happye kyngedome of faythe shall perysh neuer Of heauen and of earthe he was autor pryncypall And wyll contynue though they do perysh all Thys sygne shalt thu haue for a token specyall That thu mayst beleue my wordes vnfaynedlye Where thu hast mynded for my memoryall To buylde a temple thu shalt not fynysh it trulye But Salomon thy sonne shall do that accyon worthye In token that Christ must fynysh euery thynge That I haue begunne to my prayse euerlastynge Dauid rex pius Immortall glorye to the most heauenlye kynge For that thu hast geuen contynuall vyctorye To me thy seruaunt euer sens my anoyntynge And also before by manye conquestes worthye A beare and lyon I slewe through thy strength onlye I slewe Golias whych was vj. cubites longe Agaynst thy enemyes thu madest me euer stronge My fleshlye fraylenesse made me do deadlye wronge And cleane to forget thy lawes of ryghteousnesse And thouh thu vysytedest my synnefulnesse amonge With pestylent plages and other vnquyetnesse Yet neuer tokest thu from me the plenteousnesse Of thy godly sprete whych thu in me dedyst plant I hauynge remorce thy grace coulde neuer want For in conclusyon thy euerlastynge couenaunt Thu gauest vnto me for all my wycked synne And hast promysed here by protestacyon constaunt That one of my sede shall soch hygh fortune wynne As neuer ded man sens thys worlde ded begynne By hys power he shall put Sathan from hys holde In reioyce wherof to synge wyll I be bolde Canora uoce tunc incipit Antiphonam O Adonai Quam ut prius prosequetur chorus cum organis Velsic Anglice O lorde God Adonai gyde of the faylhfull howse of Israel whych sumtyme aperedest in the flamynge bushe to Moses and to hym dedest geue a lawe in mounte Syna come now forto redeme vs in the strengthe of thy ryght hande Finit actus Quintus Incipit actus sextus Pater coelestis I Brought vp chyldren from their first infancye Whych now despyseth my godlye instytucyons An oxe knoweth hys lorde an asse hys masters dewtye But Israel wyll not knowe me nor my condycyons Oh frowarde people geuen all to superstycyons Vnnaturall chyldren expert in blasphemyes Prouoketh me to bate by their ydolatryes Take hede to my wordes ye tyrauntes of Sodoma In vayne ye offer your sacryfyce to me Dyscontent I am with yow beastes of Gomorra And haue no pleasure whan I your offerynges se. I abhorre your fastes and your solempnyte For your tradycyons my wayes ye set a part Your workes are in vayne I hate them from the hart Esaias propheta Thy cytie swete lorde is now become vnfaythfull And her condycyons are turned vp so downe Her lyfe is vnchast her actes be very hurtefull Her murther and theft hath darkened her renowne Couetouse rewardes doth so their conscyence drowne That the fatherlesse they wyll not helpe to ryght The poore wydowes cause come not afore their syght Thy peceable pathes seke they neyther daye nor nyght But walke wycked wayes after their fantasye Conuert their hartes lorde and geue them thy true lyght That they maye perceyue their customable folye Leaue them not helpelesse in so depe myserye But call them from it of thy most specyall grace By thy true prophetes to their sowles helthe and solace Pater coelestis First they had fathers than had they patryarkes Than dukes than iudges to their gydes and monarkes Now haue they stowte kynges yet are they wycked styll And wyll in no wyse my plesaunt lawes fulfyll Alwayes they applye to ydolles worshyppynge From the vyle begger to the anoynted kynge Esaias Propheta For that cause thu hast in two deuyded them In Samaria the one the other in Hierusalem The kynge of Iuda in Hierusalem ded dwell And in Samaria the kynge of Israel Ten of the twelue trybes bycame Samarytanes And the other two were Hierosolymytanes In both these cuntreyes accordynge to their doynges Thu permyttedest them to haue most cruell kynges The first of Iuda was wycked kynge Roboam Of Israel the first was that cruell Hieroboam Abia than folowed and in the other