nether bryng you forth a bederoll of theyr namys wherfore we must for bothe our ê‘tê be fayn to remyt you to your owne tyme yet not froÌ„ your chyldhed whereof many thynges men forget when they come to farr greater age but vnto the days of your good remeÌ„braunce And so doyng we suppose yf the sory syghtys y t meÌ„ haue sene had left as gret impressyon styll remaynyng in theyr hartys as the syght maketh of the preseÌ„t sorow that they se men shuld thynk say y t they haue in days passed sene as many sykke beggers as they se now For as for other syknes they rayn not god be thanked but after such rate as they haue done in tymes passed And theÌ„ of the freÌ„ch pokkys .xxx. yere ago went there about syk fyue agaynst one y t beggeth wyth them now Wherof who so lyst to say that he seeth it otherwyse we wyll hold no great dyspycyons wyth hym theruppon because we lakke the namys of both the sydes to make the tryall wyth But surely who so shall say the coÌ„trary shall as we suppose eyther saye so for his pleasure or els shall it fare by his sight as folkis fare with theyr felyng which what they fele they whyne at but what they haue felt theâ— haue more then half forgotten though they felt it ryght late Whych maketh one that hath but a pore boyle vppon hys fynger thynk the grefe more great than was the payne of a great boch that greued hys hole haÌ„d lyttell more than a moneth a fore So that in thys poynt of the nomber of syk beggers so sore encreased so late albeit we wyll forbere so to say to hym as we mighte well say yet will we be so bolde to denye it hym till he bryng in some better thyng than hys bare word for the profe ¶ And in good faith if he be put to the profe of the tother poynt also that is to wyt that for very constraynt those pore syk folk dye for huÌ„ger we verely trust think he shall seke farr and fynde very few yf he fynde any at all For albeit that pore householders haue these dâ—â—e yeres made ryght hard shyft for corne yet our lorde be thanked men haue not bene so farr from all pyte as to suffer pore impoteÌ„t parsons dye at theyr doorys for hunger ¶ Now where as he sayth that the almes of all well disposed peple of thys reame is not half inough to sustayn them and the well dysposed people he calleth in this matter all theÌ„ that gyueth them almoyse he speketh not of one yere nor twayn but of these many yerys now passed for neyther be the nomber of the clergy nor theyr possessyons nor the freres almes in whych thyngê he layeth the cause why the almes of good people ys not half suffycyent to kepe sustayn the pore and syk beggers fro famyshyng any great thynge encreased in these x. or .xii. or .xx. yeres last passed therfore yf that he sayd were trew then by all these .x. yeres at the lest the almoyse of good people hath not bene half able to susteyn the pore syk beggers froÌ„ famyshynge And surely yf that were so that in .iiii. or .v. yerys in which was plenty of corne the pore syk beggars for lak of mennys almes died so fast for huÌ„ger thogh many shuld fall sik neuer so fast again yet had they in y â— laste .ii. dere yerys dyed vp of lyklyhod almost euerychone And whether thys be trew or not we purpose not to dyspute but to referr and report our self to euery maÌ„nys eyen and eares whether any maÌ„ here of so many dede or se so many the fewer ¶ When he hath layd these sure stonys to begyn the ground foundacyon of hys byldyng wyth that sore and syk beggars be so sore encreasyd that the almesse of all the good people of thys realme is not half inough to sustayn theÌ„ and that therfore by very constraynt they dayly dye for hunger vppon them he layeth a nother stone that the cause of all thys euyll is the great possessyoÌ„s of the spyrtualte and the great almys gyuen to the frerys But herein furst he layth that besydys tythes and all such other profettê as ryse vnto the chyrh by reason of the spyrytuall law or of mennys deuocyon that they haue the thyrd parte of all the temporall landes of the realme Whych who so can tell as much of the reuenews of the realme as he can tell lytell that made the booke doth well know that though they haue mych yet is the thyrd part of all farre an other thing y â— he sayth in thys poynt vnâ—râ—w Than goeth he to the pore frerys And there as we told you he shewyth that y â— almes geuen them of certeynte amounteth yerely vnto x.iii thousand CCC xxxiii.li vis s.viii.d sterlyng paraduenture men wold wene the man were some apostata and that he neuer coud be so pryuy to the frerys reconyng but if he had bene long their lymytour and sene some generall vyew of all theyr hole accountys But surely syth the man is bad inough besyde we wold be loth folk shuld rekeÌ„ hym for apostata for surely he was neuer frere for aught tha we know for we neuer wyst that euer in hys lyfe he was half so well dysposed And also when ye here the grouÌ„d of hys reconyng