To all my faithful brethren in Christ Iesu and to all other that labour to weade out the wedes of popery, Peace in the Lorde Iesu be with you, and make you persite in all good workes to doe his will, working in you that which is pleasant in his sight, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

DEare Brethren,because we are creatid
for gods glory the edification one
of another in Christ, and are bounde
to serue thervnto by wealthe or woo, lyfe or
death, and cheifly, they to whom God haue
geuen the greter gyftes, and whom he hath
callyd to higher romes, are moste bounde to
be zelous for gods glory with godly zelousie
to profyt the churche and sponse of Christe
vnder their charge, and that by no subteltye
as the Apostel warnithe, they shuld be corrupted
from the symplicitie of Christ: therfore
there is no doubt of your good zealle
and diligence. My good fathers & deare brethren,
who ar first callid to the battel, to striue
for gods glory and the edification of his
people, against the Romish reliques and rages
of Antichrist, I doubt not but that you
wyl coragiouslye and constantlye in Christ,
rape at these rages of Gods enemyes, and
that you will by this occasion race vp many
as grete enormites that we all know, & labore
to race out all the dregges & remnants of

A ij

transformid popery, that are crept into England,
by to much lenite of them that wyl be
namid the Lordes of the cleargie: what is he
that hath the zeale of gods glory before his
face, that wyl not ioyne both in prayer, and
in sufferinge with you, in so good a cause,
that is so much for gods glory, and the edificacion
of gods church, in the pure simplicite
of Christes word & sacramentes, wherin
our enemies and persecutours are strangely
bewitchid. I wote not by what Circes cupe,
that they do make suche a diuersite betwixt
Christes worde & his sacramentes, that they
can not thinke the worde of God safelye ynoughe
preachid, & honorably inough handlyd,
without cap, cope, surplis. But that the
sacraments the maryinge, the buryinge, the
churching of wemen, & other church seruice,
as they call it, muste nedes be decored with
crossinge, with capping, wt surplessing, with
knelinge, with preti wafer cakes, and other
knackes of poperi. O Paule that thou were
a lyue, thou durst tell those politike gentelmen,
that ther hath bin to much laboure bestoued
vpon them in vaine, thou durste say
vnto them, as thou didest to ye Corinthians,
that they eat not the Lordes supper, but pley
a pagent of their owne to blynde the people,
and kepe them still in supersticion, fare from
the symplicite of Christes supper: but howe
many sely fowles is ther that dothe beleue
veryly, that they haue an English masse, and
so put no difference betwene truth & falshod,
betwene Christ and antichrist, betwene God
and the deuell, they are strangely bewitched.
I say that thus wyll bynde theyr Englyshe
presthode & sacraments, but muche more enchauntid
that can fynd no garments to please
them. But such as haue ben polutid openly
with popishe supersticion & Idolatry, but
most of all in this point shall theyr madnes
apere to all posterites, that they make these
Antichristian rages Causam sine qua non, that
is, a cause without which ther is no holy ministery
in Christ, so that this shall make an
Englyshe preste, be he neuer suche a dolt or
vnlearnid in the knouledge of the scripture
as we haue very manye, and without these
romisshe reliques not Paule hym selfe shalbe
admittid as one of them dyd blaspheme
& the rest of them in effecte do affirme well
agaynste suche popishe chaffer and popery,
hathe byne longe agone foughten witheall,
when the great captaines of that religion lyuyd,
and yet God gaue the victory. Therfor
let vs not fear now, although it doth begine
to sture agayn, for ther is no craft, conninge,
counsell, wysdom, or policy against the Lord.
We haue Christ & hys Apostelles & the Prophetes
euer stryuing agaynst the Ipocrites
of their time on our syde. a strau for popishe
polici we haue the worde of God to warant
vs, to rote out al monuments of supersticion
and Idolatry & are charged to abhor them,
to accompt them, accursed, and to defy them,
and to detest them as menstreous clowtes,
they haue not the worde of God for them.
And what wysdom is in them, sayth god by
his Prophet Ieremi, they talke of obedience
& concorde, but ther is no obedience against
the Lorde, no nor concordance to be desired, but
wher gods glory and verite is preserued, Els
better to haue al the worlde in hurly burleis,
and heauen & earth to shake, then one ioyte
of gods glory shulde decaie. So far forth as
