Thomas Norton To The Reder

Wee may wyte, if wee wyll, by holy writ
The lore of the lorde, that ledeth to lyfe:
Wee may see, if wee seche, and fynde in it
The fall of falshed, the stenching of strife:
The tryall of trewth: the guide of our gate:
Calbemesse of hart: what to loue, or to hate.
Yea and so may wee see, that it alone
Should be sought, to finde that wee ought to seche:
No mynde of man to bee buylded on:
No counsell, no custome can bee our leche,
To purge the poyson: gyue salue for the sore:
Or hathe helth for the harmed hart in store.
They more the mischief: they prolong the payne:
Ad more force to the fier, for the want
Of water of the word: and worke in vayne
Let vs hye to hym: whoes skill is not scant:
Whoes will dothe not, to better our bale:
To lesse our losse. Yea to quit vs of all.
A pestilent plage, a poysonons ill
Hath sowen sores in certaigne now of late:
A wood sprited hart: with a wayward wyll:
A stubborne stomache, to nourishe debate:
Blered, yea blynded eyes: a brasen brest:
A leden brayne: I recken not the rest.
Agaynst these euell ayres thou mayst haue here
(Take it, and taste it, yea let none be left)
A tryed triacle, to kepe the clere.
Lechecraft not only restoreth the reft,
But also preserueth vnharmed helth.
This physike is free and esy God welth.
And euen as lerned leches do oftentymes
(Triall techeth dayly tofore our eyes)
Put in poyson, to make for medicines:
So make their bale thy boote: their losse lykewyse
Thy gaine, to warne the how thou ought to wyrche
To glory of God, and help of the Churche.
A watcherime to the magistrates, for the
Catabaptistes, and their patriarches.
Commune tryall techeth them, that be wyse,
Off thynges forepast to fynde, what will befall.
Wee haue seen, herof what end dothe aryse:
CConfounding of kyngdomes, decay of all.
Heede taken to warning saueth from fall.