Signs and Tokens of the Last Day

Crowley, Robert

TextBaseEarlyTudorEnglish
RCSTok6089
2008
STC 6089
Ringler 6088.5 and TP 1518.5. Ptd. S. R. Maitland, _Early Printed Books ... at Lambeth_, 1843, pp. 266-80. The Lambeth fragments (Variant source 1) comprise two imperfect copies of sheet D, including the text wanting in STC 6089.

The opening of the wordes of the Prophet Joell, in his second and third Chapters ... concerning the Signes of the last day
London: Henry Bynneman for John Charlewood,1567.



Composition Date: 1546, rev. 1566.

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	¶The opening of the wo[r]desleaf torn away of the Prophet Ioell, in his second and third Chapters, rehersed by Christ in Mathewe .xxiiij. Marke .xiij. Luke .xxj. and by Peter Actes .ij. concerning the Signes of the last day.
	Compiled by Robert_Crowley in the yeare of our Lord .M.D.XLVI. And perused againe by the same. ANNO 1566.
	¶IMPRINTED AT LONDON by Henry_Bynneman, for Iohn_Charle wood, dwelling in Barbican, at the sygne of the halfe-Eagle and the Key. ANNO. 1567.
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	Signes and Tokens of the last day.
	REpent, repent,
	I say repent
	Your misse, and it amende:
	Christes prophecie,
5	Doth shew plainely,
	This world shall shortly ende.
	Darke is the sunne,
	Bloud is the moone,
	From heauen are fallen the stars:
10	Earthquakes are seene,
	Pestilence, famine,
	Rumors tel nought but wars.
	I do intend
	Small tyme to spend,
15	To proue these rumours true:
	For at eche porte,
	Where is resorte,
	We heare them dayly new.
	But I know well,
20	That the Gospell,
	Meaneth some other thing,
	By this warre then,
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	That mortall men,
	Should be giuen to fighting.
25	For since men were,
	Of such number,
	That wars might be maintained:
	Ech Emperie,
	Hath sought glorie,
30	And hath the rest disdained.
	But the wars that,
	Christ saith shall at,
	The last day be so great:
	Are not the same,
35	Wherof the fame,
	Of histories doth treate.
	I dare be bolde,
	This warre is holde,
	With that swerd that Christ sent
40	Among vs, when
	He said all men,
	From other should dissent.
	I came saith he,
	Not to giue ye
45	Peace, but to send a sword,
	Among you all,
	Wherwith you shall,
	Fall at vtter discord.
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	The parents shall,
50	Make the childe thrall,
	And the childe them againe:
	To them shall bee,
	Great ioy to see,
	Eche other of them slayne.
55	No maner kinne,
	Shall auaile in
	That case, no man shall misse:
	To haue them that,
	He kepeth at,
60	His charge his enimies.
	Thus doth he say,
	That men shall slay,
	Eche other cruelly:
	For this great fight,
65	Passeth the might,
	Of our great chiualry.
	Our men of might,
	When they do fight,
	Can neuer hurt the soule:
70	But these men quell,
	Them into hell,
	That Satan may them coule.
	These men are they,
	That vse alway,
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75	To iudge such men holiest:
	As they do see,
	On the earth to bee,
	Counted as the highest.
	Yea they do thinke,
80	That the poore stinke,
	Before the face of God:
	Bicause they see,
	That pouertie,
	Is counted the Lordes rod.
85	They do pretende,
	For to defende,
	The faith with might and maine:
	Wherfore all they,
	That will say nay,
90	With the sword must be slaine.
	This is their trade,
	They will perswade
	Men that worldly wealth is,
	The rewarde, that
95	Christ fayleth not,
	To giue them that are his.
	They say further,
	Will Christ suffer,
	His church to be trode downe?
100	No no, they shall,
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	Raign ouer-all,
	Both in citie and towne.
	The wicked bee
	Faine for to flee,
105	From place to place eche day:
	For feare of his,
	Righteous iustice,
	To this who dare say nay?
	But thus say they,
110	We flee away,
	From persecution:
	And yet all we,
	Know it to be,
	Iust execution.
115	For they professe,
	Christes faith no lesse,
	That execute the thyng:
	Than those men did,
	That first preached,
120	The christian liuing.
	How can they then,
	Persecute men,
	That professe Christ also:
	Unlesse they should,
125	Be found so bold,
	To say both yea and no.
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	But there be some,
	In christendome,
	That are malefactours:
130	And these wil say,
	We runne away,
	From the persecutours.
	When they halfe wood,
	Flee from the good
135	Shepherdes, that will not see,
	The tender lambes,
	Kilde, and their dams,
	That Christ bought on the tree.
	All this they teach,
140	And to vs preach,
	These things men must beleue:
	Yea this may not,
	Be sticked at,
	To these things men must cleue.
145	Alas the while,
	How they begile,
	The silly soules that can:
	By this meanes know,
	Little I trowe,
150	Of the faith christian.
	For Christ saith that,
	His secte shall not,
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	Shed bloud but shall suffer:
	All tiranny,
155	And vilany,
	And be no reuenger.
	Wherfore I dare,
	Say that the warre,
	Wherof Christ prophecied:
160	When eche brother,
	Should slay other,
	Is euen now fulfilled.
	For we may see,
	That now there bee,
165	Diuers opinions:
	Diuers beleues,
	Wherto men cleues,
	In diuers regions.
	And eche man will,
170	His brother kill,
	Ghostly and then be glad:
	As though he were,
	Worthy to heare,
	Great praise for works so bad.
175	One sort doth teach,
	And to vs preache,
	That works must make vs free,
	From mortall sinne,
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	That we are in,
180	If we will saued be.
	For thus they say,
	Michaell shall way,
	Us in his balaunce two:
	Where shall be had,
185	Both good and bad,
	Workes that we haue ydo.
	If the better,
	Be heauier,
	Then shall we liue for aye:
190	But if our sinne,
	The better winne,
	Then are we like to paye.
	They haue no eyes,
	On gods mercies,
195	But on the equall waight:
	For they say plaine,
	They are certaine,
	Gods iudgement shal be straight
	For Christ hath sayd,
200	We wyll be payd,
	According to our workes:
	Wherfore eche slaue,
	Shall buffets haue,
	That in his seruice lurkes.
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205	And when they fynde,
	One to their minde,
	That will to them applie:
	Then they reioyce,
	With heart and voyce,
210	And shew him curtesie.
	The other syde,
	Can not abide,
	To heare of workes at all:
	For Gods mercie,
215	Say they shall bie,
	All them free that are thrall.
	Christ shed his bloud,
	Upon the Roode,
	For that intent onely:
220	We must graunt then,
	All kindes of men,
	Must nedes be saued thereby.
	All murderers,
	Aduouterers,
225	Theues, robbers, and ill men:
	Shall by his bloude,
	Shed on the Roode
	Of heauen be right certen.
	Thus they say all,
230	And him they call,
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	A perfect christian:
	That will apply
	To their foly,
	And a right honest man.
235	Thus on eche side,
	Both shoote to wide,
	Of the pricke, for the one
	Saith, workes is all,
	That saue the thrall,
240	The other wil haue none.
	Of these eche man,
	Doth what he can,
	To kill his brothers soule:
	Eche giueth his mynde,
245	Such for to fynde,
	As will not him controle.
	The middle sorte,
	That doth exhorte,
	All men to liue godly:
250	And to thinke that,
	Their worke shall not,
	Saue them but Gods mercy.
	Are they that beare,
	The burden here,
255	For both hate them to death:
	Their whole intent,
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	Is to inuent,
	Some way to stop their breath.
	Thus eche brother,
260	Killeth other,
	Some the flesh, some the spirite
	So that I dare,
	Call this the warre,
	Wherof the Prophets write.
265	For since kings coulde,
	As I haue tolde,
	Haue men of warre to fight:
	With wicked will,
	They haue sought still,
270	To win much ground by might.
	ij.
	AS for famine,
	Such now is seene,
	As erst hath not bene knowen:
	Both poore and riche,
275	Perishe aliche,
	No seede growes that is sowen
	By this I meane,
	Ghostly famine,
	For lacke of ghostly foode:
280	The heauenly fielde,
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	Lye doth vntilde,
	And brings forth nothing good.
	If any sowe,
	They will not bowe,
285	But stiffely scatter seedes:
	Setting no hand,
	To tyll the land,
	So nought growth vp but weedes.
	Yet in churches,
290	Gods worde lurches,
	In chaines or in a cage:
	But no man may,
	Theron hand lay,
	That hath none heritage.
295	Iames writeth this,
	With God there is,
	To riches no respecte:
	His worde would he,
	Knowen for to be,
300	To all his true electe.
	Further he saith,
	Most riche in faith,
	Are some of the base sort:
	Whome to repell,
305	From the Gospell,
	Gods worde will not supporte.
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	Know we may soone,
	Who hath this done,
	Satan no doubt it is:
310	That by this way,
	He might decay,
	Christes faith and stablish his.
	For he knoweth wel,
	If the Gospell,
315	Might raigne among the poore:
	They would soone know,
	Them to follow,
	That enter by the doore.
	He knoweth riche men,
320	Reade now and then,
	For pleasure and repast:
	But to redresse,
	Their wickednesse,
	Few of them do make hast.
325	For if they would,
	No poore men should,
	Among them starue for foode:
	Into prison,
	None should be done,
330	For det or worldly good.
	But their riches,
	Doth them possesse,
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	And hath them in a bande:
	Witnesse I can,
335	That riche yong man,
	Whom Christ bad sell his land,
	With heauy hart,
	Away he start,
	As one that thought it deare,
340	Heauen to possesse,
	For his richesse,
	And liue a begger here.
	How many now,
	Would dissalow,
345	This yong mans sapience:
	Aske them that bee,
	Of high degree,
	And haue great store of penc[e]letter broken
	Some wil you tell,
350	That the Gospell,
	Commaundeth no such thing,
	That they should feede,
	Such as haue neede,
	And then go on begging.
