most necessarie as true tokens and signes of a perfecte faythe they crye out againste sinne they perswade the Quéenes subiectes to obey loue hir maiestie all which I am sure agrées with the worde of God but if your preachers that you should heare preache contrarie that is that you maye be saued by some other meanes as by Masses Trentals Dirges or by the Popes pardons and if they wil animate and bolden you to disobey your lawful Quéene and soueraigne and wil preache remission of sinnes to all men that will fight in the Popes quarrel whether it be right or wrong yea thoughe it be against their owne King or countrey you may cal it y e word of God but I am out of doubt it is the doctrine of the Diuel Therefore the premisses well wayed and considered if you shoulde require at the Quéenes hande to vse fréelye the Romishe religion without checke or controlemente truely you know then no more what you aske of hir grace than the sayd Pyrates or théeues do know what they aske of theyr kyng or the fonde Schollers of theyr Schoolemaister But if the Quéenes maiestie could not haue your loue but vppon that condition then she were better to haue your hatred in denying you than your loue in graunting you But what if a king shoulde graunt such a libertie to Pirats and théeues as Mogallus did once king of Scots and the scholemaister to his schollers might not wise men iudge that the one were more méete to be a Cobler than a King and the other more fitter to be a Crow-kéeper than a Scholemaister yes truely But though you would moste gladly haue such a libertie yet at hir graces hands you are neuer like to haue it which you know wel ynough for hir grace is too wise and too goodly to grant for vncertain loue a certain mischiefe For if hir highnesse should graunt you this libertie y t is to vse your Romish religion fréely only to haue your good wil and loue would you then loue hir vnfainedly I hardly beléeue it for it wil skant stand with your religion to loue faithfully a pure Protestaunt who euer he be which loues gods word yea though he liue neuer so godly nay perhaps therefore you wil hate him the more for if he be a Papist indéede that is a sound perfect Papist he wil not stick to carry fiâ—e faggots thrée or four myles yea and further if néede be to burne a Protestant though it be his brother sister or the nearest kinne or beste friend he hath or else an haulter to haÌ„g him withal Therfore you may say what you wil but surely I thinke that you wil neuer loue hir hartily vnlesse she should become a Papist whiche the Lord forbidde or vnlesse you become Protestants which I beséech God to graunt Is not this a godly religion trow you that bréedes such charitie in your brestes making your harts so warme that you can finde in your hartes so to warme your Christian brother that neuer after he shall féele any cold That same religion is it that hath taught you neyther to care for king nor Countrey that religion is déepe in your breastes that hath wrought this in you is it not worthy to be embrased followed and honored that teaches true subiects to be vntrue to their prince and that perswades men to be foes to their Countrey you may loke a good while in gods worde or therby you can learne any such lesson Therefore howe can youre doctrine bee good that maintaines suche mischiefe Wherfore I beséech you be not wilfully blind but open your eyes and willingly sée flie vnto gods worde that will only teache you truely and cleane not to the Pope for he wil teach you falsely I remember that Christ sayeth that we must forsake father and mother sister and brother and cleane vnto our wife but I neuer reade in any part of the Scriptures y t we must disobey our prince refuse hir laws hate our country wish or procure our Princes death and cleane to y e Pope whose law is as cleane contrary to Gods word as black is too white euil to good and as the diuel is to God King Dauid was no Papist as appeared by hys obedience for if he hadde bene so King Saule when he was priuily with him in the caue I beléeue had not escaped so as he did but he being a pure Protestante be not angrye bycause I call him so for he fauoured Gods word wold not lay his hands on him or hurt the Lords annointed yet he was as heire apparaunt then to the croune and was King after the death of King Saule Nowe if worthy Dauid being such a great estate woulde not hurt a wicked King being his enimie and one that sought his death but honored and obeyed him then why shoulde any of you to him farre inferior procure or wishe any harme or disobey your most louing mercifull and peaceable Princes that tenderly loues her subiectes and carefully defendes them being the chiefe and onely proppe staye and pyller of our safetie quietnesse and florishing common wealth I beséeche God kéepe hir from being in such a snare with some of you as King Saul was with his seruant Dauid For then your close meaning would be openly spyed I feare hir grace should not finde then halfe the fauour at your handes as you haue founde mercie at hir handes for you that are of the Popes Religion would not thinke it an offence as godly Dauid did to hurt the Lordes annoynted For the Pope is so farre in your Bookes that you thinke there is no offence but that he can pardon and that nothing is an offence that woulde please him So that to please him withall where he bids you strike you will not sticke to kill and to kill where he commaundes you woulde thinke you did a godly Acte yea if it were the ruler of a Realme As though he had a commission to kill Kings and others at his pleasure Marke how the Pope and king Dauid differs The Pope will blesse you pardon forgiue you though God will not and reward you for killing them that neuer did him harme But King Dauid caused him to bée killed that killed his mortall enimie King Saule yea and that at King Saules request Now which of these two were of the better Religion thinke you the Pope or King Dauid which of them wyll you choose though you loue the Pope neuer so well yet I hope you will not vtterly cast off king Dauid Gods Prophet Therefore by Christes doctrine choose the better of them who saith you shall knowe them by their workes Nowe it plainely appeares that herein the doings of king Dauid is better than the Popes vnlesse murther be better than mercie then if Dauids doings bée better then Dauid himselfe is better and thus to conclude if you would followe the better and leaue the worse then you must followe Dauid and forsake the
sides and thornes in your eyes vntill you perish out of this good land which the Lorde your God hath giuen you c. Therefore as all good things are come vppon you whiche the Lorde your God promised you so shall the Lorde bring vpon you euery euil thing vntil he hath destroyed you out of this good lande which the Lorde your God hath giuen you when ye shall trangresse the couuenant of the Lord your God which he commauÌ„ded you and shall go and serue other Gods and bow your selues to them then shall the wrath of the Lorde wax hot against you and ye shall quickly perishe out of the good land which he hath giuen you This was the lesson that Iosua a little before his death gaue vnto the Israelites his people And thus may you sée that al the charge that God and the godly giueth is to harken to the voyce of the Lord and obey his law which is his word and he wyl defend prosper and fight for vs no longer than we abide in the same So that the prosperous successe victories and other great blessings of Kings and Rulers that knowe Gods worde and professe the same is a manifest Argument that they walke rightly in his wayes and that he is wel pleased with them And such Kings Princes and Rulers as haue troubles warres euill successe and are ouercome in battell of their enemies thoughe they say they haue the true doctrine of God and that they follow it and obserue it most truely of all other yet it is an infallible token that they do offend their Lord God that they doe not walke rightly nor obserue his lawes and word as they ought and that he is not wel pleased with them And thus as God did blesse prosper Iosua and all other before him that hearkned to his voyce obeyed his worde euen so he did to other that did likewise after him For God gaue such wonderfull successe to Iudah the Captaine of the Israelites who feared God obeyed his worde against Adoni-Bezek the Cananites as he gaue to Iosua And Iudah did cut off the thumbes off his handes and off his féete according to the iust iudgement of God for his great tyrannie vsed to other for the sayde tyrant Adoni-Bezek confessed that he had vsed seauentie Kings before in like manner and they gathered bread vnder his table And then hée was compelled to say thus As I haue done God hath rewarded me God also blessed the sayde Iudah and the Israelites and gaue them many wonderfull victories after that againste their enimies the Cananites and heathen Idolators But when the Israelites hearkened not to the voyce of the Lorde and disobeyed his worde and worshipped the Gods of the Cananites and did wickedly in the sight of the Lorde then the Lordes furie and wrath kindled and waxed hote against them so that he suffered them to be ouercome and he deliuered them into their enemies handes that spoyled them and he solde them into their enemies handes so that they coulde stande no longer before their enemies and whether soeuer they went out the Lord was against them according as before he had promised And God suffered the king of Aram to preuaile against them and to carry them away wiâ—â— him And so serued him were captiues vnder him eight yéeres Consider also howe wonderfully Gedeon the Capitaine of the Israelites that hearkened to the voyce of the Lorde with thrée hundreth men through Gods power and might did ouercome the huge armie of the Madianites that were as Grassehoppers in number What a victorie did God giue to little Dauid