alac! great is the vntowardnesse, and muche is the hardenesse of mannis harte, that he neglecteth so high a benefight as is also the patefaction of Christe in the gospel, by whome we are redemed, and so remayne vnthankefull for the same. A most swete voyce is it vnto vs, from the Son of God, Iesus Christ, That he will not leaue vs as orphanes, or fatherlesse and motherlesse children, without confort, but will come vnto vs, loan. 14. That is, like a gentill and mercifull Lorde he will continually stande by his churche, assistinge, helpinge, and scouringe it alwaics. I will be with yow, saith he, to the end of the worlde, Math. 28. Lete this be thy confort, thu sorowfull churche of Englande, and staie thy selfe in him which was incarnate, lyued, wrought, taught, and dyed for thy sinne; yea, he arose from the deathe and ascended to heauen for thy iustificacion, Rom. 4. Cleaue thu fast to him, repent thy folyes past, and take heede to thy doynges from hensfourth. Praye and fast busily, for this frantyck kinde of deuyls is neuer taken awaye, but in prayer and fastinge, Math. 17. So shalt thu be restored plenteously, and florish in vertues hereafter fruitfully, to the prayse of one God eterpal, which lineth and reigneth worlde without ende. Amen.

AN

EPISTLE OF THE LADYE IANE,

A righte vertuous Woman,

TO A LEARNED MAN

Of late falne from the Truth of Gods most holy Word, for fear of the Worlde.

Read it, to thy Consolacion,

Whereunto is added,

The Communication that she had with Master Feckenham, vpon her Faith, and Belefe of the Sacraments. Also, another Epistle whiche she wrote to her Sister; with the words she spake vpon ths Scaffold before she suffered.

Printed Anno M.D.LIV, Duodecimo, containing Thirty-one Pages.

O oft as I cal to mind the dreadful and feareful sayings of God,

again, is not meete for the kyngdome of heauen: And, on the other syde, to remember the comfortable words of our Sauiour Christ to all those that, forsaking them selues, do folowe him, I cannot but maruel at thee, and lament thy case; that thou, which sometyme wast the liuely member of Christ, but now the defourmed impe of the diuel; sometyme the beautiful temple of God, but now the stincking and filthy

kenell of Sathan; sometyme the vnspotted spouse of Christ, but now the unshamefast paramour of Antichrist; sometyme my faithful brother, but now a straunger and apostata; yea sometyme a stout Christen souldier, but now a cowardly runawaye. So ofte as I consider the threatninges, and promises of God to al those that love him: I cannot but speak to the, yea, rather cry out vpon the, thou sede of Sathan, and not of Iuda, whom the diuel hathe deceiued, the worlde hath begiled, and desire of life hath subuerted, and made the, of a Christian, an infidel. Wherefore hast thou taken vpon the the testament of the Lord in thi mouth? Wherefore hast thou yelded thi body to the fire, and blodi handes of cruel tirauntes? Wherefore hast thou instructed other to be strong in Christ, when thou thy selfe dost nowe so horribly abuse the testament and law of the Lord? When thou thy selfe preachedst (not to steale) yet most abhominably stealest (not from men) but from God, and as a most hainous sacreleger, robbest Christ, thi Lorde, of his right of his members, of thi body, and thi soule: When thou thy selfe dost rather chose to liue miserably, with shame, to the world, then to dye, and gloriouslye, with honour, to raigne with Christ; in whom, euen in death, there is life. And, when I say thou thy selfe art most weke, thou oughtest to shew thy selfe moost stronge; for the strength of a forte is not knowne before the assaulte, but thou yeldest thy holde, before any battry be made.

Oh wretched and vnhappi man, What art thou but dust and ashes? And wilte thou resist thy Maker that formed the, and fashioned the? Wilt thou nowe forsake him that called the from costome-gathering, among the Romish Antichristians to be an imbassadour and messenger of his eternall worde, he that first framed the, and since thi creation, and birth, preserued the, norished the, and kept the, yea, and inspired the with the spirit of knowledge (I cannot say of grace) shal he not possesse the? Darest thou deliuer vp thy selfe to another, being not thine owne, but his? How canst thou, hauing knowledge, or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord, and folow the vaine tradicions of men? And, whereas thou hast been a publicke professour of his name, become now a defacer of his glorye? I will thou refuse the true God, and worshippe the invencion of manne, the golden calfe, the whoore of Babilon, the Romish religion, the abhominable idol, the most wicked masse? Wilt thou torment againe, rent and teare the most precious bodi of our Sauiour Christ, with thi bodily and fleshly teeth? without the breaking wherof vpon the crosse, our sinful sinnes could els nowaies be redemed? Wilt thou take vpon the to offer vp ani sacrifice vnto God for our synnes? consydering that Christ offred vp him selfe (as Paul saith) vpon the crosse a lyuely sacrifice once for al.

