his seruauÌ„t Dauid in the second psalme Et nunc reges intelligâ—te erudimini iudices ierre Bet you vnderstandynge o ye kynges and be you lerned o ye that iuge the earthe Here haue al kynges a playne coÌ„maundement to seke seke for learnynge and to be learned and not onely they but al other whych by theyr callyng are ordened of God to iuge hys people or to gyue sentence betwene one man and an other Almyghty God in the .xvii. Deute 17. of Deuteronomi geueth an expressed and a plaine coÌ„maundement vnto kynges that they shulde diligently study the scripture the wordes of God are these After that the kynge sytteth in hys seate of dignite or hys kyngdome he shal wryt out for him selfe the Deuterono of this lawe in a volume and he shall take the copy of the offerers or preestes of the trybe of Leui and he shall haue it wyth hym and shal read it al the dayes of hys lyfe that he may learne to feare hys lorde God and to kepe hys wordes and ceremonies The same commaundement was geuen vnto the noble gentleman Iosue the Iudge and gouerner of the chyldren of Israel in these wordes Take a good harte vnto the and be very stoute that thou may kepe and fulfyl al the lawe whyche my seruaunt Moses hath coÌ„maunded the to kepe Thou shalt not turne from it nether to the right hande nether to the left haÌ„de that thou maye vnderstand al thinges that thou doest Let not the volume of thys boke go awaye froÌ„ thy mouth but thou shalt be occupyed in it daye and nyght that thou maye kepe and do all thynges wrytten in it It is a meruelous thynge to se how that noble men wemen are so busy to kepe those thinges that the deuel the worlde the fleshe haue founde out and coÌ„maunded howe slacke and slowe they are to do it the God hath commaunded so earnestlye The deuel deuysed dycyng and cardyng and wantoÌ„ daunsyng the worlde wyth the deuell hath founde out to costly proude lyght and temptyng apparel the fleshe with the deuel hath founde out waÌ„ton balades and bokes of loue and lechery whether are there mo gentlemeÌ„ in Englande that folowe the counsel of theyr Lorde God which byddeth them studye the scripture be exercised therin or of them that folowe the counsel of the aforenamed enemyes both to God and man Wyl ye not nowe my lordes and maysters take those phisicianes for murtherers of your soules whych forbyd you to eate of almyghty goddes triacle that is to reade hys worde whych he hath so earnestly coÌ„mauÌ„ded for the sauing both of your bodyes and soules Are they worthy to be of a kynges counsel or of a quenes counsell that haue burned thys booke whyche God inioyneth you to reade and haue ponysh the readers thereof as heretikes yf they be of the same iudgement styll Nowe let vs se whether that the coÌ„maundement of God concernyng that princes should be learned and the scripture to be red of al kynges and rulers was so vnderstande of holy men euen as it standeth that is that they should studye and reade the scripture in their owne persones or they muste learne the scripture and reade it and knowe it onely by their chaplaynes other suche like officers as the moste part of princes and noble men expound that commaundement of God now a dayes All blessed and happy and holy meÌ„ reade the scripture and are exercised in it nyght and daye their owne selues in their owne persons Then they that wyll not reade the scripture nether nyght nor day in their owne persones nether ar exercised in it are cursed vnhappye and wycked be they neuer so ryche noble so holye in the syght of the blynde worlde Dauid in the fyrst psalme describing a blyssed happy and godly man proueth it that I sayd now to be true Blessed is the man sayeth Dauid whose wyl is in the law of the Lorde and in hys lawe is exercysed in his mynde thinketh vpon it both day nyght And the cursed man or the wycked man sytteth in the seat of scorners that is to say wyll nether be vertuously occupied in goddes worde them selues nor wyl suffer other to read it but mock the readers of it as they do nowe a dayes that for a spytfull mocke call the readers of Goddes lawe gospellers sometyme heretikes mock them that ether in open preachyng or in preuie admonition tell them of their fautes and exhorte them to godlynes and vertuous lyuynge Dauid in the .119 Psal 119. psalme beareth also wytnes that the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of almyghty God concernyng the scripture to be reade and studyed of kynges iudges and noble men ought to be vnderstande that they shulde reade it and be exercised in it in their owne persones they that talke not wyth them selues of the scripture and are not exercised therin their owne selues are not blessed happy and godly but cursed vnhappy and vngodly for he sayeth Beati qui scrutantur testimonia eius in mandatis tuis exercebor considerabo vias tuas in iustificationibus tuis meditabor non obliuiscar sermones tuos Seruus tuus exercebatur in iustificationibus tuis nam testimonia tua meditatio mea est consilium meum iustificationes tuae Ne auferas de ore meo verbum veritatis vsquequaque ConfundaÌ„tur superbi quia iniuste iniquitatem fecerunt in me ego autem exercebor in mandatis tuis Tribulatio angustia inuenerunt me mandata tua meditatio mea est concupiui salutare tuum lex tua meditatio mea est Yf it be true that the noble men whych serche and seke for the commaundementes of God and studye the lawe of God and are exercysed therin are good and blessed men theÌ„ are they euel cursed and vnhappy men whyche searche not for the commaundementes of God nether studye the scripture nether exercise them selues there in The reason is good for all the good kynges wherof is mencioÌ„ made in the scripture were diligent setters forth and readers of the scripture and the wicked vngodlye kynges cared not for it reade the bokes of the kynges and the bokes of the cronicles and you shall fynde thys that I saye ryghte true 4. Reg. 22. In the .xxii. of of the .iiii. of the kynges ye maye se in the historye of Iosias howe that al hys forfathers that were euel kynges cared not for the scripture but let it lye many yeres buryed hyd so that they were not exercysed therin accordyng to the expressed commaundement of God Yf ye require one priuate exaÌ„ple of one man Iere. 36. reade the .36 of Hieremie the prophete and there shall ye fynde how that the wycked kyng Ioachim cut in peces the worde of God and burnt it in the fyre and sought after and persecuted Hieremie the authour of the boke and Baruch the writer of it as certaine geÌ„tlemen bothe of the laite and also of the clergie haue intreated
whych behaueth himselfe inordinatly not according vnto the ordināce which he hath receaued of vs. For ye know how ye ought to folowe vs. For we haue not behaued our selues inordinatly amongest you Nether haue I receyued bread of any mā for nothīg but with labor sweate working day and night for this end that I wold not be thargeable vnto any of you Not because that it is not lawful for any of vs but that I might set my self out as an exāple vnto you to folow For whē we were with you this did we cōmaūd you that yf any man wold not labor that the same shulde not eat For we hear that there are some cōuersant amonge you lyuyng inordinatly doyng no worke but doyng curiously Them that are suche we comaūd beseche in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they workyng with quietnes eat their owne bread Ye that are my brethrē be not wery of well doyng Yf ther be any that obeyeth not our worde certifye me of hym by a letter haue no felowship with hym that he maye be ashamed Hetherto Paule The Lorde Iesus our kyng maister also cōpareth himselfe vnto a man that goeth from home into a far cōtre he cōpareth his disciples christianes vnto suche seruaūtes as haue receiued their maisters substance or power haue euery man their worke and office apointed vnto them Our maisters wordes are these Marci 13. As a man that goeth frō home leaueth his house a hath geuen vnto hys seruauntes power or hys substance and to euery man hys worke c. Yf gentle mē that is to saye Kynges Dukes Erles Lordes Knyghtes Squiers be Christes seruauntes and he hath geuen vnto them any of his power or substance then hath he geuen them also a worke for he hath appointed euery one of hys seruaūtes a worke Yf they haue a worke a vocacion appointed vnto them then thei are not wythout an office then maye they not thinke that they are bound to do nothyng profitable for the rest of the congregacion or politik body that they are of When as Christe shall saye in the daye of iudgement or in the ende of euery mans lyfe gyue accompt of thy stewardship shall the nobilite make no accompt at all Yf gentlemen may be ydle haue no worke nor office appointed them then shall they not nede to make any accompt of their stewardship But they shall gyue accompt of their stewardship therfore they haue some office and work appointed them by the kynge of heauen their Lorde and maister Saint Paule sayeth that we muste al out taking no man be opened before the iugement seat of Christ that euery man may receyue accordyng vnto those thynges that he hath done in hys bodye whether it be good or euel And Christ sayeth that in the daye of iudgement they that haue done good thynges shall go into euerlastynge lyfe