Alas! England, alas! that this heavy plague of God should fall upon thee. Alas! my dear beloved country, what thing is it now that may do thee good? I Undoubtedly thy plague is so great, that it is utterly uncurable, but by the bottomless mercy and infinite power of Almighty God. Alas! my dear country, what hast thou done, that thus thou hast provoked the wrath of God, to pour out his vengeance upon thee for thine own deserts? Canst thou be content to hear thy faults told thee. Alas ! thou hast heard oft, and wouldest never amend. England, thy faults of all degrees and sorts of men, of the magistrates, of the ministers, and of the common people, were never more plainly told, since thou bearest that name, than thou didst hear them of late, even before the magistrates, in King Edward’s days, but thou heardest them only, and didst amend never a whit….
—Nicholas Ridley(c.1500-1555) [page 58]