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
knowe the wyl of God in that matter I thynke then ye wyl answere that because he had reigned .xviii. yeres and had not loked for the holye scripture in al that tyme nether set it out in hys tyme he thought hym selfe gylty and not to haue done it that belōged vnto his office Iosias an honest man and a true man said that God was angry wyth hym because the boke of the Lawe was not sought for and set forth by hym as it was hys office to haue done Yf that be true all Kynges and gouerners as wel as he are boūde to seke for the scripture and to set it forthe or els the wrathe of God shall come vpon them Iosias repented him very sore that the boke was so longe hyd and that he had not sought for it and yf he had not done so as the scripture doth preuely teache vs he shulde haue ben greuously ponished for that the boke was so longe hyd Wherfore it is the office of all kynges and gouerners to seke for the worde of God and to se that it be brought forth into the lyght that al men maye reade it and learne of it what they are bounde to do vnto their Lorde God and to their supperiors here in earth to their neyghbores Then they that other wyl haue the same boke with other of lyke authoritie to be layd vp that no mā shall reade them or wyll not suffre them to be reade in a tonge that the people can vnderstande haue an other spirite then Iosias had Iosias whome all good kynges and gouerners oughte to folowe was so earnest in the settynge out of the holye scripture that he called vnto the temple al the elders of Iuda 2. par 34. and al the people of Hierusalem from the lowest vnto the hyghest and in the presence of thē al hered his owne selfe the boke of the lawe not one pece of it alone as the texte sayeth all the wordes of it Yf that thys had not ben hys office to set forthe the scripture God wolde haue ponished him for goynge beyonde hys office as he ponished Ozias But God ponished hym not but alowed hym in doyng so Therfore to set forthe the worde of God was hys office not more then his office nor besyde his office nor against hys office And it that was hys office was and is the office of all other kynges gouerners Thē it is the office or one principal parte of the office of euery kinge gouerner and noble mā to se that ydolatrye be destroyed and that the true worde of God whych is conteyned in the holy scripture be set forthe preached and knowen of al the people that are vnder their gouerment All ye that are vnder the dignitie of a kynge maye not saye that this onlye belongeth vnto kynges and not vnto you for thys belongeth not onlye vnto kynges but also to all that saye sanctificetur nomen tuum hallowed be thy name For al they that wolde haue goddes name hallowed must helpe to destroye suche religion as is against the honour of God and to maynteyne set forthe as muche as lyeth in them the true religion of God Yf that euery priuate man be thus bounde to do as farre forth as hys vocacion and callyng dothe suffer hym muche more are ye my lordes and maisters bounde which receyue and haue your landes and lyuelot chieflye for thys purpose of your Lorde God and are part of the kynges bodye that is to wette hys eyes eares and armes wythout the whyche he is not able alone in the common wealthe to do hys office dutie I thynke that he were a very arrogant kynge that wolde thinke hymselfe better learned and wyser thē the noble seruaūt of God Duke Moses was and yet he as hys father in lawe tolde hym trulye thought hym selfe not able to gouerne hys people alone and therfore he chosed out gouerners and iuges ouer thousandes and some ouer hundrethes and some ouer fyftie and other some ouer ten So when as no kinge is able to do al thinges alone that pertayne vnto hys office euery kinge muste haue noble men vnder hym to helpe hym to do hys office that belongeth vnto hym and to be partakers wyth the kyng in labour and office as they are partakers with hym in honour and lyuelod aboue the cōmon people To whome is it sayd I praye you Vos dij estis Ye are goddes is it sayd onely to kynges or is it also sayd vnto you Yf it be sayd also vnto you then yf you wyll take vnto you suche an honourable name wyth Kynges as to be called goddes that is Iuges and rulers here in goddes stede you must be content to take parte of the office that belongeth vnto that name Therfore ye muste also with the kinge