ye well your self thynk that he nether knoweth mych of theyr maters of all the realme besyde make as though he knew many thyngys for trew which many men know for fals ¶ For furst he putteth for the grouÌ„de of hys rekenyng that there are in the realme twoo and fyfty thousaÌ„de parysh churches whych ys one playne lye to begynne with Then he putteth y t euery paryshe one wyth a nother hath ten howse holdes in yt meanynge besyde suche pore howses as rather aske almes theÌ„ gyue for of such ye wot well y â— frerys get no quarterag y â— poynte albe yt the grounde be not sure yet bycause yt may to many men seme lykely therfore we lette yt passe But then he sheweth ferther for a sure trouth a thynge that all men knowe surely for a great lye that ys to say that of euery howsholde in euery paryshe euery of y â— fyue ordres of freres hath euery quarter a peny for we knowe full well so do many of you to fyrst y t the comen people speke but of .iiii. ordres the whyte the blakke the austayne and the grey and whych ys the fyft in many partes of the realme fewe folke can tell you For yf the questyone were asked abowte there wolde be peraduenture founden many mo the more pyte it is that coulde name you the grene freris then the crowched ye know ryght well also that in many a paryshe in england of fourty howseholders ye shall not fynde fowre pay neyther .v. peÌ„se a quarter nor .iiii. nother and many a
in the worlde to gette theym wyues and to get they re lyuyng wyth y â— labour of theyr handys and in the swete of theyr facys as he sayeth yt ys the coÌ„maundement of god in the furst chapiter of Genesis and fynally to tay them to the carâ—es to be whyppyd naked about euery market towne tyll they fall to labour And then yf these petycions were onys arauntyd and parformyd he sheweth many great coÌ„modytees that wold as he sayth ensue theruppoÌ„ both to the kynge the people and to the pore beggars Which thyngys we shall ere we leue in such wyse repete and ponder that your wysdoms may consyder and parceiue in your self what good frute wold folow the spede of hys goodly supplycacion whereof we haue rehersed you the hole some and effect ¶ Trewthe yt ys y â— many thyngys wherewyth he florysheth hys maters to make theÌ„ seme gay to the reders at a sodayn shew we leue out for the while because we wold ere we come therto that ye shuld furst haue the mater self in short set forthe before your eyen And thaÌ„ shall we peruse hys prouys and in such wyse consyder euery thynge aparte that we nothyng dout but who so shall rede hys worshypfull wrytyng after shall sone parceyue therin floryshyng without frute futtelte wythout substauÌ„ce rethoryk wythout reasoÌ„ bolde babelyng wythout lernyng wylynes wythout wyt And fynally for y â— foundacyon and ground of all hys prouys ye shall fynde in hys boke not half so many leuys as lyes but almost as many lyes as lynes ¶ And albe yt we lye here in that case that about thexamynacyoÌ„ and answeryng of such a mad malycyouse boke we haue neyther lust nor leysoure to bestow the tyme wherof mispeÌ„t in our lyfe we geue now an hard and a heuy rekenynge yet not only the necessyte of our cause dryueth vs to declare vnto you the feblenes of hys reasons wherewyth he wold bryng you in the case to care nothyng for vs beleuyng y t there were no purgatory but also most specyally dothe our charite towarde you styrre vs to shew you the myschefe that he myndeth to your self aswell in that poynt of infidelyte as in all the remnaunt of hys sedicyouse boke In answeryng wherof we wold gladly let hys foly and lak of lernyng passe yf yt were not more thaÌ„ necessary that all folk shuld parceyue hys lyttell lernyng and lesse wyt lest symple folk wenyng hym wyse and well lernyd myght vnto theyr harm esteme hys euyll wrytyng the better for theyr wronge opynyon of hys wyt and lernyng As for hys malycyouse mynde and vntreuth there can no man loke that we shuld leue vnto wchyd but he that wold rather the man were beleued than answeryd and wold wysh hys byll sped were yt neuer so malycyouse and false ¶ For where he to deuyseth hys introduccyon as all hys purpose shuld haue a great face of charyte by that he speketh all in the name of the pore beggars thys ys nothyng els but the deuyls dryft alway coueryng hys poyson vnder some tast of suger As for vs we truste there wyll no wyse maÌ„ doute what fauour we bere to beggers as folk of theyr own felyshyp and faculte and of all whom there be no where in the world nether so nedy nor so sore and so syk nor so impotent and so sore in paynes as we And that so farforth that yf ye myght se them all on the tone syde and but one of vs on the tother syde we be very sure that the world wolde pyte one of vs more thaÌ„ them all But although we be more beggars then your beggers be as folk dayly beggyng our almes of you and them both yet eÌ„uy we not them as one of