Agaynst the possessyons of the clergye Harkyn what great auctorytes shall nowe folowe, for proffe thereof.

Agaynst the posses¦syons of the Clergye.

HArkyn what great aucto∣rytes shall nowe folowe / For proffe thereof.

VNder reformacion of holy and de¦uoute clerkys it semyth that all y^e reasons which any of y^e clergy be able to make for y^e kepyng of theyr tempo¦rall possessions be but weyke & of small auctoryte / consyderyng that the contrary therof is cōmaundyd and approuyd by y^e olde testament by the new testament / & in many of theyr canon lawes / and by y^e seyenges of the apostels and many holy doctors. And also that the reformacion and correccyon of all enormytees in the clergy belongeth to pryncys and here in Englande vnto the Kynges grace our moste drad souerayne lorde.

¶Fyrste by the auctoryte of the olde testamente it aperyth that the clerge ought nat to haue possessiōs. Cap. .i.

¶It is wryten numeri .xviii. god sayd to Aaron. (Pactum pacis est sempiter∣num tibi). & .c.

The pacte & couenaunt of peace is euer lastyng before god to the and to thy son∣nes in a perpetuall ryght / In theyre lande ye shall possede nothynge / nor ye shall haue no parte amonge them / I am thy parte and herytage amonge the chyl∣drene of Issraell / To the chyldrene of Leui I haue geuyn all the tythes of Issraell in possession for the mynstraciō that they serue me in y^e tabernacle .& .c.

¶They shall possed nothynge els but be contente with the offrynge of tythes And as it is sayd Esai .xliiij. there shall be no herytage to them, I am theyr he∣rytage / ye shall gyue them no possession in Issraell / I am theyr possession.

¶Also it is sayd. hier .xlviii. Cursed be

he that doth the worke of god fraudy∣lently or neclygently.

¶Also exodi .xxiii. thou shalte nat take rewardes which blyndyth wyse men & subuertyth the wordes of iuste men.

¶Secondarely it apperyth by y^• new testamente that the clergy ought nat to haue possessions. Ea. .ij.

¶Also in the holy gospell Chryst sayde Io .xii. he that mynistryth to me let hym folow me / and primo Io .xii. he y^t seyth he wyll dwell in Chryst must walke as he walked but Chryst walked all his lyfe in pouerte without hauyng any tēporall possessions and alwey refused them / th•• it must nedys folow that they that haue possessiōs folow nat Chryst ¶Also .i. pe .ii. Chryst sufferyd for vs / leuyng yo•• exāple that ye myght folow his steppys ¶Also hebre .xii. let vs beholde the auc¦tor of y^e feyth and fulfyller thereof Ihū which dyd put a wey all Ioy / & suffred 〈◊〉〈◊〉

crosse content with confusion.

¶Also Mathew .xvi. he that wyll come after me lett him forsake his wyll & take his crosse and folow me.

¶And Luc .xiiij. onlesse that a man re∣nounce to all men that, that he possedeth he can nat be my dyssyple.

¶Also Luc .xij. sell your possessyōs and gyue almys Also Math .xix. Lowe haue forsakyn all and haue folowed the

¶Also Actu .ij. The appostels solde theyr possessyons and substance and de∣uydyd it to them that had nede.

¶Also it appereth that Christ wyllyd his appostels and dyssyples to haue payne in this world and no pleasure whē he sayd Mathew .x. Lo I send you into the world to be lyke to shepe in the myddys of the cōpany of wolfes and Math .vij. Entre you by the paynfull gate it is A streyt and paynfull wey which leadyth to lyfe and there is but few that fynd it.

¶And Mathew .x. Be ye nat wyllyng ••o haue possessiōs of golde nor syluer nor

money nor two cotes / Also Colo .iii. sa∣uer ye those thyngys that be a boue and nat those that be vpon the erth / and ma∣ny other placys of scrypture affyrme the same that the clergy which call them sel∣fes the successors of Chrystes appostels to whome Chryst sayd that they were the lyght and salte of the yerth shuld haue no possessions.

¶Thrydly it apperyth by many o•• theyr owne lawes in y^e decres that the clergy ought nat to haue possessions.

