Marginalia1555. October.uer a whit. For euen of thy greatest magistrates some (the kings highnes then, that innocent, that godly harted, and pereles yong christian prince excepted) euermore vnkindly and vngently against those that wēt about most busely and most holesomly to cure their sore backes, spurned priuely, and would not spare to speake euil of them, euen vnto the Prince himself, and yet would they towardes the same preachers outwardly beare a ioly countenaunce, and a faire face.

[Back to Top]

I haue heard that Cranmer and an other, whom I will not name, were both in high displeasure, the one for shewing his conscience secretely, but plainely and fully in the Duke of Somersets cause,  

MarginaliaCranmer and Ridley standing in the Duke of Somersets cause. and both of late, but specially Cranmer for repugning, as they might, against the late spoile of the church goodsMarginaliaCranmer repugning agaynst the spoyle of the Church goods. taken away only by commaundement of the higher powers, without any law or order of iustice, and without any request of consent of them to whom they did belong. As for Latimer, Leuer, Bradford, and Knoxe,MarginaliaLatimer. Bradford. Leuer. Knoxe. their tonges were so sharpe, they ripped in so depe in their galled   backes, to haue purged them (no doubt) of that filthy mater that was festered in theyr harts, of insaciable couetousnes, of filthy carnality and voluptuousnes, of intolerable ambition & pride, of vngodly lothsomnes to heare poore mens causes, and to heare Gods word, that these men of all other, these magistrates then could neuer abide. Other there were, very godly mē and wel laerned, that went about by the wholesome plasters of Gods word, how be it after a more soft maner of hādling of the matter, but (alas) all sped in like. For all that could be done of all hāds, their disease did not minish, but daily did encrease which (no doubt) is no smal occasion in that state, of the heauy plague of God that is poured vpon England at this day. As for the common sort of other inferior magistrates, as iudges of the lawes, iustices of peace, sergeants, common lawyers, it may be truly sayd of them, as of the most part of the Clergy, of Curates, Vicares, Persons, Prebendaries, Doctors of the law, Archdeacons, Deanes, yea, & I may say, of Bishops also,MarginaliaThe corrupt life of gosphellers in King Edwards time. I feare me, for the more parte, although I doubt not but God had & hath euer whom he in euery state knew and knoweth to be his, but for the most part (I say) they wer neuer persuaded in their harts but from the teeth forwarde and for the kings sake, in the truth of Gods word, and yet all these did dissemble and bare a copy of a countenaunce as if they had bene sound within.

[Back to Top]

And this dissimulation Sathan knew well enough, and therfore desired and hath euer gone about that the high magistrates by any maner of meanes, might be deceiued in maters of religion, for then he being of counsell with the dissimulation in the worldly, knew well enough that he should bring to passe and rule al euen after his owne will.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaHipocrisy a double euil.Hypocrisy and dissimulation S. Hierome doth call wel a double wickednes, for neither it loueth the truth (which is one great euill) and also falsly it pretendeth to deceiue the simple for an other thing. This hypocrisy and dissimulation with God in matters of religion (no doubt) hath wholy also prouoked the anger of God. And as for the common people, although there were many good where they were well and diligently taught, yet (God knoweth) a great number receiued Gods true word and high benefites wyth vnthankfull harts. For it was great pity and a lamentable thing to haue sene in many places, the people so lothsomly and so vnreligiously to come to the holy Communion, & to receiue it accordingly, and to the commō prayers and other diuine seruice, which were according to the true vaine of Gods holy worde, in all poyntes so godly and holesomely set forth, in comparison of that blinde zeale & vndiscrete deuotion which they had afore times to those thinges whereof they vnderstode neuer one whit, nor could be edified by them any thing at all.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe slacknes that was in his time to good works.And againe, as for almes deedes  

