receyue the holy ghoste / whiche shall teach-them to speake the treuthe For vpon whom shall my sprete reaste sayeth the Prophete Esaye but vpon the meake and lowely / and vpon hym which fearethe my sayengs Esa vi Also the Prophete sayeth God resysteth the prowde / and vnto the meake and lowely he geuethe his grace Wherfore so longe as the byshops contynewe in this worldely we althe and honowre / so longe will they neuer do their dewtye and offyce / but rather persecute the worde of God whiche declarethe and shewethe what is their offyce and their dewtye And so longe as they do not exercyse their offyce and vocatyon / but doo persecute the worde and suche as syncerely preache the same / so longe shall synne increase For if the eye be wicked / all the body shal be full of darcknes For euen as at suche tyme when the Byshoppe of rome was fyrste endowed with greate possessyons / a voyce was harde / seyinge Nowe venome and poyson is caste and shed forthe into the churche of God In lykewyse no doubt most godly gouernoure / semblable voyce and sayenge maye be veryfyed in and vpon all the churche of Englande / sythen yowr Byshops were endowed with so greate possessyons and lordely domynions No doubt gracyous lorde / so longe as grete lordely domynions / wordely honours and wealthe / be anexed and knyt to the vocacyon and offyces of Byshops and other Pastours / these myscheues inconuenyēces shall euer ensue folowe Fyrste the moste prowde and ambycyouse / the moste couetuouse and wycked / which other by money frendshyp or flattery can obtayne the benefyce / wyll laboure with all study and polycye to gett the benefice / only for the worldely honoure and not for the zeale and loue which he shulde haue to enstructe and teache the people commytted to his cure and charge And for the profett which belongethe and apperteynethe to the same benefyce / they wyll dyssemble humylyte and despeccyon of all worldely profettes and pleasures / so colorablye and subtelly / that yt shall be very harde for youre magestye or any other hauynge aucthoryte to geue benefyces to perceyue them And when they haue obteyned the benefyce / than euery Christen man shall well perceyue that he hathe not entered in by the dore that is for the zeale and loue to doo and execute the offyce / but hathe clymmed vp and assended by a nother waye / that ys for the luker and honoure annexed to the offyce And than certenly whosoeuer assendeth and enterethe in by a nother waye / can not be but a thefe / by daye and by nyght / whose study and laboure muste be to steale / kyll / and to destroy As Christe whose wordes muste euer be true sayethe The thefe commethe not but to steale / to kyll / and to destroye Ioan. x. So that so longe as so moche worldely profett and honoure be longethe to the benefyce so longe wyll he that for wante and lacke of lernynge can not doo the offyce / and also the moste couetuouse and proude / wyll laboure to haue the offyce / whereby the people commytted to his cure / shall not onely be vntawgth / and not lerned in Gods worde / but also all they which can preache and teache Godds worde and loue the same / by suche a worldely wolfe / shall be extremely persecuted and tormented For he can not but steale / kyll / and destroye / and vtterly abhore / and hate the godly / as Christe sayethe Yf you were of the worlde / the worlde wolde loue his owne But because you be not of the worlde / but I haue chosen you from the worlde / therfore the worlde dothe hate you No doubt a man shall moche rather vpon thornes gather grapes / and vpon brambles and bryres gather fygges / than of soche gredy theues to haue any Chrysten relygyon other setforthe / preached / or stablyshed Wherfore moste redoubted Prynce seinge that theyr greate possessyons / ryches / worldely offyces / cures / and busynes / be the impedyment and let that they do not execute theyr vocacyon and offyce / whiche is so godly profytable and necessarye for this yowr common wealthe / yowe beinge owr soueraigne lorde and Kynge whom God hathe called to gouerne this yowr realme / and to redresse the enormytyes and abuses of the same by all iustyce and equyte are bounden to take awaye from Byshoppes and other spirytuall