in vs leithe, we haue theyr owne lawes and
proclamacions, to rote out all monuments
of supersticion and Idolatrye, & theyr oune
wordes are contrarye to theyr doinges. Yt
shulde apere that they repent their reformacion
proclaimid, as did ye Israelites, they buylde
agayn that which ons they haue distroied
and this is done openlye that all the worlde
may wonder, and behold: but what is done
secretlye, god wyll one daye haue it declarid
openly, yea they make the name of god & this
doctrine that we professe to be euell spoken
of alredy. By many of theyr doinges, theyr
iudgement hasteth that for such causes persecute
Gods true preachers. Wherfor let vs
not feare theyr threteninges, ther can none
persecute the godly for this cause & trasshe,
but ether such as are nether hote nor colde,
and then they shalbe vomyted out vnlesse
their zeale encrease, or such as haue no God
before their eies, whose god is their bellie, or
els open papists, whom god hathe geuen vp
to a reprobate sense, wherfore we must thus
take it, that they ar gods rodds for oure sinnes,
because we haue not ben more zelous in
Gods cause, nether carefull to seke his glorye,
that wolfe Wynchester & blodie bucher
Bonar fought once against many godli men
for the grounde of this gere, and thei had all
the power of the Realme seruinge theyr lustes,
but beholde how the Lorde in short time
ouerthrew them al, to giue vs coradge to go
forwarde, the Lord forgeue vs, we ar to slacke
and neglygent in heauenly thynges, this
monster Bonar remainithe and is fed as papists
say, for their sakes, & it must be grauntyd,
it is for some purpos, althoughe he be a
traytor and an enemi to the crowne and realme,
and bothe to God and man, whiche
brunnid godes holy testament, murderid his
saintes and his serva~tes. But what the Lord
requyrith to be done wythe false Prophetes
it is manyfest: we haue bothe the lawe of
god & man for vs, But we ar answerid nay,
you your sealues shalbe compellid to turne
your coates and cappes, and get you into
his leueris, and to be lyke him in your garments.
O Elyas that thou lyuedste, or that
thy spyrit weare amongst vs, thou woldest
say with the Prophet Sophoni, that God
will vysit the werears of this Idolatours
garmentes or strange aparell, thou woldest
say, that thinges dedicatid once to idolatry,
is not indifferent, thou woldest say reuerence
to the sacrame~t is wrought by doctrine and
discipline, and not by popishe & Idolatours
garments, thou woldest saye, what decency
can ther be gaynyd to the sacrame~ts, by that
which hath byn deuisyd & vsyd to deface it, if
the golde ordeinyd by god for the reuerence
and decenci of the Iewes temple, is not to be
admittyd to beautify the churche of Christe,
much lesse copes brought in by papistes the
enemyes of god, and alwayes continwyd in
their seruice as orname~tes of their religion
in no wyse ought of vs Christians to be retaynid.
But the papistes triumphe and glori
in their assembles, that the hote gospelars
shalbe driuen to their doltishe attires, for the
Lords sake let vs neuer giue them any cause
of Ioye, thoughe we shoulde dye for yt:
Moyses wold not yelde on hoofe of a beste
in gods busines, he wolde not leue the loupe
vnmade nor make a button or a claspe
more or less. Eleasar will not decemble by
eatynge of vnlawfull meates, the faythfull
Israelites wolde not receyue so muche as an
yui bushe. Contrariwyse Orygen caryinge
a braunche and professynge, that he bare it
for Christ at the first. But was afterwarde
compellid to open Idolatry, so cursid a thing
it is to geue any place to the wicked: all the
papistes that saye, they worship Christ in the
crosse, and God in the sacrament, do still vnder
these wordes continew still in their Idolatri,
beware of deceitfull wordes, that couer
wickid purposes, to drawe vs from Christia~
symplicite. Let vs stand constantly agaynste
all abuses, and repent for our former coldnes
in religion, and our synnes, and call for
healpe from aboue, for the hand of the Lorde
is not shortenid: we ar assured that we seke
Gods glory, and our aduersaries may see, yf
they can se any thinge, that this thinge that
they seke is not for gods glory, seing the papistes
the enemyes of God, doe so desyre yt
and glory in yt. And reioyse, that we, whom
they most hate, cannot be safe but vnder their
garments: we ar assurid that we seke godes
glory in folowinge Christ his Aposteles and
Prophets. who euer dispised these pharisaicall
outward faces and visures, Christe fyndethe
fault withe the garmentes of the phariseis.
Paule counteth all his pharisaicall,

