Theses, Epilogue
Martin Iuniors Epilogue. To the worſhipfull his very good neame, Maiſter Iohn Canturburie.
AFter my harty commendations vntounto your VVorshippe, (good nunckle Canturbury) truſting, that you, vvith the reſt of the Cater-caps are as neere your ouerthrovve, as Jyour poore nephevv am from vvishing the proſperitie of your Antichriſtian callings. The cauſe of my vvriting vntounto you at this inſtant, is, to let you vnderstand, firſt, that I vvas ſomevvhat merry at the making heereof, being indeed ſory, together vvith others of my brethren, that vvee cannot heare from our good father, Maister Martin Marprelate, that good & learned diſcourſing brother of yours, but eſpecially grieued, that vve ſee not the vtter ſubuerſion of that vnhappy and peſtilent gouernement of L. Bishops, at the helme vvhereof ye ſitte like a Pilate, or a Caiphas rather. Moreouer, I do you to vveete, that you shal receiue by this bearer, certaine vnperfect vvritings of my fathers, praying your prelacie, if you can ſend mee, or any of my brethren any vvord of him, that you vvould returne vsus an anſvvere vvith ſpeede.
MAny flim flam tales goe abroad of him, but of certaintie nothing can be heard, in as much as he keepeth him ſelfe ſecrete from all his ſonnes. Some thinke, that hee is euen nowe employed in your buſineſſe; and I thinke ſo too, my reaſon is, quoth Robert Some, becauſe it was for your ſakes and good, that hee firſt fell a ſtudying the Arte of Piſtle making: Others giuegive out, that in the ſeruice of his countrey, and her Maieſties, he died, or was in great danger at the Groine. And the others (ka mine vncka Bridges) hauehave ſeene motiues inducing them to be of this minde: Some there are alſo, who feare that you hauehave him in your handes. Howſoeuer it be ſomewhat is not well, that hee is ſilent all this while. We his ſonnes muſt needes be diſquieted, ſeeing wee can neither knowe where our father is, nor yet heare from him. If we could but heere by ſome Piſtle, though it were but of 20. ſheetes of paper, that he is well, we would not then be ſo inquiſitiue of him. But now that he hath bin ſo long time tongue-tied theſe foure or fiue moneths, wee muſt needes enquire of the matter. Speake then, good nuncles, hauehave you cloſly murthered the gentlman in ſome of your priſons? hauehave you ſtrangled him? hauehave you giuen him an Italian figge? or, what hauehave you done vntounto him? hauehave you choaked him with a fat prebend or two? What? I trowe my father wil ſwallow downe no ſuch pilles. And he doe, I can tell he will ſoone purge away al the conſcience hee hath, and prooue a mad hinde ere he die. But tell me, I pray you, what you meane to doe vntounto him if you hauehave him in holde? Do you meane to hauehave the keeping of him, leaſt he ſhould not be otherwiſe well looked vntounto? whie what needtat? I am ſure he hath 500. ſonnes in the lande, of good credit and abilitie, with whome hee might hauehave other gates welcome, then with any Catercap o them all. And I pray you, nunckles, neuer trouble your ſelues with the keeping of him, I truſt he ſhal do well, though he neuer come neere any of you all. And I thinke in reaſon it were more meete his ſonnes, then his brethren ſhoulde bee charged with him; if it ſo came to paſſe, that hee were forced to leane vntounto others. This I knowe full well, that my father woulde bee ſory from his heart, to put you to any ſuch coſt, as you intend to bee at with him. A meaner houſe, and of leſſe ſtrength then the Tower, the Fleete, Newgate, or the Gate-houſe is, woulde ſerue him well enough: he is not of that ambitious vaine, that many of his brethren the biſhops are, in ſeeking for more coſtly houſes then euer his father built for him. And therefore, good ſweete neames nowe, if you hauehave him, let him bee diſpatched out of your hands, with honeſty and credit. My father is of a kingly nature I perceiue by him, hee woulde doe good vntounto you, but he would not be recompenced for it againe. He will none of your courteſies vnleſſe it be for your owne ſakes, that you will giuegive ouer your biſhopdomes, that is the greateſt benefite he accounts of from you, other recompence he ſeekes none.