shepherdes suche superfluyte of possessyons and ryches and other seculer cures busynes and worldely offyces / whiche be the cause of moche synne in them / and no lesse occasyon whereby they be letted to execute their offyce / to the greate losse and hynderance of moche faythe vertue and goodnes / which myght be admynistred to your subiectes / through the trew preachynge of Godes worde And that done / than circumspectly to take heade that none be admytted to be Pastoures / but suche as cā preache and haue preached syncerely Godes worde And all suche as will not / to remoue them from theyr cures This godly ordre obserued in the electyon of spirituall pastoures / and the pestylent poyson moued and taken away from theyr vocatyon / faithe shall increase / and synne shall decrease / trewe obedience shall be obserued wyth all humylite to your magestye and to the hygher powers by your grace appoynted in office Cyuile quyetnes reste and peace shal be stablyshed / God shal be feared honoured and loued / whiche is theffecte of all Christen lyuinge O Lorde saue our moste soueraygne lorde Kynge Henry the eyght / and graunte that he may ones throughly feale and perceyue what myserable calamyte sorowe wretchednes we suffer now in these dayes a brode in the countre / by these vnlerned / popyshe / and moste cruell tyrauntes / euen the very enemyes of Chrystes crosse / whose payne shall be withowt ende / whan we shall lyue in Ioye for euer Graunte yet ones agayne I say goode lorde and moste mercyfull father through thy sone Ihesus Christe / that whan his grace shall knowe and perceyue by thy gyfte goodnes theyr most detestable wayes in mysusynge thy heretage / that he wyll ernestly go aboute to se a redresse amonge them / and to the penytent and contryte in harte to shewe his accustomed goodnes / and to the other his iustyce / accordinge to saynt Paules doctryne / and his graces lawes And moste dreade soueraygne with all humylyte and humblenes of harte I beseche your grace / accordinge to your accustomed goodnes to take this my rude supplycacyon to the beste / as a frute of my obedyence / wheryn I haue not dyssembled / but haue opened fully vnto your grace the grounde and very bottome of my hart / not of any grudge euyll wyll or malyce that I beare to any spirytuall shepherde God I take to recorde but onely for the glory of God / the honoure of your grace / and the wealthe and profett of your moste naturall and louinge subiectes FINIS ¶ Enprynted in the yeare of our Lorde M. CCCCC.xliiij in the moneth of Decembre
is become a worldely honowre / a lordely dygnyte / a riche carnall prowde lyuinge estate and countenance / and the possessor therof hauinge onely the name of a spirituall minyster / but no vertue nor godly qualyte which of right ought to be in euery suche minister If this be well pondered and remembred most mercyfull gouernowre / it is most to be lamented But seynge this blyndnes hathe so lōge cōtynewed somoch ewill hathe ensewed folowed therof in the defaulte of godly postours / it is not onely nedefull aboue all thinges to be circūspect in chosynge ernestly cryed / expecte / and well lerned ministers to preache Gods worde syncerely / but also to compell the same to be demurante abydinge and resydent vpon their cures And all suche whiche be crepte into benefices for luker aduauntage vpō vntrewe suggestion and false fayned sutes made / which can not or doo not feade their flocke / to depryue thē of suche benefyces because they other can not or doo not execute the offyce to that belonginge Suerly no wyse man lyghteth a cādell and putteth hym vnder a bushell And if he set vp a cādell which other for lacke of talowe or for other cause can not geue light shortely he taketh hym downe and putethe an other which can geue good light in his place So all godly wyse men will order all spirituall lightes which in dede can not geue godly lighte for lacke of spirituall grace which shulde be in them For Byshops and other Pastors which be chosyne instytuted cōtrary to the ordynaunce appoynted prescribed by Gods worde / which other doo not or can not execute the offyce perteyninge to his or their callynge / be not godly trewe Byshops but rather