¶ Pleasure And pain, Heaven and Hell: Remember these four, and all shall be well. ¶ Compiled by Roberte Crowley, Anno Domini, MDLI ❧ Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. ¶ O ye that be my father's blessed ones come and possess the kingdom that was prepared for you before the beginning of the world. ¶ Go ye cursed sort into the everlasting fire that was prepared for the Devil and his Angels Math, xxv, ¶ To the right worshipful Lady Dame Elizabeth Fane, wife to the right worshipful Sir Ralph Fane knight: Roberte Crowley Wyshethe the Life everlasting AFter I had compiled this little treatise (right virtuous Lady) I thought it my duty to Dedicate the same unto your Ladishyppes name, as to a right worthy patrons of all such as labour in the Lord's harvest. Not for that I think I have herein done any thing worthy so liberal a patrons, but for the worthiness of the matter, which is a part of the holy gospel of jesus Christ written by the holy evangelist matthew, and is most necessary to be beaten into the heads of all men at this day, to drive them (if it be possible) from the greedy rakeying together of the Treasures of this vain world. I do not doubt, but if god have not given men up to their own hearts lust they will now at the last endeavour to live the gospel which they have of long time talked. In deed it was necessary that God should stir up some to plague such among his people as had offended even as he did often times stir up the Heathen to plague his people of Israel but yet it is not necessary that the same should continue in oppressing the offendars and Innocent together. For so shall they also deserve the lords Wrath & in the end be plagued by some other that God shall stir up to revenge the injury done to the innocent sort Moved therefore with the desire to see the wealth of my country by the pacifying of gods Ire, which (no doubt) will fall upon this realm very shortly, if oppression and greedy covetise cease not: I have so plainly as I could, set forth in this little book the terrible judgement of god (which no doubt of it is at hand) that if there remain any fear of god in mens hearts it may cause them to stay at the least way and not to proceed any farther in the Inventing of new ways to oppress the poor of this realm whose oppression doth already cry unto the lord for vengeance. The lord work in the hearts of the rich that this vengeance fall not on this realm in our days, for doubtless it will be great when it cometh. And if the oppression cease not, the vengeance can not tarry long. For the lord hath promised to revenge his people in haste. This lord preserve your good ladyship to his good pleasure in this life and give you bliss in the life to come So be it. Your Ladyships at commandment Robert Crowley. When Christ shall come to judge us all And give each one Mat. xvi. as he hath wrought His father's friends then will he call To enjoy that which they have sought By beleveng that they were bought With his blood shed upon a tree As by their works Mat. seven. all men may see Come, come, shall he say to these men Come and possess for evermore Mat. xxv. That kingdom which my father when No world was made laid up in store For you, whom he did know before To be in manners Rom. viii like to me That am his son and aye have be Come shall he say for aye when I Stood need of meat ye gave me food Mat. xxv. So did you drink when I was dry Reioyceng when you did me good No fiend therefore shall change your mode For you shall always be with me And shall my father's i Cor. xiii. godhead see And at all times when I have been Of needful lodging Mat. xxv. desolate You have been glad to take me in Whether it were yarly or late You did me never chide nor rate But gave me words courtesy and kind proceeding from a faithful mind. ¶ So when I was naked and bare Having no clothes my flesh to hide from your own backs Mat. xxv. than did you spare ' nd gave me clothes for back and side So that I might the cold abide. But if you lacked sufficient Then did you my great lack lament. Infyne, when I was weak and sick And had no comfort about me To come to me you did not stick Mat. xxv. And secure my necessity And when it chanced me to be In prison and could not get out To ransom me you went about. ¶ Then shall the just Mat. xxv answer again And say, O lord, when saw we the In prison or in other pain Through extreme need and poverty? Art not thou lord of land and see? What? lord we know that sea and land Have evermore been in thine hand we know that thou gavest all thing i Cor. iiii. To all estates doth high and low There is no mighty lord nor king But he is in thine hand we know. In vain lord we might plant and sow If thou gave us not fruit and grain We could have nought life to sustain Then shall Christ say, all this is true I gave you life. and did you feed With grains and fruitis doth old and new And gave you all things at your need In all your ways I was your speed And gave you that wherefore ye sought who without me john. xv. had come to