An Answer to a Papisticall Exhortation

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¶An answere to a papystycall exhortacyon, pretendynge to auoyde false doctryne, vnder that colour to maynteyne the same.

¶By ther frutes shall ye knowe them. Math .7.

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EVerye pylde pedlar

Wyll be a medlar

Though ther wyttes be drowsye

And ther lernynge lowsye

Ther meters all mangye

Rashe, rurall, and grangye

Yet wyll they forwarde halte

As menne mased in malte

These vyle cannell-rakers

Are now becumme makers

Ther poems out they dashe

With all ther swyber-swashe swyber-swashe: see OED s.v. swiber-, slibber-

Ther darnell and ther chaffe

Ther swylle and swynyshe draffe

Soche pype soche melodye

Soche bagge soche beggerye.

Of pylde popyshe facyons

They strowe exhortacions

The people to infecte.

With the sedes of ther secte

Pretendynge to dyffyne

Agaynst the false doctryne

But soche dyrtye geare

Ded menne neuer heare.

They teache nat in meter

With Paule Iohan and Peter

The worlde to edyfye

With goddes worde christenlye

But scripturs they depraue

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As madde-men that do raue

They daunce with the deuyll

To magnyfye ther euyll

They drysle forth a dramme

As he that to Christ camme

To trappe hym in a snare

Forsoth it is fonde ware

Let christen menne take hede

Vnto ther wycked sede

For they seke for to blynde

The syllye symple mynde,

The papystes tytle. An exhortacyon to auoyde false doctryne.

The papyste.

My mynde can not perfyghtelye endyte

Neyther my penne can trewlye wryte

As my hart doth desyre.

The cause onlye is for lacke of syght

In lernynge that is so perfyght and bryght

Wherfore pardon of good men I requyre.

The chrystiane.

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Your penne and your mynde

Are both of one kynde

And fyt for soche an hart

As owle in the nyght

Without gostly syght

Ye playe a knauyshe part.

Attendite a falsis prophetis qui veniunt ad vos. Math .7

Of soche wolues beware

As laye forth a snare

Of outwarde holynes.

Queritis interficere hominem qui veritatem locutus. Iohan .8.

For they do nat elles

But playe the rebelles

Agaynst goddes ryghteousnes.

The papyste.

If any man els be greued with thys

Let them take it euen as it is

And I praye God them to amende

I thynke with charyte them to tell

As I fynde written in the gospell

To the lawe of God we shuld attende.

The chrystiane.

Lyke a braynyshe dolte

Ye shote forth your bolte

As bolde as bayarde blynde

Ye loue the gospell

As the deuyll of hell

Here-after we shall it fynde

Attendite popule meus legem meam. Psal .77

Attende to goddes lawe

And to hys worde drawe

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All you that faythfull be

Cauete a fermento Phariseorum quid est hipo. Luc .12.

The leuen eschewe

Of pharisees vntrewe

Yf ye loue the veryte.

The papyste.

Some of late with them-selues perswaded

Out of the shalowe so fayre they waded

That they felt no grounde.

They had thought vs to haue blynded

And of the trewth vs to haue wynded

But now ther deceytes be founde.

The chrystiane.

If people be yll

They shall be so styll

For ought that ye brynge here

Your doctryne is chaffe

Your ryme dyrtye draffe

It is vnsauerye gere.

Linguis suis dolose agebant, iudica illos. Rom .3.

The language of lyes

A false harlot tryes

To seke a wycked praye.

Sicut nouacula acuta fecisti dolum. Psa .51.

With colours to carpe

As a rasour sharpe

To wype goddes treuth awaye.

The papyste.

Let no manne be so styffe-necked

To thinke him-self so hyghly in lerning decked

Standynge in hys owne conceyte.

For yf thou or he be in the wronge

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Thou nor he can not be so stronge

But the deuyll for the hath a beyte.

The chrystiane.

Stande you where ye lyst

Ye are a papyst

In lernynge verye basse

To cum for refuge

To soche a pylde iuge

Is for to seke an asse.

Si lumen quod in te est tenebre sint. Math 6.

Your myndes are so darke

Ye seke but the barke

And therin ye remayne.

Velamen positum est super cor eorum. 2. cor .3.

Ye holde fast the letter

And wyll haue no better

The spyryt ye do dysdayne.

The papyste.

Ther were heretykes that neuer wolde cease

But from vs to take vnyte and peace

So amonge vs they dyd fyght.

In ther blyndenes so farre gone they were

That of God they had no dought or fere.

All to destruccion was ther delyght.

The chrystiane.