Images Idolles hauinge and bearinge onely the name and outwarde apparance of a Byshoppe or Pastor But as concernynge the lernynge vertue other godly qualyties whiche parteyne be of greate necessyte and iustyce requysyte to be in euery godly pastor / they haue nothinge lesse For if Christ which sayed to Peter from henceforthe I make the a fysher to catche men doo not endowe the offycer wyth lernynge / grace / power good will to preache his worde before Patrons present hym to any suche spirituall office / the electe and admytted notwithstandinge the admyssion and Patrons presentment / Ioan. x shall contynually abyde and remayne an hypocryte / and suche one which dothe not enter in by the dore / Math. xxij but presumeth to enter withowte a weddynge garment / whom Christ condempneth to owtwarde darckenes / and also callethe hym a thef / whose rewarde withowte doubt / shal be at the daye of the laste iudgement with thefes / if he repent not and reasygne vp hys offyce which he can not execute fulfyll and performe Wherfore I mystruste not but that all suche which haue power to present and to admytte theyr clerkes to spirituall offyces readynge this wele boke for the dyscharge of theyr conscyence and for the glory of God / the commodyte and vtylite of the cōmon wealthe which will ensewe the godly presentacyon and admyssion of well lerned / approued godly clerckes to spirituall offyces will from thenceforthe applye and conforme them to the forme and maner of electyon of spirituall mynisters appoynted prescrybed and lymytted by Godes worde / which is this That euery man chosyn to vse any spyrituall offyce / shulde be fyrste well proued aswell for theyr lernynge as also for theyr other vertuouse condycions Fyrst for theyr lernynge wherwith they muste not onely be able to enstructe and teache the people commytted to theyr spyrytuall charge / but also able to reproue other which resyst the same doctrine / with many other godly qualyties As it apperethe in the fyrste Epistle of Paul to Tymothe and also to Tyte. Tim. iij Tyt. i. Nowe moste myghty defender of the Christyan religyon / seinge that Godds worde hathe prescrybed and declared that euery man which shal be called and appoynted to be a spyrituall mynister muste fyrste be proued and knowen howe godly and spirytually he hathe instructe and teached the people / what lernynge he hathe in the scriptures / and not in the lawes / to reproue errours and to condempne heresyes What paynes he hathe taken in preachynge Godes worde / and also whether he hathe geuen good example of lyuinge accordinge to his doctryne In this maner euery christian ought to proue his clerke before he other present or admytt hym But nowe also moste benyngne lorde / cōsydre of the cōtrary parte remembre for what causes the Kynges your noble progenitors in tymes paste haue chosen Bysshopps / other patrons haue presented theyr clerckes to personagyes Vicaragyes to haue cure of sowles These bothe causes well consydered no man wyll greately meruell that we haue wandered so longe in blyndenes For in tymes paste Kynges haue geuen theyr Bysshoprycks to theyr Councellers / chaplaynes whiche haue bene daylye attendauntes in the courte / which also haue done to them good seruice / as enbasadoures / or to suche which haue taken paynes in theyr householde / as amners deanes of the chappell / clercks of theyr closett suche other officers / where gods worde dothe not approue any byshopricke to be geuē to any mā for any suche seruice done / or for any suche paynes takē / but onely for the gifte whiche he hathe frō God to preache his worde / for the paynes laboures susteyned in preachinge of the sayd worde And as Kynges in tymes paste haue abused their giftes of byshoprikes / so noble men worshipfull mē aswell of the clergie as of the layere haue abused their presentaciōs to their prebēdes personages vicarages / geuing thē to their chaplaynes / or to other for kyndred in bloude or for alyaunce / or els to suche as haue ben surueyours of thier landes / receyuoures of their rentes / stuardes of their housholde / faconers / gardyners or to suche other whom they fauoure for suche worldely seruice qualyties To suche they geue their benefyces