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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	law_n	lord_n	4,135	5	3.8427	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15298	Tvvo short treatises, against the orders of the begging friars, compiled by that famous doctour of the Church, and preacher of Gods word John Wickliffe, sometime fellow of Merton, and master of Ballioll Coll. in Oxford, and afterwards parson of Lutterworth in Lecestershire. Faithfully printed according to two ancient manuscript copies, extant, the one in Benet Colledge in Cambridge, the other remaining in the publike librarie at Oxford	Wycliffe, John, d. 1384.; James, Thomas, 1573?-1629.	1608 (1608)	STC 25589; ESTC S121923	41,431	74

predecessours han done so many times by lawful cause as pertaining to there regalie and of common Law by counsaile of Peeres of the Realme it sueth that not only our king now present hath erred but also his predecessours generally al his Counsellers as Lords and Prelats and al men of the Parliament counsailing therto Also if this bee errour touching the health of mans soule than it is against holy writ and than if a man sustaine or maintaine this errour he is an heretick but ful manie Kings Lords and Prelats and other wise mē han sustained this and maintained and yet done as per taining to the Kings Regalie and of common law thā bene these Friers al Kings Lords and Prelats al wise men of our Realme bene hereticks Also sith this is an old custome the which our King Lords and Prelats bene sworn to sustaine and maintaine if this be errour as Friers sayen openly it sueth by Friers that al these bene forsworne hereticks Also if this bee errour as Friers faynē that thowgh an Abbot and al his Couent ben open traytours conspiring into death of the King and Queene and of other Lords and enforce them to destroy al the Realme the King may not take fro them an half-peny ne farthing worth sith al these bene temporal goods Also thowgh other Clarks senden vnto our enimies al the rents that they han in our Land what euer they may robbe or steal of the Kings Liege men yet may not our King punish by o farthinge ne farthing worth Also by this ground of Friers thowgh Monks or Friers or other Clarks what euer they bene slayne Lords tenants the Kings Liege men defoulē Lords wyues yea the Queene that God forbede or the Empiresse yet the King maie not punish them by o farthing Also it sueth plainly that men cleped mē of holy Church may dwel in this land at ther liking doe what kinne sinne what kinne treason liketh them and natheles the King may not punish ne in temporal goods ne in their body sith if he may not punish them in the lesse he maie not●…in the more and also they maken one of them selfe King and so no secular Lord maie let him to conquer al Secular Lordship in this earth and so they maie slea al Lord Ladies there blowd and affinitie with anie paine in this life or in bodie or in cattel Yee Lords seeth and vnderstondeth with what punishing they deserue to be chastised that thus vnwarly wrongfully han damned you for hereticks for as much as you don execution rightwilnesses by Gods law and mans and namelie of the Kings regalie For the chief Lordshippe in this lond of al Temporalties both of secular men Religious pertaine to the King of his general gouerning for els hee were not King of al England but of a littel part therof Therfore the men that bysien them to take awaie this Lordship fro the King as don Friers there fautours in this point bene sharper enemies and traitours than French men and al other nations Also it pertaineth to the King the while a Bishop or ani Abbots see is void to haue in his hand al Temporalties and at his owne wil to yeue them to Prelats therfore the King maie take a waie these Temporalties from Prelats whan law ful cause excitith Also the king owght graunt no man freedome to doo sinne or trespasse but to take awaie the fredome but men of the Church had free licence to trespasse if the king might not bereue ther Temporalties when they sinneden greevously And so Saint Paul teacheth that eche man be subiect to their Potestates for there is noe power but of God and tho things that bene of God bene ordained so they that withstondeth power withstondeth Gods ordinance For whie Princes bene not a dredd of good works but of euil But wilt thow not dread a power d●…e good thow shalt haue preysing therof that is of him that is ordained in the high estate for he is Gods minister or seruant to the in good but if thou haue done euil than dread for he beareth the sword not without cause for he is Gods seruant vengere in wrath to him that doth euil and therefore by need or of need be yee subiect or vnderlout not onlie for wrath but also of cōscience Al this saith St. Paul of which auctoritie it is to knowē to al men that Clarks owen to be subiect of nede to the kings power For St. Paul that putteth al men in subiection to kings out taketh neuer ene and so Secular power oweth and is bound to punish by iust paine of his sword that is wordly power tyrants rebelling against God and trespassing against man by what kind trespasse and that is more to chastise his subiectes by paine and torment of there body and no drede much more he maie punish thē by taking awaie of ther temporalties that is lasse than bodily paine therfor Secular Lords done this rightfully sith this is done by commandement of the Apostle and by ordinance