Friar John Francis of France, Text (1 of 4)

Friar John Francis of France · Text (1 of 4)

p. 1❧ Reade all: or Reade nothing.

Crovvley.

WHen your mother ſhewed mée your Letters of the xvii. of March… laſt paſt: I did call to minde that which I had tolde her, more then thrée months before you departed from her. Which was, that I ſawe in you ſuch ſignes of Arrogancie, that I thought you to bee a méete ſtocke to graffe a Papiſt vponupon. In reading of thoſe your Letters, I perceiued that I was not deceiued in that my coniecture. This ſpirite of Arrogancie beginneth to ſhewe it ſelfe, euen in the beginning of thoſe your Letters: for you diſdaine to vſe thoſe duetifull ſpéeches, that naturall children ought to vſe, when they wryte to their naturall Parents. You ſéeme to be perſwaded, that you abaſe your ſelfe enough (yea & ouermuch) to write thus to ſuch Parents as they be.

The Fryar.

Welbeloued Father and mother, after my harty commendations which I hauehave vntounto you, theſe are to certify you, that I hauehave receiued your Letter, dated the xviii. of Auguſt.

Crovvley.

If you had written to the meaneſt amongſt them that hauehave béen your playfellowes, you muſt either hauehave paſſed y^e bounds of ciuill honeſtie, or els hauehave vſed as reuerent ſpéeches as theſe be. But did your Arrogant ſpirit ſuffer you to ſtay héere? no. For your Parents are ſo vile in your ſight, and in compariſon of your ſelfe, that you muſt needes write thus.

The Fryar.

Were your Prayers any thing worth, I woulde thanke you: for that you pray vntounto God to bleſſe me, and to endue me with the grace of his holy ſpirit, as alſo to lighten my hart, to the ende that I may vnderſtand the troth. Were (as I ſaide before) your prayers any thing worth, I would thanke you hartily for theſe your wiſhinges: but alas, they being ſuch as they ſeeme to bee, ſcarſly can I keepe my ſelfe from teares.

Crovvley.

If Lucifer himſelfe (who is noted to be the father of pryde) ſhold hauehave writtē to his damme, could he hauehave vſed words of greater Arrogancie? You hauehave forgotten (I thinke) that commandement of God, which you did once knowe, & did acknowledge before a great congregation of Chriſtians in my Church at Crepiegate. Honour thy father & thy mother &c. You remember not the ſaying of Syrache, in his 3. Chap. Qu… timet dominum, honorat parentes: et quaſi dominis ſeruiet hijs qui ſe genuerunt. He that feareth the Lord, dooth honour his Parents, and doth ſeruice to them that begat him, euen as though they were his Lordes. And againe, Quam malae famae est, qui derelinquet Patrem: & est maledictus a Deo, qui exasperat matr…. How euill a report hath he, that forſaketh his Father? And he that vexeth his mother, is accurſed of God. Yea and in the ſame Chapter he ſaith, euen immediatlie after thoſe wordes that I hauehave cited before, In opere, et ſermone, et omni patientia honora patrem tuum &c. Honour thy father in déede and in ſpéeche, and in all patience, that bleſſing from God may come vponupon thée &c. The Fathers bleſſing doth eſtabliſh the houſes of the Children, but the mothers curſſe doth roote out the foundations thereof. Yea, and Salomon ſaith in the 15. of his Prouerbs Stultus irridet diſciplin…m patr…s ſui. &c. The foliſh man doth deride the diſcipline of his father &c. And againe: Stultus homo despicit matrem ſuam. The fooliſhe man deſpiſeth his mother. Theſe ſayings written in the Scriptures, were farre out of your minde, both when you harkened to theſe Counſellers that firſt aduiſed you, to leaue your father and mother in ſuch ſorte as you hauehave doone, and euer ſince (as may be gathered by that which you hauehave written in your Letters directed to them) but I coniecture, that you wyll ſtaie your ſelfe vponupon the words of our Sauiour Chriſt, written by the Euangeliſt Math. 19. Qui re…querit domum, vel fratres, aut ſorores, aut Patrem, aut matrem▪ aut vxorem, aut f…lios. aut agros propter nomen m…um: centuplum accip…, & v…am aeternam poſſidebit. Who ſo ſhall forſake houſe, or brethren or ſiſters, or father, or mother, or p. 2wife, or childe, or fréends for my name ſake, ſhall receiue an hundreth folde and poſſeſſe life euerlaſting. But will you knowe what Chryſoſtome writeth vponupon this place? Qui perdit animam ſuam propter me, inueniet eam: non vt noſmetipſos interimamus, ne que vt animam nostram violenter a corpore diſiungamus: ſed vt religionis pietatem, caeteris omnibus anteferamus. It a de vxore quo que , ac fratribus intelligendum est. Who ſo looſeth his owne life for me, ſhall finde it: not that we ſhould kill our ſelues, neither that we ſhould violentlie ſeperate our owne ſoule from our bodie, but that we ſhould preferre the godlines of Religion before all the reſt. Euen ſo muſt we vnderſtande that which is ſpoken of the wife and brethren. Now, if thoſe words of our Sauiour, written by S. Mathew doo not enforce you to kyll your ſelfe, why ſhoulde they cauſe you to leaue your father and your mother, in ſuch ſort as you hauehave doone, the ſtaffe of whoſe age you ſhould hauehave béene, if you had béene carefull to doo as once you confeſſed in my Church, that by Gods law you are bound to doo. That is, to louelove, honour, and ſuccour your father and mother, to obey them and ſerue them, to feare and reuerence them, not onelyonly in word and déede, but in your hart and minde alſo. To followe their precepts and examples of life, & patientlie to take correction at their handes, and to make continuall and hartie praiers to God for them. To relieue and nouriſh them, in caſe they ſhould fal into pouerty or decay. And in all points by ſhewing your ſelfe an obedient and good child, to mooue them to be louing and good to you. All this you confeſſed in my Church before many witneſſes, which ſhall in the day of iudgment be a teſtimonie againſt you, to condemne you of wilfull Apoſtacie, and a witnes to diſcharge your father and mother, (and all others that hauehave had the education of you) of all maner negligence, in enſtructing you in the knowledge of your duety, both towards God, and towards man. So that if you periſh, your blood ſhalbe vponupon your owne head alone. You procéede in your anſwere, and thus you ſay.

The Fryar.

You write furthermore vntounto me, that you hauehave made great enquirie after me. I know it well. I was in feare great enough by reaſon of that enquirie, as long as I was in Englande, although (that God be thanked) I hauehave, though hardly, eſcaped your handes.

Crowley.

In theſe wordes you make knowne to as many as ſhall reade this your anſwer, both the dutiful care that your good parents had to preſerue you (their wicked ſonne) from deſtruction bothe of body and ſoule: and alſo your owne wilfull determination, to caſte your ſelfe headlong into that Gulfe of perdition, that you are nowe fallen into. Yea, and that you are of that number that Eſay y^e Prophet bewayleth, when he writeth thus in the 5. chap, V aequidicitis malum bonum, & bonum malum: ponentes tenebras lucem, & lucem tenebras, ponentes amarum in dulce, & dulce in amarum. Alas for them that call euill good, and good euill. Affirming darknes to be light, and light to be darkneſſe, turning ſower into ſwéete, and ſwéete into ſower. The bright ſhining light of the knowledge of y^e truth, which dooth nowe ſhine in England, you call the darknes of ignorance and errour: and the hellike darknes of Poperie, wherein you doo nowe wander, groping after the way of Saluation, you call light, ſhewing your ſelfe to be one of them that are noted by our Engliſh Prouerbe. They that be in hell, doo perſwade themſelues, that there is none other heauen. Moreouer you ſay thus.

The Fryar.

You heard that I was at Rhemes: it is verie certaine, I was there, the reaſon alſo wherefore I writt not vntounto you, was partly the ſcarſitie of meſſengers, and partlie other thinges, which here I can not well rehearſe. Againe, I could not write vntounto you conueniently, becauſe I doubted whether you were aliue or dead.

Crovvley.

The report of your béeing at Rhemes, you ſay was true, which argueth y^t it was rather y^e lacke of good wyl in you, to comfort your ſorrowfull parents by your duetifull Letters, then the lacke of meſſengers that ſtayed your penne. What the other lets were, which héere you can not well rehearſe: I hope you will tell vsus at ſome other time more conuenient, and when it ſhall not bee ſo daungerous for you, as nowe it is. And béeing by theſe Letters (that you confeſſe you hauehave receiued) certifyed that your Parents are lyuing, that doubt that you ſpake of can no longer bee any let at all. Procéeding in your anſwere, you ſay thus.

The Fryar.

You write againe vntounto mee, that all my freendes are in good health, to tell you the troth, I knowe not any one freende amongſt you.

Crovvley.

Bona verba queſo. Good ſir, be good to Watkin. What not any one fréende amongſt vsus all? There are many yet liuing, y^t hauehave p. 3béene your fréends I am ſure of it. As your father, your mother, my ſelfe, my wife (your Godmother) Maſter Moncaſter, ſometime your Schoolemaſter, Maſter Fielde, Maſter Doctor Fulke, maſter Paule Swallow, and many moe that were your Mecaenates in Cambridge: and howe happeneth it, that all theſe be nowe blotted out of your Cataloge of fréends? By all likelihoode, all the benefites y^t hauehave béene beſtowed vponupon you, hauehave béene written in duſte and not in Marble. Your Grandmother, that being your mothers mydwyfe, lapped you in the firſt ſwadling clow…s that euer you bepyſſed, and did vntounto you all the offyce of a mydwyfe: was ſhe not your fréende? your mother that yet liueth, and during the time of your infancie, gaue you ſucke of her owne breſte, and fedde you with foode meete for you, when ſometimes ſhe ſpared it out of her owne bodie, was ſhe not then your fréende? when ſhe continued your Nurſſe, and did vntounto you all that is to be doone by a Nurſſe, and when by your wraling and crying you had gotten a Rupture in the nether part of your belly, ſhe ſought and procured meanes to eaſe and remedy the ſame▪ by truſſes and otherwiſe, was ſhe not then your fréende? I coulde put you in minde of much more fréendſhip ſhewed vntounto you, by vsus a boue named, and by many moe, but all is buried in obliuion ſo déepe that it is not poſſible that the ſame canbe digged vp againe, in ſuch ſort that you can be moued to acknowledge the ſame. Your newe Fréendes are ſo ſetled in your conceyte, that all the olde are blotted out of memorie for euer. You regarde not the Counſell of Syrach who wryteth thus, Cap. 9. Ne derelinquas amicum antiquum, nouus … nim non erit ſimilis illi. Forſake not an olde fréend, for the newe wyll not be like him &c. Well, you procéede in your anſwere, and thus you ſay.

The Fryar.