as rewardes or wagies to hyrelynges for suche seruice done / or to be done / hauinge lytle or noo regarde to the great charge and spirituall cure which by Goddes worde belongeth to all suche spirituall offices For Kynges and rulers in tymes paste had noo lesse knowleage of any thynge / then of Godes worde which the subtyll byshops crafty prystes were euer studiouse and desyrouse to kepe secrete from the hygher powers For so lōge as Godes worde was kepte secrete and hydē from gouernours / so longe the clergye dyd leade not onely the Kynges / but also all gouernowres the cōmons whyther they wolde Thys was the crafty polycye of the clergye / to kepe the knowleage of Gods worde from all men / that they myght vnlawfully and vnworthely be promoted to spirituall cures / and vse the profettes of them vngodly / and that they myght also
craftye meanes poyson hys flocke with mans tradicions and popyshe doctrine but all shall augmente the popishe power forthe abrogacion wherof youre grace and youre honorable couÌ„cell haue taken greate paynes and trauayle Nowe eftsones I truste that all men whyche reade this lytle boke shal perceyue therby what inconuenyence and dampnable euyll enseweth the vngodlye presentacyon and admyssyon of the vnlearned in Goddes worde and carnall prestes to spirituall offyces And althoughe suche Patrons haue lytle zeale and loue to the common and publyke wealthe yet for the synguler and carnall loue whyche they beare to theyr clerkes whome they addycte and bynde surelye to eternall dampnacion yf they geue them suche spyrytuall offyces whyche they neyther canne nor wyll excute and perfourme or for the tender zeale and loue whyche they haue to the soules so derely boughte withe Christes bloode they wyll wyth all circumspection prou etheyr clerkes that they be not onelye well learned in Goddes worde but that they also haue taken greate paynes in preachynge the fame and that they haue also 〈◊〉 accordynge to theyr preachynge Suche experyment and proue was commaunded to be made of weddowes before they were 〈◊〉 to lyue vpon the charge of the congregacyon As it appearethe in Tymotheye i. Ti. v. Muche more than euydente and sure proue of Pastoures whose offyce is soo necessarie shoulde be hadde and made before they be admyttedde to theyr spyrytuall offyce and charge And althoughe the election of the Bysshoppe and of other spyrytuall Pastours in euery paynte be hadde and done accordynge as I haue before wrytten yet moost dreade soueraygne Lorde I see twoo fowle deformyties and greate lamentable myschefes annexed to the vocacyon and offyce of Bysshoppes whyche not refourmedde wyll poyson and vtterlye corrupte the godlye vocacyon and electyon of the sayde Bysshops The one infection and pestylente poysonne is there greate Lordeshyppes and domynions wythe the yearely prouentes of the same Whyche hath so fasshynonedde them in proude countenaunces and worldelye behauoure that nowe they be moste lyke to the Heathen Prynces and moste vnlyke vnto Christe althoughe they woulde be esteamedde of al men to be hys trewe successoures yet poore Chryste sayethe The foxes haue hooles the byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of manne hathe not wherin to laye hys heade But oure Bysshops haue gorgeouse and sumptuouse buylded howses maners and castelles pleasauntelye set aboute with parches well replenished wyth deare warrens 〈◊〉 full of conyes and fysshe pooles well scored wyth dyuerse kyndes of fysshes And not onelye these commoddities and pleasures but also diuerse other pleasures Howe this Lordely and worldely Bysshop lyke estate agreeth wyth Christes wordes I thinke a man can not reasonablye conyecture or ymagen by theyr countenaunce and lyuynge that they be Christes trewe disciples The other myschefe and euell is that they haue to many worldly câ—res and busynes For to these manners and Lordeshyppes belonge manye tenauntes for whose leases to be made fynes and haryottes to be appoyntedde and taken a mercyamentes to be affessed taxed and also forgeuen and dispencedde there be noo fewe sutes made to my Lorde Bysshoppe also the hearynge of testamentorye causes dyuorses causes of matrymonye of sclaunders of 〈◊〉 adulterye and