of God and therfore it is plaine of these reasons auctorities and Secular Lords maie leuefullie and medefully in manie cases taken awaie Temporall goods youen to men of the Church The third Article The third Article is this that both Tythes and Offring bene youen and paied and receiued by that entent to which entent both Gods law the Popes law ordained them to be paied and receiued and that the betake away by the same entent and reson that both Gods law the Popes law ordainen that they shoulden be with drawen This axing is reasonable for many skils for the entēt of the maker in euerie law should be kept and most the entent of God that may not erre Sothely thus saith Gods law in the 1. booke of Kings that the sin of Helies childrē was ful great before God for they withdrawen men fro sacrifice of God taking by strength or violence that part of the sacrifice that pertained to the Priest God saith afterwarde I speaking haue spoken that thine house thy Faders house should minister and serue in my sight euermore but now God saith be that thing far fro me but who euer shal worship me I shal glorifie them but they that despisen me saith God shal ben vnnable or without honor of which authoritie it is plaine and open that the things that be due to Priests should not bee axed by strength by violence or cursing but be youen freelie withouten exaction or constraining and if the Priest be reproued of God for his sinnes hee should be put out of his office and the sacrifices shoulden not be yoven to him but taken fro him as God commandeth frō the high Priest Hely and an other trew man walking in Gods waies as did Samuel shoulden be ordained to receiue such sacrifices Also in beginning of Tobie men finden thus whan Priests of the Temple wenten to calveren of gold

to honor thē for Gods of Ieroboam King of Jsrael made Tobie offride truly al his first fruits and tithes So that in the third yeere Tobie ministred al his tithes to proselytis and comelings or guests and withdroweth them wholie fro the wicked Priests and the booke saith that the Litle Child kept these things and other such after the law of God Therefore if our Prelats or other Priests what euer they bene openly blecked by sacrifice of maumetry as with coveitise that is openlie sacrifice of false Gods and other great sinnes as Pride Symonie and Manquelling Glotanie drunkennes and Lecherie by the same skil tithes and off●…ings should be withdrawen from them by Gods law and bee youen to poore needie men at ensample of rightfull Tobie Also S. Paul speaking to Timothe Bishop saith thus Be we pay with these things if we han lifelode and to be hiled with And S. Barnard speaketh thus in this matter what euer thou takest to thee of thine entrage that is Dymes and offrings beside simple lifelode and streit clothing it is not thine it is theft ravine and sacrilege Whereof it sueth plainely that not onlie simple Priests and Curats but also Soveraine Curats as Bishops should not axe there subiects by constraining more than lifelode and heling whan they done awaie al manner wast both of monie and worldlie array Also Christ with his Apostles liued most poore life as it is knowne by al the processe of the Gospel nothing chalenging by exaction ne constraining but liued simplie and scarcelie enough of almes freelie and wilfullie youē therefore they that pretenden them to ben principal followers of Christs steps should liue and walke as Christ did and so lead ful poore life taking of things freely youen as much as neede is for there ghostly office and no more and therewith bee apaied Also the Popes law commandeth in the best part thereof that Priests open Lechours takē no part of portiō of goods of the Church therefore it is lawfully to parisheners to withhold there tithes for open fornication of there Curat and turne them into better vse much more they may and owen to withdraw there tithes for great sinnes and open as for Symonie that is heresie as the Popes law saith and for couetousnes that is worshipping of Gods as holie writ saith and for pride envie gluttonie and dronkennes sith both by Gods law and mans law God curseth such mens blessing prayings as S. Austen S. Gregorie teachen this in many books by holie writ and reason Also commonlie whan parrish Churches bene appropred to men of singular religiō sith appropriation is made by false suggestion that such religious men hā not enough for lifelode and healing but in truth they han overmuch Also commonlie such Churches bene appropred by Simonie as they wittē better them selfe paying a great summe of mony for such appropriatiō if the benefice be fat But what man led by reason good conscience shoulde paie to such religious men tithes and offrings gotten by falsenes leasings and Simonie But suppose that such parrish Churches weren lawfullie gotten yet sith they bene superflue ●…o such men the tithes offrings shoulden ben youē to poore needie men as S. Ierom and the Popes law teachen therefore the true great Clarke Robert Grosted Bishop of Lincolne writeth to the Pope that when appropriation of parish Churches is made to men of Religion of fourteene great sinnes and defauts that commen of evil Curats is made a perpetuation that is endles confirmation also by God and his law Curats ben michel more bounden to teachē there subiects charitablie the Gospel and Gods hests both by open preaching ensample of good life for to saue there soules than there