them dothe a nother but we pray and require you to gyue them for our sakes wherby your gyft gretly cumfortyth vs both And they be also our proctours and beg in our name and in our name receaue your money wherof we receyue both your deuocyon and theyr prayours So y t ye may be well assured there coud be put no byll nor supplycacyon forth for theyr aduauÌ„tage whych we wold in eny wyse hynder but very gladly forther in all y â— euer we myghte But in good fayth as our pore brethern the beggars be for many causes greatly to be pytyed for theyr dysease and syknes sorow payn pouerte so do we mych in thys case sorow they re myshap that they haue nott had at the leste wyse so muche fortune as to fall vppon a wyser scryuener to make theyr supplycacyon but vppon such a one as vnder hys great wylynes sheweth so lyttell wyt that begynnyng wyth a cloke of charyte doth by and by no lesse dysclose hys hatered and malice than yf be nothyng els had enteÌ„ded but to cast of y t cloke and set out hys malyce naked to the shew Whyrin lyke a beggars ê“ctour he goeth forth so nakedly y t no begger ys there so bare of cloth or money as he sheweth hym selfe bare of faythe lernynge trouth wyt or charite Whych thyng as it all redy well appereth to wyse meÌ„ so wyll we make yt euydent to all men takyng our bygynnynge at the declaracyon of hys vntrewth whych one thyng well perceyued wâ—ll be suffycyent to answer and ouertorne all hys hole enterpryse How be yt we nether shall nede nor do purpose to cuÌ„ber you wyth rehersall and reprofe of all hys lyes for that were to long a work wherof we fere ye shuld be wery to abyde the heryng But of so many we shall pray you take pacyence whyle we shewe you some and such as for the matter be requysyte to be knowen for as much as all hys proues be specyally grounded vppon them ¶ And furst to begyn where he begynneth wheÌ„ he sayth that the noÌ„ber of such beggars as he pretendeth to speke for that is as hym self calleth them the wretched hyduouse monsters on whoÌ„ he sayth scarcely eny eye dare loke the foule vnhappy sort of lepers other sore people nedy impoteÌ„t blynde lame and syh lyuyng onely of almes haue they re numbere nowe so sore encreased that all the almoyse of all the well dysposed people of the realme ys nott halfe inowghe to sustayne theym but that for very constraynte they dye for hunger vnto all those wordys of hys were yt not that though we well wyst our self he sayd vntrew yet wold we be lothe so to lay as a lye to his charge eny thyng wherof the vntrewth were not so playnly parceyued but that he myghte fynde some fauourers whych myghte say he sayd trew els wold we paradueÌ„ture not let to tell hym that for a bygynnyng in these few wordes he had wrytten two lyes at onys If we shuld tell you what noÌ„ber ther was of pore syk folke in days passed ioÌ„g before your tyme ye were at lyberte not to beleue vs. How be yt he caÌ„not not yet on y â— tother syde for hys part
doth this beggars procâ—our we worde gyue you couÌ„sell to loke well what wyll folow For he shall not fayle as we sayd before yf thys byll of his were sped to fynde you sone after in a new supplicacyon new balde reasons ynow y t shuld please the peoples cares wherewych he wold labour to haue lordys landis and all honest meÌ„nys goodys to be pulled fom them by force a dysiry buâ—ed among beggars Of whych there shuld in thys wyse y t he deuyseth encreace and grow so many that they shuld be able for a sodayn shyft to make a strong parle And surely as the fyre euer â—â—epeth forward and laboreth to turn all into fyre so wyll such bold beggars as thys is neuer cease to solycyte and precure all that they can the spoyle and robbery of all that ought haue and to make all beggars as they be them self ¶ We be coÌ„â—ent y â— ye beleue vs not but yf yt haue so ê“uyd all redy by those vplandysh LutheraÌ„s that rose vp in Almaygne Whych beyng onys raysed by such sedycyose bokê as ys thys beggars supplycacyon such sedycyouse heretykys as ys he that made yt set furste vppon spyrytuall prelatys But shortly theruppon they so sirechyd vnto the temporall pryncys that they were fayne to ioyne in ayde of them self with those whom they laughed at furst to se them put in the paryll hopynge to haue had the profyte of theyr losse tyll they saw y â— they were lykly to lese theyr owne wyth them And for all the ponyshment y t they pursued vppon those rebellyouse parsoÌ„s of whom ther were in one somer slayn aboue .lx. M. yet ys that fyre rather couored than quenchydâ— because they suffered yt crepe forth so farre at furst y t 〈◊〉 arâ—ow therby amoÌ„g the lordys theÌ„ self as there caÌ„ neuer 〈◊〉 some nedy rauenouse saÌ„ded men that shal be redy to be captayns in all such rebellyons as was the lord Cobham called Olde castell somtyme a captayn of heretykes in Englande in the dayes of kynge 〈◊〉 the fyft And surely there