The Complaint of Verity, To the reader 2
To the Chriſtian Reader, Iohn Bradford wiſheth the true knowledge and peace of Ieſus Chriſt, our alone and ſufficient Sauiour.
GReat and heauy is Gods anger againſt vsus, as the moſt grieuous plague of the death of our late King (a Prince of all that euer was ſithen Chriſts aſſenſion into heauen in any Region peereleſſe) now fallen vponupon vsus, doeth prognoſticate. For when Gods iudgement hath begunne with his Childe, this our deare darling, let other men thinke as they can, I ſurely cannot bee perſwaded otherwiſe, but that a grieuous and bitter cuppe of Gods vengeance is ready to bee powred out for vsus Engliſh men to drinke of. The whelpe God hath beaten, to fray the bandogge. Iudgement is begunne at Gods houſe. In Gods merciemercy to him-wards, he is taken away, that his eyes ſhould not ſee the miſeries which we ſhall feele.
…eb. 11.He was too good to tary with vsus, ſo wicked, ſo froward, ſo peruers, ſo obſtinate, ſo malicious, ſo hipocritical, ſo couetous, vnclean, vntrue, proud, and carnall a generation. I will not goe about to paynt vsus out in our colours: All the world which neuer ſawe England, by heareſay ſeeth England: God by his plagues and vengeance, I feare me, will paynt vsus out, & point vsus out▪ We hauehave ſo mocked with him and his Goſpell, that we ſhall feele it is no bourding with him.
Of long time we hauehave couered our couetouſneſſe and carnality vnderunder the cloake of his Goſpell; ſo that all men ſhall ſee vsus to our ſhame, when he ſhall take his Goſpell away, and giuegive it to a people that will bring foorth the fruites of it: then ſhall we appeare as we be. To let his Goſpell tarry with vsus, he cannot; for we deſpiſe it, contemne it, are glutted with it: We diſdaine his Manna: it is but a vile meate, thinke we: We would be agayne in Egypt, and ſit by the greaſie fleſhpottes, to eate agayne our garlike, onyons, and leekes. Sithens Gods Goſpell came amongſt vsus, we ſay nowe, we had neuer plentie; therefore againe let vsus goe and worſhip the Queene of heauen. Children beginne to gather ſtickes,Iere. 44. the fathers kindle the fire, and the women make the cakes, to offer to the Queene of heauen, and to prouoke the Lord to anger. The earth can not abide nowe the words and Sermons of Amos. The cauſe of all rebellion, is Amos and his preaching.Amos 7. Act. 17. It is Paul and his fellowes, that make all out of order. Summa, the Goſpell is nowe, …antonpripſica, and catharoa tou eobou, The outcaſt and curſe of the Realme, and …o are the Preachers: therefore out of the doores with them. So that I ſay, God …annot let his Goſpell tarrie with vsus, but muſt needes take it away, to doe vsus ſome pleaſure therein: for ſo ſhall we thinke for … time: as the Sodomitanes thought, when …ot departed from them:Gene. 19. Gene. 7. as the old world …hought, when Noe crept into his Arke: as …he Ieruſolomitanes thought, when the A…oſtles went thence to Peltis. Then were …hey mery, then was al paſtime.Exod. 32 When Mo…es was abſent, then went they to eating & drinking, and roſe againe to play: Then was …ll peace, all was well, nothing amiſſe. But …las, ſuddenly came the flood, and drowned …hem: Gods wrath waxed hotte againſt them. Then was weale away, mourning and woe: then was crying out, wringing o… handes, renting of clothes, ſobbing and ſighing for the miſeries fallen; out of the which they could not ſcape. But, Oh ye… mourners & criers out, ye renters of clothes, why mourne ye? what is the cauſe of your miſerie? The Goſpell is gone; Gods word is little preached, you are not diſquieted with it; Noe troubleth you not; Lot is departed; the Apoſtles are gone. What now is the cauſe of theſe your miſeries? Will you at the length confeſſe, it is your ſinnes? Nay, nowe it is too late; God called vponupon you, and you would not heare him: therefore yell and crye out nowe; for he will not heare you. You bowed your eares from hearing of Gods law: therefore your praier is execrable.
