GIldas that auncyent Brytayne , in hys fyrst treatyse of the dolorouse destruction of hys contreye , hath this worthyesen thence agaynste them which were the chefe cause therof . And borowed it is of the. xxiiij . chaptre of Salomons prouerbes . Whosoeuer commendeth the wicked ( saieth he ) and reporteth them righteouse or holye , Pro. 24 the same shall ones haue the course of the people , and the comminalte shall abhorre hym . Plentuouse hath the Popes clergie bene in his poynt , speciallye in the churche here of Englande . Not onlye haue they commaunded vnto vs whoremongers , bawdes , brybers , Idolaters , Romish sayntes . hypocrytes , trayters , and most fylthy Gomorreanes , as Godlye men and women , but also they haue canonysed them for most holye sayntes , set them vp gylt Images in their temples , commaunded their vigils to be fasted , appoynted them holy dayes and the peoples to do them honoure with euensonges , howres , processions , lightes , masses , ryngynges , synginges , sensynges , and the deuyll and al of suche heythnyshe wares . They haue done by vs as theyr olde predecessours the Idolatrouse prestes ded by the auncyent Romanes . They haue set vs vp a sorte of lecherouse Goddes to be worshypped in oure temples , Olde goddes & newe . to be our aduocates , and to helpe vs in our nedes . In stede of Iupiter , Saturne , Mercurye , Mars , Iuno , Proserpina , Diana , and Venus , whiche ded all their feates in whoredome , as the poetes verefyeth , they haue geuen vs Wenefryde , Cuthbert , Dunstane , Oswalde , Anselme , B●tket , Brigyde , Audrye , Modwen , Edith , Osith , Ethelburge , and a greate sort more of vnpure workers out of marryage .

Marke the lyues of their Englyshe sayntes , almoste from the begynnynge , & ye shall not fynde one of them canonysed for preachynge Christes veryte a ryghte , neyther yet for leadynge a lyfe after the perfyght rules of the Gospell . Not one commende they for worshyppynge God wythoute mennys tradycyons , nor yet for executynge the workes of Mercye , vnlesse yt were to their aduauntage . Neuer reckened they wedlock anye Godlye estate of lyuynge , thoughe yt were an onlye ordre instytuted of God in the begynninge , yea , for hys prestes also . Commonlie they haue dyswaded bothe men and women from yt , as from a most pernycyouse euyll , Dyffa - or from a myschefe of all myschefes , callynge yt folyshnesse , fylthynesse , beastlynesse , a walkynge in darkenesse , Maciōs of Marriage . a mayntenaunce of lechery , a fulfillinge of fleshlye desyres , a grounde of all vyce , an entraunce of deathe , a corruptynge of maydenhode , a lake of myserye , a clay pytt of vnclennesse , a thraldome of Egipt a ne●te of Sathan , a snare of the deuyll , & a ponde of perdicyon , loke Iohan Capgraue in Catalago sanctorum Anglie , speciallye in the lyues or legendes of Clarus , Eanswyde . kyneswyde , Etheldrede , wenefrede , Mylburge , Blasphemye . and Myldrede wyth suche other lyke , and ye shall fynde my wordes moste true . In the hystorye of Saynt Vrsula haue they named them Angels of darkenesse whiche hath persuaded marryage laufull . Of whose nombre was firste God the eternall Father , and than Moses and the Prophetes for the olde lawe . And afterwarde Iesus Christe hys eternall Sonne , wyth Peter Paule , & the other apostles , for the newe lawe . Were not the men ( thynke yow ) we le ouerseane ?

So peruerse stomakes haue they borne to women , that the more par●e of their temptynge spretes they haue made she deuyls ( loke their Saintes legendes ) but he that tempted Christ was an he deuyll , a relygyouse deuyll , and a prestlye deuyll . Whan they haue bene tempted wyth lecherouse spretes in the lykenesse of women , they haue ( they saye ) by the suffren vertu of holy water , The deuyls . turned them into deuyls agayne . But neuer were they yet so connynge with all their holye water , as to make of theyr whores honest marryed women . No , yt is not their ordre , to do suche myracles . In the lyfe of Saynt Godrick is mencyon of a she , deuyll , but in the conclusion , he apereth with hangynge ware of no small quantyte , hauinge hys yonge ones folowynge hym wyth shauen crownes . Of a lykelyhode therfor he was some spirituall he tempted , & hys chyldren wythin holye orders . Such power had Saynt Guthlake ouer those watchinge wormes , that he made them to tarry with hym , and to buylde hym vp a monastery at Ascendyck , now called Crowlande , some saye . To be short in thys matter . Their sayntes in a maner were all vnmaried . Sayntes vnmaried . If anye were maryed that wolde nedes be sayntes , they were anon compelled by othe , or by the waye of penaunce , to leaue their makes to the occupieng of others , the man his wyfe , and the woman her husbande , as ye shal beholde in this boke by most plentuouse examples . For matrimony hath euer bene suche a blacke bugge in their sinagoge and churche , that neuer wolde canonysacyon serue yet , where as was in place .

