The fyrst Chapter

LEt euery soule submyt hym selfe vnto the auctorite of the hyer po­wers. There is no power but of God the powers that be are or­devned of Gog. Who so euer therfore resysteth the power resysteth the ordy­naunce of God. They that resyste, shall receyue them selfe dampnatiō. For tu­lers are not to be feared for good wor kes, but for euyll. Wylte thou be wyth oute feare of the power? Do well & so shalt thou be praysed of the same. For he is the minister of god, for thy welth. But & yf thou do euyll, than feare. For he beareth not a swerd for nought. For he is the minister of God, to take vege­aunce of thē that [...] euyl. Wherfore ye must nedes obey, not for [...]eate of vēge­aunce onely: but also because of cōscien ce. Euen for this cause paye ye trybute For they are goddes ministers, seruin­ge [Page] for the same purpose.

Gyue to euery man therfore hys due­tye: trybute to whom trybute belōgeth. Custom to whom custō is due: feare to whom feare belongeth Honour to whō honour pertayneth. Owe nothynge to any mā: but to loue one another. For he that loueth another fulfylleth the law. For these commaundementes. Thou shalt not cōmitte▪ aduoutry. Thou shalt not kyll. Thou shalte not steale. Thou shalte not beare false wytnesse. Thou shalt not desyre, and so forth yf there be any other commaundement, are all cō ­prehended in thys sayenge. Loue thyn [...] neyghbour as thy selfe. Loue hurteth not hys neyghbour, therfore is loue the fulfyllyng of the law.

As a father ouer hys chyldrè is bo­the Lorde and iudge, forbyddyng that one brother auenge hym selfe on a no­ther, but (yf any cause of strife be betwe ne them) wyl haue it brought vnto him selte or his assignes, to be iudged & cor­recte, so god forbyddeth all mē to auen­ge thē selues, & taketh the auc [...]orite and office of auēgyng vnto hym selfe sayēg Vengeaū [...]e is myne & I wyll rewarde. Deu▪ xxxii. Which text paul alegeth Ro xil. For it is impossyble that a man shulde be a ryghteous, an egall, or an in dyfferente iudge, in hys owne cause, [Page 4] lustes, and apytytes soo blynde vs. More ouer when thou auengeste thy selfe thou make ste not peace, but sterest vp more debate.

God therfore hath giuen lawes vn to all na [...]yons and in all landes hathe­put kynges gouernours and rulers in hys owne stede, to rule the worlde tho­rowe them. And hath commaunded all causes to be broughte before them, as thou readest. Exodi. xxii. In all causes (saythe he) of iniury or wronge, whe­ther it be oxe, asse, shepe, or vesture, or any loste thynge whyche an other cha­lengeth, let the cause of bothe partyes be brought vnto the Goddes, whome the goddes cōdēpne the same shal paye double vnto hys neyghboure. Marke, Iudges are, called Goddes. the iudges are called goddes in y ^• scrip­tures because they are in Gods rowme and execute the commaundementes of God. And in an other place of the sayd Chapter Moses chargeth saynge: Se that thou rayle not on the goddes, ney­ther speake euyl of the ruler of thy peo­ple. Who so euer therfore resisteth thē resysteth God (for they are in the rowe me of God) and they that resisteth shal receyue theyr dampnation.

Such obedience vnto father and mo ther, mayster, husbāde, emperoure, kin­ge, lordes, and rulers requyrith God of [Page] all nations, yea of the very turkes and infideles. The blessynge and rewarde of them that kepe thē, is the lyfe of this [...]lessinge world as thou readest Leuiticum, xviii. kepe my ordinaunces and lawes, why­che yf a man kepe he shall lyue, therin. Whych texte Paul reherseth. Roma. x x [...]ouyng therby that the ryghteousnes of the lawe is but worldly, and the re­warde therof is the lyfe of thys world. And the curse of thē that breaketh thē Curse. is the losse of thys lyfe: as thou seest by the punyshment appoynted for them.

And who soeuer kepeth the law (whether it be for feare, for vayne glory, or profyte) though no man rewarde hym, God re­wardeth al obedience though no man elles doo. yet shall god blesse hym abundauntly & sende hym worldly prosperite, as thou readest Deuteronomion. xxviii. What good blessynges accompanye the kepinge of the law, and as we se the Turkes farre exceade vs Christē men in world­ly prosperite for theyr iuste kepynge of God auē ­geth all disobediē ­ce though no man els doo. theyr temporall lawes. Likewyse thou­ghe no man punishe the breakers of the law yet shall God sende his cu [...]ses vpō them tyll they be vtterlye broughte to nought, as thou readest moost terrebly euen in the sayde place.

Neyther may the inferiour person a­uenge hymselfe vpō the superior, or v [...] ­olētly resyst him, for whatsoeuer wronge [Page 5] it be. If he do he is condēpned in the dede doyng: in asmuch as he taketh v­pon hym that whyeh belongeth to god only, wh [...]ch sayth vengeaunce is myne Uenge­aunce is goddes. and I wyll rewarde. Deute. xxxii. And Christe sayth Math. xxvi. All they that take the swe [...]de shall peryshe wyth the swerde. Takest thou a swerde to auen­ge thy selfe: so gyuest thou no rowme vnto god to auēge the, but robbest him of hys moost hye honoure, in that thou wylt not let hym be iudge ouer the.

Yf any mā might haue auenged hym Dauid. selfe vpō hys superior, that might Da­uid most righteously haue done vpō hi [...] ge Saul which so wrongfully pers [...]ru­ [...]d Dauid, euen for none other cause▪ then that God had anoynted hym kin­ge and promised hym the kingdom. Yet whē god had delyuered Saul in to the handes of Dauid, that he myght haue done what he wold wyth hym, as thou seest in the fyrst boke of kinges y ^•. xxiiii. chapter, how Saul came in to the [...]aue where Dauid was. And Dauid came to him secretly & cut of a pece of his ga [...] mēt. And as sone as he had done it hys herte smote hym because he had done so much vnto hys lord. And whē hys men corraged him to sle him he āswered, the lord forbyd it me, that I shuld laye my­ne hāde on him. Neyther suffred he hys [Page] men to [...]urte hym. When Saule was gone out Dauid folowed & shewed him the pece of hys garment and sayd: why bel [...]ueste th [...] the wordes of men that say, Dauid goth aboute to do the har­me: perc [...] & se that there is neyther euyll nor wickednesse in my hande, and that I haue not trespassed against the, and yet thou layest awayte for my lyfe God iudge betwene the and me [...] auē ­ge me of the, but myne hande be not v­pon the as the olde Prouerbe sayethe God de­ [...]oyeth one wyc­ked by a­nother▪ (sayth Dauid) out of the wycked shall wyckednes procede, but myne hande be not vpon the meanyng that God euer punyshed one wycked by another And agayn (sayd Dauid) God be iudge, and iudge betwene the and me, and beholde and pl [...]at my cause, and gyue me iud­gement or ryght of the.

And in [...]he, xxvi. chaptre of the same boke▪ whē Saule persecuted Dauid a­gayne, Dauid came to Saul by night, as he slepte, and al his mē, and toke a­way hys s [...]re, & a cup [...]e of water frō his heed. Then sayde Abisay Dauids scruaūt, God hath delyuered the thyne enemye in to thyne hande this daye, let me now therfore nayle him to the groū ­de God pro­uideth a meanes to with my spere, & g [...]ue hym but euen one steppe and no more Dauid forbad hym saiēg, [...]yll him not: For who (said [Page 6] he) shall laye handes on the lordes an­noynted to take the euyll out of y ^• way whā they haue ful­fylled their wic­kednes. Why Da uid s [...]ewe not Saul The kyng is in the rowme of God in this world▪ and be not gyltye? The Lorde lyueth or by the Lordes lyfe (sayd he) he dy [...]th not excepte the Lord smyte hym, or that his day become to dye, or els go to batell, and there peryshe.

Why dyd not Dauid slee Saul, se­inge he was so wycked, not in persecu­tinge Dauid onely, but in disobeienge goddes cōmaundementes, & in that he had slayne. lxxxv▪ of Goddes prcistes wrōgfully? Uerely for it was not law­full. For yf he had don [...] it, he must haue synned against god. For god hath ma­de the kyng in euery realme iudge ouer al, & ouer him is there no iudge. He that iudgeth the kyng iudgeth God, and he that layeth handes on the kyng, layeth hande on God, & he that resysteth the kynge, resisteth god, & dampneth god­des law and ordinaūces. If the subie­ctes synne, they must be brought to the kynges iudgement. Yf the kynge syn, The kyng must be re serued vn­to the ven geaunce of God. he must be reserued vnto the iudgemē ­te, wrathe and vengeaūce of God. And as it is to resyste the kynge, so is it to resyst his officer whyche is set or sente to execute the kinges commaundemēt.

And in the fyrst chapitre of the secō ­de boke of kynges. Dauid commaun­ded the yonge man to be slayne, whych brought vnto him the crowne and bra­celet [Page] of Saul, and sayd to please Da­uid withall, that he him selfe had slaine Saul. And in the fourth chapter o [...] the same boke. Dauid commaunded those two to be slayne, whych brought vnto hym the he [...]d of Isboseth Sauls son, by whose meanes yet the hole kyngdò returned vnto Dauid accordyng vnto the promyse of God.

And Luke. xiii▪ Whan they shewed Christ of the Galileās, whose bloud Pi late myngled with theyr own sacrifice: he answered: suppose ye that these Ga­lileās were synners aboue all other Ga leleans, because they suffered suche pu­nyshment? I tell you nay, but excepte ye repente, ye shall lykewyse peryshe. Thus was tolde Christe (no doubt) of such an intēt as they axed him mat. xxii Whether it were lawful to gyue tribu It is not lawfull for a chri­sten sub­iecte to re siste hys Prynce, thoughe he be an Heathen man. te vnto Cesar. For they thought that it was no syn to resyst an Heathē prince: as fewe of vs wold thinke (yf we were vnder the Turke) that it were synne to ryse against hym, and to rydde our sel­ues from vnder hys dominion, so sore haue oure byshoppes robbed vs of the true doctrine of Christ. But Christ con­dempned theyr dedes, & also the secrete thoughtes of al other that cōfēted the­re vnto, sayeng: except ye repent ye shal lykewyse peryshe. As who shulde saye, [Page 7] I know that ye are within in your her tes, such as they were outward in their deades, and are vnder the same damp­dation: excepte therfore ye repente be­tymes, ye shall breake out at the last in­to lyke deades, and lykewyse peryshe, as it came afterwarde to passe.

Hereby seest thou that the kyng is in thys worlde wythout law, and may at hys lust do ryght or wrong, & shal gyue accomptes, to God onely.

Another cōclusiō is this, that no per­son neyther any degree, may be exemp­te from hys ordinaunce of God Ney­ther can the profession of Monkes and freres, or any thyng that the Byshoppe of Rome can laye for them selues, ex­cept them from the swerd of the Empe rour or kiges, yf they breake the lawes For it is wrytten, let euery soule sub­mitte him selfe vnto the auctorite of the hyer powers. Here is no man excepte, but all soules must obeye. The hyer po­wers ar the temporal kynges and prin­ces, vnto whome God hath geuen the swerde to punyshe who so euer synneth The kyn­ge hathe no power but to his dāpnacyō to preuy­lege. God hath not gyuen them swerdes to punyshe one and to let another go free and to synne vnpunyshed. More ouer wyth what face durste the spiritualtye whych ought to be the lyght and an ex­ample of good lyuynge vnto all other, [Page] desyre to synne vnpunished or to be ex­cepted [...] age the spiritual­tye to sin­ne vnpu­nyshed. from tribute, tolle, or custome, that they wolde not beare payne wyth theyr bretherne, vnto the mayntenaun­ce of kynges and officers ordayned of God to punishe synne? There is no po­wer but of God (by power vnderstāde the auctorite of kynges & princes) The powers that be, are ordayned of God Who soeuer therfore resisteth god: yea though he be Byshoppe, monke or fre­re. They that resiste shall receyue vnto them selues dāpnatiō Why? for gods worde is agaynst them▪ whych wyll ha ue all mē vnder the power of the tem­porall swerde. For rulers are not to be feared for good workes, but for euyll. Hereby seest thou that they that resyst the powers or seke to be exempte from theyr auctorite haue euyll cōsciences, & seke lybertie to synne vnpunyshed, & to be fre from bearyng payne wyth theyr bretherne. Wy [...]t y ^u be without feare of the power: So do well and thou shalte haue laude of the same (that is to saye, of the ruler) With good lyuyng ought the spiritualtye to rydde thē selues frō feare of the temporall swerde, and not with craft and with blynding the kyn­ges, and bryngynge the vengeaunce of God vpon them, and purchasing lycē ­ce to synne vnpunyshed.