As for my brother Aaron, I beſeeche our Lord & ſauior Ieſus Chriſt by the merits of his bitter death and paſſion, to hauehave mercy vponupon his ſoule, as alſo vponupon yours, and to ſaue you all at the day of iudgement.

Crovvley.

I doo like well of this your charitable wiſhe: and doo wiſhe the like ſaluation to you, and to all the reſt of your newe fréends. But now you doo vſe a ſpéech by the figure Apoſtrophe. And thus you write in the margine of your Letters.

The Fryar.

Brother Aaron, leaue the Religion wherein you were at my departure from you: and if that you can by anie meanes come on this ſide the ſeas, come to Paris in Fraunce, and aſke after the Minimes Fryers at Nigeon, ſo ſhall you finde me. If that you come to me, leaue your naughty Religion, & care for no more. And counſell alſo my father and mother, to do as you do (or as I hope wyll doo.)

Crowley.

This goſtlie counſel that you giuegive to your brother Aaron, and doo wiſh that he ſhould giuegive y^e ſame to your father and mother, will not (I hope) be followed in haſte. That Religion that you call naughtie, and will your Brother Aaron to leaue: ſhall (I hope) be prooued in this my diſcourſe, the right Religion of Chriſte, and your Romaine Religion, méere Antichristian. Now to put your mother out of doubt, that you are her ſonne Sammuell in déede, you wryte thus.

The Fryar.

And foraſmuch as you hauehave written to me, that you will not giuegive credite to word of mouth, or to written Letters, except that I write your name (being my mother) and the place of my birth, let theſe ſuffice to ſet your hart at reſt. I was borne (as you hauehave tolde me) in Eſſex, brought vp and nouriſhed (in hereſye) in London, or in the ſuburbs. Your name is Catharine Maipeston▪ by reaſon of mariage, you are called Catherine Debnam. I had a brother named Nathanaell (as you told me) and he is dead being an infant. Moſes and Tobias are alſo dead, with both my ſiſters Abigael, & Christian, (vponupon whoſe ſoules Chriſt Ieſus hauehave mercy.) Aaron was a liue whē I departed from you, vntounto whom, as alſo vntounto you my mother & to my father John Debnam, I beſeeche Chriſt giuegive life euerlaſting. Thus much for the anſwere of that Letter which you ſent me, written (as I thinke) by Maſter Kings man the Scriuener.

Crowley.

The carefull hart of your mother, deſired certaine knowledge of the caſe of her fugitiue ſon: ſuppoſing it had not béene poſſible for a nie natural ſon, being a liue, in anie part of y^e known world, to hide himſelfe ſo long from ſo louing a mother as ſhe hath béene to you: and therefore ſhe wiſhed to be certified in ſuch ſorte, as nowe ſhe is by theſe your Letters. But ſir, the conſideration of duety towards your mother, ſhould hauehave mooued you to hauehave vſed more duetifull p. 4ſpéeches then you hauehave doone in this parte of your aunſwere. Set your hart at reſt, ſauoureth of contempt of that perſonne that you write vntounto (whom God commandeth you to honour) and of an obſtinate purpoſe and determination, neuer to hauehave anie ſuch regard vntounto her, as chriſtian children ought to hauehave vntounto their Parents, ſo long as they ſhall be in this tranſitorie life. It ſéemeth to me that you hauehave forgotten all that you learned in the Schoole of Chriſt, and hauehave learned a newe leſſon in the Phariſaicall Schoole at Rhemes: that is (as it maie be thought) to ſhake of all curteſye, both in ſpéeche and behauiour towards Parents, and curriſhly to anſwere Corban. Mark. 7. You were borne in Eſſex: but will you know by what occaſion? Your father and mother dwelt then in the ſuburbs of London: but the houſe that they then had, was not furniſhed with things néedefull for a woman in the trauell of childe, and therefore your Grandmother being a Mydwife, tooke your mother home to her houſe at Waltam in Eſſex. And y^t as I ſuppoſe by Gods prouidence, that the babe that then was borne, might rightly be termed an Eſſex Calfe, and that our Engliſh Prouerbiall ſpéeche might rightlie be applied vntounto him (As wyſe as Waltams Calfe that ranne nine miles to ſucke a Bull▪) You heard tell of the Popes Bull that Felton fyxed to the Biſhop of Londons gates, and like a Waltams Calfe you ranne to Rhemes, and (by your owne confeſſion) would hauehave runne to Rome, if you had not béene letted, by I knowe not what meane, but by Gods prouidence I am aſſured, that your follie might the more eaſilie bee made knowne vntounto vsus out of Fraunce, and that you may in ſhorter ſpace, and with leſſe daunger returne to England againe when God ſhall open your eyes, and let you ſée, howe vnwiſelie and like a Waltams Calfe you hauehave dealt. You were brought vp and nouriſhed you ſay, in Hereſie, in London, or in the Suburbs thereof. As touching this hereſie, that you ſay you were brought vp and nouriſhed in: I ſay with S. Paule Acts. 24. Confiteor autem hoc tibi, quod ſecundum ſectam quam dicunt haereſim, ſic deſeruio patrio Deo meo: credens omnibus quae in l…ge & Prophetis ſcripta ſu…t▪ ſpem habens in Deum, quam et by ipſi expectant, reſur… rectionem futuram, iustorum & iniquorum. In hoc & ipſe studeo, ſine offendiculo, conſcientiam habere ad Deum, & ad homines ſemper. I confeſſe this vntounto you, that according to that ſ…ct which men call hereſie, I do humbly ſerue the God of my fathers: beléeuing all that is written in the Law and the Prophets: hauing hope in God, which hope euen they themſelues doo looke for, that a reſurrection ſhalbe, bothe of the iuſt and of the wicked. And héerein I my ſelfe doo endeuoure, to hauehave alwaies a conſcience, both towards God, and towards men. This is that hereſie that you were brought vp and nouriſhed in, in London, and in the Suburbs therof. But I pray you (good maſter Fryer Iohn) was S. Paule an Hereticke? Are your father and mother Heretickes? Was Robert Smith, that firſt taught you to knowe Letters (and is nowe gone to God) an Heretike? Am I an Heretike that firſt taught you to knowe the Rules of Grammer, and taught you and fedde you at mine owne charges, more then ſeauen yéeres firſt and laſt? Are all our Rulers, and wee of the Engliſh nation Heretikes, and our whole kingdome hereticall, becauſe we refuſe to fall downe with you, and worſhip the purple whore of Rome, that rideth vponupon the Roſe coloured beaſte? When God ſhall make your gréene witt ryper, and your fléeting iudgment déeper, I hope you iuyll recant that raſh ſaying of yours. I was brought vp and nouriſhed in hereſie. Your mothers Surre name before mariage, you miſtake, for ſhe was not daughter to Maipeſton but to Myllis, and is now by marriage called Catherine Debnam. Your brethren and ſiſters, were as you hauehave written: and are all departed thys lyfe, ſauing onelyonly Aaron. And as many as know you, hauehave iuſt cauſe to wyſh, that as you were the firſt borne, ſo you had béene the firſt buried. But God hath otherwiſe appointed it? we doo therefore refer all to his will, béeing well aſſured that the ende ſhall be to his glory, although (we feare) to your euerlaſting confuſion. But what meane you to craue mercy for the ſoules of your brethren and ſiſters departed? doo you thinke that God tooke them out of this miſerable life ſo ſpéedilie, that he might caſt them into your holy father the Popes ſcalding houſe, which you call Purgatorie? Did you neuer reade the wordes written in the 3. Chap. of Wiſedome, I uſtorum animae in man… Dei ſu…t: et non tanget illos tormentùm mortis. The ſoules of the righteous are in the hand of God, and the torment of death ſhall not touch them. Againe in the fourth Chap. I ustus autem ſi morte praeoccupatus fuerit: in refrigerio erit. If the iuſt perſon ſhall be preuented by death, he ſhalbe in a place of refreſhing. And againe in the ſame Chap▪ Raptus est, ne malicia mutaret intellectūm eius: aut ne fictio deciperet animamillius. He was taken away violently, leaſte mallice p. 5ſhould change his vnderſtanding, or leaſt counterfeited holines ſhold deceiue his ſoule. If you will conſider well, thoſe ſayings of y^t wyſe man, you ſhall hauehave cauſe to thinke, that your brethren and ſiſters departed, are not in ſuch caſe now, that they ſhould ſtand in néede of greater mercy, then Chriſt Jeſus hath already ſhewed vntounto them. But more of this: when I ſhall come to ſpeake of theſe wordes of yours. You ſay that we are fooles to pray for the deade. Your Brother Aaron (you ſay) was liuing at that time when you did ſo vnduetifullie depart from your mother (but he is nowe dead) to whom as to your Father and mother, you béeſéeche Chriſt to giuegive life euerlaſting. A good and charitable petition. I wyſh the ſame to you, and to all others whatſoeuer: knowing that none can hauehave euerlaſting life, otherwiſe then by Gods frée gyft, thorowe Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. But your ſelfe and men of your ſorte, may not acknowledge anie ſuch free gyft, for that you doo (by your often and long prayers, your holines and auſterity of life, and your continuall faſtinges, and often ſcourging of your ſelues with your holie whyppes) deſerue this life euerlaſting, both for your ſelues and for others. So that you are become ſauiours of your ſelues, & of as many as doo (or will) beléeue as you doo, & teache others to beléeue. And thus you conclude your anſwer to the Letter which your mother ſent you, written (as you think) by Maſter Kings man, the Scriuner. As touching y^e writer of that Letter, your coniecture is right. You procéede and ſay.

Fryar.

I am now to certify you, of my ſtate, welfare, & abyding, & how I am likely to liue. Firſt of al therfore, I beſeech Ieſus Chriſt giuegive you the grace of his holie ſpirit, vntounto the intēt, that this which I write, may be to his honor, to your cōuerſiō, & your ſouls health.

Crowley.

Wee ſhall nowe bee certified of your eſtate, welfare &c. You beſéeche Jeſus Chriſte to giuegive the grace of his holye ſpirit to your mother &c. I hope ſhe hath already receiued ſo large a meaſure of that holy ſpirite, y^t whatſoeuer you hauehave, or ſhall write, ſhall not be able to remooue her from that foundation whereon ſhée is builded: which is the Rocke Chriſt, & that notwithſtanding anie aſſaults that you can make, ſhe ſhall remaine ſtill ſetled vppon that Rocke, to her ſoules health. And that your writings and mine together, ſhalbe to the honor of Chriſt Jeſus, either in your returning againe from your Apostacie, or els in your vtter confuſion.