355	Ful true it is,
	Christ saith not this,
	Giue all and beg thy-selfe:
	But thou therfore,
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	Maist not make store,
360	And whord this worldly pelfe. whord: =hoard
	But thou must spend,
	As God doth send,
	To feede thy familie:
	In thine aray,
365	Go not too gay,
	But after thy degree.
	Loke what is more,
	Left in thy store,
	Than wil suffise to this:
370	He that hath none,
	Must liue theron,
	It is not thine but his.
	This to withholde,
	If thou be bolde,
375	Or to spend it in waste:
	Thinke not but hee,
	That lent it thee,
	Will call for it in haste.
	For if that thou,
380	Haue scarce ynowe,
	To maintaine thine estate:
	Yet if thou see,
	The poore needie,
	Of that thou must abate.
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385	If that the price,
	Of vitailes rise,
	So that they must be skant:
	The stewardes dishe,
	Must diminishe,
390	Before the housholde wante.
	This worlde cal I,
	Gods familie,
	Wherin the riche men bee:
	As stewardes stoute,
395	To rule the route,
	And succour pouertie.
	Whom they do ayde,
	That is decayde,
	I thinke no man can tell:
400	But if ye gesse,
	Whom they oppresse,
	The poore know that ful well.
	The cause of this,
	Is Auarice,
405	That raigneth in the cleargy:
	Whose life should shyne,
	Before mens eyne,
	As Phoebus in the sky.
	But diuelishe pride,
410	Hath bene their guide,
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	And brought them vp so hie,
	That they know not,
	Their owne estate,
	But seeke this worldes glorie.
415	Tenthes of increase,
	By right successe,
	They claime and cal them theirs:
	But Peter knew,
	No such thing dew,
420	To him nor to his heyres.
	But if we might,
	See that their light,
	Did shine lyke Peter and Paule,
	Then would we not,
425	Debarre them that,
	But rather giue them all.
	Them to defame,
	I were to blame,
	And call them Phariseis:
430	Unlesse I knew,
	It to be true,
	By their owne witnesses.
	When they do preach,
	And Gods worde teach,
435	Use they not to say so?
	Do as we say,
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	But turne away,
	From that ye see vs do.
	The same counsell,
440	You know full well,
	Christ gaue to his elect:
	Willing that they,
	Should turne away,
	From the Phariseis secte.
445	Iudge who that will,
	If I do ill,
	To call them Phariseis:
	That vse to preach,
	And Gods worde teach,
450	Walking in fleshly waies.
	By them Paule saith,
	That preach the faith,
	And liue fleshly themselues,
	Gods worde is blamed,
455	And much defamed,
	Among the infidels.
	All preachers would,
	Euer be bolde,
	To say come after vs:
460	Euen as ye see,
	Us for to bee,
	Seruaunts of Christ_Iesus.
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	For if they say,
	This is the way,
465	Wherin Christes flock must walke:
	Unlesse they go,
	Themselues also,
	Few will beleue their talke.
	This pondered,
470	Holy Dauid
	Saith, sinners may not mell:
	For such as bee,
	Of infamie,
	Dishonest Gods Gospell. Dishonest: see OED s.v. dishonest v
475	This seemeth plaine,
	Men to restraine,
	That none should enterprise:
	In hand to hent,
	Gods Testament,
480	To preach in any wise.
	For on the ground,
	None can be found,
	Whome sinne hath not defilde:
	You may me trust,
485	All are vniust,
	Both man woman and childe.
	Yet some there bee,
	In whom we see,
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	No maner wickednesse:
490	But to our sight,
	Both day and night,
	Their vertues do increase,
	Of these we see,
	No great plentie,
495	The pitie is the more:
	But when we will,
	Gods worde fulfill,
	We shall haue better store.
	But whiles we are,
500	So ful of care,
	For worldly vanities:
	God will vs send,
	Few to amend,
	Our great enormities.
505	Yea vnlesse,
	Our vice do ceasse,
	And we for mercy call:
	Shortly to preach,
	And Gods worde teach,
510	We shal haue none at all.
	For such men as,
	Do little passe,
	To pacify Gods ire:
	God wil forsake,
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515	And them betake,
	To their owne hartes desire.
	They shall promote,
	Eche leude harlote,
	And giue to him credence:
520	But all that come,
	To preach wisedome,
	Shall be put to silence.
	Follie it were,
	For them that feare,
525	Of Prelates to be shent:
	For to applie,
	This prophecie,
	Unto this time present.
	But in such case,
530	No man may passe,
	Fauour to lose or winne:
	Without respect,
	Of any sect,
	Gods worde rebuketh sinne.
535	Ceasse not to cry,
	Saith Esay ,
	Tell my people their owne:
	Extol thy voyce,
	With as much noyse,
540	As if trumpets were blowne.
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	Here speaketh hee,
	Of no degree,
	Of lay-men nor of clarkes:
	But of them all,
545	In generall,
	That do worke wicked warks.
	Wherfore all ye,
	That faithfull be,
	And beare of Christ the name:
550	Do not disdaine,
	Though I speake plaine,
	Since sinne is worthy blame.
	All such as bee,
	Of the cleargie,
555	And liue as Christ hath taught:
	My penne shal praise,
	And them displease,
	That willingly do naught.
	Of whome no doubte,
560	A full great route,
	Within this realme do dwell:
	But them to know,
	My penne I trow,
	Shall teache you all full well.
565	First marke all such,
	As with one church,
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	Hold not themselues content:
	They are the chiefe,
	Of missebeliefe
570	From Satan to vs sent.
	An vnion,
	Of two makes one,
	But a pluralitie:
	With a tot_quot,
575	Full wel ye wot,
	Bringeth them to high degree.
	If a riche cobbe,
	Beget a lobbe,
	The wisest of a thraue: a thraue: ='a lot'
580	For him with golde,
	He wil be bolde,
	A fat parsnage to haue. parsnage: =parsonage
	Then this cobbe will,
	That parish pill,
585	Of corne cattell and straw:
	Whiles the yong foole,
	Is at the schoole,
	To learne a point of the law.
	When men hilde sheepe, hilde: ='skin'
590	That could not creepe,
	He will haue the tenth fell:
	As due increase,
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	Of their riches,
	Bicause they do them sell.
595	Also at Lent,
	When wiues repent,
	One peny must they pay:
	For hearbes ye wot,
	That thickes their pot,
600	And make their houses gay.
	But when this Asse,
	Hath song a masse,
	Of God in Trinitie:
	For to encrease,
605	Worldly riches,
	Shall be all his studie.
	Foure times a yere,
	You shall him heare,
	Full clarkely teach his flocke:
610	What sinne it is,
	To tithe amisse,
	And with Gods part to mocke.
	At Easter whan,
	Eche christian,
615	To Gods supper shall come:
	No sinne shall let,
	Him for to eate,
	So that he pay the summe.
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	But all that bee,
620	In pouertie,
	And haue nothing to pay:
	He will refuse,
	As cursed Iewes,
	That neglect Easter-day.
625	Thus taketh hee,
	As ye may see,
	Gods parte of all degrees:
	To scoure his throte,
	And furre his cote,
630	But God for colde shall freese.
	Perchaunce his kinne,
	Shall somewhat winne,
	If that they please him well:
	But for most part,
635	Their tender hart,
	Pitieth some faire damosell.
	Few men haue seene,
	Grace to them giuen,
	Their tithes well to bestow:
640	That haue bene bolde,
	Into the folde,
	To climbe by the window.
	For their pretence.
	Is to get pence,
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645	To spend at their owne will:
	They take no heede,
	The flocke to feede,
	But let them famishe still.
	Wherfore all ye,
650	That fathers be,
	Instruct your babes in youth:
	That they may flie,
	All Simonie,
	And follow the Lordes truth.
655	Although children,
	Do Gods law learne,
	Euen from their mothers laps:
	Let none be stalde,
	Til they be calde,
660	For feare of afterclaps.
	For if the childe,
	Wanton and wilde,
	Passe not vpon his sheepe:
	For them that stray,
665	He must nedes pay,
	That gaue them him to keepe.
	But tell me than,
	Thou folishe man,
	Who shal thy cause defende:
670	When thou shalt stand,
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	At the left hand,
	With Satan for to wend.
	Thy men of law,
	Thou foolish daw,
675	Whom thou hast in a fee:
	Dare shew no face,
	Within that place,
	To speake one word for thee.
	For they haue more,
680	To answere for,
	Than they can wel aweld: aweld: see OED s.v. aweld, 'control'
	Their conscience shall,
	Accuse them all,
	For that they haue misse_meld.
685	They that for golde,
	To thee haue solde,
	Writings of presentation:
	May looke to dwell,
	With thee in hell,
690	Among the wicked nation.
	Bishops also,
	That bad thee go,
	The rope in hand to take:
	Are like to fall,
695	Depest of all,
	Into the fiery lake.
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	For they are set,
	Treason to let,
	As watchmen on the wall:
700	Which when they spie,
	The enimie,
	Should on their fellowes call.
	But if the watch,
	Of treason smatch, smatch: ='smack'
705	And helpe the wall to scale:
	Into prison,
	They must be done,
	No man may be their bale.
	No tirannie,
710	Can make them lie,
	In paines worthy their faute:
	That from the towne,
	Set ladders downe,
	To them that giue the saute.
715	Then may we gesse,
	In what distresse:
	Such leude bishops shall stand:
	When Christ shal come,
	At the last dome,
720	By fire to iudge the land,
	For such as would,
	Into the folde,
sig: [B8]
	To fill their greedie mawes:
	Bishops haue stalde,
725	And made them calde,
	True preachers of gods lawes.
	But now they vse,
	Them to excuse,
	As they were yong Pilates:
730	Saying that they,
	Must needes obey,
	The temporall magistrates.
	Wherfore if they,
	Present a boy,
735	A verlet or a loute:
	Them to admit,
	What needeth it,
	Bishops to stand in dowte.
	The patrone shall
740	Answere for all,
	Bishops shall beare no blame:
	So they fulfill,
	The patrones will
	And subscribe to the same.
745	They must therfore,
	Loke for no more,
	Then the patrons owne seale,
	Which from all charge,
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	Setteth then at large,
750	Patrons with God must deale.
	So that they may,
	Auoide alway,
	The daunger of the law:
	What forceth it,
755	Though they admit,
	Such as they neuer saw.
