A proper dyaloge / betwene a Gentillman and a husbandmā / eche complaynynge to other their miserable calamite / through the ambicion of the clergye.
¶ An A. B. C. to the spiritualte.
¶ Nihil est opertum q [...] nō reueletur. Mtah. x.
¶ Here foloweth the Dialoge / the Gen tillmā beginige first his cōplaynte.
¶ Here foloweth an olde trearyse made aboute the tyme of kynge Rycharde the seconde.
WHere as the clergy perceyueth that lordlynes & worldly dominiō can not be borne out biscripture / thē flie they to argumentes of mēnes persuasyon sayenge after thys maner Seynt Huge & seynt Swithune were thus lor des / & in this they ensued Christes lyuyng & his doctrine / therfore we may be laufully thus lordes. But I wote well that Gabriel shall blowe his horne or they haue proued the minor. That is / that thes sayntes or patrones in this sued the doctrine or the lyfe of Iesu Christe. And of this thou mayst se that soch argumentes that ar not clothed with Christes lynynge or his teachinge / beright nought worthe all though the clerkes blynde with thē moch folke in yt world. But here haue Inoleyser to tell though I coulde / [Page] what chefesaunce and costes the churche maketh and what werres they hold to cōtynue this fymony and heresy so vnavisely brought in to ye chirche. And yet they seke all the wayes therto that they can. Ye in so moch that they go opēly armyd in to the felde to kyll christen men / for to get and holde soche lordshippe. And notwithstondynge seynt Peter was so pore that he had nether golde nor syluer as he saieth in the Actes of the apostles. And his other worldly good Act. iij. he left / whan he beganne to sue Christe. And as tow chynge the tytle of worldly lawe that he had to soch worldly goodes / he made neuer cley me ne neuer resceyued after any worldly lordshippe. And yet they call all their hole kingdom seynt Peters grounde or lordshippe. And therfor seynt Bernarde writeth to Engenie ye pope sayenge. Yf thou wilt be a lorde / seke by a nother Lib [...]. ij waye to attayne it / but not by thys apostles ryght For he may not geue the that he had not / that he had he gaue / the whiche was busynes vpon chirches. Whether he gaue lordshippe or no / here what he saieth. Be ye not lordes in the clergy / but be ye made forme and example off i. Petri. Christes flocke. And least ye trowe thys be not sayde of trothe take kepe what Christe saieth in ye gospell. The kinges of hethen haue lordshippe vpon theym / forsot he ye not so. Se howe playn ly lordshippe is forboden to all apostles / for yf thou be a lorde howe darest thou take vpon the apostleshyp / or yf thou be a bysshoppe / howe da rest thou take vpon the lordship? Pleynly thou [Page] art forboden bothe. And yf thou wylt haue bothe to get her thou shalt lese bothe / and be of the n [...]mber / of whych god ple [...]h by the prophete [...] sayenge. They reygnyd but not by me sayeth god. And yf we holde that / that is forbo den / here we that is boden of Chryste. He that is greatest of you se yt he be made as younger in symplenes / and he that is a fore goere loke he be as a seruaunt. Thys is ye forme of apostles lyfe / lordshyppes forboden ād seruys is boden thys sayeth saynt Bernerdethere. And therfor no man may put a nother grounde besydes yt that is put whych is Christe Iesu.
