An Expostulation Against the Blasphemies of a Frantic Papist, Title page – Dedication
An Expostulation or complaynte agaynste the blasphemyes of a franticke papyst of Hamshyre. Cōpiled by Iohan Bale.
Mathew .xxiii Wvo be vntounto you Scribes and Pharises, Hypocrites, that shut vp the kingdom of heauē before men. For neyther go ye in youre selues, neyther suffer you anye other to enter.
Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. Per septēnium.
¶To the ryght hygh and myghtie Prynce, Iohā Duke of Northumberlande, Lorde greate Maistre of the Kinges most honourable housholde, and Lorde presydent of his Maiestyes most honourable preuye Counsell, hys most humble and faythfull seruaunt Iohan Bale wysheth the fauour of god, encrease of honour, longe lyfe, and prosperouse helthe both of soule and bodye.
COnsyderyng in your noble grace (moste Honourable Duke) the same mightie feruent, & religiouse zele in Gods cause,Zele. whych I afore tyme by readynge the scriptures hauehave dylygently marked in Moyses the seruaunt of God, I hauehave vrgently bene moued vndre God and our kynge to seke your earnest ayde for the same. The rage at thys presēt is horryble and fearce, whych the stought sturdy satellytes of Antichrist in dyuerse partes of ye realme, chefely within Hamshire.Hamshire, do blustre abroade in their mad furyes to blemyshe the Euāgelycal veryte of the Lorde now reuelated. An intollerable grefe it is to their vncircumcysed hartes, to beholde the glytterynge toyes of superstycyouse ydolatry and hipocritycall papystrye remoued frō thys earthe of Englande, by the kynges wurthie maiestie and hys most honourable counsell,Relygyon. and Gods true relygyon again restored. That oure sayde seconde & most valeaūt Iosias, hath thus pourged hys Iuda (hys Englande I meane) frō the abhomynable buggeryes and ydolatries of the great Baal Peor of Rome, earnestly sekynge for the true God of Dauid hys forefather,ii. Paaral. xxxiiii. to the most lyuely example of all other prynces, their vngratyouse and noughtie eyes are not a lyttle offended. That hys ymages, rellyckes, roodes, torches, candels, copes, ashes, palmes, waxe, water, oyle, creame, and holy bread, that hys bulles, bedes, belles,Toyes. bablinges, masses, purgatory, processions, confessyons, exorcysmes, hallowynges, shauynges, gresynges, sensyngs, slauerynges, slumberynges, and a great sort of Popysh toyes more, are bānyshed hens, in conscyence they are dysquyeted.
Not all vnlyke to the grosse wytted Gergesytes, they wolde gladly ye Christ were sumwhat further of.Mat. viii. Yea, they earnestly wyshe, that he wolde peaceably departe from their coastes, least he went about it, to drowne their swyne for euer, whome they all contrarye to gods ordynaunce, hauehave so frankely in al beastlynesse maynteyned. They can not awaye with the precyouse lyght of Christes holi Gospell, their eyes are so sore.Ihon. iii. Neyther maye they broke it, to knowe their saluatyon alone to be reposed in Christ Iesu,Colloss. iii. so blynde are their folyshe hartes. Neyther maye they abyde it, that God is only to be worshypped in sprete and veryte, so superstycyously minded are they.Ihon. iiii. But darkenesse they iudge lyght, & the lyght very darkenesse. That is swete,Esay. v. they thynke sower, & that is good they deme euyll. Suche are now a dayes ye peruerse and frowarde iudgementes of men vngodly. The most christen reformacyon of thys churche of Englande,Mockers. whych is to other natyons a most wurthie spectacle, so they very turkyshely deryde & mocke. At the dayly suppressyons of their blasphemouse and beastly papystryes,Nume. xxi they create, they frowne, they grynde their tethe, and for anger wexe wode. With ye carnall Israelytes they hate & abhorre the celestyall Manna of Christes Gospell,i. Iohn. ii. because it neyther nurrysheth the lust of the fleshe, neyther fedeth the concupyscence of the eyes, nor yet mainteyneth the pryde of thys lyfe.Nume. xi. To the greasy fatt pottes of Egipte, wold they gladly returne agayne, and become subiectes vnderunder the great Romish Pharao, so that they myght be fedde with his olde stynkynge cucumbers, melons, lekes, onyons, and garlyke, whych are hys vnprofytable tradycyons.