his seruant against the mightie Giant Goliah his enemie howe did he prosper him blesse him and fight for him against the Philistines whose Images he burnt which pleased God And as God hath and doeth daylye giue victorie to such Princes Kings and Rulers that hearkened to his voyce and obeyed his worde so he hath giuen and doth giue maruellous quietnesse and peace to such Kings Princes and Rulers as do the same For God did prosper and blesse king Asa King of Iudah which hearkned to his voice and obserued his law making him raigne in a maruelous quietnesse and peace the space of fiue and thirtie yéeres bicause he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande and put away all the Idols that his father had made and tooke away the Aultars of strange Gods and the high places and brake downe the Images cut down the Groues and commaunded Iuda to séeke the Lorde God of their fathers and to doe according to the lawe and the commaundement And he tooke awaye out of all the Cities of Iudah the high places the Images therfore the kingdome was quiet before him and the Lord gaue him rest on euery side And as the Lorde did prosper and blesse King Asa wyth suche a quietnesse and peace for breaking downe the Aultars of the straunge Gods and destroying the Images set vp by Abija his father euen so he hath blessed and prospered our most gratious Quéene with a most plentifull peace al the time of hir raigne which is thrée and twentie yéeres beséeching God to triple it with the quiet raigne of King Asa for plucking downe the Aultars for breaking and destroying the Images for abolishing the most Idolatrous Masse the Popes inuented sacrifice committed and done on these Aultars for the extirping and rooting vp the abhominable law religion of the Pope erected planted by hir sister Quéene Marie to the great dishonor of God the derogation of the passion of our sauior Iesus Christ setting forth in steade thereof not onely in euery Citie but also in euerie towne and village throughout hir whole Realme of England the pure and perfect word and lawe of God And thus it is plaine that the cause of the quiet raigne of King Asa and the peaceable and quiet raigne of our Quéene Elizabeth is all one Which is for the putting away of Idolatrie which God doth most abhorre for the setting forth of his law word which he doth chiefly desire But thoughe King Asa had peace al this while bicause he abolished Idolatrie and hearkned vnto the voice of God yet after wheÌ„ he did slide froÌ„ God put not his whole trust in him the case was then cleane altred for the Lorde tooke his peace awaye and God sent to him the Prophet Hanani who spake vnto King Asa as followeth Bycause thou hast rested vpon the King of Aram and not rested in the Lorde thy God therefore is the hoste of the King of Aram escaped out of thine hande The Aethiopians and Lybyanes were they not a great host with Chariots and horsmen exceeding many yet bycause thou didst rest vppon the Lorde he deliuered them into thine hande For the eyes of the Lorde beheld al the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart toward him Thou hast then done foolishly in
Iudah if we forsake the word of God commit Idolatrie receiue againe Papistry worship Images sette vp aulters crouche and knéele to an Idol in the Masse and force and coÌ„pel with threatning punishing emprisoning racking famishing killing and burning the people of England so to do Also what a mightie king did king Iotham become and howe did God blesse him make him victorious ouer his enimies bicause he walked vprightly according to y e lawe of God What good successe and prosperous raigne had that godly king Hezekiah and what a wonderful victorie did God giue him against the blasphemous king Sanneherib hys huge mightie host by sending his angel to fight for him bycause he hearkened to the voyce of God and did walke rightly in his sight But nowe if GOD did blesse and giue victorie plentie quietnesse peace and prosperitie to these godly kings Rulers before mentioned besids many other for hearkning and cleauing to his word and for setting forth and obeying his law that was deliuered by Moses the prophet then it is not to be doubted but that he wil and doth giue victorie plentie prosperity quietnesse and peace to al godly kings and rulers that shal put down idolatrie superstition and al heretical religions and shal plant in steade thereof the pure word of God and the Gospel which was preached and deliuered to vs by our sauiour Iesus Christ the only and very son of God And if God did sende troubles wars huÌ„ger vncurable diseases thraldome and captiuity with many other curses and plagues aswel to these kings before mentioned as also to king Saule king Salomon Rehoboam Ieroboam Baasha Elah Omri Ahab Ahaziah Ioash and Ahaz with diuers other and to them that they gouerned being the chosen people of God for committing of idolatrie reiecting y e law of God deliuered to them by Moses the Prophet Then we must néeds thinke that God wil send troubles wars hunger vncurable diseases thraldome and captiuitie with other plagues and curses vpon al those kings and their people that were not his chosen people but once gentiles and heatheÌ„ that commit idolatrie worship Images and embrace Papisticall superstition and despise and obstinatly and wilfully withstand the very true and pure word of God the gospel that at the first was taught deliuered by our sauiour Christ y e very soÌ„ of God which is more thaÌ„ ether apostle or prophet Therfore if you be not blind dumb deafe altogither senselesse you will with all spéed flée from your Papistrie superstition and idolatrie on the professors and followers wherof the aforsaid curses and plagues do dayly light and embrace the true word of God and the comfortable Gospel of Christe whiche bring the greate blessings of God as quietnesse peace plentie prosperity and victorie in this world and endlesse ioy in heauen after this life to the professors and followers therof I hope you are not foolishe but that you haue some vnderstaÌ„ding not so blind but y t you haue some glimmering and not so senselesse but that you haue some reason Shut not therfore your eyes purposely bycause you will not sée If you knew how swéete our law the Gospel is as I know how sowre your papistical law is if you knew what certaintie of saluation is in our lawe the Gospell of Christe as I know what certaintie of damnation is in your law of Papistrie the doctrine of Antichrist and if you knewe and felt how this our law the Gospel of Christ doth make the wicked to be godly and to be the children of God as I know that your law of Papistrie makes the godly to be wicked and to be the children of the Diuell you woulde then I thinke embrace our Gospel and forsake your Papistrie vnlesse you loue darknesse better than light the diuel better than God hel better than Heauen which I truste you do not Perhaps some wil saye if they that get the victorie ouer their enimies are blessed of God so they are the people of God Then y e Heathen Idolaters are blessed of God are Gods people for they haue had haue dayly good successe victory ouer their enimies yea haue many times ouercome the people of God y t had his law his word I graÌ„t it as before it appeareth but therfore they were not Gods people and blessed For the heathen and Idolatrous people bicause they haue good successe doe ouercome are not blessed and godly but the children of God are scourged and ouercome by them bycause they are euill and wicked and forsake the law of God The rodde is not good bycause it doth beate the childe but the rodde doth beate the child bycause the childe is euil It is manifest before that the children of Israel were ouercome and carried away Captiue of King Aram an Heathen Idolatour yet King Aram his people was not blessed of God nor yet wer the people of God neyther their law was the law of God althoughe they got the victorie But God deliuered the people of Iudah into their hands and suffred them to be carried awaye Captiues by them bycause they did forsake the Lord disobeyed his worde and committed Idolatrie for so God did promisse The scriptures are ful of the like examples It is most manifest throughout the whole Scriptures that God hathe chieflye blessed those Kings and countries with wealth prosperitie and victorie which mightily and spéedily pluckte down Images and false Gods and did extirpe and destroy Idolatrie and set forth earnestly and zealously the worde and lawe of God though they in some other particular things somtimes offended as King Dauid did â—n numbring of his people and committing aduoutrye and murther as King Asa for putting confidence in the King of Syria and leand not wholy vpon the Lord and as King Iehoshaphat did in going to fight with King Ahab diuers other committing such like whose faultes thoughe God punished yet he neuer therefore deliuered them into their enimies hands nor to be caryed away captiues But those Kings that cast away Gods word and hearkned not to his voice but fel to Idolatrie and worshipped Idolles and strange Gods thoughe they were neuer so godly before immediatly the Lords wrath kindled against them and stirred vp enimies to fight with them and sold and delyuered them into their enimies hands suffred them either to be killed woÌ„derfully to be plagued or to be caryed awaye prisoners and captiues So that hereby it plainely appeareth that the most safetie quietnesse prosperitie and victorie of a Prince and his people and to be moste assured to haue God on their side and to defende them is to sette forth and maintaine the true lawe of God and the Gospell of Christe and to plucke vp put away deteste and abhorre all Idolatrie superstition and all religions whatsoeuer that are contrary to Gods word But as al the Kings and people that did set forth and obey Moses lawe and