subiects bene holden to payen them tithes offrings and of this suen twey things The first if Curats do not there office in word and in ensample that God cōmādeth than there subiects be not bounden to pay them tithes and offrings sith the principall cause for which tithes and offrings should be paied is away the paying of tithes should cease Also Curats bene more cursed in withdrawing this teaching in word ensample thā bene Parisheners withdrawing tithes and offrings though Curats dudden wel there office A Lord God where this be reason to constraine the poore people to finde a worldlie Priest sometime vnable both of life and cunning in pompe and pride covetise and envie glottonie drunkennes and leacherie in Simonie and heresie with fat horse and iolie gaie saddels and bridles ringing by the waie and himselfe in costlie cloathes and pelure and to suffer their wiues children and there poore neighbors perish for hunger thirst and cold and other mischiefes of the worlde A Lorde Jesu Christ sith with in few yeares men paied there tithes offerings at there owen wil free to good men and able to great worship of God to profit and fairenes of holie church fighting in earth Where it were lawful and needful that a wordlie Priest should destroie this holie and approved custome constraining men to leaue this freedome turning tithes offrings into wicked vses or not so good as they weren don before times The fourth Article The fourth Article is this that Christs teaching beleaue of the Sacrament of his owne bodie that is plainlie tawght by Christ and his Apostles in Gospels and Pistles maie be tawght openlie in Churches of Christen people and the contrarie teaching and false beleue is brought vp by cursed Hypocrits hereticks and wordlie Priests vnkunning in Gods law which seeme that they are Apostles of Christ but are fools Also Christ would not take the kingdome whan the people would haue made him king as Ihons Gospell ●…elleth but if it had be a Priests office to deale about thus bodyly almes Christ that coude best haue doe this office wold haue take these temporal goods to deale them among poore men but hee wolde not doe thus but flie and tooke noe man of the Apostles with him so fast hee hiede Lorde where than wordlie Priests kunnē better don this parting of wordly goods of Iesu Christ if they sayn that Christ fed the people in desart with bodily alms many thousād as the gospel saith that did Christ by miracle to shew his God head to teach Priests how they feed ghostly Christen mē by Gods word for so did Christs Apostles and had not wherof to doe bodely almes whan they mighten haue treasure and meales enowgh of Kings and Lords Also Peter saith in deeds of Apostles to a poore man that to him neither was gold ne siluer and yet he performed wel the office of a trewe Priest But our Priests ben so busie about wordlie occupation that they seemen better Baylifs or ●…eues than ghostlie Priests of Jesu Christ. For what man is so busie about marchandise other wordly doings as bene Preists that showld bee light of heauenlie life to al men about them but

Hel for vertue thereof and certes this is an open heresie damning all that trusten thus into there liues end But a man maie haue the Sacrament of the Auter that is verie Gods bodie in his mouth and straight flee to Hel withouten end the more be damned for the evil taking of this Sacrament Such Heretickes beene vnable to be amongst Christian men Cap. 21. Friars begge without need whē the poore want without remorse See Chap. 6. Also Friars beggen withouten need for there own rich Sect not for there poore bedradden men that maie not goe and haue no man to sende for there liuelode but rather drawen rich mens almes fro such poore men And therefore charitie is outlawed among them and so is God leasings covetise and Fiends beene enhabited among them for they decea ven men in there almes to make costlie houses not to harbour poore men but Lords and mightie men and teachen men to suffer Gods Temple that beene poore men to perish for default thus they beene traitours to God and his rich people whom they deceaven in there almes and manquellers of poore men whose liuelode they taken awaie fro them by false leasings therefore they beene irregular before God despisen him and harmen the people when they saien Masse or Matines in this cursed life as Holy writ teaches and Austin and Gregorie declaren fullie Cap 22. Friars reproue not there Brethrē as the Gospell willeth but as thēselues wil. FRiars also keepen not correption of the Gospel against there brethren that trespassen but cruellie done them to paineful prison but this is not the meeke suing of Iesu Christ for he his Apostles prisoneden not sinful men in this life but sharplie reproved there sinne and at the last when they would not amend them taughten good men not to cōmune with them But these Friars shewen there tyrantrie at the ful who so knew wel there paines and torments and it seemes no wisedome ne profit to giue Friars power to prison men For when the King by his officers prisōs a man that is commonly done for great open trespasse and that is good warning to other misdoe●…s and some profit comes of the Kings Ministers But vvhen Friars prisonen their brethren the paine is not knowē to mē thowgh the sinne were neuer so open slaunderous and that does harme to other liege men and profit of Kings Ministers is away And when the potestatis of Friars beene