[Page 8]For he is the minister of god for thy A kynge is a great benefyte though he be neuer so euyl welth, to defende the from a thousande inconueniētes, from thenes murderers, and them that wolde defyle thy wyfe, thy doughter, and take frō the all that thou hast. Yea lyfe and all, yf thou dyd resyste. Further more, though he be the greatest tyraūte in the worlde, yet is he vnto the a great benefyte of God, and a [...]thyng wherfore thou oughtest to thā ­ke God hylye. For it is better to haue somwhat thā to be cleane stripte out of all together: it is better to pay▪ the ten­the than to lose all. It is better to suf­fre one tyraunte than many, & to suffer wrong of one thā of euery man. Yea & it is better to haue a tyraunte vnto thy kynge than ashaddowe. For a passiue kynge doth nought him selfe, but suffre other to do wyth him what they wyl, [...] to leade him whether they lyst. And ati­raunte, though he do wronge vnto the good, yet he punysheth the euyll & ma­keth all men obey, neyther suffereth a­ny man to polle, but hym selfe onely. A kynge that is softe as sylke and effemi­nate, that is to say, turned vnto the na­ture of a woman, what with his owne lustes, whych are as the longynge of a woman with chylde, so that he can not resyste them, and what wyth the wyill tyrannye of them that euer rule hym, [Page] shall be muche more greuous vnto the realme than a right tyraūte. Reade the cronicles and thou shalt fynde it euer so

But and yf thou do euyl, than feare, Princes are ordey­ned to pu­nishe euyll doers. for he beareth not a swerbe for nought. For he is the minister of God, to take vengeaunce on them that do euyll. Yf the office of princes, geuē them by God be to take vengeaunce of euyll do [...]rs: than by thys texte and Goddes word, are all princes dampned, euen as many The dāp­nacion of princes. as geue libertie or lycence vnto the spi­ritualtie to synne vnpunyshed. And not only to syune vnpunyshed them selues: but also to open sentuaries, priuileged places, churchyardes, saynt Iohannes Sentua­ries. holde: yea & yf they come to shorte vnto all these, yet to set forth a neckeuerse, to saue all maner trespassers from the Necke­uers. feare of the swerde of the vengeaunce of God put in the handes of princes to lie vengeaunce on all suche.

God requyreth the law to be kept of all mē, let them kepe it for what soeuer purpose they wyll▪ Wyll they not kepe the lawe: so vouchsaueth he not that Thre na­tures. they enioye thys temporall lyfe. Nowe are there thre natures of mē, one all to­gether beastly, whych in no wyse recei­ue the lawe in their hartes, but [...]yse a­gainst princes & rulers, whē so euer they ar able to make theyr partie good. The se are signified by them that worshyp­ped [Page 9] the golden calfe. For Moses brake the tables of ther lawe yet he came at thē. The seconde are not so beast [...]yt but receyue the lawe, and vnto thē the lawe commeth, but they [...]oke not May ses in the face. For his countenaunce is to brighte for thē, that is, they vnderstā de not that the lawe is spirituall, and requyreth the [...]erte. They loke on the pleasure, profite, and promo [...]yō that fo loweth the kepynge of the lawe, and in respecte of the rewarde kepe they the la we outwardly with workes, but not in the herte. For yf they myght obtayne ly ke honour, glory, promocion, and digni te, and also auoyde all in conuenientes, yf they broke the lawe, so wolde they al so breake the lawe and folowe theyr lu stes.

The thyrde are spirituall and loke Moyses in the open face and are (as Paule sayth the se [...]ōd to the Romains) a lawe vnto them selues, and haue the law wryten in theyr hertes by the spiri­te of God. These neade neyther of ky ^•n ge nor officers to dryue them, neyther that any mā profet thē any rewarde for to kepe y ^• lawe▪ for they do it naturally

The fyrste worke for feare of the swer de onely. The second for rewarde. The thyrde worke for loue frely. They loke on the excedinge mercy, loue, and kynd­nes [Page] whiche God hathe shewed them in Christe, and therfore loue agayne and worke frely. Heuen they take ot the gy [...] Heuen to meth by Christ te of God thorow Christes deseruynge and hope without all maner doubtyng that God according to his promyse wil in this worlde also defende them / and do all thinge for them of his goodnes and for Christes sake / and not for any goodnes that is in them. They consen t [...] vnto the lawe that is holy and iuste & that al mē ought to do whatsoeuer god commaundeth for none other cause but because god commaundeth it. And theyr great sorowe is because that there is no I Christē man se­ [...]eth no­more but Goddes wyll. strēgth in theyr mēbres to do that wh [...] [...]he theyr herte lusteth to do / & is a thur ste to do.

These of the last sorte kepe the lawe of theyr owne accorde and that in tyeyr herte & haue professed perpetual warre agaynste the lustes and appetytes of y ^• fleshe, tyll they be vtterly subdued: yet not thorowe theyr owne strength / but knowinge and knowleginge theyr we­kenes / crye euer for strength to. God which hath promysed assistēce vnto all that call vpon hym. These folow God & are led of his spirite. The other two are led of lustes and appetytes

Lustes and appetytes are dyuers and Lustes. many, and that in one man: yea and one [Page 10] luste contrarye to another and the gre test lust carieth a mā all together away with him. We are also chaunged from one lust vnto another. Otherwise are we dysposed when we are chyldrē other wyse when we are yong men and other wyse when we are olde otherwyse ouer euen / and otherwyse in the mornynge, yea [...]ōtymes altered. vi. tymes in an hou re. How fortuneth al thys? Because y ^t Fre wyll the will of man foloweth the witte and is subiecte vnto the wyll / and as the wit [...]e [...]rreth so doth the will and as the wit te is in captyuyte / so is the will neyther is it possible that the will shulde be fre where the witte is in bondage.

That thou maiste perceyue and feale Worldly wytte. the thinge in thyne herte, and not be a vayne sophister disputynge aboute wor des without perceyuinge marke this. The rote of all euyll / the greatest damp [...]acyon and moste terryble wrathe and vengeaunce of God that we are in / is naturall blyndnes. We are all out of the ryght waye / euery man his way­es. One iudgeth this beste / another that to be beste. Nowe is, worldlye witte no thinge elles but crafte / and soteltye to obtayne that whiche we [...]udge fal sely to be best, As I erre in my wytte so The will is bond [...] led. erre I in my will. When I iudge that to be euyll, which in dede is good / then [Page] hate I that whiche is good. And when I suppose that good whiche is euyll in ded [...], then loue I euyll. As yf I he per­swaded and borne in hande that my moste frende is myne enemye, than ha­te I my beste frende: & yf I be brought in beleue that my moste enemye is my frende, then loue I my moste enemye. Nowe when we saye, euery man hathe his fre will, to do what him lusteth. I saye verely that men doo what they lust Not withstondinge to folowe lustes ys not fredome, but captiuite and bōda gs. If God opē any mannes wittes to make him feale in his herte, that lustes and appetites are dampnable, and ge­ue him powre to hate and resyste then, Fredome then is he fre euen with the fredome wher with Christ maketh fre, & hathe All is syn ne that sprengeth not o [...] the spirite of Go [...], and all that is not done in the ly­ghte of Goddes worde. powre to do the will of God.

Thou mayst her▪ by perceyue that all that is done in the world (before the spi rite of God come & geueth vs light) is dānable synne, & the more glorious the more damnable: so that that whiche the worlde counteth most glorious is more damnable in the sight of God thē that whiche the whore, y ^• thefe & the morthe rer do. With blinde reasōs of worldly wis [...] maist thou chan̄ge the myndes of youth & make thē geue them selues to what thou wylte eyther for feare, for [Page 11] prayse or for profyte: and yet doest but chaunge them frō one vyce to a nother so do our spiritual­te in all theyr wor kes. As the persuasions of her frēdes made Lucrece chast, Lucrece beleued yf she we re a good huswyfe and chast, that she shulde be most glor [...]ous, & that all the worlde wolde geue her honoure, & prayse her. She sought her owne glory in her chastite and not Gods. When she had lost her chastite, then counted she her sel fe moste abhominable in the syghte of all mē, and for very payne and thought which she had, not that she had dysplea sed god, but that she had lost her ho­nour slewe her s [...]lfe. Loke how great her payne & sorowe was for the losse of her chastite, so great was her glory and reioysinge therin, and so moche dyspy­sed she thē that were otherwyse: & petid thē not. Which pryde God more abhor­reth thē the whoredome of any whore. Of lyke pryde are all the morall vertu es of Aristotell, Plato, and Socrates & all the doctryne of the Philosophers the very Goddes of our scole men.

In lyke maner is it for the most parte of our most holy [...]eligyō. For they of lyke imaginaciō do thinges which they of Bedlē may se, that they are but mad Trewe myracles are wrought to cō ­firme the preachynge & not the god­h [...] of the prea­cher nes. They loke on the myracles whiche God dyd by the sayntes to moue the vn beleuynge vnto the faythe, and to [...]yr [Page] me the trouthe of his promises in Chri ste, wherby all that beleue are made sain tes: as thou seest in the last chayptre of Mark. They preached (saythe he) euery where, the lorde working with thē and confirmynge theyr preachinge with my racles that folowed And in the fourth of the ac [...]es, the disciples prayed that God wold stretch forth his hādes to do miracles and wonders in the name of Iesus. And Paule [...]. Corinth. [...]iiii. saith that the myracles of speaking with di­uers tonges is but a signe for vnbele­uers, and not for thē that beleue. The­se Our ypo [...]rytes a­ [...] blyn [...] myracles turne they vnto another purpose sayenge [...] theyr blynde hertes Se what myracles God hathe shewed forthis sainte, he must be verely great with God. And at ones turne thē selues frō Goddes worde, and put theyr trust and confidēce in the saynte and his me rites, and make an aduocate or rather a God of the saynt, & of theyr blind ima ginaciō make a testamente or bonde be twene the saynt and them, the testamēt of Christes blode cleane forgottē, they loke on the sayntes g [...]rmentes & lyues or rather lyes which mē lye on the sain tes: & this wise ymagen in their hertes sayenge the saynt for wering s [...]ch agar mente and for soch deades is become so glorious in heuē If I doo lykewyse, so [Page 12] shall I be also. They se not the fayth & trust which the saintes had in Christ [...]ne ther the worde of god which the sain­tes preached, neyther the entente of the saintes. How that the saintes dyd soch thinges to came theyr bodies, and to be an ensample to the world, and to teach that soch thinges are to be despised whi che the worlde moost wōdreth at, & mag nifieth. They se not also that some lan des are so whote that a mā can neyther drinke wyne nor eate fleshe therin, ne­ther cōsyder they complexiō of the sain tes, and a thousande lyke thinges se they not. So whē they haue killed their bodyes and brought them in that case, that scace with any r [...]stauratyue they cā recouer theyr health agayne, yet had they leuer dye thē to eate fleshe, why? for they thinke, I haue nowe this. xx▪ xxx. or. xl. yeres eatē no fleshe & haue ob­teyne [...] I doubte not by this tyme as hye a rowme as the best of thē: shuld I now loose that? Nay I had leuer dye & as [...]ucrecia had leuer haue bē slayne (yf he had not bē to strōg for her) thē to haue lost her glorie, euen so had these. They ascribe heuē vnto theyr imagina ciōs & madde inuēcions, and receyue it not of the lyberalyte of God, by the me rytes and deseruynges of Christe.

He nowe that is renewed in Christe, The spiri tuall man [Page] kepeth the lawe without any lawe wry The natu rall man. ten, or compulsion of any ruler or offi­cer, saue by the ledinge of the spirite o­nely: but the naturall man is entysed & inoued to kepe the lawe carnally, with carnall reasons and worldly perswasi ons, as for glorie, honour, ryches, & dig Feare is the last remedy. nite. But the last remede of all whē all other fayle, is feare. Beate one and the rest will abstayne for feare, as Moses euer putteth in remembraunce sayenge: kyll, stone, burne. So shalt thou put e­uyll from the, and all Israell shall heare and feare and shall no more do so. If feare helpe not, then will God that they Kynges defende the false auctorite of the Bi shoppe of Rome their offi­ce punis­shinge of sinne laid a part. Bisshop­pes myni stre the Kynges dutie theyr ow­ne layde a parte: yea they persecute theyr ow­ne office be taken out of this lyfe.

Kynges were ordayned then, as I before sayde, and thy swerdes put in theyr hādes to take vengeaunce of euil doers, that other myght feare, and we­re not ordayned to fyghte one agaynste another, or to ryse agaynste the Empe­roure to defende the false auctoryte of the Byshoppe of Rome that very An­techriste. Byshoppes they onely can my nystre the temporall sw [...]rd, theyr office the preachinge of goddes worde layde aparte, whiche they will nother do nor suffre any man to do, bu [...]sle with the tē porall swerde (which they haue goten out of the hande of all princes) thē that wolde. The preachinge of Goddes wor de [Page 13] is hatefull and contrarie vnto them why? For it is impossible to preache Christ excepte thou preache agaynst An techryste. that is to saye, them whyche with theyr false doctryne & violence of swerde enforce to quēche the trew doc­trine of Christe. And as thou canste hea le no dysease excepte thou begynne at the rote: euē so canst y ^• preache against no myschefe excepte thou begynne at the Byshoppes. Kynges they are but Kynges doo but wayte on the Bis­shoppe of romes pleasure The iug­ling of the Bis­hoppe of Rome. shadowes, vayne names, and thinges ydele, hauynge no thynge to do in the world, but when our holy father nea­deth theyr helpe.