they that haue done euel thinges shall go into euerlasting fyre Then they that are idle men and do no good shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen but God hath ordened heauen for gentlemen for he wolde that all men shulde be saued therfore they are ordened to do good vnto the common wealth and not to be ydle Some wytty gentleman perchaunce wyll saye we shall not be taken out of the nombre of ryght gentlemen for lack of labour and for idlenes labour we not whē we hunt and hauke is it not labour to daunce he that hunteth longe foloweth ernestly his game and he that daūseth longe laboreth I warrant you and sweateth wyth laboryng he that dyceth and cardeth laboreth earnestly wyth hys mynde thus do we Therfore we are not al together ydle Ye are in dede when ye do these thynges nether vtterly idle nor yet altogether wel occupied your maister which gaue you your lādes goodes wyl not alowe these youre vnthrifty pastymes for a ryght labor because he cōmaūded you neuer to occupye them therfore wyl he saye vnto you that bragge so muche of gentlenes nobilite do nothyng that belongeth therto but hunt hauk dyce carde who required these thinges of your hādes As ye haue not done vnto my congregacion so haue ye not done vnto me But ye haue don no good vnto it therfore ye haue done no good vnto me therfore haue I no place for you in my kyngdome Furthermore haukynge and huntynge dycynge cardyng sweryng of great othes wearyng of costly apparel and buyldyng of costly houses and trimmyng of them wyth costly hangynges are not the offices and laboures properly and seuerally belongyng vnto a noble or gentlemā For Lyons Beares and Wolues hunt for Calues Foules and suche lyke beastes Kytes and Kestrels hauke for chikens goslinges and butterflies As for dycyng and cardynge and abominable swearyng and fyne lutynge and daunsynge and making prety curtesye baudes and brothelles ruffianes and rybaldes pypers and players can do all these thynges as well and do them as ofte as any gentleman in England doth or can do They that thinke that costly apparel doeth make a gentle or noble man may be bothe merely mocked and strongly confuted by a tale whych was tolde me of an honeste man borne and brought vp in Scotlād The tale was of one Ihoan of Low the kynge of Scottes fool Thys symple mā stode in a place where as many lordes other gentlemen cam by but the sely fool nether greted nor put of his hood to any of al the lordes that came by The which thing a certein curtier of the kynges house seyng rebuked the fool sharply bet him a lytle and threatned him that he wolde whyp hym except he wolde grete the nexte lordes that he sawe Poore Iohn sayd that he wolde gladly grete the nexte lordes that he sawe yf the curtier wolde tell hym howe that he myght knowe a Lorde from an other man For he sayd that he knewe not a lorde from an other man Then quod the curtier thou shall knowe lordes by these tokens They weare veluet and haue golde vpon their cappes and about their neckes Well quoth the fool I shal lexe token them as well as I kan And vpon the nexte daye as soone as Iohn cam abrode he sawe a great sort of byshoppes other lordes mules standynge at the court gates trapped with veluet costly trimmed wyth golde wherfore he remembring his lesson that the curtier had taught hym strayght waye as soone as he sawe them he went vnto them and cryed a great whyle to euery one after an other gued daye my lorde gued daye my lorde euen vntyll the Curtier hys scolemaister came oute sawe hym making curtesy and gretynge the mules As soone as the foole sawe hys scoolmaister he said vnto him Am I not a good sun nowe Thou art mad quoth the curtier for these are mules no lordes Why quoth the fool but these weare veluet and gold on their heades The curtier bet the fool and bad
the .xix. Chapter of the fornamed boke wēt out vnto the people he sat not playeng at dice and cardes nor dalyeng wyth his maides at home in his chāber nether wente he out only to hūtynge or to se Bearbaytinges but he wente out vnto hys people from Barsabe vnto mount Ephraim and there he cōmaūded them not to pay vntollerable sūmes of money neither to returne vnto the lernynge that they their fathers were brought vp in from their tender yeres and as their fathers foūd taught exercised But he called them agayn vnto the Lorde God of their fathers And he ordeyned iuges of the lande in euery walled cytie thorow out al Iuda Thys good kynge this good noble and gentleman thought that it was hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to sende out preachers to preache the true worde of God and he dysdayned not to go abrode in visitacion hys owne selfe to call hys people agayne vnto the true God from the whyche they had departed and fallen awaye 2. par 29 and. 30 Ezechias the noble kynge whome the spirite of god so greatly cōmendeth rekened it to be one of the principal partes of his kynglye office to destroye all ydolatrye to purge the churche of God and to set for the wyth all diligence the true worde of God And yf thys good and vertuous gentlemā take it to be one of the principall partes of hys office to destroye false religion and to set forthe the ryght and true religion all that are ryghte gentle men and not ydoles and ymages of gentlemen wyll also reken it the principal parte of their office as far as their cōmission wyll serue them to destroye and to put downe ydolatrye and to set out to maynteyne the true religion of God and the ministers of the same All ye then that are ryght gentlemen hear what the holy scripture reporteth of thys noble gentleman Ezechias was .xxv. yeare olde when he entred into the kyngdome of Iuda he dyd it that was pleasaunt in the syght of God In the very fyrst yeare and first moneth of hys reygne he opened the dores of the Lordes house and he repayred them And he brought Leuites and sacrificers and he set them together in the Gast streate And he sayd vnto thē Heare me o Leuites and be you made holy make cleane the house of the Lorde God of youre fathers and take awaye al vnclennes out of the holy sanctuary He brake downe the hygh places burned the ymages and cut downe the groues and brake the brasen serpēt whych Moses made because the chyldren of Israel offered frankincense vnto it Ezechias also wrote epistles vnto al Israel and Iuda to Ephraim and Manasses that they shulde come vnto the house of the Lorde in Hierusalem and to kepe the solēne feast of the Passeouer there Certeyne spedy messengers were sent forthe into al Israel and Iuda wyth the kynges letters at the commaundement of the kynge and his nobilite proclamyng the contentes therof accordyng vnto the kynges cōmaūdement The summe of his letters was thys O ye chyldren of Israel returne vnto the Lorde God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel and he wyll returne vnto the remnauntes whych haue escaped out of the handes of the Assirians Be not ye lyke vnto youre fathers and brethren whyche ran awaye from the Lorde God of their fathers whyche therfore brought them vnto destruccion as ye se Gyue your handes vnto the Lorde and come vnto his sanctuary whych he hath hallowed for euer Serue the Lorde God of your fathers and the wrath of hys great indignacion shal be turned awaye from you c. Thus dyd the good kynge Ezechias thynke that it was the chief parte of his vocacion to destroye ydolatrye and to set forth the true religion The noble and vertuous gentleman kyng Iosias who as the holye worde of God beareth wytnesse dyd it that was ryghte in syght of the Lord and walked in the wayes of hys father Dauid and nether bowed to the ryght hande nor lefte hande toke it to be the moste principall parte of hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to set forthe and to promote the true religion and worde of God And therfore when as he was but a boye of xvi yeres of age As the .xxxiii. Chapter of the second boke of Paralipomenō wytnesseth began to seke the God of his father Dauid and in the twelft yeare of hys reygne that is when he was but twentye yeare olde for he began to reygne whē he was but .viii. yeare olde he clensed Iuda Hierusalem from the hygh places and groues from caste ymages and graued ymages And they destroyed before hym the aulters of Baal and they destroyed the ymages that was set aboue He cut also downe the grauen ymages and the groues and brake them in peces he scattered and strowed the peces vpon the graues of them that had wont to offer And burnt all the sacrificing preestes bones vpon the alters of the ydolles he made cleane Iuda and Hierusalem But also in the cyties of Manasses Ephraim Simeō vnto Nepthalim he destroyed al suche thynges And when he had broken downe the alters the groues and had broken the grauen ymages into peces and had pulled downe al the temples of false goddes in Israel he returned to Hierusalem And in the .xviii. yeare of his reigne when as he was but .xxvi. yeare olde when as the lande was clenged and the temple made clene he sent certayne of his seruauntes to repaire the house of the Lorde his God 2. par 34. And whyles they were aboute that busines Helkias the hyghe sacrificer or preest founde the boke of the lawe whyche was geuen by the hande of Moses in the house of the Lorde and he gaue it vnto Sapha the secretary and the secretary brought it vnto the Kinge and red it before them After that the kynge had hearde the wordes of the lawe he rent hys clothes and commaunded Helkia and diuers other sayeng go your wayes praye vnto the Lorde for me and for the remnant of Israel and Iuda for all the wordes of thys boke that is founde For the hyghe displeasure and angre of almyghtye God hath ben poured vpon vs for not kepynge all the wordes that are contayned in the boke that is founde Then what blynde madnes is it to cōmende gouerners and rulers whyche saye that God hath poured hys vengeaunce vpon vs because we haue not kepte vnwritten tradicions of man I muste nowe my lordes and maisters are you a question as it becommeth the Phisicion to do wyth his patientes and it is thys Yf it had not belōged vnto the kynge and had not bene hys office to se the worde of God set forth that al the people myght read it heare it What nedeth he to haue rent hys clothes what should he haue neded to desyre the hygh preest or sacrificer with other to praye for hym and to sende to a prophetise to