B

shew to be donge. Zachari saithe, that the
false Prophet shalbe ashamed of his prophecye,
and forsake his garments wherin he deceyuid.
& shal the true Prophetes be fayne to
crepe into their coules? for by the same autorite
may be comaundid any peace of popery,
so that it be namyd policie. Ezechias and
Iosias know no suche authoritie, but they
say: It is for policie, For it plainly apearithe
that ther is lesse rate for religion, then for
policie. But beware that the examples of Ieroboham
be not folowed that made such like
prestes for policie as wolde do as he commaundid
them. Achaz of policie brought the
fashion of an alter into Ierusalem, as he sawe
at Damascus, where he had ouercome the
Idolatours and their Idolls, but cursed was
his policie, and so ar all they that wil retaine
any thinge of their Idolatrie. Nabuchodonolors
Idoll was for vnitye and policie,
but without the warraunt of gods worde,
ther is neyther good vnitye nor policie. The
godlie father Bucer callithe the tenthes and
the first fruites sacriledge and roberie, they
be kept stil for policie. Crosse and candelstickes
ar supersticious, though they be kepte.
I wot not for what policie the adoration of
the Sacrament in the countres, where they
knocke and knele to a wafer cake is a popishe
policie. That wemen baptise, that pluralites,
tot quots impropriacions, non residence,
despensacions, suspensions, excomunications,
& absolucions, for money ar grauntyd,
yt is evell, like as are many other inormites
borowed from Rome, which remayne in the
name of policie. All these thinges were abhoryd
as popishe supersticions, and Idolatries,
amonge our gospellers both bishops &
others, when they were vnder gods roddes
in pouerte. But how thei now haue learnid
courtely deuinite, to grounde all apon policie?
Humble them agayne o Lorde, that they
do not forget the, and thy great kindnes, and
mercie shewid apon them, and sture vp their
hartes and myndes, that they may be carefull
ouer they pore flocke. O Christe, whom
thou hast dearly bought, by this theyr policy
ar blindid, & carithe for no more, but that
thei may haue this supersticious shew wich
is so stifely maintained. Let him mumble as
he liste, yf he be thus apparelid, al his seruice
is well ynough, otherwyse yt is nothing
worthe. Thus cause you them to perishe by
your policies, for whom Christ hathe dyed.
further more, yf poperi be superstitious and
idolatrous, euel and wicked, as yet ther was
neuer a worse thinge in the worlde, then ar
we commaunded to absteine from all participatio~

