The Image of Both Pastors Set Forth, Epilogue
¶ The Epilogus or Concluſyon.
THerfore, o ye falſe paſtours, yf ther be any ſparkel of godlines in you, that doeth ſauour, anye knowledge of god, yf any crōme of humanytie doeth remayne in your hartes, I pray, for the honoure and glorye of god, for ye cōmune felowſhip & amytie of mē, ſpare the poore people, whyche, ſo lōg a tyme, hath thorough you, ſuffered a moſte greuous hanger, of gods word: being in the meane ſeaſō, myſerablye burdoned and oppreſſed, with moſte heauye, & intollerable burdens of traditions. And afore al thynges, doo I ſpeake vntounto you, o moſte myghty Byſhoppes and prelates of churches. Delyuer ye now at length, & ſet at large, the people of god, whom, ye hauehave boldē captyue ſo lōge. Thinke no leſſe, but that it is a deteſtable and vngodly thyng, to brynge al the whole worlde, for your couetouſneſſe. & pryde ſake, into peryll, ieopardye & tumulte. Yf ye do beleue, that ther is any god, & that the ſame god, is the cōmune iudge of al men, what quyete, tranquilitie, & peace, can ye hauehave, in your own conſcyences, and ſoules, when ye ſe all youre whole ceate, and all thee condycyons wherewyth, it is ſenſed, to be an vnreaſonable burden, and alſo an intollerable yoke of all thee chriſtyan people. Thyncke ye, that ye muſte releaſſe nothynge. Are ye not aſhamed to burden eueryevery daye the people, wyth new burdens.popiſh prelates do nether feare God nor hys iudgement. Thys, truelye, is a manyfeſte token, that ye feare neyther god, nor hys ryghteous Iudgemente. For, where ther feare of god is, three muſte nedes folowe an amendement of lyfe. Sythe then, that we ſee none of you, that wyll lyghten thoſe moſte vnreaſonable burdens, it is moſte euydente, that ye care neyther for god, nor for his iudgemētes. And what other name is ther, wherin ye may glorye? Whoſe miniſters, and ſeruauntes are ye? But I ſe playnelye wherin ye truſt. For, ye leane, or ſtaye your ſelues, vppon thee rede,Eſa. xxxvi. or bryckel ſtaffe of Egipt, that is to ſay, ye truſt in the helpe of Princes & kynges of this world. But the ſtaffe ſhal breake in your hand, & not wtout a greuous & fore woūd. For, what other power, might, & ſtrength, hath a kyng but his owne people? Yf therefore the people beynge taughte & inſtructed by gods word, wyl not, at ye kynges commaundemēt (for in this matter of god lyneſſe, better it is to obeye God than mā) helpe, ſuccour, & aide you:The Papiſtes neuer obſerue theyr ſafe conductes nor kepe theyr promyſes, for ſaye they: Noo promyſe oughte to be kepte to an heretyke, ſo was Iohn Hul & Hierome ſerued. The bloude of martyrs is the ſede of the goſpell. ſhal not both ye, and your lyues be in ieopardye? Or what ſhalbe the power of the kynge? Therefore, excepte ye do ceaſſe and leaue of, ye ſhal both feele and ſee greuous commotions & bortyble calamities, to happē daylye, both to you, & to your Prynces. And yf in the meane ſeaſon ye wyl not abyde by the letters or ſafe conductes, that be zealed wythe your owne zeales, nor kepe youre promyſes, yt ye make, but go on ſtyl, to perſecute afflycte, and murther moſt cruelly the faythful mynyſters of ye Goſpell ye muſt nedes to prouoke darlye, more & more, the wrath of god agaynſt you, nothing elles can ye get thereby. For, the goſpell is both planned or ſet, & alſo doth encreſce or growe by thee croſſe and perſecutyon, tyll that thee Lord doeth ſende a delyueraunce. For, after the ſame maner, the Iſraelytes dyd grow & increaſe, and gat ſtrength when ye tyraunt of Egypte dyd ymagyne all the crudelytye, that he coulde agaynſt… them, tyll that they were delyuered by thee hande of Moyſes. Exo. i. Alſo,Exodi. i. it wyll auayle you nothynge, yf ye do appele to counſayles. For, nowe it is come to that, that ye muſte lyue iualye and godly, and ceaſſe to burden the people of God, thoughe that no counſayle at all be kepte: Doo ye not remembre Helias, whyche vnderunder that moſt wycked tyraunte Achab, dyd kyll vppe. viii. hundrethe and .L. of Baals pryeſtes, and of thee Prophetes or pryeſtes of thee groues and hyll aultares. Due onelyonly Prophete, I ſaye, dyd preuayle ſo moche, vnderunder ſo cruell and vngodlye a Kynge. iii. Reg xviii. And after hym,iii, Regum xviii. Iehu, by a godlye deceate and crafte, dydde deſtroye, all thee rablement of Baals pryeſtes iiii. Regum. x. What ſhall I ſaye of Ioſias,iiii. Reg. x whyche dyd kyll vppe all the pryeſtes of thee hyll aultates? iiii. Regum, xxiiii. Hauynge ſoche goodlye admouytyous,iiii. Regū xxiii. ſee that ye repente by tymes. For, it is ſo farre, that ye ſhoulde recouer youre olde ſtate, & dygnytye, that rather. Lucifer or Sathan maye hope and loke for hys ſaluacyon. Therefore, truſte ye, and put youre hope or confydence, in an other thynge, that is too ſaye, in God. who comfortethe, and quyeteth the mindes and conſcyence of all men. Hym, I do moſte mekelye beſech and pray, that he voucheſafe to bryng you, into thee true knowledge of hym ſelf, that hūblyng your ſelues, vnderunder hys myghtye hande, & croſſe of chriſte our ſauyour, ye maye euioye the eternal, & euerlaſting felicitye wythe all the cougregacyon of the faythfull Amen.