Is ther one alyue

Which canne ye depryue

Of that ye neuer hadde?

Of stryfe and debate

Sedicion and hate

Your kynde was euer gladde.

Contritio et infelicitas in vijs eorum. Psal .9.

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Ye labour and speake

To destroye and breake

The vyneyarde of the lorde

Vinea domini exercituum domus Israel est. Esa .5.

Of the losse therof

Ye make but a scof but] a but 1548

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As Esaye doth recorde.

The papyste.

Christ wylleth vs to take good hede

Of these seducers for we had nede

Loke the scripture and se.

From ther folowers let vs refrayne

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For small charyte in them remayne

As semeth vnto me.

The chrystiane.

Your-self is the sede

Of deceytfull wede

As your frutes doth report

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For lesse charyte

In men can not be

Than in your popyshe sort.

Nemo vos seducat inanibus verbis. Eph .5.

The false craftye spyes

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Come in with ther lyes

All men of them beware

Venit hora, vt omnis qui interficit vos. Ioh .16.

They haue not ther fylle

Tyll they slee and kylle

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No innocentes they spare.

The papyste.

And a man agaynst them wryte or speke

Some ther be wyll hym cruelly intrete

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I maruele they are so bolde

Ther was a thynge made of late

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Some had indignacion therate

And openly beganne to scolde.

The chrystiane.

Whan we fynde ye bolde

In your poperye olde

Therof we do ye telle

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Your poetes we touche

For shakynge ther pouche

And shewe wherof they smelle.

Imitantur illum, qui sunt ex parte illius. Sap .2.

They folowe the deuyll

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Which seke to do euyll

And are vpon hys syde.

Vos ex patre diabolo estis, et opera. Iohan 8.

The proude papystes all

With the prestes of ball

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Do take hym for ther gyde.

The papyste.

But trewly it shall not a whyt skylle

Let them bable euen ther fylle

It is so hote it maye not abyde.

For an heretyke wyll they defende

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By the kynges lawes iustly condempne[d] condempned] condempne 1548

And saye a christen man he dyed.

The chrystiane.

Who are more bablars

And fra[n]tycke fablars

Than pratlynge papystes be?

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We knowe none heretykes

Nor trayterous scysmatykes

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But your affinite.

Nunquid potest homo ignem abscondere in sinu? Prou .6.

The bosome hath fyre

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Of fleshly desyre

Where spirituall fathers be.

Masculi relicto naturali vsu femine exarserunt. Rom .1.

With conscience aduste

They burne in ther luste

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And worke moche vanyte.

The papyste.

Some be afrayed hys confession to shew openly

In prynte they wyll nat haue it verely

The cause ones knowne.

To hys part them-selues somwhat bent

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Now they fere they shall be shent

Soche gostlye sedes had they sowne.

The chrystiane.

Ye geue dyrte for flynte

The thynge is in prynte

That ye gruge at so sore

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It is nat vnknowne

What sedes ye haue sowne

In thys realme here-tofore.

Quod timet impius, veniet super eum, Pro .10.

That the wycked dought

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Shall lyght on ther snought

Ther churche must haue a fall.

Omnis plantatio quam non plantauit pater. Math .15

What God hath not sowne

Nor the gospell knowne

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Shall be turned ouer-all.

The papyste.

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Wo be to them that fayne so outwarde

And be so pestylent enuyous inwarde

To a graue maye I lyke them in-dede.

That is without set full of goodly stones

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Within full of stynkynge rotten bones

Loke the gospell and rede.

The christiane.

Lyke thefe, ratte, and mouse

The poore wydowes house

Your bellyes doth deuoure

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Ye sucke vppe the fatte

For straynynge a gnatte

In your vsurped poure.

Ve vobis, quia similes estis sepulcris dealbatis. Mat .23.

Who are the whyght graues

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But soche romyshe knaues

And paynted hypocrytes.

Audite verbum domini principes sodomorum, Esa .1.

As vnder pretence

Of chaste contynence

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Do playe the sodomytes.

The papyste.

They that be full of iniquyte

Shall neuer com in christes companye

Except they do amende.

God commaundeth those people to walke

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That agaynst men maliciouslye do talke

And with peace do contende.

The chrystiane.

If Christe do refuse

All soche as abuse

The glorye of hys name

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Ye chaplaynes of ball

Must nedes haue a fall

And come to vtter shame

Discedite a me omnes qui operamini iniquitatem. Math .7

Ye lobbryshe lurkars

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And ydle workars

Hence fro me, sayth the lorde

Frustra me colunt docentes doctrinas. Marc .7

Your owne wayes ye vse

And my lawes refuse

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Lyke as your frutes recorde.

