The Approaching Judgment of the Lord, Poem 1
¶ A fearefull and terrible example of God iuste iudgement, executed vponupon a lewde fellow, who vsually accustomed to sweare by Gods blood, which may be a Caueat to all the whole world, that they blaspheme not the name of their God by swearing.
O Mortall men, which in this world, for time hauehave your repast:
Approch, the fearefulst thing to heare, that euer happened erst.
Yea such a thing as dooth importe, the Lord our God on hye:
Through swearing by his blessed name, offended for to be.
Which straūg euent, whilst that I doo, perpend and to minde call,
My Penne (in trothe) is readie prest, out of my hand to fall.
My hart also dooth quaile in brest, my eyes distill a pace:
The Saulte and brinish teares also, do trickle downe my face.
But yet good Pen hould on thy course, to write, doo thou not linne:
For I the truthe to prosecute, hereof will now beginne.
There is a towne in Lincolneshire, which Bothbie hath to name:
Iust thrée miles distant from Grantam, a towne of aūcient fame.
Wherein there dwels a Gentleman, the truthe for to decyde:
Who Frauncis Penell called is, this may not be denyed.
It pleased God this Gentleman, into his house did hyre:
A Seruingman t'atende him on, borne in Worstershire.
Which sayd youngman inclyned was, vntounto a thing not good:
As for to sweare by Christ his flesh, and by his precious blood.
So musled vp hearein he was, that leaue it he ne could:
But at each woord, which he should speake, by Gods blood, sweare he would.
This …was was his vsuall kinde of oath (O Sathanist most vile:)
…erewith he did his loouing God, pollute, and eke defile.
… dooth you sée, transnature vsus, and bringeth vsus to wracke:
Yea, makes a Metamorphosis, of vsus, behinde our backe.
Wherefore let vsus estraunge our selues, from rustomes that be naught▪
Hauing regard vntounto our soules, which Iesus Christe hath bought.
Now Christe our Lord and Father déere, in iudgement dooth procéede:
Hurling at this miscreant vile, his thunderbolts of dread.
Meaning, in Iustice for to make, this viper, Uarlet he:
A terrour vntounto all the world, of swearing for to be.
Wherefore, our Lord commaunded death; at him to shoote his darte:
Who straight without protract of time, gored him vntounto the harte.
Now, when that he the panges of Death, did féele, and eke sustaine:
Than he began as you hauehave heard, Gods name for to blaspheme.
And neuer ceased for to sweare, by Iesus Christe his blood:
Untyll his soule, at the last gaspe, foorth of his body yood.
And in this cruell extasie, he passionate did lie:
The space of thrée or fowre whole weekes, styll swearing bytterlie
Now when that he had languished, the spare that I hauehave sayde:
The people they perceyuing it, of force he would be dead.
Caused the Bell for to be tolde, that all for him might pray:
Beséeching God, his soule to kéepe, against the dreadfull day.
But when that he had heard this Bell, knolling most drerilie:
He rushing vp, sayd, by Gods blood, this Bell it tolles for me.
He had no sooner spoke these wordes, which I hauehave shewed to you:
But that a pace, his heart blood did, foorth of his body flowe.
For why, out of his singers endes, his blood did streame full faste:
So did it foorth, at his toes endes, which made them all agaste.
And yet the Lord procéeded foorth, this trayterous wight to scorge:
The blood gusht out, yea, at his wrests, much like the foming surge.
So did it also at his nose, runne foorth aboundantlie:
With other filthie excrements, which man dooth lothe to sée.
Thus died he, commmitting his soule, to the furies fell:
Which doo possesse th'infernall gulfe, and Laberinth of hell.
Than was his body straight interde, although (in trueth) forlorne:
For whome it had béene better farre, if he had not béene borne.
Whose heart is now so obdurate, that hearing of this thing.
Will not permit out of the same, great floods of teares to spring?
Or whose minde is so fastinate, or eke so lulde on sleepe:
That for to heare héerof will not, constrained be to wéepe.
And that for feare he should his God, through swearing thus offend:
And thereby purchase to him selfe, like dyre and rufull end.
O you that sweare at euerie word, repleate with deuilrie:
For to abstaine from swearing vile, let this a caueat be.
For sure you are as guiltie of, the death of Christe Iesu:
As euer were the curssed Iewes, which on the Crosse him slew.
But (oh alas) so farre are we, from leauing of this vice:
That we will not expung the same, but therein doo reioyce.
We count that man heroicall, and of a courage good:
Who can lashe out the greatest oathes, by Iesus Christe his blood.
And he that will not weare at all for feare of punishment:
He counted is a softishe foole, and eke a mere Peasant.
But now me thinkes, I heare these Dogs, t'expostulate with me:
And say they hauehave their God in minde, when that they sweare him bie.
But to you men most Serpentine, the Lord dooth say againe:
Thou shalt not take the name of me, the Lord thy God in vaine.
Also the Lord dooth thée commaund, in Mathew this is plaine:
…hat thou at all from swearing should, for euer to abstaine.
Prouing that, what procéedeth more, than this, yea, yea, no, no:
Dooth come from the infernall Prince, our mortall deadly foe.
Th'apostle Iames dooth vsus instruct, by wordes effectuall:
Saying to vsus, O brethren déere, doo you not sweare at all.
By other places infinite, of holie Scripture pure:
We are restrained we should not sweare, at all, by no Creature.
For that is vile Idolatrie, farre from a learned lore:
Which thing we ought at all assayes, to lothe and to abhorre.
Wherefore I héereof doe conclude, without remorse or grudge:
That all vaine oathes vnlawfull are, not made before a Iudge.
For sure I am, we neuer ought, at any time to sweare:
Except the Christian Magistrate, by lawe doo it require.
And if before him we doo sweare, in trueth and holinesse:
The Lord him selfe acknowledgeth, he thereby honoured is.
And thus I end, beséeching God, of his especiall grace:
That we all sinfull swearing may, abandone in each place.
Elizabeth our noble Quéene, good Lord preserue and shéeld:
That shée thy chaste and faithfull Spowse, may still maintaine & build.
Make her, O Lord, a Mother olde, in Israell thy owne hill:
Graunt that shée may in all respectes, obey thy godlie will.
Good Lord protect her royall Grace, and blesse her with long life:
That this thy Realme, may long remaine, in peace, voide of all strife.
Let her, O Lord, be placed farre, distant from cruell death:
And all that will not say, Amen ▪ would God they had no breath.
Phillip Stubbes.
FINIS.