him learne better to ken a lorde or els he sayd he wolde whyp hym naked And as they were talkynge sodenlye came rydyng towarde them the sheryffe of Murra all in veluet hauynge a cappe all full of golden agglettes The fool stepped forth to mete him and as soone as he came nere vnto hym he sayd gued day my lord and ye be not a mule Some man wyll saye that the saynge or doynge of a foole is but of smale strēgth to ouer throwe the opinion of many wyttye yonge men whyche describe a lorde or a gentle man onely by costlye apparel To whome I answere Saepe etiam stultus fuit opportuna loquutus That is a fool oft tymes hath spokē thynges to good purpose or in season Dyd not Balaams Asse speake wysely at a certayne tyme Well yf any man be greued that hys opiniō shulde be confuted wyth the sayeng and doynge of a fool let hym chuse one of these two whether he wyll the is whether the fool in thys hys doynge dyd wysely or foolyshly Yf he answer that he played the wysemās parte in takynge and halsyng the mules for lordes then muste he also do so and call al brute beastes mules that are trapped wyth veluet trimmed wyth golde lordes gyue that name whych belōgeth vnto honorable men vnto brute mules Yf he played the ryght foole then is he a foole that taketh and greteth hym for a lorde whych not by learnynge and knowlege but onely by costlye apparel differeth from an other mā Well thus dyd the poore Scottishe foole were it not pytie that manye wyse Englyshe men as they are taken shulde take and gret mules for lordes gentlemē Is it not possible that one mule may at this day cary an other Master Latemer thought so when syr Martin mydas rode to heare master Myles preache sayd when the sermō was done that hys mule was as wel absolued as he And as for buyldyng of costlye houses and trimmynge of them wyth costly hangynges and fayre waynscot manye marchauntes vse to do those thynges better thē many gētlemen do and yet for all that are no gentlemē Therfore these thinges are nether proper offices nor workes of gentlemē nether the seueral tokens whereby a gentleman may be knowē frō an other cōmon mā Then seyng these are nother offices nor workes nor markes belōgyng properly vnto a gentleman I must seke out what is his proper office what tokens he hathe and ought to haue whereby he maye be knowen from the cōmon people The propre office and worke of a ryght noble man is to set forth and defende the true religion of almyghty God to defende the innocentes to ponishe the euel doers and to shewe iustice and iudgement vnto all men that are vnder hys gouerment That the settynge forthe of Goddes worde the mayntenance of the same the destroyeng of al false doctrines contrary vnto it belōgeth vnto a noble man both general commaundemētes and proper examples in the holy Bible do playnly beare wytnes Almyghtye God geueth these commaundementes folowyng vnto all hys people and namely vnto the nobilite and iuges which are the chefe workers of these cōmaundemētes and all suche lyke as pertayne vnto iugement and ponyshynge of horrible trespasses although the cōmons be bounde in executyng of them Deute 7. to ayde them and helpe them Ouerthrowe sayeth almyghtye God the aultares of the heathen breake in peces their ymages and cut downe their groues Deuteronomi vii It is also wrytten Deuterono Deute 18. xviii Yf there by any prophete made frowarde wyth arrogancye that wyll speake those thynges in my name whych I commaunded hym not to speake or wyll speake in the name of other goddes he shal be slayne Who shall se these lawes executed but the nobles and gentlemen Thē belongeth it vnto them to destroye all false and conterfet religion and to destroye all false teachers preachers and to mayntayne the true learnynge of almyghtye God and the preachers of the same We reade in the bokes of the Kynges and Paralipomenon that all the moste excellent and best kynges soone after that they began to reigne dyd mainteyne goddes true religion in puttyng downe of Groues chappels churches wherin false religiō was mayntayned and dyd set forth the true religion and maynteyned the preachers of the same We reade in the same bokes that some of the Kynges besyde that they destroyed ydoles and their tempels dyd also both reade the scripture in the Temple their owne selues and sent out many preachers to preache the true worde of God whiche had bene before their dayes in the tyme of their fathers hyd and vnknowen vnto the folke of God 3. Reg. 15. Asa as it is wrytten in the .xv. chapter of the thirde boke of the kynges whyche dyd it that was ryght in the syght of the Lorde as hys father Dauid dyd before hym toke awaye the effeminate out of the lande and scoured quyte away al the fylth of the ydolles which his fathers had made He remoued also his mother Maachan that she should not be the cheffe in the sacrifice of Priapus and in that place that she had hallowed He also ouerthrewe her denne and brake the moste fylthy ydole burnte it besyde the broke Cedron Thys dyd the good Kynge Asa and he dyd it that was ryghte in the syghte of god But though these thinges had ben good of them selues yet yf they had not perteyned vnto his office or had perteined vnto an other vocacion then to hys God wolde haue ponyshed hym for enteryng into an other mannes office as he ponyshed the Kynge Ozias wyth a perpetual Lepry for entryng into the office of the Sacrificers when he offered vp frankencense vpon the frākencense altare ◠par 26. But the scripture maketh no mention of any ponishment of God that came vpō Asa for puttyng downe of ydoles But it sayeth expresselye that Asa dyd it that was right in the syght of God Therfore it was hys office to put downe ydolles temples and to destroye ydolatrye And it that is said of Asa muste haue place also in other good Kynges whiche did such like thinges vnto these that Asa dyd Iosaphat as the .xvii. Chapter of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon beareth wytnes 2. par 17. was a ryght good man and the Lord was wyth hym Thys Iosaphat after that hys herte had taken boldnes for the wayes of the Lorde toke also out of Iuda the high places and the groues And in the thyrde yeare of hys reygne he sente out of hys princes and ruelers Benail Abdia zacharias Nathanael and Micheas to teache in the cyties of Iuda and wyth them Leuites Semia Nathonia and zabadia wyth other wyth them Belisima and Ioram sacrificers or preestes And they hauynge the boke of the lawe of the Lorde taught the people of Iuda and they wente about into euery cytie of Iuda and taught the people The same Iosaphat as it is written in
of late yeres the Translators and the Prynters of Christes testament and as the Byble is handled nowe in some churches in Englande and namely in westminster I marke also that Dauid in thys psalme wherof I haue made mēcion sayeth .viii. tymes that he was and wolde be in time to come exercised in the lawe of God Yf he were a true man and no lyar thoughe he had sayd it but ones we ought to beleue hym Yf we do beleue hym ye maye se that Dauid the good kynge whyche was so muche exercised in the scripture vnderstandeth the cōmaundement of reading and studyeng the scripture to perteyne to the kynges and gouerners them selues and to their owne persones and not onely vnto their seruauntes and clergye Kynge Salomon as well borne and as noble a man as any is thys daie in Europa and as wyse a man and as wel learned as any coūseller in Englande or els where and therfore knewe the meanyng of the cōmaundement of the scripture to be reade of princes thought not scorne to syt in iudgement in hys owne persone and because he knewe that it was hys office to gyue iudgement vnto his people and that he could not do that of fire well excepte he had great learning and knowlege whē as almightye God offered vnto hym to gyue hym frelye what so euer he dyd axe answered God after thys maner folowyng Thou haste shewed great mercy to Dauid my father and hast ordened me kynge in hys place Nowe Lorde God let thy worde be done which thou promysed vnto my father Dauid For thou haste made me a kynge ouer a great nombre of thy people whyche is as vntellable as the duste of the earth