Of two vvoonderful popish monsters to wyt, of a popish asse which was found at Rome in the riuer of Tyber, and of a monkish calfe, calued at Friberge in Misne. Which are the very foreshewings and tokens of Gods wrath, against blinde, obstinate, and monstrous Papistes. Witnessed, and declared, the one by Philip Melancthon, the other by Martyn Luther. Translated out of French into English by Iohn Brooke of Assh, next Sandwich.

¶IOHN CRESPIN VNTO ALL which feare the Lord.

THere hath now bene a long time si∣thēce* 1.1 God hath not ceased to teach & giue aduertismēts after diuerse sorts & fashions, to draw men frō their impie∣ties & detestable conuersations, & yet neuerthelesse the ingratitude of the worlde is so great, that nothing followeth but a hard∣ning of heart more then obstinate. The Lord threat∣neth, & his threatnings are reiected as if they wer but fables. He setteth foorth monstrous and feareful fi∣gures,* 1.2 which were inough to make the Diuels them∣selues afraide: And men doe see them and let them passe, as if they touched them nothing at all. Further∣more, he declareth effectually that he threatneth not in vaine. He declareth by terrible iudgements, that he cannot suffer the contempt of his aduertisments: Howbeit, men haue their sences altogether dull in re∣gard of that: And of a thousand, scātly ther are twaine which will open their eyes to consider and beholde the wonders of the Lord, and to amende their lyues therby. Beholde two monstrous figures which are set before vs: And the two most excelent men, to wit, Philip Melancthon and Martin Luther, who haue in∣terpreted them, are of sufficient authoritie to make men to vnderstand, that those monsters are not for∣ged and inuented fantasies. The first is a general wit∣nesse of the horrible vengeaunce of God ouer euery* 1.3 kingdome that exalteth it self by cruelty & tyranny aboue the spirituall iurisdiction of the son of God. And bicause that this tyranny is more liuely set forth by the dominatiō of the Pope, thē by any other, euen so this threatning is referred chiefely vnto that Ro∣mish

Antechrist whom we doe see at this day, yea, in his latter age farre out of modestie, that he setteth all* 1.4 the world together by the eares. Who after that hee hath shewed his scales vppon his backe, and feared them with his clawes, feete, nailes and talons, cannot choose but cause that his Asses nose may be seene, & vncouer his whoorish brest and belly, without all shame. The ingratitude of men haue well deserued to fall into that brutishnesse: They see the belly of a whoore naked, & yet neuerthelesse this is their owne God, whom they feare and worship, and vnto whom they doe homage, with their kings, Lords, and Empe∣rours. Now for as much as the Moonkes are the prin∣cipall proppes of that drunken and enchaunting har∣lot,* 1.5 very fitte is happened this other monster, in the likenesse of a Monkish Calfe, hauing on him a coole, who will playe his part as well as the Popish Asse. Giuing all men to vnderstande what sanctitie hath chiefly blinded the eyes of the world: to wit, the ho∣linesse of a disguised frocke and habite. If all that which the coole toucheth be holy, wherfore then shal* 1.6 not this enfrocked Calfe be holy, as well as any reue∣rent Moonke that euer hath bene in the world? And if in taking away the coole or frocke, the Calfe remai∣neth but a Calfe, what shall the Moonke remaine, when his frocke & coole shalbe taken from him, but that he is a Moonke for euery mans porredge pot? But this it is, so long as the Diuell shall be Prince of the world, the world shal haue alwaies their eyes blinded. But as for vs we doe feare such aduertisementes of God, let vs consider diligently his wondrous woorkes, and preuent the effectes of his iudgementes tho∣row true repen∣taunce.

Notes

• * 1.1

  God doth ad∣uertise men of their impieties diuersly.
• * 1.2

  The vngratfull men despise the meruailes of God.
• * 1.3

  The significatiō of the first Monster.
• * 1.4

  The Pope that ••now.
• * 1.5

  The figure of the second Monster.
• * 1.6

  The holynesse of the frocke or coole.