| folio: 1 | |
| A Paumflet compyled by G._C. To master Smyth and Wyllyam_G. | |
| Prayenge them both, for the loue of our Lorde, | |
| To growe at last to an honest accorde. | |
| THe fynest wyt that is alyue | |
| Cannot deuyse by tunge nor pen | |
| The spytefull malyce to descryue | |
| That reygneth now in dyuerse men | |
| 5 | We maye perceyue by them that stryue |
| For castynge out a carde of ten | |
| That charyte is set at nought | |
| So reygneth malyce in mannes thought. | |
| Whych thynge doth force me thus to wryte | |
| 10 | Concernynge the vncharyte |
| Of two that nowe with hatefull spyte | |
| Do blame eche other openly | |
| To none of bothe I owe despyte | |
| Ner this is none Apology | |
| 15 | For nether parte: but stryfe to stent |
| Is grounde of all myne argument. | |
| The stryfe I speake of, is bewyxt | |
| One master Smyth & Wyllyam_G. | |
| Theyr wrytynges are confusely myxt | |
| 20 | With bytynge wordes, and vylany |
| In eche of them, a wyll is fyxt | |
| To maynteyne styll his vanyte | |
| Which hath a very feble grounde | |
| Wherwith his enemy to confounde. | |
| 25 | All this began, fyrst by a knaue |
| I wote not who, that wrote a trolle | |
| Wherin he dyd but rage and raue | |
| He knewe full lytle of saynt Poule | |
| Which wrytte the loue that men shuld haue | |
| 30 | And for one dyd thys trolle controlle |
| Lo master Smyth a boke hath pende | |
| This tryflynge troller to defende. | |
| Some saye, it was for flatterye | |
| And some do saye, it was for mede | |
| 35 | For to aduaunce him-selfe therby |
| Such men (they saye) do soonest spede | |
| That least can skyll of modesty | |
| But what he meant, therby in-dede | |
| If I shall iudge, as I do take it | |
| 40 | Naught but malyce, made him make it. |
| For thorow-out his raylyng booke | |
| Of charyte no worde is spoken | |
| Tyll all his malyce purpose tooke | |
| For malyce, forthwith wylbe wroken | |
| 45 | And whoso lyst therin to looke |
| Maye iudge him well, by his owne token | |
| A raylynge knaue, for to defende | |
| Is, in no wyse man to commende. | |
| If master Smyth had marked well | |
| 50 | The purpose of that foolyshe dawe |
| Which trolde vpon the Lorde Crumwell | |
| Wyth ragged ryme, not worth a strawe | |
| He myght haue founde that wretch rebell | |
| Both ageynst God, and all good lawe | |
| 55 | And not haue blamed Wyllyam_G. |
| For blamynge his vncharyte. | |
| But when W._G. dyd fele the prycke | |
| So threattyng and malycious | |
| I wonder not though he dyd kycke | |
| 60 | For-why, it was too sclaunderous |
| And for the kycke, was somwhat quycke | |
| Lo, he agayne as enuyous | |
| A testy aunswere strayte dyd wryte | |
| With checke for checke, & spyte for spyte. | |
| 65 | But of this stryfe, the chefe effect |
| That maynteyned is so knappyshly | |
| Is rysen by the great suspect | |
| Of popyshnes and heresye | |
| One sayth the other is infecte | |
| 70 | With such a spyce of knauery |
| I wyll not iudge, which it shulde be | |
| But bothe theyr wrytynges are to se. | |
| These sortes are both to dyscommende | |
| In any man, where they be founde | |
| 75 | For papistes do nought els pretende |
| But Christes glorye to confounde | |
| And Heretykes, God them amende | |
| Haue but a very feble grounde | |
| If that they preache, that is forbod | |
| 80 | Or dyffer from the worde of God. |
| For heresye is nothynge elles | |
| But swaruyng from the true belefe | |
| As holy wrytte expresly telles | |
| And he is worse then any thefe | |
| 85 | That thereagaynst in ought rebelles |
| Or he that seketh his relefe | |