Can neyther the punisment of the Israelites, whiche for their idolatrye so oft they receaued, moue the? Neyther the terrible threateninges of the auncient prophetes stirre thee, nor the cursses of Gods own mouth feare the to honour any other God than hym? Wilt thou so regarde him, that spared not his deare and only Sonne for the? So deminishing, yea, vtterlye extinguishing his glorye, that thou wilt attribute the praise and honour to idols, whiche haue mouthes, and speake not, eyes, and se not, eares, and yet heare not; which shal perish with

(I suppose) therein can amende them. But this will I utter breuely, that the Irishe lordes and their vnder captaines, supportinge the same, are not only companions with theues, as the prophete reporteth, Esa. 1, but also they are their wicked maisters and maintencrs. So that they both coupled togyther, the murtherer with his maistre, and the thefe with his maintener, leyue nothinge vndeuoured behinde them in that fertile region, no more than ded the deuouringe locustes of Egypte, Exo. 10. Anon after their haruestes are ended there, the Kearncs, the Galloglasses, and the other brechelesse souldiers, with horses and their horsegromes, sum tyme iij waitinge vpon one iade, enter into the villages with muche crueltie and fearcenesse; they continue there in great rauine and spoyle, and, whan they go thens, they leaue nothinge els behinde them for payment, but lice, lecherye, and intollerable penurie for all the yeare after. Yet set the rulers therupon a very fayre colour, that it is for defence of the Englishe pale. I besiche God to sende such protection a shorte ende, and their lordes and captaines also, if they see it not sone amended. For it is the vtter confusyon of that lande, and a maintenaunce to all vices.

Thre peoples are in Irelande in these dayes, prestes, lawers, and kearnes, which will not suffre faythe, truthe, and honestye to dwell there; and all these haue but one God, their bellye, and glory in that wicked feate to their shame, whose ende is dampnation, Phil. 3. I speake only of those which are bredde and borne there, and yet not of them ail: These, for the more part, are sworne bretherne togyther in myschefe, one to maintaine an others maliciouse cause, by murther preuily procured. And, to bringe their conceyued wickednesse to passe, they can do great miracles in this age, by vertue of transubstanciacion belyke, for therin are they very conninge; for they can very wittely make, of a tame Irishe, a wilde Irishe for nede, so that they shall serue their turne so wele as though they were of the wilde Irishe in dede. Lyke as they ded properly and fynely, in the most shamcfull and cruel slaughter of my v. seruauntes, by the Lorde Mountgarrettes kearnes, and the barne of Vpper Ossoryes farye knyghtes. By suche fyne conueniaunce of accusinge the wilde Irishe, and colour of the holy daye broken, as is written afore, they can alwayes apere to haue fayre white handes, and to be innocent maydes, what murther so euer is by them committed. But I axe of the prestes, chefely of Richard Routhe the treasurer, and of Sir James Joys, his companion, what they ment by their so oft rydinge to that barne of Vpper Ossorie, whan I was dwellinge at Holmes Court? Whome they neuerthelesse to me reported, to be the most errande thefe and mercilesse murtherer of all the lande. And what they haue ment also, to be so familyar with the furiouse famelye of Mountgarrett? Commenly resortinge in the endes of all those iournayes to the howse of Barnabe Bolgar. As I suspected the matter than, so haue I sens that time proued it effectually true. Moreouer, I myght axe of the lawers, why they seke to haue so many theues and murtherers perdoned, specially whan they haue slaine English men, and done their robberies within the English pale? But at this time I leaue them, and returne againe to my purpose,

Now must I saye sumwhat to the, thu carefull churche of Englande, concerninge thy misbehauer against thy most lovinge Creatour. God chose the for his elect vyneyarde; yea, he plenteously pourged and prepared the. But, whan thu shuldest haue brought hym fourth frute, for grapes thu gauest him thornes,' Esa. 7. He loked to haue had at thy handes, after the gospell preachinge there, faythe, knowledge, feare, louc, repentaunce, obedience, true inuocacion, and har tic thankes for his manifolde giftes, with such other wholsome frutes of lyfe.

And, in stede of them, thu hast brought fourth ydolatrie, blindnesse, impenitencie, frowardnesse, crueltie, pride, fornication, vnclennesse, couctousnesse, ingratefull contempte of the truthe, and hate of the faithfull preachers therof, with other sower crabbes of dampnacion.

