The first chapter.

IT IS A LAVDABLE thing, that in the begynnyng of any cowncel or assemble, the na­me of god shuld be called vpon: that he of his mercy will send his spiryt, to sanctifye the hartes of them which beare any auctoryte or stroke in the cowncel or parlament, that thei agree to such statutes and actes, as be to the setting forth of gods glory, the sanctifyeng of his name, and augmentacyon of his kingdom. For whan we call vpon god for such things, we eyther knowlege, or shuld knowlege, that we haue nede of his helpe, and that we can not withowt his assistence, neyther de­termyne, nor yet assent to the determynacyon [Page] of any thing, that may please god: for if we cowld, what nede we to call vpon hym for any help? And it is certen and vnfallible, that if we knock, seke and crye dilygently with ernest and harty petycyons, with true hum­blenes of our hartes, and with owt dissimulacyō, we shal be hard. Therfore I say, it is both laudable and necessary, that all cowncels be begon with prayer vnto our mercyful father, and in our prayers to open vnto hym our ne­cessyties, and to call vpon hy [...] for ayde, to ru­le our hartes wholly to seke h [...]s glory. But this must be done ernestly with h [...]rty mowr­ny [...]g vnto hym, not slenderly, not for a face and custome only, as hath bene hetherto vsed, to haue an vnholy masse of the holy goost, rolled vp with descant, pricksong, and organes, wherby menny▪ h [...]rtes be rauysshed cleane both from god, and from the cogytacyon of all such things as thei ough [...] to pray for. Wher­as it were more conuenyent, that thei were diligently exhorted and put in mynd, to con­syder and ponder, where vnto thei be called, [Page] and what a recknyng god wil requyre of them. And for as moch as the most part of the lordes and burgesses take it rather for an ho­nowr than for an offyce wherfor thei shal answer and for a dignyte rather than for any burthen, to be cownted of the parlament or cowncel howse, and neuer ponder nor con­syder before, what thinges in the realme be amysse to be reformed by them, It were more necessary in the stede of the mobled and myn­sed masse (wherby neither god is glori [...]yed, nor the hearers edifyed) that some honest well lerned man such one as wold neyther flater, lordes, burgesses, comons nor kyng, but franckly and frely speake the veryie, shuld be appoynted to preach not only at the begyn­nyng of the parliament, but at the least .iij. ty­mes euery weke, so long as the parliament endureth, and to stand in the pulpet an howr at the least, and not aboue an howr and an hal­fe, and there to tell the lordes and burgesses their du [...]es, and to open vnto them such abuses as are to be reformed in the realme. And let [Page] all the lordes and burgesses be bownd to be present at euery sermon, or els to be excluded the parlamēt howse. If ye wil seke such ways than wil the holy gost lyght in your cown­cel, or▪ els neuer, for all your pyping or singing. And kepe both lordes and burgesses all in one house to gether: For it is not the ryches or au­tory [...]e that bringeth wisdom. And what shuld one howse make one act, and a nother shal breake and disanull the same? that way is not after the doctrine of the gospel. But now, let us goo to other matters.

The seconde Chapter. Of inhansing of rent ys by land lordes &ce.

COnsyder yow, what a wicked­nes is comonly vsed thorow the realme vnponysshed, in the inordinate inhansyng of rentys, and takyng of vnresonable fynys, and euery day worse then other: and euyn of them spe­cially, to whom the kyng hath geuen and sold [Page] the land ys of those Impys of Antichrist Abba­ys and nonryes: which land ys being in their handys, but only for that thei led us in a false fayth (as their cōpanyōs the bysshops still doo) but for the faythes sake I say (for the which thei were iustly suppressyd) it had bene mo­re profytable no dowte for the comon welth, that thei had remayned styll in their handys. For why? thei neuer inhansed their landys, nor toke so cruel fynes, as doo our temporal tyrannys: For thei can not be content to late them at the old price, but rayse them vp dayly euyn to the cloudys, eyther in the rent or in the fyne, or els both: so that the pore man that laboryth and toyleth vpon it, and is hys slaue, is not able to lyue. And further if another rich couetos carl, which hath to moch already, will gyue any thing more than he that dwel­lyth vpon it, owt he must, be he neuer so poo­re, though he shuld become a begger and af­ter a the [...]e, and so at length be hanged by his owtgoing: so lytle is the lawe of loue regar­ded. Oh cruel tyrannys. Yea it is now a comō [Page] vse of the landlordys, for euery try [...]yll, euyn for his fryndys plesure, in case his tenant haue not a lease, he shal out hym owt of h [...]s ferme, which th [...]ng is both agaynst the law of natu­re and of charyte also he being an honest man, payng his rent and other dutys well and ho­nestly. I think there be no such wicked lawes nor custom ys in the vnyuersal world agayne. What a shame is this to the whole re [...]lme, that we say we haue receyued the gospel of Christ, and yet is it worse now in th [...]s mat­ter, than it was ouer fyf [...]y or .iij. score yearys, whan we h [...]d but the po [...]y law, as wicked as it was? For th [...]n leassy [...] were not known. And now the latyag and engrossing of them (leassys I meane) is one great cause of the [...] in­hansing of re [...]ys: wherfore I pray god these leassys may haue a fall, and come to an end shortly.

Looke well vpon this ye Christen burgessys: for this inhansing of rentys is not only a­gainst the comon welth, but also at length shalbe the chefest decay of the princypal commodyte [Page] of this realme. For why? this inordi­nate inhansing of rentys, which is sprong vp within fewe yerys past, must nedys make all things deare, as well pertaynyng to the back, as to the belly, to the most gret dāmage of all the kyngs subiectys, landyd men only except. Yea and euyn thei them seluys were more welthyer, whan their landys went at the old pryce. For why? thei bye all things the dea­rer, and yet the comon welth is robbed ther­by not with stonding: as the godly which sekyth his brothers welth as his own, will soone iudge: how beit this matter is so farre gone, that there is no remedy to the redresse of it, but one, and that is th [...]s: If the kyngs grace of his goodnesse wil consyder, where vnto god hath called hym, and for what purpose. A kyng is annoynted, to be a defence vnto the people, that thei be not oppressyd nor oueryocked, but by all godly and polytick meanys to seke the comon welth of hys people, so if his grace will call down the pryce of his ownè landes as thei went ouer fyfty, yea [Page] forty yearys and compell all other landed mē [...] to the same vpon payn of forfetting his whole landys, one part of them to the kyngs grace, another to be employed to the comon welth, and the thyrd to the presenter that can iusty­fye the matter, a reformacion may be had, to the singular ease and cōmodyte of the co­mon welth: and that many wayes. For this being reformed aboue all other actes, shal bryng the cloth of England to a contynuall vent, and all vytellys to a resonable price, that all clothys of other contryes shal stey, where as Englyssh cloth shal come in place, as in ty­mys past hath done, which thing old marchā ­tes and old clothyers can tel. Sōme will obiect, and say, it is a comon welth to bryng the co­modyteys of the realme to an high pryce: which I vtterly denye to be a comonwelth: for what maketh ryddance or good sale so moch, as whan a comodyte is at a pryce reso­nable? As a fore is sayd whan Englyssh clo­thes were sold at a pryce resonable, than all other foren cloth steyd, tyl that was sold. But [Page] now is englyssh cloth brought to so high a price, that the cloth of many contres is sold a fore Englyssh cloth: and that causeth marchantes to kepe their clothes long vpon their handes ma­ny tymes to their gret damage. I will say fur­ther, In case this matter be not well [...]ked vpon the soner, it will be a gretter decay, than is yet perceyued: For cloth will be brought to so high a price, that thei wil marre all. A boue all thyngs beware of extremyte: for th [...]t euer se­kyth a mischeffe for a remedy. For what with the abundance of woll, that goth owt by li­cencys and by the staple, forē realmes myx [...]ng it with their course wollys, thei make better chepe cloth than Englissh march [...]ntys can sell: yea and better for the price. Whether it be a comon welth to bry [...]g cloth to so high a price or not, first demand of the honest fermer: but I speke not of the extorcyonar, grosser, inclo­ser or gret shepard, but of the honest pore f [...]rmer, whether he lyued not better whā he sold his wolle at an indiferent and meane price, than he doth now, sellyng for h [...]lf as moch [Page] more. And I warant yow▪ if he be none of those destroyers a forsayd, he wil say yea. Than demand the clothyer, if he lyued not better, whan he sold his clothys for a resonable price the pack, and his carseys for .xxij. or xxiij. pownd the pack, than he doth now sel­lyng them for .xxx. pound the pack. And ex­cept it be a fewe, which be inordinate rich, and eate owt their neyhbors, thei wil also say yea, and that thei gayned more in one pack, than thei do now in thre. And as for the poo­re spynner and carder, though thei haue a litle more for their paynes, thei pay doble so moch for all things that goo both to back and belly, and scant can get an howse to put in their hea­dys, or at least not able to furnyssh it for their very necèssaryes. And thus euery one eatyth owt another. And the only cause of all these, is the inordinate raysing of rentys. It is vnrea­sonable to se, how moch thei be inhansed in maner thorowt the realme, except it be a fe­we such, where of the leassys were geuyn owt ouer .xx. or .xxx. yerys. And the chefe [Page] cause of all this be euyn the landlordes: for as he encreaseth hys rent, so must the fermer the price of his wolle, catel and all vitels, and lykewise the merchant of his cloth: for els thei could not maynteine their lyuyng. And thus I say, the lordes be the only cause of all the de­arth in the reame, God grant, that the kynges grace loke wel vpon this matter himself: for it is hard to haue it redressed by parlament, because it pricketh them ch [...]ff [...]ly, which be chosen to be burgessys for the most part, except thei wold chose their burgessys only for their vertuos liuyng, discrecyon, honest behauor, and other godly qualytes, be he neuer so pore: such as wold his neyhbor shuld lyue as him selfe. And wold to god thei wold leaue their old accustomed chosing of burgessys: for whō do thei chose, but such as be rych, or beare so­me offyce in the contrye &ce. many tymes such as be boasters and braggars? Such haue the [...] euer he [...]h [...]rto chosen, be he neuer so very a fole, dronkerd, extorcyoner, adu [...]u [...]erer, ne­uer so couetos and craf [...]y a parson, yet if he be [Page] rych, beare any offyce, if he be a ioly cracker and bragger in the contry, he must be a bur­ges of the parlament. Alas how can any such study, or geue any godly councel for the comō welth? But and if any man put forth any thing against Christes religyon, or agaynst the co­mon welth, so that it make for the profyght of antichrystes knyghtes and temporal rulers of the reame, thei shal be redy to geue their consent with [...]he first. And whether this be true or no, let the actys of fewe yerys past be iudge. Euery man perceyueth, that there is a fawt, and thei be greued, that all things be at so high a price, and some be offended at one degre of men, and some at a nother: as the merchant at the clothyer, the clothyer at the fer­mer, the fermer at the landlord, which is most iust of all. In london and other placys ther be many offended with the great price of vitells, but fewe men consider the grownd and origynal occasyon therof, that it is only by enhan­sing of rētys fynes, &ce. that maketh all things dere, which is an vrgent dāmage to the com­mō [Page] welth: And tyl ye haue a redresse therin, loke to haue all things more derer, make what actes ye can diuyse to the contrary. As touch­yng the kings landes, some say, that he enhan­syth none: and wether it be tru or not, I can not tel, but this am I sure off, it is as euyl or worse. For the chancelers and auditors take soch vnreasonable fynes and other brybes, that the tenantys were better pay yerely a greater rent: for the tenantys are halfe vndone in their Incōmyng: who hath the vantage, god knowyth, wether the king or that the of­ficers robbe his grace, and polle and pylle his leage subiectys in his name, which is most ly­kest.

Of the forfetting of landys or goodys of tray­tors, felons or morderers. The iij. chapter.

OH merciful god, what a cruell lawe is this, how farre wyde from the gospel, yea from the [Page] lawe of nature also, that whan a traytor, a morderer, a felon, or an heretik is condemned and put to death, his wife and childern, his seruants, and all thei whom he is detter vnto, shuld be robbyd for his offence, and brought to extreme pouerty: that his wife, his childern or next kynred shuld not enioye his landys, whan thei consentyd not to his death? wher­for to take the landys and goodes, it is a gret robry, but yet nothing to this, that his credyte is not payd: For by that meanys he forfettyth vnto the kyng, not only all his own goodys and landys, but also that which is none of his. Oh most wicked lawys: by this cruelty is ma­ny an honest man vndone. Alas, what can the pore wyfe, the chyldern, the kynsmen or cre­dytor do withall, being not culpable in the cryme? [...]ff any of them be fawty, than let them haue also the lawe, that is death, which recō ­pen [...]yth the cryme. No dowt, the riches of mē hath helpyd many an honest man to his death, by the couetosnes of the offycers, that ferme such things of the kyng. To this shal some flat­teryng [Page] Hypocrite, to wynne promocyon or lucre (wherein he shal shewe, that he louyth his own priuate welth better, than the whole comon welth, or discharge of the kynges con­scyence) shal obiect, and fay: It is as necessary to forfett the goodys and landes, as the lyfe: and specialy traytors: And why? for traytors, will he say, be many tymes noble men of gret landes, wherfor if hys chyld or kynred shuld enioy his goodys and landys, he myght in pro­cesse of tyme, be a traytor also, and so reuenge his fathers deth agaynst the kyng. Another bald reason he will haply alledge also, Iff so be the offender shuld but lose his life only, there wold be many more offenders than the­re be. For why? A man consydering that he shall vndoo his wife and childerne, it shal cause hym to esch: we that euyl which he pretē ­dyd. To the which I make answer, what man is he lyuyng, although he loue his wife and chyldren as wel as euer did man, that will passe more, or as moch vpon the wordly goodys of his wiffe and childerne, as he will doo vpō [Page] his own life? I say, no man lyuyng, nor that euer lyued: and thow art a flaterer and a dis­sembler, which defendyst this cause or any other lyke vnder such a pretense. And thow art a stablissher of wicked lawes. And whe­re as thow alledgyst, if the childern and s [...]ynd shuld enioy the goodes and landes, thei myght haply reuenge their fathers death, to that I answere, pray thow to the lord god, & all true subiectys with the, that he wil gy­ue grace to the kyng, to walke in his vocacy­on, to vse and exercyse his offyce, to lyue in the feare of god, sekyng gods glory only, set­tyng forth his blessed word: and for the comō welth to make and stablissh polityck actys, depending of the scrypture, and to make none but such as may be grownded vpon gods word: and than for my life, though the child and all his kynred with hym, hauyng .xx. thowsand to them, rebell neuer so moch, the kyng shal not nede to feare: For god will de­fend hym, and not his owne powr, euyn as he­dyd many tymes kyng Dauyd agaynst Saul, as [Page] it is to reade in the bokys of the kynges. And haue we not examples at home? how merci­fully dyd god quench the fury of the peple in the tyme of the cōmocyō in the North? I pray god, that we be not vnthanckful for that de­lyuerance and such other. Wherfor, I say, let us pray, that the kynges grace may walke as is a fore sayd, and he shal not nede to feare all his enemys, for god shal be his rock, shyld and defender. But contrary wyse, if he cast of the lawe of god, making wicked lawes, and stablisshing them (wherby gods glory is my­nisshed, and the pepyl of god oppressyd) than let hym feare: For if god be determyned to plage hym, though he kyll not only those which be traytors agaynst his grace, but also their childern, kinred and fryndes thereto, it shal not help hym: For god shal sturre vp the hartys euyn of his own fryndes agaynst him, from which thing god defend him.

