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114
Incipit Actus Quintus
[Enter Vindicta Dei, otherwise Deus Pater, to join Infidelitas.]Vindicta Dei
Quid gloriaris in malicia qui potens es in iniquitate?
Thu vengeable wretche, replete with poyson and vyce,
Why doest thu thus rejoyce in crueltie and malyce?
Thynkest thu that God slepeth and wyll not hys defende,
And that thy myschefe shall never have an ende?
The bloude of innocentes to hym for vengeaunce call,
And therfor thys houre must I fearcely upon the fall.
Infidelitas
Thu sprete of the ayre, I strayghtly conjure the here,
By Panton and Craton, and charge the to com no nere.
Vindicta Dei
Thynkest thu to stoppe me with thy folysh conjuracyon,
Whom God sendeth hyther for thy abhomynacyon?
Infidelitas
What art thu called? Thy name to me rehearce.
Vindicta Dei
I am Vindicta Dei, in ponnyshment most fearce;
With water, with swerde, and with fyre I must the pearce.
Infidelitas
Be good in thy offyce, and thu shalt have moneye and meate.
Vindicta Dei
By fylthy rewardes thu cannyst not me intreate,
But that I wyll do as God hath me commaunded;
For if worldly gyftes my furye myght have changed
The unyversall worlde had not bene drowned with water,
Nor Sodome and Gomor with so fyery fearfull matter,
Nor yet the Israelytes with terrour of the sworde,
With hungre and pestylence in the anger of Gods worde.
Pharao in Egipte the plages had never felte
Myght I have bene stopped for sylver or for gelte.
Into Egipte I brought ten terryble ponnyshmentes
Upon the people, for breakynge hys commaundementes.
Their wholsom waters I tourned into bloude;
I multyplyed frogges to poyson therwith their foude;
I made waspes and dranes them grevously to stynge,
And all kyndes of flyes sone after ded I in brynge;
Upon their cattel I threwe the foule pestylence,
Both botche, byle and blayne they had for their offence;
Lyghtenynges and haylynges destroyed their corne and frute;
A swarme of hungry locustes their pastours destytute.
The space of thre dayes I gave them palpable darkenesse;
I slewe the first gooten of man and beast for thy rudenes—
For I never stryke but for the, Infydelyte.
115
Stryke for me, quoth a? By the Mary masse I defye the!
Vindicta Dei
What, thu wylt not so, thy braynes are not so lyght.
Infidelitas
Anger me not to moch; for if thu do, I fyght.
Vindicta Dei
All that wyll not helpe thy wycked workynges now;
Whan the stronger come, the weaker must nedes bowe.
The Lawe of Nature infected thu hast with a leprye.
Infidelitas
Naye, it was not I, but that wytche Idolatrye,
And that polde, shorne knave that men call Sodomye.
Vindicta Dei
Of whom spronge they first but of Infydelyte?
Therfor thu shalt have that plage of penalte
Whych they first tasted for their inyquyte.
For these two vyces I drowned the worlde with water;
In token wherof I plage the with the same matter.
Hic Infidelitatem lympha percutit.
Infidelitas
Tush! I defye thy worst. Thys shall not dryve me hence,
For after the floude with Cham had I resydence,
And so contynued tyll Moyses lawe came in,
With hys jolye tryckes a newe rule to begyn.
Vindicta Dei
And hym thu corruptedest with Avaryce and Ambycyon,
And so dedyst leave hym in myserable condycyon.
Thu shalt have therfor that than to them was due.
Most terryble battayle the Israelytes untrue
That tyme ded suffer for their infydelyte;
Wherfor with thys swerde I justlye bannysh the
Bycause thu shalt here geve place to Christes Gospel.
Gladio Infidelitatem denuo cedit.
Infidelitas
Yet wyll I not hens, but agaynst ones rebell.
Ded not I remayne with Judas and other more?
[Vindicta Dei]
Whan Christ preached here and taught them [thu] vext hym sore.
[Infidelitas]
Yes, and after that was I with Simon Magus,
With Saunder Coppersmyth, with Elimas and Demetrius.
And now I persever amonge the ranke rable of papystes,
Teachyng ther shorlynges to playe the Antichrystes.
Vindicta Dei
The innocent bloude of sayntes contynuallye
Doth call unto God to revenge their injurye
Agaynst false doctryne and cursed hypocresye,
Whom thu hast raysed the glory of the Gospell
To darken, and hys fryndes most myserably to quell.
Wherfor thu shalt have lyke as thu hast deserved,
For thy wycked doynges thy ponyshment now doubled.
Ignis ipsum precedet— the prophete David sayth thus—
Atque inflammabit in circuitu inimicos eius:
116
Hys enemyes consumynge, they shal fynde no refuge.