Thu woldest fain be like the malignaunt churche of the Papistes, prosperouse and welthye in worldly affaires, and therwith sumwhat gloriouse; but thy eternal father in heauen will uot so haue the, but by persecucions transfourmeth the into the very similitude of his derely beloued Sonne, to whome he hath espowsed the, to reigne with him at the lattre in eternal gloric,

God hath sufficiently declared in the scripture, what his churche is in this worlde; as that it is an afflicted and sorowful congregacion, forsaken in a maner, and destitute of all humaine confort in this lyfe. It maye right wele be compared to a flocke of orphanes, which, beinge destitute of father and mother, are in this worlde subject to manye sorow full calamitees and miseryes; but, because that poore churche shulde not utterly discourage, in her extreme aduersitees, the Sonne of God hath taken her to his spowse, and hath promised her protection, helpe, and confort in all her afflictions and parels: so that she maye at all tymes confort herselfe with this verse of Dauid, Though my father and mother hath left me, yet hath the Lorde taken me up for his,' Psalm 26. In the first promyse was she taken to grace after transgression, and assured of delyueraunce from sinne, deathe, helle, and the deuyl; for, if God had not most wonderfully collected her togyther, preserued her, saued her, and defended her, it had not bene possible for her to haue escaped in so horrible daungers, as were in the vniuersall floude, in the burninge of Sodome and Gomer, undre the tirannie of Pharao, in the iourneic through the Red-sea, in the captiuite of Babylon, and destruction of Ierusalem, and in so manye wonderfull alteracyons and terryble ruynes of the Romane empyre, so manye deuyls, paganes, Mahumetes, Turkes, lewes, epicures, heretykes, popes, bysshoppes, monkes, prestes, and tyrauntes reigninge.

A perpetuall and vnplacable enemyc is Sathan, and euermore hath bene to that poore congregacion, sekinge not only to disfigure her, but also to spoyle her and destroye her vtterly. Like as it is sayed, Gen. 3. That he shulde treade Christe on the hele. This excedinge great benefight of the goodnesse of God ought to be remembred, that he, after the sinne of our first parentes, not only recciued this churche to grace, but also hath cuer sens both preserued and defended it; but

them that made them? What saith the prophet Barucke, wher he re citeth the epistel of Ieremie, written to the captiue lewes? Did he not forewarne them, that in Babilon thei should se gods of gold, siluer, wood, and stone, borne upon mens shoulders, to cast a fear before the heathen; but he not ye afraide of them (saith Ieremie) nor do as other do; but, when you se other worship them, saye you in your hartes: It is thou, O Lord, that oughtest only to be worshipped for, as for the timber of those gods, the carpenter framed them, and polyshed them, yea, gylded be they, and laid ouer with siluer, and vayne thynges, and cannot speake. He sheweth, moreouer, the abuse of their deckings, how the priests toke of their ornaments, and appareled their women withall: Howe one holdeth a septer, another a sworde in hys hande, and yet can they iudge in no matter, nor defend them selues, much lesse any other, from either battel, or murther, nor yet from gnawing of woormes, nor anye other euill thyng. These, and such lyke words, speaketh Ieremie vnto them, wherby he proueth them but vain thinges, and no Gods. And, at last, he concludeth thus: Confounded be thei that worship them. They wer warned by Ieremie, and thou, as Ieremie, hast warned other, and art warned thy selfe, by many scriptures, in many places.

God saieth, he is a gelious God, which wil haue al honour, glorye, and worship giuen to him onlye. And Christ saith in the fourth of Luke to Sathan, whiche tempted him, euen to the same Sathan, the srme Belzabub, the same dyueil, whyche hath preuayled againste thee, It is written, saieth he, thou shalt honour the Lorde thy God, and him onlye shalt thou serue.' These, and such like, do prohibite thee and al Christians to worship anie other God then whiche was before all worldes, and laied the foundations bothe of heauen and earth. And wilt thou honour a detestable idol, inuented by Romish popes, and the abhominable colledge of craftie cardinals? Christ offered him selfe vp once for al, and wilt thou offer him vp againe dayly at thy pleasure? But thou wilt saye, thou dost it for a good intent. Oh sincke of sinne, Oh child of perdition! Doest thou dreame therein a good entent, wher thy conscience beareth the witness the promis of Gods wrath toward the? How did Saule, who, for that he dysobeied the word of God for a good entent, was throwen from his worldli and temporal kingdome? Shalt thou then, that dost so deface Gods honor, and robbe him of his right, inherit the eternal and heauenly kingdome? Wilt thou for a good entent pluk Christ oute of heauen, and make hys deathe voyde, and deface the tryumphe of hys crosse, offeryng hym vp daylye? Wilt thou, eyther for feare of death, or hope of life, deny and refuse thi God, who enriched thi pouerti, healed thine infirmitie, and yelded to this victori, if thou couldest have kept it? Dost thou not consider that the thryde of lyfe hangeth vpon hym that made the, who can, as his wyll is, cither twine it hard, to last the longer, or vntwine it againe, to breake it the sooner? Doest thou not remember the saying of Dauid, a notable king, whiche teacheth thee, a myserable wretche, hys ciiii Psalme, where he sayth, When thou takest away thy Spirit, O Lord, from men, they dye, and ar turned againe to their dust; but, when thou lettest thy breath go fourth, they shal be made, and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.' Remember the saying of Christ in his gospel, Whosocuer sceketh to