which are taught in Gods word (wherby we are certaine that God is pleased with them, and doth and will require such at our hands, which are a parte of true religiō, as S. Iames saith, and such as he saith him self, he setteth more by, then by sacrifice, as to prouide for the fatherles infantes and orphanes, for the lame, aged, and impotent pore nedy folke, and to make publike prouisiō that the pouerty that might labor, should haue wherwith to labour vpon, and so be kept from shameful beggery and stealing) in these works I say, how waiward were many, in comparison (I meane) of that great prodigality, whereby in times past they spared not to spēd vpon flattering friers, false pardoners, painting & gilting of stockes & stones to be set vp & honored in churches plainly agaīst gods word. And yet because no place is to be defrauded of theyr iust commēdation, Londō, I must cōfesse, for such godly works in Sir Richard Dobs knight thē lord Maior his yere, began maruelous well: the Lord graunt the same may so likewise perseuer, continue, yea and encrease to the comfort and relief of the nedy and helples, that was so godly begon, Amen.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaGods plague vpon England iustly deserued.All these things do minister matter of more mourning and bewailing the miserable state that now is: for by this it may be perceyued how well England hath deserued this iust plague of God. And also it is greatly to be feared, that those good things, whatsoeuer they were that had theyr beginning in the time when gods word was frely preached, now with the exile and banishmēt of the same, will depart againe.

[Back to Top]

But to returne againe to the consideration of this miserable state of Christes church in Englād, and to leaue farther and more exquisite searching of the causes therof vnto Gods secrete and vnserchable iudgements, let vs see what is best nowe to be done for Christes little sely  

flocke. This is one Maxime and principle in Christes law: He that denieth Christ before men, him shall Christ deny afore his father & al his angels of heauen. And therfore eue- let hym that loketh to haue by Christ our Sauior euerlasting life, ry one prepare him self so, that he deny not his Master Christ, or els he is but a cast away and a wretch, how so euer he be counted or taken here in the world.

[Back to Top]

Now then seing the doctrine of Antichrist is returned agayne

MarginaliaHe exhorteth to constant confession of Christ.into this realme, and the higher powers (alas) are so deceiued and bewitched, that they are persuaded it to be truth, and Christes true doctrine to be error and heresy, and the old lawes of antechrist are allowed to returne with the power of their father again: what can be hereafter loked for by reason, to the man of God and true christian abiding in this realme, but extreme violence of death, or els to deny his master. I graūt the harts of princes are in Gods hands, and whether soeuer he wil, he can make them to bow: and also that MarginaliaPunishment of heretiques more gentle in the old time, and how it was vsed.christian Princes in olde time vsed a more gentle kinde of punishment, euen to them which were heritickes in deede, as degradation and deposition out of theyr rowmes and offices, exile and banyshment out of theyr dominions and countreys, and also (as it is red) the true Bishops of Christes church were sometime intercessors for the heretickes vnto Princes, that they would not kil them, as is red of S. Augustine. But as yet antechristes kingdom was not so erected at that time, nor is now accustomed so to order them that will not fall downe and worship the Beast and his Image, but (euen as all the world knoweth) after the same maner that both Iohn and Daniell hath prophesied before, that is by violence of death: and Daniel declareth farther þ^t the kind of death accustomably should be by sword, fire, and imprisonment. Therefore if thou, O man of God, dost purpose to abide in thys realme, prepare and arme thy selfe to die: for both by Anitchristes accustomable lawes and these prophecies, there is no apparance or likelyhode of any other thing, except thou wilt deny thy Master Christ, whych is þ^e losse at the last, both of body & soule vnto euerlasting death. Therfore my good brother or sister in Christ, whatsoeuer thou be, to thee that canst and mayest so doe, that counsell that I thinke is the best sauegard for thee, both for thy body and most suretie for thy soules helth, is that which I shall shew thee hereafter.MarginaliaCounsell geuen in these dayes of persecution, what to doe. But first I warne thee to vnderstand me to speake to him or her, which he not in captiuity or called already for to cōfesse Christ, but are at liberty abrode.

