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
almoste the same wordes sayeng that nether the brother that lyueth nor any other of the kynred maye mary her that was betrouthed vnto the brother or kynsman that is departed Prynce Arthur dyd not only betrouth the Quenes mother but also mary her and lye with her therfore by these men it was not lawfull for his brother afterward to mary her In the .vii. Chapter Concilij Aureliani thys lawe was made by the church concernyng the mariyng of the brothers wyfe Frater superstes ne thorum defuncti fratris ascendat Let not the brother go vp in to the bedde of hys brother that is departed It is also wrytten thus of the same mater in an other counsel called Concilium Neocaesariense in the secōd Chapter Mulier si duobus fratribus nupserit abijciatur vsque ad mortem Yf a womā be maryed vnto two brethren let her be caste away vntyl her death Nowe maye ye se whether it be safe to leaue the wrytten worde of God and to truste vpon the traditioners catholyke churche or no whyche yf men wolde gyue credit to thē shulde they beleue that kynge Henry the eyghtes mariage wyth Katherine the Quenes mother was vnlawfull and that our Quene were a a bastarde But ye that are ryght shapen gentlemen and not vayne braggers of nobilite I truste wyll folowe the ryght and true christian gentlemē wherof Luke maketh mencion in the xvii Chapter of the Actes in these wordes Hi erant summo genere nati inter cos qui erant thessalonicae qui receperūt sermo nem cum omni animi promptitudine quotidie scrutantes scripturas an hec ita se haberent These were of a noble byrth or of the chefest of the nobilitie amongest thē that were in Thessalonica Act. 17. whyche cherefully or wyth all redynes of mynde receyued the worde and serched daylye the scripture whether these thynges were so or no that is whether Paules doctrine and saynges were agreynge wyth the scripture or no. Nowe as many as wyll be in dede it that they ar called that is ryght noble men and gentlemē let them folowe these ryght christiā gentlemen and take them for a patron to folowe and then shall they be able to gyue ryght iudgement in matters of religion that are at thys tyme in controuersie But yf they wyll not folowe these gentlemē but wyll be wylfully blynde and suffer them selues to be led whether so euer it shall please theyr blynde guydes to leade them they may as well tary at home as come to the parlament house to syt there except they wyll other slepe or elles tel the cloke whylse learned men dispute the maters that are in contention as I haue sene some gentlemen of the fyrst head do when I was a burgesie of late of the lower house Yf that it perteyned not to gentleman by the reason of hys office to be learned yet it were expedient for the honour honestie of the realme that gentlemē shulde be learned For whē as ether embassadours beyng learned gentlemen come into Englande or Englyshe gentlemen go as embassadours vnto Emperours kynges or other noble and learned gentlemē into straunge landes yf our noble men be learned iit shall turne to the honour of the hole realme but yf they be vnlearned the straungers wyl reken vs al to be brute beastes when as our heades are so brutyshe and vnlearned Aboute .xiii. yeares ago it chaunsed that I was in Callice and whylse I was there the prince of Salerne came thether out of Italy wyth many noble gentlemen At that tyme two Englyshe cōmissioners were sente thether to scoure the towne of traytours And no depute as yet appointed nor beyng there these two Englyshe commissioners muste welcome the prince and his nobles that cam wyth him and when as the gentleman spake fyrst Italian vnto oure men afterwardes latin and as farre as I remember frenche to oure gentlemē coulde not speake one worde againe to them in any of those .iii. tonges The one was an Erle and the other a knyght Whē as they shuld walke together because oure Erle wolde shewe the straunger a caste of Englyshe curtesye when the straunger wolde haue geuen the honoure and hygher hande vnto hym he cryed stylle thynkyng that he behaued hym selfe Erlely and gentlemanly nothyng els but by goddes body I wyl not by goddes body I wyl not by goddes body I wyll not as thoughe hys gentlemanship had standē in great sweryng Was not thys a great shame vnto all Englande that there was no better choyse in Englande but that suche two must be sent forth whych were so vnlearned and namely vnto such a place as straungers of all nations and of all degrees cōmonly resorte vnto Nowe haue I proued by mannes learnyng goddes holy worde and by natural reason that it belongeth vnto al princes gouernores and noble men to be learned and by the holy scripture that the office of a prince or of any other gouernor is to sette forth goddes true religiō to destroy false and conterfet religion to exercise iustice and iudgement and to defende the innocent and to ponyshe the mysdoers But the moste parte of the noble men and gentlemen in Englande is not learned and doth not this theyr office which God hath appointed them Therfore it foloweth that the moste parte of the nobles and gentlemen of Englande is syck For I haue proued