would sone folow some sore chauÌ„ge in the temporalie yf thys beggers proctour haue hys malycyouse supplycacyon spedde agaynst the spyrytualte ¶ â—ut yet lest folk shulde abhorre hys hard harte and cruelte y e maÌ„ teÌ„peryth hys mater wyth a goodly vysage of the sore inwarde sorow y t he taketh for the 〈◊〉 of mankynd and wyth the greate zele that he hereth to generacyoÌ„ for the good encreace of crysten people in the saÌ„d For he wold for that cause in eny wyse that all y e clergy shuld haue wyues For he asketh y e kyngê hyghnes as the maÌ„ haâ—h caught a great pleasure to appose the kyng wherin he vseth a fygure of rethoryk that meÌ„ call sawce malaperâ—e what an infynyte nuÌ„ber of people myghâ— haue bene encreased to haue peopled your realme yf thys sort of folk had ben maâ—â—ed lyke other men This mater that prestes must nedys haue â—wyues he brynge lhe dyuersâ—y in .iii. or .iiii. placys And amonge other he hathe one wherin he sheweth in raysynge agaynst the clergy a princypall parâ—e of hys excellence eloquence For there he vseth hys ryall fygure of rethoryke called repetycyoÌ„ repetyng often by y e hole clergy these be they in y e begiÌ„nyng of hys clause â–ª These be they y t haue made C.M. idle hores in your realme These be they y â— corrupt the generacyoÌ„ of maÌ„kynd in your realm These be they that draw mennys wyues in to incontynency in your realme And after dyuers of such these be these he coÌ„cludeth knytteth vp the maâ—er wyth his accustomyd vehemence â—et out of Luthers volumys askyng who is able to nomber the great brode botomlesse occeaÌ„ see full of yuels that thys myscheuouse and synfull generacyoÌ„ bryngeth vp vppon vs As though all the hole clergy were of thys coÌ„dycion and no man els but they But among all hys these be thays this ys one whych as the sorest and the most vehemente he secteth in the fore front of theÌ„ all These be they that by theyr abstaynyng fro maryageâ— do let the generacyon of the people wherby all the realme at lenght yf yt shuld be contynued shal be made desert and inhabytable â— Lo the depe insyght that thys beggars proctour hathe in the brode botomlesse occeaÌ„ see full of yuels to saue the greuouse shypwrak of the comen welth He seeth farre farther than euer Cryst was ware of or eny of hys blyssed apostles or eny of y e old holy fathers of crystys fayth and resigyon syns hys holy assencyoÌ„ hetherto tyll now y t Luther cam of late and Tyndale after hym spyed out thys great secrete mystery that neyther god nor good man coud espye If theyr abstaynyng fro maryage shuld make all the laÌ„d desort and inhabytable how happeth yt that habytacyon endureth theryn so long for the lande hathe lasted syth the begynnynge of they re absteynynge frome maryage ye wot well many a fayre day And now yf theyr abstayniÌ„g from maryage not wythstandyng the land hath bene vpholden with the generacyon of you y t ar the temporalie so long ye shall lykewyse hereafter be goddê grace and the helpe of good prayours for kepyng the land from wyldernes be able to get chyldren styll your self and shall not nede to call neyther monkys nor freres to helpe you ¶ Now yf yt be so that y e clergy be as he sayth but the hundred pâ—rt of the men and yet not so mych nether there ys not then so great parell of the land to fall to wyldernes but y t the lxxxxix partes may mayntayn yt populouse though the huÌ„dred part abstayn 〈◊〉 for to shew that he hath not left hys anxyouse fauour toward his natyue coÌ„trey though he be ronne away from yt for heresyâ— fereth sore lest y e hundred parâ—e forberyng maryage all the lxxxxix 〈◊〉 shall not be able so to preserue yt with generacyon but that yt shall waâ— not onely desert but also wherof we most wonder inhabitable y t is to say suche as of yt self shall not be able for manny â— habytacyon But he paraduenture taketh inhabytable for desart desolaâ—e and not inhabyted because men shuld se that he can so roll in hys rethoryk that he wotteth not what hys owne wordys meane ¶ And sumwhat yet ys yt to be consydered that in such parte of his boke that he wold haue yt appere that theyr lyuyng is to mych there he wold make yt seme that they were very few And where he wold haue them take wyuys he wold haue them seme so many that theyr abstaynyng from maryage were able to bryng all the land into desolacyon and wildernes And thus he handleth eyther parte so wysely y t there lakketh hym nothyng yerthly theryn but eueÌ„ a peny weyght of wyt For fawâ— wherof hys wyly foly foreseeth not that one parâ—e of his proces euer impugneth a nother For they that were right now so small