¶Also it appyryth by y^e canons of theyr owne lawe that they ought nat to haue possessions / for there it is sayde thu•• Dyst .xlvii. omnes.

The louers of the worlde be stronge in wordely thynges and weyk in heuenly thynges / Also in the councell of toleta∣ne it is comaunded by many auctory∣tes as it apperyth .xii. ••.i. that clerkes ought to haue no possessions .Ca. clicos

nich•••• / and there .xij. •• .i. clericus •• ••i / and there / Ca. duo sūt genera cristiano¦rum / And in euery of the sayd places it appereth & is / prohybyt to them / to haue any possessions.

¶Also they that be constytutyd in holy orders ought nat to take seculer cures / dyst. lxxxviij. E••us / aut sacerdos.

¶Also a bysshop may nat take y^• tuycion of testamētes nor the charge of wordly thyngys / but ought to gyue hȳ selfe only to redyng prayer / and prechyng y^e worde of god / dyst .lxxxviij. E••us nullam.

¶Fourthly it appereth that tēporall possessyōs ben forbedyn to the clergy by the seyeng of the appostels and of many other holy doctours. Cap .iiij.

¶Fyrst saynt Austen de cōtemptu mūdi seyth / he y^• possedeth any thȳg in erth is remoued frō y^e discyplyn of Chryst / Frō whens do they arrogaūtly take to thē the power of losȳg & bȳdyng which ī y^e yerth

presume to possede any faculte / & why be nat they asshamed to say / that the lorde is the part of myne herytage / the which wyll nat forsake yerthly possessyons / Why do they ete y^• synnes of the people / yf they take tythys with the chlidyrne of Leui / how shall they take parte among other trybus / Augustinus de contemptu mundi.

¶And yet he seyth there farder / where god is the auctor of all good thynges / yf the wordely thynges were verely good thynges / he wolde neuer haue dyspysed them / nor wolde neuer haue comaūdyd them to be dyspysed of his folowers.

¶Also saynt Austē ī his .xxxvi. & .xxxvij. sermon ad fratres in Heremo / seyth he that serueth y^e alter must lyue of y^e alter / let hym nat be proude / nor let 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nat be made ryche by his clerkchip / & .i. Tiō .vi. Kepe ye iustyce be nat wyllyng to make wynnyg{is} but ye hauyng fode & cloth / be ye cōtēt therwith / for he y^t doth celebrat or prechyth or baptisyth for y^t / y^t he shuld ge∣••uere

there by. with out doute doth put a wey hym selfe from the heuenly goodes of thou let to gyue the sacrament / what ••ouerte so euer thou be in, thou arte no ••heperde / nor mynyster of Chryst but a Marchāt / for he that for the munystraciō ••f y^e sacramēt taketh money or rewarde or maketh any couenaunte is a geaysite & sellyth the sacramente and betrayeth ••is sauiour with Iudas.

¶Also saynte austen wrytyth in the, ix. ••oke of his confession, ye seke a blessed ••yfe in y^e regyon of deth / & there it is nat ¶Also agaynst such tēporall possessions of the clergy ye may rede an nother lytel ••reatyse called spec••m episcopo{rum} seu pre∣atorū, wherin it is suffycyently shewed that y^e clergy ought to haue no possessiōs ¶Also saynt austen in his .xxxvii. ser∣••on (ad fratres in heremo) seyth let vs ••ut forth our selfe in all our myndes in ••ych trybulacyon / in knolege in charite ••at feyned / in watchynges ī presoninē∣es / in plages / in the word of truth / and

so hauyng no thyng / possedyng Chryst let vs possede all thynges / This is y^• lyte of blessyd men / This is the helth of pres∣tes / This is the rest of the seruauntes of god / This is the wyll of the fryndes of god / and this is our sanctyfycacyon / That we may put forth our self••{is} in all thynges as y^e mynysters of god in mych {per}acience / in trybulacion in necessite gy∣uynge to no man any offence / that our seruyce / or mynestery shuld nat be repro¦ued nor rebukyd.

¶And here to agreyth saynte Peter .i. pe .ii. seyeng This is grace whē any mā for the consentyng to god doth suffre pa∣cyently iniury / what grace or thanke is it yf ye beyng synners / suffre wronge as who seyth none / but yf ye doyng well do suffre pacyently / That is thankful to god / in to that thyng ye becalled.

