openly and boldly, to all states great and meane, yong and old, euery where. And thus yow see, how will intised to wantonnes, doth easelie allure the mynde to false opinions: and how corrupt maners in liuinge, breede false iudgement in doctrine: how sinne and fleshlines, bring forth sectes and heresies: And therefore suffer not vaine bookes to breede vanitie in mens willes, if yow would haue Goddes trothe take roote in mens myndes. That Italian, that first inuented the Italian Prouerbe against our Englishe men Italianated, ment no more their The Ita- // vanitie in liuing, than their lewd opinion in lian pro- // Religion. For, in calling them Deuiles, he carieth uerbe ex- // them cleane from God: and yet he carieth them pounded. // no farder, than they willinglie go themselues, that is, where they may freely say their mindes, to the open contempte of God and all godlines, both in liuing and doctrine. And how? I will expresse how, not by a Fable of _Homere_, nor by the Philosophie of _Plato_, but by a plaine troth of Goddes word, sensiblie vttered by _Dauid_ thus. Thies men, _abhominabiles facti in studijs suis_, thinke verily, and singe gladlie the verse before, _Dixit insipiens in Corde suo, non est_ _Psa._ 14. // _Deus:_ that is to say, they geuing themselues vp to vanitie, shakinge of the motions of Grace, driuing from them the feare of God, and running headlong into all sinne, first, lustelie contemne God, than scornefullie mocke his worde, and also spitefullie hate and hurte all well willers thereof. Than they haue in more reuerence, the triumphes of Petrarche: than the Genesis of Moses: They make more accounte of _Tullies_ offices, than _S. Paules_ epistles: of a tale in _Bocace_, than a storie of the Bible. Than they counte as Fables, the holie misteries of Christian Religion. They make Christ and his Gospell, onelie serue Ciuill pollicie: Than neyther Religion cummeth amisse to them: In tyme they be Promoters of both openlie: in place againe mockers of both priuilie, as I wrote once in a rude ryme.
_Now new, now olde, now both, now neither, To serue the worldes course, they care not with whether._
For where they dare, in cumpanie where they like, they
boldlie laughe to scorne both protestant and Papist. They care for no scripture: They make no counte of generall councels: they contemne the consent of the Chirch: They passe for no Doctores: They mocke the Pope: They raile on _Luther_: They allow neyther side: They like none, but onelie themselues: The marke they shote at, the ende they looke for, the heauen they desire, is onelie, their owne present pleasure, and priuate proffit: whereby, they plainlie declare, of whose schole, of what Religion they be: that is, Epicures in liuing, and atheoi in doctrine: this last worde, is no more vnknowne now to plaine English men, than the Person was vnknown somtyme in England, vntill som Englishe man tooke peines, to fetch that deuelish opinion out of Italie. Thies men, thus Italianated abroad, can not abide our Godlie // The Ita- Italian Chirch at home: they be not of that // lian Chirche Parish, they be not of that felowshyp: they like // in London. not y^t preacher: they heare not his sermons: Excepte som- tymes for companie, they cum thither, to heare the Italian tonge naturally spoken, not to hear Gods doctrine trewly preached. And yet, thies men, in matters of Diuinitie, openlie pretend a great knowledge, and haue priuatelie to them selues, a verie compendious vnderstanding of all, which neuertheles they will vtter when and where they liste: And that is this: All the misteries of _Moses_, the whole lawe and Cerimonies, the Psalmes and Prophetes, Christ and his Gospell, GOD and the Deuill, Heauen and Hell, Faith, Conscience, Sinne, Death, and all they shortlie wrap vp, they quickly expounde with this one halfe verse of _Horace_. _Credat Iudæus Appella._ Yet though in Italie they may freely be of no Religion, as they are in Englande in verie deede to, neuerthelesse returning home into England they must countenance the profession of the one or the other, howsoeuer inwardlie, they laugh to scorne both. And though, for their priuate matters they can follow, fawne, and flatter noble Personages, contrarie to them in all respectes, yet commonlie they allie them- // Papistrie selues with the worst Papistes, to whom they be // and impie- wedded, and do well agree togither in three // tie agree in proper opinions: In open contempte of Goddes // three opini- worde: in a secret securitie of sinne: and in // ons.