PHILOLOGUS

With right good will, to your request rin I do consent, As well because, as I perceive, take therein delight, As also for because, it is most chiefly pertinent, Unto mine office, to instruct, and teach e I Christian wight, True godliness, and show to them, the path that leads right, Unto Gods kingdom, where we shall, inherit our salvation, Given unto us from God, by Christ our true propitiation. But that a better ordered course, he r n we may observe, And may directly to the first, apply that which ensue, To speak that hath be said, before, I well a time reserve: And so proceed, from whence we left, by course and order endue, Unto the end: At first therefore, you did lament and rue, The misery of these our days, and great calamytie, Which those sustain, who dare Gam nsay, the Romish Hypocrisy. So many of us, as into one body been, Incorporate, whereof Christ is the lively head, As members of our bodies which we see: With joints of love together be conjoined: And must needs suffer, unless that they be dead: Some partly of grief in mind which other feel, In body though not so much by a great deal. Wherefore by this it is most apparent, That those two into one body are not vnyted, Of the which, the one does suffer, the other does forment: And in the wounds of his Brother is delighted: Now which is Christ's body, may easily be decided: For the Lamb is deuonred of the Wolf always, Not the Wolf of the Lamb as Chrysostom does say. Again of unrighteous Cain murdered was Abel, By whom the Church of God was figured: Isaac likewise was persecuted of Ishmael,? As in the Book of Genesis is mentioned: Israel of Pharao was also terrified, David the Saint, was afflicted by his Son, And put from his kingdom I mean by Absolon. Elias the Thesbit, for fear of Jezabel, Did fly to Horeb, and hid him in a Cave: Micheas the Prophet, as the Story doth tell, Did hardly his life from Baalles Priests save: Jeremy of that sauce tasted have: So did Isaiah, Daniel, and the Children three, And thousands more, which in stories we may see. James under Herod, was headed with the Sword, The rest of the Apostles, did suffer much turmoil: Good Paul was murdered by Nero his word: Domitian devised a Barrel full of Oil, The body of John the Evangelist to boil: The Pope at this instant sundry torments procure, For such as by Gods holy word will endure. By these former stories, two things we may learn, And profytably record in our remembrance: The First is Gods Church from the Devils to discern: The second to mark, what manifest resistance, The Truth of God hath, and what encumbrance: It brings upon them that will it profess, Wherefore, they must arm them selves, to suffer distress. The chiefest thing, which might us cause or move, With constant minds, Christ's cross for to sustain: Is to conceive of Heaven, a faithful love: Whereto we may not come, as Paul does prove it plain: Unless with Christ we suffer, that with him we may rain: Again sith that it is our heavenly Father's will, By worldly woes our carnal lustest to kill. Moreover, we do use to loath that thing we always have, And do delight the more in that which mostly we do want, Affliction urges us also, more earnestly to crave: And when we once relieved be, true faith in us it plant, So that to call in eke distress on God we will not faint: For trouble bring forth patience, from patience doth ensue Experience, from experience Hope, of health the anchor true. Again, oftimes, God does provide, affliction for our gain, As Job who after lose of goods, had twice so much therefore: Sometime affliction is a means, to honour to attain: As you may see, if Joseph's life, you set your eyes before: Continually it does us warn, from sinning any more: When as we see the judgements joust, which God our heavenly king, Upon offenders here in earth, for their offences bring. Sometime God does it us to prove, if constant we will be. As he did unto Abraham: sometime his whole intent, Is to declare his heavenly might, as in John we may see: When the Disciples did ask Christ, why God the blindness sent Unto that man that was born blind? to whom incontinent, Christ said: neither for Parents sins, nor for his own offence, Was he born blind, but that God might show his magnificence. Such is the nature of mankind, himself to justify, And to condemn all other men, whereas we ought of right: Accuse our selves especial, and God to magnfie: Who in his mercy does us spare, whereas he also might, Sith that we do the self same things, with Like plagues us requite Which thing our Saviour Christ does teach, as testifieth Lycia, The thirteenth Chapter, where he doth vain glorious men rebuke: But for this time let this suffice, now lets homeward go, And further talk in private place, if