¶Also .ii. Thi .iii. All they that wyll lyue makely in Chryste shall suffer / persecu∣cyon pacyently. ¶And saynt Bernard seyth in his declamacyons / A clerke

hauyng his part in yerth shall nat haue his parte in heuyn / And Io .xv. I haue chosyn you from the worlde / and Math .xxiiii. and Luc .xxi. se that none begyle you / Many one shall come in my name sayeng that I am Chryst, and they shall begyle many folkes / And Ro .viii. yf ye lyue after y^e fleshe ye shall dye. Also rede more of this Matter. Col .iii. Iac .iii. & iiii. & .i. Corynthe .vi. and .ii. Coryn, iiii. And saynt Bernard, in his declamacyōs and in y^e lxvi. sermon super cant seyeth, The worst heresy / of all is to make lyes vpon the trew doctryne, nat with tonge only but in lyuyng And ad Philypenses iii. Clerkes lyuyng plesantly be called en¦myes of the crosse of Chryst, and glorye shalbe to there confucyō / whiche sauore yerthly thynges.

And saynt Bonauēture (in stimulo din••¦amoris su{per} exposicione oracionis dn̄ice) seyth / y^t it is more shame to a clerke to de¦syre hōour ryches or possessiō ī this world thā it shuld be to y^e sōe of an Em{per}rour, to

desyre the offyce of A gonge farmere.

How the clergye haue theyr goodes by a wrong wey and kepe from y^e pore folkys y^e goodes of y^e church. Cap .v.

¶Also saynt Barnarde in his declama∣cyons seyth / the goodes of the church be the patrymonye or inherytāce of pore mē and they be kepte from them by cruell sa∣crelege / And how the Clergy hath long tyme woluptuously deuoured the posses∣sions and goodes of Chrystes church ye may rede well fygured in the olde lawe Danielis. .xiiii. by the prestes of an Idoll / called / Bell / the story whereof nowe folowith.

¶There was sumtyme, an ydoll called Bell the which the Kyng with his people and prestes worshyppyd euery day for a god / to whom was geuen euery day as the master of the hystoryes seyth .iii. bus∣shels of flowre .xl. shepe .vi. mesurs of wyne / The Kyng and y^e people beleuyd

that Bell / had ben a lyuyng god / and that he had Eten all / but of trouth The prestes with theyr wyffes and chyldren deuouryd all in theyr voluptousnes whe¦reupon y^e Kynge sayd to Daniell. thyn∣kest nat thou that Bell is a lyuyng god Seest thou nat / how moch he etyth and drynketh / and danyell sayd / kyng see y^t thou Erre nat / This Idoll Bell is Clay withinforth / and brasse withoutforth / he neuer etyth ne drynketh / and the kyng beyng dysplesyd and angry therewith called hys prestes and sayd to them / on les ye tell me who etyth this dayly fode ye shall dye / But yf ye can shewe and proue to me that Bell etyth it / this Da∣niell shall dye / because he hath blasphe∣med Bell / and Daniell sayd let yt be as ye haue sayd / and the kyng and Daniell went to the temple of Bell & the prestes sayd / loo we shall go forth & now thou kyng put here the mete and the wyne and set them to gether and shyt the dore and seale it with thy Ryng & when thou

shalte enter this temple agayn to moro∣we / but if thou fynde all eten we shall dye / or els Daniell y^t hath lyed agaynst vs / These preestes had made craftyly vn¦der the borde a secrete dore or entre / and thereby, they came in always / & deuou∣ryd that vytell It was so / y^t after y^t those preestes were gone forth / the Kyng sett that accustomed vytell before Bell and Daniell comaūdyd his Chyldryn to brȳg hym asshys / and syftyd it in the flore of the temple before the Kyng and so the Kyng / and Daniell went owt and shytt the dore / and sealed it with the Kynges rynge and so departed / The preestes af∣ter theyr olde custome / Entred therein y^t nyght with theyr wyfes and chyldren / and dyd ete and drynke all that y^e Kyng had there sett ouer nyght / The Kynge ••ose erly on y^e next mornȳg and Daniel with hym / & they came to the dore y^t was sealed ouer nyght / & the Kȳg sayd to Da¦niell Daniell is this Seale hole and he sayd all is hole and safe / and as sone as