Gyue my wysedome and vnderstandyng that I may go in and out before thy people for what man is able to iudge worthely suche a great nombre as is of thys people God answered fayd vnto hym Because thys hathe more pleased thy herte and haste not axed ryches and substance and honour nether the lyues of them that hate the nether lōge lyfe Thou hast axed wysedome knowlege that thou maist iuge my people ouer the which I made the a kynge wysedome and knowlege ar geuē vnto the I wil gyue the ryches substance honour also Dauid this noble gentleans father in .119 psal desyreth God .xiiii. times to teache him his witnesses his cōmaundemēts but wherfore I pray you that God shulde teach him to saye the .x. cōmaundemēts or to read them onely in diuers tonges Nay for he could say them by herte wel enough But for thys ende sayd he so oft teache me thy cōmaundements that it myghe please God to gyue hym the true vnderstandynge of the scripture that he myght order hys lyfe accordynge vnto hys commaundementes Where vpon seynge that Dauid so wyse a man and so wel learned desyred almightye God so earnestlye and so ofte to teache hym the vnderstandynge of the scripture and exercised hym so muche in it it foloweth that as the true vnderstandynge of Goddes worde is necessary for a prince so it can not be had without prayer great payne labour and exercise Then when as God commaundeth Kynges and Iudges to be learned and learnynge can not be had with out great studye and laboure it appereth very playne that the chief labor that a noble gentlemā shulde be occupied in al the dayes of his life is the studye of scripture and suche other wrytyng as help to the vnderstandyng of the scripture and to the declaracion of the same Lucius the fyrst christian kynge of our lande who sent to Rome for Baptisers preachers and receaued the baptisme of Christ wyth all his after that he had receaued the christian fayth caused many bookes of latin to be translated into hys owne naturall tonge he also parted and bestowed the day and night after this maner he spent eyght houres in studye and in prayer .viii. houres in hearynge of causes and eyght houres in slepynge and in suche necessary thynges as were necessary for his bodye Picus the noble erle of Mirādula sayd a very notable sayeng whyche I wolde al erles noble men shuld marke and beare awaye and it is thys Learnyng is vnto a Yomā mā in the stede of syluer to a gentlemā in the stede of golde and to erles princes in the stede of precius stones Now my lordes and maisters whether is it more mete that we shall folowe the counsell and examples of al wyse philosophers and moste noble kynges that were vnder the lawe of nature and the commaundemēt of holy scripture and the example of all holy and noble kinges vnder the law of Moses and also the saynges and doynges of the best kynges that were vnder the lawe of the Gospel whych thought it necessary for kynges and noble men to be learned euen their owne selues or to folowe the counsel of a sorte of vnnaturall and vnlearned curtely crowes whiche saye that a kynge or a noble mā nede not to be learned but that it is sufficient for him yf that his chauncelers or chaplaines other officers belōging to him be learned for him As farre as I can perceyue ye that are noble men and gentlemen and nowe speciallye ye that are of the Quenes coūsell and are lordes of the parlament had neuer more nede of learnyng then ye nowe at thys present tyme haue For the religion whiche hath ben brought in agayne of late by the myght of goddes worde and hath bene receyued thorowout al thys realme sauyng of a fewe obstinate Papistes hath bē brought to thys perfection that it is now at not onely wyth great labour ieopardye but wyth the deathes of many an honeste and learned man is nowe taken for heresye and false doctrine And yet there is no smale nōbre of them that wyll aduenture bothe lyfe goodes that it is the true religion that was exercised in kyng Edwardes dayes and that it whyche begynneth nowe thorowe out Englande to take place agayne and was alowed in the tyme of the late kynges kynge Henry the .vii. the viii war ryght Papistrye and false learnynge of men onely able to be defended by longe tyme the falsly pretended auctoritie of Christes Churche whych wyl brynge in and set forth none other doctrine then suche as her husbande Christ hathe cōmaūded alowed Thys cōtencion is about no smale matter it is aboute goddes seruice and about the true doctrine religion and worshippyng of God The saluacion and dānacion of many a thousand hangs vpon these matters therfore seyng that God hath made you gouerners vnder the Quene iudges in these matters ye had nede to loke wel vpon the worde of God that ye gyue not sentence against goddes truthe to the destruccion of your owne soules and many thousandes mo The one parte bryngeth forth scripture and the wrytten worde of God and the other parte bryngeth forth lōge customes fathers and the authorite of the Romyshe churche whyche hathe erred
of the kynge of Englande do then that he hath done wyth the great consente of hys people and the iudgement of hys church that is that he deuorsed from vnlawfull baÌ„des or couenauntes shulde enioye lawfull mariage and that he obeyeng the coÌ„maundement of God as it was mete shulde forsake her whom nether lawe nor right would suffer him to holde stil In whych mater when as the sentence of Goddes worde had ben sufficient whych al men are bound to obey yet the moste sacred kynges maiestie disdeyned not to put vnto it the voyces of the moste auncient graue men and the iudgement and censures of the moste famus vniuersities of all the worlde Thus farre hath maister Gardiner spoken the cooke whose cookery ye wyl not suspect because he hath bene alwayes so honest and true But let vs se what maner of seruice he serueth sendeth vnto all the worlde howe honestlye he thynketh of our souerayne lady Quene Mary Quene Katherin her mother Fyrst he sayeth that the mariyng of the brothers wyfe is an vnnatural horyshe incestuus mariage and he iudgeth the matrimony betwene the Quenes father mother to be suche therfore he sayeth the kinge dyd wel in breakyng the vnlawfull bandes of matrimony whylse he put hys vnlawfull wyfe awaye Ye maye se my lordes and maisters that thys maÌ„ calleth and iudgeth Quene Katherin to be none of kynge Henries lawfull wyfe whych sayeng conteyneth in it that Kynge Henry the eyght was an incestuus horemaister that Quene Katherin was an hore and that Mary theyr doughter nowe Quene is a bastarde For who so euer lyeth wyth a womaÌ„ that is not his lawful wife is an hore maister and she that hath carnall copulacion wyth a man that is not her right husband is an hore the childe that is begotten borne of these .ii. is a bastarde I pray you my lordes yf ye dare axe this cooke whether he wyl abide by this cokery or no. Yf he wil not abyde by it theÌ„ may wyueles cokes soÌ„tymes send poisoÌ„ to their lordes or ladies tables as wel as maried cokes Yf he wil recaÌ„t deny this his sayeng say tonge the lyest theÌ„ ye muste not suffer hym to haue thys new found glorius name of Constantius ConstaÌ„tius which he gaue him self in his boke of the sacrameÌ„t IactaÌ„tius but let hiÌ„ be called iactantius for that agreeth with this his coÌ„dicion better then constantius doth But yf he wyll stande to hys olde sayeng and defende that hys meate had no poyson in it and that the mariage was vnlawfull betwene the Quenes father and mother I maruel why that maister Ridley of late byshop of LondoÌ„ and dyuers other are ponyshed as traytors for the same wordes and that thys man shal be taken for the Quenes hygh frende Gardiner was loÌ„ge at Rome in labourynge as I herde saye to obteyne of the Pope a lycence of dyuorce for the kynge and it is lyke that he purchased in the meane tyme a pardon of the Pope that he myght saye what he lyste for hys lyfe tyme vnponyshed whyche pardone belyke some men that thynke that the Popes lycence is styll in full power strength seyng the same pardone suffer hym to enioye his pardone at hys pleasure and gyueth him leaue to do and saye what he lyste Yf he sayd nothyng but the truthe in sayeng that the mariage betwene the Quenes father mother was vnlawfull yet there are other wordes of hys owne that wyl condeÌ„ne him to be a perillous cooke and a poysonyng cooke In the very fyrst leaf of hys boke of hys obedience he coÌ„fesseth that he wyth many other graue and learned meÌ„ by a folyshe and an olde superstition for a season wythstode the truthe Yf he wythstode the truthe for a season for the same tyme he helde with falshod for to wythstande the truthe is to holde wyth falshode he that holdeth for a season wyth falshode and teacheth and preacheth the same he serueth in the same tyme out poyson for holsome meate and therfore is more to be suspecte in hys spiritual cookery theÌ„ the bodely cooke is to be suspect in hys cookery whyche at no tyme was coÌ„uicted ether by word or dede to haue done any other thynge then became a christian maÌ„ to do In the same place he graunted playnlye that he departed from the truthe that he was a ielous folower an earnest defender of the law and the letter and that he dydde neuer any thyng more vnwillyngly theÌ„ to go awaye from those opinions