If you demaund of mee, where I founde this, the trueth is, it was taken vp (together with certaine other papers) beſides a buſh, where it had dropped from ſome body paſſing by that way. I hope my fathers worſhip will not bee oftended with me, for publiſhing of it, being not ſo perfit as queſtionleſſehe would hauehave had it. Hee, and you, can not but commend my good dealing, in ſetting it out; for I choſe rather to leaue the ſentences vnperfite then to adde any thing more then I found legible. The Arithmeticall nombers in the end of his preamble ſhew, that when he had written ſo farre, he had ſomething more in his head then all men doe conceiue, which made him leaue in the middeſt of a period. I my ſelfe doe perceiue ſome tantologies in the cōcluſions as being the firſt draught, but I would not preſume to mend them, that I referre to himſelfe, if he be yet liuing, if dead, yet poſterities may hauehave his after-birth to be altogether his owne. And let them take this as his cygncam cantionem, viz. his farewell to booke-making. But that would I be ſorie of. For who can bee able to prooue the poynts which he hath ſet downe here, concerning the doctrine of our church, mainterned by ſtatur, & her Maieſties priuiledge, ſo ſoundly, and ſo worthily, as he himſelfe would performe it. A thirtie or fortie of the firſt Concluſions are alreadie ſhewed in, Hai any work for the Cooper, and therefore they neede no further proofe then the reading ouer that woorthie Treatiſe, whence they ſeeme to hauehave beene collected. The reſt I hope ſhall be ſhewed in More worke for the Cooper.
And vather, if you can proue theſe thinges out of the doctrine of our church, then certainelie you deſerue to be chronicled for euer. Then Iohn Canturbury, come downe with thy poperie, ka M. Martin Iunior: for now art thou ſet out in thy colors, to be an aduerſary, not onelyonly of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, which all men might know, but euenalſo an vtter enemie vntounto the doctrine of the church of England ſowed heere by the holy Martires, and ſealed with their blood, yea, allowed by ſtatute, and publiſhed with her Maieſties royall priuiledge, which is a point that the moſt hauehave not conſidered of. And who is hee now that dares perſwade Martin to giuegive ouer his courſe, vnleſſe the ſame alſo will ſhewe himſelfe an enemie to the doctrine of the church of England. For Martin in his writings, is not ſo much an ennemie vntounto the biſhoppes, as a defender of the doctrine of our Churche. And therefore you Puritanes, that miſlike of him, take heede that you bee not founde amongeſt poſterities, to bee the betrayers of this doctrine (for your eaſe and quietneſſe ſake) which you are bound to deliuer vntounto your children, without corruption or mangling, though it coſt you your liues a thouſande times▪ For to tell you the trueth, if you do but read ouer the writings of M. Tindall, M. Frith, M. Barnes, M. Hooper, M. Knox, M. Lambert, &c. which were the firſt planters of the Goſpell amongeſt vsus, you ſhall find your ſelues in faithfulnes, courage and zeale, yea, euen the beſt of you farre behind them; which I ſpeake not but to your great ſhame, with a deſire of your amendement. And therefore I tell you true, I thinke it a great bleſſing of God that hath raiſed vppe this Martin, whome you can hardelie brooke, to holde tackling with the biſhops, that you may hauehave ſome time of breathing, or rather a time to gather courage and zeale, ioyned with knowledge, to ſet vponupon theſe enemies of the doctrine of our church, euen the doctrine of God, I meane maintained in our church. For that as hithertoye hauehave done, you be ſo loth (for the diſturbing of our ſtate forſooth, and the offending of hir Maieſtie) not onelyonly to ſpeake againſt, but euen vtterlie to reiect this hierarchie of our biſhops, euen to hauehave no more to doe with it, then with the ſeate of the beaſt, you ſhall declare vntounto our children, that God raiſed vppe but a companie of whiteliuered ſouldiours, to teach the Goſpell in ſinceritie vnderunder her Maieſtie, and take heede leſt our forenamed fathers riſe vppe in iudgement againſt you. As for her Maieſtie, or the ſtate, I think ſhee hath little cauſe to thanke you for your wiſedome, in ſeeking the quietneſſe of this common-wealth, by-winking at the ſinne of the pompous miniſterie. And me thinkes you are bounde vntounto her, and her people, to make ſo much at the leaſt knowen, as ſhee mainteineth publikelie in bookes, by her ſtatutes and priuiledges, to be the doctrine of this our church vnderunder her gouernement. Therefore, looke vntounto theſe thinges, for certainelie, if euer the Lorde ſhall make the proceedings of our wicked biſhoppes knowen vntounto her Maieſtie, to bee ſo contrarie to worde of God, the profeſſion of holie Martyres, and the doctrine of our church mainteined, both by our ſtatutes, and priuiledges, as in theſe Theſes they are ſette downe, aſſure your ſelfe, that ſhe will then enquire, whether ſhe had not any faithfull preachers in her kingdome, that would ſtand to the defence of the trueth, vntill ſhee ſawe further into it.