the dore was opened / y^• kyng loked on y^• table & cryed out w^t a lowd voyce, Bell / thou arte grete / & in the is no crafte, ne¦ther / gyle / and Danyell lawghed / And held y^e Kyng, y^t he shuld enter no farder / and sayd be hold the pauyment or flore / And wyselye / thynke wose steppys be these / And the kyng sayd / I see steppys of men, womē, & of childryn, & therewith the kyng was angrye / & toke those pres∣tes, there wyuys, and theyre chyldryll, & then they shewed theyr secrete Dorys / by y^e whiche they were wont to enter / & to cōsume all the sayde sacryfice / then the Kyng kyllyde those prestes / and gaue to Daniell, the power ouer Bell, and he subuertyd and ouer threwe Bell and his temple (Morally) Now / In this maner yt standyth with manye of the Clergye at these Days / specyally with symonyte Clerkes / craftylye and vniustelye ētrȳg In to theyre curys / to y^e voluptuo{us} Dys∣pendyng of the goodes of the churche / for where it ys wrytyn Iohā .x.

Qui non intrat) & .c. he that entreth nat by the dore in to the fold of shepe but els¦where / he is a theffe & a lurker / he that entryth by the dore / he is the sheperd of the shepe / but suche symonyte clerkēs en¦ter nat by the dore that ys / Chryste / but by a backe dore or by the wyndowe / So∣entrynge with a very purpose to cōsume the offerynges & goodes of y^e Churche, In theyre vanytes / and volupto{us} lyfe / And they procure to them selfe many thȳ¦ges / bothe temporall and spūall, vnder y^• pretence that god in his poore membrys shall ete & spend yt / And no dowte / ma∣ny thynges be geuyn to them on this ho¦pe, and truste / that they may the more quietly Attend to the study of contem∣placion, and to the prechyng of the worde of god / and because that of the temporall goodes / geuyn them for that porpose / they shuld haue but a strayte and a bare / lyuyng / accordyng to the seyeng of saynt Paule .i. ••iō .vi. Habētes. &c. we hauyng fode and coueryng / let vs be with these

thynges content and of the remnaunt Chryst in his pore people shulde be fed accordyng to y^e seyeng of Chryil. Math .xv. (Quod v••i) That which ye haue do¦ne to one of myne ye haue done to me / But yet I meane nat that euery preste shuld haue a lyke lyuȳg For a bysshop &c. or other put ī offyce and romys of char∣ge oughte to haue sufficyente to mayn∣teyn theyr necessary charge w^tout super∣fluite / And that men of the church shuld geue the goodes of the church to pore mē that remaynyth ouyr and a boue theyre necessary fode and clothyng / Iohn̄ ab∣bot de villa) witnessyth in a sermon that begȳnyth thus / Tulerunt lapides vt ia∣cerent in eum.

How the goodes and possessions be mispendyd and mysused by many of the clergy. Ca .vi.

¶Vnder the auctoryte of saynt ambrose and saynt / Hierom, they wry••e thus

They be theues & Rauenours & extor∣cinors that misuse y^• good{is} of the church / They raueyn and plucke trome the pore men / the greate plenty that they haue / for all shulde be the pore menys syuyng that is lefte a boue theyr necessary fedȳg and clothyng / and therto Agreyth saynt Bernard as it is before sayd & an other holy doctore called Flore seyth y^t all that thou kepest or reteynyst to thy selfe / a¦boue necessary fode & symple clothyng of the goodes of y^e aulter it is nat thyns but it is Thefte Rauen Extorcyon / an•• sacrelege / & so now seyth an holy doctor called / (Filius fabrilingnarii in distruc¦toriū vicō{rum} parte .vi. Cap. .xxi.