Malycyously and rebellyously do thei now resyst the manyfest truthe of Gods wurde,Rebelles. and wyll by no maner of meanes consent therunto, although their owne conscyences both accuseth and condemneth them for it. And all is bicause they wyll heare of no repentaunce, neyther yet agre to amendemēt of their most wicked liues.Papystes, They bragge they boast, they dreme, thei dote, thei fume they face, thei grunte they grudge, they iangle they iest they mocke they mowe, they scoffe they scorne, they ruffle they rage, wyth daggerand with fyste, and all to stoppe the swete blastes of the scriptures,Apo. vii. least they shulde clearly blowe awaye their old Romysh sorceryes, as duste from the face of thys earthe. Neyther is it any great wō dre vntounto vsus,Psalme▪ i. to beholde these terryble turmoylynges of the deuils furyouse members, for those Romysh Pharisees leuen▪ Luke. xii.consyderynge he is that roarynge Lyon whych busyly seketh whome he maye deuoure.i. Peter. v. Genesi. iii. Iob. ii. Exody. vii. Psa. lxxvii He fraudolētly deceiued our first mother Eue Greuously he afflycted the pacyent mā Iob. He made Pharaos sorcerers to withstande both Moyses & Aaron. Dauid ryght sore complayneth of vexatyons by wicked angels. Who was a more cruell aduersary to Iesus Iosedech in reparynge the temple,Zach. iii. than was Sathan? And though he preuayled not in hys .iii. temptatyons agaynst Christ our redemer,Math. iiii. yet procured he hys owne dysciple Iudas trayterouslye to betraye hym,Ihon. xviii the clergye of the Iewes malycyously to accuse hym, and the Romish magistrates most wrongefully to condēpne hym. Saynt Paule geueth vsus good warnynge,ii. Cor. xi. that Sathan to deceyue vsus, can transforme hym selfe into the Angel of lyght. and telleth vsus also, that we must alwayes hauehave sumwhat a do with ye minysters of darkenesse.Ephesi. vi.
In the prymatyue churche,Idolles▪ when the wurshyppynge of Idolles ones ceased, at the prechynges of the Apostles and other vertuouse fathers. The prestes whiche had lyued by those Idolatryes, prouoked both the prynces and commō people to persecute them to deathe,Priestes. making them to beleue, that it was neuer a mery worlde sens they were suffered to preach This hath both Eusebins in Ecclesiastica historia, and also Tertulianus in Apologetico. Thus hauehave the wholsō wyndes of heauenly doctryne, bene alwayes disturbed,Apoca. vii. letted and stopped, & theyr lyuely vapours oppressed. First by Sathan ye deuyll, then by the Iewysh and Popysh clergye, then by superstycyouse monkes and sophystycall scole doctours, & nowe last of all by vnlearned loyterers and desperate ruffyanes, as he of whom I hauehave written thys treatise folowynge,Braban. is one. Of thys latter sort, are some become farmers of benefyces, some blynde brokers in ye lawe, some scribes, some pharysees, some flatterers for fauer, some lyngerers for lucre, some cloynars for aduauntage menpleasers, and make shyftes. These gyue the preachers most vncōly reportes to deface their godly preachynges,…aplers. and most odyble names, to brynge them in cō tempte of the people. Their croked counsels, persuasyons, illusyons, prouocacyons, and promyses of ayde in wythstandynge the mynysters, are suche, for a welthie lyuynge in ydelnesse, that the truth of the Lorde can take no place▪ These are as were Elymas the sorcerer, Hymeneus,Actes. xiii. i. Timo. i. ii. Timo. ii. ii▪ Tim. iiii Philetus, and Alexander the copper smythe, enemyes of all truthe, withstanders of all ryghtousnesse, and chyldren of ye deuyl. Men of corrupt myndes resysters of the veryte, and lewde as cō cernynge faythe ii. Tim. iii. And al these are set a wurke by the popes late masmō gers, by olde pylgrymage goers,Styngers. by crafty Cathedralystes, mynster men, and collygeners, lokinge yet for a daye of mayntenaunce in their olde sorceryes.
