A preface to the Christen Reader.

SEns the worldes begynnynge dere
frynde in the lorde hath inyquyte
had hys frowarde course, and schall
so haue styll to the latter ende therof. In
the verye angels or spretes of heaue~ ded
god fynde an vntowarde stubbernesse
and an obstynate crokednesse. what he
hath had in the vngodlye chyldren of
me~ne sens the dayes of Cain tyll thys present
age, it were moche to wryte. Of that
was sumtyme the churche of Christ, hath
yt made the Synagoge of sathan euer
sens that aduersarye was sett at large after
the thousande years, and sumwhat afore
whose malygnaunt me~bers vndre tytle
of a spirytualte are alwayes fylthye whoremongers,
murtherers, theues, raueners,
Idolatours, lyars, dogges, swyne, wolues,
abhomynable workers, aduersaryes
to god, and verye deuyls incarnate.
Of whose cursed cruell no~bre one, ys
Edmonde Boner now bysshopp of London,
a verye fearce furyouse angell of
the botto~lesse pytt, as his dayly frutes declareth
him. Specyally this declaration of
hys here folowynge, who~ he malycyouslye
enforced wyllyam Tolwyn the person
of saynt antonynes openlye to proclame
before the audie~ce at paules crosse the

A.ij.

yeare afore thys to the terrour of ther tymerouse
conscyences and confusyon of
ther sowles. Marke the doctryne therin
co~tayned, and proue the sprete a~d veyne
therof by the scripturs, and ye schall fynde
it no lesse than the fylthye fomynge
smoke of the insacyable chaos or pytt
without bottom. Neyther ys god therin
sought, nor yet anye godlynesse. For in
the whole processe ys not he ones named
but to condempnacion. I thynke sens cristes
ascencyon was not soche a monstruouse
thynge seane as yt ys, thus offred to
the peple for a necessarye doctryne of
faythe. No, not vndre the most wycked
tyrauntes.
In the most pestyle~t tyme of papystrye
was not soche a peruerse professyon made
vnto Antichristes ragged rewles, as
thys ys here, yf yt be throughly wayed.
I haue redde dyuerse recantacyons made
in Iohan wycleues tyme of phylyp repyngdon,
Ioha~ puruaye, Rycharde with
Nycolas herforde, harrye crompe, wyllyam
swynderbye, Robert rigge, walter
dashe, Iohan hu~teman, Thomas britwell
and other, but no~ soche as thys ys, neyther
so folyshe nor yet so deuylyshe.
Saynt Paule holdeth hym accursed of
god, that techeth any other doctryne tha~
the gospell, or the sacred scripturs of the
Byble, though he were an angell fro~ heauen.
Moche more must he be accursed
tha~ which mynystreth nothynge but wickednesse.
Nothynge ys here taught but the doctrynes
of menne, the beggerlye tradycyons
and dyrtye dregges of the pope, as
holye water makynge, processyon goynge,
sensynge of Images, and latyne wawlynge
in the temple, wyth other lyke
fylthye fantasyes, which are soche vayne
worshyppynges as God doth abhorre.
And with tyrannye are they here extorted,
by open rebukes and shames of the
worlde. Of so many traytours as the bysshoppes
and prestes haue knowne, of theues,
manquellers, Idolatours, whoremo~gers,
swearers, and sodomytes, neuer
brought they one yet to Paules crosse
there to do open penaunce. But for sekynge
to haue the verite syncerelye preached
accordynge to the wholsom commaundeme~t
of Christ and the kynge, was thys
poore ma~ne po~nisshed before all the cyte
and enforced for the same to proclame
him selfe an heretyque.
Eue~ soche an other part hath my lorde
of Londo~ played here with Tolwin, as
Dioclecianus played wyth Marcellinus

A.iij.

the bysshopp. For lyke as he compelled
hym openlye to renounce Christ, and to
do sacrifyce to the Idols after the heythe~
maner. So doth my lorde here constrayne
Tolwyn to forsake hys verite a~d sweare
to the obseruatio~ of papistrye, which
ys of the same stynkynge leuen. To denye
Christ which ys all one with hys
worde before menne, hath he most cruelly
enforced thys poore innocent manne
so puttinge him in daunger of his denyal
againe before his eternal father, which is
euerlastinge da~pnacio~, be he not the more
mercyfull vnto hym. For If he beleueth
that denye~ge the verite with mouthe onlye,
he ys out of that parell of sowle so lo~ge
as he styll retayneth yt in hys hart, he
is sore deceyued as were the helchesaytes
Ageynst whom wrote both origene and
Epiphanius the bysshopp of salamyne in
cypres, confutinge that opynyon of thers
as most detestable heresye.