why do you wish and are content that we shoulde be spoyled burned or killed for our religioÌ„ Therfore you that are of the Popes religion are not of Christs religion bycause you haue rackt vs spoyled vs tormented vs burned vs and murthred vs which you would not haue vs do vnto you Now if your religion be not Christes religion as these words and your workes haue sufficiently proued then I know not whose religion it is vnlesse it be the diuels religion whose religion must néedes be wicked and euil for that Christes religion is most holy and good And thus I haue sufficiently proued vnto you that the Gospel that we haue is the true law of Christ And the Pops law that you followe is the false law of the Diuell or Antichrist But if your harts be so obdurate that no trueth can enter into the same Then mark this that followeth and deny it if you can or confute it if you are able If god bestowed these his blessings before mentioned onely vppon that people that hearken to his voyce and obey his worde as he hath promised and if our gracious Quéene we hir subiectes and hir realme haue had these gods blessings moste plentifully poured vpoÌ„ vs euer since she hath set forth this our religion the worde of God put away the Masse and Idolatrie then it is most euident that this our religion is the true religion of Christ and lawe of God bycause of the wonderfull blessings that we haue enioyed withall And if God send these plagues and curses before rehearsed only vpon that people that doth not harken to his voice but disobeyes his lawes and commandementes commit Idolatrie as he hath promysed if these Kings and Princes their people that obey the Pope and his lawes that are enimies and suppressors of the word of God haue dayly these plagues curses light vppon them then it is most apparant that the Popes religion is false abhominable and wicked and that God therewith is highly displeased bicause of the manifolde plagues and curses that he dayly sendes among them And thus for that God doth blesse vs with his foresayde blessings and that with such a plentie quietnesse peace and prosperitie as Englande neuer tasted before And bycause diuerse Countreys that obey the Pope and embrace Papistrie haue bene and are yet still compassed and enuironed with the saide plagues and curses of God that is warres troubles scarcitie and such like both we striuing and taking our selues for Christians as did the Israelites and the people of Iuda that were all Iewes and called the people of God whereof the Kings of Iuda and their people for cleauing to Gods lawe were blessed and prospered of God and the Kings of Israel and their people bycause they committed Idolatrie and disobeyed the lawe of God were plagued and cursed of God Therefore it cannot be denyed by any vnlesse they be as senselesse as brute beastes but that this that we haue is the true Religion of Christ whereby wée haue our name of Christians and that Papisticall doctrine which you haue is a most false and erroneous religion the professors whereof cannot iustly be called Christians but rather Antichristians Yet perhaps al this wil not persuade some of you though it be neuer so plaine and true But if this and the rest will not allure you to â—lye from Papistrie and to sticke to Gods word Surely surely you are then fully bent to resist the open manifest truth And though therby you willingly cast of God and his word yet I beséech God that he do not cast you of for euer It may be that some of you wil graunt that Gods word is true but that we do mistake it and that we haue not the true meaning and vnderstanding thereof so that we misuse it certainely this I will saye to you if we do misuse it and mistake it then God takes his markes amisse and is maruellously ouerséene that blesses vs so aboundantly that mistake and misuse his word and sendes his plagues and curses on those Countries and people that vse it well take it rightly and so by this it should séeme that God doth directly against his promise But assure your selues thoughe your presumptuous Pope and his obedient Prelates may be deceiued ouerséene as no doubt they are God and his déere sonne Christ can neyther be deceyued nor yet ouerséene marrye God ouersées them all looke they neuer so high Therefore turne to the Lord and to his holy worde that therefore will blesse and prosper you and forsake the Pope and his doctrine whereby God doth plague and cursse you and loue obey and thinke well of your most louing naturall and mercifull Quéene that mercifully and myldely doth protect you If you would marke but hir Maiesties power and knew what she may do weighe your owne doyngs what you ought to do truely you would say then that she is the most myldest and mercyfullest Quéene one of them that euer raigned You thinke not amisse in hir grace and count hir not vnmercifull though she put Théeues to death for stealing which God hath not commaunded to bée punished wyth death and can not you sée that hir maiestie is maruellous mercifull in that she suffers you to liue for disobeyng of Gods word and committing of Idolatrie which God by his law hath commaunded to be punished with death King Iosias burned the Idolatrous Priests vpon the Altars that committed Idolatrie and yet he is reckned for a godly King but our mercifull Quéene Elizabeth hath not burned the Popish Priests on the Altars where they committed Idolatry in saying of masse and worshipped a piece of bread for the body of Christ which she might haue done if she would and yet you count not hir for a godly and mercifull Quéene You prayse and extoll Quéene Mary to the Heauens for vsing crueltie and for burning hir humble and faultlesse subiects but if our Quéene Elizabeth should vse lawful seueritie on hir stubborne and disobedient people Gods foes and hir enemies that desire hir death and destruction the confusion of their countrie and the ruine of this Realme you would dispraise and slaunder hir and saie she were a cruell tirant Nay for all hir highnesse hath vsed you so mildely mercifully as she hath done yet some of you would darken hir deserts if you could in saying most spitefully falsely that this is the time of Tirannie these are the daies of persecution this I grauÌ„t but not in England though you meane in England truly such as do say so must néeds I thinke speake against their coÌ„science their knowledge vnlesse they take mercie for crueltie crueltie for mercie then I may say vnto them as Esay saide to the Iewes Wo be to you that call euill good and good euill c. If this be the time of tirannie and persecution when you that are manifest enimies to your Quéene and Countrey before wel proued are
be of their religion If this be true as you cannot deny it then doe you thinke that the Popes cruell souldiors that shoulde come to destroy your Prince and hir louing subiects though you be of their religion woulde sticke to spoile you whereby they may haue your lands and goods and be Maisters and Rulers ouer you no I warrant you And many a souldiour and rascall of the Popes souldiors the Quéenes foes and ours woulde not be very religious nor woulde bée so spiste-conscienced in Papistrie as you thinke but would prowle about for their pray not sparing either Protestant or Papist raking rather aboute for riches than regarding religion I pray God it happen not to you for your vncontented mindes as it did to the Grecians not consideryng their happy estate after they hadde expulsed the Persians who falling at discorde among themselues didde loose at last all their greate liberties and were brought into maruellous bondage and thraldome of thyrtie tyrants Consider I pray you what happened to the Citizens of Rhegium in Cicilie being at cōtention amōg themselues the one parte of them sent for aide to Himera which strangers of Himera after they were come to Rhegium did bothe kil them againste whome they came and also most cruelly murthered them they came to aide although they were of their religion for they were all heathen and Idolators And so the strangers that they sent for had their Citie and the Citizens goodes to themselues as the Quéenes foes y t you procure or wish to come against our louing Quéene to helpe you vp with your Masse and Idolatrie would vse you Marke I beséeche you howe the cruell Danes did oppresse oure auncestoures in the tyme of King Ethelwolfe though they sent for them to helpe them as some of you haue procured and desyred the Popes Souldioures to helpe you vppe with youre Masse and to fight agaynste your gratious Prince and your Country when they were come into England they cruelly murthered oure Nobles wickedly opprest the Commons impiously persecuted the innocent Christians iniuriously possessed the lande and their habitation chasing the inhabitantes out of house and Country c. These miseries troubles and thraldomes then and at many other times didde oure auncestoures féele in this lande by the comming in of their foes whiche blessed bée God therefore neither you nor we do féele And I beséech God that we neuer do feele which both you and we should féele if so many of the Popes souldiors were here as some of you wishe to helpe and aide you against our Quéene to sette vppe youre Masse and Papistrie though you thinke they would be friendly to you for your religion For consider this wel I beséeche you what battayles what murthers what bloudshead what burning of Towns what spoyling of Countreys and what dolefull destructions haue there bin throughout al Europe at one time or other no Realme nor Countrey excepted in the space of foure or fiue hundreth yeares when euery one professed and followed the Popes religion and almost fewe or none in respect knewe any other religion And who were they that didde thus murther one an other spoile one an other and burne and consume one anothers Country were they not al of the Popes law and of his religion yes truely Now if Papistes made battailes with Papistes if Papistes murthered