coffen to put the body in agreynge to paye to the keeper therof his accustomed dutie and in lyke maner to the graue maker and the foure poore men to cary the bodye so that the whole charges had ben but vii.d ☞ But when the corps was buried wythout other crosse or holy water stycke Dirige or Masse with praiers of as smal deuotion as any pore curate could say yet must we needes paye vii.d more That is to saye i.d to the curate whiche he called an heade peny and vi.d to .ii. clerkes that we had no neede of ☞ Thys was done in Sepulchres parishe in the Citie of Lodon And if it shall please any of this noble assemble to trye the truth of this I wyl verifie it where so euer I shal be called euen in the presence of all the ydle ministers of the same churche ☞ This haue I written moste worthy counsailours to gyue you an occasioÌ„ to set such an ordre in thys and suche other thynges that either we may haue ministers founde vppon the teÌ„thes that we paie yerli to the churches other els that it maye be leaful for vs to do such ministeries our selues and not to be thus coÌ„strained to feede a sorte of carion crowes whiche are neuer so mery as when we lament the losse of our frendes ☞ Thys muche haue I spoken of the extortion that reygneth frely in the Clergie Nowe wyth your pacience I wyl with like breuitie speake of the great intollerable vsurie which at this daie reigneth so frely this realme ouer al and chiefely in the Citie of London that it is taken for moste leaful gaines Yea it is welmoste heresie to reproue it for men say it is alowed by Parliament Wel. The most part I am sure of this most Godly assemble and parliameÌ„t do knowe that the occasion of the acte that passed here coÌ„cerning Vsurie was the vnsaciable desire of the vsurers who coulde not be coÌ„teÌ„ted with Vsurie vnlesse it were vnreasonable much To restrayne this gredy desire of theirs therfore it was coÌ„muned and agreed vpoÌ„ and by the authoritie of Parliament decreed that none should take aboue x.li by yere for the lone of an C.li. ☞ Alas that euer any christiaÌ„ asseÌ„ble should be so voied of gods holy spirite that they should alowe for leaful any thynge that Gods word forbiddeth Be not abashed most worthy counsaylours to cal this acte into question againe Scan the wordes of the Psalmist concerning this matter Lorde sayth he who shal enter into thy tabernacle and who shal rest in thy holy mouÌ„taine Hâ— answereth That entreth wtout spot worketh ryght That speaketh truth in his hert hath not deceiued with his tonge that hath done his neighbour ho harme nor accepted any reproche against his neighbour He regardeth not the wicked but theÌ„ that feare the Lorde he glorifieth praiseth He that swereth to his neighbour deceyueth hym not He that hath not giueÌ„ his money vnto vsurie hath not taken gyftes rewardes agaynst the innocent ☞ If you moste christian counsaylours do glorie in the knowledge of Gods spirite who hath spokeÌ„ these wordes by the prophet howe can you suffre this acte to stande which shal be a witnes against you in the later day that you alowe that which Goddes spirite forbiddeth ☞ If he that geueth not his money to Vsurie shal dwell in the Lordes tabernacle where shal he dwel that giueth his money to Vsury shal he not be shutte out cast into vtter darknes Theyr workes be contrary why should not their rewarde be also contrary If the one be receyued in the other must be shut out Yea and you that haue made this lawe vnlesse you do reuoke it and establysh an act to the câ—ntrary the Brydegroume the onely sonne of God shal at the laste daye deny you and saye that he neuer knewe you Math. 7. Depart froÌ„ me shal he saye al ye workers yf iniquitie Scanne the wordes of the Prophete therfore and scanne the wordes of oure sauioure Christe also in the .vi. of Luke where he sayeth thus Do you lende lokynge for no gaynes therof and your rewarde shal be plentuous and you shal be sonnes of the highest bicause he is gentle liberall towarde the vnthankful and wicked ☞ I am not ignoraunte what Glosses haue ben made vpon this place and howe men haue wrested made it no precept but a counsaile of our sauiour therfore not to infer necessitie to christians but to leaue