Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A14151
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The practyse of prelates. Compyled by the faythfull and godly learned man, Wyllyam Tyndale
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Tyndale, William, d. 1536.
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1548
(1548)
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STC 24466; ESTC S105209
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56,056
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134
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english to mynystre the almesse of the people vnto the pore and neadye For in the congregation of christ loue maketh euery maÌ„s gifte and goodes comune vnto the necessyte of hys neyghboure Wherfore the loue of god beyng yet hore in the hartes of men the rych that had the substance of thys worldes goodes brought of theyr aboundaunce grete plentye vnto the sustentation of the poore and delyuered it vnto the Handes of the Deacons And vnto the helpe of the Deacons were wydowes of .lx. yeare olde holy vertuous and destitute of frendes chosen to tende and wayte vppon the sycke and to washe the sayntes fete that came from one Congregacion vnto an other whether for any busynes or for feare of Persecucyon And these commune goodes of the churche offered for the succour of the poore grewe in all churches so Exceadyngly that in some coÌ„gregâ—cion it was so much that it was sufficyente to Mayntayne an hoste of men In so muche that tyrants dyd oft tymes ê‘secute the christen for those commune goodes as thou seist in the lyfe of S. Laurence the deacon of Rome And moreouer the couetuousnes of the prelates was the decaye of chrystendome aÌ„d the encresyng of the kyngdome of Mahomette For by the first springing of the empyre of Mahomete the Emperoures Kinges and greate lordes of christendome had geuen their treasure so myghtely vnto the church what after great victoryes what at theyr deathes that their successours were not able to mainteyne battell against the Saracenes and Turkes for the woorlde was not yet in such captiuitie that they coulde make theyr subiects swere on bokes what they were worth rayse vp taxes at theyr pleasur so that a certein wrytter of stories sayth The prelates gaped when the laye men wolde take the warre vpon theÌ„ agaiÌ„st the Turkes and that lay men loked when the prelates wolde laye out their money to make the warre with all and not to spend it in worse vse as the most part of theÌ„ were woÌ„t to do spendynge the moneye that was goten with almesse and bloude of marters vppon goodly place and greate vessels of golde and syluer without care of things to come despising God whome they worshypped for their belyes sake onely and also maÌ„ Moreouer it was the custome euen then sayth the auctor to axe what the bishopryke was worth ye and to leaue a worse for a better or to kepe both with a vnioÌ„ And at the same time Isacius the debitie of the Emperour came to Rome to confirme the Pope in his se with the Emperours aucthoritie for the electioÌ„ of the pope was theÌ„ nothynge worth except it had bene coÌ„firmed by the emperour and he founde so great treasure in the church of saynt Ihon Lateran yâ— for dysdayne which he had that they shulde haue such treasure in sâ—ore not to helpe the emperour in his warres agaiÌ„st the Turckes seing his souldyers lacked wages he toke it away with violence agaiÌ„st the wyll of the prelates of which he exyâ—ed some and payde his owne men of warre with one part toke an other part vnto him self sent the thyrde parte vnto the Emperoure whiche must nedes haue bene a great treasure in one church ¶ By what meanes the prelates fell from Chryst THe office of a Bysshop was a roume at the begynnynge that no man coueted and that no man durste take vppoÌ„ him saue he only which loued christ better then hys owne lyfe For as Christ sayeth that no man myght be hys disciple excepte that he were ready to forsake lyfe and all eueÌ„ so myght that officer be sure that it wolde coste hym hys lyfe at one tyme or an other forbeariÌ„g record vnto the truth But after that the multitude of the chrysten were encreased and many great men had receauâ—d the fayth than both landes and rentes aswell as the other goodes were geuen vnto the maintenaunce as well of the clergye as of the poore because they gaue then no tythes to the priestes nor yet nowe do saue in certeyne couÌ„treys For it is to much to geue almesse offeringes landes and tythes also And then the bysshops made theÌ„ whych they call pryest and kepe the name bisshop vnto them selues But out of the deacons sprange all the myschefe For thorow their handes wente all thynge they ministred