Papists if Papists spoyled Papists if Papists burned the Countries of Papists if Papists did winne realms and kingdoms from Papists if Papists made themselues Lordes ouer Papistes and if Papistes made bond-slaues of Papistes hauing no colour to suspecte them but that they were Papistes and of their owne religion Then doe you thinke that the Popes papisticall Souldiours that you woulde procure or wishe to fight againste our Quéene and hir louing subiectes wil spare you though you are Papists and of their religion hauing a great colour to take you for Protestants whome they vtterly enuy and hate beléeue it not Therefore neither procure nor wish for the comming in of the Romaine Souldioures against our Quéene to sette vppe your Masse and other the Popes paltrie But be true rather and louing Subiectes to hir grace and ayde and helpe hir if néede be to kepe both them and it out of the realme We in England haue bin so long broughte vp in the teaching and preaching of the gospell that these Papists that are oure forraine foes thinke we are almost al Protestants whome they call Heretikes for whiche they abhorre vs more than if we were notorious murtherers drunkardes aduouterers or fornicators for lette anye of our Papistes trauaile beyonde the Seas among them if they know once that he is an Englishe manne straightwaye they saye or iudge hym at the leaste to bée a Protestant thoughe hée bée as déepe or a déeper Papiste than themselues vnlesse they knowe him verye well to be a Papiste And thus though they thinke there are many Papists in diuers other countreys yet they thinke there are fewe or none in Englande Therfore séeing now these our forraine foes such as you wish to come and fight against our Prince and Countrey wil not be persuaded that you are Papists when they can lose nothing by trusting you thinke you then if they were here y t you could persuade them y t you are Papistes when they maye haue al your landes and goodes by mystrusting you No I warrant you Therefore you may then tel them long ynoughe that you are of their religion ere they will beléeue you or at the leaste fauour you The Angels of Heauen were and are all of one religion and hadde the verye right religion I thinke for if there were anye one religion better than an other it is very like they haue it in Heauen yet throughe Pryde Lucifer and a greate number of his fellowes were not content with their estate but meant not onelye to be aboue their fellowes but also to be equall with God Perhappes some of you will saye thoughe the Aungelles are of a pure religion they are no Protestantes wel whatsoeuer they are I am sure they loue and obey God and hys worde And therefore I dare boldelye affyrme that they are no Papistes vnlesse those Aungels that became Diuels and fel out of Heauen are Papists which is very like for both the Pope and the Diuels are quite contrarye to God Nowe if the holy Aungelles of Heauen that were of the purest religion béeyng all vnder one King the beste King of al other and in one kingdome woulde haue exalted themselues aboue their fellowe Angells though they were al of one religion disdeining y t their fellows should be equall with them Then do you thinke that the earthlye Papists y t you procure or wish to come fight against our Prince country that are of a false and wicked religion in whom there is neyther humilitie truth nor mercie for the more proude cruel false they are the perfecter and righter Papistes they are that are of a
straunge countrey subiects to the Pope or to an other King or Ruler of a contrary language and of a contrarye nature to vs will not be Lords and Rulers ouer you will not exalt themselues ouer you and will not be masters of you and yours yes be bold of it though they and you be both of one religion For if they be not it wil be bycause they can not Let the crueltie and tyrannie done to our neyghbours in Flaunders but euen yesterday to speake of be a sufficient spectacle warning and example to you for procuring of the Popes souldiours to ayde you against your prince hir louing subiectes to set vp your masse the Popes doctrine though they be of your religion for was there none spoyled defloured rauished misused and killed there but onlye Protestants trow you Ask Antwerp and it wil quickly tell you besides diuerse other places that therin can say something And who were they that vsed them thus were they not the Captaines of their own Prince and ruler though perhaps they did so without his wil Now if the Papists spoyled defloured rauished misused and killed y e subiects of their own king and Prince for al they were Papists of their own religion then wil the Popes souldiours that you procure or desire to fight against your prince spare you y t are not their Princes subiectes though they be of your religiō if you beléeue it thē you are not so wise as I wish you And though these the Popes souldiours that you procure or wish to enter in any of the Quéenes dominions to fight against hir highnesse and hir obediēt subiects to help you vp with your masse and other the Popes paltry do make you beléeue before they come that it is only to ayde and help you against your Prince and that if they get the victorie they wil be fauourable to you or be at your commandement that are of the Popes religion and that they wil not spoyle or hurt you but onely the Protestantes yet what if they say then when they sée your great wealth and riches that you are Protestants for wealth riches Iewels money lands and greate liuings are able to entise them to make Protestants of Papists if they then spoyle you cruelly vse you turne you out of al your goods lands liuings murther you kil you make slaues of you neyther trust you nor suffer you to be in any authority though you cry neuer so loude vnto thē saying we are Catholicks which hold of the Pope we are of your religiō we procure you to come hither we sent for you to help vs vp w t the holy Masse if they vse you thus as no doubt they woulde if they coulde in what case are you then what remedy shall you haue of them for mistaking of you where wil you sue them in what courte wil you commence your action against them no no there wil be no remedie to be hadde of them vnlesse crying wéeping howling and wringing of hands wil remedie the matter Marke a preatie example The Lion made a proclamation that no horned beast vpon paine of death shoulde come within seuen myles of the Courte Whereof when the silly Hare hearde she ranne from the Courte as fast as euer she coulde to whome the Foxe sayde méeting hir why dost thou runne so faste to whom the Hare sayde it is time to runne apace I trowe why so sayde the Fox to whome the Hare aunsweared againe dost thou not knowe of the kyngs Proclamation that if anye horned beaste be founde within seauen myles of the Courte that they shoulde dye for it that is true sayde the Foxe but that Proclamation toucheth thée neuer a witte for thine be eares that thou hast they are no hornes I know that sayd the Hare as wel as thou but what if the King say they are hornes where am I thē Euen so if the Popes soldiours that you wish to come to fight against our Quéene saye that you are Protestaunts though you are as rancke Papists as they wher are you then you were then as good to be protestauntes for you shold pay as déepe as they Think not but that they could regarde rather your ryches than your religion your liuings than your lawe and your possessions than their promise For it is a maxime and a rule with the Pope and his partakers that Fides non est seruanda haereticis Faith or promise is not to be kept with Heretickes Thus you may sée if thou be not starke blinde how forraine foes haue vsed our auncestours for all they were of their religion And thinke you to haue better lucke at the Popes Souldiours hands if according to your procuremente or wish they should come hither to fight against our Quéene and vs if they be able at the least than our auncestours hadde of forraine foes or the Citizens of Rhegum of them of Himera whom they sent for to ayde them against their own brethren and Citizens before mentioned you may beléeue it if you wil but you shal neuer féele it if you would But suppose that the Popes souldiours that you wish to come hither to sette vppe your Masse and Papistrye woulde fauour you defende and saue you that are Romanystes for that you shoulde be of theyr religion yet you are sure that they would spoyle burne and kil vs both Prince and Protestauntes if their power were to theyr pretence whereof some would be your owne fathers mothers sisters brothers wiues children kinsfolks or verie deare friends which if you be the children of God you would not only feare that we shold féele but also your selues abhorre to sée Alacke for pitie how can you perswade your selues to be in the right way and that the same that you embrace is the right law of God whiche can be content to sée your most louing Prince spoyled your parentes persecuted your sisters murthered youre brethren burned your wiues misused your sonnes tormēted your daughters destroyed your kinsfolks killed your faithful friends fired and your Countrey folkes consumed The Lord open your eyes for this is far wide from Christs religion though it be iumpe with the Popes religion If you are of God and hearken to his voyce then you must loue your neighbour as your self And is thys to loue your neyghbor as your self to haue your desire with their destruction to haue your wish with their griefe and woe and to craue your fonde fancie with their confusion if you would be called Christians then doe as it doeth beséeme Christians And follow y e law of God knit vp in one short sentence whiche was spoken by Christe the Captaine of Christiās And this it is Whatsoeuer you woulde that mē should do vnto you do yee euen so to them Now marke I beséech you if we should racke you torment you burn you and kil you for your religion I am sure you would not be wel pleased w t vs for vsing you so Then