	A yong princockes,
	Sir Iohn_smelsmockes,
	A piece of flesh alone:
760	To sing and daunce,
	And make pastaunce,
	With Tib, Cisly, and Ione.
	A gamester wise,
	In cardes and dyce,
765	And all games of the same:
	A cockrel rancke,
	Fit for the bancke,
	A ruffian past all shame.
	A swearer good,
770	By bones and blood,
	And many othes moe,
	Ready to fight
	Both day and night,
	Where he shall ride or go.
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775	One that is wonte,
	To hawke and hunte,
	And keepe a brace of houndes:
	A steward stout,
	To ride about,
780	To see his maisters groundes.
	An hurly_burle,
	A farting churle,
	An whorder-vp of grotes,
	A cruell wretch,
785	That doth not retch,
	To hang men by the throtes.
	A lobbe a loute,
	A malmesey-snoute,
	A drousie dronken face:
790	A belly-swaine,
	A feeble braine,
	One voide of all Gods grace.
	The bishop must,
	The patron trust,
795	That gaue the presentation:
	Although he see,
	The suiter bee,
	Of diuelish conuersation.
	For if they should,
800	Be found so bolde,
sig: [C1v]
	To checke my lordes chaplen:
	Thinke you they might,
	Fynde it so light,
	To promote their kinsmen.
805	No no my frende,
	Lordes wil not bende,
	And priestes will not displease:
	They thinke it best,
	To liue in rest,
810	That riches may increase,
	So Lordes may haue,
	All that they craue,
	For priests that do them serue:
	Tithe lambe and wooll,
815	Great houses full,
	But pouertie shall sterue.
	To feede the shepe,
	Or house to kepe,
	Such priestes do not intend,
820	But when they looke,
	Their counting-booke,
	Then for their rents they send.
	The patrone will,
	Be Farmer still,
825	If that he may ought winne:
	Or else some knaue
sig: C2
	Shall the gaines haue,
	That is of the priestes kinne.
	Some priest hath two,
830	Some three some moe,
	Some sixe or seuen I trowe:
	Beside odde endes,
	Called Prebendes,
	With Canonries ye knowe.
835	Fiue hundred pound,
	And Curates found,
	Some-one receiueth clere:
	That in housholde,
	I dare be bolde,
840	Spendeth not ten pound a yere
	Some other spende,
	By the yeres ende,
	A thousand pound and more:
	But such I trowe,
845	Will not bestowe,
	Ten pound vpon the pore.
	They bid to feastes,
	Such maner gestes,
	As will bid them againe:
850	They thinke great shame,
	That blinde and lame,
	Should to their court retaine.
sig: [C2v]
	Yet with their scraps,
	Sometime perhaps,
855	They stuffe a beggers bagge:
	Their dogge shal eate,
	Much better meate,
	Whiles that his taile will wagge.
	In garments gay,
860	They must aray,
	Their seruantes rufflingly:
	and they themselfe,
	May weare no pelfe,
	To make them vnpriestly.
865	Their horses shall,
	Be good and tall,
	To rid the way at neede: rid the way: see OED s.v. rid v. 8, 'cover ground'
	For when thinges fall,
	He must haue all,
870	That can make the best speede.
	To their estate,
	Cupbordes of plate,
	You know are necessarie:
	For noble-men,
875	Use now and then,
	With such prelates to tary.
	They must haue wine,
	And that full fine,
sig: C3
	They must spare for no cost.
880	If they lacke ought,
	That may be bought,
	Their worship is nere lost.
	Short tale to make,
	They must nought lacke,
885	Fit for a noble-man:
	Rather they will,
	Both polle and pill
	And take all that they can.
	But that they might,
890	Do this by right:
	A law they haue procured:
	That such may haue,
	Whiles they do craue,
	That are to Lordes assured.
895	Chaplaines I meane
	To King and Quene,
	And other Lordes great:
	For a small summe,
	Doth not become,
900	One of so high estate.
	This law hath made,
	Some priestes glad,
	To cap and knee full lowe:
	And to promise,
sig: [C3v]
905	Faithfull seruice,
	To them they do not knowe.
	Some past all shame,
	Obtaine the name,
	By their importune sute:
910	Of kinges chaplens,
	And other mens,
	Whose power is absolute.
	These will all take,
	And nought forsake,
915	With mo bagges to the mill:
	Lay on their backe,
	Till it do cracke,
	And yet they will beg still.
	These tonglesse dogges,
920	With heauy clogges,
	Can nother bite nor barke:
	Neither espie,
	The enimie,
	Their kennels are so darke.
925	When they lacke pence,
	None residence,
	Must helpe or all is loste:
	For one halfe-yere,
	They make no chere,
930	Neither with sodde nor roste.
sig: C4
	There be also,
	Some other moe,
	Whom we call seruing-priestes:
	These must needes lurke,
935	And do no worke,
	For filling of their fistes.
	These for sixe pound,
	You shall haue bound,
	To take the charge of cure,
940	The person may,
	Him sporte and play,
	And liue all at pleasure.
	But this stipend,
	Wil not extend,
945	To spend all at their wil:
	Both to go gay,
	In their aray,
	And fresh cuppes for to fil.
	Some Marchandise,
950	They must deuise,
	To mende their liuing with:
	So that they may,
	Their hostes pay,
	For all that she filleth.
955	Hence came trentals,
	And long beadrols,
sig: [C4v]
	With masse-pence and dirge-grotes
	For if they pray,
	They must alway,
960	Haue pence to scoure their throtes.
	I wil not tel,
	How they do sel,
	Christes bloud to bie them drinke
	For if I should,
965	Some if they could,
	Would sel mine to I thinke.
	But if they did,
	All thinges counted,
	Their gains wold be but smal:
970	For they shall pay,
	At the last day,
	Euen for the dregges and all.
	But let this passe,
	My purpose was,
975	With words plain to expresse:
	That the cleargy,
	Liueth fleshly,
	And myndeth no godlinesse.
	God may them send,
980	Grace to amend,
	And to seeke his glory:
	Setting aside,
sig: [C5]
	All worldly pride,
	As vayne and transitorie.
985	Then shall their light,
	Shew forth so bright,
	That all men shall be glad:
	Them to follow,
	As men that know,
990	The good way from the bad.
	But whiles we see,
	Their wayes to bee,
	So full of stumbling-stockes:
	We thinke the dawes,
995	Stumble at strawes,
	And leape ouer great blockes.
	Wherby no seede,
	That is sowed.
	In mans hart taketh roote:
1000	For where Phoebus ,
	Hath no cleare course,
	To till it is no boote.
	Wherfore all ye,
	That faithful be,
1005	Pray that preachers may liue:
	As Christ doth teach,
	Else when they preach,
	No man will them beleue.
sig: [C5v]
	But if their life,
1010	Were without strife,
	Though thei preached but seld:
	I know right well,
	They should compell,
	The enimies to yelde.
1015	Then should famine,
	No more be seene,
	That now raigneth ouer-all:
	Gods worde should feede,
	All that stand in neede,
1020	And lust for foode to call.
	3
	PEstilence also,
	From vs should go,
	We should be safe and sound:
	There should no rot,
1025	Light of our lot,
	If such shepherdes were found.
	But since that we,
	Were found to be,
	So worthy the Lordes ire:
1030	We haue had few,
	Whose workes do shew,
	Them worthy the Lordes hire.
sig: [C6]
	For we were ledde,
	For to be fedde,
1035	In morishe marishe ground:
	Thinking there was,
	Such maner grasse,
	As would haue fed vs sound.
	But now we see,
1040	How farre we bee,
	Diseased in this case:
	By them that die,
	Most wretchedlie,
	Of all kindes of disease.
1045	Three kindes of rotte,
	Full wel I wotte,
	As shepherdes haue me tolde:
	Lighteth among,
	The lustie yong
1050	Shepe, as soone as the olde.
	Fell-rotte is one,
	Wherof dye none,
	But such as lacke drying:
	After they bee,
1055	Washed as we see,
	Before time of shearing.
	But here I would,
	That all men should,
sig: [C6v]
	Perceiue what washing is:
1060	And what drying,
	Is my meaning,
	Wherof men haue such mis.
	It is baptisme,
	That washeth them,
1065	That in Christ put their trust:
	And their drying,
	Is vp-bringing,
	After the ghostly lust.
	None can deny,
1070	But faithfully,
	Their babes to washe men vse,
	But to dry them,
	As doth beseme,
	Most parte of men refuse.
1075	They go about,
	To make them stout,
	To get their fleshly foode:
	Thinking no neede,
	That they should feede,
1080	The soule with doctrine good.
	To feare and loue,
	The Lorde aboue,
	Their children are not taught:
	Neither to pray,
sig: [C7]
1085	But sing and say,
	All rimes filthy and naught.
	At three yeres olde,
	They shal be bolde,
	To name their mothers shap:
1090	Their father will,
	Maintaine them stil,
	And set them on his lap.
	They shal not feare,
	All othes to sweare,
1095	By they haue liued seuen yeres:
	The parentes shall,
	Them princockes call,
	And say they haue no peares.
	O bribers wood,
1100	Thinke ye it good,
	To laugh and make great game,
	When you shall see,
	Your babes to bee,
	So wanton past all shame?
1105	No whelpe so wilde,
	Is, as some childe,
	No yong kitling so nice:
	No swine so rude,
	And to conclude,
1110	No stewes so full of vice.
sig: [C7v]
	Thou foolish man,
	Say if thou can,
	What reward thou shalt haue.
	That doest employ,
1115	Thee to destroy,
	The seede that God thee gaue.
	Eternall fire,
	Shall be thine hire:
	Unlesse thou do repent:
1120	And call for grace,
	Whiles thou hast space,
	Before thy dayes be spent.
	Christ saith alas,
	In full harde case,
1125	Art thou whose example,
	Causeth babes yong,
	For to go wrong,
	In wayes abhominable.
	For thee it were,
1130	Saith he, better
	To be drowned in the sea,
	Than that the least,
	Childe of beheast,
	Should learne to sinne at thee.