[Back to Top]

My coūsell (I say) therfore is this, to flie from the plague and to get thee hense. I consider not only the subtelties of Sathā, and how he is able to deceiue by his false persuasions (if it were possible) euen the chosen of God, and also the great frailty which is often times more in a man then he doth know in himself, which in the time of temptation then will vtter it selfe: I doe not only consider these things (I say) but that our Master Christ, whose life was & is a perfect rule of the Christian mans life, that he himselfe auoyded oftentimes the fury and madnes of the Iewes, by departing from the countrey or place.

[Back to Top]

Paule likewise when he was sought in Damasco, & the gates of þ^e city were layd in wayt for him, was cōueyed by nyght, being let downe in a basket out at a window ouer the wall: and Helyas þ^e prophet, fled the persecution of wicked Iesabell: and Christ our Sauiour saith in the gospell: MarginaliaSuch as remayned out of captiuity counsayled to voyde the realme.VVhen they persecute you in one city, flye vnto an other: and so did many good, great learned & vertuous men of God, which were great and stout champions neuertheles, and stout cōfessors and mainteiners of Christ and his truth in due time & place. Of such was the great clarke Athanasius. But this is so plaine to be lawfull by gods word and examples of holy men, that I nede not to stand in it. Hauing this for my ground, I say to thee O man of God, thys semeth to me to be the most sure way for thy sauegard, to depart and flie farre from the plague, and that swiftly also: for truely, before God, I thinke that the abomination that Daniell prophesied of so long before, is now set vp in the holy place.MarginaliaThe abomination of desolation set vp in Englād.For all Antichristes doctrine, lawes, rites and religion, contrary to Christ and to the true seruing and worshipping of God, I vnderstand to be that abomination: Therfore now is the time in England for those words of Christ: Tunc, inquit, qui in Iudea sunt fugiant ad montes.  

Then (sayth he): mark thys Christes [then] for truely I am persuaded and I trust by þ^e spirit of God, that this [then] is cōmaunded: Then (sayth Christ) they that be in Iewry, let them flie into the mountaines, and he that is on the house toppe, let hym not come downe to take away any thing out of hys house, and he that is abrode in the fielde, let him not returne to take his clothes. VVo be to the great bellyed womē, and to them that geue sucke, but pray, (saith Christ) that your flight be not in winter nor on the saboth day.

[Back to Top]

These words of Christ are mysticall, and therefore haue nede of interpretation. I vnderstand all those to be in Iewry spiritually, which truely confesse one true liuing God, and the whole truth of his word, after the doctrine of the gospell of Christ. Such are they whom Christ here biddeth in the time of the raygne of Antichristes abominations, MarginaliaChrist cōmaundeth to flie vnto the mountaynesto flye vnto the mountaynes: which signifieth places of safegarde, and all such things which are able to defend from the plague. That he biddeth him that is on the house toppe not to come downe, and him that is in the fielde, not to returne to take wyth hym his clothes, he meaneth that they should speede them to get them away betime lest in theyr tarying and trifling about worldly prouision, they be trapped in the snare ere euer they be aware, and caught by the backe, and for gaine of small worldly things, endaunger and cast them selues into great perils of more waighty matters. And where he sayth: wo to the great bellyed women, and to them that geue sucke: women great with childe, and nigh to theyr lying downe, & so to be brought to bed, are not able to trauell: nor also those women which are brought to bed, and now geueth theyr babes sucke. By these therfore Christ spiritually vnderstandeth all such to be in extreme daunger, which this word [wo] signifieth: al such (I say) as are so letted by any maner of meanes, þ^t they no wayes be able to flye frō the plague. And where Christ saith: pray that your flight be not in wynter, nor on the sabboth day: in winter the common course of the yeare teacheth vs that the wayes be foule, and therefore it is a harde thyng then to take a farre iourney for many incommodities and dangers of the wayes in that time of the yeare: and on the Sabboth day it

[Back to Top]