suffred to liue peaceably to enioy your goods quietly to go at your libertie or imprisoned to fare daintilie and there to liue merily or to be releast vpon suerty then what was Quéene Maries time when hir simple humble and faultelesse subiectes were cruelly imprisoned in stockes and chaynes and other Engines tormented most tyrannously racked their friendes to come to them not suffered on the bare boordes and ground lodged to haue pen and Inke and Candle light not permitted for want of meate to be famished in prisons priuily to be murthered and abrode in euerie mans eyes to be burned That time of Quéene Mary to all wise men may rather séeme to be the time of crueltie tyrannie and persecution than this milde mercifull time of our Quéene Elizabeth You that thus drownde the mercifull doings of our most mercifull Mistresse call it the time of persecution I pray God for your vnthankefulnesse and peruersnesse that hereafter you féele not a time of confusion I beséeche God to open your eyes to sée howe hir Grace doth persecute you for if you did sée yet I feare some are blind for the nonce you would then say that she persecutes you none otherwise than the louing father doth his childe and as the good Scholemaister doth persecute his Scholler that he would faine haue to learne Therefore your peruerse detracting of this most blessed time of the Quéenes happie and merciful gouernment doth shew that you doe not reioyce therin but wishe the contrarie And as Donald once king of Scots did neuer laugh but when he heard of the discord and slaughter of his nobles so I feare you that are Englishe enimies before mentioned are most sorrowfull at this most blessed and happie state of our Quéene and this our Countrey Wherefore consider what I of verye zeale before haue written and bée no longer English enimyes to haue Gods plagues and curses but become English friends to obtaine thereby Gods blessings and fauour But if the trueth of Gods word can not moue you the prosperitie of our godly Princes can procure you nor all that is sayd before by forreine foes can persuade you then learne at the heathen that knewe not God to loue your Prince and to be friendes to your Countrey Zopirus an Heathen that knew not God did cutte off his owne nose eares and lippes disfiguring himself to come in credite with the Babilonians whereby he deliuered the Citie of Babilon to Darius his Lorde and maister but you as it séemes that néedes will be Christians doe wish and goe about to deliuer the whole Realme of England your natiue Countrey into your enimies hands to y e confusion of your louing and mercifull Prince and the cutting off the heades of thousands of your Countrey men Mutius Sceuola an Heathen and a Senator of Rome for the loue and friendship he bare to his Citie and Countrey went into the Campe of King Porcenna purposely to slaye the King but missing his purpose of the King he was apprehended and threatned therefore to be put to death who then looking aside espying a great fire most couragiously therein he put his arme and there did hold it stil vntill it was burned saying then verie stoutlye to feare the King withall that thrée hundreth in Rome had likewise sworne to slay the King whereby the said King Porcenna made peace with the Romaynes But you that take your selues to bée the chiefest Christians and of the best Religion of all other are suche enimies to this your Countrey that you woulde haue our forraine foes enimies to come into this realme whom you woulde ayde and helpe to make warres vppon vs to displace your Prince to get our Countrey from vs not onely to spoyle vs but also to burne our armes bodies and all Marcus Curtius a worthy Knight of Rome an Heathen was such a speciall friende to his Countreymen and the Citizens of Rome that whereas there was a pit or gulfe in Rome out of which came such a stinking and horrible smell that a great sort died daily by y e infectiō therof which could be ceased by no meanes vnlesse the best Iewell or thing in Rome were cast into it which Curtius whē nothing could be found to cease it thoughe many Iewels pretious things was thrown into it taking himself to be the chiefest thing that the Romaines estéemed armed himselfe at al points and riding on a goodly courser richly trapped leapt into y e gulfe for the safegarde of the people then incontinent the earth closed which place was called Curtius lake but you that are obstinate and determined Papistes taking your selues for pure Christians woulde haue straunge Romanistes the Popes souldiors and our Princes enemies to come into hir Cities with great horses and coursers to make most stinking fumes smokes and smels where there is none to displace hir and to destroy vs and smulder vs that are your Countreymen and Citizens Zeleucus that famous Duke of the Locrenses an Heathen made a lawe that whosoeuer did commit whordome fornication or adultrie if he were known should therefore haue both his eyes put out the first offender wherof after the said law was made was his owne Sonne which worthie Prince by no meanes woulde bée entreated but the same lawe shoulde be kept and the offender to bée executed accordingly whereby his subiects might well thinke that if his owne Sonne coulde not be pardoned it was not for them then to looke for any pardon if they shoulde offende and so by the seuere execution thereof he was assured that the same necessarie law would be kept yet the sayde Duke at length by earnest motion and perswasion mitigated the rigour of the Lawe towardes his sonne but in such sorte that the same lawe shoulde not bée broken so that he commaunded that one of his sonnes eyes should be put out and an other of his owne but you that are the sayde Englishe enemyes inferiour Papistes not superiour Princes that take your selues to bée good Christians yea and woulde be angry with them that shoulde call you otherwise desire and wishe the Popes souldiors our foes to enter here into Englande to fight against our Prince and not onely to put out our eyes but also to plucke out our hartes and to destroy and abolish our good lawes the lawe of God which is against whoredome and fornication and thereby to bring in the Popes Lawe that maintaineth and allowes fornication and whordome Now séeing these Heathen with diuers others such that knew not God were such faithfull friendes to their Cities and Countries that for the safegard and commoditie therof did cutte off their noses eares lyppes dyd burne their owne arme dyd loose their liues and pluck out their eyes will you then that count your selues Christians wyshe or séeke the sorrow of your soueraigne the annoyance of your neighbours and the confusion of your Countrie Duke Dandalus was content to be tyed in Iron chaines and
shal ratifie and confirme al this that I haue saide forsomuche as it is grounded altogither on reason Pope Damasus saith Whatsoeuer wanteth Reason must of necessitie be rooted out Nowe by reason I haue proued you to be Englishe enimies the Pope to be euil and hys religion to be false and cleane contrarie to reason therfore by Pope Damasus owne iudgement you must néeds decay and perish the Pope muste néedes come to confusion and his vnreasonable religion be rooted out and pluckte vp by the rootes And thus Pope Damasus which could not erre as long as he said truth hath by his sentence confirmed that I before by reason haue proued And bycause you shal perceiue that of euil wil I slander not your Popes you shall sée manifestly by their liuings déedes and dealings what godly holy humble and chaste fathers they are that you so sticke to cleaue to folow obey estéeme beléeue and honor as you do and that you maye the better credite the rest that hereafter you shall reade of them therefore at the first beginning thereof you shall heare what the Pope himselfe saith of them Pope Adrian bad Cheregatus his Legate to say and confesse openly to al the Princes of Germany at Norenbergeâ— about the yere of our Lorde .1523 at their generall assembly there That the iniquitie of the people grewe from the Priestes and that nowe for the space of many yeares there haue bin greate and greeuous offences commited in Rome that al this plague and mischiefe hath flowed to all the inferior rulers of the Church euen from the highe Throne of the Popes Holynesse By these wordes tt séemeth that Pope Adrian whyche was not long since did thinke the Popes lyued not altogither so godly as Christ so holy as the Apostles nor so vertuously as many of the ancient Fathers Nay if al the iniquitie of the people grew from the Priests and that all the plagues and mischiefs then did flowe as a fountaine from the Pope to his Prelates and Priests then it séemes none were so euil and wicked as the Popes themselues And now for that many of you hold with the Popes and take them to be very holy therefore now many of you shall hear more of their doings thaÌ„ euer you did which by credible authors is written of theÌ„ yet not so muche as I could reueale of them wherefore I hope you wil set lesse by them than you doe and estéeme them as they are and no more than you ought to doe And trust Pope Adrian which cannot lye by his office as his Doctors affyrme in that hée hathe sayde briefly of the Popes and the rather if that that I write here more largely of them agrée with hys sayings For séeing you haue beléeued many Popes y t haue told you nothing but lyes then it is good reason you should beléeue this one Pope that herein hathe tolde you nothing but trueth And thinke this by the waye that neyther the Pope nor his Cardinals doe estéeme their owne religion so muche as they persuade you to do For truely I doe verily thinke that if the Pope mighte be like an Emperoure or a King and be as much honored estéemed and gette as muche gaine and riches by thâ—s our religion