But yet I wote well that clarkes and relygyous fol [...]ke that loue [...]nkyndly these lordlynes wyll glose here & saye / yt they occupre not soche lordshyppes in proper as secular lordes doo / but in comone / lyke as the apostles & perfyte people dyde in the beginnynge of Christes chirche as w [...]yteth Saynot Luke in the fourthe chaptre of the Actes of the apostles / the whyche had all thynges in comone / lyke as soche clarkes and re ligyous saye they haue nowe. In tokeninge wherof no mā sayde of any thinge at that tyme / thys ys myne / so oure clarkes and namely rely gyous people whon they wyll speake in termes of their religyō. A pryuate person wyll not saye this or thys is myne / but in parsone of all his bretheren he wyll saye / this is oures. And ouer thys they saye more s [...]elly that they occupye not this by tytle of secular lordshyppe / but by tytle of perpetuall allmes. But what euer thy [Page] people saye here / we mo [...]e take hede to the rule of prefe that fayleth not. The whiche rule Christe teacheth vs in the gospell in dyuers places / where he sayeth / beleue ye the workes. For why by their workes ye shall knowe thei. And thys rule is wonder nedefull to a mā that hath a do with any man of the Pharyseys condycyones. For as Christe sayeth Math. xxiij. They saye but they do not. And so as Christes workes be re witnesse of hym as he hym selfe sayeth / and sheweth what he was and howe he lyued / so the dedes and maner of lyuinge / or the thynge in it selfe bearyth wytnesse wyth out fayle howe it stondyth amonge theym in thys poynte. And yf we take hede thus by thys rule we shall se at oure eye howe the clargye sayeth other wyse than it is in dede. For in some place in pryuate parsone / ād in some place in comone or parsone aggregate / whiche is all one as saynct Austyne sayeth vppon the psalter / y• clargy occupyeth the secular lord shyppe secularly / & so in propere. For in the same maner wyse as yt Barone / or the knyghte occupyeth and gouuer nyth hys baronrye or hys knyghtes fe / so after the amortesyenge occupyeth y• clarcke / ye Mon ke / or Chanon / the College or Conuente / the sa me lordshippe & gouerneth it by ye same lawes in iudgement & punishinge as presonnynge ād hangynge with soche other worldly turmētyng the which some tyme belongyd to the secular arme of the chirche. Ye oft tymes we may se ho we they busye theym selfes to be kinges in their [Page] owne / and reioyce them full moche in that ciuilyte or secularite yf they may get it. And this is an euidence that they wold gladly be kynges of all the realme or the world. For where their londes & secular mēnes fraunchyse ar to gether they striue who shall haue the galowes / or other maner tourmētes for fela [...]nes. They kepe also vnder bondage their tenauntes and their yssue with their londes. And this is the moste ciuilite or secular lordshyppinge that any kynge or lorde hath on his renaūtes And therfore we maye se howe they cleyme in their goodes a maner of proper possessyon cōtrarye to the c [...]monnynge of the comone goodes in tyme of the perfyte mē in the begynnynge of Christes chirche. And so what so euer the clergy sayeth the dede sheweth well that they haue not their goodes in comone lyke as Christe with his apostles and perfyte men had in the begynnynge of christes chirche. For in holdynge or hauynge of their goodes / is properte of possessyon and secular lordshippin ge. The which stondith not with ye plente of chri stes perfeccyon in prestes as it sueth of this pro cesse and of that / that is declared before. And as for that o [...]her glose that clerkes haue here / where they saye that they holde thes lordshyppes by tytle of perpetuall almes. But here ye shall vnderstandeth at mercy or almes is a will Almes. of releuinge of some wretche oute of his my sese as Lyncolniensis sayeth in the begynnynge of his dicris. So that yf a man shuld effectually Dicto. [...] do almesse he must loke to whom he shulde do [Page] almesse to / were in my sease and had nede to be releuyd. In tokeninge wherof / christ onely assigneth almesse to thos / in whom he marketh my sease. And so here of this it will sue / that yf a man will releue one wretche and make a nother or [...]o / he dothe none almesse / but rather maketh mysease. And moche more he dothe none al messe yf he make riche thos persones that haue no nede. For as moche as they be sufficient to theym selfes / this hath no coloure of almesse. For this may be better called a woodnes or a wastynge of goddes goodes. And ouer this yf a man take thos goodes / the which god in the best wyse euen and with oute erroures hath assygned to the state of secular lordes / and geue thos goodes to another people that hath no nede of theym / ye to ye which people soche goodes are forfendid. This shuld be called no almesse / but peruertinge of goddes ordinaunce / and the destruction of the state of secular lordes ye which god hath approued in his chirche. For as saynt Paule sayeth. Almesse dede shuld be ruled so ye ij. Cori. viij. it were releuīge to thos ye receiue it. And moch rather it shuld not be vndoynge of thos that do it. And therfore Christ teachith in the gospell to do almes of the thinges that be nedeles or super fluite. And in this dede a man shuld haue regarde Qd superest da te [...]lemo sinā. Lu ce. xiiij. to the nede of him that he dothe almes to and to the charge of his owne house. What almes was it then I praye you / to vndo the state of the Emperoure / ād to make the clarkes riche with his lordshippes / namely syth Christ confirmyd [Page] to ye Emperour his state / with tho thinges that longe therto / notwithstonding at that tyme the emperoure was hethen. And he hath forfendyd expresly hys clergy in worde & in exā ple soche lordshyppe. And as thys was no allmes / so we mote saye of other kynges / dukes ād erles / barones and knyghtes that are vndone hereby / & the clerkes made ryche and worldly lor des with theyr goodes. And though it had be so yt the clergy myght haue occupyed thus wor ldly lordshyppe / & also though it hadde be no de struccion nor appeyrynge of any other state / yet it hadde be no allmes for to geue to theym soche goodes / wherfor it may be ryghtfully sayde. No man may put a nother grounde besydes that is put / which is Christe Iesu.
