hanged for their labours or else wander vp and downe and begge and then also are cast into prison as vagrant persons seeing no man will set them a worke when as they doe most willingly offer their seruices For now there is nothing to be done about husbandrie wherein they haue beene brought vp all their liues when as there is nothing sowen For now one Sheepeheard and one Neat-heard is sufficient to looke to that ground with cattell to the tillage whereof that it might beare corne many mens hands and labours were required And by this meanes it commeth to passe that in many places Corne waxeth very deare We may note here first how that Sir Thomas More being a Papist yet touched this sinne euen in Abbots and that in the darkenes of Poperie and shall not we condemne it in the light of the Gospell Secondly he affirmes that it makes beggers and that it makes théeues and causeth a dearth of corne in our land nay it pulleth downe Townes If in his daies it wrought these mischiefes when as it began but to set in foote into this Common-wealth what hath it done since which hath growne to the very heart thereof nay what will it doe in the ende if it procéede as it hath begun if some stay and remedie be not had It will no doubt begger and quite decay the Common-wealth of England How many farmes now stand emptie since Inclosers began or onely with some seruants in them which dare giue nothing not knowing their maisters pleasure so hospitalitie is quite thereby decayed How many poore men lacke worke as threshers and poore women as spinners and doe complaine for lacke of their accustomed workes and how many poore mens children are inforced to begge or else liue idely which heretofore where tillage was maintained were taken into seruice to driue the plough or to keepe cattell thereby in time grew to be good members in the Common-wealth which Inclosers néed not The seauenth reason This Inclosure with depopulation is a sin whereof God shall make speciall inquirie at the day of iudgement IT is written in the booke of Genesis that the earth was full of crueltie and that that was the principall cause of the drowning thereof and it is to be feared that this shall be the cause of the burning thereof as appeareth in the 25. of Math. verse 42. 43. The Prophet Dauid thus manifestly prophesieth of Christs comming to iudgement The Lord shall arise and haue mercie vpon Syon for the áppointed time is come for all thy seruants haue great pleasure in her stones and it pitieth them to see her in the dust And all nations shall feare thy name O Lord and all the kingdomes of the earth thy glorie for the Lord doth builde Syon and he will be seene in his glorie He hath had respect vnto the prayer of Hangareger as it is in the Hebrew that is of the poore afflicted and he hath not despised their supplication This shall be written Ledhor acharon for the last generation of the world And the people created shall praise the Lord. Here we may marke first that this Psalm prophesies of our daies and that this lesson concernes vs. The time is now come for God to arise to iudgement and to haue mercie vpon Syon And then is it not written for vs that liue in the ende of the world Oh that we would marke it The lesson is this that all Gods seruants rather delight in the stones of Syon that is in the Lords shéepe and faithfull seruants more than in their flockes of sheepe or in their braue walles and high Towres and it pitieth them to see these stones troden vnder foote and lye in the dust and to be made no account off And that in the Sun-shine of the Gospell when all nations shall feare the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth his glory by the preaching of his word But God doth build Syon and will be seene in his glorie There be some as should seeme that haue pulled downe Syon and Gods Church and these his stones But God himselfe will build it vp againe saith the Prophet and will be seene in his glory Let all depopulators of townes themselues build vp the Lords Syon and farmes againe least if that they suffer God to build them when as he comes in his glorie that his building be too costly for them and cost them not some hundreth pounds of money which now perchance they are loth to disburse but the damnation of their soules For God hath a regard vnto the prayer Hangaregar that is of the poore afflicted that is trampled vnder foote and made no account of but is as a broome as that word signifieth and hath not despised their supplications The iust men should florish in Gods house like to Palme trees and we haue made them like broome euen béesomes to swéepe and make cleane our houses And doe we thinke that God will not reuenge this Who sées not such broomes almost in euery place that is many good farmes pulled downe and lye in the dust to swéepe and beutifie and build a new braue and stately house Let all such as make the Lords Palmes their broome béesomes to swepe their houses with all take héede at the day of iudgement God shall search out diligently for all such and without spéedy repentance and planting his palmes againe shall cast them into hell This is written for the last generation as Arias Montanus translates it and doth it not concerne vs And a people Nicrah created shall praise the Lord. This word Nicrah also that is a people created doth most manifestly portray out vnto vs our daies The Church of God was not seene was as no body was in the wildernes and now God hath as it were created it againe and brought it into light and this people shall praise the Lord. Nay to confound Popery all Gods people are created againe to good works there is no naturall faculties remaining in them to doe good as the Papists teach The people created shall praise the Lord. God ceased his creation of natural things the seauenth day as we reade in Genesis And therefore the Prophet Dauid no doubt meanes another spirituall creation and the regeneration of our Soules And to this place for all Scripture hath a most pleasant and sweete harmonie in it selfe if any one doe marke it doth Saint Paul allude when as he saith we are created in Iesus Christ to good works And Esay also prophesieth in the ende of the world of such couetous worldlings The earth also saith he playeth the hypocrite because of the inhabitants thereof for they haue transgressed the lawes they haue changed the ordinances and customes and they haue broken the euerlasting couenant here is plainely set downe why the earth doth not now of late yéelde her accustomed increase Because the inhabitantes thereof haue changed the ordinances of their Ancestors and