nought. ☞ Yet all that I have said before Is true also, for when you gave Aught to such as were sick or sore Whom need constray forto crave Than I confess myself to have Mat. xxv received all that at your hand Whereof they did in great need stand. ¶ Then shall the just with joy enter Into the joys that shall not end Because their hearts were aye tender To give such things as god did send Mankind from peril to defend. Mat. v. Thus shall they live in joy and bliss In paradise where no pain is. But to the wicked Christ shall say. Avoid from me ye wicked sort For in my need you said me nay Mat. xxv. With spiteful words of discomfort Yet my preachars did you exhort Me in my members to refresh i. Corhi. x. knowing that all are but one flesh. ☞ Then shall these men Mat. xxv. with faint herie say Lord when did we see the in need? Thou haste been lord and King alway No wight was whom thou didst not feed All this we learned in our Creed, For thou art jesus, that God's son That hath create both son and moan. ☞ Oh, shall Christ say to them again, Ye deaf dorepostis could ye not hear? i. Cohr. xii Think you the head bideth no pain When the members make heavy there? In you, nought but flesh doth appear. For if my spirit in you had been Me in mine you must nediss have seen. ¶ The poor, the poor, and indigent Came unto you oft times ye know And you saw them weep and lament Yet would ye not on them bestow The least fruit that to you did grow No no, you were ready to take That other gave them for my sake. Your hearts were hardee then the flint In them no pity Ezech. 33. could be found Your greedy gut could never stint Till all the good and fruitful ground Were hedged in whythin your nownde. You wicked sort, how used ye, The londis and goodis ye had of me? ☞ You made your boast all was your own To spare or spend, at your own will And when any poor men were known Mat. xxi. That were so bold to call it ill My landis and goodis in waste to spill You shut them up in prison strong? Tormenting them ever among. False libertynes you did them call Because they told you your duty You said the losels would have all That you had gotten painfully And kept long time most carefully, But ye belie them I know well And slander this my true Gospel ☞ among all mine there is not one That would have aught more than his own As I shall tell you plain anon For to me all Luke. xvi. their hearts be known They reaped nought that you had sown. But willed you to let them have That I gave you mankind to save Not one so blind among you all But he knoweth I made all of nought Appointing all things Psal. viii natural To serve mankind, whom I have wrought Like to myself Gensis. i. in loveing thought Willing that each should at his need, Have bread and Broth. harbour and weed. ❧ But sith it was expedient That among all there should be some Alway sick, sore and impotent, I endued you with such wisdom As did honest stuardis become Cammitting whole Mat. 24. into your hand The riches both of sea and land. ☞ My purpose was that you should have Alway all needful things in store To secure such as nediss must crave Of you things needful evermore I made you rich to feed the poor But you like servants prodigal Have in excess Mat. 24 consumed all ☞ But when I found you negligent In feeding of my family Then my prophets to you I sent Commanding that you should yearly Malc. iii Bring all your tithes diligently Into my barn that there might be Meat in mine house for poverty. But you gave to their words no heed You held all fast and would nought bring Into my barn the poor to feed But spent all at your own liking Gene. 32. In wantonness and banquesting And in raiment past your degree As men that had no mind of me ¶ Yea some of you were not content To hold fast that ye should have brought Into my barn, there to be spent But greedily john. x, ye begged and bought That my true seruantis as they ought Did at my true prophetis bidding Into my barn faithfully bring ¶ And when you had once gotten in Into my fold among my sheep Then you thought it to be no sin Still in your kennels forto sleep Setting such once my flock to keep As were more like john. x. to eat the lamb Then to defend his feeble dame Ezech. 34. ☞ Ye robbed, ye spoiled, ye bought, ye sold My flock and me, in every place Ye made my blood vylar then gold And yet ye thought it no trepasse O wicked sort void of all grace Avoid from me down into hell With lucifer there shall ye dwell Ye had the tithes of men's increase That should have fed Ezech. 