As for the biſhops, they may herein ſee, to their woe, what wicked caytiffes they are, in maintaining themſelues & their thrice curſſed popedome,againſt ſuch cleare light. But the beaſtes, I feare, were borne to no other end, then to be the Lords ſcourge, to chaſtice his church, and then to bee burnt in hell. And out vppon them, they are as vnlike Chriſt, his Apoſtles, and holy Martyres, which were the planters of our Churche, as the wretches are like vntounto themſelues. A man would hauehave thought, if they had not beene deſperate in their wickedneſſe, that by the warning which Martin gaue them, they woulde hauehave beene reſtrained from their villanie in ſome ſort. But, as though their very reaſon had bene cleane gone, the more they are threatned to hauehave their proceedings diſplayed, the more wicked doe they manifeſt themſelues. As if they woulde declare vntounto the worlde, that they will not bee made knowen vntounto poſteritie, but vppon the condition, that they may bee the moſt wicked, that euer were in the church of God. They will be ſo many Iudaſes, ſo many Diotrepheſes, ſo many Simon Maguſes, as nowe they are wicked biſhoppes of Englande, or elſe they thinke not themſelues well dealte with. Wherefore, reuerend father, if you bee as yet on your feete, and hauehave eſcaped out of the danger of gunne ſhotte, beginne againe to play the man. Feare none of theſe beaſtes, theſe purſuvants, theſe Mar-Martins, theſe ſtage-players, theſe prelates, theſe popes, theſe diuels, and al they can do. Quit your ſelfe but as like a man as you hauehave doone in Hai any worke, and I doubt not but you will make theſe rogiſh prieſts lie in the kenell. The reporte abroad goeth, that you are drawen drie, and can ſay no more. They are fooles that ſo thinke, I ſay,Let theſe Concluſions bee iudge, whereby I tell you true, I hope you ſhall be able to emprie euerie biſhopricke in Englande, if waight of tructh can doe it. There bee that affirme, the rimers and ſtage-players, to hauehave cleane putte you out of countenaunce, that you dare not againe ſhew your face. Alas poore haglers, their fathers are too yoong to outface the leaſt of your ſonnes. And I doe thinke, that, lay aſide their tyrannie, all the biſhops of Englande are too weake to deale with a ſcarre-crowe, that hath but the name of reuerend Martin written vppon it. And therefore, I perſwade my ſelfe, that they their ſelues are thorowlie ſo perſwaded, ka my nuncka Bridges, that you contemne ſuch kenell rakers, and ſcullions, as to their ſhame, in the time of your ſilence hauehave ſolde them ſelues for pence a peece, to be derided of come who ſo will, to ſee a companie of diſguiſed aſſes.
Concerning Mar-martin, if he be a Londoner, or an vniuerſitie man, tenne to one but you ſhall ſee him, one of theſe odde dayes, carted out of the towne for his honeſtie of life. Why that time of his ſheweth, that hee had no other bringing vppe, then in a brothel-houſe. And heerein I woulde craue pardon of the vniuerſities, and the famous citie of London, if I ſhoulde bee thought to giuegive out, that ſuch a ribaulder as this is, were there maintained. To ſpeake what I doe thinke of the youth, I can not bee induced to thinke, that hee hath had his bringing vp at any other trade, then in carryeng long Meg of Weſtminſters hand-baſket, and in attending vppon ſome other of his auntes, at her appointment while ſhee liued. After her death, it may be he hath beene promoted vntounto the ſeruice of ſome laundreſſe in a biſhoppes houſe, where, in hope to bee preferred by his good lordes, he hath vndertaken to mar-rimes, in publiſhing bawdery, and filthineſſe, for the defence of theſe honeſt biſhops.
The ſtage-players, poore ſeelie hunger-ſtarued wretches, they hauehave not ſo much as an honeſt calling to liue in the common-wealth: And they, poore varlets, are ſo baſe minded, as at the pleaſure of the veryeſt rogue in England, for one poore pennie, they will be glad on open ſtage to play the ignominious fooles, for an houre or two together. And therfore, poore rogues, they are not ſo much to be blamed, if being ſtage-players, that is, plaine rogues (ſaue onelyonly for their liueries) they in the action of dealing againſt Maiſter Martin, hauehave gotten them many thouſande eie-witneſſes, of their witteleſſe and pittifull conceites. And in deede they are marueilous fitte vpholders of Lambehith palace, and the crowne of Canturburie. And therefore, menne ſhoulde not thinke of all other things, that they ſhould any wayes make Maiſter Martin, or his ſonnes to alter their courſe. And heereof, good Maiſter Canturburie, aſſure your ſelfe. Well, to growe to a point with you, if you hauehave any of your ſide, eyther in the Vniuerſities, or in your cathedrall Churches, or any where within the compaſſe of all the biſhopdomes you hauehave, that dare write, or diſpute againſt anie of theſe pointes ſette downe by my father, heere I do by theſe my writinges, caſt you downe the Gloue, in my fathers name, and the names of the reſtof his ſonnes. If my father be gone, and none elſe of my brethren will vpholde the controuerſie againſt you, I my ſelfe will doe it. And take my challenge if you dare. By writing you may do it, qand be ſure to be anſwered. By diſputations, if you will appoint the place, with promiſe, that you will not deale vi & armis, you ſhall be taken alſo by me, if I thinke I may truſt you. Otherwiſe, the Puritanes will, I doubt not, maintaine the chalenge againſt you.