punyshement of 〈◊〉 and suche other 〈◊〉 courte matters â–ª Whereof not one belonge to hys offyce and vocacion appoynted by Goddes worde My lorde byshoppe is so occupyed and vnquycted that he hathe noo leasure to studye nor to preache GODS worde But suche affayres and worldelye busynes nothynge perteyneynge to hys vocation be 〈◊〉 greate hynderance and lett to my lorde Byshop that he can not applye hym to exercyse his owne offyce Mat. v For no man can serue two masters sayeth Christ The Apostles thought it not iuste and equall to prouide for the necessary lyuinge of the poore / leauinge Godds worde vntawght Act. vi But my lorde Byshoppe doinge these things nothing perteyninge to his office / thincketh that he hathe exactely done his offyce From these greate maners commeth yerely greate rentes pleasures profettes / which althowghe they be the good creatures of God / yet thabundaunce of them beinge where they be more impedyment than helpe be a greate occasyon of corrupcion in the vser of them And peraduenture they wolde allure and intyse a Byshops harte to truste in theÌ„ and so corrupte hym / as the scripture sayeth Blessed is the ryche which is founde withowt blemyshe hathe not gone after golde nor hoped in money and treasures / where is there suche a one and we shall commende hym and call hym blessed / for greate things dothe he amonge his people And if my lorde Bysshoppe shulde geue the superfluyte of his goodes to the poore whose goodes iustely they be as the Prophete Ezay sayethe / ☜ Esa iij. Than my lorde shulde lacke theÌ„ to furnyshe his lordely countenaunce / and so my lorde shulde loose his lordely honoure and prayse of the worlde Wherfore as these superfluouse possessions be annexed to estates of Bysshops by mans vayne fantasye and not by Gods worde / so my lorde Byshoppe wyll other keape them to make hym more fryndes / remembrynge that ryches makethe many fryndes / but the poore is forsaken of his neyghbowre / or deuyse the exspence of them contrary to Godes worde / other to make sure fryndes in the courte aboute the kynge to obteyne more promocions benefices / or in curiouse buyldinge / sumptuouse and delycate fare / well appareled seruauntes / tryme decked horses to ryde pompeousely lyke a lorde Althoughe there were no auctorite to proue this / yet the lordely countenaunce fasshyon of byshops / yea their common exercyse and also practyse caÌ„ well proue and testyfye this playnely before the face of all men which knoweth the lordelynes of bysshopps As the Prophete Ezay sayethe Esa iij. The chaungynge of their countenaunce bewrayeth them / yea they declare theyr owne synnes them selfes as sodomytes / and hyed them not Doo not these thinges fayntely agree with the sayenge of theyr predecessour Paule the Apostle which sayeth i. Ti. vi When we haue foode and raymente we muste be contented Is not this lordely honoure dyrectely agaynste Chrystes wordes / which sayethe Iu. xxij The Kynges of nacyons raygne ouer them / and they that haue auctoryte ouer them are called graciouse lordes But yow shall not be so Also Peter speakethe to his trewe successoures sayenge Feade yow Christes flocke asmuche as lyeth in yow / takynge the ouersyght of them not as compelled therunto / but wyllyngelye / after a godly sorte / nor for the desyer of fylthy luker / but of a good mynde / not as thoughe yowe were lordes ouer the paryshes / but that yowe be an example to the flocke / and that withe good will But owre lordely Byshops estate and proude countenaunce of lyuynge as it is nowe vsed is contrarye to Godes worde / as it appearethe by these wordes But
