Christe hymselfe Let there be one rome for honest plowmen artificers other straungers vnder the degre of gentleman let some nombre of meses of meate be also prouided acustomably euery day for these Yf there coÌ„e no straungers gyue thys meate vnto the poore neyghbours and labourers in the village or towne next by These ones done ye maye make your freÌ„des and al maner of honest gentlemen suche chere as your conscience shall counsell you as your landes wyl be able to beare suche expenses Yf that ye be disposed to kepe ryght and christian hospitalite ye muste kepe it as I haue tolde you or els your liberalitie wyl not be alowed for liberalitie of almyghtye God Yf that ye wyll be perfyt in lyberalitie ye muste haue some to go before you to leade you the way for we are all blynde of nature of whoÌ„ ye maye learne to go a good pace in the hyghe waye of liberalite that ye nether fall into the way of couetousnes nor of prodigalite 3. gydes There are iii. gydes whyche yf ye wyll folowe ye shal not misse but fynde the hygh waye Nature good men both vnder the law of nature and vnder the law of God God hym self Of the whych coÌ„meth bothe the lyberalitie that nature teacheth and lyberall men haue exercised and do exercise They that wryte of the nature of the ryght egle saye that when he hath gotten a good pray and hath tasted a lytle of the best of it he cryeth and calleth other byrdes to hym and letteth them eat wyth hym After the same maner sparrowes goldfynches lynettes and suche smale byrdes that flye by flokkes together yf they fynde any sedes that like them they cal other of the same kynde vnto them because they wolde not eat alone but haue coÌ„pany wyth them The Emperor Titê° vsed euery daye at the leste to do one good turne to some bodye Titus doynge yf at any tyme about nyght he perceyued that he had gyuen no rewarde that daye he was very sory Abraham and Lot called into their houses all that they sawe passe by and made theÌ„ good chere as the .xviii. Gen. 18 and .19 of Genesis and the .xix beare wytnes Ezechias gaue vnto the people when they came vnto Ierusalem to worship God there and to kepe theyr Passeouer to the Lord 2. par 30 a thousande oxen and .vii. thousand shepe and the noble meÌ„ gaue them a thousande oxen and ten thousand shepe Here was a ryghte scripture man and an ymage breaker and his gentlemen were also ryght scripture men I wolde se when as any vnlearned blynde traditioner that was vnlearned in the scripture dyd euer gyue hys commons any suche gyftes as thys scripture learned kynge and hys gentlemen gaue vnto hys commons because he and they woulde haue the people continue in the lawe of God and in hys seruyce whyche he appointed them In my tyme one kynge at one parlament tyme to make men the sonner to embrace Goddes religion whych he toke in hande to set forth tokeÌ„ awaye frome the commones and frome the gentlemen muche aboue the value of a thowsande oxen and .vii. thousande shepe but I haue not herd muche of it that he gaue at any time vnto the coÌ„mons to make them embrace theyr newe and trewe religion All ye that are ryght gentlemen and true gospellers folowe these noble gentlemen though ye can not ouertake them folowe them as nere as ye can and not the gredy gripes which hauing croked clawes euer receyue and neuer gyue any thynge Almyghtye God gyueth all thynge that all men and al lyuyng creatures in the world receyue and for all that he gyueth he receyueth nothynge sauynge a kynde herte and a thankfull The nobler that any prince is and the mightier and rycher the more nere he ought to be a folower of almighty God Who kepeth open houshold at all tymes and as well prouideth for flyes sparowes pisemiers and yonge rauenes as he dothe for olde goshaukes herones bustardes swaÌ„nes egles and great oxen As I haue set you these .iii. God nature good men to be folowed and to be your gydes because I wold ye werfully exercysed I wyll appoint you whome ye ought to flye and runne away froÌ„ for it beloÌ„geth vnto hym that wyl appoint a diet wel as diligently to tell what thynges oughte to be auoyded as what ought to be occupied Flie the water birdes Ye muste flye froÌ„ al kyndes of waterbyrdes whych exercise both the water and the lande that is from the couetus men that are both lay men and spiritual men as they are called and from all suche as can not be content wyth one sufficient vocacion or office but wyl haue many to the hynderaunce of theyr brethren Also ye muste absteyne from the horse leche from the Tyk froÌ„ the Sow and the Molde from the Heron. All these are to be eschued aboue all other beastes and byrdes Auoyde the horse leche The Horseleche and the Tyk haue mouthes