University of Virginia Library

Actus. 3.

Scena. 1.

Light of the Gospell, Newcustome, Peruerse doctrine.
Light of the gospel
They be not this way as farre as I can see:
Unlesse they haue hidden them selues vp priuilie.
For in presence of Light of the Gospel, and Primatiue Constitution:
Undoubtedly such reprobates can haue no habitation

New cust.
Uerely I do finde it so euen as you haue saide,
For at your sight they all flie away as dismaide.
Wherefore I haue great cause to geeue you thankes Light
Of the Gospell, that put thus my Enemies to flight.

Light of.
Nay they be my enemies also, that be enemies to you,
In so muche as your dealinges be both vertuouse, and true.
For what is the Gospell else wherof I am Light,
But Trewth, Equitie, Ueritie, and Right?
They be enemies to God too, and all liers impure:
In so muche as hee is called Ueritie in the Scripture.
And the lying lippes with speakers of vanitie,
The Lorde himselfe will reuenge with extremitie.
But see, what is hee that aprocheth so nie?

New cust.
Of whom I tolde you it is Peruerse doctrine verelie.

Light of.
Then let vs a little steppe out of the waye,
If haplie wee may heare what hee will say.

Peruersd.
A sirrha by my trothe there is a very good vaine:
Ignorance hath well lyned his cappe for the rayne.
I coulde haue taried longer there with a good wyll,
But as the prouerbe saith it is good to keepe still.
One head for the reckning bothe sober and wise,
Wherefore in this thinge I haue followed that guise.
Ignorance is but a dolte, it is I that must drudge,
For neede they say maketh the olde wife, and man both to trudge.
Suche snares wee shall laye for these Heretikes I trust,
That Newcustome, and his fellowes shall soone lye in the dust.
If Crueltie may preuaile, hee will neuer slake?
Tyll hee haue brought a thousand of them to a stake.
Auarice hath promised to do what in him laye,
Who hath ben in greate credite with the worlde alway.
But if Ignorance may get place, there shall wee do well,
Then adewe all idle heretikes, and vaine talke of the gospell.
For me Peruersedoctrine this shall be my fetche,
To keepe constant the mindes of all I can cetche,
Lest these glosers sometimes they chaunce to heare preaching,
And thereby be conuerted, and credite their teachinge.
For I trust shortly too bring it to passe,
That lesse knowledge of the Gospell shall serue by the masse.

Light of
Let vs inclose him that hee may not flie,
Else wyll hee he gone when hee doth vs espie.
O impe of Antechrist and seede of the deuyll,
Borne to all wickednesse, and nusted in all euyll.

Peruersd.
Nay thou stinking Heretike art thou there in deede?
Accordinge to thy naughtines thou must looke for to speede.

New cust.
Goddes holie woorde in no wise can be heresie,
Though so you terme it neuer so falsly,

Peruersd.
Yee preciouse whoreson art thou there too?
I thinke you haue pretended some harme mee to doo.
Helpe, helpe, I say, let mee be gone at once,
Else I will smite thee in the face with my fist by goddes bones.

New cust.
You must be contented a little season to stay,
Light of the Gospell for your profite hath some thing to say.

Peruersd.
I will heare none of your preachinges I promise you playne,
For what euer you speake it is but in vayne.

Light of.
In vayne it shall not be spoken, I know very well.
For God hath alwaies geuen suche power to his Gospell,
That where euer, or by whom declared it bee,
It shall redounde vnto his owne honour, and glorie.
God is glorified in those whom hee dooth electe,
God is glorified in those also whom hee doth reiecte.
The electe are saued by that in the woorde they beeleeue,
But the other because no credence they geeue
To the truthe, cannot bee but blameable,
Committyng a fault of all faultes most damnable.
For, Si ad eos non venissem saieth Christ our Sauiour,
If I had not come vnto them with the worde, this is sure,
In farre better case the vnfaithfull had ben,
For in this one respect they had had no sinne.
But where the trueth is, and yet there contemned:
Of Christ his owne mouth all suche are condempned.
Thus the Gospell of Christ be it receiued, or no:
Sheweth the glory of God where so euer it go.

Peruersd.
I were contente to abide, and knowe your pleasure.
But for businesse at this time I haue no leysure:

Light of the gospel
What leisure ought a man at all times more to haue,
Then to endeuour bothe his body, and sowle for to saue?

