HOLY churches Complaint, for her children's disobedience.  
 
HE which the Church, for Mother will not have,  
And still continues in his stubborn will,  
May be assured, that God him will not save,  
But let him headlong run, from worse, to ill:  
If thou for ever then, with him wilt be,  
Come home again, the Keys he left with me.   

Holy Church's Complaint.  

While Adam sound sleep did take,  
God's wisdom did provide:  
A loving Spouse to be his make,  
Created from his side.   

So Christ our Lord upon the rood,  
By death on sleep did fall:  
And from his side water and blood  
Did run to rinse us all.   

Whereby his Church he did ordain  
His loving Spouse and make:  
The cause why all that bitter pain  
He suffered for her sake.   

And cleansed her from filthy crime  
By Baptism bath, by blood:  
And wan her straight from time to time,  
By conquest on the Rood.   

And warned all, obediently  
To hear his Church's voice: 
Math. 18.17.   
Or else, as heathen men to be,  
And of no better choice.   

Wherefore (O man) take thou good keep  
What holy Church doth say:  
Unto all such like wandering sheep  
As run from her astray.   

O erring flock, with all thy power,  
Return to me again: 
john 10.   
Or hellish wolves will thee devour,  
Unto eternal pain.   

You should be children of God's house,  
Come seek your dwelling there:  
God's holy Church, and loving Spouse,  
Which is your Mother dear.   


Aug. in psa. 88 & de limb lib. 4. Cip. c. 10. de simplicitate prelate. Proverb. 1.9. john 14.16, 26. john 15.26. john 16.7.  As holy Doctors all writ this,  
And constantly agree:  
To whom Christ's Church no mother is,  
God will no father be.   

The holy Ghost Christ promised  
To me his Spouse to send:  
That in all truth I might be led,  
Until this world should end.   


The 2 Testaments Malach. 2.7. Esa. 12 3. Rom. 10.15. john 10.  From my two dugs the food of life  
Do all God's children draw:  
Submissively, without all strife,  
Unto my sacred Law.   

If any man contend upon  
The mysteries of our faith:  
Then should you answer such a one,  
As sacred scripture saith.   


1. Cor. 11.16. 1. Reg. 15.22. 2. Cor. 10.5. 1. Pet. 1.14.  No such custom have we in this,  
Nor holy church likewise:  
For we well know, Obedience is  
exceeding sacrifice.   

Take Credit and Authority  
From me, Christ's Spouse away:  
Then all true faith undoubtedly,  
Will fall to deep decay.   

By me you know, God, and his word,  
And the true sense thereof:  
Though heretics will not accord,  
But proudly scorn and scoff.   

And schismatics that separate  
Themselves from grace and peace:  
How do you think your sinful state  
Alas shall find release?   

O think on what our Saviour dear  
Hath suffered for thy sake:  
The space of three and thirty year,  
Most bitter pains to take.   

And poorly borne, it is well known,  
Thou needst not to be told:  
Descending from his heavenly throne  
To bring thee to his fold.   

And in this worldly wilderness,  
With love long hath thee sought:  
The poerelesse price who can express  
Wherewith he hath thee bought.   

For love of thee his grief was great,  
The like was never found:  
From his sweet face a bloody sweat,  
Did trickle to the ground.   

Mark how his blessed flesh was rend,  
With whips on every side:  
Yet for thy sake he was content  
Such torments to abide.   

Upon his head, him to disgrace,  
They set a crown of thorn:  
That streams of blood ran down apace,  
Which patiently was borne.   

Condemned was this Innocent,  
Upon a Cross to die:  
The which he bore incontinent  
Towards mount calvary.   

His blessed hands and feet thereto  
With nails were fixed fast:  
Three hours so, most bitter woe  
For thee thy Lord did taste.   

All passengers that piteously  
Behold this bitter pain: 
Thren. 1.12.   
Declare to me, like cruelty  
Did ever man sustain?   

His head with thorns, his eyes with tears,  
His mouth is filled with gall:  
And bloody wounds (as well appears)  
Do pain his members all.   

This heavenly bridegroom on the Rood  
His Church to Spouse did take:  
And others all as bastard's brood  
Did utterly forsake.   

Then all his pain it is in vain,  
O sinful wretch to thee:  
Except in me thou wilt remain  
In perfect unity.   


Galat 7. 1 Pet 3 21. Ephet. 5.24.  As well noah's Ark did signify,  
When all the world was drowned:  
So in my lap assuredly  
Is all true safety sound.   


Symbol. Athan. john 15.1.5, & 6  Seek where thou wilt, no other place  
From sin can set thee free:  
Of all the treasures of his grace  
The Keys he left with me.   

My Spouse ascending left with me,  
His treasure and his store:  
That I might give, as cause I see,  
A salve to every sore.   


The seven sacraments.  Give ear to me a little space,  
And mark attentively:  
How seven conduits of God's grace,  
I open unto thee.   

And first in Baptism I do bear  

The sacrament of Baptism.  (Through God the holy ghost)  
Most faithful children far and near  
To him in every coast.   

Then do I strengthen them also,  

Confirmation.  With further gifts of grace:  
To fight against their deadly foe,  
That seeks them to displace.   

If they, through sin, and Satan's guile  

Penance.  Receive some deadly wound:  
I can them salve and reconcile,  
Repentance being found.   

I feed them all with Angel's food,  
And heavenly Manna pure: 
The holy Eucharist.   
Which hung for them upon the Rood  
Salvation to procure.   