Here we may se by the grounde of y• gospel and by the ordynaunce of christe / that the clergye was sufficiently purueyd for lyuelood. For god is so perfyte in all his werckynge / yt he may ordeyne no state in hys chirche but yf he ordeyne sufficient lyuelood to the same state. And this is opē in goddes lawe who so takyth hede / and that vnder euery lawe of god / as vnder ye lawe of innocencye and of kynde / vnder ye lawe geuē by Moyses and also vnder ye lawe geuē by chri ste. In ye tyme of the state of innocencye we knowe well by beleue ye god hadde so ordeyned for man kynde that it shuld haue hadde lyuelood ynough withoute any tedious laboure And of ye lawe of kynde / christ speakyth in ye gospell sayen Mat. v [...] ge thus All thynges ye ye wyll y• other men do [Page] to you / do ye to theym. And yf thys lawe hadde be kepte ther shuld no man haue bene myscheuously nedy. And in the tyme of ye lawe geuē by Moyses / god made a full ād a sufficient ordynaunce for all hys people howe & wher by they shuld lyue. For he dealyd ye londe amonge the laye people and he assygned y• fyrst frutes & tythes to ye prestes & deakenes. And all though yt he wold yt ther shuld be all waye pooremen in ye lande of ysraell / yet he made an ordinaunce Seu [...]e. [...]. agaynst myscheuous nede. And comandyd all the people that ther shuld be in no wyse a nedye man and a begger amonge them as it is wrytten. And so in thys lawe he ordeyned sufficiētly ynough for hys people. And in ye tyme of the newe lawe christe assigned ye seculer lordshyppes to temporall lordes as it is taught before / And alowed ye comonte her lyuelood gotten by true marchaundyse & husboundrye & other craf tys. And in worde & ensaumple he taught hys prestes to be proctoures for nedye people & poore at y• ryche men / & specifyed thes poore / & taught howe they that were myghty / shuld make a purueaūce for soche poore folke yt they were not cōstrayned by nede for to begge / as great clerkes marcke vpon thes wordes of ye gospell whe re chryste sayeth thus. Whan thou makest thy feast / yt is of allmes / call poore people / feble / lame & blynde▪ He sayeth not lett soche pooremen Luc [...]. xiiij. call vpon ye / but call thou vpon theym meanyn ge in yt / that thou shuldest make a purueaunce for soche people / yt they be not myscheuously fa [...] [Page] tye. And for ye clergy he ordeined sufficiētly / reching theym in worde and ensample howe they shuld holde theym appayde with lyuelood and hylynge mynistred to theym / for theyr true laboure in the gospell as it is written before. Of thys than thou mayst se howe god in all hys la wes hath sufficiently ordeyned for all y• stares that be founded and approuyd And howe it is agaynst ye goodnes and wysdom of god / to ordeyne any state / but yf he ordeyned sufficient lyuelood therto. Syth than thys ordenaunce of god was sufficient as well for the clergye as for other men it semeth a foule presumpcion to brynge in a newe & a contrarye ordinaūce of lyuelood for clerckes vpon the ordinaūce yt Criste hath made for theym before. Of ye whiche ordynaunce / the clergye full many yeres after the begynnynge of Chrystes chyrche / whan it was best gouuernyd / held theym well a payde. For thys meaneth that Christes ordynaūce was insufficient / and worthy to be vndone And yf we take good hede / they hadde no more nede to pl [...]y ne theym of thys ordynaunce / than hadde the other two states of hys chyrche / which vnto this daye holde theym a payde with thys ordynaū ce of chryst / were it fully kepte. And more sekirnes & ensuraūce maye no man make of any thin ge than chryst hath of hys lyuelood to the clergye For chryst not onely affermyth to ye people yt he wyll not fayle theym in lyuelood ād hylinge / but also prouyth thys by argumētes yt may not be assoyled / So yt they be true seruauntes [Page] to him. For Chryste meanyth thus in his argu ynge