that he once had taken what so euer they were He sayeth also that he was not lyke vnto Paule whych wheÌ„ as he was ouerthrowen was so obedient to the voice of God that he said Lorde what wylt thou haue me do Yf a man thynke that these senteÌ„ces be not in hys boke I wyll reherce hys owne wordes in Latin as he wrote them Neque vero dubito quin in haÌ„c eandem aut certe aut multo dissimilem cogitationem mecum multi ijque docti graues ac boni viri inciderint quibê° inepta quadam inueterata superstitione impeditis veritatique aliquamdiu reluctantibus eadem hec cogitatio omnes dubitationis scrupulos prorsus ademit lucemque vere veritatis diuina operante gratia attulit atque adduxit Equidem autem vt de meipso ingenue confitear cum legis litterae vt ita dicam aemulator ac propugnator essem acerimus nec quicquam illibentius vnquam aut inuitius facerem quam vt a receptis qualiacuÌ„que essent discederetur quo quidem longius mens in eare iudicium a veritate recessit hoc certe vehementius atque acrrius quiddam in veritate agnoscenda passus videbar non aliter sane atque oculi tenebrarum caligine hebete iam facti ad subitum irradiantis luminis splendorem solent obstupescere Mihi naÌ„que illud haud datum fuit quod diuo Paulo constat accidisse qui simulatque a deo prostratus ceciderit vocem obedientiae protinus emisit dicens domine quid vis me facere Hoc enim electo illi vasi vberior Dei gratia contulerat vt vocem corripientis Dei ab errore reuocantis confestim agnoscens totum se Deo coÌ„mitteret regendum ei in omni veritate statim obediret ac pareret in omnibus c. Nowe maye ye se by hys owne wordes that he was an enemye vnto the truthe he that was ones an enemye vnto the truthe may nowe also be an enemye vnto the same againe and whether he be a frende at thys tyme or a foe vnto the truth howe can they iudge that ether waÌ„t al iugement or yf they could iudge wyll not take the payne I beseche you my lordes for the loue that ye beare to God and the coÌ„mon welth axe hym in what opinions he went from the truthe whether it were in defendyng holy water holy bread in the inuocacioÌ„ of
saintes in purgatory in the iustificacion of workes in the nombre of the Sacramentes in the ceremonies of the Church or in defendyng of the real presence of Christes body in the Sacrament or in what other articles he erred in Because he dyd not tel in what pointes he erred in it may chaunce that he is fallē into the same errores againe as we se certaine of hys secte which had forsworne in the two last kynges dayes diuers errores and had subscribed to the cōtrary and nowe afreshe are fallen into the same errores agayne Yf that master Gardiner alowe his doctrine styl of kyng Henries mariage let hym set forth the same doctrine in Englyshe at large because the cōmō people may learne some holsome doctrine of it euen as he or at the leste some of his haue handeled maister Barlowe which wrote a noughtye and a false lyeng boke compelled by feare to do so But yf he wyll not set out hys booke in Englyshe both because he knoweth in hys conscience that it is a false boke and an heretical boke and therfore wyll not knowlege it now to be his boke because he was compelled by feare to wryte against the open truthe he or at the leste some of hys popyshe prentises is very vncharitable vniust vnto maister Barlowe whych hādeleth hym otherwyse then he wolde or wyll be handeled hym selfe Yf that men wemen that are so maryed vnto certein men that they wyl not examin theyr doctrine but take it to be the veri truthe what so euer they saye wold stande to the iudgement of the holy scripture I shulde easely condemne them for theyr so doynge and proue that they dyd playne contrary vnto the mynde of the holy ghost But because they care not for scripture I wyll let them alone and talke a lytle with you my lordes and masters that are indifferent men and haue not sworen to holde wyth the wordes of any one scole maister Saint Iohn in the .iiii. chapter sayeth 1. Io. 4. Ne cui vis spiritui credatis sed probate spiritus an ex Deosint Beleue not euery spirite but trye the spirites whether they be of God or no but they beleue all spirits that holde wyth the messe purgatory holy water holy bread inuocation of saintes and such lyke ordinaunces of man and trye not whether they be of God or no and yf they wolde trye the spretes shuld they not trye them wyth the worde of God Haue they knowlege in the worde of God they confesse they haue none at all but they saye that it is enoughe for them to trye all doctrine wyth theyr fathers fayth and other of theyr olde ancetores with the authorite of the catholyke churche What yf some of theyr forfathers or els of theyr mothers wythin these fewe hundreth yeares were heathen men or heathē wemē shall it be mete for them to iudge all doctrines by theyr fathers fayth Whych of theyr fathers or mothers was not a Papist Shall men iudge ryghtly matters of religion by the fayth of papistes What yf theyr fathers haue erred shall we be compelled to folowe theyr fathers errors that were great pytie What yf some of theyr fathers bylded Abbayes to fynde a sorte of ydle monkes in and founded chantre prestes to synge for soules in purgatory What yf some of theyr fathers put downe abbayes and chantres howe shall they iudge here who dyd better and whome they and we ought to folowe Yf some of theyr fathers helde thys opinion that it was lawfull to put awaye theyr lawfull wyues to cleue to hores as some of them can not denye but that theyr fathers haue both so beleued and also so done Was thys a good beleue I thynke that they theyr selues will saye that the beleue was nought Shall it be then mete to examine al doctrines wyth theyr fathers fayth and theyr ancetores beleue Yf any of the ydle and vnscripture learned traditioners for so muste we call them because we maye call no man now a Papist do holde that it is not requyred that a Kynge or a Quene or any ruler shulde be well learned in the scripture because all matters and controuersies of religion oughte to be tryed by the authoritie of the catholyke churche meanynge therby the common consent of almoste al the byshoppes prelates and vniuersities in all the west parte of Europa and the determinacions of generall counselles I answere yf we shulde folowe the iugement of thys catholyke church then shulde we boldly pronoūce that the mariage betwene kyng Henry the eyght and his fyrst wife Quene Katherine was not lawfull For the moste principall parte of the catholyke churche of our tyme as it is taken that is the moste parte most notable vniuersities of thys part of the world and the moste part of learned men and all the Byshoppes of the churche of Englande sauynge one condemned the mariage betwene kynge Henry the eyght and lady Katherine thys Quenes mother I haue enowe to beare me wytnes that it is true that I saye Cuthbert Steuen Sāpson besyde Cuthbert nowe byshop of Durram Steuen byshop of Wynchester Samson nowe byshop of Couentre But yf these forsayd Vniuersities and byshoppes of Englande had ben corrupted for money as scolares are poore and sometyme graunt it that ought not to be graūted for mony namely suche where as that Pope beareth rule and these .iii. fornamed byshoppes as some other lawyers do as they be had sold theyr tonges and handwrytynges for mony and promotion and for theyr princes fauour Yet the olde Canones and generall counselles are not so to be suspected of corrupcion as paraduenture some of these forsaid byshoppes be heare therfore what the olde Canones and counselles iudge of thys matter Thys that I wyll allege is wrytten in the seconde parte of the decrees the .xxvii. cause seconde questiō Cap. Si quis disponsauerit sibi aliquam praeueniente mortis articulo eam cognoscere non potuerit frater eius non potest eam ducere in vxorem That is yf any man be handfaste or betrouthed vnto a woman and he beynge preuēted wyth death could not haue carnall copulaciō wyth her hys brother maye not mary her Gregory the bysshop of Rome also speaketh thus of thys matter in the same place as he is alleged Nulli christiano licet de sua consanguinitate vel quā cognatu suus habuit in matrimonium assumere It is not lawfull for any christen man to mary any of hys owne kyn or her that hys kynsman hath had The same Gregory sayeth also these wordes in the same place Si quir vxorem desponsauerit c. Yf any mā betrouthe or be handfast vnto a wyfe or gyue earnest vnto her and he beyng taken awaye by death before so can not mary her none of thys mānes kyn may take her afterwardes to wyfe Iulianus also byshoppe of Rome as he is alleged in the same place hath the same sentence and
