An Expostulation or complaint against the blasphemies of a frantic papist of hamshire. Compiled by johan Bale. Matthew xxiii Wvo be unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, that shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. For neither go ye in yourselves, neither suffer you any other to enter. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. Per septennium. ¶ To the right high and mighty Prince, johan Duke of Northumberlande, Lord great Maistre of the Kings most honourable household, and Lord president of his majesties most honourable privy Counsel, his most humble and faithful servant johan Bale wisheth the favour of god, increase of honour, long life, and prosperous health both of soul and body. considering in your noble grace (most Honourable Duke) the same mighty fervent, & religious zeal in God's cause, Zele. which I afore time by reading the scriptures have diligently marked in Moses the servant of God, I have urgently been moved under God and our king to seek your earnest aid for the same. The rage at this present is horrible and fierce, which the stought sturdy satellytes of Antichrist in diverse parts of the realm, chiefly within Hamshire. Hamshire, do blustre abroad in their mad furies to blemish the Euangelycal verity of the Lord now revelated. An intolerable grief it is to their uncircumcysed hearts, to behold the glittering toys of superstitious idolatry and hipocritycall papistry removed from this earth of England, by the kings worthy majesty and his most honourable counsel, religion. and Gods true religion again restored. That our said second & most valiant josias, hath thus purged his juda (his England I mean) from the abominable buggeryes and idolatries of the great Baal Peor of Rome, earnestly seeking for the true God of David his forefather, two. Paaral. xxxiiii. to the most lively example of all other princes, their ungratyouse and noughty eyes are not a little offended. That his images, relics, roods, torches, candles, copes, ashes, palms, wax, water, oil, cream, and holy bread, that his bulls, beads, bells, Toys. babblings, masses, purgatory, processions, confessions, exorcysmes, hallowynges, shavynge, gresynge, sensyng, slaverynges, slumberynges, and a great sort of popish toys more, are banished hens, in conscience they are dysquyeted. Not all unlike to the gross witted Gergesytes, they would gladly the Christ were somewhat further of. Mat. viii. Yea, they earnestly wish, that he would peaceably depart from their coasts, lest he went about it, to drown their swine for ever, whom they all contrary to god's ordinance, have so frankly in all beastliness maintained. They can not away with the precious light of Christ's holy Gospel, their eyes are so sore. Ihon. iii. Neither may they broke it, to know their salvation alone to be reposed in Christ jesus, Colloss. iii. so blind are their foolish hearts. Neither may they abide it, that God is only to be worshipped in spirit and verity, so superstycyously minded are they. Ihon. iiii. But darkness they judge light, & the light very darkness. That is sweet, Esay. v. they think sour, & that is good they dame evil. Such are now a days the perverse and froward judgements of men ungodly. The most christian reformation of this church of England, Mockers. which is to other nations a most worthy spectacle, so they very turkyshely deride & mock. At the daily suppressyons of their blasphemous and beastly papystryes, Nun. xxi they create, they frown, they grind their tethe, and for anger wax wode. With the carnal israelites they hate & abhor the celestial Manna of Christ's Gospel, i. john. two. because it neither nurrysheth the lust of the flesh, neither feedeth the concupisbence of the eyes, nor yet maintaineth the pride of this life. Nun. xi. To the greasy fat pots of Egipte, would they gladly return again, and become subjects under the great Romish Pharaoh, so that they might be fed with his old stinking cucumbers, melons, lekes, onions, and garlic, which are his unprofitable traditions. maliciously and rebellyously do they now resist the manifest truth of Gods word, Rebels. and will by no manner of means consent thereunto, although their own consciences both accuseth and condemneth them for it. And all is because they will hear of no repentance, neither yet agree to amendment of their most wicked lives. papists, They brag they boast, they dream, they dote, they fume they face, they grunt they grudge, they jangle they jest they mock they mow, they scoff they scorn, they ruffle they rage, with daggerand with fist, and all to stop the sweet blasts of the scriptures, Apo. seven. lest they should clearly blow away their old Romish sorceries, as dust from the face of this earth. Neither is it any great wonder unto us, Psalm▪ i. to behold these terrible turmoylynges of the devils furious members, for those Romish Pharisees leaven▪ Luke. xii. considering he is that roaring Lion which busyly seeketh whom he may devour. i. Peter. v. Genesi. three job. two. Exody. seven. Psa. lxxvii He fraudolently deceived our first mother Eve grievously he afflicted the patient man job. He made Pharaos' sorcerers to withstand both Moses & Aaron. David right sore complaineth of vexatyons by wicked angels. Who was a more cruel adversary to jesus josedech in repairing the temple, Zach. iii. than was Satan? And though he prevailed not in his iii temptatyons against Christ our redeemer, Math. iiii. yet procured he his own disciple judas traitorously to betray him, Ihon. xviii the clergy of the jews maliciously to accuse him, and the Romish magistrates most wrongfully to condemn him. Saint Paul giveth us good warning, two. Cor. xi. that Satan to deceive us, can transform himself into the Angel of light. and telleth us also, that we must always have somewhat a do with the ministers of darkness. Ephesi. vi. In the primitive church, Idols. when the worshipping of Idols once ceased, at the preachings of the Apostles and other virtuous fathers. The priests which had lived by those idolatries, provoked both the princes and common people to persecute them to death, Priests. making them to believe, that it was never a merry world since they were suffered to preach This hath both Eusebins in Ecclesiastica historia, and also Tertulianus in Apologetico. Thus have the wholesome winds of heavenly