proud couetous and sinfull and haten the truth they will soone prison trewe men that reprouen there sinnes and spare other shrewes that they maie flatter them and mainetaine them in there sinne and so beside the Kinges leaue tormenten trewe men for they wolden doe Gods heasts sith the king graunts occasion thereto the King is holdē to reuoke and let Friars prisoning lest he bee guilty of the sinne that comes therby sith he may destroy it does not thus did beggers Friars leapen vp to Kings power and manie times more then the Kinges dare doe and maken the King the Fiends torment or to prison trew men for they saien the troth And so the King stoppes Gods law to be knowen in his land and nourishes euill men and prisons good For this dread and manie moe showld the King revoke this prisoning make Clarks be ruled after the Gospel by simplenesse and holy liuinge Cap. 23. Friars lawlesse egging the King and the mightie ones of the land to maintaine there sect begging there almes beggering the whole land ALso Friars maken our Lond lawles for they leaden Clarks and namely rulen Prelas and Lords and Ladies and Commons also and they beene not ruled by Godes lawe ne lawes of the Church ●…e lawes of the King For they glosen Gods lawes as them likes and been exempt fro Byshops and other ordinaries leaden the Byshops of Rome as them likes And men saien they beene not liege men to the King ne subiect to his lawes For thowgh they stealen mens children it is said there goes no lawe vppon thē and that seemes wel for they robben the Kings liege men by false begginge of sixtie thowsande marke by yeare as men dowbten reasonablie yet they be not punished therefore And the lawlesse Friars by there false ruling maken our lande lawlesse For they letten Clarkes Lords and Commons to knowe the truth of holy writ and maken them to pursue trew men to the death for they teachen the commandements of God and crien to the people the foule sinnes of false Friars And thus falsnesse is maintained and false men beene raised to great estats and truth is put on back trewe men been pursued yea to prisoning to losse of al there goods and to sharp iudgement for as much as they wowlden destroy sinne that was openly and cursedly done and in point for to fordoe our land And of this ruling beene Friars most guiltie for they leaden Prelats Lords and Ladies Justices and other men by confession and tellen them not speedely there sinnes For if they tellen them there sinnes and they wowld not amend them the Friars that beene there confessours showlden leaue them vp as Christ and Paul teachen but they done not thus for then they showlden leese winning and fauour of the wordle And thus for loue of money and welfare of there body they leaden our land out of the lawe of God and alrighteousnes Cap 24. Friars no peace-make is but makebates striuers themselues stirrers vp of others to warrs dissentions ALso Friars beene irregular Procuratours of the fiend to make and maintaine warres on christiā men and ennemies of peace charitie For Friars counsellen and openly preachen that men shoulē flee to heauen withouten paine if they woulden goe and slea in there owne person or maintaine and finde one at there cost to slea christian men And the ende was to make Christs Vikar most rich to the wordle the which Vikar showld be most poore ●…suing in this most highlie Christ his Apostles But Christ died to make peace charitie if men mighten thus freely graunt pardon they showlden yea to leese there owne life graunt pardon to make peace Yet they preachen noe pardon ne meede to make peace and charitie And yet they been bounden of God to make men siker to haue the blisse of heauen if they wil truly procure for peace and charitie But of the pardon that men vsen to daie fro the Court of Rome they haue no sikernes by holy writ ne reason ne ensample of Christ of his Apostles And so of other warrs and debats that Friars mighten let if they wolden and sith they done not but rather counsel thereto and comforten men therin and tellen not the peril of them they been cause and Procuratours of al war●…s specially of this warre in Flaunders for they preacheden that haden it forth against the King the Duke and other Lords and Clarks

rule of Apostles is vtterlie algates most perfect therfore men maie forsake priuate rules in religion made of sin ful men and taken the clean religion of Apostles that is preached with freedome of the Gospel without dispensation of wordly Clarks that in caasqueke deueles as Christ Iudas Scariot Also the Pope may dispence with the rule of ech priuat sect or religion and hath dispenced yet doth but he maie not dispence with Christs rule youen to Apostles therfore the rule of Christ ordained to Apostles is more perfit than any rule of of priuat religion and most perfect of al and hereof it sueth openly that men maie lawfullie forsake priuate religion and keep Christs religion in his cleannes sith it is most perfect most easie and light for to kepe most siker to bring men to heauen and to highest degree of blisse And if our adversaries of this priuate religion striuē algats that the rules ben more perfect than the rule of Apostles whie than so manie persons as who so saith without nomber of eche suche priuate sect by licence of the Pope bene made some Chaplaines of Households some Chaplaines of honour some Byshopps dowid with secular Lordships some Byshops amonge heathen men and dare not come