the better there by but fylled wyth il moysture whiche ingendreth a new thyrst so is it also in the spirituall water syknes the golde and the syluer the landes the houses the fermes the shepe the bullockes oft tymes do nether the couetous men them selues any good at length nether theyr chylder for whome they are so gredy and so carefull For some dice awaye theyr shepe some lawe awaye their bullockes some banket awaye theyr benefices and fermes some pisse all that they get agaynst the walles some waite theyr euel gotten goodes vpō hores and harlotes And thoughe they kepe theyr goodes stil for them selues and theyr chylder for a while as some do thē vnthrifty sonne wil as vnthryftelye spende hys fathers euell gotten goodes as hys father got them vnlawfully or vncharitably dyd holde them from the poore people whyche ought to haue parte of them Nature philosophye and holy scripture and the cōmon and dayly experiēce do teache vs that the goodes of the couetous men for the moste parte nether profyt the couetus mā him selfe nor make his childrē ryche in suche ryches at the least that wyl endure For the cōmon sayeng is that the thirde heyre shal neuer enioye goodes or landes euell gotten A couetus gentleman is lyke a gredy gliede A gliede otherwyse called a pottock or a kyte hath the forme and fashion of an hauke and a farre of loketh very lyke an hauke whyche is a noble byrde but yf ye come nere hande hym ye shall knowe hym by hys whinning and lamentable pewynge as thoughe he coulde neuer get enoughe ye shall also se hym do other thynges then a ryghte hauke dothe whyche for the moste part fedeth vpō his owne praye that he hath gotten hym self The kyte resteth but lytle and is almoste alwayes flyeng and euer he loketh downewarde to the earth after one praye or other In the tyme that he byldeth hys neste he caryeth al that he can catche and snatche vnto it ragges cloutes napkins kerches boyes cappes and sometyme purses as I haue herde saye And all the hole yeare thorowe there is no pray the cōmeth amysse vnto him he eateth vpō al kynde of carion he thinketh no shame to eat wormes he cleketh away goslynges ducklinges chickins al kindes of yōge birdes that can not flye or otherwyse prouide for thē selues He is so bold sōe tyme in Englād I neuer saw it so nether in Italy nether in any part of Germany where as I haue bē that he dare take butter bread out of boys hādes in that stretes of townes cities villages He is more vnshamefaced thē euer ani begging frere was For he wil without any axyng or beggyng take away trypes and puddynges frō wyues whylse they are in washynge of them And thys doth he moste eranestly and vnshamefastly when as he hathe yonge But what profyt cōmeth vnto hym and all hys for hys manyfolde robbery and rauin very lytle For he abydeth styl a foule kyte hys yonge ones as I haue sene it my selfe ar always slaueryng it out that the father hath stollē and robbed for thē Marke here howe that nature teacheth vs howe that it whych is gotten wyth rauin and robbery is as soone spent and wasted of the chyldren as the couertus fathers haue gotten it Dauid in the .36 psalme speaketh thus of the couetus men and of theyr heires and chyldren The armes of the synners shal be broken Psal 36 but the Lord strengtheneth the ryghtuous The Lorde knoweth the dayes of the vndefyled and theyr he ritage shal be for euer But the enemyes of the Lorde anone after that they be set in honour and be alofte they shall fade as smoke vanyshe awaye The vnryghteous shal be ponyshed and the sēde of the wycked men shall peryshe Salomō also in the .xx. Pro. 20 chapter of hys prouerbes wytnesseth that suche heritage as is gotten hastely and with couetousnes shal not endure The heritage sayeth Salomon whereto is great haste made in the begynnyng shall not prosper at the length Ecclesiasticus wrytyng both of the right godly gentle and of the vngodly and false gentlemen sayeth these wordes Ecc. 44 Ecclesiastici 44. Al these haue gotten glory in the generations of theyr kynred and in theyr dayes they were praysed They that were borne of them haue lefte a name to tell the prayses of them And there are some whose memory are quyte worne out They haue perished as thoughe they had neuer bene and they are borne as not borne and so are theyr children with them But the other men are of mercy who haue not wanted god lynes and a good heritage continueth the sede of theyr chylders chyldren hath stande in the testament and theyr chyldren for theyr sake abyde for euer Theyr sede and theyr glory shal neuer decaye Eccle. 5. Ecclesiastes in the .v. chap. hath a sayeng not vnlyke vnto thys The couetous man sayeth he shall neuer be fylled with mony he that loueth ryches shall not take any profyt of them Besydes all these authorities we learne by experience dayly that cōmonlye the greatest grediest gatherers are not alwayes the rychest at the length that theyr chyldren for the whych they vse suche catchyng and snatchyng ether are taken out of the worlde or els become fooles or vnthryftes so that the euel gotten vncharitably holden ryches prosper not in the chylder of the watersyck Ye remember what gentlemē sick in the dropsy haue of late yeres ben taken away from al their gredely vncharitably purchased landes ye can name some chylder which haue loste by theyr fathers death all that they prepared for them Ye knowe also one watersyck gentleman yf ye wyl gyue me leaue to cal such a carle a getlemā whych had dronkē vp almoste an hole contre that his children myghte haue drinke enoughe who is now chyldles hath not thē for whom he had so gredely scraped and scratched so muche ryches together Whether dranke kinge Henry the seuenth or kynge Hēry the .viii. more I thynke that there is none of you all but that ye wyll saye that kynge Henry the eyght dranke .xx. tunnes more then hys father dyd For he dranke vp all the monkries freries and nunries in Englande he dranke vp the tenthe parte of all spirituall mennes lyuynges in all the hole realme Yea and al the profytes and fyrste fruytes of all benefyces that fell in hys tyme for the fyrste yeare after that he fell in to the greate dropsye that is sence the makynge of the deuelyshe and abhominable acte of fyrste fruites and tenthes Yf one man had sene bothe the kynges cut vp after theyr deathes as it is not vnlyke but doctour Chambers dyd perchaunce he shulde haue sene as muche blood in kynge Henry the seuentes harte as in kinge Henry the eyghtes and perchaunce more But I let that passe and wyll talke of it that is better knowen Whether of these two dyed the rycher the greater
praesenti seculo ne sitis elato animo neque spem ponite in diuitijs incertis sed in Deo viuente qui praebet nobis omnia affatim ad fruendum Benefacite vt diuites sitis bonis operibus Estote faciles ad impertiendum libenter communicantes recondentes vobis ipsis fundamentum bonum in posterum Psa 39. vt apprehendatis vitam eternam Spera in Domino fac bonitatem inhabita terram pasceris in diuitijs eius Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitionem tuam Nouit Dominus dies immaculatorum hereditas eorum in aeternum erit Inimici vero Domini mox vt honorificati sunt exaltati deficientes quemadmodum fumus deficient Iunior fui Psa 36. senui non vidi iustum derelictum nec semen eius querens panem Psa 118 Iniusti puni entur semen impiorum peribit Inclina cor meum in testimonia tua non in auaritiam I haue wrytten thys in latin for theyr sake that had leuer read their confortatiue and diet in latin then in Englyshe But yf I shoulde leue thys latine not turned into English I wolde be aferde that some vnlearned persones shulde abuse thys my wrytyng as the Popyshe sacrificeyng prestes and the coÌ„mon popyshe sorte of the vnlearned people abuse the physicke of Christ written in latin For when as Christ had made many noble medecines against dyuers diseases and the Apostles and Euangelistes had written the same in Greke and learned men hadde turned them out of Greke into latin some of the coÌ„mon people beleuyng that Christes medicines was very good desyred the prestes to reade vnto them Christes preparatiues purgations confortatiues and diet to their comforte and for the same cause they came euery sondaye vnto the churche But the Popyshe prestes rede ouer the sicke ê‘sons heades Christes aboue named medicines iÌ„ latin as though the bare redynge of the phisicians byll in a straunge tonge shulde helpe the syck men when as they vnderstande neuer one worde thereof And the same prestes nether taught the people howe they sholde vse theyr preparatiue nether theyr purgation nor confortatiue nether dyd they declare what diet the people shulde holde but read the diet other medicines in a strauÌ„ge tonge I wyll therfore make my hole counsell and my other medicines in Englyshe for them that vnderstande no latin and yet I counself them that are sycke in thys disease when as I couÌ„sell them that they daylye reade thys confortatiue and preseruatiue that they loke for no helpe of the only readynge of them but that they shoulde do those thynges that are wrytten not onely heare them or se them or saye them but also order theyr lyfe according vnto the coÌ„fortatiue the foreappointed diet The sonne of maÌ„ came to seke out and to saue that which was lost I came not to call the ryghteous but synners vnto repentaunce Repente you for the kyngdome of heauen is at hande Come vnto me all ye that labour and are ladeÌ„ and I shal refreshe you So God loued the worlde that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne that all whych beleue in hym sholde not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge I wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he conuert and lyue The preseruatiue Thou shalt not desire thy brothers wyfe nor hys house nor hys lande nor hys seruauÌ„t nor hys mayde nor hys oxe nor his asse nor any thynge that