need be, we will have: I am soon bidden to my friend, come on let us depart, With humble submission to your authority, I pardon crave if ought I say, For being thus fetched in peril and extremity, To me unacquainted, my tongue soon trip may, Wherefore excuse me, I do your Lordship pray, And I will answer to every demand, According to my conscience, Gods word being my warrant. The question is perilous for me to determine, Chiefly when the party is Judge in the cause, Yet if the wholl course of Scripture you examine, And will be tried by Gods holy laws, Small help shall you find to defend the same cause, But the contrary may be proved manifestly: As I in short words will prove to you briefly. The surest ground whereon your Pope does stand: Is of Peters being at Room a strong imagination, And the same Peter you do understand, Of all the Disciples had the gubernation, Surmising both without good approbation: Unless you will by the name of Babylon, From whence Peter wrote is understanded Room: As indeed diverse of your writers have affirmed, Reciting Ieromy, Austin, Primasius and Ambrose, Who by their several writings have confirmed: That Room is new Babylon I may it not gloze, But it were better for you they were dumb I suppose, For they labour to prove Room by that acception: The whore of Babylon spoke of in the Revelation, But grant that Peter in Room settled was, Yet that he was chief, it remains you to prove: For in my Judgement it is a plain case, That if any amongst them to rule it did behoove, He should be chief whom Christ most did love: To whom he bequeathed his mother most dear, To whom in revelation Christ did also appear. I mean John Evangelist (by birth) Cousin German, To our Saviour Christ as stories do us tell, From whose succession if that you should claim Superiority, you should mend your cause well, For then of some likelihood of truth it should smell, Where none so often as Peeter was reproved, Nor from steadfast faith so often times removed, But grant all were true herein you do fain, Mark one proper lesson of a Greek Orator: As a good child of his father's wealth is inheritor, So of his father's virtues he must be possessor, Now Peter follows Christ and all worldly goods forsakes But the Pope leaveth Christ, & himself to glory takes: And to be short Christ himself refused to be a King, And the servant above the Master may not be, Which being both true it is a strange thing, How the Pope can receive this pomp and dignity, And yet profess himself Christ's servant to be, Christ will be no King, the Pope will be more, The Pope is Christ's Master not his servant therefore. I have not yet finished my former argument. I shall then gladly: it is a sign of union, The which should remain us Christians among, That one should love another all our life long: For as the bred is of many Cornells compounded, And the Wine from the Juice of many Graps do descend, So we which into Christ our Rock are ingrounded: As into one Temple, should cease to contend: Least by our conte cion the Church we offend, This was not the least cause among many more, Which are now omitted that this Sacrament was given for, The chiefest cause why this Sacrament was ordained, Was the infirmity of our outward man: Whereas Salvation to all men was proclaimed. That with true faith apprehend the same can, By the death of Jesus Christ that immaculate Lamb, That the same might the rather of all men be believed, To the word to and a Sacrame ̄ to, it Christ nothing grieve And as we the sooner believe that thing true, For the trial whereof more witnesses we find, So by the means of the Sacrament many grue Believing creatures, where before they were blind, For our senses some savour of our faith now do find, Because in the Sacrament there is this Analogy: That Christ feeds our souls as the bred does our body I know to the faithful receiver it is there present: But yet the bred remains still I steadfastly believe. Even in the same sense that he said before: Vos estis shall terrae, vos estis Lux mundi: Ego sum ostium: and a hundredth such more, If time would permit to allege them severally, But that I may the simple sort edify, You ask me in what sense these words I verify, Where Christ of the bred said: this is my body: For answer herein, I ask you this question, Were Christ's disciples into salt transformed? When he said: you are the salt of the earth every one, Or when the light of the world he them affirmed? Or himself to be a door when he confirmed, Or to be a Vine did his body then change? If not then, why now? this to me seemeth strange. God keep me and all men from such a frencye, As to think any thing Christ's power to surpass, When his will to his power joined was, But where his will wants his power is