The Three Laws of Nature, Moses, and Christ, Corrupted by the Sodomites, Pharisees, and Papists · chunk 13 of 30
Bale, John · published 1548 · first performed or written 1538 [revised c.1547 and 1562] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.67 · 523 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Soch knights will I have, as shall confound them all As Sadducees & scribes, with the sect pharysayeal By help of my children Idolatry and sodomy. The law of Nature, I kest once in a lepry. I have yet two more, ambition & Covetousness. Which will do as much, to the law of Moses. Where are my whoresons, that they come not away. Yea, whoreson on thy face, even in thy best array. I will thu know it, I am a worshipful Doctor. A Scribe in the law, and a profitable proctor. By wresting the text, to the scriptures sore decay. And what wilt thu do, my fellow Covetousness? A veil will I spread, upon the face of Moses, That none shall perceive, the clearness of his countenance. Which is of the law, the meaning & true ordinance. Why, what will ye say, unto the ten commandments? We must poison them, with will works & good intentes. Where as God doth say, No siraunge gods thu shalt have, With Saints worshipping, that clause we will deprave. And though he command, to make no carved image, For a good intent yet will we have pilgrimage. Though he will us not, to take his name in vain, With traditions yet, thereunto will we constrain. No Sabbath will we, with God's word sanctify, But with lip labour, and idle ceremony. To father and mother, we may owe non obedience, Our religion is, of so great excellence. Though we do not slay, yet may we heretics burn, If they will not soon, from holy scripture turn. What though it be said. Thu shalt do no fornication, Yet will we maintain, much greater abomination Though theft be forbid, yet will we continually, Rob the poor people, through prayer & purgatory God hath inhybyted, to give false testimony, Yet we will condemn, the Gospel for heresy. We should not covet, our neighbour's house nor wife, His servant nor beast, yet are we therein most rife. Of men make we swine, by the draff of our traditions And cause them nothing, to regard but superstitions. As dogs unreasonable, on most vile carrion feed, So will we cause them, seek idols in their need. And always their ground, shall be, for a good intent. More mischiefs I trow, the devil could not invent Than your two can do by the Mess ye are alone, little could I do, were ye once from me gone, To the corrupting. of the law of Moses, Go forward therefore, in your deceitfulness. With superstitions, the Iewes ceremonial laws, I will so handle, they shall not be worth ij. straws. The laws judicial. through cawtels and delays. I will also drown, to all righteous men's decays To set this forward, we must have sophistry, philosophy and Logyck, as science necessary. The bishops must hold, their priests in ignorance With long latin hours, lest knowledge to them chance. let them have longe matins, long even songs & long Masses. And that will make them, as dull as ever were asses. That they shall never, be able to prophecy, Or yet preach the truth, to our great injury.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Soch knyghtes wyll I haue, as shall cōfounde thē all As Sadducees & scrybes, with the sect pharysayeal By helpe of my chyldren Idolatry and Sodomye. The lawe of Nature, I kest ones in a leprye. I haue yet two more, Ambycyon & Couetousnes. Whych wyll do as moch, to the lawe of Moses. Where are my whoresons, that they come not awaye. Yea, whoreson on thy face, euen in thy best araye. I wyll thu knowe it, I am a worshypfull Doctour. A Scrybe in the lawe, and a profytable proctour. By wrastynge the text, to the scriptures sore decaye. And what wylt thu do, my fellawe Couetousnes? A vayle wyll I sprede, vpon the face of Moses, That nō shal perceyue, the clerenes of hys cōtenaūce. Whych is of the lawe, the meanyng & true ordynaūce. Why, what wyll ye saye, vnto ye ten cōmaundemētes? We must poyson them, with wyll workes & good intentes. Where as God doth saye, No siraunge goddes thu shalt haue, With Sayntes worshyppynge, that clause we wyll depraue. And though he cōmaunde, to make no carued ymage, For a good intent yet wyll we haue pylgrymage. Though he wyll vs not, to take hys name in vayne, With tradycyons yet, therunto wyll we constrayne. No Sabboth wyl we, with Gods worde sanctyfye, But with lyppe labour, and ydle ceremonye. To father and mother, we maye owe non obedyence, Our relygyon is, of so great excellence. Though we do not slee, yet maye we heretykes burne, If they wyll not sone, from holy scripture turne. What though it be sayd. Thu shalt do no fornycacyō, Yet wyll we mayntene, moch greatter abhomynacyon Though theft be forbyd, yet wyll we contynually, Robbe the poore people, through prayer & purgatorye God hath inhybyted, to geue false testymonye, Yet we wyll condempne, the Gospell for heresye. We shuld not couete, our neybers howse nor wyfe, Hys seruaunt nor beast, yet are we therin most ryfe. Of mē make we swyne, by the draffe of our tradycyōs And cause thē nothynge, to regard but superstycyōs. As dogges vnresonable, on most vyle carren fede, So wyll we cause them, seke ydolles in their nede. And alwayes their groūde, shall be, for a good intēt. More myscheues I trowe, the deuyll coulde not inuēt Than your two can do by the Messe ye are alone, Lyttle coulde I do, were ye ones from me gone, To the corruptynge. of the lawe of Moyses, Go forwarde therfor, in your deceytfulnes. With superstycyons, the Iewes ceremonyall lawes, I wyll so hādle, they shall not be worth ij. strawes. The lawes Iudycyall. through cawtels and delayes. I wyll also drowne, to all ryghteouse mēnys decayes To set thys forwarde, we must haue sophystrye, Phylosophye and Logyck, as scyence necessarye. The byshoppes must holde, their prestes in ignoraūce With longe latyne houres, least knowledge to them chaunce. Lete them haue lōge mattens, lōge euē songes & lōge Masses. And that wyll make them, as dull as euer were asses. That they shall neuer, be able to prophecye, Or yet preach the truth, to our great iniurye.