New cust.
For that care, all other cares wee must set a side.

Peruersd.
Say on then, for paciently I minde to abide.

Light of
Not to heare what is spoken is onely sufficient,
But to put it in practise with sincere intent
What so euer is taught vs concerning good doing,
Expressing it plainely in our vertuouse lyuing.

Peruersd.
Whie? what would you haue mee in liuinge expresse?

Light of
Euen the Gospell, which is nothing else doubtlesse
But amendment of life, and renouncing of sinne:
With displeasure toward your selfe for the faultes you were in.

Peruersd.
How shall I displease my selfe in sinne I would knowe?

Light of
In considering that nothing bringeth man so lowe
Out of Goddes fauour, as sinne, nothing setteth him so hie,
As lothing the same: and calling to him for his mercie.

Peruersd.
Uerely I am sorie for my forepassed demeanour,
But that can not auaile mee but little I am sure.

Light of
Whie thinke you so? boldely tell me your minde?

Peruersd.
Because Goddes mercie is farre enough behinde.

Light of.
Goddes mercie is at hande, if you repent faithfully.

Peruersd.
I repent my sinnes, and for them am sorie hartely.
But how shall I be sure mercie for to obtaine?

Light of.
Credite mee trewly, for my woordes are not vaine.
I am Light of the Gospell, and haue full authoritie
To pronounce to the penitent forgiuenesse of iniquitie,
So that in asking you put your assuraunce to speede,
Then no doubt you haue obteyned mercie in deede.

Peruerse
This assurance, how commeth it? declare I pray you.

Light of.
In thinking that Christ his woordes, and promises are trewe.
And as hee can not deceiue: so can not be disceiued,
Which faith of all Christians must nedes be receiued.

Peruersd.
What thing is Fayth, I pray you recite?

Light of.
A substance of thinges not appering in sight,
Yet which wee looke for, for so saincte Paule doth define,
To the Hebreus the .xi chap. and the first line.

Peruersd.
How to purchase this Faith, I would I could tell?

Light of.
Certeinly by mee also the light of the Gospell.
For fayth commeth by the woorde, when wee reade, or heare.
As by the same Sainct Paule it doth plainely eppere.

Peruersd.
Geue mee leaue then to embrace you I pray you hartely.

Light of.
With all my very heart I receiue you courtesely.

Peruersd.
To thee I geue most humble thankes, O God immortall,
That it hath pleased thee mee from my wickednesse to call,
And where as I deserued no mercie, but iudgement:
Yet to powre downe thy pardon on mee most aboundant.
Reuoking mee from reprobates, and members of Hell,
To win mee in societie with the Light of the Gospell.

Light of.
Stande vp, there is somewhat else yet behynde.

Peruersd.
I wholly yelde my selfe to you, vse mee after your minde.

Light of.
Peruersedoctrine you shall be calde no more after this,
But Sincere doctrine, as now I trust your trewe name is.

Peruersd.
By Goddes grace while I liue I will so endeuour
That my life, and my name may accorde thus for euer.

Light of.
Then all wicked companie you must cleane forsake,
And flie their societie, as a tode, or a snake:

Peruersd.
I abandon them quite, what so euer they bee.

New cust.
Well Sincere doctrine harken also vnto mee,
Whom needes you must followe if you wyll do well,
Since you haue imbraced the Light of the Gospell.
I am not Newcustome, as you haue ben misled.
But am primitiue Constitution, from the verie head
Of the Church, which is Christ and his disciples all,
And from the fathers at that time taking Originall.
By mee then you must learne for your owne beheast,
And for all vocations what is iudged the best.

Peruersd,
I receaue you gladly with thanckes for your ientilnes,
At your handes crauing earnestly for my trespas forgyuenes.

New cust.
It is easly forgeuen,

Peruersd.
Now as towching my apparell what councell do you giue?
For I see well that in the Constitution Primitiue:
They vsed no suche garment as I haue on heare,
But fashioned it after some other maner.

