THis sayng amonge ler­nyd men ys taken for a prouerbe / whiche maye cōueniently be vsyd / eyther for a thynge whiche outwardly / and as they say at the fyrste flusshe semyth to be of no value & scor­nefull / yet yf a man loke nerer to it and beholde the inwarde parte hit apperith greate and wonderful / or for that man / whose behauoure & coūtenaunce shewyth far wyde frō the inwarde entente of the harte & mynde / some say that Sileni were certayn Images karuen and gra­uen and made after suche a fasshiō that they might be opened & closed agayne / which when they were close had a scorneful and monsterous shape / & when they were opened sodenly thei shewid as godes These [Page] faciō of Images was taken of the scorned Scilenus scole maister to Baccus. Silenus was a foole of the Poetes goddes. Moreouer Al­cibiades goynge aboute to prayse Scocrates when he dyned wyth plato did lyken hym to suche man­er ymage bycause he fer otherwyse semed to them that inwardly behelde his fasshiō then to them that no thynge regardid sawe his outwarde shape / whose skyne as they saye yf a man wolde haue set to sell se­med not to be worthe one fardyng he was rude fauoured / sowre countenaūsed / crokenosed / & full of sny­uell / a man wolde haue recounted hym a foole bothe by his spekynge and doynge / his apperell not wor­the a groote / his speche very rusti­call / as one that lately came frome the carte / sowter crafte / or sinythes [Page] forge / his substaunce very thynne he had suche a wyfe as scarfly a colyar wolde be cōtent to lyue wyth At that tyme when the folysshe de­syre to be named a wyse & cōnynge man wexed maruelous veruent a­monge men that eueriche dysday­ned or coulde not suffre an others prayses / when also there were ma­ny whyche not a lyttell bosted that they knewe allthynges.

This man then only sayde that he knewe well this one thyng or that he knew nothyng / he semed a foole and vnexperte in euery thyng conceruynge the commyn welthe / in so moche that on a tyme whan he be ganne to do a thynge he knew not what he did. In the comon howse his master was dasshed out of coū tenaunce / and he hym selfe lawgh­ed to scorne of euery man there present.[Page] But yf a man had behylde the inwarde partye of thys Image so lawghen to scorne / he shulde haue founde as yt had byn rather a god then a man. A mynde of greate vaew and full of wysdom. A dispyser of all suche thynges / as other mortall men labour for, sweate for, stryue for / warre for, by see and lande, neuer vnpaciented with eny wronge, Nor ouer maysteryd wyth for­tune or myschaunse. A man that fered nothyng / not deth / which is to euery man fereful, wherfor euen at that time when all the worlde was replenisshed with wyse men. This foole was onely auctorised a wyse man by the reuelacion of the god­des / and was estemed to know moche more / whiche said he knew no­thynge / then they whiche said they knew all thynges / yea and for that [Page] one thing he was estemed to know more then the other / because that he only said that he knew nothyng Suche an Image was Antisthe­nes whose staffe / scripe / and cloke / excelled the riches of the best fortu­ned kynges. suche an Image was Diogenes counted amonge the comonaultye as a dogge / in whome yet Alexandre the grete / among all prynces as he thoughte of hymself the moste excellent parceyued and sawe some goodly thynge whiche also when he consyderyd the mar­uaylous wysdome of hys mynde / sayde yf I were not Alexandre I wold wysshe to be Diogenes. But after my mynde / seynge he was A­lexandre he shulde not wysshe to chaūge his name with Diogenes. But rather to wisshe to haue suche mynde as Diogenes had. Suche [Page] an Image was Epichetus saruāt and bondeman / a pore man and a lame man. As his Epitaphi shew­ith. But whiche is moste fortunate of al he is derely beloued of the godes / whiche thynges the profet Helyas of his lyfe ioyned with wys­dome openly declaryth. Suche is vndoutdily the nature of y^e true ꝑ­sit thynges / that what so euer they haue of valew or worthy to be fo­lowid / that is surely hid and kepte preuy in the iner parte. And that / that is vyle & of no valew / settyth yt selfe forthe before euery mannes syghte / for suche ys the fauoure of the frayle and comon semblance of goodnes / whiche at the fyrste chop peas they saye apperyth to euery man that yt metyth wythall. But yf a manne Inwardely frome the rote marke them / that ys for other [Page] wyse in doyng then yt apperyth in semeyng. was not crist a wonder­full Image / if a man may so boldely after suche maner speke of hym. and veryly / I see no cause why but euery man that ys a chrystyan may / myght / and shulde speake of hym and declare hym after what faciō so euer he wyll / so that he hurte not the cristen fayth / If you be­holde the outwarde face of this y­mage what is ther / after the comē course estemyd more vyle or abiect his parentes were poure & of lowe byrth / his howse very symple / him selfe as bare as coulde be / had but few disciples and those very poure not callyd frō kynges courtes / nor from the pharices chayres / nor frō the phylosophers scoles / but euen from the toll howse and euen from the fysshers crafte then hys lyfe / [Page] how far was yt from all pleasures whiche through hungre / werynes bobynges / scornes / scourgeynges yea and at the laste / payned on the crosse and suffered dethe. This parte of them behylde the mystical prophet / when he disceyued his shape sayng he had no fairenes nor beautye / we sawe hym / and we behylde not / we desired to be with him that was moste dispecte / and menyst of all men / And many other thynges whyche folowe suche lyke purpose But now yf yt happen a man to be holde the inwarde parte of this I­mage / yf yt vouche safe to shew yt selfe to the pure and cleue lighte of oure mynde. O Immortall god / what an vnspecable tresure a man shall fynde there / what preciouse stone in suche vyle place / what hye and excedynge gretnes / in so lowe [Page] and lyttel thyng / what maruelous riches in so poure a thynge / what excellente strengthe in so weake a thynge / what honourable glory in so shamefull and abiecte a thynge what absolute rest in so paynful labours / and to be shorte / what euerlastynge fountayne or well of Immortallytye in so bytter and cruell deth / why now abhor they this I­mage / whyche yet boste them selfe in the tytle of hym / that is to say to be callyd christians / vndoutidly yt was but