Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Letter 18
¶Wo be vntounto the Idolatrous Shepeherds of England that feede themselues. Should not the Shepeherdes feede the flocke? but ye hauehave eaten the fatte, ye hauehave clothed you with the wooll, the best fed hauehave ye slayne, but the flocke hauehave ye not nourished, the weake hauehave ye not holden vp, the sicke hauehave ye not healed, the broken hauehave ye not bound together, the outcastes hauehave ye not brought agayne, the lost hauehave ye not sought, but churlishly and cruelly hauehave ye ruled them. Ezech. 34.
FOr as much my Lord as my busines is such that I can not come vntounto your Lordshippe accordyng to my promise, I hauehave bene so bold to write these few wordes vntounto you, partly to excuse myne absence, and partly to answere your Lordships demaunds at my last most happy departure from you. As touchyng the breache of my promise wt you in not commyng agayne at the hower appoynted, your Lordship shall vnderstand that I take the counsaile of the Angell, which warned the wyse men not to come agayne to Herode accordyng to their promise, but to turne home agayne another way. Now my Lord I perceiuyng your Lordship to be a more cruell tyraunt then euer was Herode, and more desirous to destroy Christ in hys poore members then euer was he, which to destroy Christ killed hys owne sonne, I thought good to take the Angels counsaile, and to come no more at you, for I see that you are set all in a rage lyke a rauenyng wolfe agaynst ye poore lambs of Christ appoynted to the slaughter for the testimonye of the truth. In deed you are called the common cut throte & generall slaughter slaue to all the Bishops of Englande, and therefore it is wisedome for me and all other simple sheepe of the Lord, to keepe vsus out of your butchers stalle as long as we can: especially seyng that you hauehave suche store alredy, that you are not able to drinke al their bloud, least you should breake your belly: and therefore let them lye still and dye for hunger. Therefore my L. I thought it good to tary a tyme vntill your Lordships stomacke were come to you a little better, for I do perceyue by your great fat cheekes that you lacke no lambes fleshe yet, and belike you are almost glutted with suppyng so much bloud, and therefore you wyll let some of the leanest dye in prysonne, which wyll then bee meate good enough for your barkyng beagles Harpsfield and hys fellowes, but yet my Lord it were a great deale more for your Lordshippes honour, if your chaplaines myght hauehave the meat roasted in Smithfield at the fire of the stake, yea, and when it is somethyng fat and fayre likyng, for now they hauehave nothyng but skin and bones, and if the dogges come hastily to it, they maye chance shortly to be choked, and then your huntyng wyll be hindered greatly if it be not altogether marred. I heare say my Lord yt some of the butcherly curres came of late to my house to seeke their pray, & that they go round about ye citie (as Dauid sayeth) grinnyng and grudgyng that they hauehave not meat enough, therefore belyke they hauehave kylled my poore brethren and sistern that hauehave lyen so long vponupon the butcherly stall, and eaten them vp: for I heare say their friends could not be suffred to see them this three dayes & more, therefore I perceyue now that if I had come againe accordyng to my promise, that your Lordship lyke a rauenyng Wolf, or els some of your helhounds would quickly hauehave weried me: but I see wel my appoynted time is not yet come, therefore I wyll yet lyue and thanke him for my deliueraunce, with continuall songs of laude and prayse. Thus hauehave I ben bold to trouble your lordship wt telling you the truth, and the very cause that I came not vntounto you again accordyng to my vnpurposed promise, I trust your Lordship wil take this in good part, and accept it as a lawfull excuse, not doubtyng but your Lordship would hauehave done the lyke, if you had bene in my case.
