THE FIFTH BOOK,
CONTAINING
THE LAST THREE HUNDRED YEARS FROM THE LOOSING OUT OF SATAN.

73. THE PERSECUTIONS FORETOLD IN THE SCRIPTURES

    THUS having discoursed in these former books the order and
course of years, from the first tying up of Satan unto the year of our
Lord 1360, I have a little overpassed the stint of time in the
Scripture appointed, for the loosing out of him again. For so it is
written by St. John, Apoc. xx., that after a thousand years, Satan,
the old dragon, shall be let loose again for a season, &c.

  For the better explanation of the which mystery, let us first
consider the context of the Scripture; afterward let us examine, by
history and course of times, the meaning of the same. And first, to
recite the words of the Apocalypse, the text of the prophecy is this,
chap. xx.

  "And I saw an angel descending from heaven, having a key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he took the dragon,
the old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years, and put him in the bottomless dungeon and shut him up,
and signed him with his seal, that he should no more seduce the
Gentiles, till a thousand years were expired. And after that he must
be loosed again for a little space of time. And I saw seats, and they
sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and the souls I saw
of them which were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus," &c.

  By these words of the Revelation, here recited, three special
times are to be noted.

  First, the being abroad of Satan to deceive the world.

  Secondly, the binding up of him.

  Thirdly, the loosing out of him again, after a thousand years
consummate, for a time.

  Concerning the interpretation of which times, I see the common
opinion of many to be deceived by ignorance of histories, and state of
things done in the church; they supposing that the chaining up of
Satan for a thousand years, spoken of in the Revelation, was meant
from the birth of Christ our Lord. Wherein I grant that spiritually
the strength and dominion of Satan, in accusing and condemning us for
sin, was cast down at the passion and by the passion of Christ our
Saviour, and locked up not only for a thousand years, but for ever.
Albeit, as touching the malicious hatred and fury of that serpent
against the outward bodies of Christ's poor saints, which is the heel
of Christ, to afflict and torment the church outwardly; that I judge
to be meant in the Revelation of St. John, not to be restrained till
the ceasing of those terrible persecutions of the primitive church; at
what time it pleased God to pity the sorrowful affliction of his poor
flock, being so long under persecution, the space of three hundred
years, and so to assuage their griefs and torments; which is meant by
binding up of Satan, worker of all those mischiefs; understanding
thereby that forasmuch as the devil, the prince of this world, had now
by the death of Christ the Son of God, lost all his power and interest
against the soul of man, he should turn his furious rage and malice,
which he had to Christ, against the people of Christ, which is meant
by the heel of the seed, Gen. iii., in tormenting their outward
bodies; which yet should not be for ever, but for a determinate time,
whenas it should please the Lord to bridle the malice and snaffle the
power of the old serpent, and give rest unto his church for the term
of a thousand years; which time being expired, the said serpent should
be suffered loose again for a certain or a small time, Apoc. xx.

  And thus to expound this prophetical place of Scripture, I am led
by three reasons.

  The first is, for that the binding up of Satan, and closing him
in the bottomless pit by the angel, importeth as much that he was at
liberty, raging and doing mischief, before. And, certes, those so
terrible and so horrible persecutions of the primitive time
universally through the whole world, during the space of three hundred
years of the church, do declare no less. Wherein it is to be thought
and supposed, that Satan all that time was not fastened and closed up.

  The second reason moving me to think that the closing up of Satan
was after the ten persecutions of the primitive church, is taken out
of the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse; where we read, that after
the woman, meaning the church, had travailed forth her man-child, the
old dragon, the devil, the same time being cast down from heaven,
drawing the third part of the stars with him, stood before the woman
with great anger, and persecuted her, that is, the church of God, with
a whole flood of water, (that is, with abundance of all kinds of
torments,) and from thence went moreover to fight against the residue
of her seed, and stood upon the sands of the sea, whereby it appeareth
that he was not as yet locked up.

  The third reason I collect out of the Apocalypse, thirteenth
chapter, where it is written of the beast, signifying the imperial
monarchy of Rome, that he had power to make war forty and two months.
By the which months is meant, no doubt, the time that the dragon and
the persecuting emperors should have in afflicting the saints of the
primitive church. The computation of which forty-two months, counting
every month for a sabbath of years, that is, for seven years, after
the order of Scripture, riseth to the sum, counting from the passion
of the Lord Christ, of three hundred years, lacking six; at what time
Maxentius, the last persecutor in Rome, fighting against Constantine,
was drowned with his soldiers, like as Pharaoh, persecuting the
children of Israel, was drowned in the Red Sea. Unto the which forty-
two months, or sabbaths of years, if ye add the other six years
wherein Licinius persecuted in the east, ye shall find just three
hundred years, as is specified before in the first book of this
volume.

  After the which forty and two months, being expired, manifest it
is that the fury of Satan, that is, his violent malice and power over
the saints of Christ, was diminished and restrained universally
through the whole world.

  Thus then, the matter standing evident that Satan, after three
hundred years, counting from the passion of Christ, began to be
chained up, at what time the persecution of the primitive church began
to cease; now let us see how long this binding up of Satan should
continue, which was promised in the book of the Revelation to be a
thousand years; which thousand years, if ye add to the forty-two
months of years, that is, to two hundred and ninety-four years, they
make one thousand two hundred and ninety four years after the passion
of the Lord. To these, moreover, add the thirty years of the age of
Christ, and it cometh to the year of our Lord 1324, which was the year
of the letting out of Satan, according to the prophecy of the
Apocalypse.

  The first persecution of the primitive church, beginning at the
thirtieth year of Christ, was prophesied to continue forty-two months;
that is, till A. D. 294.

  The ceasing of the last persecution of the primitive church by
the death of Licinius, the last persecutor, began in the year 324 from
the nativity of Christ, which was from the thirtieth year of his age,
294.

  The binding up of Satan after peace given to the church, counting
from the thirty years of Christ, began A. D. 294, and lasted a
thousand years, that is, counting from the thirtieth year of Christ,
to the year 1294.

  About which year Pope Boniface the Eighth was pope, and made the
sixth book of the Decretals, confirmed the orders of friars, and
privileged them with great freedoms, as appeareth by his constitution,
Super Cathedram, A. D. 1294.

  Unto the which count of years doth not much disagree that which I
found in a certain old chronicle prophesied and written in the latter
end of a book; which book was written, as it seemeth, by a monk of
Dover, and remaineth yet in the custody of William Cary, a citizen of
London; alleging the prophecy of one Hayncard, a Grey Friar, grounded
upon the authority of Joachim the abbot, prophesying that antichrist
should be born the year from the nativity of Christ 1260; which is,
counting after the Lord's passion, the very same year and time when
the orders of friars both Dominics and Franciscans began first to be
set up by Pope Honorius the Third, and by Pope Gregorius the Ninth,
which was the year of our Lord, counting after his passion, 1226; and
counting after the nativity of the Lord, was the year 1260.

  These things thus premised for the loosing out of Satan,
according to the prophecy of the Apocalypse, now let us enter (Christ
willing) to the declaration of these latter times which followed after
the letting out of Satan into the world; describing the wondrous
perturbations and cruel tyranny stirred up by him against Christ's
church; also the valiant resistance of the church of Christ against
him and antichrist, as in these our books here under following may
appear.

  The argument of which books consisteth in two parts: first, to
treat of the raging fury of Satan now loosed, and of antichrist,
against the saints of Christ fighting and travailing for the
maintenance of the truth, and reformation of the church. Secondly, to
declare the decay and ruin of the said antichrist, through the power
of the word of God, being at length, either in a great part of the
world overthrown, or, at least, universally in the whole world
detected.

  Thus then to begin with the year of our Lord 1360, wherein I have
a little, as is aforesaid, transgressed the stint of the first loosing
out of Satan: we are come now to the time wherein the Lord, after long
darkness, beginneth some reformation of his church, by the diligent
industry of sundry his faithful and learned servants, of whom divers
already we have foretouched in the former book before, as namely,
Guliel. de Sancto Amore, Marsilius Patavinus, Ockam, Robertus Gallus,
Robertus Grosthead, Petrus de Cugneriis, Johannes Rupescissanus,
Conradus Hager, Johannes de Poliaco, Cesenas, with other more, which
withstood the corrupt errors and intolerable enormities of the bishop
of Rome, beside them which about these times were put to death by the
said bishop of Rome, as Castillo and Franciscus de Arcatara in the
book before recorded; also the two Franciscans, martyrs, which were
burned at Avignon, mentioned above.

  Now to these, the Lord willing, we will add such other holy
martyrs and confessors, who following after in the course of years
with like zeal and strength of God's word, and also with like danger
of their lives, gave the like resistance against the enemy of Christ's
religion, and suffered at his hands the like persecutions. First,
beginning with that godly man, whosoever he was, the author of the
book, his name I have not, entitled The Prayer and Complaint of the
Ploughman; written, as it appeareth, about this present time.

  Which book, as it was faithfully set forth by William Tindal, so
I have as truly distributed the same abroad to the reader's hands;
neither changing any thing of the matter, neither altering many words
of the phrase thereof. Although the oldness and age of his speech and
terms be almost grown now out of use, yet I thought it so best, both
for the utility of the book to reserve it from oblivion, as also in
his own language to let it go abroad, for the more credit and
testimony of the true antiquity of the same. The matter of this
complaining prayer of the ploughman thus proceedeth.



74.THE PRAYER AND COMPLAINT OF THE PLOUGHMAN.

  "Jesus Christ that was ybore of the maide Marie, have on thy
poore servants mercy and pitie, and helpe them in their great need to
fight against sinne, and against the divell that is author of sinne,
and more neednesse there never was to crie to Christ for helpe, than
it is right now. For it is fulfilled that God said by Isay the
prophet; Yee riseth up earlich to follow drunkennesse, and to drinke
till it be even, the harpe and other minstrelsies beeth in your feasts
and wine. But the worke of God ye ne beholdeth not, ne taketh no keepe
to the workes of his hands: and therefore my people is take prisoner,
for they ne had no cunning. And the noblemen of my people deyeden for
hunger, and the multitude of my people weren drie for thirst, and
therefore hell hath drawne abrode their soule, and hath yopened his
mouth without any end. And eftsoones saith Isay the prophet; The word
is floten away, and the highnesse of the people is ymade sicke, and
the earth is infect of his wonnyers, for they have broken my lawes,
and ychanged my right, and han destroyed mine everlasting bond and
forward betweene them and me. And therefore cursing shall devoure the
earth, and they that wonneth on the earthly shallen done sinne. And
therefore the earth tilyars shullen ware wood, and few men shullen ben
yleft upon the earth. And yet saith Isay the prophet, This saith God,
Forasmuch as this people nigheth me with their mouth, and glorifieth
me with their lips, and their heart is farre from me; and they han
ydrad more mens commandement, than mine, and more draw to their
doctrines, than mine; therefore will I make a great wondring unto this
people, wisedome shall perish away from wise men, and understanding of
ready men shall bee yhid. And so it seemeth that another saying of
Isay is fulfilled, here as God bad him goe teach the people, and said,
Goe forth and say to this people: Eares have ye, and understand ye
not, and eyes ye have and sight, ne know ye not. Make blind the heart
of this people, and make their eares heavie, and close their eyen,
lest he see with his eyne, and yheare with his ears, and understand
with his heart, and be yturned, and ych heale him of his sicknesse.
And Isay said to God; How long Lord shall this bee? And God said, For
to that the cities ben desolate withouten a wonnier, and an house
withouten a man.

  "Heere is mychel nede for to make sorrow, and to crie to our Lord
Iesus Christ heartilich for helpe and for succour, that hee wole
forgive us our sinnes, and give us grace and conning to serven him
better hereafter. And God of his endlesse mercie give us grace and
conning trulich to tellen which is Christs law in helping of mens
soules; for we beth lewd men and sinfull men, and unconning, and if
hee woll bee our help and our succour, we shullen well performe our
purpose. And blessed be our Lord God that hideth his wisedome from
wise men, and fro readie men, and teacheth it to small children, as
Christ teacheth in the gospell.

  "Christen men have a law to keepe, the which law hath two partes.
Beleeve in Christ that is God, and is the foundment of their law, and
upon this foundment, as he said to Peter, and the gospell beareth
witnesse, he woll byelden his church, and this is the 1. partie of
Christs law. The 2. partie of this law beth Christs commandements that
beth written in the gospell, and more verilich in Christen mens
hearts.

