A wonderfull myracle euer to be remembred That God wrought for our Quene he euer be praysed The fayth of Christ and all trewe religion Wyth prayer and fasting and eke good deuotioÌ„ Was almoste gone oute of euery mans harte The Churche the aulter Gods sacred bodye They robbed spoiled and their faith did denie Lyke desperate wretches thus played they their parte All was forlorne tyll good Quene Mary Restored them agayne to gods honor glorye The sacrameÌ„tes of y e churche was new to begin Adulterie sacrilege was counted for no sinne Nor y â— selling of oâ—fices to mayntayne briberye The belles they plucked downe by subtil pretence To coyne therof testers grotes and eke pence Thus al came to nought til good quene Mary Began for to raygne as we ryght well se That Iesus preserue her graces maiestie The churche Goddes spouse was brought vnder trybute With lawes vniust and paymentes greate The churche the coÌ„mons was greued yerely The catholyke fathers y t are good men in dede Wrongfully were oppressed and euill placed in their stede That vsurpplie did rule til good quene Marie Deposed the prowde the good men in chayne She iustely vnlosed and restored agayne The noble lyon that of colour is whyte Gyltelesse they helde captyue by enuy spyte Their purpose to coÌ„passe they thought it so best For this they wel knew that if he were at large he wold sone haue teÌ„pered their madnes rage Brynging the vprorers agayne some to rest O Englande reioyce at our good quene Mary That iustely hathe losed the lion not gylty Let vs al praie God bothe more and lesse that hath sent vs a quene our thralles to relesse Wher w t we were captyue bothe in soule body We may be right glad y e god hath now chauÌ„ged A lambe for wolues y e vnsatiably deuoured The realme the coÌ„mons wtout pitie or mercye God saue and preserue our noble Quene Mari Ouer vs longe to raygne let vs al pray hartlie God saue the Quene Prayse be to god that a noble quene hath sent Ouer vs for to raygne if we canne be content That wel hath begonne to call thinges agayne The which were before by falsehead subuerted Agayne to Gods glorie she hath them coÌ„uerted Amonge vs Christians euer to remayne Sithe we were before deceaued with heresie Let vs nowe be faythful geue God the glorie AMEN Coelum terra transibunt uerba autem mea non praeteribunt ¶ Excusum Londini in aedibus lohannis Cawodi Typographi Regiae Maiestatis The first letter of euery of these verses dothe coÌ„tayne the name of the maker Iacob 4. Genes 3. Genes 9. Genes 6.7 Genes 22. Leuit. 9. Matth. 5. Genes 10. 1. Regum 1. Ionas 2. ReguÌ„ 2.4 3. Regum 6. Idem 3. Regum â— Act. 7. Matth. 2.1 Esay 5.6 Esay 58. Matth. 2. Luke 2. Matth. 22. Petrus de Aliaco in concordantia theologie cuÌ„ Astronomia ca. 58. Poli. Poli. Matth 2. Luke 27 Eccle. 3. Rom. 11. Psal. l 18. Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. Iohan 6. 1 Cor. 11. Iosephus Eusebius in historia ecclessiastica lib. 3. Ieronimus de uiris illustrisbus In legenda Andreae Act. 6. Act. 2. Ambrose Ieronimus Act. 2. Ieronimus de uiris illustribus Matth. 12. Matth. 12. Iacob 3. Eccle. 3. Poll. Iosephus libr. 20. Act. 12. Eusebius Beda In legenda sancti Syluestri Poli. â— Regum 12. Beda lib. 2. In legenda sancti Iuonis Poli. In legeÌ„da sancti Gregorij Beda lib. 1. ca. 23. Beda lib. 1. ca. 23. Beda idem VVilhelmus lib. 1. Beda lib. 3. ca. 13 Matth. 7. Beda lib. 2. ca. 9. Rom. 13. Matth. 12. 3. Regum 13. Daniel 4.5 Macha 5.6 Matth. 24.
the potter dothe not make all his vessels for one vse or purpose but diuerse vessels to serue for diuerse vses according to the will of the maker And therfore it is Gods will and also the counsell of the Apostle that euery man should abide and walke in hys vocation and calling And nowe good syr to conclude for that I haue euer hearde well dothe knowe that you haue bene faythfull in your office and iustelye hath walked in your vocation I haue therfore dedicate this my simple worke in your name therby declarynge my good wyll towardes the maynteynaunce of the true religion and also to do some thing to pleasure you yf it were in my simple power But to conclude as I haue sayde