them at libertie either to do it or leaue it vndone ☞ Oh mercifull Lorde what maner of religion is it that these men professe ☞ They boast them selues to bee the disciples of Christe and setters forthe of his glorie ☞ They wyll beare the name of hym and be called christians and yet wylbe at libertie to chose whether they luste to folowe hys counsayle or leaue it vndone ☞ Our shepherd Christe of whose flocke they boaste them selues to bee sayeth that hys sheepe heare his voyce and folowe hym And immediatly before he sheweth Iohn 10 the cause why the Iewes dyd not credyt hys wordes to be none other but that thei wer not his shepe ☞ And doubte ye not moste worthy counsaylours what so euer he is that wyll defende or teach that any one lytle iote of the counsayles of Christ shoulde be so vaynly spoken that any of hys flocke myght refuse to practise the same in hys lyuynge to the vttermoste of hys power is nolesse then a membre of the Deuell and a verey Antichriste ☞ For he that desyreth not in hys herte to practise in his lyueynge all the counsayles of Christe our maister and teachar shall be numbred amonge the obstinate Iewes for none of the flocke of Christ because he heareth not his voice nor foloweth him Thus I mak an ende Wyshyng vnto you most worthy counsaylours the same spirit that in the primitiue church gaue vnto the multitude of beleuers Actu 4. one herte one mynde to esteme nothyng of this worlde as theyr owne ministrynge vnto euery one accordyng to his necessities That you led by the same spirite may at the lestwaye ordeine such a lawe that the oppressioÌ„ of the pore reigne not frely amonge them that beare the name of christians But if they wyll be styll oppressyng the pore membres of Christ after once or twyse admonicioÌ„ let them nomore be named christians after Christ whom thei serue not but MaÌ„monistes after MaÌ„mon whose badge they beare And this reformacion had no doubt the maiestie of God shal so appere in all your decres that none so wicked a creature shal be fouÌ„de so bold as once to opeÌ„ his mouth against the ordre that you shal take in al matters of religion Yea the very enimies of Dauid shall do Omage vnto SolomoÌ„ for his wisdom Al the Kynges christined shal learne at you to reforme theyr churches You shal be euâ—n the light of al the world ☞ But if ye lette these thynges passe and regarde theÌ„ not be ye sure the Lorde shal coÌ„fouÌ„d your wisdome Inuent Decre Establish and authorise what you caÌ„ al shal come to nought The wayes that you shall inuent to establyshe vnitie and concord shal be the occacions of discorde The thynges wherby you shal thinke to wyn prayse through al the worlde shal tourne to your vtter shame and the wayes that you shall inuent to establysh a kyngdome shal be the vtter subuercioÌ„ of the same The mercifull father of our Lorde Iesus Christe indue you wyth hys spirit that you be not parttakers of these plages AMEN
hath the spirite of God spokeÌ„ Heauen and earth shal perishe but the wordes of the spirite shall not perish but be fulfylled Nowe herken you possessioners and you rich men lifte vp your ears ye stuards of the Lord marke what complayntes are layede agaynste you in the high courte of the liueynge God Lorde sayeth the Porphete hast thou forsaken vs doest thou hide thy selfe in the tyme of our trouble Whylse the wicked waxe proude the pore man is aflicted and troubled Would to God the wicked myght feale the same thinges that they inuent for other For the sinnere prayseth hym selfe in the desyers of hys soule and he extolleth and fetch furth the couetouse man He prouoketh the Lorde and is so proud that he wyll not seke hym He neuer thynketh vpon God His wayes be defiled at all tymes He loketh not vpon thy iugementes Lorde be will reuenge hym vpon al hys enimies He thynketh thus with hym selfe I wyll not remoue from one generacion vnto an other without mischefe Hys mouth is full of malediction and euill reporte fraude deceyte Esai 50. and vnder his tonge is afliction and iniquitye He lyeth in wayte wyth the rychemen of the villages or graynges in secrete corners to the intent to slea the innocent His eyes are fyexed vpon the pore he layeth awayete euen as a lyon in his denne