But to come againe to vsus Engliſh men: I feare me (I ſay) for our vnthankfulnes ſake, for our impietie and wickedneſſe, as God hath taken away our King, ſo will he take away his Goſpell: yea, ſo we would hauehave it, then ſhould all be well, thinke many. Well, if he take that away, for a time, perchaunce, we ſhal be quiet, but at length we ſhall feele the want to our woe, at length he will hauehave at vsus, as at Sodome, at Ieruſalem, and other places. And now hee beginneth to brew ſuch a brewing, wherein one of vsus is like to …eſtroy an other, and ſo make an open …appe for forraine enemies to deuoure vsus, …nd deſtroy vsus. The father is againſt the …nne, the brother againſt the brother; and …orde, with what conſcience? O bee thou …ercifull vntounto vsus, and in thine anger remember thy merciemercy, ſuffer thy ſelfe to be …treated, be reconciled vntounto vsus, nay, recon…ile vsus vntounto thee. O thou God of iuſtice, …udge iuſtly: O thou ſonne of God, which …ameſt to deſtroy the woorkes of Sathan, …eſtroy his furours now ſmoaking, and almoſt ſet on fire in this Realme. Wee hauehave …nned, we hauehave ſinned, and therefore art …hou angrie: O be not angrie for euer. GiueGive …s peace, peace, peace in the Lord: ſet vsus to worke againſt ſinne, againſt Sathan, againſt our carnall deſires, and giuegive vsus the victorie …his way. This victorie we obtaine by faith. This faith is not without repentaunce, as her Gentleman Vſher before her. Before her I ſay, in diſcerning true faith, from falſe faith, lip-faith, Engliſhmens faith: for elſe it ſprings out of true faith.
This Vſher then, Repentance, if we truely poſſeſſed, we ſhould bee certaine of true faith, and ſo aſſured of the victorie ouer death, hell, and Sathan. His woorkes then which hee hath ſtirred vp, would quaile, God would reſtore vsus politique peace, right ſhould be right, & hauehave right: Gods Goſpell ſhould tarrie with vsus, Religion ſhould be cheriſhed, Superſtition ſuppreſſed: and ſo we yet ſomething happie, notwithſtanding the great loſſe of our moſt gratious Liege ſoueraigne Lord. All theſe would come to paſſe you ſee, if the Gentleman Vſher I ſpeake of, I meane, Repentance, were at Inne with vsus. As if he be abſent, we may be certaine, that Ladie Faith is abſent. Wherefore, we can not but be vanquiſhed of the world, the fleſh, and the deuill, and ſo will Sathans woorkes proſper, though not in all thinges to bleare our eyes, yet in that thing which hee moſt of all deſireth. Therefore, to Repentance, for our ſelues priuately, and for the Realme and Church publiquely, euerie one ſhall labour to ſtirre vp both ourſelues and others. This, to the ende that for my part I might helpe, I hauehave preſently put foorth a Sermon of Repentance, which had lyen by me halfe a yeere at the leaſt, for the moſt parte of it. For the laſt Summer, as I was abroade preaching in the Countrey, my chaunce was to make a Sermon of Repentaunce, the which was earneſtly of diuers deſired of mee, that I ſhould giuegive it them written, or elſe put it foorth in Print. The which thing to graunt, as I could not (for I had not written it) ſo I tolde them, that had ſo earneſtly deſired it.
But when no nay would ſerue, but I muſt promiſe them to write it as I could: I conſented to their requeſt, that they ſhould hauehave it at my leiſure. This leyſure I prolonged ſo long, that as (I weene) I offended them: ſo did I pleaſe my ſelfe, as one more glad to reade other mens writings, then in ſuch ſort to publiſh mine owne, for other men to reade: not that I would others not to profite by mee, but that I, knowing how ſlender my ſtore is, would be loth, for the enemies to hauehave iuſt occaſion of euill ſpeaking, and wreſting that which ſimply is ſpoken.
But when I conſidered this preſent time, to occaſion men nowe to looke vponupon all thinges, in ſuch ſort as might mooue them to godlineſſe, rather then to any curious queſtioning: I, for the ſatisfying of my promiſe, and profiting of the ſimple, ignorant, and rude, hauehave now cauſed this Sermon to be printed: the which I beſeeche God for his Chriſtes ſake, to vſe as a meane, whereby of his merciemercy, it may pleaſe him to worke in me, and many others, true hearty repentance for our ſinnes, to the glory of his name.
Thus fare thou vvell in the Lord, The xii. of Iuly. 1553.