  "And as touching the beleve, we beleven that Christ is God, and
that there ne is no God but he. We beleven neverthelesse that in the
Godhead there bene three persons, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy
Ghost, and all these three persons ben one God, and not many gods, and
all they beth ylich mightie, ylich good, and ylich wise, and ever have
ben, and ever shullen ben. We beleven this God made the world of
nought, and man hee made after his owne likenesse in Paradise, that
was a land of blisse, and gave him that land for his heritage, and bad
him that hee should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and
evill, that was amid Paradise. Then the divell, that was fallen out of
heaven for his pride, had envie to man, and by a false suggestion hee
made man eate of this tree, and breake the commandement of God, and
tho was man overcome of the divell, and so hee lost his heritage, and
was put out thereof into the world that was a land of travell, and of
sorrow under the fiends thraldome, to bee punished for his trespasse.
There man followed wickednesse and sinne, and God for the sinne of man
sent a floud into this world, and drownd all mankinde, save eight
soules. And after this floud hee let men multiply in the world, and so
he assayed whether man dread him or loved him, and among other hee
found a man, that hight Abraham: this man hee proved whether hee loved
him and dread him, and bad him that he should offeren Isaac his sonne
upon an hill; and Abraham as a true servant fulfilled the Lords
commandement: and for his buxumnesse and truth, God sware unto Abraham
that hee would multiply his seed as the gravell in the sea, and as the
starres of heaven, and hee behight to him and to his heires the land
of behest for heritage for ever, gif they wolden ben his true servants
and keepe his hests. And God held him forward, for Isaac Abrahams
sonne begat Jacob and Esau: and of Iacob, that is ycleped Israel,
comen God's people that hee chose to bee his servants, and to whom he
behight the land of behest. This people was in great thraldome in
Egypt under Pharaoh that was king of Egypt: and they crieden to God
that hee should deliveren them out of that thraldome, and so hee did:
for hee sent to Pharaoh, Moses and his brother Aaron, and bad him
deliver his people to done him sacrifice: and tofore Pharaoh hee made
Moses done many wonders, or that Pharaoh would deliver his people, and
at the last by night he delivered his people out of thraldome, and led
them through a desert toward the land of behest, and there hee gave
them a law, that they shoulden liven after, when, they comen into
their country, and in their way thitherward, the ten commandements God
wrote himselfe in two tables of stone; the remnant of the law hee
taught them by Moses his servant, how they should doe everichone to
other, and gif they trespassed against the law, hee ordained how they
shoulden be punished. Also hee taught them what manner sacrifices they
should doe to him, and hee chose him a people to ben his priests, that
was Aaron and his children, to done sacrifices in the tabernacle, and
afterward in the temple also. He chose him the remnant of the children
of Levi to ben servants in the tabernacle to the priest, and hee said;
When ye come into the land of behest, the children of Levi they
shullen have none heritage amongst their brethren, for I would bee
their part, and their heritage, and they shullen serve mee in the
tabernacles by dayes and by nights, and hee ordained that priests
should have a part of the sacrifices that were offred in the
tabernacle, and the first begotten beasts, both of men and beasts and
other things, as the law telleth. And the other children of Levi, that
served in the tabernacle, should have tithings of the people to their
livelode, of the which tithings they should given the priests the
tenth party in forme of offring. The children of Levi, both priests
and other, should have houses and crofts, and lessewes for their
beasts in the land of behest, and none other heritage: and so God gave
them their land of behest, and bad them that they ne should worship no 
other than him: so hee bad them that they should keepe his
commandements; and gif they did so, all their enemies about them
should drede them, and bee their servants. And gif they worshipped
false gods, and so forsaken his lawes, hee behight them that hee would
bring them out of that land, and make them serve their enemies: but
yet he said he would not benemen his mercie away from them, if they
would crie mercy and amend their defaults; and all this was done on
Gods side.

  "And here is much love showed of God to man. And who so looketh
the Bible, hee shall finde that man showed him little love againeward:
for when they were come into their heritage, they forgatten their God,
and worshipped false gods. And God sent to them the prophets and his
servants feile times to bid them withdrawen them from their sinnes,
and other they have slowen them, or they beaten them, or they led them
in prison: and oft-times God tooke upon them great vengeance for their
sinnes; and when they cried after helpen to God, hee sent them helpe
and succour. This is the generall processe of the Old Testament, that
God gave to his people by Moses his servant. And all this Testament
and this doing ne was but a shadow and a figure of a new Testament 
that was given by Christ. And it was byhoten by Ieremie the prophet,
as Saint Paul beareth witnesse in the Epistle that hee writeth to the
Iewes. And Ieremie saith in this wise; Loe daies shall come, God
saith, and I will make a new band to the house of Israel, and to the
house of Iuda, not like the forward that I made with their fathers, in
that day that I tooke their hand to lead them out of the land of
Egypt, the which forward they maden veine, and I had lordship over
them. But this shall bee the forward that I wold make with them after
those dayes: I will give my lawes with them in their inwardnesse, and
I will writen them in their hearts, and I will bee their God, and they
should bee my people: and after that a man shall not teach his
neighbour, ne his brother. For all (God saith) from the least to the
most, should know me, for I will forgiven them their sinnes, and will
no more thinke on their sins.

  "This is the New Testament, that Christ both God and man, borne
of the maide Mary, hee taught here in this world to bring man out of
sinne, and out of the divels thraldome and service to heaven, that is
a land of blisse and heritage, to all tho that beleeven on him, and
keepen his commandements, and for his teaching hee was done to the
death. But the third day hee arose againe from death to life, and fet
Adam and Eve, and many other folke out of hell, and afterward he came
to his disciples, and comforted them. After, hee stied up to heaven to
his Father, and tho he sent the Holy Ghost amongst his disciples, and
in time comming, hee will come and demen all mankinde after their
workes, and after the words hee spake upon earth; some to blisse,
within body and in soule ever withouten end; and some to paine
withouten end, both in body and in soule.

  "This is our beleeve and all Christen mens, and this beleeve is
the first point of the New Testament, that ych Christen man is hold
stedfastly to beleeve, and rather to suffer the death, then forsaken 
this beleeve; and so this beleeve is the bread of spirituall life, in
forsaking sinne, that Christ brought us to life.

  "But forasmuch as mans living ne stondeth not all onlych by
bread, he hath ygiven us a draught of water of life to drinke. And who
that drinketh of that water he ne shall never afterward ben athurst.
For this water is the cleare teaching of the gospell, that encloseth
seven commandements.

  "The first is this: Thou shalt love thy God over all other
things, and thy brother as thy selfe, both enemy and friend.

  "The second commandement is of meeknesse, in the which Christ
chargeth us to forsake lordship upon our brethren, and other worldly
worships, and so hee did himselfe.

  "The third commandement, is in stonding stedfastlich in truth,
and forsaking all falsenesse.

  "The fourth commandement, is to suffer in this world diseases and
wrongs, withouten againstondings.

  "The fifth commandement is mercy, to forgiven our brethren their
trespasse, as often time as they gilteth, without asking of vengeance.

  "The sixth commandement is poorenesse in spirit, but not to ben a
beggar.

  "The seventh commandement, is chastitie; that is, a forsaking of
fleshlich likings displeasing to God. These commandements enclosen the
ten commandements of the old law, and somewhat more.

  "This water is a blessed drinke for Christen mens soules. But
more harme is, much folke would drinke of this water, but they mowe
not come thereto: for God saith by Ezechiel the prophet; When ich geve
to you the most cleane water to drinke, ye troubled that water with
your feet, and that water is so defouled, ye geve my sheepe to drinke.
But the cleane water is yhid fro the sheepe, and but gif God cleare
this, it is dread lest the sheepe dyen for thurst. And Christ that is
the wisedome of the Father of heaven, and well of this wisedome, that
come from heaven to earth to teach man this wisedome, through the
which man should overcome the sleights of the divell, that is the
principall enemie of mankind; have mercy and pitie of his people, and
shew, if it bee his will, how this water is troubled, and by whom; and
sith cleare this water that his sheepe mowe drinken hereof, and kele
the thirst of their soules. Blessed mote our Lord ben, for he hath
ytaught us in the gospel, that ere then he would come to the
universall dome, then should come many in his name, and sayen, that
they weren Christ; and they shoulden done many wonders, and begilen
many men; and many false prophets shoulden arisen and beguilen much
folke.

  "A Lord, yblessed mote thou ben of everich creature; which ben
they that have ysaid that they weren in Christ, and have thus begiled
thy people? Trulich Lord I trow, thilke that sayen that they ben in
thy stead, and benemen thy worship, and maken the people worshippen
them as God, and have hid thy lawes from thy people: Lord, who durst
sit in thy steed, and benemen thee thy worship and thy sacrifice, and
durst maken the people worshippen them as gods? The Sauter tels, that
God ne wole not in the day of dome demen men for bodilich sacrifices
and holocaustes; but God saith; Yeld to me sacrifice of herying, and
yeld to God thine avowes, and clepe me in the day of tribulation, and
ich wil defend thee, and thou shalt worship me.

  "The herying of God standeth in three things. In loving God over
all other things; in dreading God over all other things; in trusting
in God over all other things.

  "These three points Christ teacheth in the gospell. But I trow
men loven him but a little. For who so loveth Christ, he wole kepen
his words. But men holden his words for heresie and folly, and keepeth
mens words. Also men dreden more men and mens lawes and their
cursings, than Christ and his lawes and his cursings. Also men hopen
more in men and mens helpes, than they doe in Christ and in his helpe.
And thus hath hee, that setteth in Gods stede, bynomen God these three
heryings, and makes men loven him and his lawes, more than Christ and
Christs law, and dreaden him also. And there as the people shulden
yeeld to God their vowes, he saith, hee hath power to assoylen them of
their avowes, and so this sacrifice hee nemeth away from God. And
there as the people should cry to God in the day of tribulation, hee
letteth them of their crying to God, and bynemeth God that worship.
This day of tribulation is when man is fallen through sinne into the
divels service, and then we shulden cry to God after helpe, and axen
forgivenesse of our sinne, and make great sorrow for our sinne, and
ben in full will to doe so no more, ne none other sinne, and that our
Lord God wole forgiven vs our sinne, and maken our soule cleane. For
his mercy is endlesse.

  "But Lord, heere men haue benomen thee much worship: for men seyn
that thou ne might not cleane assoylen vs of our sinne: but if we
knowledgen our sinnes to priests, and taken of them a penance for our
sinne, gif we mowen speake with them.

  "A Lord, thou forgaue sometime Peter his shines, and also Mary
Magdalen, and many other sinfull men without shriuing to priests, and
taking penance of priests for their sinnes. And Lord thou art as
mighty now as thou were that time, but gif any man haue bynomen thee
thy might. And wee lewd men beleuen, that there is no man of so great
power, and gif any man maketh himselfe of so great power, he heighteth
himself aboue God. And S. Paul speaketh of one that sitteth in the
temple of God, and heighten him aboue God; and gif any such be, he is
a false Christ.

  "But hereto seyn priests, that when Christ made clean leprous
men, he bade them go and shew them to priests. And therefore they seyn
that it is a commandement of Christ, that a man should shewen his
sinne to priests. For as they seyn, lepre in the old law betokeneth
sinne in this new law. A Lord God, whether thine apostles knew not thy
meaning as well as men done now? And gif they hadden yknow that thou
haddest commanded men to shriuen them to priests, and they ne taught
not that commandement to the people; me thinketh they hadden ben to
blame. But I trow they knewen well that it was none of thy
commandements, ne needfull to heale of mans soule. And as me thinketh,
the law of lepre is nothing to the purpose of shriuing: for priests in
the old law hadden certaine points and tokens to know whether a man
were leprous or not: and gif they were leprous, they hadden power to
putten them away from other cleane men, for to that they weren cleane;
and then they hadden power to receiven him among his brethren, and
offeren for him a sacrifice to God.

  "This is nothing to the purpose of shriuing. For there is but one
Priest, that is Christ, that may know in certaine the lepre of the
soule. Ne no priest may make the soule cleane of her sinne, but Christ
that is Priest after Melchisedeks order: ne no priest here beneath may
ywit for certaine whether a man be clean of his sinne, or cleane
assoiled, but gif God tell it him by reuelation. Ne God ordained not
that his priests should set men a penance for their sinne, after the
quantitie of the sinne, but this is mans ordinance, and it may well be
that there commeth good thereof. But I wot well that God is much
unworshipped thereby. For men trust more in his absolutions, and in
his yeeres of grace, than in Christs absolutions, and thereby is the
people much appaired. For now the sorrow a man should make for his
sinne, is put away by this shrift: and a man is more bold to doe sinne
for trust of this shrift, and of this bodilich penance.

  "Another mischiefe is, that the people is ybrought into this
beliefe, that one priest hath a great power to assoylen a man of his
sinne and clennere, than another priest hath.

  "Another mischiefe is this, that some priest may assoylen them
both of sin and paine: and in this they taken them a power that Christ
granted no man in earth, ne he ne used it dought on earth himselfe.

  "Another mischiefe is, that these priests sellen forgiuenesse of
mens sinnes and absolutions for money; and this is an heresie accursed
that is ycleped simony: and all thilke priests that axeth price for
granting of spiritual] grace, beth by holy lawes depriued of their
priesthood, and thilke that assenteth to this heresie. And be they
ware; for Helyse the prophet toke no mony of Naaman, when he was made
cleane of his lepre; but Giesi his seruant; and therefore the lepre of
Naaman abode with him and with his heires euermore after.

  "Here is much matter of sorrow, to see the people thus farre ylad
away from God and worshupen a false god in earth, that by might and by
strength hath ydone away the great sacrifice of God out of his temple:
of which mischiefe and discomfort, Daniel maketh mention, and Christ
beareth therof witnesse in the gospell. Who that readeth it,
understand it. Thus we haue ytold apertly, how he that saith he
sitteth in Christs stede bynemeth Christ his worship, and his
sacrifice of his people, and maketh the people worshupen him as a god
on earth.

  "Cry we to God, and knowledge we our sinnes everichone to other,
as S. James teacheth, and pray wee heartilich to God everichone one
for other, and then we shulen hopen forgiuenesse of our sinnes. For
God that is endlesse in mercy saith, that he ne will not a sinfull
mans death, but that he be turned from his sin and liven. And
therefore, when he came downe to save mankind, he gaue us a law of
love and of mercy; and bade, gif a man doe a trespasse, amend him
priuilich, and gif he leue not his sinne, amend him before witnesse,
and gif he ne amendeth not, men should tell to the church; and gif he
ne amendeth not then, men should shone his company as a publican, or a
man that is misbeleeued and this law was yfigured in the law of lepre,
who that reades it, he may see the sooth.

  "But Lord God, he that sitteth in thy stede hath undoe thy law of
mercy and love; Lord, thou biddest loven enemies as our selfe; and
shewest in the gospell there as the Samaritan had mercy on the Iew.
And thou biddest us also prayen for them that cursen us, and that
defamen us, and pursuen us to death. And so Lord thou diddest, and
thine apostles also. But hee that clepeth himselfe thy vicar on earth,
and head of thy church, he hath undone thy law of love and mercy. For
gif we speaken of loving our enemies, he teacheth us to fight with our
enemies, that Christ hath forboden. He curseth and desireth vengeance
to them that so doth to him. Gif any man pursueth him, he curseth him,
that it is a sorrow a Christen man to hearen the cursings that they
maken, and blasphemies in such cursing. Of what thing that I know, I
may beare true witnesse.