He layeth a wayte to take the poore man by force and when he hath gotten him wythin his reache then wyll he take hym violentlye In hys net will he ouerthrowe the pore and through hys strength shall the mutitude of the oppressed be ouer charged and fall For in his hert he sayeth God hath forgotten God turneth a waye hys face and wyll neuer regarde the oppression of the poore etc. to the ende of the same Psalme ☞ What sentence thinke you wil the Lorde gyue vpoÌ„ this euidence No doubt most worthy counsellers euen the same that we reade in Esaie the Prophete I loked for iudgement and rightouse dealynge amongeste my people and beholde there is iniquitie Esaie 5. I loked also for iustice and beholde there is an outcrye Wo be vnto you therefore that do ioyne houre vnto house couple one fielde to an other so longe as there is any ground to be had Thinke you that you shal dwel vpon the earth alone The Lorde of hostes sayeth the prophete hath spoken these wordes vnto me Manye large and goodlye houses shall be deserte and wythout inhabitauntes .x. acres of vynes shal yelde but one quarte of wyne and .xxx. bushelles of seede shall yelde but .iii bushelles agayne Beholde you engrossers of fermes and teynements be holde I say the terrible threatnynges of God whose wrath you can not escape The voyce of the pore whoÌ„ you haue with money thruste out of house and home is well accepted in the eares of the Lorde and hath steared vp hys wrath agaynste you He threateneth you moste horrible plages Ten acres of vynes shal yelde but one quarte of wyne and .xxx. bushelles of sede but .iii. bushelles agayn The sede of Goddes worde sowen in youre hertes shall be barrayne and not bringe forth fruite ☞ For couetyse the rote of al iuelles occupieth that grounde so that the heauenlie sede can bi no meanes geue encrease This is a plage of al plages most horryble And doubt ye not you lease mongres that take groundes by lease to the â—ntente to lette them out agayne for double and triple the rent your parte is in this plage The Lorde shall take his spirite from you He shall forbyd the cloudes of his mercy to rayne vpon you wyth the swete dwe of hys greace And you surueighers of laÌ„des that of x. li laÌ„de can make .xx. you shall not be forgotten in the effuâ—ion of thys plage ☞ For wheÌ„ you haue multiplied your reÌ„ttes to the higheste so that ye haue made all youre tenantes your slaues to labour and toyle and bringe to you all that maye be plowed and digged out of youre groundes then shal death sodaynly strike you then shall God wythdrawe his confortable greace from you theÌ„ shall your conscience prycke you then shall you thynke with deâ—perat Cain that your sinne is greater theÌ„ that it may be forgeuen For your owne coÌ„science shall iudge you worthye no mercye be cause you haue shewed no merci Yea the same enimie that hoth kendled and doeth yet mayntayne in you thys mischeuouse outragiouse and vnsaciable couetousnes shall then bee as busy to put you in mynde of the wordes of Christ saienge the same measure that you haue made vnto other shal be nowe made vnto you You haue shewed no mercye howe can you than loke for mercye Oh noble counsailours be mercyful to your selues Destroye not your owne soules to enriche your heyres Enlarge not your earthly possession wyth the losse of the eternal enheritaunce Learne to knowe the estate that God hath called you vnto to lyue accordinge to your profession Know that you are al ministres in the common weale and that the procion which you are borne vnto or that your prince geueth you is your estate Knowe that your office is to distribute not to scrape to gether on heapes God hath not sette you to surueye his landes but to playe the stuardes in hys householde of this world and to se that your pore felow seruantes lacke not theyr necessaries Consider that you are but ministers and seruauntes vnder the Lorde oure God and that you shal render a streyght accompt of your administracion Stand not to much in your own conceyte gloriynge in the worthynesse of your bloude for we are all one mans chyldren and haue by nature lyke right to the rychesse and treasures of thys worlde whâ—rouf oure natural father Adame was mâ—de Lord