Ob scelera et culpas hominum ritusque nephandos
In cineres ibit tellus, tenuemque favillam—
As Mantuan writeth —for the wyckednesse of the
The earth to ashes by fyre shall turned be.
Ignis flamma Infidelitatem locum exire coget.
Infidelitas
Credo, credo, credo, I saye, credo, credo, credo!
To the devyll of helle, by the messe, I wene I go.
Exit [Infidelitas. Vindicta Dei becomes Deus Pater.]
Deus Pater
As ye have seane here how I have strycken with fyre
The pestylent vyce of Infydelyte,
So wyll I destroye in the fearcenesse of myne yre
All sectes of errour with their enormyte,
Whych hath rysen out of that inyquyte.
For as it is sayd that my hande hath not sett
Shall up by the rote, no power maye it lett.
The pestylent vyce of Infydelyte,
So wyll I destroye in the fearcenesse of myne yre
All sectes of errour with their enormyte,
Whych hath rysen out of that inyquyte.
For as it is sayd that my hande hath not sett
Shall up by the rote, no power maye it lett.
The apostle Johan in the Apocalyps doth saye
He sawe a newe heaven and a newe earth aperynge,
The olde earth and see were taken cleane awaye;
That heaven is mannys fayth, that earth hys understandynge,
Whom we have renued by our most secret workynge;
The olde cancred earth exylynge with the see,
Whych is superstycyon and infydelyte.
He sawe a newe heaven and a newe earth aperynge,
The olde earth and see were taken cleane awaye;
That heaven is mannys fayth, that earth hys understandynge,
Whom we have renued by our most secret workynge;
The olde cancred earth exylynge with the see,
Whych is superstycyon and infydelyte.
A newe Hierusalem the sayd Johan also se
As a bewtyfull bryde prepared to her husbande.
Our true faythfull churche is that same fayr cytie
Whom we have clensed by the power of our ryght hande,
As a spouse to Christ in every christen lande,
Bannyshynge the sectes of Babylonicall poperye,
That she in the sprete maye walke to our glorye.
As a bewtyfull bryde prepared to her husbande.
Our true faythfull churche is that same fayr cytie
Whom we have clensed by the power of our ryght hande,
As a spouse to Christ in every christen lande,
Bannyshynge the sectes of Babylonicall poperye,
That she in the sprete maye walke to our glorye.
Resort ye thre lawes, for yow wyll I clere also
Of soch infeccyons as by Infydelyte
Ye have receyved, that ye with her maye go
Declarynge the wayes of Christen lyberte,
That us she maye take without perplexite
For her only God, and be our people styll,
In our lawes walkynge accordyng to our wyll.
Of soch infeccyons as by Infydelyte
Ye have receyved, that ye with her maye go
Declarynge the wayes of Christen lyberte,
That us she maye take without perplexite
For her only God, and be our people styll,
In our lawes walkynge accordyng to our wyll.
117
simul.
At your commaundement we are, most blessed Lorde.
Deus Pater
Approche nyghar than and ye shall be restorde.
Thu Lawe of Nature, we first begynne with the,
Restorynge the agayne to thy first puryte.
Avoyde Idolatrye, avoyde vyle Sodomye;
We charge ye nomore thys lawe to putryfye.
Kepe styll that same hart for a sygne perpetuall
That thu wert written in mannys hart first of all.
Restorynge the agayne to thy first puryte.
Avoyde Idolatrye, avoyde vyle Sodomye;
We charge ye nomore thys lawe to putryfye.
Kepe styll that same hart for a sygne perpetuall
That thu wert written in mannys hart first of all.
Thu Lawe of Moses, geve me that vayle from the,
No longar shalt thu neyther blynde nor croked be.
Hens thu, Ambycyon, and cursed Covetousnes!
I here bannysh yow from thys lawe ever doughtles.
Lose not those tables whych are a token true,
That thu in the flesh shalt evermore contynue.
No longar shalt thu neyther blynde nor croked be.
Hens thu, Ambycyon, and cursed Covetousnes!
I here bannysh yow from thys lawe ever doughtles.
Lose not those tables whych are a token true,
That thu in the flesh shalt evermore contynue.
Thu, Lawe of the Gospell, though thu be last of all
In operacyon yet thu art the pryncypall.
From the I exyle Hypocresy and False Doctryne,
With all that depende upon the papystycall lyne.
Reserve the same boke for a sygne of heavenly poure,
For that boke thu art that Johan from heaven ded devoure.
In operacyon yet thu art the pryncypall.
From the I exyle Hypocresy and False Doctryne,
With all that depende upon the papystycall lyne.
Reserve the same boke for a sygne of heavenly poure,
For that boke thu art that Johan from heaven ded devoure.
Naturae Lex
Everlastynge prayse to thy gloryouse majeste!
Moseh Lex
Our heavenly governour, great is thy gracyouse pytie!