before that he is syck that can not do his natural office or worke whych nature hath appointed him to do or worke Let vs nowe se what diseases they be that hynder the nobilite to do theyr office and dutye that they are called to ¶ Of the hole Palsey or numnes thorowe all the bodye SOme of the nobilitie as far as I can gather are syck in the apoplexia that is a disease that maketh al the hole body num and wythout felyng speakyng They that are sycke in thys disease are also called taken Some call this disease a Palsey but a palsey is properlye in the one syde when as thys sycknes is ouer al the bodye It that is the numnes in a naturall body is vnlearnednes in the polityke body of the nobilitie For as he that hath the hole palsey can fele nothynge nor speake any thynge hym selfe and can not go but where as he is caryed of other so an vnlearned gentleman that hathe no learning nor knowlege himself but trusteth onely to other mennes learnynge is caryed of hys counsel be it good or bad whether it shal please them is syck in a spiritual Palsey As there is no more myserable disease in a mannes body then a palsey is for he that hath it is as it wer a lyuyng carion and maketh al his frendes wery of hym and cā do nothynge that belongeth vnto a man so in the politike body of a gētlemā vnlearned is an vnprofitable burden of the earthe and is in no parte able to do the office that belōgeth vnto a gētlemā therfore hath nomore of
Abbattes and Byshoppes by simony but the story telleth that thys was the cause He wolde not alowe the Popes doyng and therfore was thryse acursed of the Pope and therfore the chylder coulde not suffer hym to reygne whome theyr father hated The byshop canones and prebendaries of Colon vpon a tyme assayed to brynge all the hole cytie in to theyr bondage For in the yeare of our Lorde .1074 as the hystorye sayeth Episcopus aliquod sibi vsurpauit in vrbe dominum ciuium abutens officio The byshop toke vnto hym vnlawfullye certayne gouerment or lordshippe in the cytie and wrōgfully occupied the office of the cytizenes at whyche tyme it chaunced that a certayne cytizen had a ship whyche the byshop wolde haue taken awaye by force but he wythstode the byshop and gathered the cytie on hys syde The bisshop perceyuyng that the citizenes wolde ryse agaynst hym made a longe sermone vnto the citizens wherein he threatned goddes curse vnto all those that toke parte wyth the forsayd cytizen The citizens beyng sore greued wyth hys vndiscre◠sermone at nyght after folowynge altogether rose vp against the bysshop and burst into the bisshoppes pallace slue diuers there but the bishop fled to Nuice wher as he gathered a great hood and set sodenly vpon the cytie and suffered his soudiers to spoile the cytie and as many as they coulde get they ether cut of theyr heades or put out theyr eyes and so he brought the cytie into hys bondage But afterward the Coleners delyuered them selues from that bōdage And in the yeare of our Lorde .1260 the byshop went about ones agayne to bryng the cytie into bōdage but the cytizes marked him wel and disapointed hym At length for all that two canones had the borow maister to dyner and when he came the canones bad hym go into a fayre chamber Merke the canones of Colones banket wherin was a hongrye Lyon and as sone as he was in they clapte to the dore and let the lyon do wyth the borow maister what he coulde But the borow maister put hys left hande into the lyons throte and wyth the other hande toke out hys dagger and killed the lyon and wythin few dayes after he hanged harde by the cathedral churche the two canones But after that rose suche stryfe amonge them and the byshop that it coulde not be ended vntyll the cytezens wan theyr lyberte wyth the swerde The byshop of Luke in the yeare of oure Lorde .1460 was so desyrus of lordship ouer the cytie that when he coulde not win the cytie hym selfe he procured Charles duke of Burgondye to besege the cytie and when the cytezens sawe that they were not able to make theyr partye good they fell to intreat for peace but the byshop wolde not hear them therfore suffered hys cosin Charles to kyll .xl. thousande men and to drowne .xii. thousande women in the floud Mosa called the Mase Thys practise hath bene so common amonge the vnpreaching prelates of Germany that the Germaynes made thys ryme of theyr ambition and cruelnes The ryme of the germanes against the ambitiō of the clergie Monike nunnē vnd papen Segen rotten vnd apen Vliegē rupen vnd muse horen keuer vnd luse Dardi crygen di ouerhandt vorderuense stede vnd landt That is Mōkes nonnes and papes gotes rattes apes flies caterpillers and myse hores weueles and lyse where they get the ouerhand they destroy both cytie and lande But what nede I ferche exāples farre of out of strāge cuntres when as we haue so many at home reade the practise of prelates and there shal ye fynd what ambitius myndes they beare and how gladly they wold raygne ouer you Call to your remembraunce Thomas Wolsey the Cardinall and bysshop of York and hys handelyng of the nobilite in hys tyme. Loke nowe vpon youre lorde of Winchester your lorde Chaunceler youre lorde President of