Nowe you enter into your diſcourſe concerning your departing, your trauell and dangers, that you endured and eſcaped, before you were brought to this bleſſed reſt wherein you nowe remaine: the manner and holines of the life that you leade there, and hauehave vowed and ſo purpoſe to leade, ſo long as GOD ſhall giuegive you life vppon earth. Laſt of all, you vſe an earneſt, and (as you think) a pithie Oration, to mooue your mother to be at deſtance with that Religion that ſhe nowe holdeth, and with all the teachers thereof: As Crowley, and the reſt: to burne her Bookes of Sermons, to vſe the Engliſh Bible no more, to goe no more to the Sermons of Proteſtants, but to praie to our bleſſed Ladie, and to hang her faith vponupon her ſon Samuels ſléeue. And thus your diſcourſe beginneth.

The Fryar.

My departure from you, was vponupon the Monday (as I remember) after Lowe Sundaie, in the after noone. That night I was lodged, not farre from London. Two or three nights after that, I went by night a mile from London. The Saterday before that I departed from you, I went to ſhrift, (as wee call it in Englande) or in other words, I was at confeſſion, in a place, where I confeſſed my ſins to a Prieſt, who gaue me abſolution & penaunce. The Mondaie after that, I departed from you, vnderunder pretence of the Hebrewe Leſſon, which the miſchieuous Hereticke Barber taught me: The Fridaie after that, I went by night a mile from London, where I remained in great feare, the ſpace of two or three weekes. There I heard the firſt maſſe that euer I hearde.

Crovvley.

Concerning the time of your departing from your mother, your going to ſhrift the Saterdaie before, your lodging ſo nighe London for the ſpace of two or thrée nights after your departing, your going by night a mile of from London, your tarrying there for the ſpace of thrée wéekes in great feare, and hearing the firſt maſſe that euer you hearde the Fridaie after you were gon from your mother, I muſt paſſe ouer, as matter more to be muſed at, then to bee entreated of in this my diſcourſe. But this ſéemeth ſomething ſtraunge to me, that your ghoſtlie father would abſolue you before he had giuen you penance. By like he was ſome vnſkilfull penitancer, or els you being yet but a Nouice in Popery, hauehave vſed the Fygure Hyſteron Proteron in making the report. I perceiue that I my ſelfe, was at your age a much more ſkilfull Papiſt then you bée, and was much more able to defende Popery then you are, or are like to bee. In poprie Contrition and confeſſion goe before ſatiſfaction, p. 6and both muſt be voluntarie, full and vnfained, and then the ghoſtly father, & the ghoſtly childe muſt agrée vponupon penance. For no Popiſhe ghoſtly father, will or may enioyne his ghoſtlie childe▪ any other or greater penance, then himſelf will acknowledge y^t he is centented to take and to do. And this ſéemeth to me yet more ſtrange, that hauing confeſſed your ſinnes, and receiued abſolution and penance, & béeing reconſiled on the Saterdaie, you could be partaker of our Communion, on the next daie, in companie of your mother▪ whoſe prayers (as you hauehave ſaid before) are nothing worth, becauſe ſhée is not of that ſocietie that you were by that ghoſtlie father receiued into.

HaueHave Papiſtes nowe ſuch a priuiledge, that they may ſimul…re & diſſimulare: counterfait and diſſemble at their pleaſure? Chriſt hath ſaid thus. Whoſoeuer ſhall denie me before men. I will deny him before my heauenlie father, and before all his holie Angelles. You hauehave not therefore taken vp your Croſſe to followe Chriſt (as you ſéeme to be perſwaded that you hauehave doone) but you hauehave diſſembled with Chriſt and Chriſtians, that you might with leſſe daunger of bodie …ippe from them, and followe Antichriſt. If I might talke with you mouth to mouth, I would deſire to know of you, what manner of ſinnes they were that you confeſſed to that Prieſte your ghoſtlie Father. I ſuppoſe they were not the ſtubburneſſes & points of diſobedience that you from time to time hauehave vſed in all your behauiour towards your father and mother, and all other your Gouernors and betters. Neither can I thinke, that they were the ſubtill ſleights that you hauehave vſed, in deceiuing your father and mother, me, and your Godmother my wife, & others your Tutors, freends, and fellowes, or the falſe lyes that you hauehave made, and ſ…outlie faced out, when due proofe of that which you had doone coulde not be made. You know what I meane. If you were preſent. I woulde be more plaine and plentifull in ſpéeches, then in writing I doo thinke if méete to bée. To be briefe. I can not thinke that you confeſſed the tranſgreſſion of anie one of the Commanndements of God. But that you had béene at the Sermons of the proteſtant Preachers, and had heard them, and taken the notes of them, and had framed your ſelfe in ſome points to follow them, although in very déede but verie little. Yea, and that you had not holden & defended to the vtter moſt of your power, the Romiſh Catholike Religion, but had willinglie heard and read, and ſometimes your ſelfe vttered, vnreuerent ſpéeches both by word and by writing, to the derogation of that high dignitie of your moſt holie Father the Popes holines, Gods Vicar vponupon earth, and the vniuerſall head of the vniuerſall Catholique Church of Chriſt. Yea and in derogation of that holye Order that you your ſelfe doo now profeſſe. If I had béene with you when you made that confeſſion of your ſinnes. I coulde hauehave put you in mind of that Engliſh Enterlude that you wrote, whē you laſt dwelt in my houſe, wherein you appointed my little kinſman to play one parte in the habite of a Fryer, with this ſpéeche. Deus hic, Deus hic, and God be héere, is not this an holie ſpéech for a Fryer▪ You confeſſed I thinke, that you neuer tooke aſhes on Aſhewenſday, nor beare Palme on Palme Sondaie, nor crept to the croſſe on good Fridaie, nor faſted on the Ember daies, nor on anie ſaints vigill, nor yet on anie Friday in the whole yéere. But I feare mee you did forget that blaſphemy that in your forenamed Enterlude, in that part that you appointed for your fellowe John Goughe, in theſe wordes, to be ſpoken in the perſon of the mother of Chriſt, in the derogation of the Popes dooings, in that he tooke vppon him to alter the Calender of the yéere. The words are theſe.

What meaneth this fooliſh man to prate?

Nowe ſurelie I maruaile much.

What dooth him cauſe this wiſe to chat,

As though there were none ſuch?

As he himſelfe throughout the world,

Upon him ſo doth take:

As though that he the heauens and earth,

And eke the ſea did make.

Hee changeth my byrth day,

And wyll my child bed rule at his will:

Which he ſhall neuer bring to paſſe,

Whilſt world remaineth ſtyll.

If you did in your ſhrift forget theſe wordes of blaſphemy, breathed out againſt your holie father, the Popes holines: your confeſſion that you then made was vnperfecte, and ſo all that then was doone, not woorth a drye Walnut. Yea and although you did not forget to confeſſe it, yet if the Prieſt your ghoſtlie Father, that gaue p. 7you abſolution, had not a more large Commiſſion, then commonlie your holie father vſeth to giuegive to ſuch ſingle ſoled ſir Johns as they be, which in theſe daies come from Rome, he hadde no power to abſolue you for ſo horrible a ſinne, committed againſt your holie Fathers owne perſonne, his triple crowne and dignitie. No remedie you muſt to Rome, for that abſolution that you hauehave already receiued, is not worth the leaneſt …owſe, that euer crawled in the cowle of a Franciſean Fryer. But to let theſe things paſſe, till you and I ſhall méete together againe, I would gladly knowe wherein you can note Barber to be ſo miſchieuous an hereticke. Is it becauſe hée taught you a Leſſon of the Hebrewe tongue? or was it becauſe hee did it gratis, and tooke no reward of your father for his paines taken therein. Surely his meaning was good to you wardes, and that reward that you render vntounto him nowe, ſaueureth of too too great ingratitude. A vice that all honeſt men doo abhorre. But let this paſſe alſo, till Maſter Barber & you may come to talke together. I doubt not but you ſhall then …de him more fréendlie to you, then by thoſe words written by you, you hauehave deſerued. I meruaile howe you could ſtay your laughter, when you ſa…e the ieſtures and behauiours that the prieſt vſed in the firſt maſſe that euer you heard. Dyd you not laugh in your ſlaeue, to ſée an olde foole, or a young boy (for I knowe not of what age the Prieſt that ſaid the maſſe was) play with a white round cake, as a young Catte vſeth to play with a Mouſe that is more then halfe dead? Dyd you not ſmyle wythin your ſelfe to ſée him in his Plaiers garments, and to vſe his turnes and halfe turnes, his winckings, his ſtaringes, his liftinges and his layings downe, and in the ende the eating vp, and his ſlouenly ſupping vp of all himſelfe, and bleſſing ſuch as were preſent with the emptie Cup? Or if he did vouchſafe to make you Communicants with him: did you not marke howe hée gaue you Wine, ouer which he had vſed no words of coniuration (or as they doo terme it) conſecration, as he had doone ouer the other Wine which hée had lifted ouer his head, and ſupped vp himſelfe? If none of all theſe thinges could cauſe you to laugh or simyle▪ then vndoubtedlie you had loſte that accident which the Logicians call Proprium hominis, An accident proper to man, to be apt to laugh or ſmyle▪ But let vsus ſée now what you did on May day, next after your departing from your mother.

The Fryaer.

From thence I departed vponupon May day, earely in the morning on hor…backe toward Suſſex. I was in Suſſex and Hampſhire three monthes. Good Gentlemen gaue mee, when I departed from London, fortie or fyftie ſhillings to come ouer Seas. The danger was ſo great, and the examinations at the Sea ſhore ſo ſtraight, that I knewe not what to dog. Againe, other letts I had, that I could not take ſhipping, vntill the ende of lulie welnere. All this whyle (I thanke God) I wanted nothing: neither apparrell, meate nor drinke, nor money. VponUpon S. Iames euen, I tooke ſhipping at mydnight, with a Gentleman, a good Catholicke, or as you would terme him, a Papiſt, I being a Papiſt with him. So we two Papiſtes tooke ſhipping at Arundell Hauen in Suſſex, to goe to Rome. We were in great hazard of our liues vponupon the Seas, from Sunday night, vntill wedneſday afternoone. At what time wee arriued bothe in Fraunce, at Diepe in Normandie. From Diepe wee came to Roane in Normand…e, where I ſtayed a fortnight. After that I came to Paris, (the cheefeſt Cittie in Fraunce) from thence to Rhemes, where I ſtayed a tweluemonth and aboue. So I trauelled in Fraunce, before I came to an abyding place, welnere foureſcore leagues: that is to ſay, eightſcore miles almoſt. Being at Rhemes, I went, (or at the leaſt I ſhould hauehave gone) euerie day to the morning maſſe. After which maſſe, our cuſtome was to breake our faſte, and after that to goe ſtudie. I was in the Engliſh Colledge at Rhemes, where wee were welnere two hundred Engliſh men. I liued there paſſing well, as concerning meate, drinke, and other neceſſities▪

Crovvley.

