The complaynt of Roderyck Mors, somtyme a gray fryre, vnto the parliament howse of Ingland his natural cuntry for the redresse of certen wicked lawes, euel customs ad [sic] cruell decreys. A table wherof thou shalt fynde in the nexte leafe.

O MERCYFVLL FA∣ther, allmyghty god and euerlastyng, beyng wy∣thowt end or begynnyng, withowt whom nothyng is, by whom alone all thyngs haue their beyng both in heauyn and erth: To the, in whom only is all ayde, to the only do I crye for ayde, In asmoch as thow hast the hartys of all men in thy handys (yea euyn of pryncys) that it wyl please the of thy infynite mercy and for thy sonnys sake Iesus Chryst our only redemer, to send thy holy spy¦ryt in to the hartys of all the degreys of men in the parlament howse, that this my cōplaynt may receyue fauor in the syght of them that sy••e in the parlament, wherby thyngs nede∣ful may be redressyd to the glory of thy name, the comody••e of the comon welth, and to the better prouysyon for the poore, which is the thyng that I only seke, as to the, oh lord, it is not vnknowne.

In as moch as there is no powr but of god,

and whan so euer any persons be greuyd, op∣pressyd or ouer yockyd, they must resort vn∣to the hyer powrys for remedy, whych be ordeynyd of god only for the same cause, and inasmoch as the cowncel of parlament is the head cowncel of all reamys: for it beyng do∣ne with the consent of the kyng, wh••t lawys so euer be made therby, beyng not agaynst the word of god, we be bownd to obserue them. And though they be agaynst gods word, yet may we not bodily resist them with any warre, violence, or insurreccyon, vnder payne of damnacyon. But now contra∣ry wyse, as we may not resist the powr of a prynce, euyn so may we not obserue nor wal∣ke in hys wyckyd laws, if he make any aga∣inst gods word, but rath••r to suffer death, so that we may neyther obserue them, nor yet violently resist them in that case. Well then, in as moch as the parlament is of soch powr and strength, al••hough I be a man banysshed my natyue contry, only by the cruelty of the forkyd cappes of Ingland for speakyng gods

truth, yet seing so many cruel lawes and heuy yockys vpon the showlders of the peple of my natyue cōtry (specyaly vpon the comons) and agayn consyderyng how lytle the poore be regarded and prouyded for, I can but rekyn my selfe bownd to open and disclose vnto the sayd cowncel of parlament, part of the for∣sayd yockys. The euerlyuyng god grant, that thei may be as redy to se them redressyd, as their predecessers were to bryng the peple in to such calamyte by the makyng of them: for the which cause I haue made this litle worke, to cause them to haue instruccyon, that thei may se a reformacyon, whereunto thei be bownd, and for such causys be thei called to gether of god, and for no partycular or pryuate welth to them seluys, nor yet to the kyn∣ges grace.