the Assirians against the Jewes First that coÌ„mandement in the first verse of this second chapter seemeth very euidently to proue where the Prophet saith Blow vp the trumpet in Syon Syon is taken vsually for Christs church as we reade Esa 2. v. 3. Ps 87. 2. And the trumpet signifies the preaching of the Gospel as appeareth by those seneÌ„ Angels which did blow their trumpets from Jesus Christs ascension to his comming to iudgement No doubt as Syon is not heere to be ment literally so neither the trumpets But that which Ioel here saith Blow vp the trumpet in Syon for the day of the Lord is at hand is all one with that which our Sauiour saith in the Gospell The Gospell shall be preached and then shall the ende come Nay Saint Peter in the Acts applieth some part of Ioels prophesie to Christs first comming as the sending downe of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles some part thereof to the day of iudgement when as the Sunne shall be darkned and the Moone turned to blood And shall we say that this prophesie concernes not vs Nay we in our fasts apply the turning to the Lord with fasting wéeping vnto our daies which is as as it were the medicine And shall we not apply the sinne and sore which Ioel there toucheth and that garden of Eden also to our daies Nay Saint Paul telleth vs plainely that all things chanced to the Iewes typically and are written for our learning on whom the ends of the world are come And will any man say then that this prophesie of Ioel concernes vs not Shall we not learne something thereby And also the same reason may be alleaged concerning the 13. Chap. of Esay which hereafter I also alleage And here let all the Lords watchmen giue these Inclosers and gardiners warning before while it is called to day least they repent to late with Diues in hell So their blood shall be vpon their owne heads for surely Gods word is truth And as the land shall be most assuredly a garden before the face of the Lord at that day so there shall be some gardiners The Gospell also condemnes this Inclosure Our Sauiour prophesieth that in the ende of the world the charitie of many shall waxe colde which argueth a precedent heate And may not these Inclosers fulfill this prophesie who haue some charitie in them but not the charitie of their ancestors But he that continues to the ende in the faith of the Gospell working through feruent and Christian charitie such charitie as Christ himselfe shewed towards vs and also commanded he shall be saued saith our Sauiour and none else Therefore let Inclosers take héede which haue not this charitie Saint Paul also prophesieth thus of the latter times that in the last daies shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is dogged times for as Gellius notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is referred to the most keene and fierce nature of dogges And he willeth Timothie to know this as a thing most certaine And doth not this touch Inclosers who catch and snatch all they can from their brethren for their owne lucre sake But although this had béene enough to haue declared them vnto vs yet that which followes paints them vnto vs liuely for many shall be saith Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is louers of themselues and louers of money By what two marks could he haue expressed Inclosers more manifestly these two loues raignes in them but the loue of their brethren is quite banished out of their harts Nay these Inclosers are as it followes also in the Apostle disobedient to their parents in not obeying after their deaths their charitable customes which they commaunded and in their liues obserued So did not the Rechabites The Apostle Saint Peter of the day of iudgement writeth thus The end of all things is at hand be yee therefore sober and pray not on the day time only but euen with our blessed Sauiour in the night but aboue all things haue feruent loue among you for Christian charitie as an effect of faith shall couer a multitude of sinnes For the faithful and mercifull mens sinnes are couered and not mentioned as appeareth in the Gospel But to goe on with our Apostle Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same as good Stewards of the manyfold graces of God Why should Saint Peter here make mention of Stewards but that as sh 〈…〉 séeme he did foresée in the spirit that some at the ende of the world should forget themselues to be stewards and deale here with the earth and earthly things as though they were chiefe Lords of them whereas Saint Peter telleth them heere pâ—aâ—ely that they are but péere Stewards And Dauid himselfe though a king acknowledged the same That the earth is the Lords and all that therein is Nay Cyrus that great Persian Monark confesseth that the Lord God of heauen hath giuen him all the kingdomes of the earth as to a frée-holder or Steward Let all Landlords learne this lesson and remember it wel against the the day of Judgement and deale like stewards and not like Lords with Gods people God no doubt shall make enquirie at that day how they haue dealt with them But to conclude that of this sinne of depopulation of townes shall be especiall inquirie made at the day of iudgement The Prophet Esay speaking of that day writes thus Behold the day of the Lord commeth cruell with wrath and fierce anger to lay the earth waste And he shall destroy her sinners out of her What should the Prophet meane by those Chatteah her sinners but these Inclosers who are too much in loue with the earth Nay saith God I will cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease Gaauath Ngaritsim the pride of these terrible men that no man durst speake against or speake vnto And I will make a man saith God more precious than fine gold euen a man aboue the wedge of the gold of Ophir There shall be some at that day of iudgement as appeareth by this place that shall make no account of men which shal depopulate townes God telleth all such that he will make a man euen one man whereas they haue thought it a light matter to depopulate townes and to roote out many men more pretious than a wedge of gold And what is all their wooll-money to a wedge of gold One man is more worth than a wedge of gold much more then than all their wooll-money God himselfe hath spoken it Wherefore if Inclosers and depopulators of townes meane to be saued at the day of iudgement let them willingly cast open their closes againe and reedifie the farmes they haue decayed It makes no matter for the charge of hedging which they shall loose that they haue beene at And let them banish their shéepe out of their