By this diſcourſe of your peregrination, it appeareth, that Antichriſt hath his fréendes amongſt Engliſh men, bothe in, and about London, and alſo abroade in other partes of y^e Realme, and in Fraunce alſo. Good Gentlemen you ſay, (you ſhoulde hauehave ſayd, villanous Traytors) gaue you money to come ouer the Seas. Other, (whether Gentlemen or Yeomen, you ſay not) ſette you on horſebacke on May day, earely in the morning, and ſo like mē that bare more good wyll to Autichriſt of Italie, then to Chriſt. and hys annointed Deputy in England: conueighed you into Suſſex, and Hampſhyre, where men of like fidelity towards God, & our Prince and Countrey, miniſtred vntounto you all thinges neceſſary, ſo that the young Romiſh traytor, and fugitiue ſonne, that like a moſt rebellious Childe, had robbed his father and mother, of that helpe and cō fort, p. 8that both by the Lawe of God and of nature, all Parents ſhould hauehave at the hands of their ſonnes and daughters, is amongſt them ſo maintained, that for the ſpace almoſt of thrée monthes, hee lacketh neither meate, drinke, nor money. After all this, a Gentleman, a good Catholicke, a Papiſt (you ſay) with your ſelfe, a Papiſt alſo▪ (a payre of Italian Pygions) tooke ſhypping on S. James euen at midnight &c. If the Quéenes Maieſties Officers in Arundell, had borne ſo good wyll to her maieſtie and Countrey as by oath and alegiance they ſhould hauehave doone, your good Catholike Gentleman and you ſhould hauehave béene brought backe againe to London, and not hauehave béene in ſuch hazarde of your liues at the Sea, as you ſay you were, from Sunday night, till wedneſday after noone. But God wyll be reuenged vponupon ſuch brybing Officers, as can looke thorow their fingers, and ſuffer ſuch good Catholicke Gentlemen as you and your guyde were, to paſſe without examination, contrarie to their oathe and alegiance to their Prince and Countrey. Well, you eſcaped that hazarde of your liues, and arriued bothe in Fraunce, at Diepe, &c: Your trauell was great, from Diepe to Roane, from Roane to Paris, from Paris to Rhemes, where you ſtayed twelue month and more &c. Sée how much wiſer you be then Waltams Calfe, that ranne nine miles after a Bull to ſucke him. You ſay, that you ran welnere fourſcore leagues, that is almoſt eightſcore myles. And what other cauſe had you, then ſuch as may rightlie bee ſayde to bee the deſire to ſucke a Bull? At Rhemes (you ſay) you were excéeding well, and lacked no neceſſities (you ſhould hauehave ſayde, neceſſaries) being accompanied with two hundreth Engliſhmen▪ welnie. There you did goe (or at the leaſt ſhould hauehave gone) to the morning maſſe euerie day. Héere you giuegive me ſome occaſion to call to minde that ſaying, Coelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt. They that runne ouer the Sea, doo not change their minde but the ayre. You hauehave alwayes loued your cowche ſo well, that you coulde not be the firſt that ſhoulde ariſe in the morning. And when you were in Cambridge, it was noted to be a great faulte in you, that you would oftentimes pretende ſicknes, and the griefe of your Rupture, ſo that you could not aryſe to the morning exerciſe, but to dinner you coulde come. So I muſt thinke, that though you did in Rhemes, ſléepe out your morrow maſſe, yet you would not be found ſlacke at breakfaſt, or (at the leaſt) at dinner▪ And this might bee ſome cauſe that you were not ſo well liked of in the Colledge at Rhemes, for ſuch as were ſtudious there, muſt ſée that your running witt coulde not ſetle if ſelfe to any graue ſtudie. And therefore it was your beſt way to depart thence, and to hide your ſelfe in a Fryers Cowle. I remember a ſpéeche that Table players doo vſe, when ſuch a chaunce riſeth on the dice that they can not play to any aduauntage, the partie, that did caſte the chaunce vſeth to ſaye, it is naught. The other that playeth with him vſeth to anſwere thus, Then make a Fryer of it. This ſpéeche was commenly vſed in Englande, when the Orders of Fryers were in as high eſtimation in Englande, as they are newe in Fraunce. It did ſpring vp of that cuſtome y^t was then common amongſt Engliſh men. as it is newe in Fraunce and other Countreyes where the Orders of Friers be. An idle Lubber that wyll not endure any honeſt labour, wyll make ſhift to créepe into the habite of a Fryer, wherein he may loyter, and be fedde by the laboure of other men, and by the ſweat of other mens faces. Of this more ſhalbe ſayd, when I hauehave occaſion to write of your maner of entring into the profeſſion of your S. Franncis Order. You procéede in your diſcourſe, and thus you ſay:

The Fryer.

When I had for the ſpace of ſixteene of ſeuenteene monthes dwelt in Rhemes, I longed verie much to goe to Rome in Italie, to the Engliſh Colledge that our holy father, the Popes holines, maintained there, for the conuerſion of our miſerable Countrey. To Rome alſo I had gone, if God of his wonderfull grace and merciemercy, had not otherwiſe and in better ſort prepared for me. In the meane ſeaſon, I went to viſite Churches, to heare maſſes, to kyſſe Saints Reliques, to pray to God for you and for our Countrey in Fry…ies, and Monaſteries. I liked very well the Gray Fryers, the Auguſtine Fryars, the Blacke Fryers, otherwiſe called Carmelites, the white Fryers, and other ſorts of Religion, as alſo the Charterhouſe Monkes, the Blacke Monkes and others. Whilſt that I dyd thus take pleaſure in viſiting Fryeties & Abbies, Nunneries & ſuch other deuout places: it pleaſed God to touch my hard hart, and to mollifie it with the teares of deuotion. To be briefe, I toke in mind to leaue ſtudie, and to forſake the life of a Scholler, which I ledde at the Engliſh Colledge, and to make my ſelfe a Fryer or a Monke, as others did. I ſought therefore by all meanes poſſible▪ of mine owne free will, no man conſtrayning me, to leaue the worlde or worldlye p. 9thinges, and be a Religious man. I knewe not whether it were beſt for me to be a Charterhouſe Monke, or a Minime Fryer. Which Fririe of Minimes, is an extreme ſtraight kind of life, as afterward you ſhall heare.

Crowley.

Your ſickle witte appeareth ſtill more and more. You were verie well (you ſay) in the Colledge at Rhemes: yet after ſeauentéene monthes aboade there, you longed verie much to goe to Rome in Italie, by like y^e exerciſe of learning in Rhemes, was greater then your idle head could away with, and therefore you longed ſo greatlie to goe to Rome, in hope to finde a more idle life there. To goe from place to place, from Frierie to Frierie, from the Nunnes to the Munckes, to heare maſſe, and to kiſſe the Reliques of Saintes, was a iollye idle life. But I pray you, are you aſſured that the Reliques that you kiſſed were the Reliques of Saintes? When the Reliques that were in Churches in Englande, came into the hands of them that could and would conſider them with indifferent eyes▪ I my ſelfe ſawe one bone, that had a Label of parchment faſtened to it, wherein was written. ▪ Os ſancti Bartholomei, A bone of S. Bartholomew. But when this bone was wel viewed, it was found to be the ſhoulder bone of a young Pig, the broade and thinne part thereof beeing pared of with a knife, as did moſte plainely appeare. In the Abbay of Hayles, a Relique was kept, which was ſaid to be the blood of Chriſt, but when the Pyx (wherin it was kept) was opened, it was found to be a matter like very fine ſande, or a liquid Gumme of a ſanguine coloure. I my ſelfe (being then but young) did ſée and reade the Hiſtory of the bringing of that ſuppoſed blood thether, which Hiſtorie was written in a Table faſt by the entring into that Chappell where the Relique was kept. The hiſtory was ſo doubtfull, that euen then I beganne to doubt of the trueth thereof. For in the Hiſtory it was not plainelie affirmed to be a portion of the bloode that iſhued out of the bodye of Chriſt, but either a portion of that blood, or els of blood that iſhueed out of a crucifix that was found in the houſe of a Jewe in Jeruſalem, and ſet-vp on the Mount of Caluerie in deriſion, into y^e ſide whereof, blinde Longius, was cauſed to thruſt his Speare, whereby great plenty of bloode did iſhue, and was reſerued by ſuch as were preſent. &c. The Nayles that faſtened our Sauiour to the Croſſe, were in number but thrée, and they came all to the handes of Conſtantine the Emperour, by his mother Helena. He cauſed one of them to be wrought into the byt of his brydle, that hée ſhould vſe in the warres, another in the Coone of his Helmet, to faſten his plume of Feathers in, and the third he caried alwayes about him, and being in daunger in a ſtorme on the Adrian Sea, he caſt it in to the Sea to ſtay the rage thereof. This is written by Romaine Catholikes, wherefore you muſt not denie it to be true. Now conſider with your ſelfe, whether you hauehave béene borne in hande that you hauehave kiſſed any of thoſe nayles or not. I coulde ſay ſomething of our Ladies milke, her gloues, her ſmocke, her heayre, &c. Of the breade that was left at Chriſtes laſt ſupper, of the I ſe that was frozen in that night wherein he was borne &c. Well, why…ſt you were thus occupyed, your hard hart was mollified with the teares of deuotion. You ſhould hauehave ſayd, of ſuperſtition, & deſire to leade a loyterers life. You determined to leaue y^e life of a Scholer (which in verie déede you could neuer delight in) becauſe you might not be idle in that kinde of life, and ſought by all meanes poſſible to obtaine the habite of Religion, and at the laſt you obtained a Minimes habite.

The Fryar.

I came (you ſay) from Rhemes to Paris, to aſke the habite of a Religious man, from thence I returned (ſay you) to Rhemes. Whether after that I came, I was receiued with other two Engliſhmē into the Frierie, in which we ſtayed for the ſpace of a monethmonth. After which terme, one of vsus was receiued, the other two, whereof I was one, being ſent to the Engliſh Colledge, there to ſtay till ſome other occaſion might fall out. Three weekes beeing paſſed, I was ſent to a Cittie in Loraine, called Verdun, eyght and forty miles diſtant from Rhemes. Since which my departure from the Engliſh Colledge. I ſawe no more Rhemes. Beeing at Verdun, the Prouinciall of Lyons, (or as he may be called, after the termes of Religion, which in Catholicke time were vſed in England) the chiefe Pryor of Lyons, tooke me with him and paid my charges, from the foreſayde Cittie of Verdun to Lyons in Fraunce, which are a hundred leagues, that is to ſay, two hundred miles. Being there arriued, after a fortnights ende▪ I was weeded with a Fryers weede. Then my ſofe linnen ſhy…ts, were turned into rough wollen ſhyrts, my blacke Scholerlike garments, into a browne gowne, with large fleeues as the Gray Fryers hauehave. My p. 10hatte was turned into a Fryers hood. So I being chaunged in garments, began alſo to change my life. I liued ſo at Lyons the ſpace of twelue month a Nouice, to ſee if I could abide the hardneſſe of life that was there neceſſarie to be ab…dden. At the twelue month ende, I liked well of all thinges, and the Fryers lyked well of me. So I made my profeſſion, the ſixt day of Ianuary, in the yeere of our Lord. 1586. two yeeres and a halfe after I departed frō you▪ I made as I ſay my profeſſion, that is to ſay, I made a ſolemne vow or promiſe vntounto God, to hue all the dayes of my life in this world a Fryer. And furthermore, I vowed chaſtitie, nere to hauehave wyfe, pou…tie, to be poore, to hauehave nothing, not ſo much as the garments on my backe for mine owne. And alſo obedience, to be obedient to the Pryor, and to my ſuperiors. The Order whereof I am, is called the Order of S. Frauncis of Paula. It was neuer yet in Englande, but we hope it ſhall ſhortly be. We are called Minimes, in french, bone homes, that is in Engliſh, good men, although we be not worthy of the name, (for no man is good, except God) yet by reaſon of our hardnes of life, and of the vertuous behauiour of our brethren we are ſo called.