Nadab Then Basa then Hela then Zambri Ioram and Achab. Then Ochosias then Athalia then Ioas On the other part was Ioathan and Achas To rehearce them all that haue done wretchydlye In the syght of the it were longe verelye Pater coelestis For the wycked synne of fylthye ydolatrye Whych the x trybes ded in the lande of Samarye In space of one daye fifty thousand men I slewe Thre of their cyties also I ouerthrewe And left the people in soch captyuyte That in all the worlde they wyst not whyther tefle The other ij trybes whan they from me went back To ydolatrye I left in the hande of Sesack The kynge of Egipt whych toke awaye their treasure Conuayed their cattel and slewe them without measure In tyme of Achas an hondred thousand and twentye Were slayne at one tyme for their ydolatrye Two hondred thousande from thens were captyue led Their goodes dyspersed and they with penurye fed Seldom they fayle it but eyther the Egipcyanes Haue them in bondage or els the Assyreanes And alone they maye thanke their ydolatrye Esaias Propheta Wele yet blessed lorde releue them with thy mercye Though they haue bene yll by other prynces dayes ▪ Yet good Ezechias hath taugh them godlye wayes Whan the prynce is good the people are the better And as he is nought their vyces are the greatter Heauenlye lorde therfor sende them the consolacyon Whych thu hast couenaunted with euery generacyon Open thu the heauens and lete the lambe come hyther Whych wyll delyuer thy people all togyther Ye planetes and cloudes cast downe your dewes and rayne That the earth maye beare out helthfull sauer playne Pater coelestis Maye the wyfe forget the chylde of her owne bodye Esaias Propheta Naye that she can not in anye wyse verelye Pater coelestis No more can I them whych wyll do my cōmaundementes But must preserue them from all inconuenyentes Esaias Propheta Blessed art thu lorde in all thy actes and iudgementes Pater coelestis Wele Esaias for thys thy fydelyte A couenaunt of helthe thu shalt haue also of me For Syons sake now I wyll not holde my peace And for Hierusalem to speake wyll I not cease Tyll that ryghteouse lorde be come as a sūne beame bryght And their iust sauer as a lampe extende hys lyght A rodde shall shut fourth from the olde stocke of Iesse And a bryght blossome from that rote wyll aryse Vpon whom alwayes the sprete of the lorde shall be The sprete of wysdome the sprete of heauenly practyse And the sprete that wyll all godlynesse deuyse Take thys for a sygne A mayde of Israel Shall conceyue and beare that lorde Emanuel Esaias Propheta Thy prayses condygne no mortall tunge can tell Most worthye maker and kynge of heauenlye glorye For all capacytees thy goodnesse doth excell Thy plenteouse graces no brayne can cumpas trulye No wyt can conceyue the greatnesse of thy mercye
that it shall be remaynynge So longe as I shall haue here contynuynge And shewe it I wyll to my posteryte That they in lyke case haue therby felycyte Pater coelestis For a closynge vp take yet one sentence with the. Adam primus homo At thy pleasure lorde all thynges myght euer be Pater coelestis For that my promyse maye haue the deper effect In the faythe of the and all thy generacyon Take thys sygne with it as a seale therto connect Crepe shall the Serpent for hys abhomynacyon The woman shall sorowe in paynefull propagacyon Like as thu shalt fynde thys true in outwarde workynge So thynke the other though it be an hydden thynge Adam primus homo Incessaunt praysynge to the most heauenlye lorde For thys thy socoure and vnderserued kyndenesse Thu byndest me in hart thy gracyouse gyftes to recorde And to beare in mynde now after my heauynesse The brute of thy name with inwarde ioye and gladnesse Thu dysdaynest not as wele apereth thys daye To fatche to thy folde thy first shepe goynge a straye Most myghtye maker thu castest not yet awaye Thy synnefull feruaunt whych hath done most offence It is not thy mynde for euer I shuld decaye But thu reseruest me