HOW 1 is the faythful city chaungde | |
| From that it was before! | |
| Where righteousnes sometime did syt, | |
| Now bloudshed raygneth more. | |
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| Rome once it had renowmed prayse, | 5 |
| For Truth therein did dwell: | |
| A faythfull citie once it was, | |
| And others did excell. | |
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| But now ungodlynes doth raygne, | |
| Where fayth dyd then abound: | 10 |
| Their wicked and most lothsome liues | |
| Throughout the world doth sound. | |
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| Rome is a cage of birdes uncleane, | |
| A sincke of filthy synne: | |
| Few errours haue the Church infect, | 15 |
| That dyd not there begynne. | |
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| From thence they spred over the earth: | |
| What place could once be found, | |
| That free was from infection? | |
| In Europe none was found. | 20 |
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| Wher canker once hath taken roote, | |
| It creepeth ouer all: | |
| Herein that wicked mother-churche | |
| We may to witnes call; | |
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| Which, once declining from the truth | 25 |
| And from the perfect waye, | |
| Hath ever synce more errours bred, | |
| And further gone astraye. | |
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| Of these errours my purpose is | |
| Here brieflie to intreate; | 30 |
| But not of all, for that were much, | |
| The number is so greate: | |
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| I meane, of such as you your selues, | |
| By whom mayntayned they bee, | |
| Might some perceiue (so plain they are), | 35 |
| If eyes you had to see. * * * * * * * | |
| The glorie of the immortall God, | |
| Whose shape was neuer sene, | |
| To images of mortall men | |
| Thus have you chaunged cleane. | 40 |
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| But whereof be they images? | |
| Of God they can be none; | |
| For he doth lyue euen of hymselfe, | |
| And geueth lyfe alone. | |
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| The image hath no lyfe nor breath, | 45 |
| Nor cannot moue at all; | |
| It cannot once get up agayne, | |
| If that it chaunce to fall. | |
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| Moreouer, God is infinite, | |
| And measured cannot bee; | 50 |
| His breadth, his length, how can you shew | |
| In mettall, stone, or tree? | |
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| No carnall substance is in God, | |
| Such thought haue not in mynde; | |
| God is a spirit, and who can | 55 |
| An image thereof finde? | |
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| No liknes then there is of God, | |
| In image wrought by arte, | |
| In substance, nor in outward fourme, | |
| Nor any other part. | 60 |
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| Therefore accursed is the worke, | |
| Reprochefull unto God, | |
| Whereby the Godhead you compare | |
| Unto a piece of wood. * * * * * * * | |
| The tree doth lift itselfe aloft, | 65 |
| That hath least fruit theron; | |
| But where great plenty groweth most, | |
| It boweth down anon. | |
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| So are we proude, and yet but poore, | |
| No goodnes we haue here: | 70 |
| Though we lyue well, yet euermore | |
| Let us fall downe in feare. | |
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| And so not in our rightuousnes, | |
| But for his mercie’s sake, | |
| To God in tyme of troubles great | 75 |
| Our prayers we will make. | |
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| As unto godly workes in Christ | |
| We all be created; | |
| So let us warely walke therein, | |
| As God hath ordayned; | 80 |
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| Forsaking all our former synnes, | |
| Renude in hart and mynde, | |
| Least unto Christ our Sauiour | |
| We shew our selues unkynde; | |
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| Who by his death dyd us redeeme, | 85 |
| Not to our selues to lyue, | |
| But unto him, his lyfe for us | |
| That did so freely gyue. | |
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| O God, be mercyfull to us, | |
| And blesse us plenteously; | 90 |
| The brightnes of thy countenance | |
| Shew us continually. | |
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| That we on earth thy waies mai learn, | |
| And euer thinke thereon, | |
| And that all nations here may know | 95 |
| Thy sauing health alone. | |