destroye ydolatrie set out goddes true religiō as the noble gentlemē that were vnder kynge Ezechias dyd What other thynges belonge vnto the office of a noble man and specially of a kinge besydes the mainteining of the true religion and the preachers of the same the wordes of Samuel partly tell vs after thys maner Beholde the Lorde hath annointed the vpon thy heritage to be a prince and thou shalt delyuer hys people from the hādes of their enemyes that are rounde about them But there are other places clearer and playner then thys whych declare more plainly the office of a kinge and a noble man 2. par 9. The ix Chapter of the secōde boke of Paralipomenō teacheth vs that it belongeth vnto a kynge and a gouerner to exercise iustice and iugement In the second boke of the kynges and in the .viii. Chap where as Dauid was praised for doynge of hys dutie it is rehersed of hym that he dyd iugement iustice vnto all hys people Esay in the fyrst chapter of his prophesie rebukynge the princes for leuynge of their office and dutie and exortyng them agayne to do their office speaketh these wordes vnto them Audite verbum Domini principes Sodomorum c. Querite ìudicium subuenite oppresso c. That is to say ye princes of Sodom Esay i. heare the wordes of the Lord. Seke iugement helpe hym that is oppressed let the fatherlesse chylde haue iugement defende the wydowe And in the same chapter where as he reproueth them againe for not doyng of their duties sayth thus vnto Hierusalem Principes tui infideles c. Thy princes are vnfaythfull theues felowes they loue al rewardes folow after bribes they gyue no iugemēt vnto the fatherles chyldren and the poore wydowes matter can not cōe in to you where as you are Moses also in the .xviii. of Exodus ordened certayne princes and gentlemen Exod. 18. chused them out of the strongest of the people and he appointed them this office that they shulde iudge the people vnder hym at al tymes and not in the terme tyme alone as it is nowe the maner in Englande Yf any man requyre
shamefully many hundreth yeres and no maÌ„ is able to defende the contrarye I do perceyue that some of you are indiffereÌ„t and are not maryed vnto one kynde of men more then another wherfore ye maye in these controuersies be the more indiffereÌ„t iudges But I hear saye that there is an other sorte of the nobilite that are so partial in these maters that are nowe in controuersie that what so euer reason or scripture be brought of the other parte that they fauour not they wil not beleue it but yet wythout any reason or scripture or any other sufficient profe or trial of theyr doctrine embrace and gladly receyue all suche doctrine and tradicions as theyr chosen prophetes teache them whome they fauour and fantasye The same affectionate people whyche truste so in these men wythout any trial of theyr doctrine whether it be good or bad are so tender ouer theyr owne bodyes that they wyll nether eare any meate nor drynke any drinke though theyr cokes and butlers be neuer founde fautye in theyr offices in al theyr liues except there be an assay takeÌ„ of their meat and drynke before Yea I heare say that some dare not eate of the meat that is dressed of theyr coÌ„moÌ„ cookes in the coÌ„mon kytchens be the cokes neuer so honest men and these wyll neither truste their cookes nor assayers and therfore eate no meate but suche as is dressed of their maidens in theyr owne presence in theyr owne secrete chambers Wolde to God these loued their soules so wel the soules of all them that are vnder their gouermeÌ„t as they do their owne natural bodyes As the meat of the bodye yf it be good fedeth and norysheth the body and saueth it froÌ„ peryshynge and yf it be poysoned it kylleth the bodye euen so the doctrine or preachynge whych is the food of the soule yf it be good saueth the soule so yf it be noughty and false it poysoneth and kylleth the soule Is it theÌ„ godly wysedome to se and trye it which goeth into their bodies wyth theyr owne eyes to be good holsome before they receyue it and to receyue of their olde gostly cokes what so euer they dresse for them vnsene vntasted and vnassayed Though their bodely cokes haue serued them neuer so longe they wyl take nothyng that is dressed of them except they se it wyth theyr owne eyes assayde whye truste they then their spirituall cookes so well that wythout any further assay or trial receyue into theyr