  "But gif we speake of louing of our brethren, this is undone by
him that saith he is Gods vicar in earth. For Christ in the gospell
biddeth us, that we shoulden clepen us no father upon earth: but
clepen God our Father, to maken us loue perfitlich together. And he
clepeth himselfe Father of fathers, and maketh many religions, and to
euerich a father. But whether is love and charity encreased by these
fathers and by their religions, or else ymade lesse? For a frier ne 
loueth not a monke, ne a secular man neither, nor yet one frier
another that is not of the order, and it is againward.

  "A Lord, me thinketh that there is little perfection in these
religions. For Lord, what charitie hauen such men of religion, that
knowne how they mown againstand sinne, and fleen away from their
brethren that ben more uncunning than they ben, and sufferen them to
trauelen in the world withouten their counsell as beasts? Trulich
Lord, me thinketh that there is but little charitie, and then is there
little perfection. Lord God, when thou were on earth, thou were among
sinfull men to drawen them from sinne, and thy disciples also. And
Lord, I trow thou ne grantest not one man more cunning than another
all for himselfe: and I wote well that lewd men that ben laborers, ne
trauell not alonlich for himselfe. Lord our beliefe is, that thou ne
were not of the world, ne thy teaching, neither thy seruants that
linden after thy teaching. But all they forsaken the world, and so
euery Christen man must. But Lord; whether thou taughtest men to
forsake their brethrens company and trauell of the world, to liven in
ease and in rest, and out of trouble and anger of the world, by their
brethrens trauell, and so forsaken the world?

  "A Lord, thou ne taughtest not a man to forsaken a poore estate
and trauell, to ben afterward a lord of his brethren, or beene a lords
fellow, and dwelling with lords, as doth men of these new religions.
Lord thou ne taughtest not men of thy religion thus to forsake the
world, to liven in perfection by themselfe in ease, and by other mens
trauell. But Lord they sayen they ben ybound to thy seruice, and
seruen thee both night and day in singing their praiers, both for
themselfe and for the other men, that done them good both quicke and
dead, and some of them gone about to teach thy people when they hauen
leisure.

  "A Lord, gif they be thy servants; whose seruants ben we that
cannot preien as they done? And when thou were here on earth, for our
neede thou taughtest thy seruants to preien thy Father priuilich and
shortlich: and gif there had beene a better manner of preying, I trow
thou wouldest haue taught it in help of thy people. And Lord thou
reprouest hypocrites that preyen in long prayer, and in open places,
to ben yholden holy men. And thou seyst in the gospel, Wo to you
Pharisies hypocrites. And Lord thou ne chargedst not thy seruants with
such manner seruice: but thou seyst in the gospell, that the Pharisies
worshopen thee with their lips, and their heart is farre from thee.
For they chargen more mens traditions than thy commandement.

  "And Lord, we lewd men han a beliefe, that thy goodnesse is
endlesse: and gif we keepen thine hestes, then ben we thy true
seruants. And though we preyen thee but a little and shortlich, thou
wilt thinken on us, and granten us that us nedeth, for so thou
behighted us sometime. And Lord I trow, that pray a man neuer so many
quaint prayers, gif hee ne keepe not thine hests, hee is not thy good
seruant. But gif hee keepe thine bests, then hee is thy good seruant.
And so me thinketh, Lord, that praying of long praiers ne is not the
seruice that thou desirest, but keeping of thine hests: and then a
lewd man may serue God as well as a man of religion; though that the
ploughman ne may not haue so much siluer for his prayer, as men of
religion. For they kunnen not so well preisen their praiers as these
other chap-men: but Lord, our hope is, that our praiers be neuer the
worse, though it be not so well sold as other mens prayers.

  "Lord, Ezechiel the prophet saith, that when he spake to the
people thy words, they turned thy words into songs and into tales. And
so Lord men done now: they sing merilich thy words, and that singing
they clepen thy seruice. But Lord I trow that the best singers herieth
thee not most: but he that fulfilleth thy words, he herieth thee full
well, though hee weepe more than sing: and I trow that weeping for
breaking of thy commandements bee more pleasing seruice to thee than
the singing of thy words. And would God that men would serue him in
sorrow for their sins, and that they shoulden afterward seruen thee in
mirth. For Christ saith, yblessed ben they that maken sorrow, for they
shoulden ben ycomforted. And woe to them that ben merry, and haue
their comfort in this world. And Christ said, that the world should
joyen, and his seruants shulden be sorry, but their sorrow should be
turned into joy.

  "A Lord, hee that clepeth himselfe thy vicar upon earth hath
yordained an order of priests to doe thy seruice in church tofore thy
lewd people in singing mattens, euensong, and masse. And therefore hee
chargeth lewd men in paine of cursing, to bring to his priests
tithings and offrings to finden his priests, and he clepeth that Gods
part, and due to priests that seruen him in church.

  "But Lord, in the old law the tithings of the lewd people ne were
not due to priests, but to that other childer of Leui that serueden
thee in the temple, and the priest hadden their part of sacrifices,
and the first bygeten beasts and other things as the law telleth. And
Lord S. Paul thy seruant saith, that the order of the priesthood of
Aaron ceased in Christs comming and the law of that priesthood. For
Christ was end of sacrifices yoffered upon the crosse to the Father of
heauen, to bring man out of sinne, and become himselfe a priest of
Melchisedeks order. For he was both King and Priest, without beginning
and end; and both the priesthood of Aaron, and also the law of that
priesthood ben ychanged in the comming of Christ. And S. Paul saith it
is reproued, for it brought no man to perfection. For bloud of goats,
ne of other beasts ne might done away sinne, for to that Christ shad
his bloud.

  "A Lord Iesus; whether thou ordenest an order of priests to
offren in the auter thy flesh and thy bloud to bringen men out of sin,
and also out of peine? And whether thou geue them alonelich a power to
eate thy flesh and thy bloud, and whether none other man may eate thy
flesh and thy bloud withouten leue of priests? Lord, we beleuen, that
thy flesh is uery meat, and thy bloud uery drinke; and who eateth thy
flesh, and drinketh thy bloud, dwelleth in thee, and thou in him, and
who that eateth this bread shall liue without end. But Lord thine
disciples said; this is a word; but thou answerest them and saidest;
when ye seeth man soone stiuen up there he was rather, the spirit is
that maketh you liue, the words that ych haue spoken to you ben spirit
and life. Lord, yblessed mote thou be, for in this word thou teachest
us that he that keepeth thy words, and doth after them, eateth thy
flesh, and drinketh thy bloud, and hath an euerlasting life in thee.
And for we shoulden haue minde of this living, thou gauest us the
sacrament of thy flesh and blood, in forme of bread and wine at thy
supper, before that thou shouldest suffer thy death, and tooke bread
in thine hand, and saidest; Take ye this, and eate it, for it is my
body: and thou tookest wine, and blessedst it, and said; This is the
bloud of a new and an euerlasting testament, that shall be shed for
many men in forgiuenesse of sins: as oft as ye done this, do ye this
in mind of me.

  "A Lord, thou ne bede not thine disciples maken this a sacrifice,
to bring men out of peines, gif a priest offred thy body in the altar;
but thou bed them goe and fullen all the folke in the name of the
Father, and the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, in forgiuenesse of their
sins; and teach ye them to keepe those things that ych haue commanded
you. And Lord, thine disciples ne ordained not priests principallich
to make thy body in sacrament, but for to teach the people, and good
husbandmen that well gouerne their housholds, both wives and children,
and their meiny, they ordeined to be priests to teachen other men the
law of Christ, both in word, in dede, and they lived ein as true
Christian men, euery day they eaten Christs body, and drinken his
bloud, to the sustenance of living of their soules, and other whiles
they tooken of the sacrament of his body in forme of bread and wine,
in minde of our Lord Iesus Christ.

  "But all this is turned upsedowne: for now whoso will liven as
thou taughtest, hee shall ben holden a foole. And gif he speake thy
teaching, he shall ben holden an hereticke, and accursed. Lord, haue
no longer wonder hereof, for so they seiden to thee when thou were
here sometime. And therefore we moten take in patience their words of
blasphemy as thou diddest thy selfe, or else we were to blame. And
trulich Lord I trow, that if thou were now in the world, and taughtest
as thou diddest sometime, thou shouldest ben done to death. For thy
teaching is damned for heresie of wise men of the world, and then
moten they needes ben heretikes that teachen thy lore, and all they
also that trauailen to liue thereafter.

  "And therefore Lord, gif it be thy will, helpe thine uncunning
and lewd seruants, that wolen by their power and their cunning helpe
to destroy sinne. Leue Lord, sith thou madest woman in helpe of man,
and in a more fraile degree than man is, to be gouerned by mans
reason: what perfection of charity is in these priests and in men of
religion, that haue forsaken spoushod that thou ordeinedst in Paradise
betwixt man and woman, for perfection to forsaken traueile, and liven
in ease by other mens traueile? For they mow not doe bodilich workes
for defouling of their hands, with whom they touchen thy precious body
in the altar.

  "Leue Lord, gif good men forsaken the company of woman, and needs
they moten haue the gouernaile of man, then moten they ben ycoupled
with shrewes, and therefore thy spousehood that thou madest in
cleannesse from sinne, it is now ychanged into liking of the flesh.
And Lord, this is a great mischiefe unto thy people. And young priests
and men of religion, for default of wives, maken many women horen, and
drawne through their ensample many other men to sinne, and the ease
that they liven in, and their welfare, is a great cause of this
mischiefe. And Lord me thinketh, that these ben quaint orders of
religion, and none of thy sect that wolen taken horen, whilke God
forfends, and forsaken wives that God ne forfendeth not: and forsaken
trauaile that God commands, and geuen their selfe to idlenes, that is
the mother of all naughtinesse.

  "And Lord, Mary thy blessed mother and Ioseph touched oftentimes
thy body, and wroughten with their hands, and liueden in as much
cleannes of soule, as our priests done now, and touched thy body, and
thou touchedest them in their souls. And Lord our hope is, that thou
goen not out of a poore mans soule that traueileth for his livelode
with his hands. For Lord, our beliefe is, that thine house is mans
soule, that thou madest after thine owne likenesse.

  "But Lord God, men maketh now great stonen houses full of glasen
windowes, and clepeth thilke thine houses and churches. And they
setten in these houses mawmets of stocks and stones, tofore them they
knelen priuilich and apert, and maken their praiers; and all this they
sayen is thy worship, and a great herying to thee. A Lord, thou
forbiddest sometime to make such mawmets, and who that had yworshipped
such, had ben worthy to be dead.

  "Lord in the gospel thou sayst, that true heriers of God ne
herieth him not in that hill beside Samaria, ne in Hierusalem neither,
but true heriers of God herieth him in spirit and in truth. And Lord
God, what herying is it to bilden thee a church of dead stones, and
robben thy quicke churches of their bodilich liuelood? Lord God, what
herying is it, to cloth mawmets of stocks and of stones in siluer and
in gold, and in other good colours? And Lord I see thine image gone in
cold and in hete, in clothes all to-broken, without shone and hosen,
an hungred and athurst. Lord what herying is it to teende tapers and
torches before blinde mawmets that mowen not I seyen? And hide thee
that art our light and our lantern towards heauen, and put thee under
a bushell, that for darknesse we ne may not seene our way toward
blisse? Lord what herying is it to kneele tofore mawmets that mow not
yheren, and worshepen them with preyers, and maken thine quicke images
kneele before them, and asken of them absolutions and blessings, and
worshepen them as gods, and putten thy quicke images in thraldome and
in traueile euermore as beasts, in cold and in heate, and in feeble
fare to finden them in liken of the world? Lord what herying is it to
fetch deed mens bones out of the ground, there as they shoulden
kindelich rotten, and shrinen them in gold and siluer; and suffren the
quick bones of thine images to rot in prison for default of clothings?
And suffren also thy quicke images to perish for default of
sustenance, and rooten in the hoorehouse in abominable lechery? Some
become theeues and robbers, and manquellers, that mighten ben yholpen
with the gold and siluer that hongeth about deed mens bones, and other
blind mawmets of stocks and stones.

  "Lord, here ben great abominations that thou shewdest to Ezechiel
thy prophet, that priests done in thy temple, and yet they clepen that
thine herying. But leue Lord, me thinketh that they louen thee little
that thus defoulen thy quicke images, and worshippen blinde mawmets.

  "And Lord, another great mischiefe there is now in the world, an
hunger that Amos thy prophet speaketh of; that there shall comen an
hunger in the earth, not of bread, ne thurst of drinke, but of hearing
of Gods word. And thy sheepe woulden be refreshed, but their
shepheards taken of thy sheepe their livelode, as tythings, &c. and
liuen themselfe thereby where them liketh.

  "Of such shepheards thou speaketh by Ezechiel thy prophet, and
seyest; Woe to the shepheards of Israel that feden themselfe, for the
flocks of sheepe shoulden be yfed of their shepheards: but ye eaten
the milke, and clothen you with their wolle, and the fat sheepe ye
slew, and my flocke ye ne fede not, the sicke sheepe ye ne healed not,
thilke that weren to-broken ye ne knit not together, thilke that
perished ye ne brought not againe; but ye ratled them with sternship
and with power. And so the sheepe be sprad abroad in deuouring of all
the beasts of the field. And Ieremie the prophet saith; Woe to the
shepheards that despearseth abroad and teareth the flock of my lesew.

  "A Lord, thou were a good shepheard, for thou puttest thy soule
for thy sheepe. But Lord, thou teldest that thilke that comen not in
by the dore ben night theeues and day theeues, and a theefe, as thou
seyst, commeth not but for to steal, to slein, and to destroy. And
Zechary the prophet saith; that thou wouldest reren up a shepheard
uncunning, that ne wol not hele thy sheepe that beth sicke, ne seeke
thilke that beth lost. Vpon his arme is a swerd, and upon his right
eye; his arme shall waxe dry, and his right eye shall lose his light.
O Lord, help, for thy sheep beth at great mischiefe in the shepherds
defaut.

