The Epistle exhortatorye of an Englishe Christiane vnto his derelye beloued contreye of Englande against the pompouse popyshe Bysshoppes therof / as yet the true membres of theyr fylthye father the great Antichrist of Rome.

IN my hart I wyshe daylye /
and for the same do I ernestlye
praye vnto our most mercyfull
father the euerlyuynge
God / and that for his sonnes
sake oure onlye redemer / and full
sauer Iesus Christ / yf his heauenlye will
so be / that he ones open throughlye the
eyes of our most worthye and noble kynge
as he hath alredye begonne and of
all his other counsellers / lordes / and burgeses
of his parlement / which are chosen
out of the whole realme to confounde vngodlye
customes & to set vp in ther rowmes
lawes that are more godlye / to suppresse
wyckednesse and to maynteyne
Christen vertues / to preferre the commen
welthe afore all singular or priuate
welthes / yea / vtterlye to destroye and
abolsyshe for euer soche fylthye tradicions
as haue no iust grounde vpon Gods holye
worde / as are all the vsages / rytes /
lawes / decrees / seruices / supersticions /
and sorceries of the Romishe

A.ij.

Antechrist / and to se in open practyse the
true worshyppinges auaunced to Christes
glorie / so edifyeng his people by the
scriptures in the knowledge of one only
eternall lyuinge God. And in so doynge
they shuld mainteyne the comme~ welthe
both of soule and bodye.
I saye yet ones agayn / and that in the
zele of the Lord as he is my iudge / I wyshe
yf his graciouse pleasur so were that
fyrst the Kynges maieste and so forth all
the rest vnto whom God hath geuen
power and auctoryte vpon earthe vndre
him maye throughlye se and perceyue
how that not only the bloudy bearwolfe
of Rome / but also the most part of the other
Bysshoppes and stoute sturdye Canons
of cathedrall churches / with other
petie prowlers and prestigiouse Prestes
of Baal his malignaunt members in all
realmes of christendome / speciallye here
in Englande / doth yet rore abrode lyke
hongrie Lyons / frett inwardlye lyke angrie
beares / and byte as they dare lyke
cruel wolues / cloysteringe togyther in
corners lyke a swarme of adders in a donge
hyll / or most wylye subtile serpentes
to vpholde and preserue theyr fylthy father
of Rome the head of theyr bawdye
broke yf it maye be.
This ones perseyued and seane by a
godlye circumspectyon / I wyshen the
same vehemencye of sprete and prayer /
the seyd noble Kynge / counsellers / and
burgeses to procure a full reformacyon
co~cerninge there aduouterouse doctrine /
ther prodigiouse pompe / there insaciable
cloyninge / and tyrannycall persecutinge
of Christ in his faythfull members. No
doubt of it / but the mercie of our eternall
father hath opened vnto vs in these latter
dayes what there forked fatherhede /
ther oyled auctorite / and ther shauen holynesse
is / for all ther craftye compases of
wordly wisdome that they shuld not apere
the same generacion of vipers that Iohan
Baptist & Christ hath warned vs of.
His worde hath he now appointed by diuers
of his ministers to be their vtter destruccion /
for blasphemouslye deludinge
his redemed heritage so manye hondred
years in theyr counterfete kyngedome
of hypocresye / wherin they shewe now
what they haue bene / euen verye heretikes
to God / trayters to theyr Princess /
and theues to theyr Christen co~mons.
No lesse do I iudge it then a bounde
dewtye of the seyd faythful ministers / to
manifest theyr mischeues to the vniuersal
worlde / euerye manne accordynge to his
talent geue~ of God / some with pe~ne / and
some with tonge / so bringinge them out
of theyr olde estimacyon / least they shuld
styll regne in the peoples consciences to
theyr soules destruccyon. An euident example
haue they of Christ thus to do /
which openlye rebuked theyr fylthye forefathers
the scribes / lawers / pharisees /
doctors / prestes / bisshops / and hypocrites
for making Gods co~maundementes of
non effect to support theyr owne tradicions /
so clerlye condempninge theyr hypocritall
lyfe and doctrine. Matthew.xv
xvi. and .xiij. xxiiij. Beware sayth he of
the corrupt leuen of the pharisees / Marke.
viij. Luke. xij. Paule admonisheth vs
also / that soche rauenynge wolues shuld
entre in amonge vs after his departinge
as shuld not spare the flocke / Act. xx.ij.
Thes.ij. i.Tim. iiij. So doth Johan.i. Johan.
ij. so doth Peter.ij. Pe.ij. so doth Judas
Thadeus in his epistle.
By these and many other places of the
scriptures are we taught easely to knowe
at none dayes the wolfe from the lambe
and the hastye lyon from the simple shepe.
As Christ sought by all meanes to deface
the proude Prelates / and to bringe
poor Iohan Baptist in reputacion of the
people / for that he had vttered the truthe
without flatterye. So wolde he now the
true teachers of his Gospell to be regarded
be they neuer so poore / for his verytees
sake / and the blasphemers therof to
be had in an vtter contempt. No lesse is it
therfore than a doctrine of his to be put
in practyse amo~ge true Christianes / both
in worde and wrytynge to haue the myscheues
manifest of these spirituall mahoundes /
the verye offspringe of Cain /
chyldren of Caiphas / and successors of
Symon Magus / as theyr doctrine and
lyuynge declareth / nedynge no farther
probation. Notwithstandinge through
Gods grace I shall partlye open the wickednesse
both of them and theyr fathers
as the truthe shall leade me. Most cruell
enemies haue they bene in all ages to the
verite of God euer sens the lawe was
fyrst geuen and most ferce persecuters of
Christ and his churche.
Consydre fyrst of all besydes that was
done afore in the lawe of nature how deuerslye
Iannes and Iambres with other
false prestes of Egypt persuaded Pharao
through lyeng signes and tokens to
withstande the pleasure of God in Moyses
and Aaron / Exo. vij. and .ij. Tim. iij.
Greuouslye was Micheas the true prophete
of the Lorde vexed of Sedechias.
iij. Reg.xxij. and .ij. Para.xviij. So was
the good Prophete Hieremie of paschur
and Semeias / Hiere.xx. xxvi. and. xxix.
Wonderfullye were the Israelites abused
by the idolatrouse prestes of Baal /
and the Chaldeanes by Belles prestes
also in Babylon / tyll Helias and Daniel
in the worde of the Lorde detected theyr

A.iiij.