To the Kings most excellent Maiestie THE HVMBLE PETITION OF TWO SISTERS THE CHVRCH AND Common-wealth For the restoring of their ancient Commons and liberties which late Inclosure with depopulation vncharitably hath taken away Containing seuen reasons as euidences for the same PROV 14. 28. In the multitude of the people is the honour of a King and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince LONDINI Impensis GEORGII BISHOP 1604. TENEZ LE VRAY Exlibris Bibliothecoe Domesticoe RICHARDI TOWNELEY de Tonmeley In Agro Lancastrensi Armigeri Anno Aetatis 73 Domin 〈…〉 702 TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES BY the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. THat saying of Queene Hester to the most famous King Ahashuerosh most dread Soueraigne doth as it were enforce me to make this my humble Petition to your Highnesse If we were sold to bee bondslaues or handmaides saith shee I would haue held my tongue although the aduersary could neuer recompence the King this losse But let my life be giuen me at my request and my peoples There is a mightie Thorne sprung vp of late in diuers places of this Realme like to that cruell Haman which doeth not onely goe about to impouerish your Maiesties Subiects but quite to roote them out I meane Inclosure of Fields and Commons whereas the Lords of Manours and Freeholders will haue all their landes which haue heeretofore lien open and in Common so that the poore might enter Common with them now laid together in seuerall And hereby the poore cannot enioy their ancient Commons and liberties And this cankred Thorne also deuoureth Gods people which is his inheritance as the Psalme teacheth vs Aske ofme saith God I will giue thee the people for thine inheritance c. and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Inclosers to maintaine their owne inheritances doe make no conscience to impaire this inheritance Where God hath beene praised with many mouthes there now shreeking Owles and other vncleane birds make their nestes It dishonoreth also your Maiesty and weakeneth your Highnesse power For in the multitude of people is the honour of a King saith Salomon and for want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince But this Inclosure where it commeth dispeoples Townes as common experience lamentably teacheth And whereas your Maiestie might haue had great choice of Souldiers and able men for seruice in warre if neede required now there is almost none to be had but a Sheepheard and his dogge This Inclosure also hurteth the commonwealth For where no oxen are there the cribbe is emptie saith Salomon but much increase commeth by the strength of the oxe But inclosure decareth Tellage and turneth good arable land to Pasture These Inclosers thinke that the gaine of their Pastures eaten with sheepe commeth more easily to them than being tilled and therefore they will neither plowe nor sowe themselues nor let their land to such as would till it and so by this meanes they bring a dearth upon this Land which is one of Gods plagues Yea the Cities and Townes Corporate are maintained by the Countrey For the plowe maintaines all trades as Mercers Grocers Tanners shooemakers Glouers Smiths Taylors Ioyners Carpenters c. But since Inclosure began all these Artificers prooue by experience that they cannot haue such vtterance and returne for their wares as heretofore because that husbandmen were wont to maintaine many seruants which did yeerely buy their wares of them which multitude of seruants inclosure needes not Oh Inclosure then to be hated of all Gods children which deuoureth their fathers inheritance and to be detested of all your Maiesties faithfull subiects which dishonoureth your Highnes by diminishing the people of your land and procureth your Maiesties destruction as saith Salomon and to be abhorred of all true harted English men which bringeth afamine one of Gods plagues vpon this our Common wealth Nay which goeth about to impouerish our Grand mothers and most famous Cities I knowe Inclosers can vrge many plausible reasons for themselues but their reasons are humane and not grounded on the word of God These dangerous and desperate effects so apparantly spreading both into the hart of Gods Church and of the Common-wealth inforceth me humbly to present this my Petition to your most sacred Maiestie with these reasons against Inclosure Least by holding my peace and suffering the Lords inheritance to be impaired I should be condemned at that day as an vniust Steward and seeing your Maiesties power to be diminished and not giuing warning I should be reputed a faithlesse subiect to your Highnesse and perceiuing the Common wealth hereby to be damnified and halfe beggered I should be esteemed an vnnaturall childe to this my most louing mother I am also incouraged with confidence of your Gracious acceptance of this my humble suite with that Mashall your Maiesties godly and golden saying to your Princely sonne that hee should bee the poore mans King The cure of this canker and the rooting out of this thorne will make glad your poore subiects hearts For as we reade Salomons subiects were as many in number as the sand of the Sea eating drinking and making merrie And at this marke shoulde Christian Kings aime that their subiects should doe the like But inclosure diminisheth the number of Gods people killeth their hearts and abridgeth both their mirth and maintenance And your Maiestie being a second Salomon in this our Israel I most humblie craue your gracious and tender care heereof in your sacred session and high court of Parliament for that all your afflicted subiects are ready to crie with the Prophet It is high time for thee Lord to lay to thine hand for they haue destroied thy law which is christian charitie The Lord Iesus blesse your Maiestie with a long and prosperous raigne to the glorie of his name encrease of his Church and benefit of this Common-wealth for his glorious names sake Amen Your Maiesties most humble subiect FRANCIS TRIGGE To the Reader GOod Christian Reader if any thing in this Treatise seeme to thee ouer bitter or sharpe I humbly beseech thee to consider with thy selfe that that purgation which Galen the prince of Physitions commonly vsed was called Hiera-picra that is holy-bitter And such also are Iesus Christs medicines which he applieth to our sicke soules and that this is a canker that I goe about to cure therfore as Chirurgerie teacheth lenitiues will doe no good but rather increase the venome thereof Nay I beseech thee consider that I deale with the root of all euill couetousnesse and with that noisome pestilence that raigneth now in our age as it did in the daies of Ieremie and therefore I had need of a sharpe hatchet to cut vp that root and of some forcible Mithridate to preserue frō that plague of whose effects and infection and cure Ieremy writes thus I will