is hys Be ye not carefull what ye shal eate nor what ye shal drynke or wherwyth ye shal be clothed Fyrst seke the kyngdome of God and the righteousnes therof al these thinges shal be gyuen you The Lorde shall not suffer the soule of the ryghteous to be greued wyth honger The yonge Lyons are greues wyth penurye and honger but they that searche out the Lorde shall lake nothyng that is good When thou shalte be made a kynge thou shalte not purchace vnto thee many horses thou shalte not haue many wyues nether exceadynge greate weyght of golde and syluer A ryghteous kynge setteth vp the laÌ„de but a couetus man destroyeth it Extreme pouerty nor great ryches gyue not vnto me giue me necessary thinges for my lyuyng leste paraduenture I beyng fylled shal be intysed vnto the deniyng of thee and saye who is the Lorde or I beynge compelled wyth pouerty shulde stele forswere the name of my Lorde God i. timo vi 1. tim 6 Seperate thy selfe from those whyche thynke gaynes to be godlynes for godlynes is great vauÌ„tage when a man is content in hys owne mynde for we brought nothyng into the world nether we can cary any thynge out therof but hauyng sufficient fode and clothynge let vs be content therwyth for those that wyll be ryche entre into many temtacions and snares and wycked desyres folyshe and hurtfull whyche drowne men cast them into death daunger and destruction For couetousnes is the roote of all euell You that are riche in this present world be not of an hyghe mynde 1. tim 6 and put not your hope in vncerteine riches but in the lyuyng God whych shall gyue you all thynges plenteously to inioye them Do you well that ye maye be ryche in good workes Be you easy to distribute gladly giuing parte layeng vp for your selues a good foundacion agaynst the tyme to come that ye maye take holde of euerlastyng lyfe Psal 37. Psal 37 Trust in the Lorde and do good and dwel vpon the earth and thou shalt be fed in the ryches of it Delyte or trust in the Lorde and he shall gyue the thy desyre The Lorde knoweth the dayes of the vndefyled and theyr inheritaunce shal be euerlastyng But the enemyes of the Lorde streyght way as they be honored and set vp they fadynge awaye do vanyshe as the smoke I was yonge and am olde and I haue not sene the ryghteous forsaken nor theyr sede beggynge their breade The vngodlye shal be ponyshed and the sede of the wicked shall peryshe Moue my harte vnto thy wytnesses and not vnto couetousnes So farre the preseruatiue After that they be ones perfytly healed they muste not onely vse thys foresayd dyet but they muste also exercise them selues leste they by to muche reste fall into theyr sycknes agayne For thys diet that I haue prescribed after Goddes phisik wyl not helpe except they be exercised in some good workes for the spirite of God sayeth Psal 33. declina a malo fac bonum flie euel do good But your chiefe exercyse shall stande in goynge walkynge and runnyng Exercise ye muste rune wyth Dauid Psal 118 which sayd viam manda torum tuorum cucurri I haue runne the waye of thy coÌ„maundementes ye muste also walke as Dauid sayeth in lege Domini in the lawe of the Lord and ye muste go as the same prophet sayd a virtute in virtutem from one vertue to another Althoughe there be many vertues wherein a
the newe testamēt Because euen in Christes tyme ambition and desyre of superioritie had crepte into the very hartes of hys apostles and he knewe that after hys tyme that the successores of hys apostles shulde also be earnestly pricked of the deuell therto he gaue an expressed cōmaundemēt that hys apostles shuld nether be lordes nor shulde leaue the ploughe loke bakwarde to the worlde to worldly besynes in these wordes Vos scitis quod principes gentium dominentur eis Luce. 22. vos autem non sic ye knowe the princes of the heathen people be lordes ouer them and they that are great exercyse power ouer them but ye shal not be so And Peter to put hys maysters cōmaundemēt in mynde 1. Pet. 5. sayeth vnto the Apostles and preachers thus Ye shall not exercyse lordshippe ouer the parysshes or as some textes haue agaynst the paryshes Now these falslye named Bysshoppes for so do I call them because they loke not vnto theyr flockes leaue theyr owne office of preachynge and ministryng of the sacramentes and of sitting in iugement to se them excommunicate that are open trespassers vndone become embassadoures for where is there any embassache but a Bysshop muste be one therof most commonlye president of Wales and of Yorke Iustices of peace and some full lordly syt at Sices and cessions amonge temporall iuges leauyng their owne courtes to some syngle syr Iohn or to some blynde bryber Other are commed as I heare saye nowe to be counsellers euen in temporall maters in great nōbre and one is nowe clom vp so hyghe that besyde that he is a knyght of the garter and a great lorde is also the hyghe chancelor of Englande and president of the counsel and is aboue all the lordes both temporal and spirituall of the hole counsell and so lordlye behaueth hym selfe that wythout the knowlege of the reste of the counsell he sendeth forth commissiones as he dyd of late to Welles by doctor edgeworthe and offereth pardon alone Edgeworth latimer as he dyd to maister Latimer as thoughe he were ether kynge of Englande or elles had the quene and al the counsels hedes vnder his gyrdle Ether there are gentlemen in Englande enowe to be embassadores presydentes of Wales and Yorke Iustices of peace Counsellers Chauncellers of Englande and Presidentes of the hole Counsell or there are not Yf there be not enow it is excedynge shame for you and for youre hole order that amonge so many as ye be haue not a fewe learned and wyse men amongest you whyche are able to do youre dueties belongynge vnto youre dignitie but ye muste contrary to the wyll of God and to the shame of the hole lande desyre byshoppes to do your duties and offices to serue in temporall maters for you Yf ye haue enowe wyse and learned gentlemen to do and execute all these aboue named offices then is it shame for you to be so lither as when ye are able to do your offices your owne selues ether desyre or suffer the byshoppes and clergye to do your offices for you whereby they take vnto them selues the honour and dignitie dewe vnto the nobilite spoyle you vtterlye of youre name same and renowne whyche your fathers in tymes past haue wyth great labour ieopardye yea sometyme wyth the losse of theyr lyues won for you I Beware that ye spin not at home whylse other go a warfare abrode lest that chaūce vnto you that chaūced vnto Sardanapalus We red both in Iosephus de bello Iudaico and also in aegisippo that the gentlemen of the Iewes were so lither and vnlustye to do theyr offices belongyng vnto them that the hyghe prestes toke theyr offices in hande and at laste became bothe prestes and kynges and had al the noiblitie vnder theyr girdelles as these hyghe prestes of your tyme wyll handell you yf ye pluk them not bak betyme The byshop of Rome after the comming of Christ by to much sufferīg of the nobilite at the begīning hath so lyke an iuy nay rather lyke a cāker crept vpon the nobilite that he hath clom ouer al knightes lordes erles dukes kynges emperores and hath brought them in such subieccion and slauery that he maketh the beste of them al kysse hys fete The byshoppes that ye haue in Englande nowe are not onely of the same false opiniōs in religion that the Pope is and was of but of the same false proud lordly and ambitius order that the pope is of eiusde Coruipulli and burdes of the same rauen For as the Pope contrary vnto the ordinaunce of Christe whiche was Luce. 22. 1. Pet. 5. that no one apostle shulde be hed of the reste of hys felowes hath inhaunsed and set hym selfe aboue al other elders and byshoppes Euē so haue the byshoppes of Englande after the same maner lyfted vp them selues aboue al the elders of thys realme whyche by the worde of God haue as muche authorite as they haue or ought to haue For the worde of God in the newe testamēt nether sheweth nor maketh any difference betwene an elder whych is in latin presbyter and a byshop whyche is called in latin episcopos But your bishoppes wyll haue none to be called episcopos but them selues and other mē wyll they haue onely to be called presbyteros Yf ye sawe them nowe howe slauely and bondly they handle the reste of the clergye in theyr conuocacion house ye wolde saye that they were the Popes ryghte shapen sonnes For where as there sytteth but seuen or eyght lyn in wering byshoppes at the table in the conuocacion house yf there be .lx. pastores and elders that are wolwerers as longe as they shall tarye in the byshoppes conuocacion house so longe muste they stāde there before their lordes thoughe it be .ii. or .iii. houres yea that be the wether neuer so colde or the men neuer so olde or sikely bare heded Is thys pryde to be suffered Nowe maye you se howe they wold handel you yf they coulde get the hygher hande ouer you whyche surelye is lyke to come to passe yf you loke not to your selues betyme Thys is tryed to be true in all ages that where so euer the ydle order of the vnpreachyng prelates cā get power to theyr desyre they cast vnder them and brynge vnder theyr subiection all the nobles and al the hole layte Besyde the Pope the father of thys proude order other haue subdued the layte and broughte them into shameful subiection The sacrificyng prestes of the cathedrall church of Mense in Germany wan the citie from the seculare magistrates and brought all the hole cytie in to theyr subieccion as it dureth yet styll vnto thys daye The byshop of Mense the byshop of Wormes and the byshop of Colen came boldly vnto Henryche the .iiii. Emperor of that name and toke hys crowne of hys heade in a castell a lytle frome Mense and clerely deposed hym because as the byshoppes sayd he had made