craftye cloyninges. iij. Reg. xviij. & Daniel.
xiiij. Great was the affliction of the
Iewes vndre kynge Demetri=9= / through
the cruel cou~sell of that trayterouse prest
Alchimus.i. Machab.viij. Manifest is it
by the .iiij. Gospels how the Bisshoppes
and Prest vsed Christ himselfe. Matth.
xxvi. Marke.xiiij. Luke.xxij. Ioha~.xviij.
And after what relygiouse sort they intreated
his Apostles after his ascencion.
Acts.iiij.v. vi. and. viij.
Paule had to enemy Baricheu / Ananias /
Hymeneus / Philetus / Hermogenes /
and Phygellus / all maliciouse Prestes.
Iohan had Diotrephes / Carpocras
Hebion / Marcion / Cerinthus / and Cynopes /
all blooudthurstye prelates also /
Peter had Symon Magus and Menander /
Iames the More had Abiathar the
great Bisshop. Matthew had Zaroes
and Arphaxat amonge the Moreanes /
and the same lykewyse had Symon and
Thaddeus as they preached amonge the
Persianes / lyke as all the other Apostles
had in the quarters where they occupyed
No where coude the verite be taught /
but those gloriouse glottons were euer
at hande to resist it. After the Apostels
tyme was there no cruell tyraunt vnset a
worke by them to persecute them which
published that message of lyght. Euerye
where were they whisperinge in that eare
and that eare / fearinge the fall of their
kyngedome yf the Gospell were trulye
opened / as is euident to them which are
expert in the cronicles.
And thus haue they co~tynued in theyr
spyghtfull generacyo~ vndre the name of
a spiritualte / vnto this present age / wherin
theyr lowsye legerdemaine is almost
perseyued of all me~ne / the lyght so abundauntlye
shyninge / yet are they not ashamed /
so whoryshe is the face which they
haue caught of their holy mother. A great
conscience made theyr naturall forefathers
to put the. xxx. syluer plates that
Iudas the trayter their elder brother had
brought them into the treasurye / because
yt was the pryce of blood / Matth.xxvij.
But no conscience at all had those bloodye
hypocrites to murder the eternal sonne
of God / in procuringe false witnesses
agaynst him / Matthe.xxvi. So lyke are
oure spiritualte to these fore leaders of
theyrs / as one adder is lyke an other or
the yonge wolfe lyke the olde as theyr
daylye frutes declareth. They sought by
all meanes possible to quenche the fayth
of his gloriouse resurreccyon / wagynge
the souldyers to saye that his disciples
had stolen him whyles they were a slepe /
Matth. xxviij. Which practise they occupye
to this daye by their hyred sophisters
or vniuersyte knyghtes to blemishe his
heauenyle verite. Soche shamelesse lyars
are they agaynst God and his worde.
But truely both they and theyr fathers
hath faughten in vayne. Lett soche vessels
of the wrathe of God kycke / spewe /
and spurne as moche as they can / yet will
the truthe of the Lorde endure for euer.
Seduce they neuer so subtyllye / lye they
neuer so lordelye / blaspheme they neuer
so boldelye / accuse they neuer so freshlye
that the preachers are deceyuers and sediciouse
persones / procure they neuer so
manye cruell tyrauntes / yea / persecute
they and flee they neuer so fercelye with
Nero / Domicianus / Traianus / and soche
other / yet shall Christ alwayes haue
a faythfull co~gregacyon vndefyled with
theyr wretched sorceryes. Maruayll not
ye Bysshoppes / Prelates / and Prestes /
though I thus in the zele of Helyas and
Phinces stomacke against youre sturdye
stormes of stubbernesse. For neuer was
yet anye tyrannie ministred vpon Christ
and his mysticall membres / but by youre
proude procurement. And now in oure
dayes / where are anye of the lordes true
seruauntes burned or otherwyse murthered
for true preachinge / wrytinge / glosinge /
or interpretynge the Gospell / but
by your cruell callynge on?
How subtillye bewitched you the parlament
house / whan the .vi. blasphemouse
artycles collected out of the Popes
wicked decrees were there enacted and
establyshed with more tyra~nie than euer
vndre the Romishe Pope / Mahomete or
anye other tyrau~t afore? Were not they
fyrst practised of you to destroye all them
that shulde trulye professe the Gospell
which are and will be alwayes the kynges
most faythfull fryndes & to leaue a
playne pathwaye that your Pope might
here after entre? At your trayterouse insurrection
in the northe it had bene wro~ge
with this realme / had there not bene
a great nombre which had than the feare
of God written in theyr hartes / wherby
they knew they coude not ryse agaynst
theyr prince / but to theyr owne dampnacyon /
and that they were bounde also to
defende him agaynst all soche popysshe
and rebellyouse trayters.
Thankes myght wele haue bene geue~
in those dayes to oure eternall God for
raysinge vp Willyam Tyndale the fyrst
true Apostle of Christ after Iohan Wyclef
the verye manne of God and soche
other lyke / which brought Christes Gospell
into the knowledge of menne / and
wrote diuerse grounded workes vpo~ the
same. As the Christen Obedience / the parable
of the wycked Mammon / the. iij.
chapters of Matthew / the Somme of scripture /
and diuerse other / wherby the people
were than taught how to loue God /
and how to obey their princes and magistrates.
These heretique bokes as you
call them made the kynges grace more
faythfull frendes in those dayes than you
Bisshoppes and Prestes were wele contented
with. Well / I trust by this tyme
they and soche other lyke haue made him
tentymes so many more. Not onlye were
the seyd. vi. articles deuised by the deuyll
and you for the vtter destruccyo~ of Gods
true seruauntes and the Kynges faythfull
subiectes / but also to repare the broken
walles of youre ryall Rome agayne /
as in dede they wold do euen to the verye
cloudes yf they were wele folowed.
Thynke not that me~ne be so blynde in
this age / but they perseyue your craftye
cloyning. Full well knewe wylye Wynchestre
a~d other more of his fellawes the
fyrst practysers of them / that were they
ones receyued / graunted / and executed
vndre peyne of deathe / the Pope shulde
neuer dye in England / what though his
name were suppressed with his pilgirmages /
pardons / and a fewe supersticyons
besides. Oh most wycked vermyne / wyly
wormes / subtyle and craftye serpentes /
whan will ye leaue treadynge of Christ
on the hele? Genes .iij.? Whan shall Gods
sonne be vnto you no signe of contradiccyon?
Luke. ij. Whan shall his veryte be
reuere~tlye vsed amonge you? I feare me /
neuer so longe as you remayne in Englande.
As oure most godlye souerayne
beganne with Kynge Iosias to reforme
his churche / bannyshynge your woluishe
father as an vngodly vsuper for euer /
ye pacientlye paused with lowerynge /
lurkynge / and loutynge for feare of the
swearde and halter.
But wha~ ye ones perseyued that gods
holye lawes were spredde / and youre vnholye
lawes were sett at naught / than
thought ye it hygh tyme to worke youre
false feates. Than put ye apace in practyse
youre olde serpentyne subtyltees /
ye compassed them so with craftes which
knew not your cursed co~ueyaunces both
amongest the Kynges counsell and commons /
that they were at the makynge of
the seyd sixe Popyshe artycles and are
yet to this houre of this blynde beleue.
Though the Pope of Rome your olde
gloriouse grandesyre were the great Antichrist
of Europa by your owne consent
and graunt / yet are his fylthye tradicio~s
holye / his beggerlye ceremonies godlye
and his croked Canon lawes laudable /
conuenient / and comelye / precyouse / fyt /
and necessary to be styll admytted for the
spirituall lawes of the churche of Englande
and for the true worshippinges of
God therin / the scriptures of both Testamentes
reiected or els ponnished by most
terrible deathe / where as they geue not
place vnto them.
Thus by soche subtyle sleyghtes as
ye vse / ye make God to geue place to the
deuyll / and his heauenly worde to youre
false supersticions / as ded the fyrst serpe~t:
yea / ye cause the kynges maieste by
auauncynge soche heythnisshe rytes and
lawes / to honour youre Pope a fresshe /
what though his name be abolysshed
with a fewe yearlye pollages besydes.
Ingenyouse is your iugfynge as Melanchton
telleth your tale / and as Wyllyam
Wraghton declareth in his huntynge
of the Romishe foxe / lyke a faythfull
subiect to his prince and no lesse naturall
chylde and louynge brother to his
conter. If yow be not most wycked workers
agaynst God and his verite / & most
spyghtfull trayters to the kynge and his
realme / I can not thynke there be anye
lyuinge vpon the earthe. Be this onlye
spoken to you that maynteye soche mysteries
to madnesse.
If a tree maye be iudged by his frutes
as oure sauer sayth it maye we must nedes
iudge you most pestilent Papistes
vpon the manifest mayntenaunce of so
manyfolde myscheues with soche terrible
terroure of halters and fyer. So long
as the blasphemouse beggeryes of the
blodye Bishoppes of Rome are not plucked
vp by the rootes / as were the vnsauerye
sacrifyces of Baal and of Bel / and
so broke~ in peces with the brasen serpent
idolatrouslye abused / the lawes of Gods
true worshyppynges which are in the
Byble prescrybed set vp in theyr stede /
so longe I saye is it all in vayne to bannishe
the Pope out of Englande / but he
wyll styll dwell there in the secrete consciences
of menne / do the Kynges Maieste
and his counsell with his nobilite
and commons what they will or maye to
the contrarye.
And yf all other craftye co~ueyaunces
fayle to the vpholdynge of him there / yet
shall theyr aurycular confessyon / a plant
of his owne settynge in the corrupt counsell
of laterans / do it worke ma~ly ynough
No better waye is there to restore his name
agayne / nor no conuenienter meane
to bringe him to his olde estimacyon. No
craftyer conueyaunce to bringe the people
in bondage of blyndenesse / & in cruell
captiuite of conscience to the vtter destruccyon
of soule and bodye. And that
knew Gaye galau~t Gardener the Popes
holye gost in Englande full well / which
now there in his abhominable absence
most plenteouslye spredeth his venemouse
vanitees / with other of his aduouterouse
adherentes more. Great is the diligence /
labour / and studye of his whoryshe
apostates / holye Apostles I shulde
saye / as are both the olde and newe tytled
Bysshoppes / Suffraganes / archedeacons /
officials / chauncellars / deanes / co~missaryes /
doctors / curates / and parisheprestes
with other gaudyshe gentylmen
of that lyuerye and marke / to se these .vi.
artycles in euerye poynt obserued.
In so moche as hauinge theyr mothers
face / they haue not shamed fercelye to rebuke
honest and godlye menne of sondrie
questes at the geuyng vp of theyr verdyte /
as they haue not hunted after theyr
myndes and founde out theyr game to
the cruell shedynge of poore innocentes
blood. To proue this true I wyll bringe
forth one for example. Bonner the blodye
Bysshop of Londe~ Abashed nothyng
at all extremelye to rebuke / manace and
thretten a quest of honest citeze~s and me~ne
of good conscience in the yelde hall at
Londe~ in the yeare of our lorde a M. D.
and .xli. for quytynge of a poore innoce~t
ladde called Rycharde mekyns. Like a ferce
furyouse rauenynge wolfe / insacyably
desyrous of murther and cruellye gredye
vpon his praye / refusynge the seyd quest
chose out an other false quest to his purpose
of soche as he and his fylthye generacyon
had afore peruerted / and neuer
ceased tyll he brought him to a consuminge
fyer in Smithfelde / so makynge him a
sacrifice to theyr great God Mulciber.
And after this shamelesse sort no doubt
of it / all the other Bysschoppes of Englande /
a verye fewe excepted / haue tyrannously
handeled the kinges true subiectes /
and yet do to this daye with lesse
Christen equite and pyte than eyther Saracene
or turke Iewe or Pagane / to asuage
theyr vnquencheable thryst / It is not
to be thought that they are verye Gentyll
abroade or in the fardest partes of the
realme / whan they vse soche furyouse feates
so nygh the kynges presence. So frantyke
haue they bene of late dayes and so
forgetfull of themselues in theyr madde
modye mastryes / that they haue not feared
to entre the Kynges owne house to
hunte theyr game / nor yet abashed at all
sawcelye to seke out theyr desyered praye
in his owne Preuye cha~bre / couetynge so
to haue murthered his most trustye fryndes
and faythfull seruauntes. The same
selfe part in a maner wolde they haue
played with his noble grace that proude
Haman the Amalechyte played with kynge
Assuerus / malicyouslye sekynge the
destructyon of Mardocheus and other
which aboue all menne had sought his lyues
preseruacyon Hester. iij. Wherin of
right they haue deserued vpon a gybbet
to be hanged as he was.