1135	Wherfore all ye,
	That faithful be,
sig: [C8]
	Let not your vice infecte:
	The tender yong,
	That are among,
1140	You as the Lordes elect.
	But do emploie,
	You busilie,
	To teach them the Lordes wil:
	That in their age,
1145	They do not rage,
	But liue thereafter stil.
	Then the rewarde,
	That is preparde,
	For them that Christ hath bought
1150	Shal be to you,
	As wages due,
	Bicause you haue it sought,
	Now of the first,
	Rotte as I trust,
1155	You haue intelligence:
	Wherby you may,
	Driue it away,
	Through godly diligence.
	The other twayne,
1160	That do remayne,
	If God wil be my guide:
	I wil descry,
sig: [C8v]
	So plenteously,
	That no man shal it hide.
1165	The hunger-bane,
	Is alwayes tane,
	As shepeheardes haue told me,
	By to much weate,
	After great heate,
1170	Which maketh grasse plentie.
	Wherof the sheepe,
	That could scase creepe, scase: ='scarce'
	Before for lacke of foode:
	Finding sweete meate,
1175	Do often eate,
	Much more then doth them good.
	By this excesse,
	There doth encrease,
	In them abundantly:
1180	Bloud corrupted,
	Undigested,
	Which causeth them to dye.
	In like manere,
	It doth appeare,
1185	Amongest them that professe,
	The Christian faith,
	As good Paule saith,
	And yet worke wickednes.
sig: D1
	For though that they,
1190	Desire alway,
	To know Gods veritie:
	Yet when they haue,
	All that they craue,
	They vse it carnally.
1195	By Christ we bee,
	At libertie,
	Say they (and that is true)
	For on the Roode,
	He shedde his bloud,
1200	Our freedome to renue.
	From death and sinne,
	Which we were in,
	This bloud hath made vs free:
	And from the yoke,
1205	Which Moses flocke,
	Toke for their libertie.
	Yet are we not,
	So free by that,
	From sinne that we may take:
1210	Our fleshly lust,
	And remaine iust,
	Euen for Christ_Iesus sake.
	But looke what day,
	We do obey,
sig: [D1v]
1215	The flesh in deede or thought,
	Our fleshly will,
	For to fulfill,
	Christes bloud auaileth nought.
	Christ shed his blood,
1220	To do them good,
	That forsake their owne will:
	And not for those,
	That wil suppose,
	They may liue fleshly still.
1225	For Christ did die,
	To mortifie,
	The flesh, death, hel and sinne:
	In those that he,
	Did know to be,
1230	Free-men of Isaacs kinne.
	For these he hath,
	Ordeyned a path,
	Wherin needes walk they must
	If they by fayth,
1235	As Scripture saith,
	Will be tride to be iust.
	For without mis,
	No faith there is,
	Where workes do not ensue:
1240	Which may declare,
sig: D2
	Whose trees we are,
	When iudgement shall be due.
	Good workes therfore,
	Will euermore,
1245	Appeare in Gods elect
	For by that signe,
	Such as are mine
	(Saith Christ) shall be detect.
	But such as lurke,
1250	And will not wurke,
	Ought else but wickednesse,
	Christ will forsake,
	And them betake.
	To the pitte bottomlesse.
1255	There they shall lye,
	And wishe to dye,
	But death shall flee them fro:
	They shall sustayne,
	Eternall payne,
1260	Bicause they liued so.
	All ye therfore,
	That heretofore,
	Haue bene ledde in darkenesse:
	Do not abuse,
1265	These godly newes,
	Through your carnal excesse.
sig: [D2v]
	Carnall excesse,
	Is as I gesse,
	To thinke Christ made vs free:
1270	For that we should,
	Through him be bold,
	To worke iniquitie.
	But Christ our price,
	The sacrifice,
1275	For sinne, hauing no stayne:
	Must nedes forsake,
	All them that make,
	Themselues captiue againe.
	And those be they,
1280	That to vs say,
	Christ hath payd the raunsome.
	And worthy price,
	For all our vice,
	To purchase vs freedome.
1285	His precious blood,
	Shedde on the Roode,
	Hath set vs all at large:
	No maner wight,
	Hath any might,
1290	To lay ought to our charge.
	By him we trust,
	To be found iust,
sig: D3
	When he shal iudge vs all:
	Notwithstanding,
1295	That our liuing,
	Be not like Peter and Paule .
	We do not doubt,
	His blood without,
	Our workes, to be able,
1300	Us to restore,
	Our workes therfore,
	Are found vnprofitable.
	All this is true,
	Yet are workes due,
1305	And all that do neglect,
	To do gods wil,
	Are bond-men still,
	As none of Gods electe.
	For none can be,
1310	At libertie,
	Through Christ that do not stil
	Themselues emploie,
	To mortifie
	The flesh, to do Gods wil.
1315	The fruite and tree,
	Shall euer bee,
	All one, this is no nay,
	The roote and spring,
sig: [D3v]
	Is all one thing,
1320	One good, both good alway,
	The braunche also,
	That cleaueth to
	The vine, shal be fruitfull:
	It cannot bee,
1325	That a good tree,
	Should be vnprofitable.
	Euen so brothers,
	All Christes members,
	Bring forth works plentuously:
1330	The godly sects,
	Of Gods electe,
	Can not liue idelly.
	The holy-ghost,
	Is not at host,
1335	With them that liue fleshly:
	They must fulfill,
	The fathers will,
	That wil haue him tary.
	Therfore if we,
1340	Intende to be,
	Temples of the Lordes spirite:
	Our life must not,
	Dissent from that,
	Which holy Paule doth write.
sig: D4
1345	Make your bodies,
	A sacrifice
	Saith he, sincere and pure:
	Keping therin,
	No manner sinne,
1350	But seeke the Lordes pleasure.
	When we do this,
	We shall not mis,
	To haue Gods spirite in vs:
	Whose presence shall,
1355	Helpe vs in all
	Things, that are daungerous.
	But if we will,
	Be fleshly still,
	Working our beastly lust:
1360	Undoubted than,
	In him we can,
	By no meanes put our trust.
	For he will bee,
	An enimie,
1365	To all that wil worke vice:
	And to them that,
	Endeuour not,
	From their olde sinne to rise.
	Repent therfore,
1370	And sinne no more,
sig: [D4v]
	But seke God and his will:
	That ye may be,
	At libertie,
	From death, sinne, and the deuil.
1375	Walke not in sinne,
	Now you be in,
	The light of Gods doctrine,
	For if ye do,
	Ye are like to
1380	The most vncleanely swine.
	Which vse to lye,
	Most filthily,
	In myer vp to the head:
	Euen at high noone,
1385	When that the sunne,
	Most glorious beames doth spread.
	But we risen,
	From death and sinne,
	By Christ our aduocate:
1390	Must in liuing,
	Seeke for the thing,
	That will keepe our estate.
	That is Gods grace,
	For to imbrace,
1395	His worde and worke his will:
	With all our might,
sig: [D5]
	Both day and night,
	To liue thereafter still.
	We haue bene led,
1400	Blindely and fed,
	Scarsly long-time, what than?
	Should we therfore,
	Liue euermore,
	After the outward man?
1405	No God forbid,
	That Abrams seede,
	Should so degenerate:
	That it should smell,
	Of Ismaell,
1410	Whose stocke was reprobate.
	Plenty of meate,
	Now for to eate,
	The good shepeherd hath sent:
	His sheepe to feede,
1415	Which stoode in neede,
	No doubt was his intent.
	And not to stroy,
	Their health thereby,
	Which thing it doth in-deede:
1420	When they halfe woode,
	Abuse that foode,
	The flesh therwith to feede.
sig: [D5v]
	Feede we therfore,
	The fleshe no more,
1425	With the foode of the soule:
	For if it catche,
	A further smatche,
	At length it wil controle:
	Then may we say,
1430	Woe worth the day,
	And houre of our first birthe:
	For death shall bring,
	Extreme mourning,
	And take away our mirth.
1435	O cruell lotte,
	O pestilent rotte,
	What plague can be like this?
	Which taketh away,
	Immortal ioy,
1440	Banishing vs all blisse?
	No remedie
	For this finde I
	But onely earnest prayer:
	Which as I fynde,
1445	Hath ofte enclinde
	God to remit his ire.
	Wherfore let vs,
	Be studious,
sig: [D6]
	In prayer, that it may please
1450	The heauenly king,
	Which knoweth all-thing,
	To cure this sore disease.
	And then no doubt,
	We shal without,
1455	Delay come to the blisse:
	That is preparde,
	As a rewarde,
	For them that seeke iustice.
	The third kynde as
1460	My promise was,
	I must needes now declare:
	That is murraine,
	As shepeherdes faine,
	That worketh them much care.
1465	But good herdmen,
	Tell me that when,
	Shepe take the murraine-rote:
	Then the shepherde,
	For his rewarde,
1470	Should be hanged by the throte.
	For no shepe will,
	Rotte on the hill,
	So long as he is ledde,
	Directly forth,
sig: [D6v]
1475	As the time doth,
	Require for to be fedde.
	But such as do,
	Leade shepe into,
	The valley to make them fatte:
1480	Intend to sell,
	The carcase well,
	And gayne something by that.
	But he that will,
	Not his sheepe kill,
1485	But haue them to endure:
	To feede them sound,
	In holesome ground,
	He must euer be sure.
	And suche one will,
1490	Up to the hill,
	To feede his flocke eche day,
	And killeth not,
	Such as are fatte,
	Lest his flocke should decay.
1495	Wherfore we may,
	This safely say,
	They are butchers eche one,
	That feede their sheepe,
	In bottoms deepe,
1500	And let the hill alone.
sig: [D7]
	They tende them not,
	But for the fatte,
	They sende at slaughter-day:
	They take no care,
1505	For slender ware,
	Though wolfes fetch them away.
	Such can be bolde,
	For ready golde,
	To bye a flocke of sheepe:
1510	And for to haue,
	A slouthful knaue,
	That wil take them to keepe.
	They do not passe,
	What maner grasse,
1515	He hath to feede them on,
	So that the summe,
	Do yerely come,
	That they do pointe vpon.