For non other cause haue I named thys
boke here of Boner, The ma~ne of synne,
and the glose ther vpon made, hys dysclosynge
or openynge, but for that yt contayneth
nothynge els but a spirituall wyckednesse,
a~n ys therfor so called also of saynt
Paule, and for that the other by manye
clere manyfestatyons declareth the same.
In manye places of the scripture ys manne
a name of contumelye and reprofe, of vanyte
and falshede. All menne sayth Dauid
are lyars. The chyldren of menne are
deceytfull. All ys but vanyte sayth Salomon
all ys but a fyckle vanyte. A vnyuersall
vanyte ys euery lyuynge manne.
Are ye not carnall sayth Paule are ye not
beastlye, walkynge after ma~ys wayes?
Nothynge was ma~e but a myserye, tyll
the lorde loked mercyfullye downe vpo~
him fro~ heauen, and made hym hys chylde
of adopcyon through faythe. A fore
was he nothynge but a fleshlye generacyon,
all of the fylthye earthe.
By cause that I therfor tryenge thys boke
by the scripturs, haue founde therin no~
other frutes tha~ hath rysen of the corrupt
fantasyes of me~ne. I haue here with Paule
intytled yt the man of synne, as a thynge
offeryng not els of it selfe but synne. who
se abhomynacyo~s I haue here partlye opened
to the intent that peple shuld be ware
of the~. And that they whych haue receyued
the~ in faythe, schuld vomete the~ out
ageyne, least in the lordes com~ynge they
peryshe with them. Non other fashyoned
churche loketh Christ to receyue ageine
of the worlde for hys eternall spouse,
than that he left here in persecucyon for
hys worde. No tha~ke are they lyke to haue
of hym, whych hath brought into hys
clere buyldynge, stubble, haye, or tymber,
or yet anye other corruptible thynges.
These myters, typpetes, furred amyses,
and shauen crownes. These crosses, copes
sensers, and candel styckes. These mattenses,
masses, ceremonyes, and sorceryes,
schall not he knowe for hys. For he co~maunded
no soche thynges to be done.
He tolde them he wolde requyre mercye
at ther handes and no sacrifice, and therof
haue they now nothynge at all. I moche
rather desyre mercye sayth the lorde tha~
offerynge, the knowlege of God than burnt
sacrifyce. Thys text of Oseas and Mathew
was very farre of from my lorde
Boner, whan he sett vp a commaundement
in Paules a geynst Byble readinge,
for the tyme of ther Romyshe rablementes.
Marke the last rekenynge of the indge
in the. 25, of Mathew, and ye schall se
no soche thynges demaūded, as they loke
o haue obserued. Herin ys not Chrystes
instytucyon denyed in anie case, but the
popes fylthye tradycyons and customes.
So farre is hys holye ordynaunce aboue
the popes rustye rewles, as is the pure golde
aboue the vyle dyrt of the dongehyll,
or the imperiall heaue~ aboue earthe.
I knowe certenlye I schall for thys be
called a thousande tymes heretique, but I
waye it nothynge at all, for it is the olde
name of true christianes. I thinke some of
owr feble faynt bretherne, which are
now neyther whote nor colde, wil dyuerslye
saye ther mindes, a~d haue sente~ces
moche lyke the~selues. I knowe I schal be
burned yf I maye be caught, but I care no