vnto the clergye they ministred vnto the poore they were in fauoure with great small And when the bisshops office begaÌ„ to haue rest to be honorable then the deacons through fauoure and gyftes clam vp thervnto as lyghtlye he that hath the old Abbots treasure succedeth with vs. And by the meanes of their practise accointauÌ„ce in the world they were more subtile and woorldly wyse then the olde bysshops and lesse learned in Goddes worde as oure prelates are when they come froÌ„ studentshyppe in Gentlemens houses and from surueing of greate mens landes lordes secrets Kynges counsels ambasadourshyp from warre and ministring all worldly matters yea worldlye mischefe and yet nowe they come not thence but receaue all and byde there styll The prelates must bâ—de styll in the courte yea they haue enacted by playne parlyament that they must byde in the courte styll or els they may not haue pluralytie of benefyces And then by lytle and lytle they inhaunsed them selues and turned all to them selues minysshynge the poore peoples parte and encreasing theyrs and ioyniÌ„ng accoyntaunce with greate meÌ„ and with their power clam vp and entitled theÌ„ wich the chosing and confyrming of the Pope and all bisshoppes to flatter and purchase fauoure and defenders trustynge more vnto their worldly wysdom then vnto the doctryne of Chryst whych is the wysdom of God and vnto the defence of maÌ„ then of God Then whyle they that had the plowe by the tayle loked â—acke the plow went a wrye â–ª Faythe waxed feble and faint loue waxed cold the scriptur waxed darke Chryst was no more sene he was in the mounte wyth Moses therfore the bysshops wolde haue a god vpon the earth whom they might se and thervpon they beganâ—e to dyspute who shulde be greatest ¶ How the Bysshop of Rome became greater then other and called him selfe Pope TheÌ„ quod worldly wisdoÌ„ HierusaleÌ„ must be yâ— greatest for that was christs sete et factum â—st so it caÌ„ to passe for a seasoÌ„ And in coÌ„clusioÌ„ where a greate cytie was and much riches ther was yâ— bisâ—hop ever greater then his fellowes Alexander in Egypte and Antioch in Grece were greater then theyr neyghbours TheÌ„ those decaying ConstaÌ„tinople and Rome waxed greate and stroue who shuld be greater And Constantinople sayd where the Emperour is there ought to be the greatest seat and chefest bisshop For the Emperour layâ— most at Constantynople because it was I suppose nygh the middes of the empyre therfore I must be the greatest sayde the bisshope of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople Nay quod the bisshoppe of Rome though the Emperour lye neuer so muche at constantinople yet he is called Emperour
The Practyse of Prelates Compyled by the faythfull and Godly learned man Wyllyam Tyndale IMPRINTED at London by Anthony Scoloker And Willyam Seres Dwillynge wythout Temple-barre in the Sauoy rentes Anno. 1548. ¶ Cum priuilegio ad Imprimendum solum WHen the old scrybes and pharisees had darkenid the scripture with their tradiâ—ions false interpretations wicked persuasions of 〈…〉 and shutte vp the kingdome of heauen which is Gods word that the peeple coulde not entre in into the knowledge of the true waye as Chryst complayneth in the Gospell Math xxiii then they sate in the hartes of men with their false doctryne in the steade of God his worde and slewe the soules of the People to deuour theyr bodyes aÌ„d to rebuke theÌ„ of theyr worldly substauÌ„ce But wheÌ„ chrâ—st and Iohn the baptyst had restored the scripture agayne vnto the true vnderstandingeâ— and had vttered their falsshead and improued their tradicions and confounded their false interpretacions wyth the cleare and euident Textes and wyth power of the holy ghoost and had brought all their iugglinge and hipocrisye to lyghtpunc ther they gâ—tte theÌ„ vnto the elders of the People and persuaded them saying this man is surely of the Deuell and his myracles be of the Deuell no doubte And these good workes whych he dothe in healyng the people yea and hys preaching against our couetousnes are but â—cloke to bringe him vnto his purpose that when he hath gotâ—en hiÌ„ Disciples ynough he maye rise against the emperoure make him selfe Kinge and then shall the romaynes come and take our Lande from â—s and carye awaye oure people and put other nacions in oure realme and so shall we lose al that we haue and the most parte of vs our lyues therto Take heade therfore betimes whyle there is remedye yet he go so farre that ye be not able to resyst hym The elders of the peple which were rich and welthy though before they in a maner fauoured Christ or at the lest way were indifferent not greatly caring whether God or the deuell reygned so they might bide in aucthoritie feared immediatly