to receiue blood and they tary stil in one place vntil they be full but they haue no place to auoyde it out agayne and so kepe it all to themselues A sow is alwayes amonge the dyrt and neuer dothe good vntyl she dye Then her puddynges and bagges go abrode and euery bodye of the house hathe hys parte of her For as longe as the Sow lyueth men nether haue mylke of her nor woll And for gredines soÌ„e time she eateth and worrieth vp her owne pigges as some gentlemen haue done whyche for mony haue solde their doughters awaye to pokky olde carles and theyr sonnes to yonge euel fauored meseld noughty horyshe and euell manered wenches The mole The Mole is euer in the earth and there can he shyfte for hymselfe wel enough he hath a longe snowt and eyes to but can se nothynge at all There are to many folowers of this mole which in erthly matters caÌ„ talke meruelus wyttely but take them ones out of the earth that is out of world erthly maters theÌ„ are they starke blynde can se nothynge at al. But in smellyng profyt aduauntage be it neuer so farre of they are nothing behinde the mole The Heron with his loÌ„ge snout The Heron is euer about the water sydes euer fyshyng yet is he euer lene as soÌ„e doth say the fishe somtyme goeth out as faste at the one ende as they are taken in at the other The heron and hys folowers are to be eschued of all ryght gentelemen whych as they gredely gette ryches so they vnthryftlye spende them agayne and yet nether they nor theirs are the better therby Nowe haue I tolde you the tokens of the dropsye the causes and incomodities ieopardies of the same I haue taught you lykewyse a preparatiue and a purgation or two to heale it wythall I haue also tolde you a confortatiue to comforte you after your purgatioÌ„ and what
him learne better to ken a lorde or els he sayd he wolde whyp hym naked And as they were talkynge sodenlye came rydyng towarde them the sheryffe of Murra all in veluet hauynge a cappe all full of golden agglettes The fool stepped forth to mete him and as soone as he came nere vnto hym he sayd gued day my lord and ye be not a mule Some man wyll saye that the saynge or doynge of a foole is but of smale strēgth to ouer throwe the opinion of many wyttye yonge men whyche describe a lorde or a gentle man onely by costlye apparel To whome I answere Saepe etiam stultus fuit opportuna loquutus That is a fool oft tymes hath spokē thynges to good purpose or in season Dyd not Balaams Asse speake wysely at a certayne tyme Well yf any man be greued that hys opiniō shulde be confuted wyth the sayeng and doynge of a fool let hym chuse one of these two whether he wyll the is whether the fool in thys hys doynge dyd wysely or foolyshly Yf he answer that he played the wysemās parte in takynge and halsyng the mules for lordes then muste he also do so and call al brute beastes mules that are trapped wyth veluet trimmed wyth golde lordes gyue that name whych belōgeth vnto honorable men vnto brute mules Yf he played the ryght foole then is he a foole that taketh and greteth hym for a lorde whych not by learnynge and knowlege but onely by costlye apparel differeth from an other mā Well thus dyd the poore Scottishe foole were it not pytie that manye wyse Englyshe men as they are taken shulde take and gret mules for lordes gentlemē Is it not possible that one mule may at this day cary an other Master Latemer thought so when syr Martin mydas rode to heare master Myles preache sayd when the sermō was done that hys mule was as wel absolued as he And as for buyldyng of costlye houses and trimmynge of them wyth costly hangynges and fayre waynscot manye marchauntes vse to do those thynges better thē many gētlemen do and yet for all that are no gentlemē Therfore these thinges are nether proper offices nor workes of gentlemē nether the seueral tokens whereby a gentleman may be knowē frō an other cōmon mā Then seyng these are nother offices nor workes nor markes belōgyng properly vnto a gentleman I must seke out what is his proper office what tokens he hathe and ought to haue whereby he maye be knowen from the cōmon people The propre office and worke of a ryght noble man is to set forth and defende the true religion of almyghty God to defende the innocentes to ponishe the euel doers and to shewe iustice and iudgement vnto all men that are vnder hys gouerment That the settynge forthe of Goddes worde the mayntenance of the same the destroyeng of al false doctrines contrary vnto it belōgeth vnto a noble man both general commaundemētes and proper examples in the holy Bible do playnly beare wytnes Almyghtye God geueth these commaundementes folowyng vnto all hys people and namely vnto the nobilite