	Marke now brothers,
1520	If no butchers,
	May be found in this land:
	Which busily,
	Do Christes flocke bye,
	Out of the shepeherdes hand.
1525	What are they that,
	Use to lye at
sig: [D7v]
	The court, or some lordes place:
	Where they sustaine,
	Importune paine,
1530	Dauncing on Gnatos trace?
	These wil espye,
	Where great flockes lye,
	Where they set one to spie, to spie] þat wacheth 1547
	To bring tidinges,
1535	Before all thinges,
	When the shepeherde doth die. the shepeherde doth die] that the shepherd dieth 1547
	Then they apply,
	Their flattery,
	By frendship bought with gold:
1540	That for their paine,
	They may obtaine,
	To enter to the fold.
	Yea long before,
	Some get them store,
1545	Of Uowsens to be sure:
	That none shall let,
	Them for to get,
	In at their owne pleasure.
	Then do they set,
1550	Some leude verlet,
	To try what may be made:
	Yearely of that
sig: [D8]
	Ware that is fat,
	And all due charges payde.
1555	The chiefe thing is,
	The priestes wages,
	And tenthes due to the king:
	But such as bee,
	In pouertie,
1560	May be allowed nothing.
	For if they should,
	These butchers could
	Not thriue vpon their craft:
	For poore men will
1565	Be begging still,
	So long as ought is laste.
	But they wil spy
	A remedy,
	For that you may be sure:
1570	Saying they ought
	To giue them nought,
	That do them no pleasure.
	Thus yerely they
	Do fetch away
1575	The gaynes that doth arise:
	By tenth increase
	Of mens riches,
	After the largest sise.
sig: [D8v]
	But for to feede,
1580	Such as haue neede,
	These fellows take no thought
	But let them pike,
	In euery dike
	All weedes filthy and nought.
1585	Thus they wander,
	As sheepe that were
	Forsaken of their guide:
	Feading themselfe,
	With all such pelfe,
1590	As growes in the field wide. growes] groth 1547
	But out alas,
	In how hard case
	Are they whose shepherdes are:
	Of Gods preachers,
1595	Become butchers,
	Prouder than Lucifer .
	The murren-rot
	Is on their lot,
	Their health is sore decayde:
1600	No remedie,
	They must needes die,
	Unlesse God be their ayde.
	Shepeherdes are dead,
	And we are led,
sig: E1
1605	B[y] them that flee vs fro: By] Be 1567, By 1547
	When-as they should, When-as] When þat 1547
	Do what they could,
	To saue vs from our foe.
	Yea rather they,
1610	Make vs obey,
	Our aduersaries minde,
	Bidding vs trust,
	To be found iust,
	By meanes that they do finde.
1615	Thus they lapped in,
	A shepeherdes skin,
	Do say they wil vs feede:
	With ghostly foode,
	Holesome and good,
1620	At all times when we neede.
	But when these do,
	Minister to
	Us, as they do but selde:
	Their medicines are,
1625	Such mixed ware,
	As few sicke men haue felde. felde 1567, feld 1547: emend to helde (=healed)?
	There are also,
	Some other mo,
	Whose names I dare not tell:
1630	Which beare them bolde,
sig: [E1v]
	For redy gold,
	The flocke of Christ to sell.
	These with Iudas
	Which damned was,
1635	For selling Christ our hed:
	Are like certaine
	In extreme paine
	To make their endlesse bedde.
	Unlesse by grace,
1640	They do imbrace
	Gods worde and aske mercy:
	For their sinne is
	No lesse than his
	Since they sell Christes body.
1645	In like daunger
	Is the byer
	And all that condescende:
	But chiefly they
	That should alway
1650	Such great abuse amende.
	All kinges therfore
	Ought much the more
	To loke vpon their charge:
	For all the land
1655	Lieth on their hand
	Be it neuer so large.
sig: E2
	Let vs therfore
	Pray euermore
	That good K. Henries thought:
1660	May be enclinde
	Such meanes to finde
	That Christes flocke be not bought.
	But that we may
	Haue them alway
1665	To leade vs in and out:
	That for our health
	To lose the wealth,
	Of this worlde will not doubt.
	Such doubtlesse will,
1670	Walke to the hill,
	Of gods word with their flock:
	Going before,
	Them euermore,
	Like men of Dauids stock.
1675	Then shall their shepe
	After them skippe
	In life worthy their name:
	So that there shall,
	Be nought at all,
1680	In them worthy of blame.
	For they shall heare,
	His voyce so cleare,
sig: [E2v]
	And see him go so bright:
	Before their face,
1685	That they may trace,
	His foote both day and night.
	No darkenesse can,
	Trouble them than,
	No cloud shal duske their sight:
1690	They shall not stray,
	Out of the way,
	Bicause their guide is bright.
	O ioyfull thing,
	God graunt our king,
1695	Grace to see vs his flocke,
	Ledde on this sorte,
	For our comforte,
	By guides of Dauids stocke.
	Then shall we sing,
1700	Prayse to our king,
	And glory to the Lorde:
	Of Israell,
	With whose Gospell,
	Our life should then accorde.
	4
1705	IT followeth next,
	Now in the Text,
sig: E3
	Great earthquakes shalbe seene: earthquakes] erthquacke 1547
	Which shal cast downe,
	Both tower and towne,
1710	And great castels I weene.
	Now let vs see,
	Whether there bee,
	In our dayes any towne:
	Castell or tower,
1715	That through the power,
	Of the earthquake is downe.
	But that we might.
	Therin iudge right,
	The causes must be knowen:
1720	That do so make,
	The earth to quake,
	That townes are ouerthrowen.
	In this we must,
	Their iudgement trust,
1725	That haue writ of the same:
	Sith their writing,
	Teacheth nothing,
	That is worthy of blame.
	All such men do,
1730	Consent vnto,
	This thing putting no doubt:
	But vapours make,
sig: [E3v]
	The earth to shake,
	When they seeke a way out.
1735	In caues hollow,
	These vapours grow,
	To such a multitude,
	That at the last,
	They will out-brast,
1740	No strength can them include.
	Then cast they downe,
	Both tower and towne,
	That is nigh to the place:
	No maner wight,
1745	May welde their might,
	Nor looke for any grace.
	What say we than,
	If that in man,
	These vapours may be found:
1750	Should we looke for,
	Then any more,
	The shaking of the ground?
	No that were vayne,
	For then certayne,
1755	We might looke for a beast:
	Like to a Beare,
	Which should appeare,
	After saint Iohns beheast.
copytext taken from 1547, D5-D6v: E4-5 wanting in 1567
sig: [D5]
	Thys made the Iuse greatlye to muse
1760	At Christe beinge so pore
	Sith their truste was þat Messias
	Shold reigne in greate honour.
	Ryght so shoulde we deceyued be
	If that we woulde once thynke
1765	That we wer sure this worlde to dure
	Tyl þat the hils did sinke.
	For as they dyd that prophecied
sig: [D5v]
	[........................]this line and the following one have dropped out in the copytext
	[........................]
1770	Meaneynge mans vice therby
	For mortall sin once grounded in
	Mans hert doth so encrese
	That at the laste it must neades barst
	All bandes of godlinesse.
1775	Then it shal make mans mind to shake
	So sore that no bu[i]lding building] bulding 1547
	Maye stand theron be it of stone
	Or any other thynge
	Build golde or glasse marble or bras
1780	Al is one thinge at th'laste
	By greate shakinge of iuil liuing
	Al shalbe ouer-caste
	Bi this building I meane geuing
	Of holye thinges to dogs
1785	And preciouse stones cast for the nons
	Under the fete of hogs.
	And the good seed that is sowede
	Amonge thorns and briers
	[...........................]this line and the following one have dropped out in the copytext
1790	[...........................]
sig: [D6]
	For if you saye they muste alway
	Embrace gods veritie
	They wilbe bent in_continent
	To a[u]gment your degre
1795	And say [you] are much worthyare you] your 1547
	Honoure and dignitie
	Then Balames slaues the popish knaues
	Which teach al vanitie
	But if you tel them ought of hell
1800	Or tormentes due for sin
	Sayinge they muste subdu their lust
	That loke to haue heauen.
	Then thei saie þat thei doubt it not
	But Christes bloude doth suffise
1805	Them to restore for euer-more
	Thoughe they wer dam[n]ed thryse damned] damed 1547
	Now haue you lost their loue almost
	Because you saie thei must
	Subdue þe flesh if thei wil washe
1810	[...............................]this line has dropped out in the copytext
sig: [D6v]
	You must wink at theyr vice
	You must not saye þe pleasant waie
	Leadeth not to Paradise
	You must them tel thei do but well
1815	In that thei spende their tyme
	In lusty sport For their counfort
	Shoninge the nigardes crime
	You must not call the[m] prodigal them] then 1547
	Though they at one morsel Though] Throught 1547
1820	Eate halfe a croune and washe it doune
	With a quarter-angel.
	What is a glas of Ipocrasse?
	Wherfore hath God made wine?
	And mani a dishe of fleshe and fishe
1825	Wherof man maye feade fine?
	Shal no man eate þe deinteth meate deinteth: ='dainty'
sig: [E6]
1567 resumes here
	Nor drinke the pleasant drinke:
	How should Uintners,
	And Uictulers
1830	Liue then, as you do thinke?
	God hath all sent,
	For to be spent,
	And not to whord in store:
	Why should not than,
1835	A Gentleman,
	Eate it paying therfore?
	Should a vile slaue,
	So fine foode haue,
	As one of noble blood:
1840	Or should a king,
	Lacke any-thing,
	That is dainty and good?
	But let a king,
	Marke well this thing,
1845	And teach his nobles all:
	That fine feeding,
	Helpeth nothing,
	To life celestiall. To] The 1547
	And they that thinke,
1850	Their meate and drinke,
	Should passe others so farre:
	Ought well to know, well to] forto 1547
sig: [E6v]
	That high and low, high] hight 1547
	Are made of one matter.