as he hathe and dothe by his owne Papisticall religion he woulde then refuse his and embrace ours For I beléeue verily that they doe regarde maintaine and defende their Papistrie rather for the great riches rule pompe and estimation that it makes them to haue than for any truth or goodnesse they knowe to be in it And nowe consider and marke the greate prerogatiue and power of the Popes and their holy liues and vertuous déedes Pope Clement in his yeare of Iubilie gaue such aucthoritie by his Buls of lead as Christ nor his Apostles did euer giue These are the words that follow What person or persons soeuer for deuotions sake shall take their peregrination to the holy Citie meaning Rome the same day when he setteth forth of his house he may choose vnto him what confessor or confessors he lysteth either in the way or elsewhere vnto the whiche Confessors we graunte by oure aucthoritie full power to absolue all cases Papall as fullye as if we were in our proper person there presâ—nt Item wee graunt that whosoeuer being truely confessed shal chance by the way to die hee shal be quitte and absolued of al his sinnes Moreouer wee commaunde the Aungelles of Paradise to take hys soule oute of hys bodye beeyng absolued and to carrye it into the glorye of Paradise and so forth And also in an other Bull he sayeth thus We wil that no paine of Hell shall touch hym graunting moreouer to all and singular person and persons signed with the holye Crosse power and authoritie to deliuer or release three or foure soules whom they liste themselues out of the paines of Purgatorie c Is not this a goodly large and friendly pardon think you yea it is suche a pardon as Christ neuer graunted neyther in nor out nor beside the yeare of Iubilie Christe neuer gaue suche aucthoritie to Saint Peter hys Apostle whiche was the first Pope as they saye as thys Pope Clement dydde giue to his dead Bulles of Lead It is not mentioned in all the Scriptures that Christe the righteous and liuely Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda didde thus muche as the Popes dead Bulles haue done This is suche a way to make Rome so ful of fooles that there wil be no roume for wise men Here we may sée that if one be confessed of a Priest and take but his iorney towardes Rome thoughe he dye by the waye and neuer come there the Aungels muste néedes by the Popes commaundement carrye his soule to Paradise if they wil doe so muche at his bidding and they shall bée frée from the paines of Hell Al the Scriptures I am sure haue not shewed vs such a way to come to Paradise and to auoyde the paines of hel as this Pope Clement hathe done He was a milde and a mercifull Pope I warrant him he hadde not his name for naught Thus the Pope hath set Christ to schoole for Christ saith Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen also he saith Blessed are they whiche suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen nay sayeth Pope Clement I knowe an easier waye to Heauen and to escape the fire of Hell than that for whosoeuer goeth to Rome or else dyeth in his iourney going thyther being confessed of a Priest he shall be absolued from all his sins and the Angels shal cary his soule straight to Paradise and no paine of Hell shal touch him Indéede this is a verie easye waye to Paradise and to escape the fire of Hell if we maye beléeue the Pope especiallye when he telleth a lye I maruaile that neyther Moyses the Prophetes Christe himselfe nor his Apostles did reueale this
an Innocent Pope gaue to Philip the French king full remission of all his sinnes and the possession of al the realme of England to him to his heires if he eyther did kill King Iohn then King of this realme or expell him Was not this a frée and liberall Pope that would giue whole kingdomes at once this is more than euer Christe gaue that euer I heard of for he neuer gaue any remission of sinnes nor yet any Kingdomes for killing of Kings or of any other or for driuing them out of their owne kingdome or countrey Pope Boniface saide that Whoredome is no more sinne than the rubbing of the handes togither Some of you say that this our religion doth giue libertie to sinne but these wordes of the Pope doe not séeme greatly to forbid or restraine sin Saint Paule saieth that neyther whoremongers nor fornicatours shall enherite the kingdome of Heauen But I neuer heard that either he or Christ said that they that rub their hands togither shal not inherite the kingdome of heauen therfore rubbing of our hands togither is no sin but Whoredome is a great sin if the Scriptures be true therefore the Pope is a most wicked liar to saie that is no sinne that God Christ and the Apostles called sinne And as here he cals whoredome no sinne which is a great sinne so in other places the Popes call that a great sinne which Christ doth not cal sinne And thus you may sée plainly that the Pope is both in his sayings and doings cleane contrarie to Christ therfore if you followe the Pope you are then contrarie to Christe and so no true Christians Pope Sextus at the request of Petrus Ruerius a Cardinall of his owne making and of Ierom his brother permitted and graunted vnto the whole familie of the sayde Peter the Cardinal in the thrée hotte moneths of Sommer Iune Iuly and August frée leaue and libertie to vse the sinne of Sodomitrie a thing most shamefull to be vttered but most horrible and abhominable to be licenced or permitted What a wicked Pope was this that did licence and permitte that which God doth so detest that therefore he consumed Sodom and Gomora and whole countries with fire from Heauen And now as these that committed this detestable sinne were destroyed with fire from Heauen so I feare this Pope Sextus and other that licence and allowe it shall be tormented with fire in Hell Pope Clement the sixthe poysoned Lodowike that good vertuous and godly Emperour whiche shewes what hée was for euil men haue oftentimes poysoned good men but good men neuer poysoned euil men Therefore you may sée that this holy Pope was not of God but of his father the Diuell who was a murtherer from the beginning who teacheth his children to be of his owne occupation Pope Alexander did set his foote on Frederickes necke the Emperour when the said Emperour told him that he yéelded that honor not vnto him being Pope but vnto Peter yes sayd the Pope both to me to Peter so he placed himselfe before Saint Peter Be not here pretious Popes to make Emperours beléeue that Peter lookes for such honor Surely it is verie straunge that Peter should looke for that now being dead that he neuer desired when he was aliue nay when he was aliue he was most humble and willingly suffered the Emperour to put him to death now that he is dead would he so faine tread in Emperours necks or take pleasure that other shall do it for him truely I can not beléeue it nay I am most sure he doth abhorre it Therefore if pride be godly then your proude Popes are holy Pope Marcellinus was an Idolatour and Pope Siluester the seconde was a Coniurer and gaue himselfe wholy both body and soule to the Diuell by the Diuels procurement was made Pope must not these be good vertuous Popes when the Diuell muste be faine to make them Thus you may sée if you will not winke for the nonce that the Popes that name themselues Christes Uickars to bryng themselues in credite are neuerthelesse the Diuels Chaplaines for as they onely were Christes Apostles that Christ did chose and allow so they are the Deuils disciples that he doth elect and authorize And now bycause this sayd Siluester was made Pope by the Diuell therefore he was none of Christes but the Diuels deputie to determine and order things for the Diuel as no doubte but he and all other such like and of his religion haue done Pope Iohn the two and twentith was a cruell wicked Tirant he proclaymed al them for Heretikes that taught that Christ and his Apostles had here no possessions Bicause the Pope would not be poore like vnto Christ therefore he would haue Christ to be rich like vnto hym so bycause he can not resēble Christ therfore he wold haue Christ to resemble him and therfore he woulde haue it blased abrode that Christ and his Apostles were rich and had great possessions not that he would be like them in vertue but that they shoulde be like him in wealthe and thus he makes them Heretikes that tell trueth of Christe and them to be his Catholikes that shal tel lyes of Christ thus you maye sée howe the Pope Christes Uickar is vnlike to Christ for Christ would haue vs say true and the Pope would haue vs to lye Pope Clement caused certain of the electours to choose a new Emperour for he liked not the old which was Lewes Truely Christ nor all his Apostles neuer caused a new Emperour to be chosen I maruell that Peter did not cause a newe Emperour to be chosen in the steade of Nero when he was Pope for I am sure that the Emperour that the Pope did depose was not so euill as hée But whereas Peter was contente to suffer an euill Emperour to raigne our holye Father the Pope will not suffer a good Emperour to rule Pope Gregorie promised the kingdome of Heauen to all thē that fought against the Emperor thus he set Kings and the Emperour togither by the eares and encouraged his subiectes to rebell against him But I neuer read in the Scriptures that heauen should be gottē by fighting against their Prince or for one to murder kill another But I remēber well that Christ saith but it is something contrarie to the Popes wordes Blessed are the peacemakers for they shal be called the children of God Now if we may beléeue Christe who is of as good credite as the Pope the Pope will hardlye performe this his large promise For if the peace-makers shall be called the children of God then the peace-breakers who are cleane contrarie to them shall be called the children of the Diuel And I trust the Popes authoritie doth not extende so farre to giue the kingdome of Heauen to the children of the Diuell for heauen is onely appointed for the children of God as Christ doth
