Fyrst here foloweth an Epistole vnto the reder by the same byshop.

My dere brother or syster in our1
sauiour Christe Iesu / who so euer ye2
be / yt shall fortune to rede this queare3
our lorde for his great mercy graunt4
you his grace / that the redyng therof some what5
may proffit your soule.6
Fyrst I shall beseche you nat to misconstrue myn7
ente~t / in puttyng forthe this queare to be printed /8
but that ye take it to the best. For verily my wyll9
and mynde is / that some frute myght ryse by the10
same vnto the christe~ people / whiche be the spouse11
of Christe. Vnto whom though vnworthy I am12
ordeyned a minister for my lytell porcion. My duty13
is to endeuer me after my poure power / to resist14
these heretickes / the whiche seasse nat to subuert15
the churche of Christe. If we shall syt styll and let16
them in euery place sowe theyr vngratious heresies /17
and euery where distroye the soulis / whiche18
were so derely bought with that moste precious19
blode of our sauiour Christe Iesu / howe terribly20
shall he lay this vntyll our charge / whan we shalbe21
called vntyll a rekenynge for this matter? It22
shalbe moche rebukefull and moche worthy punishement /23
if we for our party shall nat gyue dilige~ce24
for the defence of the true christen people / fro25
these heresies / as these heretickes gyue for the26
corruption of the same / specially whan we be certayne /27
that our labour shall nat be vnrewarded /28

A.ii.

as saint Paule dothe promyse / sayeng / Vnusquisque29
propriam mercedem accipiet secu~du~ suum laborem: Euery30
man shall take his owne rewarde accordynge to31
his labour. And so moche the more diligence we32
muste gyue / bicause that the wretched nature of33
man is more prone to euery thynge / that nought34
is / than it is to that / whiche is of greatter frute.35
The dry te~der is nat more redy to be kendled with36
the leaste sparkell of fyre / than we be redy to be incensed37
to all euyll. Our hartes by the olde corruption38
of synne / be of that molde / that they withoute~39
any great diligence of them selfe / brynge forthe all40
maner of vices: but nothynge that vertuous is /41
withouten a great labour. And assuredly these heresies42
be lyke the stynkynge weedes / the whiche43
i~ euery erthe sprynge by them selfe: for as these euyll44
weedes nede no settynge / no sowynge / no waterynge /45
no wedynge / nor suche other deligence /46
as the good herbes require / but sprynge anone47
withouten all that busines: and where they haue48
entered ones in any grounde / it is veray herde to49
delyuer that grounde from them: euen so it is of50
these heresies / they nede no plantynge / they nede51
no wateryng / they nede no lowkyng / nor wedyng /52
but rankly sprynge by them selfe / of a full lyght53
occasion. Contrary wyse it is of true doctryne of54
god / this is lyke vnto the good herbes / whiche55
wil nat euery where lightly growe / but they must56
be set or sowen in a chosen erthe / they must be watred /57
they muste be weded / and haue moche attendaunce /58
or els they wyll anone myscary. Ye59
may se this euidently by the begynnyng of Christis60
churche. Our sauiour whan he hym selfe dyd61
sowe his doctryne / he complayned of the vntowardnes62
of mennes hartes / and sayd: Sermo meus63
non capit in vobis: This sede of my worde taketh no64
rote in the erthe of your hartes. And vpon a tyme65
a great nombre of his disciples forsoke hym and66
cast hym vp: For theyr hartes coude nat sauour67
his doctrine. If this doctrine sowen by this most68
myghty and counnynge sower / toke none effecte69
in these persons hartes / ye may se / that the erthe70
of our hartes by it selfe can nat receyue this sede.71
Saint Paule / the whiche in lyke maner gaue his72
diligence to plante and to water this sede / yet as73
moche as he proffitted by his preachynge in one74
place / he lost by his abse~ce in an other place. Doth75
he nat crye out therfore vpon ye Galathes / bicause76
that this doctrine / whiche he had sowen amonge77
them / sone after his deperture from them / dyd78
wyther in theyr hartes? O insensati Galathe / quis79
vos fascinauit no~ obedire venritati? O ye folishe people /80
who hath thus witched you / that ye do nat obey81
vnto the trouth? And euery where the same saint82
Paule fighteth agaynst the heretickes / and is83
veray solicite and carefull / lest the flocke of Christe84
shalbe corrupted by theyr heresies. In so moche85
yt he sayth vnto ye Corinthies: Timeo / ne sicut serpe~s86
Euam seduxit astucia sua / ita sensus vestri corrumpantur a87
simplicitate / que est in Christo: I drede me / lest as the88
serpent desceyued the fyrste woman Eue by his89
wylynes / so your sences shalbe corrupted by these90