and Kinge Whiche of you can laye for hym selfe any naturall cauâ—e whyche shoulde possesse the treasure of this worlde but that the same cause maye he founde in hym also whome you make your slaue By nature therefore you can claime nothinge but that which you shall gette wyth the swet of your faces That you are Lordes and gouernoures therfore commeth not by nature but by the ordinaunce appoyntment of God Knowe then that he hath not called you to the welth and glorie of this worlde but hath charged you wyth the greate and rude multitude And if any if them perishe thorowe your defaute knowe theÌ„ for certentie that the bloude of them shal be required at your handes If the impotent creatures perishe for lacke of necessries you are the murderres Ezech. 33 for you haue theyr enheritaunce and do not minister vnto them If the sturdye fall to stealing robbyng reueynge then are you the causers therof for you dygge in enclose and witholde from them the earth out of the which they shoulde digge and plowe theyr lyueynge Psal 11â— For as the Psalmiste writeth All the heauen is the Lordes but as for the earth hee hath geuen to the childrene of
An înformacion and Peticion agaynst the oppressours of the poore Commons of thys Realme compiled and Imprinted for this onely purpose that amongest them that haue to doe in the Parliamente some godlye mynded men may hereat take occation to speake more in the matter then the Authour was able to wryte ¶ Esaye lviii ☞ When you suffre none oppression to be amongest you and leaue of youre idel talke then shal you cal vpon the Lord and he shal hear you you shal crie and he shall saye Beholde I am at hande ☞ Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwellyng in Sepulchres parish at the signe of the ResurrectioÌ„ a lytle aboue Holbourne Conduite ¶ To the most honorable Lordes of the Parliament wyth the commons of the same theyr moste humble and dayly Oratour Robert Crowley wisheth the assisteÌ„ce of Goddes holy spirite AMonge the manifolde moste weyghtie matters most worthy counsaylours to be debated and coÌ„muned of in this present ParliameÌ„t and by the aduise assent and consent therof spedili to be redressed I thynke ther is no one thinge more nedfull to be spoken of then the greate oppression of the pore communes by the possessioners as wel of the clergie as of the laitie No doubt it is nedfull and ther ought to bee a spedy redresse of many mattiers of religion as are these The vse of the sacraments and ceremonies the vsurping of tenthes to priuat commoditie the superfluouse vnlerned vndiscret and vicious ministers of the church and theyr Supersticious and Idolatrous administracions Of these thynges I saye ought ther to be a spedy reformacioÌ„ For they are now most lyk hastely to bringe vppon thys noble realme the ineuitable vengeaunce of God if they bee not shortly reformed for as muche as it hath pleased the almyghty and lyuinge God to open vnto vs those abhominacions which haue heretofore ben kepe secret and hyd from vs. These thinges I say are yet far out of ioynt and had great nede to be refourmed For notwithstandyng the Kinges maiesties late visitation the ignorant people who haue longe ben fostred and brought vp in the superstition and wrong beleue of these thynges and are yet nâ— doubte secretely instructed by their blinde guydes and by them holdeÌ„ styl in blindnes wyll not be perswaded that theyr forfathers superstition was not the true fayth of Christe til such tyme as they haue continuyng among them such preachers as shal be able and wyll by the manifeste scripturâ—s proue vnto them that both they and their fathers were deceiued and knewe not how to worshyppe God aright but shamfuly seduced by the couetise of the shepherdes and guides sought him where he was not and when they thought they had bene mooste hyghe in his fauoure by doynge hym suche honoure as they thought moste acceptable in hys syght then coÌ„mitted they most detestable blasphemie were abhominable before hym ☞ Thys knowledge I say wyll not be beaten into the heades of the ignoraunte so longe as theyr shepeherdes be but hyrlynges folow liuynges for such minister not to the coÌ„gregation but to theyr owne bealyes They