there. Syth god fayleth nor bryddes and lyles and grasse that groweth in ye felde / nether herhen men. Howe moche rather shall he not fayle his true seruauntes? And so this purneaunce of perpetuall almes yt oure clerkes spea ke of / meanyth faute of beleue & despeyre of the gracious gouernaūce of god. Syth than as it is sayde before / it is no allmes to releue one wretche & to make another or moo / & to make thei ryche wyth temporall lordshippe / the whiche be ne forfendyd to soche people & namely yf soche al mes geuynge be destroyenge or appeyringe of any state approuyd by God in his chirche / it willsue that the endowynge of ye clargye with worldly lordshippe / ought not to be called allmesse / but rather all a mysse / or wastynge of goddes goodes or destroyenge of his ordinaū ce / for as moche as the clergye was sufficiently ordeyned be Christe. For why / this almes that clerckes speake of here / made many wretches & it was geuen to theym that had no nede. And [...]s it is em [...]y [...] not only of one estate of ye chyrche / but of all [...] of the which I spake in ye begynynge. And so this almes geuynge hath made all oure realme nedy / ye ād as I suppose fullnygh all christendom full poore & nedy and mischeuous ouer that it shulde haue bene yf the clargye had held theym a payde with christes ordinaūce. But nowe thou rough this perpetuall all a mysse / that the clarkes call almes / christes ordinaūce ys vndō in some landes holly ād [Page] in Englonde for yt more party & it is lykely to be all vndone in processe of tyme. For by a mortesy enge of lordshippes / ye lordes be yndone in great party. And many noble mē because they lacke their owne parte through folishe gifte of their aunceters be full nedy. Forthermore it may be vnderstōde of this processe / yt withdrawyng of this lordshippes frō ye clergy & restoringe againe of thē to the states yt god hathe assigned thē to / shuld not be called robbery of holy chirche as oure clerkes faye / but rather rightwise restituciō of good wrongfully & theefly with old. And therfore ther maye none othe or vowe binde any mā to maytayne this theft & destrucciō of goddes ordinaunce / & this great harmynge of Christes chirche. As y• vowe of Iepte shuld not haue bounde him to kill & sacrifice his owne doughter. Ne the othe of herode shuld not haue bounde him to kill innocent Ihon. But as Iepte shuld a broken his othe or vowe & haue offered a nother thinge that had bene pleasynge to god & accordinge with his lawe: As saynt Austyne sayeth vpō the same storye. So Herode shuld haue broken his othe & a saued innocēt blood & sore a repented him for his vnavysed swerynge. And so shuld lordes nowe a dayes breake they: othes that they haue vnavysely & without counseyle of holy scripture sworne to maynteine this theefte / ye heresy & symony as it is proued before / the which oure clerkes call perpetuall almes And not sue theire folishe dedes & othes yt they haue made to maynteyne this mischeuous peruertinge [Page] of chhristes ordinaunce. For as the sta te of the clergye hath no power or leaue / to make the people or lordes to synne deadly or to destroye gods ordinaunce in his chirche. So they haue no leaue or power of god to counceile or to [...]oke well [...]ponthis [...]ason constrayne in any case the lordes or y• people to swere for to maynteyne this endowēge of ye cler kes & religious folke / which is full great thefte heresy & symony / & wounder harmefull to chri stes chirche as it is shewed in this processe & in other writen before. But the lordes specially shuld se here / what were pleasynge not to these clerkes / but to god / & that shuld they do. For her to they be bounde by vertue of their office vppe peyne of dampnaciō. And there may no no mā dispence with thē of yt bound stondinge her sta te. For no mā shuld put another grounde besydes that / yt is put which is christ Iesu.