uneffectual: As Christ can be no liar, God cannot be mortal: Set down therefore some proof of his will, That he would be made bred, and then I recant. He spoke the word likewise, when he said: I am the door, Was his body transformed into timber therefere? Call you those Errors, which the Gospel defends, I know not then, whence true Worser rind descends. I humbly beseech you of Christian charity, You seek not of purpose my blood for to spill: For if I have displeased your authority, In reasonable causes redress it I will, But in this respect I fear I should kill My soul for ever: if against my conscience I should to the Popes laws acknowledge Obedience. My case indeed I see most miserable, As was Susanna betwixt two evils placed, Either to consent to sin most abominable: Or else in the world's sighed to be utterly disgraced: But as she her chastity at that tune embraced, So will I now spiritual who dom resist, And keep me a true Virgin to my loving spouse Christ. That you abuse Gods word, to say I dare be bold: And the saying of Paul you interpret a isse I beseech your Lordship even from the heart root, That you would vouchsafe for my contentation, To approve unto Me by Gods holy book, Some one of the questions of our disputation: For I will here you with hearts delectation: Because I would gladly to your doctrine consent, If that I could so my conscience content. But my Conscience cries out and bids me take he To love my lord God above all earthly gain, Whereby all this while, I stand in great drea , That if I should Gods statutes disdain, In wretched state then, I should remain: Thus cryeth my Conscience, to Me continually, which if you can stay, I will yield to you gladly. Alas alas, this pincheth my heart full soar, Mine evils he does declare, mine own woe, I do hear, Wherefore from tears, I cannot forbear. Mine estate (alas) is now most lamentable, For I am but dead, which ever side I take, Neither to determine herein am I able, With good advice mine election to make: The worse to refuse, and the best for to take, My Spirit couites theone, but alas since your presence, My flesh leads my spirit therfroe by violence. For at this time, I being in great extremity, Either my Lord God in heart to reject, Or else to be oppressed by the Legates authorytie: And in this world to be counted and abject: My Lands, wife and Children also to neglect: This later partly to take, my Spirit is in readiness, But my Flesh does subdue, my Spirit doubtless. That is it indeed, which I fear most of all: For Christ said, fear not them, which the body can a ̄ noy, But fear him, which the body and soul can destroy: Saint Paul to the Romans, hath this worthy sentence I account the afflictions of this world transitory, Be they never so many, in full equiuolence: Cannot countervail those heavenly glory: Which we shall have through Christ his propitiatory: I also account the rebukes of our Saviour, Greater gains to Me, then this house full of treasure. Yea, but my salvation to me is most certain, Neither doubt I, that I shall suffer this in vain. I do not think so, but my faith is full pight: In the mercies of God, by Christ's mediation: By whom I am sure of my preservation. Our Saviour Christ, did say to the tempter, When he did persuade him, from the Pinnacle to fallen, And said, he might safely, that danger adventure: Because that Gods Angels, from hurt him save shall: See that thy Lord God, thou tempt not at all: So I, though persuaded, of my sins free remission, May not commit sin, upon this presumption. O peerless pleasures, o joys unspeakable, O worldly wealth, o palaces gorgeous, O fair Children, o wife most amiable: O pleasant pastime, o pomp so glorious, O delicate diet, o life lascivious: O dolorous death which would Me betray, And my felycitie from Me take away, I am fully resolved without further demeanour, In these delights to take my whole solace, And what pain so ever hereby I incur: Whither heaven or hell, whither Gods wrath or grace, This glass of delight I will ever embrace: But one thing most chiefly does trouble Me here, My Neighbours unconstant will count Me I fear. If it please your Lordship, I say even what you say And con esse your religion, to be most allowable, Neither will I gainsay your customs laudable: My ormer folly's I utterly enownce, That my self was and Heretic I do here pronounce. I must first request your Lordship's favour, That I may go home, my wife for to see, And I will attend on you, within this hour. Such was the wit of my foolish pate, But what do we stay, so long in this place, I shall not be well, while I am with my Lords grace. Alas, what voice is this I here, so dolefully to sound, Into mine ears, and warneth Me, in time yet to beware, Why have not I the pleasant