the counsel is not he a chykkē of the same cok Let al noble me take hede of this lordly pape betyme leste some of them whych can not abyde his vnbearable pryde haue suche a rewarde at hys handes as the duke of bockinggam had at hys father wolfes Wolsei hys hāde The remedy against these lepres biles scabbes scalles lumpes pokkes and cancres whych disbeuty dysgrace the face of the hole nobilite at thys tyme is to dryue these ydle ambitius byshoppes home to theyr bysshoprykes to cause them to preach Goddes worde there truely and to studye your owne selues nyght and daye to get learnyng and vntyl you may be lerned your selues to make good and honest ciuilianes and scripture learned cōmon lawyers and other learned me and no prestes in the meane tyme to be knyghtes and lordes coūsellers Iustices of peace chauncelers and presidentes of the marches and to take your owne of fices vpō you and do them your selues And after that ye be learned your selues ye maye not wythstandynge take as many as ye shal nede vnto you of these forsayd lawyers and learned men But holde in no wyse the bysshoppes from theyr pulpittes leste the vengeaunce of God fall both vpon you and them Vpon you for holdyng of them from doyng of theyr dutye vppon them for not doyng of theyr dutie Yf ye dryue these forsayd falsly named lordes and gentlemen out of your order company and wyll do your offices and duties in your owne persones as almyghtye God wolde haue you to do then shall ye haue iuste honour in thys worlde and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlastyng ¶ The prayer of the prophete Daniel conteyned in the .ix. chaptre of hys boke very necessary for thys troublesome tyme. VVe beseche the o Lorde thou great and fearfull god Baruch 1. that kepest couenāt and mercye wyth them whych loue thee kepe thy commaundementes We haue synned we haue offended We haue bene disobedient gone back yea we haue departed from all thy preceptes and iudgementes We wolde neuer folowe thy seruauntes the prophetes that spake in thy name to our kynges princes to oure fathers and to all the people of the lande Thrano 1. O Lorde ryghteousnes belongeth vnto thee vnto vs pertayneth nothynge but open shame as it is come to passe thys daye vnto euery mā of Iuda and to them that dwel at Hierusalem Yea vnto al Israel whether they be farre or nye thorow out all lādes wherin thou strowed them because of the offences that they had done against thee Yea O Lorde vnto vs to our kynges princes Psal 106 to oure fathers euen vnto vs al that haue offended thee belongeth open shame But vnto thee O Lorde our God perteyneth mercy forgyuenes As for vs we are gone backe from hym haue not obeyed the voyce of the lorde oure God to walke in hys lawes whych he layd before vs 2. Pet. 1. Zacha. 6. by hys seruaūtes the prophetes yea all Israel haue trāsgressed and gone backe from thy lawe so that they haue not herkened vnto thy voyce Deute 27 Leui. 26. Baruch 2 Wherfore the curse othe that is written in the lawe of Moises the seruaūt of God against whom we haue offended is powred vpon vs. And he hath perfourmed hys wordes whych he spake against vs agaynst our Iudges that iudged vs to brynge vpon vs suche a great plage as neuer was vnder heauen lyke as it is nowe come to passe in Hierusalem Yea all thys plage as it is wrytten in the lawe of Moises is come vppon vs yet made we not our prayer before the Lorde our God that we myght turne agayne from our wyckednes to be learned in the veritie Therfore hath the Lorde made haist to bring thys plage vpon vs for the Lorde our God is ryghteous in al his workes whyche he dothe for why Haruch 2 Exo. 12.13.14 we wolde not herken vnto hys voyce And nowe o Lorde our God thou that wyth a myghtye hande haiste brought thy people out of Egypte to get thy selfe a name whyche remayneth thys daye we haue synned o Lorde done wyckedly againste all thy ryghteousnes yet let thy wrathfull displeasure be turned awaye I beseche thee from thy cytie of Hierusalem thy holy hyll And why for oure synnes sake and for the wyckednes of our fathers is Hierusalem and thy people abhorred of al them that are aboute vs. Now therfore o our God hear the prayer of thy seruaunt and hys intercessiō O let thy face shyne ouer thy sanctuary that lyeth waste for the Lordes sake O my God inclyne thyne eare and herken at the leest for thyne owne sake Opē thyne eyes behold howe we be desolated Yea and the cytie also whyche is called after thy name for we do not cast our praiers before the in our owne righteousnes no but onelye in thy great mercies O Lorde heare O forgyue Lorde O Lorde cōsyder tary not ouer longe but for thyne owne sake do it O my God for thy cytie and thy people is called after thy name Amen God sende vs peace and quietnes in Christ and destroy the workes of Antechriste All good people saye AMEN ¶ Imprented at Rome by the vaticane churche by Marcus Antonius Constantius Otherwyse called thraso miles gloriosus