B

Neuer sent Christ soche bloodye Apostles
nor two horned warryours / but the
deuils vicare Antichrist which is the deadlye
destroyer of faythfull beleuers. And
now to you woluishe Wynchestre agayn
the wylye watterer of the Popes olde
garden. Although doctor Londo~ be dead
doctor Pates ronne awaye / & your owne
dere kynsmanne germane gardener hanged
with other of youre preuycounsell.
Yet cease not you to playe cruell Haman
styll. No / do youre olde feates to shewe
whose chyldren ye are of nature. If your
wicked counsell had taken effect as God
forbyd it shuld verye fewe true fauerers
of the Lordes verite had bene about the
Kynge this houre / least they shulde somtyme
haue infourmed him of youre papistrie /
and so detected you of youre manifest
treason. Soche hauock beganne you
to make in the court / as cruell Haman
thought to haue made amonge the faythfull
Hebrues belongynge to good quene
Hester / had not God by the hygh wisdome
of oure seyd Kynge preuented youre
subtyll practyses.
This myschefe ones perfourmed / ye
thought easelye to haue deluded his nobles /
and so in the ende to haue brought
in agayne youre great Patriarke of Rome /
and so layserlye to haue made of him
an other kynge Iohan. But thankes be
geuen alwayes to oure eternall lyuinge
God / for delyueringe his excellent maieste
with his most faythfull subiectes from
the snares of youre craftye compassinges.
And how so euer this writinge of myne
shall be taken / yet is it a true tale / and so
moche the more of his maieste to be marked /
that youre forefathers and you haue
bene trayters alwayes for your Romishe
fathers sake to Emprours / Kinges / princes /
and other wordlye gouernours all
Christendome ouer / specyallye sens the
craftye vpcrepinge of that holye father
of yours. I doubt not but the most famouse
writers by all ages sence the churches
beginninge will make this my sayinge
good / yet, haue theyr cronicles written
the best of them to hyde theyr hypocresie
and falshede.
What Christen bloud hath bene shed
betwyne empire and empire / kyngdome
and kyngedome / as betwyne Constantinople
and Almayne / Englande & fraunces /
Italye and Spayne for the Bisshoppes
of Rome / and how manye cruell warres
at theyr prestes callynge on / it were
to moche eyther to write or to speake. Alwayes
haue they bene workinge mischefe
in theyr ydell generacio~ to obscure the
verite of God. I saye yet ones agayne
that it were verie necessarye for the kynges
worthye maieste with ernest eyes to

B.ij.

marke how God hath graciouslye delyuered
both him and his people from youre
troublouse termagaunt of Rome / which
afore made all Christen kynges his co~mon
slaues. And to be ware of you hollowe
harted trayters his spirituall promoters /
co~sideringe that your proude predecessours
haue alwayes so wickedlye vsed
his graces noble progenitours the worthye
kynges of this realme sens the conquest
and afore.
Who ouerthrewe kynge Herolde / subduynge
all this lande to the Norma~nys?
Who procured the deathe of kynge Willyam
Rufus / and caused kynge Steue~ to
be throwne in preson? Who troubled kyng
Henry the fyrst / and most cruellye vexed
kynge Henry the seconde? Who subdued
and poysoned kynge Iohan? Who mourthered
kynge Edward the seconde / and
famished Kynge Rycharde the seconde
most vnsemyngyle? besydes that hath bene
wrought against all the other kynges
also? To him that shall reade and throughly
marke the religiouse actes of Robert
the Archebisshop of Canterbury / of Odo
Egelwinus / Anelmus / Randolf of Durham /
Rafe of Chychestre / Alexander of
Lyncoln / Nigelius of Helye / Roger of
Salysbury / Thomas Becket / Steuen
Langton / Walter Stapylton / Robert
Baldock / Rychard Scrope / Henry spenser /
Thomas Arundell / and a great sorte
more of your anoynted auncetours / pontificall
prelates / mytred mommers / mad
mastrye workers / ringed ruffelers / rocheted
rutters / shorne sawcie swylboiles / it
will euidentlye apere that youre wycked
generacion hath done all that and manye
other mischeues more.
By these your fylthye forefathers and
soche other / hath this realme bene alwayes
in most myserable captiuite eyther of
the Romanes or Danes / Saxons or Normannes /
and now last of all vndre the
most blasphemouse Behemoth your Romishe
Pope / the great Antichrist of Europa /
and most myghtye mayntener of
Sodome and Gomorre / tyll God by the
stronge power of his eternall worde gaue
oure noble kynge a clere victorye ouer
him. How vnchristenlye youre seyd predecessours
haue vsed the rewlers of all
other Christen realmes / it were to longe
to wryte. I reaken it therfore hygh tyme
for all those Christen princes / which pretende
to receyue the Gospell of saluacio~ /
and accordynglye after that to lyue in
mutuall peace and tranquillite / for euer
to cast ye out of theyr preuye councels /
and vtterly to seclude you from all administracyons /
tyll soche tyme as they fynde
ye no longar wolues but faithfull feaders /
no destroyers but gentyll teachers.

B.iij.

For as sainct Peter doth saye. i. Petri. v.
ye ought to be no lordes ouer the people
of your dioceses / but examples of Christe~
mekenesse. Who seeth not in these dayes
that you blodye bishoppes of Englande /
Italie / Sicell / Fraunce / Spayne / Portingale /
Scotlande / & Irelande be the
grounde and originall foundacyon of all
controuersyes / scysmes / variaunces and
warres betwixt realme and realme at
this present? As sure as the lorde lyueth
it is the subtile serpent of Rome and your
wylye viperouse generacyo~ forth yssuinge
fro~ him which hath sturred vp the fyrst
mouers therof / consedering the~ with the
Turke or great Barbarossa / vtterly to destroye
the Christen co~mon welthe. As in
dede for your cause & his it was / that the
Frenche Kynge Frances fyrst beganne
that vngodlye enterprise. Ye fele it at
youre fyngars endes that your father is
like to fall ye perseyue the daylye decaye
of his false and vsurped power. Where
vpon ye co~sydre your owne priuate powers /
inordinate pryde / couetousnesse / voluptuouse
lyuinge / lechere / ydelnesse / tyrannye /
and vayne glorye to folowe sone
after. And that causeth you to calke for
his kyngedome so fast / to cloyne for his
coblarie / and to clought vp his olde cloke
agayne. If ye speake ought agaynst
him / it is from the tethe and for feare of
the halter onelye. He hath neuer the lesse
both your hartes and good will / and lacketh
neyther your counsell nor helpe preuilye /
to the vttermost ye can do / as apereth
by youre daylye workes. Els coude
he neuer contynue as he doth / nor yet be
so stronge as he is. Well / do all that ye
can in the worlde to his holdinge vp / pece /
patche /cobble/ clought / cloyne / calke /
and do the deuyll and all besydes / whan
the apple of iniquite is full rype / he will
fall of himselfe and are ye all no leaue.
And than will all these youre labours be
in vayne. Consydre fyrst of all both his
beginninge and yours.
Neuer came ye in with your myters / robes /
& rynges by the dore as ded the poore
Apostles / but by the wyndowe vnrequyred
lyke robbers / theues / and manquellers
with Symo~ Magus / Marcion
and Menander. Neuer was your proude
Pontificall power of the heauenlye fathers
plantynge / and therfore at the last
it must vp by the rootes. Ye must in the
ende be destroyed without handes. Daniel
viij. Inuisyblye shall ye be stryken
as was the great tyraunt Antiochus. ij.
Machab. ix. With the myghtye breathe
of Gods mouthe which is his worde inuincyble /
shall youre false kyngedome be
co~sumed. ij. Thessa. ij. and Hebre, iiij.
This reken I suffycient to declare you