doctrine, been always disturbed, Apoca. seven. letted and stopped, & their lively vapours oppressed. First by Satan the devil, then by the jewish and popish clergy, then by superstitious monks and sophistical school doctors, & now last of all by unlearned loiterers and desperate ruffyanes, as he of whom I have written this treatise following, Braban. is one. Of this latter sort, are some become farmers of benefices, some blind brokers in the law, some scribes, some pharisees, some flatterers for favour, some lyngerers for lucre, some cloynars for advantage menpleasers, and make shifts. These give the preachers most uncomely reports to deface their godly preachings, ●aplers. and most audible names, to bring them in contempt of the people. Their crooked counsels, persuasions, illusions, provocaations, and promises of aid in withstanding the ministers, are such, for a wealthy living in idleness, that the truth of the Lord can take no place▪ These are as were Elymas the sorcerer, Hymeneus, Acts. xiii. i Timo. i two. Timo. two. two▪ Tim. iiii Philetus, and Alexander the copper smith, enemies of all truth, withstanders of all righteousness, and children of the devil. Men of corrupt minds resysters of the verity, and lewd as concerning faith two. Tim. iii. And all these are set a work by the pope's late masmongers, by old pilgrimage goers, Styngers. by crafty Cathedralystes, minster men, and collygeners, looking yet for a day of maintenance in their old sorceries. And as for our parts, we are not so ignorant of the rules of Christ's religion, but we know that his flock of true believers, Believers. hath had always their wolves Math x. their blasphemers, persecutors, and slanderers, that they might bring fourth godly fruits in patient sufferance For look what the threshing flail doth Luke. viii. to the corn (S. Gregory saith) the fiery furnace to the gold, Gregory. and the polishing file to the iron, the same doth adversity to the righteous man, for it maketh him perfectly. Wicked persons are in all places to be tolerate of private men (I say not may) because there can be no Abel, Abel. unless he be vexed of some malicious Cain. We ought therefore of congruence very patiently to suffer them, but yet not in all points to hold our peace. We are not bound altogether to bear them in their mischiefs No, Christ. Christ never did so neither yet the Prophets afore him, nor his Apostles after him. But with stomach (as occasion gave it) they inveighed against them, and mightily reproved them If any man hurt the witnesses of God (S. johan saith) johan. he must be killed. Apo. xi. Either must he be consumed of the rite that cometh out of their mouths, Esay. xi Heb. iiii. or else by the ii edged sword of the spirit, which both are the word of God. For in their hands have they swords (saith David) that are sharp on both sides. Psa. Cxlix. manfully to stand up, for faith, for truth, for religion, for obedience to kings, for just believers, and for the glory of the living God, Sharpe against the manifest enemies of all godliness. And with the double sharpness of those swords, shall they either convert them or damn them. Care not (saith. S. Paul) for the hate of your adversaries, for unto them is it a token of perdition, and to you a most manifest sign of salvation. Phi. i. Doubt them not (saith Isaiah) neither fear them at all, Christ. but praise the Lord of hosts, let him be your fear & dread, for he is the stone that they stumble at, and the rock that they fall upon. Esa. viii. for no confusion can come upon them that put their full trust in God. Dan. iii. Now is there nothing else behind (most honourable Duke) but that your excellent grace under god and our king Id ducem, set to your favourable hand, with the rest of his most honourable counsel. If Abbess joachim, Nicolas Lyra, johan Tylneye, and other of our latter expositors hath taken great Constantine the Emperor, Constantinus. for that other angel in. S. johans' revelation, which ascended from the rising of the sun for that age. Apoca. seven. Sebastianus Meyer and Conradus Pellicanus not all dyssenting from the same, because he had than brought the christian church to a quietness, all foreign tyrannies suppressed. What shall let me to think as much of our present Constantine, king Edward the vi for our time? Edward vi. King. considering that the hand of God is not yet abbreviated? Esa. lix. He cometh as weal from the rising of the sun, as he did. He hath as weal his authority of God, and is now a christian Magistrate. as he was then. So weal is he king of this realm, and a britain borne, A King. as he was. As weal is he given to good letters and careth for the christian religion, as he did. Godly. As weal hath he set Christ's gospel at liberty, from the danger of tyrants, and by proclamation commanded it freely to be preached, as he did So weal hath he made a general desturction of superstitious Idols and other abominations, as did he. As constantines face in all his coins of Gold and silver was erected towards heaven, by report of Eusebius in vita Constantini, Libro. two. so is the visage of his heart elevated unto God in all his daily studies & princely proceedings, if the good fruits may show what the tree is. Than may our most virtuous and godly king Edward the vi Angel. for this age so we'll resemble that good angel of God, as might our great Constantyne for that age. considering therefore (right worthy and excellent Duke) that he hath by that high office, Apoca. seven. the seal of the living god and is declared a prince of power by his lively word. Roma xiii to make all his subjects the true servants of God by the Gospel, let the malicious rabble of Antichristes' ruffyanes, by your mighty administration under him be forbidden any more to noye. Apo. seven. restraint. let them be restrained from doing such violence ravin, and excess, as they have done now of late to Christ's ministers in Hanshire. let them be inhybyted of dagger drawing, and of fist lifting in the open streets, when no man hath once offended them. let them leave their pullynges by the beard and bosom in the presence of people, Violence. staring like wild oxen, when no evil at all is meant to them. let them no longer brag afore the justices in the open sessions, of casting their glove and of waging battle, uncorrected, when nothing is either