Of Misrule's Contending with God's Word

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Of misrules contending / with gods_worde by name.

And then / of ones Iudgment / that heard of the same.

I Heare-saie, that some saye, ther chaunsed of late Heare-saie: =Hearsay, 'tell what one has heard'

Betwene one mad misrule, & goddes_word great hate

The cause of there out-fall (as some saye) is this

By here-saye, I harde it, now marke what it is

This misrule, was moued, and madde in his mynde

That goddes_worde with great men, such grace shuld still finde

Wherby as an out-caste he myght be reiecte

Thys some say, and here-saye, to be the effecte.

But douting where all things, whyche some saye were ryght

Sith some saye, by here-saye, a lye spred be myght

I sought, and harde some saye, they did it beholde

By whose wordes of credit, my doutes were resolued

But now to my purpose, agayne for to come

This misrule, through madnes, at last frynds had some

Of whome he gat comforte, as it maye well seme

His boldnes well wayed, who would not so deme.

And beyng in fauor, at laste well was he

That could vnto mysrule, from good_order flee

Who lost not ther labor, as some saye for that

But were well estemed, and had, I harde what.

That gods_worde muche lothing, could it not abyde

But stepped fourth boldly, and misrule defied

Wyshing from misrule, all men to refrayne

As from a thing noysome, to vile, and to vayne.

But misrule that hearyng, beganne for to starte

Lyke one that were vexed, and that to the harte

As it well aperethe, by his subtil shyft

Who so well can ponder, the truth of his dryft.

He knew well, he could not, goddes_worde well withstond

To mete hym as men do, that fyght hand to hand

But sought his fetch farder, by couler to craue fetch ='stratagem'

And so vnder couler, goddes_worde to depraue.

But now if in conscience, speake frely I maye

In mynde I digresse not, from that whyche some saye

If mysrule mayntayned be, and seke to ascend

In this case I doute muche, but mark well the ende. case] casse 1553

What regions to Ruyn, hath there not bene brought

Where misrule was chosen, and good_rule vnsought

Weales publick full welthy, to nought brought it hath

For mysrule to myschiefe, must nedes be the path.

What caused gods wrath, all fleshe to distroye

Saue onely, .viii. parsons, with olde father Noye

But for that this misrule, gods_worde did deface

And moued that all men, misrule shuld imbrace.

In Sodom and Gomor, suche-lyke stryffe began stryffe: =strife

Betwene this madde mysrule, and gods_worde : but than

Could god longe abide it? when he in his fume

With sulphire and brimston, mysrule dyd consume.

His owne Iewish people, as ofte as they ranne

A_maddyng with mysrule, wyth plages God beganne

To lerne vs that mysrule, he alwayes did hate

And yet (alas) se you? how he plaith chek-mate.

By misrule the subiectes, be so far past grace

Theyr heddes and their rulers, they know not in place

But lyke to beastes brutall, with vngodly strife

As rebelles resyst wyll, wyth losse of their lyfe

What law is so strayt made, they feare not to breake

What threat can suche tounges stoppe, they feare not to speake

What doctrine can dryue them, to know what they be

What myschief may moue them, that onely they se.

What nede mo examples, then this our owne realme then: =than

To teach vs that mysrule, hath bene to extreame

In preasinge so proudly, to noble welfare preasinge: =praising, or perhaps pressing

As some saye, so boldly, as it were Iack_hare

And so, vnder couler, of spare, and beware

To taunt at gods prechers, as muche as they dare

Sayeng, such passe not, by here-saye to go

And preach in ther pulpittes, that thus some saye so.

Of some-saye, and here-say, this well tell I canne some-saye: =some-say, 'a reported saying or statement'

That here say, and some saye, the truth now and than

Of such, as both some-saye, and here-saye, dysdayne

Bycause that both here saye, and some saye, so playne.

But be it, that some saye, by here-say a_misse

And saye not (through here-say) the truth as it is

Doth it therfore folow, for that thinge fourth brought

That al thinges whyche some say, therfore shuld be nought.

If it be vnlawfull, by here-say to wade

I meruell what Paull ment, to vse the same trade

Who speaking by here-say, belyue did the same

Which purgeth (as some saye) the rest from all blame.

But gods_worde of one thing, hath cause to reioyse

For that this sharpe taunting, is but mysrules voyce

Who beinge accepted, to muche thus I feare

Of ryght shuld leaue courtinge, and not remayne there. courtinge: =courting, 'frequenting of the court'

But who shall stand douting, when our noble Kynge

Wyth his faythfull counsaill, perceaue shall the thinge

But that they wyll shortly, mysrule so represse

That glad shal the good be, to se suche redresse

Finis. Quod Wyllyam_Kethe.

Dominus mihi adiutor.

Imprynted at London in Temestrete by Heugh_Syngelton dwellynge ouergaynst the Stiliardes.