Notwithstanding we are throughly assertayned by innumerable scripturs and argumentes , that matrimonye is of God , and by their innumerable examples of fylthynesse , that their vowed wyuelesse and husbandelesse chastyte is altogyther of the deuyll . Sens the gloriouse aperaunce of the Gospell haue that Sodomiticall swarme or brode of Antichrist ( that ye call the spiritualte ) bene oft tymes admonyshed of their fleshlye errours by the manyfest scripturs therof . that they shulde ones repente theyr most horryble myschefes , Votaries . and graunt vnto maryage the fredome due therunto . And what haue they done , thynke you ? Nothynge els at all but laughed them to scorne , reportynge them to be but fables and lyes . The learned allegacyons , reasons , and argumentes of Philyp Melanchton , Luther , Lambert , Pomerane , Barnes , and suche other , they haue hearde , Christen doctors . but the answere is yet to make . They mocke and mowe at them like Iack a napes or lyke them which went vp & downe by the crosse whan Christ was crucyfyed , and that is ynough for them . For they haue it of their popes lawe to answere no man , yea although they wryte their abhominacions to the vttermoste , vnlesse they haue hym in preson . I haue therfor thought yt best , The autour . seynge they regarde not the sacred scrypturs , to laye before them their abhomynable practyses and examples of fylthynesse , by their owne legendes , Chronicles , and sayntes Liues , that all men maye knowe what legerdemaynes they haue vsed , and what lecherouse liues they haue led here in Englande ▪ sens the worldes beginninge . Lete them now be ashamed of their beastlynesse , or els put on their mothers face altogither .

In the first part of this boke , maye men breuelie beholde how and by whome this realme was firste inhabited , which thynge hath bene hytherto in all Englysh Chronicles , Chronicles . doubtfullie , vnagreablye , yea , and vntrulie treated , vpon coniecturs , fantasies , and lies onlye , by reason of ignoraunce in the scripturs and moste auctorised histories . They shall also perceyue , what peoples haue here by all ages remained , what doctrines hath bene thaught by their true and false prophetes , what worshippinges of God they haue vsed , and what lawes in religion they haue folowed . Finallie they shall knowe clerelie , the deceytfull workemanship of the instrumentes of Sathan , their Bishoppes , prestes , Prestes & monkes , with other disgised locustes of the same generacion . Whose contynuall stodye , labour , and seking was alwaies to blinde them by a colour of chast lyuynge / makinge them to beleue , that their maryenge of wiues was a prophane layte / a brutishe beastlynesse / and a thynge which greatlye dyspleased God / Their owne vowynge of vyrgynyte was againe ( they said ) a spirituall ordre , a lyfe of Angels , Marriage . and an holye religon which pleased God aboue all other , what though they neuer had it in their liues . For true virginite is a fayth vncorrupted , Virginite . or a beleue gouerned by the onlye worde of God without all supersticions of men . This was the onlye virginite that Marye was commended of / Lucc . 1. Faythe This virginite perteineth chefely to marriage , as testifieth Saynt Paule . 2. Cor. 11. 2. Cor 11 And as apereth in Abraham and other iust fathers which had faythfull wiues . No people are lesse acquaynted with this virginite than sectaries , or they that vowe virginite / for they chefelye depende vpon mennis tradicions and rules .