  "But Lord, there commeth hired men, and they ne feden not thy
sheep in thy plenteous lesew, but feden thy sheepe with sweuens, and
false miracles and tales. But at thy truth they ne comen not: for
Lord, I trow thou sendest them neuer. For haue they hire of thy
sheepe, they ne careth but little of the feding and the keping of thy
sheepe. Lord, of these hired men speaketh Ieremie the prophet, and
thou seyst that word by him; I ne send them not, and they nonne bliue;
I ne speake unto them, and they propheciden. For if they hadden
stonden in my counsell, and they had made my words knowne to the
peouple, ich would haue turned them away from their yuill way, and
from their wicked thoughts. For Lord, thou seyst that thy words ben as
fire, and as an hammer breaking stones. And Lord, thou seyst; Lo. I to
these prophets meeting sweuens of lesing, that haue ytold her sweuens,
and haue begiled my people in their lesing, and in their false
miracles, when I neither sent, ne bed them. And these haue profitet
nothing to my people. And as Ieremie saith; From the least to the most
all they studien couetice, and from the prophet to the priest all they
done gile.

  "A Lord, here is much mischiefe and matere of sorrow: and yet
there is more. For gif a lewd man would teach thy people truth of thy
words, as hee is yhold by thy commandement of charity, he shall be
forboden and put in prison gif he do it. And so Lord, thilk that haue
the key of conning, haue ylockt the truth of thy teaching under many
wardes, and yhid it from thy children. But Lord, sith thy teaching is
ycome from heauen aboue, our hope is, that with thy grace it shall
breake these wards, and shew him to thy people, to kele both the
hunger and thurst of the soule. And then shall no shepheard, ner no
false hirid-man begile thy people no more. For by thy law I write, as
thou ihightest sometime, that from the least to the most, all they
shullen knowen thy will, and weten how they shullen please thee
euermore in certaine.

  "And leue Lord, gif it be thy will helpe at this need, for there
is none help but in thee. Thus Lord, by him that maketh himselfe thy
uiker in earth, is thy commandement of lone to thee and our brethren
ybroken, both to him and to thy people. But Lord God mercy and
patience, that beth tweine of thy commandements, beth destroied, and
thy poeple hath forsake mercy. For Lord, Dauid in the Sauter saith;
Blessed beth they that done dome and rightfulnesse in euerich time.

  "O Lord, thou hast ytaught vs as rightfulnesse of heauen, and
hast ybeden vs forgeuen our breathren as oft as they trespassen
against vs. And Lord, thine old law of iustice was, that such harme as
a man did his brother, such he should suffer by the law, as eye for an
eye, and tooth for a tooth. But Christ made an end of this law, that
one brother should not desire wracke of another: but not that he would
that sin should ben unpunished, for thereto hath he ordained kings and
dukes, and other lewd officers vnder them; whilke as S. Paul saith, ne
carien not the swerd in uain, for they ben the ministers of God, and
wrakers to wrath, to them that euill done. And thus hath Christ ymade
an end of this old law, that one brother may not suen another
himselfe, for that to wreken without sinne, for breaking of charity.
But this charity Lord hath thy uicar ybroke, and says that we sinnen,
but gif we suen for our right. And we see, I wot, that thou taughtest
us sometime to giue our mantell also, euer that we shoulden suen for
our coat. And so Lord beleuen we, that we ben ybonden to done by thy
law,that is all charity, and officers duty is to defenden us from
thilke theeuery, though we complainen not. But Lord, thy law is turned
upsedowne.

  "A Lord, what dome is to slean a theefe that take a mans cattell
away from him, and sufferen a spouse-breaker to liue, and a lecherour
that killeth a womans soule? And yet thy law stoned the spouse-
breakers and leacherous, and let the theeues liven and haue other
punishment.

  "A Lord, what dome is it to slean a theefe for stealing of an
horse, and to let him liue unpunished, and to mainetaine him that
robbeth thy poore people of their livelode, and the soule of his food?

  "Lord, it was never thy dome to sayen, that a man is an heretike,
and cursed for breaking of mans law, and demen him for a good man for
breaking thy hests.

  "Lord, what dome is it to curse a lewd man if he smite a priest,
and not curse a priest that smiteth a lewd man, and leeseth his
charity?

  "Lord, what dome is it to curse the lewd people for tithings, and
not curse the parson that robbeth the people of tithings, and teacheth
them not Gods law, but feedeth them with painting of stone walles, and
songs of Latine, that the people known not?

  "Lord, what dome is it to punish the poore man for his trespasse,
and suffer the rich to continue in his sinne for a quantity of mony?

  "Lord, what dome is it to slean an uncunning lewd man for his
sinne, and suffer a priest, other a clerke that doth the same sinne,
scape alive? Lord the sinne of the priest or of the clerke is greater
trespasse than it is of a lewd uncunning man; and greater ensample of
wickednesse to the common people?

  "Lord, what maner people be we, that neither keep thy domes and
thy rightfulnes of the Old Testament, that was a law of dread, nor thy
domes and thy rightfulnes of thy New Testament, that is a law of loue
and of mercy: but haue another law, and taken out of both thy lawes,
that is liking to us, and remnant of heathen mens lawes? and Lord this
is a great mischiefe.

  "O Lord, thou saiest in thy law, deme ye not and ye should not be
demed; for the same mesure that ye meten to other men, men shall meten
to yo againward: and Lord thou saiest that by their work we should
know them; and by what we know thou commanded vs not to demen mens
thought not their works, that were not against thy lawe expresly. And
yet Lord he, that saith he is thy car, will demen our thoughts, and
aske us what thinke: not of the Lord, of thy hests, for they care
little for them, but of him and of his, whilke they sate aboue thine,
and maken us accusen our selfe, or else they willen accursen us, for
our accusers mowen we not knowne. And Lord, thou saiest in thine old
law, that under two witnes at the least, or three, should stand euery
matter: and that the witnes shoulden euer be the first the shoulden
helpe to kill them.

  "And when the scribes and the Pharises sometimes brought before
thee a woman that was ytake in spouse-breaking, and exeden of thee a
dome, thou didst write on the earth, and then thou gaue this dome; He
that is without sinne, throw first at her a stone, and Lord they went
forth away from thee and the woman: and thou forgaue the woman her
trespasse, and bade her goe forth, and sinne no more.

  "Sweet Lord, if the priests tooke keepe to thy dome, they would
be agast to demen men as they done, O Lord, if one of them breake a
commandement of thy law, he will aske mercy of thee, and not a peine
that is due for the sinne, for peine of death were too little. O Lord,
how daren they demen any man to the death for breaking of their lawes,
other assent to such law? for breaking of thy law they will set
penance, or pardon them, and maintaine them as often as they
trespassen. But Lord, if a man once breake their lawes, or speake
against them, he may done penance but once, and after be burnt.
Trulich Lord thou saiest, but if euery one of us forgiue not other his
trespasse, thy Father will not forgeuen us our sinnes. And Lord when
thou hong on the crosse, thou praiedst to thy Father to haue mercy on
thy enemies.

  "And yet they sein Lord, that they demen no man to the death, for
they sein, they ne mown by their law demen any man to the death. A
leeue Lord, euen so saiden their forefathers the Pharises, that it ne
was not lawfull for them to kill any man: and yet they bidden Pilate
to done thee to the death against his owne conscience, for he would
gladly haue yquit thee, but for that they threatened him with the
emperor, and broughten against thee false witnes also: and he was an
heathen man.

  "O Lord, how much truer dome was there in Pilat, that was an
heathen justice, than in our kings and justices that woulden demen to
the death, and burne in the fire him that the priests deliueren unto
them withouten witnes, or prefe? For Pilat ne would not demen thee;
for that the Pharises sayden that gif thou ne haddest not ben a
misdoer, we ne would not deliuer him unto thee; for to, they broughten
in their false witnesse against thee. But Lord, as thou saidst
sometime that it should ben lighter at domesday to Tyre, and to Sydon,
and Gomorra, than to the cities where thou wrought wonders and
miracles: so I dred, it shall be more light to Pilat in the dome than
to our kings and domesmen, that so demen without witnes and prefe. For
Lord, to demen thy folke for heretiks, is to holden thee an heretike;
and to brennen them, is to brennen thee: for thou saidst to Paul when
he persecuted thy people; Saul, Saul, wherefore persecutest thou me?
and in the dome thou shalt say; that ye haue done to the least of
mine, ye haue don to me.

  "Thus Lord is thy mercy and justice foredone by him that saith he
is thy uicar in earth: for he neither keepeth it himselfe, nor nil not
suffer other to doe it.

  "The third commandement, that is, patience and sufferance, is
also ybroken by this uicar. Lord thou biddest sufferen both wrongs and
strokes withouten againstanding; and so thou diddest thy selfe to
geuen us ensample to sufferen of our brethren. For suffering
nourisheth loue, and againstandeth debate. All thy lawes is loue, or
else the thing that draweth to loue.

  "But Lord, men teachen, that men shoulden pleten for their right,
and fighten also therefore; and else they seyn, men ben in perill: and
thou bid in the old law men fight for their countrey. And thy selfe
haddest two swords in thy company, when thou shouldest goe to thy
passion; that as these clerkes sein, betokeneth a spirituall sword,
and a temporall sword, that thou gaue to thy uicar to rule thy church
with.

  "Lord, this is a sleight speech; but Lord we beleeuen that thou
art King of blisse, and that is thine heritage and mankinds countrey;
and in this world we ne ben but strangers and pilgrimes. For thou Lord
ne art of this world, ne thy law neither, ne thy true seruants that
keepen thy law. And Lord, thou were King of Iuda by heritage, if thou
wouldest haue yhad it; but thou forsooke it, and pletedest not
therefore, ne fought not therfore.

  "But Lord, for thy kinde heritage, and mandkindes country, that
is a land of blisse, thou foughtest mightilich. In battell thou
ouercame thy enemy, and so thou won thine heritage. For thou that were
a Lord mightiest in battle, and also Lord of uertues, are rightfullich
King of blisse; as Dauid saith in the Psalter. But Lord thine enemy
smote thee dispitefullich, and had power of thee, and hang thee upon
the crosse as thou hadst ben a theefe and benomin thee all thy
clothes, and sticked thee to the heart with a speare.

  "O Lord, this was an hard assault of a battell, and here thou
ouercome by patience mightilich thine enemies; for thou ne wouldest
not done against the will of thy Father. And thus Lord thou taughtest
thy seruants to fight for their countrey. And Lord this fighting was
in figure ytaught in the old law. But Lord, men holden now the shadow
of the old fighting and leauen the light of thy fighting, that thou
taughtest openlich both in word and in deed.

  "Lord, thou gaue us a sword to fighten against our enemies for
our countrey, that was thine holy teaching, and Christen mens law. But
Lord thy sword is put in a sheath, and in priests ward, that haue
forsake the fighting that thou taughtest. For as they seyn, it is
against their order to ben men of armes in thy batten, for it is
unseemelich, as they seyn, that thy uicar in earth, other, his priests
shulden suffer of other men. And therfore gif any man smite him, other
any of his clerks, he ne taketh it not in patience, but anon he
smiteth with his sword of cursing, and afterward with his bodelich
sword, he doth them to death. O Lord, me thinketh that this is a
fighting against kind, and much against thy teaching.

  "O Lord, whether axsedest thou after swerds in the time of thy
passion to againstond thine enemies? nay forsooth thou Lord. For
Peter, that smote for great love of thee, had no great thanke of thee
for his smiting. And Lord, thou were mighty enough to haue againstond
thine enemies, for through thy looking they fellen downe to the
ground, Lord yblessed mote thou be. Here thou teachest us that we
shoulden suffren: for thou were mighty ynow to haue againstand thine
enemies, and thou haddest wepen, and thy men weren hearty to haue
smitten.

  "O sweet Lord, how may he for shame clepen himselfe thy uicar and
head of the church, that may not for shame suffer? Sith thou art a
Lord, and sufferedst of thy subjects, to giuen us ensample, and so did
thy true seruants.

  "O Lord, whether geue thou to Peter a spirituall swerd to curse,
and a temporall swerd to sle mens bodies? Lord, I trow not, for then
Peter that loued thee so much, would haue smit with thy swerds. But
Lord, he taughten us to blessen them that cursen us, and suffren and
not smiten. And Lord, he fed thy people as thou bed him, and therefore
he suffred the death as thou didst.

  "O Lord, why clepeth any man him Peters successor, that hath
forsaken patience, and feedeth thy people with cursing, and with
smiting? Lord thou saidest in thy gospell, when thy disciples knewen
well that thou were Christ, and that thou mustest go to Ierusalem, and
sufferen of the scribes and Pharises spittings, reproofes, and also
the death. And Peter tooke thee aside, and said; God forbid that. And
Lord, thou saydest to Peter, Goe behinde me Sathanas, thou
sclaunderest me in Israel. For thou ne sauorest not thilke things that
ben of God, but thilke that ben of men. Lord to mens wit it is
unreasonable, that thou or thy uicar, gif thou madest any on earth,
shoulden suffren of your suggets.

  "A Lord, whether thou ordeinest an order of fighters to turne men
to the beliefe? Other ordeinest that knights shoulden sweare to fight
for thy words?

  "A Lord, whether bed thou, that gif any man turne to the faith,
that he should geue his goods and cattell to the uicar that hath great
lordshops, and more than him needeth? Lord I wot well, that in the
beginning the churchmen that were conuerted threwen adown their goods
afore the apostles feete. For all they weren in charity, and none of
them said this is mine, ne Peter made himselfe no lord of these goods.

  "But Lord, now he that clepeth himselfe thy uicar upon earth, and
successor to Peter, hath ybroke commandement of charity, for he is
become a lord. And hee hath also broken thy commandement of mercy, and
also of patience. Thus Lord wee be fallen into mischiefe and
thraldome, for our chiefetaine hath forsaken war and armes, and hath
treated to haue peace with our enemies.

  "A Lord, gif it be thy will, draw thy swerd out of his sheath,
that thy seruants may fight therewith against their enemies, and put
cowardise out of our hearts: and comfort us in battaile, or than thou
come with thy swerd in thy mouth, or take uengeance on thine enemies.
For gif wee ben accorded with our enemies till that time come, it is
dread lest thou take uengeance both of them and of us together. A
Lord, there is no helpe now in this great mischeife but only in thee.