The Byshop of Rome cōtrarye vnto all conscience & agaynst all the doctrine of Christe, whiche sayth my kyngdome is not of this worlde. Iohan. xviii▪ hath vsurped the ryght of y ^• Emperour. And by polyey of the byshops of Almany, & with corruptinge the electours or cho­sers of the emperour with money, brin geth to passe that such a one is euer cho Bishop­pes of al­mayne. sen Emperour that is not able to make his partie good with the Byshoppe of Rome. To stoppe y ^• Emperour that he come not at Rome, he bringeth the frē ­che Mylayne King vp to Milayne, & on the other syde bringeth he the veneciās. If the ve Bishop­pes of Fraunce. necians come to nye, the Byshoppes of Fraunce must bringe in the frenche kin ge, [Page] And the Socheners are called & sent for to come & socour. And for theyr la­boure A cappe of mayn­tenaunce Most [...] [...] kinge Defēder of the bis­hopp [...]s of Rom [...]s [...]ayth The [...]l­ [...]es [...] so [...]e of the ho­ly seate, Blasinge of arm [...]s The en­glyshe Bishops. The fals­sh [...]d of the Bis­hoppes he geueth to some a rose, to a no ther a cappe of mayntenaunce. One is called most christen kynge, another de­fender of the faythe, another the eldest sone of the most holy seate. He blaseth also the armes of other, and putteth in the holy crosse, the crowne of thorne or the nayles, & so forth. If the frēche king [...] to [...]ye, and crep [...] vp other to Bono nye or Napels: then must our englyshe Byshoppes brynge in our kynge. The crafte of the Bishoppes is to entytle o­ne kynge with an others realme. He is called Kinge of Dēmarke, and of Eng lande, he King of England and of fraū ce. Then to blynde the lordes & the com mones, the Kinge must calēge his righ te. Then muste the lande be tared and euery man paye, and the treasure borne out of the realme, and the lande begger de. Howe many a thousand mēs lyues hathe it cost? And how many an hōdred thousande poundes hathe it caried out O [...] cruel & an [...]bho minable [...]nsample of tirāny Iudge thē by theyr deades sayth Chryst. of the realme in our remembraūce? Be sydes howe abhominable an example of gatheringe was there? Such ve [...]ely as neuer tyraunte syns the worlde be­gan dyd, yea such as was neuer before herde or thought on neyther amōge Ie wes, Sarasens, Turkes or hethē syns [Page 14] God created the sonne to shyne: that a beast shuld breake vp in the temple of God, that is to saye, in to the herte and consciences of men, and compell them to swere euery mā what he was worth to lēde that shulde neuer be payde agay ne. Howe many thousandes forsware them selues? Howe many thousandes sette them selues above theyr a [...]ylytie, partly for feare lest they shulde be for­sworne & partly to saue their cred [...]nce? Whē the Bishoppe of Rome hathe his purpose then is peace made, no mā wo teth howe, and our most enemye is our most frende.

Nowe because the Emperour is able Th [...] hoe re of Ba­bylon. to obtayne his right, frenche, englyshe, venecians, & all must vpon him. O gre­at whore of Babylō, howe abuseth she the princes of the world, howe dronkē, hath she made thē with her wyne? Ho­we shamefull lycences doth she geue thē to vse nychromancie, to holde whores, to deuorse thē selues, to breake the faith and promises that one maketh with an other: that the confessours shall deliuer vnto the Kinge the confession of who­me Cōfessiō. he will, & despenceth with them euē of the very lawe of God, whiche Chri­ste him selfe can not do.

Christe saith vnto Peter, put vp they Ma. xxvi swerde in to his shethe. For all that laye [Page] hāde vpon the swerd / shall perishe with the swerde / that is / who so euer w ^tout the cōmaundement of y ^• temporall officer to whome god hathe geuen the swerde / layeth hande on the swerde to take vēgeaunce / the same deserueth dethe in Not Pe­ter only but christ also was vnder the tēporall swerde. the dede doynge. God dyd not put peter onely vnder that temporall swerde / but also Christ hym selfe. As it appereth in the fourth chapytre to y ^• Galathyens.

& Christ shith Mat, iii. Thus becometh it vs to fulfyll al ryghtwysenes that is to say [...] / all ordinaunces of / God. If the heed be then vnder the tēporall swerde how can the mēbres be excepted If Peter synned in defendynge Christe againste the temporall swerde whose auctorite & mynisters the Byshoppes thē abused agaynste Christe as ours do nowe, Who can excuse our prelates of synne The Kinges sinne in geuin­ge exemp­ciōs, and the prela­tes in re­ceyuinge them. which wyll obeye no man / neyther kinge nor Emperour. Yea who cā excuse. him selfe from synn eyther kinges y ^• ge ue eyther the Bishopps y ^• receyue suche exēpcyons contrary to Goddes ordina unces and Chr [...]hes doctryne.

And math. xvii. bothe Christe and also Peter paye tribute where the meaning of Christes questyon vnto Peter is. y [...] prynces take trybute of straunge [...]s onely and not of theyr chyldren then verely ought I to be fre which am the sone of [Page 15] God whose seruauntes and mynystres they are and of whome they haue theyr auctoryte Yet because they neyther kne we that neyther Christ came to vse that aucthorite / but to be our seruaunte and to here / our burthen and to obeye all ordinaunces / bothe in righte and wron ge for our sakes / and to teache vs ther fore sayd he to saint Peter▪ Paye for the and me leste we offende them [...] More ouer thoughe that Christe and Peter (because they were poore / myght haue escaped / yet wolde be not for feare of offendinge other) and hurtynge theyr consciences. For he myghte, well haue geuen occasion vnto the tribute gathe rers to haue iudged a [...]isse bothe of him and his doctryne: yea and the Ie wes myghte happely haue ben offended therby / and haue thought that it had not be laufull for thē to haue payde tri bute vnto hethen prynces ād ydolate [...]s seynge y ^t he so great a Prophete payd not. Yea ād what other thinge causeth the laye so lytle to regarde their princes as that they se them both dyspysed and When the spiri­tualite payeth tribute dysobeyed of that spiritualte? But our prelates whiche care for none offendin ge of conscyences & lesse for Goddes or dinaunces / will paye nought: but when princes must fighte in our most holy fa thers quarell and agaynst Christ Thē [Page] are they y ^e fyrste. There also is none to pore that th [...] hath not sōwhat to gyue. Marke here howe paste all shame our Shame­lesse iugu­lers. [...]o [...] doctours are as rochester is in his bo [...]e agaynste Marten. Luther which of this texte of Mathew dyspute y ^t Pe ter because he payde trybute, is greater then the other Apostles and hath more aucrori [...]e and powre thā they and was hed vnto them al contrary vnto so ma ny cleare textes where Christe rebuketh them saenge that is an hethenyshe thin ge that one shulde clyme aboue an other or desyre to be greatter. To be greatter in the kingdome of heuen is to be a ser uaunte & he that moste humbleth him selfe and becomethe a seruaunte vnto other, after the ensample of Christe I meane and his apostles and not of the Bysshophe of Rome and his Apostles our Prestes and Byshops the same is greatest in that kyngdome If Peter in payenge trybute became greatest how cometh it that they wyll paye none at all? But to paye trybute is asygne of subieceyon verely, and the cause why Christ payed was because he had an houshold and for the same cause payed Peter also For he had an house a shyp pe and nettes as thou redest in the gos pell. But let vs go to. Paule agayne.

Wherfore ye must nedes obeye not [Page 16] for feare of vengeaunce onely: but also because of cons [...]yence. That is though They ma ke no con science at any euyll doynge. They ca­re for theyr ney bours as the wolfe doeth for the shepe. Theeuyll ensample of the spi ritualte causeth the laye to beleue that they are not bound to obeye. thou be so▪ myghty as now many yeres our Byshoppe of Rome and Prelates euery where are that thou nedest not to obeye the temporall swerde for feare of vengaunce yet must thou obeye because of conscyence. Fyrste because of thyne owne conscyence. For thoughe thou be able to resyste (yet shalte, thou neuer ha ue a good cōscience as longe as Gods word) lawe / and ordynauuce are agayn ste the Secōdaryly for thy neyghbours conscyence. For thoughe thorowe craft and violence thou myghtest escape and obtayne lybertie or pryuylege to be fre from all maner duties / yet oughtest thō neyther to sue or seke for any suche thinge (niyther yet admite or accepte yf it were profered lest thy fredome make thy weake brother to grudge and rebel in that he seth the go emptie and he him selfe more lade) thy parte also layde on his shulders Seest thou not yf a mā fa uoure one sōnemorethē another, or one seruaūte more thē a nother, how al the There is no christē loue in them. rest gruoge and how loue peace & vnyte is broken. What Christen loue is in y ^e to thy neyghbour warde whē y ^• cāst fynde in thyne herte to goo vp & doun emptie by him all daye long and se him ouercharged, yea to fall vnder his bur [Page] then / and yet wylte not ones set to thy [...]e hande to helpe hym. What good cō science can there be amonge oure spiri tualte to gather so greate treasure toge ther and with ypocresye of theyr false lerninge to robbe almost euery man of house and landes and yet not therwith content but with all craft and wylenes to purchase so great lyberties and ex­empcions frō [...]llmaner braringe with theyr bretherne / sekinge in Christe no thinge but lucre? I passe ouerwith sylē ce how they teach Princes in euery lan de to laye new exaccions and tyrannye on theyr subiectes more & more dayly▪ neyther for whate purpose they do it say I. God I trust shal shortly disclose What purpose euen [...]o fla [...]er the Princes that they maye abu se theyr aucterite to sl [...]e who so e­uer bele­ueth in Chust & to mayn­tayne the Bishoppe of Rome. theyr luggelynge and bringe theyr fal­shed to light and laye a medicine to thē to make theyr scabbes breake out. Ne­uerthelesse this I saye that they haue robbed all realmes, not of Godes wor de only but also of all wealth and pros­perite, & haue driuè peace out of all lan des & withdrawne thē selues from all obediēce to princes & haue separated thē selues from laye men, countinge thē vy ler then dogges, & haue set vp that gre­ate ydole the whore of Babilō. Antichri ste of Rome whome they call Bishoppe of Rome & haue conspired aganst all cō mone wealthes & haue made thē a seue tal [Page 17] kingdom wherin it is lawful vnpu nyshed to worke all abhomination. In euery parishe haue they spyed▪ in euery greate mans house & in euery [...]ouerne and Alehouse & thorow cōfessiōs know Cōfession they all secretes so that no man maye o pen his mouth to rebuke what so euer they do but that he shalbe shortly made Prelates know all mens se­cretes and no man theyrs. an hereti [...]. In al councels is one of thē yea the most parte and chefe rulers of the councels are of them: But of theyr councell is no man.

Euē for this cause paye ye tribute that is to were for consciences sake, to thy neyboure & for the cause that foloweth For they are goddes ministers seruing for the same purpose. Because God wil so haue it we must obeye. We do not lo ue if we haue Christes spirite in vs, what is good profitable glorious & ho­norable for vs neyther on our own wil but on godes wil onely. Gyue to euery mā therfore his du [...]ye tribute to whō tribute belōgeth custōe to whome custo me is due feare to whome feare belon­geth honoure to whōe honoure pertay neth

That thou myghtest feale the worhin ge of the spirite of God in the and leste y ^• bewty of she dede shulde deceyue the and make the thynke that the lawe of God whiche is spirituall were content [Page] and fulfylled wyth the outwarde & bo­dely deade it foloweth Owe nothynge Loue ful­fylleth the law befor god and not the outward ded [...]. to any mā: but to loue one another. For he y ^• loueth another fullfyleth the law For these cōmaundementes: thou shalte not commytte adultery, thou shalte not kyll, thou shalt not stele, thou shalt not beare false wytnesse, thou shalt not de­syre and so forth, yf there be any other commaundemente are all comprehen­ded or contayned in thys sayenge: loue Agaynst▪ worke mē thy neyghbour: therfore is loue [...]he ful­fyllyng of the law. Here hast thou suf­ficient against all the sophistres w [...]rke holy, and iustifiare in the worlde, why­che so magnifie theyr deades. The law is spirituall and requyrethe the harte, and is neuer fulfylled wyth the deades in the syghte of God Wyth the deade The dede fulfylleth the lawe before the worlde thou fulfillest the law before the world and lyuest therby, that is, thou enioyest thy [...] presente lyfe and auoydeste the wrath and vengeaūce, the deth and pu­nyshment whyche the lawe threteneth to them that breake it. But before God thou kepest the law yf thou loue onely Now what shal make vs loue? Merely that shal faith do. If thou beholde how Faith ma heth a mā to loue. much god loueth the in Christe, & from what vengeaūce he hath delyuered the for hys sake, & of what kyngdome he hath made the heyre, thē shalt y ^• se cause [Page 18] ynough to loue thy very enemye wyth out respecte of rewarde, eyther in thys lyfe or in the lyfe to come, but because that god wyll so haue it & Christe haue deserued it, yea y ^• shuldest feale in thine harte that all thy dedes to come, ar abū dauntly recōpensed already in Christe.