and iuges which are the chefe workers of these cōmaundemētes and all suche lyke as pertayne vnto iugement and ponyshynge of horrible trespasses although the cōmons be bounde in executyng of them Deute 7. to ayde them and helpe them Ouerthrowe sayeth almyghtye God the aultares of the heathen breake in peces their ymages and cut downe their groues Deuteronomi vii It is also wrytten Deuterono Deute 18. xviii Yf there by any prophete made frowarde wyth arrogancye that wyll speake those thynges in my name whych I commaunded hym not to speake or wyll speake in the name of other goddes he shal be slayne Who shall se these lawes executed but the nobles and gentlemen Thē belongeth it vnto them to destroye all false and conterfet religion and to destroye all false teachers preachers and to mayntayne the true learnynge of almyghtye God and the preachers of the same We reade in the bokes of the Kynges and Paralipomenon that all the moste excellent and best kynges soone after that they began to reigne dyd mainteyne goddes true religion in puttyng downe of Groues chappels churches wherin false religiō was mayntayned and dyd set forth the true religion and maynteyned the preachers of the same We reade in the same bokes that some of the Kynges besyde that they destroyed ydoles and their tempels dyd also both reade the scripture in the Temple their owne selues and sent out many preachers to preache the true worde of God whiche had bene before their dayes in the tyme of their fathers hyd and vnknowen vnto the folke of God 3. Reg. 15. Asa as it is wrytten in the .xv. chapter of the thirde boke of the kynges whyche dyd it that was ryght in the syght of the Lorde as hys father Dauid dyd before hym toke awaye the effeminate out of the lande and scoured quyte away al the fylth of the ydolles which his fathers had made He remoued also his mother Maachan that she should not be the cheffe in the sacrifice of Priapus and in that place that she had hallowed He also ouerthrewe her denne and brake the moste fylthy ydole burnte it besyde the broke Cedron Thys dyd the good Kynge Asa and he dyd it that was ryghte in the syghte of god But though these thinges had ben good of them selues yet yf they had not perteyned vnto his office or had perteined vnto an other vocacion then to hys God wolde haue ponyshed hym for enteryng into an other mannes office as he ponyshed the Kynge Ozias wyth a perpetual Lepry for entryng into the office of the Sacrificers when he offered vp frankencense vpon the frākencense altare ◠par 26. But the scripture maketh no mention of any ponishment of God that came vpō Asa for puttyng downe of ydoles But it sayeth expresselye that Asa dyd it that was right in the syght of God Therfore it was hys office to put downe ydolles temples and to destroye ydolatrye And it that is said of Asa muste haue place also in other good Kynges whiche did such like thinges vnto these that Asa dyd Iosaphat as the .xvii. Chapter of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon beareth wytnes 2. par 17. was a ryght good man and the Lord was wyth hym Thys Iosaphat after that hys herte had taken boldnes for the wayes of the Lorde toke also out of Iuda the high places and the groues And in the thyrde yeare of hys reygne he sente out of hys princes and ruelers Benail Abdia zacharias Nathanael and Micheas to teache in the cyties of Iuda and wyth them Leuites Semia Nathonia and zabadia wyth other wyth them Belisima and Ioram sacrificers or preestes And they hauynge the boke of the lawe of the Lorde taught the people of Iuda and they wente about into euery cytie of Iuda and taught the people The same Iosaphat as it is written in
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
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
authoritie out of the newe testament to proue that it belongeth vnto the Kinges Dukes Erles Lordes and other noble and gentlemen to exercyse iustice and iugemēt Rom. 13. and to defende the innocent and to ponishe the euell I wyl shew two euident places to proue the same Paule in the .xiii. of the epistle vnto the Roma declareth expressedly that the office of prynces is to defende the innocent to ponyshe the euel His wordes are these They that do well nede not to feare the princes but suche as do euel Wyll thou not be afrayed of the power do it that is good and thou shalt haue prayse of hym For he is goddes seruaunt or officer to thee vnto good But yf thou do it that is euell feare for he beareth not the sworde in inuayne for he is Goddes officer and an angry aduenger vnto hym that dothe euel Peter also in the seconde chapter of hys former Epistle teacheth vs that it is not onely the office