And as for our partes, we are not so ignoraunt of the rules of Christes relygyon, but we knowe that hys flocke of true beleuers,Beleuers. hath had alwaies their wolues Math x. their blasphemers, persecuters, and slaunderers, that they myght bryng fourth godly frutes in pacyēt sufferaūce For loke what the threshynge flaile dothLuke. viii. to the corne (S. Gregory saith) the fyery fornace to the golde,Gregorye. and the polishinge fyle to the yron, the same doth aduersyte to the ryghtouse man, for it maketh hym perfyght. Wicked persons are in all places to be tollerate of priuate men (I say not maye) because there canne be no Abel,Abel. vnles he be vexed of some maliciouse Cain. We ought therfor of congruēce very paciently to suffre them, but yet not in all pointes to holde our peace. We are not bounde altogyther to beare them in their mischefes No,Christ. Christe neuer ded so neither yet the Prophetes afore him, nor his Apostles after him. But wyth stomacke (as occasiō gaue it) they inueihed against them, and mightely reproued thē If any man hurte the witnesses of God (S. Iohan saith)Iohan. he must be kylled. Apo. xi. Either must he be consumed of the rite that cometh out of their mouthes,Esay. xi Heb. iiii▪ or els by the .ii. edged swerd of the sprete, which both are the wurde of God. For in their handes hauehave they swerdes (saith Dauid) that are sharpe on both sides. Psa. Cxlix. manfully to stande vp, for faythe, for truthe, for religion, for obedience to kinges, for iust beleuers, and for the glory of the liuinge God,Sharpe against the manifest enemies of all godlinesse. And with ye double sharpenesse of those swerdes, shall they eyther conuert them or dampne thē. Care not (saith. S. Paule) for the hate of your aduersaries, for vntounto them is it a token of perdicion, and to you a most manifest signe of saluacion. Phi. i. Doubt thē not (saith Esaye) neither feare them at all,Christ. but prayse the Lord of hostes, let him be your feare & drede, for he is the stone yt they stomble at, and the rocke that they fall vponupon. Esa. viii. for no confusion can come vponupon them that put their full trust in God. Dan. iii.
Now is there nothynge els behynd (most honourable Duke) but that your excellent grace vndre god and our kingeId ducem, set to your fauourable hāde, with the rest of his most honourable counsell. If Abbas Ioachim, Nicolas Lyra, Iohā Tylneye, and other of our latter expositours hath taken great Constantine the Emprour,Constantinus. for that other angell in. S. Iohās reuelacion, which ascended from the risynge of the sunne for that age. Apoca. vii. Sebastianus Meyer and Conradus Pellicanus not all dyssentynge from the same, because he had than brought the christen churche to a quyetnesse, all foren tyrannies suppressed. What shall let me to thinke as much of our present Constā tine, kinge Edward the .vi. for our time?Edwarde vi. Kynge. consyderynge that the hande of God is not yet abbreuiated? Esa. lix. He cōmeth as wele from the rysinge of the sunne, as he ded. He hathe as wele hys autoryte of God, and is now a christen Magistrate. as he was than. So wele is he kynge of thys realme, and a Brytayn borne,A Kyng. as he was. As wele is he gyuen to good letters and careth for the christen relygyon, as he ded.Godly. As wele hath he set Christes gospell at lyberte, from the daunger of tyrauntes, and by proclamacion commaū ded it frely to be preached, as he ded So wele hath he made a generall desturctiō of supersticiouse Idolles and other abhominations, as ded he. As Constantynes face in all hys coynes of Golde and syluer was erected towardes heauen, by report of Eusebius in vit a Constantini,Libro. ii▪ so is the vysage of hys harte eleuated vn to God in all hys daylye studies & princelye procedynges, if the good frutes maye shewe what the tree is. Than maye oure most vertuouse and godly king Edward the .vi.Angell. for thys age so wele resemble that good angel of God, as mighte our great Constantyne for that age.