But heere by the way, Iohn Canturbury, take an odde aduice of your poore nephew, and that is this. Firſt, in regard of your ſelfe, play not the tyrant as you doe, in Gods Church; if you goe on forward in this courſe, the ende will bee a wofull reckoning. Thou haſt beene raiſed vp out of the duſt, and euen from the very dounghill, to bee preſident of her Maieſties counſell, being of thy ſelfe, a man altogether vnmeet for any ſuch preheminence, as neyther endued with any excellent naturall witte, nor yet with any great portion of learning. The Lorde hath paſſed by many thouſands in this land farre meeter for the place then is poore Iohn Whitgift. Well then, what if thou, hauing receiued ſo great bleſſings at the Lordes hand (beeing of all others in no compariſon anye thing neere the fitteſt for it, or the likelieſt to obraine it) ſhalt now ſhew thy ſelfe vngratefull vntounto thy mercifull Lorde God, or become a cruell perſecutour, and a tyrant in his church, a cruell oppreſſour of his children, ſhall not all that thou haſt receiued, be tourned vntounto a curſſe vntounto thee, euen into thine owne boſome? Yea verely. For the Lorde in one day is able to bring more ſhame vponupon thee, and that in this life, then he hath heaped bleſſings vponupon thee now for the ſpace of thirtie yeeres and vpward. But when I doe conſider thy preheminence and promotion, I do ſenſiblie acknowledge it to be ioyned with a rare curſſe of God, euen ſuch a curſſe as very fewe (I will not ſay none) in Gods Church doe ſuſtaine. And that is thy wicked and Antichriſtian Prelacie. The conſideration of which popedome of thine maketh me thinke, that thy other place in the ciuill magiſtracie, being in it ſelfe a godly and a lawfull calling, is ſo become infectious, that it will be thy bane, both in this life, and in the life to come. And I am almoſt fully perſwaded, that, that archbiſhopricke of thine, together with thy practiſes therein, ſhew verely, that the Lorde hath no part nor portion in that miſerabble, and deſperat caytiffe wicked Iohn Whitgift, the Pope of Lambehith. Leaue therefore both thy popedome, and thy vngodly proceedings, or looke for a fearefull ende.
My ſecond and laſt aduiſe is this in a word. Suffer no more of theſe haggling and profane pamphlets to be publiſhed againſt Martin, and in defence of thy hierarchie. Otherwiſe thou ſhalt but commend thy follie and ignorance vntounto the world to be notorious. Mar-martin, Leonard Wright, Fregneuile, Dick Bancroft, Tom Blan. o Bedford, Kemp, Vnderhil, ſerue thee for no other vſe, but to worke thy ruine, and to bewray their owne ſhame, & miſerable ignorance. Thus far of theſe matters.
And mee thinkes you ſee, nunckle Canturburie, that though I bee but young, yet I beginneprettily well to followe my fathers ſteppes; for I promiſe you, I am deceiued, vnleſſe I hauehave a prety ſmattering gift in this Piſtle-making, and I feare in a while I ſhall take a pride in it. I pray you, if you can, now I hauehave ſhewed you my minde, that you woulde be a meanes, that my vather, or my brethren be not offended with me for my preſuming this of mine owne head. I did all of a good meaning, to ſaue my fathers papers: and it would hauehave pitied your heart to ſee, how the poore papers were raine and weather-beaten, euen truely in ſuch a ſort, as they coulde ſcant bee read to bee printed. There was neuer a drie threede in them. Theſe ſea-iourneys are pittifull I perceiue. One thing me thinkes my father ſhould like in me, and that is, my modeſtie, for I hauehave not preſumed, to publiſhe mine in as large a print or volume as my father doth his. Nay, I thinke it well, if I can drible out a Piſtle in octauo nowe and then. Farewell, good nuncle, and pay this bearer for the cariage. Iuly 22. 1589. With as great ſpeede as I might.
Your worſhips nephew MARTIN IVNIOR.
End of the text · Martin Marprelate, Theses (1589)