I beseche you good syr consider my good wyll and lette it stande for a iuste facte Iesus preserue you AS I laye musing in my bedde alone My pyllowe remouinge For slepe was gone So troubled was my spirite by greuous agonye Consideryng the state and staye of our beleue The ofte chaunging therof christen hartes doth greue Which standeth in no staye it is the more pitie God geue vs grace our lyues to amende And true fayth in Englande agayne sende For lacke of grace we haue gone astraye Ensuing the steppes of wickednes alwaye Our soules and bodyes by synne is corrupted The thinges that of olde to God was begonne We fondely agayne haue them fordonne The badde for the good vnsemely placed Experience hath taught vs it is well knowen That euil men haue reped that good men haue sowen When Adam dyd lyue with Eue his wyfe The serpent begonne to sowe some stryfe Betwene our lorde and the soule of man Perswadyng the woman of the appell to eate Promysyng her wysedome therby to gette Where sinne was vnknowē there then it began Thus by the breakyng of Gods cōmaundement Mans soule was caught captyue by death to shent When Abell and Cayne fyrst dyd begynne Of their fruites to offer y t then were growinge On the earth to the lorde in worthy sacrifyce Cayn slewe Abell there in that stede With the Iawe bone of an Asse as we reade Because the lorde dyd hys oblation despyse When oblation and sacrifice here first beganne The deuill set stryfe betwene man and man As the people beganne to encrease in number With vnclennes theyr soules they dyd incūber That God dyd repent that euer he made man And for that they would not repent amende The rayne from heauen to y e earth dyd ascende Wherwith was distroyed all creatures than Thus was the worlde destroyed for synne But Noye hadde an Arcke to saue hym in When the floude was ended then Noye gods preacher Beganne fyrst to buylde to God an Iultare Whereon he dyd offer swete incense sacrifice Which was so well accepted to God in heauen That he sayde he would neuer dystroye agayne All creatures from the earth by glage or otherwise Then aultares was vsed as the bokes doth tel Of the Leuites patriarkes prophetes gospel The Aungell to Abram from the lorde was sent That Isaac his sonne in sacrifice should present Vnto the lorde for so was his wyll Abram then stode not this message to reason But went with his sonne wyth all expedition Vnto the mounte there Isaac to kyll To sacrifice his sonne Abram was content As the lorde him selfe had geuen cōmaundemēt Here maye you se thoughe some will prate The aulter and sacrifice was not deuised of late As the stories olde dothe truely tell When Hanna the baren dyd fast and praye And sacrifice to the lord as the storye doth saye He gaue hyr a sonne that hyte Samuell With prayer and oblation God was pleased The troubled hart he therfore hath eased When the Citezins of Niniue wickedly did liue Ionas was sent them warning to geue Within fortye dayes there subuersion to be The Kyng in all the hast sent commaundement then That all shoulde repent both woman and man Their clothes not rendinge but their hartes inwardely Thus by repentaunce the Citie was saued By prayer and fastynge their paynes released Israell beynge plaged with mortall Pestilence Bauyd it knew it was for his insolence From numberyng the people from Dan to Bersaba Then Dauid did cause to reare vppe an aultare Wherevnto the lord he did sacrifice and offer To cesse the plage of Israell and Iuda When the people of olde the lorde had offended By sacrifice acceptable their sinnes they clensed Salamon the kyng and most wise of fame Builded a temple to Gods honour and name With ryches aboundant he dyd it beautyfye Ceder Oliue palme tree there was not skant Tynne Copper Syluer nor Golde did there wante Neyther stones precious or ornamentes costely Of sockes and lauers there was many a one All of bryght brasse they were made eche one An aultare of Golde vnto the lorde he made A tabell of the same where the swete bread was layde And Candelstickes ten on the aulcare standing The lampes and flowers of golde were pure Boules peces spones and euerye masure Rychely