yt shuld make vs begge longe are we gete aught wherby he trusted that som of vs shuld not so sone crepe owte of our payne as we had hoped ¶ Wytte ye well these wordes were heuy tidyngê to vs. But yet bycause y â— deuyll ys wonte to ly we toke some comfort in that we could not belyue hym specyally tellynge a thynge so farre incredyble For who could euer haue thought that eny crysten man could for very pyte haue founden in hys harte to seke and study the meanes whereby a crysten man shuld thynke yt labour loste to pray for all crysteÌ„ sowlys But alakke the whyle we fouÌ„de sone after that the falshed and malyce of the man preued y â— dyuyll trewe For by some that dyed sone after the boke put forth we haue herde perceyued the wreched contentys therof well and playnely declarynge what euyll spyryte inspyred hym whyle yt was in makynge For albe yt that yt ys so contryued and the wordys so cowched that by the secrete inwarde wurkynge of the deuyll that holpe to dyuyse yt a symple reder myght by delyte in the redyng be dedely corrupted and venemed yet yf a wyse man well warned aduysedly wyll way the sentence he shall fynde the hole boke nothyng elles but falshed vnder pretext of playnesse crueltye vnder the cloke of pyte sedycyon vnder the colour of counsayle prowde arrogaÌ„s vnder y â— name of supplycacyoÌ„ vnder y â— preteÌ„ce of fauour vnto pore folke a deuyl she desyre of noyauÌ„ce both to pore rich preste religiouse say maÌ„ prynce lord peple as well quycke as dede ¶ He deuyseth a pytuouse byll of complaynte and supplycacyon fayned to be by the pore sykke and sore beggers put vpp to the kyng lamentyng theryn they re nomber so sore encreaced that good folkes almoyse not half suffysyng to fynde them mete they be constraynyd heuely to dye for hunger Then layth he y â— cause of all these pore beggars both theyr encrese in nomber theyr defaut in fyndyng all this he layth to the onely faut of the clergy namyng them in hys bederoll byshops abbotê pryours deacons archedecoÌ„s suffragans prestê monkys chanons frerys ê‘doners soÌ„moners All these he calleth myghty sturdy beggars ydle holy theuys whych he sayth hath beggyd so importunatly that they haue gotten in to theyr handys y â— thyrd parte of all the realm of Englond besyde tythys preuy tythys probatys of testamentê offryngê wyth masse pens mortuaryes blyssyng cursyng cytyng suspendyng soylyng Then cuÌ„meth he pertyculerly to freres to whom he maketh as he thynketh a playn opeÌ„ rekenyng that they reseyue by beggyng thorow y e realm yerely .xliii. thousand .iii. Cxxxiii pound vi.s.viii.d sterlyng Then shewyth he that all thys cast to gyther amounteth yerely farre aboue the half of the hole substauÌ„ce of the realme After this presupposyng as though he had prouyd yt that the clergy hath the half he theÌ„ to proue the two hundred parte of that they haue were more then suffycyent for them taketh for hys ground that yf the nomber of them be compared wyth the nomber of lay men the clergy be not y e hundreth parte y â— yf they be coÌ„pared wyth the lay men women children the clergy vs not theÌ„ the foure huÌ„dred ê‘son of that nomber And then entendyth he therby to proue conclude that syth they haue as he sayth more then the half of all to gether be them selfâ— not fully the foure hundred parte therfore if that better half that they haue were deuyded into two huÌ„dreth partê then were yet one parte of those two hundreth ê‘tys as he thynketh to mych for them specyally because they labour not After thys he gathereth a great hepe of euyls wherwyth he belyeth the clergy to bryng them in dyspleasure of the kynge and hatered of the people And leste men shuld eny thyng esteeme the clergye for the suffragys of they re prâ—youre in relyefe of vs sely crysten sowlys in purgatory to take a way that good mynde oute of good crysten mennys hartes he laboreth to make the worlde wene that there were no purgatorye at all Wherein when he hathe done what he canne then laboureth he to the kynge for a lycence to rayle vppon the clergye sayeng that there ys none other effectuall remedye agaynste theym but that yt myght please the kynge to gyue hym and suche other fre lycense and lyberte to dyffame the clergy at theyr pleasure amonge the people For he sayth that yf any of them be punyshed any thyng by the temporall lawes than they sore troble the laborers therof by the spyrytuall law and then the heddys of the clergy do so hyghly more than recompence the losse of they re felows that they may be bolde to do the lyke offeÌ„ce agayn at theyr pleasure And for to proue that yt ys alway so he layth that yt hath bene so thryfe and as yt shall after be shewed he lyeth in all thre The furste he layth that the byshop of London was in a grete rage for endyghtynge of certayn curatys of extorcyon and incontynency the last yere in the wardmote questis And for the secoÌ„d he laith that doctour Aleyn after that he was punished by premunire for his coÌ„tempt commytted agaynst the kyngys temporall law was therfore by the byshoppys hyghly recoÌ„peÌ„sed in benefyces And for y â— third he layth that Richard Hunne because he had sued a premunire