they could not truely say That eloquence had trayned them for to beléeue on Christ But that it was the holy spirite and vertue of the hiest Beside the principles may not be taught by curious art or wit Nor néedes a Rhethoricians tongue in the perswading it But stedfastly we must beléeue the first beginnings well Therefore it is but vaine a fine and pleasant tale to tell Vnto the rude vnskilfull sort that doe the groundes denie As of no myracles they néede nor wonders from the skie That knowe the true and certaine path and after Christ haue sought But from the Craddle Christ and his decrées to vs are tought In these our tender yeares we néede plaine wordes not loftie speach But rather ayde of holy spirite and faythfull man to teach But after Christ and fayth is got then vse the â—â—nest kinde Of Rhetoricke and colours all to mooue the slouthfull minde Inflame their hartes with loue of Christ and God continually Perswade them wickednesse to hate and all Idolatry And vertue alwayes to embrace in goodnesse to delight And wickednesse to shunne and hate and euery sinfull sight To leaue their hard and flintie hartes prouoking God to yre To feare the threatnings of his worde and euerlasting fyre To shed their saltish teares for sinne and all their confidence On Gods great mercie for to set who pardons eche offence Assured of his fauour great extolling him alway On this bestow thy Rhetoricke and all that thou canst say And likewise if thou chosen be to fight against the traine Of Sathan errors to suppresse and truth for to maintaine For though as sharpe and fierie sworde the worde of God we sée Doth pearce into the déepest part of hardest hearts that bée And as a heauie hammer great breakes all that doth withstand Yet is the force increased much by helpe of perfite hand Euen as the wounde is déeper cut that stronger hand doth make And sooner breake the stone which maule with stronger arme doth shake Vse Rethoricke therefore husbandman and set thy whole delight In furthring of the worde of God with all thy force and might For Paule among the perfite sort did déepely still entreate And fed the weaker sort with milke refusing stronger meate What should I shewe how eloquent they were and eke how fine That wrote their worthie volumes neare vnto the Apostles time Choose where thou likest among the Gréekes or all the Latine rowtes None hateth Rethoricke certainely but slouthfull drowsie lowtes And gorbellyes that euermore doe set their whole delight In liuing lasily at home and sléeping day and night Our husbandman must yet attempt the other studyes all That tearmed are of auncient men the learnings liberall None of the things that here to God or man belonging bée Are voyde of number dealt withall Th' almightie Maiestée Framde eche thing with his perfite poyse and numbred euery thing The art of numbring pleasant is and profite great doth bring In this alone from brutishe beastes we men doe differ here So would th' almightie king when first he made vs rule to bere And Lordes of all things that he framde appoynted vs to bée That perfitely we might pervse eche thing in his degree That in the skies or earth he made eche thing he did deuide Both generally particular and minutes small beside That waying so his wondrous workes and vsing well the same We should extoll his worthinesse and prayse his holy name The skill of heauenly motions eke doth to the same encline Than which amongst vs men there is no knowledge more diuine Nor more that brings vs to the loue of God himselfe aboue Nor farther liftes vs from the earth and to the skies doth moue Who woonders not to sée the Sunne and Moone continuallie To kéepe their course and planets faire and glistring starres in skie And prayseth not the hande of God that them did thus create And doth not count himselfe to be in passing happie state Who shall inioy that blessed house whose walles so outward shine With Princely beautie garnished and figures framed fine For néedes he must suppose that greater things remaine within Nor in he here deceyude for neyther eye hath euer séene Nor eare hath heard nor any heart of mortall man might déeme The ioyes that God prepared hath for such as him estéeme Wherefore a pleasant studie sure and aptest for our minde Is this that doth the skies beholde and starres of euery kinde Our countnance séemes to prooue the same that lifted vp a hie Is framde as it appoynted were for to beholde the skie Beside it standeth man in stéede for many vses here For whose behoofe the Lorde hath made eche thing that doth appere By face of heauen and moouing of the Moone and Phoebus crowne And by the thrée folde rising of the starres and going downe The Lorde deuided tymes and did appoynt the day and night The chaunge of yeares and monthes and houres both equall vnright And set them signes of winter blacke and