The Voice of the Last Trumpet Blown, Lesson 7
The learned mans leſſon.
THou learned man, do not diſdayne,
To learne at me a ſymple might
Thy g…eate abuſes to refraine
And in thy callyng to walke right.
Thou arte a man that ſitteſt hie
In the ſimple mens conſcience
To lyue therefore diſſolutely
Thou ſhouldeſt be vntounto them offence.
Offence, I ſaye, for they ſhould thinke
All that thou doeſt to be godly
Wherfore do not at this thyng wyncke
But do emend it ſpedely
Emend thy wicked lyfe I ſaye
And be (in dede) a perfect light
As Chriſte our ſauiour doeth ſay
Math. v.And let thy workes ſhyne in mens ſight
For it is thy vocation
i. Corh. i….To leade other the ready way
How great abominacion
Arte thou then if thou go aſtraye?
But therin lieth the whole matter
To knowe which waye yu ſhouldeſt them leade
Wherfore I wil the not flatter
But tel the trueth wythouten dreade.
Thou muſt thy ſelfe humiliate,
And acknowledge thy wicked ſynneMath, vii.
And ſtriue to enter the ſtraite gate
Where fewe men do fynde awaie in
Thys way thou cāſt not walke ſo lōg
As thou wylt trauayle ſea and land
And frame al the wordes of thy tonge
To get promocion at mans hand.
Thou muſt humble thy ſelfe I ſay
And not aye ſeke to be aloſt,
For he that walketh in rough way
And loketh hie, ſtumbleth ful ofte.
Thou muſte acknowledge that yu arte
Through ſynne vnworthy thine eſtate
And that thy diſcipline and arte
Can not bringe them at that gate.
Thou muſt, I ſaye, ſtriue to enter
And not to get promotion
Thy life thou muſt put in venterIhon. x.
For Chriſtes congregation.
How doſt thou walke in thys calling
When thy mind is earneſtly bent:
To gather vp eche mans fallynge,
By all the waies thou canſte inuent?
Geue eare I ſay, therfore thou fole,
And learne thy firſt leſſon againe:
Enter into Gods holi ſchole.Math vii
And do not hys docrtyne diſdayne.
He wylleth the fyrſt to apply
uke. vi.Thy mynde to knoweledge and to take
The greate beame out of thyne own eye
And thyne abuſes to forſake.
And then he woulde that in no wyſe
Thou ſhouldeſt be ſtacke or negligent
To pycke the motes out of mens eyes
Teachyng them how they ſhould repent
If thou wylt that they do repent
Tite. ii.Repēt thou fyrſt, that they may ſee
That the whole ſome of thyne intente
Is to make them like vntounto the.
For if thou wylt them to refraine
Murther, theſſe, whoredome and Inceſt
If they ſe thefe thynges in the raygne
They wyll all thy doctryne deteſte.
If thou forbyd them gluttony
And wyll them the fleſh for to tame
They myll defie the vtterly
If they ſe the not do the ſame.
If thou tell them of apparayle
Or of ought wherin is exceſſe.
Then wil they ſaye, thou doeſt but raile
Vnleſſe thou be therin faltneſſe.
What ſhouldeſt thou ſpeake of vſurie,
When thou doeſt take vnlawful gaine?
Or rebuke men for Simonie.
When nothyng elſe doeth in the raygne
Maye not the lay man falſly ſaye,
I learned of the to by and ſel,
Benefices, which to this day
Thou canſt put in practiſe ful wel?
Whye ſhould not I, as wel as thou
HaueHave benifices two or thre?
Sence thou haſt taught me the way how
I may kepe them and blamleſſe be?
I can ſet one to ſerue the cure
That ſhall excel the in learninge
More then thou doſt me I am ſure
And alſo in godly lyueynge:
I can kepe hoſpitalitye
And geue as much vntounto the pore
In one yere as thou doeſt in thre
And wyl performe it wyth the more
Alas that euer we ſhoulde ſe
The flocke of Chriſt thus bought & ſolde
Of them that ſhould the ſhepperdes be.
To leade them falſly to the fold.
Repent this thinge I the aduiſe
And take the to one cure alone
And ſe that in moſt faythfull wyſe
Thou walke in thy vocation.
Then ſhal no laye man ſay by ryghte
That he learneth hys myſſe of the
For it is playne in ech mans ſyght
That thou doeſt walke in thy degre.
More ouer, if thou chaunce to be
Made a prelate of highe eſtate
To thine office lo…e that thou ſe
And lea…e not thy flock deſolate.
And fyrſt before all other thynges
Timo. v.Seke thou to fynde good miniſters
And appoynt them honeſt lyueynges
To be the peoples enſtructers.
Let none hauehave care wythin thy See
In whom any great vyce doth raygne
Timo. v.For wher myſſlyueyng curates be
The people are not good certayne.
zach. xxxiii.And for them al that do periſh
Through thy defalte, thou ſhalt anſwer
Wherfore I do the admoniſh
To loke erneſtly to thys geare.
Loke vntounto it thy ſelfe I ſaye
And truſt not to a trifellar
That wyl allowe al that wyl paye
Sonne what vntounto the regeſter.
Se that they do enſtructe the youth
Of ech parri he diligently
And trayne them vp in the lordes …ruth
So much as in theyr powre ſhal lye.
Nowe if ſo be thou be called
To be thy princes councellour
Be ware thou be not corrupted
By the vayne deſyre of honour.
Be not carefull howe for to holde
Thy ſelfe ſtyl in authoritie
But to ſpeake truth be euer bolde
Accordyng to goddes veritie.
Wyncke not at faltes that thou ſhalt ſe
Though it be in thy Souerayne
But do as it becometh the
Exhorte him al vice to refraine.
If thou perceiue him ignorant
In any poynte of his dutye
Se thou do him not checke or taunt
But tel him wyth ſobrietie.
Tel hym his falt, I ſay, playnly.
And yet wyth al ſubmiſſion,
Leſt thou do ſeme to ſpeake vainly.
For gettynge thy vocation.
Thus hauehave I told the as I would
Be told if I were in thy place.
To the intent that no man ſhould
HaueHave cauſe to tell the to thy face.
Thus do I leaue the wyth wyſhynge
To the a wyl for to aduaunce
Goddes glorye by godly learnynge
And not thy lyueyng to enhaunce.