Of the inclosing of parkys, forestys, chasys. &ce. The iiij. Chapt.

[Page] OH lord god, that it wold please the, to open the earys of the kyng, lordys and burgessys of the parlament, that thei may he­are the cryeng of the peple, that is made thor­ow the reame, for the inclosing of parkys, forestys and ch [...]sys, which is no small burden to the comons, how the corne and grasse is de­stroyed by the dere many tymys, it is to pyty­ful to heare. It is often sene, that men ioynyng to the forestys and ch [...]sys, haue not repyd half that thei haue sowne, and yet sometyme altogether is destroyed. And what lād is your parkys? be not the most part of them, the most batel and fruteful grownd in Ingland? And now it is come to passe by wicked lawys, that if a man kyll one of those beastis which beare the mark of no one pryuate person, but be in­different for all men, cōmyng vpon his own ground, deuouryng his corne or grasse, which is his lyff [...]lod: and yet if he kyl them vpon his oune ground, being ch [...]e or forest, it is felo­ny, and he shal be hanged for it. But what sayth the prophete to the makers of this wick­ed [Page] act and such other lyke? Woo be vnto you which make wicked lawys & cete. To wryte of what vnreasonable length and breddyth thei be, it is superfluos: the thyng is to many­fest, god grant the king grace, to pul vp a gre­at part of his oune parkys, and to compel his lordes, knyghtys, and gentylmen to pull vp all theirs by the rootys, and to late out the gro­und to the peple at such a resonable pryce, as thei may lyue at their handes. And if thei wil nedys haue some dere for their vayne pleasu­re, than let them take such heathy, woddy, and moory ground, as is vnfruteful for corne or pasture, so that the cōmon welth be not robbed: and let them make good defēce, that their poore neyhbors ioynyng vnto them, be not deuouryd of their corne and grasse: Thus shuld ye do, for the erth is the poore mannys, as wel as the rych: And ye lordys se that ye abuse not the blessing of the ryches and pour which god hath lent you, and remember, that the erth is the lordys, and not yours: for ye be but stewardys, and be ye sure, that ye shal [Page] gyue account vnto the lord, for the be flow­yng of your ryches. And to you burgessys, seing such thynges wyl not be reformed but only by your pour and auctoryte, I say to you, as in the beginnyng: Consyder whereunto ye be called, and for what purpose: not for your oune particular and pryuate welth, nor yet for the kynges, in any thing preiudycyal to the comon welth.

Of the sellyng of wardys for mariage, wher of ensueth adultery, which owght to be ponysshed by death. The .v. Chapter.

OH mercyful god, what Innumerable in­conuenyencys come by sellyng of war­dys, for maryage, for lucre of goodys and lan­dys, although the partyes neuer fauor the one the other, after thei come to discrecyon, to the great encreasing of the abhomynable vyce of adultery, and of dyuelyssh dyuorcement, which hath of late bene moch vsed. Now god [Page] confound that wicked custome, for it is to ab­homynable and stynkyth from the erth to hea­uyn, it is so vyle: what myschefe hath comne of it, it is to well knoun to many men, I nede to wryte no furder therein. But for christys blo­de sake, seke a redresse for it: and consydre, that ye be called to the parlament for such purposys. And further, yet that be godly burgessys and of Christes congregacyon, consyder, that euyn the same god that sayth: thou shalt not steale, the same god sayth also: thou shalt not commyt aduoutry. He that stealyth, is hanged, & why ought not he also to be hangyd that cōmytteth adultery? Wel though that vyce reygnyth most aboundantly in noble and rich men, and in the popys shauelings most sha­melesly, which shame to take them honest wyues of their oune, I say to you that be god­ly lernyd, although it raygne chefely in such parsons, shame ye not, nor feare ye not, to ma­ke it felony indifferently to all men: loke you euer to your offyce, wherunto ye be called, and seke to discharge your oun conscyence, [Page] that ye may gyue a good accounte at the day, whan ye shal be reygned at the iudgement seate of god, to receyue iudgement according to your dedys.

Of the iniuryes done to the cōmunalty by the kyngs takers &ce. The .vi. Chapter.

OH my hart is heuy, to see the great yo­cke that is vpon the comōs, by the par­cyal act of ra [...]yng of vytellys, which is most greuous euyn to the poore sort: which ratys were made, whan rentys went at a moch lower pryce: for that which went for .xx. shillyngs than, goyth now for .xl. fyfty▪ yea iij. pound and aboue in many placys, as I haue touched in the fyrst chapter. And therby all things must nedys ryse to an high pryce. And yet this, by reason it toucheth the profight of the king and of the higher powers, must stand still in effect, to the most gret dāmage of the [...]ore. And if the robry of the puruyers were [Page] knoune, which bye .iij. tymes asmoch as ser­uyth the kyng, and selle it agayn to their oun aduantage, thou woldyst say there were no such robry: and this is vsed in all maner of thinges. For if a man haue but a copple of h [...]nnys, and come to the market with them, if these puruyers mete him, thei shal take them from hym by force, and gyue hym for them what thei lyst. Lyke wyse, if a man haue a good dogg or hound, it shal be taken from him with out any recōpence, in the kyngs name, whan the kyng shal neuer see them. Is not this a myserable thyng? what is it lesse than robry? And if the kyngs grace sawe the actys of the most part of his puruyers, I am sure his grace wold cause a great sort of them to be hanged, as thei haue deseryd. What a pyllage is it to the pore, that not so moch as the poore butter wife, but she is spoyled, and that which standeth hyr in iij. halpens. shal be taken from hir for. [...]. peny, dyssh, and all? and yet she shal not haue hir redy mony neyther, but a taly, and somtyme neuer payd: lyke wyse .ij. pens for an henne, [Page] that standeth hir in .iiij. and aboue. And fur­ther more, what hart doth not consyder, that euin as men must leaue their plow and haruest to serue the king with their cartys, so is it rea­son thei shuld haue a resonable wagys. What is. ij. pens for a myle? consydre ye ru­lers about the kyng, and ye that wyl be coun­ted godly burgesys in the parlament. Thei had bene better to haue seruyd the kyng for .ij. pens a myle ouer .iij yerys, than now for .iiij. pens. Oh lord, open the earys of them, that shuld heare and redresse this matter.

Of the suttylty of seruyng of wryttes. The .vij. chapter.

IT is a wonderos great abuse, being a great troble to all the kyngs sub­iectes (but specyally to the pore) & gret nede to be redressed, that whan a po­re man hath long suyd a gentylman, being a lawer, or a man of any substance, or frend­shyp in the courte, or of any suttyl wytt, and [Page] hath obteyned iudgement and a fynal end in the comō lawe, and is come to the poynt that he must haue a wrytt to attach the body of his defendant, alas how many wayes, yea how many gyles and suttylteys be there, to auoyde and escape the seruyng of the kyngs wrytt? Fyrst, one wrytt may serue but for one shyre: as though the kyng were lord but of one shyre. But I demād, why may not one wrytt ser­ue in all shyres, yea in all placys vnder the kyngs domynyon, whersoeuer he or hys may fynd his defendant? surely ther is no godly reason why to the contrary, but euyn the only priuate welth of sotle lawers. And as farre as I can lerne, one wrytt lasteth but for one ter­me: and the nexte terme, he must be at charge to come vp, or at least to send sometyme .iij. or .iiij. hundreth myle for another. And why shuld it not stand in his ful strength, tyl it be seruyd? No why, but the why a foresayd. Agayne, no man may serue it, but the sheryff of the shyre or his man, and so many tymes it is sene, that the sheryff or his man (and some­tyme [Page] both) playe the false shrewys, in geuyng the party warnyng, to kepe him out of the way, or to goo into another shyre, tyl the pore man or his frynd be out of the contry or tyl the date of the writt be exspyred. Alas, why is not euery man a shyryffe in this case, as wel as euery man is abayly to attache a fe­lon? sure there is no cause why, but that it is not the profyght of the shyryff, or els that mē be not studyos to make lawes for the profyght of the comō welth. Oh the innumerabyl wy­les, craftys, sotyltes and delayes, that be in the lawe, which the lawyers wil neuer spye, be­cause of their priuate lucres sake: wherby the comon welth is robbed. Thei be almost as euyl as the wicked bisshops and prystes of Anti­chryst, saue only that thei robbe us but of our temporal goodys, and not of our fay [...]h.

Of promoters, which may wrongfully by the law of Ingland, troble a man & cet. The viij. chapter.

[Page] HEare another as euyl as that, or worse. What an vnresonable lawe is this, that it shal be leful for any wicked parson, to com­mense an accyon agaynst any true and honest man, in as false a matter as can be diuysed? And if the case be soch that the kyng haue any en­teresse in the matter, or that it any th [...]ng toucheth the kings profigh [...], although it be found false by the lawe, and that the lawe pass [...]h with the true honest man yet the villane promoter shal not only escape ponysshment wor­thyly deseruyd, but also shal pay no p [...]ny to the pore true mans ch [...]rgys. And why? because it toucheth the kyngs profyght: as though it were lawful for the king to robbe or troble h [...]s subiectys wrongfully. Oh wicked lawes, how crye all the proph [...]ys agaynst them and the makers of them? wh [...]rfor be ye lernyd ye men of the parlament, that ye may see to refor­methes so wicked lawes, lestly be partakers in reward with the makers of them: lest at length (as the prophete warneth) [...]he lord be [Page] wrath with yow and plage yow, that ye pe­rissh from the right way &c. Many lawyers and other wil make obieccyōs to this, and say, it were no reason thei shuld be sewyd, for it is a comon welth, wherfor the kyng shuld pay no chargys. To whom I answer as thow at blynd in gods word, so is this a blynd obieccy on. Admytt that it were a comon welth. If the promoter sue in ryght, and the defendant be cast, no dowt the kyngs part is recoueryd euery peny (if the party be so moch worth) well than, let the gaynes of that which is recoue­ryd, beare the losse of him which is wrōgful­ly sewyd. And this is to be consyderyd, because the promoter payth no charges though he be cast, it is a gret coragyng, to hym to troble his neyhbor: for he knoweth the worst is to beare his own charges.

That all iudges and pleaters shuld lyue vpon a stypend & cetera. The .ix. Chapter.

[Page] NOw wold I wish a thyng wonderos nedeful to the common welth, yet by the way of petycyon (although the kyngs grace be bound in conscyence so to doo) that in as moch as his grace is come to gret riches, by rē tys in maner innumerable, of the abbaylandys deposed (which was ryghtfully done) for which cause I say his grace is bound, to study some way, that part of the yockys of his sub­iectes may be eased: as I think no one way bet­ter, than this. In as moch as men be naturally geuyn to troble one another, and comonly the wydow and fatherles, and such as lack riches and fryndes, be put euer to the worst, by rea­son that the rich filleth the purse of the lawy­ers, which the poore is not able to doo, and therfor his cause is not heard: for comōly the lawyer can not vnderstond the matter, tyl he fele his mony. For this cause I say, I wold wissh, that such as preach before the kyngs grace & his councellers also, wold moue him by the way of petycyon, to put part of the landes to some godly common welth. As to geue [Page] a stipend to all and euery man of law that syt­teth a Iudge or plea [...]y [...]h at the barre in any of his high cowrty; thorow the reame, that euery one may lyue (according to his office) lyke a lawyer, and not lyke a lord, as thei doo with such goodys as thei haue goten by rob­byng the pore. I meane not, but that the suters shal pay for writing all things: but for councel or for his pleating to pay nothing. And wry­tings also had no tytle nede to be loked vpon: for in diuerse courtes for writing one syde of a shete of paper, in which shal not be past x. or .xij. [...]. he wil haue .ij. grotys, where as .ij. pense were to moch. Wel, to the purpo­se aforesayd, and that the lawyer shal take no peny of no man. I meane neyther the iudge nor the pleater at the barre, in payne of losyng his right hand. and to be banysshed from pleating for euer. Which wil be an occasyon, that the pore shal be heard as wel as the rich, & than wold he [...] discorage men to troble their neyh­bers wrōgfully: where now thei be mayntey­ners of discord for their priuate lukers sake [Page] which pruate lucre of the lawyers, is a bayght to sett men together by the earys in the lawe.

Of the cruelnesse and suttyltes of the augmē ­tac on and escheker & cete. The x. chapter.