of the chearfull spring Of burning Sommer and the time that rypest fruites doth bring Of weather faire and fowle or stormes and tempestes that arise And tokens for the Mariner that on the water lyes And for the husbandman that in the ground his séede doth sow Hereto the Northren Pole doth serue the beare and beareward slow The monstrous Waine of Charles the Goate and little Kiddes withal And Hyades that tempest showes when as they rise or fall Orion eke that winter brings with sworde and dreadfull face And vnderneath his féete the Hare whom Syrian Curre doth chase And many other goodly starres and pictures in the skie Besides the twelue familiar signes that in the Zodiake lie These ought our husband man to knowe and throughly to pervse Bicause of holy scripture and that oft they come in vse And least he should not vnderstand the things that euen those That rude and common people be are able to disclose I suffer not the Chaldeyes here ne yet the Aradians vayne Who thinke that euery thing is wrought by force of starrie raigne And fearefull in their matters wey what signe doth vpward spring Deuiding all the heauens great a straunge and monstrous thing To houses twelue and boldly than their figure vp they rere Assigning to the Lorde of birth eche mans conditions here Than Planets plase and marking how their fond asspects do runne The bussardes blinde doe streight wayes iudge what good or yll to come How short or long his life shall be that than the mother beares What welth he shall obtaine and how and in what space of yeares What brethren and what sisters or what parents he shall haue What maisters or what sicknesses and when he goes to graue They likewise of his mariage iudge what wife he shall obtaine And in what sort she shall be got with pleasure or with paine Then of his honestie they déeme and his dishonest life What friendship he shall alwayes finde what hatred or what strife Besides of signes
no body here doth liue but bloud must néedes be there Nor bloud can any life possesse without the bodie here As if that Christ the maister of the worlde knew not of this But in his owne appoyntment shoulde for lacke of knowledge mis. And are not these same wondrous things and learnings passing great When Christ did neuer will the same nor hereof did intreate To this he patcheth merites to the Priestes deseruing hy And euery one that heares the Masse and euery stander by For nothing in the Papacie without desertes is donne Nor must be wrought sith for a rule it generally doth ronne That all our health dependeth of our workes and our good déedes No place hath fayth nor glorie giuen to Christ From whome procéedes Our happie state and blessed life nor onely to the grace Of God they haue respect that doth of mercy vs imbrace Who causeth Masse or doth it say doth merite wondrously The like doe they that doe it heare and marke attentiuely Who neyther heares nor vnderstandes a word thereof at all But standeth onely in the Church as painted on a wall With merites great rewarded is and all his sinnes thereby Forgiuen quite the hope whereof doth make him looke full hye Yea if the bell to sacring toule and farre from thence thou bée And cannot come but earnestly doe wish the same to sée A merite great you gotten haue thus playne it doth appere The supper serueth for desertes with papistes euery where Their trust is alwayes in the Masse to this they onely flye In euery thing that toucheth them and euery ieoperdye And is not this a goodly crewe they are perswaded still What daye they heare or sée a Masse to haue no kinde of ill Thus comes it here to passe that I did lately say and wright They put not all their trust in Christ but in their proper might And in their owne good workes as in their doings they expresse Being full of incredulitie and all vngodlinesse Masse opens heauen gates and doth deliuer men from hell Masse healeth all diseases and doth sicknesses expell Masse doth relieue the burdned minde and sinnes defaceth quight Masse pleaseth him that guides the skies and giues the heauens bright Masse pluckes the sinfull soules from out the Purgatorie fire Masse comforteth th' afflicted sort and makes them to aspire Masse washeth cleane the mind and makes the guiltie conscience cleere Masse doth obtaine the grace of God and kéepes his fauour heere Masse driueth wicked Deuils hence and ouerthrowes the féendes Masse bringeth Angels good from hie makes them faythfull fréendes Masse doth defende the trauayler from daunger and disease Masse doth preserue the sayling ship amid the raging seas Masse giueth store of corne and graine and helpeth husbandrée Masse blesseth euery such as seekes in welthie state to bée Masse gettes a man a pleasant wife and gettes the mayd hir mate Masse helpes the Captaine in the fielde and furthereth debate Masse also doth asswage the heate