And therfore mē deme it a great synne to ge ue londe entayled by mennes lawe from ye par sone or kynred that it is entayled to / ye although it be so that the parsone or kynred that soche lan de is geuen to be nedye & haue leaue by goddes lawe to occupye soche maner londe or lordshippe. And this is demyd full great synne among the people not onely to the geuer but also to the taker. For both they do dampnable wronge to him that it is entayled to / as the people demyth ye although it be geuen for good and true seruyce that the receyuer hath done to the geuer before / or elles by waye of almes of releuynge of the perone or kinred that it is geuen to. How [Page] moche rather than I praye you without compa rison is it a greater synne / as well to the reacey ners as to the geuers / to take the lordeshippes / the whiche god that hath full lordshippe vpon all the world hathe geuen by perpetuall lawe or right to the state of secular lordes / and geue this from the state to the whiche god entayled this lordshippe to another straunge people off another lyne / the which hadde neuer neade / ne leaue of god to occupye it. And yf priestes cleymetythes because god graunted them to y• kynred of leuy / yet ther argument is voide. For chri ste came of the lynage of Iuda / to whiche lyne was no tythes graunted and so as men suppo se this entayle was not confermyd by christe & his apostles to the priestes in the newe lawe. Polic [...] Lib. vii.
For Gregory the tenthe ordeyned first tythes to be payed to curates only. And yet they clcyme so forforthe tythes that no man maye lawefully with holde theym or ministre than saue they. Ne they maye be turned or geuen to any other state or kynred saue onely to theym. All though men wolde do that vnder coloure or by tytle off perpetuall allmes. For this shulde be demyd of the clergye a dampnable synne and destroyenge of holy chirche and sacrilege. How moche rather is it then an hydeous & dampnable synne / to geue or to take awaye the secular lordship pes from the state of secular lordes / the whiche god had geuen and entayled to them by the same lawe and right / by the whiche he hadde geuen the tithes to the priestes in the olde lawe. [Page] And this entayle was neuer interrupt nor broken vnto christes tyme & his holy apostles. And than they cōfermed this entayle by lawe so strō ge to the seculer parte yt no mā (saue Antichriste & his disciples) may opēly impūgne this entayle as it is shewed before. And so as no mā shulde presume to withdrawe with holde or turne the tithes from the state of presthod / as they saye / so moche rather shuld no mā presume by genynge or takinge to aliene ye temperall lordshippes frō the state of seculer lordes. And thus clerkes ha ue nor so moche coloure to saye yt the lordes and the laye people robbe thē for as moch as they ta ke their temperalties in to y• handes of ye clergy hath neuer the lesse malice in it selfe. For as mo che as it is done by simulaciō of holynes / ye whi che is double wickednes. For thus Lucifer robbed Adā both of goodes of fortune / of kinde ād Gene. iij yet dothe the chirche of thes thre maner goodes. For right as lucifer dyd this harme to Adam & Eue vnder coloure of loue & frendshippe & helpinge of thē: so do nowe his angell's / those ypocrites that tranfigure thē selfes into angells of light / & deceyue ye people by false beheste of heuēly helpe yt they will procure to theym for their goodes as they saye / & yf a bishope & his college oe an abbate & his conuent maye not aliene fro thē any of ye temporalties yt thei haue / nor ge ue to their founder any of thos possessiōs that he hath geuē thē / what nede that euer he haue / bo unde [...] by a posityfe lawe or a tradiciō that they thē selfe saue made. And yf any foche lord [Page] shippes be withdrawen / aliened / or taken fro th [...] by rechelesnes of their predecessoures / they ought on all wise / ye to the deathe laboure to get ye possessiones in to their hondes agayne as they saye: Howe muche more than shuld not a secular lorde or a laye al [...]ne fro him ād his yssue or fro the state of secular lordes / ye secular lordship pes the whiche god hath lymyted to that state / syth he is bounde by the lawe of kynde to ordeyne for his childern. And ou [...] this he is bounde by godes lawe to susteyne the state of secular lor des / the whiche is auctory sed in the chirche and his aposiles. Of this processe than yf a man take hede he shall perceyue the fals [...]s of this glo se / whan oure clerckes and religions folke saye that they hold these lordshippes onely by title of perpetuall allmes. For certis syth these tythes and offerynges the which as I suppose counteruayle the secular lordes re [...]s of the realme or elles passe as it is full lyely / for though they belesse in one chirde they passe in a nother and be sufficient for all the poi [...] in [...]istendome yf they were [...]