The papyste.

Some heretykes of late as I thynke

Wer lothe that ther flesh shuld stynke

Aboue the erthe or within

They loked euer and hoped for a daye

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But they were brent all thre by the waye

And taken in ther owne gynne.

The christiane.

At traytours ye wynke

Nat felynge ther stynke

So many as hath bene

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For a daye they wrought

Whan ye no lesse thought

Ye maye knowe what I mene.

In insidijs suis capiuntur inique etc, Pro .10.

In your popyshe maske

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The grande captayne aske

Was trapped in hys turne

Durum est tibi contra stimulum calcitra[re] calcitrare] calcitra 1548. act .9.

Ye maye se by thys

What daunger it is

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Agaynst goddes trewth to spurne

The papyste.

To speke of good workes it were a shame

They loued not to heare of that name

But sola fides and none other

Ther tonges ranne so moche vpon fayth

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But ther hartes were farre thens as Crist sayth

Ther lyppes and hartes were farre a_sonder

The chrystiane.

They neuer denyed

Soche workes as fayth tryed

But your apyshe fantasyes

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Your tunges and your hartes

Paye neyther good partes

In your lattyn memoryes.

Populus hic labijs me honorat cor eorum, Eze .33.

Your labour of lyppes

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Is so drye as chyppes

God doth it nat esteme.

Vos transgredimini mandatum dei propter Math .15

Ye leaue goddes precepte

To haue your owne kepte

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Wherein ye do blaspheme.

The papyste.

If thou wylt take the byble-boke

And vpon saynt Iames pystle loke

Ther you shall I trowe se

How fayth is ther trewly applyed

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And good workes with hym tyed

Se how they do agre.

The chrystiane.

Paule only of fayth

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Of workes saynt Iames sayth

God doth vs iustifye

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Before God fayth thanne

And workes before manne

Concludeth thys controuersye

Fides sine operibus mortua est, Iaco .2.

The workes that you make

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Trew fayth do not wake

For-why they are but chaffe.

Nolite margaritas ponere ante porcos, Math .7

Goddes worde doth diffyne

That ye are but swyne

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Ye fede in swylle and draffe.

The papyste.

Yf thou wylt a faythfull christen man be

Loke thou haue fayth, hope, and charyte

And do thou good for yll

Let thy mouthe and thy hart be without enuye

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That pleaseth God and the kyng let it please the

And hys mynde fulfyll.

The chrystiane.

All one are those thre

And neuer dysgre dysgre: =disagree; see OED s.v. disgree

Wher fayth is roted fast

290

Our lorde God and kynge

Ye haue wayed nothynge

In your olde practyse past.

Time dominum fili mi, et regem Pro .24

My sonne of all-thynge

295

Feare God and thy kynge

Thus Salomon doth saye.

Achitophel contra Dauid consilium dedit. 2. re .17.

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With achitophell

Ye papystes rebell

300

And all your kynges betraye.

The papyste.

To speke of holy-breade and holy-water

I intende not to medle with that mater

But leaue it as it is

Let vs one for an-other praye

305

With good hope as longe as we maye

That we maye com to heuyns blys

The chrystiane.

Olde hooles do nat cloute

Least ye be spyed oute

But tarrye yet a tyme

310

Heuyn wyll nat be gote

With your psalmes by note

Yt is to hygh to clyme.

Tu domine singulariter in spe constituisti me. Psal .4.

All they hope in vayne

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That styll do remayne

In the dregges o[f] popyshe lawes. of] op 1548

Sapientia huius mundi stultitia est apud deum 1. cor .3.

Lyue they neuer so longe

Ther fryndes here amonge

320

They shall dye verye dawes.

The papyste.

To praye for them that thys worlde hath past

I thynke surelye we maye not be agast

Loke the scripture yf I lye.

Rede the Machabees softlye thorow-oute

325

And ye shall fynde it no doute

Yf you your dylygence do applye.

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The chrystiane.

Where Christ set no waye

For dead men to praye

It canne not them auayle

330

That the Macabees tell

Shall be no gospell

Where other scripturs fayle.

Salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare. 2. ma .12

To make any mone

335

For soules that are gone

It is vnfaythfulnes

Iustorum anime in manu dei sunt. Sapi .3.

For they fele no rodde

In the handes of godde

340

But peace and quyetnes.

The papyste.

I wryte not thys intendynge to preche

Neyther takynge vpon me any man to teche

My lernynge is not mete

But because vnder holy pretence

345

We shuld not hyde these heretykes offence

But treade it vnder our fete.