Crowley.

Sée howe intollerable trauell this Waltams Calfe endureth, in following after that Bull whom he deſireth ſo greatly to ſucke. He poſteth from Rhemes to Paris, and to Rhemes againe, from thence to Verdun in Loraine, from thence to Lyons in France and there he was inueſted or wéeded as he termeth it, with a Fryers wéede, which he calleth the habite of a Religious man. Thys man hath forgotten that Chriſtian men are Religious men, and that there is no Religion comparable to the Chriſtian Religion. He doth not conſider, that the reſt which are called Religious are but ſuperſtitious, and not Religious in déede. In that ſuperſticious wéede he continueth twelue monthes: and then he made hys profeſſion▪ He hath forgotten that profeſſion that his Godfathers and his Godmother made in his name in y^e Church of Wal…ā, and hée himſelfe confirmed in the Pariſh Church of S. Gyles at Creplegate of London. He vowed then to liue a Chriſtian, but nowe he hath vowed to liue a Fryer, that is to ſay, an hypecrite. He hath vowed he ſayth, wyueles chaſtity, but let Fryer John Frauncis, beware of buggery. O Fryer John, remember the words of the Apoſtle, Qui non continēt, …ba…t, Let them that conteyneth not, marie, Et melius est nubere quàm vri. It is better to marye then to burne. 1. Co. 7. Conſider the meaning of the Apoſtles wordes to the Epheſians 5. Nolite communicare operibus infructuoſis tenebrarū, magis autem redarguite. Quae enim in occulto fiunt ab ipſis, turpe est & dicere. HaueHave nothing to doo with the vnprofitable works of darknes but rather rebuke them. For it is a filthy thing, euen to ſpeake of thoſe things or actions, that are wrought of thē in ſecret. Craue of God his holy ſpirite to direct you in y^e right vnderſtanding of theſe wordes, according to the councell of the Apoſtle S. Iames, Chap. 1. If any of you doo lacke wiſedome, let him aſke it of God, which giueth to all men indifferently &c. Yea, and conſider the wordes of the Apoſtle Paule to the Romanes. Chap. 1. Mutauerunt gloriam incorruptibilis Dei, in ſimilitudinem corruptibilis hominis, & volucrum & quadrupedum & ſerpentium. Propter quod tradidit illos Deus in deſideria cordis eorum, in immunditiam, vt contumelijs afficerent corpora ſua in ſemetipſis: qui commutauerunt veritatem Dei in mendacium, et coluerunt et ſeruierunt creaturae, potius quàm creatori, qui est benedictus in ſecula. Amen. They hauehave turned the glorye of the incorruptible God. in to the ſimilitude of a corruptible man, and of flying fowles, and of fourefooted beaſtes, and of créeping ſerpents. Wherefore God gaue them ouer vntounto their owne harts deſire, into vncleanneſſe, that they might defile their owne bodies, euen in thē ſelues: which had chaunged the truth of God into a lye, and had worſhipped and ſerued the creature, more then the creator, which is bleſſed for euer, Amen. Conſider (I ſay) theſe words of the Apoſtle Paule, with the reſt that follow. Propterea tradidit illos Deus, in paſſiones ignominiae. Nam faeminae eorum, immutauerunt naturalem vſum, in eum vſum quiest contra naturam. Similiter autem & maſculi, relicto naturali vſu faeminae, exarſerunt in deſiderijs ſuis in inuicem, maſculi in maſculos, turpitudinem operantes, & mercedem (quam oportuit) erroris ſui, in ſemetipſis recipientes &c. Wherefore, God gaue them ouer to ſhamefull luſtes. For theyr women chaunged theyr naturall vſe into that which is contrary to nature. In like manner the men alſo, leauing the naturall vſe of the woman, burned in their luſtes or filthy deſires, one towards an other, men with men wrought filthines, receiuing in themſelues the rewarde of theyr error, which (in Gods iuſtice) was due vntounto them. Conſider (Samuell) I pray thee, euen in the tender bowels of Chriſt Jeſus, in p. 11whom I doo yet louelove thée, and do hope (by the helpe of his ſpirite) to winne thée to him againe. Conſider I ſay, theſe wordes of the Apoſtle. And vndoubtedlie thou ſhalt ſée, that, that Romiſh Churche, which calleth herſelfe Catholike, is héerein plainly painted out. HaueHave they not chaunged, and doo they not ſtill chaunge, the glory of the incorruptible God, into the ſimilitude of a corruptible manne. When they hauehave ſet forth, and doo ſtill ſet forth, the maieſty of God to the viewe of mans eye, by the Image of an olde man, made of Tymber, ſtone, or other matter, or wrought by y^e cunning of Painters or Embrotherers? Doth not Eſay the Prophet deride theſe dooings, both in the forty and in the foure & forty Chapters of hys booke? And doth not the Prophet Dauid deride thē in y^e Pſalme; 115. after the Hebrews account, but after your account 113. The auncient interpreters of the Scriptures, doo with one conſent condemne the making and hauing of the Image of the diuine maieſty. And yet that Romiſh Catholike Church, dare ſtill make it, hauehave it in their Churches, and fall downe before it. Hath not God in Exo. 20. Expreſly forbidden the making and worſhipping of all manner of Images? And howe dare any man make, or worſhipp them, or ſay that, that Church is Chriſtes Church, that doth both make thē, worſhip them, and perſecute thoſe Chriſtians that refuſe to doo as they doo? Waie well the words of the Apoſtle, when he ſayth. That for this cauſe, (that is, for turning his glorye into the ſimilitude of a corruptible man) God hath giuen them ouer to theyr owne harts deſire… &c. Theyr women hauehave turned the naturall vſe into y^t which is contrary to nature: and the men hauing left the naturall vſe of the woman (as you ſay you hauehave vowed to doo) hauehave burned in deſire one towards an other, and men hauehave wrought filthines wyth men.

When GOD opened the hart of King Henry the eyght, and gaue him ſome ſight of the truth, he cauſed the Monkes, the Fryers, and the Nunnes that then were in his Realme to bee examined, and by due and politike examination, they were found to hauehave doone, euen as S. Paule writeth héere. And when God ſhall open the eyes of that Noble Prince that nowe raigneth in Fraunce, or the eyes of ſome Noble Prince that héereafter ſhall hauehave the gouernment of that noble Realme of Fraunce, wherein you nowe liue, vndoubtedly, your ſecrete filthines will bee founde out, and your hypocrits viſoures will be plucked of your faces, & you coates of counterfeited holines, will be plucked of your backs, and you wyl be turned abroade into the worlde (as our Hypocrites were in the daies of our King Henrie) that you may learne to laboure, and hy your owne laboure to eate your owne breade, and not to be fedde anie longer by the labours of other men. Thus much I hauehave thought méete to write, concerning the firſt part of your vowe, which is, to liue in wyneles chaſtity.

The ſecond part of your vowe, is pouertie. To be poore, to hauehave nothing, not ſo much as the Garments on your back for your own. This part of your vowe, was altogether néedeles. For ſince you were borne, you neuer gaue your ſelfe to any ſuch exerciſe, that you might be able thereby to hauehave anie thing of your owne. But you hauehave béene fedde and clothed, and in all points ſuſtayned, by the labours of your poore father and mother, and other that hauehave hoped to ſee a better proofe of you then nowe is ſeene, and therefore extended their fréendlie liberalitie to you. But now you ſay you hauehave not one fréend in all Englande, or at the leaſt way, amongſt vsus that bare all the burden of your education▪ and bringing vppe, euen vntounto that time, wherein you did verie vnduetifully giuegive vsus the ſlip, not once bidding vsus farewell. They therefore that hauehave nowe caught you, doo not knowe what a Jewell they ſhall hauehave of you, for it is like enough, that after they ſhall hauehave beſtowed enough & too much vponupon you, you will render vntounto them ſuch thankes as you hauehave rendred vntounto vsus. It ſhalbe good for them therefore in time to looke vppon, and to folow that Rule that S. Paule wyſhed the Theſſalonians to follow. 2. Theſ. 3. Si quis non vult operari, nec manducet. If any man will not worke, let him not eate. But you will aunſwere me and ſay: We doo laboure, for we riſe euerie night at midnight, and we ſing Mattins before the bleſſed Sacrament of the Alter, we ariſe againe at ſixe of the clocke in the morning, and we ſing two or thrée high maſſes euerie day. &c. But let me tell you what I hauehave hearde reported concerning Frauncis, of whom the Gray Friers doo holde. That Frauncis was (as the report goeth) a good man, and gaue himſelfe to ſore laboure, in repayring of high waies that were decayed in the Countrey where he dwelt. And on a time as he was at his laboure, a companie of tall fellowes that had beene théeues, and were condemned to be hanged, were by the Officers p. 12brought that way towards the Gallowſe to bee executed. When Frauncis ſawe them, he was moued with pittie, and beſought the Officers to ſtaie the execution whilſt hee might goe to the King, (who lay then not farre off) and begge their pardon, and ſo it was doone. When Frauncis had obtained pardon for theſe men, hee clothed them in ſuch apparell as the Gray Fryers doo nowe weare, and girded thoſe Garments to them, with the halters wherewyth they ſhould hauehave béene hanged. The Garment is very commodious, for it is long and large, and may be tucked vp ſhort, & let down to the foote, as occaſion ſhall ſerue, and require for the commodity of the wearer of it. It hath a hoode that may hang on the backe, and not be any let in labour, and when néede is, it may couer and defend the head and face from the iniuries of the wether. Theſe men being thus apparailed, fell to their laboure luſtily, & in ſhort ſpace, brought their maſters worke to ſuch forwardnes, that hee thought méete to trauaile into ſome other part of the Countrey, to ſée where other decayed high wayes were, that he might kéepe his newe men and himſelfe in worke ſtill. But to be briefe, he was from them ſo long, that they hauing finiſhed the worke that he left them in, had gotten them a houſe in the next Towne, and had perſwaded the people thereof, that by ryſing at midnight, and making of continuall prayers vntounto God for that people that ſhoulde ſéede and maintayne them without laboure, they ſhould be much more beneficiall to the Common weale, then they could be by any ſore laboure of their bodies in emending the high wayes that ſhould be decaied. But when Frauncis came, and found them thus occupied, hee vtterly miſliked with them, and ſayd vntounto them. Théeues I found you, and theeues I leaue you. And ſo departing from them, he would hauehave no more to doo with them. If this be not true, then blame them that hauehave made this report of Frauncis, whom the Gray Fryers take for their Patron. If it be true, then you may ſée what beginning the Order of the Gray Friers had, and howe acceptable that ryſing at midnight and ſinging of Mattens and maſſes was to that Frauncis, of whoſe holines the Gray Fryers doo make ſo great bragges. And ſo by good conſequence, what account good and wiſe men ſhold make of the great paines that you and your Brethren doo take, in your ryſing and ſinging both by day and by night. Whether thys Frauncis were your Frauncis of Paula or not, I leaue to be diſcuſſed by your ſelfe, with the helpe of the chiefe Pryor, or Prouintiall of your Order, at your beſt leaſure. Thus much for the ſecond part of your vowe.