B.iiij.

both to God and to ma~ne most spightfull
trayters vnto them that will not be wilfullye
blinde.
Now to proue you spirituall theues to
the co~mon people is the seco~de part of my
purposed writing Farder nede we not to
seke for a profe of this / than youre owne
open actes. How longe haue ye kept the
eternall testament of Christ vndre youre
filthye fete fro~ the peoples readi~g / which
is the lyuely foode of theyr soules? Yea /
how manye innocent Christen creaturs
haue ye most cruellie murthered / to cause
them to abhorre it? Not manye years past
ye brent a godlye woman at Couentre for
hauinge but one chapter of sainct Matthewes
Gospell / and an other manne at
London for hauinge sainct Ioha~s Apocalips /
besydes that ye haue done in other
quarters els of the realme. Some burned
ye in Iohan Wycleues tyme and after /
for not allowynge your pilgrimages / some
for not beleuinge your pardons / some
for not fastynge the frydaye / for not obseruinge
your Lent / some for youre purgatorie /
some for youre images / some for
not prayinge to dead sainctes of your makinge /
some for youre howsell at Easter /
some for not creping to the crosse / some
for not goynge processyon / and some for
holy water / and for other vayne tryfels
of youre owne inuentinge.
He that shall reade the causes of the
imprysonme~tes and deathe of ser Iohan
Balle / master Iohan Astone / Nicolas
Herforde / Walter Britte / Laurence Redenam /
Dauid Gotraye / Ioha~ Ashwarby /
Robert Rygge / Walter Dashe / Iohan
Hunteman / Willyam Swynderby /
Rychard With / Henry Crompe / Willyam
Iames / Thomas Britwell / Iohan
Puruey / Willyam Sawtre / Willyam
Thorpe / Iohan Badby / Iohan Claydon
Rycharde Turmyne / ser Roger Acton
knyght / Iohan Browne esquyre / Iohan
Beuerlaye / ser Iohan Oldecastell the
worthye lorde Cobham / Willyam Hawlam /
Rafe Greenherst / The taylour of
Worcestre / Peter Clarke / Peter Payne /
Willyam taylour / Willyam Whyght /
and Ione his wyfe / Iohan Scut / Iohan
Fowlyn / Willyam Euerdon / Willyam
Caleser / Rycharde Howndon / Thomas
Bagley / Willyam Maundeuyle / Philip
Noris / Regnolde Pecok Bisshop of
Chichestre / Iohan Gods / father Pope of
Eye / a~d Peke of yppeswich with a great
nombre more. And now in oure tyme ye
hyng Rychard Ho~ne in the Lollars towre
at midnyght for benienge a chyldes mortuarie.
And the thre yonge me~ne in Sothfolke /
Robert kynge / Iohan Debinham /
and Nicolas Marshe for destroyinge the
fowle ydoll of Douercourt.
Whye Whynchestre hynge Thomas
Saxye a man lerned / in his porters lodge
at the Stewes / the cause is not yet
knowen. Ye brent Thomas Hytton at
Maydston for not allowynge the Pope /
Thomas Bylney at Norwych onelye for
preachynge the Gospell / Rychard Bayfelde
at London for sellynge newe testamentes
in Englishe / with Teukesbery
and Colyns / Willyam Leton a monke of
eye for admittinge both kyndes in the sacrament
and for not geuynge reuerence
to the rotten roode there / George Baynham
for purgatorye and for not allowynge
Thomas Becket for a saynct / Iohan
Frith and Iohan Lambert for not admittynge
youre purgatorye also with youre
saynctes prayinge to and youre pylde popyshe
masse / Willyam Tyndale at Vilforde
in Braband for translatynge the
scripturs and disclosynge the slayghtes
of youre false generacyon / Robert Barnes
with Gararde and Hierome for reprouynge
youre pestilent Papistrye for
other thynges ye had non to laye to him
whan he stode at the stake demaundynge
for what articles he shuld dye Rycharde
Spenser and Iohan Ramsaye at Salysburye /
Rycharde Mekens at Londo~ / Anthonye
Person / Iohan Testwode / & Ioha~
Fenemor at Wyndesore with a great
sort besydes in diuers quarters of Englande
for matters of no wayght / but
that ye must styll be doynge youre kynde
To longe were it farre to recite all
your mastryes of mischefe / whom ye haue
alwayes practised to deface Gods worde.
Neuer were ye yet contented that that
sede of saluacyon shuld fructifye amonge
the people / but euermore ye haue stopped
the swete blast therof / to do the deuyll
youre father a pleasur / Apoc. vij. A fewe
years a go whan it beganne fyrst to florishe /
ye caused one Somers with certen
other more openlye to burne. Newe Testamentes
in the myddes of chepe at London.
And as ye perceyued that it styll increased
magrye youre hartes vndre the
auctorite of oure most worthye kynge /
than roared you lyke rude rampyon rauenours /
than raged also youre ranke rable
of Romishe ruffelers in theyr syde swepynge
gownes / theyr shauen crownes /
cappes / and typettes / lyke the charminge
chaunters of Bell. Speciallye wode
Wynchestre / lewde London / lurkynge
Lyncolne / dreamynge Durham / yorke
without wytt / chatteringe Chychestre /
smylynge Salisbury / fleryng fryer wattes /
and that double faced trayter Wilson /
namyng it full of errours and verye
yll translated.
Oh idell ydyotes and abhominable hypocrites.
Shame ye not at all so euidentlye
to lye and so boldelye to blaspheme?
Neuer were ye able as yet to matche the~
whose iust labours ye reproue: & though
ye were ye haue not yet done it to the profyght
of other. Ye are those wilde swyne /
lewde shepheardes / and foxes which hath
roted vp the lordes vyneyearde. Psalm.
lxxvij. Esa.iij. Hier.xij. Can.ij. Neuer do
you repare whan anye thinge is therin
decayed / but continuallye murther all
them that wolde gladlye do it. Mat.xxi.
Marke.xij. Luc.xx. In the fyrst chapter
of Sapience is it mencioned how terrible
sentences ye shall geue against youre
selues at the latter daye. In horrible feare
shall ye there confesse openlye that all
hath bene dampnable folishnesse that ye
haue gone abought / that ye haue erred
from the truthe / that ye haue bene wilfullye
ignorau~t / that ye haue tyred your
selues in the wayes of wickednesse & destruction /
and so forth.
Before youre owne faces will I yet
laye more largelye your owne abhominable
frutes or good workes as ye call the~ /
be ashamed of the~ / yf ye lyst. You mastre
Wyncharde of Wynchestre broyled in
sainct Georges felde beyonde Sothwarke
one Gyles a Ioynar with one of the
quenes seruauntes and a paynter before
fyue a clocke in the morninge / least the
common people shuld haue knowen your
lewde legerdemayne by theyr last confessions
And you blodye Bisshop boner ded
murther a godlye yonge manne in Newgate
onlye for reading the Bible in Paules /
whose lyfe was well knowen to be
vnrebukeable a monge menne / besides
youre tyrannouse handelynge of other
for the same / not withstandinge the kynges
auctorite. You two blinde Babilon
braggers with youre oyled adherentes
made Alexandre Seton a notable lerned
manne most miserably to recant for your
false fre will / Willyam Tolwyn for your
holy water making / Thomas Becon for
your images / youre chastite / & your satisfaccio~s /
Robert Wisdom for your saintes
veneracion / youre ceremonies / & the Popes
olde religion / with soche other.
Yet was not youre frettinge furye all
qualified thus / but styll ye raged in your
former frenesye not vnlike Pharaoes ferce
knyghtes / and ones againe ye bewytched
the parlement howse / prouokynge
them most pestilentlye to depryue the co~mon
people all together of the Bible readyng.
Onlye was it than admitted to .iij.
degrees of menne / to gentyll mennen merchandes /
and Prestes / all artifycers and
menne of the common sort clerelye secluded /
as though God were parcyall / not
willinge his lawes / preceptes / and swete
promyses to be knowe~ to poore menne
to theyr soules saluacyon. But false and
craftye are ye in youre seates workinge /
ye thought at layser to take it from them
also / might ye ones come agayne to your
full swaye.
These be the good workes that ye boast
so sore / which iustifye you before youre
God the Pope ex opere operato. These
are dedes of supererogacyon / wherwith
ye scoure youre fyerye purgatorye so oft
as it pleaseth you. These are the merytes
of youre satisfaccyon whereby ye get heauen
whan God is not at home.
Oh abhominable theues and shamelesse
murtherers. If he be called a manqueller
which sleeth the bodye / moche rather
he which sleeth both bodye and soule / as
youre generacion doth co~monlye. All the
worlde in a maner derydeth youre doynges /
and lawgheth to scorne your vnprudent
practyses. Christ neuer contemned
the poore / but blessed them abour all sortes
of people. Math.v. Luke.vi. Not onlye
opened he his Gospell to the poore in
his own persone / but also appoynted the
porest sort of menne to declare it vnto the
poore after his departure / induinge them
most largelye with his sprete from aboue
Mathew.xxviij. Marke.xvi. Luke.xxiiij.
Iohan.xv. Actu.ij. He chose the weake to
confounde the stronge / & the poore to deface
the proude presumptuouse. i.Cor.i.
By his preachynge to the poore as by a
most manifest signe / declared he as a sauer
& redemer his co~mynge in the fleshe /
Matth.xi. Esa.lxi.
Neuer sent he soche lordelye lubbers
and gloriouse glottons to syt in consistoryes /
counsels / and sessyons to the vttre
destruccyon of soche as beleue faythfully
in him. And therfore it is easye to perseyue
whose seruauntes ye are / Hie.xxiij.
Ye call euermore vpon the earthlye gouernours /
as ded Symon Magus your predecessour
vpon the Emperour Nero / to
flee the Gospels preachers / els will not
theyr kyngdome endure ye saye Christ
willed none to be brought to his fayth by
compulsion. Nether vsed the Apostles to
enforce anye menne ther vnto. It is not
oure maner sayth saynct Iames the more
vnto Hermogeues to cause anye manne
to take oure beleue vnlesse he be wyllynge.
And you lyke Tyrauntes more
cruell than the Turke constrayne menne
to professe youre false fayth by dyuerse
kyndes of deathe.
Non leaue ye vnuexed and vntroubled
No / not so moch as the poore mynstrels
and players of interludes / but ye are doynge
with them. So long as they played
lyes and sange bawdye songes / blaspheminge
God and corruptinge me~nes conscie~ces /
neuer blamed them / but were verye
well contented. But sens they persuaded
the people to worshyp theyr Lorde
God a ryght accordinge to his holye lawes
and not yours / and to acknowledge
Iesus Christ for their onlye redemer and
sauer without your lowsye legerdemaynes /
ye neuer were pleased with them /
whan they tell you as the truthe is / that
youre Romishe father hath played the
cruell Antichrist / and you his false phesicyanes
in holdinge the Christen multitude
so mayne hondreth years in soche
dampnable darknesse of sprete without
repentaunce / ye take it vnpacientlye sekinge
theyr destruccion for it.
Neuer repente ye your manyfolde mischeues
be they neuer so manifest / but are
alwayes redye with all ingyns possyble
to fall to them agayne. Ye are not ashamed
that ye haue a fore tyme depryued
the people of all godlye knwoledge by
withholdinge fro~ the~ the scripturs. But
with toth and nayle ye labour it a freshe
with all craftye cloyninges / to make the~
both blynde and ignoraunt / as I haue
proued here a fore / I thynke the deuyls in
hell are not of a more peruerse mynde
nor seaketh more wayes to the soules destruccio~ /
than you. Nether will you entre
into the kyngedome of Christ by a true
repentaunce & fayth in his holye promises /
nor yet suffre anye other that wolde
gladlye do it. But rather on euerye
syde ye stoppe vp the hygh wayes thervnto /
least they shuld beleue and so receyue
saluacyon.
Nothynge pleasaunt is it vnto youre
lordely eares / to heare that we are iustifyed
by Christes onlye deseruinges. Nether
do ye thinke it greatlye to youre aduauntage /
that we without youre lowsye
beggerye shuld be saued in this blood
shedynge. Slaunderouslye report ye the
instructours of our tyme both to preache
and to wryte agaynst good workes not
for anye deuocyon that you haue to do
them / speciallye yf the scripture hath commau~ded
them. But to haue soche wycked
workes fulfylled as youre fylthye father
and you haue co~maunded for youre own
pryuate profight and lucre / ye playe Pharao /
Cayphas / Nero / Traianus / with
all tyrauntes partes besydes. The fayth
which is lyueyle and of value before God
can nomore be without good workes /
than the clere sunne apering can be without
brightnesse or the burnyng fyer without
his naturall heate.
That fayth which aryseth of the Gospell
preachynge / bryngeth forth the workes
of the Gospell which are the wholsome
frutes of the sprete / as loue / gladnesse /
peace / patience / gentylnesse / goodnesse /
longe sufferynge / faythfulnesse / mekenesse /