Consyderynge therfor (ryght wurthie and excellēt Duke) that he hath by that hygh offyce,Apoca. vii. the seale of the lyuynge god and is declared a prynce of power by hys lyuely wurde. Roma .xiii. to make all his subiectes the true seruauntes of God by the Gospell, lete the malyciouse rable of Antichristes ruffyanes, by your myghtie admynystracyon vnderunder hym be forbydden any more to noye. Apo. vii.Restraynt. Lete thē be restrayned from doynge suche vyolēce rauyne, and excesse, as they hauehave done now of late to Christes mynysters in Hā shire. Lete them be inhybyted of dagger drawynge, and of fyste lyftynge in the open stretes, whan no man hath ones offē ded thē. Lete them leaue their pullynges by the bearde and bosom in the presence of people,Violence. starynge like wylde oxen, whā no euyl at all is ment to thē. Lete thē no longer bragge afore the iustyces in the open sessyons, of castinge their gloue and of wagynge battayle, vncorrected, whan nothynge is eyther done,…agynge. sayde, or yet thought agaynst thē. Lete them be wele stayed from ragynge and raylynge, oblocutynge and slaunderynge, withoute cause reasonable, for vpholdyng the wicked tradycyons of Antichrist. Permyt them no longer to counsell in corners,Councell. to hauehave wycked persuasyons, and to drawe people after them. Lete them from hensfourth be charged vnderunder payne of sore ponyshment, not lycēcyously to do all their lewde lykynges, as they hauehave done hertofore, lyke men that are lawles.Desyre▪ We desyre not the euyll of thys frowarde sort, but their good. We couete not their losse but their winning, not their vtter destruccion, as they do ours, but their spedye amendement, if such angels of reprobacyon as they are maye amende, whych I scarsely beleue. Chefely our request is,Request▪ to lyue in peace by them as in Esaye is promysed, that the Lambe shuld dwell with the Wolf, the Gote lye by the Leopard, the Cowe fede with the Beare,Peace. the Bullocke company with the Lion, the Child playe with the Serpent, and yet none of them shulde hurte the other. Esa. xi.
Hys angelicall voice hath bene hearde al ready by most earnest proclamacyons,A voyce. ouerall hys domynyons of Englande, Wales, and Irelande, as was the loude voyce of great Constantyne ouer Aegipt Grece, Persye, Asye, and Italy, by most straight commaundementes, that Christ shulde be wurshypped, hys holy Gospell preached, the mynysters therof both prouyded for and honoured, and all Idoll worshyppynges to be vtterly abolyshed. Lete it now therfor be obeyed of all subiectes without contradyctyon,Obediēce, no wylde wytted ruffyane permytted from hens fourth so stubbernely to withstande it. Commaunde thys gentyll west winde to hauehave styll hys plesaunt passage & frindely fre course without anye restraynt orApoca. vii. cruell impedymente of those angels of darkenesse, that the earth, sea, and trees maye wholsomly be refreshed therwith. Gracyously suffre (as ye hauehave done hitherto) all sortes of people to hauehave knowledge df the Gospell.Verytye Lete the veryte of God, so sounde in the eares of all men, that they may be marked with the sprete of Christe, and neuer denye hym for any vexacyon. Thys poore Expostulacyon, am I your poore oratour, so muche the boldar to dedycate to your hyghnesse that I hauehave alwayes knowne the same a moste myghtye,Experiēce. zelouse, and ardente supporter, maynteyner, and defender of Goddes lyuely wurde. Ryghte humbly besechynge your excellente grace, to accepte the small gyfte thereof, as the simple presente of that poore seruaunte of yours, whyche hathe alwayes borne bothe you and all yours a most faythful harte. The eternall father of our Lorde Iesus Christe, whose inuyncyble veriteVerytye your grace hathe hytherto most feruently fauoured, vouchsafe prosperously to preserue the same, with my ladyes grace your most faythfull spouse, and all your vertuouse and godly chyldren, in contynuall helthe and increase of honour, to the glorye of hys holy name. Amen.
iii. Reg. xl.
If Israel (sayth the Lord) shall hold vponupon other goddes, and worship them. I wyl cast hym out of my syght, and he shall be a Prouerbe, and a fable amonge the nacions And they that passe by shall maruel therof, and shall hysse at hym.