was created or made and hath bene allowed approued and vsed by many great Emperoures Kings yea and Popes Cardinals and Byshops and many other too long to be put in daying in these daies at the latter ende of the world But whereas the murther of Caine the Idolatrie of the Heathen and the pryde of the Diuell began long before Christe yet the Pope and his Religion began long and many a day after Christ as plainly appeares Therefore seing the murther of Caine the Idolatrie of the Heathen and the pryde of the Diuell that are so ancient and so long before Christ may be put to daying then the Popes authoritie his new Romishe religion that began so long after Christ wherein murther Idolatrie pride beares such a sway may aswel be put to daying be brought to accōpt Therfore regard not the church of Rome for hir anciētnes who though you beléeued she was so old so ancient yet in cōparison of y e gospel she is very yōg but sticke to the worde of God and the Gospell which is both auncient and true wherevpon the right true Churche is buylded and be not angrie with vs for forsaking that false late vpstart Church of Rome and in following Christ and his Gospell which makes vs the true Churche neyther say that we boast our selues to much in saying so which is no proude boasting but a godly reioysing For if it be a proude parte to followe Christe in religion and liuing who is the best patterne to followe of all that euer dwelled on the earth what is the Pope then that claymeth Christes authoritie to him selfe and to be as Christ For one saluted the Pope in this maner as followeth Touching prymacie thou arte Abel Touching gouernment thou arte Noe touching the Patriarkeship thou art Abraham touching order thou arte Melchisedech touching dignitie thou art Aaron touching Authoritie thou art Moses touching Iudgement thou art Samuel touching power thou arte Peter touching annoynting thou art Christe All this I trowe is sufficient for a Pope and I may say further touching thy takyng of all this vppon thée thou art Antichrist That Churche that hath such a head and chiefe Captaine as claymes and takes all these Titles and yet for all that is a very limme of the Diuell muste néedes be a true and holy Churche such a Churche is that Churche of Rome that you haue so much estéemed therefore if you meane to be of the Churche of Christe then flie away with spéede from this Churche of Antichrist For how can that be the Churche of Christ that will not suffer the Gospell which is the Statutes and Lawes of Christ to be red and taught in it As all earthly Emperours Kinges haue their statutes lawes for the obeying of them the maintenance of the countrey Cōmonwealth so hath Christ the sonne of God his statutes lawes for them that be his people the Christians thereby to obey their Captaine Christe to do these things that may conserue them all togither here in a holye congregation and that maye leade them the waye to the kingdome where their head King Captaine in Christ is But as they that wil not suffer the lawes of their Kings or Emperours to be read published to their people but will hyde them destroy them and burne them bycause they should not obey their Emperours and kings and that they should not do their things that should be for the prosperitie concord and continuaunce of their Countrey and common wealth are no true subiectes of those Kings or Emperours but rather rebels and traytors Euen so the Pope and the Churche of Rome are not the true children nor Churche of Christe but rebels and Traytors to him that hydes destroyes and burnes the Scripture Gospell Gods worde bycause we shoulde not knowe our duetie to oure Christe and that we shoulde not kéepe his commaundements Perhappes some of you wil saye if the Popes be so wicked their doctrine so detestable and the Churche of Rome so contrary to Christe as is here alleadged then why doth the Emperour and diuers Kings and so manye Rulers in Christendome followe him and do not espie his diuelish doings Mary I wil tel you why they do not forsooth bicause they looke not in the worde of God whych is the only Candle that woulde make them to sée and so without it they are blinde therefore the Pope doth suppresse it burnes it and hydes it and falsely expoundes it and makes them beléeue it is Heresie to be in their vulgare and knowne tongue and all bycause he woulde not haue them to sée that he maye leade them by the noses whiche waye he liste for the Pope is assured that if the Kings and Rulers that are the defenders of his religion did once know the Scriptures and had them in their vulgare tongue as oure gracious Quéene of England the King of Denmarke the King of Scots and other Dukes and Rulers of Germany and of diuers other Countries haue then they woulde spye his iugling and forsake him as hir Grace and the other Kings Rulers haue done The Lion or wilde Bull saieth M. Iewell bee they neueruer so cruell or great of courage yet if you may once closely couer their eyes ye may easily leade them whether you lyst without resisting Euen so doth the Pope hoodwinke and blindfolde the Princes of the worlde and holde them in ignoraunce for want of looking in Gods worde which done he maketh them to holde his Styrrop to leade his horse to kneele downe and to kysse his shoe and to attende and wayte vppon him at his pleasure but if they eyther knewe him or them selues they woulde not doe it which they will neuer knowe well before they know Gods word better than they doe And thus the blynde Popes leade the blinde Kyngs Princes and Rulers whereby they are all lyke to fall in the ditche and the Pope learnes the blinde Kings and Princes méekenesse and humilitie and the Diuell teaches him to bée presumptuous and proude for humilitie it can not wel be called vnlesse the Pope hath one humilitie and Christ an other For Christ sayth learne of me for I am méeke lowly in hart Nowe if Christ which is the chiefe teacher of humilitie and méekenesse had thought it had bene a point of humilitie to haue troden in the Emperours necke that an Emperour with his wife and childe shoulde haue come in the colde frost and to stande thrée dayes without at his gate for his absolution and pardon that an Emperour shoulde holde his Styrrop whiles he got vp on his horse y e Kings shoulde holde his horse leade his horse by the brydle and go on foote whyles he did ride to set the Emperours Crowne on his head with his foote and to strik it off againe with his foote to suffer a Duke to lie in chaynes vnder his Table whiles he was at dinner and that Kings and Emperours shoulde
home wherwith his hart was so sore and his body so distempered that through extreme sicknesse he got him to bed and so lying he was not able for the stinke in his stomacke and painefull vomiting to receiue any reliefe of meate or drinke but cried out still sorrowfully complayning of that stinke and with no small othes for belike he made an accompt that the Pope woulde dispence with him for them cursing y e crowe that had poysoned him To make short he continued but a fewe dayes but with extreme paine of vomiting and crying he desperately died without any token of repentance of his former life You shall hardly finde a perfect Protestant and a faythfull follower of the Gospell die in this sorte as this Masse-monger did Truly if the Masse be so auaileable and of such force as you take it to be and the Pope of such a power as many of you thinkes him to be for it is written in his law as is beforesayde that he hath all power in heauen and in earth and that is enough for a Pope then eyther by the vertue of the Masse which this Burton so maintained and busily set vp or else by the Popes mightie power me thinkes this his Champion of the Masse shoulde haue bene preserued from dying thus strangely and desperately But if the Pope and his holy Masse doe suffer them that put such trust in him and confidence in the Masse to die sodainely without repentance to die desperately and to cal on the Diuell and to lie in such extreame paines and torments as a great sort of them doe and haue done surely if I were as you the Pope and his Masse shoulde goe to the Diuell ere I would trust any more to him or to it Also one Richard Denton hauing wordes of commendations sent to him from one William Wolsey that was after burned for professing the Gospell which were that he maruelled that the said Denton tarried so long behind him seeing he was the first that deliuered him the Booke of the Scriptures into his hand and told him that it was the truth desiring him to make hast after as fast as he coulde Which Denton said when the said message was done to him I confesse it is true but alas I can not burne But after though he coulde not burne willingly in Christes cause he was burned agaynst his will not in so good a cause for after that his house being on fire he went in to saue his goods therby was burned lost his life And thus he was burned for earthly goods y t refused to burne for heauenly treasure Marke this ende of a Papist and an enemie of the Gospell One Clarke an open enemie to the Gospell and all godly Preachers in King Edwardes dayes hanged himself in the Tower of London The great and notable Papist called Troling Smith fell downe sodenly in the stréete and died Dale the Promoter of the professors of Gods worde was eaten into his body with lyse so dyed as it was well knowne of many Cox an earnest Protestant in King Edwardes dayes in Quéene Maries time a Papist and promoter or accuser of the Gospellers going wel and in health to his bed as it séemed was dead before the morning Alexander the kéeper of Newgate a cruel enimie to them that lay there for Religion died verye miserably being so swolne that he was more lyke a monster than a man and was so rotten