An Epiſtle.
and iuſt prynces out of theyr rowmes. Whoſe herte wolde not pitie it(yee euē with lamentacyon) to remember but onely the vntollerable wronge done by that Antychriſt of Rome vnto youre graces moſt noble predeceſſoure kynge John̄e I paſſe ouer his peſtilent pykynge of Peter pens out of youre realme: his ſtealynge awaye of youre money for pardons: benefices and byſſhoprykes: his diſceauyng of youre ſubiectes ſoules with his deuelyſhe doctrynes and ſectes of his falſe religions: his bloudſheddyng of ſo many of your graces peaple, for bokes of the ſcripture. Whoſe herte wolde not be greued(yee and that out of meaſure) to call to remēbraūce, how obſtinate and diſobedient, how preſumptuous & ſtubburne that Antychriſt made the byſſhoppes of youre realme agaynſt your graces noble predeceſſours in tymes paſt, as it is manyfeſt in ye Cronicles: I truſt berely there be no ſuche now within youre realme. Yf there be, let them remembre theſe wordes of ſcripture: Preſumptuouſnes goeth before deſtrucciō, & after a proude ſtomacke there foloweth a fall.[1]
What is now the cauſe of all theſe vntollerable and nomore to be ſuffred abhominacions: Truely euen the ignoraunce of the ſcripture of God. For how had it els ben poſſyble, that ſuch blyndnes ſhulde haue come in to ye worlde, had not ye lyghte of Gods worde bene extyncte: How coulde men(I ſaye) haue bene ſo farre from the true ſeruyce of God, and from the due obedience of theyr prynce, had not the lawe of God bene clene ſhut vp, depreſſed, caſt aſyde, and put out of remembraunce? As it was afore the tyme of that noble kyng Joſias, and as it hath bene alſo amonge vs vnto youre graces tyme: by whoſe moſt ryghteous admyniſtracyon(thorowe the mercyfull goodnes of God) it is now founde agayne, + as it was in the dayes of that moſt vertuous kynge Joſias.[2] And prayſed be the father, the ſonne, and the holy gooſt worlde without ende, which ſo excellently hath endewed youre Pryncely hert with ſuch feruentnes to his honoure, and to the welth of youre louyng ſubiectes, that I maye ryghtuouſly(by iuſt occaſyons in youre perſone) cōpare youre hyghnes vnto that noble and gracyous kynge, yt lanterne of lyghte amonge prynces, that feruent protectour and defender of the lawes of God: which cōmaunded ſtraytly(as youre grace doth) that the lawe of God ſhulde be redde and taught vn to all ye people: ſet the preſtes to theyr office in the worde of god: deſtroyed Idolatry and falſe ydols: put downe all euell cuſtomes and abuſyons: ſet vp the true honoure of God: applyed all his ſtudye and endeuoure to the ryghtuous admyniſtracyon of the moſt vncorrupte lawe of God. &c. O what felicite was amonge ye people of Jeruſalem in his dayes: And what proſperous health both of ſoule & body foloweth the lyke myniſtracion in youre hyghnes, we begynne now(prayſed be God) to haue experience.[3] For as falſe doctryne is the origenall cauſe of all euell plages and deſtruccyon, ſo is ye true executynge of the lawe of God ād the preachyng of the ſame, the mother of all godly proſperite. The onely worde of god(I ſaye) is the cauſe of all felicite, it bryngeth all goodnes with it, it bryngeth lernynge, it gēdreth vnderſtondynge, it cauſeth good workes, it maketh chyldren of obedience, breuely, it teacheth all eſtates theyr office and duety.[4] Seynge then that the ſcripture of God teacheth vs euery thynge ſufficiently, both what we oughte to do, and what we oughte to leaue vndene: whome we are bounde to obey, and whome we ſhulde not obeye: therfore(I ſaye) it cauſeth all proſperite, and ſetteth euery thyng in frame: and where it is taught and knowen, it lyghteneth all darkeneſſes, cōforteth all ſory hertes, leaueth no poore man vnhelped, ſuffreth nothynge amyſſe vnamended, letteth no prynce be diſobeyed, permytteth no hereſie to be preached: but refourmeth all thinges, amēdeth that is amyſſe, and ſetteth euery thynge in order. And why? becauſe it is geuen by the inſpiracyon of God, therfore is it euer bryngynge profyte and frute, by teachynge, by improuynge, by amendynge and refourmyng all thē yt wyl receaue it, to make them parfecte & mete vnto all good workes.[5]
Conſiderynge now(moſt gracyous prynce) the ineſtimable treaſure, frute & proſperite euerlaſtynge, that God geueth with his worde, and truſtynge in his infynite goodnes that he wolde brynge my ſymple and rude laboure herin to good ef-