done, ●agynge. said, or yet thought against them. let them be weal stayed from raging and railing, oblocuting and slandering, without cause reasonable, for upholding the wicked traditions of Antichrist. permit them no longer to counsel in corners, Council. to have wicked persuasions, and to draw people after them. let them from hensfourth be charged under pain of sore punishment, not lycencyously to do all their lewd likings, as they have done heretofore, like men that are lawless. Desire. We desire not the evil of this froward sort, but their good. We covet not their loss but their winning, not their utter destruction, as they do ours, but their speedy amendment, if such angels of reprobation as they are may amend, which I scarcely believe. Chiefly our request is, Request. to live in peace by them as in Isaiah is promised, that the Lamb should dwell with the Wolf, the Goat lie by the Leopard, the Cow fede with the Bear, Peace. the Bullock company with the Lion, the Child play with the Serpent, and yet none of them should hurt the other. Esa. xi. His angelical voice hath been heard all ready by most earnest proclamations, A voice. overall his dominions of England, Wales, and Ireland, as was the loud voice of great Constantyne over Egypt Grece, Persye, Asye, and Italy, by most strait commandments, that Christ should be worshipped, his holy Gospel preached, the ministers thereof both provided for and honoured, and all Idol worshyppynges to be utterly abolished. let it now therefore be obeyed of all subjects without contradyctyon, Obedience, no wild witted ruffyane permitted from hens fourth so stubbornly to withstand it. Command this gentle west wind to have still his pleasant passage & frindely free course without any restraint or Apoca. seven. cruel impediment of those angels of darkness, that the earth, sea, and trees may wholesomely be refreshed therewith. graciously suffer (as ye have done hitherto) all sorts of people to have knowledge df the Gospel. verity let the verity of God, so sound in the ears of all men, that they may be marked with the spirit of Christ, and never deny him for any vexation. This poor Expostulation, am I your poor orator, so much the boldar to dedicate to your highness that I have always known the same a most mighty, Experience. zealous, and ardent supporter, maintainer, and defender of God's lively word. Right humbly beseeching your excellent grace, to accept the small gift thereof, as the simple present of that poor servant of yours, which hath always borne both you and all yours a most faithful heart. The eternal father of our Lord jesus Christ, whose invincible verity verity your grace hath hitherto most fervently favoured, vouchsafe prosperously to preserve the same, with my ladies grace your most faithful spouse, and all your virtuous and godly children, in continual health and increase of honour, to the glory of his holy name. Amen. three Reg. xl. If Israel (saith the Lord) shall hold upon other gods, and worship them. I will cast him out of my sight, and he shall be a Proverb, and a fable among the nations And they that pass by shall marvel thereof, and shall hiss at him. ¶ An Expostulation or complaint against the blasphemies of a frantyke papist of Hamshire. Compiled by johan Bale. DAniel the man of desires, & johan Boaverges or the son of thondre, bringeth me to remembrance of a mouth that uttered blasphemies. A mouth. This mouth (saith Daniel) spoke presumptuous things. And his horn (which is the power that maintaineth him) made battle against the saints, yea, and got the victory of them, till such time as they had the kingdom in possession. Dan. seven. To the Beast (saith. S. johan) Dani. seven. was given a mouth, that spoke great things and blasphemies. And he opened that mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and then that dwell in heaven. And power was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Apoca. xiii. Apo. xiii. Not only is this to be verified upon the Romish Antichrist & his sinful synagogue of spiritual calcars but also upon such prattling papists as are his daily maintainers. For consequently it followeth in the same revelation of. Apoca, xvi. S johan. And I saw (saith he) three unclean sprites, like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, and they are sprites of devils. Apo. A papist. xvi. Lo sir, the false prophet, which is the wicked papist, is so weal touched here, as is either the Beast or the Dragon. Now to this frantic papist than, which on the xxix day of Decembre last passed, Conventicles. in the house of a gentleman of his affinity within Hamshire, being in the full heat of his frenzy, braced out into this unreverent, blasphemous▪ and conteptuouse talk of the kings Majesty and of his most godly proceedings. Blasphemy Alas poor child (said he) unknown is it to him, what acts are made now a days. But when he cometh once of age, he will see an other rule, and hang up an hundred of such heretic knaves. Meaning the preachers of our time, and their maintainers by like. For at the same season he had most spitefully railed of one of them, being absent, A railer. which never in his life did him dysple azure, neither in deed nor in wurd, that he was able to burden him with. The first part of this blasphemous clause toucheth the kings highness, the second his honourable Counsel, & the third, Mark i●. the true ministers of Gods word. By the first is God's name blasphemed, by the second is his tabernacle ill spoken of, and by the third are they that dwell in heaven contemned. But this pernicious poison have this wicked papist sucked out of the ungracious paps of his mother the sinful synagogue of Rome, whose devilish nature hath it always been, to despise those kings that are not her maintainers, to condemn those magistrates that will not become her slaves, conditions & to kill those preachers that impugn her idolatries. Concerning the first. In that this frantycke papyst with polluted mouth, A Child. reporteth the kings majesty to be a poor Child, he blasphemeth the name of God. For there is no power (S. Paul saith) but it is of God. And who so ever abuseth the power, abuseth the ordinance of God to his damnation, Rom. xiii. Take heed Bear no wicked heart to thy king (saith Solomon) neither report any evil of the governors in thy malicious anger. For if thou do, the