are not shepeherdes but butchars They come not to feede but to be fed And doubtles most christen couÌ„saylours I thinke it not possible to ameÌ„de this great enormitie otherwyse then by reducynge the order of choseynge of the ministers vnto the order that was in the primitiue church wherof is meÌ„tioned in the Act Actu 1. of the Apostles For solong as ydle bealies may come to the byshope and be smered for money God shal saye to theÌ„ by his prophet Iere. 23. You did teÌ„ne but I sent you not They shalle be called feedars of feedynge them selues and not of fedyng the flocke They shal studye to please men not to please God In fine they shall differ nothynge from the craftes men whiche applye an occupacion to gette theyr lyuinge vppon and not to the intent to profite the common weale ☞ The craftes man sueth for the fredom of a Citie not because he intendeth to be a maintainer of the Citie but because he hopeth that he shall lyue so muche the more welthyly hym selfe And eueÌ„ for lyke causes do our ministers and are lyke styll to do so longe as they maye bee receyued when they come vncalled applye them selues to priesting because they lyke wel the ydlenes of the lyfe ☞ I doubt not but the Kynges maiesties visitters know more of thys matter then I caÌ„ be able to writ And by theÌ„ I doubt not you shal be moued to coÌ„mune of this mattier at the ful ☞ The sacramentes they styl abuse vseinge them as matters of merchaundyce and chiefly the most worthy memory of our redeÌ„ption for that they selle boethe to the quycke and to the deade to the rych and to the poore None shall receyue it at theyr handes wythout he wyll paye the ordinarie shotte and so are they redy to serue euery man They loke vpoÌ„ the monei onely and nothynge vppon the mynde Whether it be taken to coÌ„fort of conscieÌ„ce or iudgemeÌ„t they pas not Thei tel the monei thei loke for nomore If they wyll deny this to bee true let them saye why they suffer the pore to begge money to paye for theyr housel as they call it Perchaunce they wyll answer that the money is not payede for the sacrament but for the .iiii offeryng dayes Then aske I thys questian Why thei appoint not another time to receiue it in then that tyme whyche is to lyttle to bee occupied in declareynge to the people the right vse profyte of the sacramentes to instructe them so that they do not receiue it to theyr iudgment but to theyr confort and quietnes of conscience for which purpose it was first instituted Vndoubtedli most christiaÌ„ counsailours they can not deni but that they appoynt to receyue it then because they wil be sure of it Theyr doeynges wyll declare it thoughe they woulde deny it for none may receyue the sacramentes vnles he do fyrste paye the money And then wyth how lyttle reuerence it is ministred and receyued euery thristen hert seeth lamenteth These thinges I doubt not are so euident and playne vnto you that it nedeth not to troble you wyth manye wordes concerneinge the abuses therof Many godly minded men haue boeth written and preached do dayely writte and preach of and agaynst those abuses wherfore I am certen that you haue iuste occasion and can do no lesse but seke a furder redres her of whyche al christen hertes do desire in thys present parliament But as for the oppression of the pore which is no lesse nedful to be coÌ„muned of and reformed then the other I feare me wyll bee passed ouer with silence or if it bee communed of I canne scarsely truste that any reformacion canne bee had vnlesse God do nowe worke in the hertes of the possessioners of thys realme as he dyd in the primitiue church when the possessioners were contented and very