I give them grace to multiply,  
In such as married be: 
Matrimony.   
Two in one flesh conjunctively,  
Resembling Christ and me.   

For godly government, I give  
High Orders in degree: 
Holy Orders.   
Under whose charge my children live,  
And walk obediently.   

As David sung in prophecy 
Psal. 44.17.   
For parents past, again  
Should children borne still placed be  
As Princes for to reign.   

When languishing sore sick they lie  
In weak and feeble state:  
To comfort them my Pastors hie,  
In that most dreadful gate. 
The sacrament of extreme Unction.    

The gate that all mankind must go,  
Wherefore I them anoint:  
With holy oil against their foe, 
jacob. 5.14.   
As Scriptures do appoint.   

Moreover this, 
The holy sacrifice of the mass.  I have a pure  
And daily sacrifice:  
Which to my children doth procure  
Mercy, and Grace likewise.   

As Malachi foretold, by name, 
Malac. 1.11.   
From rising of the Sun:  
Unto the setting of the same  
This sacrifice is done.   

With other gifts and graces more, 
Eccl. 24.   
I have for to dispose:  
Which all that thus unkindly go  
From me, of force must lose.   

Return then to repentance meek,  
Mercy in time require:  
I groan, I sigh, I sob and seek  
To save thee from hell fire.   

Thy Father's force, and potent hand  
In furious rage will strike:  

Luc. 10.16.  If thou thy Mother dost withstand,  
And sacred Laws mislike.   


Ose 1, & 2.  Forsake that stepdame Heresy,  
Come walk my holy way:  

Esa. 35.8.  Wherein, by Esaies' prophecy,  
Fools cannot run astray.   

Embrace me then obediently,  
See in Gods sacred Book:  

Esai. 49, 23.  How mighty Kings shall foster me,  
And Queens must give me suck.   

O how should I forgotten be  
Thus in so short a space:  
For never since Christ planted me,  
That I did hide my face.   

Although that harlot Heresy  
Would mask in mine attire:  
Yet may the simplest plainly see  
How hell and she conspire.   

To seek my utter overthrow  
Is all their whole intent:  
Yet spurning at the prick, you know,  
Is time but vainly spent.   

Full falsely they do me accuse  

Matth. 13.25.  Their own dark cause to clear:  
That I God's truth did clean refuse  
For many a hundred year.   


Math. 28.20. john 14.16.26 john 15.26 john 16.7.  Though Christ my Spouse, and only aid,  
The holy Ghost my guide:  
As is in Scripture plainly said,  
And cannot be denied.   

If that a Bird cannot incline 
Math 10.20. Luc. 12.6.   
To fall, nor to ascend:  
Without God's providence divine,  
Whereon she doth depend.   

If to each creature he do yield  
Relief in their degree:  
And to the Lilies of the field  
Will not unmindful be. 
Math. 1.26.28.    

He cannot be forgetful in  
His honour, and renown: 
Esai. 49, 15, 16.   
And suffer so hell gates to win, 
Math. 16.18.   
His kingdom and his crown.   

My feet are placed on the rock,  
My God is my defence: 
Gala. 15.1. Psal. 17.31.   
The force of all the hellish flock  
Cannot remove me thence.   

Of Truth I am the only ground, 
1. Tim. 3.15.   
As holy Paul doth tell:  
In me God's will is only found,  
In me all grace doth dwell.   

I am the Tabernacle still, 
Psal. 18.6.   
Set in the Sun to shine:  
I am that city on a hill, 
Math. 5.15.   
That's hid from no man's eine.   

I am cut forth of Christ his side,  
As is in Daniel found: 
Dan. 2.35.   
To fill the world both far and wide,  
With force of doctrine sound.   

Therefore my name is Catholic,  
For every time and place:  
Unto that faith then firmly stick  
That most men still embrace.   

By David's words I hold this plea, 
Psal. 2.8. Psal. ●1. 8.   
That Christ must rule and reign:  
From sea to sea, and from the sea  
Through all the world again.   

How can they charge me that I should  
God's holy truth deny:  
For, so his promise cannot hold,  
But Scriptures falsely lie?   

He prayed for me most fervently,  
How could he but prevail?  
And therefore did assure to me,  

Luc. 22.31. Luc. 12.49. Math. 13.24, 30  My faith should never fail.   

O you poor souls so purchased,  
With Christ's most precious blood:  
What fury hath so fond led  
You from your chiefest good?   

Especially to thee my dear,  
Standing in this estate:  
Through wicked wealth, or worldly fear,  
O most accursed Fate.   

Less to esteem of God than gold,  
Of soul than carcase vile:  
O that such sensual pleasure should  
Put reason in exile.   


Heb. 12.1 & 2. Math. 16.24. Math. 10.37, 38.  If here thy cross thou wilt not take  
With Christ thy captain kind:  
For evermore in Limbo lake,  
Be sure thou shalt it find.   

But if like Christ's disciple sound,  
Thy cross thou wilt endure:  
In heavenly wealth thou shalt abound,  
And lasting joy procure.   

Alas, you run your course in vain,  
You lose your heavenly crown:  
Return to noah's Ark again,  
Or else you needs must drown.   

Convert all erring hearts (O Lord)  
Thy loving Spouse defend:  
That we always with her accord,  
And so make up, and end.   
Finis.  
Deo gratias.