Where thei had alweys one or other vicar that eyther preached or hyred some to preach Now is there no vicar at all but the fermer is vicar and person all together and onely an old cast â— way monke or fryre which can scarsely say his mattens is hyred for .xx. or .xxx. shillings meat and drinck yea in some place for meate and drinck alone with owt any wages I knowe and not I alone but .xx. M. moo knowe more than .v. C. vycarages and personages thus well and gospelly serued after the newe gospel of Ingland And if a man say to the fermers why haue the peple no preachers seing ye haue the tythes and offrings ye shuld fynd preachers Thei will answere we haue hyred the personages of this or that lord and he or he is person or vicar we pay for the tythes and offerings to the lord that is parson Well than I say vnto the my lord parson vicar thou doyst wrong to haue personages and vicarages to haue the tenth pyg the teÌ„th sheefe the tenth lambe goose flese and so of all other things seing that thou art no mynyster nor no pryst of Christes church canst neyther preach teach nor doo any offyce of â— parson or of a vicar but polle pylle What canst thou say for thy selfe my lord parson and vicar Thow wilt say parauenture the kyng gaue me the abbey and all that longeth therto which had them geuen hym be the parlament Therfor if thou speake against my being person vicar though I neyther preach nor teach nor yet procure none to do it for me thou art a traytor for this is the .xiij. artycle of our crede added of late that what so euer the parlament doth must nedys be well done and the parlament or any proclamacyon owâ— of the parlament tyme cannot erre Therfor let no man be so hardy in payne of death to speake or complayne for the redresse of any thing that is done amysse eyther by the parlament or by any proclamacyon If this be so my lord parson than haue ye brought Rome home to your own dores geuen the auctoryte to the kyng and the parlament that the carnal bisshops gaue vnto the pope which was this Si papa ce If the pope thorow his faut shuld send infinyte thousandes to the deuyl yet must no man speake agaynst him And if ye haue geuyn the same auctoryte vnto the parlament that the papistes gaue to their general councels that is that thei can not erre and what so euer is onys determyned in a general councel must nedys be true and of no lesse auctoryte than the gospel â—f this be so it is all in vayne to loke for any amendmeÌ„t of any thing And we be in as euyl case as whan we were vnder the bisshop of Rome if we haue all the lawes of hym coÌ„fyrmed with fyre and death Surely the popissh bisshops whan thei were robbed of the pope of Rome thei wold nedys haue a pope and therfor thei wold haue made the kyng their pope and thei gaue hym auctoryte to doo all things in England that the pope dyd in Rome as to forbyd maryage certen tymes in the yeare and than to sell lycencys for the same to selle lycence to eate flessh in lent â–ª non residencys and such other And euen the popys proctor sayd as it was told me that he might make sayntes also And lesse there shuld want any thing to a perfyght pope dome the bisshops caused a proclamacyon to be set out in the kyngs name that from hense forth the ceremonyes of the church that were of the popys makyng shuld no more be taken for the popys ceremonys but the kyngs and so thei made the kyng father to the popys childern But I am sure though the bisshops wold make the kyng pope he wold not take it vpon hym And I trust that euery day more and more his grace shal spye their popissh intentys But to yow my lord personys how can ye defend your seluys if a man shuld bring this argument agaynst you and proue you all theuys that haue personages and vicarages in your handes and can not preach Christ sayeth Iohn the .x. he that entreth not in to the shepefold by the dore but clymeth in another way is a thefe and a murderer but ye entred in another way wherfore ye are theuys and murderers That ye come not in by the dore I wil proue it thus Christ is the dore but by Christ ye came not in to the shepe fold that is to say to be parsons and vicars for ye grant that ye came in by the act of parlament and the act of parlament is not Christ for it is not confirmed by christes word therfor ye came not by christ and so be ye theuys and murderers as your workes prouyd of late in shedding of the blode of so many true prechers and shepardes which spent their lyues for their shepe If this argument be not strong inough what say ye by this All they that come before me sayth Christ are theuys and robbers ye come in to the shepefold before Christ ergo ye be theuys and robbars To come in before Christ is to be a parson or a vicar before Christ send hym And ye came in before Christ sent yow for he sendeth none to be shepardes but