Thou wylt say hapely, yf loue fulfill the law, thē it iustifieth I say that, that wherwith a man fulfylleth the law de­clareth him iustified, but that which ge ueth hym wherwith to fulfyll the law, Iustifiēg. iustifieth him. By iustie [...]eng vnderstōde the forgeuenesse of synnes, and the fa­uoure of God. Now sayth the text. Ro x. the ende of y ^• law or the cause wher­fore the law was made is, Christ to iu­stifie al that beleue. That is, the law is The offi ce or dut­of the law geuen to vtter synne, to kyll the cōscien ces, to dāpne our dedes, to bryng to re­pentaunce, and to dryue vnto Christ: is whō God hath premised hys fauoure and forgeuenes of synne vnto all that [...]epēte and consēte to the law that it in good. If thou beleue the promises then doth goddes truthe instifye the, that is The bele uynge of goddes promises iustifyeth. forgeueth the, & receyueth the to fauore for Christes sake. In a suertye wherof and to certify thyne harte, he fealeth the wyth the sprite. Ephe. i. and. iiii. And. ii, Corinth. v. sayth Paule. Whych gaue vs his sprite in ernest. Now the spirite [Page] is geuen vs thorowe Chryst, reade the [...]yght chapiter of the pistle to the Ro­ma [...]ns, and Gala. iii. and ii. Corin. iii. Neuertheles the spirite and hys frutes [...]he spiri­te and the inwarde vertues are know [...]n by the ou [...]w [...]r [...] d. d [...]. wherwith the herte is purified, as faith loue, hope, pacyence, longe sufferynge, and obediēce, could neuer be sene with­oute outwarde experience. For yf thou were not brought sometyme in to com­braunce, whence God onely coulde de­l [...]uer the, thou shuldest neuer se thy faith yea excepte thou foughteste sometyme agaynste desperation, hell, death, synne and powers of thys world, for thy fay­th [...]s sake, thou shuldeste neuer knowe trewe fayth from a dreame, excepte thy brother nowe and then offended the, thou could [...]st not knowe whether thy loue were godly. For a turke is not an g [...]y tyll he be hurie and offended, but yf thou loue hym that doth the euyll, then is thy loue of god, lykewyse yf thy ru­lers were alwaye kynde, thou shuldeste not know whether thyne obediēce w [...] ­re pure or no, but & [...]f thou canste paci­ently obeye euyll rulers in all thynges that is not to the dyshonour of God, & whē thou hurtest not thy neyghbours, then arte thou sure that Goddes spyri­te worketh in the, and that thy faythe is no dreame nor any false ymagina­cyon.

[Page 19]Therfore counceleth Paul. Ro. xii▪ recompense no mā euyll. And on your parte haue peace wyth all men. Derely beloued auenge not your selues: but ge ue rowme vnto the wrath of god. For Ouer co­me thyne enemye with well doynge. it is vrvtten, vengeaūce is myne, and I wyll reward, sayth the lorde. Therfore yf thy enemye hongre, fede hym, [...]f he thyrst, gyue hym drike. For in so dorng thou shalte h [...]pe cooles of fyre on hys heed (that is thou shalte kendle loue in hym. Be not ouercome of [...]uyll (that is let not another mānes wyckednes ma­ke the wycked also) But ouercome e­uyll with good, that is, with softn [...]sse, kyndnesse, and al pacience wynne him: euē as god with kyndnesse wonn [...] the.

The lawe was geuen in thunder, lyghtenyng, fyre, smoke, and the voyce o [...] a trumpet and terryble syght. Exodi The lawe x [...]. So that the people quoke for feare, and stode a farre of sayeng to Moses. Speake thou to vs & we wyl hear [...]: let not the lord speake vnto vs, lest we dye No eare (yf it be a waked and vnderstā deth the meanyng) is able to abyde the [...]oyce of the lawe: excepte the promy­ses of mercy be by. That horryble thō ­der except the rayne of mercy [...]e ioyned wyth it, destroyeth all and byldeth not. The law is a wytnesse against vs, and testyfyeth that God abhor [...]eth the syn­nes [Page] that is in vs, and vs for out syn­nes sake The king.

In lyke maner whē god gaue the peo ple of Israell a king, it thondred, & [...]ay ned that the people feared so sore y ^t they cryed to Samuell for to pray for them, that they shulde not dye. 1 Regū. xii. As the lawe is a terrible thynge▪ euen so is the kynge. For he is ordayned to take vēgeaunce, & hath a swerde in hys h [...]de and not p [...]ockes fe [...]ers▪ Feare hī ther f [...]re and loke on hym as thou woldeste loke on a sharpe swerd that hanged o­uer they heed by an here.

Heades & gouerners are ordayned of Rulers are god­des gyfte. god, and are euē the gyfte of god, whe­ther they be good or bad▪ And whatso­euer is done vnto vs by thē, that doth god, be it good or bad. If they be euyll, why are they euyll? verely for our wyc­kednesse sake are they euyll. Because y ^• Why the rulers are [...]uyll. whē they were good we wold not re [...]ey ue that goodnes of the hāde of god & be thākful, submitting our selues vnto his lawes and ordinaunces, but abuse the goodnes of God vnto our sensual and beastly lustes Therfore doth god make his scourge of thē, and turne them vnto wylde beastes, cōtrary to the nature of theyr names & offices, euē in to lyons, beares, foxes, & vnclene swyne, to auē ­ge hym selfe of our vnnaturally blinde [Page 20] vnkindnes, and of our rebellious diso­bedyence.

In the. c. [...] ▪ vi. Psalme thou readest, he destroyed the ryuers, & dryed vp the springes of water, & turned the fruteful lāde in to barēnesse, for the wickednesse of the inhabiters therin. Whē the chyl dren of Israell had forgotten God in-Egipt, god moued the hartes of the E g [...]pciās to hate thē, [...] to subdue thē with crafte and vilynes, Psalme. C. iiii. And Deutero. i. i. Moses reherseth sayenge. God was angry wyth me for your sa­kes: so that y ^• wrath of god fell on Mo ses▪ for the wyckednesse of the people. And in the second chapter of the secōde boke of kynges, God was angry wyth the people, and moued Dauid to nōbre them when Ioab and the other lordes wondred why he wolde haue them nō ­bred, and because they feared lest some euyll shuld folow, diswaded the kynge: yet it holpe not. God so hardened hys hart in hys purpose, to haue an occasiō to sle the wycked people. Euyll ru­lers are a sygne that god is angry wyth vs.

Euyll rulers thē are a signe that god is angry and wrath wyth vs. Is it not a great wrath & vengeaūce that the fa­ther & mother shulde hate theyr chyldrē, euen theyr fleshe and theyr bloude? or that an husbāde shuld be vnkinde vnto his wyfe? or a maister vnto the seruaū ­te [Page] that wayteth on hys profite? or that lordes and kynges shulde be tyrauntes vnto theyr subiectes & tenauntes which paye them tribute, toll custome, and rē ­te, laborynge and toylyng to fynde thē in honoure, and to mayntayne them in theyr estate? is not thys a feareful iud­gemēt of God and a cruell wrath, that the very prelates and shepherdes o [...] o­ne soule which were wone to fede chri­stes flocke with Christes doctrine & to walke before them in lyuyng therafter, and to gyue theyr bodies & liues for thē and to strengthen theyr weake faythes, are nowe so sore chaunged that yf they smell that one of theyr flocke (as they) now call them and no lenger Christes) do but ones longe or desire for the trew knowledge of Christ, they wyll sle him, and burne hym wyth fyre most cruelly. What is the cause of thys, & that they Why the prelates are so wic ked. also teache false doctrine confyrmynge it with lyes? verely it is the hāde of god to auenge the wickednes of thē that ha ue no loue nor lust vnto y ^e truth of god when it is preached: but reioyce in vn­righteousnes. As thou mayst se in the secōde pistle of Paul to the Tessaloni. Where he speaketh of the comming of Antichriste. Whose commynge shalbe (sayth he) by the workynge of Satan wyth all miracles, signes▪ and wonders [Page 21] whych are but lyes, and in all deceyua­ble vnrighteousnes amonge them that peryshe, because they receyud not any loue to the truthe to haue bene saued. Therfore shall God sende them strong The cause of false miracles is that we haue no luste vnto the truth. delusyon, to beleue lyes. Marke howe God to auenge hys trueth, sendeth to the vnthankeful false doctrine, and al­so false miracles to confyrme them, and to harden theyr hartes in the false wa­ye, that afterwarde it shall not be pos­sible for them to admytte the truth. As thou seest in Erodi▪ vii. and▪ xiii. howe God suffered false myracles to be she­wed in the syght of Pharao to harden hys harte, that he shulde not beleue the trouth, for in asmuch as hys forceters turned theyr roddes in to serpētes, and turned water in to bloude, and made frogges by theyr inchauntment, soo thought he that Moses dyd all his mi­racles by the same craft, and not by the powre of god. And abode therfore in vn beleue and perished in resistynge god. The right way to co me out of bondage.

Let vs receyue all thynges of God whether it be good or bad: let vs hum­ble our selues vnder hys myghtye hā ­de, and submitte oure selues vnto hys [...]ourtoure and chastysynge, and not wythdrawe our selues frō hys correcti­on (reade Hebr. xii. for thy cōfortes and let vs not take y ^• stafe by the ende or se­lie [Page] to auenge oure selues on hys rodde whych are the euyll rulers. The chylde as longe as he seketh to auenge him sel fe v [...]on the rodd [...] hath an euyll harte, for he thynketh not that the correctyon is ryght or that he hath deserued it, ney ther repēteth, but reioyseth in hys wyc­kednes. And so longe shall he neuer be wythout a rodde: yea so longe shall the rodde be made sharper & sharper. If he knowlege his fault and take the corre­ction mekely & euen kysse the rodde, and amende hym selfe with the lernyng and norture of hys father and mother, then is the rodde taken awaye and brente.

So yf we resyst euyll rulers sekyng [...] to set our selues at libertie, we shall no doubte bryng our selues into more cru­el bōdage, & wrappe our selues in much more myserye and wretchednes, for yf the hedes ouercome, thē laye they more waighte on theyr backes, and tye them shorter. If they ouercome theyr euyl ru­lers thē make they way for a more cru ell nacyon or for some tyraunte of their owne nacion which hath no ryght vn­to the crowne. If we submit our selues vnto the chastesyng of God, & mekely knowlege our synnes for whych we a­re scourged, and kisse the rodde, & amē ­de our lyning: thē wyl god take the rod de away, that is, he wyl geue the rulers [Page 22] a better hart. Or yf they continue their malice and persecut you forwel doyng and because you put your trust in god God is al waye one alwaye trewe, al­wayes▪ mercyfull and exclu­deth no man from his promi ses. then wyll god delyuer you out of theyr tyr [...]ny for his trouthes sake. It is the same god now that was in the olde ty­me, and delyuered the fathers and the ꝓphetes, the apostles & other holy sain tes. And what soeuer he swore to them he hath sworue to vs. And as he deliue red thē out of all temptaciō, cōbraunce, and aduersitie, because they cōsented & submitted them selues vnto hys wyll, & trusted in his goodnes and truthe: euen so wyll he do vs yf we do lykewyse.

When soeuer the chyldren of Isra­ell fell frō the way which god cōmaun­ded them to walke in, he gaue them vp vnder one tyraunt or a nother. As sone as they came to the knowlege of them selues, and repented cryenge for mercy and leanyng vnto the truth of his pro­mises, he sent one to delyuer thē, as the hystories of the Byble make mencion.