C

chastite / temperaunce / with soche
other lyke. Galat. v. These good workes
haue not you to be iustifyed by as we
se in youre daylye lyuynge. These be not
they therfore that ye take for the good
workes of ma~nys iustificacio~. I wote / the
good workes that ye haue called vpon a
fore tyme / were the goynge to pardons /
the sekynge to ymages / the prayinge to
dead saynctes / the takynge of holye water /
the hearinge of Mattens and Masse
without vndersta~ding / the wearinge of bedes /
the offeringe of candels & the bearynge
of palmes and ashes / the ydell bestowynge
of youre holye dayes / the commynge
to confessyon / the crepyng to the
crosse / the payenge to the Paschall / the
fastynge of saynctes vigils / the prayenge
for all Christen soules / the buyldynge
of monasteryes and chaunceryes / the charmynge
of churches and chalyces / with a
thousande supersticyons more / for youre
commodyte and aduauntage.
The good workes that we beholde in
youre daylye conuersacyon / for all youre
bolde bragges of good workes / are but
the fylthye frutes of the fleshe as saynct
Paule doth call them / for we se nothynge
in you but hawtinesse / vayneglorie / couetuousnesse /
pryde / hatred / malice / manslaughter /
banketinges / glotonye / dronkenesse /
slowthe / sedicyon / ydolatrye /
wytchecrafte / fornicacyon / lechere / lewdenesse /
besydes youre fylthye feates in
the darke whan women are not redye at
hande. What ye apere in the syght of
them which haue no godlye vnderstandynge /
I can not well tell you. But well
I wote that ye seme vnto vs with youre
iustifyeng workes verye pestilent ydols /
as zacharias sayth ye are. Zacha.xi. God
requireth mercye of his true beleuers /
and nether your vnsauerye sacrifices nor
yet youre faynt feble ceremonies / Osee.
vi. Math.ix. Gal.iij.
Though we do afferme with saynct Iames /
that fayth to be ydell / dead / and voyde
which occupyeth not good workes soche
as the Gospell prescribeth / yet grau~t
we not those good workes to be anye part
of oure iustificacyon before God / consyderynge
that to reste alone in Christes
good deseruynges which are ours onlye
by fayth. Not for oure owne ryghtuouse
workes sayth sainct Paul are we saued /
but by the mercye of God through Iesus
Christ / Titum. iij. Non other is oure
vniuersall ryghtuousnesse before God /
sayth the Prophete than is a filthye clothe
stayned with a womannes floures.
Esa. lxiiij. Semynge it is that we become
new me~ne / Eph.iiij. that we behaue
our selues as the ministers of God / that
we walke in a new Christe~ lyfe after the
Gospell.i. Thess.ij. that oure lyght apere

C.ij.