Now as concernyng the second part that caused me to write vntounto your Lordship, which is to answer vntounto your subtile or rather cruell demaund of my iudgement of the death of that blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus, good maister Iohn Philpot, I will not aunswer your Lordship simply and plainly, what perill so euer shall come thereof. Truly my Lord I do not onelyonly thinke, but I am also most certayne and sure, that he as a very man of God, dyed a true Martyr and constant confesser of hys deare Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, to whō he did most faithfully commit his sweete soule, who will surely kepe the same with hym in ioy and felicitie for euermore. Also my Lord I do verily beleeue and know that your Lordship hath committed an horrible and most cruell murder in the vniustly condemnyng and killyng of hym, and that you shall make as heauy an account for hys bloud, which shortly shall be required at your handes, as euer your great graundfather cruell Caine did or shall do for his innocent brother Abell. Moreouer,Your deedes declare and beare witnes to the same. because I am crediblye informed that your Lordship doth beleeue, and hauehave in secrete sayd, that there is no hell, I certifie you that your Lordship did neuer any thyng in all your lyfe that so much did redounde to your Lordships dishonor, and perpetual shame and infamy, as your killyng the body of this blessed Prophet doth, especially seeyng that he was none of your Dioces, nor had not offended any of your Lordships diuelish and cruel lawes. Uerily I heare almost eueryevery body say in all places where I come, that your Lordship is made the common slaughter slaue to all your fellows, bitesheep Bishops I would say: yea the very papists themselues beginne now to abhorre your bloudthirstines, and speake shame of your tiranny. Lyke tiranny beleeue me my Lord, eueryevery chylde that can any whit speake, can call you by your name & say, bloudy Boner is bishop of London, and eueryevery man hath it as perfect vppon hys fingers endes, as his Pater noster, how many you for your part hauehave burned with fire, and famished in prison, they say the whole summe surmounteth to forty personnes within this three quarters of this yeare. Therefore my Lord, though your Lordship beleeueth that there is neither heauen, nor hell, nor God, nor deuill: yet if your Lordship louelove your own honesty which was lost long agone, you were best to surcese frō this cruel burnyng of true christian men, and also from murderyng of some in prison, for that in deed offendeth mens myndes most, yea euen your olde friendes the rankest papists that be. For say they Felix the Heathen ruler did not forbidde Paules friends to visite hym in prison, and to bring hym necessary reliefe, and therfore it is a very great shame and sinne, to see a Bishop that beareth the name of a christian, to be more cruell vponupon his poore brethren, then an Heathen, Turke, or Infidell.
This is mens saying in eueryevery place, not onelyonly of this Realme, but also of the most part of the world, & the common talke they hauehave of your Lordship, therfore I thought to be so bold with your Lordship as to tell you of it, thogh perchance you wil geue me but small thanks for my labor. Well, as for that I put it to your Lordships choise, for I hauehave as much alredy as I looke for. Finally, my L. I will geue you to vnderstande, that the death of this constant Martyr and valiaunt souldiour of Iesus Christ, hath geuen a greater shake towards the ouerthrowyng of your papisticall kyngdome, then you shall euer be able to recouer agayne this 7. yeres, do the best ye can, and set as many crafty dawbers to patch it vp with vntempered clay as you wyll, yea, though pratyng Pendleton that wycked Apostata, apply all hys wily wits to helpe them. Uerilye my Lord, by all mens reports, his blessed lyfe could neuer ha…e done the lyke sorrow to Satans Synagoge, whereof some say your Lordship is a mightye member, as hys happy death hath done. You hauehave broken a pot in deede, but the precious worde conteined therein, is so notably therewithall shed abroad, that the sweete sauour thereof hath woonderfully well refreshed all the true household or congregation of Christ, that they cannot abyde any more the stinkyng sauour of your filthy ware that came from the dunghill of Rome, though your Lordships Iudasses do set them a sayle eueryevery where to fill your bagges, I put your Lordship out of doubt, that if you do breake mo such pots, you will marre your owne market altogether: for I promise you most men beginne to mislike your diuelish doyngs, and wonderfully to lothe your popishe pedlary wares.