giue their wiues to others and their fields to heires for euery one of them euen from the least to the greatest is giuen to couetousnesse and from the Prophet to the Priest euery one dealeth falsly Here first are the effects of this noisome plague of couetousnesse that their wiues were giuen to others and their fields to heires Here is also the infection or cause of these effects because they are all giuen to couetousnes they all deale falsely It is reported that we haue tasted those former fruits effects for there died of the late plague many moe men than women and is it not likely that the same effects sprong from the same roote and if this be true then let vs all beware of couetousnesse and falsehoode in our dealing But the true cure of this plague which followes in the Prophet is taught vs by the contrary For they haue cured the hurt of the daughters of my people saith the Prophet with sweete words saying peace peace when as there was no peace Gods Ministers must cure this plague not with oyle but with sharpe wine they must not here speake faire if they meane to doe any good but thunder And therefore those nice eares that cannot abide their thunder shall die of this plague and perish in their sinnes Lastly if through humaine frailtie any faults haue escaped as who is it that erres not remember that lesson which nature teacheth That of all liuing creatures man doth most often twinckle with his eyes to teach him not to be a rigorous censurer of his brethren Ponder wisely iudge charitable pardon curteously and if thou be sicke of this disease repent speedily For God shakes his rodde ouer thy head euen now and the day of the Lord draweth nigh Thine in the Lord F. T. A BRIEFE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE 1 IT decaieth Tillage 2 It dispeopleth Townes 3 It is against the Common-wealth of the Iewes 4 It is against the state of Christs Church 5 It is against Christian charitie 6 It is against the Church and Common-wealth and auncient liberties and customes of England 7 Inclosure with depopulation is a sinne whereof God shall make especiall inquiry at the day of Iudgement AN HVMBLE PETITION OF THE Church and common wealth with reasons out of Gods word against late inclosure and Depopulation of Townes A preoccupation of an obiection WHereas this present treatise tendeth to the staying and decaying of Inclosure it is to be obserued and noted most dread Soueraigne that héere first I speake against late Inclosure not condemning the Inclosure of Essex Hartfordshire Deuonshire and such like Woodland Countries wherein the beginning if the Woods had not béen inclosed they could not haue béene preserued and so as it may séeme the Inclosures there of necessitie haue euer since beene continued for there euerie Lordship is charitably diuided amoÌ„gst the Tenants and tillage also in most of their Closes is maintained Townes nothing dâ—speopled although those Woodland and inclosed countries bee not so populous as other countries are But I condemne our couetous new deuised â—â—closurs which coÌ„uert champian and fruitfull soiles being good arrable ground to pasture casting halfe a cornefield to a sheepes pasture And so thereby diminish Gods people and depopulate townes Secondly I ioine depopulation of towns and this new kind of Inclosure together because the one of them doth follow the other commonly euen as necessarilie as the shadow doth the body for although in some places where this Inclosure is put in practise as our Inclosers can cunningly affirme that all the houses remaine that haue been yet there be not so many people in them as hath beene because that tillage by meanes of their Inclosure is decaied which required many moe seruants to accomplish it then their pastures will doe to looke to them And thirdly whereas Inclosers distinguish and say that it is not Inclosure but the couetous minds of men that pulleth downe townes To this I answere that Inclosure is the meanes to pull them downe and depopulations follow Inclosure as an accident inseparable as the Logicians call it For marke it who list where this Inclosure hath set in foot they shall sée houses fallen downe and lie in the dust and shall I not héere rather beléeue mine eyes than their faire spéeches The first reason against this Inclosure is it decaies tillage THe Heathen euer made great account of Tillage Cicero writeth thus of Husbandrie That of all things whereby any gaine is gotten there is nothing more excellent than Tillage nothing more commodious nothing more pleasant and nothing more fit for a Gentleman O that our Gentlemen were of his mind The noble men of Rome take the names of corne as Fabij of Beanes and Cicerones of a kinde of Pease and Pisones of Baking They which were married had a garland of corne carried before them Amongst the Romanes also him whom they called Bonum Colonum A good plowman they seemed to praise exceedingly Nay he that did not till his land well the Censors punished him Such Censors were to bée wished amongst vs to make vs till our land It was also by law enacted amongst them that hee that came to take an amercement or penaltie should not take an oxe before a sheepe Nay that a man stealing by night corne that was sowen should be put to death with greater seueritie then an homicide They cal Glory Adoriam of Ador which signifies corne Plinie also writes thus of the fruitfulnesse of the earth What was the cause that the earth was so fruitfull then because saith he that then the earth was tilled with the hands of Emperors And it is not amisse to thinke that the earth did reioice then of her coulter and share being crowned and of her Plowman being a triumphant Emperor They were then as carefull of plowing their lands as of waging their warres And they did as diligently order their fields as their camps The like cause may bée assigned of the barrennesse of the earth in our daies God plagues our contempt of tillage with penurie and scarcitie Gentlemen now a daies thinke scorne of the Plough Tillage was the first worke that was imposed vpon man after that he was banished out of Paradise And God sent man out of the garden of Eden Langabath to serue to waite vpon to till the earth And shall the best of vs all then thinke scorne of tillage Also this was that gracious promise made vnto Noah after the flood That heereafter seede time and haruest cold and heat sommer and winter day and night shall not cease so long as the earth remaineth But if all men should follow Inclosers steps why then in all townes we should haue no tillage or very little but all shéepe Is not this to contradict the ordinance of God But tillage is troublesome vnto them and the other is a more gaineful and easie way as they doe imagine and therefore they