A Christen mā in respecte of God is A Christē man▪ doth but suffre onely. but a passiue thyng, a thyng that suffe­reth onely and doth nought, as the syc­ke in respecte of the surgeon orphisiciā doth but suffre onely. The surgeon last [...]eth and cutteth out the deed fleshe, ser­cheth the woūdes, thursteth in [...]ētes, se [...]reth, bawneth, soweth or sticheth, and [Page] layeth to corsies to drawe oute the cor­ruptiō, and last of all layeth the helyng playsters and maketh whole. The phi­sician lykewyse geueth purgatiōs, and drynkes to dryue out the disease, & then with restauratiues brigeth helth. Now yf the sy [...]ke resyst the raser, the serching yron, and so forthe, doth he not resyste hys owne helthe and is cause of hys owne death. So lykewyse is it of vs, Euyll ru­lers are▪ wholeso­me medici nes. yf we resyst euyll rulers whyche are the rodde and scourge wherwyth god cha­stiseth vs, the instrumentes wherwyth God sercheth our woundes, and bitter drynke to dryue oute the synne and to make appere, and corsyes to draw out by the rotes the core of the Pore▪ of the soule that freteth inwarde. A Christen mā therfore receyueth all thyng of the hāde of god both good & bad, both swe te and sowre, both welth and wo. If a­ny persone do me good, whether it be father mother, & so forthe, that receyue I of God, and to God geue thankes. For he gaue wherwyth▪ and gaue a cō ­maundement, and moued hys herte so to do. Aduersite also receyue I of the hande of god as an wholsome medici­ne How pro­fitable ad nersite is. though it be somwhat bitter. Tēpta tacion and adnersite do bothe kyll syn and also vtter it. For though a Christē man knoweth euery thynge how ti li­ue: [Page 23] yet is the fleshe so weake that he can neuer take vp hys Crosse hym selfe to kyll and mortyfie the fleshe. He muste haue another to laye it on hys backe. In many also synne lyeth hyd wi [...]h in, and festereth and rotteth inwarde and is not sene: so that they thynke howe they ar good and perfecte, and kepe the lawe. As the yonge man. Mathe. xix. sayd he had obserued al of a chylde and yet lyed falsely in his harte, as the texte folowynge well declareth. When all is at peace and no mā troubleth vs, we thinke that we are paciēt and loue our neighbours as oure selues: but let our neyghboure hurde vs in worde or dede and then fynde we it otherwyse. Then tume we, and rage & set vp the brystles, and bende our selues to do vengeaūce. If we loued wyth godly loue for Chri­stes kyndnes sake, we shulde desyre no vengeaunce, but pytye hym and desyre god to forgiue and amende hym, know inge well that no fleshe can do other­wyse then synne, excepte that God pre­serue hym. Thou wylt saye what good doth such persecucion & tyrannye vnto the righteouse? Fyrst maketh them fea­le the workyng of goddes sprite in thē, The grea test synn [...] is ryghte­ous in Christe & the promy ses. And the perfer­test & ho­lyest is a synner in the lawe & the flethe▪ and that theyr faith is vnfained. Secō daryly I saye no mā is so great a syn­ner, yf he repente and beleue, but that [Page] he is ryghteouse in Christ & in the pro­mises: yet yf thou loke on the fleshe and lawe, th [...]re is no man soo perfecte that is not founde a synner. Nor any mā so pure, that hath not somwhat to be yet purged. Thys shall suffice at this tyme as concernyng obedyēce vnto prynces.

The seconde Chapter.

LEt. kinges (yf they had rather be Christen in d [...]de then so to be cal led) geue them selues all together to the welth of theyr realmes af­ter the ensample of Christ: remembryn­ge that the people are Goddes and not theyrs: yea at Christes enheritaūce and possession bought with his bloud. The most despised persone in hys realme is the kynges brother and hys felow mē ­bre wyth hrm, and equall wyth hym in the kyngdome of God & of Christe Let him therfor not thike h [...]m selfe to good to do the seruice▪ neyther seke any other thyng in thē, thē à father seketh in hys chyldren: yea then Christ sought in vs. Though that the kyng in the temporal regiment be in the rowme of God, and representeth god hym selfe, and is with out all comparison better then his sub­iectes: [Page 24] yet let hym put of that and beco­me a brother, doyng & leauyng vndone all thynges in respecte of the commone wealth, that all men may se that he se­keth nothing but the profite of his sub iectes. When a cause that requyreth ex ecution is brought before hym, then o­nely let hym take the person of god on hym. Then let hym knowe no creature but here al in defferently, whether it be a straunger or one of hys owne realme and the small as well as the great, & iud ge ryghteously, for the iudgemēt is the lordes. Deu. i. In tyme of iudgemēt he is no minister in the kyngdō of Christ: he preacheth no Gospell but the sharpe lawe of vengeaunce. Let hym take the holy iudges of the olde testamente for Moses. an example, and namely Moses which in executynge the law was mercylesse, otherwyse more thē a mother vnto thē neuer euengyng hys owne wrōges but sufferyng all thyng, bearing euery mās weakenes, teachyng, warnynge, exhor­tyng, & euer caring for them, and so tē ­derly loued them, that he desyred God eyther to forgeue them or to dāpne him wyth them.

Let the iudges also priuatly whē they Iugdes. haue put of the person of a iudge exhor te wyth good counsell and warne the people and helpe that they come not at [Page] Goddes iudgemēt: but the causes that are brought vnto them, when they sitte in goddes s [...]ede, let them iudge and cō ­dēpne the trespasser vnder lawful wit­nesses, and not breake vp in to the con­sciences O tyran­ny to com p [...]l a man to accuse hym selfe. of men, after the ensāple of Antichristes disciples, and cōpell them ey­ther to forswere them selues by the al­myghty god & by the holy gospell of his merciful promises, or to t [...]stifie against them selues. Whych abhominatiō our perlates lerned of Cayphas Mat. xxv [...] sayenge to Christe. I adiure or charg [...] Our pre­lates ler­ned of Cayphas. the in the name of the lyuing God, [...]ha [...] thou tell vs whether thou be Christ th [...] sonne of god. Let that whych is secret [...] to God onely, whereof no profe can b [...] made nor lawfull wytnesse broughte Secrete synnes pertayne vnto God to punishe and open synnes vn to the kynges. abyde vnto the commynge of the Lord whych shal opē all secretes. If any ma­lyce breake forthe that let them iudg [...] onely. For further auctorite hath God not geuen them,

Moses Deutero. [...]vii, warneth iud­ges to kepe them vpryght & to loke o [...] no mānes persone, that is, that they preferre not the hyghe before thy lowe, th [...] great before the small, the ryche befor [...] the poore, hys acquayntaunce, frende kynsman, contremā, or one of hys ow [...] nacyon before a straunger, a fremde o [...] an alyēt, yea or one of their owne fait [...] [Page 25] before an infydell: but that they loke on the cause onely to iudge indifferently. For the rowme that they are in and the lawe that they execute are goddes why che as he hathe made all an [...] is god of all and all are his sonnes: euen so is he iudge ouer all, and wyll haue all iud­ged by his lawe indifferently and to ha ue the ryght of his lawe, and wyll auen ge the wronge done vnto the turke or la razyn. For thoughe they be not vnder the, euerlastinge testamente of God in Christ, as of vs which are called Chri­sten be, and euen no mo then to whome God hathe sente hys promyses and po wred his spirite into theyr hartes to be leue them, and in theyr hartes to ful­fyll the lawe of loue, yet are they vnder the testamēt of the lawe natural, which are the lawes of euery londe made for the comen wealth there, and for peace and vnyte that one maye lyue by a no­ther. In whiche lawes the infydels (yf they kepe thē) haue promyses of world ly thynges. Who so euer therfore hyn­dereth a very infydell from the righte of that lawe, synneth agaynst God, and of him wyll God be auenged. More o­uer Moyses warneth thē that they re­ceyue no gyftes, rewardes, or brybes. For those two poyntes, fauorynge of one persone more then a nother, and re ceyuinge [Page] rewardes, peruerte all right and equyte, and is the onely pestilence of all iudges.

And the Kinges warneth he that they haue not to many wyues, lest theyr her t [...]s turne a waye: and that they reade al waye in the lawe of God, to lerne to fe re hym, lest theyr hartes be lyfte vp a­boue theyr bretherne. Which two poin tes, womē, and pryde, the dispysynge of theyr subiectes, which are in very dede theyr owne bretherne, are the comē pesti lence of all princes Rede the storis & se.

The sheryues, bayly arauntes, tōsta­bles, and suche lyke officiers may let no mā that hutteth his neygboure escape but that they bringe thē before the iud­ges, excepte they in the meane tyme a­gre with theyr neyghbours and make them amendes.

Let kynges defende theyr subiectes from the wronges of other nacyōs, but pyke no quarels for euery tryfle, no, let not our most holy father make them no Uaynena mes. more so drōkē with vayne names, with cappes of mayntenaunce, and lyke ba­bles, as it were popetry for children, to begger theyr realmes and to mourther theyr people, for defending of our holy fathers tyranny If a lawfull peace that The holy father lowseth. peace and vnite, tru ce tronth and all honeste. stondeth with Goddes worde be made betwene prince and prince, & the name [Page 26] of God taken to recorde, and the body of our sauiour brokē betwene them v­pon the bonde which they haue made, that peace or bonde can our holy father not dispence with, neyther loose it with all the keyes he hathe: no verely Christ cā not breake it. For he came not to bre ake the lawe but to fulfyll it. Math. v.

If any man haue brokē the lawe, or a good ordinaunce, and repente and co me to the righte waye agayne, then ha­the Christe powre to forgyue him: but ly cence to breake the lawe can he not gy­ue, moch more his disciples and vycars (as they call them selues) can not do it. What the keyes are & wh [...] they are so called. The keyes wherof they so greatly boste them selues are no carnall thinges but spirituall, & no thinge elles saue knowleage of the lawe, & of the promyses or Gospell, yf any mā for lacke of spiritu all fealynge desyre auctorite of men, let hym rede the olde doctours, If any mā desyre auctorite of scriptures Christ say the Luke. xi. Woo be to you lawe ar [...], for ye haue takē away y ^e keye of know leage, ye enter not in your selues, & thē that come in ye forvyd, that is: they had blinded the scripture whose knowleage The key­es are pro mysed. (as it were a keye) letteth i to god, with gloses and tradiciōs. Likewyse fyndest thou Mat. xxiii. As Pater answered in the name of al, also christ promised him [Page] the keyes in the persone of all. math. xvi And in the. xx. of Iohn̄ he payed thē say enge receyue the holy Ghost, who soe­uers synnes ye remitte they are remyt­ted The key­es are payed or forgeuen and who soeuers synes ye retayne they are retayned or holden With preaching the promises lose they as many as r [...]pente & beleue. And for The hou­de & low­sonynge that Iohā sayth receyue the holy ghost Luke in his last chapitre sayth: thē opē he theyr wittes that they myght vnder stande the scriptures ād sayde vnto thē thus it is wryten. And thus it behoued Repen­taūce and fyrgyue­n [...]s come by prea­chinge Christ to suffre & so to ryse agayne the thyrde daye And that repentaūce and re myssion of synnes shulde be preached in his name amōge all nacyōs. At y ^• prea, ching of the lawe rep [...]nt men and at the preachynge of y ^• [...]romyses do they bele ue & are saued Peter in the seconde of the actes practised his keyes and by pre Peter practiseth his keyes achinge the lawe brought the people in to the knowleage of them selues & boun de theyr consciences, so that they were prycked in theyr hartes and sayde vnto Peter and to the other Apostles, what shall we do? Then broughte they forthe the keye of the swete promyses sayeng repēt and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christe for the re mission of synnes and ye shall receyue the gyfte of the holy ghost. For the promyse [Page 27] was made vnto you & vnto your chyldren, and to all that are a farre, [...]uē as many as the lorde shall call, Of lyke ensamples is the actes full and Peters The Bis­shoppe of Romes auctorite is to prea che Gods worde onely pistles, and Paues pystles, and all the scripture, neyther hath our holy father any other auctorite of Christ or by the reason of his predecessor Peter then to preache Goddes worde. As Christe cō ­pareth the vnderstonding of scripture vnto a key, so compareth he it to a net te, and vnto leuē, and vnto many other thinges for certayne properties. I mar uayle therfore that they boste not them selues of theyr nette and leuen, as well as of theyr keyes, for they at al one thi [...] ge. But as Christe byddeth vs beware of the leuen of the pharises, so beware of theyr cōterfayted keyes and of theyr false nette (whiche are theyr tradicions and ceremonies, theyr [...]pocrisy and fal se doctryne) wherwith they get, not sou les vnto Christe, but auctorite and ry­ches vnto them selues.

Let Christen kinges therfore kepe Not with an heriti­ke sayth the Bis­shoppe of Rome. theyr faythe and truthe and all lawfull promyses, and bondes, not one with an other onely, but euen with the Turke or what infidell it be. For so it is r [...]ght be fore God as the scriptures and exam­ples of the Bible testifieth. Who soeue [...] vowe an vnlawfull vowe, promyse an [Page] vnlawful promyse swere an vnlawful othe synneth agaynst. God: and ought therfore to breake it. He nedeth not to sue to Rome for a lycence. For he hathe Goddes worde and not a lycence only: but also a commaundemēt to breake it They therfore y ^• are sworn to be trew vnto Cardinals and Byshoppes that is to say false vnto God the kyng and the realme maye brake theyr othes law fully without grudge of conscience by the auctorite of Gods word. In makyn ge them they synned but in repentynge and breakynge them they please God hyghly & receyue forgyuenes in Christe.

Let kynges take theyr dutye of theyr subiectes & that that is onely necessary vnto the defence of the realme. Let thē rule theyr realmes thē selues withe the helpe of laye men that are sage, wyse, lerned and experte. Is it not a shame a­boue al shames and a monstruous thin ge that no man shulde be found able to gouerne a worldely kingdome saue Bis shoppes and prelates that haue forsa [...]ē the worlde, and are taken oute of the worlde & apoynted to preache the king dome of God? Christ sayth y ^t his king dome is not of this worlde Iohn̄. xviii. And Luke, xii. vnto the yong man that desyred hym to byd his brother to geue hym parte of the enheritaūce, he answered, [Page 28] who made me iudge or a deuyder a Beholde the face of the Bis shops in this glas­se. monge you. No man that layth his hā de to the ploughe and lokethe backe is apte for the kingdom of heauē. Luke. ix No man can serue two maisters but he must dyspyse the one. Math. vi.