of a kynge to defende the good and to ponyshe the euel but that the same is also the office of other rulers and officers vnder hym as ye be His wordes are these Be you obedient vnto euery creature of man for the Lordes sake whether it be the king as moste execellent or dukes or gouerners whyche are appointed by hym for the ponyshment of the euel doers and for the commēdation of weldoers These thynges are they where in chiefly stāde the office dutie of a ryght noble or gentleman all these thynges are al Emperores Kynges Dukes Erles Barons Knyghtes Squyers and all other gentlemen bounde to do But these thynges can they not do wythout great learnyng and knowlege and specially in the holy scripture For howe shall that noble man knowe whether he be kynge duke or erle howe to destroye ydolatrye and fats worshippynge of God and set out the true religion whyche hathe not learned what is ydolatrye what is true religion and wherin the one standeth and wherin the other standeth He that knoweth not both the contraries knoweth not parfytlye one of them Howe shall he be able to iuge and say thys is ryght whyt whych knoweth not blacke Howe shall he knowe what is euell that knoweth not what is good Howe shal he iudge whyche is whyte and whych is blacke that is blynde and can se no colour Howe shall he iuge after the ciuile lawe that neuer knew it Howe shall he iuge after the law of God or man that neuer learned nor knewe any of both Aristotel Quae quisque no uit de ijs vere iudicat eorumque est aequus aestimator Sayeth Aristotel that is euery man iudgeth those thynges truly that he knoweth Therfore wythout great learnyng and namely in the word of God no person cā rightly exercyse the office of kynge or gouerner or of a noble or gentleman When a man of the contre cōmeth to a gentlemā that is his landlorde or to a iustice of peace or to a knight or to a lorde or an erle or a duke or a kynge and accuseth hys neyghbour of blasphemy or heresy for sayeng it that was ones breade cā not be made God Yf the gentleman be ygnoraūt in the scripture to whom thys accuser cōmeth and wote not what is blasphemy but only foloweth that learnynge that he hath receyued of vnlearned preestes false prophetes putteth in pryson the mā accused for thys sayeng and the poore man dyeth in prison in the meane season whyche myght haue lyued yf he had ben out of pryson what shall we saye of thys Iuge is he not a murtherer Thinke ye that on the daye of iudgement whē god shal inquyre why that gentleman kylled or cast in pryson an innocēt thynke ye that yf the gentylman answere I knew no better that God the great iuge which made althing and was neuer made wyll allowe thys excuse I trowe not Thynke ye that the gentlemē of Cambridgeshyre and the Iudges whyche keste Iohn Warde paynter into pryson amongest theues and murderers for sayeng that it was as lawful to set a candle before hys hat as before a paynted ymage shall scape vnponyshed yf they dyd not repent them afterwarde Wyll thys excuse I knewe no better be then allowed in suche as were by the expressed commaūdemēt of God charged to haue parfyt knowlege of the law of God I trowe naye Was it not a greate shame that Iudges whyche wyth a fewe other of that profession wyll are almoste only called learned mē shulde be so ignoraunt in scripture that they kest an innocent into pryson namely whē as a paynter told hys matter so that no scripture learned iudge wolde haue condemned hym to prison but rather wolde haue commended hym That Iuges maye learne herafter to iuge better and to auoyd the shame that the forsayd iuges had and the ponishment that abideth for them except they haue repēted thē selues I wyl reherse the hole storye Ihon warde aboute xx yeares ago made a fayre paynted ymage of S. Christophor where vnto he had ioyned a deuout interpretacion of saint Christophors lyfe and he had set out the ymage very lyuely in a table this set he before him in hys pew in the churche to learne to be a ryght Christophor But with in a moneth that he had set vp hys table certein supersticius people set were candels before the ymage that he had painted trimmed set vp Therfore he beynge offended wyth the supersticion of the people keste downe all the candelles and toke awaye out of the churche hys ymage agayne and caried it home and vntyl he came agayne he left hys hatte in the place where hys ymage was before And when he came agayne to churche one axed hym what he ment to set hys hatte in the place of hys ymage and he answered to se whether any wyll be so mad to worship my hatte as they were to worshyp my ymage Thynke you quoth the Papist to Ward that any man wyl be so mad to worship your hat Ward