their owne commodities and therefore it is against charitie It was the voyce of Cain and not of Sheth nor of Gods Church am I my brothers keeper And euen at this day they are of Cains petegrée and not of Gods familie that haue no care of the wealth and welfare of their brethren This Inclosure is also against the loue which Jesus Christ commaunded and shewed towards vs Yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ saith Saint Paul that he being rich for your sakes became poore that you through his pouertie might be made rich And I giue you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my counsell and mine aduise herein This is also that law of our Sauiour Christ which he so straitely commaunds all his To loue one another as he hath loued them and that with a repetition This is Saint Pauls aduise for our brethrens sakes euen to become poore to doe them good But Inclosers doe not thus they séeke their owne wealth and riches therefore they contradict both our Sauiours law and Saint Pauls aduise The most comfortable words of our blessed Sauiour euen the first and most ioyfull message that he sent to his Apostles after his resurrection were these Goe to my brethren and say vnto them I ascend vnto my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God Oh ioyfull newes Shall we not beleeue this And if we doe shall we not account indéede all Christians now our brethren euen our most néere and déere brethren which brotherhoode our Sa-Sauiour Jesus so dearely bought euen by his most precious death and shall we not deale with them as with our brethren But Dauid in the person of our Sauiour Christ complaines that he is become a stranger to his brethren and an aliant to his mothers children And is not Jesus Christ in his members amongst vs in this state euen now and may he not séeme to make the same complaint Whosoeuer lets a farme or sels any thing to his brother doth he not deale with him as with a stranger doth he not make him pay for it to the vttermost Nay sometimes more then it is worth A Turke might haue it as cheape at our hands as a Christian And may not Jesus Christ then iustly say that he is become a stranger to his brethren surely as great a stranger in his members to Christians as he was in his owne person to the Jewes For as they gaue him vineger and gall to drinke so many now giue to their brethren and especially Inclosers giue this drinke to their poore tenants And here we may note that excellent propertie of true charitie that she is alwaies hard to her selfe that she may be bountifull to others So was the widow of Sareptah that she might féede Elias and so was that widow in the Gospell which our Sauiour so highly commends That she might giue some thing into the Treasurie of God she gaue all her liuing and punished her selfe So was that Samaritan and that stranger amongst the Jewes whose example all that will be accounted neighbours our Sauiour commaunds to follow to that wounded man He set him on his owne beast he went a foote himselfe and tooke paines that he might ride So were all the Church of Macedonia as Saint Paul sheweth in their extreame pouertie rich in liberalitie to the poore They pinched themselues that they might be liberall to them Doe Inclosers follow these examples doe they pinch themselues that they may doe their brethren good Shall not all these examples of Jewes widowes strangers and Macedonians mooue them They doe quite contrarie and they thinke that they may doe it lawfully that is they may seeke their owne commoditie howsoeuer that their brethren fare surely this is not charitie All Gods creatures may seeme to teach vs this lesson as Virgils verses auouch The sheepe beareth not his fleece nor the oxe his yoake for himselfe nor the Bées hord vp their honey but all for our vse Nay those exceilent creatures the Sunne the Moone and stars how continually doe they runne their courses for our commoditie And shall not we take paines and pinch our selues to doe our brethren good And will not Inclosers learne this lesson being taught it by so many schoole-masters I am verely perswaded that God hath sent of late vnseasonable weather especially in the hay-haruest to teach Inclosers what an acre of their inclosed pasture ground which they doe make so great a reckoning of is worth For the hay-haruest which yeeldes meate for their sheepe hath beene lately vnseasonable and wet but the corne haruests which yéeldes meate for his sheepe the poore the Lord hath blessed Or else no doubt if the corne haruest had bin as wet as the hay haruest was there would haue béen a great dearth of corne to the vndooing of the poore But our most louing God to declare the loue that he beares to his owne shéepe the small care in comparison that he hath of their shéepe hath as it were plagued the hay-haruest of their sheep and blessed the corne-haruest of his own sheepe for nothing chanceth in vaine And therefore whereas Inclosers doe vrge the goodnesse of the ground and the benefit of Inclosure and that an acre of their inclosed medow and pasture is worth thus much they must consider y t vnles God send seasonable weather it may prooue almost worth nothing they must learne to let God haue a chief part of their rents reserued to him Vnlesse he keepe for vs the appointed weekes of the haruest as Ieremic teacheth what is all our land and labour taken about it worth No doubt our ancestors had consideration hereof in letting their lands which were so easily rented that the tenant might haue the rent what weather soeuer God sent and this was Christian charitie But this charitie is now vanished out of the world The Incloser will haue his great rent hée will not abate one penie what weather soeuer come One writes that the poore husâ—andman is more cruelly dealt withall than the asâ—e whom his master if that the weather or the way proue not conuenient and good will ease of his burden But Husbandmen come faire come foule weather are nothing pitied they must beare still their accustomed burdens be they neuer so great This practise of Christian charitie was vsed in the Primitiue church And the multitude of them which beleeued saith S. Luke were of one heart and of one soule neither any of them said or accompted that that which he possessed was his own but they had all things common Common like Christians not like Anabaptists common in vse not in propertie For Ananias possession was his owne to haue either kept or sold it as Peter told him So was also all other mens possessions and goods but no man accompted it as his owne Lodouicus Viues a very learned man thus describes Christian charitie To loue saith hée is the