  "Lord, thou geuest us a commandement of truth, in bidding us say
yea, yea, nay, nay, and sweare for nothing. Thou geue us also a
maundement of meekenesse, and another of poorenesse: but Lord, he that
clepeth himselfe thy uicar on earth, hath both ybroken these
commandements; for he maketh a law to compell men to sweare, and by
his lawes he teacheth that a man, to saue his life, may forswear and
lie. And so Lord, through comfort of him and his lawes, the people ne
dreadeth not to sweare and to lie, ne oft times to forswearen them.
Lord here is little truth.

  "O Lord, thou hast ybrought us to a lining of souls that stands
in beleeuing in thee, and keeping thy hests, and when wee breaken thy
hests, then wee slen our souls: and lesse harme it were to suffer
bodilich death.

  "Lord, King Saul brake thine hests, and thou tooke his kingdome 
from his heires euermore after him, and giue it to Dauid thy seruant,
that kept thine hests. And thou saidst by Samuel thy prophet to Saul
the king, that it is a manner of worshipping of false gods to breake
thy hests. For who that loueth thee ouer all things, and dreadeth thee
also, he nole for nothing breake thine hests.

  "O Lord, gif breaking of thine hests be herying of false gods, I
trow that hee that maketh the people breake thine hests, and
commandeth that his hests ben kept of the people, maketh himselfe a
false god on earth; as Nebugodonosor did sometime that was king of
Babylon.

  "But Lord, we forsaken such false gods, and beleuen that there ne
ben no mo gods than thou: and though thou suffer us a while to ben in
disease for knowledging of thee; we thanken thee with our heart, for
it is a token that thou louest us, to giuen us in this world some
penance for our trespas.

  "Lord, in the old law, thy true seruants tooke the death, for
they would not eaten swines flesh that thou haddest forbidde them to
eat. O Lord, what truth is in us to eaten unclean mete of the soule,
that thou hast forbid? Lord thou saidst, he that doth sinne is seruant
of sin, and then he that lieth in forswearing himselfe, is seruant of
lesing: and then he is seruant to the diuell, that is a lier and
father of lesings. And Lord, thou sayest, no man may serue two lords
at once. O Lord then, euery lier for the time that he lieth, other
forsweareth himselfe, and forsaketh thy seruice for dread of his
bodily death, becommeth the diuels seruant.

  "O Lord, what truth is in him that clepeth himselfe seruant of
thy seruants, and in his doing hee maketh him a lord of thy seruants.
Lord thou were both Lord and Master, and so thou said thy selfe; but
yet in thy works thou were as a seruant. Lord this was a great truth,
and a great meeknesse: but Lord, bid thou thy seruants that they
should not haue lordship ouer their brethren. Lord thou saydst kings
of the heathen men han lordship ouer their subjects, and they that use
their power be cleped well doers.

  "But Lord, thou saidst it should not be so amongst thy seruants.
But he that were most, should be as a seruant. Thou Lord, thou
taughtest thy disciples to be meeke. Lord in the old law thy seruants
durst haue no lordship of their brethren, but if that thou bid them:
and yet they should not doe to their brethren as they did to thralles
that serued them. But they should do to their brethren that were their
seruants, as to their owne brethren: for all they were Abrahams
children: and at a certaine time, they should let their brethren passe
from them in all freedom, but if they would wilfullich abide still in
seruice.

  "O Lord, thou gaue us in thy comming a law of perfect loue, and
in token of loue thou clepedst thy selfe our brother. And to make us
perfect in loue, thou bid that we should clepe to us no father upon
earth, but thy Father of heauen wee should clepe our Father. Alas,
Lord, how uiolently our brethren, and thy children ben now put in
bodily thraldome, and in despite as beasts euermore in grieuous
trauell to finde proud men in ease. But Lord, if we take this defoule
and this disease in patience, and in meeknesse, and keepe thine hests,
we hope to be free. And Lord giue our brethren grace to come out of
thraldome of sinne, that they fall in through the desiring and usage
of lordship upon their brethren. And Lord, thy priests in the old law
had no lordships among their brethren, but houses and pastures for
their beasts: but Lord our priests now haue great lordships, and put
their brethren in greater thraldome than lewde men that be lords. Thus
is meeknesse forsaken.

  "Lord, thou biddest in the gospell, that when a man is bid to the
feast, he should sit in the lowest place, and then he may be set
higher with worship, when the lord of the feast beholdeth how his
gucsts sitteth. Lord it is dread that they, that sit now in the
highest place, should be bid in time comming sit beneath: and that
will be shame and villany for them. And it is thy saying, those that
hyeth himselfe should be lowed, and those that loweth himselfe should
be an heyghed. O Lord, thou biddest in thy gospell to beware of the
Pharises, for it is a point of pride contrary to meeknesse. And Lord,
thou sayest that they love the first sittings at suppers, and also the
principal chaires in churches, and greetings in cheeping, and to bee
cleped masters of men. And Lord, thou sayest be yee not cleped
masters, for one is your Master, and that is Christ, and all ye be
brethren: and clepe ye to you no father upon earth, for one is your
Father that is in heauen. O Lord, this is a blessed lesson to teach
men to be meeke.

  "But Lord, he that clepeth himselfe thy uicar on earth, he
clepeth himselfe father of fathers against thy forbidding. And all
those worships thou hast forbad. He approueth them, and maketh them
masters to many, that teach thy people their owne teaching, and leaue
thy teaching that is needfull, and hidden it by quaint glosses from
thy lewd people and feede thy people with sweuens that they meete, and
tales that doth little profite but much harme to the people. But Lord,
these glosers object, that they desire not the state of masterie to be
worshipped thereby, but to profit the more to thy people, when they
preach thy word. Far as they suggen the people will beleeue more the
preaching of a master that hath taken a state of schoole, than the
preaching of another man that hath not taken the state of mastry.

  "Lord; whether it be any need that masters bearen witnesse to thy
teaching, that it is true and good? O Lord, whether may any master now
by his estate of mastry, that thou hast forboden, draw any man from
his sinne, rather then another man that is not a master, ne wole be
none; for it is forbodden him in thy gospell? Lord thou sendest to
masters to preach thy people; and thou knowledgist in the gospell to
thy Father, that he hath hid his wisedome from wise men and readie
men; and shewed it to little children. And Lord, masters of the law
hylden thy teaching folly, and saiden that thou wouldest destroy the
people with thy teaching. Trulich Lord, so these masters seggeth now;
for they haue written many bookes against thy teaching, that is truth;
and so the prophecie of Ieremy is fulfilled when he saith; Trulich the
false points of the masters of the law hath wrought lesing. And now is
the time come that S. Paul speaketh of, where he saith; Time shall
come when men shall not sustaine wholsome teaching; but they shullen
gather to hear masters with hutching eares, and from truth they
shullen turnen away their hearing, and turnen them to tales, that
masters haue maked to showne their maistry and their wisedome.

  "And Lord, a man shall beleeue more a mans workes than his words,
and the deede sheweth well of these masters, that they desiren more
maistery for their owne worship, than for profit of the people. For
when they be masters, they ne preachen not so oft as they did before.
And gif they preachen, commonlich it is before rich men, there as they
mowne beare worship and also profit of their preaching. But before
poore men they preachen but seldem, when they ben masters: and so by
their workes we may seene that they ben false glosers.

  "And Lord, me thinketh that who so wole keepen thine hests, him
needeth no gloses: but thilke that clepen themselfe Christen men, and
liven against thy teaching and thine hests, needelich they more glose
thine hests, after their lining, other elsemen shulden openlich yknow
their hypocrisie and their falshod.

  "But Lord, thou sayst that there is nothing yhid that shall not
be shewed sometime. And Lord yblessed mote thou be: for somewhat thou
shewest us now of our mischiefes that we beene fallen in through the
wisedomes of masters, that haue by sleights ylad us away from thee and
thy teaching, that thou, that were the Master of heauen, taught us for
love, when thou were here sometime to heale of our soules, withouten
error or heresie. But masters of worlds wisedome and their founder
haue ydamned it for heresie and for error.

  "O Lord, me thinketh it is a great pride thus to reproue thy
wisedome and thy teaching. And Lord, me thinketh that this
Nabugodonosor king of Babylon, that thus hath reprooued thy teaching
and thine hests, and commandeth on all wise to keepen his hests, maken
thy people hearen him as a god on earth, and maketh them his thralls
and his seruants.

  "But Lord, we lewd men knowen no God but thee, and we with thine
helpe and thy grace forsaken Nabugodonosor and his lawes. For he in
his proud estate wole haue all men under him, and he nele be under no
man. He ondoth thy lawes that thou ordainest to ben kept, and maketh
his owne lawes as him liketh: and so he maketh him king aboue all
other kings of the earth, and maketh men to worshippen him as a god,
and thy great sacrifice he hath ydone away.

  "O Lord, here is thy commandement of meeknes, mischiflich to-
broke: and thy blessed commandement of poornes is also to-broken, and
yhid from thy people. Lord, Zechary thy prophet saith, that thou that
shouldest be our King, shouldest ben a poore man, and so thou were:
for thou saidest thy selfe; Foxes haue dens, and birds of heauen
nests, and mans Sonne hath not where to ligge his head on. And thou
saidest, yblessed ben poore men in spirit, for thy kingdome of heauen
is therein: and woe to rich men, for they han their comfort in this
world. And thou bad thy disciples to ben ware of all couetise, for
thou saydest, in the abundance of mans hauing, ne is not his lifelode.
And so thou teachest, that thilke that han more then them needeth to
their liuing liuen in couetise. Also thou sayst, but gif a man forsake
all things that he oweth, he ne may not ben thy disciple. Lord, thou
sayst also, that thy word, that is sowne in rich mens hearts, bringeth
forth no fruit; for riches and the businesse of this world maken it
withouten fruit.

  "O Lord, here bene many blessed teachings to teach men to ben
poore, and loue poorenesse. But Lord harme is, poore men and
poorenesse ben ybated, and rich men ben yloued and honored: and gif a
man bee a poore man, men holden him a man withouten grace; and gif a
man desireth poorenesse, men holden him but a foole: and gif a man be
a rich man, men clepen him a gracious man, and thilke that ben busie
in getting of riches, ben yhold wise men and ready: but Lord, these
rich men sayen, that it beth lawfull to them to gather riches
togither. For they ne gathereth it for themselfe, but for other men
that ben needy, and Lord their workes shewen the truth. For if a poore
needy man would borrowen of their riches, he nele lean him none of his
good; but gif he mow be seker to haue it againe by a certaine day.

  "But Lord, thou bed that a man should lend, and not hoping
yelding againe of him that he lendeth to: and thy Father of heauen
wole quite him his mede. And gif a poore man aske a rich man any good,
the rich man will giue him but a little, and yet it shall be little
worth. And Lord me thinketh that here is little loue and charity, both
to God and to our brethren.

  "For Lord, thou teachest in thy gospell, that what men doe to thy
servants, they done to thee. A Lord, gif a poore man axe good for thy
loue, men giueth him a little of the wurst. For these rich men
ordeinen both bread and ale for Gods men of the wurst that they haue.
O Lord, sith all good that men hath, commeth of thee; how dare any man
geue thee of the wurst, and kepe to himselfe of the best? How may such
men say that they gatheren riches for others need, as well as
himselfe, sith their workes ben contrary to their words? and that is
no great truth. And be ye seker these goods that rich man han, they
ben Gods goods, ytake to your keeping, to looke how he wolen be setten
them to the worshipping of God. And Lord, thou saiest in the gospell,
that who so is true in little, he is true in that thing that is more:
and who that is false in a little thing, who wole taken him toward
things of a greater ualue? And therefore be yee ware that han Gods
goods to keepe. Spend ye thilke trulich to the worship of God, lest ye
leesen the blisse of heauen, for the untrue dispending of Gods goods
in this world.

  "O Lord, these rich men seggen that they don much for thy loue.
For many poore labourers ben yfound by them, that shoulden fare
febelich, ne we not they and their readinesse. Forsooth me thinketh
that poore laborers giueth to these rich men, moren then they given
them againeward. For the poore men more gone to his labour in cold and
in heat, in wete and dry, and spend his flesh and his bloud in rich
mens workes, upon Gods ground, to finde the rich man in ease, and in
liking, and in good fare of meate, of drinke, and of clothing. Here is
a great gift of the poore man, for he giueth his owne body. But what
giueth the rich man again-ward? Certes feeble meat, and feeble drinke,
and feeble clothing. What euer they seggen, such bee their workes, and
here is little loue. And whosoeuer looketh well about, all the world
fareth as we seggen: and all men studieth on euery side, how they may
wex rich men; and euerich man almost is ashamed to ben holden a poore
man.

  "And Lord, I trow for thou were a poore man, men token little
regard to thee, and to thy teaching. But Lord thou came to giue us a
New Testament of loue; and therefore it was semelich that thou came in
poorenesse, to proue who would love thee, and keepen thy hests. For
gif thou haddest ycome in forme of a rich man and of a lord, men wold
rather for thy dread then for thy loue, have yclept thine hests. And
so Lord, now thou might well ysee which louen thee as they should in
keeping thine hests. For who that loveth thee in thy poorenesse and in
thy lownesse, needs he mote loue thee in thy lordship and highnesse.

  "But Lord, the world is turned upse downe, and men loue poore men
but a little, ne poorenesse neither. But men be ashamed of poorenesse;
and therefore Lord, I trow that thou art a poore King. And therefore I
trow that he that clepeth himself thy uicar on earth, hath forsaken
poorenesse, as he hath do the remnant of thy law, and is become a rich
man and a lord, and maketh his treasure upon the earth, that thou
forbiddest in the gospell; and for his right and riches, he will
plete, and fight and curse. And yet Lord he will segge, that he
forsaketh all things that he oweth, as thy true disciple mete done
after thy teaching in the gospell.