OH that the kings grace knew of the extorcyon, oppressyon and brybery that is vsed in his. ij. courtys: that is to say, of the au­gmentacyon and of the escheker, but specially of the augmentacyon. There hath bene moch speaking of the paynes of purgatory: but a man were as good in a maner to come in to the paynys of hell, as in to eyther of those .ij. courtys. For if the kyng haue neuer so lytle enterest, all is ours. So by the sutty [...]y of the lawe, for their oun aduantage, thei make many tymes the king to roble his subiectys, and thei robb the kyng agayne. Take for an exemple: loke vpon the clarkys of eyther of these courtys. At his in­comyng he shal b [...]yng in maner noth [...]ng, but penne and Inck, and within a litle space shal [Page] purchesse .xx.xl.l.ij. or .iij. hundreth marke a yere. Well, it is a comon sayng among the pe­ple: Christ for thy bitter passyō, saue me from the court of the augmentacyon. I haue knoune dyuerse, which haue spent moch mony in that court, and yet at length thei haue geuyn ouer their matters, and had rather lose all their ex­pensys, than to folow it, so endlesse and so chargeable is that court. And there is such op­pressyō and extorsyon in those .ij. courtes, that all the subiectes of the reame (so farre as thei dare) crye out vpon them.

Of the prolongyng of the lawe, and of certen abuses of the same. The xi. Chapt.

OH lord god, who loketh for any brefe­nesse of sutys in the lawe: but mē be dif­feryd from tyme to tyme, yea from yere to ye­re, & drawne owt of such a length with prolongacions, and be at such charge, that I know many men which haue geuyn ouer their right, rather than to folow the lawe: so profitable is it to the lawyers, to the gret dāmage of the [Page] comon welth: yea euyn in the comon lawe be there gret abuses, and amongst many other, this one I note, that the playntyff shal many tymes spend as moch as the matter is worth, be­fore the defendant shal make him answer. This no dowt is an vndoyng to the poore, and a defense for the rich: for in so long han­gyng before he can come to any poynt, the rich man weeryth the pore. Cut shorter your pro­cesse for shame, for that myght well be deter­myned in one terme, which ye doo in .iiij. And now a dayes the lawe is ended, as a man is frynded: yea and euyn in the chansery there are many abuses, and among other this is one, that the defendant shal be sworne vpon aboke, and shal swere falsely, and so it shal be fownd by the cowrt, and the matter shal passe agaynst hym with the playntyfe, so that the court seyth by their own sentence and iudge­ment, that he is periured, and yet is there no punysshment for periuring in that case. And why? All for the profyght of the court. For if periury were punysshed in that case, as it [Page] shuld be in th [...]t and in all other, than shuld the court lose a gret somme of mony in the yeare: For than wold but fewe men so boldly defend wrong causys, as thei doo, but wold seke to agree with their playntyfes, and pay their due, and make recompense for such iniu­rys as thei commyt. I dout not, but if my lord chanceler dyd ponder wel this matter, he wold be the first that shuld procure a remedy for it. A nother thing also worthy to be loked vpon, is this: O lord, how men be tossed from one court to another? yea and that for smal matters, and in manyfest and playne causes, euen vpon a playne obligacyon. This matter is surely nedeful to be loked vpon. Make nor admytt no iudge to sit in any court, onles he be able, righ [...]fully to iudge any matter or cau­se, that shal be commensed in that court. And being sufficy [...]nt to iudge such causes, what shame is it to remoue it from that court to a nother, as though the kyng were more stron­gar or more iuster in one court, than in a no­ther? which surely is nothing but a bucler and [Page] defence for the wicked and rych, to prolong delay, and to wery hym that is in the right. Make no iudgys therfore (I say) but such as be godly lernyd, and able to iudge betwene man and man. And let all thinges be finysshed in that court, where thei be begonne: onlesse men appeale in cause of life and death, or f [...]r gret and waygthy matters, which may be brought to one head court of the reame: And to haue no remouyng but to that one court, as it was in moyses tyme.

Breake down some of your courtys, for ye haue to many, being so fylthyly mynystred. The court of the marshyalsee, I can neyther thynct, speake nor write the slendernesse and vnreasonable chargys of that court. If the kyng knewe what boytrye were there vsed, I think he wold neuer suffer them more to ke­pe court, or els he wold loke other wyse vpō it. It is meruel, but only that god is mercyful, that fyre descend not down from heauen, & destroye that court, and the augmentacyon.

That kyngs and lordys of prysons, shuld fynd their prysoners at their charge sufficyent fode, &cetera. The .xij. Chapter.

I See also a pytyful abuse for preso­ners. Oh lord god, their lodging is to bad for hoggys: and as for their meate it is euyl inough for doggys: and yet the lord knoweth, thei haue not inough thereof. Consyder all ye that be kynges and lordys of presons, that in as moch as ye shut vp any man from his meate, ye be bound to geue him suffi­cyent fode for a man, and not for a dogge. Cō ­sydre, that he is thy brother, and the image of Chryst, if he beleue and repent for his wicked dede, what so euer he hath done. And if he offend the lawe, let him haue the lawe (as afore is sayd) acording to the offence. If it be de­ath, than let him dye, and for the tyme that he is in thy preson, vse him lyke a Christyan: For to put a man to death vncondemnyd, is to commyt murder: And to put a man in pre­son, and to prouyde no meate for hym so that [Page] he sterue for hungar before he be condemnyd, is no lesse than to put him to death. Wherfor it must nedys folow that thei which put men in preson, and suffer them to dye for hungar, are no lesse thā murderers. Further more per­chance thy cruelnesse in mynistryng vnto him such euyl lodgyng and worse fare, may cause hym to falle in to despayre, and so thou for not mynistryng vnto him that which thow art [...]ound, mayst be partaker of his desperacyon. Many tymes also true men come into presons: well, whether he be true or false, yet let hym be vsed lyke a man, and not lyke a beast. In some prisons, though it be but for the plesure of a rular, he shal beare his own chargys, which be so vnreasonable, that it is nedeful to be reformyd: for such as be poore prisoners, and for the helth of their body desyer to be in comons, and to haue a bed, he shal pay .iiij. ty­mes more for it there, than in the derest Inn in Ingland, besyde the charges whan thei be quytt, and yet neyther his fare nor his lodging shal be very gay. It were more conuenyent, [Page] that the kepers of prisons had a stypend ap­poynted vnto them, than to lyue by pollyng the pore prysoners, and to augment their so­row. A nother thyng also commyth to my mynd, which is wonderos nedeful to be loked vpon. There lye in the marshyalsee dyuers pore men: some haue ly [...]n .vi. yea .vij. yeares, cō ­ming vp to sue for land, some for more and so­me for lesse, whether their [...] be good or bad, I knowe not, but by reason their aduer­sarys be strongar th [...]n thei, th [...]y haue found the meanes to cast them in preson, & neyther can thei come to their answere, nor knowe what is layd agaynst them, nor yet be suffred to depart preson, but lye there more lyke dog­ges than men. Yea and life wise in newgate there lye seruantes by the comandmēt of their masters. Alas, what an h [...]uy case is it? it were mete and necessary, and a th [...]ng to be ernestly desyeryd, that wh [...]t so euer he be, that im­prysoneth any parson with owt a iust cause or due proffes, th [...]t he were cast in pryson himself, so long as the other partye [...] there [Page] wrongfully: And also to forfet the halfe of his goodes or landys (which as shal be found better of them both) to be diuyded in .ij. par­tes, the one to the kyng, and the other to the person wrongfully impresoned: this were a good snafful for the tyrannes and oppressers, And yet but rightful and charitable. No dowt euery alderman of london haue powr, which thei vse often for their pleasure, and to accō ­plish their tiranny, that thei may cast a pore man in preson for certen dayes. And whan his dayes be expired, he boroweth his brothers auctoryte, and so may goo thorow the .xxiiij aldermen. Yea many tymes their preson men for their fryndes pleasure, though the party haue deserued no such punysshmēt. This is a cruel and heuy tyranny, and yet there is no lawe to ponissh it.

That men which be accused for preaching, shuld not be commytted in to their accusars handes. The .xiij. chapter.

[Page] VVHat reason is it, or what Christen hart wil say, that it is right, lauda­ble, or lauful, that whan .ij. men be at any controuersye of a matter of lyfe and death, the one shuld be put in to the handys of the other: as lernyd men haue had in tymes past with bisshops, and yet haue be­ne put in to their handys as presoners: wherof dyuerse tymes death hath ensued, as there be examples of late dayes? Was not one with in these .ij. yerys murderyd [...] the bisshop of wynchesters lodge? and than the matter was for­ged, that he hangyd hym selfe. Haue ye not a lyke example of Hunne also? and it is meruel, that any that is in their custody, is not eyther poysonyd or murderyd, were it not the high prouydence of god to preserue them. Wher­fore I say, it is not lauful, that any parson that preacheth, teacheth or wryteth the lawe of the gospel, shuld be put in to the handys of the bysshops, with whom thei contend. And why shuld not both partys be put in preson, tyl the matter be tryed, as wel as the one? And [Page] if the bysshops thēseluys (according to ryght) shuld be put in preson, as well as those whom thei accuse, vntyl such ty [...]e as the matter were tryed and heard before an indifferent iudge, thei wold not be so hasty in accusyng. Yea what reson is it, that bisshops shuld haue any presons at all, but that all men shuld be brought to the kyngs preson? For it is many­fest to all the world, that all shauelings which beare the mark of that abhomynable wh [...]re of Babylon (Rome I meane) be not on­ly parcyal, but also in dede the very enemyes of Christ and his members, euyn as were their predecessors Cayphas and Annas of Chry­stes owne natural body. Bysshops ought no more to be lordys of presons, th [...]n was chryst and his a postyls, which were often impryso­ned, but thei neuer presonyd man: wherfor it is manyf [...]st, that thei be agaynst chryst. Oh ye rulers, why than suff [...]r ye them to haue pre­sons in their houses, where thei torment men most cruelly, and peruer [...] [...] of their fay [...]h most suttylly, and murder them also? Yet not [Page] so secretly, but god seyth them, though the world seyth them not. What pestylent cour­tes haue thei, in which was neuer innocent [...]ound, but whan so euer .ij. false knaues shal secretly accuse a man, although he were as ignorant as a chyld of .ij. dayes old, yet must he eyther dye, beare a fagot, or recant, or at least pryuyly beare a fagot of russhes in his chamber as Moore dyd, so that who so euer come in to their clawys, may not escape quyte, belyke many tymes thei be the accusers them seluys. But what reason, yea what extreme cruelnesse is it, that eyther in that court or any other, any man shuld be condemnyd to death, and haue not the witnessys to come face to fa­ce openly in the court, and openly to be swor­ne? and if the wytnessys be found periured in that case, let them euyn haue the same death, that the presoner shuld haue had, if he had be­ne found gyltye? For who so euer sekyth the death of another wrongfully, is worthy to haue the same hym selfe ryghtfully. Wherfore ye that be in auctoryte, loke vpon this nedeful [Page] matter, and consyder the wordys of the pro­phete Dauyd: ye eate vp my pepyl with as lit­le pyty, as men vse to eate breade. Reforme, reforme, though ye wil not for the loue of god yet for feare, that the vengeance of god lyght not vpon those lawe makers only, but vpon other also, for that cruel lawe that was of late made, that a man shal be condemnyd to most cruel death, and not to be brought in to opyn iustesse: as were the seruantys of god, Barnys, Garet and Iherom, so that he shal not answer for hym selfe. I think there were neuer so cruel lawys made vnder the sonne, as the most part of the lawys that haue bene made with in the­se fewe yearys past. Death, death▪ euyn for try [...]yls, so that thei folow the high prystys in crucyfyeng Christ, sayng: Nos habemus legē, & secundum legem nostram debet mori, we haue a lawe, & by our lawe he ought to dye: this mori, dye, dye, went neuer owt of the pri­stes mouthys syns that tyme: And now thei ha­ue poysonyd the temporal rulars with the sa­me. Wel, be ye warnyd, and serch the scripturys [Page] (which be agaynst yow) and repent in ty­me. And ye that haue bene the autors of such actys, seke to redresse them, for dischargyng of your oun conscience. If ye loue the lord, fo­low the example of them which ground all their iustyce vpon gods word: as in dyuerse cytys in germany this dyreccyon is taken for those that be heretyckys in dede, as be the anabaptistys and such other. Their dyreccyon is this: Thei lay no snarys nor grynnys to catch mennys lyues from them, as doo our forked be­are woluys, but in case any heretycke do hold any vngodly opynyon contrary to the scripture, and so be a teacher or a seducer of the pe­pyl in their wicked sectys, than shal he be cō ­mādyd to come afore the iustyce, wheras shal be certen lernyd men, which shal dispute and open the scrypturys vnto hym, and fatherly exhort and command hym to leaue it. If he so doo, he is brotherly receyued in to the congregacyon frely, and not tost and turmoyled, as our forkyd dragons doo with Chrystes mem­brys. And after if he contynue in his wickyd­nesse, [Page] or at the first will obstynately contynue and resyst the manyfest truth, than thei ba­nyssh him their contry or cyty vpon payne of his head. And than if he will, wylfully or re­bellyosly presume to come in to their cōtry or town which he was forbydden, he shal lose hys head as ryght is, because he breakyth the commādment of the temporal powrs, and not for his faythes sake: neyther put thei any man to death for their faythes sake: for fayth is the gift of god only▪ as witnessyth. s. Pawl in the first chapter to the Phylippyans, so that no mā can geue another fayth. Now let all men iud­ge, whether these men or our blody bysshops goo nerest the scripture.

Of lordes that are parsons and Vicars. The .xiiij. Chapter.