of thy benyuolence And hast prouyded for me a recompence By thy appoyntment like as I haue receyued In thy stronge promyse here openlye pronounced Thys goodnesse dere lorde of me is vndeserued I so declynynge from thy first instytucyon At so lyght mocyons To one that thus hath swerued What a lorde art thu to geue soche retrybucyon I damnable wretche deserued execucyon Of terryble deathe without all remedye And to be put out of all good memorye I am enforced to reioyce here inwardelye An ympe though I be of helle deathe and dampnacyon Through my owne workynge For I consydre thy mercye And pytiefull mynde for my whole generacyon It is thu swete lorde that workest my saluacyon And my recouer Therfor of a congruence From hens thu must haue my hart and obedyence Thought I be mortall by reason of my offence And shall dye the deathe like as God hath appoynted Of thys am I sure through hys hygh influence At a serten daye agayne to be reuyued From grounde of my hart thys shall not be remoued I haue it in faythe and therfor I wyll synge Thys Antheme to hym that my saluacyon shall brynge Tunc sonora uoce prouolutis genibus Antiphonam incipit O Sapientia Quam prosequetur chorus cum organis eo interim exeunte Vel sub eodem tono poterit sic Anglice cantari Oeternal Sapyence that procedest from the mouthe of hyghest reachynge fourth with a great power froÌ„ the beg 〈…〉 nynge to the ende with heauenlye swetnesse dysposynge aâ—â— creatures come now and enstruct vs the true waye of thy godlye prudence Finit Actus primus Actus secundus Pater coelestis I haue bene moued to stryke man dyuerselye Sens I lefte Adam in thys same earthly mansyon For whyc he hath done to me dyspleasures manye And wyll not amende hys lyfe in anye condycyon No respect hath he to my worde nor monycyon But doth what hym lust without dyscrete aduysement And wyll in no wyse take myne aduertysement Cain hath slayne Abel hys brother an innocent Whose bloude from the earthe doth call to me for vengeauÌ„ce My children with mennis so carnallye consent That their vayne workynge is vnto me moche greuaunce Mankynde is but fleshe in hys whole dallyaunce All vyce encreaseth in hym contynuallye Nothynge he regardeth to walke vnto my glorye My hart abhorreth hys wylfull myserye Hys cankred malyce hys cursed couetousenesse Hys 〈◊〉 lecherouse hys vengeable tyrannye 〈◊〉 â—â—rcyfull mourther and other vngodlynesse â—yll destroye hym for hys outragyousnesse â—nd not hym onlye but all that on earthe do stere â—or it repenteth me that euer I made them here Iustus Noah Most gentyll maker with hys fraylenesse sumwhat beare Man is thy creature thy selfe can not saye naye Though thu ponnysh hym to put hym sumwhat in feare Hys faulte to knowledge yet seke not hys decaye Thu mayest reclayme hym though he goeth now astraye And brynge hym agayne of thy abundaunt grace To the folde of faythe he acknowlegynge hys trespace Pater coelestis Thu knowest I haue geuen to hym conuenyent space With laufull warnynges yet he amendeth in no place The naturall lawe whych I wrote in hys harte He hath outraced all goodnesse puttynge a parte Of helthe the couenaunt whych I to Adam made He regardeth not but walketh a damnable trade Iustus Noah All thys is true lorde I can not thy wordes reproue Lete hys weakenesse yet thy mercyfull goodnesse moue Pater coelestis No weakenesse is it but wylfull workynge all That reigneth in man through mynde dyabolycall He shall haue therfor lyke as he hath deserued Iustus Noah Lose hym not yet lorde though he hath depelye swerued I knowe thy mercye is farre aboue hys rudenesse Beynge infynyte as all other thynges are in the. Hys folye therfor now pardone of thy goodnesse And measure it not beyonde thy godlye pytie Esteme not hys faulte farder than helpe maye be But graunt hym thy grace as he offendeth so depelye The to remembre and abhorrre hys myserye Of all goodnesse lorde remembre thy great mercye To Adam and Eue breakynge thy first commaundement