the .xix. Chapter of the fornamed boke wēt out vnto the people he sat not playeng at dice and cardes nor dalyeng wyth his maides at home in his chāber nether wente he out only to hūtynge or to se Bearbaytinges but he wente out vnto hys people from Barsabe vnto mount Ephraim and there he cōmaūded them not to pay vntollerable sūmes of money neither to returne vnto the lernynge that they their fathers were brought vp in from their tender yeres and as their fathers foūd taught exercised But he called them agayn vnto the Lorde God of their fathers And he ordeyned iuges of the lande in euery walled cytie thorow out al Iuda Thys good kynge this good noble and gentleman thought that it was hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to sende out preachers to preache the true worde of God and he dysdayned not to go abrode in visitacion hys owne selfe to call hys people agayne vnto the true God from the whyche they had departed and fallen awaye 2. par 29 and. 30 Ezechias the noble kynge whome the spirite of god so greatly cōmendeth rekened it to be one of the principal partes of his kynglye office to destroye all ydolatrye to purge the churche of God and to set for the wyth all diligence the true worde of God And yf thys good and vertuous gentlemā take it to be one of the principall partes of hys office to destroye false religion and to set forthe the ryght and true religion all that are ryghte gentle men and not ydoles and ymages of gentlemen wyll also reken it the principal parte of their office as far as their cōmission wyll serue them to destroye and to put downe ydolatrye and to set out to maynteyne the true religion of God and the ministers of the same All ye then that are ryght gentlemen hear what the holy scripture reporteth of thys noble gentleman Ezechias was .xxv. yeare olde when he entred into the kyngdome of Iuda he dyd it that was pleasaunt in the syght of God In the very fyrst yeare and first moneth of hys reygne he opened the dores of the Lordes house and he repayred them And he brought Leuites and sacrificers and he set them together in the Gast streate And he sayd vnto thē Heare me o Leuites and be you made holy make cleane the house of the Lorde God of youre fathers and take awaye al vnclennes out of the holy sanctuary He brake downe the hygh places burned the ymages and cut downe the groues and brake the brasen serpēt whych Moses made because the chyldren of Israel offered frankincense vnto it Ezechias also wrote epistles vnto al Israel and Iuda to Ephraim and Manasses that they shulde come vnto the house of the Lorde in Hierusalem and to kepe the solēne feast of the Passeouer there Certeyne spedy messengers were sent forthe into al Israel and Iuda wyth the kynges letters at the commaundement of the kynge and his nobilite proclamyng the contentes therof accordyng vnto the kynges cōmaūdement The summe of his letters was thys O ye chyldren of Israel returne vnto the Lorde God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel and he wyll returne vnto the remnauntes whych haue escaped out of the handes of the Assirians Be not ye lyke vnto youre fathers and brethren whyche ran awaye from the Lorde God of their fathers whyche therfore brought them vnto destruccion as ye se Gyue your handes vnto the Lorde and come vnto his sanctuary whych he hath hallowed for euer Serue the Lorde God of your fathers and the wrath of hys great indignacion shal be turned awaye from you c. Thus dyd the good kynge Ezechias thynke that it was the chief parte of his vocacion to destroye ydolatrye and to set forth the true religion The noble and vertuous gentleman kyng Iosias who as the holye worde of God beareth wytnesse dyd it that was ryghte in syght of the Lord and walked in the wayes of hys father Dauid and nether bowed to the ryght hande nor lefte hande toke it to be the moste principall parte of hys office to destroye ydolatrye and to set forthe and to promote the true religion and worde of God And therfore when as he was but a boye of xvi yeres of age As the .xxxiii. Chapter of the second boke of Paralipomenō wytnesseth began to seke the God of his father Dauid and in the twelft yeare of hys reygne that is when he was but twentye yeare olde for he began to reygne whē he was but .viii. yeare olde he clensed Iuda Hierusalem from the hygh places and groues from caste ymages and graued ymages And they destroyed before hym the aulters of Baal and they destroyed the ymages that was set aboue He cut also downe the grauen ymages and the groues and brake them in peces he scattered and strowed the peces vpon the graues of them that had wont to offer And burnt all the sacrificing preestes bones vpon the alters of the ydolles he made cleane Iuda and Hierusalem But also in the cyties of Manasses Ephraim Simeō vnto Nepthalim he destroyed al suche thynges And when he had broken downe the alters the groues and had broken the grauen ymages into peces and had pulled downe al the temples of false goddes in Israel he returned to Hierusalem And in the .xviii. yeare of his reigne when as he was but .xxvi. yeare olde when as the lande was clenged and the temple made clene he sent certayne of his seruauntes to repaire the house of the Lorde his God 2. par 34. And whyles they were aboute that busines Helkias the hyghe sacrificer or preest founde the boke of the lawe whyche was geuen