such as he knoweth to be able to fede his flocke ergo he neuer sent yow for he knoweth yow vnable to doo that office And thus to conclude ye be theues and robbers for a thefe commeth not but to steale and to kyll Wherfor gyue ouer your personages to learned men enter not in to other mennys vocacyoÌ„s to robbe the ministers both of their office of their liuyng that ye be not punisshed of god But if ye will nedys be parsons and vicars styll and haue all the profightes of the personages and will haue all euen to the tyâ—he eg of a pore woman that hath but .ij. hennys ye must haue the paynes that belong to such parsons as yow be Heare what almighâ—y god sayth vnto yow my lordys which wil be parsons and pastors Ezechel .xxxij. If I say vnto the wicked thou shalt dye the death and thou speake not vnto hym to kepe the wicked from his way the wicked hâ—s own selfe shal dye in his wickednes but hâ—s blode shal I requyre of thy hand Marke well lord parson for thâ—s is sayd to all them that are parsons and take wages and liuyng of the peple as tythes offryngs for feding of them with gods word or â—ls by what tyâ—le canst thow chalenge the tyâ—hes loke well vpon this matter and by 〈◊〉 thy conscyence vpon godds word Of lordes which are shepardes The .xv. Chapter WHan the sprytualty was in prosperyte had the vpper hand in the reame thei did farre excede the teÌ„poral lordes in couetosnes but after thei had a falle the lordes hauyng their spoyles the same pock that was in the clargys wyne
best made to cloke their wickednesse It were hard to say whether thei were the auctors of the commocyon in the north or no. I thynck it is as well possyble for the ocyane se to be without water as it is for them to cease musyng of myschefe A lamentacyon for that the body and tayle of the pope is not banisshed with his name The .xxiij. Chapter OH mercyful father of heauyn I can neuer lament inough to heare the gospel thus blasphemyd to be namyd a thing causyng sedicyon whan it is the only cause of concord and peace in conscyence vnto the faythful Yet these bysshops deanys and canons of collegys with other the popys shauelings acording to their old wont shame not to blaspheme this holy word by all the sotle meanys that can be dyuysed How besy were thei to stey the puttyng forth of the great byble and to haue had the byble of Thomas mathy called in but the lord strengâ—hâ—yd the hart of the prynce to set it forth agaynst their willys yet how shamefully haue thei and their membres in many placys of England dreuyn men from readyng the byble yea Boner bysshop of london shamyd not in the yere a thowsand fyue hundreth and forty to preson one porter and other for readyng in the byble which if it be not hâ—resy to god than what is heresy And if it be not treason to the kyng to deface his iniunccyons than what is treason And agayne if it be not thâ—ft to the comon welth to steale from theÌ„ their sprytual fode than what is robry and theft And euyn in the begynnyng of the last parlament in the yere a thousand fyue hundreth and .xli. how dyd thei blaspheme rage belye the holy goost saing it is not ryghtly translated and that it is ful of heresys and that thei wold correck it and set out one ryghtly soner can thei fynd fautys thaÌ„ amend it Who perceyueth not your wickyd intent ys that in the meane tyme ye loke for the death of the kyng whom god preserue to his plesure O ye blynd phylistyans the scripture is ful of sentencys which teach men to knowe you and to beware of you I can not blame you though ye fyght thus agaynst god and his word to shutt it vp from the peple For why who so euer readyth or hearyth the â—ontentys of that boke and byleueth the holy goost shal playnly se that ye be the very enemyes of god and so shal cast you out of their â—onscyence where ye haue long sytten in the place of god wherby also ye shuld lose your gret ryches and auctorite which makyth you to roare lyke lyons to teare lyke bearys and to byte lyke cruel woluys and to styng lyke adders No dout one bisshop one deane one college or howse of canoÌ„s hath euer done more mischeffe agaynst gods word and sought more the hynderaÌ„ce of the same thaÌ„ .x. howses of monkys fryers chanons or nunnys euer dyd The kyngs grace began wel to wede the garden of Ingland but yet hath he left stondyng the more pytye the most fowlest and stynkyng wedys which had most nede to be first pluckyd vp by the rootys that is to say the prycking thistels and stingyng nettels which styll stondyng what helpyth the deposyng of the pety membres of the pope and to leaue his whole body behynd which be the pompos bisshops canons of collegys deanys and such other surely it helpyth as moch as to say I wyl go kyll all the foxes in s. Iohans wodde because I wold haue no more foxes bred in all England We say we haue cast the