To preach Goddes worde is to moche for halfe a man. And to mynistre a tem porall kingdom is to moche for halfe a man also▪ Eyther other requyreth an whol man. One therfore cānot wel do both. He that auengeth him selfe on eue ry tryfle is not mere to preache the paci ence of Christ howe that a man ought to forgyue and suffre all thynges, He that is ouer whelmed with al maner ry ches and dothe but sike more dayly, is not met to preach pouerte. He that wil obey no mā is not me [...]e to preache how we ought to obeye all mē. Peter sayth Act, vi. It is not mete that we shuld lea ue the word of God and serue at the ta bles. Paul sayth in the. ix chapitre of y ^• fyrst to the Cor. God sent me but to pre ache. A terrible sayenge verely for Bis shopes and Prestes If he had sayd wo be to me yf I fyght not & moue not prin ces vnto ware or yf I ēcrece not saynt Peters pa [...]rimony, as they call it had bene a more easy sayenge for them.

Christe forbyddeth his discyples and y ^• ofte as thou maist se Mathew. xviii. [Page] and also. xx. Marke. ix. and also. x. Luke ix. and also. xxii. Euen at his last soper) not only to clyme a boue lordes, kinges and Emperours in wordly rule, but al so to exalte thē selues one aboue an o­ther in the Kyngdome of God. But in vayne: for the Byshop of Rome wold not here it though he had cōmaunded it tē thousande tymes. Gods worde shuld Bishop­pes haue captiued goddes word with their owne de­crees. rule onely & not Bishops decrees, or the Bishoppe of Romes pleasure. That ought they to preache purely and spiri­tually, & to fashion theyr lyues theraf­ter, and with all ensample of godly ly­uinge and longe sufferinge, to drawe al to christe: and not to expounde the scrip tures carnally and wordly.

The thyrde Chapter.

GOd (whyche worketh all in all thynges) for a secrete iudgement and purpose and for his godlye pleasure, prouyded an houre that thy father and mother shulde come to­gether, to make the thorowe them. He was present with the in thy mothers wombe and fashioned the and breathed lyfe in to the, and for the great loue he had vnto the, prouyded mylke in thy mo thers brestes for the, agaynst thou were borne: moued also thy father and mo­ther [Page 29] and all other, to loue the, to pyiye the, and to care for the.

And as he made the thorowe thē, so Out fa­thers and mothers are to vs in goddes stede. hath he cast the vnder the power & aut­toryte of them, to obeye and serue them in his stede, sayenge, honour thy father and mother. Exodi xx. Whiche is not to be vnderstande in bowynge the kne, & puttynge of the cappe onely, but that thou loue them wyth all thyne harte, and feare and drede thē and wayte on theyr cōmaundementes, and seke theyr worshyppe, pleasure will and profite in all thinges, and gyue thy lyfe for them, counthinge them worthy of all honour remembringe that thou arte theyr god and possession, and that thou owest vn to them thyne owne selfe, and all that thou arte able, yea and more than thou arte able to do.

Understande also that what soeuer What we do [...] our fa­thers and mothers that we do to god thou doste vnto thē (be it good or bad­de) thou doste vnto God. Whan thou pleasest thē thou pleasest God. Whan thou displeasest them thou displeasest God. Whan they are angrye with the, God is angrye with the. Neyther it is possible for the to come vnto the fauou re of God agayne (no thoughe all the aungles of heuen praye for the) vntyll thou haue submytted thy selfe vnto thy father and mother agayne.

[Page]If thou obey thoughe it be but carnal The re­warde of obedience ly, eyther for fere, for vayne glorye, or profit (thy blessynge shall belonge lyfe vpon the earth. For he sayeth, honoure thy father and mother, that thou mayst lyue longe vpon the earthe. Exodi. xx. Contrarywyse yf thou disobeye them, thy lyfe shall be shortened vpō the earth The re­warde of dysobedi­ence. For it foloweth. Exod. xxi. He that smy teth his father or mother shall be put to death for it. And he that curseth (that is to saye, rayleth or dishonoureth his fa­ther or mother with opprobrious wor­des (shall be slayne for it. And Deutero nomion. xxi. If any man haue a sonne stubborne and disobedyēt which hereth not the voyce of his father & the voyce of his mother so that they haue taught hym nortoure, and he regardeth them not, than let his father & mother take hym and brynge hym for the vnto the se nyours or elders of the cytie and vnto the gate of the same place. And let them say vnto the senyours of that cyti this our sonne is stubborne and disobedyēt He will not heare vnto our voyce, he is a ryotter and a dronkerde. Than let al the men of that cytie stone hym with sto nes vnto deathe, so shall ye put awaye wickednesse from amonge you and all Israell shall heare and shall feare.

And thoughe that the temporall offi­cers [Page 30] (to theyr owne dāpnacion) be necli gente in punyshinge suche disobedience (as the spyrituall officers are to teache it) and wynke at it or loke vpon it tho­rowe God aue­geth diso­bedience him selfeh though the officer will not. the fyngers: yet shall they not sea pe vnpunished. For the vengeaunce of God shall accompanye them (as thou maiste se Deuteronomion. xxviii.) with all mysfortune and euyll lucke) and shal not departe from them vntyll they be­murdered, drounde, or hāged, eyther vn tyll by one mischaunce or a nother, they be vtterly brought to nought. Yea and the world often tymes hangeth many a man for that they neuer deserued, but God hangeth them because they wolde not obey and harken vnto theyr elders as theconsciences of many wyll fynde whan they come vnto the galowes, the re can they preache & teache other, that whiche they them selues wolde not ler ne in season, Mariage

The mariage also of the childerne, per tayneth vnto theyr elders, as thou mai ste se. i. Corinthiorum. vii and thorowe oute all the scripture by the auctorite of the sayd commaundement, childe obeye father and mother. Whiche th [...]nge the he athē and gentyles haue euer kept & to this daye kepe, vnto the great shame ād rebuke of vs Christen: in as moche as weddynges of our vyrgyns shame it is [Page] to speake it are more lyke vnto the saw Couetous nes ma­keth oure spiritual­tie that they can not se. te of a bytche than the marienge of a re asonable creature. Se not we dayly. iii or. iiii. calenging one woman before the Commyssary or officiall of whiche not one hathe the consent of her father and mother. And yet he that hath moste mo ney hathe best right and shall haue her in the dispyte of all her fryndes and in That which a Eurke is ashamed of. diffyaunce of▪ Goddes ordinaunces More ouer whan, she is gyuen by the iudge vnto the one partie ād also mari ed euen than often tymes shall the con­trarye parte sue before an hyer iudge or an other that succedeth y ^e same and for money deuorce her agayne. So shāeful ly both the couetousnes and ābycyō of our prelates, mocke with the laws of God. I passe ouer with sylence, howe many yeres they will prologe the sentē ce with cauillacyons and subteltie, yf they be will moneyed on bothe parties And yf a damsell promyse. ii. howe sha Get her­with child say, they so shall thy cause be best. mefull counsell they will gyue the secon de and also howe the religious of Sa­than do separat vnseparable matrimo nye. For after thou art laufully maried at the commaundement of father & mo ther and with the consent of all thy frin des yet yf thou wyke be disgysed lyke vnto one of them and swere obedience vnto theyr tradicions thou maiste dis­obeye [Page 31] father & mother, breake the othe Goddes comman­dementes breke they thorowe their ow­ne tradici ons. whiche thou haste sworne to God befo re his holy congregation, and withdra­we loue and charyte the hyest of god­des commaundementes, and that due tye and seruyce which thou owest vnto thy wyfe, wherof. Christe cannot dis­pēce with the. For Christ is not against God but with God, & came not to brea ke Goddes ordinaunces, but to fulfyll them. That is, he came to ouercome the with kyndnes, and to make the to do of very loue the thynge which the lawe compelleth the to do. For loue onely & to do seruyce vnto thy neyghbour▪ is the fulfilling of the lawe in the sight of God. To be a monke or a frere, thou maist thus forsake thy wife before thou hast lyne with her, but not to be a secu­ler preest. And yet after thou art profes­sed, Money maketh marcha [...]s dyse the Byshoppe of Rome for money wyll dispence with the, bothe for thy co te and all thy obedience, and make a se­culer, preest of the. Lyke wise as it is sy monye to sell a benef [...]ce (as they call it) but to resygne vpon a pencyon, & than to redeme the same, is no symonye at all. Oh craf [...]ye iuglars and mock [...]ts with the worde of God.

The fourth Chapter.

[Page]FAthers moue not your chyldren vnto wrathe: but bringe them vp in the nourture and informacyon of the lorde. Ephesiorum. vi. and Collos. iii. Fathers rate not your chyl­dren, leste they be of desperate mynde, that is, left you discorage them. For where the fathers and mothers are wey warde, hastie, & churlishe, euer brawlin­ge and chydinge: there are the chylderne a none discoraged, and hertelesse & apte for nothinge, neyther cā they do any thin The rygh te bringin ge vp of children. ge a ryght. Bringe them vp in the nour toure & informaciō of the lorde. Teache them to knowe Christe, & set goddes or dinaunce before them sayenge: Sone or doughter God hath created the and ma de the thorowe vs thy father & mother, and at his cōmaūdemēt haue we so lō ­ge thus kyndly brought the vp and kep te the from all perels: he hathe cōmaun ded the also to obeye vs sayenge: chylde obeye thy father & mother. If thou me kely obeye, so shalte thou growe bothe in the fauoure of God and mā, & know leage of our lorde Christ. If thou wilte not obeye vs at his cōmaundemēt, then are we charged to correcte the, yea & yf thou repent not and amende thy selfe, God shall slee the by his officers or pu­nishe the euerlastyngely. Nourture thē not worldly and with worldly wisdome [Page 32] sayenge: Thou shalte come to honoure The de­struction and mar­ringe of childerne dygnite: promocyon & ryches thou shal­te be better then soche and soche, thou shalt haue. iii. or. iiii. benefices and be a great doctoure or a Bishop and haue so many men waytinge on the and do no thinge but hauke and hunt and lyue at pleasure, thou shalte not nede toswete to laboure, or to take any payne for thy lyuinge and so forthe, fyllynge thē full of pryde, dysdayne▪ and ambicion and corruptinge theyr myndes with worldly persuasions, Let the fathers and mothers mark howe they them selues were disposed at all ages, and by experience of theyr owne infirmitees hel­pe theyr children and kepe thē from occasyons. Let them teache theyr children to a [...]e mariages of theyr fathers & mothers and let theyr elders prouyde mariages for thē in season: teachinge them also to knowe that she is not his wyfe whiche the sone taketh nor her husban­de which the doughter taketh without the consente and good will of theyr el­ders of thē that haue auctorite ouer thē If theyr frendes wil not mary thē then are they not to blame yf they mary thē selues as is more spoken in the boke of matrimonye. Let the fathers & mothers alwayes take the vttermoste of theyr auctoryte of theyr children but at a tyme [Page] me suffre with them and be are theyr we akenesse as Christ doth ours. Sek chri ste in your chyldern, in your wyues ser, uauutes and subiectes▪ Father mother sone daughter mayster seruaunte Kyn ge and subiecte be names in the world­ly regyment. In Christ we are all one In Christ we are al seruaun­tes and he that hathe know lea ge is bounde. thynge none better than other all bre­therne and must all seke Christ and our brothers profyte in Christe. And he that hathe the knowleage whether he be lor­de or Kinge is dounde to submitte him selfe & serue his brethern & to geue hym selfe for them to wynne them to Christ

The fyfth chapter.

SEruauntes obeye your carnal maisters withe feare and tre­blynge in singlenesse of youre hartes as vnto Christe not w ^t seruyce in the eye sight as mē pleasers but as the seruaūtes of Christ doynge the will of God from the harte with good will euen as though ye ser­ued y ^• lord & not men▪ Ephe. vi. And. i. [...] i [...]. Seruasites obey your maisters with all feare not only yf they be good & courteous but also though they be frowarde. For it commeth of grace yf a mā for [...] science towarde God indure grefe suffe­ringe wrongefully. For what prayse is [Page 33] it yf whan ye be buffetted for your fa [...] tes, ye take it pacientlye? But and yf whan ye do well, ye suffce wronge and take it pacyentlye, than is there thanke withe God, here vnto verely were ye called. For Christ also suffered for our sakes, leauinge vs an example to fo [...]o we his steppes. In what soeuer [...]ynde therfore thou arte a seruaunte, duringe the tyme of thy couenauntes, thy may­ster is vnto the in the stede and row­me of God, and God thorowe hym The mai­ster is vn­to the ser­uaunt in Gods ste­de. feadethe the clothethe the, ru [...]ethe and lernethe the hys Commaundementes, are Goddes commaundementes, and thou oughteste to obeye hym as God, and in all thynges to seke his pleasure and profyte. For thou, arte hys good and possessyon, as hys oxe or hys horse in so moche that whosoeuere doth but desyre the in hys harte from hym wyth out his loue and lycence is condemned of. God, whiche sayethe. Exodi. xx. s [...] thou ones couete not thy neyghbours seruaūtes. Paule the apostle sent home Onesymus vnto hys master (as thou readest in the pistle of. Saynte. Paule to Philemon. In so moch that though the sayd Philemon with his seruante also was conuerted by paul, and owed vnto Paule and to the worde y ^• Paule prea [Page] ched, not hys seruaunte onely, but also hym selfe: yea and thoughe that Paule was in necessite and lacked mynisters to mynister vnto hym in the bondes. whyche he suffered. For the▪ Gospels sake, yet wolde he, not retayne the ser uaunte necessary vnto the furtheraunce of the gospell withoute the consent of the maister.