1855	King Salomon,
	Saith all is one,
	A poore man and a king:
	Are first gotten,
	And then borne, This line is printed with the previous one in the copytext
1860	And differ yet nothing.
	Then are they fed,
	With milke and bread,
	Both like, both waile and weepe,
	A_like both crie,
1865	A_like both lie, This line is printed with the previous one in the copytext
	A_like both wake and sleepe.
	The mighty King,
	Is found nothing,
	Better than the begger:
1870	For by his birth,
	He is but erth, This line is printed with the previous one in the copytext
	The best is no better.
	All loose their strength,
	By age at the length,
1875	All die and fall to dust,
	This thing to bee,
	True ye may see, This line is printed with the previous one in the copytext
	In their graues if you lust.
	The noble blood,
1880	Doth them no good,
	When they rot in the ground:
	Nor when they come,
sig: [E7]
	To the last dome,
	Where beggers shalbe crounde.
1885	Some king shall stand,
	At the left hand,
	And say, when did we see:
	The Lord lacke ought,
	And we haue nought
1890	Holpe thy necessitie?
	But once for all,
	To them Christ shall
	Say, get you hence from me,
	Downe into hel,
1895	Where you must dwell,
	For your iniquitie.
	When ye denied,
	To them that cried,
	Asking helpe in my name:
1900	Euen than was I,
	In misery, This line is printed with the previous one in the copytext
	The scripture sayth the same.
	So harde iudgement,
	Toward them is bent,
1905	That haue all-thing plentie:
	[Taking no care
	How harde they fare,] The previous two lines are transposed and printed together in one line in 1567; 1547 retains the correct order
	That are in pouer[t]ie. pouertie] poueriie 1567
	For riche men are,
1910	They that should care,
sig: [E7v]
	For the poore impotent:
	Both goodes and landes,
	Are in their handes,
	Which serue for that intent.
1915	God gaue great power,
	And like honour,
	To some bicause they should:
	Defend the rest,
	Which are opprest,
1920	With thirst, hunger, and cold.
	Should they then make,
	Reuell and take,
	Their pleasure day and night:
	Letting the poore,
1925	Man lacke succour,
	Whom they should ayde by right.
	No they shall pay,
	At the last day,
	All that they haue mispent:
1930	At cardes and dice,
	And other vice,
	And excesse of rayment.
	Broches and ringes,
	With other thinges,
1935	Which are had in great price:
	Helpeth nothing,
sig: [E8]
	To good liuing.
	But rather vnto vice.
	For honestie,
1940	Will allwayes bee,
	Content with necessaries:
	Then must excesse,
	Be wickednesse,
	For they are contraries.
1945	To you riche men,
	I must say then,
	Set foolishe toyes aside:
	In all your wayes,
	During your dayes,
1950	Let conscience be your guide.
	Let not the poore,
	Stand at your doore,
	And starue for lacke of foode:
	Whiles that ye eate,
1955	All maner meate,
	Much more than doth you good.
	Kepe not in store,
	Much clothing more,
	Than that you must nedes ware:
1960	Bestow your golde,
	In tyme of colde,
	Upon such as be bare,
sig: [E8v]
	Let your workes show,
	That you do know
1965	Gods worde, set fantasie
	Aparte, thinking
	Your-selues nothing,
	Without the Lordes mercy.
	Persuade your-selfe,
1970	This worldly pelfe,
	To be but vanitie:
	And that ye ought,
	To withholde nought,
	From needefull pouertie.
1975	You are not set,
	Riches to get,
	But to order the same:
	Ministering,
	Eche needefull thyng,
1980	To halte, blinde, and to lame.
	And for to see,
	That such men bee,
	Punished that haue their helth:
	And wil not woorke,
1985	But lye and lurke,
	Hurting the common-welth.
	Do not retayne,
	Such as disdayne,
sig: F1
	To worke hauing no landes:
1990	Nor qualities,
	Worthy of fees,
	Let such worke with their handes.
	By idlenesse,
	Uice doth increase,
1995	And vertues are opprest:
	Wherfore if ye,
	Loue honestie,
	Let these thinges be redrest.
	Delight not in,
2000	Other mens sinne,
	Nor your owne wickednesse:
	But fast and pray,
	Striuing alway,
	To follow righteousnesse.
2005	Then the earthquake,
	Of vice shall take,
	No roote within your breast:
	You shall be stalde,
	As ye are calde,
2010	The children of beheast.
	And you that bee,
	Of lowe degree,
	Submit you to the powers:
	Do you all-thing,
sig: [F1v]
2015	By Christes teaching,
	And his kingdome is yours.
	If you rebell,
	You do not well,
	But yet you may boldly,
2020	Professe Gods worde,
	Fearing no sworde,
	But suffer manfully.
	Repine not at,
	Your base estate,
2025	But rather giue glory:
	To God which hath,
	Made you a path-
	Way, vnto victory.
	The riche men are,
2030	With worldly care,
	Opprest that scarcely they:
	Can at the last,
	Their loade downe cast,
	And enter to your way.
2035	You haue therfore,
	Much cause the more,
	To render thankes to God:
	For that you may,
	Passe the straight way,
2040	Easily with your light lode.
sig: F2
	Grudge not at such,
	As haue so much,
	Treasure as they call it:
	But rather pray,
2045	To God that they,
	May haue grace to vse it.
	And then shall ye,
	Through charitie,
	Upon Christ builde so sure:
2050	That no earthquake,
	May your life shake,
	Nor worke you displeasure.
	5.
	NOw let vs see,
	If the starres bee,
2055	Fallen as Christ prophecied:
	Whose wondrous fall,
	The Diuines all,
	Haue thus interpreted.
	They say that by
2060	Astronomie,
	Men may wel vnderstand:
	That the least starre,
	That doth appeare,
	Is more than all the land.
sig: [F2v]
2065	Then they say that,
	If these so great,
	And so many should fall:
	Before domes-day,
	There were no way,
2070	We should be quelled all.
	But Christes Gospell,
	Doth plainely tell,
	That euen at his comming,
	Men shall apply,
2075	Them busily,
	To prouide for liuing.
	Some shall plante vines,
	And some presse wines,
	And some shall marry wiues:
2080	And some shall bie,
	To gaine therby,
	But few shall mende their liues.
	The sonne of man,
	Shall appeare than,
2085	And take them sodainly:
	When they thinke lest,
	To be opprest,
	And liue most iocundly.
	Here we are taught,
2090	That they do naught,
sig: F3
	And take the prophecie:
	Of Christ amis,
	That say there is,
	In it no mysterie.
2095	For if it were,
	So taken there,
	As the letter doth sound:
	Two things plainly,
	Cleane contrary,
2100	In Gods worde should be found
	Which cannot be,
	And therfore we,
	Must needes graunt that there lieth:
	More mysterie,
2105	In prophecie,
	Than the worde signifieth.
	Let vs therfore,
	Tarie no more,
	Upon the wordes onely:
2110	But let our minde,
	Be giuen to finde,
	What thing is meant therby.
	The starres are bright,
	Both day and night,
2115	But when the Sunne is cleare,
	He doth so shine,
sig: [F3v]
	Before our eyne,
	That no starre can appeare.
	But so soone as,
2120	The Sunne doth passe,
	The circle of our sight:
	We may espie,
	Them easily,
	Through darknes of the night.
2125	Yet are they not,
	Themselues of that,
	Nature to appeare bright,
	Unlesse Phoebus ,
	Splendiferous
2130	Do endue them with light.
	Naturall light,
	Of day and night,
	Since the world was begunne:
	Is proued by
2135	Astronomie,
	To proceede of the Sunne.
	The starres therfore,
	Haue euermore,
	Their light from Phoebus face:
2140	Although they bee,
	As we do see,
	Of a farre distant place.
sig: F4
	So the clearenesse,
	Of godlinesse,
2145	By Gods worde is giuen:
	In like maner,
	To them that are,
	Of Christ called Christen.
	Christ by the sters,
2150	Meant good liuers,
	Whose works shew very bright:
	But their brightnesse,
	Is but darkenesse,
	When Gods worde is in sight.
2155	For Gods mercy,
	Sheweth so clearely,
	And mans vnworthinesse:
	Is found so darke,
	That no good warke,
2160	May shew any brightnesse.
	But the poore man,
	That neuer can,
	By day walke in the light:
	Of Gods worde must,
2165	Follow the iust,
	Whose works shine in the night.
	The night I call,
	This world through all,
sig: [F4v]
	Wherin the christian secte:
2170	Are as starres bright,
	To giue them light,
	Whom darkenes doth infecte.
	The starres should moue,
	In heauen aboue,
2175	The shadow of the ground:
	That Phebus bright,
	Might giue them light,
	To shine in the world rounde.
	But now they bee,
2180	The more pitie,
	Eche one fallen fro thence:
	None do intend,
	For to ascend
	Againe, and leaue their pence.
2185	But much rather,
	They go lower,
	To get golde and treasure,
	Their onely minde,
	Is for to finde,
2190	Meanes to liue at pleasure.
	And they that would,
	That other should,
	Take them for true leaders:
	Began to fall,
sig: [F5]
2195	Downe first of all,
	And are now deceiuers.
	I meane prelates,
	And magistrates,
	Which say we must incline:
2200	Us to agree,
	With such as bee,
	Men of great discipline.
	They say we must,
	Their iudgement trust,
2205	And obey theyr decrees,
	Although we see,
	Them for to bee,
	Against Gods verities.
	They say how can,
2210	The priuate man,
	Discerne Gods veritie,
	If great prelates,
	And magistrates,
	Should teache the falsitie?
2215	For God they say,
	Giueth alway,
	The truth to the rulers:
	They cannot erre,
	In peace nor warre,
2220	That are Gods partakers.
sig: [F5v]
	Would God they were,
	But many feare,
	These will be tried at the last:
	To be nothing,
2225	But rauening
	Wolues seeking for repast.
	Such proude Prelates,
	And magistrates,
	I meane to seeke glory:
2230	To them and theirs,
	As though their heyres,
	Should haue the earth onely.
	Bishop Cayphas,
	Pilate Annas,
2235	Herode with many mo:
	Were magistrates,
	And great Prelates,
	And yet wroght Christ much wo.
	Their feare to leese,
2240	Their dignities,
	Was cause that they did this,
	And that they slue,
	All preachers true,
	That were Christes witnesses.