common Souldiers But contrariwise the Frenchmen because they will not haue their common people giue themselues ouermuch to warlike affaires lest they should forsake and contemne their handicrafts and occupations and so by being souldiers waxe proude to which thing the Frenchmen are very much inclined put all their strength of their warres in horsemen which for the most part consists of Noble men The common Souldier heretofore hath béen for warres the glory of England as this author affirmes by him England hath won so many great victories and obtained such great glory and fame and shall he now be despised Nay shall he in some places be rooted out What is this else but to put out Samsons eyes the strength and glory of our land and to cut off his haire To doe this is not to be true Israelites but vncircumcised Philistimes What will our riches do vs good if we lacke men to kéepe them As the body cannot consist without legges armes so neither the Common-wealth without Husbandmen Labourers Souldiers Surely they which will not maintaine these armes and legs which must fight and runne for them are euill members of this Common-wealth If the legges of our bodies be weake how will we complaine or if our armes be out of ioint what speed will we make to haue them put into the ioint again and shall we not nourish bountifully these legges shall we suffer these armes to be out of ioint And here as Gods word may séeme to be the most strong ligament so in some sort these Commons may seeme to bee the sinewes of the Common-wealth For as our armes are ioyned to our bodies by sinewes and ligaments so no doubt these armes were tied in the beginning to the Common-wealth by their Commons bestowed vpon them For benefits are the strongest bonds to binde men withall as the Heathen haue taught Secondly it may seeme they were ordained for common workes For so haue Churches béen repaired and bridges built and high waies made maintained They would lay a péece of their Common to be so wen or for meadow and with the profit thereof being solde performe any common worke and by that meanes such like workes cost the poore of the Towne very little And hereof as appeares nowe comes the ridges and furrowes in ancient Commons which proueth that for such purposes they haue béene sowne And the like good would come to the Common-wealth if that they were vsed so still Whereas now in many places where these Commons are takē away by Inclosure euery penie comes out of the poore mans purse and hauing no common stocke hardly any common worke can be brought to passe as in times past hath beene Lastly a part of these Commons were the Kings high waies which name plainely argues that Kings were the authors of thē as of all other Commons And those which are leading from one Market towne to another ought to be two hundred foote broade as appeareth by a Statute of Winchester 13. made in 1. Ed. 5. which were large and safe that your Maiestie might passe the countrey in progresse with your traine and your Subiects trauell without danger But now Inclosers haue so pinched them in by their ditches and hedges allowing but 24. for the way that your Maiestie cannot passe in their waies and lanes vnlesse they throwe open their hedges againe for that time as experience lately hath prooued Neither can your poore Subiects trauel with their weake beasts without danger the waies being thereby made straite and narrow and therefore deepe and dangerous neither without danger of their liues both by forestalling of théeues and also by opening the dangerous gates The poore Cottager had his Common allowed him also as should séeme for his paines taken in mending of these high waies which now Inclosers haue quite spoyled by pinching them in but the burthen doth remaine on poore mens backs still and they are forced to doe their common daies as before and yet their Common is taken from them But Lords of Mannours and Frée-holders who haue their Commons and should also worke their common daies and for euery plow-land they holde either in Tillage or Pasture should find one Cart or draught to leade stones and rubbish towards the repairing of high waies doe now of late in many places where Tillage is conuerted to Pasture where heretofore there hath beene thirtie draughts or Carts in a towne which did performe their common daies skant finde tenne and he that hath decayed fower or fiue draughts skant sends one to kéepe his common daies And hereof it comes that high waies in many places are not so well maintained as heretofore they haue béene Nay if these Commons had béene appointed by the Lords of Mannors then as mens natures in all ages haue béene diuers so these Commons would also in some places haue béene better and in other some worse but in all places according to the proportion of the towne they are very liberall and bountiful declaring themselues to be beames comming from the same Sunne I meane from the rich liberalitie of the Kings maiestie There was a tenure in England called Bassa tenura now called Copie hold and these had their fréedomes according to the custome of the Mannor There was another tenure called Tenure of villenage and these had neither libertie of Commons nor of their very bodies and seede And this may bee an euident argument that Kings gaue these Commons for those which had offended his Maiestie most greeuously he made them villens and depriued them of the auncient liberties which all his other people enioyed So that as this villenage was by the King inflicted vpon some So no doubt the former liberties and priuileges also were by Kings giuen and bestowed But Inclosers now for no cause of disobedience but for their owne priuate lucres take from their tenants that which Kings did not but vpon great offences committed against their person There is an auncient law in regarde that tenants complained of the Lords of Mannors for inclosing as should séeme of their Commons by which it was enacted that Lords should leaue sufficient Common for their tenants with sufficient egresse and regresse And that being performed they might as should séeme make their commoditie of the rest But if that their egresse and regresse were any thing hindred by the deforceors or that they had not sufficient pasture that thē they should recouer their seison by the view of Jewrors so that by their discretions and othes they shall haue sufficient Common and pasture with egresse and regresse and the dissesors should bée amerced and render damages This auncient statute plainely proues that Lords in euery towne should leaue to their tenants sufficient Common And therefore doe they not breake the meaning of this law which inclose leauing no Common at all These Inclosers take vpon them as though they were not Lords of Mannours but rather kings and doe make as it were a new Commonwealth and