A supplycacion to our moste soueraigne lorde Kynge Henry the eyght / Kynge of England of Fraunce and of Irelande / moste ernest defender of Christes gospell / supreme heade vnder God here in erthe / next immedyatly of his churches of Englande and Irelande Matthei .ix. The harweste is greate but the laborers are fewe Wherfore praye the lorde of the harweste to sende forthe laborers into his harweste A supplication to our moste soueraigne Lorde Kynge Henry the eyght Kynge of England / of Fraunce / and of Irelande c. MOst dreade Soueraigne lorde most christen Prynce / whē I remembre the lamentable wonderfull great blyndnes wherin the most parte of all Englāde not onely of the layete called the temporaltie / but also of the Clergie / haue pytuousely erred and wandered many hundereth yeres / acceptinge / reputynge / most vngodly / erronyousely / and blyndely / estemynge the Bysshop of Rome to be supreame head ouer aboue all christen congregatiōs and in dyuerse other poyntes suche as be touchynge the necessarye articles of our faithe I coulde not but meruell how and by what meanes suche pestilent errours and horrible darke blyndenes coulde or myght entre / Invade ouerflowe this your realme / to contynewe so longe in the same / not espied / perceyued / nor repelled Consideringe that by all that tyme and space this your Realme as the most parte of men dyd then iudge and esteame was well endowed / replenyshed / and furnyshed with many profounde lerned clerkes / wherof some were Bysshops Archedeacōs / Deanes / Prebendaries / Parsons / Doctours / Bachelars in deuinite / other profounde lerned clerkes in bothe the vniuersytees which were / graue / sage / auncyent fathers Contemplatinge and reuoluinge these things in my mynde not a lytle moued / troubled / and vexed with the same / I applyed me with all my powre dyligence exquysytely to serche to knowe the originall grounde cause therof And in cōclusyon amōgest other things it chaunced me to reade in the .v. chapiter of Ezay a proposition that muche lamenteth the captyuite and bondage which cōmeth groweth to all people for lacke of knowleage in godds worde / Sayeng / Therfore cōmeth my flocke also into captyuite / because they haue not vnderstandinge / their glory is famyshed with hunger / their pryde marred with chyrste Therfore gapeth hell and openeth her mouthe meruelousely wyde By this text graciouse lorde it appeareth that all myserable blyndenes captyuite bondage vnder synne / cōmeth for lacke of knowleage in Gods worde Mar. xij I had forgotten at that tyme / that Christ reproued the Pharasees / sayeng / You erre not knowinge the scriptures Which reproue and rebuke shulde haue ben a suffycient admonyciō and doctryne to me and to all other wherby we myght haue knowen that all erroure commeth for lacke of vnderstandinge knowleage in the scriptures But by what reason then coulde there be suche erroure and blyndenes for lacke of knowleage in Gods worde in this your realme most gracyouse lorde / seing there were suche profounde clerkes auncyent fathers / Bysshops and studentes in the same / which dyd teache preache vnto the people cōtynually The Apostle Paul in the .vi. chapiter to Timothe descrybeth two kyndes of doctrynes / the one he calleth a godly doctryne a doctryne of helth / the other he calleth a proude doctrine full of vnprofitable questions / stryuynge more for wordes than for godly knowleage / wherof spryngeth envy / stryffe / raylings / euyll surmysyngs / vayne dysputacions of mē with corrupte myndes destytute of the trueth / which thinke that lucre is godlynes This kynde of lernynge and subtle dysputacyons vnto this daye we call scole matters / from the which Paul commaundeth all christyans to separate thē selues ij Ti. iij Soche clerkes sayeth Paul / be euer lernynge / but neuer atteyne to the knowleage of the trueth With suche wayne vngodly and vnprofitable lerninge / this your realme most redoubted soueraigne was ouer moche replenyshed through the preachinge and teachinge of suche scole men subtyll disputers / otherwise called deceyuers Which was one of the causes of our myserable blyndnes / and of dyuerse errours and abuses spronge vp and crept in to this your graces realme For certeynely if the clerkes of this your graces realme / had bene endowed with true knowleage of Gods worde / and had also syncerely preached the same / althoughe suche errours and blyndnes had entered into this realme / yet they shulde neuer haue so longe contynewed in the same / but we shulde haue bene delyuered through the worde clerely from them As Christe saieth Io. viij If you continewe in my wordes / then are you my very disciples / shall knowe the trueth / the trueth shall delyuer yow / and make you free Therfore most dread soueraigne lorde / seinge that all erroure / spyrytuall