a smalle thynge for chryst to brynge about to make hymselfe chefe reuler of all the worlde / & to pocesse that / that in olde tyme / the reulers of Rome vaynely went a­bout to win to passe christ in nūbre of his garde that euer was / to ex­celle Cresus in riches / ye and stop­pe the wysest philosophers mouth [Page] that euer was / yet thys kynde of shape and ymage pleasyd him best whome he wold that hys disciples and frendes / that is to saye christi­ans / shuld alway haue before ther face / this phylosophy did he chufe chyefly / for that on euery syde va­ryeth from the phylosophers decrees and worldely wysdom / whyche alonly geuyth vs that thynge that they by sondry wayes goo aboute to get / that is felicite. Such Ima­ges were the prophetes whiche ly­ued as outelawes wanderynge in wyldernes, whose meate where vyle herbes and rootes / their drynke water / ther clothing shhepes felles and gotes skynnes / but he that lo­ked in the inner partes of the Images sayde that the worlde was not worthy to haue them. Suche an y­mage was Iohn̄ the Baptyst whi­che [Page] couerid with a Camels skynne and gyrde wyth and heryn gyrdell passed all the riche appereyl of kynges / and eatyng hony focles excel­led all the deyntye fare of prynces for veryly he knew what treasure was hyd vnder that rude and vyle garment / whiche with his incōpe­rable prayse, sayd amonge the chyldren of wome, there hathe not ry­sen one greter then Iohn̄ the Baptyst / suche Images were the apostels / poure / yl shapen / vnlerned, of lowe byrthe, weake, nothyng setby To be shorte, scorned and hated, al most of al the worlde / but open the se Images, beholde the iner parte and what kyng or tyrant maye in mighte or power be cōparyd to thē whiche with a worde ouer mayster dyuels, the cruell tempestes of the rageyng see, and call the dede to lyfe [Page] agayn / what Cresus semyth not poure in cōparison of them, which euen with the shado brynge helthe to the sycke, whyche also wyth the only touche of theyre handes gyue the holy gooste, what Aristotle ys not coūted a foole vnlerned and a tryfeler in respecte of them whiche haue drawen the heuenly wysdom gyuen from the very fountayne, to the regarde of whiche all mennes wysoom is more folysshenes, Su­che an Image was the buss hoppe Marten coūtyd & scorned. Suche pmages were the olde byss hoppes hye in mekenes / ryche in pouertye and Gloriouse in disposyd glory. There are also now a dayes suche Images, but O Lorde god ouer few, for the most parte of men sheweth this Image out of hys nature If a man wolde throwly beholde [Page] the iner strength & nature of thing es, he shal fynde none farther from the very wysdom then those which with magnified tytles, furred hod­des, shynyng gyrdels and rynges set full of precious stones, processe absolute wysdom. In somoch that a man shall ꝑceyue more very treu wysdom in one named of the comō people, A wretche an ydiot or halfe a foole, whose mynde hathe ben in­structed not with the argumentes of the subtyll Doctor as thy calle hym Scotus, But with the heuenly spririt of christe then in many of our hye doctours of diuinite, and greate wyse masters, whose belyes swellyth with the Aristole, and are full of the rafle of the magistral definicions, conclusions, & preposici­ons. A man shal also fynde now here lesse true noblenes then in those [Page] Thrasoes, whiche far the olde Auncestres, for the golden chaines and for theyr glorious names boste not a lytel of theyr hye noblenes. And that none are farther frome trew strengthe then they for ther folyshe hardynes and prowde ferce lokes are estemed of the people most my­ghty & not vanquysshable, None more abiecte, nor bonde saruantes then they whiche reken them selfe goddes and lordes of al other men None so wrechedful then they that seme moste welthyest, None more beggarly begars / whome the com munaltye reuerence as ryche men None more vnlyke to bysshoppes then they whiche amonge bysshoppes couet to holde y^e chyefe rowme And that none ar more oftentimes farther from trew relygion, which thynge I wolde were vntrue, then [Page] they whiche in name apparral and ceremonyes professe absolute and parfyt relygion. So now what noblenes, excellentnes, goodnes so e­uer be in any thinge / that is alway leste in syghte and sylden myste apperyth outewardely, In trees the flowres and leuys shew fayre out­wardly to the sighte. The stocke or stemme apperyth very greate and large / but the shade in whome ys the strēgthe of all, how lyttel thing is yt / how preuely hyd / how lyttell cōfortyth se we, how lyttell bostyth yt or shewyth yt his bare Nature. handes hid, golde preciouse stones in depe vaynes of the erthe, Amōg es the elementes as they call them whiche so euer ys moste noble and of moste valew, that ys farthest set from our feleyng parceuerance / as the ayre / and the fyre amongest be­stes [Page] / what so euer beaste and moste effectuell that ys hyd in the inner ꝑtes in a man what is most goodli and immortall / that onely can we not see In euery kynde of thynges the vylest parte moste apperith to the sentence / And that / that is mo­ste chyefe is farthest from the sētence. Nowe may we also fynde many suche Images in the sacramentes of the churche. Thou seest the wa­ter / thow seest the oyle & salte / thou herest the wordes that ys but the outwarde partie of the Image / for yf thou nether here nor see the heuē ly strengthe and vertue sente from aboue in to the īner partes of these ymages all the resydue or no other thynges be but very tryfles and of no value The holy scripture hathe also suche ymages yf thou staye in in the vtter parte, the matter is of­ten [Page] vyle and scorneful / but yf thou serche the inner parte thow shalte wonder and reuerence the goodly wysdom / For veryly to speake of the olde testament / yf thou marke nothynge but the hystory, And he­rist Adam formed of claye, Eue preuely taken oute of the sleapeynge manes syde, the serpent entysynge the woman to eate the apple god passyng by the ayre, The tow egyd swerde hangynge before the dore, leaste the banisshed shulde entre in agayne / woldest thow not thynke that yt were one of Homers fables If thou red the Incest of Loth, the adultry of Dauyd, The woman lyyng on the breste of the colde olde man. Osees mariage to an harlot, wolde not they that lytell force the hereynge of suche shamefull mat­ters not retorne them awaye / dys­daynyng [Page] to here so bawdy a tale. But