and tell hym hys swerde ys to dull as though he wolde byd hym bere yt to the cutlers to grynde that he myghte stryke of doctor Horsayes hed whome hys grace had founde fawtelesse and testyfyed hym hym selfe for an innocence If thys man were here matched wyth some suche as he ys hym selfe that hathe the eloquence that he hath that coulde fynde out suche comely fygures of retoryque as he fyndeth sette forthe and furnyshed wyth suche vehement wordes as he thundreth owte lyke thunder blastys that hathe no lesse maters in hys mouth than the greate brode botomlesse occean see full of euyls the wekenes and dulnes of the kynges swerde the translacyon of y â— kyngys kyngdome the ruyne of the kynges crowne wyth greate exclamacyons Oh greuouse and paynfull exaccyons oh cause most horryble oh greuouse shyp wracke of the comen welth what myght one that had suche lyke eloquence saye here to hym surely so myche and in suche wyse as we sely poore pewlyng sowles neyther can deuyse nor vtter But verely two or thre thynges we se and maye well saye that neyther be these greate maters mete for the mouthe of the beggers proctour nor suche prechyng of reformacyon and ameÌ„demeÌ„t of the world mete maters for hym to medle wyth whych wyth open heresyes and playne pestylent errors besely goeth aboute to poyson and infecte the worlde nor very conuenyent for hym to take vppon hym to gyue counsayle to a kynge when he sheweth hym self to haue so moche presumpcyon and so lytell wytt as to aske the kyng a questyon and appoynte hym hys answer and therin to tell hym that all y â— worlde knoweth that thynge to be trew whych the kynge hathe hym selfe all redy by hys atturney and hys iudges in open iugement and in hys hygh courte of recorde testefyed confessed for false If that man were not for malyce as mad not as marche hare but as a madde dogge that ruÌ„neth forth and snatcheth he seeth not at whome the felowe could neuer elles wyth suche open foly so sodenly ouer se hym selfe But yt were wrong wyth the worlde yf malyce had as myche wytte cyrcumspeccyon and prouydence in the pursute of an vngracyouse purpose as yt hath hast yuell wyll and wylynesse in the fyrst in terprysynge For as an ape hath some symylytude of a man and as a fox hath a certayne wylynesse somewhat resemblyng an vnperfayte wytte so fareth thys felowe that begynneth as one wolde wene at good zeale and cheryte borne towarde the poore beggers But forthe wyth he sheweth hym selfe that he nothyng ellys entendeth but opeÌ„ly to dystroy the clergye fyrst after that couertly as many as haue aught aboue the state of beggers And where as he wold in y â— begynnynge by y â— towchyng of great maters fayne seme very wyse wyth in a whyle in the progresse he proueth hym self a very stark fole And where he wolde seme to shewe many notable thynges whych no man had marked but he he prouydeth wysely that no maÌ„ may beleue hym he maketh so many lyes and all that euer he dothe ferther he buyldeth vppon the same ¶ He layeth that the lyuynge whych the clergye hathe ys the onely cause that there be so many beggers that be syk and sore Very well and wysely as though the clergye by they re substaunce made men blynde and lame The clergye also ys the cause he sayth why they dye for hunger as thoughe euery lay man gaue to beggers all that euer he coulde and the clergye gyue them neuer a grote as though there wolde not mo beggers walke a brode yf the clergye lefte of suche lay men as they fynde ¶ But he proueth you that the clergy must nedys be the cause why there be so many poore men and beggers For he sayth that before the clergy came in theyr were but few pore people and yet they beggyd not neyther but men he sayth gaue them ynough vnasked But now where saâ—â—he wheÌ„ he saw the people gyue pore folke so fast theyr allmes vnasked y â— no man neded to beg before the clergy began Thys man of lyklyhod ys of grete age or ere y â— clergy began was wonte to syt at saynt Sauours wyth a sore leg but he beggyd not meÌ„ gaue hym so mych vnasked For where as he alledgyth the byble for hym in the actes of the appostles verely we meruayll mych what the maÌ„ meneth For there he may se that the apostels and the deacons whych were then the clergy had all to gyther in there own handys dystrybuted to euery man as them self thought good And therfore we wonder what he meaneth to speke of that boke For we thynke that he meneth not to hurt the clergy so now as to put all in to theyr handê And surely but yf he meane so els ys thys place nothiÌ„g for hys purpose ¶ Now herein he sheweth also an hygh poynt of hys wyt where he sayth that the greate lyuyng that the clergy hath whyche he layeth lyeth to be more then half of the hole reuenews and substaunce of the realme ys shyfted among fewer then the foure hundreth part of the people As though y â— of the clergyes parte there had no lay people theyr lyuyng no seruaunt eny wagys none artyfycer eny money for workyng no carpenter no masyn eny money for byldyng but all the money that euer cuÌ„meth in theyr handes they put yt by by in they re own belyes and no lay man hath eny relyef therof And therfor thys poynt was wysely wrytten ye se as well as we Now for the trouthe therof yf yt were trew that he sayth that the clergy compared to the resydew of the men onely be not one to an C. then shall ye not nede to fere y â— greate Turke and he cam to morow except ye suffer amoÌ„g you to grow in great nomber these Lutherans that fauoure hym For we dare make you the warantyse that yf hys lye be true there be mo men a greate meany in LondoÌ„ and wythin .iiii. shyres next adioynyng than the great Turk bryngeth in to Hungary But in thys ye must hold hiÌ„ excused for he medleth not mych wyth angry in to se to what suÌ„me the noÌ„ber of men aryseth that ys multyplyed by an C. All hys practyse in multyplycacyon medleth wyth nothyng but lyes therin mache hym wyth whoÌ„ ye wyll he wyll gyue you a C. for one wherof yf ye lack let thys be the saÌ„ple y â— he sayth yf thabbot of westmynster shuld syng euery day as many masses for hys fouÌ„ders as he ys bouÌ„deÌ„ to do by hys fouÌ„dacyoÌ„ M. moÌ„kâ— were to few ye dout not we think but he caÌ„ tell you who hath bouÌ„d theÌ„ to how many so caÌ„ make ye y â— playn rekeniÌ„ge y â— thabbot ys bouÌ„d in the yere to no fewer masses than .iii. C.lxv. M. He knoweth what ys euery mannes dutye saue hys owne He ys mete to be a beggers proctour that can soo proll
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
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