haue broken the law of nature in not louing their like nay the euerlasting couenant of God in not louing their brethren as Iesus Christ our most blessed Sauiour hath loued vs. But if that Inclosers will here attribute the barrenuesse of the earth to other causes yet let them marke what goeth before Behold saith the Prophet the Lord will make emptie the earth Bokek and hee will vnhedge and vnwall it The nature of which word Mercerus declareth vnto vs thus Videtur ex locis in quibus inuenitur significare dissipare seu effringere quod clausum munitum erat vt omnium iniuâ—ijs pateat It seemes by the places wherein it is found to signifie to disperse and breake vp that which was inclosed and fenced that it may now lie open to the iniuries of all things And doth not this most manifestly touch Inclosers and their hedges Nay Esay addeth Vangiua Paneha he shall make crooked her face No doubt that was straight before For ngaua signifies to peruert or make a straight thing seeme crooked And may not this note also their straight chaine lines drawen on the face of the earth For otherwise the fare of the earth cannot bee made crooked And that the 24. Chapter of Esay concernes vs that liue in the ende of the world and not the Jewes onely but as types of vs these circumstances may seeme to prooue First because the Prophet speaketh of the earth and not of the land of Jewry Then that he saith that the earth shall deceiue the expectation of the Tillers thereof which I thinke was neuer more truely verified than now in our daies Then also because the Prophet teacheth That they shall breake in those daies the euerlasting couenant of God made to vs in Jesus Christ which couenant wee haue broken in not obseruing Christian charitie which is the onely lawe thereof Nay besides all these the Prophet addeth The Lord God of Israell shall be praised in the Isles of the sea And againe From the vttermost parts of the earth we haue heard praises euen glory to that iust And who is that iust but Iesus Christ whom Steuen also honoureth with that title and by that name describes vnto vs. The Prophet also saith That the earth shall reele too and fro like a drunken man And what is this else but that which Saint Luke teacheth vs That in the ende of the world men shall be at their wits ends not knowing what shall come to passe in the world And lastly The blâ—shing of the Sunne and Moone when the Lord of hosts shall raigne in Sion and in Ierusalem and glory shall be before his Auncients what doe all these meane but the comming of the true Sunne to iudgement And the glorie of the newe Moone that is of the Church triumphant at whose presence our Sunne and Moone shall blush And what meanes the raigning of God in Sion and in Ierusalem but that we all both Jewes and Gentiles shall be one sheepefold vnder one shéepheard Iesus Christ And glory before his ancients which they shall euer see what is it else but eternall glory Sibylla also séemes herein to agrée with the Prophet Esay and to point at our hedges now in the ende of the world who speaking of the day of iudgement and of the daies before it writes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doth not the plainely héere name hedges yea and that which Inclosers voe hope for that the ground so inclosed shall not yéeld more fruits Sibylla also prophesies most truly of Jesus Christ and of his Crosse and of his comming to iudgement in those her most famous Arrostick verses which she made concerning him as no man can deny and doe we thinke that the rest of her prophesies especially the remnant of those her Acrosticks concerning the state of the world before the day of iudgement not to be as true In those her verses of the condition and state of the world before that day she writes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And here first let vs marke that she saith that the earth by sweating shall giue a token of the iudgement Let couetous Landlords and Inclosers which ouerburthen their tenants take héede that they be not the causes of this her sweating for otherwise the earth properly cannot be said to sweate of her own nature being of constitution the briest element nay drier than any dogge which as both Philosophie and experience teacheth doth neuer sweate And after she prophesieth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And secondly whereas she saith That the world shall be a Thorne or Briar as Castalio translates it doth she not plainely signifie men who shall become like to thornes and briars which shall pricke mens handes that deale with them and shall catch vnto themselues all that they can get and shall euen pul mens coates from their backs For as concerning materiall briars and thornes the world was neuer so cleansed of them as at this day which euery man is carefull to roote vp for hurting their shéepe But those other spirituall briars which Sibylla meaneth growe in many places very plentifullie But let all such briars take héede that they be not burned in hell fire Nay to let Sibylla passe doth not our Sauiour himselfe prophesie of the daies of the sonne of man before the ende of the world And doth he not plainely teach vs That they shall bee like the daies of Noah and of Lot before the destruction of the olde world and the burning of Sodome How that they shall eate and drinke and marry and build and plant in those daies and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Mathew vseth teacheth vs that not the vse but the extraordinary abuse of all these things is héere signified And those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which S. Luke vseth plainely prooue that according to these particulars and not a generall securitie onely as some would faine haue it is meant by all these And are not our hedges now extraordinary Now liued all our Ancestors without them And our Sauiour in this his doctrine may séeme to agrée with the Prophet Ioell who of the day of iudgement and of the estate of the world at that day most manifestly prophesieth thus The earth shall be as the garden of Eden before him but behinde him it shall be a desolate wildernes What doth thâ—â— garden signifie but that the earth then shall haue great cost bestowed vpon her and shall be hedged in as we vse to doe our gardens If the Lord when he comes shall destroy the garden let the gardiners take heede for their destruction shall be without all doubt the greater Let them willingly throwe open their gardens and closes againe that God doe not throw them into hell And that this prophesie of Ioel concernes vs our daies and not onely the comming of