34. my flock and me But you made your selves well at ease And took no thought for poverty It did not grieve you forto see My flock and me suffer great need For lack of meat, harbour and weed. ¶ No Hell can be a worthy pain For your offence it is so great For you have rob me and slain My flock for lack of needful meat The woule, the lamb the malt and wheat You did by force carry away And no man durst once say you nay, ¶ How can you look to have mercy At mine hand? whom ye would not feed With that was mine even of duty To succour me and mine at need? Sith you might in the scripture read That such men shall no mercy have jacob. two. As keep their own when need doth crave Unto the Hungry isaiah. viii part thy bread And when thou shalt the naked se. Put clothes on him, this might you read In my Prophetis that Preached me And in john's Pistol these words be. How can that man have Charity That being rich showeth no pity? Also, Prou. xxi. the man that stoppeth his ear At the cry of such as be poor Shall cry, and no man shall him hear Nor at his need show him succour Right so, Prou. xxii he that doth endeavour To be made rich by oppressing Shall leave himself (at the last) no thing. For he shall give the rich alway More than he can scrape from the poor So that in time he shall decay And have no needful thing in store This might you read and ten times more In the bible, that holy book If you had had Math. x. time forto look But such scriptures you could not broke As bade you give aught to the poor You wished then out of the book But you were sure to have in store Plenty of scriptures evermore To prove that you might aye be bold With your own to do what you would You thought you might your goodis employ To private gain in every thing You thought it no fault to annoy Such men as were Mat. seven. nigh you dwelling Were it by purchaise or bylding Neither to get into your hand, Your neighbours house his goodis and land All was your own that you might buy Or for a long time take by lease And then would you take rend yearly Much more than was the tenantis ease Luke. iii. It was no fault your rentis to rease From twenty marks to forty powndis Were it in tenementis or growndis What though the poor did lie and die For lack of of harbour in that place Where you had gotten wickedly By lease or else by plain purchase All houseing that should in that case Have been a slafegard and defence Against the stormy violence? Yea what if the poor famyshed For lack of food upon that ground The rents whereof Math. x. you have raised Or hedged it within your mownde? There might therewith no fault be found, No though ye bought up all the grain To sell it at your price again You thought that I would not require the blood of all such at your hand, But be you sure eternal fire Is ready for each hell fire brand, Both for the housing and the land That you have taken jacob. two. from the poor Ye shall in Hell dwell evermore, Yea that same land that ye did take From the ploughmen that laboured sore causing them wicked shyftiss to make. Shall now lie upon you full sore You shallbe damned for evermore The blood of them that did amiss Mat. xviii Through your default is cause of this The fathers whose children did grow In Idleness to a full age Would fain be excused by you That were the cause that they did rage's You took from them their heritage Leaveing them nought whereon to work Which lack did make them learn to lurk The sons also that wicked were And wrought after their wicked will Would now right fain be proved clear Because your miss hath made them Ille But they must nediss be guilty still Because they would work wickedly Rather than live in misery And yet shall you answer for all Their blood I will Ezech. iii of you require Because you were cause of their fall That are become vessels of Ire Both they and you shall have your hire In Hell among that wicked sort That live in pains without comfort. ☞ Infyne, all such as did amiss Through your default, what so they be Shall live in pain that endless is Because they would not credit me That am the truth and verity I told them if Debru. xii they were oppressed I would see all their wrongs redreste The wicked sort that did rebel Against you when you did them wrong Shall have their part with you in Hell Where you shall sing a doleful song World without end you shall be stonge with the prick of the conscience Eccles. seven A just reward for your offence. ☞ And you that would nediss take in hand To guide my flock, as shepheardis should Only to possess rend and land And as much richesse as you could To lead your life even as you would Avoid from me down into hell With Simon Magus there to dwell Actu. viii ❧ If I should rehearse all at large That in your wicked life is found And lay it straight to your charge No wight there were in this world round But would wonder Genes. 