answered they maye as wel worshyp my hatte as my ymage for the hatter is as holy a mā as I am and hys handworke deserueth as well to haue candelles set vp before it as myne dothe And for thys hys sayeng whē as he was accused therof and cōfessed it he was iuged worthy to haue lyke imprisonmēt wyth theues and murderers Wolde not the knowlege of scripture haue don good seruice vnto these blynde iudges yes a great deale more then .x. queyres of pedlers frenche But perchaunce the great men I meane Kynges Dukes Erles Lordes Knyghtes and other gentlemen wyll saye there are lawyers learned mē enough to do this busynes what yf it be our duetye and office to gyue iudgemēt in suche maters when as we maye do thys parte of our office and dutie by our seruauntes or other why shulde we be combered therwith Do not ye knowe my lordes and masters that ther is none of you all that
saintes in purgatory in the iustificacion of workes in the nombre of the Sacramentes in the ceremonies of the Church or in defendyng of the real presence of Christes body in the Sacrament or in what other articles he erred in Because he dyd not tel in what pointes he erred in it may chaunce that he is fallē into the same errores againe as we se certaine of hys secte which had forsworne in the two last kynges dayes diuers errores and had subscribed to the cōtrary and nowe afreshe are fallen into the same errores agayne Yf that master Gardiner alowe his doctrine styl of kyng Henries mariage let hym set forth the same doctrine in Englyshe at large because the cōmō people may learne some holsome doctrine of it euen as he or at the leste some of his haue handeled maister Barlowe which wrote a noughtye and a false lyeng boke compelled by feare to do so But yf he wyll not set out hys booke in Englyshe both because he knoweth in hys conscience that it is a false boke and an heretical boke and therfore wyll not knowlege it now to be his boke because he was compelled by feare to wryte against the open truthe he or at the leste some of hys popyshe prentises is very vncharitable vniust vnto maister Barlowe whych hādeleth hym otherwyse then he wolde or wyll be handeled hym selfe Yf that men wemen that are so maryed vnto certein men that they wyl not examin theyr doctrine but take it to be the veri truthe what so euer they saye wold stande to the iudgement of the holy scripture I shulde easely condemne them for theyr so doynge and proue that they dyd playne contrary vnto the mynde of the holy ghost But because they care not for scripture I wyll let them alone and talke a lytle with you my lordes and masters that are indifferent men and haue not sworen to holde wyth the wordes of any one scole maister Saint Iohn in the .iiii. chapter sayeth 1. Io. 4. Ne cui vis spiritui credatis sed probate spiritus an ex Deosint Beleue not euery spirite but trye the spirites whether they be of God or no but they beleue all spirits that holde wyth the messe purgatory holy water holy bread inuocation of saintes and such lyke ordinaunces of man and trye not whether they be of God or no and yf they wolde trye the spretes shuld they not trye them wyth the worde of God Haue they knowlege in the worde of God they confesse they haue none at all but they saye that it is enoughe for them to trye all doctrine wyth theyr fathers fayth and other of theyr olde ancetores with the authorite of the catholyke churche What yf some of theyr forfathers or els of theyr mothers wythin these fewe hundreth yeares were heathen men or heathē wemē shall it be mete for them to iudge all doctrines by theyr fathers fayth Whych of theyr fathers or mothers was not a Papist Shall men iudge ryghtly matters of religion by the fayth of papistes What yf theyr fathers haue erred shall we be compelled to folowe theyr fathers errors that were great pytie What yf some of theyr fathers bylded Abbayes to fynde a sorte of ydle monkes in and founded chantre prestes to synge for soules in purgatory What yf some of theyr fathers put downe abbayes and chantres howe shall they iudge here who dyd better and whome they and we ought to folowe Yf some of theyr fathers helde thys opinion that it was lawfull to put awaye theyr lawfull wyues to cleue to hores as some of them can not denye but that theyr fathers haue both so beleued and also so done Was thys a good beleue I thynke that they theyr selues will saye that the beleue was nought Shall it be then mete to examine al doctrines wyth theyr fathers fayth and theyr ancetores beleue Yf any of the ydle and vnscripture learned traditioners for so muste we call them because we maye call no man now a Papist do holde that it is not requyred that a Kynge or a Quene or