Thus hauehave I accordyng to your Lordships commandements, shewed you simply what I thinke of that good mans death, whose bloud cryeth for vengeaunce agaynst your Lordships butcherly bloudy proceedings in ye eares of the Lord of hostes, who will shortly reuenge the same, vponupon your pilled pate, and vponupon the rest of all your pollshorne brethren, the very marked cattell of the great Antichrist of Rome. The measure of your iniquitie is filled vp to the brimme, therefore will God shortly poure in double vntounto your deserued destruction. And then I weene your new made Prosolites will be glad to couer their crowns with a Cowe turd (sauyng your Lordships reuerence I should hauehave sayd first. Well, I rather desire the conuersion then confusion, the Lord send the one of them shortly as may be most to his glory. Amen.
I signifye also vntounto your Lordshyp, that the raylyng words which your lying preacher shewed forth of hys filthy fountayne vponupon Sonday, agaynst the deare seruaunt of God good M. Philpot, doth greatly redounde to your Lordships dishonesty, and much deface your spiritual honour. Uerily I see that the great wrath of GOD hath so blynded your eyes, that you see not what is with you, nor what is against you, but still you vomite out your owne shame, and make all the world wonder vponupon you. Was it not enough for you to condemne hym most vniustly, ye contrary to your own lawes, and to kill his innocent body most tirannously, but you must also set a lying limme of the Deuill, to blaspheme, slaunder, and belye him now he is dead. Oh viperous generation▪ seed of the serpent, & right children of the deuill, full well doe you counterfaite the fathers steps, whom Christ calleth a murderer, and a lyer from the beginnyng, which two thinges be the onelyonly weapons of your war, wherwith you maintaine all your mischiefe, that is to say, lying and murder: for those whom ye cannot ouercome wt your lying perswasions, them you kill most cruelly, and then blaspheme & belye them with railyng sentenses when they are deade. But all this will not blynd the people of God, nor yet make them any whit the lesse beleeue the truth, nor abate their louelove from ye true preachers thereof, yea it is a true signe and token that they are the very disciples of Christ: for he hath sayd, Blessed are ye when men reuile you and say all maner of euill sayings agaynst you for my names sake. Reioyce & be glad, for great is your reward in heauen. And doubtlesse great is that good mans reward in heauen by this time, as your Lordships damnation shall be great in hel, except you repent and surcease from sheddyng innocent bloud. But it is to be feared your hart is hardned as Pharaoes was, seyng that with Iudas ye hauehave sold and betraied your maister. Take heed my Lord lest you come to the same ende or a worse then he did. For verily I cānot perceiue how you should escape it long: Therfore say not but a womā gaue you warning if you list to take it. And as for the obteining of your popish purpose in suppressing the truth. I put you out of doubt, you shall not obtaine it so long as ye go this way to worke as you doe: for verily I beleeue that you hauehave lost the harts of 20000. that were ranke papists with in this 12. months.
It is found very true that one holy doctor sayeth, the bloud of the Martyrs, is the seed of the Gospel, when one is put to death, a thousand doth rise for hym. And that this is true, you may well perceiue by the harty louelove that the people shewed vntounto good M· Philpot at his goyng to his death. They went not about to make an Idoll of hym as your adders brood would beare mē in hand, but they worshipped God which gaue such strength to his deare child, to die so constantly for the testimony of his truth, to ye vtter destruction of that detestable idolatry which your lordship doth most diuelishly maintaine with the force of fire fagots, and sword: yea, & rather then faile, to famish men in prison agayne as ye hauehave done already. It is reported of your owne tormenters, that the 6. prisoners that you hauehave in your prison, be put into 6. seueral places al the day and eueryevery night brought together and set in the stockes. Forsooth my L. this doth get you a foule name all abroad the countrey, and yet all will not helpe your lordships pestilent purpose, but eueryevery way hinder the fame. For Zorobabell will bee founde no lyer, which sayd, The truth should hauehave victory, you do but striue agaynst the streame and kicke against the pricke, the Lord doth laugh your doyngs to scorne, and will bring all your counsailes and deuises to naugh (as knoweth the Lord God) who of hys great mercy shortly conuert your Lordship, or vtterly cō found you, and get his name a glory ouer you. Amen.
Your Lordships Oratour, who praieth daily to God that he may rewarde you according to your deeds.