A Mystery of Iniquity Disclosed and Confuted, Part 14
A mysterye.
1 The first captayne Of this false trayne.
2 Vvas one Iohan Frith / VvhichWhich had no pyth.
3 Of lernynge nor vvytt Not vvorth a nytt.
4. Via stulti recta in oculis eius. psal. 12.
The openinge. 1.
NOt one of these scysmatiques afore rehersed / coude Pantolabus fynde in his hart to appoynt oute for a captayne. yet were they of a false sedicyouse trayne both of heresye and treason / as his selfe is yet s…yll with other of that affynite. The lorde Datsye was in those dayes a myghtye great captayne. So was the lorde Husseye. So were syr Robert Constable / syr Thomas Percye / syr Iohan Bulmer / syr Steuen Hamerton / syr George Lumlaye / with Rafe Bulmet / Nycolas Tempest / & a great sort more. Robert Aske was in that pylgrimage of grace for y• Popes holye churche no small doar / though he had but one eye. Nomore was captayne Cobler / that valeaūt George on horse backe with his Lyncolne shere bowes and baggepypes: yet are they not founde fytt to occupye a rome in this noble Genealogye. Manye spirituall captaynes also and wyse counsellers were at the same selfe tyme verye busye to promote that ghostlye quarell for…warde. As Iames Locherell the prior of Gysburgh / Wyllyam Wytlesse the prior of Brydlyngton / Adam Sedbar Abbot of Garbeleye / Wyllyam Thyrske abbot of Fenleye the abbot of Oborne / the abbot of Sawleye / the abbot of Whawleye / the abbot of Glasten…erye / the abbot of Redynge / the abbot of Lolchestre / and the prior of Lenton not farre from Nothyngham. Besydes that was done at Walsyngham in Northfolke / by syr Nycolas Mylam a Chanon / George Gysborow fryre Peckoc / and other more. But all these captaynes were out of Pantolabus remembraunce at this tyme.
2 Onlye is poore Iohan Frith a captayne sounde out here to his purpose / because he was to the Pope a capitall enemye. Though Pantolabus be but a fole / he knoweth what he wotteth wele ynough. I warande you he hath no worse opinyon of all these former captaynes / than hath the holye father of Rome. That is to saye / though they were byheaded / hanged / & quartered / yet dyed they full vertuouse menne / as ded holye Thomas Beckett for the lybertees of holye churche. By this maye ye se that yt is not all one to dye forholye churche and to dye for the Gospell. For they that dye for holye churche are holye sayntes and martyrs / where as they that dye for the Gospell are but heretyques and trayters. But what this will apere in y• latter iudgement / that daye shall declare / when no worldlye polycies will helpe. This poore yonge manne Iohan Frith / which is here cōtempned for the veruytees sake / maye chaunce at that daye as the membre with y• head / with Christ to iudge y• truthes aduersaryes / for folowynge him in the same persecucyon. For an offyce yt is to a certen sort belongynge. But sure I am that they are not those which lyue here voluptuouslye. Than must yt nedes be they that suffre all wronges here in that verytees cause.
3 The wyfe man sayth / that they are those whom y• worlde had sumtyme in dirisyon / thynkynge their doctryne madde folyshnesse and their latter endes withoute honour. yet are they rekened amonge the chyldren of God / & their porcyon is plentyfull amonge the holye sayntes. Of this vnlerned hypocrite and braynelesse babler / is Iohan Frith noted to be without pyth of lernynge & wyte Where as the contrarye is knowne to his whole generacyon / which neuer were yet able to confute his boke of purgatorye agenst Rastell / More / and Rochestre / besydes his other workes. The veryte hath yet victorye at his hande / though he for a tyme be throwne vndre the aulter / there callynge for a iust reuengement of that vnpytefull violence so cruellye here ministred vntounto him. What pythe of wytt and lernynge Pantolabus had whan he wrote this Genealogie / yt is wele perseyued of them that hath redde yt / yf they were not as he is / all wytlesse and gracelesse. Scarselye worth a nytt is the best verse therof / to him that shall seke eyther wytt or lernynge. But as the sayinge is / draffe is good ynough for swyne / and dyrtye puddynges for dogges. As good as the best is this fylthye baggage for the Papistes / which seketh nothynge els but errours and lyes in hypocrisye.
4 In his allegacyon of scripture / Pantolabus shulde seme neyther to be wytty nor lerned. For in both his cappyes imprinted by Iohan Redman and Robert Wyer / he noteth yt to be in the .xii. Psalme of Dauid / and yt is not there / but in the .xii. chapter of Salomons Prouerbes. There is this text in dede. Via stulti recta in oculis eius. Loke what a fole taketh in hande / that thynketh he onlye wele done. A verye folyshe syght hath Pantolabus in Genealogies to take y• father for y• sonne. Of a lykelyhode he dreamed that he was at Mattens whan he was at masse / by takynge of Dauid for Salomon By the orderyng of his scripturs / he semeth better lerned in his portas or Masse boke / than in the sacred Byble. No where had that text bene better bestowed / than vponupon his owne precyouse bodye / yf he had seane himselfe ryghtlye. For by his shadowe we maye trace out an ydyote / moche more by his persone / & most of all by his doltyshe doctryne here ministred. In the same chapter is this text also: verte impios & non erunt / domus …ustorum permanebit. Turne ouer the wycked / and they are nomore seane / but the buyldynge of the ryghtouse shall neuer perishe. Frith shall be cōmended for his godlye wysdome / whan Pantolabus shall be reputed a presumptuouse fole. Abominable are deceytfull lyppes before the Lorde / but they that labour for the truthe doth please him greatlye.