any ruler shulde be well learned in the scripture because all matters and controuersies of religion oughte to be tryed by the authoritie of the catholyke churche meanynge therby the common consent of almoste al the byshoppes prelates and vniuersities in all the west parte of Europa and the determinacions of generall counselles I answere yf we shulde folowe the iugement of thys catholyke church then shulde we boldly pronoūce that the mariage betwene kyng Henry the eyght and his fyrst wife Quene Katherine was not lawfull For the moste principall parte of the catholyke churche of our tyme as it is taken that is the moste parte most notable vniuersities of thys part of the world and the moste part of learned men and all the Byshoppes of the churche of Englande sauynge one condemned the mariage betwene kynge Henry the eyght and lady Katherine thys Quenes mother I haue enowe to beare me wytnes that it is true that I saye Cuthbert Steuen Sāpson besyde Cuthbert nowe byshop of Durram Steuen byshop of Wynchester Samson nowe byshop of Couentre But yf these forsayd Vniuersities and byshoppes of Englande had ben corrupted for money as scolares are poore and sometyme graunt it that ought not to be graūted for mony namely suche where as that Pope beareth rule and these .iii. fornamed byshoppes as some other lawyers do as they be had sold theyr tonges and handwrytynges for mony and promotion and for theyr princes fauour Yet the olde Canones and generall counselles are not so to be suspected of corrupcion as paraduenture some of these forsaid byshoppes be heare therfore what the olde Canones and counselles iudge of thys matter Thys that I wyll allege is wrytten in the seconde parte of the decrees the .xxvii. cause seconde questiō Cap. Si quis disponsauerit sibi aliquam praeueniente mortis articulo eam cognoscere non potuerit frater eius non potest eam ducere in vxorem That is yf any man be handfaste or betrouthed vnto a woman and he beynge preuēted wyth death could not haue carnall copulaciō wyth her hys brother maye not mary her Gregory the bysshop of Rome also speaketh thus of thys matter in the same place as he is alleged Nulli christiano licet de sua consanguinitate vel quā cognatu suus habuit in matrimonium assumere It is not lawfull for any christen man to mary any of hys owne kyn or her that hys kynsman hath had The same Gregory sayeth also these wordes in the same place Si quir vxorem desponsauerit c. Yf any mā betrouthe or be handfast vnto a wyfe or gyue earnest vnto her and he beyng taken awaye by death before so can not mary her none of thys mānes kyn may take her afterwardes to wyfe Iulianus also byshoppe of Rome as he is alleged in the same place hath the same sentence and
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
the newe testamēt Because euen in Christes tyme ambition and desyre of superioritie had crepte into the very hartes of hys apostles and he knewe that after hys tyme that the successores of hys apostles shulde also be earnestly pricked of the deuell therto he gaue an expressed cōmaundemēt that hys apostles shuld nether be lordes nor shulde leaue the ploughe loke bakwarde to the worlde to worldly besynes in these wordes Vos scitis quod principes gentium dominentur eis Luce. 22. vos autem non sic ye knowe the princes of the heathen people be lordes ouer them and they that are great exercyse power ouer them but ye shal not be so And Peter to put hys maysters cōmaundemēt in mynde 1. Pet. 5. sayeth vnto the Apostles and preachers thus Ye shall not exercyse lordshippe ouer the parysshes or as some textes haue agaynst the paryshes Now these falslye named Bysshoppes for so do I call them because they loke not vnto theyr flockes leaue theyr owne office of preachynge and ministryng of the sacramentes and of sitting in iugement to se them excommunicate that are open trespassers vndone become embassadoures for where is there any embassache but a Bysshop muste be one therof most commonlye president of Wales and of Yorke Iustices of peace and some full lordly syt at Sices and cessions amonge temporall iuges leauyng their owne courtes to some syngle syr Iohn or to some blynde bryber Other are commed as I heare saye nowe to be counsellers euen in temporall maters in great nōbre and one is nowe clom vp so hyghe that besyde that he is a knyght of the garter and a great lorde is also the hyghe chancelor of Englande and president of the counsel and is aboue all the lordes both temporal and spirituall of the hole counsell and so lordlye behaueth hym selfe that wythout the knowlege of the reste of the counsell he sendeth forth commissiones as he dyd of late to Welles by doctor edgeworthe and