B

thynge for it. For I doubt not my porcio
to be with Christ, which wyll not suffre
one heare to peryshe, but will restore
it me ageyne at the latter daye. Yea, yf I
lose for hym here, I knowe I schall be a
winner ageyne there. Rather I had to die
manye deathes, tha~ to obeye soche myscheues
to my sowles condempnatio~. Neuer
schall the lyfe of my synnefull carkas
be so dere vnto me I hope as is the glorye
of my eternall father and redemer Iesus Christ.
Vvhat is the religion of yowr churche
in englande at thys daye, but the popes
dyrtye leauynges, the fylthye dregges
of hys rotten vessels, and the cancred
rust of hys olde worne pytchers. Surelye
he that schall co~pare yowr churche to the
hurche that Christ left schall fynde them
so vnlyke as chaffe to wheate, and claye
to syluer. As in a myrrour is that to be seane
in thys most deuylyshe declaration of
Boner, to the wonderynge of all christen
dome. Is not engla~de thynke you most
dolorouslye to be lamented, thys beynge
an open spectacle of ther christen lernynge,
profession, and faythe? and the wyndynge
vp of ther newe gospell after ther
churches reformatio~? I trowe me~ne maye
saye abrode, they haue frutefullye sytten
vpon the causes of christen relygion so
many years, bringinge it to soche a good
ende. If it be thus in London the head cyte
of the realme and so nygh the kynges
presence, it must nedes be moche worse
farder of.
Oh most vnshamefast boldenesse of a
verye shamelesse Antichrist. Ryghtlye
hath Daniel descrybed the great master
of hys, geuynge hym an vnshamefast face.
Thys is a matter not done in sylence,
but openlye at Paules crosse, the more
menne doth wo~dre of it, and thynke that
an other thynge hath bene sought there
by the gospell preachynge, tha~ Christes
kyngdome. Vvell, I ca~ not tell, the lorde
amende all, but I knowe thys is abhominable.
If it schuld cost me a score of lyues
had I so manye I wolde not spare to vtter
it to hys dyshonour, seynge the lorde
thus blasphemed, and hys redemed heritage
so abused. In thys pestylent professy
on, is the great Idoll of Rome admytted
ageyne vnto hys olde seate. By all crastie
meanes seketh Boner here and other more
of hys fellawes, to haue hym regne a
freshe in the waueringe cso~cye~ces of me~ne.
By layser will they also fynde the meanes
to purchase hym hys olde prymacye
ageyne, and to haue hym the head of ther

B.ij.

churche.
For what other is it to be sworne to
hys pilde lawes, but to acknowlege him
inwardlye for ther master and lorde?
Non ca~ne ryghtlye allowe hys wares,
vnlesse they allowe hym also. He and
hys creaturs must nedes go togyther, as
the worke manne with his worke toles.
If holynesse be supposed to be in his vnc
cyons and blessynges, orders and ceremonyes,
moche more in hys gloriouse persone
which is the creator of them. Fyll
the hart ones with Idle vanytees, and ye
gett of yt but Idle frutes. Examples nede
not farre of to be sought, yf all thynges
be wele consydered. Vvarnynges haue
we had yf we wolde receyue them, that
al shrewes are not a slepe. Be lerned ones
ye rewlers in the lawes of the lorde, and
decerne accordynge to the~. Vvynke not
alwaies ye noble kynges of the earthe, to
whom God hath commytted the gouernaunce
of hys peple. Playe not the wantons
tyll deathe stele vpon ye, least ye be
to seke in your accountes makynge. Co~sydre
that yowr charge is great, a~d that
euerve ma~ne schall haue rewardes accordynge
to hys dedes, be they in faythe or
out of faythe. Ye be otherwyse cumpassed
by these flatterynge phylystynes tha~
ye beware of and that maye ye by thys
acte perseyue. God hath geuen yow
wonderfull vyctories se now that ye be
not vnthankefull.
Not withstandynge, yet is it to be consydered
that though Dauid slewe great
Golye, and ded many other notable thinges,
yet ded he not buylde the temple, for
that was reserued to Salomon. Considre
the tyme of Iosaphat kynge of Iuda,
which regned immediatlye after the thre
thousande years from the creacyon of A
da~ after the hebrues co~putacion. And conferre
it with owr age now, which hath
after a lyke maner ouershote the thre halfe
thousandes from christes natiuyte, the
worlde decresynge, and ye schal se them
wonderfullye agre. A clause a fore hande
is thys, parauenture not all to be neglected.
Prayse be vnto the eternall lorde,
for that he hath wrought alredye by
your most victoriouse Iosaphat. I doubt
not but here after he will sende soche a
Iehu as schal take away all the Idolaters.
Soche a full Iosias schall ye haue yf ye be
thankefull, as will perfyghtlye restore
the lawes as yet corrupted, and breake
downe the buggerye places that are yet
in the howse of the lorde. The grace
of owr lorde Iesus Christ, and of hys heauenlye

B.iij.

sprete, be wyth the good gentle
Reader and with all the~ which
loue the veryte of God vnfaynedlye.
Amen.
Thus endeth the preface.
Marke thys rewle folowynge.
Certen fygurs haue I here added both
to the texte and glose, appoyntynge
therbye the Manne of synne vnto hys
iust openynge, fygure compared
to fygure that he maye the better
apere vnto the dylygent
reader in hys
ryght colours