was wrought for no coste sparinge Here may you see that the good fathers of olde Destroyed no Aultares but made some of golde Many very fondly in argument doth stande That God doth not dwell in temple made with hande As though the scripture ment so playnely The heauens whole earth are insufficient God to attayne or kepe a tyme or moment But where his will is there will he be Yet is the churche an house to God buylded A place for his name there euer to be praysed Some thyng it is but labour loste To bestowe on the churche one peny of coste In Cope crosse or vestiment or any other iewel For sacrifice or offeringe God doth not care To fede the hungrye and the oppressed to spare Of suche good workes the scrypture doth tell This do they surmyse deuotion to oppresse Counterfeyting holynes and meaning nothing lesse Christ hym selfe at his byrth was contente To receaue of the kynges their offerynge and present That they in the stable to hym dyd offer And when he was of twelue yeares of age He came with his mother and his father sage To offer in Ierusalem accordyng to the maner Thus our lorde Iesus would not in no wise Offend the lawe thoughe we it despyse Christ knowyng ryght well his death to drawe neare He sent for an Asse as it doth well appeare Theron for to ryde to Ierusalem wyllingly Some cutte downe bowes and before him they strawed Some put of their garmentes in the way thē layed Syngynge altogether Osanna God on hye God was contente the people shoulde adore With Body and goodes he gaue it therfore In all tymes past suche was the Conclusion When scysmes hathe bene then true Religion Was falsely peruerted as the booke sayes Since the time that Peter in Rome dyd rayne There hath bene scysmes twenty and twayne This now excepted
begonne in oure dayes Lyke to this scysme in this Realme neuer was With so great destruction to sone now alas Fiftene hundred yeares past we in writing find Synce Lucy was Kyng of Englande by kynde Whyche sent to the Pope called Elentherius That he woulde send or els sone come This Realme to cōuerte to holy Christendome Which sent Damian with his fellow Forganus Then was this Realme to Christ conuerted Which we agayne hath falsely subuerted Although frō Rome these preachers were sent To Christen this Realme by y ◠Kinges consent Shoulde we therfore our fayth agayne denye Christ in Bethleē Iurie a poore citie was borne In stable amōg beastes y t fedde were with corne Should this dimynyshe his power or his glorie To gods pleasure wil hūble soules shuld 〈◊〉 To his workes wordes not against thē saye Trouble not thy braines thy faith for to skanne For God is a great God thou a symple man Yet is not in thy thought to searche oute his wysdome All thing of nothinge with his worde he made The bread eke his body when he the word sayd And so to remayne tyll he agayne come The Euagelistes Apostle of this doth recorde Saying take and eate the body of ouer Lord Vpon this Scripture Christes owne saying The sacrifice of the Masse toke the begynnyng The Apostles thē selfes the same hath begonne Iames Alpheus in the selfe same yeare Sayde Masse in Ierusalem as it doth appeare At the Penticost after Christes Ascention This is not newe thoughe foles surmyse Agaynst the Masse to counterfeyte lyes Iames the lesse in Ierusalem byshop did raigne Peter in Antioche in the East lādes certaine And so in Rome twenty yeares and fiue Andrewe to the Grekes in Constantinople did preache To Egeas Christ crucified he dyd well teache The lambe dayly offered and yet styll alyue These thre Apostles sayd Masse in their dayes Thoughe Satans satyllites agaynst it sayes When this Iames was made fyrst byshoppe of Ierusalem They ordeyned him ministers deacons seuen As the Actes of the Apostles dothe wel testyfie Stephen Philip procures Timō Permenas With the other also Nichanor and Nicolas Whych ministred to the people wel worthely This was ordeined by y e Apostles whole cōsent According to the auctoritie that God them sent Many nowe dothe muse and fondely can chatte Where Rome this auctoritie fyrst them gatte Synce thay are but men euen as we be This auctoritie to y e place