The Confutation of the Misshapen Answer to a Wicked Ballad, Title page – Preface
The Confutation of the mishapen Aunswer to the misnamed, wicked Ballade, called the Abuse of ye blessed sacramēt of the aultare. Wherin, thou haste (gentele Reader) the ryghte vnderstandynge of al the places of scripture that Myles Hoggard, (wyth his learned counsail) hath wrested to make for the transubstanciacion of the bread and wyne.
☞Compiled by Robert Crowley. Anno. 1548.
¶To the Reader
AFter I had perused … a…swere (christiā Reader) and perc…iu… howe greately the papistes glori… therin thinckeinge (yea and mak …s theyr crakes) that no man should be able to confute it, or if any man shoulde take in hande to writte agayne, he shoulde be aunswerede in lyke maner: I …hou…ht it my … (amongeste other my labours for the sitteyng…forth of the trueth of the christian fayeth) t… ouerthrowe thys theyr bullwarcke, that these proude philist…ans maye knowe that the Lord of host…s hath not lefte his churche so …estitut… of the good gyftes of the spirite, but that th… verie little ones (of his armie) are able to driu… them from al theyr holdes, and cause them to …ee when▪ theyr stouburne stomakes▪ wyll no… suffer them to yelde to the trueth The spirite of the lyueinge God leade the in the waye of trueth, that thou be not deceiued by these false a dissemblinge hypocrites, which vnderunder the name catholike fayeth woulde stil mayntayne the Romishe ruffe and Kindome of Anti christe.
AMEN. ☞ ☜ ☞ ☜
¶The preface to the reader.
GOod readers all, of eche degre
To you I make, humble request
When that you do this reade or se
To iudge my minde vntounto the best
And blame me not, though I …rnest …e
In this hige point of our fayth
Which now, so many enmyes hath.
All thinges, sayeth Paull, that written be
Are written playne for our learnyng
Then sy…h in scrip…ure t…us we se
That Christe to vsus was so louinge
Not onelyonly death for vsus sufferinge
But also lefte vsus his flesh and bloude
Of bodye and soule to be the foode
Namely to suche as worthely
Re…eyue it with a fayeth perf…te
That Christ is ther soule and bodye
Whom the Iewes slew… wyth greate despy…
Without which fayeth as I resyte
Th…y do receyu… it damnably
Not des…rninge oure Lordes bodie
Good rea…er mu…e not on this thynge
How by thy reason it shoulde be
For tha… in errour will the bringe
Yf thou by reason seeke to se
Howe God can worke this mist…rie
Canst thou vyle dust at thys ceason
Measure Gods worke by thy reason
Thou ar… …, bu… a creature
Wyl… thou w…t… thy maker contend
Howe he can worke at his pleasure
A…oue that …hou canst comprehend
He hath made the vntounto suche end…
That thou by fayth, to him shoulde …leane
Aboue reason, for to beleue
Therfore I do, the aduertyse
Thy reason ther, to captyuate
It is no reasons exercyse
With, howe, to knowe the perfy…e ra…e
Howe God doth worke, in this estate
Therfore agayn to the I saye
Thou ough…est him in fayth to obey
Thus ende I now my preface
Desieringe you good readers all
The perfyte fayth for to embrace
The whych is most catholicall
And if in this answere you shall
Fynd any faute, I it commyt
To such as can, truely mende it.
FINIS