by the hande of Moses in the house of the Lorde and he gaue it vnto Sapha the secretary and the secretary brought it vnto the Kinge and red it before them After that the kynge had hearde the wordes of the lawe he rent hys clothes and commaunded Helkia and diuers other sayeng go your wayes praye vnto the Lorde for me and for the remnant of Israel and Iuda for all the wordes of thys boke that is founde For the hyghe displeasure and angre of almyghtye God hath ben poured vpon vs for not kepynge all the wordes that are contayned in the boke that is founde Then what blynde madnes is it to cōmende gouerners and rulers whyche saye that God hath poured hys vengeaunce vpon vs because we haue not kepte vnwritten tradicions of man I muste nowe my lordes and maisters are you a question as it becommeth the Phisicion to do wyth his patientes and it is thys Yf it had not belōged vnto the kynge and had not bene hys office to se the worde of God set forth that al the people myght read it heare it What nedeth he to haue rent hys clothes what should he haue neded to desyre the hygh preest or sacrificer with other to praye for hym and to sende to a prophetise to
a gētlemā thē a paynted ymage hath of a man The palsey in a natural body cōmeth of colde tough humores whyche are ingendred in the heade by often dronkennes and to muche excesse of meate drynke Yf the age the tyme of the yere and the strength of the patient wyll abyde it the letting of bloud in the begynnyng is very good for the healynge of thys disease but yf it be differred to longe thē is the disease incurable Euē so the spiritual hole palsey ignoraunce when as yonge gētlemen in theyr youth begyn to loyter wyl not learne but wyll rūne a huntyng and haukynge when as they shulde be at theyr booke they muste be let bloude oft tymes in the buttokes for the noble spiritual phisicion Salomon in the .xxii. of the Prouerbes teacheth vs thys remedie against the spiritual palsey Pro. 22. and the recepte of it is thys Stultitia colligata est in corde pueri virga disciplinae fugabit cam Folyshnes or vnlearnednes is bounde together in the harte of a boy but the rode of correction wyll driue it awaye Yf that the disease be so great that nether wordes nor herbes be able to heale it thē we muste accordyng vnto the greatnes of the disease vse remedies made of greater thynges Therfore thys receyte that I wyll apoynte wyll be verye good both to auoyde the disease and to dryue it away after that it hath ben taken of a chylde Recipe virgarum betulce aut salicis manipulum vnum quotidie pueri natibus adhibeatur ad sanguinis vsque effusionem donec conualuerit Plus millies me dicamentū hoc efficax esse probatum est And Salomon in the .23 Pro. 23. of hys Prouerbes sayeth playnlye that thys remedye can not hurte any chylde Noli sayeth he subtrahere a puero disciplinam c. Take not awaye correccion frō a chylde for yf thou beate hym with a rode he shal not dye Thou shalte beate hym wyth a rod thou shalte delyuer hys soule from hel The rod and correction gyue wysedome but the chylde that is suffred to haue his owne wyl shal shame hys mother Thus far Salomon yf this disease be ones healed in the nobilite it shall be the easyer to heale al other diseases whych they haue are in daunger of They that are disposed vnto this dysease or haue it muste vomit out the opinion that the parasites holde that gentlemē nede not to be learned they muste absteyne from to muche wyne and from al excesse of meate and drynke and then by the grace of God they shal be hole Yf thys physyke had ben wel practised L. yeares ago ther had not bene so many sycke in thys palsey as nowe are And they that now for age and by the oldnesse of the sycknesse are incurable myght haue bene easelye holpen But seyng the olde palsey can not be holpen by mannes physyke let vs carye with our prayers al olde ignoraunt men vnto Christ that he may make them fele hys truth and speak of his worde to the glory of God almyghty ¶ Of the Dropsye I Se so manye tokens in many gentlemen in Englande of the dropsie that I muste nedes thinke that there are many gētlemen sycke in that syckenes The cōmon tokēs of all the .iii. dropsies are these To be swelled puffed vp wyth wynde and water and to be excedyng thursty The fyrste kynde called Anasarca is almoste of hole water The seconde kynde called Ascitis is of two partes water and one parte wynde The thyrde parte called Timpanitis is of two partes wynde one of water as some phisicians holde The nobilitie in my tyme haue swelled so muche that nether theyr owne clothes whyche they had wonte to weare nor theyr fathers clothes whych was as byg men as these be wyll not holde thē but they muste haue bygger clothes and more costly garmentes Some swell so great that they can not be content wyth theyr fathers houses whych were as great men as these be for theyr fathers house wyll not holde thē for they bylde wyder houses and mo then theyr fathers dyd for one or two wyll not holde them And some swel so great that all the houses that theyr fathers and they haue buylded wyll not holde them but they muste also haue byshoppes houses and deanes houses parsons houses