Them thu releuedest with thy swete promyse heauenlye Synnefull though they were and their lyues neglygent I knowe that mercye with the is permanent And wyll be euer so longe as the worlde endure Than close not thy hande from man whych is thy creature Beynge thy subiect he is vndreneth thy cure Correct hym thu mayest and so brynge hym to grace All lyeth in thy handes to leaue or to allure Bytter deathe to geue or graunte most suffren solace Vtterlye from man auerte not then thy face But lete hym sauer thy swete benyuolence Sumwhat though he fele thy hande for hys offence Pater coelestis My true seruauÌ„t Noah thy ryghtousnesse doth moue me Sumwhat to reserue for mannys posteryte Though I drowne the worlde yet wyll I saue the lyues Of the and thy wyfe thy iij. sonnes and their wyues And of yche kynde two to maynteyne yow herafter Iustus Noah Blessed be thy name most myghtye mercyfull maker With the to dyspute it were vnconuenyent Pater coelestis Whye doest thu saye so Be bolde to speke thy intent Iustus Noah Shall the other dye without anye remedye Pater coelestis I wyll drowne them all for their wylfull wycked folye That man herafter therby maye knowe my powre And feare to offende my goodnesse daye and houre Iustus Noah As thy pleasure is so myght it alwayes be For my helthe thu art and sowles felycyte Pater coelestis After that thys floude haue had hys ragynge passage Thys shall be to the my couenaunt euerlastynge The sees and waters so farre neuermore shall rage As all fleshe to drowne I wyll so tempre their workynge Thys sygne wyll I adde also to confirme the thynge
Abraham fidelis Great are thy graces in the generacyon of Sem. Pater coelestis Well Abraham well for thy true faythfulnes Now wyll I geue the my couenaunt or thirde promes Loke thu beleue it as thu couetyst ryghtuousnesse Abraham fidelis Lorde so regarde me as I receyue it with gladnesse Pater coelestis Of manye peoples the father I wyll make the All generacyons in thy sede shall be blessyd As the starres of heauen so shall thy kynered be And by the same sede the worlde shall be redressed In cyrcumcysyon shall thys thynge be expressed As in a sure seale to proue my promyse true Prynt thys in thy faythe and it shall thy sowle renue Abraham fidelis I wyll not one Iote Lorde from thy wyll dyssent But to thy pleasure be alwayes obedyent Thy lawes to fullfyll and most precyouse commaundement Pater coelestis Farwele Abraham for heare in place I leaue the. Abraham fidelis Thankes wyll I rendre lyke as it shall behoue me Euerlastynge prayse to thy most gloryouse name Whych sauedyst Adā through faythe in thy swete promes Of the womannys sede And now confirmest the same In the sede of me Fosoth great is thy goodnes I can not perceyue but that thy mercye is endles To soch as feare the in euery generacyon For it endureth without abreuyacyon Thys haue I prynted in depe consyderacyon No worldly matter can race it out of mynde For ones it wyll be the fynall restauracyon Of Adam and Eue with other that hath synde Yea the sure helthe and rayse of all mankynde Helpe haue the faythfull therof though they be infect They condempnacyon where as it is reiect Mercyfull maker my crabbed voyce dyrect That it maye breake out in some swete prayse to the And suffre me not thy due lawdes to neglect But lete me shewe forth thy commendacyons fre Stoppe not my wynde pypes but geue them lyberte To sounde to thy name whych is most gracyouse And in it reioyce with hart melodyouse Tunc alta uoce canit Antiphonam O rex gentium choro candem prosequente cum organis ut prius Vel Anglice hoc modo O most myghtye gouernour of thy people and in hart most desyred the harde rocke and true corner stone that of two maketh one vnynge the Iewes with the gentyles in one churche come now and releue mankynde whom thu hast fourmed of the vyle earthe Finit actus tertius Incipit actus Quartus Pater coelestis STyll so increaseth the wyckednesse of man That I am moued with plages