soules what so euer meate they dresse for them gyue them Perchance they wyl say that seculare and maried cookes hauing wyues and chyldren may easely for a brybe be brought to poysone their masters and maistresses but spiritual and vnmaryed men are more to be trusted in their spiritual cookery because they are wyuelesse and nede not to be compelled vnto poysenynge for lacke of lyuinges because they haue enoughe and also by touchyng dayly the body bloud of Christ are holyer then the worldly cookes are and so halowed wyth the holy oyle wherwyth they were anoynted in the tyme of their consecracion that they can not kyll vs with poysoned meate as the secular may easely do And therfore what so euer our spirituall cookes sende vs that is good and holsome that wyl we receyue wythout any further tryal We knowe them and trust them so well To whom I answere that not only forein stories but also that our owne cronicles beare wytnes that these spirituall wyueles cookes for all their touchynge of their Christes bodye dayly and for all theyr holye oyntment haue euen bodely poysoned not onely kynges and princes but also dyuers other honest men besydes that I can proue that spiritually they haue poysoned many thousandes In the cytie of Berna iiii freres poysoned a tayler wyth the poysoned bread of the sacrameÌ„t in our dayes the same were burnt for their labor A spiritual wiueles cooke a black monke wel anointed poysoned kinge Iohn as our stories beare wytnes We reade in dyuers stories the monkes other wyueles anointed cookes poysoned not only Emperors kynges but also poysoned the sacramentall bread whyche they toke for their Lord their God TheÌ„ euen wyueles spiritual cookes wyll poysone kynges quenes wheÌ„ as they ar not aferd to poyson their God him selfe Thus far haue I spoken of bodely poyson But as touching spiritual poison that is to say concernyng marring of mens mindes with false doctrine the coÌ„ningest beste betrusted cooke that they haue nowe at this tyme who rueleth the roste alone hathe ether serued out poyson vnto kynge Henry the .viii. to al Europa or els Quene Mary is a bastard yf false doctrine be poyson of the soule she be a bastarde that is borne out of lawfull matrimony Steuen Gardiner an vnder cooke in the Cardinal Wolfe Wolsey hys house and afterwardes alowed of kynge Henry the eyght to be a maister cooke and hys principall cooke for a loÌ„ge tyme râ—led the roste in the kynges house as boldly as saucely as hys maister dyd before hym as the blowe vpon his cheke that my Lorde of Warwyke gaue hym maye beare wytnes But wheÌ„ as thys cooke shoulde serue out a dyshe of obedience vnto the kynge and vnto all the West churche he poudered it wyth suche poyson that he made the kynge an hore master our Quenes mother an hore oure Quene Mary a bastard Is it good trustyng of suche a wyueles anoynted cooke Are not then wyueles cookes as muche to be suspected of spiritual poyson as other cookes are to be suspected of bodely poyson Yea a great deale more For your bodely cookes were neuer taken wyth any suche offece for yf they had ben taken therwith they shoulde haue bene streyghtwaye hanged or scalded to death for their labour Thys cooke for all hys poysoned seruice is so trusted nowe that he is made Chancelor of England and presideÌ„t of all the counsell But lest any maÌ„ should denye that theyr maister cooke S. Garde dyd euer any suche thing I wyll brynge hys owne wordes wherin he confesseth opeÌ„ly to al the worlde hys dede and as yet I for my parte haue neuer herd nor red that he repeÌ„ted him of his so doyng Hys wordes are these The Leuiticall coÌ„maundementes of the forbydden and vnnaturall horyshe matrimonies pertaynyng vnto the chastitie and clenenes of matrimonye wherin the hole felowship of mannes lyfe is conteined and the beginnyng of encrease of issue standeth haue alwayes so ben takeÌ„ as fyrst to be geueÌ„ in dede vnto the Iewes because they were expounded to set clerely forth the lawe of nature and therfore shoulde alwayes perteyne vnto all kyndes of men Wherein doutles both the voyce of nature the coÌ„maundement of God agreing together forbad it that was contrarye vnto the condicion of bothe But amongest these when as the coÌ„maundement of not mariyng the brothers wyfe is also conteyned what other thynge ether oughte or coulde the excellent maiestie
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