accession of Elizabeth; when he returned, and was then promoted to the see of Chichester,

1559. Now, here is an attack upon the reformation, published for the second time by sir William Barlowe, the very year when he is said to be degraded and imprisoned as a reformer himself. The book is a remarkably good one; by no means superstitious, but quite the work of a sensible and prudent man; arguing against the reformation, from the excesses of the reformers; just as such a man, ten years ago, would have written about the French. As it is evident that neither the writer of Barlowe's article in the Biographia, nor his copyist in the Cyclopedia, has seen the book in question, it is proper to observe that it is in the possession of Mr. Southey. This is one instance, among many others, in which bibliology corrects an error in biography. This little book is probably very scarce. Indeed, the author himself might have wished to suppress it: for having resolved to swim with the stream, he resigned his house to Henry VIII. took an active part in the divorce, and was rewarded with one of the new bishoprics.

The Printer's Preface.

In the present treatise following (gentle reader) is not only uttered and disclosed the beastly beginning of Luther's furious faction, in Saxony, with the seditious schisms of the sacramentaries Suinglius, Oecolampadius, and other of Switzerland; but also very plainly here is shewed their monstrous manners and mutability, their cankered contentions and horrible hypocrisy, their devilish devices and bitter blasphemy, with infinite like reliques of that railing religion, whereby the christian reader shall right well perceive what filthy fruit buddeth out of this frantic fraternity and sinful synagogue of Satan, infernally invented, to seduce simple souls to the end that such as now be addict to their horrible and heinous heresies when they shall perceive and see in their life and learning their crafty and colourable juggling, lewd living, and devilish disagreeing of a muster of monstrous married monks and false fleshly friars, shall by God's grace both forsake their fashions, detest their doctrine, and leave their learne ing.

Popery has seldom had an abler, and never. a more temperate advocate.

Christian readers, I exhort you, all partially set

a part to fix yourself upon the living word of God which may save your souls, and walk directly after it, bowing neither on the one side nor on the other. I mean not that fleshly word nor their gospel which say, ye have no free will, your good deeds shall not save you, nor your ill deeds shall not damn you; the sacraments of the church be nothing of necessity; ye need not to be confessed to a friar; ye are not bound to obey the laws of the church, &c.; but that true word of God and very gospel of our Saviour Christ, of whose first sermon the ante-theme was this, do ye penance for the kingdom of God is at hand and at his last farewel from his disciples he affirmed the same, saying, that in his name it behoved penance to be preached in remission of

sins.

Reformation.

A great occasion why that many be so fervent in favouring this Lutheran doctrine, is the vague praises of much people coming from thence, reporting that there is so good order, such charitable liberality, and evangelic conversation, which is altogether false. And divers of such tiding-carriers, lest they might seem ignorant in a few things, they frame themselves without shame to lie in many. It is hard for a renegate friar, a faithless apostate, a forlorn

coopeman, a merchant's prentice, or an ambassador's hostler, having little learning, less discretion, small devotion, and scant a curtesy of wisdom, to make true report in such matters. And yet are there of them which make themselves full busy, and are as ready to tell that they know not, as that that they know, according as they feel their affections disposed whom they covet to please; by which means they attain high commendations, made much of, and are called pretty wise men and proper persons, with many God's blessings upon their hearts.

Speaking of the equalitarian principles of the first reformers, their plunder of the rich, &c. he says:

It is the very property of common people, namely of these Almaynes, that whatsoever they be persuaded unto, agreeable to their affections, they shall be ready, in a sudden gyere1 to accomplish; regarding neither danger, nor commodity; though soon after they repent them. And like as the people of Israel brought the jewels of their wives and children to the making of the golden calf; so did they bring their jewels, beads, rings, outchyes with money, both gold and silver, to the common

1 passion, paroxysm.

hutches so abundantly for this provision, that men doubted, in some place, whether they had poor folk sufficient to consume so exceeding heaps of riches. But this doubt was soon made a plain case: for within a while after, the ardent heat of their liberal devotion waxed cold; and because they continued not still in bringing in their oblations, the hutches and coffers were empty before men wist it. Then whiles it was compassed what way might be best taken for the preservation of their ordinance, least it should decay, to their confusion that began it; some gave counsel that it should be necessary to deprive the clergy of their goods, and to distribute their possessions, lands, and rents among lay people, and to throw down all monasteries, and churches, making coin of crosses, chalices, and other sacred jewels, for the sustentation of the poor, as they alledged.

› hutch-originally a sort of large box or coffer for containing thrashed corn.