| Of false goddes, and not of Christ | |
| Is no les then an Antechrist. | |
| But he that hathe a popyshe ha[r]te harte] haxte 1540 | |
| 90 | And wyll not vnto Christ be wonne |
| He seekyth not, but to subuert | |
| All that the kynge hathe well begonne | |
| No reason maye hys wyll conuert | |
| But he wyll do, as he hathe done | |
| 95 | Wyth tothe and nayle, for to vpholde |
| Hys blynde belefe, and errors olde. | |
| I wryte not thys, meanyng therbye | |
| That master Smyth is of that sorte | |
| Ner I iudge not that willyam_G. | |
| 100 | Is soche as Smyth dothe hym reporte |
| But wryte my mynde wyth charyte | |
| The partyes bothe for to exhorte | |
| That he that fyndes hym in the cryme | |
| May fyrst recante, hys raylynge ryme. | |
| 105 | But thys is for to dyscommende |
| In master Smyth aboue althynge | |
| That he so rashlye wolde defende | |
| A braynles buz, in hys wrytynge | |
| And afterwarde styll forth contende | |
| 110 | Wyth malyce, and wyth threatenyng |
| Agaynst that poore man wylliam_G. | |
| Farre from all godlye charyte. | |
| Wrestyng the scriptures as hym lyst | |
| For his owne purpose out of frame | |
| 115 | But he that stryfe doth so resyst |
| That perfect worde, he doth defame | |
| Wherin our helth doth whole consyst | |
| For that is it, the very same | |
| That teacheth vs the loue and drede | |
| 120 | To God and to the Kynge our hede. |
| Perchaunce that Smyth wyll take it yll | |
| That I iudge him so openly | |
| No force for that, it shall not skyll | |
| For he is knowen suffyciently | |
| 125 | But I protest, that in my wyll |
| I meane nothynge malycyously | |
| But yet men must, for all his heate | |
| Repute him hotte, that see him sweate. | |
| Lykewyse the other dyd offende | |
| 130 | Wyth wrytyng so impacientlye |
| For that is no waye to amende | |
| An harte that cankers inwardly | |
| But he his cause, shulde styll defende | |
| Wyth mekenes and wyth charyte | |
| 135 | And not wyth malyce nor despyght |
| But suffer mekely wronge and ryght | |
| Euyn as the Gospell dothe vs teache | |
| Whych is oure chefe profession | |
| For Paule hym-selfe dyd alwaye preache | |
| 140 | That, for the chefe confession |
| Of christen heartes, to make them stretche | |
| Theyr fayth vnto Christs passyon | |
| The only entry into healthe | |
| All other entryes are but stealth. | |
| 145 | Lo, thus I fynde them both to blame |
| Wyshynge to eche with all myne heart | |
| An honest mendement, wythout shame | |
| And praye to Christ that he conuert | |
| Oure iudgementes all into such frame | |
| 150 | That they and we, in euery parte |
| Wythouten grudge, debate or grefe | |
| Maye fyrmly stande in one belefe. | |
| Whych teacheth vs to loue and dread | |
| Hym that hathe power vnder God | |
| 155 | I mean the kynge that is our head |
| That here in earth doth beare the rod | |
| Of true iustyce in Chrystes steade | |
| By precyse wordes we be forbod | |
| Hym to wythstande, or to wythsaye | |
| 160 | In euery cause we must obaye. |
| For whome, as for our only guyde | |
| Oure greatest helpe and chefest staye | |
| That daylye doth for vs prouyde | |
| To saue vs sounde wythout decaye | |
| 165 | In warre and peace on euery syde |
| Wyth one accorde let vs all praye | |
| To sende hys grace, vs here amonge | |
| Honour, encrease, good lyfe and longe. | |
| God saue the Kynge. | |
| ¶Imprynted at London by Rycharde_Bankes. And be to sell in Pater_noster_rowe, at the sygne of the Roose, | |
| Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. This line was set by the printer as part of the colophon |