vnder this shamefull foly. O Immortall god how excellent and florysshed wysdom is hyd, If thou regarde but the vtter parte of the Euangelyke parables who wolde not reken them to be som foles sayynge. But yf thow breke the nutte vndoutydly thou shalte fynde the preuy and very wisdom. And to be shorte the more excellent any natu­ral or mystical thyng is the farther hyd is sett in the inner parte & far­ther from the outwarde syghte, ly­kewise in knowlege of thinges the kyndely truthe alway lyeth preuy in depthe whiche nother lyghtely nor of many is foūde out. The grose multytude bycause yt hathe a ꝑ­uerse iugement estemyng al thyng by those thynges whiche chyefely ment wyth the sensys of the body [Page] slydeth and euery where fallyth in errour and is deluded with the false similytudes of good thynges & yl, turneyng the image as they say in and out as whiche then they wō dre & maruelously beholde, I spe­ke of suche as be yl, I wyll not hurte the good, no, nor the yll veryly. For as moche as a generall decla­racion of vertue hurtyth no man, wolde to God there were fewer in whome these thynges myghte be layde, when thou seest the Septer the bages, the garde, when thou he rest the tythis, Moste noble, moste excellente, moste victorious, moste dredfull and suche lyke, Honourist thou not a prince and thynkest not that thou haste seen as yt were an erthly god, and a thyng more then a man, but open this ymage & marke the inner parte, Thou shalt fynde [Page]a Tyrant, an enmy of the Cytie an hater of the comon pease, a sower of discorde, an oppresser of good men, a myscheuer of the lawe, a di­stroter of Townes, a pyller of churches, a thefe Sacryleger, an adul­terer, a dycer. To be shorte as the Grekes proucrbe is a hed of all my styef there or that in name and coū tenance shew them selfe as hye ru­lers and maynteners of the comon welthe, when yet in dede they aren wolfes and robbers of the Cytye. There aren also whose shorne hed­des yf a man only consyder he wolde reuerence them as prestes para­uenture also yf you marke theyr inwarde fasshon, shal fynde them as yl or worse then y^e laye, ꝑaduenture also a man may fynde som bysshoppes whose solemone consecracion yf thou marke, yf thou beholde the [Page] apparell, the myght wyth golde & preciouse stones / the staffe also set with Iouels, then woldest thou reken that thou hadest sene a man comen from heuen / or rather a thyng more then a man, but beholde the iner parte of this ymage, then shalte thou fynde a warrioure, a mar­chante, a Tirante. And then shalte thou saye that all this noble appa­rell is but as yt were dysguysynge Ther are besyde these I wolde there were not so many, that yf a man wolde Iuge them by theyre longe berdes, by theyr collours, by theyr hattes / by the facion of theyr gesture and coūtenaūce / he myghte well accompte them for aūgels or paw­les. But yf thou marke the inner parte thou shalt fynde them rena­gates, brawlers, sklanderers, flaterers, yea both theues and tyrantes [Page] but after an other fasshon. And for that so moche more pestilent as hit is hyd couered and cloked with hypocrysy. And to be short in stede of golde as the prouerbe is, thou shalte fynde coles. I now agayne desyre that no man take displesur with this my saynge / seynge I name no mā, but touche y^e vices / who soeuer offendeth not / let hym not thynke any of thys to be spoken agayne hym, but yf he haue offendid / lette hym thynke hymfelfe rather war­ned to amende / then rebuked. The one may greatly reioyse / the other oughte to so saye me godamercy. There are in euery kynde of men in whome yf thou beholde the sha­pe of the body / thou wylt calle thē men / ye and veryly godly men but yf thou loke on the inwarde parte of them / paraduenture thou shalte [Page] fynde a Sowe / a Lyon / a Bea­re or an Asse / thow shalte fynde a thynge quite contrary to that, that the poetes fayne to be in them that are be wiched with Circes / for all­thoughe they haue outwardly the shape of beastes, yet had they all waye inwardly the mynde of man but they haue outwardly a manes shape & inwardly more then a bea­stly sence. Of the other parte there are whome by theyr outwarde shape as afore is sayde / thou woldest reken scarsely for men, when yet in theyr iner parte restith an āgelycal mynde. Hereof now spryngeth the diuersite betwene the worldli man and the treu christen man / for that that the one chefely wōderith and folowith the moste grosist thinges whiche happen to come in hys sy­ghte. And all other thynges eyther [Page] he dispiseth or countyth them to be had in best regarde. The other on­ly folowyth suche thynges whiche are farthyst from the corporall na­ture / whiche also in no wyse can be sene with oure outewarde yes / all other thynge other ouer passed / or lesse fauoured countynge the true iugement of euery thynge to be taken from the inwarde partye of all good thynges for so Aristotell cal­lyth it, whiche properly partaineth not to man. Riches is the meanyst But amonge the comon sorte / yea almoste amonge al men he is most reuerensed and countyd moste happy whiche possedeth them, what so euer waye they were gotten. For them stryue, For them feyghte / for them kyll we. For them labour we as they saye throughe out fyre and water. The next place to ryches hathe[Page] the the noblenes of kynred, If for no other purpose / yet for the folysh & vayne glorious name. He ys coū ted for halfe a god / whiche cā shew a lyneall discente / from Codrus of Athenis to hymselfe or from Brute of Troye. I knowe not wether e­uer eny suche was Borne or not / or frome Hercules that ys somo­che spoken of and ys he worthy no name whiche only deseruyth yt by lerneynge and vertue. He is reco­ned for a noble man whose graun­fathers graūfather plaied the mā ­ly murderer in warre. And ys he coūtyd among the vilest sorte who se good mynde and wysdom hathe proprieted the worlde. In the thyr­de place are set the comodities and propertyes of the body. As hyghe growen / Stronge / myghty / fayre. welfauoured / and suche lyke / who [Page] soeuer hathe eny of these is not ex­cluded from the nombre of the for­tunat sorte / so now riches optayne the soueraynte. Next is the noble­nes of blode / thirdly the bodely ꝑ­pretyes, & the regarde of that myn­de leste of all. Now yf thou deuide thys man as Paule dothe in three partes. The flesshe / the soule, and the spyryt, thou shalte se how par­uersely the comon sorte take them.