within that no man coulde abide the smell of him This cruel mā to hasten the poore lambes to y e slaughter woulde goe to Bonner Storie and other crying oute Ridde my prison ridde my prison I am too much pestred with these Heretikes It séemes that this cruell wretch was better content to haue the companie of Théeues and murtherers great offenders against the lawe that were in his prison than Gods people that professed his word that were no offenders against the lawe Beholde the great and terrible iudgement of God on the parson of Croundall in Kent who vppon Shroue Sondaye hauing receyued the Popes pardon from Cardinall Poole came to his Parishe Churche and exhorted the people ro receyue the same as he had done himselfe saying That he stoode nowe so cleare in conscience as when he was first borne and cared not nowe if he shoulde dye the same houre in that clearenesse of conscience Where vppon he beyng striken sodainely by the hande of God and leaning a little on the one syde immediately shronke downe in the Pulpet and so was founde deade speaking not one worde more Truely if they haue no better lucke with the Popes Pardons and blessings than I sée they haue they were better a great deale to haue a foole blesse them with his Bable than to haue the Pope to Pardon them or blesse them with his handes if I were desyrous to die sodainely or to breake my necke from which the Lorde blesse me and euery bodie I woulde eyther get the Popes Pardons or else haue eyther hys or one of his Cardinals blessings for other good they doe none that I can heare or sée One Iohn Peter sonne in lawe to the said Alexander the kéeper of Newgate being an horrible blasphemer of God no lesse cruell to the said prisoners that professed the word of God rotted awaye and so most miserably dyed who cōmonly when he would affirme any thing were it true or false vsed to say If it be not true I pray God I rot ere I die Also one Robert Bawlding a Papisticall persecutor was stricken with lightning at the taking of William Seaman wherevpon he pyned away and dyed One Rockwood the chiefe procurer of the great trouble of certaine Callys men for religion who at the point of death staring and raging cryed he was vtterly damned and being wylled to aske God mercie who was readie to forgiue all that asked mercie of him he brayed and cryed out all to late for I haue sought malitiously the deathes of a number of the honest men in the Towne And though I so thought them in my heart yet I dyd that laye in me to bring them to an euill death All to late therefore all to late The which same wordes the sayde Rockwood answeared to one that said I neuer saw men of such honesty so sharpely corrected and taking it so paciently and ioyfully At which time the said Rockwood fetching a friske or two scoffingly answeared all to late But whereas he sayde and ment that it was all to late for these godly prisoners to haue pardon of their Prince in this world nowe God iustly turned these words to himselfe it was all to late for hym to haue pardon at Gods hand in the worlde to come For he saide he was vtterly damned and when he was counselled to aske God mercie he said it was all to late Also one Pauier towne Clarke of the Citie of Londō a notorious enemie to y e word of
and that your doctrine doth bring your damnation Wherein you shall plainely perceiue how God did shewe his vengeance of one that rayled on one Iames Abbas that was a professor of the Gospell who was burned at Bury whereby all you that are enimies and raylers against the professors of this our Religion the worde of God may learne to feare God flie from Papistrie and to embrace the Gospell As this Iames Abbas was ledde by the Shiriffe towards his execution diuers poore people stoode in the way and asked their Almesse he then hauing no money to giue them and desirous yet to distribute something among them did pull of all his apparell sauing his shirte and gaue the same vnto them to some one thing to some an other In the giuing whereof he exhorted them to be strong in the Lorde and as faithfull followers of Christe to stand stedfast vnto the truth of the Gospell which he through Gods helpe would then in their sight seale confirme with his bloud While he was thus charitably occupied and zealously instructing the people a seruant of the Shiriffes going by and hearing him cried out alowde vnto them and blasphemouslie sayd Beleeue him not good people he is an Heretike and a mad man out of his wit beleeue him not for it is Heresie that he saith And as the other continued in his godly admonitions so did this wicked fellow still blowe foorth his blasphemous exclamations vntill they came to the stake where he should suffer vnto the which stake this constant Martire was tred and in the ende cruelly burned But immediatly after the fire was put vnto him the same fellow that did raile on him saying that he was an Heretike and madde was there presently in the sight of all the people stricken with a Frensie such was the great stroke of Gods iustice on him for his blasphemous rayling and was then madde in déede as he before had charged the Martyr withall who in this furious rage and madnesse casting of his shooes withall the rest of his clothes cried out vnto the people and sayde Thus did Iames Abbas that true seruaunt of God who is saued but I am damned And thus ranne he rounde aboute the Towne of Burye still crying that Iames Abbas was a good manne and saued but he was damned The Shiriffe then beyng amased caused him to be taken and tied in a darke house and by force compelled him agayne to put on his clothes thinking thereby within a whyle to bryng him to some quietnesse But he all that notwithstanding assoone as they were gone continued his former raging and casting of hys clothes and cried as hée dyd before Iames Abbas is the seruaunt of God and is saued but I am damned At length he was tied in a carte and brought home to his Maisters house and within halfe a yéere or there aboutes he beyng at the poynt of death the Prieste of the Parishe was sent for who comming to hym brought with him the Crucifixe and their housâ—inge Hoste of the Altar which geare when the poore wretche sawe hée cried out of the Priest and defied all that baggage saying that the Priest with such other as he was were the cause of his damnation and that Iames Abbas was a good man and saued And so shortly after he died This fearefull terrible and moste straunge example me thinke were inough to make you beléeue that this same Iames Abbas that was burned did professe the true lawe of God and the Gospell of Christe and that hée was the seruaunt of GOD. As this blasphemous rayler was enforced by Gods mightie power to graunte and confesse though before he called him Heretike and sayd hée was madde Nowe if this Gods maruellous miracle hath prooued that Iames Abbas that was thus burned was the seruaunt of GOD then it is manifest that the Religion that hée died for is the true Religion and if his Religion were true then our Religion sette foorth by the Quéenes Maiestie whiche is the same muste néedes bée true And so your Religion of Papistrie of force muste néedes be false which is quite contrarie to our Religion of whiche Papisticall religion this Sheriffes man was when hée had the people not to beléeue Iames Abbas saying hee was an Heretike and was madde trusting there is none of you so madde as to thinke hée was of a good and true Religion when he sayde so For surely he himselfe knewe hée was both wide and wrong else he would not haue sayd that Iames Abbas was the true seruaunt of GOD and was saued but he was damned And as they that are saued die not in a false Religion or wickedly so they that are damned die not in a true religion or godlie And if your Papisticall religion had bene true and good he would not euen at his death haue cried out of the Prieste that brought the Crucifixe and the housâ—ing bread which they say is the very bodie of Christ neyther would haue defied the same nor yet woulde haue sayd then that the Prieste with such other as he was was the cause of his damnation But if any of you be so maliciously bente agaynst the trueth by the procurement of the Diuell as the Diuell may doe muche to say that this same fellowe made himselfe madde for the nones or that he was hyred by some Protestant to doe and say so whiche coulde not be Here nowe therefore I will bryng you an other moste wonderfull and rare example that will stoppe you I hope from eyther saying so or thinkyng so And as this laste myraculous example was of a man so this nexte and laste myraculous example that I will shewe you is of a woman Whereby you shall not only sée that shée was of the right Religion and died a Martyr and Saint of God but also that God did so déerely loue hir for professing the Gospell and dying in his quarrell that maruellously and most miraculously he fought against hyr persecutors and reuenged hir death Therefore marke it well for surely of all other there is not a more notable example of Gods greate loue and fauoure towardes the professours of the Gospell and that dye for the same and of hys greate furie and wrath to the Papistes that persecute and murther them than this that I will here sette foorth as a glasse Wherein you that are so bewitched and drowned in Papistrie maie sée whether God is pleased with your Religion or doings or not There was a certayne godly woman condemned to bée burned for the professing of the Gospell in King Henrie the seauenthes tyme by one Doctour Whittington the Bishoppes Chauncellour whiche woman was burned in a towne called Cheepingsadberie at whose Execution was not onely the sayde Doctour Whittington that condemned hyr but also a verye greate number of people And when shée was dead and burned the people began to turne homeward It happened in the meane tyme as these Catholike executors were busie in slaying of this sillye