that in the heart doth raigne Masse doth defende the pleasant grapes and vineyards doth maintaine Masse helpes the hunter with his horne and makes the dog to runne Masse sendeth store of sport and game into their nettes to come Masse molifieth the angrie mindes and driueth rage away Masse brings the wofull Louers to their long desired day Masse doth destroy the witches works makes their charmings vaine Masse causeth good deliueraunce and helpes the womans paine Masse makes thy prayers to be heard and giueth thy request Masse driues away the gréedie Woolfe that doth the shéepe molest Masse makes the murraine for to ceasse and stocke to thriue apace Masse makes thy iourney prosper well whersoeuer thou turnst thy face Masse ouerthrowes thine enmies force and doth resist his might Masse driues out Robyn good fellow and bugs that walke by night Masse plague and hunger doth expell and ciuill mutenie Masse makes a man with quiet minde and conscience cléere to die Masse vseth many slouthfull knaues and lubbers for to féede Masse brings in dayly gaine as doth the Sowters arte at neede In Masse is all their trust strength all things through Masse are don In all their griefes and miseries to Masse they streightwayes ron Such force hath lewde perswasion here in teaching men awrie That our good workes are onely they that gaine the heauens hie By this so many aultars in the Churches vp did rise By this the number growes so great of Priestes to sacrifice From hence arose such shamefull swarmes of Monkes with great excesse Whom profite of this Masse doth kéepe in slouthfull ydlenesse For this same cause such mightie kings and famous Princes hie Ordayned Masses for their soules and Priestes continuallie With great reuenues yearely left and euerlasting fée An easie way to ioy if it with scriptures might agrée Streight after these the welthie men tooke vp this fansie vaine And built them Chappels euery one and Chaplaynes did retaine At home or in their parishe Church where Masse they dayly soong For sauegarde of their family and of their children yoong Both for their friendes aliue and such as long before did die And in the Purgatorie flames tormented sore doe lie Christ in his Supper giues himselfe to vs assuredly And all his vertuous déedes on vs bestowes and doth apply His merites and his hie desartes with vs he common makes His grace and mercies euery one extended for our sakes We this receyue and nothing giue nor can we giue againe But onely faythfull louing hearts and thankefull for his paine These men by meritorious workes and solemne chaunting chéere With Masses make him recompence and satisfie him heere Thus much the Pope peruerted hath the giftes of God deuine With dreames and fond deuice of man and cursed countermine That no where nowe appeares the hope of sinnes forgiuen quight By Christ and life obtayned here and Sathan put to flight To these two Sacraments that Christ himselfe appoynted héere They adde fiue others that more cause of merits may appéere Which though they neyther tokens bée of Gods assured loue Which they ne can being not confirmde with promise from aboue Yet dare he boldly promise here to such as take them right The grace and fauour of the Lorde and eke the holy spright He doth confirme the children yong without examining Or trayll of their fayth or of their woonted handling He teacheth that the holy ghost may be receyude and had At handes of euery Priest that is as well of good as bad Not putting difference betwixt Christes Legates truly sent And wicked Simon damned for his mischieuous intent With Creame their foreheads doth he mark the people laughing there And those whome thus he marked hath he striketh on the eare Then Godfather or Godmother is readie streight at hande To binde the noynted forehead like a wound with linnen bande Which he enforced is to weare eight dayes continuallie With pleasure great to euery one that kéepes him companie And after taken of againe his forehead washed
powre and euerlasting dignitée Who doth regarde the déedes and actes that here on earth are done And suffers nothing in the worlde at random here to runne But holdes the helme of all himselfe and sterne doth onely guide Though diuers Ministers he hath for euery thing beside He well shall also vnderstande the great affection deare That God doth alwayes beare to man who made his subiectes heare Both birdes and beastes and skalie fishe that in the seas doe swim And gaue him from the skies a minde that most resembled him Nor left him when he wickedly vpon the â—â—ende did waight But threatning Sathan and his traine to mercie tooke him straight Moreouer he shall learne from whence the spring of death and sinne And wretched ignorance of truth did in the worlde beginne And what great force of ours remaynes to deale in vertuous déedes And whence the safe