birds of the air will discover thy wickedness, Eccls. x Double is the blasphemy of this furious papist against the kings highness, in that he hath disdainously called him both poor and a Child, in contempt of his most christian proceedings. Poor is as much to say as contemptuous, Poor. abject, wretched, forsaken miserable, or of such birth as is nothing esteemed. And so is it taken in divers places of the scriptures, which all are far unseming the majesty of a king. A king. And weal is it known to all the world, that neither nature for her part, nor yet fortune for her part, hath so left him, his highness being the natural son of so noble a king as his father was. Neither is he destitute, but on every side most habundauntlye replenished with the most gracious gifts of god, Learned. specially with all kinds of good learning far above all his progenitors, kings of this imperial region. Childishness in a king, is reproved by the mouth of God, & given many times of him to the people as a curse, Esay. iii. plague, or scourge for their unfaithfulness. I shall give you children (saith the Lord) to be your princes, & babes shall have rule over you. Esa. iii. That is, ye shall have for your disobedience in neglecting my laws & commandments, men to your governors, that are dissolute, rash, wanton, and careless, yea men unexpert and unexercised in princely affairs, Unwise. and men which will not regard your comen wealth but follow their own lusts. Woe be to such a land (saith Solomon) as hath so childish rulers, and whose princes are early at their banquets. Eccls. x, These be those rulers whose lives are wanton, acts lycencyouse and judgements babyshe, whereby their comen wealths in the end, Ruin, are brought to confusion. Yea, S. Jerome saith, that these are such worldly governors, as neglecting Gods holy precepts, do set up the vain traditions of men sinful. And though all these childish ways be detestable in a king yet is not the childhood of youth in him to be reproved. For so might king josias have been reproved, josias. which began to reign in the viii year of his age iiii, Regum, xxii. and king David discommended, David. for being the youngest of his brethren i. Reg, xvii, whose praises are nevertheless abundant in the scriptures, joas. joas being but vii years old was a king also, and for the time of his youth pleased God, what though in his age he did otherwise. two. Par. xxiii In England here, king Henry the, vi, was but viii years old, king Henry the third, ix, years old, and king Edward the third scarce, xv. years of age, three Kings when they were crowned kings, yet was there never chronicle writer, nor yet honest, faithful, and obedient subject, that ever called them poor children. But with reverence and honour, even from the first day of their reigns, took them always for whole and persyght kings, like as the sacred Bible holdeth of the afore named kings, josias. joas & godly josias, in the vii and viii, years of their ages, iiii, Re. xi, et. two. Pa. xxxiiii. What should this franctyck papist here mean than, so blasphemously to report our most noble & worthy king Edward the vi in the, xv. year of his age, and, v, year of his reign, without all honour and reverence, but that he hath done on the unshamefast face of his whorish mother, Babylon, the monstrous madame of Rome which is full of the names of basphemye, Apo. xvii. Him hath our eternal God most graciously given unto us in the latter age of his noble father, not without evident miracle, and will preserve him, no doubt, to his own glory and wealth of this realm, in spite of all his popish enemies, if we be not unthankful. Education. His worthy education in liberal letters & godly virtues, & his natural aptness in retaynyug the same, plenteously declareth him to be no poor child, but a manifest Solomon in princely wisdom. His sober admonitions, & open examples of godliness, at this day showeth him, mindfully to prefer that wealth of his commens, as weal ghostly as bodily, religion, above all foreign▪ matters. Mark what his majesty hath done already in religion, in abolishing the most shameful idolatries of Antichrist, besides his other acts for public affairs, & ye shall find at this day, no christian prince like to him. Now followeth the second part of the blasphemous sentence of this frantic papist, which is, Blasphemy that the acts put fourth now a days, are unknown to the king, & that he will change them when he cometh of age. This not only toucheth the kings worthy majesty, which is gods high minister, in judging him childish, mutable, & inconstaunt, but also it pierceth his most honourable counsel, which are under him, joseph. as was joseph in Egypt, the stays of his people. Ecc xlix as consenting to the same, So is God's tabernacle by him blasphemed. For if that tabernacle of God be with mean men, as, S, johan saith, it is. Apo, xxi. Much more with the council of a christian king, which is gods high magistrate, & they his assistentes. They that despise that rulers (saith the Apostle Jude) & speak evil of them which are in authority, Rulers. shall suffer that vengeance of eternal fire. When Michael that archangel strove against the devil, Satan. & disputed about the body of Moses, he durst give no railing sentence, but said. The Lord rebuke thee, But such (as is here this prattling papist) speak evil of those things which they know not. And what things they know naturally, as beasts which are without reason they corrupt in themselves. Woe be unto them, for they have followed the way of Cain, Cain. & are utterly given to the error of Balaam for lucre's sake, and shall perish in the treason of Core. Jude i, If Christ be in the mids, when ii or, iii. private men be collected in his name, as he saith, he is, Mat. xviii. much more among the faithful counsel of so virtuous & christian a king, Council. Who can than deny them to be the tabernacle of God? specially when they with all endeavour possible, have sought and yet daily seeketh, clearly to bamnysh out of this christian realm, the manifold abominations of Antichrist, or idolatries without number. Which he by his smoky locusts, Locusts, the monks and shaven priests, hath craftily planted here, continually from time to time, ever since the days of that wicked emperor Phocas. Phocas, Who can deny them (I say yet once again) to be that said