The third part of your vowe, or (as you doo terme it) your third vowe was obedience, to be obedient to the Pryor, and to your ſuperiors. If you had conſidered well of that triple vowe that was made for you in Baptiſme, and your ſelfe confirmed, when you anſwered me in my Church at Creplegate in London, I thinke you would hauehave thought this newe triple vowe, altogether vnneceſſarie: except you meant to reuoke your firſt triple vowe made to GOD, and in ſtéede thereof to make a newe triple vow to man. For what hauehave you vowed héere (in ſubſtance) that was not vowed before in your firſt triple vowe? Except this onelyonly, that you vowe nowe to liue without a wiſe, ſo long as you ſhall liue: which is not in your power to performe, neither hauehave you the example of anie Patriarke, Prophet or Apoſtle that made this vowe, or taught anie other to make it, nor yet any promiſe of aſſiſtance at Gods hand in the performance of it▪ You promiſed in the firſt vow…d keep your bodie in temperance, ſobernes and chaſtitie. You promiſed to renounce the world, which is to be in the world, not as of y^e world, as hauing all things, and vſing all, and yet poſſeſſing nothing, not as a Lord of things héere on earth, but as a ſteward that looketh continually to be called to his account. You promiſed alſo obedience to your Prince, and to all in authority vnderunder your Prince &c. but that vowe you hauehave vtterly renounced, and are now ſhrewded vnderunder the ſhield of Antichriſt, and holde by an immunitie, wherby you are exempted from the power of all Princes, and doo owe obedience to none, but to that great Antichriſt and your graund Pryor, and ſuch ſuperiors as be of that ſort. The Lord open the eyes of your vnderunder ſtanding, that you may ſée whoſe ſerui…e you hauehave forſaken, and to whom you hauehave made your ſelfe a ſlaue, and what wylbe the ende, if you repent not. Well, you procéede and you ſay:

The Fryer.

Our life is as foloweth. We neuer eate fleſhe, nor egges, nor butter nor cheeſe, nor milke, nor any thing els that commeth of fleſh, except in great ſicknes. So that being in good health we eate Fyſh, Oyle, and fruites, when they be giuen vsus. We eate not to fill our belly, but to ſuſtaine nature. VVe… alſo ſpeake not one to another at dinner and ſupper, except there be great neceſſitie. p. 13We faſt, eating but once a day, from the day of all Saintes, to Chriſtmas day, except Sondayes. The like from Shroueſunday to Eaſter day. Likewiſe eueryevery Friday in the yeere, and wedneſday, except the Wedneſdaies betweene Chriſtmas and Shrouetide, and betweene Eaſter and Whitſontide. All other wedneſdayes we faſt▪ We touch no money. We riſe eueryevery night Winter and Somer, hote & colde at midnight, to ſing Mattins, before the bleſſed Sacrament of the Alter, the precious body and blood of our Lorde and Sauior Ieſus Chriſt, which is there kept ouer the high Alter. VVe ſing two or three high Maſſes eueryevery day.

Crovvley.

And héere you hauehave ſet downe in the margine of your Letters, a note to be (as it were) a caueat for your mother and Father, and all other that may ſéeme to miſlike with your Religion, and thus you ſay.

Fryar.

You thinke that we be foles, becauſe that we light wax candles at day light, and becauſe of other our Ceremonies. You thinke that we be fooles, & our Religion folly. But heare what you may reade in the booke of VViſedome, Chap. 5. where it is written, that the damned in the latter day, bewayling their fooliſhnes, ſhall ſpeake theſe words. Theſe be they, whom in times paſt wee hauehave had in deryſion, and in the ſimilitude of mockery. We being fooles eſteemed their …ife to be madnes, and their ende without honour. But now, how are they numbred amongſt the ſons of God? and amongſt the Saints their Lot is fallen. VVe hauehave erred from the way of truth, & the light of iuſtice hath not ſhined vponupon vsus, & ſo forth. Take heede I pray you, that you be not one of them, that shall ſo bewayle themſelues in the day of …udgment.

Crovvley.

Thus farre goeth your merginall note.

To this note of yours, I ſay thus. There is good cauſe to moue you to thinke, that we doo think that you are fooles: for you can not but know, that we doo know, that there is no wiſedome in thē that doo ſo waſte the good creatures of God, as you doo, that waxe which you doo burne in the day light, when there is no vſe of that artificiall light, becauſe the naturall light, dooth then ſerue the turne of eueryevery creature that néedeth▪ y^e vſe of light. And that madnes of yours is ſo much the greater, for that you ſet thoſe lightes before ſtocks and ſtones, that are faſhioned like men and women, and hauehave the forme of eyes, but not y^e ſence of ſight. Yea and the Prophet D…i… in the Pſalme. 115. Doth account you no wiſer then thoſe ſtocks and ſtones be, when he ſayth thus. They that make them, are like vntounto them, and ſo are all they that repoſe truſt in them. You ſay, that your other Ceremonies doo cauſe vsus to thinke that you are fooles, and your Religion folly. In truth you coniecture right. For wee know that no wiſe man in the world, would vſe ſuch Ceremonies as you doo, nor profeſſe ſuch a Religion, wherin there is (in maner) nothing but méere madnes: As I hope I ſhall make manifeſt to al wiſemen, in my diſcourſe vponupon the ſeuerall points thereof.

But firſt, wée muſt lende you our eares a while, tyll you hauehave tolde vsus what we may reade in the Booke of Wiſedome. Chapter. 5 Where it is written, that the damned in the latter day, be wayling their fooliſhnes, ſhal ſpeake theſe words. &c. as aboue. Firſt of all, I muſt ſay vntounto you, that wee did knowe, and did vnderſtande the meaning of thoſe words of wiſedom, before you were Frier John, yea, and before you were Samuell Debnam. If you had aſked c…unſell of Nicholaus Lycanus, (which was a Fryer Minor) h… would hauehave tolde you another meaning of the wiſemans words, th…n that which you doo gather. He writeth thus. Siabi…t iust…in magna conſtant…: quia perfecti …um Christo indicabunt. A duerſos …os qui ſe angustiauerunt, inferendo eis noeumentum in perſonis. …t qui a…stulerunt lab…res corum, eis nocendo in rebus poſſeſſis. The rightecus ſhall ſtand in great conſtancie: for the perfect men ſhall ſit in indgment with Chriſt, againſt ſuch as hauehave diſtreſſed them, in dooing them hurte in their perſons. And ſuch as hauehave taken from them theyr labours, in hurting them in thoſe things that they poſſeſſed. If theſe words of the wiſe man muſt be applied to you, ſo that you ſhoulde bée the Juſt men that ſhouid ſtande foorth with ſo great conſtancie, then muſt you alſo be the damned that in the latter day ſhall bewayle their owne fooliſhnes, for that none doth diſ…reſſe you in your owne perſons but your ſelfe. You are they that doo puniſh your ſelues, by going and lying woolward, by abſtaining from fleſh, by ryſing at midnight, and by whypping and ſcourging of your ſ…lues: and who dooth or can hurt you in thoſe things that you poſſeſſe, …ith you hauehave vo…ed, neuer to poſſeſſe any thing, no not ſo much as the garments that belong to your owne bodies. And who can take from you, anie fruits of your labours, ſéeing that you neuer laboure, and therefore can not reape any fruites of any laboure that is doone by p. 14you, but are fedde, and hauehave profeſſed that you wyll and muſt ſtill, be fedde by the labours of other? But wyll you know what Saint Auſten writeth, againſt the ſecond Epiſtle of Gaudentius, that was Biſhop of the Donatiſtes? In the 27. Chapter of that booke, Tom. 7. S. Auguſtine writeth thus. Agnoſcite ſcelus veſtrum, & nol…te vobis vſurpare no men alienum. Scriptura dixit. Tunc ſtabunt …usti in magna constantia aduerſus eos q…i ſe anguſtiauerunt, & qui abstulerunt labores eorum. Non dixit, stabunt om…es qui …ala paſſi ſunt: ſed ſtabunt…i… sti. Sicut dominus cum dixiſſet: Beati qui perſecut…nem patiuntur, …iſ… addidiſset prop…er iustitiam, non ſolos ſignificaret, qui pro ſ…a in domino patientia coronantur: ſed etiam illos qui i…ſtis legibus puni…ntur. Quapropter, ſiad vos put at is haec iuſtonum verba quae ſcripta ſunt pertin… re: prius an iusti ſit…s …stendite. Acknowledge (ſath S. Auſte… ) your owne wickednes, and doo not vſurpe a name that belongeth not to you. The Scripture hath ſayd: Then the iuſt ſhall ſtand in greate c…nſtancie, againſt them that hauehave diſtreſſed them, and hauehave taken away their labours. It hath not ſayd, as many as hauehave ſuffered euill ſhall ſtand: but the iuſt ſhall ſtand. Euen as when the Lorde had ſayd: Bleſſed are they that ſuffer perſecution, except hee hadde added for righteouſnes, he ſhould hauehave meant, not thē alone which are crowned for their ſuffering in the Lord, but them alſo that are puniſhed by iuſt lawes. Wherefore, if you doo thinke, that theſe words that are written, doo appertaine vntounto you: ſhewe firſt whether you be righteous, or no. And in y^e ſame place it foloweth thus. In déede you hauehave amongſt you righteouſneſſes y^t you brag of, great matters, as y^e deuiding of Chriſt, the cutting off, of the Sacraments of Chriſt, y^t for ſaking of the peace of Chriſt, war againſt y^e mēbers of Chriſt, accuſations againſt the ſpouſe of Chriſte, & the denying of the promiſes of Chriſt▪ Theſe are your righteouſneſſes, for which forſooth, you ſhall ſtand in great conſtancie. Thus farre Auguſtine.