2245	For they thought that,
	Their power could not,
sig: [F6]
	Be able to resist:
	And keepe vnder,
	The great number,
2250	That wold haue folowed Christ.
	For they knew well,
	That his Gospell,
	Agreed not with their pride:
	And thought if that,
2255	They slew him not,
	Their sect would be destroide.
	These were they that,
	Did stumble at,
	The stone in Israell
2260	Euen their leaders,
	And chiefe rulers,
	As Scripture doth vs tell.
	Maisters of schooles,
	Were proued fooles,
2265	And wise men lacked wit:
	But simple soules,
	That gathered tolles,
	And caught fishes had it.
	Euen so this day,
2270	Full well ye may,
	Affirme that Christ hideth:
	His mysteries,
sig: [F6v]
	From proude mens eyes,
	Which to babes he sheweth.
2275	Princes Prelates,
	All magistrates,
	Could not destroy the pride:
	Of Rome till that,
	Poore men sparde not,
2280	To speake till some were fride.
	But at the last,
	It was downe cast,
	Within this realme ye know:
	Both farre and nere,
2285	And Abbayes were,
	Supprest and brought ful low.
	Bicause therin,
	Was such foule sinne
	Used, and such popery:
2290	That some men thought,
	The ground could not,
	Sustaine their buggery.
	Well when this was,
	Thus come to passe,
2295	Men praised God in our king:
	Which by prudence,
	And diligence,
	Had brought to passe this thing.
sig: [F7]
	They looked for,
2300	To haue no more,
	Poperie maintainde here:
	Bicause within,
	this realme was seene,
	No Monke, Chanon, nor Frier.
2305	But apes will be,
	You may trust me,
	Apes still though their clothing:
	Were purple-fine,
	Nought can incline
2310	Them to leaue their mowing.
	These pied goates,
	Chaunged their coates,
	Yet are their mindes the same:
	That they were once,
2315	Though for the nonce,
	They do such popery blame.
	Some weare miters,
	And some gray furres,
	And some haue cure of soules,
2320	But their liuing,
	Differeth nothing,
	From them that dranke in boules.
	In Colledges,
	You cannot misse,
sig: [F7v]
2325	To see of them great store:
	Where they apply,
	Their buggery,
	Euen as they did before.
	Wherfore all ye,
2330	That learned be,
	And may do ought therin:
	Do what ye may,
	Both night and day,
	To plucke vp this fowle sinne.
2335	Else doubt ye not,
	But the Lord that
	Burned the fiue cities:
	And hath cast downe,
	In field and towne,
2340	The great and huge abbaies:
	For that foule sinne,
	Will soone beginne,
	To make your place desart:
	No fresh singing,
2345	Nor gaye piping,
	Shal make ought for your part.
	Such as cannot,
	Refraine from that,
	Ought for to marry wiues:
sig: [F8]
2350	No vowe can binde,
	Such as can finde,
	No meane to mende their liues.
	In eche degree,
	Matrimonie,
2355	And the bedde vndefiled:
	Are holy thinges,
	Though the shauelings,
	Count maried men defiled.
	God graunt we may,
2360	Once see the day,
	Wherin we may be free:
	To leade our liues,
	With honest wiues,
	And preach Gods veritie.
2365	For now he that,
	Conteyneth not,
	And hath the gift to preache:
	Must either hide,
	That gifte or bide,
2370	Still burning like a wretche.
	So that no man,
	Unlesse he can,
	Obtayne of God the gifte
	Of chastitie,
sig: [F8v]
2375	May looke to bee,
	A preacher by this drifte.
	And doubtles this,
	Were not amis,
	If God would not require:
2380	Increase of that,
	Which man hath at,
	His hande receiued here.
	But sith God will,
	Punishe them still,
2385	That doth not occupie:
	Their talentes than,
	No Iustice can,
	Deny them libertie.
	Let no popery,
2390	Therfore deny,
	Christes membres to profet:
	Eche other still,
	After Gods will,
	With such giftes as they get.
2395	Let all men bee,
	At libertie,
	To preach if that they can,
	An honest wife,
	Hurteth not the life,
2400	Of any godly man.
sig: G1
	Most noble king,
	Helpe in this thing,
	And giue them libertie:
	To preach that can,
2405	Though a woman,
	Do helpe their chastitie.
	Then shall you see,
	The veritie,
	Of gods word taught ful plainly
2410	By them that will,
	Defend no ill,
	To haue liuing therby.
	But some will say,
	That by this way,
2415	Great schisme shall arise:
	For the cleargie
	And the laitie,
	Will preach two contraries.
	Graunt that they do,
2420	Yet of them two,
	One shall not misse to speake:
	The truth alway,
	Where now men say,
	To lye priestes do not reake.
2425	Then should we bee,
	In worsse degree
sig: [G1v]
	Say they, than we be now:
	For no man could,
	Tell which he should,
2430	Of these two sortes follow.
	Yes yes be bolde,
	It were soone tolde,
	Which of them preacheth true:
	For true preachers,
2435	Are obseruers,
	Of Gods commaundement new.
	A newe precept,
	For to be kept,
	Saith Christ I giue you now:
2440	That eche brother,
	Loue an-other,
	Euen as I haue loued you.
	For by that signe,
	Such as are mine,
2445	Shall be knowen to all men:
	Faith cannot bee,
	Where charitie,
	Is not the graunde capteine.
	That sorte that loue,
2450	As is aboue,
	Eche other faithfully:
	And will betake,
sig: G2
	Them to the stake,
	Ere they wil ought deny,
2455	Of that they preach,
	That sorte doth teach,
	The truth you may be sure:
	These will not say,
	Both yea and nay,
2460	For any mans pleasure.
	Yet once againe,
	Such as disdaine,
	That maried men should preach:
	Will say that then,
2465	All maried men,
	Will count eche priest a wretch.
	What forceth that,
	If priestes be not
	Of Christ, but of Satan:
2470	We may ordaine,
	Mo priestes againe,
	After the inwarde man.
	None should regard,
	Such as outwarde,
2475	Signes do make priests onely:
	But them whose life,
	Is without strife,
	And their doctrine godly.
sig: [G2v]
	Unfainedly,
2480	Such are worthy,
	To haue double honour,
	For that they are,
	So full of care,
	To helpe their christen brother.
2485	Such men looke not,
	For the crowne that,
	Shall be taken them fro,
	But to encrese,
	Godly riches,
2490	Is all-thing that they do.
	But now alas,
	In how hard case,
	Standeth this world this day:
	When all Rulers,
2495	And all Preachers,
	Forsake this godly way.
	Who would not bee,
	Of high degree
	This day, what Prince or King:
2500	Desireth not,
	More rule that that,
	Was his fathers leauing.
	Their onely care,
	Is for to fare,
sig: G3
2505	Delicately eche day:
	And to maintaine,
	This they are faine,
	To get all that they may.
	Might is their law,
2510	Wherby they draw,
	All goodes into their handes:
	And he that will,
	Say they do ill,
	Shal loose both goodes and landes.
2515	They thinke not, that
	They were made at
	The first, them to defend,
	That haue no might,
	To keepe their right,
2520	Nor their wrongs to amend.
	For that intent,
	Sufficient
	Landes, was giuen to eche one:
	Bicause he should,
2525	Do what he could,
	To saue the weale commone.
	But now they be,
	The more pitie,
	So fonde of vaine honour:
2530	That on the ground,
sig: [G3v]
	Scarce can be found,
	Inough for their owne store.
	Both more and lesse,
	Study to passe,
2535	Their forefathers degree:
	Thinking it shame,
	To beare the name,
	Of fruitfull pouertie.
	Lordes must inclose,
2540	Pastures, medowes,
	To holde in their owne handes:
	And that the rent,
	May kepe his stent, stent: ='valuation'
	They must improue their lands.
2545	The merchant-man,
	Doth what he can,
	To be Lord ouer townes:
	Eche king is bent,
	With full intent,
2550	To subdue many crownes.
	Alas the while,
	They do begile,
	Themselues now euery one:
	Thinking that they,
2555	Shall raigne alway,
	Upon the ground alone.
sig: G4
	The day shall come,
	When their kingdome,
	Shall not be worth a straw:
2560	Nor they themselfe,
	With all their pelfe,
	The value of an haw.
	Their golde and all,
	To duste will fall,
2565	This is to manifest,
	And they also,
	Must after go,
	Perchance when they thinke lest
	What folly then,
2570	Is in these men,
	To leaue Gods veritie,
	And to apply,
	So busily,
	This worldly vanitie?
2575	But I you pray,
	Harke what I say,
	And giue me eare a while:
	I shall you shew,
	At wordes few,
2580	What doth these men begile.
	They thinke God will,
	Compte nothing ill,
sig: [G4v]
	That mans law iustifieth:
	And that by might,
2585	To claime their right,
	With Gods worde agreeth.
	To make the best,
	Of most and lest,
	Is lawfull for eche man,
2590	They say, and to
	Be bound to do,
	For no man though they can.
	To gather pelfe,
	Eche for himselfe,
2595	So they do no man wrong:
	Is not they say,
	Out of the way,
	Such errours are vp-sprong.
	Feare to displease,
2600	Desire of ease,
	And cloked flattery:
	As I suppose,
	Hath made men glose,
	Gods worde so subtilly.
2605	But if the kings,
	With their lordings,
	Would lead the daunce aright:
	We may be bold,
sig: [G5]
	The poore men would,
2610	Follow with all their might.
	You kings therefore,
	Couet no more,
	One to subdue the rest:
	But let your strife,
2615	Be in good life,
	Which of you can rule best.
	Desire not,
	To rule them that,
	Refuse your imperie
2620	But do intend,
	Them to defend,
	That serue you willingly.
	And you lordings,
	Leaue your diggings,
2625	And your raising of rentes,
	Take not such fines,
	To by you wines,
	For God knoweth your intents
	And you merchantes,
2630	Be not seruantes,
	To couetous desire: couetous] coueteous 1567
	But sell and bie,
	All thinges truely
	And God shall giue you hier.
sig: [G5v]
2635	Briefly all ye,
	That of Christ be,
	Cognomed Christians,
	Study to moue,
	In heauen aboue,
2640	This earthly inhabitance,
	Let men know that,
	You regarde not,
	This worldly vanitie:
	But let them see,
2645	That your workes bee,
	Fruites of Gods veritie.