assured hope of righteousnesse procéedes And whence remission of our sinnes Besides he plaine shall sée Examples store of Gods great wrath for such as wicked bée And eke againe the mercy great of God omnipotent Towards them that vertuous are and such as earnestly repent There plainely also shall he sée what things the law doth tell How it condemneth euery man and driueth downe to hell That sinne deserueth dreadfull death and eke the certaine way To please the euerlasting Lorde and him for to obay Moreouer that there are good sprites and aungels faire aboue Sent out from God for mans defence and for their great behoue As vnto them the wicked sprites are deadly enimies There shall he learne that soule of man with bodie neuer dies Nor that the bodie euermore shall kepe the stinking graue But sound and safe at th' ende of the worlde their olde estate shall haue And come to euerlasting life where of the Iudge seuere The fearefull sentence shall they sée and righteous iudgement here There shall the wicked sort receyue theyr iust deserued hire Cast downe into the smokie pitte of dreadfull flaming fire The good exalted to the ioyes of heauen shining bright Shall sée the face of God and liue in passing great delight And more he well shall vnderstande that will of God aboue What honor here he best estéemes and what he most doth loue What orders he accepteth here what dutie eke we owe Vnto the Magistrate the whole estate of mariage shall he knowe But of this worthie treasureâ—great why call I all to minde As if I would the surges tell of seas in raging winde Or number all the glistring starres that in the skies appeare And cast abrode their golden beames when as the night is cleare Or tell howe many thousand leaues in wooddie groues doe lie While as in Autumne Saturne throwes his frostie flakes from hie Or count the number of the eares that through the worlde are séene While as approching Haruest néere the corne forsakes his gréene There shall he finde whatsoeuer doth to husbandmen belong Wherewith to ouerthrow the foe and to instruct the yong Therefore let him at first the bookes of Moyses well applie And all the other Prophetes else in order héedilie And from the fountaynes draw the worde and fetch it from the spring That perfitely he know the minde of God in euery thing But chiefly in the scriptures written by the holy ghost These two the law and Gospell let him alwayes thinke on most Discerning well betwixt them both what doth to eche belong The propertie of euery one their force and vertue strong Least that he hap to deale therein as most men doe this day To make them both agrée in one that differ farre away The lawe destroyes condemnes worketh wrath and vengeance due And showth vs what we ought to doe and what we must eschue Augmenteth sinne and driues men downe into the pit of hell That doe not heare in euery poynt obserue and kéepe it well On the other side the Gospell doth bring euerlasting life And doth appease the wrath of God for sinne and ceaseth strife And thorow Christ forgiueth all that hath bene done amisse And drawth vs from the depth of hell and placeth vs in blisse In giuing ioyes that neuer endes ne shewes how we should liue So much as it the déedes of Christ to vs doth wholy giue And maketh righteous euery one and doth our sinnes deface Restoring vnto sauing health all such as séekes his grace Lo here thou séest a diffrence great that will no vnitée No more than fowle deformed death with life will here agrée Therefore herein our husbandman must seuer them aright Not mingling them togither thus as iust in egall plight Not making Moyses here of Christ or olde Licurgus sowre Nor yet ascribing that to Christ that longs to Moyses powre Let eche of them their office kéepe their time and eke their place Sometime t' is méete the stonie hearts with deadly lawe to chase And to declare the dreadfull plagues that no excuse remaine To wretched men that all their life in wickednesse doe traine A time againe when méete it is of nothing else to speake But graciousnesse and to relieue and comfort vp the weake With swéetenesse great of Iesus milde both necke and hands vnbound From dolefull chaynes of miserie that weyes them to the ground What can be worse than for to kill such as deserue to liue And vnto such as death deserue eternall life to giue Which thing doth alwayes come to passe when all things are not well Discerned as they ought to be and as I earst did tell And though the face of Moyses and our Sauiours countnance bright Must both be bare and open showde and furnisht out with light Yet most of all we ought the name of Christ to magnifie And séeke t' aduaunce aboue the rest his prayse and dignitie For he of euery other thing is finall ende and summe And all things both in heauen and earth by meanes of him are donne And euery thing committed