YE that be lordes and burgessys of the parlament house. I requy­re of you in the name of all my pore brethern, that are Englissh men and membres of Christes body, that ye [Page] consyder well (as ye wil answere before the face of almyghty god in the day of iudgemēt) this abuse, and see it amended. Whan as anti­christ of Rome durst openly with out any vy­ser, walke vp and down thorow out Englād, he had so great fauor there, and his childern had such crafty wyttes (for the childern of this world are wyser in their generacyō than the chyldern of lyght) that thei had not only almost goten all the best landes of England in to their hādes, but also the most part of all the best benyfyces, both parsonages and vicara­ges, wh [...]ch were for the most part all impro­pryd vnto them. And whan thei had the gyftes of any not impropred, thei gaue them vnto their fryndes, of the which alw [...]ys some were lernyd: for the monkes found of their fryndes childern at scole. And though thei were not lernyd, yet thei kept hospytalyte, and hel­pyd their poore fryndes. And if the persona­ge were improperd, the monkes were bound to deale almesse to the poore, and to kepe ho­spitalyte, as the writings of the gyftes of such [Page] personages and landes do playnly declare in these wordes, In puram elemosinam. And as tochyng the almesse that thei dealt, & the ho­spitalyte that thei kept, euery man knoweth, that many thowsandes were well releuyd of them, and myght haue bene better, if thei had not had so many great mennes horses to fede, and had not bene ouercharged with such idle gentyl men, as were neuer out of the abbeys. And if thei had any vicarage in their handes, thei set in sometyme some sufficyent vicar, (though it were but seldom) to preach and to teach. But now that all the abbeys with their londes, goodes and improperd personages, be in temporal mēnys handes, I do not heare tell, that one halpeny worth of almes, or any other profight, c [...]meth vnto the peple of those pa­risshes, where such personagys and vicara­ges be. Your pretēce of putting down abbeys, was, to amēd that was amysse in them. It was far amys, that a gret part of the lādes of the abbeys (which were geuyn to bryng vp lernyd men, that myght be preachers after ward, to [Page] kepe hospitalyte, & to gyue almesse to the po [...]re) shuld be spent vpon a fewe supersticyos monkes, which gaue not .xl. pownd in almes­se, whan thei shuld haue geuen .ij. hundreth. It was amysse, that the monkes shuld haue personages in their handys, and deale but the .xx part therof to the poore, & preached but ones in a yere to them that payd the tythes of the personages. It was amysse, that thei scarsely among .xx. set not one sufficyent vicare to preach for the tythes that thei receyued: But see now, how it that was amysse, is amended, for all the goodly pretense. It is amended, euen as the deuel mēdyd his damys legg (as it is in the prouerbe) whan he shuld haue set it right, he bracke it quyte in pecys. The monkes gaue to lytle almesse, and set vnable parsons many ty­mes in their benyfyces. But now, where .xx. pownd was geuen yearly to the poore, in moo than an. C. places in Ingland, is not one meales meate geuen. This is a fayre amendmēt. Where thei had alweys one or other vicar, that eyther preached or hyred some to preach: Now [Page] is there no vicar at all, but the fermer is vicar and person all together, and onely an old cast [...] way monke or fryre which can scarsely say his mattens, is hyred for .xx. or .xxx. shillings meat and drinck, yea in some place for meate and drinck alone with owt any wages.

I knowe, and not I alone, but .xx. M. moo knowe more than .v. C. vycarages and per­sonages, thus well and gospelly serued, after the newe gospel of Ingland. And if a man say to the fermers: why haue the peple no preachers? seing ye haue the tythes and offrings ye shuld fynd preachers. Thei will answere, we haue hyred the personages of this or that lord, and he or he is person or vicar: we pay for the tythes and offerings to the lord that is parson. Well than, I say vnto the my lord parson & vicar, thou doyst wrong to haue personages and vicarages, to haue the tenth pyg, the tēth sheefe, the tenth lambe, goose, flese, and so of all other things, seing that thou art no myny­ster, nor no pryst of Christes church, & canst neyther preach, teach, nor doo any offyce of [...] [Page] parson or of a vicar, but polle & pylle. What canst thou say for thy selfe my lord parson and vicar? Thow wilt say parauenture, the kyng gaue me the abbey and all that longeth ther­to, which had them geuen hym be the parla­ment. Therfor if thou speake against my being person & vicar, though I neyther preach nor teach, nor yet procure none to do it for me, thou art a traytor: for this is the .xiij. artycle of our crede added of late, that what so euer the parlament doth, must nedys be well done, and the parlament or any proclamacyon ow [...] of the parlament tyme, cannot erre. Therfor let no man be so hardy in payne of death, to speake or complayne, for the redresse of any thing that is done amysse, eyther by the parla­ment, or by any proclamacyon. If this be so my lord parson, than haue ye brought Rome ho­me to your own dores, & geuen the auctory­te to the kyng and the parlament, that the car­nal bisshops gaue vnto the pope: which was this: Si papa &ce. If the pope thorow his faut shuld send infinyte thousandes to the deuyl, [Page] yet must no man speake agaynst him. And if ye haue geuyn the same auctoryte vnto the par­lament that the papistes gaue to their general councels, that is, that thei can not erre, and what so euer is onys determyned in a general councel, must nedys be true, and of no lesse au­ctoryte, than the gospel: [...]f this be so, it is all in vayne to loke for any amendmēt of any thing. And we be in as euyl case, as whan we were vnder the bisshop of Rome, if we haue all the lawes of hym cōfyrmed with fyre and death. Surely the popissh bisshops, whan thei were robbed of the pope of Rome, thei wold nedys haue a pope: and therfor thei wold haue made the kyng their pope, and thei gaue hym aucto­ryte to doo all things in England, that the pope dyd in Rome, as to forbyd maryage certen ty­mes in the yeare, and than to sell lycencys for the same, to selle lycence to eate flessh in lent▪ non residencys, and such other. And euen the popys proctor sayd (as it was told me) that he might make sayntes also. And lesse there shuld want any thing to a perfyght pope dome, the [Page] bisshops caused a proclamacyon to be set out in the kyngs name, that from hense forth the ceremonyes of the church, that were of the po­pys makyng, shuld no more be taken for the popys ceremonys, but the kyngs, and so thei made the kyng father to the popys childern. But I am sure, though the bisshops wold make the kyng pope, he wold not take it vpon hym. And I trust, that euery day more and more his grace shal spye their popissh intentys. But to yow my lord personys, how can ye defend your seluys, if a man shuld bring this argument agaynst you, and proue you all theuys, that haue personages and vicarages in your han­des, and can not preach. Christ sayeth Iohn the .x. he that entreth not in to the shepefold by the dore, but clymeth in another way, is a thefe and a murderer: but ye entred in another way, wherfore ye are theuys and murderers. That ye come not in by the dore, I wil proue it thus: Christ is the dore, but by Christ ye ca­me not in to the shepe fold, that is to say, to be parsons and vicars, for ye grant, that ye came [Page] in by the act of parlament, and the act of par­lament is not Christ, for it is not confirmed by christes word, therfor ye came not by christ, and so be ye theuys and murderers: as your workes prouyd of late, in shedding of the blo­de of so many true prechers and shepardes, which spent their lyues for their shepe. If this argument be not strong inough, what say ye by this? All they that come before me (sayth Christ) are theuys and robbers, ye come in to the shepefold before Christ, ergo ye be the­uys and robbars. To come in before Christ, is to be a parson or a vicar before Christ send hym: And ye came in before Christ sent yow, for he sendeth none to be shepardes, but such as he knoweth to be able to fede his flocke, er­go he neuer sent yow: for he knoweth yow vnable to doo that office. And thus to conclu­de, ye be theues and robbers, for a thefe com­meth not but to steale and to kyll. Wherfor gyue ouer your personages to learned men, & enter not in to other mennys vocacyōs to rob­be the ministers both of their office & of their [Page] liuyng, that ye be not punisshed of god. But if ye will nedys be parsons and vicars styll, and haue all the profightes of the personages, and will haue all, euen to the ty [...]he eg of a po­re woman that hath but .ij. hennys, ye must ha­ue the paynes that belong to such parsons as yow be. Heare what almigh [...]y god sayth vn­to yow my lordys, which wil be parsons and pastors, Ezechel .xxxij. If I say vnto the wicked, thou shalt dye the death, and thou speake not vnto hym, to kepe the wicked from his way, the wicked h [...]s own selfe shal dye in his wickednes, but h [...]s blode shal I requy­re of thy hand. Marke well lord parson, for th [...]s is sayd to all them that are parsons, and ta­ke wages and liuyng of the peple, as tythes & offryngs, for feding of them with gods word, or [...]ls by what ty [...]le canst thow chalenge the ty [...]hes? loke well vpon this matter, and by [...] thy conscyence vpon godds word.

Of lordes which are shepardes. The .xv. Chapter.

[Page] WHan the sprytualty was in prosperyte, & had the vpper hand in the reame, thei did farre excede the tē poral lordes in couetosnes: but af­ter thei had a falle, & the lordes hauyng their spoyles, the same pock that was in the clargys wyne and clothes, hath so infected the gentyl men of the temporal [...]ye, that thei can not be cō tent with the sufficyēt lyuelodes that their fa­thers left them, but thei wil inhance, not only the rentes of their londes yearly (which thei nede not to do) but also to get riches, thei wil become parsons, vicars, myllers, masons, and shepardes: so that no mā that was wont to lyue by his shepe, can now haue any pastor for them, by the reason that lordes flockes eate vp the corne, medows, heathes and all together. Thes gentyl men wil say, that we wil kepe no ordre, whan we breake a ceremony of the popes making. But I pray yow, what ordre kepe thei, that neuer toke ordre in their life, and in­ordynately take the liuyng of the ministers of the church, & thurst thē selues in to other mē ­nys [Page] vocacyons. And where as thei shuld be lordes and rulars, thei become parsons & she­pardes, and marchātes, so that no man can ha­ue any liuyng for them. It were necessari, that this were amended, and that no lord had mo [...] shepe than be able to serue his house and he that doth excede, to forfet his whole flocke, half to the kyng, and half to the complayner.

Of first frutes both of benifyces and lordes landes. The xvl. Chapt.

FOr as moch as we haue denyed the popes name, it is conuenient that we also denye all his naug­hty condycyōs there with, that all the whole pope with all popistry may be vtterly denyed and banysshed. The pope explenitudine potestatis made a lawe, that euery bisshop shuld l [...]ck the first yeare all the fru­tes of his bisshopryke, though the bisshop were so worthy his liuyng the first yeare, as the worthyest of all the Apostels. And he or­deyned, that these first frutes shuld neyther [Page] be geuen to blynd nor lame, but to himself, to mayntayne his pryde. This condicyon of the pope is now confirmed in Ingland with an act of the parlament, wherby not only bisshops must pay the first frutes of their bisshoprickes, but also euery parson and vicar of his benefyce, and euery lord the first frutes of his lādys. In which act the popes condicyon is not put a way, but it is .ij. partes gretter than euer it was. For where the bisshops only did pay the first frutes than, now the parson pay, the vi­cars pay, the lordes pay, and in conclusyon all men must so oftē, pay pay, that a man if he to­ke not good hede wold thynk, that the latyn papa were translated in to Englissh, here is so moch payng on euery syde. But I iudge, that the kyngs grace was neuer the cause of thys payng, but thei whom the vengeance of god both hath & wil ponissh. Wherfor I thinck, if the parlament which granted the kyng the first frutes, wold restore them to the good shepardes agayne, the kyngs grace could be as wel content to scrape out this vncharyta­ble, [Page] pay pay, as he was to put out of his reame that Romyssh papa: Specially seing it is cleane contrary to the word of god, and playn rob­bry, if men durst so call it. Heare what the scripture sayth of the lyuyng of prechers. Thou shal not mosel the mouth of the oxe that tre­dyth out the corne, that is to say, he that ta­keth paynes to expound the scripture, ought not to be defrauded of his liuing for his labor. And seing that god forbad that no day the oxe shuld be moselled frō his meate, he that shuld ij. dayes mosel a laboring oxe, shuld breake gods commandment manifestly. And he that shuld mosel him vp .xij. dayes, and allowe him no meate at all, shuld be wonderd at of all men. And euery man wold say, that he had done the laboring oxe wrong, and contrary to nature also, and that fynally he had broken the commandmēt of god. And shal not he than do a Christen preacher wrong, and breake gods commandm [...] ̄t, that moselyth hym for the space of whole .xij. monthes, though he neuer so diligently treade out the corne of gods [Page] word, that the peple may eate and disgest it? Yes surely, though x .M. general councels and as many parlamentes had determyned the contrary. Let not men byld their conscyences so moch vpon the actes of the parlament: For whan god shal say at the day of iudgement, why hast thou taken away my ministers li­uings from them, the first yeare that thei fed my flock? Thinck ye, that god wil allow this excuse, I dyd it by the grant of the parlament, whan as that act of parlament is cleane con­trary to gods word? Nay verely, he will not allow it: for eyther the minister is abyl and doth his duty (and so is worthy his meate the first yeare) or els he is vnable, and so neyther worthi to haue wages the first, nor yet the se­cond or third. It were therfor well done, that it were inacted, that he that preached not, shuld haue no wages, acording to the word of god: qui non laborat, non manducet: he that laboryth not, let him not eate, & that the first, second, thyrd, and all other frutes of benifyces after ward, shuld be geuē to the precher, that [Page] laboryth in the lords vyneyard. And as tou­ching the first frutes of yong lordes lādes, eue­ry man can se, what harme may come therof. The lord hath oft tymes whan he dyeth .iij. score seruantes. Now if his sonne want the first frutes of his landes, wherwith shal he fynd his fathers old seruantes? He must byd thē shift for them selues, and so thei must take stā ­dings in shoters h [...]ll, in newmarket heath, and in stangate hole. And so this payng of their first frutes, is the cause of great theft, robry, murder. For comonly the great theues and robbers, are the masterles and castaway courty­ers, or pompos bisshops seruantes, that haue no wages of their masters.

Of particular tachementes &c. The xvij. chapter.

ANother thing very nedefull to be loked vpon, is th [...]s, that whan any marchant or other, by losse of goodes, by fortune of the see, euel seruantys, euyl detters, by fyre. or▪ other [Page] wyse, come to an after deale, and not able to pay his credyte at his due tyme, but by force of pouertye is constrayned to demand longar tyme, than ye haue a parcyallawe in making of tachmentys, first come, first seruyd: so one or ij. shal be all payd, and the rest shal haue no­thyng. And comonly euer the rych shal haue the foredeale therof by this tachement, to the gret dāmage and oppressyon of the pore. For lygh [...]ly the rich haue the first knouledge of soch things. Wherfor in that case, it were a godly way to make it in Ingland, as it is in dyuerse contryes, whan any such chance falleth, that than the most in nomber of the credytors, and most in somme, shal bynde the rest to doo and gyue lyke tyme, as doo the most of the credy­tors. And if it be duly found, that the man be so farre at after deale, that he be not able to pay his whole credite in reasonable tyme, that than the lawe may bynd them, that euery mā may haue pound an pound a lyke, as farre as his goodys will goo, leauying him some what, as the lawe shal thynck good. And this lawe [Page] shal be both neyhborly and godly.