agaynst a preest for suyng hym in y â— spyrytuall court in a mater determynable in the kyngys court was accused of heresy and commytted to byshoppys prysoÌ„ where he sayth that all the world knowyth that he was murtheryd by doctour Horsey wyth his complyces then the byshoppys chauncellour And that y â— same doctour Horsey he sayth vppon other mennys mouthis payed .vi. hundred pouÌ„des for hym hys complyces after obteyned the kyngys most gracyous pardon WheruppoÌ„ he sayth the captayns of the spyrytualte because he had faughten so manfully agaynst the kyngê crown and dygnyte promotyd hym forth wyth benefyce vppoÌ„ benefyce to the valew of .iiii. tymes as myche And by these ensaumples he coÌ„cludyth there wyll no such punyshment serue agaynst the spyritualte and also who y â— iustly punysh a preest by the temporall law ys vniustly trobled agayn in y â— spyrytuall law Wherof he wold include that of necessyte for a specyall remedy the kyng must nedis grauÌ„t a sicence to such lewd felows to â—ayle vppon theÌ„ ThaÌ„ cometh he at laste vnto the deuyce of some remedy for the pore beggars Wherin he wold in no wyse haue none hospytals made because he sayth that therin the profyte goeth to the prestys What remedy than for the pore beggars He deuysyth nor desyreth nothynge to be geuen them nor none other almoyse or helpe requyreth for theÌ„ but onely that y â— kyngis hyghnes would furst take frome the hole clergye all they re hole lyuynge and then sette theym abrode
dyuysyon of euery mannys lande and substaunce neuer ceacynge yf ye suffer theym tyll they make all beggers as they be theym selfe and at laste bryng all the realme to ruyne and thys not wythout bochery and fowle blody handys ¶ And therfore this beggers proctour or rather the proctour of hell shuld haue concluded hys supplycacyon not vnder the maner that he hath done that after the clergye caste owte thaÌ„ shall the gospell be preched then shall beggers and bawdys decreace theÌ„ shall ydle folk and theuys be fewer then shall the realme encreace in rychesse and so forth But he shuld haue sayed After that the clergye ys thus destroyed and caste owt then shall Luthers gospell come in then shall Tyndallys testament be taken vp TheÌ„ shall false heresyes be preched TheÌ„ shall y e sacramentê be sett ate nough TheÌ„ shall fastyng prayour be neglected TheÌ„ shall holy sayntê be blasphemed Then shall almyghty god be dyspleased Then shall he wythdrade hys grace and lette all ruÌ„ne to ruyne Then shall all vertue be hadde in derysyâ—n Then shall all vyce reygne and runne forth vnbrydeled Then shall youth leue labour and all occupacyon Then shall folk waxe ydle and fall to vnthryftynesse Then shall horys and theuys beggers and bawdys encreace TheÌ„ shall vnthryftys flok togyder and swarme abowte and eche bere hym bolde of other Then shall all lawes be laughed to scorne Then shall the seruauntê set nought by they re maysters and vnruly people rebelle agaynst theyr rulers Then wyll ryse vp ryflyng and robbery murder and myscheyfe playn insurreccyon wherof what wold be th ende or when you shuld se yt onely god knoweth All whych myschyefe may yet be wythstaÌ„den easely and wyth goddê grace so shall yt yf ye suffer no such bold beggers to seduce you wyth sedycyouse byllys But well ê‘ceyuyng that they re malycyouse purpose ys to brynge you to destruccyon ye lyke good crysteÌ„ people auoydyng they re false traynes and grynnê geue none eare to they re heynowse heresyes nor walke theyr sedycyouse wayes But perseueryng in your olde fayth of criste and obseruyng hys lawes wyth good and godly warkis and obedyeÌ„ce of your moste gracyouse kyng and gouernour go forth in goodnesse and vertue whereby ye can not fayle to flowre and prospere in ryches and worldely substaunce whyche well employed wyth helpe of goddys grace abowte cherytable dedes to the nedy and the rather in remembrauÌ„ce and relyefe of vs whose nede ys relyued by you charyte shewed for our sake to your neyghboure be able to purchace you myche pardon of the bytter payn of thys paynfull place and bryng you to y t ioyefull blesse to whyche god hath wyth hys blessyd blode bought you and wyth hys holy sacramentys enseygned you And thus wyll we leue the mannys malycyouse foly teÌ„dyng to the dystruccyoÌ„ fyrst of the clergye and after of your selfe wheryn hys madde rekenynge hath constrayned vs to trouble you with meny tryfles god wote full vnmete for vs and nowe wyll we tourne vs to the treatyng of that one poynte whyche thoughe yt specyally perteyneth to our selfe yet mych more specyally ê‘teyneth yt vnto you y t ys to wytte the impugnacyon of that vncherytable heresye wherwhyth he wolde make you to owre great harme and mych more your awne byleue that we nede none â—elpe and that there were no purgatory ¶ The ende of the fyrst boke⸫ ¶ The seconde boke WHen we coÌ„syder in our self dere