¶ To speake after Paules wor­des, the worste parte whiche ys all waye in syghte, whome the Appo­stell disalowyth the multytude chefely enbrasyth. The myddell parte whome the Appostell alowyth soo that yt be referred to the spryt ma­ny prayse. The spryte which is our beste parte of whome as of the ly­uely fountayne, all oure felycytye spryngeth fourthe / by whome also [Page] we are coupelyd to god / ys not so moche had in regarde of the multitude that they once inquire not / whether there be any suche or not / or what is the spririt of whome yet Paule so often speakith hereof puttyth out the paruers Iugement of the multytude whyche gyue moste honoure to suche thynges as ar le­ste to be reuerensed / moste hyely couetynge those thynges whiche are moste in contempte / hereof also cō yth that money is more set by then lerneyng. The auncient of kynred then goodnes. The fayrenes of the body then the lowlynes of mynde. The ceremonies then the free loue towarde god / the humayne tradicions then christes p̄ceptes. The dys guysynge thynges then the truthe The shadowes then y^e very thyng­es. The dysceptfull / then the true. [Page] The variable then y^e stedfast. The waueryng, then the eternal. More ouer of these frowarde Iugemen­tes aryseth the paruerse nameyng of thynges / callynge that ys hye lowe / that is bytter, swete. That is preciouse, vyle. that ys lyfe dethe. To speake of suche thynges by name. They are called louers which eyther be ouer moche fauoure cor­rupte or laye in wayte to depreue y^e woman frome her chastyte & good fame / whan nothynge can be more lyke an enuy / they called yt Iusti­ce / whan one yll is acquitted wyth another / when one offence is recō ­pensed w^t an other / when one wor­de ys wyth double damage payed home agayne. This fasshon in matrymony is nowe alowed best that defoyleth cōsanguynite / & as nere to virgynite. They call hym a traytoure [Page] / and an enemy to the prynce whiche wolde that he shulde do no thynge aboue hys lawes or besy­des ryghte / whyche wolde that he shulde vse hymselfe as a very prince. And as farre as myghte be to dyffer from a Tyrante. Than whiche ys / no booste is moste horrible or fearefull. Of the other parte he ys called a wyse coūseloure. A frende and a faythfulle lege man why­che corruptith the princes maners wyth worse counsell whiche infea­tyth the myndes wyth folysshe oppinions / whiche contynually fla­teryth & dalyeth with them whiche that yf counselours draweth them in to the hate of theyr comunaltye whyche entyce them to warre and other folysshe busynes. They saye that the kynges maiestye & hyenes [Page] is gretly incresyd when any thyng is won by tyrany / by greate porci­on of excedyng mysthief / He is called a robber of the kynges money whiche spekyth one worde agayne any demandid tribute. But now seynge that a prynce hathe thre chefe thynges by whiche he representith god whiche is the only very kynge Goodnes wysdom and power / se­meth he a frende to the kynge whi­che wolde beryue hym of two the pryncipall thynges / goodnes and wysdom, and onely leue them pouer / which is not onely false but yet also not of hymselfe, for as moche as the onely power of a prynce lyt­tel auayleth withoute his comons ayde. For veryly power oneles yt be cōioyned with wysdom & good­nes is Tirany, and no power whyche also the peoples consent maye [Page] euen as they gaue yt / so take yt awaye agayne, when yet goodnes & wysdom shal abyde with the kyng banysshed out of his realme / It is treason to vse the kinges badge o­therwyse then besemeth. And are they rewarded that violat his minde causeynge hym to be for a good man / a cruel man. For a wyse man a subtyl / and for a man of power a Tyrant, One dethe is to lyttell for hym that enterpryseth to put poy­son in the Kynges cuppe, And re­ceiueth he a rewarde / that with moste pestylent oppinions corruptyth and poysonyth hys mynde and in­fectyth as yt were the welthe of the comon welthe / to y^e grete myschefe of all y^e realme, He is callyd a kyng which hath in his possessyon great dominions and ryches / whan vn­doutely to playe the very kynge is [Page] ys none other thynge, but iustly to mynyster the cōmon welthe. The affynites betwene prynces / & than the renoūsyd consyderacyons are called the ioynyng together of the thrysten pease / whā yet we se, whā these welles sprynge all ouer. All stryfe, all debate, yea and all mys­chefe of the cōmon welthe they call it a iuste warre / whan the prynces for collusyon to polle and oppresse there cōmeth welthe / They call it pease whā that ended they conspy­ted togethers. They cōmyt the re­alme greatly increasyd whan any towne or citye which the prynce by what tyme soeuer it be, claymeth his wonne or rather bought with so great pyllage or accyons of the cytezens with so great inorther / by whiche are made ouer many wy­dowes & fatherles childerne. After [Page] lyke tacyon, they call the churche preestes, bysshopes, & popes / whā verely they are no other thyng but euen the mynysters of the churche. For the church is the chrysten peo­ple whome Christ hym selfe calleth greatter than the bysshoppes can mynyster vnder / beynge vnable in seruyce / but otherwayes greatter yf they as well by folowynge the maners and lyuynge, as by succes­syon of dygnyte representeth whi­che yet whan he was in al thynges lorde and ruler of al men, vse them selfe as a seruaunte, and not as a lorde. The greattest excōmunyca­tyon shall be publysshed agayne them, as enemyes to the churche / yea and are counted almoste here­tykes that taketh any money out of a preestes purse. I speke not to bolde any man in suche doynge. [Page] I wolde no man shulde take my sayenge so. But yf a enemye of the churche ought to be hated, tell on / whether there can be any enemye more hurteful or more dedely, than an vngodly prelate. If any of the spirytuall landes or annuyties be dymynysshed, they crye with one voyce the churches ryghte is op­pressed. But whan the worlde is styred to warre whan through the the opon yll lyfe of preestes many thousande