here vnto his holy hande Wherein both health and righteousnesse and death and life doth stande With fauour grace and punishment and whatsoeuer doth lie Created heare vpon the earth or in the heauens hie He is the soueraigne king and guide of chosen people pure The happie priest chiefe head and Lorde and Sanctuarie sure The stedfast stone to cleaue vnto and strongest towre of might The glorious Bridegrome garnished most bewtifull in sight That with his owne most precious bloud did washe and purifie His spouse from euery spot and staine that might offend the eie The onely shepheard bread and light and chiefest maister here In fine the large and welthie horne where all things doth appere Him from the first beginning God did promise for to giue To Adam and his children all that after him should liue A gift that well should pacifie his iust conceyued yre And eke redéeme the damned soules from neuer ceassing fyre Thus taught the holy ghost abrode and Moyses did the same And all the Prophets after him did blase abrode
death and hell eternally And with his bloud our sinnes deface that for his sake alone The father onely fauours vs and blesseth euery one Hath giuen vs life and all our sinnes and faultes forgiuen quight And of his mercie made vs heyres with him of heauen bright This who so constantly beléeues and doth with tongue confesse Is made the childe of God and heyre of euerlasting blesse He neither feareth Deuills force nor death with cruell strife Nor all the raging of the worlde nor daungers of this life But fastning still his eyes on Christ in safetie doth he row Such one is perfite Israel the Church of Christ doth know Such Citizens and such thou mayst call alwayes worthily True Catholikes and members of the blessed company For those that dare not trust in Christ nor in his father hie Doe quake for feare and séeke for holes not knowing where to lie And of their owne they alwayes séeke a righteousnesse to haue Whereby they may content the Lorde their sinfull soules to saue Not satisfied with heauenly giftes nor righteousnesse from hie And fathers fauour here for Christ who gaue himselfe to die For our offences great and made the satisfaction full And from the handes of death and hell did vs for euer pull O Lorde how few doe thus beléeue how euery where in vaine They doe abuse the name of Christ and counterfeytes remaine Being Christians calde and both in life and fayth doe disagree As in this popishe kingdome here thou perfitly mayst sée For marke what things they doe beléeue what monsters they do frame I not denie but euery where of Christ the blessed name Is calde vpon in Churches great and Créede is dayly songue And Christ the true redéemer calde alonely with the tongue And tearmed Lorde but farre from him the heart doth séeme to bée And with the wide resounding mouth it doth no whit agrée Which in so many things appeares so plaine vnto the eye That gracelesse must he counted be that will the same denye And first beholde how earnestly they séeke in euery thing The righteousnesse that of themselues and proper force doth spring Not to th entent to liue a right and please the father great That of his mercie calleth vs vnto his blessed seate Or Christ that all our sinnes and faultes doth cleerely wash away Nor with their life and ayde to helpe their brethren all they may But onely heauen for to winne and to be frée from blame And with deserts to please the Lorde that all the worlde did frame Where now appéeres the hope of life by Christ obtained right And cléere forgiuenesse of our sinnes and Sathan put to flight For who so séekes and searcheth still thinkes yet he hath it not ▪ For no man séeketh for the thing now in possession got Nor any man that hath his wittes by merits séekes to winne The thing that is alreadie giuen but rather thanketh him And merily enioyes the gift of his obtained wealth With gratefull minde set frée from cares in quietnesse and health Therefore since that in euery thing they righteousnesse desire And heapes of merites and desertes they earnestly require And most vngodly vseth them vnto so ill an ende They neyther doe beleeue in Christ that he doth onely sende And fréely giue eternall life nor that he satisfise For all our gréeuous sinnes and faultes they rather doe despise His merites and his fathers giftes while prowdely in their hartes They trust vnto their righteousnesse and to their owne desartes Hereto it tendes whatsoeuer they doe in Church or otherwhere For this such straunge religion haue they framde and paultrie gere And this alone of all their life the marke and ende they made Supposing not to come to God by any other trade A Iewish people sure and such as at this present day No better then the Gentiles are take name of Christ away For in like sorte through all the worlde they doe beléeue as well And lawe