A.iij.

heretickes / and so fall fro~ the symplicite of faithe /91
whiche ye haue in Christe. And therfore a litel after92
he calleth them / Pseudo apostolos / & oparios subdolos93
tra~sfigura~tes se i~ apostolos Christi. that is to say / fals94
apostles / disceytful workers / prete~dyng to be the95
messangers of Christe / and be nat in veray dede.96
If ther were suche perill of heretickes in the tyme97
of saint Paule / as it dothe appere in all his epistoles:98
and if ye heresies tha~ so lightly toke roote in ye99
hartes of men: And if the sede of the doctryne of100
Christe with suche difficultie did sprynge & growe101
in the hartes of the people / whiche were in that102
maruelous & plentuous tyme of all grace: what103
wonder is it that lykewyse nowe / in this miserable104
tyme / these heretickes multiply / and theyr heresies105
do sprede? Whan hit was prophesied before106
nat onely by our sauiour Christe / but also by saynt107
Peter in his epistoles / and by saynt Paule in his108
bothe / and by saynt Iude / that suche heresyes109
shulde ryse / and specially towarde the ende of the110
worlde. Nowe therfore whan so litell diligence is111
done about the ministryng of this true doctryne /112
it is necessary that all tho that haue charge of the113
flocke of Christe / endeuour them selfe to gaynestande114
these pernitious heresies. Wherin doutles115
the moost Reuerend father in god my lorde legate116
hath nowe meritoriously traueiled / and so entendeth117
to perseuer and to continue / to the full extirpatio~118
of the same. For heresy is a perillous wede /119
it is the sede of the deuyll / the inspiration of the120
wicked spirites / the corruption of our hartes / the121
blyndyng of our sight / the quenching of our faith /122
the distruction of all good frute / and fynally the123
mourder of our soules. And therfore some what124
to resist this wicked sede / by the mocion of dyuerse125
perso~s / I haue put forth this sermon to be redde /126
whiche for ye great noyse of ye people within ye churche127
of Paules / whan it was sayde / myght nat be128
herde. And if paraue~ture any disciple of Luthers129
shall thynke / that myn argumentes and reasons130
agaynst his maister be nat sufficient: Fyrste let131
hym consider / that I dyd shape them to be spoken132
vntyll a multitude of people / whiche were nat133
brought vp in ye subtyll disputations of the schole.134
Seconde. if it may lyke the same disciple to come135
vnto me secretely / and breake his mynde at more136
length / I bynde me by these presentes / bothe to137
kepe his secreasy / and also to spare a leysoure for138
hym to here the bottum of his mynde / and he shal139
here myne agayne / if it so please hym: and I trust140
in our lorde / that fynally we shall so agre / that either141
he shal make me a Luthera~ / or els I shal enduce142
hym to be a catholyke / and to folowe the doctryne143
of Christis churche. And one thynge I do144
acertayne hym / that though his maister Luther145
dyd lyue neuer so well and perfetly / yet for as moche146
as his doctryne is dyuerse from the doctryne147
of the churche he is to be fled: for so teacheth vs148
ye holy mertyr Ignacius in his epistole ad Hereneum /149
sayeng: Omnis igitur qui dixerit preter ea / que tradita150
sunt / tametsi fide dignus sit / tametsi ieiunet / tametsi151
virginitate~ seruet / tametsi signa faciat / tametsi prophetet /152

5

lupus tibi appareat in grege ouium / corruptionem faciens.153
That is to say / who so euer affermeth contrary to154
the traditions and doctrine of ye churche / though155
he for his lyfe be worthy to be beleued / though he156
fast neuer so moche / though he kepe his virginite /157
though he worke miracles though he prophecy158
of thynges for to come / for all this take hym159
but as a wolfe / intendynge corruption amonge a160
flocke of shepe. Wherfore whan Luther hath in161
hym none of these good conditions aboue rehersed /162
as we shall proue here after / that is to say /163
he neither is faith worthy / bicause of his repugnant164
doctryne / nor he chastiseth nat his body by165
fastynge / nor he kepeth nat his virginite / nor he166
doth no miracles / nor he is no prophet of thynges167
for to come / and yet neuertheles he techeth clene168
contrary doctrynes vnto the doctryne of the169
churche / he is to be reputed as a wolfe170
corruptyng the flocke of Christe.171
Thus fare ye well in172
our lorde Iesu.173