7. I had not drowned The hole earth for your sin only That would be called my clergy first (with Magus) ye made your way Like greedy woulles into my fold Your wicked will could find no stay So long as aught was to be sold Either for service or for gold, By you the patrons fell from me And are become as Ill as ye ¶ You did provoke them first to sell And then they learned forto buy Thinking that they might buy as well As the leadars of the clergy. And then they found means by and by To catch and keep in their own hand The tenth increase by sea and land ¶ Their own children they did present Their servants and their wicked kin And put by such as I had sent To tell my people of their sin And you were glad john. x. to take them in Because you knew that they did know That you came in by the window ❧ Such as would have entered by me That am the door of my sheep fold You said were not worthy to be Admitted into my household You thought by them you should be told isaiah. thirty Of your most wicked Simony Your falsehood and your periutie Act xxiiii ¶ You laid to their charge Herecie Sisme and sedition also But you did them falsely belie thinking thereby to work them woe And doubtless oft it chanced so For many of them you have slain With most extreme and bitter pain. ¶ Thus by your means my people have Ben destitute of sheperdis good They have been led by such as drove Them from the field of ghostly food They beat them back with heavy mode And made them feed in morysh ground Where never sheep could be fed sound. ¶ The kings and Rulars of the earth For lack of knowledge Apo, xviii went astray And you stopped my seruantis breath That would have taught them the right way You thought your living john, xi would decay If kings and Rulars of the land Should their own duty understand, ¶ For so long as you kept them blind Making them think they had no charge You had all things at your own mind And made your own power wondrous large You had an hour in echmans' barge You bade the princes take no care For you would all the dayngar bear ¶ This having my flock in your hand You taught them not but kept then blind So that not one did understand The laws that I Psal. xiiii had left behind The master could not teach his hind How he should work in his calling Fearing my wrath in every thing The father could not teach his son how in his days to walk upright But gave him leave at large to run In wicked ways both day and night Making him wicked in my sight O wicked guidis this was your deed Ezech iii But I shall requite you your meed ☞ The matrons and mothers also Could not teach their daughters my law But wickedly they let them go Whither their wicked lust did draw Can you deny but this you saw? And why did you not set them right To seek things pleasant in my sight? ☞ All manner men were out of frame None knew his duty thoroughly And you are found in all the blame That have entered by Simony jer. xxiii Which thing you shall dearly buy For with Satan you shall be sure World without end still to endure. ☞ For at your handis now I require The blood of all that perished In placis were you took the hire And let my flock be famisshed. For aye ye shall be banished The bliss that I bought for them all That followed me when I did call. john. x Avoid from me down into Hell All ye that have wrought wickedly with lucifer there shall ye dwell And live in pains eternally Your wicked soul shall never nigh Mark, ix But live in pain for evermore Because ye paste not for my lore Away, away ye wicked sort Away I say out of my sight Henseforth you sha have no comfort But bitter mourning day and night Extreme darkness wythouten light Weeping, wailing, with sobbing sore Mat. xxv Gnashing of teeth for evermore, Luke. xiii. Your Conscience shall not be quiet But shall still burn like flaming fire No burning brimstone hath such heat As you shall have for your just hire The hot vengeance of my great Ire Shall be still boiling in your breast So that you shall never take rest Then shall the wicked fall in haste Down into the pit bottomless Mat. xiii. Most bitter pains there shall they taste And live ever in great distress None shall comfort their heaviness In deadly pains there shall they lie And then they would Apocal. ix but shall not die, ¶ Such as were here so loath to die That they thought no plisicke to dear Shall there live in such misery That only death might their hearts there They shall always desire to here That they might die for evermore Their pains shallbe so passing sore, Then shall Christ with his chosen sort Triumphauntely return again To his father giving comfort To such as for his sake Apoc, xxii were slain, No wight shall there feel any pain But all shall live in such bliss there, As never tongue could yet declare. That we may then live in that place With Christ our king that hath us bought Let us cry unto God for grace To repent that we have miss wrought And where we have wickedly sought To be made rich Luke. nineteen. by wicked gain, Let us restore all things again. Let the poor man have and enjoy The house he had by Copyeholde, For him, his wife, and jacke his boy, To keep them from hunger and cold, And though the lease thereof be sold Buy it again though it be dear, For now we go Phil. iiii. on our last year. Cast down the hedges and strong mowndes, That you have caused to be made, About the waste and tillage grounds Making them weep that erst were glad. lest you yourselves be stricken sad When you shall see that Christ doth dry All tears from the Apoc, xxi. oppressedis eye. Restore the fines and eke the rent, That ye have ta'en more than your due Else certainly you shall be shent, When Christ shall your Evidence view, For than you shall find these words true, You are