The christiane.

Ye vtter soche trashe

And pylde haberdashe

As laye longe in your mynde

350

But loke ye styll hyde

All treason and pryde

Of your olde popyshe kynde.

Nouit dominus viam iustorum, et iter impiorum. Psal .1.

All wayes of the iuste

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The lorde hath discuste

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The prestes dwell in ther dreames

Dereliquerunt fontem aque viue, et foderunt. Hie .2.

In ther donge they lye

Lyke boores in a stye

360

For mudde they leaue the streames.

The papiste.

They that thynke that barnes was holy

In ther braynes ther is great foly

Iuge other men what they canne

Surely he was by hym-self alone

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To contende with hym du[r]st not one durst] duest 1548

He was so proper a manne.

The christiane.

As Paule doth recorde

We are of the lorde

To hym we stande or fall

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Take hede least ye swerue

For he doth reserue

Ryght iugement for ye all

Abhominantur impii eos, qui in recta via sunt. Eccl .29

Ye wycked papystes

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In your drowsye mystes

Abhorre the symple sort

Quidnam est hoc? que doctrina hec noua Marc .1.

Ye do not regarde

Goddes worde to be harde

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But geue it yll report.

The papyste.

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But yf the deuyll were here and brent

Some wolde hym pyteously lament

In ther hartes they be so kynde

Hys confession shuld be kept as treasure

385

And with some beleued aboue measure

They are now so blynde.

The christiane.

If they take hys part

That scripture peruart

Stande you amonge hys fryndes.

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A dyrtye beleue

To the blynde ye geue

To recreate ther myndes

Non est in ore eorum veritas, cor eorum vanum. Psal .5.

Your fayth is so weake

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No treuth can ye speake

But hate all godly wayes

O pastor et idolum derelinquens gregem. Zach .11

Ye robbe christes flocke

And geue them a mocke

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In all your iuglynge playes.

The papyste,

All yll thoughtes in our hartes let vs eschue

And lyke trew subiectes to our prince contynue

We shall fynde it ease.

To hys pleasure let vs inclyne

405

And not agaynst hys actes to repyne

So God we shall please.

The chrystiane.

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The false foxe that gawde

Doth compas some frawde

By hys false fatterynge toyes

410

Dyssemblars vntrewe

Many prynces rewe

Amonge these worldly Ioyes

In cogitatione tua regi non detrahas Eccl .10.

Who doth a kynge hate?

415

But papystes that prate

Agaynst all godlynes

Sacerdotes beliscum suis concubinis in posturam. Dani .14

Bellys dyrtye dyuynes

With ther concubynes

420

Hath wrought all fylthynes.

The papyste.

Ther is not in the worlde so wyde

Set thys lyttle lande asyde

That hath so noble and gentle a kynge.

Wherfore let vs all in one praye

425

Euen to God both nyght and daye

That longe maye he ouer vs be raygnynge.

The chrystiane.

God saue christen kynges

From your practisynges

For myschef ye intende

430

From haters of treuth

Good seldom ensueth

Our prynce the lorde defende

Beata terra, cuius rex nobilis est. Eccl .10.

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Happy is that soyle

435

Wher christen men toyle

Vnder a faythfull kynge

Irritum fecistis pactum leui, propter quod. Mal .2.

Where prestys do remayne

And scripture dysdayne

440

It is an heuy thynge.

Finis.

The appendyce or conclusyon.

NO bussarde so blynde

But now speweth hys mynde

Now cometh hagge and tagge

And shaketh out ther bagge

They turne out ther trashe

And shew ther haberdashe

Ther pylde pedlarye

And scalde scullerye.

Our olde romyshe ruste

Leapeth out of the duste

With a cankred face

All voyde of goddes grace

Thynkynge ones agayne

In Englande to reyne

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And be hadde in pryce

To maynteyne all vyce.

Ser Iohan now is bolde

In yche place to scolde

Where men do not care

For pylde popyshe ware

He doth them accuse

And saye they refuse

The lawes of the lorde

Bryngynge false recorde

They haue a new caste

The scripturs to wraste

And wrynge out of frame

To ther vtter shame

From treuth they do swerue

Ther purpose to serue

And care not for godde

Nor hys ryghtfull rodde.

Lorde pyte thy flocke

Whome now the prestys mocke

Sturre vppe prynces hartes

To stande on ther partes

Least papystes haue powre

Thy lammes to deuowre

Whome vpon the rood

Thou boutest with thy blood. Amen.

God saue the kynge.