B ij

ther of, and from all the shewe therof
ab omni specie mali, that is, from all shewe of
wickidnes. These garments were the shewe
of their blasphemous preisthod, herein they
dyd singe and saye their supersticious idolatrous
seruice, they did sence their Idolls and
healpe forwarde theyr Idolatrous masses,
what policie can it be then to weare this gere.
But a supersticious wickid and popishe
policie, they doe it for policie, they saye, that
their priestes may be knowen and magnified
of men. Dyd not the Pharisies vse the same
policie, to doe all their workes and make
all their garmentes bothe Philacteris vpon
their headdes, and their wide and syde robes
and borders, that they might be more expectable,
and notorious to the people: but their
woo is thretenid aboue al other sinners. To
suche ypocrites, as beinge voyde of all true
holynes, delite in all outward shewes, theyr
curse is most inculcate, their polyci is that
ye preistes shall weare white in the churches
to signify their vertue, their purenes, and holines.
and when they go fourth of the church
they must weare blacke gownes and blacke
hornes, for co~trary polycies, and for dyuers
significacions, Our master Christes polycie
was expressyd in one worde, fede, fede, fede,
and the Prophetes before, and the Apostelles
afterwarde, yf Christe be the wysdome
of the father, the true ministers shalbe well
inough knowen, by that one marke which
he geueth: and yf that he haue not that marke
better vnknowen then knowen, both for
him selfe and others, therfore lett them not
saye for shame, that they seeke gods glorie,
Christes will, or the edification of his church,
by their polycie. Whyles they threte~ & stope
the spredinge of gods worde and fedinge of
Christes flocke, co~mandyd by writing to exco~municate
the most faithful laborers in the
planting of the gospell, because thei will not
weare the rages of popery, to expulse ye most
valiant soldiars agaynst the Romishe Antichrist,
the most earnest ouerthrowars of the
kyngdom of satan, which standith in sin and
blindnes. O beware you, that wilbe Lordes
ouer the flockes, that you be not sore punyshed
for your pryde, towardes your brethren,
and your cowardlines in gods cause, that for
Princes pleasures and pompose liuinges, do
turne poperi into policie, and to become our
persecutors vnder the cloke of policie: it were
better to lose your liuings, then to displease
god in persecuting of youre brethren, &
hinder the course of the worde. But as oure
deutie is, we wyll praye for you, and for all
our brethren in the ministeri, that god of his
grace would graunte vs more zeale for his
glorie, than any of vs hathe had heretofore,
more desire to edifie, Christes people in pure
simplicite, to present them a chast virgin vnto
Christ, then hitherto hath apeared, that
when the hedeshepherde shall cal to accounte,
we be not ashamyd! But beinge founde
perfecte in all good workes, may receiue the
crowne prepared, as for you deare brethren
whome God hath callyd into the brunte of
the batell, The Lorde kepe ye constant, that
ye yelde nether to tolleracion, nether to anye
other subtelte persuasions of dispensacions,
or lycences which were to fortifie their Romishe
practises. but as you fyght the Lords
fyght, be valiant. God will not leue you, nether
forsake you, as you seke gods glorye,
god wyll glorifye you, and as by you Christes
church is edifyed, comfortid and confirmid
in Christian simplycite, so shall you receyue
comfort by Christe your heede captaine,
when you shalbe callyd to geue acomptes
of your stewardshippes, and to be rewardyd
for your fidelite, the matter is not so smalle
as the worlde do take yt, yt wyll appeare before
all be endyd, what an harde thinge it is,
to cut of the rages of the Hidra of Rome, it
is beautifull, but poysonful, ther is no daling
with such a mounster, beware of lokyng backe
to Sodome or delyght anye witte in the
garments of Babilone, neyther once touche
the poysonid cupe, thought yt be of golde or
gliteringe. Let vs repent of our former synnes
vnfaynidlye, and then shall we abhor and
stamp vnder our fette these rages, that were
apoyntid to supersticion and idolatry, Let vs
hate the blasphemous preasthode, so iniurious
to Christes preisthode, that euery pache
and token of it be in execration, detestation,
and accursed, and take no parte of yt vpon
our heddes nor backes, least we be accursed
as it is. Let vs not make the heritage of god
as a byrde of many colours, holdinge of diuers
religions, Let vs not mixte the Iewes
with the gentills, let vs not in no wise mixt
this our religion with any thinge of Antichrist,
let vs not confyrme the blinde in their
blindnes, neyther the weacke in their supersticion.
But rather let vs take awaye, if we
can, the names, memories, and all monume~ts
of poperye and that Antichristes priesthod.
Let vs open our wyndous with Daniel, and
professe what we ar: their cruelte shalbe our
glorie. Let vs followe Paull, that knew that
the truthe gospel cold not be retainyd, if any
Iewishe cerimonies were mayntainyd. Lett
vs rather neuer weare anye garment, then
we should weare those, wherby our brethren
shulde be weakened, offendyd or boldenyd to
take parte with the idolatours, & so through
our hautines in knouledge, oure weake brethren
perishe, for whom Christ died. Behold
and marke well, how they falle backwarde
that yelde in anye iote, and se how they are
edifyed, and increase in godlines, which holde
that ryght waye that you goe in, the which
the Lorde increase you, & vs all, and strenthen
vs with his holy spyrit, that we may continewe
to oure lyues ende, al wayes
both by our thoughtes, wordes,
and workes, to avaunce his
glorye and honor dayly
more and more, now
and for euer.
Amen.