sortes are broughte to dystruccyon. No man bewayleth y^e churches chaunce whā yet nowe is the churche verely a meruay­lous fayre churche / not whan the people refuse charytie or loue to­warde god / whan vyces decrese, whan goodnes increaseth / or whā the holy doctryne is in strengthe. But whan the alters shyne with [Page] golde & precyous stones / yea whā that not regarded. The preestes in landes, housholde, voluptuosytle, moyles, horses, in sūptuous buyl­dynge of houses or rather places & other such lyke thynges may teche or rather excell tyrantes. we dare not speke one worde of thē whiche spende or rather bestowe, as they call it the churches rentes in yll & peruers vses, to the great hurte & occasyon of yll insamples gyuyng of y^e rude multytude. If any thyng be gyuen to them, we reioyse and gyue great thankes for it, sayenge that Chrystes church is inryched / whā vndoutly the trewe & hyghest gaynes of the churche is the profe­tynge of the chrysten lyfe, they call it blasphemye / if a man speke with lytell reuerence of Chrystofer or George / and wyll not take euery [Page] story of them or such other euen for y^e gospell. But Paule calleth that blasphemy as oftē as throughout the occasyon of y^e Chrystyans ma­ners / it happeth y^t the name of god is blasphemed, for what shal y^e enemyes of y^e chrystyan relygyon say / whā they se in y^e Euāgelike letters that Chryst holely exorteth to con­tempne ryches, to exyle voluptuo­syte to dyspyse all honoure. And of y^e other parte whā they se y^e heades & chefe rulers of y^t chrysten profes­syon lyue after such a fassyon, that in laborynge to gather ryches in loue of voluptuosyte in gorgeous apparell & exquisyte deintye farre in cruell deuysyng & settyng forth of warre & almost in all other mys­chefes. Math. yea also excell the very hethens. The wyse reder per­ceyueth wel what I perceyue here [Page] on spoken / for honour of y^e christen name, & wherfore I serche to mys­chefe, howe seyth scornefully, howe mockyngly / Trowest thou to ieste on vs whā these in the gospell that Chrystes seruaunt cōmaunded vs to haue clothing w^t meate or other ceremonyes but onely by these. i. If they be ioyned together w^t inse­parable charyte / than after ꝑceyue that we in nothynge agre amonge our selfes / In so moche y^t the infy­dels neuer stryued nor warred for more fylthy or peruicyous cause. One prynce warreth w^t another. One citye fyghteth with another. One kynseman agreeth not with another / nor one relygyon as they nowe call it I. with another. All thynges amonge vs is full of de­bates, dyscencyons and stryues / Call they it not heresye yf a man [Page] speke or wryte any thyng y^t myght dysagre from the magystrall pre­posycyons of y^e deuyne doctours, & yet not that heresye whiche set that a lofte or take that thynge as the chefe parte of mans felycyte, whi­che Chryste hym selfe euery where teacheth to be dyspysed and set at nought, whiche bryngeth in a ma­ner a lyuynge man clene contrary to the euangelyke preceptes and oppostels instytucyons, whiche a­gayne the worde of Chryst armeth the apostels goynge forthe to pre­che the gospel, not with the sworde of the spyryte whiche all worldlye affeccyōs set at nought, onely cau­seth y^t they shulde nede no swerde nor with an yron wepyn, whereby they may dyffende thē selfe agayne theyr persecuters. i. And no doubt vnder the name of the sworde, he [Page] wolde gonnes, crosbowes & other wepyns mete for warre shulde be comprehended, than haue they a scryppe to bere money in, bycause they shulde lacke nothynge. And vnder the name of this scryppe, he wolde that euery thynge pertay­nynge to the of this lyfe, shulde be vnderstande to thys purpose / the great noble wyse man Lire wor­thy to be alowed and preferred be­fore many / Ieromes interpe the wordes of Luke. It is an vnexpe­ryable sacrylege if a man take any thynge out of the halowed place, & it is coūted a lyght offence to pylle to defraude, to oppresse wydowes and other poore folke, whiche are the lyuyng temples of god, whiche thynge is cōmenly vsed of P. and R. he is accompted profane, which by fyghtyng or otherwayes [Page] causeth y^e church to be suspēded / & is he not a cursyd which violateth corrupteth, & polluteth by flaterig gyftes, vayne ꝓmyses & other such baudy thinges to pure & chast vyrgyns which is y^e temple of the holy goste / yet he which doth such thyn­ges is counted & taken amonge y^e multytude for a mery & iely felowe I speke not to gyue occasion to yll doers as I haueher to sure ꝓtested but to shewe how y^t the multytude moch more regardeth these thyng / y^t are sene w^t y^e eye / thā those thyn­ges which are so moche more true as they, or lesse sene w^t the eye: thou seest y^e cōsecracyon of y^e stony tem­ple, but y^e dedycacyons of y^e mynde bycause y^u seest it not, thou settyst lytell by it, for defence of y^e temples ornamētes y^u fyghtest with all thy power, but for y^e kepyng chast ma­ners [Page] & ꝑfyte lyuyng, no man ones taketh y^t Euāgelike swerde, whom Chryste cōmaundeth to be bought euen w^t sellyng y^t cote frō y^e backe / it is called moste hye loue towarde god, they be coūted most swetest encreasyng of y^e spirytuall ryches or realme / fyght & be most cruell war myngle y^e holy & ꝓphane togethers and yet for y^e loue of spirytuall ry­ches / vndoutely a thyng most vyle is reuēged / how great & excedyng flowt, or rather a se of myschefe is thereby cōmytted, namely whan a open warreis for y^t purpost admytted / for what myschefe can there be veuysed, which in war is not exer­cysed. But ꝑauēture y^e reder p̄uely to hymselfe thikyng for what pur­pose kepeth he so shamfully sayeng wold thou y^t a prynce shuld be such as plato wold y^t Gardeynes shuld [Page] be in his boke called de republica, the kepers the pale spiryte frō rule auctoryte, dygnytie, honoure, and ryches / and reuokest theym to the apostels scryppe and staffe, Nat so good syr I spoyle thē nat / but in­ryche thē with farre better ryches, I put them not from theyr possessyons, but prouoke to better. I