The Rescuing of the Romish Fox, Title page – Dedication
THE RESCVYNGE OF THE ROMISHE FOX OTHER VVYSE called the examination of the hunter deuiſed by ſteuen gardiner.
THE SECONDE COVRSE OF THE HVNTER AT the romiſhe fox & hys aduocate, & ſworne patrone ſteuen gardiner doctor & defender of the popis canonlaw and hys ungodly ceremonies.
REDE IN THE LAST LEfe the xij articles of Biſſhop Steuens neuu popiſh credo.
The banniſshed fox of rome ſpeakethe.
My ſon ſteuen gardiner with wepyng teares
Hath cut away the toppes of myn eares
But the reſt of my body abydeth hole ſtill
Withalle my ceremonies euen at my will
I truſt myn eares ſhal grow agayn
When all the goſpellers ar ones ſlayn.
Whiche ſteuen my ſon both ſterct and ſtoue
Doth now right erneſtly go about
If he can bryng thys mater to paſſ
Be ſchal be Cardnal as fiſſher was
TO THE MOST VICTORIOVS AND TRIVMPHANT Prince, Kynge Henry the eyght, Kyng of Englond, France, & Irelande, Supreme Gouernour in earth, of thes hys realmes next under God, Vuillyam Wraghton, Vuiſſeth proſperite of bothe body & ſoule.
IT is not vnknowen unto your Princely Maieſtie that of late iaſked yow leue to hūt a certeyn romiſhe fox / withe in the boūdes of your dominiones / whiche had bene hyd more thē ſeuen yeares / among the Biſhopes of Englande / after that your hyghenes had commanded them to dryue hym clerely out of all places where as ye / hauehave any poure ot or dominacion. And now am i crediblely informed / that ye hauehave ſene the cours that i had at thys forſayde fox yowre fo / withe many of your nobles & learned men / whiche i ſuppoſe will not denyſ but that i hauehave founde oute the fox / withe my hoū des / in the ſelf places where as i rekened before my huntyng to fynde hym / that is in the chirche a monge the biſſhoppes & preſtes whome ye cō manded ſtraytly to dryue hym awaye / But as ſoun as my houndes had founde out the fox and held hym at a bay / that he kould nether go back nor furthe / redy to be taken if any mā / wold hauehave layde handes upō hym / a certayn ſworn aduocate of thys beſte / a doctor of the popis doctrine / droue mi houndes from the beſte / and reſcued hym and ſaued hys lyfe bearyng me in hande that the beaſte was no fox / but on of your rede dear / euen as i prophecied before that the foxy generation wold call theyr father the fox when ſoeuer that he ſhuld cum in any ieperdy of takynge. Thys forſayd proctour of the beſte calleth hym / not alon your rede dere / but alſo good ordre / good polytike lawes / where withe good hathe en cloſed all youre ſubiectes vnderunder your autorite alone / the pale of the Engliſhe chirche / withe diuers ſuche other goodly names. How beit at lengthe / he grā tethe hym ſelf / that the beſte whiche i hunt is the romiſhe fox in dede / but that it was nether youre mynde nether any wyſe mannis mynde / to dryue out the hole fox / but that it was thought ſufficiēt if hys eares were only cut of harde by the rootes all rhe reſte of hys body and eſpecially hys gorgious and fayre tale / remanyng vntouched / And where as i diſprayſed the beſte withe diuers other / he as it becummeth an aduocate / prayſeth hym hyghly / ſayng that thoghe in one thyng he hathe don amis / that is where as he preferred hym ſelf aboue the lyon whiche is kynge of all beſtes / yit that in all other thynges he is good good good and commendable / & that if he were dryuen away with all hys ordinances / that all ſemelynes / all relygious & deuout behauore & all godlynes ſhuld bedryuen a wey alſo / what is thys ellis but to make agod of the fox? Thys forſayde patron of the fox was one of them whome i accuſed in my former courſe / for a couerer and a manteyner of the romiſhe fox & hys whelpes / But now (by what meanes it is cum to paſſ i can not tell) he is cummed from a defendent and a perſone accuſede to be an accuſer / an examiner & a iudge / ouer the mater whiche is in controuerſy betwene him & me. I lay vntounto his charge that he is the mā tener of the fox / whiche i proue bothe withe ſcripture & natural reſon / & he beyng accuſed hym ſelf / examineth my witneſſes / and refuſeth them all together at hys pleaſure / & callethe me heretike & iudgely pronuncieth that i am an heretike / but with out any witnes or reſon at all. I beſech your learned hyghenes to conſydre whether thys mater be in differently handlede or no / that on man openly accuſed of a greate offence / ſhallbe bothe defendent examiner iudge & accuſer all ate one tyme. Is it any meruel if the thefe eſcape hā gynge whiche is ſuffered to be hys own examiner & iudge (If that lucifer the greate deuel might hauehave ſuche liberti / to do what he lyſt to accuſe whon he wolde / & then to be bothe hys own witnes & iudge / wo ſhuld cum to all goodmen & he ſhuld neuer be condemned hys ſelf whiche were great pytie. Where fore i beſeche your hyghnes / as thys mater that is betwen us / is no ſmall mater / to appoynte ſum indifferent learned men / ſum of the Clergie / & other ſum of the laite / to examin frely with out ieperdy of theyr lyues / thys mater whiche is betwene uſe / and not to ſuffer my aduerſary bothe to be my accuſer and examiner / and his iudge and myne bothe together all at one tyme. Thys ones brought to paſſ and licence once granted agayn to hunt the rauenyng fox / which i dowt not but that ye will grant me for the louelove that ye hauehave to the libertie of your louing ſubiectes / i truſt that we ſhall not nede here af ter to hunt the fox any more / hys ayders & manteyners and he ſhall be ſo manifeſtly and openly knowen / who and where they be. Thys that i go about ſhall not ouly miniſh the murder of the cruel fox / and purches ſpirituall liberti unto many agood man / but alſo ſhall turn to the great honor and good name of all the hole realme / whiche in many cuntrees is ſore ſflandered for to be au upholder of the beſte that we pretēded to banniſſ he away / They that ſit ot home and hauehave not bene in far cuntrees / cannot tell what reporte goethe abrode in other landes of our nacion / But they whiche ar and hauehave bene in ſtrange landes / ar comppelled ſumtymes to heare it that they wold not heare uery gladly / of our cuntre for holdyng of ſuche doctrine and ordinances as all the worlde knowethe to be of the biſſhop of romes makyng cand contrary to the holy worde of God. Who grante yow helth of bothe body and ſoule / uictori ouer your enemies and grace to do in thys our mater of religion as ſhall be moſt to the / glori of God and the profit of the comun welthe /
Amen.