vicares houses and poore beggers houses called hospitalles And yet they swell so great that all these wyll not holde thē except they amende their maners vntyll they come to hell There is a place greate ynoughe for suche as can neuer get place enoughe for them but eyther by crafte or by compulsion or by frayng of their inferiors or by vnshamefast begging get theyr places and houses from them The other kynde of cōmon tokens that the watersyke haue is an excedyng greate thyrst and so greate that the more they drynke the more they desyre to drynke no drynke is able to quenche their thyrst Suche a thirst haue some of the nobilitie nowe suche one hath some had of late wherfore the nobilite hath now hath had the dropsy Some hauynge landes of theyr owne to lyue on haue peltyngly gone about from courte to court biynge fermes and bargaynes and ouerbyddyng al mē so that pere mē cā get no resonable price of ani ferme or bargaine for thē Sōe are so thirstye of fermes and namely of benefyces that they snatch vp all the reuersions that can be had in a countre though the fermers haue yet .xl. or .l. yeares to come There is one knyght that hathe ten benefices in one shere in hys handes and an other hath .xxii. as credible persones haue tolde me Some are so thyrsty for the fermes of vicarages parsonages that they bagge or bye the aduousons of them of the patrones as soone as they fall they wyll lette none haue the benefice but suche as wyl let them the benefice to ferme wyth house and lande and tythes wyth all that belongeth therto Other drinke vp the glebe lande let the reste alone Some haue by brybery simony and other vnlawful wayes robbed many a poore paryshe in Englande of their parsonages and persones and haue dronkē vp quyte the parsonages for them their heyres for euer wherwyth the churche of Christe had wonte to be fed both bodely and goostly Some newe gentlemen haue dronken vp not onely a great part of byshoppes landes but also haue dronken vp diuers churcheyardes hospitalles chapelles and chauntries to patche and cloute vp theyr lyuynges wyth all because their father lefte them neuer a foote of lande One of the nobilite lawe of late yeares a prety churche wyth a good large churche yarde the same was lorde of the towne there and he desyred the paryshe that they wolde lette hym haue the churche and churchyard promysing them a newe church a new church yarde in an other place the poore tenauntes durste not saye hym naye because he was theyr lorde In
the meane season he lent the paryshe a foule euell fauored hole an ende of an olde abbey very strayt narow euell couered and euery daye lyke to fal vpō the poore peoples heades and as for other churche the poore people cā get none vnto thys houre Where is there any good parsonage in Englande but it is ether bought and dronken vp of some gentlemen or els is let to ferme to some gentleman As wyth great honesty and prayse the noble mennes seruauntes had wont to come home to theyr maisters houses wyth hares wylde cattes foxes vpon their backes so wyth muche shame they come wyth tythe pygges by theyr tayles wyth tythe egges and tythe hemp and flaxe Well they that cam from the donghyl muste go thether agayne Nature wyll out although it be holden in wyth forke a whyle as the dauncyng of the ape doth testefye in Esopes fables whych daūced wel vntyl the nuttes were castē abrode in the floure In dede I fynde this dropsy for the moste part alwayes in the crowish stert vppes Crowish stert vp and not so muche in the ryght and olde nobilitie How be it euen some of the stocke of the olde nobilitie haue growen and gone out of kynde and are also sycke in thys common sycknes There was an erle wythin these fewe yeares that had lande good enoughe coulde not quenche hys thyrst therwyth vntyl he had gotten one of the greatest deanryes in Englande and so was made my Lorde deane also But he left to hys successours the lādes vndiminshed and therfore dyd muche better then he shoulde haue done yf he had takē the Deanerye quyte awaye into his owne handes for euer for hym and his heyres Some haue bene so thirsti of late that they drank vp not onlye hole comones and great fyldes but also the very hyghe wayes and the foule puddels in them A certayne felowe of mine which had ben lōge from hys frendes gat leue to go to them and went thetherwarde but when he came wythin a litle of hys fathers house he could fynd no way a lōge tyme into his fathers house the thirsty gentleman had so dronk vp al the hygh wayes there Some haue dronke vp of late hole riuers and meres and fennes whych had wont to be common and wyl not suffer a mā to angle therin nether any man to put a veast there but let them to ferme Some when as they haue dronken vp as muche of the cōmones of abbey landes of byshoppes landes of deanes landes of persones lādes and of beggers landes I meane of hospitalles as wolde serue .iiii. as honest and as honorable men as they be yet for to spare theyr owne drynke at home are not ashamed to begge drynke of suche poore mē as I am When as I had but .74 lib. to spende in the yeare my fyrst frutes yet vnpayd And yet they neuer gaue me a cup of ale vndeserued