hym to confounde ▪ Hys weakenesse to ayde I do the best I can Yet he regardeth me no more than doth an hounde My worde and promyse in hys faythe taketh no grounde He wyll so longe walke in hys owne lustes at large That nought he shall fynde hys folye to dyscharge Sens Abrahams tyme whych was my true elect Ismael haue I founde both wycked fearce and cruell And Esau in mynde with hatefull muther infect The sonnes of Iacob to lustes vnnaturall fell And into Egypte ded they their brother sell. Laban to ydolles gaue faythfull reuerence Dina was corrupt through Sichems vyolence Ruben abused hys fathers concubyne Iudas gate chyldren of hys owne doughter in lawe Yea her in my syght went after a wycked lyne Hys sede Onanspylte hys brothers name to withdrawe Achan lyued here without all godlye awe And now the chyldren of Israel abuse my powre In so vyle maner that they moue me euerye howre Moses sanctus Pacyfye thy wrathe swete lorde I the desyre As thu art gentyll benygne and pacyent Lose not that people in fearcenesse of thyne yre For whom thu hast shewed soche tokens euydent Conuertynge thys rodde into a lyuelye serpent And the same serpent into thys rodde agayne Thy wonderfull power declarynge very playne For their sakes also puttest Pharao to payne By ten dyuerse plages as I shall here declare By bloude frogges lyce by flyes death botche blayne By hayle by grassoppers by darkenesse and by care By a Soden plage all their first gotten ware Thu flewest in one nyght for hys fearce cruelnesse From that thy people witholde not now thy goodnesse Pater coelestis I certyfye the my chosen seruaunt Moses That people of myne is full of vnthankefuln 〈…〉 Moses sanctus Dere lorde I knowe it alas yet waye their weaken 〈…〉 And beare with their faultes of thy great bounteousnesse In a flamynge bushe hauynge to them respect Thu appoyntedest me their passage to direct And through the reade see thy ryght hande ded vs lede Where Pharaoes hoost the floude ouerwhelmed in dede Thu wentest before them in a shynynge cloude all daye And in the darke nyght in fyre thu shewedest their waye Thu sentest them Manna from heauen to be their food Out of the harde stone thu gauest them water good Thu appoyntedest them a lande of mylke and honye Lete them not perysh for want of thy great mercye Pater coelestis Content they are not with foule nor yet with fayre But murmour and grudge as people in dyspayre As I sent Manna they had it in dysdayne Thus of their welfare they manye tymes complayne Ouer Amalech I gaue them the vyctorye Moses sanctus Most gloryouse maker all that is to thy glorye Thu sentest them also a lawe from heauen aboue And daylye shewedest them manye tokens of great loue The brasen serpent thu gauest them for their healynge And Balaams curse thu turnedest into a blessynge I hope thu wylt not dysdayne to helpe them styll Pater coelestis I gaue them preceptes whych they wyll not fulfyll Nor yet knowledge me for their God and good lorde So do their vyle dedes with their wycked hartes accorde Whyls thu hast talked with me famylyarlye 〈…〉 mountayne the space but of dayes fortye 〈…〉 ghtes all they haue forgotten clerelye 〈…〉 are turned to shamefull ydolatrye For their God they haue sett vp a golden calfe Moses sanctus Lete me saye sumwhat swete father in their behalfe Pater coelestis I wyll first conclude and then saye on thy mynde For that I haue founde that people so vnkynde Nor one of them shall enioye the promyse of me For enterynge the lande but Caleb and Iosue Moses sanctus Thy eternall wyll euermore fulfylled be For dysobedyence thu shewest the sonnes of Aaron The earthe swellowed in both Dathan and Abiron The adders ded stynge other wycked persones els In wonderfull nombre Thus hast thu ponnyshed rebels Pater coelestis Neuer wyll I spare the cursed inyquyte Of ydolatrye for no cause thu mayst trust me Moses sanctus Forgeue them yet lorde for thys tyme if it maye be Pater coelestis Thynkest thu that I wyll so sone change my decre No No frynde Moses so lyght thu shalt not fynde me I wyll ponnysh them all Israel shall it se. Moses sanctus I wote thy people hath wrought abhomynacyon Worshyppynge false goddes to thy honours derogacyon Yet mercyfullye thu mayest vpon them loke And if thu wylt not thrust me