tabernacle or chosen mansion of God, either that congregation among whom he dwelleth by promise. Luke, x, et. joan. xiiii, When they so earnestly labour, to place here in England, the true religion again, and to set up his true worshippings, as in the primative church of the faithful Bryttayves, Britons. first planted by them ihat were hither sent by Christ's Apostles, Asia. and fashioned after the perfect rules of the vii churches in Asia, the filthy corruptions of those Romish idolaters, in the power of his word taken from us. If God doth not dwell with them, that thus daily seeketh his glory, with whom doth he dwell? Than hath this arrogant papist with polluted mouth, Blasphemy blasphemed the tabernacle of God, in reporting them, now to make acts without the kings knowledge, concerning religion, or else at this day to build that hereafter they will break. And this that enemy hath done to bring them in hate of the comen people, as though not regarding his Majesty, they now went about not to establish them, but deceive them in the same. A Beast, Such is the mad frenzy of so brutish a beast. But unworthy are such reprobate vessels of so godly Magistrates. Of this are we certain & sure, The Council. so many as have God's knowledge, roar those raging railers what them lusteth to the contrary, with lies after their lewd likings, that had it not been in the fear of God & their kings true obedience against the wicked Antichrist, they could never have propounded so godly laws. And having God presently assistant unto them, as all they have which seeketh his only glory, God's honour. they can not be so far to his heavenly will contrarious, as their vile report is, in the quarrel of that horrible monster. No, they are no such wavering reeds, as for a Christian comen wealth, are this year of one mind, and the next year will be of an other. No truly, it standeth not so with the unchangeable wisdom of Christ's spirit, Constaun● wherein they have earnestly wrought, for time of the prosperous reign of our present josias. Their foundation have they set upon so sure a rock, even upon God's word, that neither wind nor water, stormy tempest, nor wether, can overthrow it, Math. seven, Strong. Neither shall the great gates of hell, nor yet the strong power of Satan, ever prevail against it. Math, xvi, Neither yet the devils unholy vicar at Rome, with all his curssynges & cuniurynges, calkynges and coblynges, brawlings and babblings, massinge and mutterynges, Images and Idols, pardons and purgatory, with the devil and all of his other sorceries, Sorceries, which these graceless papists continually gapeth for yet once again, as the hungry hound for the carrion, & the full fed sow for her puddle. But as Baldad the Suhyte said unto patient job. The hypocrites hope shall come to nought, His confidence shall be destroyed for he trusteth in a spiders web. Baldad. job. viii The sober abiding of the righteous (saith Salomou) shall turn him to much gladness, but the hope of that ungodly shall perish. pro, x. The third or last part of that most wicked sentence, which this malignant papist with blasphemous mouth hath uttered, Blasphemi is this, that when the king cometh to age, he will hang up an hundred of such here tike knaves, meaning the true preachers of our time. As we'll in reproach of men godly, observing the Gospel, as in contempt of the true ministers of Gods wurd, Poison. have this furious enemy & son of Beli aloute vometed that poison, which hath long time lain boiling in his papistical stomach. Neither hath he abashed in the heat of that frenzy and forgetfulness of reason, to abuse the christian modesty of our godly and innocent king, in judging him acompanyon hereafter, with the most cruel tyrants of the world, Antiochus, Herode, Caiphas, Nero, tyrants Domycyane, Trajan, & his bloudthurstie father of Rome, which in their wicked times, maliciously murdered up the true witnesses of God And thus are they which dwell in heaven, most spitefully of this brutish babbler blasphemed, as is touched in the text of. S. johan. A babbler. Apoca. xiii. In many places of the holy scripture, is the congregation of the faithful called heaven, or the kingdom of heaven, chiefly in the prophecies and the parables of Christ, for so much as God is invisibly the inhabytour, overseer, Heaven. and governor thereof, Math. xiii. et. xxv. Who then can deny the true preachers, which are the dystributers of God's mysteries, to be dwellers in the same. Saint Paul is not all behind, in boasting himself to be one of them, which also was a preacher, Our conversation (saith he) where so ever we remain, A preacher is in heaven, from whence we look for the saviour. Phil. iii, If ye be risen again with Christ, seek the things which are above, where he sitteth on the right hand of god, Set your affection on things that are in heaven, & not on trifles which are here on the earth. Col, iii. These are they, which in the household of god, what he is are the profitable builders the fishers of men, the feaders of the flock, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the clouds full of moisture, the stars, lanterns, and candlesticks, that stewards, searchers, and relevers, the keepers of the vineyard, planters, tillers, sowers, and repers of the lords harvest, Helpers. yea the helpers of Christ, & upholders of his church. All these names & offices do the holy ghost give them, and a great sort more in the scriptures, reporting them also worthy of double honour, when they labour in the word i. Timoth .v. In spirit and verity teach they our heavenly father to be worshipped. Shadows. Ioh iiii. and not in the beggarly shadows of men's traditions. They have the holy angels for their fellow servants and brethreve, for having the noble testimony of jesus in their mouths. Apoc. nineteen. These are no heretic knaves than, neither yet worthy to be hanged, as this popish scismatyck do both judge them and wish them, A papist. in the hasty spirit of his hot stomached mother. So hath he them blasphemed that dwell in heaven, which is the congregation of god. If they were hanged for teaching the truth of God and impugning false religion, Hanging they should have the same reward for weal doing that their master jesus Christ had afore them, For he for that verities sake, was most spitefully, shamefully, and contemptuously