ī al their lyues I haue yet copies of theyr begging letters here in germany to be witnesses of their shameles beggynge I wolde there were some acte of parlament made agaynst suche valiāt beggers whiche vexe poore men as I was much worse then the lousye beggers do Honest gentlemen that are not syke in the dropsye when as they are verye thyrstye and entre into a cytie they do not lyght and drynke in the fyrst alehouse that they se in the cytie but for sauyng of theyr honestye differ to drynke vntyl they come into an honest in there they drinke as muche as they nede but no more He that is an honeste gentleman wyll leuer suffer great honger and thyrst at home then to earne drinke in the market with sellyng of coles or bere or of bullockes of plowes of shepe or of shepes dōge or of pisse or of suche like vile thinges as some haue done do at thys tyme wyth shame enough yf they were not past shame Buth suche gentlymē as the dropsye hath taken awaye theyr honestye shamefacednesse frō them that they care not howe they get drinke whether it be wyth honour or shame so that they maye haue it while as some gentlemen yea some Knightes and lordes do nowe in Englande not be ashamed to sell oxen shepe bere corne mele malt coles thynges muche vyler then these be Nowe it is euident that there are many of the nobilitie of Englande sycke in the spiritual dropsye let vs se whether it is any perilus disease or no. This dropsye is a disease very harde to heale and kylleth many a man and woman and it bryngeth not onely death of bothe bodye and soule but in the lyfe tyme mocketh men and bryngeth men into false opiniōs The holy scripture sayeth that the spirituall dropsy bryngeth death and euerlastyng damnacion as Paule .i. Corin .vi. 1. Cor. 6 wytnesseth in these wordes Nether theues nether couetous men nether dronkerdes nether cursed speakers where extorcioners or rauen ous men shall haue the heritage of the kyngdome of God He that is syke in the dropsye thynketh that plentye of drynke shall helpe hys disease and that hys drynke shal be turned into bloude and that he shal be noryshed therwyth So is it also in the dropsy that our gentlemen are sycke in They thynke that in heapyng together of muche golde and syluer in gettynge of many fermes in gettynge of many benefyces that their gredye appetite shall therwyth be quenched but they are deceyued For the noble poetes in these verses folowyng affirme the contrary Crescit amor nūmi quamtum ipsa pecunia crescit Quanto plura parasti tanto plura cupis Semper auarus eget quare quia competit vsus Tangere parta timet cur ne minuatur aceruus At primum scelerem matrem quae semper habendo Plus sitiens patulis runatur faucibus aurum Trudis auaritiam Crescit indugeirs sibi dirus hydrops Nec sitim pellit nisi causa morbi Fugerit venis aquosus albo corpore langor The loue of the peny groweth as muche as the pkny groweth The more thynges that thou haste gottē the more thou desyrest A couetous man is euer nedy and why the vse requyreth he is afrayed to touche that whych he hath gotten why because that his heape should not be mynished or made lesse But fyrst thou thurstest downe couettousnes the mother of myschiefe whyche the more it hathe the more golde it gapeth for wyth open iawes and is more thyrsty The cruel dropsye fauourynge it selfe to muche can not put awaye thyrste excepte the cause of the syknes flye out of the veynes the wattery siknes leue the pale body The preacher in the .v. Eccle. 5. cha cōfirmeth the same that the poetes haue sayd A couetous man sayeth he wyll neuer be fylled wyth mony Furthermore as in the bodely dropsye the great plentye of drynke is not turned into bloud nether into any good noryshment of the body but is turned all into water and wynde and the body is neuer
praesenti seculo ne sitis elato animo neque spem ponite in diuitijs incertis sed in Deo viuente qui praebet nobis omnia affatim ad fruendum Benefacite vt diuites sitis bonis operibus Estote faciles ad impertiendum libenter communicantes recondentes vobis ipsis fundamentum bonum in posterum Psa 39. vt apprehendatis vitam eternam Spera in Domino fac bonitatem inhabita terram pasceris in diuitijs eius Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitionem tuam Nouit Dominus dies immaculatorum hereditas eorum in aeternum erit Inimici vero Domini mox vt honorificati sunt exaltati deficientes quemadmodum fumus deficient Iunior fui Psa 36. senui non vidi iustum derelictum nec semen eius querens panem Psa 118 Iniusti puni entur semen impiorum peribit Inclina cor meum in testimonia tua non in auaritiam I haue wrytten thys in latin for theyr sake that had leuer read their confortatiue and diet in latin then in Englyshe But yf I shoulde leue thys latine not turned into English I wolde be aferde that some vnlearned persones shulde abuse thys my wrytyng as the Popyshe sacrificeyng prestes and the coÌ„mon popyshe sorte of the vnlearned people abuse the physicke of Christ written in latin For when as Christ had made many noble medecines against dyuers diseases and the Apostles and Euangelistes had written the same in Greke and learned men hadde turned them out of Greke