blyndnes / myserable captyuite / and seruyle bondage vnto synne commeth for lacke of knowleage and syncere vnderstādinge in the holy scriptures / and of the cōtrarye parte / through the knowleage syncere vnderstandinge of the holy scripturs we knowe god our father and his sonne Ihesus Christ our lorde / which is eternall liffe / we be also become free frō all condempnation of synne Io◠v. Io. xvij And through the syncere and true knowleage of the worde we be newly regenerate become the childerne of god / the habitacle and dwellinge place of the holy ghoste / which moueth steareth vs euer to mortefye the fleshe / all her synfull lusts and concupiscence / to abhor and resyst vice What is then so necessary good and profitable for the christian people bothe spirituall and cyuile wealthe / as the worde wherby we receyue faithe / by faithe the holy ghoste What troubleth all commen wealthes / but treason / murder thefte / couetuousnes / adulterye / extorcion / whordome / dronckenes / periurye / suche other synne / as saythe the holy ghoste Prouer. xiiij Iustice and rightuousnes maketh the people wealthy / but synne maketh the people most myserable And all these the faithfull through the true and syncere vnderstādinge of gods worde / doo euer studye and labour to ouercome / and vtterly to abholyshe by faythe As Paul sayeth Gal. v. They which be Christes / doo crucyfye the fleshe with her lustes and concupiscence All good workes and counceyles encreased and stablyshed through faythe There is no study / striffe / nor laboure agaynst synne but through faithe All conscyences that be quyet from synnes / onely through faythe be made quyet Rom. v As Paul sayeth / Because we are iustyfyed by faithe / we are at peace with god through our lorde Ihesus Christ What counforte hathe any Christian man in aduersytyes / temptacions / desperation / but onely by fayth in Gods worde The Christyan man hathe noo refuge nor
helpe to resyst synne / but onely by gods worde / as our sauiour christ dyd / wherin he must fyxe a sure and constāt faythe Mat. .iiii. Faythe causeth vs and all ours / to be acceptable in the syght of God Roma xiiij For a conclusiō / whatsoeuer is not of fayth that same is synne And wtowte a constante and sure fayth / it is impossyble to please God Heb. xi All men maye well perceyue / that by the lawes and by the iuste execution of them / although synne may be for a tyme cohybyted and restrayned / yet it can not be suppressed and abholyshed / but onely through fayth For there was neuer more godly lawes made for the punyshmente of synne / nor neuer more iuste and godly executyon of lawes admynistred / and yet there was neuer more synne raygnynge For cyuyle lawes made by man / can not be of greater effycacye or strength / nor worke greater perfectyon vertue and good wyll in man / than the lawe of god but the lawe of God not onely worketh no obedyence or vertue / but rather through occasyō takē of the infirmyte of the fleshe / steareth vp synne / as sayethe Paul Ro. vij I knowe not what luste dyd meane / except the lawe had sayed thow shalte not luste But synne toke an occasyon by the meanes of the commandemente / and wrought in me all maner of cōcupiscence / for verely wtoute the lawe / synne was dead I ones sayth Paul / lyued wtout lawe But when the cōmandement came / synne reuyued / and I was dead / and the very same commaundement which was ordeyned vnto lyffe / was founde to be vnto me an occasyon of deathe Ro. vij But nowe graciouse lorde / for asmoche as it appeareth / that the lawe of God was not geuen to take awaye synne / but rather to declare and to punyshe synne moche lesse any lawe made by man / can auoyde and put away synne But faythe is the true Instrument appoynted by God / wherby synne is ouercome exiled Act. xv As the scripture sayeth / that God through faithe / dothe puryfye make cleane all hartes Io. xv Also Christ sayethe / nowe are yow cleane / by the meanes of the wordes / whiche I haue spoken vnto you This faythe shall cause / noryshe and breade / true obeydyence / and all other vertues in your graces subiectes hartes / wherby they shall be enforced to laboure not onely to obserue kepe Godes lawes / but also all your graces