  "But Lord, thou ne taughtest not a man to forsaken his goods, and
plete for them, and fight, and curse. And Lord, he taketh on him power
to assoile a man of all manner things, but if it be of debt. Truly
Lord, me thinketh he knoweth little of charity. For who that beth in
charity, possesseth thy goods in common, and not in proper at his
neighbors neede. And then shall there none of them segge this is mine,
but it is Gods that God granteth to us to spenden it to his worship.
And so if any of them borroweth a portion of those goods, and
dispendeth them to Gods worship, God is apayed of this spending, and
alloweth him this true doing. And if God is payed of that dispending,
this is the principall lord of those goods, how dare any of his
seruants axen thereof accounts, other challenge it for det? Serten, of
one thing I am incerteine, that these that charge so much det of
worldly cattell, they know little of Christs law of charity: for if
Ich am a baily of Gods goods in the world; if I see my brother in
need, I am hold by charitie to part with him of these goods to his
nede; and if he spendeth them well to the worship of God, I mote be
well apaid, as though I my selfe had spended them to the worship of
God. And if the principall Lord is well payed of my brothers doing,
and the dispending of his goods, how may I segge for shame that my
brother is dettour to mee of the goods that I tooke him to spend in
Gods worship at his nede? And if my brother spendeth amisse the goods
that I take him, I am discharged of my deliuerance of the goods, if I
take him in charity thilke goods at his nede. And I am hold to bee
sory of his euill dispending, ne I may not axen the goods, that I
tooke him to his nede in forme of debt, for at his need they were his
as well as mine. And thus is my brother yhold to done to me gif he see
me in nede, and gif we bed in charity, little should we chargen of
det. And ne we should not axen so dets, as men that knowen not God:
and then we be poore in forsaking all things that we own. For gif we
ben in charitie, we wollen nother fight nor curse, ne plete for our
goods with our brethren.

  "O Lord, thus thou taughtest thy seruants to liuen; and so they
liueden while they hadden good shepheards, that fedden thy sheep, and
robbed them not of their livelode, as Peter thy good shepheard and thy
other apostles. But Lord, he that clepeth himselfe thy vicar upon
earth, and successor to Pcter, he robbeth thy people of their bodilich
livelode, for hee ordeineth proud shepheards to liven in ease by the
tenth party of poore mens trauell: and he giueth them leaue to liven
where them liketh. And gif men ne wolen wilfullich giuen them the
tithings, they wolen han them against their will by maisterie and by
cursing, to maken them rich.

  "Lord, how may any man segge that such shepheards that loven more
the wolle than the sheepe, and fedden not thy sheepe in body, ne in
soule, ne ben such ravenors and theeves? And who may segge, that the
mainteinour of such shepheards ne is not a mainteinour of theeves and
robbers? How wole hee assoile shepheards of their robbing, without
restitutlon of their goods, that they robben thy shepe of against
their will? Lord of all shepheards, blessed mote thou bee. For thou
lovedst more the sheepe than their wolle. For thou feedest thy sheepe
both in body and, soule. And for love of thy sheepe, thou tooke thy
death to bring thy sheepe out of wolves mouthes. And the most charge
that thou Bove to Peter was to feede thy sheepe. And so hee did
truelich, and tooke the death for thee and for thy sheepe. For hee
came into the fold of sheepe by thee that were the doore. And so I
trow few other did as hee did, though they clepen themselfe successors
to Peter; for their workes showen what they ben. For they robben and
sleene and destroyen; they robben thy sheepe of the tenth part of
their trauell, and feeden themselfs in ease. They sleene thy sheepe,
for they pyenen them for hunger of their soule to the death. They
destroyen the sheepe, for with might and with sternship they rulen thy
sheepe; that for dred they ben dispersed abroad in mountaines, and
there the wilde beasts of the field destroyeth them for default of a
good shepheard.

  "O Lord, gif it be thy will deliver thy sheepe out of such
shepheards ward that watcheth not of thy sheepe, so they han their
wolle to make themselfe rich. For thy sheepe ben in great mischiefe,
and foule accombred with their shepheards.

  "But for thy shepheards wolden ben excused, they have ygetten
them hired men to feed thy people, and these comen in sheepes
clothing. But dredlesse their workes shewen that within forth they ben
but wolfes. For han they their hire, they ne retcheth but a little how
sorrilich thy sheepe ben kept. For as they seggen themselfe, they ben
but hired men that han no charge of thy sheepe. And when they shulden
feden thy sheepe in the plenteous lesew of thy teaching, they stonden
between them and their lesew, so that the sheepe ne han but a sight of
thy lesew, but eaten they shall not thereof. But they feden them in a
sorrie sowre lesew of lesings and of tales. And so thy sheepe fallen
into grievous sicknesse through this evill lesew. And gif any sheepe
breake ouer into thy lesew to tasten the sweetnesse thereof, anon
these hired men drive him out with hounds. And thus thy sheepe by
these hired men ben ykept out of their kindlich lesew, and ben yfed
with sowre grasse and sorrie barren lesew. And yet they feden but
seldome, and when they han sorrilich fed them, they taken great hire,
and gone away from thy sheepe and letten them a worth.

  "And for dread lest thy sheepe wolden in their absence goe to thy
sweet lesew, they han enclosed it all about so stronglich and so high,
that there may no sheepe comen there within, but gif it be a Walisch
leper of the mountaines, that may with his long legs lepen over the
vallys. For the hired men ben full certaine, that gif thy sheepe had
once ytasted the sweetnesse of thy lesew: they ne would no more bene
yfed of these hired men in their sowre lesewes, and therefore these
hired men kepen them out of that lesew. For haden the sheepe once
ytasted well of that lesew, they wolden without a leader goe thider to
their mete, and then mote these hired men sechen them another labor to
live by than keeping of sheepe. And they ben fell and ware ynow
thereof, and therefore they feeden thy sheepe with sowre meat that
naught is, and hiden from thy sheepe the sweetnesse of thy lesew. And
so though these hired men gon in sheepes clothing, in their workes
they ben wolves, that much harme done to thy sheepe as we have ytold.

  "O Lord, they comen as sheepe, for they seggen that they ben
poore and have forsaken the world to liven perfitlich as thou
taughtest in the gospell. Lord this is sheepes clothing. But Lord thou
ne taughtest not a man to forsaken the travellous living in poorenesse
in the world, to liven in ease with riches by other mens travell, and
have lordship on their brethren. For Lord, this is more to forsaken
thee and goe to the world.

  "O Lord, thou ne taughtest not a man to forsake the world to
liven in poorenesse of begging by other mens travell that ben as
feeble as they ben. Ne Lord thou ne taughtest not a man to live in
poorenesse of begging, that were strong enough to travell for his
lifelode. Ne Lord, thou ne taughtest not a man to ben a begger to
begge of men more than him needeth, to build great castles and make
great feasts to thilke that han no neede.

  "O Lord, thou ne taughtest not men this poorenesse, for it is out
of charitie. But thy poorenesse, that thou taughtest, nourisheth
charitie. Lord, sith Paul saith, that hee that forsaketh the charge of
thilke that ben homelich with him, hath forsaken his faith and is
worse then an misbeleeven man: how then now these men seggen that they
beleeven in Christ, that han forsaken their poore feeble friends, and
let them live in travell and in disease, that travelled full sore for
them, when they weren yong and unmightie to helpen themselfe? And they
wolen live in ease by other mens travell, evermore begging withouten
shame.

  "Lord thou ne taughtest not this manner poorenesse, for it is out
of charitie. And all thy law is charitie and thing that nourisheth
charitie, and these sheepheards send about to keepe thy sheepe, and to
feden them other whiles in bareine lesewes. Lord thou ne madest none
such sheepheards, ne keepers of the sheepe that feede sorrilich thy
sheepe, and for so little travell taken a great hire, and sithen all
the yeere afterward, doe what them liketh, and let thy sheepe perish
for default of keeping.

  "But thy sheepheards abiden still with their sheepe, and feeden
them in thy plenteous lesew of thy teaching, and gone before thy
sheepe, and teachen them the way into the plenteous and sweete lesew,
and keepen thy flocke from ravening of the wilde beasts of the field.

  "O Lord deliver the sheep out of the ward of these shepheards,
and these hired men, that stonden more to keepe their riches that they
robben of thy sheepe, than they stonden in keeping of thy sheepe.

  "O Lord when thou come to Jerusalem, sometime thou drove out of
the temple sellers of beasts and of other chaffare, and saidst: Mine
house shoulden ben cleped an house of prayers, but they maden a den of
theeves of it. O Lord thou art the temple in whom we shoulden praien
thy Father of heaven. And Salomons temple, that was ybelded at
Jerusalem, was figure of this temple. But Lord, he that clepeth
himselfe thy vicar upon earth, and saith that he occupieth thy place
here on earth, is become a chapman in thy temple, and hath his chap-
men walking in diuers countries to sellen his chaffare, and to maken
him rich. And hee saith, thou gave him so great a power aboven all
other men, that whatever he bindeth other unbindeth in earth, thou
bindest other unbindest the same in heaven. And so of great power hee
selleth other men forgivenesseof their sinne. And for much money he
will assoilen a man so cleane of his sinne, that he behoteth men of
the blisse of heaven withouten any paine after that they be dead, that
given him much money.

  "Bishoprickes and chirches, and such other chaffares he selleth
also for money, and maketh himselfe rich. And thus he beguiled the
people.

  "O Lord Iesus here is much untruth, and mischiefe, and matter of
sorrow. Lord thou saidest sometime, that thou wouldest bee with thy
servants unto the end of the world. And thou saidest also, there as
tweine or three ben ygadred togedder in thy name, that thou art in the
middle of them. A Lord, then it was no need to thee to maken
liefetenant, sith thou wolte be evermore amongst thy servants.

  "Lord, thou axedst of thy disciples, who they trowed that thou
were. And Peter answered and said, that thou art Christ Gods Sonne.
And thou saidest to Peter; Thou art yblessed Simon Bariona, for flesh
and bloud ne showed not this to thee, but my Father that is in heaven.
And I say to thee that thou art Peter, and upon this stone ych would
bilde my church, and the gates of hell hee shullen not availen agens
it.

  "And to thee ych wole geve the keyes of heaven, and what ever
thou bindest upon earth shall bee bound in heaven, and what ever thou
unbindest on earth, shall be unbounden in heaven. This power also was
granten unto the other disciples, as well as to Peter, as the gospell
openlich telleth. In this place men seggen that thou granted to Peters
successours the selue power that thou gave to Peter. And therefore the
bishop of Rome, that saith he is Peters successour, taketh this power
to him to binden and unbinden in earth what him liketh. But Lord, ych
have much wonder how hee may for shame clepen himselfe Peters
successour: for Peter knowledged that thou wert Christ and God, and
kept the hests of thy law: but these han forsaken the hests of thy
law, and hath ymaken a law contrary to thine hests of thy law. And so
he maked himselfe a false Christ, and a false god in earth. And I trow
thou gave him no power to undoe thy law. And so in taking this power
upon him, maketh him a false Christ and antichrist.

  "For who may be more agens Christ, than hee that in his words 
maketh himselfe Christs vicar in earth; and in his werkes undoth the
ordinance of Christ, and maketh men beleeven that it is needfull to
the heale of mans soules, to beleeven that he is Christs vicar in
earth? And what ever he bindeth in earth, is ybounden in heaven, and
under this colour hee undoth Christs law, and maketh men alwayes to
keepen his law and hests.

  "And thus man may yseene that bee is against Christ, and
therefore hee is antichrist that maketh men worshippen him as a god on
earth, as the proud kin Nabugodonosor did sometime, that was king of
Babylon. And therefore wee lewde men that knowen not God but thee
Iesus Christ, beleeven in thee that art our God, and our King, and our
Christ, and thy lawes; and forsaken antichrist, and Nabugodonosor that
is a false god, and a false Christ, and his lawes ben contrary to thy
preaching.

  "And Lord strength thou us against our enemies. For they ben
about to maken us forsaken thee and thy law, other else to putten us
to death.

  "O Lord, onlich in thee is our trust to helpe us in this
mischiefe, for thy great goodnesse that is withouten end.

  "Lord thou ne taughtest not thy disciples to assoilen men of
their sinne, and setten them a penance for their sinne, in fasting, ne
in praying, ne other almous deed; ne thy selfe, ne thy disciples,
useden no such power here on earth. For Lord, thou forgeve men her
sinnes and bede him sinne no more. And thy disciples fulleden men in
thy name, in forgivenesse of her sinnes. Nor they tooke no such power
upon them as our priests dare now. And Lord, thou ne assoildest no man
both of his sinne and of his paine, that was due for his sinne, ne
thou grantedst no man such power here on earth.

  "And Lord, me thinketh that gif there were a purgatorie, and any
earthlich man had power to deliveren sinfull men from the peines of
purgatorie, hee should, and hee were in charitie, saven everich man
that were in way of salvation from thilke peines, sith they make them
greater than any bodilich peines of this world. Also gif the bishop of
Rome had such a power, hee himself shuld never come in purgatorie, ne
in hell. And sith we see well that hee ne hath no power to kepen
himselfe, ne other men nother out of these bodilich peines of the
world, and he may goe to hell for his sinne as another man may: I ne
beleeve not, that he hath so great power to assoylen men of their
sinne as bee taketh upon him aboven all other men. And I trow that in
this hee higheth himselfe above God.

  "As touching the selling of bishoprickes and parsonages, I trow
it be a point of falsehed. For agenst Gods ordinance hee robbeth poore
men of a portion of their sustenance, and selleth it, other giveth it,
to find proud men in idlenesse that don the lewd people little profit,
but much harme, as we told before. Thus ben thy commandements of
truth, of meeknesse, and of poorenesse undone by him, that clepeth
himselfe thy vicar here upon earth.

  "A Lord, thou gave us a commandement of chastice, that is, a
forsaking of fleshlich lusts. For thou broughtest us to a living of
soule, that is, ygoverned by the word. For Lord, thou ordeinedist
women more frele than man to ben ygoverned by mans rule, and his
helpe, to please thee and keepe thine hests. Ne thou ne ordeinedist
that a man should desire the company of a woman, and maken her his
wife, to liven with her in his lustis, as a swine doth or a horse. And
his wife ne like him not to his lustes, Lord thou ne gave not a man
leave to departen him from his wife, and taken him another.