That the rulars of the erth owght to sytt in the gatys &ce. The xviij. chapter.

ANother thing mete for all rulers, euyn from the lowest vnto the hyghest, to consydre and redresse, is th [...]s: Alas, how long shal men wayte and geue attēdance vpon rulers, before thei can come to the spech of thē? And how many porters be there also, to stoppe mē from commyng to their spech? whan he is past one, he shal be put back at the second: Or if he passe the second, he shal be returnyd at the thyrd, onlesse he be rych or haue great fryn­dys. Oh ye kyngs and rulars, for the loue of god that ye shuld haue to him that both made us of nought, and whan we were lost by our synnys, redemyd us with the blode of his son­ne, study the scripturys and there shal ye see, that iudgys, & rulers, yea euyn the kyngs sa­ [...]e in iudgement in the open gatys, as apperyth in the second of the kyngs the .xix. chapter, [Page] Deuteronomy the .xvi. the second of Esdras the thyrd chapter. And why sate thei in the gatys, but that the peple, yea euyn the porest, might come and open vnto the kyng his own cause? Than were there not so many rych lawyers, which be the poyson of the lawe. For the reuerence of god, ye kynges and ru­lers, eyther sytte in the [...]pyn gatys agayne, or else let your gatys, yea euyn all your dorys, euyn to your pryuy chamber, be wyde open, for certen howrys, and that euery day in the yeare, euyn on ester day and all other dayes, if nede requyre, as thow mayst perceyue Exodi the .xviij. Iudge the peple at all seasons &ce. And consyder what qualytes a iudge or a ru­ler shuld haue: their must be mē that feare god, and that are true, and hate couetosnesse, as is descrybed in the same .xviij. chapter. How many such rulers be in Ingland? Yea thei shuld also iudge the peple rightuosly: Thei shuld not wrest the lawe, nor knowe any parson, nor yet take any reward: for gyftys blynd the wyse, and peruert the wordys of the rightuos as [Page] it foloweth in the text. Heare ye may se, that it is nedeful (as I haue touchyd before) that iudges and all other pleaters in courtys, haue stypendys of the kyng, and there vpon to ly­ue. For here ye se, that the scripture sayth: gyf­tes peruert the wordys of the ryghtuos, that is to say, for the gyftys sake thei wil not se the right of the pore: and so thei turne right in to wrong, wherby the pore be often oppressyd. In dyuers cyteys of Germany (as namely in Arge [...]tyne) the iudgys and lordes syt opynly euery day in the yeare in their towne howse, saue only on the sunday, and than also if nede requyre. And there thei eate cōtynually their dynars and suppars, so long as thei be in offy­ce, bycause thei may alway be present to hea­re the complaynt of the poore: yea euyn the porest man in the cytye or contry, may boldly come in to their hall or stoue, thei being at dy­nar, & no man so hardy as to take them by the sleue, to lette them from the presence of the rulars. And there may he open his matter hym self withowt his chargeable man of lawe. [Page] And he shal be haard, and shal not be answe­ryd, Tary syr knaue, tyl my lordys haue dy­ned. O noble Germanys, god hath made yow a lyght vnto all rulers in the world, to rule after the gospell.

A godly admonycyon, for the abolysshment of dyuerse abusys, that gods glory only may be sowght. The .xix. Chapter.

HOw can that councel seke a go­dly reformacyon of things misu­sed, whā the councel it selfe hath wickyd pryuylegys? Wherfo­re acording to Christes commandment (Ma­thew the .vij.) plucke owt the beame of your owne eyes first, & than ye shal the playnlyer se the mote in your neybhors eyes. Se that ye breake first soch vnneyhborly, vnbrotherly yea and vngodly priuylegys, as ye your sel­uys do enioy agaynst right and conscience, & than shal ye the better se to seke the common welth. Ye haue a preuylege which is this: that if a lord, a knyght, or a burgesse of the parla­ment [Page] howse, or any of their seruātys, owe vnto any of the kings subiectys any somme of mony (be the detter neuer so rich, and the credytor neuer so poore) he shal by the preuylege of the parlament not pay one peny, so long as the parlamēt enduryth, be it neuer so long. Or if any of them or their seruantys haue done to any man any trespas or iniury, he may not also troble them. What is this, but a mayntenance of wyckednesse? And how can wickydnesse abolyssh wyckydnesse? but rather increase it. For the lordys sake loke vpon these thyn­ges, and folow the councel of .s. Austen: let cu­stome gyue place to the truth: so that the truth may rule all things. Also ther is another thing, worthy to be loked vpon, which is this. Ma­ny noble men & gētyl men retayne seruantys, & neuer gyue them peny wagys, and scant a cote: for some be fayne to pay for their owne cotys, and spend all that thei haue of their owne and of other mennys also, hopyng vpon some reward: And whan he seyth, that all is spent, than he wold depart and dare not. And [Page] gay he must goo lyke his felows, and now his fryndes fayle hym, what remedy? forsoth shortly euyn to wath for abowget. Another sort there is, and thei be lyght ryding men, all ready: and thei wil lyue lyke gentyl men. And for h [...]s buclar or shyld, he wil seke to be re­tayning to some noble man or gentylman that bearyth rule in the court or contry, though he pay for his own lyuery. And the noble men and gentyl men, which shuld be the ponyssh­ers of theft, be the chefe maynteyners of rob­ry bi this meanys, often thei robbe, & be not taken: but in case he be taken, eyther he shal haue fauor for his masters sake, or els bragg it owt with a carde of x. ye euyn face it owt, that neyther the playt yue nor the .xij. men dare cast a thefe. Or if all this wyll not helpe, than procure thei the kinges pardon. Oh noble rulars, ye that be Christen in dede, take hede, that ye abuse not your auctoryte receyuyd of god: for if ye hang one that hath offendyd the lawe, and pardon another, be ye not than parcyall? And no dowt if ye pardon a thefe of a [Page] morderer, and thei cōmyt that offence agayn, so be ye partakers of their wickydnesse. For why? if ye had done iustyce afore, that offen­ce had not bene commytted. Well, make a prouyso, that no noble nor vnnoble man, shal retayne any of the kyngs subiectys withowt lauful wagys: And sett a penalty ther vpon.

More ouer In as moch as it is open vnto all the world, that we haue long walked in a fal­se religyon, and haue had confydence in vay­ne thyages (as in the tradycyons of mens Ima­gy [...]acyons) seke to reforme these thynges and to set forth Christys religyō: that we may ho­nor one god only, as the scripture teacheth us: And to leaue worshipping and calling vpon any creaturys in heauyn or in erth, for he is ageluos god, & wil haue no other in his sight Exodi xx. Se therfor that the peple may be taught, that thei haue but one medyator, lyke as thei haue but one god & one redemer. And a way with y [...]wr superfluos holy dayes, for in one holy day is more idlenesse, whordome and glotony vsed than in .x. workyng dayes. [Page] Also away with all your idolls and Imagys both gret and small. For if no whore ought to be suffryd in the congregacyon of god (as it is wryten in Deuterono. the .xxiij.) than ought not the great whorys to be banysshed only, but the small also. Wherfore, seing the scrip­ture callyth Imagys whorys, Ieremy the .iij. And that ye haue rightfully put downe the gret Imagys, with whom the peple haue commytted sprytual fornycacyon: all the rest, euyn the least also, are vtterly to be abolysshed, if ye will take away the occasyon of sprytuall fornycatyō or Idolatry from the people. How can ye for shame suffer your seluys & the pe­ple to crepe to a crosse which will rott, seyng the scripture for byddeth, sayng: non adorabis ea neque coles: that is to say, thow shalt gyue thē neyther inward nor owtward worship­ping▪ Is not this an owtward worshypping of an Idol, to crepe to the crosse, and to kysse it? What is it else? further more, banyssh whordom and other abhomynable vyces, not to be namyd, from your prystes: and let them that [Page] will, haue their wyues, as thei had in the pry­matyue church, as had .s. Peter, as appearyth, Mathew the .viij. and .s. Paul, Philipp. the .iiij For to forbyd it as our bysshops doo. s. Paul calleth it the deuyls doctryne, the first to Ty­mot. the .iiij. chapter. Now therfore if ye wil byleue the holy goost speakyng in Paul, as ye be bownd to doo if ye wyl byleue in god, than shal ye playnly se, that the bisshops which forbyd that and such other lyke, con­trary to the scrypture, be deuyls. Thyrdly cō ­demne that auryculare confessyon, which is the preuy chamber of treason of the bisshops. And let the peple be taught to confesse them seluys to the lord with a repentāt hart: Who only forgeuyth syn, and to confesse and reconcyle them seluys to their neyhbors, whō thei haue offended, which haue the key of losyng in that case. But as it is now vsed (namely in axing of vayne questyons) it doth not my­nyssh synne, but increaseth it. Prouyde also, that prayer & fastyng may be set forth, acor­ding to the scripture: And that the sacramentys [Page] may be mynistred in the mother tung: And that all the seruyce in the church may be taken owt of the scripture, the old Testament and the newe, all inuented seruyce set a parte: And let it be sayd and song all in the mother tong, that all may laude and prayse god together: and so shal we knowe, how to prayse the lord. Iff ye doo this, as ye be bownd, thā vn­dowtydly shal the good workys appoynted in the scripture, florissh among the peple: As namely, to beleue in one god only, to help the sayntys in this world, to decke and fede the image of god: these and such other shal we thā doo of loue, and not seke nor thynk to be iusti­fyed by them. But now thorow gods help, to bryng these godly actes and such other to a good and godly purpose, ye must fyrst downe with all your vayne chantrys, all your prowd colledgys of canons, and specyally your for­kyd wolffys the bysshoppes, leaue them no tē poral possessyons, but only a competent ly­uyng. An hundreth pownd for a bysshop, his wife and chyldern, is inowgh. If he be an [Page] honest man, and preach Christ sincerely, he can not lacke besyde: if he do not, it is to moch. And let there be no more degreys among thē, but prystes and bysshops, as it was in the pri­matyue church. Now for the goodys of these chantrys, collegys, and bisshops, for the lor­des sake take no example at the distrybucyon of the abbay goodys and lādys, but loke rather for your erudycyon, to the godly and polyty­cke order of the Christen Germanys in this case. Which dyuyded not such goodys and lā dys among the pryncys, lordes and rych men, that had no neede theroff, but thei put it to the vse of the comon welth and vnto the prouy­syon for the pore, acordyng to the doctryne of the scrypture.

That one pryst ought to haue but one benyfy­ce and one fermer, one ferme. The .xx. Chapter.

THis thyng is also to be loked vpon, that euyn as one man may haue but one wife, so let a pryst haue but one benefyce, for if he [Page] haue more flockys than one to kepe, he wil ne­uer feede them both well. And if that be not a lyuyng for a man, his wife and his chylderne, as some be not, than ioyne hym to the next pa­ryssh, wherby the poore may be at lesse charge with the pryst. The popissh prestys will make a mocke at this: which hipocrytes I send to the .x. chapter of Mathew, where Chryst say [...]h to his Apostyls and mynysters of his congregacyō, that thei shal not possesse gold, syl­uer nor brasse &c. how moch lesse then shuld thei enioy their Inordynate possessyons? And euyn as a pryst shuld haue but one benefyce, so make that one man, of what degree so euer he be, shal hold and kepe in his own handys or occupyeng no more than one ferme, maner, or lordshy? beyng a competent lyuyng, as of xx. pownd yerely rent: so that it may be lau­ful for one mā to kepe .ij. if thei both to gether be not aboue .xx. pownd: but no man to kepe aboue .ij. be thei neuer so smal rent. This wer [...] a brotherly and godly act. For by your oppressors and extorcyoners▪ how be the townys [Page] and villagys decayed? where as were .viij. x.xij. yea .xvi. how soldys and more, is now but a shepe howse and .ij. or .iij. shepardys. And one man shal haue .ij. or .iij. such thyngs, or more in his hādys, that a pore man can scar­cely haue an hole to put in hys head for these gret extorcyonars. So if ye seke this godly re­dresse, where as ye haue a fewe in a contry, which be mordynate rych extorcyonars and a great multytude of poore peple, than shal ye haue but a fewe poore, and a gret nowmber of a meane and reasonable substance, and fewe poore, & lesse extorcyonars: which wold be no smal ease to the common welth, here shal all Inclosars, grossers vp of fermys extorcyo­nars and oppressers of the common welth, be offendyd at me and call me heretycke and traytor: but all such I send vnto the fyft chapter of the prophete Esay, where he sayth: wo be vnto yow which [...]oyne one howse to another, and bryng one land sonye vnto another, tyl ye can get no more grownd: wil ye dwell vpō the erth alone &c? Ye extorcyonars, lerne to [Page] feare god, and make what, and how vehe­mently the holy gost speakyth here in the pro­phete, wil ye dwell vpon the erth alone? he­re is a fearful sentence for yow.

Of the inhansyng of the custome, which is agaynst the common welth &c. The xxi. chapter.