pray y^e which of vs gyueth hyer thanke or perceyueth more of the kynges magestye / thou which gyueth hym lybertie to do what he wyll, y^e whi­che woldest haue hym rather a Tyrant than a prynce / whiche fyllest hym full with all voluptuosytie / whiche drownest hym in auoutry, fornycacyon incest and suche lyke / whiche makest hym bounde & sub­iecte to all couetysnes whiche wol­dest he shulde haue no more gouernaūce than one of his meane sub­iectes, [Page] which burdenest hym wyth suche thynges the whiche disday­neth the Hethens / alwaye dyspyse and counte theym worthy prayse & honour, that at no tyme regardeth hym, or els I which couet y^e prynce ymage he represēteth in wysedom / which is the proper prayse of kyn­ges to excell all other / to be farre from all fylthy affeccyons and dis­eases of the mynde which the rude multytude so moche meruayle at, to wōder at no vyle or lowe thing / to sette no great delyte in ryches / brefely to do that thynge in the cō ­mynalte in the realme y^t the mynde is in the body, and that god in the hole / whiche of vs bothe intrulyer Imagyneth on the Bysshoppes dygnytie, thou whiche burdenest them with erthely ryches, whiche wrappest theym in fylthye and [Page] vyle cares whyche tornest theyn­to peryllous stormes of cruel war­re / or I which coueyte to be Chry­stes vycare and the keper of Chry­stes spouse / to be moost clene and quyete from the pestylente stalle of all yerthely desyres / and as nere as myghte to be lyke hym, whose place and auctoryte he occupyeth and whose persone also he here in erthe representeth. The Stoyktes saye, that no man canne be a good man, but he that lacketh the dys­ease of the mynde / the dysease of the mynde they call couetousnesse and affeccyons / so moche more nowe oughte the Chrysten men to be free from suche dyseases but namelest prynces / yet mooste of all the hedes and fathers of the churche Q. I. the B. I wyll that [Page] preestes shulde tule and raygne, but I counte this worldely dyg­nytie, whyche be profyte or ho­noure lesse worthye, thanne that of an heuenly man shulde be bur­dened with it. I wyll that the bys­shoppe shulde haue moost excel­lent tryumphe, but not suche in blody tryumphes as that vngra­cyous Mareus, as the vngodly Iulius hadde so vayne that they are spoken agayne of in scornefull Satius / what yf y^e mouerytours had beholden them / he wolde haue kylled hym selfe with laughynge, in suche prayse worthye and apos­tolyke Tryumphes, as the appos­tell the warryout, and farre more polytyke Capytayne Alexaunder the great dyscrybeth as it were bostynge hys owne prayse sayd in [Page] many labours in prisons / more habundaunt in strypes aboue mea­sure, in dethe often of the Iewes fyue tymes receyued? yea euery tyme fortye strypes, one excepted / thryse was he beaten w^t roddes / ones was he stoned, thryse he suffered shyprake nyght & day / I haue ben in the depe of y^e see in iourney, often ī parels of waters, in parels of robers, in parels of my owne nacyon in Empyres amonge the he­then / I haue ben i parels in cytyes in wyldernesse, in parels in the see, in parell amonge false bretherne, in labour & trauayle, in often wat­chynges, in hunger and thruste, in in fastynges, often in colde and in nakydnes besydes y^e thynges whi­che outwardely happen to me. I am combred dayly and care for all congregacyons / who is sycke and [Page] I am nat sycke, who is hurte in the faythe, and my hert burneth nat a­gayne lytell therfore let vs sayeth he in all thinges behaue our selfes as the mynysters of god / in moche pacyence, in afflyccyons, in necessytyes, in anguysshe, in strypes, in prysonment, in stryfe, in laboure, in watche, in fastyng, in knowlege in longe sufferynge, in kyndnesse in the holy ghost, in loue vnfayned in y^e wordes of truthe, in the power of god, by the armoure of ryght­wysenes on the ryghte hande / and and at the lefte hande in honour & dyshonoure, in yll report and good report / as disceyuers & yet be true / and vnknowen, and yet knowen / as dyenge, & beholde me ye a lyue / as chastened, & not kylled / as so­rowynge, and yet alwaye mery / as poore, and yet make many ryche / [Page] as hauynge nothyng, and yet pos­cessynge all thynges.

Se thou nowe what honouce, what tryumphe commeth of the a­postelles warre / this is that glory which Paule as by an holy thyng often warred for / these are y^e noble actes for which he trusted that any mortal crowne was kept for hym / they wyll nat I thynke dysdayne to walke after y^e apostels steppes, which claymeth and take on them the apostelles rowme and aucto­ryte. I wolde that the bysshoppes shulde be ryche but with the Euā ­gelyke matter / but with the heuenly ryches / whiche the larglyer they dystrybute abrode amōge all men / y^e more yet haue they in theyr owne kepynge. I wyll that they shulde haue defence but with the apostels weapyns, and with the buckeler of [Page] fayth / with the helmyt of Iustyce / with the sworde of helthe, why­che is the worde of god / I wyll that they shulde kepe contynuall warre. But agayne, the very ene­myes of y^e church / Symony, pryde, & lechery / desyre of honoure, wro­the, enuy, and other lyke vngodly­nesse. These are the veryest turkes that the chrysten men shuld alway take hede of / and alwaye fyght a­gayne: To suche warre the bys­shoppes shulde be bothe exortours and chefe capytaynes. I wyll the preestes shuld be regarded amōge the chefe, nat for the tyranus rom­blynges, but for the excellency of holy doctryne. And for theyr pres­table vertues, I that they shuld be receyued nat for theyr gloryous names or tragycal vesture, but for theyr holy lyuyng and sad demea­nour. [Page] I wyll that they be fered nat as tyrantes, but as fathers. To be shorte I wyll that they shulde be ryche / but in suche thynge as the rude multytude nat knowen, nat regardeth / and for y^t the more sure swet & profytable / wylte thou here the true ryches of the hye bysshop. Here nowe what the chefest nexte to Chryst / sayd golde and syluer I haue none / that I haue that gyue I the in the name