of nature doth instruct and reason doth them tell That for good déedes there doth behinde a recompence remaine And that th' almightie father that doth guide the starrie raine Is to be pleasde with worshipping good déedes and righteousnesse And other things whereby we may our louing mindes expresse Herewith they couet euery one to rayse vp mountaines hie As long time since the Giantes did for to assault the skie But sure they shall be ouerthrowne and driuen downe to hell For why the Lorde hath long agone decréede as scriptures tell Not to forgiue th' offences of the worlde but by his sonne By whom the subtile serpents head is broke and ouercome The blinded worlde regardes not this nor séekes to vnderstande Nor trustes the worde of God but in hir owne conceytes doth stande And countes hir fancie still the best and crediteth alway The fonde deuises of hir braine vntill hir dying day Euen so the Turkish multitude doe put there onely trust In liuing as their law commaundes and in their doings iust So likewyse doth the Iewe beléeue saluation for to haue By kéeping of their auncient lawe that Moyses to them gaue And euery kinde of people else the very same confesse Beléeuing to be saued by their lawe and righteousnesse None otherwise the papacie continually beléeues Nor vnderstandes the righteousnesse that fayth alonely géeues Although they reade the scriptures and saint Paule and doe them sift Who of the righteousnesse of fayth and of the Fathers gift Through Christ doth speake so oft who is our righteousnesse alone And raunsome eke But let vs sée the parcelles euery one Christ when he went from hence did leaue two sacraments behind Whereby we might continually his goodnesse kéepe in minde And staye our fayth beléeuing all our sinnes forgiuen quight By him alone and we made heyres of euerlasting light The first is Baptisme wherewithall we washt in water cleane Being buried in the blessed waues and plungde in sacred streame Are made the seruaunts here of Christ with him continuallye To suffer what so euer faules and eke to liue and dye Which as it plaine and simple is so is it most of price And not to be defilde with any toye or mans deuice But this it here defiled hath with wicked doctrine plaine And with a foolish number great of Cerimonies vaine For thus it plainely teacheth that our sinnes forgiuen arre Alonely by the déede hereof not adding any barre Accounting not the giftes of God dealt here without desart Nor sinnes by Christ forgiuen free but by the déede and part Of him that well prepares himselfe vnto this sacrament That merits may haue place and workes may gaine the firmament And that which vnto God is due to vs imputeth aye Ascribing that to déedes that fayth doth onely take awaye And that assuredly before the font thou commest neare And ere thou washt and plunged art amid the waters cleare Nor here through baptising the sinnes of man forgiuen are Nor by the déede thereof as plaine the scriptures doe declare
Ne thinkes he méete for him it is to sléepe to drinke to eate Except he do before commit some haynous trespasse greate Thus in the heart of man the prince of hell had sowne his séedes And ouergrowne his precious plantes with his vngracious wéedes And had oppressed godlinesse while it was yet but gréene That scarcely any where the steppes of vertue might be séene And brought vnto the Chaynes of death and misery all their dayes Men first created vnto life and to th' almighties prayse Poore Adam spoyled of his grace in naked plight and bare Perceyued streight this hellish séede and neuer ceassing care Wherefore in Figtrée vesture clad himselfe by flight he hydes Both doubting of the mercy of God and of his life besides Whose sight he shoonnes and eke his voyce he quaketh for to heare As doth the Chicken of the Kyte or Oxe of Lion neare And surely vnderneath the yoke of death and dreadfull sinne Both he and his posteritie for euermore hath béene But that th' almightie Lorde aboue tooke pittie of his case And gaue agaynst the deuils thornes and séede of cursed grace A remedie an other séede his blessed worde deuine And promise of his fauour made how that in after time A holy vertuous man and strong should rise and succour bring And tread vpon the serpents head and ceasse his deadly sting And purge away the sinnes of man though losse he doe sustaine Not voyde of ouerpoyse but with his profite great and gaine Commaunded Adam for to sow this in his sense vnsounde To oppresse thereby if that he could not plucke out of the ground The déepe set rootes that Sathans hand had planted there afore And so become a husbandman for him and others more That after sprang and so resist by all the meanes he may The serpent still with earnest prayer and with a perfite way And for to teach from hand to hand to his posteritie The art and all the whole effect