ANother greuous burden sprōg vp of fewe yerys past, is the inhan­syng of the custome of warys in­ward, which was granted for certen yearys to helpe the kyng toward his warrys: and yet but vpon a condycyon, that the kyng shuld be a shyld and defense of the marchantys goodys, agaynst all pyrates and robbers vpon the see, and to make them good such goodys as shuld be taken. And now it is not holden for certen yerys, but as it were for euer. And from a subsydye, to a custome: and yet the merchantys not defendyd acordyng to the commant neyther, wherby many an honest marchant hath bene vndone. This burdē is not [Page] preiudycyal to the marchantys only, but it is to the great dāmage of the whole reame also. For why? all warys be raysed therby .v. in euery hundreth and somme moch more: so that the comons bye all things so moch the derer. I thynke, if the kynges grace knewe what a burden it is to the comons, & with what euyl wyll his marchantys pay it, he wold, I dowt not, be content with the old subsydy, that is to say, a certen of euery fardel chest, mawnd, ba­le, or what so euer it be, as was in old tyme: and as it is inflandres, and ouer all the empe­rors landys at this daye. Oh that men which be abowt a kyng, wold be as ready to gyue councel, to do rightuosnesse, & to seke discharge of their pryncys conscyence, and the welth of his sowle, as thei be to enuegle hym, to yo­cke his comons, sekyng the only profyght of the body: as though there were no world after th [...]s, or as though the king of allky [...]ges sawe no furder than a mortal prynce.

A godly aduysement, how to bestowe the goodys and landys of the bisshops &ce. The .xxij. Chapter.

ALthough there be many godly myndyd, I trust, in the parlamēt howse, which can dyuyse wa­yes ynowe, to employe the goo­dys and landys of bysshopes, deanys, canons, and chantreys, to gods glory, to the common welth, & to the help of the pore (as there are wayes ful many, who so lysteth to study thē) yet I thynk my selfe bound, partly to wryte myne aduyse, in some things which be most nedeful. First part of them may be distributed to the poore, as well to poore maydens maria­ges and poore house holders, as to the blynd, sick, and lame: onlesse it be the one halfe of the plate to come to the kings grace, for this pur­pose that it be turned in to the coyne of the reame. And of their temporals, let .viij. or .x. pound and not aboue of euery hundreth, be granted to the kyng, that he therof may haue [Page] homage, as chefe lord and king, as reason is. And to ease the comons of subsidys, whan ne­de shal be: that the pore & myddel sort of the peple may be easyd therby: The rest to be em­ployed vpon poore cyties and townys, and to the prouysyon of the poore, as part of it to be lēt to poore occupyers, to euery citie acording to the nomber of the occupyers in the same. And let euery occupyer haue acording to his nede: and euery one to be bound brotherly for another, ioyntly to the kyng. That is to say, the whole town, as many as haue any part of the mony: and the first yere [...] pay no entres, but euery yeare after .iij. pound of euery hundreth pound, that the somme may encreace, and not decay. And make a prouyso, that no cloth be made, but in cy [...]eys and great townys, and the town seale to be vpon euery cloth, which town shal make good all such faw [...]ys as shal be fownd in their clothys. And agayne also, that the clothyers shal kepe no fermys in the cuntry, except it be one for his own prouysy­on: and thus shal ye haue true cloth made, and [Page] euery neyhbor lyue by other. The lordys and gentylmen by their londys, the marchant only by his marchandyse, the clothyer by making his cloth, the fermer by tylling his land, and bredyng &cete.

Itē part of these forsayd goodys may be em­ployed to this vse, that in euery hundreth, good towne, or cyty, certen howsys be maynteynyd, to lodge and kepe poore men in, such as be not able to labor, syck, sore, blynd and lame: And euery one of them to haue wher­with to lyue, and to haue poore whole womē to mynystre vnto them. And for Christes sa­ke, ye rulers, loke vpon your hospytals, whe­ther the poore haue their right there, or no, I heare that the masters of your hospytals be so fatt, that the poore be kept leane and bare inough [...]he crye of the peple is heard vnto the lord, though ye wyll not heare. Now to our former purpose agayne, let phisicyans and sur­gēs be found in euery such town or cyte, whe­re such houses be, to loke vpō the pore in that towne, and in all other ioyning vnto it, and [Page] thei to lyue vpon their stipend only, without [...]aking any peny of there pore, vpon payne of losing both his earys, and his stypend also. Itē in dyuers head cyties and good townes, let scho [...]es be mainteyned, and lectures to be had in them of the .ij. tongys, Hebrew, Greke & Latyne, and the readers to haue an honest sti­pend. Item in euery such cyty and town to ha­ue a certen nomber of pore mens chyldern, found of free cost, tyl thei be of good age, and wel lernyd. Item the encrease of the mony, that is to say .iij. pownd of euery hundreth, to be bestowyd vpon poore copyls at their marya­ges to b [...]ginne the world withall. These wa­yes and such lyke, may thos goodys and lādys be bestowed, of another sort than to fynd such a sort of belly goddys, and idle stout and strōg lor [...]s as ye h [...]ue done, yea a sort of dronken bussardys, and thus haue the Germanys (where as the gospel is receyuyd) bestowed the goodys and landys of soch abbeys, as thei ha­ue suppressyd. And I thinck, no godly hart can be agaynst this dyuyse. Now therfo [...] [Page] I exhort the higher powers, in the name of the euerlyuing god, that if thei wyl not loke vpon these spyrytual extorcyonars (I meane byssh­ops, canonys and chanterers) for the zeale which [...] ought to beare to the congregacy­on of god, ney [...]her for the loue that thei ought to haue to the common welth, and to the poo­re: Yet let them remember it for their own welthys sake. And let the kyngs grace consy­der, how tyrannosly by the vertu of their wi­cked mammon, thei vsed part of his progeny­tors, kynges of Inglād: as Wyllm Rufus, Hen­ry [...]he second, and kyng Iohan. Rede the sto­ryes, and ye shal se part of their knauery: yet is th [...] best made to cloke their wickednesse. It were hard to say, whether thei were the au­ctors of the commocyon in the north or no. I thynck it is as well possyble for the ocyane se to be without water, as it is for them to cease musyng of myschefe.

A lamentacyon for that the body and tayle of the pope is not banisshed with his name. The .xxiij. Chapter.