path, of worldly pleasures found, To walk therein for my delight, no man shall me debar. Nought else but pleasure, pomp, and wealth, herein to Me appear. My heart does tremble for distres, my conscience pricks Me soar And bid me cease that course in time, which I would gladly run The wrath of God it does Me tell, does stand my face before: Wherefore, I hold it best to cease that raze I have begun. O gladsome Glass, o mirror bright, o crystal clear as sun The joys cannot be uttered, which herein I behold, Wherefore I will not thee forsake: what evil so ever come. Hap, what hap will I will not lose these pleasures manifold Wherefore conduct me once again, here take Me by the hand. What wight art thou? which for my health, dost take such ear nest care? This touches y e quick, I feel y e wound, which if thou canst not cure, As mamed in limbs I must retire, I can no further go. I mean to live in worldly joys, I can it not deny. I like thy words, but that to loose these joys it would Me grieve. Even so shall I in tract of time, with bitter tears complain. Ah wretched man, what shall I do? which do so plainly see, My flesh and Spirit to contend, and that in no small thing, But as concerning the event, of extreme misery Which either study to avoid, or else upon Me bring, And which of them I should best trust, it is a doubtful thing. My Conscience speaks truth Me think, butyet because I fear, By his advice to suffer death, I do his words forbear. And therefore pacyfy thy self, and do not so torment, Thy self, in vain I must seek some means for to eschew, These gripping griefs, which unto Me, I see now imminent. And therefore will no longer stay, but bid Thee now adue. It is lost labour that thou dost, I will be at a point, And to enjoy these worldly joys, I ieoparde will a iont. I was at point, once, very near, to have be quite forlorn, Had not Suggestion of the flesh, from folly me reclaimed, And set this Glass of worldly joys, my sighed and eyes before: The sighed whereof did cause all things, of Me to be disdained, I thought I had felycitie, when it I had obtained: And to say truth, I do not care, what to my soul betide, So long as this prosperity, and wealth by Me abide. But let us homeward go again, some pastime there to make, My whole delight in sport and games, of pleasure I repose: What is thy name? whence comest thou? wherefore to me disclose? Oh painful pain of deep disdain, o gripping grief of hell, O horror huge, o soul suppressed, and slain with desperation, O heap of sins, the sum whereof, no man can number well: O death, o furious flames of hell, my joust recompensation, O wretched wight, o creature cursed, o child of condemnation. O angry God, and merciless, most fearful to behold, O Christ thou art no Lamb to Me, but Lion fierce and bold. My sins (alas) which in this Glass, appear innumerable, For which I shall no pardon get, for God is fully bent: In fury for to punish me, with pains intolerable: Neither to call to him for grace, or pardon am I able, My sin is unto death, I feel Christ's death does me no good, Neither for my behoof, did Christ shed his most precious blood. I am condemned into hell, these torments to sustain. The sentence of the righteous Judge, cannot be called again, Who hath already judged Me to everlasting pain: O that my body buried were, that it at rest might been, Though soul were put in Judas place, or Cain's extremity. Ah dreadful name, which when I here, to sighs it Me compel: God is against Me I perceive, he is none of my God, Unless in this, that he will Beatrice, and plague Me with his rod. And though his mercy does surpass, the sins of all the world, Yet shall it not once profit me, or pardon mine offence, I am refused utterly, I quite from God am whorld: My name within the Book of life, had never residence, Christ prayed not, Christ suffered not, my sins to recompense: But only for the Lords elect, of which sort I am none, I eel his justice towards Me, his mercy all is gone: And to be short, within short space, my final end shall been, Then shall my soul incur the pains, of utter desolation, And I shall be a president, most horrible to see: To Gods elect, that they may see, the price of abjuration. You welcome are, but I (alas) vile wretch, am here evil found O would my soul were sunk in hell so body were in ground That angry God, now hath his will, who sought me to confound. I have no faith, the words you speak my heart does not believe, I must confess that I for sin, am justly thrown to hell. I do believe, that out from God, proceed these comforts fair, So do the Devils, yet of their health, they always do despair. They are not written unto Me, for I would feign attain, The mercy, and the love of God, but he does me disdain. How would you have