¶Volde god that the Kyng / and othe•• noblemen. & .c. Founders of the gret•• almys geuyn to the churche / wolde d•• lyke as y^e kyng before wrytyn w^t Dani•••• dyd as to sete theyr seales so that the•• wolde set there seales of ryght conside¦racion and of discrecion and then the shulde well. Fynde on the one syde 〈◊〉〈◊〉

••he grete wastfull spēdyng of y^e oblaciōs of the churche in muche vayne apparell and wordely pompe / and so they shulde well se and perseyue y^e steppys & pathys of such voluptuous And symonyte cler∣••es / which ys theyr manyfest affecciōs, In the Duste of y^e vanite of this world / ••hat is to sey / In y^• vanite of su{per}fluous apparell of them selfes / theyr seruātes / And theyr Horsys, and therewithall the ••yng and his Noble men on the other ••yde myght well see And consyder ma∣••y good poure men and women compel ••yd and forsyd for nedynes, hunger, and ••hurst / by lamenes & blȳdnes / to begge ••om Dore, to Dore, and no dowte but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 doyng the Kynges grace & hys noble ••en, fownders and geuers of y^e greate ••emperall possessions to y^e churche, shuld ••y theyr dyscreciōs sone see and {per}ceyue ••hat Chryste in / his pore people hath had ••till or none of theyr superfluous / and ••perabundant possessions / but that the ••oluptuous minystres of y^e temple, nat

enteryng by y^e Dore that is Chryst / bu•• by preuey poster••e gates / and wyndous and by secrete weys theuyshly haue cly∣med therto and haue stolen and deuo••¦ryd the sacrifys and goodes of the chur∣che that hath ben offred to god / And do••¦tours as saynt Austen / saynt Bernard and other sey that suche prestes be not onely theuys / And the worst sacreleges but also symonytes Herytyks / And tray¦tours to god / And how god thretenyth such yll cura••{is} / ye may rede Hiere .xxiii.

¶And it must now be remembred and considered y^t whē Constantyne y^• Empe¦rour gaue his temporall possessions and Empyre to the churche / and when pope syluester thē Receyued / yet after warde at that tyme ther was a grete doute con¦trauercy / and altercacion / amonge the Clergy / wether y^t gyfte & the receyuyng thereof yf any such were / were lauful•• or no as it apperyth ī fasciculo temporū / And then those that were of y^e couetous clergy concluded y^t it was both lawfully

geuyn / And lawfully receyuyd / agayns y^e mynd of those which were good / And for the cōtynuance and maynte naunce thereof / They thē put and lefte in wry∣tyng theyre opynyons / and weke aucro¦rites to remayne {per}petuallye / The effect wherof is set in y^e seyd boke callyd / Fasci¦culus temporum & therefore / It semyth that yf these forsayde wrytynges with theyre opynyos & weke Auctorytes were Dyscretelye red and newlye lokyd on / And so were layde In one syde, of the balance of any deuout Clerkes conscy∣ence / nat corruptyd with Auaryce (That is rote of al yllys and the seruyce & bon¦dage of Idolles) Nether with arrogācy and pryd of this world / And on y^e other∣syde of the sayd balance were layd y^e ma¦nyfolde Auctorytees before wryttyn / to the contrary therof thē yt wold appere / that there ys none euyn weyght betwe∣ne them / And that the furst wryttyn opi¦nyons and weke Auctorytes, of that Clergye alowyng both the geuyng and

Receuȳg of theseyd temporall possessiōs to be lawfull / be ouer weke / & natable to counterpeyse the other syde of the ba¦lance / which settyth and takyth Auctory¦te of .iiii. most stronge and most suffycy¦ent groundes of goddes lawes / That ys to saye / Of the olde testamēt and the newe testamēt / the gospelles of Chyrst some decrees of the lawe canon / And of wrytynges of dyuers of the apostelys / And of many other holye doctours now seynt{is} in heuyn / as ys before wryttyn / where the other do nat so / nor haue no suche auctoryte / and in cōfyrmacyon he∣reof / The reuerend fader in god Iohn̄ now bysshoppe of Rochester in a sermō, which he made for the confutyng of the heresyes which he sayde were of Mar¦tyn luter seyth among other of his good seyenges ther that saynt Ambrose seyth of saynt Peter that he is called Petra / because that he furst amonge the gen∣tylys dyd establyshe the grounde of our feyth / and as a ston vnmoueable or no••

asye to be remouyd he cōteynyth ī him / ••nd stayeth all the frame and gretnes of the worke of Chryst.