afore men to the glorie of God / Math. v.
and that we serue no more synne fro~ hence
forth. Rom. vi. but that oure daylye co~uersacyon
be in heauen. Philip.iij.
Yet whan we haue done all this by the
graciouse gyft of God / we maye not ther
vnto ascribe anye part of oure iustificacyon
with the Pharise / Luke. xviij. but
saye with the poore publicane / God be
mercyfull vnto me / I am trulye an vnprofytable
seruaunt / I haue not done so
moche as my dewtye / Luc. xvij. I am not
able to thynke a good though of myselfe
moche lesse tha~ to do a good worke to my
iustificacyon. ij. Cor.iij. Thus do we not
condempne good workes / as you lyke false
lyars report vs / but we allowe them
most hyghlye / as they aryse of the Gospell
and not of youre beggerly tradicio~s
and so teache we them in theyr ryght kynde.
Though youre forefathers in all ages
sens theyr begynnynge hath murmured
agaynst the verite / yet raged they neuer
so vnreasonable as you do / nether sought
they so cruell kyndes of death for the seruauntes
of God.
What the cause shuld be of this youre
frantyk furye / it is easy to coniecture /
youre water is seane now a dayes / youre
sycknesse is knowe~ / and youre longinge
perecyued. We se now what ye are both
within and without. It hath pleased our
eternall God in this latter tyme / by his
despysed disciples to manifest the great
Antichrist to the vniuersall worlde / of
whom your Pope is the head and you his
malignaunt members. No longer are ye
lyke with youre abhominacyons to syt in
the holye place / in the temple of God / in
the secrete consciences of menne. Matthew.
xxiiij. i. Corinth.iij. ij. Thessa. ij.
But as vnlawfull lyars and fellars / robbers
and theues / ydolaters and murtherers /
to be dryuen out with whyppes /
Iohan. ij. Luc. xix. Mar. xi. Math. xxi.
This is the onlye cause of youre blusteryng
and blowynge / youre roaringe and
ragynge / youre impresonynge and burnynge
of the seyd godlye ministers / be
they wryters or preachers / players or
syngers.
Neuer the lesse youre terrible turmoylyng
yet taketh the verite effecte in them
whom God hath appoynted. My worde
sayth the Lorde shall not turne agayne
voyde / but accomplysshe my mynde and
prospere in them whom I sent in vnto.
Esa.lv. Against your selues worke ye in
your daylye doyinges / yet perceyue ye it
not. In the sharpshedynge of ryghtuouse
blood / or burning whether ye will / haue
those thynges bene opened / whom ye
haue most coueted to be hydde from all
knowledge. As youre pardo~s and purgatorye

C.iij.

to be of none effect / your pilgrymages
and other peltryes to be of no value.
An other thynge there is that ye set most
by / which must awaye also / though it cost
blood in habundau~ce as I thynke it will.
And that is your abhominable masse / by
so manye pestilent Popes diuised / which
were both peruerters & poysoners / sorcerers
& stynkynge Sodomites. By that is
the gloriouse supper of the Lorde which
was his owne institucyon most blasphemouslye
blemyshed & brought cleane out
of knowlege in the Christen churche.
For a co~tynuall reme~braunce of Christes
death in his congregacyon was that
heauenly supper fyrst ordeyned / and for
a vniuersall tha~kes geuynge for the most
frutefull benefyght of the same. In that
sacred supper are the mutuall members
of Christes mystciall bodye there gathered /
perfyghtlye knyt togyther to theyr
head with the Ioyntes of fayth and synnowes
of loue / where as it is truely ministred.
In youre Popishe Masse was
neuer yet soche godlye ordre. Nether is
the Lordes death to vnderstandyng preached /
nor yet his bodye and blood frutefullye
therein receyued. Nether are the
hearers therof persuaded to contynuall
thankes geuynge / nor yet Christenlye
exhorted to a mutuall loue and concorde.
But of the deuowtest that cometh to
that Masse of yours one disdayneth an
other / one hateth an other / one troubleth
an other / one robbeth an other / one goeth
to lawe with an other / one defyleth an
others wyfe / yea somtyme / one sleyth an
other / besydes the abhominable sorceryes /
sacryleges / supersticyons / and ydolatryes
which are therein daylye commytted.
For therin ye offre to be worshypped
of the people / a signe for a sauer / and that
hath bene made by a synnefull mannys
handes for oure eternall lyuynge God.
Thus yow most execrable Antichristes
haue brought them from the true worshyppynge
of God / to the worshyppinge
of breade and wyne / two false Goddes /
as they are vsed of youre Romyshe fathers
appoyntynge. Neuer commaunded
Christ his wordes to be preached to breade
and to wyne which are but dead thynges /
but to soche people as had fayth to
beleue them and to folowe them. He badde
the faythfull receyuers of his holye
supper to take the breade and to eate it /
but neuer to knele to it and to worship it.
That odyouse obseruacyon was added
therunto by youre Pope sens sathan was
set at large after his thousande yeares inpresonment /
Apocalyp.xx. Not without
the perpetuall curse of God / Deuter. xij.
Apocalyp.xxij.

C.iiij.