Abbattes and Byshoppes by simony but the story telleth that thys was the cause He wolde not alowe the Popes doyng and therfore was thryse acursed of the Pope and therfore the chylder coulde not suffer hym to reygne whome theyr father hated The byshop canones and prebendaries of Colon vpon a tyme assayed to brynge all the hole cytie in to theyr bondage For in the yeare of our Lorde .1074 as the hystorye sayeth Episcopus aliquod sibi vsurpauit in vrbe dominum ciuium abutens officio The byshop toke vnto hym vnlawfullye certayne gouerment or lordshippe in the cytie and wrōgfully occupied the office of the cytizenes at whyche tyme it chaunced that a certayne cytizen had a ship whyche the byshop wolde haue taken awaye by force but he wythstode the byshop and gathered the cytie on hys syde The bisshop perceyuyng that the citizenes wolde ryse agaynst hym made a longe sermone vnto the citizens wherein he threatned goddes curse vnto all those that toke parte wyth the forsayd cytizen The citizens beyng sore greued wyth hys vndiscre◠sermone at nyght after folowynge altogether rose vp against the bysshop and burst into the bisshoppes pallace slue diuers there but the bishop fled to Nuice wher as he gathered a great hood and set sodenly vpon the cytie and suffered his soudiers to spoile the cytie and as many as they coulde get they ether cut of theyr heades or put out theyr eyes and so he brought the cytie into hys bondage But afterward the Coleners delyuered them selues from that bōdage And in the yeare of our Lorde .1260 the byshop went about ones agayne to bryng the cytie into bōdage but the cytizes marked him wel and disapointed hym At length for all that two canones had the borow maister to dyner and when he came the canones bad hym go into a fayre chamber Merke the canones of Colones banket wherin was a hongrye Lyon and as sone as he was in they clapte to the dore and let the lyon do wyth the borow maister what he coulde But the borow maister put hys left hande into the lyons throte and wyth the other hande toke out hys dagger and killed the lyon and wythin few dayes after he hanged harde by the cathedral churche the two canones But after that rose suche stryfe amonge them and the byshop that it coulde not be ended vntyll the cytezens wan theyr lyberte wyth the swerde The byshop of Luke in the yeare of oure Lorde .1460 was so desyrus of lordship ouer the cytie that when he coulde not win the cytie hym selfe he procured Charles duke of Burgondye to besege the cytie and when the cytezens sawe that they were not able to make theyr partye good they fell to intreat for peace but the byshop wolde not hear them therfore suffered hys cosin Charles to kyll .xl. thousande men and to drowne .xii. thousande women in the floud Mosa called the Mase Thys practise hath bene so common amonge the vnpreaching prelates of Germany that the Germaynes made thys ryme of theyr ambition and cruelnes The ryme of the germanes against the ambitiō of the clergie Monike nunnē vnd papen Segen rotten vnd apen Vliegē rupen vnd muse horen keuer vnd luse Dardi crygen di ouerhandt vorderuense stede vnd landt That is Mōkes nonnes and papes gotes rattes apes flies caterpillers and myse hores weueles and lyse where they get the ouerhand they destroy both cytie and lande But what nede I ferche exāples farre of out of strāge cuntres when as we haue so many at home reade the practise of prelates and there shal ye fynd what ambitius myndes they beare and how gladly they wold raygne ouer you Call to your remembraunce Thomas Wolsey the Cardinall and bysshop of York and hys handelyng of the nobilite in hys tyme. Loke nowe vpon youre lorde of Winchester your lorde Chaunceler youre lorde President of the counsel is not he a chykkē of the same cok Let al noble me take hede of this lordly pape betyme leste some of them whych can not abyde his vnbearable pryde haue suche a rewarde at hys handes as the duke of bockinggam had at hys father wolfes Wolsei hys hāde The remedy against these lepres biles scabbes scalles lumpes pokkes and cancres whych disbeuty dysgrace the face of the hole nobilite at thys tyme is to dryue these ydle ambitius byshoppes home to theyr bysshoprykes to cause them to preach Goddes worde there truely and to studye your owne selues nyght and daye to get learnyng and vntyl you may be lerned your selues to make good and honest ciuilianes and scripture learned cōmon lawyers and other learned me and no prestes in the meane tyme to be knyghtes and lordes coūsellers Iustices of peace chauncelers and presidentes of the marches and to take your owne of fices vpō you and do them your selues And after that ye be learned your selues ye maye not wythstandynge take as many as ye shal nede vnto you of these forsayd lawyers and learned men But holde in no wyse the bysshoppes from theyr pulpittes leste the vengeaunce of God fall both vpon you and them Vpon you for holdyng of them from doyng of theyr dutye vppon them for not doyng of theyr dutie Yf ye dryue these forsayd falsly named lordes and gentlemen out of your order company and wyll do your offices and duties in your owne persones as almyghtye God wolde haue you to do then shall ye haue iuste honour in thys worlde and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlastyng ¶ The prayer of the prophete Daniel conteyned in the .ix. chaptre of hys boke very necessary for thys troublesome tyme. VVe beseche the o Lorde thou great and fearfull god Baruch 1. that kepest couenāt and mercye wyth them whych loue thee kepe thy commaundementes We haue synned we haue offended We haue bene disobedient gone back yea we haue departed from all thy preceptes and iudgementes We wolde neuer folowe thy seruauntes the prophetes that spake in thy name to our kynges princes to oure fathers and to all the people of the lande Thrano 1. O Lorde ryghteousnes belongeth vnto thee vnto vs pertayneth nothynge but open shame as it is come to passe thys daye vnto euery mā of Iuda and to them that dwel at Hierusalem Yea vnto al Israel whether they be farre or nye thorow out all lādes wherin thou strowed them because of the offences that they had done against thee Yea O Lorde vnto vs to our kynges princes Psal 106 to oure fathers euen vnto vs al that haue offended thee belongeth open shame But vnto thee O Lorde our God perteyneth mercy forgyuenes As for vs we are gone backe from hym haue not obeyed the voyce of the lorde oure God to walke in hys lawes whych he layd before vs 2. Pet. 1. Zacha. 6. by hys seruaūtes the prophetes yea all Israel haue trāsgressed and gone backe from thy lawe so that they haue not herkened vnto thy voyce Deute 27 Leui. 26. Baruch 2 Wherfore the curse othe that is written in the lawe of Moises the seruaūt of God against whom we haue offended is powred vpon vs. And he hath perfourmed hys wordes whych he spake against vs agaynst our Iudges that iudged vs to brynge vpon vs suche a great plage as neuer was vnder heauen lyke as it is nowe come to passe in Hierusalem Yea all thys plage as it is wrytten in the lawe of Moises is come vppon vs yet made we not our prayer before the Lorde our God that we myght turne agayne from our wyckednes to be learned in the veritie Therfore hath the Lorde made haist to bring thys plage vpon vs for the Lorde our God is ryghteous in al his workes whyche he dothe for why Haruch 2 Exo. 12.13.14 we wolde not herken vnto hys voyce And nowe o Lorde our God thou that wyth a myghtye hande haiste brought thy people out of Egypte to get thy selfe a name whyche remayneth thys daye we haue synned o Lorde done wyckedly againste all thy ryghteousnes yet let thy wrathfull displeasure be turned awaye I beseche thee from thy cytie of Hierusalem thy holy hyll And why for oure synnes sake and for the wyckednes of our fathers is Hierusalem and thy people abhorred of al them that are aboute vs. Now therfore o our God hear the prayer of thy seruaunt and hys intercessiō O let thy face shyne ouer thy sanctuary that lyeth waste for the Lordes sake O my God inclyne thyne eare and herken at the leest for thyne owne sake Opē thyne eyes behold howe we be desolated Yea and the cytie also whyche is called after thy name for we do not cast our praiers before the in our owne righteousnes no but onelye in thy great mercies O Lorde heare O forgyue Lorde O Lorde cōsyder tary not ouer longe but for thyne owne sake do it O my God for thy cytie and thy people is called after thy name Amen God sende vs peace and quietnes in Christ and destroy the workes of Antechriste All good people saye AMEN ¶ Imprented at Rome by the vaticane churche by Marcus Antonius Constantius Otherwyse called thraso miles gloriosus