  "But Lord, thy marriage is a common accord betweene man and
woman, to liven together to their lives end, and in thy service either
the better for others helpe, and thilke that thus ben ycome together,
ben joyned by thee, and thilke that God joyneth, may no man depart.
But Lord, thou saiest, that gif a man see a woman to coveten her, then
he doth with the woman lecherie in his heart. And so Lord, gif a man
desire his wife in covetise of such lusts, and not to flie from
whoredome, his weddins is lecherie, ne thou ne joynest them not
together. Thus was Raguels daughter ywedded to seven husbands that the
divell instrangled. But Toby tooke her to live with her in cleannesse,
and bringing up of her children in thy worship, and on him the divell
ne had no power. For the wedding was I-maked in God, for God, and
through God.

  "A Lord, the people is farre ygo from this manner of wedding. For
now men wedden their wives for fairenesse, other for riches, or some
such other fleshlich lusts. And Lord, so it preveth by them for the
most part. For a man shall not find two wedded in a land, where the
husband loues the wife, and the wife is buxum to the man, as they
shoulden after the law of marriage. But other the man loves not his
wife, or the wife is not buxum to her man. And thus Lord is the rule
of prefe, that never faileth no preue whether it bee done by thee or
no. And Lord, all this mischiefe is common among thy people, for that
they know not thy word, but their shepheards and hired men fedden them
with their sweuens and leasings. And Lord, where they shoulden gon
before us in the field, they seggen their order is too holy for thy
marriage. And Lord, he that calleth himselfe thy vicar upon earth will
not suffren priests to taken them wives, for that is against his law:
but Lord, hee will dispensen with them to kepen horen for a certaine
summe of money. And Lord, all whoredome is forfended in thy law. And
Lord, thou never forfendest priests their wiues, ner thy apostles
neither. And well I wote in our land, priests hadden wives untill
Anselmus dayes in the yeare of our Lord God 1129, as Huntingdone
writes. And Lord, this makes people for the most part beleven, that
lecherie is no sinne. Therefore wee lewd men prayen thee that thou
wolt send vs shepheards of thine own, that wolen feeden thy flocke in
thy lesew, and gon before themselfe, and so written thy law in our
hearts, that from the least to the most all they mayen knowen thee.
And Lord, geue our king and his lords heart to defenden thy true
shepheards and thy sheepe from out of the wolues mouthes, and grace to
know thee that art the true Christ, the Sonne of thy heauenly Father,
from the antichrist, that is, the sonne of pride. And Lord, geue vs
thy poore sheepe patience and strength to suffer for thy law, the
cruelnesse of the mischieuous wolues. And Lord, as thou hast promised,
shorten these daies. Lord we axen this now, for more neede was there
neuer."



75. THE PARABLE OF FRIAR RUPESCISSANUS

  I doubt not, gentle reader, but in reading this godly treatise
above prefixed, the matter is manifest and plain of itself without any
further explication, what is to be thought and judged of this vicar of
Christ, and successor of Peter, whom we call the bishop of Rome; whose
life here thou seest not only to be disordered in all points, swerving
from the steps and example of Christ, the Prince and Bishop of our
souls, but also whose laws and doctrines are so repugnant and contrary
to the precepts and rule of the gospel, that almost there is no
convenience between them; as in the perusing of this complaining
prayer thou mayest notoriously understand. Wherefore, having no need
to stand in any further expressing of this matter, but leaving it to
thine own consideration and discretion, I will speed myself (Christ
willing) to proceed toward the time of John Wickliff and his fellows,
taking by order of years as I go, such things by the way, as both
happened before the said time of Wickliff, and also may the better
prepare the mind of the reader to the entering of that story; where,
first, I think it not inconvenient to infer a prophetical parable,
written about this time, or not much before, which the author morally
applieth unto the bishop of Rome. To what author this prophecy or
moral is to be ascribed, I have not certainly to affirm: some say,
that Rupescissanus, of whom mention is made before, was the author
thereof, and allege it out of Froisart; but in Froisart, as yet, I
have not found it. In the mean season, as I have found it in Latin
expressed, because it painteth out the pope so rightly in his feathers
and colours; as I thought the thing was not to be omitted, so I took
this present place, as most fit, although, peradventure, missing the
order of years a little, to insert the same. The effect of which
parable followeth hereunder written.

  In the time of Pope Innocent the Sixth above specified, this
Johannes de Rupescissa, a friar, among other his prophecies
marvellously forespake (as allegeth Froisart, who both heard and saw
him) of the taking of John the French king prisoner, and brought forth
many other notable collections concerning the perils, mutations, and
changings in the church to come. And at what time the pope kept him at
Avignon in prison, where Froisart is said to see him, and to speak
with him, the said Froisart heard in the pope's court this example and
parable recited by the aforesaid friar Rupescissanus, to the two
cardinals, to wit, Cardinal Hostiensis, and Cardinal Auxercensis,
which followeth in these words:

  "When, on a certain time, a bird was brought into the world all
bare and without feathers, the other birds hearing thereof, came to
visit her; and for that they saw her to be a marvellous fair and
beautiful bird, they counselled together how they might best do her
good, since by no means without feathers she might either fly, or live
commodiously. They all wished her to live for her excellent form and
beauty's sake, insomuch that among them all there was not one that
would not grant some part of her own feathers to deck this bird
withal; yea, and the more trim they saw her to be, the more feathers
still they gave unto her, so that by this means she was passing well
penned and feathered, and began to fly. The other birds that thus had
adorned her with goodly feathers, beholding her to fly abroad, were
marvellously delighted therewith. In the end this bird, seeing herself
so gorgeously feathered, and of all the rest to be had in honour,
began to wax proud and haughty; insomuch that she had no regard at all 
unto them by whom she was advanced; yea, she punged them with her
beak, plucked them by the skin and feathers, and in all places annoyed
them. Whereupon the birds, sitting in council again, called the matter
in question, demanding one of another what was best to be done
touching this unkind bird, whom they lovingly with their own feathers
had decked and adorned; affirming that they gave not their feathers to
the intent that she, thereby puffed up with pride, should
contemptuously despise them all. The peacock, therefore, answereth the
first; Truly, saith he, for that she is bravely set forth with my
painted feathers, I will again take them from her. Then saith the
falcon, And I also will have mine again. This sentence at length took
place among them all, so that every one plucked from her those
feathers which before they had given, challenging to them their own
again. Now this proud bird, seeing herself thus to be dealt withal,
began forthwith to abate her haughty stomach, and humbly to submit
herself openly, confessing and acknowledging, that of herself she had
nothing, but that her feathers, her honour and other ornaments, was
their gift; she came into the world all naked and bare; they clad her
with comely feathers, and therefore of right may they receive them
again. Wherefore, in most humble wise she desireth pardon, promising
to amend all that is past, neither would she at any time hereafter
commit, whereby through pride she might lose her feathers again. The
gentle birds, that before had given their feathers, seeing her so
humble and lowly, being moved with pity, restored again the feathers
which lately they had taken away, adding withal this admonition, We
will gladly, say they, behold thy flying among us, so long as thou
wilt use thine office with humbleness of mind, which is the chiefest
comeliness of all the rest: but this have thou for certainty, that if
at any time hereafter thou extol thyself in pride, we will straightway
deprive thee of thy feathers, and reduce thee into thy former state
wherein we found thee. Even so, O you cardinals, (saith Johannes
Rupescissanus,) shall it happen unto you; for the emperors of the
Romans and Almains, and other Christian kings, potentates, and princes
of the earth, have bestowed upon you goods, lands, and riches, that
should serve God, but you have poured it out, and consumed it upon
pride, all kind of wickedness, riot, and wantonness."



76. ARMACHANUS AND THE BEGGING FRIARS

  In the catalogue of these learned and zealous defenders of Christ
against antichrist above rehearsed, whom the Lord about this time
began to raise up for the reanimation of his church, being then far
out of frame; I cannot forget nor omit something to write of the
reverend prelate, and famous clerk, Richard Armachanus, primate and
archbishop of Ireland: a man for his life and learning so memorable,
as the condition of those days then served, that the same days then,
as they had but few good, so had they none almost his better. His name
was Richard Fizraf, made primate and archbishop, as is said, of
Ireland; first brought up in the university of Oxford in the study of
all liberal knowledge, wherein he did exceedingly profit under John
Bakenthorpe, his tutor and instructor. In this time the Begging Friars
began greatly to multiply and spread, unto whom this Bakenthorpe was
ever a great enemy; whose steps the scholars also following, began to
do the like. Such was the capacity and dexterity of this Fizraf, that
he, being commended to King Edward the Third, was promoted by him,
first, to be archdeacon of Lichfield, then to be the commissary of the
University of Oxford, at length to be archbishop of Armagh in Ireland.
He being archbishop, upon a time had a cause to come up to London; at
what time here, in the said city of London, was contention between the
friars and the clergy about preaching and hearing confessions, &c.
Whereupon, this Armachanus, being requested to preach, made seven or
eight sermons; wherein he propounded nine conclusions against the
friars, for the which he was cited up by the friars before this Pope
Innocent the Sixth to appear; and so he did: who before the face of
the pope valiantly defended, both in preaching and in writing, the
same conclusions, and therein stood constantly unto the death, as the
words of John Wickliff, in this Trialogo, do well testify. The like
also Waldenus testifieth of him: also Volateranus reporteth the same.
Gulielmus Botonerus, testifying of him in like manner, saith, that
Armachanus first reproved Begging Friars for hearing the confessions
of professed nuns, without licence of their superiors, and also of
married women without knowledge of their husbands. What dangers and
troubles he sustained by his persecutors, and how miraculously the
Lord delivered him from their hands; insomuch that they, meeting him
in the open streets, and in clear daylight, yet had no power to see
him nor to apprehend him: in what peril of thieves and searchers he
was, and yet the Lord delivered him; yea, and caused his money, being
taken from him, to be restored again to him by portions in time of his
necessity and famine: and in what dangers he was of the king's
officers, which, coming with the king's letters, laid all the havens
for him; and how the Lord Jesus delivered him, showing him by what
ways, and how to escape them: moreover, what appeals were laid against
him, to the number of sixteen; and yet how the Lord gave him to
triumph over all his enemies: how the Lord also taught him and brought
him out of the profound vanities of Aristotle's subtilty, to the study
of the Scriptures of God: all this, with much more, he himself
expresseth in a certain prayer or confession made to Christ Jesus our
Lord, in which he describeth almost the whole history of his own life;
which prayer I have to show in old written hand, and hereafter (Christ
willing) intend, as time serveth, to publish the same. Thus what were
the troubles of this good man, and how he was cited up by the friars
to the pope, you have partly heard. Now what were his reasons and
arguments wherewith he defended his cause in the pope's presence,
followeth to be declared; for the tractation whereof, first, I must
put the reader in remembrance of the controversy mentioned before in
the story of Gulielmus de sancto Amore; also in the story of the
university of Paris contending against the friars; for so long did
this controversy continue in the church, from the year 1240, when the
Oxford men began first to stand against the friars, to the time of
this Armachanus, that is, to the year 1360; and after this time yet
more increased. So it pleased the secret providence of God, for what 
cause he best knoweth, to suffer his church to be entangled and
exercised sometimes with matters and controversies of no great
importance; either to keep the vanity of men's wits thus occupied from
idleness, or else to prepare their minds, by these smaller matters, to
the consideration and searching out of other things more grave and
weighty. Like as now in these our queen's days, we see what tragedies
be raised up in England about forms and fashions of ministers'
wearings, what troubles grow, what placing and displacing there is
about the same. Even so at this time happened the like stir about the
liberties and privileges of the friars, which not a little troubled
and occupied all the churches and divines almost through Christendom.
The which controversy, to the intent it may better be understood, (all
the circumstances thereof being explained,) we will first begin from
the original and foundation of the matter, to declare by order and
course of years, upon what occasion this variance first rising, in
continuance of time increased and multiplied in gathering more matter,
and burst out at length to this tumultuous contention among learned
men.

  Concerning therefore this present matter; first, it is to be
understood, that in the year of our Lord 1215, under Pope Innocent the
Third, was called a general council at Lateran, mentioned before, in
the days of King John. In the which council, among many other things,
was constituted a certain law or canon, beginning Omnis utriusque
sexus, &c., the tenor of which canon in English is thus:

  "Be it decreed, that every faithful Christian, both man and
woman, coming to the years of discretion, shall confess himself alone
of all his sins to the priest of his own proper parish, once in the
year at least; and that he shall endeavour, by his own self, to fulfil
the penance, whensoever he receiveth the sacrament of the Eucharist,
at least at the time of Easter. Unless by the assent of his minister,
upon some reasonable cause, he abstain for the time. Otherwise doing,
let him both lack the communion of the church being alive, and
Christian burial when he is dead. Wherefore be it decreed, that this
wholesome constitution shall be published accustomably in churches, to
the end that no man of ignorance or of blindness make to himself a
cloak of excuse. And if any shall confess himself to any other priest
than of his own parish upon any just cause, let him ask and obtain
first licence of his own priest; otherwise the priest shall have no
power to bind him or to loose him," &c.

  In the time of this Innocent, and of this Lateran council, was
Dominic, the first author and founder of the Preaching Friars; who
laboured to the said Pope Innocent, for the confirmation of his order,
but did not obtain in his lifetime.

  The next year after this Lateran council died Pope Innocent, A.
D. 1216, after whom came Honorius the Third, who in the first year of
his popedom confirmed the order of the friar Dominic, and gave to him
and his friars authority to preach, and to hear confessions, with
divers other privileges more. And under this pope, which governed ten
years, lived Dominic five years after the confirmation of his order,
and died A. D. 1221. About which year the order of the Franciscan
Friars began also to breed, and to spread in the world, through
preaching and hearing confessions.