vse of them that be assembled to the intent to establishe suche thynges as shall be for the wealth of a whole realme to condescende and agree to those thynges whiche shall be disprofitable vnto the chiefe membres of the same ☞ Truth it is moste worthy counsaylours I might well and worthely be laughed at if I woulde attempt any such thing But the thing that hytherto I haue spoken of is not to the disprofite of any but to the great commoditie and profite of all the whole realme ☞ For what discoÌ„moditie is it to the heade shoulders the armes and other the vpper meÌ„bres of the bodie beinge already sufficiently clothed to put on the legges and feete a peare of hose and shoes to defende them also from the iniuries of the wether other hurtes that myght chaunce vnto them in theyr trauaylyng to cary the body from place to place foâ— his coÌ„moditie and pleasure Verely in myne opinion that body is farre vnworty to haue either legges or feete that wyl let them go bare hauyng wherwith to couer them ☞ Euen so you beynge the chiefe membres of thys noble realme and hauing in your handes the wonderful and incomperable riches of the same what shoulde it greue you to departe wyth some portion thereof that the inferioure membres thereof maye at all tymes be able to do theyr ministerie and office accordyngly ⧠Once remembre that as the bodye wyth out the inferioure partes is but lame and as a blocke vnweldy and muste if it wyll remoue from place to place creepe vpon the handes euen so you if ye had not the poore membre of this realme to tyll the grounde and do your other drudgery no remedy you muste needes dâ— it your selues ☞ Vse them therfore as the necessarie membres of the misticall bodye of this moste noble realme and be not in thys poynte more vnnatural then the heathen Philosophers were They in theyr wrytynges declare no lesse then I haue wrytten ☞ Thys oughte not a lytle to moue you being christians whose redemer Iesu Christ sitteth at the ryghte hande of God his father to study not onely to be equal with but to passe the heathen vnchristened in this matter euen as farre as the excellencie of the name and religion whiche we professe passeth theyrs ☞ Remembre most christian counsaylours that you are not only naturall membres of one body wyth the poore creatures of this realme but also by religion you are membres of the same misticall body of Christ who is the head of vs all his membres and estemeth all that is done to the leste of vs his membres as done to hym selfe For he sayth ☞ What so euer ye do to the leste of these litle ones that beleue in me ye do it vnto me Mat. 25. If you therefore neither wyll your selues oppresse our sauiour Christe in his membres nor suffre other to do it fayle not to fynde a redres of this greate oppression whiche I haue declared to the same ende And theÌ„ I doubt not but God shall so worke wyth you that euery man shall wyllyngly embrace a reformation of all mattiers of religioÌ„ For the spirit of God shall dwell in you and in vs all and Christe himself as he hath promised shall bee in the myddes amonge you Wher as contrariwise if you suffer our loueinge sauiour thus to be oppressed he wyll forsake you he wyll leaue you to the spirite of errour Your reformacions shal take no place All your diuises shall be abhominable in his syght because ye haue not purged your handes from the bloude of this oppression Let the decres whych were establyshed in thys place by a parliamâ—nt assembled for a lyke purpose be your presideÌ„t not to folow but to beware by them that ye establish not the lyke The intent of that assemble was nolesse to refourm the abuses of our religion then thys is But because Christe was not deliuered frome oppression he woulde not be amonge them They were not congregated in hys name but rather agaynste hym and hys doctrine for he hym selfe is dear loue as his Apostle Iohn writeh wher this dear loue is not 1. Epist 4. ther is not he Thys thynge is well proued by theyr proceadynges in the same Parliament For they established articles euen directly agaynst Gods worde forbedynge to mary and coÌ„maundynge to put asunder those that God hath ioyned together ☞ If you wyll call these articles into question agayne as in dede you haue iuste occasion to do I doubt not but you shal be fully perswaded that they proceaded of the spirit of erroure and not of the spirite of God because the charitie of God was not amonge them in that assemble Other thynges therbe wherby the pore meÌ„bres of Christe in thys noble realme are oppressed wherof I haue made no mention partely because I am loth to offende wyth the multitude of my rude wordes partely for that I know you can not seke for a redres of these thynges wherof I haue spoken but the other wil offer them selues