forsoth was not geuē The holy gost to y e Apostles was sent frō heauē Them to ende we with power and auctorytie Whych ordeined by lotte the Apostle Mathias To be on the stede of the traytoure Iudas Thus had the Apostles power as you may see To ordeine in y e churche ministers of eche degre The people to gods lore and rules for to call In al publike weales wher good order is skant There loue rest and ryches doth euer want And sodenly are trapped in daungerous thrall That realme or monarche can not long endure Where good order doth want you may be sure The shyppe without guyde longe can not saile Neyther can the puisantes of men preuayle Withoute good rule and order decente In tyme all thynges hadde their begynnyng And so in tyme shall returne to their endyng For so it is ordeyned by gods iust consent We may not impute it as a faulte or cryme That y e Apostles and fathers ordeined in their tyme When faith in England beganne first to springe The Priestes in the churches did dayly Masse syng And so dyd contynue and styll holde an Tyll at the last as the storyes dothe tell A kynge here dyd raygne that faithe dyd expel Dioclusion by name that slewe saynt Albon This man is holden as a martyr full good And the other a tirant cruel and woode Gayus Decius Herode and cruel Hero Persecuted y e churches with other tirantes mo To kill and to slea was all their whole delyte Peter and Andrewe on the crosse they spredde Iames they slewe and Paule lost his hedde Thus at goddes seruantes they hadde despite Like as the Perselites doth nowe in our tyme Skanne of their faith and against it time When Dioclusian and Maximilian forsoth dyd raygne There was .xvij. thowsande of volye martyrs slayne So cruel was these tirantes fayth to delaye That Peter and y e Apostles so sore was affrayd That in spelunkes caues there thei masse said Before the holy bretherne preuely eche daye Til Siluester came that bysshoppe ful good That buylded stone Aultares y t before was of woode Thys persecution helde on full as I wene The space of two hundreth yeres and syxetene Destroying the churche and good christianitie The holye places to goddes honor dedicate With heythen Maumentes they dyd maculate Thus fayth was turned to infidelitie This was forsoth a full pitious case To plucke downe Christ set satan in his place There was a bysshope that hyte by name Iue That came to England and in Deuenshere did aryue Which Christ the faith to y e people did preache He was the kinges sonne of Perse a good holy man Hutte hutte and yught where his decons then Which busied them selfes gods lore for to teach These men were buried in Huntyngdon shiere In a place called Slepe as y e story doth appeare Yet was not this realme fully conuerted Which was before by infidelitie subuerted Tyll Gregorye in Rome Pope was there He came into the markette as it by chaunce fel Where as he founde Englishe chylderne to sell Demaūding of what coūtrie nation they were Aunswere was made of Englande they be As Angles sayde Gregorye they seme to me Then sent to Augustine with good intent Which dyd aryue at Tanette in Kent The kynge and the subiectes he cōuerted there Then fayth agayne began for to sprynge Which then was receaued of subiectes kynge As in the Englishe Cronicles it doth appeare Why should we at Rome nowe haue despyte That chaunged our darkenesse agayne to light Ethelbertus was then kynge as I haue redde Berta hyte the Quene that much desired To here Augustine preache gods worde deuine Then dyd it chaunce and folowe by successe That the people conuerted bothe more and lesse To Christes fayth and holy doctrine Then began Kynges Churches to buylde Which were before with Idoles defyled Then came to raygnyng by succession in time Noble kynge Edgar Oswoulde and Edwyne That found rebuylded mo then fortie abbeies That were before by the Saxones destroyed And eke by infideles that the fayth denied To counte some by name as stories sayes Whinchester Wylton Brought and Ramsey Glastonbury Abyngton and also Thorney Edmund Edward ful noble kinges thei were Which buylded worthely for no cost did spare To erecte such places to gods honor and