as Herode did of the losse of his Kingdome when the Wyse menne axed where the newe borne Kinge of Iewes was and conspired with the scribes and pharisees against Christe toke him and brought him vnto Pilate saiyng We haue found this fellow peruertiÌ„g the people and forbiddinge to paye trybute vnto Cesar and saying that he is a kynge mouing the people from Galylie vnto this place TheÌ„ Pilate though he likewise was before indiffereÌ„t but now in feare of the losse of his office thorow such persuasioÌ„s slewe innocent Chryste And in very dede as the scribes and pharyseys were all their lyues before blynde gydes vnto the destruction of their soules eueÌ„ so wer they at their last ende blinde prophetes vnto the destructioÌ„ of their bodies For after that they had slayâ— Christ diuerse of his apostles ê‘secuted those poore wretches that beleued on hym God to aduenge the poore innoceÌ„t bloud the bare witnesse vnto his truthe poured his wrath amoÌ„g theÌ„ that they theÌ„ selues rose against the Emperour And the Romains came accordinge as they bliÌ„dlye prophecied and slewe the moste part of theÌ„ and caryed the reste captyue into all nacions and put other nacions in the Realme But whose faute was that insurrectioÌ„ agaiÌ„st the Emperour mischefe that folowed Christes his apostles whoÌ„ they falsely accused before haÌ„de No Chryst taught that they shuld gyue Cesar that which perteyned vnto Cesar god that which beloÌ„ged to God EueÌ„ that they shuld geue Cesar their lawful bodely seruice god the harte that they shuld loue gods lawe repeÌ„t of theyr euell come receaue mercy let the wrath of God be taken from theÌ„ â–ª And the apostles taught yâ— all soules shuld obey the hyer powers or teÌ„porall rulers But their obstinate malyce yâ— so hardened their hartes that they coulde not repeÌ„t and their rayling vppon the open aÌ„d manifest trueth which they coud not improue resysting the holy gost and sleynge of yâ— preachers of rightuousnes brought the wrath of God vpon them aÌ„d was cause of their destruction Euen so our scribes aÌ„d phariseys nowe that their hipocrisye is disclosed and theyr falshed so brought to lyght that it can no leÌ„ger be hyd get them vnto the elders of the people the lordes gentylmen and teÌ„porall officers and to all that loue this world as they do vnto who soeuer is greate wyth the king aÌ„d vnto the kinges grace him selfe and after the same ensample and with the same persuasions cast theÌ„ into lyke feare of losing of their worldely dominions aÌ„d rore vnto them sayeng ye be neglygent and care nothing at all but haue a good sporâ—e that the heretikes rayle on vs. But geue them space a whyle tyl they be groweÌ„ vnto a multitude and then ye shall se them preach as fast against you and moue the peple aginst you aÌ„d do there best to thrust you â—â—â—me also and shall câ—y havocke and make all comen O generacion of serpentes how wel declare ye that ye be the right sonnes of the father of all lies for they which ye call heretikes preache nothyng saue that which oure sauioure Iesus Chryste preached and hys Apostles adding nought thâ—e to nor plucking ought therfro as the scripture commaundeth and teache all men repentaunce to God and hys holye lawe and fayth vnto our sauiour Iesus Chryst and the Promyses of Mercye made in hym and obedyence vnto all that GOD commauÌ„deth to obey Nether teach we so much as to resyst your most cruell tyranny with bodelye violence saue with Goddes worde onely intendinge nothyng but to dryue you out of the temple of Chryst the hartes consciences soules of men wherin with youre false heade ye syt aÌ„d to restore agayn Iesus oure sauioure vnto hys possessyon and inheritaunce bought wyth his bloude wheÌ„ce ye haue Dryuen hym wyth youre Manyfold wyles and subtyltiâ—s Take hede therfore wicked prelates blinde leaders of the blinde induratâ— and obstinate hipocrites take hede For if the pharises for their resisting the holy ghost that is to saye persecutyng the open aÌ„d manyfest truth and slaing the preachers therof 〈◊〉 not the wrath and vengeaunce of god how shall ye escape which are farre worse then the pharysees for though the pharisees had shut vp the Scrypture set vp their owne professions yet they kepte theyr owne professions for the moost parte But ye wylbe the chefest in Christs flocke and ye will not kepe one iote of the right way of his doctrine Ye haue therto sett vp wonderfull professions to be more holy therby then ye thinke that Chrystes doctryne is able to make â—ou and yet kepe as lytle therof except it be â–ª with dispensations in so moch that if a maÌ„ axe you what your meruelous fasshyoned â–ª playing coates and youre other popystrye meane and what your disfigured Heades â–ª and al