into latin some of the coÌ„mon people beleuyng that Christes medicines was very good desyred the prestes to reade vnto them Christes preparatiues purgations confortatiues and diet to their comforte and for the same cause they came euery sondaye vnto the churche But the Popyshe prestes rede ouer the sicke ê‘sons heades Christes aboue named medicines iÌ„ latin as though the bare redynge of the phisicians byll in a straunge tonge shulde helpe the syck men when as they vnderstande neuer one worde thereof And the same prestes nether taught the people howe they sholde vse theyr preparatiue nether theyr purgation nor confortatiue nether dyd they declare what diet the people shulde holde but read the diet other medicines in a strauÌ„ge tonge I wyll therfore make my hole counsell and my other medicines in Englyshe for them that vnderstande no latin and yet I counself them that are sycke in thys disease when as I couÌ„sell them that they daylye reade thys confortatiue and preseruatiue that they loke for no helpe of the only readynge of them but that they shoulde do those thynges that are wrytten not onely heare them or se them or saye them but also order theyr lyfe according vnto the coÌ„fortatiue the foreappointed diet The sonne of maÌ„ came to seke out and to saue that which was lost I came not to call the ryghteous but synners vnto repentaunce Repente you for the kyngdome of heauen is at hande Come vnto me all ye that labour and are ladeÌ„ and I shal refreshe you So God loued the worlde that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne that all whych beleue in hym sholde not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge I wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he conuert and lyue The preseruatiue Thou shalt not desire thy brothers wyfe nor hys house nor hys lande nor hys seruauÌ„t nor hys mayde nor hys oxe nor his asse nor any thynge that is hys Be ye not carefull what ye shal eate nor what ye shal drynke or wherwyth ye shal be clothed Fyrst seke the kyngdome of God and the righteousnes therof al these thinges shal be gyuen you The Lorde shall not suffer the soule of the ryghteous to be greued wyth honger The yonge Lyons are greues wyth penurye and honger but they that searche out the Lorde shall lake nothyng that is good When thou shalte be made a kynge thou shalte not purchace vnto thee many horses thou shalte not haue many wyues nether exceadynge greate weyght of golde and syluer A ryghteous kynge setteth vp the laÌ„de but a couetus man destroyeth it Extreme pouerty nor great ryches gyue not vnto me giue me necessary thinges for my lyuyng leste paraduenture I beyng fylled shal be intysed vnto the deniyng of thee and saye who is the Lorde or I beynge compelled wyth pouerty shulde stele forswere the name of my Lorde God i. timo vi 1. tim 6 Seperate thy selfe from those whyche thynke gaynes to be godlynes for godlynes is great vauÌ„tage when a man is content in hys owne mynde for we brought nothyng into the world nether we can cary any thynge out therof but hauyng sufficient fode and clothynge let vs be content therwyth for those that wyll be ryche entre into many temtacions and snares and wycked desyres folyshe and hurtfull whyche drowne men cast them into death daunger and destruction For couetousnes is the roote of all euell You that are riche in this present world be not of an hyghe mynde 1. tim 6 and put not your hope in vncerteine riches but in the lyuyng God whych shall gyue you all thynges plenteously to inioye them Do you well that ye maye be ryche in good workes Be you easy to distribute gladly giuing parte layeng vp for your selues a good foundacion agaynst the tyme to come that ye maye take holde of euerlastyng lyfe Psal 37. Psal 37 Trust in the Lorde and do good and dwel vpon the earth and thou shalt be fed in the ryches of it Delyte or trust in the Lorde and he shall gyue the thy desyre The Lorde knoweth the dayes of the vndefyled and theyr inheritaunce shal be euerlastyng But the enemyes of the Lorde streyght way as they be honored and set vp they fadynge awaye do vanyshe as the smoke I was yonge and am olde and I haue not sene the ryghteous forsaken nor theyr sede beggynge their breade The vngodlye shal be ponyshed and the sede of the wicked shall peryshe Moue my harte vnto thy wytnesses and not vnto couetousnes So farre the preseruatiue After that they be ones perfytly healed they muste not onely vse thys foresayd dyet but they muste also exercise them selues leste they by to muche reste fall into theyr sycknes agayne For thys diet that I haue prescribed after Goddes phisik wyl not helpe except they be exercised in some good workes for the spirite of God sayeth Psal 33. declina a malo fac bonum flie euel do good But your chiefe exercyse shall stande in goynge walkynge and runnyng Exercise ye muste rune wyth Dauid Psal 118 which sayd viam manda torum tuorum cucurri I haue runne the waye of thy coÌ„maundementes ye muste also walke as Dauid sayeth in lege Domini in the lawe of the Lord and ye muste go as the same prophet sayd a virtute in virtutem from one vertue to another Althoughe there be many vertues wherein a