hanged up between, two, thieves, in the comen place of their executyons, as though he had been a great malefactor, so hot was the malice of the holy clergy than against him, diverse of his Apostles for maynteynyuge his doctrine, Apostles come to the same high promotion of hanging, specially Peter, Andrew, Bartylmew, Philip, and Simon, as the historyanes of them hath written, because they should seem no better than was Christ their master. Among their disciples the number so exceedeth of them that were hanged for the testimony of jesus, that it would axe to much time to rehearse them. Disciples. And this vile kind of hanging, was no dishonour to them. How should it now then become a dishonour to these, in the same just quarrel? As the cause made that contemptuous death in them glorious, so should it also do now in these men, in the sight of the Lord & his elects, Psal. Cxv, But this sight is not given to such reprobate vessels, Sight. as is this furious papist, whose malice hath utterly made him blind. Sap. two. Yea, so frantyckly and beastly blyude, that he shameth not to attribute unto our most godly and virtuous king, that kind of tyranny, which is of all other the most wicked & blasphemous. But far other is the gentle nature of our religious josias▪ josias, which hath already overthrown the hill altars, broken in pieces the Idols, destroyed the religious buggery, restored the book of the Lord, set up his true wurshppyynges, and kept such a passouer to that Lord as never was afore, iiii. Reg. xxiii, et two. appointed. Paral, xxxiiii. Of God is he appointed to turn the people again, & to take away all the abominations of the ungodly. Ec. xlix. Briefly to conclude the matter. These three blasphemies, which this malicious papist in one wicked sentence here uttered are those iii iii. Spretes unclean sprites, the like frogs came out of the month of the false Prophet, Apoca, xvi. And they are not all unlike to the wild fire, smoke, & brimstone, which the terrible horses, or fat pampered up locusts of Antichrist enamelled, Apo. ix, for fierce, Locusts. noyful, and stinking are they, yea furious, erroneous, and full of infamy, according to the sygnifycatyons of wild fire, smoke, and brimstone. Not only hath it sprung of the doctrine of devils, so blasphemously to abuse the majesty and power of a king, Abuse, the estate of his honourable counsel, and the godly office of his preachers, in judging them chyldyshe, inconstaunte, and heretical, but also it hath risen of error in the hypocrisy of that Romish Bishop When the just man Simeon both beheld & worshipped the majesty of God's son in the little babe jesus, Simeon. he called not him a poor child, but the saver of the world, the sight of the gentiles, & the glory of Israel, Luc, two, A faithful true subject will reverently respect in a king, not what he is of nature, A king. but rather what he is of god's election and ordinance. Rom, xiii, Neither is he for his tender youth to be contemned, having gods knowledge, as he hath in wondrefull abundance. Christ jesus gave thanks to his heavenly father, because he had hidden godly wisdom from the wise and prudent, & given it unto babes. wisdom Math. xi. when prophecy (saith Solomon) is in the lips of a king, his mouth shall not go wrong in judgement. prover. xvi. ¶ He is proved a Papist. THat it may apere to the reader, that this malicious fellow is not here called a papyst without just cause, I will declare what a papist is, and by what fruits he is chiefly known. A papist. A papist is he that in life and doctrine maintaineth the romish Pope's devilish traditions, contemning the pure testament and Gospel of jesus Christ. As we say in the university, that he is a Platonyst, Ciceronyst, Scotyst, or Thomyst, that defendeth the doctrine of Plato, Doctrine. Cicero, Scotus, or Thomas against them that holdeth not the same. This frantic fellow is of the same kind of doing Ergo he is a wicked and an obstinate papist. Wicked, for so much as he dishonoureth god, and obstinate, because he disobeyeth his king. Fruits. The Minor, which is the second part of this argument, is proved true by his cursed fruits. For a false Prophet, or popish hypocrite whether ye will is always known by his wicked fruits Christ saith. Math, seven, et Luce. vi. In, two. special points shall ye know a rank papyst, which he hath first of his father the great Antichrist of Rome, and than of his mother his malignant synagogue. For the natural child followeth father & mother. And these are they briefly, as afore is touched, two. points He blasphemeth God, and condemneth the christian magistrates. Of this are evident examples, in the Chronicles of our christian nations, yea, innumerable, specially of this realm of England. Daniel once prophesied of that unshanfast faced usurper, The Pope that he arrogantly should stand up against the Prince of Princes, (which is God in his Christ) and yet in the end should be destroyed without hand, Dan, viii, Saint Paul calleth him Gods great adversary, the wicked one, the man of sin, and the son of perdition, reporting of him, that he should exalt his filthy seat here in earth above god, and his dongyshe decrees above Gods set ordinance, to the utter damnation of thousands, for not believing the truth, two. Thes two. Saint johan in his revelation, Thess. two. calleth the church of that adversary, great Babylon the mother of all whoredom and abominations done upon the earth, yea such a filthy whore, as hath both subdued to her obedience the kings of the earth, and also made them drunk with the wine of her fornication, Apo, xvii. Apo, xvii. If yefind in this frantic fellow, these natural conditions, naturally planted, what else can ye judge him but a natural child of that father and mother, and so an obstinate papist? The propyrtie which he hath of that unhappy father and mother, is to blaspheme God, and in that he hath showed himself plenteous First by a chaplain which popyshly ministered in his hired benefice. Three knaveries. Secondly by conveyance of certain images in hope of a change; And thirdly in judging it a fowl heresy to write any thing in reproach of the bishop of Rome. Concerning the first, Upon the, xx, day of September last passed, I was (as he weal knoweth) at service there, A Priest. to behold the workmanly conveyance of him and that popish chaplain