that man to live, which hath no mouth to eat No more can I live in my soul, which have no faith at all: And where you say, that Peter did, of Christ soon pardon get, who in the sell e same sin, with Me, from God did greatly fallen, why? I cannot, obtain the same, to you I open shall: God had respect to him always, and did Me firmly leave, But I alas, am reprobate, God does my soul reprove. Moreover, I will say with tongue, what so you will require, My heart I eel with blasphemy, and cursing is replete. To pray with lips, unto your God, you shall Me scene entreat, My spirit, to Satan is in thrall, I can it not thence get: Oh God which dwellest in the Heavens, and art our father deer. Thy holy name throwghout the world be ener sainctified, The kingdom of thy word and spirit, upon us rule might bear, Thy will in earth, as by thy faincts in heaven be ratified, Our daily bred, we thee beseech, Oh Lord for us provide, Our sins remit (Lord unto us) as we each man forgive, Let not tentation us assail, in all evil us relieve. Amen. No, no, my friends, you only hear and see the outward partly, Which though you think they have done well, it boots not at all, My lips have spoke the words in deed, but yet I feel my heart, With cursing is replenished, with rancour, spite, and gall, Neither do I your Lord and God, in heart my father call, But rather seek his holy name for to blaspheme and curse, My state therefore does not amend, but beware still worse and worse, I am secluded clean from grace, my heart is hardened quite, Wherefore you do your labour lose, and spend your breath in vain. You cannot say so much to me, as herein I do know, That by the mercies of the Lord, all sins are done away, And unto them that have true faith, abundantly it flow, But whence do this true faith proceed to us, I do you pray, It is the only gift of God, from him it comes alway, I would therefore he would vouchsafe, one spark of faith to plant, within my breast, then of his grace, I know I should not want. But it as easily may be done, as you may with one spoon, At once take up the water clean, which in the seas abide: And at one draught, then drink it up, this shall you do as soon, As to my breast of true belief, one sparkle shall betide: Tush, you which are in prosperous state, & my pains have not tried Do think it but and easy thing, a sinner to repent Him of his sins, and by true faith, damnation to prevent. The healthful need not Physics art, and you which are all hail, Can give good counsel to the sick, their sickness to eschew: But here alas, confusion, and hell, does Me assail, And that all grace, from me is reft, I find it to be true. My heart is steel, so that no faith, can from the same ensue. I can conceive no hope at all, of pardon or of grace, But out alas, Confusion is always before my face. And certainly, even at his time, I do most plainly see, The devils to be about me round, which make great preparation, And keep a stir, here in this place, which only is for me. Neither do I conceive, these things, by vain imagination, But even as truly, as mine eyes, behold your shape and fashion. Wherefore, desired Death dispatch, my body bring to rest, Though that my soul, in furious flames of fire, be suppressed. What your hope is concerning Me, I utterly contemn, My Conscience, which for thousands stand, as guilty Me condemn. Even shortly, after I did make, mine open abjuration, For that I did prefer my goods, before Gods holy laws. Therefore in wrath he did me send, this horrible veration, And hath me wounded in the soul, with grievous tribulation: That I may be a president, in whom all men may view, Those torments, which to them, that will forsake the Lord, are endue. I did believe in heart, that Christ was that true sacrifice. Which did appease the father's wrath, and that by him alone We were made joust and sanctified: I did believe likewise, That without him, heaven to attain, sufficient means were none. But to reknowledge this again, alas, all grace was gone: I never loved him again, with right and sincere heart, Neither was thankful for the same, as was each goodmans partly. But rather took the faith of Christ, for liberty to sin, And did abuse his graces great, to further carnal lust, what wickedness I did commit, I cared not a pin: For that, that Christ discharged had any ransom, I did trust: wherefore the Lord does now correct, the same with torments joust. My sons, my sons, I speak to you, my counsel ponder well, And practice that in deeds, which I in words shall to you tell. I speak not this, that I would ought, the Gospel derogate, which is most true in every partly, I must it needs confess, But this I say, that of vain faith alone, you should not prate: But also by your holy life, you should