pastures and let them fill the Lords townes and shéepefolds with his sheepe againe and that spéedily least the Lord comming to Judgement doe condemne them as cruell and couetous tyrants Fnd let them now preferre euen one man before a wedge of gold least hereafter God doe teach them this lesson in hell when it shall be too late for them to learne And here I most humbly desire in the Lord that all Gods children would beware that they be not giltie of that woe which Esay proclaimeth Woe to them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknes for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweete and sweete for bitter And that all Gods faithfull seruants would remoue that great sinne farre from them which Ieremy layed to the charge of the Iewes that they would not bend their tongues like bowes to maintaine lies but that they would that which Saint Iames teacheth them lay a part all filthinesse and superfluâ—tie of wickednesse that is that they would not sinne when they néede not sinne But that they would receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted in them which is able to saue their soules The Lord Jesus open the eyes and turne the hearts of all Inclosers that they may let the gréeuousnesse of this theâ—â— sinne and repent with spéede while it is called to day Least with those 〈◊〉 and c 〈…〉 tous tyrants which Esay speaketh of they he visited of God that is haue 〈◊〉 workes looked into and be 〈…〉 ely punished at the day of Judgement for his glorious name sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise honor and glory now and for euer Amen FINIS Hest 7. 4. Verse 3. Psal 2. 8. 2. Cor. 1. 11 Pro. 14. 28. Prov. 14. 9. Eze. 14. 13. I know where ther hath beene before Inclosure 320. communicaÌ„ts but now there be scant 160. 1. Kin. 4. 20 Psal 119. 126. Ier. 8. 10. Vers 11. Exo. 14. 13. Cicero lib. 1 offiâ— Plin. lib. 18. cap. 3. Ibidem Gen. 3. 23. Gen. 6. 22. Gen. 9. 20. Gen. 26. 12. Munster in eundem locum Iud. 6 11. 1. King 19. 19. Camden Britan. p. 3. Eccles 5. 7. Plin. lib. 18. cap. 5. Math. 6. 11. Mat. 4. 7. Exod. 16. 15 Ios 5. 12. 2. Sam. 14. 18. Psal 106. vers 30. Phinehas stoode vp and executed iudgement and the plague was staied Luk. 12. 20. 1. Tim. 1. 9. Ia. 4. 6. Esa 〈◊〉 16. 17. c. Exod. 20. 7. Psal 55. 10. 2. Sam. 12. 14. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Tit. 〈◊〉 Psal 2. 8. Psal 127. 3. 4. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Psal 14. 4. Psal 80. 8. Reu. 11. 28. 1. Cor. 14. 11. Gen. 1. 2. Mat. 2. 22. Psal 80. 12. 1. Pet. 5. 9. Act. 20. 28. 2. Cor. 9. 12 Mat. 5. 1. 2. Sam. 20. 20. Gen. 22. 17. Esa 44. 3 4. 2. Chr. 1. 7. Mundus imper Rex gall Gen. 19. 20 Luk. 4. 16. Ioh. 1. 46. 1. Cor. 1. 27 28. Luk. 16. 20. 1. Sam. 9. 26. 2. Sam. 16. 18. Phil. 2. 6. 7. Math. 11. 29. Ier. 2. 32. Exod. 22. 2. As it is in the Hebrew Luk. 21. 34. Esa 2. 15. Ier. 22. 14. Zeph. 1. 8. 1. Pet. 4. 7. Verse 36. Gen. 47. 23. Exod. 5. 17. Exod. 14. 27. Iob. 31. 39. Job 31. 17. 1. Ioh. 3. 17. Mat. 7. 12. 1. Sam. 1. 15. Judg. 6. 13. Phil. 2. 2. 1. Pet. 2. 8. Hest 10. 3. Apo. 11. 8. Psal 68. 13. Matth. 20. 15. Psal 115. 44. Joh. 13. 34. Gen. 12. 1. Rom. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 7. 31. Gen. 14. 3. Zach. 14. 21 Numb 22. 24. Esay 5. 2. Pro. 24. 3. Iosh 15. 45. Deut. 27. 11 Matth. 5. 20 Exo 23. 10. Leuit. 19. 9. Deut. 24. 19 Leuit. 25. Iere. 31. 5. Ephes 4. 6. Esa 60. 18. Iâ—shuâ—gatha Gemin lib. 4. cap. 11. Mat. 3. 16. Micah 4. 4. Esa 1. 10. Psal 102. 27. Exod. 3. 7. 8. 1. Ioh. 1. 7. 1. Tim. 6. 17 Esa 11. Esa 5. 2. 1. Sam. 19. 20. 2. King 2. 3. 5. Vers 8. Math. 7. 2. Luk. 16. 21. Rom. 11. 4. 1. Pet. 4. 18. 1. Cor. 13. 5 Phil. 2. 4. Gen. 4. 9. 2. Cor. 8. 9. 2. Cor. 8. 10. Ioh. 13. 34. Ioh. 15. 12. 2. Cor. 8. 10 Ioh. 20. 17. Psal 69. 8. Mat. 26. 34. 1. King 17. 15. Luk. 21. 4. Luk. 10. 37. 2. Cor. 8. 2. Sic vos non vobis vellera fertis oues c. Ioh. 12. 8. Mat. 12. 29. Ier. 5. 24. Act. 4. 32. Act. 5. 4. Introduct adsapient Rom. 12. 15. 1. Cor. 13. 1 1. Cor. 15. 41. Psal 119. 126. Ioh. 13. 34. Act. 17. 27. Ephes 4. 1. 1. Pet. 4. 16. 1. Ioh. 2. 27. Luk. 15. 9. Eccle. 12. 1. Gen. 28. 12. 18. Ephe. 2. 20. Ioh. 12. 3. Psal 4. 3. Vers 8. Mat. 5. 7. Iam. 2. 13. Ier. 2. 10. Gen. 31. 41 1. Cor. 9. 9. Hier. part 3. tract 4. epist 10. ad Damas Alludit ad illud 1. Iohanis 5. 16. Orans pre fraire peccatore dat vitam Mund. Imp. Rex Angl. Iud. 16. 21. Ioh. 1. 47. 1. Sam. 17. 36. Psal 2. 3. 20. Hen. 3. 4. 13 Edw. 4. 6. Matth. 6. 9. Offic. lib. 1. Rom. 8. 20. 23. Stow Anno Dom. 1571. Anno E 〈…〉 z. 13. Ruland de dente auree Lib. 1. V. topia Gen. 6. Psal 102. 16. Raisu Psal 92. 12. Apoc. 12. 14. Ephe. 2. 10. Gen. 2. 2. Iohn 3. 3. Psal 19. 9. Ephe. 2. 10. Esa 24. 5. Eccl. 13. 16. Ioh. 13. 34. Ose 2. 15. 19. Esa 24. 1. Mercer in lex Pagn 1. Tim. 1. 5. Act. 7. 52. Luc. 21. 26 Mal. 4. 2. Mat. 25. 29 Ioh. 10. 16. Sibyll Orac. lib. 8. In English thus The earth shall be equally common to all without any walles or hedges Neither being diuided 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then that is in the daies before the iudgement shall it yeelde more fruits Sibyll Orac. lib. 8. In English thus When as the earth in sweating shall be a signe of the iudgement c. In English thus All the whole world shall be vntilled and shall be turned into a briar or thorne And may not héere the first worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vntilled séeme to touch Inclosers that will not till the earth Luc. 17. 26. Mat. 24. 38. Luc. 17. 30. Ioel. 2. 3. Ioel. 2. 1. Apoc. 8. 6. Apoc. 10. 7. Mat. 24. 14. Act. 2. 17. Ioel. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 10. 11. Heb. 3. 13. Luc. 16. 24. Ezec 3. 14. Ioh. 14. 6. Mat. 24. 12. Gal. 5. 6. 2. Ioh. 4. Ioh. 13. 34. 2. Cor. 8. 9. Gellius lib. 4. cap. 15. 2. Tit. 3. 1. Ier. 35. 6. 1. Pet. 4. 7. Luc 6. 12. 1. Pet 4 8. Mat. 25. 34 35 36. 1. Pet. 4 10. Psal 24. 1. Esd 1. 2. Esa 13. 9. Ioh. 10. 27. Esa 5. 20. Ier. 9. 3. Iam. 1. 21. Ephes 1. 18 Psal 85. 4. Hebr. 3. 14. Esa 13. 11.