to their children but what professiō a Frere be of anō if he be chosē therto he accepteth ye office of the Pope or Cardinal of Patriarks of Archebyshop of Eyshop and forsaketh his owne state sith Christ saieth in the Gospel that noe man puting his hād to the plowgh and looking backward is worthie to haue the Kingdome of God that is no man taking perfect state of pouertie meeknes and penāce is able to be saued if he turned again to wordly life pompe and pride and couetousnes and ease of bodie and sloth and riot and gay clothing and costly Therfore they changen not the more perfect for the lesse perfit for than they were Apostates but they purchasen the more perfit for the lesse perfit therfore the cleane religion and rule of Priesthood by forme of the Go●…pell is more perfit than anie rule or religion made of sinful mē Also nothing that is abhominable and reproued of Saints showld be browght in of other by anie colour or cauteel but those newe sectes ben such that bene of flesh as St. Paul saith in his Pistells therfore such sects should not be browght in to Charging of the Church but al Christen men showld cast away and hold fast the vnitie freedome and cleānes of the rule of Iesu Christ. Parauenture these Ypocrits sayen to exclud al these reasons many mo that the rule to which they make profession is not strāge ne diuerse fro the rule of Apostles that Christ ordained but it is vtterly the same and none other but the contrarie of this excusing is openly shewed by foure the last reasons before said For if these new rules werē al one with Christes rule youen to Apostles Christ showld haue taught them both and ensampled both in his life and speaking and writing with Cermonies and rits and customes therof but did not this neuer in his death ne after his resurrection ne to his ascentiō And if this excusing were soth the sects of Friers showlde not haue begonnen about a thousand and tweyn hundred yeere of Christ. But the contrarie is opē in Chronicles hit sueth also of the same that Christs Apostles hadden both Monks Chanons and Freers if men taken Monks Chanons and Freers for men that professen such priuate sects but thi●… is openly false Also Christes rule yo●…ē to Apostles is like of o forme to al mē that maken profession therto to speake of substance of the rule but rule●… of these priuate sectes beeth ful diuerse and contrarie as to substance of these rules sith some of them receauen dymes and dotations as don these Possessioners but some for saken al such tythes and possessions as Fr●…ers mendicaunts But to descend downe in specialtie ful many articles of rules of such sects be openly contrarie to the Apostles rule sith it is lawful to eche trewe man of Christen religion to conuert a man of wrong faith to Christen but this is forboden in the rule of Friers Minours sith only to Ministers none other is licence graunted to restraine Friers to heare private sects notwithstanding that evermore Friers don the contrary and Christ receiued penies but they shoulden not by there owne rule receiue penies nether by themselues ne by mene person Also Christ preaching the Gospel entred into places both of women and men as the Gospel of Luke telleth but is forboden to Friers to entren into Abbeyes of womē but Friers glosen these rules to the contrary but Fraūcis there founder commaunded them in article of his death that they should not receiue glosses vpon his rule Also if Christs rule youen to Apostles the rule of private sects weren al one withouten reason men leaven the first professeden the tother ' but if it were to show there hypocrisie Also if this faining be soth it seemeth that it is as perfit meedful to keepē Christs rule of Frauncis or Dominike or anie such other man Also if these rules bene al one and in nothing diverse than such a rule should not be cleaped rule of Fraūcis ni Dominiks ne any such other but rule of Christ for so it should be of more auctoritie and more commended And so the Gospel ought to be kept withouten ony fouling of al Christen men withouten such novelries and put nothing thereto and draw nothing therefro if this thing were done such privat sects should be super flue and wast as flies living in the aire and it was none need of Frauncis Dominik or any such other new man beside him about making of this rule of Apostles that Friers faynen to be thern For that rule was made of Christ God and man and kept of Apostles and confermed by the holie Ghost and at the ful declared by a thowsand yeere two hondred before Frauncis Dominik or anie Frier of such priuate sect were into this wordle The second Article The second point or Article is this that tho mē that vnreasonablie and wrongfully han damned and al this counsail be amended of so great errour and that their error may be published to mē dwelling in the Realme the reasō of this axing is shewed thus Nothing owght to be damned as errour and false but if it sauor errour or vnrightewisenes against Gods law but neither the King ne his Counsaile dud vnrightfully for as much as he tooke away the possessions of some Prelates that trespaceden whose contrary Friers han determined openly therefore reasonably men shoulde assent to this axing For some Friers writen thus in Coventre amōg articles that they damneden as heresie and errour that Secular Lords may lawfully and medefully takē away temporal goods youen to men of the Church but sith our king hath done so other kings his