of Iesu / a ryse & walke wylte thou fere the beaute­fulnesse of the posterike name whyche passeth all worldlye gloryous names / which excelleth all yerthe­ly shapes and ymages. Here what that noble Paule sayeth / we be the good odor of Chryst to god in eue­ry place / wylt thou here more than a prynces power, I am able & can do all thynges sayeth he in hym [Page] whiche comforteth me / wylte thou here the glory ye or my ioye & my crowne in y^e lorde / wylte thou here the tytles worthy for a bysshoppe, and the true pontyfycall vesture. Paule dyscrybeth them to be sobre ornate, prudent, chast, kepyng hos­pytalyte, a techer, no fyghter / but soberly doyng no stryuer nat newe fangled which hathe good report, whiche also hathe a good iugemēt of suche thynge as are at the vtter syde / that he ronne nat opprobri­ously in to the snare of the deuyll. Marke well with what ornamen­tes Moyses adorned the bysshope Aron, with what ryches he inry­ched theym / with what colours he paynted them with how innume­rable precyous stones, he innoby­led them w^t howe great substaūce of splender golde he magnyfyed [Page] them all, which thinges what they sygnyfye / yf thou wylte knowe the interpretacyon of it, loke Orygy­nes and Ierome / & there vndoutly thou shalt perceyue what stuffe y^e veray true bysshoppes shulde pro­uyde & seke for / whome shulde the bysshops rather folowe in lyuyng than them whome they expresse in leade, whome they represent in na­me whose rowme & auctoryte they occupye / is it more conuenyent for chrystes vycare to folowe Iulius, Alexander, Cresia, and xerxes, whyche are no other but veray straūge and great theues. i. Than Chryste hym selfe whome shuld be the suc­cessours of the apostels, rather fe­lowe than the chefe and y^e hede of thapostels. Chryst openly denyeth y^t his kyngdome is of this worlde, & countest thou it conuenpent that [Page] Chrystes successour shulde nat o­nely admytte, but also couete the worldly kyngdome / and for con­queryng therof shulde as they say moue euery stone and leaue none vnturned. In this world there are as it were two workes in al thyng betwene them selfe, dysagreyng by one grose and corporall / the other heuenly and as moche as it maye, thynkynge to be that thynge that here after it shall come to / in y^e one he is taken for y^e chefest that moost refusynge the veray good thinges and laden with false ryches as it were an hethen kynge, passeth all other in lechery, wāton pleasures, vyolence, pryde, presumpcyon, ry­ches, rapyn, and suche lyke. And so is he counted for the chefest y^t hath the most parte of these euyls & lest parte of wysdome / temperaunce, [Page] sobernes, iustyce, and other which are the very good thynges. In the other walketh he that is chefest is lest vnquointed with these vyle & grose ryches and moost couete to­gethers the heuenly and veray ꝑ­fyte ryches. More ouer why wol­dest thou that a prynce shulde be y^t thynge that the hethen Phyloso­phers alwaye dyspraysed & dyspy­sed / why settyst thou his maiestye in suche thynges whiche are con­dempned of y^e Infydels / why mea­surest thou hym, be those thynges by which theues are ryche and ty­rantes great. A preest is a heuenly thynge and thanne a man / there is nothynge worthy for hys hyghnes but an heuenly thynge / why dys­honestes thou his dygnytie wyth so symple and vyle cōmon thyn­ges / why vntamynatest hys pu­renesse [Page] with worldly fylthynesse / why sufferest nat hym to be ryche in hys owne realme / why sufferest nat hym to be noble in his glory to be reuerensyd in hys maiestye / to be ryche in hys owne ryches / them hathe the heuenly spiryte chosen euen from the heuenly body / that is to saye, the churche to the moost hye perfyte rowme and dygnytie / why than drawest thou hym to the furyous and romblynge busynesse of Cyrannus warre. Paule reioy­sed that he was segrogated frome the cōmon sorte, why than ploun­gest thou the heuenly bysshoppe in y^e fylthe of y^e rude multytude / why deiectyst hym to the vsurars / why leadest y^t deuyne mā to suche busy­nes / as skars y^e vylest of y^e multy­tude wyl do, why mesuryst y^t the felicyte of chrysten preestes in suche [Page] ges whiche Democritus laughed at as most folysshe / whiche Hera­clitus wayled at as most wretched which Diogenes dispysed as most frenelous / whiche Crates castyd from hym as a thynge troblous / whiche the holy sayntes alway re­fuse, alway as pestylent: why este­mest y^u Peters successour by these ryches, whiche Peter hym selfe re­ioysed that he had nat / why wylte thou that the apostels were alway redy and delygente to trede vnder fete / why callest that Peters patrymony whiche Peter hym selfe ne­uer had and greatly reioysed that euer possessyd it? why entangelyst thou Chrystes vycars with ryches whyche Chryste hym selfe callyd thorons, why buthenyst hym who­se chefe and appropryate offyce is to sewe seed of goddes worde with [Page] ryches, by whyche the good seed sewen is chauked / why wylte that the techer and iudge of rightwyse­nesse shulde be obedyent to y^e wyc­ked Mamon / why makest the my­nister of the heuenly sacramentes a perceyuer of moste vyle & abiecte thinges of hym / all the Chrysten worlde loketh for the foode of holy doctryne, loketh for holsome coun­sell / loketh for fatherly comfort / lo­keth to knowe howe it maye lyue perfytly: why than seynge that he is destynated & chosen to so noble dygnyte, setteth heuen in the myd­des of the vyle worlde, with trou­bles, care, for worldly fylthe, bothe spoyleth y^e bisshoppe from his dig­nytie and the people from the bys­shoppe. Chryste hathe his realme farre more exident, than y^t it shulde be poluted by any hethyn kynge­dome, [Page] or to speke trulyer by ty­ranny, He hathe his noblenes, he hathe hys ryches and hys plea­sures / why nowe myngle we to­gether thynges that are alwayes so clene contrary and alway dys­ngreynge. why confounde we the erly thynge with the heuenly, the meanest with the hyest, the porest with the rychest / the hethen with the chrystyane / the profame with the sacred.