But if a tre maie be knowne by his frutes , and a man by hys dedes , as oure sauer sayth they maye , Math. 7 , Mat. 7. ye shall easely perceyue by their actes , that these virginall votaries hath bene the verye Angels of darkenesse . Marke their gostlye conueyauntes , and their other good workes ( as they will haue them yet called ) like as they are here regestred in course . And ye shall finde them more fyt for hell than for heauen . Yea must they be canonised sayntes , and do most wonderfull miracles . But those miracles are the stronge delusions ( saynt Paule sayth ) that the Lord will sende vnto them that shall perish for their vnbeleues sake . Miracles . 2. Thessalon , 2. I doubt not but this labour of mine , though it be very simple , will ministre some light as wele to the learned as vnlearned . At the least it shall teache them to iudge false miracles , that they be no more so deuylishly deceyued . Lete not the oft citing of autours be greuouse to the readers , Autours my occasion iustly considered . For therby shall the papistes haue shame alwayes , if they report them fables , or els me a liar for the tellynge of them , beynge in their writynges so manyfest . And as concerninge those autours , they were their owne dere fryndes , and wrote the best they coulde of them . If they had bene their enemyes , and so shewed the worst of them , or els but indyfferent wryters as they were most parcyall witnesses , it hadde bene a farre other shew of their mischefes than here will apere .

Men trusted they wolde haue seane them selues in this clere lyght of the Gospell , and so haue repented their former factes of falsehede . But truly they are of a farre other kynde than so . Bishoppes . Their nature is not to repent . do they neuer so manye mischefes . Rather stody they out newe practyses of tyrannye and cantels of cruelte , to adde myschefe to myschefe , tyll the great vengeaunce promysed lyght fullye vpon them . Who so euer hath promoted forewarde Gods veryte ( they thanke God of it ) they haue bene non of them as yet . Gospell Yf they shuld make their boastes with Paule . 1. Corin. 15. that they haue done therin more labours than the other discyples , men of knowlege wolde by and by saye , that they lyed most falselye . In dede they haue wyth Menelaus , Alchimus , Auantas , and with Cayphas gone afore all worldlye tyrauntes in the murtheringe vp of them whice hath done it . And for errours , Errour . they saye . But wha euer erred as they haue done , sens the worldes begynnynge ? Trulye non as yet . Neyther , Turke , Iewe , Saracene , Pagane , nor deuyll , as the examples herafter wylll shewe , , they shall not be able to auoyde yt , vnlesse they dyspute with fyer and faggottes as they haue done hytherto . For starke nought are they in dysputacyons , where as they are not at hand . For this boke . I shall haue their common lyuery , and be called a thousande tymes heretyke . But neyther loke I for reasonable answere of them , nor yet for amendement of their knaueryes .

In this boke of mine , is one face of Antichrist chefelye disclosed ( parauenture iij. vndre one ) wherwyth he hath of longe tyme paynted out hys whore , Face of Antichaist . the Rome churche that she mighte to the world apere a gloriouse madame . That face is her vowed chastyte , wherby she hath deceytfullye boasted herself spirituall , beynge but whore and thefe , and dysdayned marryage as a vyle draffe sacke , Narriage maketh lay and dyrtye dyshe cloute , callynge all them but lewde laye persones that were vndre yt , though they were kynges and quenes , Lordes , & ladies . Ye noble gouerners and learned lawers , vnto whom God hath in thys age delyuered the measurynge rodde of hys worde , as he ded to Iohan. Apocal. 11. that ye shulde measure all thynges rightly . Be not now slacke in your offyces , as in the blind tyme , but thorow fourth that wretched bonde woman with her doughter , that Rome churche with her whorishnesse . No poynt of nobylyte were it , nobilite nor yet of learned worthinesse , to be as ye haue bene of late yeares , styll seruaunte slaues to a moste filthye whore , and to her whoredome and whoremongers . Our most christen Emperour of Englande , kinge Henrye the. viij . of that name , Kynge Henry . & now his most learned & graciouse sonne kynge Edwarde the .vi. a moste worthye ministre of God , hath gone before yow in that behalfe . They haue made open vnto ye the way , and dryuen away from your gates the great aduersarie that shuld most haue noyed yow . Disdayne not than yow to folowe . Take from your true subiectes , the popes false Christ with his belles and bablinges , with his miters & mastries , Christ . with his fannoms and fopperyes , and lete them haue frely the true Christ again that their heauenlie father sent them from aboue fashioned out vnto them in the Gospell . For much more bewtifull is he in the sighte of true beleuers , than are all the corrupt children of men , with all their gorgiouse aparelinges . Loke you therunto with earnestnesse , for nothinge will be at the lattre day more straightly required of you than that .