[Page] OH mercyful father of heauyn, I can neuer lament inough, to hea­re the gospel thus blasphemyd, to be namyd a thing causyng se­dicyon, whan it is the only cause of concord and peace in conscyence vnto the faythful. Yet these bysshops, deanys, and canons of collegys, with other the popys shauelings acor­ding to their old wont, shame not to blasphe­me this holy word, by all the sotle meanys that can be dyuysed. How besy were thei to stey the puttyng forth of the great byble, and to haue had the byble of Thomas mathy cal­led in, but the lord streng [...]h [...]yd the hart of the prynce to set it forth agaynst their willys: yet how shamefully haue thei and their membres in many placys of England dreuyn men from readyng the byble? yea & Boner bysshop of london, shamyd not in the yere a thowsand fyue hundreth and forty, to preson one porter and other, for readyng in the byble: which if it be not h [...]resy to god, than what is heresy? And if it be not treason to the kyng to deface [Page] his iniunccyons, than what is treason? And a­gayne, if it be not th [...]ft to the comon welth, to steale from thē their sprytual fode, than what is robry and theft? And euyn in the begyn­nyng of the last parlament in the yere a thou­sand fyue hundreth and .xli. how dyd thei blaspheme rage & belye the holy goost, saing it is not ryghtly translated, and that it is ful of heresys and that thei wold correck it, and set out one ryghtly: soner can thei fynd fautys thā amend it. Who perceyueth not your wickyd intent ys, that in the meane tyme ye loke for the death of the kyng, whom god preserue to his plesure? O ye blynd phylistyans, the scrip­ture is ful of sentencys which teach men to knowe you, and to beware of you. I can not blame you, though ye fyght thus agaynst god and his word, to shutt it vp from the peple: For why? who so euer readyth or hearyth the [...]ontentys of that boke, and byleueth the holy goost, shal playnly se, that ye be the very ene­myes of god: and so shal cast you out of their [...]onscyence, where ye haue long sytten in the [Page] place of god: wherby also ye shuld lose your gret ryches and auctorite, which makyth you to roare lyke lyons, to teare lyke bearys, and to byte lyke cruel woluys, and to styng lyke adders. No dout one bisshop, one deane, one college or howse of canōs, hath euer done more mischeffe agaynst gods word, and sought more the hynderāce of the same, thā .x. how­ses of monkys, fryers, chanons, or nunnys euer dyd. The kyngs grace began wel to wede the garden of Ingland, but yet hath he left ston­dyng (the more pytye) the most fowlest and stynkyng wedys, which had most nede to be first pluckyd vp by the rootys, that is to say, the prycking thistels and stingyng nettels: which styll stondyng, what helpyth the de­posyng of the pety membres of the pope, and to leaue his whole body behynd, which be the pompos bisshops, canons of collegys, deanys, and such other? surely it helpyth as moch as to say, I wyl go kyll all the foxes in. s. Iohans wodde, because I wold haue no more foxes bred in all England. We say we haue cast the [Page] pope out of Ingland: how so I aske ye, seyng he came neuer in Ingland, how can he be cast out thereof? some wil say yes, his tributys and other pollagys be taken from him. Wel, than­kys be to god, we be some what eased of our tēporal and bodyly burden. But there be gret­ter things in this matter, than that: which wel ponderyd, we may say, and lye not, that the pope remayneth wholly styll in Ingland, saue only that his name is banisshed. For why, his body (which be the bisshops and other shaue­lings) doth not only remayne, but also his tay­le, which be his filthy tradicyons, wicked la­wys, and beggarly ceremonyes (as. s. Paul cal­led them) yea and the whole body of his pe­stiferos canon lawe, acording to the which, iudgement is geuyn thorow the reame, and men condemnyd to death after the prescrypt of it: so that we be styll in Egypt, and remay­ne in captyuyte, most greuosly laden by obser­uyng and walking in his most filthy drosse a­forsayd, which is a mysty and endles maze. And so long as ye walke in those wicked la­wys [Page] of antichrist the pope, and maynteyne his knyghtes the bisshops in soch inordynate ri­ches and vnla [...]ful auctoryte, so long say I, ye shal neuer banyssh that monstruos beast the pope, out of Ingland. Yea and it shal be a me­ane in processe of tyme, to bryng us in to a tēporal bondage also agayn, and to haue him reygne as he hath done lyke a god. And that know our forked cappys ryght well: which thing makyth them so boldly and shamelesly to fyght in their gods quarel, agaynst christ & his word. The bysshops of England neuer to­ke so gret paynes to defend the pope and his kyngdome, as they haue done syns the kings grace toke rightfully from him his accusto­myd pollagys, which vsurpedly he had out of this reame. To proue this to be true, what blo­od haue thei shed, syns that tyme, of the belo­uyd seruantes of the euerlyuing god, for pre­ching, teaching, writing and walking in the truth: as Tewkysbery, Baynam, [...]ryth, Byl­ney, Barnys, Garet, Ierom, with diuerse other in kent, salysbery, and dyuerse other placys. [Page] And Wyllm Tyndal the apostle of Ingland, (although he were burnt in Brabance) yet he felt the bisshops blessing of Inglād, which procured him that death, which he loked for at their handes. Neuertheles, I dowt not, but that all these be of the nomber of them, that. s. Iohā spekyth of in the Apocalipse, which lye vn­der the altar, till the nomber of their brethern be fulfilled, which shal be slayne for the go­spels sake. I reherse not their namys for anye prayse to be geuyn to them: but that the cōgre­gacyon of Christ may laude and prayse the euerliuyng god, for geuing them grace to stād so faythful in the lord to the end, leauyng vs the victory, which is part of your spyrytual comfort. For god promyseth the preachers & mynysters of his word, no other reward in this life. And thorow the preaching of these poore wretchys (but out castes, in the sight of the world, as. s. Paul sayth) he hath wrought this, that where as the kyng was before but a shadow of a kyng, or at the most but halfe a king, now he doth wholly raygne thorow [Page] their preaching, wryting and suffryng. But now to the tyranny of the bysshops onys a­gayne: which besydes the murderyng of these sayntes, how haue thei bewitched the parla­ment howse in making su [...]h [...]yperos actys as the beast of Rome neuer made him selfe? for the pope neuer made the mariage of prystes, to be death and such other. Thus by your sotil­tes and most crafty wyles, ye make the peple to abhorre the name of the pope for a face, and compel them to walk in all his wicked lawys. And the word of god which we say we haue receyuyd, is not nor can not be sufferyd to be preached and taught purely and sincerely, without mixyng it with your inuented tradycyons and seruyce. For who so euer doth (stō ­ding faythfully vnto it) he shal dye for it. Thus ye may se, that the thing which we say that we haue cast of, we receyue, cherissh, maynteyne, and walke therein: And agayn, that thing whi [...]h we say we haue receyued, by the craft and tyranny of the bysshops, is abhorred, despysed, takē for a sedycyos thing, [Page] called newe lernyng, and men be dreuyn frō it for feare of losse of goodys, of ponysshmēt of body, and danger of death: so weake and frayle is our flessh. What a lamentable thing is this, that men shuld be dryuyn from the go­spel of Christ, the glad tydings that bringeth peace in conscyence to the faythful, that is forgeuenesse of synnes in Christes blode. By these frutys all men may knowe, that thei be more natural to their wicked father the pope, than any child can be to his natural father. And that shal the reame fele at the chāge of a prynce, or at such tyme as thei loke for, vnlesse god of his mere mercy breake the wicked councels of them. What is the cause, that the bisshops be so dilygent to sytt so often vpon the .vi. wycked artycles, But only that thei be a stablysshing of the popys auctorite, be thow sure? Now therefore, that same god wich gaue grace to Achab to harken vnto the [...]oyce of Elyah. the .iij. of the kings the .xviij. to the cō ­founding of the false prophe [...]ys, gyue our no­ble king that same grace, [...]f it be h [...]s godly wil [Page] of Rome, I wyl recyte certē doctrynes of the scrypture, manifestly taught by the holy goost, the prophetys, apostyls, and by Chryst Iesus hymselfe. And compare them with the doctrines of the bysshops, and thou shalt manyfest­ly se, that their doctryne is as directly agaynst the holy goost, as is lyght agaynst darcknes. First the scripture teacheth one god only thor­out the byble, and the apostles refused to be worshipped, as the .xiiij. chapter of the actes of the apostels doth manifestly declare, where Pawl and Barnabas rent their clothys, cryeng vnto the peple: Why do ye thys? we be mor­tal men lyke vnto yow, turne from these va­nytes vnto the liuyng god, &c. lyke wyse the angel refused to be worshipped of man. Apo­calypse, the .xxij. with dyuerse other testymonyes, as the .xx. of Exody, the Psal. lxvi. and lxxxvi. And agayne, Imagys are forbydden thorow the scripture, & hated of god, which commandeth us, that we shuld not ones bowe vnto them, Exodi. the .iiij. and .xx. Leuiticus xxvi. And Salomon curseth both the Image [Page] and the maker theroff, sayng, the sekyng of thē to be the begynnyng of whoredome in the xiiij. chapter of the booke of wysdom. Further more reade the .xliiij. chapter of Esay, and I dowt not, but if thou beleuyst in god, thow wylt not worship nor knele afore an image, for all the goodys in the world. But now con­trary to thys doctryne, our forkyd chanany­tes the pompos bisshops teach us to worship many goddys. If any man aske me how I proue that, I answer: what a multytude of holy dayes haue thei made vnto sayntes, as to the Virgyn Mary, Pawl, Peter, Iamys, Iohan, corpus Christi, &cet. For what purpose do thei hold those holy dayes, but only to honore thē as goddes? do thei not make men to fast their euyns as though thei were goddes? do thei not teach us to pray to them, and to crye to them for helpe? Come to the labor of a woman that is a pharysy, and thow shalt heare hir crye & call for help, more vpon the virgyn Mary, than shal will vpon the euerly [...]yng god, who is the only creator and sauyor of the vir­gyn: [Page] yea and that most blasphemosly, sayng, our lady haue mercy vpon me. And lyke wy­se vpon other of goddys creaturys. Now in these dayes thei wil say haply, we teach not to worship them as goddes, but as mediators. [...] the, that is also a false and a deuelyssh do­ctryne. For the scripture sayth, there is but one mediator betwene god and man, Iesus Chryst the. [...]. to Tymothy the .ij. chap. Hebruys the .iiij the .ij. of Iohan. the .ij. chap. the Ephesyans the iij. S. Paul dyd wel to name Christ, that we may know, who it is, though the bysshops wil not for their offerings sake, and therfor thei wold haue many mediators. It is euydent also, that thei teach men to worship Imagys, for euery church is ful, and specyally. s▪ mary ouerys in so [...]hwarke, for gylded imagys. And although by the vertu of the kyngs iniunccy­ons▪ dyuerse Idollys be taken away yet. Bo­nar [...]isshop of lond [...]n, by the cowncel of cole his trayteros popyssh chanceler, one of poolys ryght scolars, although he came from hym vnder a presēce, to be his depute as his frutys de­clare, [Page] if thei indifferently were loked vpon, by his deuelyssh councel, I say, hys master sha­med not, contrary to the same iniunccyons, to set vp other in their placys: as in the body of Powlys church, where as stode an Idol of the virgyn Mary, of his feruent charyte toward the mayntenāce of Idolatry, that it shuld not vtterly decay, and of hys cold loue, and fauor toward the kyngys iniunccyons, set vp in the same place another Idol of. S. Iohan baptyst. And Wynchester at his beyng a Ratyspone, caused an Image to be gyldyd, and payd for the gylding of an Idol, named the schone Ma­ry, that men of all nacyons being there, might se, what fauor he bare toward hys pryncys in­iunccyons. Do thei not by these and such actys cōdemne the kyngs deposyng of Idols, as moch as in them lyeth. Oh pry [...]ytraytors, and opē Idolators. Ye wyl say, thei be bokys for the vnlerned, and therfor necessary: But how can that be necessary, why [...]h the holy gost so di­ligently forbyddeth vtterly, as before is sayd, Answere me cole wyth thy po [...]yssh canon [Page] lawe? Agayne, god in the old lawe appoyn­ted the seuynth day to be kept holy called the sabbate day, for the which we hold the sun­day: whych our fore fathers ordeyned in the steade of the satterday, that the peple shuld come together to the tempyl, to heare goddys word preached in their mother tong, wherby thei were edifyed to walke in the amendment of lyfe, and to bryng forth the frutys of our fayth, that is good workys appoynted in the scrypture, only to goodys honor, and the pro­fyght of our neyhbore: but yet not to kepe it so Idylly, that after we haue heard gods word, but that we myght doo any nedeful busynesse vpon the sunday, as wel as other dayes. And as for our holy dayes of our own inuenting, in wh [...]ch we worship the creaturys of god, the lord hatyth them, as apperyth playnly in the first of Esay. Yea god hatyth and abhor­ryth them, sayth the Prophete Amos in the .v chap. And Paul rebuketh them, that kepe soch holy dayes, Galathyans the .iiij. sayng, ye ob­serue dayes &ce. I am afrayd, lest I haue be­stowed [Page] labor vpon yow in vayne. But our Idle bisshops contrary to the scripturys befo­re cyted haue brought us in bondage, that in maner the forth day in the yere thei haue ma­de holy day, and not to god only, as all men knowe, but to his creaturys: And how do the peple hallowe them? In cōmyng to church to a sort of domme ceremonyes, & to here moch inuented seruyce, in a strange tong which thei vnderstond not, nor yet .x. among an hūdreth of them seluys. And thus the peple depart the church as empty of all sprytual knowlege, as thei came thether. And the rest of the day thei spend in all wanton and vnlawful gamys, as dyse, cardys, dalyeng with wemen, dansing, and such lyke. But if any man do any bodyly worke, though very nede for the mayntenan­ce of his lyuyng cōpel hym there vnto, he shal be punysshed and called heretycke to. But not witstondyng, this thei are cōtent with (than­kys be to god) that if such an heretyck worke euery sunday in the yeare, though it be on Ea­ster day, for the kyngs grace, or by his com­missyon, [Page] it is no offence, but lauful, as though it were lauful for th [...] kyng to breake gods cō ­mandment. But for all that, if thei fearyd not more the kyng than thei doo god, thei wold ponyssh them also. Oh most suttyl and wyly theuys, what kyng or emperor, yee what bis­shop or Apostle, can dyspense with godds word, which he eyther biddeth or forbid­deth? Where as Chryst saieth, thow shalt not put away thy wyfe but only for adultery, can all the whole world, ye antychrystes, di­spense with me to put away my wyfe, but for that cause only? If ye beleuyd ryghtly in god, and lyued in his feare, ye shuld dispense ther­with for no nother cause. More ouer the scri­pture teacheth us, mariage to be institute of god, Genesis the .ij. and honoryd of Chryst with his presence and first myracle, turnyng water in to wyne, Iohan the .ij. And. S. Pawl say [...]h: let euery man haue his wife, to auoyde fornycacyon. [...]. to the Coryn. the .vij. marke, he sayth euery man, here is no man except. For it is honorable, sayth Paul to the Hebruys, and [Page] the bedd thereof vndefyled. And in the pri­matyue church it apperyth, that the Apostels had wiues, as Peter and Paul as is before re­hersed, And Paul calleth it a deuyllyssh doc­tryne to forbyd mariage, to them that haue not the gyft of chastyte. And yet not witstonding our lecheros bisshops, o [...] rather sodomytes, as chast as a saw [...] bytch, take it for a vyle & an vnholy thyng: for thei forbyd themseluys and all that beare the marke of the beast antichrist to mary▪ and haue procured death to them that seke rather to mary, than to burne: but to kepe whorys, their own lawe permytteth. Steuyn gardner, which was the chefe causer of that wicked act, is it not manifest & openly knoun, that he kepyth other mennys wyues? which I could name, and wil doo here after, if he leaue not his shameles whordom. If all the bysshops of Ingland were hanged, wh [...]ch kepe harlots and whorys, we shuld haue fewer pōpos bysshops than we haue. Well, yow bysshops, which had your maryd wy­ues at the making of that wicked act, and put [Page] them away for feare, loke well vpon it, for ye had bene better to haue suffred death, than so cowardly to denye the lawe of the lord. Wherfor I aduyse yow in the name of the lord, bytterly to repēt with Peter, takyng bet­ter hold, and receyuing your owne maryed wyuys agayne: yea though ye shuld giue ouer and for sake all your pōpos auctoryte and vay­ne ryches. And stand fast to gods word, euen in the face of princys, as did the apostels, the Christen bisshop. S. Ambrose, with all the faythful sort from the begynnyng. Remember what Christ sayth: he that denyeth me befo­re men, him shal I denye agayn before my he­uynly father. And agayne: he that holdeth the plough, and lokyth back, is not mete for me, & such other. For if ye stop your mowthes, your talent shal be taken from yow, and geuen to him that hath x.

Agayne, the scripture teacheth us to con­fesse our synnes only vnto god with a repen­tant hart, and to loke for absolucyon of them thorow Christ, Daniel. the .ix. Dauyd confes­syd [Page] hym to the lord, Psalm. xxxij. and .li. M [...] ­nasses made a ryght confessyon, as apperyth in his prayer. If we so confesse our selues, we shal gladly forgeue euyn our enemyes. And in thus cōfessing our synnes to the lord with a cō tryte hart, repentyng and turning frō our syn­nes, all that we haue done before, shal no mo­re be thought vpon, but seperat from us, so far­re as is the east from the west as say [...]h the prophet. And whan we offend our neyhbers and brethern, we may not only confesse vs vnto the lord, but also vnto them whom we haue offended, and be reconciled one to another, as Christ teacheth us in the .v. of Mathew, and Iames also in the .v. chapter of his epistle. This confessyon taught us the holy gost long before antychryst had fownd out that fylthy [...]ri­cular confessyon to his gresy shauelings, which was not from the beginnyng, neyther shal be to the end. Thei teach men to poure their synnes in to the earys of their generacyō, that thei may sytt in the conscyence of men, wher as god alone shuld sytt. And agayne, [Page] thei heare gladly the confessyon of harlottes, that thei may know where to spede. And the sy [...]nes being pouryd in to their eares by mo­uth, not redargyng the repentance of the hart, yet thei take vpon them to forgeue such syn­nys, where as it is the offyce of god only to forgyue synne. And thei do both robbe god of his offyce, and also, disceyue the pore blind peple, which thynck them seluys to be healed, whan thei remayne lepers styll. For their ma­lyce remaynyth styll, [...]uyn agaynst their fryndes many tymes, and that for small matters, not withstonding their confessyon. As for the key of byndyng and▪ losyng, the grettest part of them knowe no more what it mea­nyth, than a bussard. Oh ye blasphemers, what grownd haue ye to stablyssh your au­rycular confessyon? Haply ye wyl alledge that place, where as Chryst sent the lepers vnto the pryst, luke the .xvij. which maketh as moch for that purpose, as to lay an vnyon to my lytel fyngar for the tothe ache. For Christ sent them to the prystes, only to offer [Page] an oblacyon after the lawe, and that the pry­stes myght se, that thei were whole, and so af­ter certē dayes to be kept in for a tryal, which exspyred and than thei being fownd whole, the prystes myght admytte them to come in to the company of the whole peple agayne. Reade the .xiij. and .xiiij. of Leuiticus, and thow shalt perceyue the same. Christ healyd the people of dyuerse other diseasys as of the palsy, blody flyxe, possessed with deuyls and such other, yet he neuer sent none to the prystes, but the lepers only: which he dyd, bycause it was so appoynted of god in Moi­ses lawe.

Item Chryst teacheth us, how we shuld pray, not with moch bablyng, as the hethyn doo, thinkyng to be heard for their moch bab­lyng sake. Mathew the .vi. (yet ought the prayer of a Christyane to be contynuall, as he shewyth by an example of the lendyng of .iij. loauys luke the .xi. & agayne by the parable of the iudge luke the .xviij) but we must pray in lyfting vp our myndes vnto god, [Page] and we must regard, that our mouth, spyryt and hart be eleuated to gether myndfully in fayth: for god is a spyryte, and wyl be wors­hypped in spyryt and truth, Iohan the .iiij. This teacheth the scripture: but our forked Hypo­crytes teach us to nomber our prayers, to say so many ladys Psalters, with long ma [...]tens & euynsonges: and that all in latyne. Which the lay peple vnderstond not. How can we pray, or worship god aryght▪ whan our hartes knowe not whether our mouth laudyth god for his benefightes allready receyued, or els that we demawnd any peticyon? agaynst soch kynd of prayng. S. Paul fygh [...]y [...]h with the sword of the spyryt in the . [...]iiij. to the Co­rynth. And also the Proph [...]te Esay in the .xxix. chap. sayng: In vayne doth this people approch vnto me with their lyppes, their hart beyng farre awaye from me &cete. But our shauelyngs teach, yea and command their shauelyngs, that thei be bownd to ouer ron­ne their seruyce from the begynnyng to the end, and than good inowgh, wherso euer the [Page] hart be: but [...] there lacke but one verse vn­sayd, thei haue a grudge of conscyence, and meane that all their labor is lost, for the which cause I my selfe in my dayes haue sayd many tymes .ij. hundreth and fifty aues to one ladys Psalter, because I wold be sure to say inowe. Forsoth it may well be called lyplabor.

