Of Two Popish Monsters – A Popish Ass and a Monkish Calf, Title page – Prefatory letter
Of two VVoonderful Popish Monſters, to wyt, Of a Popish Aſſe which was found at Rome in the riuer of Tyber, and of a Moonkiſh Calfe, calued at Friberge in Miſne. ¶Which are the very foreſhewings and tokens of Gods wrath, againſt blinde, obſtinate, and monſtrous Papiſtes. Witneſſed, and declared, the one by Philip Melancthon, the other by Martyn Luther.
¶Tranſlated out of French into Engliſh by Iohn Brooke of Aſsh, next Sandwich.
¶Theſe bookes are to be ſould in Powles Churchyard at the ſigne of the Parat.
¶IOHN BROOKE VNtoUnto the Chriſtian Reader.
AMong all the things that are to be ſeene vnderunder the heauens (good Chriſtian Reader) there is nothing can ſtirre vp the minde of man, & which can engender more fere vntounto the creatures then the horrible Monſters, which are brought forth dayly contrary vntounto the workes of Nature. The which the moſt times doe note and demonſtrate vntounto vsus the Ire and wrath of God, againſt vsus for our ſinnes and wickedneſſe, that we hauehave and doe dayly commit agaynſt him. But mans heart is ſo hardened that thoſe his threatnings and foreſhewings are reiected as though they were but fables. Therefore many times the Elements hauehave bene and be the heraulds and executors of Gods Iuſtice, as we do read in the viij. chapter of Geneſis,Geneſ, 8 that the waters ouerflowed the toppe of the higheſt mountaine. xv. cubites, and drowned all the worlde except viij. perſons. The fire in lyke manner as we do read in the xix. chapter of Geneſis conſumed & burnedGeneſ. 19 the Citie of Sodoma and Gomorra. Alſo the earth as we may read in the xvi. chap. of Numeri opened hir mouthNum. 16 and ſwallowed vp Chorah, Dathan, and Abiron. Beſides an infinite number of examples more, which are to bee ſeene in the holy Scripture, and all was done for the wickedneſſe & ſinnes of the people. Therefore the rather to moue the harts of eueryevery good chriſtian to feare & tremble at the ſight of ſuch prodigious monſters, I hauehave taken vponupon me to tranſlate out of French into our Engliſh tongue theſe two monſters, the one of a Popiſh Aſle which was found at Rome in the yeare of our Lord. 1496. And the other of a Moonkiſh Calfe, calued at Friberge in the yeare 1528.
And the willinglyer for that Philip Melancthon & Martyn Luther two godly and learned men, hauehave interpreted vponupon theſe two Monſters, who were of ſuch authoritie and credit, that we muſt not thinke that they be forged and inuented. Signifiyng that theſe two Monſters may well be compared vntounto the Pope and his rablement of Cardinals, Abbottes, Biſhops, Prieſts, Canons, Moonks and Fryers, as Gods meſſengers, to giuegive warning vntounto them that Gods wrath is redy at hād to deſtroy both him & his kingdome, with his whole rable of Cardinals, Moonks & ſhauelings, diſguiſing thēſelues ſo againſt nature, as theſe two Mōſters were. For Sathā is a wyly Fox ſeeking all the meanes poſsible thorow his ſubtile practiſes, to ſeduce and keepe ſtill in ignoraunce & error, all Chriſtendome. Therefore let vsus way diligently theſe his wonderous woorkes, and repent in time from the bottome of our hearts of our ſinnes, and deſire him to be mercifull vntounto vsus, & euer to kepe & defend vsus from ſuch horrible Monſters.
AMEN.
¶IOHN CRESPIN VNTOUNTO ALL which feare the Lord.
THere hath now bene a long time ſithēceGod doth aduertiſe men of their impieties diuerſly. God hath not ceaſed to teach & giuegive aduertiſmēts after diuerſe ſorts & faſhions, to draw men frō their impieties & deteſtable conuerſations, & yet neuertheleſſe the ingratitude of the worlde is ſo great, that nothing followeth but a hardning of heart more then obſtinate. The Lord threatneth, & his threatnings are reiected as if they wer but fables. He ſetteth foorth monſtrous and feareful figures,The vngratfull men deſpiſe the meruailes of God. which were inough to make the Diuels themſelues afraide: And men doe ſee them and let them paſſe, as if they touched them nothing at all. Furthermore, he declareth effectually that he threatneth not in vaine. He declareth by terrible iudgements, that he cannot ſuffer the contempt of his aduertiſments: Howbeit, men hauehave their ſences altogether dull in regard of that: And of a thouſand, ſcātly ther are twaine which will open their eyes to conſider and beholde the wonders of the Lord, and to amende their lyues therby. Beholde two monſtrous figures which are ſet before vsus: And the two moſt excelent men, to wit, Philip Melancthon and Martin Luther, who hauehave interpreted them, are of ſufficient authoritie to make men to vnderſtand, that thoſe monſters are not forged and inuented fantaſies. The firſt is a general witneſſe of the horrible vengeaunce of God ouer eueryeveryThe ſignificatiō of the firſt Monſter. kingdome that exalteth it ſelf by cruelty & tyranny aboue the ſpirituall iuriſdiction of the ſon of God. And bicauſe that this tyranny is more liuely ſet forth by the dominatiō of the Pope, thē by any other, euen ſo this threatning is referred chiefely vntounto that Romiſh Antechriſt whom we doe ſee at this day, yea, in his latter age farre out of modeſtie, that he ſetteth allThe Pope that …now. the world together by the eares. Who after that hee hath ſhewed his ſcales vppon his backe, and feared them with his clawes, feete, nailes and talons, cannot chooſe but cauſe that his Aſſes noſe may be ſeene, & vncouer his whooriſh breſt and belly, without all ſhame. The ingratitude of men hauehave well deſerued to fall into that brutiſhneſſe: They ſee the belly of a whoore naked, & yet neuertheleſſe this is their owne God, whom they feare and worſhip, and vntounto whom they doe homage, with their kings, Lords, and Emperours. Now for as much as the Moonkes are the principall proppes of that drunken and enchaunting harlot,The figure of the ſecond Monſter. very fitte is happened this other monſter, in the likeneſſe of a Monkiſh Calfe, hauing on him a coole, who will playe his part as well as the Popiſh Aſſe. Giuing all men to vnderſtande what ſanctitie hath chiefly blinded the eyes of the world: to wit, the holineſſe of a diſguiſed frocke and habite. If all that which the coole toucheth be holy, wherfore then ſhalThe holyneſſe of the frocke or coole. not this enfrocked Calfe be holy, as well as any reuerent Moonke that euer hath bene in the world? And if in taking away the coole or frocke, the Calfe remaineth but a Calfe, what ſhall the Moonke remaine, when his frocke & coole ſhalbe taken from him, but that he is a Moonke for eueryevery mans porredge pot? But this it is, ſo long as the Diuell ſhall be Prince of the world, the world ſhal hauehave alwaies their eyes blinded. But as for vsus we doe feare ſuch aduertiſementes of God, let vsus conſider diligently his wondrous woorkes, and preuent the effectes of his iudgementes thorow true repentaunce.