The eternall testament of God wherin
Christ is contayned both reallye and
substanciallye / ye neuer holde vp to be
worshipped / though ye fatche from thens
the wordes that ye occupie / for that were
nothinge for youre co~modite. Most commonlye
is that office done by an vnlerned
luske / a blinde bussarde / an assehead /
an ydiote / an whormonger / a dronkarde /
a bellygod / a traytour / a Sodomite / a Tyraunte /
an vnfaythfull Papist / and the
most knaue in a towne. Yea / sometyme fro~
the vometyng of his vndegested supper /
or els from the fylthye occupyenge of an
Harlot / he cometh strayght to the aultre
to do it / yet must it be thought a sacrifice
of no lesse value and strength / than that
Christ himselfe offred vpon the crosse.
And he that will not so beleue it / shall be
burned for an heretique.
Oh abhominable scorners and theues /
which practyse nothynge els but the vttre
destruccyon of soule. If anye thynge
vndre the heauens hath nede of reformacyon /
lett them thynke this to be one
which myndeth anye godlynesse / for neuer
ded cruell Pharao holde the people
of Israel in so wicked a captiuite / as doth
this supersticiouse sort of ydell Sodomites
the most derelye redemed heritage of
the Lorde. If they be no spirituall theues
sowle murtherers / heretiques / scysmatiques /
churche robbers / rebelles / and traytours
to God & to manne / wher are anye
to be loked for in all the world? An other
thynge yet there is which causeth me sore
to lament / the inco~ueniences there vpon
co~sidered. And that is this Although
the scripturs / cronicles / canons / constitucions /
counsels / and pryuate hystoryes
with youre manifest actes in oure tyme /
doth declare youre forefathers / and you
soche heretiques / theues / and traytours
to the Christen commen welthes as hath
not bene vpon the earth but you / yet are
ye styll taken into the preuye counsels
both of Emprour and Kynge.
But what a plage it is or miserable yoke
to that Christen realme where as you
beare the swynge / I thynke it trulye vnspeakable
though it be not seane. Oh eternall
father for thy infinite mercies sake /
graciouslye graunt thy moste faythfull
seruaunt kynge Henry of Englande our
most worthye soueraine lorde and gouernour
vndre the / clerelye to cast out of his
preuye counsell house these lecherouse locustes
of Egypte and daylye vpholders
of Sodome and Gomor / the Popes cruel
catell tokened with his owne propre marke /
to the vniuersall helthe of his people /
as thou hast now constitute him an
whole complete kynge and the fyrst sence
the conquest. For neuer shall he haue of
them / but dysseytfull workemenne and
hollowe harted gentylmenne. And not
onlye that good lorde but also to depryue
them of there vsurped auctoryte and
power restorynge agayne therunto his
temporall magistrates whom their proude
Pope hath hytherto most tyrannouslye
therof depryued.
Finallye to take from them theyr inordinate
pompe and ryches and more godlye
to bestowe them / that is to saye / to the
ayde of his pouerte and mayntenau~ce of
his common welthe. As for an example
the noble Germanyes hath gracyouslye
done before him / makinge of their monasteryes /
nonnes / coue~tes and fryers houses /
scoles of Christen lernynge / hospitalles
for sycke people / and conuenient
dwellinge places for the impote~t / poore /
and aged. Reseruinge the rest of the landes
and goodes to the mayntenaunce of
theyr cytees and contrees / which godlye
distribucion is moche co~mended all Christendome
ouer where as it is throughlye
knowen. Not vnknowen is it to these
pompouse prelates / that whan those landes
and goodes were fyrst delyuered vnto
theyr predecessours / it was not to the
intent that they shuld become possessours
or Lordes of them / but faythfull dysposars
to the vse of the weake and nedye /
that Christ myght so be harbored / norryshed /
couered / fedde / and visited in his disseased
members / as will be requyred at
the latter daye.
But who~ haue you harboured ye beastlye
bellygoddes whom haue you visyted
and fedde sens ye haue becomen of lowlye
preachers mytred modye ydols? Not
the sore and sycke / the impote~t and lame /
the fatherlesse and motherlesse / nor him
that hath bene decayed by yll chaunces /
or throwne in stronge preson for the veryte.
No / but great lordes and ladyes lerned
menne and stowte lawers / gentylmenne /
great doctours & soche as hath
fat benefices / with a bende of bolde braggers
or blasphemouse swearers abought
ye / to wayte vpon youre tables / to holde
vp your tayles in the strete / to kepe your
houndes and horses / and to conueye you
in the darke a pece for youre pleasur.
And this do ye for two specyall causes /
one is this / for so moche as youre selues
are becomen great lordes / ye must nedes
haue lordelye companyons somwhat lyke
youre selues.
Peter / Iames / & Iohan / with the other
disciples of Christ whose successyon ye
boast your selues to be were now no mete
felyshyp for you. Neuer were they yet
in soche hygh auctorite as you be in now.
Nether had they here anye soche prehemynence
of prelacye as to be called my
lorde bysshop / my lorde deane / mastre
doctour / or mastre persone with cappe
and knee. It were harde to make the~ beleue
were they now alyue that yow in
your mytred magestees shuld be ther folowers.
Rather wolde they iudge yow to be
the successours of Cayphas and Annas
persecutynge than that poore churche of
beleuers as yow do now which they had
gathered in the holye gost. Acto. iiij. An
other cause is this. Your spu~all monarchye
is a worldly dominyo~ / and must therfor
be defended by worldlye thynges. As
by ryches / fauour / fryndshypp / mannys
wysdome / auctoryte / and power / with
the materyall swerde also as nede shall
requyre yt.
After a farre other sort defe~ded the apostles
the spirituall kyngedome of Christ.
Ther armour was / ryghtousnesse / pouerte /
pacience / meknesse / tribulation / contempt
of the worlde / and conytnuall sufferinge
of wronges. Ther stronge shylde
was faythe / and ther swerde the worde
of god. Eph.vi. with the gospell preachinge
droue they downe all soche supersticions /
as yow by your lordeshippes haue
raysed vp ageyne in the gloriouse churche
of Antichrist. The kyngedome that christ
forsoke. Ioan.vi. and the lordeshipp that
he so strayghtly forbadde ye. Luce. xxij.
haue you receyued of the deuyll / with
that ambicyouse regne of couetousnesse
that he left behinde him vpon the hygh
mountayne. Mat.iiij. I thinke not the co~trarie
but you sturdye struggelers will
somwhat starkle at this my homelye writing /
yet shall not that make me to leaue
of / co~sidering that Christ hath promysed.
Luce.xix. that though we shuld holde our
peace & neyther write nor speake against
you in these lattre dayes / so hydinge his
talent vndre the grounde / yet wolde the
domme stones do it against youre ydolatrouse
generation.
In vayne therfor haue ye made it deathe
to impugne your myscheues. Trulye
we can no otherwise chose but in the power
of that sprete which he hath geue~ vs
boldelye to replie against youre filthye father
Anticrist and yow / though ye shuld
ther vpon make a thowsande deathers more.
And I do not doubt it but in processe
of tyme we shall in the same sprete & worde
clerelye ouerthrowe that fleshlie churche
of his / so that there shall nomore ther
of apere / than now doth of the carnall
sinagoge of the Iewes. The more cruell
actes ye make against vs / the more ernest
are we and will be / tyll we haue weded ye
whollye out of the lordes vyneyarde.
Your holye bretherne and systerne the
monkes / fryers / chanons / and nonnes /
with your hermites / pylgrimes / & perdoners
be gone forth afore yow / thynke not
but your selues shall folowe with your
myters / shaue~ crownes / and longe typetes
arysyng out of the same soyle For Rome
that ryall cyte was the orygynall mother
to ye both.
Nomore are yow in your proude paynted
religyo~ of the heaue~lye fathers plantinge /
than were they in ther Idell Ipocresie.
And therfor ye must vp by the rootes
with your pompouse palaces / proude
prebendes / chapels / & chaunteryes. The
gret sale of your merytes & holye whoryshe
workes shall not be able to vpholde
yow. As the lorde hath geuen it to owr
most worthy kinge by the stre~gthe of hys
worde to destroye that ranke rable of Romystes
so will he graunt him to subdue
you also the cruell captaynes and shorne
sorcerers of that sodomytycall kyngedome
as yet left behynde / to make perfyght
the worke that he hath begon / that ye do
not herafter so wyckedlye abuse hys successio~ /
as ye haue afore tyme his most noble
progenytours. I faythfullye beleue
yt / that both Achitofel & Haman shall haue
ther iust plages / ere his grace geue place
vnto nature / as all menne must dye. ij.
Reg.xvij. Hester.vij.
If it shuld be otherwise as the lorde
forbydde both prince Edwarde and the
whole realm beside shuld be in mot depe
daunger. For though ye playe now dyogenes
flyes and whysper plesauntlye in
the eare / yet will ye hysse cruelly lyke serpe~tes
throwinge forthe your venim wha~
ye shall se your tyme / accordinge to your
subtyle and vngentyll nature. Though
the mermaydes songe be swete / yet ys yt
full of poyson as are also your honyed
rhetoryckes and leadeth them vnto deathe
which geueth them therof the hearinge.
Neuer is Gnato vnredie with his fayre
flatterynge feates / to brynge his false
matters to passe where as he fyndeth ytchynge
eares. Were it not for fayre speche
in hypocresye / Sathan shuld neuer apere
the gloryouse angell of lyght / to the
daylye perfourmaunce all hys mastryes
of myschefe. What ruynouse decayes
hath chaunced to all Christen regions
and ther rulers for geuynge swyft
credyte to the flerynge flatteries of your
babylonishe brode / yt were verye moche
to write. It shall be therfor necessarie for
our most worthye Kynge / to loke vpon
yow in tyme / & both to demynyshe your
auctoryte and ryches least ye here after
put all his godlye enterpryses in hasarde
For nothynge els can ye do of your spirituall
nature but worke dayly myscheues
As well maye ye be spared in the co~mon
welthe / as maye kytes / crowes / & bussardes /
polcattes / wesels / and rattes / otters
wolues and foxes / bodye lyce / flees / and
fleshe flyes / with other deuowrynge and
noyful vermyne. For as vnprotifable are
ye vnto it as they / and as lytle haue ye of
the worde of God to vpholde you in those
vayne offyces to papistrye as they.
This vncommodiouse commodite hath
Englande had of you alwayes whan ye
haue bene of the kinges preuye counsell /
and I thynke hath now at this present
houre. That whan so euer any godlye enterpryse
is there in doying / be it neuer so
preuylye handeled / yet shall the Popishe
prelates of Italie / Spayne / Frau~ce /
Flau~ders and Scotlande haue sure knowledge
therof by youre secrete messengers /
and you agayne theyr craftye compassynges
to deface it yf it maye be. Nether
shall those realmes continue longe
after without warre / speciallye yf an ernest
reformacion of youre shamefull abuses
be sought there. And neuer shall the
originall grounde of that warre be knowen /
but other causes shall be layde to colour
it with / as that the kynge seketh his
ryght / his princelye honour / the mayntenaunce
of his tytles / or the realmes common
welthe / beynge nothynge lesse in
the ende / but an vpholdynge of you in
youre myscheues.
So longe as you shall beare rule in the
Parlament house / the Gospell shall be
kepte vndre and Christ persecuted in his
faythfull members. So that no godlye
axes shall come out from thens to the
glorie of God and Christe~ common welthe /
but you shall so sawce the~ with your
Romishe sorceryes / that they shall at all
tymes be redye to serue youre turne. Although
the kynges maieste hath permytted
vs the scriptures / yet must the true ministers
therof at youre most cruell appoyntment
eyther suffre most tyrannouse
death / or els with mouthe openlye denye
Christes verite which is moche worse
than the death. For where as he which
mannefullye suffreth / declareth himselfe
an able wytnesse, of the Lorde / he that
cowardlye recanteth sheweth himselfe
to be but a faynt harted hypocrite / throwyng
himselfe whollye vndre Antichristes
yoke againe. Thus geue ye strength
to his lawes and noryshe vp his kyngedome /
whom ye saye with youre lyppes
that ye haue refused / youre pestilent Pope
of Rome.
Ye playe altogether hyck scorner vndre
the fygure of Ironia. That ye saye ye hate
ye loue / & that ye saye ye loue ye hate.
Lett all faythfull menne be ware of soche
double daye dremers and hollowe harted
traytors / and thynke where as they
beare the rewle / nothynge shall come
tyghtlye forewarde nether in fayth nor