of his, and to know what wholesome fruits I should find after that time, of their ii plantinges. Such an other ape of antichrist as that priest was, never saw. I afore in my life, for he could not read a Psalm, neither yet speak english, being an allyen, an armorical or french Britain. conveyance And to excuse his most beastly ignorance, his own self was compel led, I being there present, to slaver out the ii lessons of the Bible, with no small stutting & stambering, turning his arse to the people after the old popish manner, to help forward the kings most godly proceedings. More apysh toys & gawdysh feats, Feats. could never a dysarde in England have played (I think) than that apysh priest showed there at the communion. He turned and tossed, lurked and lowted, snored and smirted, gaped and gasped, kneeled and knocked, looked and licked, with both his thumbs at his ears & other tricks more, that he made me, xx, times to remember will Summer, Will Summer. Yet of them both, that priest seemed that more fool a great deal And to amend the matter, he had than a new shaven crown, which I rebuked him for, By this I prove his master, iii, virtues a mocker of God, a deceiver of the people, and a contempner of the kings just proceedings. Concerning the second, which is the crafty conveyance of certain images in hope of a change. Images. In that point hath he also notable followed both father and mother, to be proved a natural papist. For God hath he blasphemed in seeking to uphold idolatry, and the king hath he contemned in so deryding his most godly ordinance. The king hath commanded, and that by act of his parliament, that all yma es should, An Act not only be removed out of the churches of England and Ireland, but also that they should be defaced, mangled, and utterly be destroyed for their abominations. How is this worthy commandment obeyed, when they are so subtilely conveyed, and so craftily retained aloft in the belfreye or steeple, and neither deformed nor yet altered? peraventure he will say, that he was never of counsel in that proper point of conveyance. subtle fox Wherein he doth lie most falsely For who is more of counsel in a noughty matter, than he that knoweth it, and yet winketh at the doing thereof? The abolishing of idols, is a church matter, and chiefly pertaineth to religion. If it had touched either offerings or tithes, I doubt it not, but he would have stand fourth for the chief head of the parish, and no man so hardy to have meddled afore him therein. Chefehead Why was he not then of counsel in this reckoning. He remained as master and head of that church, by the space of more than, two. years after. Would not his sight serve him to see so fowl a blot, in so long time space? Well sir, when this matter came once to a trial afore the justices at wynchestre sessions, a man that had been dead more than, two, years afore, was able to discharge him of that horrible contempt of God's word, conveyance and his kings procedings. So workmanly doth one hound of that race lick an other in this age. Concerning the third, that it is a great heresy, Heresy. to write aught in reporche of the Bishop of Rome, In the week afore Christmas last passed, as he chanced to be in the house of the foresaid gentylmau of his own affinity, where he might always be bold to do his lewd feats, his accustomed frenzy came suddenly upon him. In that heat whereof, he most shamefully reviled a servant of that house calling him heretic and knave, because he had begun to study a part in such a Comedy, A Comedy as mightily rebuked the abominations and fowl filthy occupienges of the Bishop of Rome, Moreover he required him, in his own stought name to do a lewd massage, which was to call the compiler of that Comedy, both heretic and knave, concluding that it was a book of most pernicious heresy, That book was imprinted about vi years a go, and hath been abroad ever since, Abroad. to be both scene and judged of men, what it containeth. And this is the name thereof. A Comedy concerning. three laws, of nature, Moses, & Christ. etc, Therein is it largely declared, how that faith less Antichrist of Rome with his clergy, hath been a blemysher, darkener, confounder, and poysener, Laws. of all wholesome laws. And that with ydolatricall sodometry he hath defiled nature, by ambytyouse Avarice he hath made God's commandments of non effect, and with hypocrytycall doctrine perverted Christ's most holy Gospel. This is weal known to all men. How cometh than an heresy, thus to report or write? By like this fond fellaw, hath learned of Lanfrancus and friar Walden, Lanlfrancus. Walden, that he is only an heretic, which in doctrine dyssenteth from the synagogue of Rome, Guido, Or else of friar Guido in his book De heresibus, that he is a most pernicious heretic, which saith, that the Romish pope is not head of the christian church, neither may make laws for the christianity, But he never yet marked the words of Athanasius, athanasius that they are the most wicked sort of heretics, which persecuteth Christ's true servants. Other arguments are there else, to prove this wicked fellow, a natural child of that father & mother, & so a most spiteful papist. In the time that stought Steven Gardyner was bishop of Wynchestre, Steven. Gardiner. and made havoc of Christ's poor stock, no man was so mad as this mad fellow, to search and to seek, to accuse, to revile to shame, and to bring men in danger of death, for their Christian believes sake. A Soul. No where was any sessions within Hamshire, but he was always there against them, conducted by that priests, prating and scolding, stuttinge and stam bearing, with froth issuing out on both sides of his mouth for anger. The superstitious nuns of Wynchestre, nuns. dysobeyenge both the bishop and his chancellor concerning their apparel, and utterly contemning the preachings that are now had their daily resorts to him, and became as flickering culvers about his house. The preachers of Gods word there, were nothing else with him, as he fat on the ale benches, but heretics & knaves, vagabonds, traiters, apostates, & runnegates, A blood. with blood and soul, that he would lay his dagger on their faces. No man knoweth this to be more true than I do, upon whom he not only bestowed these uncomely names, and that a great sort of times, but also in that open street at