The State of the Church of England, Conclusion
THE CONCLVSION.
BRethren, ye see by lamentable experience, howe iniuriously the church of GOD in England is d…al…e withall, by taking away, and stopping the mouthes of their faithful teachers, and by thrusting vppon vsus vnlearned, and vnsufficient menne, which neither hauehave wil, nor abilitie, with wholsome barking to driue away the wolfe, but …ontrariwise dooth giuegive priuie encouragement vntounto the enemie, to continue in his wickednesse, whereby the churche of God is assailed most daungerouslie; and Sathan dooth not cease by all meanes possible to ouerthrowe that good worke which is begunne in England: and therefore it behooueth vsus brethren to looke about vsus, and not to suffer the ennemie to growe so strong against vsus if by anie meanes wee may let and hinder his wicked enterprises. And now my brethren, what is to bee doone on our partes? Surely I am one of the simplest of a thousand, to giuegive aduise to proceede in any good course in so waightie a matter. But this, in my iudgement were a good way, eueu to ioyne our selues together, so manie as feare GOD, and to frame our moste humble supplication vntounto hir Highnesse, shewing vntounto hir Maiestie the greate dammage and losse that the Churche dooth sustayne, for that they can not hauehave the voyces of their faithfull pastors, which hauehave diligently, and with great paines labored to drawe men backe from superstition, and the false worship of God, vntounto the true and sincere worship of his maiestie, and laying downe before vsus most purely, the doctrine of the Scriptures, to the end, that we shoulde know what wee ought to doo, and what to leaue vndoone, leading vsus, as it were, euen by the hand, to the true worship of God, and our loyall dutie vntounto her Maiestie, and al hir officers. And these men (we can not tell by what meanes) are letted and stopped from dooing those notable dueties of their calling, and are not permitted to speake anie more vntounto vsus in the name of the Lord, whereby we hir poore subiects sustaine great dearth and scarcitie euen to the foode of our soules. Therefore wee hir loyall subiects, most humbly do entreate her Highnesse, that shee would looke vponupon the affliction of the poore Church, and let vsus hauehave our true teachers restored vntounto vsus againe. And so we hir subiects should yeelde continual thanks vntounto hir highnesse, praieng vntounto GOD alwayes for hir prosperitie. And (our brethren) if this way shall bee thought good, when there shal be some aduise taken vponupon it. Then to choose out some fitte man that can indite and frame our supplication, one that feareth God, that hath a feeling of this plague in his heart (as the Scripture speaketh) I meane of the want & lacke of these good preachers.
And this beeing doone, then to appoint other godlie and honest men, to present our supplication, two, or three, as it shall bee thought good vntounto you, and the rest to aide them with money, or in what other daunger may fall out: so that they present it in the name of the whole congregation, or otherwise, if it shal be thought good: first to moue our sute vntounto some of the Byshops, as Winchester or Salisburie, or both, or anie other that you shall thinke good: I beseech you let vsus not sit still, when wee are touched so neer, but as those good men hauehave ventured their libertie and liuing for our good: so let vsus take some paines for them, to aduenture some daunger of reproofe, or what else may fall out.
Better is the day of death (saith Salomon) than the day of birth, man that is borne of a woman, liueth but a shorte time, and is replenished with many miseries, but happie are the dead, that die in the Lord.
Man is borne of woman in trauel, to liue in miserie, man thorough Christ doth die in ioy, and liue in felicitie. Hee is borne to die, & dieth to liue. Straight as he commeth into the worlde, with cries, hee vttereth his miserable estate, straight as he departeth, with songs he praiseth God for euer. Scarce yet in his cradle, three deadlie ennemies assault him: after death no aduersary can anoy him: whilest hee is heere, hee displeaseth God: when he is dead, he fulfilleth his will. In this life, heere he dieth thorow sinne, in the life to come, he liueth in righteonsnes, thorough many tribulations in earth, he is still purged: with ioy vnspeakable, in heauen is he made pure for euer: heere hee dieth euerie houre, there hee lyueth continually: heere is sinne, there is righteousnesse: heere is time, there is eternitie: hecre is hatred, there is louelove: heere is paine, there is pleasure: heere is miserie, there is felicitie: heere is corruption, there is immortalitie: heere we see vanitie, there shall wee beholde the maiestie of God, with triumphant and vnspeakable ioye in glorie euerlasting.
Seeke therefore the things that are aboue, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God the father, to whom with the sonne and the holie ghost, be al honour and glorie, worlde without ende
Amen.
End of the text · John Udall, The State of the Church of England (1588)