Christi Lex
Of mankynde thu art the eternall felycyte!
Naturae Lex
Now leavest thy servauntes in thy perpetuall peace;
To do the servyce from hens wyll we not ceace.
Moseh Lex
For our eyes have seane what thu hast now prepared
For thy peoples helth, whych hath bene here declared.
Christi Lex
A lyght thu hast sent whych is thy joyouse Gospell,
To the consolacyon of the howse of Israel.
Naturae Lex
In rejoyce of thys, make we some melodye.
Moseh Lex
The name of our God to prayse and magnyfye.
Christi Lex
I assent therto, and wyll synge very gladlye.
Hic ad Dei gloriam cantabunt ‘In exitu Israel de Aegypto’, vel aliud simile.
Deus Pater
Now have we destroyed the kyngedom of Babylon,
And throwne the great whore into the bottomlesse pyt,
Restorynge agayne the true fayth and relygyon
In the christen churche, as we have thought it fyt,
Depurynge these lawes so to contynue yt.
Man is our creature, and hath grace in our syght,
To dwell with hym now is our whole hartes delyght.
And throwne the great whore into the bottomlesse pyt,
Restorynge agayne the true fayth and relygyon
In the christen churche, as we have thought it fyt,
Depurynge these lawes so to contynue yt.
Man is our creature, and hath grace in our syght,
To dwell with hym now is our whole hartes delyght.
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Man is our people, hys God we are agayne;
With hym wyll we have contynuall resydence.
Awaye wyll we wype from hym all sorowe and payne:
He shall no longar dyspayre for hys offence,
Nor have in hys sowle any carefull doubt of conscyence.
The olde popyshnesse is past whych was dampnacyon;
We have now renued our christen congregacyon.
[Enter Fides Christiana.]
With hym wyll we have contynuall resydence.
Awaye wyll we wype from hym all sorowe and payne:
He shall no longar dyspayre for hys offence,
Nor have in hys sowle any carefull doubt of conscyence.
The olde popyshnesse is past whych was dampnacyon;
We have now renued our christen congregacyon.
Stande fourth Christen Fayth, and take our advertysement:
We here appoynt the to governe our congregacyon.
Se thu do nothynge without the admonyshment
Of these thre lawes here. Enprent their declaracyon
Of my swete promyses, and than make thu relacyon
To my folke agayne, that they maye walke to me
Without popysh dreames in a perfyg[h]t lyberte.
We here appoynt the to governe our congregacyon.
Se thu do nothynge without the admonyshment
Of these thre lawes here. Enprent their declaracyon
Of my swete promyses, and than make thu relacyon
To my folke agayne, that they maye walke to me
Without popysh dreames in a perfyg[h]t lyberte.
Fides Christiana
Most heavenly maker, in that thu doest commaunde me
Evermore wyll I full prompt and dylygent be.
Deus Pater
Thu Lawe of Nature shalt teache man God to knowe,
And that to refuse wherby any yll maye growe.
Naturae Lex
From thys your precept shall I not varye, I trowe.
Deus Pater
Teache thu hym also to worshyp one God above,
And hys poore neyber to prosecute with love.
Moseh Lex
I hope, blessed Lorde, to do as me shall behove.
Deus Pater
And thu shalt teache hym to love God in hys hart,
And those to forgeve by whom he suffereth smart.
Christi Lex
In your appoyntmentes wyll I do also my part.
Deus Pater
Worke thu in the hart a knowledge necessarye;
In the flesh worke thu by outwarde ceremonye;
Change thu to the spret the workynges of these two,
And cause our people in a perfyght waye to go.
Take hede, Christen Fayth, to the teachynges of these thre,
And move our people to walke in the veryte.
The promyses we made in all these thre ar Gospell,
We wolde thu shuldest so to our congregacyon tell.
Our everlastynge blessynge be with yow evermore.
Omnes
simul.
To thy swete name, Lorde, prayse and perpetuall honoure!
Fides Christiana
It hath pleased God to put me in thys offyce
To governe hys churche and christen congregacyon,
And therin to do as ye shall me entyce.
Geve me, I praye yow, soch wholsom exhortacyon
As maye be to Man a clere edyfycacyon,
And I wyll be glad to take your advertysement
As it shall become any chylde obedyent.
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Ye speake it full wele, than marke what shall be sayed,
And dylygentlye loke that it be obeyed.
Naturae Lex
The effect of me is for to knowe the Lorde
Everlastynge, stronge, most gracyouse and godlye,
And, as touchynge Man, to have fraternall concorde,
Faver to norrysh, and to do non injurye,
To kepe covenauntes made, and love true matrymonye.
These noble effectes so temper yow in Man
That them to fulfyll he do the best he can.