ordynances commaundementes and lawes / without grudge or murmuracyon This faythe as the Apostle sayeth commethe by hearinge of Gods worde preached / wherof Byshops Parsons / Vicars / suche other called to haue spirituall cure / be or shulde be dylygent mynisters / to whose vocatyō iustely parteyneth to declare and publyshe Gods worde syncerely truely / to all the people cōmytted to their spirituall charge Rom. x. Most myghty Prynce wherfor if the Pastours appoynted to preache teache Gods worde / wtin this your graces realme / doo not dyligētly instructe teache the people cōmytted to their spirituall charge with the sayd worde / accordinge as they be cōmaunded in the scriptures Act. xx i. Pe. v. Mal. ij Proue xxix Act. xx i. Pet. v. and Malache xx all kyndē of synne shall increase and abounde / the people vtterly be devyded As sayethe the holy ghoste When the worde of God is not preached the people perysheth Also the Wyse mā sayethe Sa. xiij All men be vayne in whom there is not the knowleage of god Wherfore without any doubt the wāte and lacke of preaching of godes worde syncerely and truely hathe bene the very originall grounde and cause of all the insurrection / cōmotiō / dyscention / which hathe rysen or begone within this your graces real me or any parte therof For through the want of preachyng of Godes worde syncely haue entered in all popyshe blyndenes / vayne dead ceremonyes / mēnes tradycyons be crept into the conscyences of the symple innocentes in the steade of the lawe of God Yea ydolatrye and all hypocrysye with detestable superstycyon for lacke of the lyght of Godes worde / is become Gods seruyce And yet notwtstandinge this wante lack of knowleage in Godes worde the euyll which cōmethe manyfestly therof / the more it is to be lamented / there be many popishe monckes which late were Abbottes to whom not onely vnworthely / but also vniustely / were geven greate pensyons and many of their covent mo◅kes hauinge nother lernynge nor other godly qualytyes apte meate or convenyent to be in spirituall pastours be nowe admytted to haue cure of soules And some suche which ded neuer knowe what is a soule / nor yet be able to haue cure ouer one soule / be nowe admytted to haue charge ouer an hundreth and many moo / to the increase of all yngnorācye and all popishe blyndnes / the hyghe waye meanes to let in all kynde of synne / to the vtter dampnacion of all the soules commytted to their spirituall charge Alas doo nother the patrones of suche benefyces / nor yet the incumbentes pōder or regarde Gods threatenyngs by his Prophete Ezechiell sayeng / As truely as I lyue sayeth the lorde for asmuche as my shepe are robbed and deuowred of the wilde beastes of the felde hauynge noo shepeherde / and seing that my shepherdes take noo regarde of my shepe / but feade them selues onely / and not my shepe Ezech. xxxiiij Therfore here the worde of the lorde o ye shepherdes / thus sayeth the lorde God Beholde I my selfe will vpon the shepherdes / and requyre my shepe from their handes / and make them cease from feadinge of my shepe Yea the shepherdes shall feade them selues nomore / for I will delyuer my shepe owte of their mowthes / so that they shall not deuoure them after this If this threatenynge be not suffycient warnynge monycion to suche blynde shepherdes / yet at the lest let them feare Goddes curse pronownced in the same chapiter agaynst suche neglygent and ingnorāt shepherdes / sayenge Woo be to the shepherdes of Israell that feade them selues / shulde not the shepherdes feade the flocke / yow haue eaten vp the fatt / yow haue clothed yow with the wolle / the best fedd haue youe flayne / but the flocke haue yow not noryshed / heauen and erthe shall muche rather perishe / than these wordes wherwith God threatened suche pastours shal be found vntrue / That is / I will requyre my flocke of the handes of the shepherde Suerly most myghty prynce it is to busye an office / tomuche and laborouse for one spirituall shepherde althoughe he were very expert and connynge to guyde ordre / and kepe / two or thre flockes of shepe / specially beyng so farre dystāt one from an other / that the sayd shepherde can not be dayly present with them / to