¶Nowe saynt Peter so conteynyng & ••ayeng all the frame of Chrystes werke i. pe .ii. Bydyth y^• clergy to be subiectes ••o euery humany creature for god / and not to be lordes of Castelles & Townes ••nd of other temporall possessions / and ••aynt Paule / saynt / Iames / saynt / Ma¦••hewe / and manye other holy doctours / ••onferme the same / that pouertye / Mi∣••erye and subieccyon ought to be in the clergye / as before ys sayde.

Wherefore yt ys to be thought that no clerke shuld vsurpe to speke / ne to wry∣••e / in mayntenāce of the foresayd weke opynyons which those of the clergye dyd ••olde at that tyme, which semeth to bere ••o strength / For they be now by many∣••old and grette auctorytes vtterly cō∣••owndyd.

¶And here yt is to be consyderyd that ••myghty god / in the olde lawe and in

the new lawe hath by his worde and or∣dynaunce prouydyd for prestes and clar∣kys a lyuyng in pouerte and in tribula∣cion forbedyng to them the hauynge of temporall possessions. as is before wrytē And Chryst so lyued hym selfe here in this worlde .xxxiii. yeres / and after his ascencion his appostels and dyscyples / and other clerkes whiche that succedyd them dyd so lyue & dyd so teche by y^e space of .iii. C. yeres & god sayth y^• his ordina¦unce & worde shall stand & be permanēt for euer. Num. xviii. pactū &.c. the pact and couenaunte of peace is euer lastȳg before god (& ps̄. C. C. xviiii. thy wor•• good lorde shall a byde for euer, and ps̄. C. x. he hath comaūdyd for euer his testa¦mente / and the Euangelystes / Math. Marke and Luke say (Verba mea non preteribunt. &.c. my worde shall nat pas A way / and saynt Paule seyeth. Ro. xiii they that resyste the ordynaunce of god getteth damnacion to them selfes and saynt Iohn̄ euāgelyst seyth that godde••

worde is god hym selfe (et deus erat ver∣••um) And he seyth also (Sermo tuus ve∣••itas est) Thy sermon is veryte / And ••aynt / Austen in his meditacyons seyth Principium. &.c. The begynnyng of ••hy word is truyth / that is y^• begȳnyng of thy word which was thy word in the ••egynnyng, Wherefore it semyth to fo∣••ow that who so euer denyeth the word of god he denyeth god hym selffe, that is ••ery trueth and so he is made straunge ••nd alenatyd from y^e spryt of truth, that ••s god the holy gost / and Chryst hath pro¦mysyd / Math. x. to denye all suche per∣sons before god his fader that is in he∣••yn, That denye hym in this world / wherefore euery good man shulde pray and saye with y^e psalmyste / Ps. cc. xviij. Good lorde take nat from my mow the / ••he worde of truyth / and all y^e apopstels ••nd holy Doctors before rehersyd dyd ••uer preche / and haue lefte behynd thē In wrytyng y^e sayd word & ordynaunce of god / & haue made thereof cōstytucyōs

and holy canōns affyrmyng pouertye / and for beddyng alwes tēporall possessy∣ons to be in the Clergye, and haue set them In the boke / of holy decres to be perpetuallye obseruyd and kepte by the clergy / affyrmyng y^e bokes & vyolators thereof to be blasphemours / in the holy gost, which as saynt / Mathew, wytnes∣syth / Math. xi. Is Irremyssilbe in this worlde and In the world to cōme / All this nat withstōdyng sythen y^e tyme of the Em{per}oure constātyne and of pope Syluester which was .iii. C. yers after Christes, byrth, The couetous sorte of the clergy do wrytte y^t tēporall possessiōs and tēporall auctorytes hath cūme to th•• by myraclis, wheruppon y^e pope hath cō∣maūdyd that no man shalbe so hardy to speke there agaynst / yet, a generall coū∣cell hath affyrmyd this {pro}posicion / Luc. xiiii. (Nisi ••s renūciaūit oīb{us} que pos∣sidet non potest meu{us} est discipls) which semyth to be heretycal in his lyterall sēs as it apperyth ī a boke of Eneas siluius

