A04917:18
A godly letter sent too the faithful in London, Newcastle, Berwick, and to all…A godly letter sent too the fayethfull in London, Newcastell, Barwyke, and to all…
A godly letter sent too the faithful in London, Newcastle, Berwick, and to all other within the realm off England, that love the co[m]minge of our Lord Jesus by John KnoxA godly letter sent too the fayethfull in London, Newcastell, Barwyke, and to all other within the realme off Englande, that loue the co[m]minge of oure Lorde Iesus by Ihon Knox
Rome: printed by J. Lambrecht? for H. Singleton, 1554
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
That godly and fervent man master Lever / plainly spake the desolation off this common wealth.1 And master Bradford (whom God for Christs his son sack comfort to the end) spared not the proudest of them / but boldly declared / that God's vengeance shortly should strike / those that then were in authority / because they loathed & abhorred the true word of the everlasting God / & willed them to take example by a noble man / who became so cold in hearing Gods word / that the year before his death / he would not disease him self to hear a sermon / God punished him (said that godly preacher) and shall he spare you that be double more wicked? No / ye shall say / will ye / or will ye not / ye shall drink of the cup of the Lords wrath / Judicium domini, Judiciū domini. 2The judgement of the Lord / the judgement of the Lord / cried he with a lamentable voice / and weeping tears. Master Haddon / most learnedly opened the causes of the bypassed plagues / and assured them / that the worse was after to come / If repentance ⟨image 9⟩shortly were not found. Much more I hard of these four / and of others / which now I may not rehearse / & that (which is to be noted) after that the hole counsel had said they would hear no mo of their sermons / they were undiscrete fellows / yea / & prating knaves / but I will not speak all / for if God continue me in this trouble. I purpose to prepare a dish / for such as then led the ring / yea / who but they• but now they have been at the school of Placebo / and there they have learned amongst ladies to dance as the devil list to pipe. Against those / whom God hath stricken / seeing now resteth to them no place of repentance / nothing mind I to speak. But such as live to this day / would be admonished that he that hath punished the one / will not spare the rest But to our matter. This presidents I judge sufficient to prove this our age to have been / & yet to remain like wicked (if it be not worse) with the time of Jeremy. Now let us search what followed in Judah? Mischief upon mischief / notwithstanding the continual and long crying of the prophets / while finally God in his anger toke away good king Josiah / 3