Item the scripture teacheth what true fast is, and how to fast, in the .lviij. of Esay, that is to say, to lett them out of bondage which be in danger: to breake the oth of wicked bergans: to let the oppressed goo fre: to deale thy bread to the hungry, to bring the poore fatherles to thy house, to couer the naked &ce. For soch fast, Christ offeryth us the kingdome of his father, Mathew .xxv. Which teacheth us also, that whā we fast, we shuld not fast to be se­ne of men, but vnto the father, Mathew the .v But our belly goddes teach, yea command us a contrary fast, appoynting us dayes to abstey­ne from flessh. To the which fast, not only the strong, lusty, and helthy parson is bownd, but also the sycke, poore and nedy, which hath scant nature to beare the body. And though he [Page] hath not eatyn a good meale in .viij dayes be­fore, yet must he fast their appoynted dayes. And that not only to the honor of god, but al­so for the honor of the sayntes, his creaturys yea and some also for the honor of the pope as the Imbryng dayes: so lo [...]h be the bysshops, that their fa [...]hers, antichrystes rememberance shuld decay or be forgoten. And where as christ techy [...]h, not to fast to be sene of mē, thei wyl haue all the world to knowe whan thei fast, for thei proclayme it openly always in the church the sunday before, sayng: such a day ye shal fast in the worshyp of this or that saynt. And yet though he eate abundance of fyssh, so that he surfet, or drynck tyl he be dronken, th [...]t [...] not, nor their lawe reprouyth hym not▪ But as before is sayd, though very neces­syte constrayne a poore man to eate a morsel of flessh vpon their appoynted dayes, he is an [...], and must do penance. And if he wil [...] to it that he may so doo by gods lawe (as he may in dede) he shal dye therfor. Is not this a miserable thing? No man denyeth this, that if any man fele his flessh prone and ready to [Page] wickydnes, it is necessary for hym to abstayne from meates, not only flessh, but all other mea­tes that may prouoke him to any concupiscēce, vntyl he hath mortifyed his flessh, and made it subiect and obedyent vnto the spiryte: But this must not be done onely on the fryday or vpon certē appoynted dayes, but euery day thorout his life, whan so euer he shal fele his flessh so enclyned and bent. And this fast shal be a re­medy, to swage the ragyng of his flessh. And it is good to be vsed of syngle parsons, and of such as be absent frō their yockfelows, & prycked to fylthynes. And this is the fast, which S. Paul speaketh of vnto the Colossyans: Mortyfye your membres vpon erth, &c. but to te­ach, that mē are bownd to forbeare or abstey­ne from meatys, more one partycular day than another, or more from one kynd of meate than from another (seing god hath created all to be receyued with thanckys geuing of thē, which byleue and know the truth) it is a deuyllissh doctryne, as. S. Paul witnesseth. i. Tymot .iiij.

Item Christ sayd vnto his apostles, which were bisshops of his church, that thei shuld be [Page] seruantes and mynisters, and not Idols as ours be, saing: The kinges and lordes of the gētyles raygne ouer them, and thei are called gracios lordes, but ye shal not be so: but he that wil be grettest among yow, shal be your mynister: and he that wil be chefe, shal be seruant vnto all. For the son of mā came not to be ministred vnto, but to minister vnto other. And agayne: christ sayth, that foxes haue holes, & the bir­des of the ayer haue nestys, but the son of man hath not where to rest his head. Soch possessi­onars were the bysshops of the primatyue church. Now ye may opēly se, that our lordly apostateys frō christ, be nothing lesse than mi­nisters or Euangelical bisshops. For thei be masters, gouernors, rulers, lordes, yea and most greatest lordes. And thei wil be cōmyssyonars in maner in euery tēporal matter. And thei be also of prynces and kynges councels, and em­bassytors for princes. But woo is vnto that cyte, town, contry or reame, where thei rule in councel. And comēly it spedeth vnhappyly to that reame, where thei be embassytors, short­ly after. For some mischefe foloweth more or [Page] lesse, or els thei fayle of their purpose, as some dyd with in these .ij. yerys, thanckys be vnto god only therfor. And where as christ had not where in to hyde his heade, how contrary be thei vnto hym and to his apostels also, whose successors thei wil be called, whan thei be not thing lesse. What lordes haue more gorgyos houses than thei haue? yea fewe lordes lyke them. What a cockatryse syght was it, to se such an abhomynable sort of pompos bisshops in lordly parlament robys, as went before the king at Westmyster the .xvi. day of Ianuary in the yere. 1541. euyn to the nōber of .xviij. where as .iij. were inowe to poyson an who­le world? what godly redresse, to set forth the christen relygyon, or reformacyon of thinges for the comon welth can there be hoped for, where such a sort of vypers be? And specially where thei beare such a swynge, as Wyn­chester doth, to whom the grettest nomber of the bisshops do leane? How blynd be the tem­poral rulars styll, to suffer such a kyngdome to raygne amongst them? Euery mā may se, how vnlyke thei be vnto Pawls mynd. [...]. to Tymo­the [Page] .iij. who sayth, that a bisshop must be the husbond of one wyfe. Now it is euydent, thei wil no wyues, but whores as many as thei lyst, And if any of christes bisshops take a wi­fe, after the second warnyng, thei will burne hym. Honestly appareld, sayth Paul: and how pyedly goo thei lyke mommers, disgysed from the common peple? Paul sayth, harberos: of whom? of the poore? No, of whom than? of lordys, knyghtes, and men of lawe, that thei may defend their popissh kyngdō. Paul sayth: Apte to teach, but thei beate, & teach nothing: And if thei teach any thing, what teach thei? euen that Paul writeth of vnto Tymothe the doc­tryne of the dyuel: makyng the word of god of none effect thorow their tradycyons. Paul sayth: Not geuē to fylthy lucre. But where be so couetos wretches in the world, as our sha­uelings are? he that denyeth thē but one grote, of that which thei do but say to be their right, how will thei tosse hym in the lawe? yea and if he stand agaynst them, thei wil serue hym as thei seruyd master honne, or els bring hym to the [...]yer. Now all men may se, that their quali­teys [Page] agree with Pauls descripcyon, as ranck poyson doth with holsom remedy Itē the scri­pture teach [...]th us to beare the crosse of ch [...]yst, saing: let euery man take his crosse, and folow me &ce. and it teacheth us that crosse to be all maner of aduersyte and tribulacyō, which we shuld beare for the gospels sake after christ a [...]l the dayes of our lyffe, as christ saieth in the .ix. of luke: who so euer beareth not his crosse dayly, can not be my disciple. And for this cause. S. Paul reioyseth so oft in his pistels, of that crosse, which he receyuyd for the gospels sa­ke, in the second to the Cory [...]thyans the .xi. chapt. Galat. the .vi. and in dyuerse other pla­ces. But our forked and open Idolators teach no such crosse, but because Christ suffred do­ath vpon a crosse (which is rotten many yea­res a goo) thei wil haue men to worship all crossys, which be but synylytudes of the crosse that is rotten. And how forse thei all men, to crepe vnto that crosse at Easter? And if thei crepe and geue no mony nor mony worth, [...]hei shal be cownted heretyckes. Thus for lukers sake the greasy canonistes nosel the peple in [Page] Idolatry. Oh lord, how hast thow plaged the world for Idolatry and adultery? which our bisshops can not se, because thei can not sprytually perceyue aryght, the benefyte that we receyued only in Christes blode thorow his passyon. But thei must haue a crosse of syl­uer and gold borne before them, which thei worship: for thei must se with their corporal eye, that which thei worship. But what sayth the scripture? who hath sene the symylytude of god at anytyme? Thei wyl not beare that crosse of Christ, that Paul speaketh of, the vi. to the Galathyans, but thei wil crucifye vnto death all those which wold beare that crosse. Now most deare christyans, and specyally ye burgessys of the parlament, here I haue brefe­ly touched certen thinges, how and what the holy scripture teacheth thorow the holy gost, spoken and wrytten by his prophetys, Euangelistes and apostels, yea & by his deare son also our only and ful redemer Iesus Chryst. Also I haue touched as brefely as I can, certē things how and what our bisshops teach, whose do­ctryne is as directly agaynst the scripture of [Page] god, as antichrist may be agaynst Christ. And as thei agree in these fewe things, so do thei in all other. Serch the scripture, and thou shalt as easely knowe the enemies therof, as thou maist know a foxe by his furred tayle. How cā god and mammon agre? no more surely can the pō ­pos bisshops agree with the scripturys, because it bewrayth them. It calleth them rauening wolues in shepys clothyng, Mathew the .vij. Eze .xxij. Zophoni .iij. And do not their qua­lytes in all poyntes agree with wolues? for as lytle pytye haue the bisshops vpō a right pre­acher, writer or professor of the gospel, as hath a wolfe vpō a lambe in his hongar. The­re be examples inowe in our dayes, how thei haue constrayned certen men to recant. And where as the holy gost sayth, that thei shal come in shepys clothing, do not thei come vnder the color of gods word, to confound both the word & christ therto as moch as lythe in thē? I wold fayne axe a questyon, whether those that persecute, or those which are persecuted, be more lyke wolues? Thow seist, that those which he persecuted, are very pore mē in the [Page] sight of the world (although thei be riche in god) And neyther thei nor none of their doc­tryne neuer persecuted man vnto death, Thei haue no rule, no pour, no toth, no horne, no sword, no lawe as bisshops haue. But the for­kyd persecutors haue vnreasonable riches, & pour of the sword &ce. in their handys: The pore sort seke the blode of no man, but are content to spend their own blode, to call all men vnto christ by his word, with the losse of their lyues. Wherfor if thou be not wilfully blynd, and a membre of antychrist, thou maist easyly se and perceyue, whych be wolues & which lammes. The scripture callyth thē also dragons, lyons, Beares & such other names as in the .vij. of Daniel, Prouer .xxvij. Ezech .xxij. and in dyuerse other places, and all for their cruelnes and other correspondent qualy­teys, which I wil no further prosecute at this tyme, because the matter is euydent inowgh with out any further declaracyon.

A brefe rehersal, conteynyng the somme of all that is hetherto spoken. The .xxv. Chapt.

[Page] NOw to touch the conclusyon of this my cōplaynte, the effect (as ye may percey­ue) is this, that the body of this reame, I meane the comynaltye, is so oppressed and oueryoc­ked, as fewe reamys vnder the sonne be by wicked lawes, cruel tyrānes, which be extorcio­nars and oppresors of the common welth. For all men are geuen to seke their own pryuate welth only, & the pore are nothing prouyded for. We remayne also and contynue styl in a perpetual bondage and spiritual captiuyte, for as moch as we walke in all the wicked lawes, most fylthy tradicyons, and beggarly ceremo­nyes of Babylō, Rome I meane, which the bisshops of the reame (the deare children of their father of Rome) cōstrayne mē vnder the pay­nes of death to obserue, by force of their inor­dinate riches & vnlauful auctorite. All which abuses here in mencyoned & innumerable o­ther, which I can not, neyther is it possible for me to remember, for the loue that ye ought to haue vnto god, and for the hope that ye ought to haue in the merytes of christes blode, all ye lordes, knightes and burgessys seke, seke to re­dresse [Page] thē, And let all things be reformed, and set forth by the soch stone, which is godds word. So that frō hense forth the glory of god may be sought in all thinges, as ye haue in ty­me past sought the glory of mē. And where as ye haue sought euery man his own pryuate or partycular welth, now seke your neyhbors welth as your own. And where as ye haue bestowed moch ryches vpō the dead, & clo­thed stockes and stones, Now bestow it vpō the lyuyng poore sayntes, which be the image of god as the scripture teacheth. And let all thinges be done of Zeale only for gods truthes sake. And thus ye shal please god, & cause him of his mere mercy to withdrawe his wrath, yea rather his iustyce from us, that is to say in­numerable plages hāgyng ouer our headys & bēt agaynst us, which we haue rightfully de­serued, for castyng a syde gods word, and fo­lowyng our own Imagynacyōs. But in case ye wil not so doo, nor harken to reforme the pre­mysses, seing god hath so many wayes war­ned yow (as by his mynisters, preachers and wrytars) but wil styll playe the cananytes & [Page] tyrannys, no dowt euyn as god is god, so loke for some of the plagys of Egypt, which he wil sodenly send vpō yow, whan ye thinck least vpon them. Yea all the examples of the bible declare, that without diligent reformacyō & profound repentāce, the reame of Englād abo­ue all other reamys vnder the Sōne hath most rightfully deseruyd to be plaged, and that ve­ry shortly. For why? at this day the extorcyō and cruelnes of the temporal rulars is so come to pas, that in maner euery one of thē is beco­me a very Nero. And the yockes of the lawe be so heuy, that no faythful christen man is able to beare them. As for adultery and Idolatry, which euer stanck in the syght of god, I thinck there was neuer reame vnder the sonne might so well be cōpared to the land of Sodome and Gomor as the reame of England. And further to declare the lykelyhode of your ponysshmēt, how hath the word of god bene prechyd and set forth by wrytars? so syncerely, and so ab­owndantly, as neuer was more in any reame. And the mynisters of god in that offyce haue bene so suttylly persecuted, & so cruelly mor­dered [Page] as was neuer more in city nor reame, no not in Ierusalē, which is reproued in the scrip­ture for killyng of the prophetys. And all the examples of the bible declare, that where the word of god goth before, & is not receyued, nor no amendmēt of lyfe folowyng therupon, the plages of god folowed euer more.

Agayne: another lykelyhode that ye shal not escape your rightful ponisshment; is this. Many yeares past what tranquillyte hath this reame bene in? And what troubles of late hath god so fatherly pacifyed? That we might euy­dently se, that it was his worke, and no man­nys. And all to haue brought vs vnto repentā ce. Agayne, what plenty of corne and aboun­dāce of other thinges haue we had these fewe years past? so that all thinges had bene at a wonderos lowe price, as I think was neuer se­ne in Inglād, but only for that that rent ys be so enhāsed. Mark this, & ye shal perceyue, how Ioyntly this agreith with the. vij. fat oxen, which betokened a tyme of plenty, but loke what folowed? vij. leane oxen, Genesis. xli. Wherfor as is sayd, these things be surely bēt [Page] agaynst us, and must of necessyte come vpon the reame, onlesse god turne his Iustyce in to mercy. But I aduyse the o Ingland, presume not thow there vpon, and say not, but thow art warned. Wherfor a wake from thy slepe, that thy blode come not vpō thyne oune head. The euerliuyng god, who of his Iustyce most rightuosly plaged Hierusalem, and of his most fauorable and aboundant grace shewyd mer­cy vnto the cyty of Bethula, that most mercy­ful god, grant vnto the peple of Ingland such lyke repentance as had the Ninyuytes, and to bring forth the frutes of the same, turning from their wicked wayes, as the Niniuytes dyd. If thow so wilt, oh mercyful lord god, so be it. The grace of our lord Iesus Christ, the loue of god, and the felowship of the holy goost be with yow all: wherby ye may turne from all your abhomynacyons, to the euerliuyng god. So be it, so be it.