Nowe, if I may be ſo bolde with you, let me ſée whether theſe latter words of S. Auſten may not be rightly applied vntounto you Minime Fryers, and ſuch other Religious perſonnes. Doo you not deuide Chriſt, when you aſcribe your ſaluation, part…y to faith in him, and partly to your owne workes, and to the merits of Saints? and when, in the Office of mediation, you ioyne with him his bleſſed mother, and ſuch other as liued holily in this tranſitory life? Do you not cutt off the Sacraments of Chriſt? and after a ſort you abrogate them, when you miniſter Baptiſme to belles, Churches, and Churchyardes, and ſhyppes, which you call the hallowing of theſe thinges, and when in your con…urations, you chriſten Cattes and ſuch other creatures to deceiue the deuill withall, when you hauehave promiſed to giuegive him a chriſtened creature? And when you teache that in the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chriſt, there remaineth no ſubſtance of bread and wyne, and ſo you make it no Sacrament. For (as you once learned, and did openly confeſſe in my Church) eueryevery Sacrament muſt conſiſt of two parts, that is, both of earthly and of heauenly matter, and not of the one matter onelyonly? And when you giuegive it that newe name, calling it the Sacrament of the Altare, and when you doo reſerue it, hanging it ouer your Altar, carrying it abroade to ſhew it to the people, teaching them to fail downe and worſhip it, and ſo make an Idoll of it? Yea when in your maſſe you make a ſacrifice of it, for y^e ſins both of the liuing & of the dead? yea and in ſtormes & tempeſtious wether, you make it a bugge to feare the deuill withall. And whē you teache that the peace of mens conſciences, muſt not bee ſtayed vppon the fayth in Chriſt onelyonly: but vppon the worthines of the workes that are wrought by men, doo ye not forſake the peace of Chriſte? Yea when you holde, ſome of Frauncis (as you & the Gray Fryers doo) ſome of Auſtine, as the Auguſtine Fryers doo, ſome of Dominicke, as the Dominicane Fryers doo: ſome of Marye, as the Carmelite or whyte Fryers doo: and ſome of Jeſus, as the newe founde Jeſuites doo. And to bee briefe, all the rable of your Religious: doo ye not all forſake that peace that GOD hath giuen in his peace maker Chriſt, and ſéeke it in them whoſe Religions you profeſſe, whoſe rules you followe, and whoſe names you beare? Dyd not S. Paule blame the Corinthians, for that they forſaking this peace of Chriſt, would hold one of Cephas, another of Apollo, another of Paule, another of Chriſt? Were you baptiſed in the name of Paule? ſayth he. Was Paule Cru…ified for you? I feare me you be rebaptiſed: For what meaneth the chaunging of your name? In your firſt baptiſme, you were called Samuell, and by your Fathers progeny Debnam, and by your profeſſion a Chriſtian. But now you muſt be called Iohn Frauncis. And what meaneth this, but that the name of Frauncis, hath blotted out both the name of Debnam, and the name Chriſtian alſo.

p. 15If ſerche ſhalbe made in the Regiſter that is kept in the Parriſh Church of Waltam, it wyll be ſound there, that one Samuell Debnam was baptiſed there: and not Iohn Frauncis. So that Samuell Debnam is the Chriſtian, and Iohn Frauncis is the Fryer. Iudge you whether of theſe is likely to be founde in Gods Regiſter, which is called the booke of life. If Chriſt bee that life, then they are written in the booke of life that be Chriſtians, If Frauncis be not that life, then are not they written in the booke of life which be Franciſcans, and ſo of all other your Popiſh Religious. Be not deceiued therefore Samuell. The Corinthians whom Paule rebuked, did vndoubtedly thinke as you doo. That is, that holding of Cephas, Apollo, and Paule: they did not forſake y^e peace of Chriſt. For ſo (I am aſſured) you thinke, that hauing profeſſed the Religion of Frauncis, you hauehave not forſaken the Religion of Chriſt. And yet Paule doth charge them as men, that in their dooinges gaue occaſion to him to conceiue this opinion of them, that they were become Cephaſians, Apollianiſtes, and Pauliſts, and not Chriſtians. Take héede Samuell, our aduerſary the deuyll is ſubtyll, and doth oftentimes ſhewe himſelfe in the likenes of an Angell of light. You hauehave (I thinke) read the ſixt Chapter of Saint Iohns Reuelations. And you either hauehave or may reade, the godlie and learned interpretations, that godly learned men hauehave made, concerning the foure horſes therein mentioned. The firſte being white, doth prefigure the time that was begunne, when this Reuelation was ſhewed to Iohn, and did continue all his dayes, and hath continued euer ſince, and ſhall continue euen to the ende: although not ſo generallie, and ſo apparantlie as at the firſt. Thys white horſe is gone forth, and is not returned again, but goeth forth ſtill whether ſoeuer his rider will direct him. And his ryder dooth with his arrowes ſtrike the harts of ſuch as he wyll conquere and make ſubiecte vntounto him. And thus hee goeth foorth ſtill conquering, that he might ouercome and conquere. The ſeconde horſe beeing redde, doth ſignifie the time of bloodie perſecution (which was alſo begunne, when this Reuelation was ſhewed to the ſeruaunt of Ieſus Chriſt, bleſſed S. Iohn. And his ryder had power giuen him to take pea…e from the earth▪ and he had a great ſword giuen him alſo. Whereby were ſignified the tenne bloodie perſecutions that folowed immediatly after the white horſe was gone foorth and had conquered many. And thoſe bloody perfecutions were executed by that great ſword the Romane Monarchie. The third horſe was black▪ whereby was ſignified the time of ignorance, that beganne againe after the perſecution was ſtaied, (but not ended, for it continueth to this day, and ſo ſhall it continue euen to the ende.) The rider that rydde on this horſe, had a Ballance in his hand, wherwith he wayed Gods Lawes, and mens inuentions, and déemed them to bee of like waight: and héereof ſprong all thoſe horrible hereſies, that euer ſince hauehave, and doo ſtill trouble the Church, and eſpecially that Pelagian hereſie, that your ſort doo ſtill maintaine, and the making of mens inuentions equall with Gods lawe, yea rather proferring them before Gods lawes: but wine and Oyle that rider might not hurt. That is, he had no power to corrupt the text, either of the old or newe Teſtament. The fourth horſe was pale, and ſignified the time that followed immediatly after this time of déepe ignoraunce, and doth continue to this day, wherein great ſwa…mes of pale Hypocrites (euē ſuch as you hauehave profeſſed to bee & to continue to your liues ende) hauehave béene and are▪ ſtill bredde. The ryder of this horſe is death, and hell followeth after him. Take héede therefore, your way is not the way of life, but of death. They that will follow ſuch blinde guydes, ſhall fall into the pyt with them. You are they that ſhall ſay in the laſt day: We hauehave …r…ed from the trueth, and the light of righteouſnes hath not ſhined vponupon vsus, neither hath y^e ſunne of vnderſtanding riſen vp vntounto vsus. We hauehave weried our ſelues in the way of iniquity and deſtruction, and wee hauehave walked in harde wayes, but the way of the Lord we hauehave not knowne. For you bee they that hauehave diſtreſſed ſuch as God hath (by the mediation of hys Sonne) diſcharged of ſinne, and ſo iuſtified them in his ſight, you hauehave tolde them, that except they ſhall puniſh themſelues as you doo your ſelues▪ they can not be ſaued. You hauehave taken from ſuch their labours, when by your perſwaſions, they hauehave beſtowed that which they hauehave gotten by their labours vppon you, to maintaine you in idlen…s, hoping to be ſaued by your holines, which is nothing but méere hip…criſie. And thus much concerning your forſaking of the peace of Chriſt.

You make warre againſt the members of Chriſte, you accuſe the ſpouſe of Chriſt, and you denie the promiſes of Chriſt, as Saint Auſten hath ſayd to the Donatiſtes, You proclaime open warre againſt p. 16all ſuch as dare ſay y^t they hauehave receiued the ſpirit of Chriſte, and that they are by that ſpirit certified that GOD in mercy hath made them his owne children by adoption, and ſo conſequently mē bers of his ſonne Chriſt. You accuſe as Heretickes, all ſuch as dare ſay that Chriſt Ieſus hath waſhed them ſo in the fountaine of hys owne hart blood, that nowe they be in him and through him, a glorious ſpouſe vntounto him, not hauing ſpotte or wrinkle or any deformity of ſ…me. The promiſes of Chriſt you denie, in that you ſay, that not eueryevery one that beléeueth and is baptiſed ſhall be ſaued, no not though they make their beléefe knowne vntounto men by their obedience to Chriſt, in folowing the Rule that he hath preſcribed, and endeuouring to doo as their heauenly Father hath commaunded. But he that wyll be ſaued, muſt liue in obedience to your holy father, the Popes holines. Thus much for y^e applying of thoſe words vntounto you, and other Popiſh Religious, that Saint Auſten wrote againſt the Donatiſtes.