O howe sore differreth the doctryne Chrystes doctryne and the Bishoppe of Romes differ of Christe and hys Apostles frome the doctryne of the Bishoppe of Rome and of his, Apostles. For yf any man wyll obey neyther father nor mother neyther Lorde nor maister, neyther. Kynge nor prince, the same neadethe but onely to take the marke of the beast, that is to shaue him selfe a monke (a frere, or a To obeye no man is aspiritual thynge. preest, and is than, immediatly fre and exempted from all seruyce and obedyen ce due vnto man. He that will obeye no man (as they will not (is moste accepta ble vnto them. The more disobedient that thou arte vnto Goddes ordinaun ces, y ^• more apte and mete arte thou for theyres. Neyther is the professinge. vo­winge promysynge, and sweringe, obe dyence vnto theyr lawes & ordinaunces any other thyng, than the defyenge, de­nyenge, and forswerynge obedyence vn to the ordinaunces of God.

The sixte Chapter▪

PAule Ephe. vi. sayth ye masters do euen the same thinges vnto them that, is, be maister after the example and doctryne of christe, as he before taughte the seruauntes to obey vnto theyr masters as vnto Christe (puttinge awaye thre­tenynges (that is, geue them fayre wordes, and exhorte them kyndly to do theyr dutie: Yea nurture them as thyn owne sonnes wythe the lordes nurture that they maye se in Christe a cause Teache thy ser­uaunte to knowe christeand after. Christes doctryne dele with hym. why they oughte louyngely to obeye. and remembre (saythe he [...] that youre maister also is in heuen, Neythere is there anye respecte of parsons wyth hym, that is he is indyfferente and not per [...]yall: as greate in sy [...]te is a seruāt as a mayster. And in the thyrde cha pitre to the c [...]llo, saythe he ye masters do vnto youre seruauntes that whych is iuste and equalle remembringe that ye also haue a maystere in heauen. Geue youre seruauntes kynde wordes foode, raymente and lernynge. Be not bytter vnto them, [...]ayle not on them, geue them no cruele countenaunce, but [Page] accordyng to the ensample and doctri­ne of Chryste, deale wythe them. And when they laboure sore, cheryshe them Do all thinge with god des worde agayne. When ye correcte them, let Goddes worde be by, and doo it wyth such good maner that they may se how that ye do it to amende them only: and to brynge them vnto the waye whyche God byddeth vs to walke in, and not to auenge youre selues, or to wreake your malyce on thē. Yf at a tyme tho­row hastynes ye excede measure in pu­nyshynge, recompence it another waye and pardon them another tyme.

¶ The seuenth Chapiter.

LEt Christen Landlordes be con­tente wyth theyr rentes and olde customes, not reysynge the rente or fynes, and bryngynge vp new Customes to oppresse theyr tenauntes: neyther lettinge. ii. Or. iii. tenauntryes vnto one man. Let thē not take in their commones, neyther make Parkes nor pastures of hole Paryshes. For God God ga­ue the er­the to mē gaue the earth to men to inhabyte, and not vnto shepe and wylde deere. Be as Fathers vnto youre tenauntes: yea [Page 35] be vnto them as Chryst was vnto vs, and shew vnto them al loue and kynd­nes. What soeuer busynes is amonge them be not percyall fauoryng one mo­re then a nother. The complayntes▪ quarels, and stryfe that are among thē counte dyseases of sycke people, and as a mercyfull Physycian heale thē wyth wysdome and good counseyle. Be py­tyful and tender herted vnto them, and let not one of thy tenauntes teare oute a nothers throte, but iudge theyr cau­ses indyfferentlye and compell them to make theyr dyches, hedges, gates, and wayes. For euen for suche causes we­re ye made Landlordes, and for suche causes payde men rente at the begyn­nynge. For yf suche an order were not, one shoulde sle [...] another and all shulde go to waste. Yf thy tenaunte shall la­boure and toyle all the yeare to paye the thy rente, and when he hath besto­wed all hys laboure, hys neyghbours catell shall deuoure hys fruytes, howe tedyous and bytter shulde hys lyfe be? Se therefore that ye do your dutyes a­gayne and suffre no man to doo them wronge, saue the Kynge onely. Yf he do wronge, then muste they abyde God des iugemente.

¶ The eyght Chapter.

GOd annoynted hys sonne Iesu with the holy ghost, and therfor called him Christ, whyche is as­moche to saye as anoynted. Out wardly he dysgysed hym not but made hym lyke other men and sente hym in to the worlde to blesse vs, and to offre hym selfe for vs a sac [...]rifyce of a swete sauer, to kylle the stenche of our synnes that god hēce for the shulde smell thē no more nor thynke vpō thē any more: & to Christ was ney­ther shauē nor shorne nor yet an noynted with [...]oyle make full and sufficient satisfacion or a mendes for all them that repēte, bele­uynge the truth of God, and submittin ge thē selues vnto his ordinaūces both for the synne that they do, haue done, and shall do. For sinne we throughe fra gylyte neuer so ofte, yet as sone as we repente and come in to the ryght waye agayne, and vnto the testamente why­che He that doth ought to make sa­tisfaccion hath loste hys parte of christes bloode. God hath made in Christes, bloo­de, our synnes waste aware as smoke in the wynde, and as darkenes at the commynge of the light. In so moche that who soeuer goeth aboute to ma­ke satysfacyon for hys synnes to God warde, saynge in hys hart, thys moche haue I synned, thys moche wyll I do [Page 36] agayne, or thys wyse wyll I syne to To our neygh­bour ma­ke we amē des. make amendes wyth all, or this will I do to get heauen wythall, the same is an infydele, faythlesse, and dampned in hys dede doynge, and hath lost hys parte in Christes bloode, because he is dysobedyent vnto Goddes testamen­te, and setteth vp a nother of hys ow­ne Imaginacyon, vnto whiche he will compell God to obeye, Yf we loue God we haue a commaundent to loue our neyghboure also, as sayth Iohā in his Epistle. And yf we haue offended him to make hym amendes, or yf we haue not wherwith, to aske hym forgyuenes and to do and suffre all thinges for his sake to wynne hym to God and to no­rishe peace and vnyte: but to God war de Christ is an euerlastinge satisfaccy­on, and for euer sufficient.

Christ whan he had sulfylled his The Apo stles wa­re neyther shauē nor shorne nor annoyn­ted with oyle. course, annoynted hys Apostles and Discyples wyth the same spirite, and sent them immendiately forth without all maner disgysynge lyke other men also, to preache the attonement and pe­ace whyche Christe had made betwene God and man, as Paule boasteth him selfe euery where, Christ (saythe he) sent me to preache the Gospell. i. Corint. i. And I receyued of the Lorde, that whi­che The Apo stles wa­re sent of Christ with lyke auctoryte. I delyuered vnto you. i. Co. xi. And [Page] Galathians. i. I certifye you bretheren that the Gospell whyche was preached of me, was not after the maner of men (that is to saye, carnall or fleshely) ney­ther receyued I it of man, neyther was it taughte me, but I receyued it by the reuelacion of Iesus Chryste. And Ga­lathiās. ii. He that was myghty in Pe­ter in the Apostleshyp ouer the circum­cision, was myghty in me amonge the Gentyles. And also in Iohn the twen­tye Chapter. Chryste sente them forthe indifferently and gaue them lyke pow­er. As my father sente me (sayth he) so sende I you: that is to preache and to suffer as I haue done, and not to con­quere Empyres and Kyngdomes and to subdue all temporall power vnder you wyth dysgysed ypocresye. He gaue them the holy goost to bynd and to loo­se, as thou seest: and afterward he sent for [...]he Paule wyth the same auctorite, The offi­ce of pre­stes. as thou seeste in the Actes. And in the last of Mathew sayth he: all power is geuen me in heauen and in earthe, go [...] therfore and teache all nacyons Bap­tizynge them in the name of the father and of the sonne and o [...] the holy goost, teachinge them to obserue whatsoeuer I commaunded you. The auctorite that Christe gaue them was to preache, yet not what they wold Imagē, but what [Page 37] he had commaunded. And to the intent that they shuld be manful & not shrinke in theyr offyce for anye persecutyon or trouble, no not for the death. Lo sayth he, I am wyth you alwayes, euen vnto the ende of the worlde. He sayde not I go my waye and here is Peter Iames or Iohan in my steade (as our Bishop­pes Parsons and Uycars doth nowe set theyr suffraganes and paryshe prei­stes) but sent them euery man to a son­drye country, whether so euer the spy­rite caryed them, and went wyth them hym selfe.

Thus after Chryste had sente forth them, after the same sorte the Apostles dysgysed no man, but those men an­noynted wyth the same spirite: one to preache the worde of God, whome we call after the Greke tonge a Byshoppe or a preyste, that is in Englyshe an o­uerseer and an elder. How he was an­noynted you reade. i▪ Timoth. iii. The Bishoppe an ouer­seer. Byshoppe or preiste muste be fautlesse, the husbande of one wyfe (Many Ie­wes and also Gentiles that ware con­uerted vnto the fayth, had at that tyme Those preachers that the Apostles dyd chose ware not anoynted with oyle dyuerse wyues, yet ware not compel­led to put any of them awaye, whyche Paule because of ensample wolde not haue preachers to do, for asmuch as in Chryste we returne agayne vnto the [Page] fyrst ordinaunce of God, that one man and one whoman shulde go to gether) he muste besobre, of honest behauioure, honestely appareled, herberous (that is ready to lodge straungers) apte to tea­che, no dronkarde, no fyghter, not ge­uen to fylthy lucre, but gentle, abhor­ringe God sen­de this oyle ones amonge our shepe herdes. fyghtinge, abhorrynge coueteous­nes, and one that ruleth hys owne hou sholde honestely, hauynge chyldren vn­der obedience with al honestye. For yf a man can not rule hys owne house, how can he care for the congregacyon of God? He may not be yonge in the faythe, or as a man wolde saye an no­vyce, lest he swell and fall into the iud­gement of the euell speaker, that is, he may not be vnlerned in the secretes of the faythe. For suche are at ones stob burne and headstronge; and set not a lytle by thē selues. But alas we haue a boue a thousande Prestes that knowe no more scripture then is wrytten in theyr portasses, so that amonge them is he counted very well lerned that cā tur ne to his seruice. He must be well repor ted of them that are without, lest he fal in to rebuke and in to the snare of the euyll speaker, that is, lest the infydels whyche yet beleue not, shulde be hurte by hym and dryuen from the faythe, yf a man that ware defamed were made [Page 38] heade and ouerseer of the congregatyō. Prestes ought to haue wy­ues and why.

He must haue a wyfe for. ii. causes one that it may thereby be knowen who is mete for the rowm. He is vnapte for so chargeable an office whiche had neuer houshoulde to rule. A nother cause is, that chastite is an exceadynge seldome gyft and vnchastite exceadynge pe [...]elou se for that degre. In asmoche as the peo ple loke as well vnto the lyuinge as vn to the preachinge & are offended at ones if the lyuing dysagre and straight way they fall from the fayth and beleue not the worde.

This ouerseer because he is taken What the Pre­stes dutye is to do, & what to haue from hys owne busynes and laboure to preache Goddes worde vnto the pa­rysshe, hath ryght by the autoryte of the worde to chal [...]nge an honest lyuyng of the parryshe lyke vnto one of the bre­theren, and there with ought he to be contente. As you maye rede in the Euangelistes and also in Paule. For who wil haue a seruaunte and wyl not geue hym meate, drynke, and raymente and all thinges necessarye? Howe they wolde paye hym, whether in money or assygne hym so moche rēte or in tythes as the maner is now in many countres was at theyre lybertye. But as for su the Bishoppes and prestes as preache not or as preach any other thyng than [Page] the [...]ure word of God, can by no ryght or tytle of the Gospell chaleng any thin ge of their parysheners. Neither ar they sente of Christe, nor yet chosen of hys Apostles: but seruauntes of the beaste whose marke they beare, whose worde they preache, whose lawe they mayn tayne cleane▪ against Goddes lawe, and with theyr false sophystrye geue hym greater power than euer gaue God to his sonne Iesus Christe, or Christe▪ to anye of hys, derelye beloued Apo­stles. Deacon what it signifieth and what is his of­fice.