New cust.
So did they trewly, I confesse it in deede.
But in suche things a man ought not to take so greate heede.
For the wearing of a gowne, cap, or any other garment,
Surely is a matter, as mee seemeth, indifferent.
Howbeit wyse princes, for a difference to be had:
Hath commaunded the clargie in suche sorte to be clad.
But hee who puttes his religion in wearing the thing:
Or thinkes him selfe more holly for the contrarie doing:
Shall proue but a foole of what euer condition,
Hee bee, for sure that is but meere superstition:
Other thinges there be which haue ben abused,
Tollerable enough if well they were vsed.
Wherefore vse your apparell, as is comely, and decent,
And not against Scripture any where in my iudgement.

Light of the gospel
No sure, for god waieth not, who is a sprite,
Of any vesture, or outward apparance a mite.
So the conscience be pure, and to no sinne a slaue,
That is all which hee most gladly would haue.

New cust.
Well, these hauing declared, and sufficiently taught:
And I trust on your parte perceaued as they ought:
By your pacience I minde to departe for a season.

Light of
If your businesse bee so, it is but reason.

New cust.
With great thankes vnto you Light of the gospel for the ientelnes I haue found,
At your handes, as of due desert I am bound.

Light of.
The Lorde be your guide whither so euer you departe.

Peruersd.
Humble thankes sir I yelde you from the bottome of my hearte.
Albeit in this parte so small be my skyll,
That I may not performe them according to my wyll.

New cust.
The peace of God be with you both, for euer more.

Exit.
Edification entreth.
Edificatiō.
Where so euer Light of the Gospell goeth before:
There I Edification do followe incontinent,
As vnto the same a necessary consequent.
For though the letter alwaies, woorke not that effect:
Yet surely in the congregation of Goddes elect,
Where the light and force taketh place: there Edification
Of all right must I make my habitation.
Endeuour then alwaies mee to retaine,
So shall your doctrine not be gyuen in vayne.

Peruersd.
I receiue you most gladly, and I trust in the Lorde,
That for euer hereafter wee shall well accorde.

Felicitie.
I trust so.

Light of.
Fare you well, now you are not alone,
For this small while I must needes begone.
Here, take at my handes this Testament booke,
And in mine absence therein I pray you ernestly looke.

Peruerse
Your commandement shalbe done, with thankes for your councel.

Light of.
Then shall yee sure finde great delight in the Gospell.

Exit.
Assurance entreth.
Assurāce.
Edification without assurance vayleth not muche.
Yet where they both do meete: surely there Force is suche,
That to Goddes kingdome they open the way,
The sweete place of rest, and perpetuall ioye.
For assurance in Christ Iesus without any mannes further merite:
Is fully sufficient goddes fauour to inherite.
Wherefore Light of the Gospell willed mee soe,
That to you Edification with all speede I should goe.
So that with Sincere doctrine wee ioyned in vnitie:
Might in short time conduct him to goddes perfect Felicitie.

Peruersd.
I emprace you Assurance that blisse to obtaine.

Assurāce.
Then bee you assured, that you shall not bee vayne.
For if that Christes woordes, be faithfull and iust:
Goddess perfect Felicitie is not far hence I trust.

Goddes Felicitie entreth.
Goddes Felicitie.
Uerely where Edefication, and Assurance in one are alied:
Goddes Felicitie is at hande, it may not be denied.
Which hee promiseth to suche as vnfeinedly craue,
With Assurance that certainely the same they shall haue
Which Felicitie in person heere I do represente,
Who by God him selfe to the faythfull am sent,
Prepared for them, as hee plainely hath sayde,
Since the time that the worldes foundations were laide.
Wherefore great thankes vnto hym doutblesse you owe,
That it would please him suche giftes on you to bestowe,
The most preciouse thing, which mannes reason doth excell,
No minde can conceaue, muche lesse tongue can tell.

Peruersd.
Too him therefore let vs geue all maner prayse,
That beareth such affection to mankinde alwaies.
O Lorde thine honour might be great in heauen so hie,
And throughout the whole earth thie euerlasting glorie.
Geeue grace to thy people, that after this transitorie
Life, they maye come to thy perfect Felicitie.

Edificatiō
Defende thy Churche, O Christ, and thy holy congregation,
Bothe heere in England, and in euery other nation.
That wee thy trewth may attaine, and still followe the same,
To the saluation of our sowles, and glorie of thy name.

Assurāce.
The second songe.
Preserue our noble Queene Elizabeth, and her councell all,
With thy heauenly grace, sent from thy seate supernall.
Graunt her, and them longe to lyue, her to raigne, them to see,
What may alwaies be best for the weale publiques commoditie.