Exhortation of an English Christian unto his Beloved Country, Appendix
☞ An appendyce Iorned to the foreseyd Episile.
BE it knowen vntounto you brag gynge … / that the daye after I had synyshed my Episile / there came vntounto my handes an answere of youre makyng agaynst the lyberall huntynge of youre Romyshe father the fo…e of all falshede wherin ye shewe youre selfe nether lerned nor yet wyse. In ded eye apere there a verye shamelesse gentylmanne. For where as nether scripturs nor good naturall reasons will serue you / ye fall to playne scoldynge lyke an whore of the stewes. ye stampe and ye stare / ye face / fret / and fare / as it were great N…mroth of Babylon. Nothyn …e els fynde we in youre wrytynge but boystuouse boastes / bragges / and brawlynges / lordelye checkes / rebukynges / and tyrannycall threttenynges / all after the fashyon of youre cruell kyngedome. They that were blynde afore are lyke to …e so styll for ought they shall lerne of you It is not youre offyce to make them to se / …ut to kepe them ignoraunt styll / you Byshoppes can not chose but shewe youreselues styll as ye be / euen the naturall louynge chyldren of youre father.
In no wyse maye ye suffre it / that he in his tyght colours be reuelated to the worlde / least yow risynge out of his right syde be throwne from your vayne gloriouse dygnytees with hym. Moche rather had ye that all prynces powers were nothynge / than the actes of that father of yours shuld vtterlie come to nought. But seynge ye hauehave taken so great paynes to defende h…s holye quarell / … maruele what ye cause shuld be that ye putt yt not forth in prent that your trayterouse bretherne also myght be confirmed in ther obstynate errours by ye same. If you will not shewethe cause whye / than I shall ta ke ye paynes to do it for you. ye hauehave consy dered wt your selfe and wt other your craftye counsellers / that yf ye shuld so put for the that worke of yours / ye myght cha…ce to apere to some eyes in condempnynge this honte to allowe in your holye father his suppressed auctoryte afreshe. Take hede what ye do in anye wise / for the worl de ys not now as it hath ….
Ageyne yfye shuld hauehave lete it passe vntowched / ye shuld eyther hauehave sh…wed your selfe … cowarde / or els hauehave condempned vtterlye the. vi. wicked arty cles of your owne deuysyege for Antichristes Idell and blasphemouse wares. In dede ye were brought to a narrowe poynt both wayes / and seme yet scat an honest conueyar in the arte of Mome bowgett. O vell / to kepe your selfe vpryght / ye hauehave writtē ageynst this honter. And ye thynke ye hauehave gested hym out of countenaūce though ye hauehave done nothynge els for want of matters to your mynde. As ye d…d Ale…andre seton and other more / to whō in cōparyson ye were iudged a verye blinde asse in the lernynge of God / but that auctoryte (they saye) maketh fooles bolde. But my lorde my lorde / yfye thynke wraghtō thus ouerthrowne or yet dasshed out of countenaunce / ye are sore dece yued. Dauid will ones ageyne laye hande vponupon hys slynge. They be not your lor delye lokes that shall cause hym to shrynke in so iust a quarell of his lorde Iesus Christ.
I suppose your vulerned legerde maynes will encorage hym to poure double vponupon that Romyshe whore your malygna…t ma dame / the mother of all fylthynesse / Idolatrye / superstycyons / hypocresye / vayne glorye / craft / subtylte / falhede / Idelnesse auaryce / glotonye / lechere / sodometrye / & most vnshame fast tyrannye. Lete your worke come a brode & not lurke thus in corners / that your father maye saye ye ha ue done your part wele / & your bretherne report that ye are a great pyllar of thers. Ifye will not set it forewarde / I putt ye out of doubt that. I wil do it to your sma… honeste / that ye kynges mageste maye se and all ye realme besydes what a forsworne gentylman ye are / and what an wholsome coūseller with. ii. Faces in an who de / suppressynge the gospell for your olde relygyon to kepe your father s…yll in Englande. Non otherwise shall it apere thā your owne copye is. N…yther wyll I adde vntounto it one worde (as god shall iudge me) nor yet demynyshe it in one tyttle.
But as ye delyuered it to your dere fryn de Doctor westō / so shall it be sene in eue rye poynt. ye shall not deuye it to be your owne acte / yf ye seyd O vestō be … … amyned. How heretycall / trayterouse / & blasphemouse the s…rmon was which the seyd O ves…on preached a… ye … on the tewesdaye in the …aster weake / a great sort of ye hearers can tell. And although he was ther of accused / yet after the anoynted brode had swarmed on…s togyther soche a cloke was cast vponupon it that it was iudged a good matter and a verye catholyek sermon. Now to yow ageyne my lorde bycause ye shall well knowe that. I hauehave your worke / I sygnyfye here vntounto yow / that this is th…rof the superscripcyō or tytle. The …amynatiō of a proude pre sumptuouse honter. Thus fare ye well for thys tym… / & the lorde sende yow herafter a mor… godlye sprete / …
Amen.