Lykewyse in euerye cōgregacyon cho se they a nother after the same ensam­ple and euē so annoynted, as it apereth in the sayde Chapiter of Paule, and Actum .vi. Whome after the Greke worde we calle Deacone, that is to saye in▪ Englishe, a seruaunte or a my nyster, whose office was to helpe and to gather vp his dutye, and to gathere for the poore of the parishe whiche wa [...] destytute of theyr frendes and coulde not worke. Wpon the sayntes dayes, namelye, suche as had suffred deathe for the worde sake, came men together in to the churche and the Prest preached vnto them and exhorted them to cleue fast vnto the worde▪ and to be stronge in the faythe, and to fyght agaynst the powers of the worlde, withe sufferinge [Page 39] for their faythes sake after the ensam­ple of the sayntes. And taught them Sayntes ware not yet Gods not to beleue in the sayntes and to trust in theyr merytes and to make Gods of them: but toke the sayntes for an exam ple only, and prayed God to geue them lyke faythe and trust in hys worde and lyke strength and power to suffre ther­fore, and to geue them so sure hope of the lyfe to come. And vpon suche day­es as we nowe offre, so gaue they eue­ry man hys porcyon accordynge to hys a bylyte and as God put it in hys har­te to the mayntenaunce of the Prest, Deacon, and other common mynisters and of the poore, and to fynde lerned men to teache, and so forthe. And all was put in the handes of the Deacon, as thou mayeste see in the Hystoryes. Why lan des were geuē vnto spirituall officers before we fell from the fay­the. And for suche purposes gaue men lan­des after warde to ease the paryshes and made hospytals, and also places to teache theyr chyldren and to brynge them vp and to nurtoure them in God des worde, whyche landes our sturdy Chanons of cathedrall churches and Chauntrye Prestes dothe nowe deuo [...] re. The lorde graunt that they may o­nes be turned to theyr ryght vse.

The nynthe Chapter.

ANtichriste of another maner h [...] the sente forthe hys disciples, the se false anoynted of which Chri ste warneth vs before that they False an­noynted. shulde come, and shewe false miracles and wonders, euen to brynge the very electe out of the waye, yf it we re possible. He anointeth them after the maner of the Iewes, and shaueth them and shoreth them after the maner of the heythen Prestes which serued the Ido les He sendeth them forthe not with fal se oyle onely, but with false names also For compare theyr names vnto their de False na­mes. des and thou shalt fynde them false. He sēdeth them forth as Paule prophesyed of them .ii. Thessalonien .ii. with lyeng sygnes and wonders. What signe is the anoynting [...]? that they be full of the holy ghost. Compare them to y ^• sygnes of the holy gost which Paule rekeneth and thou shalt fynde it a false signe. A Bishope must be fau [...]leness, the husbād of one wyfe. Nay sayth the Bishope of No wyfe but an whore. Rome the husbande of no wyfe, but the holder of as many whores as he listeth [Page 40] God commaunde all degrees (yf they burne and can not lyue chast (to mary, The Byshoppe of Rome sayth yf they­burne let them take a licēce for a whore and put her awaye when they are olde elles as our lawears saye, si non caste tamen caute, that is yf ye, lyue not Oh kna­uery. chaste, se ye cary clenely and playe the knaue secretly. Herberous, yea to who res and baudes, for a poore man shall as sone breake hys necke as his fast withe them but of the scrappes and wythe the dogges, whan dyner is, done Apte to teache and as Peter saythe .i. Peter .ii. redye alwayes to geue an swere to euery [...] man that askethe you a reason of the hope that ye haue Bootes and that withe mekenes. Whyche thinge is sygnyfied by the bootes which doctours of diuinite are created in, because they shulde be redy all wayes to go throughe thycke, and thynne to preache▪ Goddes worde, and by the­byshoppes Miters two horned myter, whyche betokenethe the absolute and perfecte Cyte thē. knowleage that they ought to haue in the new testament and the olde. Be not these falsesygnes? For they beare onely and teache not.

Yea sayth the Bishoppe of Rome Pose thē yf they will not be ruled cyte thē to ap pereand pose them sharpely, what they [Page] holde of the ceremonyes, of confession, of prayenge to sayntes, of the masse for the quycke and the deade, and suche ly­ke creaturs of our moste holy fathers. Make them heretikes. If they myss [...] in any poynte, make heretikes of them, and burne them. If they be of myne annoynted and beare my marke disgrasse them, I wolde saye dis­graduate them and (after the example of noble Antiochus. ii. Mach. vii.) pa­re the crownes and the fyngers of thē, and torm [...]nte them craftely, and for ve­ry payne make them denye the truthe. But now saye our Byshoppes, becau­se the truthe is come so farre abrode & the laye people begynne to smell our wyles, it is best to oppresse them with crafte secr [...]tely and tame them in pry­son: yea let vs fynde the meanes to ha­ue them in the kynges pryson and to make treason of soch doctryne: yea we must stere vp some warre one where or a nother to brynge the people in to a nother ymaginacyon. If they be gentyll men abiure them secretely.

On the holy dayes whyche were ordayned to preache Goddes worde, sette vp longe ceremonyes, longe ma­tenses, longe masses, and longe euen­songes, All in la­tyne Rol­le them. and all in laten that they vnderstonde not, and rolle them in derken [...], that ye maye lede them whether ye wil [...] [Page 41] And lest suche thynges shoulde be tedy­ouse, synge some, saye some, pype some rynge the belles, and lulle them, and Synge Rynge rocke them a slepe. And yet Paule .ii. Corinthi .xiiii. forbyddedth to speake in the Churche or congregacyon saue in the tonge that all vnderstande. For the laye man thereby is not edyfied or taughte. Howe shall the laye man saye amen (saythe Paule) to thy blessynge or thankes geuynge, when he wotethe not what thou seyest? He woteth not whether thou blesse or curse.

What then sayth the Byshoppe of Rome, what care I for Paule. I com­maunde by the vertue of obedyence to reade the Gospell in Latine. Let them Saye thē a gospell not praye but in Latyne, no not theyr Pater noster. But thankes be to God that is well amended here in England Yf anye be sycke, goo also and saye them a Gospell and all in Latyne: yea to the very corne and frutes of the fel­de in the processyon weake, preache the Gospell in Latyne. Make the people beleue that it shall growe the better &c. Oh moste wretched ypocrytes? It is verely as good to preache it to swyne as to men (yf thou preach it in a tonge they vnderstande not. How shall I pre pare my selfe to Goddes commaunde­mentes? Howe shall I be thankfull to [Page] [...] [Page 41] [...] [Page] Chryste for hys kyndnes? Howe shall I beleue the truth and promyses why­che God hathe sworne, whyle thou tel­lest them vnto me in a tonge whyche I What quod my lorde of cauntor bury vnderstande not? What then sayd my Lorde of Cantorbury to a preiste that woulde haue had the newe Testament gone forthe in Englyshe. What (sayde he) woldeste thou that the laye people shulde wete what we do?

No fyghter, whyche I suppose is sygnyfyed by the Crosse that is borne before the hye Prelares, and borne be­fore them in processyon. Is that also not a false sygne? What realme can be in peace for suche turmoylers? What so lytle a Paryshe is it, but they wyll pycke one quarell or another wyth thē other for some syrples, cresome, or can dell, other for one tryfle or other, and cyte them to the arches? Traytours they are to all creatures and haue a se­crete conspyratyon betwene them sel­ues. One crafte they haue to make ma­ny Kyngdomes and small, and to no­ryshe olde tytles or quarels that they may euer moue them to warre at theyr The craf te of the prelates pleasure, And yf muche landes by any chaunce, fall to one man, euer to caste a bone in the waye, that he shall neuer be able to obtayne it, as we nowe se [Page 42] in the Emperoure. Why? For as lon­ge as the kynges be small, yf God wol­de open the eyes of anye to set a refor­macyon in hys realme, then shoulde the Byshoppe of Rome interdicte hys Interdite londe and sende in other Princes to cō quere it.

Not geuen to fylthy lucre, but ab­horrynge couetousnes. And as Peter saythe. i. Petri. v. Takynge the ouer­fyghte of them not as thoughe ye were compelled therunto: but willingly. Not for desyre of fylthy lucre, but of a good mynde: not as thoughe ye were lordes ouer the Paryshes. &c. O Peter Pe­ter thou waste to longe a Fyssher, thou waste neuer broughte vp at the arches, neyther waste mayster of the rolles, nor yet Chaunceler of Englan­de But they are not contente to folow the, but wyll raygne ouer Kynge and Emperoure, and the hole earth: and ca­lenge auctoryte also in Heauen and in Hell. It is not ynough for them to raig ne ouer all that are quycke, but haue created them a Purgatory, to raygne also ouer the deed & to haue one kyng­dome more then God hym selfe hadde. Sherin­ge what it signify eth. Thys abhorring of couetousnes is syg nyfied as I suppose by shauynge and shearynge of theyr heare, that they ha­ue no superfluyte But is not thys al­so [Page] a false sygne? Yea verely it is to thē a remembraunce to shere and shaue, to hepe benefyce vppon benefyce, promo­cyon vpon promocyon dygnite vppon dygnite.

Thus they as vnsacyable beastes not vnmyndful why they were shauen and shoren, because they wyll stande at no mannes grace, or be in any mannes daunger, haue gotten in to theyr owne handes, fyrste the tyte or tenthe of all the realme.

Marke well howe many persona­ges or vycarages are there in the real­me whyche at the leste haue a ploughe lande a pece. Then not the laudes of Byshoppes, cathedrall churches, sump tuous Coleges, Chauntryes, and fre­chapels. Frecha­pell.

Besydes all thys, howe many cha­playnes do Gentylmen fynde at theyre owne cost in theyr houses? Howe ma­ny synge for soules by testamētes. Thē the prouynge of testamentes, the pray­synge of goodes, the Byshop of Can­torburies Testamē ­tes. prerogatiue. Is that not mo­che through the realme in a yerer Four offeryng dayes, and preuy tythes. Ther Offeryn­ges. is no seruaunte but that he shall paye somewhat of hys wages. None shall receyue the body of Christe at Ester, be he neuer so poore a begger, or neuer so [Page 43] yonge a lad or mayde, but they muste paye somewhat for it. And yet what parsone or vycare is there that wyl for get to haue a pygyn house to pecke vp some what bothe at sowyng tyme and at herueste when corne is rype. They wyll forget nothynge. No man shall dye in theyr dette, or yf any man do, he shall pay it when he is deed. They wyl lose nothynge. Why? It is Gods, it is not theyrs. Then bedrolles, then cryso­me, chyrchynges, banes, weddynges, offerynge at weddynge, offerynge at buryenges, offerynge to ymages, offe­rynge of waxe and lyghtes whyche co­me to theyr vauntage agaynst the kyn­ges cōmaūdemente, besyde the supersti cious waste of waxe in torches and ta­pers throughe oute all the londe. Then Confessi­on. brotherhedes & suche other lyke. What gette they also by confession? Yea and many enioye penaūce to geue a certay­ne for to haue so many Masses sayde, and desyre to prouide a chapplayne thē selues. Soule masses, diriges, moneth­myndes, yeare myndes, alsoulday, and trentales. The mother churche and the hye altare muste haue somewhat in e­uery testamente. Offeringes at preistes fyrst masses. The halowenge or rather coniurynge of churches, chapels, alta­res, charnell houses, super altares, cha­lice, [Page] vestimentes and belles. The boke bell, candelstycke, organes, chalice. ve­stimentes, copes, altare clothes, syrple­ses, towels, bascens, [...]uars shypsenser, and all maner ornamētes must be foū ­de them frely, they wyll not geue amyte Person [...]ycare Paryshe Preste. therunto. The person shereth, the vy­care shaueth, the paryshe preiste polleth scrapeth, and pareth, we lacke but a bo ther to pull of the skynne.

What gette they by theyr lawe in a yeare at the arches? What get the com myssaries and Officials with theyr sō ­ners and appareters by bawdry in a yeare? Besydes thys, many of the pa­ryshe preistes who to please theyr com­myssaries and officials doo open vnto them the confessiō of the richest of their parishes. Whom the cyte preuely and lay to theyr charges secretlye. Whan they desyre to know theyr accusers, nay (saye they) come and laye youre hande vpon the boke, and we shall fynde pro­ues ynoughe, and see that ye fors were not youre selfe, for yf ye doo we wyll handle you to the example of all other. Lay your hāde vpō the boke. By thys meanes do they wrynge theyr purses and make them to droppe so lō ­ge as there is a peany in them.

What other thynge are these in a realme saue horsleches and euen very [Page 44] magottes, cancres and caterpyllers, whyche deuoure no more but all that is grene, and those wolues why­che Paule rophecyed shulde come and shulde not spa­re the flocke. God a mende them