of holy husbandrie The comming of the blessed séede and promises deuine That godlinesse and hope of life might still remaine in time And be preserued in the worlde and that he neuer yéeld And boldly méete the prince of hell and face him in the féeld He ioying in the worde of God and in his happie state Of skilfull perfite husbandman that he receyude of late Withstood the deuill well and drest his heart with tillage due And pluckt out nettles thistles and eche other wéedes that grue And found againe the loue of God whereof he felt the smell And in the vertuous order of his life declarde it well The fruit of righteousnesse he looude and all that in him lay Represt the raging of the flesh and caused it to'bay He hated euery wicked act and euery sinfull lore That was displeasing vnto God and all his sinnes before With prayer and streames of perfite teares he wypte and washt away And all his hope and confidence in Christ doth surely lay This same vnto his wife he taught and to his children deare And all his ofspring euery one vnto his latest yeare And then to Seth he left the plowe who eke committed it To Enock that applyde it well with all his force and wit And sowde the worde and fayth abrode with luckie fruitfull hande And so did all the yonger sort that after ought the lande Olde Sathan hating all this while the séede so promised The chiefe estéemers of the same and faithfull brotherhed And séeking all men for to drawe vnto th' infernall raigne Applyde himselfe with all his force and all his hellish traine To ouerthrow these fathers déedes and all their worke to spoyle And vnder cloke of truth with lyes he poysons all the soyle And in the stéede of Godly feare he sinfull life reuiues With heapes of vice and Godly séedes to spoyle againe he striues And now amid the pleasant corne the pricking thistle flowes And gracelesse cockle lothsome to the eye it ouergrowes Sometime the raging stormes of haile doth beate it to the ground And oft consuming wormes and drake and darnell there is found Or mildewes fowle or stormes of raine or heate or frostie coldes Sometime a sunder crackes the plowe while Camock strongly holdes Not much the plowmen then preuaylde and Cayne did first beginn◠To hate his fathers husbandrie and sowe the séedes of sinne Whom all his issue folowed fast as one of greatest skill And better fruite might not be séene than this so lewde and ill Nor godlinesse was to be found in all the world so wide So that th' almightie father drownde both man and earth beside And euery creature hauing life as iustly they deserude Saue one poore Barke that in the flouds of mercie he preserude What should I all things call to minde the world renude againe Not long regarded vertuous wordes but folowed pleasures vaine Eche godly thing was lothde and left as men did fast increase So all things waxed worse and worse and vertue gan to cease Although the guide of heauen and earth did euermore prouide For husbandmen and prophets good and sent his sonne beside In vesture clad of fading fleshe of workemen all the chiefe And author of our life who though he sent for our reliefe His messengers and seruaunts forth abrode in euery place To teach the perfite art and way and sow the séedes of grace Yet of the dreadfull dragon blacke preuayled much the héed To tread and stampe in euery place vpon this sacred séed The séedes of Gods triumphant worde were neuer so largely sowne Nor couered in the heart of man nor vertue better growne Nor in so many places séene such store of goodly graine As when these holy Messengers and their disciples plaine Did teach in euery place abrode the arte of husbandrie And trode the steps of vertuous life for their posteritie But streight the enimie poysoned all and brought it vnto this That godlynesse in few remaynde and most men ranne amisse And put not for eternall life in Christ their onely trust So many wéedes of herisies among the corne he thrust And monstruous droues of rauening wolues such fierce debate strife So many superstitions vaine and such deformed life Now these with raging furious heate he causeth for to start Now those with frostie coldes congeald he nyppeth to the hart And looke how much this wretched worlde to ende doth nearer grow So much the more he striues the raigne of Christ to ouerthrow And with his filthie séede the heart of man to cast away Nor much he forceth them herein that fall by proper sway The olde remaynes of sinfull rocke is vnto him an ayde So is the lusting force of flesh with raigne and hed vnstayde Agaynst these ylles the ruler of the loftie heauens bright Sendes out his learned labourers that ouerturning quight All wickednesse and driuing hence the darkenesse farre away True godlinesse may plaine appeare and vertue beare the sway And euery one with heart and might his holy will obay And follow perfite