offereth pardon alone Edgeworth latimer as he dyd to maister Latimer as thoughe he were ether kynge of Englande or elles had the quene and al the counsels hedes vnder his gyrdle Ether there are gentlemen in Englande enowe to be embassadores presydentes of Wales and Yorke Iustices of peace Counsellers Chauncellers of Englande and Presidentes of the hole Counsell or there are not Yf there be not enow it is excedynge shame for you and for youre hole order that amonge so many as ye be haue not a fewe learned and wyse men amongest you whyche are able to do youre dueties belongynge vnto youre dignitie but ye muste contrary to the wyll of God and to the shame of the hole lande desyre byshoppes to do your duties and offices to serue in temporall maters for you Yf ye haue enowe wyse and learned gentlemen to do and execute all these aboue named offices then is it shame for you to be so lither as when ye are able to do your offices your owne selues ether desyre or suffer the byshoppes and clergye to do your offices for you whereby they take vnto them selues the honour and dignitie dewe vnto the nobilite spoyle you vtterlye of youre name same and renowne whyche your fathers in tymes past haue wyth great labour ieopardye yea sometyme wyth the losse of theyr lyues won for you I Beware that ye spin not at home whylse other go a warfare abrode lest that chaūce vnto you that chaūced vnto Sardanapalus We red both in Iosephus de bello Iudaico and also in aegisippo that the gentlemen of the Iewes were so lither and vnlustye to do theyr offices belongyng vnto them that the hyghe prestes toke theyr offices in hande and at laste became bothe prestes and kynges and had al the noiblitie vnder theyr girdelles as these hyghe prestes of your tyme wyll handell you yf ye pluk them not bak betyme The byshop of Rome after the comming of Christ by to much sufferīg of the nobilite at the begīning hath so lyke an iuy nay rather lyke a cāker crept vpon the nobilite that he hath clom ouer al knightes lordes erles dukes kynges emperores and hath brought them in such subieccion and slauery that he maketh the beste of them al kysse hys fete The byshoppes that ye haue in Englande nowe are not onely of the same false opiniōs in religion that the Pope is and was of but of the same false proud lordly and ambitius order that the pope is of eiusde Coruipulli and burdes of the same rauen For as the Pope contrary vnto the ordinaunce of Christe whiche was Luce. 22. 1. Pet. 5. that no one apostle shulde be hed of the reste of hys felowes hath inhaunsed and set hym selfe aboue al other elders and byshoppes Euē so haue the byshoppes of Englande after the same maner lyfted vp them selues aboue al the elders of thys realme whyche by the worde of God haue as muche authorite as they haue or ought to haue For the worde of God in the newe testamēt nether sheweth nor maketh any difference betwene an elder whych is in latin presbyter and a byshop whyche is called in latin episcopos But your bishoppes wyll haue none to be called episcopos but them selues and other mē wyll they haue onely to be called presbyteros Yf ye sawe them nowe howe slauely and bondly they handle the reste of the clergye in theyr conuocacion house ye wolde saye that they were the Popes ryghte shapen sonnes For where as there sytteth but seuen or eyght lyn in wering byshoppes at the table in the conuocacion house yf there be .lx. pastores and elders that are wolwerers as longe as they shall tarye in the byshoppes conuocacion house so longe muste they stāde there before their lordes thoughe it be .ii. or .iii. houres yea that be the wether neuer so colde or the men neuer so olde or sikely bare heded Is thys pryde to be suffered Nowe maye you se howe they wold handel you yf they coulde get the hygher hande ouer you whyche surelye is lyke to come to passe yf you loke not to your selues betyme Thys is tryed to be true in all ages that where so euer the ydle order of the vnpreachyng prelates cā get power to theyr desyre they cast vnder them and brynge vnder theyr subiection all the nobles and al the hole layte Besyde the Pope the father of thys proude order other haue subdued the layte and broughte them into shameful subiection The sacrificyng prestes of the cathedrall church of Mense in Germany wan the citie from the seculare magistrates and brought all the hole cytie in to theyr subieccion as it dureth yet styll vnto thys daye The byshop of Mense the byshop of Wormes and the byshop of Colen came boldly vnto Henryche the .iiii. Emperor of that name and toke hys crowne of hys heade in a castell a lytle frome Mense and clerely deposed hym because as the byshoppes sayd he had made