	Then shall your meede,
	As farre exceede,
	When Christ shall iudge vs all:
2650	Theirs that by sinne,
	Would heauen winne,
	As the free doth the thrall.
	6
	NOw let vs see,
	If the Moone bee
2655	Blud as christ prophecied
	That we may trie,
	What mysterie,
	Under the wordes lieth.
sig: [G6]
	I did you tell,
2660	As I thinke well,
	That since the world begunne:
	Both day and night,
	Haue all their light,
	At the beames of the sunne.
2665	This if you list,
	Is tried soonest,
	By marking the Moones light,
	Which doth alway,
	Growe and decay,
2670	As we may iudge by sight.
	The cause of this,
	Undoubted is,
	The vnequall dista[u]nce:
	Of the Moone from,
2675	The Sunne by whom,
	She doth hir light auaunce.
	Marke if ye list,
	That side soonest,
	Receiueth light alway:
2680	That is next to
	The Sunne and so,
	The other doth decay.
	Yea if you marke,
	That side is darke,
sig: [G6v]
2685	That is fromwarde the sunne:
	When that is bright,
	Both day and night,
	That Phoebus shineth on.
	Aske if ye will,
2690	Them that can skill,
	And they wil not make strange:
	That Phoebus bright,
	Should haue full light,
	Both at full and at change.
2695	For they faue found,
	That she is round,
	And that halfe is aye bright:
	Which is not straunge,
	Though at the chaunge,
2700	It be out of our sight.
	For at that tide,
	The further side,
	From vs is toward the Sunne:
	So that no light,
2705	Sheweth to our sight,
	To be vpon the Moone.
	If this Moone should
	Be bloud, none could
	Make the scriptures agree:
2710	For the great dome
sig: [G7]
	Saith Paule , shall come
	Upon men sodainlie.
	Euen when men say,
	All care away,
2715	All thinges are in good plight:
	This sodaine day,
	Shall men affray,
	As a theefe in the night.
	If a theefe do,
2720	Giue warning to
	Him whose house he wil breake
	Then may we say,
	This sodaine day,
	Shall not lie in our necke.
2725	But I say if,
	The subtile theefe,
	Giue no warning before:
	Then to thinke the
	Moone bloud to be,
2730	We were deceiued sore.
	Then let vs see,
	What it may bee,
	That Christ meaneth in this place:
	Endeuouring
2735	Aboue all-thing,
	To apply to his grace.
sig: [G7v]
	The Moone I call,
	That sort through all,
	To whom God giueth not grace.
2740	To attaine to
	Such things as do
	Godly knowledge increase.
	For all the light,
	That shineth bright,
2745	On them is from the sunne:
	Which is no doubte,
	The very roote,
	That Gods grace lighteth on.
	Of these Christ saith,
2750	Your fruitefull faith,
	Sheweth you to be the light:
	Of this world round,
	And of the ground,
	The salte your surname hight.
2755	This Moone no nay,
	Is bloud this day,
	For all their desire is:
	To see men fry,
	And then they cry,
2760	O godly sacrifice.
	These men can sing,
	None other thing,
sig: [G8]
	But burne, burne, hang and draw:
	Let no man scape,
2765	Out of our shrape. shrape: ='snare', see OED s.v. shrape n
	Be he wise man or daw.
	Try we our might
	(Say they) in fight,
	Against our enimies:
2770	It shall be good,
	To see their blood,
	Runne out before our eies.
	Let vs possesse,
	All their richesse,
2775	Let the knaues liue no more:
	Shall we suffer,
	Them to prosper,
	That set by vs no store?
	It is noble,
2780	To be manfull,
	Fie on all wretched knaues:
	That to vs preach,
	And would vs teach,
	To liue like wretched slaues.
2785	Let eche man try
	It manfully,
	What should we passe for lawes?
	They were not made,
sig: [G8v]
	For to be had,
2790	Amongest other than dawes.
	Who would regard,
	A knaue coward,
	That dare not strike a stroke?
	Say what you can,
2795	He is no man,
	But rather a dead stocke.
	It is manhood,
	To shed your blood,
	For eche good fellowes sake:
2800	He is a mome,
	Iohn_dwell_at_home,
	That feareth a fray to make.
	Alas this song,
	Hath last so long,
2805	That the Moone is all blood:
	They thinke nothing,
	But bloodsheding,
	To be manly and good.
	They take no shame,
2810	To beare the name
	Of Christ, whose doctrine is
	Full of meekenesse,
	And forgiuenesse,
	Eche one of others mis.
sig: H1
2815	And yet they will,
	Shead mans bloud still:
	As it were none offence:
	But Christ shall quell,
	Such into hell,
2820	To make them recompence.
	Thus he shall say,
	At the last day,
	To this noble manhood,
	Auoyde from me,
2825	All you that be,
	The sheaders of mans bloode.
	Then shall meekenesse,
	Come and possesse,
	Euerlasting glory,
2830	And sufferance,
	Inheritaunce,
	That is not transitorie.
	To the Iewes sterne,
	Christ sayth, go learne
2835	What this may signify:
	I haue in price,
	No sacrifice,
	I delight in mercy.
	Leaue tiranny,
2840	And shew mercy,
sig: [H1v]
	Therfore ye men of power:
	For he that is
	Cruell, shall mis,
	Of mercy in that hower.
2845	Marke this thing well,
	That the Gospell
	Teacheth, to them shall bee
	Iudgement, without
	Mercy no doubte,
2850	That shew extremitie.
	7
	THe Sunne is bright,
	And giueth light,
	As he hath done alway:
	And shall do still,
2855	Euen vntill,
	The very iudgement day.
	For as it did,
	Till Noe entred,
	Into the arke shine bright:
2860	So shall it do,
	Till Christ come to
	Iudge all the worlde aright.
	Some other thing,
	Is the meanyng,
sig: [H2]
2865	Therfore of Christ, where he
	Sayth, Phoebus bright
	Shall loose his light,
	Before this day shall be.
	We do knowe all,
2870	The naturall,
	Light of this worlde to be:
	The sunne, and so
	Alludyng to,
	The spirite thus say may we.
2875	Like as the Sunne,
	Since he begunne
	His course, hath giuen vs light:
	So hath the secte,
	Of Christes electe,
2880	Bene glorious in our sight.
	Wherfore he might,
	Say thus of right,
	The Sunne shall be darkened:
	When he meaneth,
2885	Their light faileth,
	That haue to me harkened.
	Such as professe,
	All holinesse,
	And would be called the light:
2890	Of this worlde wide,
sig: [H2v]
	Shall ere that tide,
	Be as darke as midnight.
	Their life shall bee,
	All vanitie,
2895	They shall say and not do:
	They shall offende,
	And not amende,
	Nor for their misse be wo.
	This greate darkenesse,
2900	Shall them oppresse,
	Sayth Christ, let vs therfore
	Marke this tyme well,
	For the Gospell,
	May be fulfilled this houre.
2905	Do not men boast,
	In euery coast,
	That their trust is onely:
	In Iesus_Christ,
	Sonne of the hiest,
2910	And yet liue vngodly?
	They that professe,
	This perfectnesse,
	Are of Christ called the light
	Of this worlde wide,
2915	Which at this tide,
	Do shine nothing so bright.
sig: [H3]
	As they did once,
	When they did renounce,
	All worldely vanitie:
2920	Hauing no minde,
	Treasures to finde,
	That are but transitorie.
	For Epicure ,
	Sought not pleasure,
2925	So much as these men do:
	That do vse most,
	To make such boast,
	Of Christ whom they cleaue to.
	Soft featherbeds,
2930	And for their heads,
	Pillows wel-stuft with downe:
	No kynde of ease,
	Can them well please,
	Either in fielde or towne.
2935	They may not eate,
	Such kynde of meate,
	As God giueth plenty:
	They will not dine,
	Without some fine
2940	Dishes that be deintie.
	They will not spare,
	For them that are,
sig: [H3v]
	Opprest with pouertie
	They take no keepe,
2945	Though other weepe,
	So they be not hungrie.
	I can not tell,
	Whether in hell,
	May be lesse charitie:
2950	Than is this day,
	In most that say,
	We know Gods veritie.
	None take such care,
	For dainty fare
2955	As they, none passe lesse howe
	They get richesse,
	So they possesse,
	Therof plenty ynowe.
	Their Simonie,
2960	And vserie,
	I thinke is right well knowne:
	For all that may,
	Be wonne that way,
	Is counted for their owne.
2965	Thus they are darke,
	For their good warke,
	Doth not shine in mens sight:
	Though they professe,
sig: [H4]
	Such perfectnesse,
2970	As ought to shine full bright.
	We may apply,
	This prophecy,
	To Gods worde, affirming
	It to be darke,
2975	Through the leude warke,
	Of dunsecall learning.
	The Moone also,
	May be like to
	Mans vayne inuentions:
2980	Which are this day,
	I dare well say,
	Bloudy intentions.
	But I seyng,
	The misse_liuing,
2985	Of all degrees this day:
	Haue chose rather,
	And thinke better,
	To take the other way
	This haue I tolde, This: =Thus
2990	Euen as I could,
	The signes of the last day:
	To be all past,
	And that in hast,
	The trumpetter shall say:
sig: [H4v]
2995	[F]all in aray, leaf torn away here and below
	[F]all in aray,
	All ye of Adams stocke:
	The shepehearde will,
	Come from the hill,
3000	To disseuer his flocke.
	Then without let,
	The sheepe shall get
	Them vnto his right side:
	The goates shall stande
3005	At the left hande,
	Iudgement for to abide.
	God graunt that we,
	May faithfull be,
	And then we shall not misse:
3010	At the last day,
	To take the way
	Into eternall blisse.
	FINIS.
	IMPRINTED AT LON don by Henry_Bynneman for Iohn_Charlewood, dwelling in Barbican, at the signe of the halfe-Eagle and the Key.