Moseh Lex
The effect of me is for to worshyp the Lorde
As one God alone, and to fle from Idolatrye;
Not to slee nor stele, nor yet to beare false recorde;
To shewe what is synne and to seke the remedye;
Publyque peace to holde, and sore to ponnysh the gyltye.
From these good effectes se that Man never swerve;
Than shall he be sure that God wyll hym preserve.
Christi Lex
The effect of me is for to love the Lorde
In the innar sprete, and to faver frynde and enmye,
And in all poyntes els with Gods wyll to accorde;
To preache remyssyon, to save and to justyfye;
In Christ all to seke —lyfe, justyce, peace and mercye.
These heavenly effectes in Man so incorporate
That he maye in sprete be newlye regenerate.
Fides Christiana
More swete than honye are your thre exhortacyons,
And regestred they be in my memoryall.
Now wyll I forewarde to all the christen nacyons,
And se in effect these lawes observed all,
To the abolyshment of the dreames papystycall.
Now the lyght is come, the darkenesse dyeth awaye;
I trust in the Lorde men wyll walke in the daye.
And regestred they be in my memoryall.
Now wyll I forewarde to all the christen nacyons,
And se in effect these lawes observed all,
To the abolyshment of the dreames papystycall.
Now the lyght is come, the darkenesse dyeth awaye;
I trust in the Lorde men wyll walke in the daye.
Good christen people, to these thre lawes applye:
First knowe that ye have a lyvynge God above;
Than do hym honour and hys name magnyfye;
Worshyp hym in spret, as the Gospel yow doth move;
Than obeye your kynge lyke as shall yow behove,
For he in hys lyfe that Lorde doth represent
To savegarde of the just and synners ponnyshment.
First knowe that ye have a lyvynge God above;
Than do hym honour and hys name magnyfye;
Worshyp hym in spret, as the Gospel yow doth move;
Than obeye your kynge lyke as shall yow behove,
For he in hys lyfe that Lorde doth represent
To savegarde of the just and synners ponnyshment.
120
Se that ye regarde soch lawes as he doth make,
For they are of God as Salomon doth report.
Of these lawes doubtles those lawes their groundynges take
To the publyque welth to geve ayde, strength and confort,
For preservacyon of all the christen sort.
In no case folowe the wayes of Reygnolde Pole;
To hys dampnacyon he doubtles playeth the fole.
For they are of God as Salomon doth report.
Of these lawes doubtles those lawes their groundynges take
To the publyque welth to geve ayde, strength and confort,
For preservacyon of all the christen sort.
In no case folowe the wayes of Reygnolde Pole;
To hys dampnacyon he doubtles playeth the fole.
Have a due respect unto your contreye natyve,
Whych hath brought ye up and geven ye norryshment,
Even from your cradles to these dayes nutrytyve,
So that ye maye do, to her welth and preferment,
Mynyster to her no hatefull detryment.
A dogge to hys frynde wyll never be unlovynge;
Lete reason in ye not lose hys naturall workynge.
Whych hath brought ye up and geven ye norryshment,
Even from your cradles to these dayes nutrytyve,
So that ye maye do, to her welth and preferment,
Mynyster to her no hatefull detryment.
A dogge to hys frynde wyll never be unlovynge;
Lete reason in ye not lose hys naturall workynge.
Naturae Lex
Who lyveth without lawe shal perysh without lawe,
And therfor we have thre lawes to yow descrybed,
That after their lyve ye shuld in your lyvynge drawe.
We have also shewed how they have bene corrupted
By fowle idolaters, and sodomytes poluted,
By covetouse prestes, and by ambycyouse prelates,
Hypocryticall fryres, false doctours and false curates.
Moseh Lex
Who hath restored these same thre lawes agayne
But your late Josias and valeaunt Kynge Henrye?
No prynce afore hym toke ever yet soch payne
From Englande to bannysh Idolatrye and fowle Sodomye,
Covetousnes, Ambycyon, False Doctryne and Hypocresye.
It was he that brought Christes veryte to lyght
Whan he put the Pope with hys fylthynes to flyght.
Christi Lex
From dampnable darkenesse, as my brother here doth saye,
He hath delyvered thys realme of Englande godlye,
Bryngynge hys subjectes into the true path waye
Of their sowles savegarde if they now folowe it wyselye;
And left them he hath, the same waye styl to fortyfye,
Hys noble sonne Edwarde, soch a kynge of God elect
As questyonles wyll perfourme it in effect.
121
Praye all to the Lorde for the longe contynuaunce
Of hys graces lyfe in thys worldes habytacyon;
And that of hys nobles he have true mayntenaunce
In the pryncyples of thys most worthy foundacyon,
That he maye to Christ brynge us from desolacyon.
Praye for Quene Kateryne, and the noble Lorde Protectour,
With the whole counsell that God be their directour. Amen.
[Exeunt.]
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