vnto you I meane the greate Extortion and Vsurie that reigneth frely in thys realme and seme to be authorised by Parliament wythin these .iii. yeres laste paste ☞ The Cleargie of the Citie of London haue for theyr parte optayned by Parliament authoritie to ouer teÌ„thes euen after the exeÌ„ple of the landlordes and leasemongers and maye by the vertue of the acte requir for double rentes double tenthes If the rent of any kynde of housyng or grouÌ„de wythin the Citie of LoÌ„don be raised as ther is in dede veri much froÌ„ x. s to xx s than may the persone whoe had before but xvi d ob by the vertu of this act demaunde ii.s ix.d the double Bysydes this the exactions that they take of the pore coÌ„mons is to much beyonde al reason and conscience No couple caÌ„ be maried but these meÌ„ must haue a dutie as the call it No woman may be purified but they and theyr ydle ministers must haue some duties of hir None caÌ„ be buried but they wyll haue a fliese Not three monethes before the beginning of this preseÌ„t ParliameÌ„t I had iust occasion to be at the paymeÌ„t of this dutie for the buriyng of an honest pore maÌ„ whose freÌ„des were wylling to haue his body reuerendly laied in the ground according to the custome gaue warninge to the curate that they woulde brynge the deade body to the churche desiryng him that he would do his dutie and to be there to receyue it and accordyng to the custome to laye it in the grounde But thys Rauen smellyng the carion coulde not but reueile it to the other carion byrdes of the same church and so woulde needes come all together in a flocke to fetche theyr praye wyth crosse and holy water as they were wonte to do notwythstandynge the Kynges Iniunctions and late visitation The frendes of the deade man refused al thys and required to haue no more but the coÌ„mune
wyllyng to sell theyr possessions and geue the price therof to be commune to al the faythful beleuers Take me not here that I shoulde go about by these wordes to perswade men to make all thinges cōmune for if you do you mistake me For I take God to wytnes I meane no such thyng But with all myne hert I woulde wysh that no mā were suffered to eate but such as would laboure in theyr vocation and callyng accordynge to the rule that Paule gaue to the Thessalonians 2 Thes 3 But yet I woulde wysh that the possessioners woulde consyder whoe gaue them theyr possessions and howe they ought to bestowe them And then I doubt not it shoulde not nede to haue all thynges made commune ☞ For what nedeth it the seruauntes of the householde to desyre to haue theyr maysters goodes cōmune so longe as the stuarde ministreth vnto euery man the thinge that is nedefull for hym ☞ If the possessioners woulde consyder thē selues to be but stuardes and not Lordes ouer theyr possessions thys oppression woulde sone be redressed But so longe as thys perswasion styketh in theyr myndes It is myne owne Whoe shal warne me to do wyth myne owne as me selfe lysteth it shall not bee possible to haue any redresse at all For if I may do wyth myne owne as me lysteth then maye I suffer my brother hys wyfe and hys chyldrene to lye in the strete excepte he wyll geue me more rent for myne house thē euer he shal be able to paye Then may I take his goods for that he oweth me and kepe his body in prison tournyng out his wyfe and chyldren to perishe if God wyll not moue some mans herte to pittie them and yet kepe my coffers full of goulde and syluer ☞ If ther were no god then would I think it leafull for men to vse their possessiōs as thei liste Or if God woulde not requitre an accōpt of vs for the bestoweynge of them I woulde not greately gaynsaye thoughe they toke theyr pleasure of them whylse they lyued here But forasmuch as we haue a God and he hath declared vnto vs by the scripturs that he hath made the possessioners but Stuardes of his ryches and that he wyl holde a streyght accompt with them for the occupiynge and bestoweynge of them I thynke no christian ears can abyde to heare that more then Turkysh opinion ☞ The Philosophers who knewe nothyng of the bonde of frendshippe which Christe our mayster and redemer lefte amonge vs affirmed that among frēdes al thinges are cōmune meaneyng that