brothern systern in our sauyour Cryste y â— present paynfull pangê y t we fele therwyth ponder vppoÌ„ the tother parte y â— parylouse estate of you y â— ar our frendys there lyuyng in y t wrechyd world wyt you very surely that thys pestyleÌ„t oppynyoÌ„ begoÌ„ agaynst purgatory not so mych greuyth vs for y â— lak y t we shuld fynde therby in y â— relyefe of our own intollerable tormeÌ„tê as doth for the loue y â— we bere you the fere heuynes y t we take for y t parell ieopardy y t shuld euerlystyngly fall to youre owne sowlys therby Nor of all the heuy tydyngys y â— euer we hard here was there neuer none so sore smote vs to y â— hart as to here the world wax so faynt in the fayth of Criste that eny maÌ„ shulde nede nowe to proue purgatory to crysten men or that any man could be founden whych wold in so great a thyng so fully and fastly beleuyd for an vndowted artycle thys .xv. C. yere begynne now to staggar and stand in dowt for the vnwyse wordys of eny such malycyouse parson as ys he y t made the beggars supplicacyon For whose answere full confutacyon yt semeth vs suffycieÌ„t that ye may clere parceyue hys wordys to be of lytle weyght whyle ye se that the maÌ„ hath neyther lernyng wysdome nor good entent but all hys byll vtterly grouÌ„ded vppoÌ„ errour euyll wyll vntrouth And surely thys were to vs greate wonder yf crysten men shuldeÌ„ nede eny other ê“fe in thys world to reproue such sedycyouse folk wythall theÌ„ the onely tokeÌ„ of the dyuels badge whych theym selfe bere euer about theÌ„ the badge we mene of malyce and of a very dedely dyuelyshe hate ¶ For where as oure sauyoure Cryste hathe so lefte loue charyte for the badge of his crysten people that he coÌ„maundeth euery man so largely to loue other that hys loue shold extend and strech vnto hys enmy nor there ys no naturall man nether Paynym Iew Turk nor Saracene but he wyll rather spare his foo than hurt his frende thys kynde of folk ys so farre fallen not onely from all crysten charyte but also from all humanite and felyng of eny good effeccyon naturall and so chauÌ„gede into a wylde fyerce cruell appetyte more thaÌ„ brutysh and bestyall that they furste wythout grounde or cause take they re freÌ„dys for they re foes hatynge the churche dedely because yt wylleth theyr weale and laboureth to amend theÌ„ and after to do the chirch hurt whoÌ„ they take for theyr eÌ„myes they labour to do vs much more hurt whom they call styll for theyr frendys For they to get pulled from the clergy the frayle coÌ„modytees of a lytle worldy lyuyng labour to haue vs theyr fathers theyr mothers theyr frendê and all theyr kynne left lyeng in thy fyre here helplesse forgotteÌ„ they lytle force how long And in thys they shew theyr affeccyon mych more vnnaturall abomynable thaÌ„ he y t wold wyth his swerd thrust his freÌ„d thorow the hole body to the hard haft to gyue hys enmy behynd hym a lytle pryk with the poynt Thys ways of theyrs were very noght detestable although they truly ment in dede as mych good as they falsly preteÌ„d For where as they cloke theyr cruell purpose inteÌ„t vnder colour of a gret zele toward y â— comen welth which they lay to before eÌ„payryd by gret poÌ„p inordynate lynyng vsed in y â— church we be so farre fro
vppon that thyng that suche heretykes haue parsuaded vnto some meÌ„ all redy that .iii. or .iiii. wordys ere they dye shall suffycyently sarue them to bringe them strayghte to heuen where as besydys the fere that they shulde haue lest they shall lak at last the grace to turne at all and so for faut of those .iii. or .iiii. wordys fall to the fyre of hell yf they beleue ther wyth the thyng y â— trewth is bysyde that ys to wyt that though they happe to haue the grace to repent be forgeuen the synne so to be delyueryd of the endlesse payn of hell yet they shall not so frely be deliuered of purgatory but that besyde the generall relyefe of Crystys hole passyon extended vnto euery man not after the valure therof but after the stynt and rate appoyntyd by goddâ—s wysdom great and long payn abydyth them here amonge vs wherof they re wyllyngly taken penaunce in the world afflyccyon there put vnto them by god there pacyently borne and suffred wyth other good dedys there in theyr lyfe done by theym fynally the merytê and preyours of other good folkys for theÌ„ may mynyshe and abbredge the payne whyche wyll ellys hold them here wyth vs in fyre and turmentys intollerable onely god knowyth how long thys thyng we say as yt ys trew indede so yf the world well fyrmely for a sure trewth beleue yt can not fayle to be to many folke a good brydle and a sharpe bytte to refrayne theym from synne And on y â— tother syde y â— coÌ„trary belyefe wolde sende many folke forward to synne therby in stede of purgatory in to euerlastynge payne ¶ And therfore ys thys place of our temporall payne of purgatory not onely coÌ„sonaunt vnto hys