is soch a lyght as all men doth illumyne That euer were here or shall be after thys All the worlde he made by hys myghtye power deuyne And yet that rude worlde wyll not knowe what he is Hys owne he enterynge is not regarded of hys They that receyue hym are Gods true chyldren playne In sprete regenerate and all grace shall attayne Manye do recken that I Iohan Baptyst am he Deceyued are they and that wyll apere in space Though he come after yet was he longe afore me We are weake vessells he is the welle of grace Of hys great goodnesse all that we haue we purchace By hym are we lyke to haue a better increes Than euer we had by the lawe of Moses In Moses harde lawe we had not els but darkenes Fygure and shaddowe All was not els but nyght Ponnyshment for synne moch rygour payne and roughnes An hygh change is there where all is turned to lyght Grace and remyssyon anon wyll shyne full bryght Neuer man lyued that euer se God afore Whych now in our kynde mannys ruyne wyll restore Helpe me to geue thankes to that lorde euermore Whych am vnto Christ a cryars voyce in the desart To prepare the pathes and hygh wayes hym before For hys delyght is on the poore symple hart That innocent lambe from soch wyll neuer depart As wyll faythfullye receyue hym with good mynde Lete our voyce then sounde in some swete musycall kynde Resona tunc uoce Antiphonam incipit O clauis Dauid Quam prosequetur chorus cum organis ut prius Vel in Anglico sermone sic O perfyght keye of Dauid and hygh scepture of the kyndred of Iacob whych openest and no man speareth thu spearest and no man openeth come delyuer thy seruaunt 〈◊〉 kynde bounde in prison syttynge in the darkenesse of 〈◊〉 and bytter dampnacyon Baleus Prolocutor THe matters are soch that we haue vttered here As ought not to slyde from your memoryall For they haue opened soch confortable gere As is to the helthe of thys kynde vnyuersall Graces of the lorde and promyses lyberall Whych he hath geuen to man for euery age To knytt hym to Christ and so clere hym of bondage As Saynt Paule doth write vnto the Corinthes playne Our fore fathers were vndre the cloude of darkenes And vnto Christes dayes ded in the shaddowe remayne Yet were they not left for of hym they had promes All they receyued one spirytuall fedynge doubtles They dronke of the rocke whych them to lyfe refreshed For one sauynge helthe in Christ all they confessed In the womans sede was Adam first iustyfyed So was faytfull Noah so was iust Abraham The faythe in that sede in Moses fourth multyplyed Lyke wyse in Dauid and Esaye that after cam And in Iohan Baptyst whych shewed the very lame Though they se a farre yet all they had one iustyce One Masse as they call it and in Christ one sacryfyce A man can not here to Good do better seruyce Than on thys to grounde hys faythe and vnderstandynge For all the worldes synne alone Christ payed the pryce In hys onlye deathe was mannys lyfe alwayes restynge And not in wyll worâ—â— nor yet in mennys deseruynge The lyght of our faythe make thys thyngâ— euydent And not the practyse of other experiment Where is now fre wyll whom the hypocryte a comment Wherby they report they maye at their owne pleasure Do good of themselues though grace and fayth be absent And haue good intentes their madnesse with to measure The wyll of the fleshe is proued here small treasure And so is mannys wyll for the grace of God doth all More of thys matter conclude herafter we shall Thus endeth thys Tragedy or enterlude manyfestynge the chefe promyses of God vnto Man by all ages in the olde lawe from the fall of Adam to the incarnacyon of the lorde Iesus Christ. Compyled by Iohan Bale Anno domini M. D. XXXVIII