frendshippe woulde not suffer one frende to holde frome an other the thinge that he hath neede of And what shal we saye Are we not frēdes Suerly if we be not frendes wee beare the name of Christe and bee called christians in vayne Yea if wee haue not a more perfecte frendeshyppe then that whereof the Philosophers speake wee are but fayned christians we beare the name onely and are no thynge lesse in dede For this is the token that Christe gaue whereby wee shoulde be knowen to be of him Iohn 13. if we loue one an other as he loued vs. Howe he loued vs is declared by the wordes of the Apostle sayinge Ephes 5. that Christe gaue hym selfe for vs. Accordynge to thys exemple ought our frendshyp to be such that we wyll not spare to spende our lyfe for the welth of our brothers Not to fyght in theyr quarell for Christe bade Peter put vp the swerde into his place but to teach the truth boldly with out any feare of death and not to suffer oure brothers to bee led in erroure thoughe presente death shoulde insue for so doynge Some perchaunce wyll thynke that this frēdshyp is to be vnderstande onely of the pastors and shepherdes towarde theyr flocke because Christ sayth that a good shepherde geueth his lyfe for his shepe Iohn 10. Forsoeth if the pastours or shepeherdes onely were the flocke of Christe then myght thys frendeshyp ryght well be vnderstanded of them onely But for asmuch as the Laie and priuate persons are as wel of the flocke of Christe as the other thys frendeshyp parteineth vnto them nolesse then to the other And thys causeth me moste worthy counsaylours not to feare the displeasure of men in this behalfe knoweynge for certentie that the greateste numbre of thys assemble are not free from this oppression that I speak of and that it is farre vnlyke that a priuate persone by no meanes worthy to be called to suche an assemble shoulde be fauourably hearde and accepted of them whom God hath called to be counsaylours of a realme and chiefly in a cause taxyng blameyng the Iudges before whom it is pleaded I might well coniecte wyth my selfe that I shoulde in this poynte be compted a busy body and one that renneth before he is sent But I am redi to suffer not onli al such report but euen the verye death also if it shall please the almightie and euerlyueynge God to laye it vpon me for youre sakes moste worthy counsailours and the residue my natural brothers of this noble realme ☞ And here I proteste vnto you all that the same spirite that sent Ionas to the Niniuits Daniel to the Babilonians Nathan to Kyng Dauid Achior vnto Holofernes Iudith vnto the Priestes and Elders of the Iewes the prophete to Ieroboam in Bethel Iohn the Baptist vnto Herode and Christ vnto the Iewes-wytnesseth wyth my conscience Esai 58. that I renne not vnsent For euē the same spirite that sayd vnto Esaye crye and cease not declare vnto my people theyr wyckednes cryeth also in my conscience bydyng me not spare to tell the possessioners of thys realme that vnlesse they repente the oppression wherewyth they vexe the pore cōmōs and shew thēselues thorough loue to be brothers of one father membres of one body wyth them they shal not at the laste daye enherite wyth them the kingdome of Christ the eldest sonne of God the father whych hath by his worde begotten hym many brothers coheritours is hys kingdom Vnlesse I saye the possessioners of thys realme wyl repent the violence don to the poore and nedy mēbres of the same and become as handes ministring vnto euery membre his necessaryes they shall at the daye of theyr accompt be bound hand and fote and cast into vtter darknes wher shal be wepyng wealyng and gnashyng of teach that is dolour and yayne the greatnes wherof canne not be expressed wyth tonge nor thought wyth herte And thys much more sayeth the spirite Vnlesse ye purge your selues of thys bloude stop the mouthes of the pore that the voyce of theyr complaynt come not vnto mine eares I wyll not prospere your counsayles in the reformaciō of those abhominaciōs which I shewed vnto you but wyll leaue you to the spirite of errour the prince of thys worlde whose dearlinges ye are so longe as ye seke not the welth of the nedy but your owne priuate commoditye These thynges