D

co~mon welth. Neuer fynde these tyrauntes
of Sodome anye place to repentaunce
for theyr contynuall murtherynge of
Christ in his faithfull members / but more
and more they synne against knowledge
blaspheminge the holye ghost / to bringe
vpon themselues the more swyft damnacyon.
And as concernynge theyr princes
alwayes are they at this craftye point
with them / to folowe theyr mynde outwardlye
for the tyme / for of all me~ne lyuynge
they are euer the most subtyle obseruers
of tyme.
But be sure of this ones / that what
countenaunces so euer they shewe before
them with lowlye lewtynge and duckynge
downe to the grounde / yet leaue they
all that waye which maketh most to ther
vpholdynge on the vayne gloriouse and
ydell regne of Antichrist / whether it be
with the Frenche Kynge / the Turke / or
the Emprour. As now at this present tyme /
speake they neuer so fayre / loke they
neuer so demure / shewe they neuer so wyse
polecyes / or prouyde they neuer so warelye
for the Kynges hoost in bakynge /
bruynge / broylynge / gryndynge / seasonynge /
saltinge / sowsynge / and sethyng /
yet hath the Frenche kynge their inwarde
hartes for the great good will he beareth
to theyr Romyshe father. Yea / although
the Kynges grace and the Emprours
Maiestie be now ioyntlye ioyned
frindes parauenture not without theyr
procurement also for an other purpose of
theyrs / as to stoppe a generall counsell
wherin they doubt theyr vttre fall yet
shal they not longe so contynue / yf they
by anye other false polecye maye altre
it / as I hope it shall neuer lye in theyr
wycked power to do it.
These haue bene alwayes theyr common
practyses / as they haue seane theyr
matters in daunger. And therfore they
are now least of all to be trusted / consyderyng
that at this present they are in most
daunger of all. If this generall warre set
them not vp agayne / they are neuer lyke
to go forwarde. And therfore hardelye
they worke now a tawnte for the vpholdinge
of theyr kyngedome / take heade to
theyr handes who shall / yea and parauenture
to some of theyr fete yf God be theyr
good lorde. What other workes can come
from the deuyls workinge toles / than
cometh from the handes of his owne malingnaunt
myschefe? who can denye these
Bysshoppes and Prestes to be the instrumentes
of sathan / vnderstandynge
the scripturs and beholdynge theyr daylye
doyinges? Onlye persecute they simple
menne vnto death for beleuynge in
Christ / and neuer for the great abhominacious
of ydolatrye and supersticyon.

D.ij.

Onlye are they great enemyes to maryage
which is holye / and neuer to the
stinkynge Sodometrye that is daylye
vsed amonge them. No / of that they haue
set vp an ydoll amonge themselues / callynge
it holye virginite and the vowed
chastite of prestes. Yea / they haue so bewytched
the parlement house / that it
must be honoured of all Englande vndre
payne of death / though it be the most fylthye
frute of hell that euer yet yssued
from thens. Thynke ye there can be a
greater plage to a Christen realme / than
to haue soche goostlye fathers of the kynges
preuye counsell? If wyse menne do
iudge it anye other than a iust plage for
oure synne / and a yoke layed vpon vs for
oure vnreuerent receyuing of that heauenyle
treasure the eternall testament of
Christ / to haue soche hypocrites / theues /
& trayters to regne ouer vs / trulye they
iudge not a ryght.
If we wolde ernestlye therfore repent
oure former lyuynge / and vnfaynedlye
turne vnto oure euer liuing God / as we
finde in that testament / I wolde not
doubt yt to Ieoparde both my bodye
and soule / that we shuld in short space
be delyuered of this Romishe vermyne
rysinge out of the bottomlesse pyt / Apocalyp.
ix. which eateth vp all that is grene
vpon earth or that hath taken anye
strengthe if the lyuynge worde of the
Lorde. For the hart of a kyng is alwayes
in the handes of God / and at his pleasure
he maye euermore turne it / Prou.xxi.
Take me not here that I co~dempne anye
Byshoppe or prest that is godlye / doynge
those holye offices that the scripture
hath commaunded them / as preachyng
the Gospell / prouidinge for the poore /
and ministringe the sacramentes ryghte.
But against those bloodye botchers that
murther vp Gods people / and make daylye
hauock of Christes congregacyon / to
maynteyne the Iewes ceremonyes and
the Paganes superstitions in the Christen
churche.
These are not Byshoppes but byteshepes /
tyrauntes / tormentours / termagau~tes /
and the deuyls slaughter menne.
Christ left no soche disciples behynde
him to syt with cruell Cayphas at the sessions
vpon lyfe and deathe of his innocent
members. But soche as in pouerte
preached the Gospell / rebuking the wycked
worlde for ydolatrye / hipocresie / and
false doctrine called synne / rightuousnesse /
and iudgement in the .xvi. Chaptre of
Iohan / Episcopus is as moche to saye as
a superintendent or an ouersear / whose
offyce was in the primatyue Churche
purelye to instructe the multitude in the
wayes of God / and to se that they were

D.iij.

not beastlye ignoraunt in the holye scriptures
as the most part of them are now a
dayes. Presbyter is as moche to saye as a
senyour or elder / whose office was also in
godlye doctrine and examples of lyuyng
to gyde the Christen congregacyon / and
to suffre no maner of supersticyon of Iewe
nor Gentyle to regne amonge them.
And these two offyces were all one in
those dayes / and commonlye executed of
one seuerall persone.
They which than were appoynted to
these spirituall offyces ded nothynge els
but onlye preache and teache the Gospell
hauynge assystent vnto them other inferyour
offycers called Deakons to mynistre
the Sacramentes than vsed / and to
prouyde for the poore / the dyseaded / and
aged / Acto. vi. Christ sent not me forth
sayth saynct Paule to baptyse / but to
preache the Gospell or glad tydynges of
saluacyon in his death and resurreccyon /
i.Corinth.i. Roma.iiij. No godlye manne
can despyse these offyces / nether yet condempne
those that trulye execute them.
Not onlye are they worthy to haue a competent
lyuynge. i. Corinth. ix. but also
double honour after the doctrine of sainct
Paule. i. Timoth. v. But from inordinate
excesse of ryches ought they of all menne
to be sequestred / consyderynge that the
most wycked nature of Mammon is alwayes
to corrupt / yea / the verye elect yf
God were not the more mercyfull. And
that caused Christ oure sauer to saye vnto
his Apostles / Ye can not serue God
and Mammon. Matth. vi. which myght
be an admonishme~t to oure lordelye Bisshoppes
whan they be in theyr worldlye
pompe that they are not Gods seruauntes /
beleued they his sayenges as they do
nothynge lesse.
I can not thynke that anye Christen
Bysshop or Prest will be offended with
ought that I haue wrytten here / but rather
preferre it to their power / seyinge it
maketh nothinge agaynst them / sekynge
Gods glorie and not their owne. And as
for the Romishe Popes ydols / the better
it will be iudged of all Christen beleuers
yf they do spatle against it. My co~science
doth geue me that I haue herein folowed
the example of Christ. For lyke as he laboured
by his daylye preachyng to deface
the great opinyon that the people had of
the Pharisees and false Bishoppes / and
to place Ioha~ Baptist and Peter in their
romes / Matthew.xi. Luk.x. So do I here
to my simple porcyon that the Popes /
Prestes and Prelates shuld no longer occupye
the consciens of menne with theyr
beggerlye dead baggage aboue the eternall

D.iiij.

God and his liuyng worde. ij. Thessalo.
ij. Daniel. ix. The which in the zele
of his onlye verite / I desyre that lorde of
his bottomlesse mercye and for his sonne
Iesus sake / shortlye to perfourme to the
iust expectacyon of the elect flocke. Fynallye
with hart I desyre / that those enemyes
of the truthe be no longer geuen
ouer of God and so left to themselues /
but that they maye fynde some iust waye
to repentaunce / and so from henceforth
to maynteyne the pure lawes of Christ /
as they haue in tymes past the most fylthye
tradicyons of Antichrist.
So be it.

Wrytten from Basyle a cyte of the
Heluecyanes by me Henrye Stalbrydge
in the yeare from Christes incarnacyon.
M.D.XLIIII. and the
fyrst daye of August.