A16573:563
The complaint of verity, madeThe complaynt of veritie, made
The complaint of verity, made by John Bradford. An exhortation of Matthew Rogers, unto his children. The complaint of Raufe Allerton and others, being prisoners in Lollers tower, & written with their blood, how god was their comfort. A song of Cain and Abel. The saying of master Hooper, that he wrote the night before he suffered, upon a wall with a coal, in the new In, at Gloucester, and his saying at his deathThe complaynt of veritie, made by Iohn Bradford. An exhortacion of Mathewe Rogers, vnto his children. The complaynt of Raufe Allerton and others, being prisoners in Lolers tower, & wrytten with their bloud, how god was their comforte. A songe of Caine and Abell. The saieng of maister Houper, that he wrote the night before he suffered, vppon a wall with a cole, in the newe In, at Gloceter, and his saiyng at his deathe
London: printed for Owen Rogers?, 1559
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.
Of which thing, in that we are most careless, and very fools, (for we alas, are the ⟨image 27⟩same to day, we were yesterday, and not better or nearer to God, but rather nearer to hell, Satan, & perdition, being covetous, idle, carnal, secure, negligent, proud, &c.) I think my labour cannot be better bestowed, then with the Baptist, Christ Jesus, & his Apostles, to harp on this string, which of all other is most necessary, and that in these days most specially. What string is that, saith one? Forsooth, brother, the string of Repentance, the which Christ our Saviour did use, first in his Ministry, & as his Minister at this present I will use unto you all:1 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Of which thing, in that we are most carelesse, and very fooles, (for we alas, are the ⟨image 27⟩same to day, wee were yesterday, and not better or néerer to God, but rather néerer to hell, Sathan, & perdition, béeing couetous, idle, carnall, secure, negligent, proude, &c.) I thinke my labour cannot bée better bestowed, then with the Baptist, Christ Iesus, & his Apostles, to harpe on this string, which of all other is most necessarie, and that in these dayes most specially. What string is that, sayth one? Forsooth, brother, the string of Repentance, the which Christ our Sauiour did vse, first in his Ministerie, & as his Minister at this present I will vse vnto you all:1 Repent, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand.
- 1Mat. 4.
This sentence thus pronounced, & preached by our Saviour Jesus Christ, as it doth command us to repent, so to the doing of the same, it showeth us a sufficient cause to stir us up thereunto, namely for that, The kingdom of heaven (which is a kingdom of all joy, peace, riches, power and pleasure) is at hand, to all such as do so, that is, as do repent: So that the meaning hereof is, as though our Saviour might thus speak presently: Sirs, for that I see you all walking the wrong way, even to Satan, and unto hell fire, by following