of y^e councell of Basyll / in y^e cōdēnacyon of the .xii. artycle of Iohn̄, wykelyff. In thes matters semeth to be a great seysme & cōtrariete & where .ii. suche con¦traryes be / bothe of thē cā nat be trwe / and it may wel be sayd, that y^e holy goost was nat presēt at y^e makyng of thē both / whereby the kynges laye subiectys be brought into a meruelo{us} {per}plexite & daū∣gere of heresye / for nat knowyng whe∣ther / of those .ii. cōtraryes is to be best beleuyd / For we haue but one god / one fayth / and one kyng to whome of neces¦syte all we his laye subiectes must praye and hūbyll make intercessyō to be easyd of y^e sayd {per}plexyte Scysme & cōtraryte / for it may be well sayd to y^e clergye ī this case as Christ sayd to the pharasyes & fals Ipocrytis / Math / xv. ye haue nat ratify¦ed nor alowed nether regardyd the com∣maūdemēt of god / but your owne trady∣cions / wherfore it may please y^e Kynges hyghnes to say to y^e clergy with Christ all plantynges or graffynges y^t my heuēly / fader

hathe nat plantyd / or graffyd / shalbe pluckyd vp be the rote.

That the correccyon of all such and other enormytyes in y^e clergy belon∣gyth to the Kyng and to his seculer power. Cap. .vii.

xxiii. q̄. iii. (Qui potest obuiare) there it is sayd that he that may punyshe male∣factours and doth it nat / is the very fa∣uorer of theyr wykednes.

xxiii. q̄. v. (Sunt quidam enormia)

There it is sayde that all outragyous offensys shall be punyshyde by seculer Iugys.

xxiii. q̄. v. (de Liguribus et venetecis) There it is sayd that the seculer power shall constrayne and correcte all scisma∣tykes and heretykes

xxiii. q̄. v. (Regum officium) there it is sayd the kynges offyce is to punyshe all yll folkes and to releue good folkes xxiii. q̄. i. (Si apud carnales dn̄os)

There it is sayd that he that refucyth or dyspysyth to bere or to gyue reuerence to y^e powers of rulers, shall lacke his re∣warde in heuyn.

xxiii. q̄. v. (Qui malos {per}cutit) there it is sayde that he is the very minister of god that punyssheth and strykyth yll folkes for theyr offencys.

xxiii. q̄. v. (Si propterea) there it is sayd that the wronges of the sacramentys of Chryst / must be auengyd by kyngys. saynt Paule / ad tit. .i. byddyth / vpon cause geuȳ to punysh offenders straytly and hardely to make them hole & sound in the feyth. And there he sayeth far∣ther Take no hede to theyr Iwysshe fa∣bles nether to the comaundementes of men that turnyth them selfe from the trowth for as well theyr myndys as the consciences ben fowle spotted.

They knowelege them selfe to knowe Chryst and yet in theyr dedys they deny hym for they be abhomynable And vn∣feythfull & frowardly dysposyd to euery

good werke Et ps. xviii. it is spoken of them thus (Narr / auerunt michi) &.c. wyckyd men haue tolde me fables but nat as the law / & saynt Paule. Ro. xiii. seyth. (Omnis anima) .&.c.

Euery soule is subiecte to the superyour powers / There is no power but of god they that be / be ordeyned of god / so y^t he which resistyth power resistyth the ordy∣naunce of god / they y^t resyst get to them selfes damnacyon / for pryncys be nat ordynyd to the fere of good werkes but of euyll / yf thou wylte nat dred power do good / and thou shalte haue laude therof He is mynyster of god to the in good thȳges / yf y^u do euyll dred / he beryth nat the swerde without cause / he is y^e mynes¦ter of god, vengaunce in wrath to hym that dothe euyll / therefore of necessyte be ye subiecte nat only for wrath / but also for conscyence.

¶And seynt Peter seyth. i. Pet. ii. (Subiecti igitur) &.c.

Therfore be ye subiect to euery humayn

••reature for god to the vengaunce of euyll doers & laude of good men.

¶Now for the loue of god. That clerke y^t lustyth to reproue or īpugne y^• forsayd auctorytese or the applyyng of y^e same let hym do it louyngly and charytably ye & ••t y^• leste by lyke auctorties & by no lesse. which yf they can nat do / let thē forsake theyr abusys & cōforme thē selffys to the word of god / and to lyue thereafter God graūt y^e same / Amen.