Wynchestre, coming suddenly out of an house of purpose upon me, A Ruffyan he set his one hand upon my Beard and bosom, and his other hand sometime on his Dagger and sometime bend it over my head, as though he would have buffeted me on the face, with such mad exclamations as I never heard of man of Bedlam, besides the unreasonable spoil that he had made afore that of my house, A spoil, Yet never in my life did I offend him, to my knowledge, neither in my deed nor my word. Not thus yet settled in all this raging fury, A beast. he procured the clerk of my parish of bishops Stoke a man that knoweth not his A. B. C. & ii more as unlearned and popish as he was, to indyghte me at Wynchestre sessions, for not hallowing the funte at the baptism of a Child, with candle light, salt, oil, cream, and wax droppinges, as in the popish time, notwithstanding the kings inhybytion concerning all such papistical beggeryes. He caused them to report there, to the rediculouse Rydiculus wonderment of all men learned, that I should have said than, that the wurd of God was hallowed enough already, But that Gods wurd at any time should be profane and need hallowing, or else that it hath been hallowed, it is their blasphemous and beastly opinion, and not mine. Foolish, I think a more foolish & unlearned a sentence, was never uttered of any man. See how deeply the Lord hath permitted these papists to spew fourth their own rydyculouse shame. Yet was it not so doltish and brutish, but it took place there, and was weal allowed. They that could do nothing in matters of truth for the king at the sessions afore, Sessions. could in the pope's secret quarrel at that sessions, for falshehode find me worthy an indightment, & wurkmanly made it out. And it wanted no circumstance that might be devised to aggravat the matter. For there was I called an obstinate person, a seditious fellow, a trobler of this whole realm, a profaner of of the sacraments, Slanders a depraver of the kings book, a slanderer of his procedings, an abominable example giver, & a contempner of the king and his crown. All the papists of England, had never at that bench so much laid against them, And all for pretermytting that one point of old papistry If this conveyance conveyance be not somewhat wurth I report me. Well, he hath made his boast, that for doing of such feats, he can lack no living. Twenty priests within Hanshire, (he saith) will rather give me up their personages and profyghtes, upon a small pension, than I should be without a dwelling house. And he that shall seek him at this day shall find him tabernacled in one of their personages, Found out what though he hath protested by oath, that he will be no longer a papist. Thus have I set out this frantic papist A papist. in his own lively colours, agreeing to his most malicious fruits, to make him known to others, and to cause his other companions to be a shamed of his lewd lunitick ways. If he be not a papist, which with polluted mouth, in defence of papistry blasphemeth the kings Majesty, his honourable counsel, & the preachers of gods wurd, signified by God's name, God's tabernacle, and then that dwell in heaven, who is a wicked papist? If he be not a false prophet, that evometeth such iii filthy frogs at ones, as this busy babbler hath done here in one blasphemous sentence, who is a false prophet? If he be not a malignant member of Antichrist, that so maliciously and madly defendeth his naughty quarrel, with pratlynges and scoldynges, stuttynges and stamberynges, Antichrist. supporting superstitious Noonnes and other Idolaters in their open Idolatries, conteptuouslye revyling the preachers with dagger in hand or fist on their faces, besides indightmentes, I would fain know who were a member of antichrist? Thou shall it be no slander to this frantyck fellow, to be called a papist, a false prophet, and a malicious limb of Antichrist, three People but a most manifest truth, considering he hath played all those frantic parts at times so stoutly. None other is the tree that bringeth sour crabs, than a crab tree, neither yet the ill man that worketh wickedness, but a wicked fellow. The eternal God change the hateful hearts of such papistical enemies, God grant as this is one, and send them more gentle minds in obeying his heavenly truth, that they may at the latter become of so heady and malicious saul's, most gentle and patient Paul's, to the glory of his most holy name, Amen. ☞ Thus endeth the Expostulation or complaint against the blasphemies of a frantic papist of Hanshyre, Compiled by johan Bale Finis. ¶ The xxiii Psalm of David. called: Dixit insipiens. Fools that true faith yet never had, Saith in their hearts, there is no God filthy they are, in their practise. Of them not one, is godly wise. From heaven the Lord on man did look, To know what ways, he undertook▪ All they were vain, and weut astray, Not one he found, in the right way. In heart and tongue, have they deceit, Their lips throw forth, a poisened bait their minds are mad, their mouths are wood And swift they be, in shedding blood, So blind they are, no truth they know, No fear of God, in them will grow, How can that cruel sort be good? Of gods dear flock, which suck that blood On him rightly, shall they not call, Despair will so, their hearts appall, At all times God, is with the just, Because they put, in him their trust, Who shall therefore, from Zion give, That health which hangeth, in our believe When God shall take from his the sma● Than will jacob, rejoice in heart. Praise to God. ¶ The. Cxxx. Psalm of David, called. De profundis. To God thus faithful David song, His deep and daily cates among. FRom faith of soul and hearts rejoice, I call to thee, Lord hear my voice. Thine ears (good Lord) inclined be, Unto the poor complaint of me. If thou shouldest way our wickedness, Who can abide thy ryghtousuesse? Because I find all help in thee, I doubt no fierce extremity. In my Lord God is all my trust, To walk as his word hath dyscust, The church for her continuance. Hopeth in the Lords good governance. For in the Lord great mercy is, And full redemption after this, He will redeem all Israel, From devil and death, from sin & hell. ¶ Praise to God. Imprinted at London by John day, dwelling over Aldersgate beneath saint martyn's, and are to be sold at the shop by the little Condite in cheapside.