ryghtuouse iustyce but also the thyng that hyghly declareth hys greate mercy and goodnes not onely for that the payn therof hough and sore ys yt ys yet lesse then owr synne deserueth but also moste especyally in that by the fere of payn to be suffred and susteyned here hys goodnes refrayneth men from the boldenes of synne and neclygence of penaunce therby kepeth and preserueth theym from payne euerlastynge where as the lyght forgeuenes of all to gether wold geue occasyon by boldenes of synne and presumpsyon of easy remyssyon myche people to runne downe hedlynge thyther And therfore were as we sayed that way very far coÌ„trary not onely to goddys iustyce ryghtuousenes but also to hys goodnesse mercy WheruppoÌ„ as we sayd byfore it must nedê folow that syth the payne ys allway due to synne and is not allwaye clene forgeuen wythout coÌ„uenyeÌ„t penaunce done or other recoÌ„pence made nor payne ys not allwey done nor eny recompence made in the maÌ„nê lyfe and yet the maÌ„ dyscharged of hell by hys coÌ„uersyon all y â— payn y â— remayneth muste nedys be sustayned here wyth vs in purgatory ¶ But nowe yf these heretyques as they be very selfe wylled and wylle full wyll sette at nought the comen opynyon and beleyfe and persuasyon of almoste all the world and as they be very vnresonable make lyttel force of reason and euer aske for scripture as though they beleued holy scrypture and yet when yt maketh agaynst them they then wyth false and fonde glosys of they re owne makynge do but mok and shyfte ouer in suche a tryflynge maner that yt may well appere they byleue not scrypture neyther yet syth they make as they byleued scripture nothyng els let vs therfore se whether that purgatory do not appere opened and reueled vnto crysten people in holy scrypture selfe ¶ And fyrste yt semeth very probable and lykely that y â— good kyng Ezechias for none other cause wepte at the warnyng of hys deth geuen hym by the ê“phete but onely for the fere of purgatory For albe yt that dyuers doctours alledge dyuers causes of hys heuynes and lothenes at that tyme to deê‘t and dye yet semeth there none so lykly as the cause that auncyent doctours alledge that ys to wyt y â— he was lothe to dye for the fere of hys estate after hys deth for as mych as he had offendyd god by ouermych lykyng of hym self wherwyth he wyst y â— god was dysplesyd wyth hym gaue hym warnyng by the ê“phete that he shuld lyue no leÌ„ger Now coÌ„syderyd he so the weyght of hys offence y t he thought and estemyd the onely losse of thys present lyfe farre vnder the iust condygne ponyshmeÌ„t therof and therfore fell in gret drede of farre sorer ponyshmeÌ„t after But beyng as he was a good faythfull kyng he coud not lak sure hope thorow hys repentauÌ„ce of such forgyneues as shold presarue hym froÌ„ hell But syth his time shuld be so short y t he shuld haue no laysour to do penaÌ„ce for hys faut he therfore fered y t the remauÌ„te of hys ryghtuouse ponyshment shuld be parformyd in purgatory And therfore wept he teÌ„derly longyd to lyue lenger that hys satysfaccyon done there in the world in prayour other good vertuouse dedê might abolish were out all the payn y â— els were toward hym here among vs. To whych hys ferueÌ„t boone desyre at the coÌ„teÌ„placyon of his peniteÌ„t hart our lord of his hygh pyte coÌ„dyscended grauntyd hym the lengthyng of hys lyfe for .xv. yerê makyng hym for his farther cuÌ„fort sure therof by y â— shew of a manyfest myracle But wherto grauÌ„tid our lord y â— leÌ„ger lyfe to be bestowed vppoÌ„ worldy delite and pleasure Nay nay verely But to th enteÌ„t yt myght appere that it was of goddys great marer grauntyd for the redemyng of his purgatory by good workys for hys satysfaccyon he was ê“mysed by the prophete not onely y â— he shuld wythin .iii. days be recouered and hole but also that he shuld go in to the temple to pray So that yt may therby appere for what end and entent he longed so sore for a lenger lyfe ¶ Now yf the beggars proctour or Tyndale or Luther eyther lyst to say y â— in thys poynt we do but gesse at that good kyngê mynde and therfore purgatory therby rather suÌ„what resoned thaÌ„ well surely prouyd therto may we well answer and say that the cyrcumstaunce of the mater consyderyd wyth the vertuouse holynes and coÌ„nyng of such as so longe ago haue taken the scrypture thus y â— place alone is a farr better profe for purgatory thaÌ„ euer eny of theÌ„ coud hetherto lay agaynst yt yet For albeyt thys beggars proctour sayth y â— ryght wyse coÌ„nynge meÌ„ wyll say y â— there ys no purgatory at all by which wyse men he menyth Luther and Tyndall him self yet was there neuer any of theym all that yet layed anye substancyall thynge eyther reason or authorytye for theym but onely geste and rayle and saye that purgatory ys a thyng of the popê awne makynge and that soulys do nothyng tyll domis day but lye styll and slepe