your faith express, Believe me sires, for by good proof, these things I do express: Peruse the wrighting of S. James, and first of Peters too, which all Gods people, holiness of life exhort unto. By sundry reasons, as for First, because we strangers are, Again, sin from the flesh proceed, but we are of the spirit, The third, because the flesh always, against the spirit do war, The fourth, y to we may stop the mouths of such as would backbight, The fifth, that other by our lives, to God reduce we might: Again, they sing a pleasant song, which sing in deed and word, But where evil life ensue good words, there is a foul discord: But I alas, most wretched wight, whereas I did presume, That I had God a perfect faith, did holy life disdain: And though I did to other preach, good life I did consume: My life in wickedness and sin, in sport and pleasures vain, No, neither did I once contend, from them flesh to refrain, Behold therefore, the judgements joust, of God does Me annoy, Not for amendment of my life, but Me for to destroy. That was the meaning of my words, how ever I them spoke, The truth (alas) vile wretch, my soul and Conscience too true feel Alas, what comfort can betide, unto a damned wretch? what so I here, see, feel, taste, speak, is turned all to woe. That is not Gods intent with Me though it be so with some, who after bodies punishment, have into favour come: But I (alas) in spirit and soul, these Grievous torments bear, God hath condemded my Conscience, to perpetual grief and fear. I would most gladly choose to live, a thousand, thousand year. In all the torments and the grief that damned souls sustain, So that at length I might have ease, it would me greatly cheer. But I alas, shall in this life, in torments still remain, while Gods joust anger, upon me, shall be revealed plain: And I example made to all, of Gods joust indionation, O that my body were at rest, and soul in condemnation. Give me a sword, then shall you know, what is in mine intent. I cannot, neither will I tell, whereto I would be bent. I cannot pray, my spirit is dead, no faith in me remain My prayers turned is to sin, for God does it disdain, With as good will as did the Devil, out of the deaf man go. Oh God which dwellest in the heavens. &c. Tush sirs, you do your labours lose, see where Belzabub does come, And does invite me to a feast, you therefore speak in vain, eam if you ask ought more of me in answer I will be dumb, I will not wast my ong for nought, as soon shall one small grain Of Musterdseede, fill all the world, as I true faith attain. Let go my hands at liberty, assistance I crave none: O that I had a sword a while, I should soon eased be. TOO true (alas) too true I say, was our Divination, The which Mathaetes did foresee, when last we were in place, For now (in deed) we feel the smart and horrible veration, Which Romish power unto us did threaten and menace: Wherefore, great need we have, to call to God always for grace: For Feeble flesh is far too weak, those pains to undergo: The which all they that fear the Lord, are now appoint ted too. The Legate from the Pope of Room, is come into our Coasts, Who does the Saints of God eke where, with Tyranny oppress, And in the same most gloriously himself he vawnt and boast, The more one mourneth unto him, he pitieth the less, Out of his cruel Tyranny, the Lord of Heaven me bless: For hitherto, in blessed state, my whole life I have spent: With health of body, wealth in Gods, and mind always content. Beside, of friends, I have great store, who do me firmly love, A faithful wife and children fair, of woods and pasture store, And diverse other things, which I have God for my behoof, Which now to be depraved off, would grieve my heart full soar: And if I come once in their claws, I shall get out no more. Unless I will renounce my faith, and so their mind fulfil, Which if I do, without all doubt, my soul for ay I spill. For sith I have received once the first fruits of my faith, And have begun to run the course, that leads to salvation, If in the amid thereof, I stay or cease, the Scripture say, It boots not that I began with so good preparation, But rather, makes much the more, unto my condemnation: For he alone shall have the Palm, which to the end does run, And he which plucks his hand from ̄ Plough, in Heave ̄ shall never come. Those Labourers which hired were in Vineyard for to moil, And had their Penny for their pain, they tarried all while night, For if they ceased had, when Sun their flesh with h did droyse, And had departed from their work, they should have lost by right, Their wages Penny: I Like wise, shall be deprived qaight Of that same Crown, the which I have in faith long looked for, But for this time, I will depart, I dare here say no more.