Great and excellente are the gyftes of the moost ryche and be­nygne spyryte / the gyftes of do­ynges, the gyftes of prophesye / the gyftes of helthe, the gyftes of knowlege / the gyftes of wys­dome / the gyftes of lernyng / the deuisyon of spirytes / the exorta­cyon and comforte, with these ho­ly [Page] gyftes / why ioyneste the pro­fame gyftes of the worlde / why goste about to ioyne Chryste with Mamam / to ioyne Belyall by the spiryte of Chryste / what hathe the inyter to do with the helmet / the holy Paule with the cote ar­monye, blessynges with Gonnes / I meke herde, with the vyce ar­moure / what hathe preesthode to do with warre / why with poly­ces ouerthrowe hye townes and Castelles, whyche hathe the key of heuenlye kyngdome / howe a­greeth it that he whyche shulde teche charytie and saue the people with peas, shulde be the begynner and doer of myscheuous warre. Howe shall he teache the chrystyan people to dyspyce ryches whyche setteth all his mynde and thought [Page] vpon money / howe shall he teche, whiche Chryste bothe taught and executed / the apostell also so often spake of y^t no yll shuld be resysted / but to shewe for an iniury a bene­fyte to the enemye. And to good to hym y^t is oppressyd w^t the calamy­tes of the world, alwayes doynge good for yll / nother for claymynge of one lytell towne, or payment of trybute denayed, moue all y^e world to stryfe and discencyon, murder, warre, & other pestylent mischefes. Howe can he gyde the kngdome of heuen, for so chryst calleth his churche, whiche is all together occupy­ed in the kyngdome of the worlde, but thou berest fauoure to y^e chur­che / thou wylte adhorne the chur­che w^t the chaunce of such ryches / I wolde alowe it, were it not that the churche shulde with that lytell [Page] profyte take & receyue also a great company of mischeues, whan thou haste gyuen a lordeshyp to y^e chur­che. Thou haste with y^t gyuen thy care & stodye to heape ryches toge­ther / thou hast gyuen a Tyronnus garde an harnesse, hoste, serchers, horses, moyles, trūpettes, warre, murder, tryumphes, stryues, dys­cencyons, and batayle / to be shorte all thynges without which a lord­shyppe can nat be mayntayned & kepte after the worldly appetyte. whan shal he haue leaser or mynde to vse the apostolyke rowme, whi­che is holden backe & intangeled with a thousande cares and trou­bles, wyll the muster of soldyours is taken / whyle truce are made & broken agayne / whyle they are po­nisshed which are traytours / why­le they are retayned whiche fynde [Page] newe deuyses / whyle the enemyes are assauted with batayle / whyle the castels are watched and kepte / whyle the audet is harde, whyle profane imbassadours are a han­delynge, whyle frendes are promoted to honour, whyle one assendeth by fauer, and another discended by displeasure / whyle one thinge and other is a handelynge whyche I can nat reherse. Semeth he to vn­derstande the exylency of the Pope & Cardynalles, whiche receyueth it / more meter to withdrawe them fro prayer by whiche they talke w^t god from holy contemplacyon / by whiche they are accompanyed a­monge aungelles, from the moost florysshynge feldes of y^e holy scrip­ture, to these fylthy worldly thyn­ges / or he which wold drawe them from so great felycyte & tranquy­lyte [Page] of lyfe into besy rumblynge & stryuynge myschefes. For verely seynge that a realme by it selfe is indaungered to moche infyrmyte and labours / therfore chaunseth it farre more for the spirytuall ruler in these cases to cōmyt areuncy to the temporall, & that for two cau­ses / parfytly for that, that the com­mynaltie gladlyer wyll obeye the temporall rulers than the spirytu­all / parfytly for that, that the tem­porall rulers stey and endeuer to make the realme ryche and florys­shynge / nat onely for them selfes, but also moche more for theyr hey­res that shal inioye after them. Of the other parte the spirytualtye for that, they are well stryken in age ye in the later dayes before they be called to rule. And for that, y^e onely the rule for them selfe, and can nat [Page] leaue y^e rule to theyr heyres. Ther­fore regarde nat the commynaltye nor the welthe of the multytude as the tēporall doth. More ouer whā the temporall ruler rayneth, pera­uenter than ones warres moued they are promoted and inryched, whome the prynes fauoureth / but whan the spirytual ruleth than al­most euery yere warre they for de­fence or clayme of tytell / than this maner putteth hym from his pro­mocyon & possessyon / that y^e other gaue and brought hym to / the suc­cessour thrusteth hym downe whō his predecessour auaunsyd. Than other newe men must be enryched to the great inpouerysshement of the cōmon welthe. Nowe is this also a thynge that the people soner obey his cōmaundement, whome they haue ben accustomed to / all [Page] thoughe his commaundement be harde / whiche prynce whan he is dede, the people yet seme to stande alwaye in a suretye, gyuynge the same reuerence to his sone & heyre. And they recon y^t he is nat chaun­ged but rather renued to theym by his sone and chyldren often repre­senteth theyr fathers in maners / namely suche as are broughte vp vnder theyr fathers / of whiche ꝑte whan y^e rule of a realme is cōmyt­mytted to the spirytualtie cōmeth for the most parte a sudden chaūge of all thynges. Also the temporall prynce cōmeth to y^e rule as one in­stytuted and exercysed in the thing gyuen from his cradell. The spirytual most often besyed any lykely­hode of promocyon, chaunseth to attayne to hyghe auctoryte, as one y^t fortune auaunseth to dyngnytie, [Page] whom nature brought forthe from the carte and donghyll / in conclu­sion it can no otherwyse be, that as Arcules was nat of power to rule two Monsters sarpens at ones. No more is one man able to rule two thynges moost deffuse & con­trary. It is the dyffusest thynge y^t can be to playe the true and good prynce. But it is moch more good­ly & deffuse to playe y^e good preest / cōmeth it nat than to pas whā one taketh on hym / the offyce of bothe y^e he can fulfyll his duetye in ney­ther of them. Hereof cōmeth it as gese / that whan we se the cytyes of the temporal rulers florysshe more and more in ryches, buyldynge, & people, than the townes of the spy­rytuall rulers / for what purpose nowe nedeth it to labour and pro­cure for suche thynge whyche are [Page] accompanyed w^t many great mys­chefes, fearest thou y^t Chryste shall nat, yea and is nat all redy ryche ynough with his owne ryches / ex­cepte some lay Tyrant gyue them parte of hys lordshyppe, receyuest hym to be nat ornate ynoughe, ex­cepte some prophane warryour let the tēporall rulers haue y^e rowme and auctoryte in temporall thyn­ges / that that is meanest in a bys­shoppe passeth the hyest rowme of all temporall kyngdomes. The more the spirytualte receyue of the worldly possessyons, the lesse shall it receyue of the goodnes of god / the poorer that it is of the one, the rycher shal it be of the other. Thou seest nowe how euery thyng shew­eth contrary to the vtter syghte yf thou marke and beholde the inner fassyon. Suche as semed moost [Page] true & faythfull to the prynce, are often proued for traytours & hys enemyes. And suche as semed to mayntayne and prayse moost the bysshoppes dygnyte moost often decayeth and defayleth it. But I speke nat this for that purpose / y^t whatsoeuer lande or rent chaunce to the spirytualtie shulde be pluc­ked and taken from them. But ve­rely I wolde they shulde haue re­membraunce & knowlege of theyr excellent hyghnes, that euer they shulde vtterly cast fro theym these cōmon fylthy thynges and hethen ryches / or els they shulde at y^e lest set no store by them. And as Paule sayeth, they shulde haue theym as they had them nat. Farthermore I wolde they shulde be so moche in­flamed with Chrystes ryches, that what so euer they receyue of the [Page] worldly treasures, shulde eyther be darked with the bryghtnesse of the letter, or receyued for vyle or ab­iecte in regarde of y^e other / so shall it ende that what so euer they pos­cesse / they shal possesse it with more ioye and suretye / neyther shal they feare or be troubled, lest any man wyll take them from them.