but stewards of the land, That he betook Luke. nineteen, into your hands And you that have taken by lease Great store of growndis or of houseing, Your living thereby to increase, And to maintain you loyetering: two. The. iii Fall now to work for your living And let the lords deal with their growndis In Territories, Fields, and Towns. You do but heap on you gods Ire Which doubtless you shall feel shortly In that you do so much desire The lease of each man's house to buy. isaiah. v. You study no man's wealth pardy, But all men see you do advance Yourself by poor men's hindrance, What though your liveingly thereon? Should you not give them up therefore? It is Abomination, And doubtless God will plague it sore, Repent, I say, and sin no more, For now the day is even at hand When you shall at your trial stand. Let not the wealthy living here (Which can but a short time endure) Be unto you a thing so dear That you will lose endless pleasure Rather than leave the vain treasure O rather let your leases go Then they should work you endless woe. Rehore the tithes unto the poor For blind and lame should live thereon The widow that hath no succour And the child that is left alone, For if these folk do make their moan To God, he will sure hear their cry And revenge their wrong by and by. Restore your tithes I say once more That true preachars may live thereon And have all needful things in store To give to such as can get none lest their great lamentation Do stir the Lord vengeance to take Even for his truth and promise sake. give over your pluralities Ye men of God if you be so Betake you to one benefice, And let your lordelyke lyveuynges go, For holy write teacheth you so Learn at the last to be content With things that be sufficient. If you be meet to do service To any prince or noble man Than meddle with no benefice For certainly no one man can Do the duty of more men than Of one: which duty you do owe To them that give you wage, you know ☞ Rob not the people that do pay The tenth of their increase yearly To have a learned guide alway Present with them to edify Them by teaching the verity Malac, iii Both in his word and eke his deed And to succour such as have need ☞ And you that have ta'en usury Of such as need drove to borrow Make restitution shortly lest it turn you to great sorrow When no man can Psal xv. be your borrow Which shallbe at the day of doom Phil. iiii. Which doubtless is not long to come ☞ And you that by disobeyed have wome Were it in weight or in measure Be sorry that ye have so done And seek to stop God's displeasure By bestowing Luke. iii. this worldis treasure To the comfort, help and succour Of such as be needy and poor ¶ And you that erst have been oppressed And could not bear it patiently For you I think it shallbe best To repent you must hertily And call to god for his mercy To give you grace forto sustain That cross when it Marc. 14 shall come again. To make an end let us repent All that ever we have miss wrought And pray to god omnipotent To take from us all wicked thought That his glory may be still sought By us that be his creatures So long as life in us endures And that henceforth each man may seek In all things to profit all men And be in heart lowly and meek As men that be in deed christian As well in heart as name and then We shall have bliss wythouten end Unto the which the lord us send Amen. ❧ The book to the Christian Readers MY brother (the trumpet) did warn you before That all men should walk in their calling upright Directing their ways by gooddis holy lore knowing that they be always in the lords sight Who seeth in the dark as well as in light. He hath cried unto you all this last year And yet non emendment doth in you appear. ☞ In deed, very many do him entertain Like as there were none more welcome than he Yet I think they do his warning disdain Because he doth tell them what is their duty For he is very plain with every degree The rich and the mighty he doth nothing fear No more doth he with the poor man's salt bear ☞ It pleased my father to send him before That he might make ready and prepare his way By causing all men to walk in his lore That have in times passed wandered astray lest pain be their portion at the last day And now hath he sent me that they may see As it were in a glass what their reward shallbe I am the reward that all men shall have For the just shall have pleasure and the wicked panye When every man shall arise our of his grave And have the sprite knit to the body again In heaven or in hell they shall still remain Or bliss or of pain they shall have their fill The good sort In heaven and in hell the Ill Behold me therefore with a ghostly eye And let me not from your presence depart For no doubt you will all wickedness defy So long as I shall remain in your heart I sha●l cause you from wickedness to convert So that in the end you shall be right sure To live with my father in joy and pleasure. Finis. ¶ Imprinted at london by Robert Crowley dwelling in Elie rentis in Holborn Anno Domini. M.D.L.I.