    
    After this Honorius, next followed Pope Gregory the Ninth,
about the year of our Lord 1228, who, for the promoting of the
aforesaid order of Dominics, gave out this bull, in tenor as
followeth:

  "Gregorius bishop, servant of God's servants, to his reverend
brethren, archbishops, bishops, and to his well-beloved children,
abbots, priors, and to all prelates of churches, to whomsoever these
presents shall come, greeting, and apostolical blessing. Because
iniquity hath abounded, and the charity of many hath waxed cold;
behold, the Lord hath raised up the order of our well-beloved children
the Preaching Friars, who not seeing things of their own, but
pertaining to Jesus Christ, to the extirpating a swell of heresies, as
to the rooting out also of other pernicious pestilences, have
dedicated themselves to the preaching of the word of God. We
therefore, minding to advance their sacred purpose, &c. And followeth;
commanding you to see the said persons, gently to be received among
you; and that your flocks committed to your charge do receive devoutly
the seed of God's word out of their mouth, and do confess their sins
unto them, all such as list, whom we have authorized to the same, to
hear confessions, and to enjoin penance, &c. Dat. Perusii. An. Pont.
nostri 8."

  This Pope Gregory died about the year of our Lord 1241, after
whom came Celestine the Fourth, and sat but eighteen days: then came
Innocent the Fourth, and sat eleven years and six months; who,
although he began first to favour the friars, yet afterward being
altered by certain divines of universities, prelates of churches, and
curates, he debarred them of their liberties and privileges, and gave
out again precepts and excommunications, as well against friars, as
all other religious persons. And not long after the same he was
despatched and made away.

  Innocent being thus removed out of the way, about the year of our
Lord 1353, then succeeded Pope Alexander the Fourth, a great
maintainer of the friars, and sat seven years. He revoked and repealed
the acts and writings of Pope Innocent his predecessor, given forth
against the friars; wherewith the divines and students of Paris being
not well contented, stirred up four principal doctors: the first and
chief captain was Gulielmus de Sancto Amore, mentioned before, against
whom wrote Albertus Magnus, and Thomas Aquinas; and at last he was
condemned by this aforesaid Pope Alexander the Fourth, in the
Extravagant, Non sine mulcta. The second was Simon Jornalensis; the
third, Godfridus de Fontibus; the fourth, Henricus de Gandavo. These
four, with other their complices, compiled a certain book against the
begging order of friars, both Dominicans and Franciscans, entitled De
periculis Ecclesiĉ, containing fourteen chapters, whereof the
fourteenth, which is the last, with thirty-nine articles against the
friars, we have already translated and expressed. Beside these thirty-
nine articles, be other seven articles, moreover, to the said book
annexed, under the name of the students of Paris against the friars,
proving why the said friars ought not to be admitted into their
society.

  "First, We say they are not to be admitted to the society of our
school, but upon our will and licence; for our company or fellowship
ought not to be co-active, but voluntary and free.

  "Secondly, We say they are not to be admitted, forasmuch as we
oft proved their community manifold ways to be hurtful and
incommodious.

  "Thirdly, Seeing they be of a diverse profession from us, (for
they are called regular, and not scholastical,) we therefore ought not
to be joined and associate together in one scholastical office;
forasmuch as the council of Spain doth say, Thou shalt not plough with
an ox and with an ass together; which is to say, Men of diverse
professions ought not together to be matched in one kind of calling,
or standing, for their studies and conditions be disagreeing and
dissevered from ours, and cannot frame or couple together in one
communion.

  "Fourthly, We affirm by the apostle that they are not to be
admitted, because they work dissensions and offences; for so saith the
apostle, Rom. xvi. We desire you, brethren, that ye observe and take
heed of such as make dissensions and offences about the doctrine which
you have learned by the apostles, and avoid them; for such serve not
the Lord, but their own belly. Gloss. 'Some they flatter, some they
backbite, whereby they might feed their bellies.' That through their
sweet and pleasant words, and by their benedictions, they may deceive
the hearts of the simple. Gloss. 'That is, with their fine sugared and
trim-couched words they set forth their own traditions, wherewith they
beguile the hearts of the simple innocents.'

  "Fifthly, We say they are not to be admitted, for that we fear
lest they be in the number of them which go about and devour men's
houses; for they thrust in themselves into every man's house,
searching and sacking the conscience and states of all persons: and
whom they find easy to be seduced, and women, such they do circumvent,
and lead them away from the counsels of their prelates, binding them
in act or oath: from such we are warned by the apostle to avoid.

  "Sixthly, We say they are to be avoided, because we fear they are
false prophets; which being neither bishops, nor parish priests, nor
yet their vicars, nor sent by them, yet they preach (not sent) against
the mind of the apostle, Rom. x., saying, How shall they preach except
they be sent? for else there appeareth in them no such great virtue,
for the which they ought to be admitted to preach uncalled. Seeing
therefore that such are so dangerous to the church, they ought to be
avoided.

  "Seventhly, We say they are not to be admitted, because they be a
people so curious in searching and inquiring of other men's doings and
spiritual demeanour. And they yet be neither apostles, nor yet
successors of the apostles, as bishops; nor of the number of the
seventy-two disciples of the Lord; nor their successors, that is,
parish priests, nor their helpers, nor yet vicars. Wherefore, seeing
they live so in no order, by the sentence of the apostle we are
commanded to avoid them, 2 Thess. iii., where he saith, We admonish
and denounce unto you, O brethren! in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, (that is, as the gloss saith, 'We command you by the authority
of Christ,') that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that
walketh inordinately, and not after the tradition which you have
received of us, &c. Look upon the common gloss of this place, and you
shall find, that such are to be avoided till time they amend from so
doing," &c.

  Besides these articles above rehearsed, certain propositions or
conclusions were also propounded in the schools of Paris the same
time, solemnly to be disputed and defended against the friars; which,
in a brief sum of words to collect them, were these:

  "First, That the Begging Friars were not in the state of
salvation.

  "Secondly, That they were bound to labour with their hands that
could, and not to beg.

  "Thirdly, That they ought not to exercise the office of
preaching, or to hear the confessions of them that will come unto
them, although being licensed thereunto by the bishop of Rome, or by
the diocesan, forasmuch as the same is prejudicial to the ministers
and priests of the parishes."

  All these aforesaid articles and conclusions, with the book set
forth by these Paris men, this Pope Alexander the Fourth condemned to
be abolished and burned, writing his precepts to the French king, and
also the university of Paris, in the favour of the friars, willing and
commanding the said friars to be restored to all their privileges and
liberties in as ample manner as in Pope Gregory's time before.

  Not long after Pope Alexander the Fourth followed Clement the
Fourth, A. D. 1263, and sat three years: who also gave the privilege
to the friars, beginning, Quidam temere, &c.; in which privilege he
condemneth them that say that no man without licence of his curate or
minister ought to confess him to the friars, or that a subject ought
to ask licence of their ministers so to do, which was against the
canon Omnis utriusque sexus, &c., made by Pope Innocent the Third,
before recited.

  After this Clement again came Pope Martin the Fourth, A. D. 1281,
who renewed again the canon, Omnis utriusque sexus, in the behalf of
the curates against the friars.

  Then Pope Boniface the Eighth began to sit, A. D. 1294, and sat
eight years and nine months; who, taking side with the friars, gave to
them another privilege, beginning, Supra cathedram, &c.; in the which
privilege he licensed the friars, that without licence of vicars of
churches they shall first present themselves to the prelates to be
admitted; by whom, if they be refused the second time, then they, upon
special authority of this pope, shall be privileged, without either
bishop or curate, to preach, to bury, and to hear confessions,
whosoever will come to them, revoking all that was decreed by his
predecessors before to the contrary.

  By this Pope Boniface, a certain Dominic Friar was made cardinal,
named Nicolaus de Tervisio, and after the death of Boniface he was
also made pope, A. D. 1303, surnamed Pope Benedict the Eleventh, who,
seeing the constitution of Boniface, his predecessor, to gender
dissension between the priests and friars, made another constitution,
beginning, Inter cunctas, &c., revoking the constitution of Boniface
his predecessor. Upon which constitution of Pope Benedict, Johannes
Monachus, making a gloss, revoked also his other made upon the
constitution of Pope Boniface before.
Again, after this Benedict the Eleventh followed Pope Clement the
Fifth, A. D. 1305, and sat nine years. Who, in his general council
holden at Vienna, revoked the constitution of Benedict his
predecessor, and renewed again the former decree of Boniface, by a new
constitution of his, beginning, Dudum a Bonifacio VIII., &c., which
constitution, moreover, was confirmed afterward by Pope John the
Twenty-second, A. D. 1316. Which pope also caused Johannes de Poliaco
to recant.

  Upon this variable diversity of the popes (one dissenting and
repugning from another) rose among the divines and schoolmen in
universities great matter of contention, as well in the university of
Paris as the university of Oxford, about the Begging Friars, some
holding one way, some another way. But especially five principal
opinions be noted of learned men, who, then disputing against the
friars, were condemned for heretics, and their assertions reproved.

  The first was the opinion of them which defended that the friars
might not, by the licence of the bishop of Rome and of the prelates,
preach in parishes and hear confessions. And of this opinion was
Gulielmus de Sancto Amore, with his fellows, who, as it is said, were
condemned.

  The second opinion was this, that friars, although not by their
own authority, yet by privilege of the pope and of the bishop, might
preach and hear confessions in parishes, but yet not without licence
of the parish priests. Of this opinion was Bernard, glossing upon the
canon, Omnis utriusque sexus, afore mentioned.

  The third opinion was, that friars might preach and hear
confessions without licence of the parish priests; but yet the said
parishioners, notwithstanding, were bound by the canon Omnis utriusque
sexus, to repeat the same sins again, if they had no other, to their
own proper curate. And of this opinion were many, as Godfridus de
Fontibus, Henricus de Gandavo, Johannes Monachus Cardinalis, Johannes
de Poliaco; which Johannes de Poliaco Pope John the Twenty-second
caused openly in Paris to recant and retract.

  This Johannes de Poliaco, doctor of divinity in Paris, being
complained of by the friars for certain articles or assertions, was
sent for to the pope; where, time and place being to him assigned, he,
in the audience of the pope and of friarly cardinals and other
doctors, was straitly examined of his articles. To make the story
short he, at length submitting himself to the authority of the
terrible see of Rome, was caused to recant his assertions openly at
Paris. His assertions which he did hold were these:

  First, that they which were confessed to friars, although having
a general licence to hear confessions, were bound to confess again
their sins to their own parish priest, by the constitution Omnis
utriusque sexus, &c.

  The second was, that the said constitution Omnis utriusque sexus
standing in his force, the pope could not make, but parishioners were
bound once a year to confess their sins to their priest. For the doing
otherwise importeth a contradiction in itself.

  The third was, that the pope could not give general licence to
hear confessions so, but that the parishioner so confessed was bound
to reiterate the same confession made unto his own curate; which he
proved by these places of the canon law: "Those things which be
generally ordained for public utility, ought not to be altered by any
change, &c. Item, the decrees of the sacred canons none ought to keep
more than the bishop apostolical, &c. Item, to alter or to ordain any
thing against the decrees of the fathers, is not in the authority or
power, no, not of the apostolical see."

  The fourth opinion was, that the friars by the licence of the
pope and of the bishops might lawfully hear confessions, and the
people might be of them confessed and absolved. But yet
notwithstanding, it was reason, convenient, honest, and profitable,
that once in the year they should be confessed to their curates,
(although being confessed before to the friars,) because of the
administration of the sacraments, especially at Easter. Of which
opinion was Gulielmus de Monte Landuno. Henricus de Gaudano also held
it not only to be convenient, but also that they were bound so to do.

  The fifth opinion was, that albeit the friars might at all times,
and at Easter also, hear confessions as the curates did; yet it was
better and more safe, at the time of Easter, to confess to the
curates, than to the friars. And of this opinion was this our
Armachanus, of whom we presently now treat.

  And thus have ye, as in a brief sum, opened unto you what was the
matter of contention between the friars and the churchmen; what popes
made with the friars, and what popes made against them. Moreover, what
learned men disputed against them in Paris, and other places; and what
were their opinions.
The matter of contention about the friars stood in four points; first,
preaching without licence of curates; secondly, in hearing confession;
thirdly, in burying; fourthly, in begging and taking of the people.
The popes that maintained the friars were, Honorius the Third,
Gregorius the Ninth, Alexander the Fourth, Clement the Fourth,
Boniface the Eighth, Clement the Fifth. The popes that maintained
curates, were Innocentius the Third, Innocentius the Fourth, Martinus
the Fourth, Benedictus the Eleventh.
The learned men that disputed against the friars were, Gulielmus de S.
Amore, Bernardus super capitulum, Omnis utriusque sexus, Godfridus de
Fontibus, Henricus de Gandavo, Gulielmus de Landuno, Johannes Monachus
Cardinalis, Johannes de Poliaco, and Armachanus. All these were
condemned by the popes, or else caused to recant.

  These considerations and circumstances hitherto premised, for the
more opening of this present cause of Armachanus sustained against the
idle beggarly sects of friars, in whom the reader may well perceive
antichrist plainly reigning and fighting against the church: it now
remaineth, that as I have before declared the travails and troubles of
divers godly learned men in the church striving against the said
friars, continually from the time of Gulielmus de Amore, hitherto; so
now forasmuch as this our Armachanus laboured, and in the same cause
sustained the like conflict with the same antichrist, we likewise
collect and open his reasons and arguments uttered in the consistory
and in the audience of the pope himself, wherewith he maintaineth the
true doctrine and cause of the church against the pestiferous canker
creeping in by these friars after subtle ways of hypocrisy, to corrupt
the sincere simplicity of Christ's holy faith and perfect testament;
the which reasons and arguments of his, with the whole process of his
doings, I thought good and expedient for the utility of the church
more amply and largely to discourse and prosecute, for that I note in
the sects, institutions, and doctrine of these friars, such subtle
poison to lurk, more pernicious and hurtful to the religion of Christ
and souls of Christians than all men, peradventure, do consider.

  Thus Armachanus, joining with the clergy of England, disputed and
contended with the friars here of England, A. D. 1358,