pope out of Ingland how so I aske ye seyng he came neuer in Ingland how can he be cast out thereof some wil say yes his tributys and other pollagys be taken from him Wel thankys be to god we be some what eased of our teÌ„poral and bodyly burden But there be gretter things in this matter than that which wel ponderyd we may say and lye not that the pope remayneth wholly styll in Ingland saue only that his name is banisshed For why his body which be the bisshops and other shauelings doth not only remayne but also his tayle which be his filthy tradicyons wicked lawys and beggarly ceremonyes as s. Paul called them yea and the whole body of his pestiferos canon lawe acording to the which iudgement is geuyn thorow the reame and men condemnyd to death after the prescrypt of it so that we be styll in Egypt and remayne in captyuyte most greuosly laden by obseruyng and walking in his most filthy drosse aforsayd which is a mysty and endles maze And so long as ye walke in those wicked lawys of antichrist the pope and maynteyne his knyghtes the bisshops in soch inordynate riches and vnlaâ—ful auctoryte so long say I ye shal neuer banyssh that monstruos beast the pope out of Ingland Yea and it shal be a meane in processe of tyme to bryng us in to a teÌ„poral bondage also agayn and to haue him reygne as he hath done lyke a god And that know our forked cappys ryght well which thing makyth them so boldly and shamelesly to fyght in their gods quarel agaynst christ his word The bysshops of England neuer toke so gret paynes to defend the pope and his kyngdome as they haue done syns the kings grace toke rightfully from him his accustomyd pollagys which vsurpedly he had out of this reame To proue this to be true what blood haue thei shed syns that tyme of the belouyd seruantes of the euerlyuing god for preching teaching writing and walking in the truth as Tewkysbery Baynam â—ryth Bylney Barnys Garet Ierom with diuerse other in kent salysbery and dyuerse other placys And Wyllm Tyndal the apostle of Ingland although he were burnt in Brabance yet he felt the bisshops blessing of InglaÌ„d which procured him that death which he loked for at their handes Neuertheles I dowt not but that all these be of the nomber of them that s. IohaÌ„ spekyth of in the Apocalipse which lye vnder the altar till the nomber of their brethern be fulfilled which shal be slayne for the gospels sake I reherse not their namys for anye prayse to be geuyn to them but that the coÌ„gregacyon of Christ may laude and prayse the euerliuyng god for geuing them grace to staÌ„d so faythful in the lord to the end leauyng vs the victory which is part of your spyrytual comfort For god promyseth the preachers mynysters of his word no other reward in this life And thorow the preaching of these poore wretchys but out castes in the sight of the world as s. Paul sayth he hath wrought this that where as the kyng was before but a shadow of a kyng or at the most but halfe a king now he doth wholly raygne thorow their preaching wryting and suffryng But now to the tyranny of the bysshops onys agayne which besydes the murderyng of these sayntes how haue thei bewitched the parlament
THE COMPLAYNT OF RODERYCK Mors somtyme a gray fryre vnto the parliament howse of Ingland his natural cuntry For the redresse of certen wicked lawes euel customs ad cruel decreys A table wherof thou shalt fynde in the nexte leafe Oh lord god heare my prayer and dispyse not my complaynt loke vpon me and heare me Psalme .liiij. THE TABLE THat comon prayers and a sermon owght to be at the begynnyng of all cowncels The first chap. Of enhansing of rentes by land lordes The. ij Of the forfetting of the londes or goodes of traytours ce The .iij. chapter Of the inclosing of parkes forestâ—s and chases The .iiij. Of sellyng of wardes for maryage wher of ensueth adultery which owght to be ponished by death The .v. Of the iniuryes done to the comynalty by the kyngs takers ce The .vi. Of the suttylty of sersâ—yng of wryttes ce The .vij chapter Of promoters which may wrongfully troble a man by the lawe of EnglaÌ„d and thowgh he be cast he shal pay no charges cet The .viij. chapter That all iudges and pleaâ—ers at the barre may lyue of a stypend geuen them of the king â—wt of the abbey londes The .ix. Of the cruelnesse and suttyltes of the augmeÌ„tacyon and escheker ce The .x. Of the prolongyng of the lawe and of certen abuses in the same ce The .xi. That kynges and lordes of presons shuld fynd their presoners suffycyent fode at their charge and of men that haue lyen long in preson cete The .xij. That men which be accused for preachyng shuld not be coÌ„mytted into their accusers handes The .xiij. Of lordes that are parsons and vicars xiiij Of lordes which are shepardes xv Of first frutes both of benefices and of lordes landes The .xvi. Of particular tachementes that all creditors may haue pownd and pownd alyâ—e whan any man falleth in pouerty xvij That the rulars of the erth ought to sit in their gates or els in their preuy chamber dores The .xviij. chapter A godly admonycyon for the abolysshment of dyuerse abuses and of the seruyce to be had in the Englysh tong The .xix. That one pryst owght to haue but one benefyce and one fermer but one ferme xx Of the inhansing of the custome which is agaynst the comon welth xxi A godly aduysemeÌ„t how to bestowe the goodes and landes of the bysshops cetera after the gospel with an admonycyon to the rulers that thei loke better vpon the hospitalles The .xxij. A lamentacyoÌ„ for that the body and tayle of the pope is not banisshed with his name The .xxiij. chapter A comparyson betwene the doctryne of the scripture and of the bisshops of England The .xxiiij. chapt A brefe rehersal conteynyng the whole somme of the boke The .xxv. O MERCYFVLL FAther allmyghty god and euerlastyng beyng wythowt end or begynnyng withowt whom nothyng is by whom alone all thyngs haue their beyng both in heauyn and erth To the in whom only is all ayde to the only do I crye for ayde In asmoch as thow hast the hartys of all men in thy handys yea euyn of pryncys that it wyl please the of thy infynite mercy and for thy sonnys sake Iesus Chryst our only redemer to send thy holy spyryt in to the hartys of all the degreys of men in the parlament howse that this my coÌ„playnt may receyue fauor in the syght of them that syâ—e in the parlament wherby thyngs nedeful may be redressyd to the glory of thy name the comodyâ—e of the comon welth and to the better prouysyon for the poore which is the thyng that I only seke as to the oh lord it is not vnknowne In as moch as there is no powr but of god and whan so euer any persons be greuyd oppressyd or ouer yockyd they must resort vnto the hyer powrys for remedy whych be ordeynyd of god only for the same cause and inasmoch as the cowncel of parlament is the head cowncel of all reamys for it beyng done with the consent of the kyng whâ—t lawys so euer be made therby beyng not agaynst the word of god we be bownd to obserue them And though they be agaynst gods word yet may we not bodily resist them with any warre violence or insurreccyon vnder payne of damnacyon But now contrary wyse as we may not resist the powr of a prynce euyn so may we not obserue nor walke in hys wyckyd laws if he make any against gods word but rathâ—r to suffer death so that we may neyther obserue them nor yet violently resist them in that case Well then in as moch as the parlament is of soch powr and strength alâ—hough I be a man banysshed my natyue contry only by the cruelty of the forkyd cappes of Ingland for speakyng gods truth yet seing so many cruel lawes and heuy yockys vpon the showlders of the peple of my natyue coÌ„try specyaly vpon the comons and agayn consyderyng how lytle the poore be regarded and prouyded for I can but rekyn my selfe bownd to open and disclose vnto the sayd cowncel of parlament part of the forsayd yockys The euerlyuyng god grant that thei may be as redy to se them redressyd as their predecessers were to bryng the peple in to such calamyte by the makyng of them for the which cause I haue made this litle worke to cause them to haue instruccyon that thei may se a reformacyon whereunto thei be bownd and for such causys be thei called to gether of god and for no partycular or pryuate welth to them seluys nor yet to the kynges grace THE FIRST CHAP. THERE OVVGHT TO BE COmon prayers and a sermon in the beginnyng of any cowncel and so long as it contynueth also The first chapter IT IS A LAVDABLE thing that in the begynnyng of any cowncel or assemble the name of god shuld be called vpon that he of his mercy will send his spiryt to sanctifye the hartes of them which beare any auctoryte or stroke in the cowncel or parlament that thei agree to such statutes and actes as be to the setting forth of gods glory the sanctifyeng of his name and augmentacyon of his kingdom For whan we call vpon god for such things we eyther knowlege or shuld knowlege that we haue nede of his helpe and that we can not withowt his assistence neyther determyne nor yet assent to the determynacyon of any thing that may please god for if we cowld what nede we to call vpon hym for any help And it is certen and vnfallible that if we knock seke and crye dilygently with ernest and harty petycyons with true humblenes of our hartes and with owt dissimulacyoÌ„ we shal be hard Therfore I say it is both laudable and necessary that all cowncels be begon with prayer vnto our mercyful father and in our prayers to open vnto hym our necessyties and to call vpon hyâ— for ayde to rule our hartes wholly to seke hâ—s glory But this must be done ernestly with hâ—rty