Nowe to the Rule of your Religion, which is, (as you ſay) neuer to eate fleſh &c. In his firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians, and the 8. Chapter, S. Pauls writeth thus. Eſca autem, nos non commenda… Deo. Meate doth not make vsus more acceptable to God. Neither are we the better if we eate, nor the worſe if we eate not. And againe, in the ſixt of the ſame Epiſtle. Eſca ventri▪ & venter eſcis. Hunc & has deſtruet Dens. Meats is appointed for the belly, and the belly for the meate, but God wyll deſtroy both the one and the other. By theſe places and diuers other, it appeareth that Chriſtians hauehave liberty to vſe all Gods good creatures, and that they are not the better or more acceptable in Gods ſight. When they doo vſe them, nor leſſe acceptable when they refuſe the vſe of them, except the refuſall doo procéede of an opinion of ſome holines or vnholines in the vſe or refuſall of them. If you féede not to fill your bellyes, but to ſuſtaine nature, with thankes to God for his creatures, you doo well. But you are i…greater danger to excéede in eating, when you féede vponupon delicate fiſhes and fruites, then if you did féede vponupon ſuch kindes of fleſh, as the common ſorte of people are accuſtomed to féede on. It is the moderate vſe of Gods creatures, and our thanks giuen to him for them, that doo make our eating or abſtayning, acceptable vntounto him. Your eating but once in a day, from the day of All ſaintes, to Chriſtmas day, and from Shro… ſunday to Eaſter (which you call faſting) is nothing. For you may eate as much at one meale, as might ſuffice you at two or thrée. The like is to be thought of all your wedneſdayes faſtings, for they are but a diuerſity in eating or féeding. Your refrayning the touching of money, may be thought to be a toy to mocke an Ape with all. And your ryſing at mydnight, may be oppoſite to your ſléeping at noone. You ſay, that you doo at midnight ſing your Mattins before the bleſſed Sacrament of the Altar, the precious bodie and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Chriſt which is there kept ouer the high Altar. What pleaſure you doo, or can doo to that Sacramēt, by ſinging your Mattins before it, I can not vnderſtand: for I think it can not heare any one word that you doo either ſing or ſay, and ſo it can not be delighted with the hermonie of your muſicke. I put you in minde of theſe thinges, becauſe your greateſt Clerkes hauehave written, that Chriſt is not in that bleſſed Sacrament of yours, with his dementions and liniaments of bodie, neither with his Organs of ſences: but meruailouſly, & with out the diſtinction of parts. I thinke therefore, that in the cold wether, it were more wiſedome for you to kéepe your ſelues warme in your beddes, that when you be waking, you may ſing and make melodie in your harts to God: then to riſe out of your bedds, and ſit quyuering and quaking in your wyde and cold Quyer, to pleaſure him with muſicke, that hath not one eare to heare your harmonie. For vndoubtedly, you can not but wyſh that you had doone, before you hauehave well begunne. And what thankes can you looke for at the handes of that Sacrament that you ſing your Mattins before? And in the hotte or warme wether, I thinke it ſhoulde be more profitable for you, to be in your ſtudies (if you hauehave any) at a conuenient houre, endeuouring to learne the meaning of y^e Prophete in thoſe Pſalmes that you vſe to ſing in your Mattins (for the moſt parte) without vnderſtanding. Well, you ſing two or thrée high maſſes eueryevery day. I thinke you miſtake your termes. For in ſuch Churches as yours, there is but one high maſſe, whether it be ſayde or ſonge, the other (though they be ſonge) are not called high maſſes, for they are not that maſſe that is appointed for that day, but of our Lady, of S. George, of S. Dionice, S. Frauncis, or ſome other. But what maſſes ſoeuer you ſing or ſay, the moe the worſſe, and the fewer the better. For the beſt is but Idolatry, der…gation to the glorye of Chriſtes paſſion, and ſeducing of Chriſtians▪ and a méere mockerye p. 17of Chriſtes holy inſtitution.

You procéede now in the declaration of the ſtraightnes of your Order: and thus you ſay.

The Fryar.

Wee lye in our clothes in bedde, without ſheetes, and yet we keepe our ſelues cleane. We goe to bedde at 8▪ a clock, and riſe at halfe an hower paſt a leuen. We returne to our bedd at halfe an houre paſt 2, or moſt commonlie at three, and riſe againe at ſixe. When we hauehave doone (or when any one of vsus hath doone a miſſe) he that hath offended muſt doo penaunce. Our penaunces are to faſt bread and water, to ſit and dine vponupon the earth, to kiſſe our bretherens (the Fryers) feete, to whyp our ſelues the ſpace of halfe a quarter of an houre, more or leſſe, according as the cheefe father thinketh good. we dare not ſpeak one to another in the night time, except neceſſity cōſtraine vsus. We dare not ſtrike one another, in ieſt or in earneſt. Our whips are made, ſome of whyp corde the length of mine arme, with long knots cūningly wrought. Other of our whyps are made of yron chaines, ſuch as women are wont to hang their keyes vponupon. Other hauehave their whips with ſiluer pins, to the intent that the backe canker not. My whyp is made of whypcorde. I had another made of the foreſaid chaines, which I hauehave vſed manie times. I hauehave (be it ſpoken to the honor of God) whipt my ſelfe often times: I think forty times & aboue. In which whipping, as I feele often times extreame paine, ſo alſo I hauehave heauenly cōſolations, in ſo much that it is an eaſie thing with me now, to giuegive my ſelf 400. ſtripes at once before that I leaue. (God knoweth I lye not) when we whip our ſelues, either for deuotion ſake, in remembraunce of the bitter paſſion of our Sauiour, or els when wee whyp our ſelues for penaunce, we doo put of our garments to the reynes of our backe, and turne our hood aſide, ſo that our backe, armes and ſhoulders are naked, being ſo naked, with a diſcipline (as we call it) or a whip in our hande, one of the Fryers beginneth the 50. Pſalme of Dauid, ſaying: Miſerere mei Deus, ſecundum magnam miſericordiam tuam. And all the while that he ſayeth the Pſalme, the other whippeth himſelfe. In the meane ſeaſon, whilſt that one doth ſay the foreſaid pſalme. I hauehave giuen my ſelfe for deuotion ſake (becauſe that Chriſt was whipped for me) foure hundred ſtripes. EueryEvery Friday, from our Ladies day in Lent, to May day, I whip my ſelfe for your ſake. And I pray for you, vntounto the intēt that it may pleaſe God to turn your harts, & ſaue your ſouls.

Crowley.

Procéeding in the declaration of the ſtraightnes of your life▪ you ſay that you lie in your clothes in bed without ſhéetes▪ and yet you kéepe your ſelues cleane. It may be ſo, for you hauehave leaſure enough to knacke your créepers, when they begin to moleſt you, and Sta…ſacre, is a ſoueraine thing to deſtroy that cattell that is accuſtomed to bréede in the beddes and boſomes of ſuch laſye Lubbers, as doo accuſtome themſelues to lye in their clothes. If it bée a point of holines to lye in bedde without ſhéetes, then are the common ſort of people in diuers parts in England as holy as you, for they neuer lie in any, & yet they putt of their clothes when they goe to bedde. And I my ſelfe hauing béene in ſome of thoſe parts of the Realme, hauehave taken ſuch lodging as the Country vſeth, but I hauehave not lyen in my clothes as you ſay that you doo. I doo know by that little experience that I hauehave had therein, that after a man is acuſtomed for ſome ſpace to lie in blankets, he will choſe rather to continue that kind of lodging then to change it. But let this matter paſſe, for a Louſe bredde in blankets, is not more holye then that Louſe that is bredd in ſhéetes. And this Epitheten louſie, hath bene thought méete for a Fryer euer ſince I could remember. You ſay that you got to bedde at eight of the clocke. &c. I know diuers Artificers in London (and I think ſuch may be found in Paris alſo) that labouring ſore all the day long, doo not ſléepe before eleuen of the clocke, and yet ryſe againe at foure or fyue at the furdeſt, ſo y^t they ſléepe not aboue 6▪ howres in one night, where as by your own confeſſion, you doo commonlie ſléepe 7▪ houres, and doo no labour at all, but loyter all the day long. The Religion therefore of thoſe labouring Artificers, is (in that point) ſtraighter then yours. When you doo (or when anie of you dooth) a miſſe: hee that hath offended muſt doo penaunce. If this be true, thē muſt you all doo penaunce euerie day. For as the Pſalmiſt ſaith. 19. Delicta quis intelligit? Who can be able to tell how oft he offendeth? And Salomon ſaith, Prouerb. 24. Septies cadet iustus (And as your ſort doo reade his words) Septies in die cadet iuſtus. The righteous perſon ſhall fall ſeauen times in a day. But I am ſure, your meaning is not of ſuch offences as Salomon ſpeaketh of. That is, of déedes that are doone, words that are ſpoken, and thoughts that are conceiued contrary to Gods commaundements: but your meaning is, of offences cōmitted againſt the Rules of your Religion. As when you luſt or long after anie p. 18kind of fleſhe, when you be ſlacke in aryſing to ſing your Mattins before your bleſſed Sacrament of the Altar, when being drowſye, you ſinge not luſtilie, when you paſſe by anie of your Idoles, and doo not dowke lowe enough to them, when you lowte not lowe enough to your Prior, and other your auncients in Religion, when you thinke not ſo reuerently of eueryevery point of your Religion as you hauehave béene taught to doo, when you behaue not your ſelfe ſo deuoutlie in ſinging your Mattins and high maſſes as you ſhould doo, when you ſpeake to anie of your fellowe Fryers, either at dinner or at ſupper, or in the night, and when you thinke well of, or wiſhe well, to anie of thoſe Heretickes, that hauehave had the bringing vpp of you, and hauehave béene too carefull for you. I coniecture that theſe bee the miſdéedes that you muſt doo penaunce for. As for the breaking of Gods commaundements, that is no offence amongſt Minime Fryers. Well, you ſay that your penaunces are to faſt breade and water. &c. By this I coniecture that your common drinke is wine. Manie honeſt men that laboure ſore, hauehave water for their common drink. I hauehave heard of an Abbot in England, that inioined his horſe ſuch penaunce, becauſe he felt him too luſtie & ſturring vnderunder hym. Syrra (ſaid the Abbot to his horſekéeper) ſée that you giuegive not thys horſe any thing for the ſpace of theſe tenne dayes, but onelyonly breade and water. Was not this great pennance for the poore horſe to endure thinke you? The quality and quantity of your bread may bee ſuch, that it ſhall rather be a pleaſure then a puniſhment to bee put to that pennaunce. But graunt that your breade which you eate when you be put to penanuce, be ſuch as King Achab commaunded to be giuen to Michaeas the Prophet. 3. Reg. 22. The bread of tribulation, and the water of ſorrow: Yet what a ſatiſfaction is this, for ſo haynous an offence, as the tranſgreſſion of the leaſte of Gods commandements. Adam was inioyned much greater penaunce thē this, and much longer time then for the ſpace of one day. For it was ſayd to him by God himſelf. In the ſweat of thy face thou ſhalt eate thy breade, all the daies of thy life, till thou ſhalt be turned againe into the earth. &c. And yet all this penaunce could not ſatiſfy for that one ſinne that he committed, when he taſted of the forbidfruite. Yea although all his poſterity euen vntounto this day, had doone, and we & our poſteritie ſhould doo, ſuch penaunce as you ſpeake of, continually, euen to the end of the world: yet all this long penaunce could not reuerſe this ſentence, pronounced by God himſelfe. Morte morier…s. Thou ſhalt die the death. OnelyOnly the death of him, in whom there neuer was any ſinne, is ſufficient to ſatiſfy for all ſinne. Your dyning vponupon the earth with bread and water: the kyſſing of your brethren the Friers féete, the whipping of your ſelues for the ſpace of halfe a quarter of an howre, more or leſſe, at the diſcretion of the chéefe father, may be ſome outward ſigne of inward ſorrow conceiued for ſome offence committed, and ſome argument of deteſtation thereof inwardly in the heart▪ But an Hipocrite may doo as much as all this, and yet delight in his wickednes ſtill. Reade the 58. Chapter of Eſaies propheſies. Nunquid tale est …eiunium quod elegi? per diem affligere hominem animam ſuam? &c. Is this the faſt that I hauehave choſen (ſaith the Lord, by the Prophet) for a man to afflicte his owne ſoule for the ſpace of a day? to bowe downe the heade like a Bulruſh? to lye in ſackcloth? wylt thou call this a faſt and a day acceptable to the lorde? &c.