. Than it were no nede to [...] se secular lordshippes to the sta te of the clergye. The which amortesyenge is vndoynge of lordes / apost [...] of the [...]. And yf this amor [...]enge were not nedefull / then were it no allmes as it is declared. And ouer the tythes and offerynges that be nowe off certeyn [...]e / the clerckee haue many great & small perquysytis / the whiche sma [...] of symonye and [...]cion. As the fyrst frutes of [...] benefyces / [Page] prouynge of testamentes and money for halowenge of chapelles / chirches / chauncelles / and other ornamentes of the chirche / and for sa cryng of ordres / ād full many mo that for mul titude may not well be numbred. For wellnigh all theire blessynges be set to sale and to prijs / in to chrystenynge and confumacion. Wherfore I may nowe saye as I sayde at the begynnige. No man may put a nother grounde besydes that / that is put / the whiche is Christe Iesu The which grounde of lyuynge christe graunte vs to kepe that we maye escape the euerlastin ge peynes of hell. AMEN.
¶ Seynt Eipriane sayeth yt by the counceile of bisshops ther is made a statute / that all y• bene [...]ist. xxi. [...]. iij. ca. [...]ipriane charged with priesihede & ordeyned in ye seruys of clerfes / shuld not serue but to the aulter and to ministre y• sacramentes / to prcache gods wor [Page] de / & to tale hede to prayers and orysones. It is for sorhe writen. No man bering his knighthosde to god: entryketh him with secular nedes. The which oure bisshops & oure predecessours beholdinge religiously & purueynge holsomly / deme that whosoeuer taketh ministres of ye chirche / from spirituall office to secular / that ther be none offrynge done for him / ne any sacrifice ho lowed for his sepulture. For they deserue not to be named before ye aulter of god in ye prayer off priestes / the whiche will clep [...] awaye priestes & ministres of y• chirche frō ye aulter. Thus sayeth seynt Cipaiane. Here mē maye se how perelous it is to ye kyng & secular lordes to with holde any prieste of christ in secular busynes. This is pro ued thus. For euery secular lorde by the lawe of the gospell is gods bayly. But yf any bayly hy red a worclman with his lordes good and put him to his owne seruys / he must be vntrewe to his owne lorde. Right so is any secular lorde to oure lorde Christ Iesu / but yf he amende hym / that taketh a prieste and putteth him in his secular office breafinge the heest of his lorde god that cōmaundeth / thou shalr coueyet none other mannes servaunte. And he with draweth hym fro the seruys of god and fro the kepinge of chri sten mennes soules / yt which he hath taken char ge of / for which soules oure lorde Iesu Christe toke flesche and bloude & suffered harde dethe / & shedde his owne harte bloode. This pardous deynge of secular lordes is bothe against goddes lawe and mannes. It is ageinst gods lawe [Page] for as seynt Paule saieth. No mā yt is a perfyte ij. Chi. ij knight of god / as euery priest shuld be by his or dre / ētromedleth him with worldly deades & busynes. And for this ende that he may so please ye lorde to whose seruyce he hathe put him selfe / & that is good. For soche worldly busynes in clerkes is against their ordre. And therfore y• apost les said as it is writē in ye dedes of y• apostles / it Acto. vi is nor euē / vs to leue ye worde of god & ministre to boordes of poore folke. And yf it was vnequi te as the apostles saide in their comone decree / them for to leaue ye preachinge of goddes worde / and ministre to the boordes of poore folke: Howe moche more vnequite ād wronge to god and man is it / preastes to leaue contemplacion / studye / prayer and preachinge of goddes worand ministrynge to poore folke for the servyce of a secular lorde? It is also agaynst the Popes lawe / for he speaketh to a bisshoppe and byddeth hym that he warne preastes and clerckes / Lin̄. iij. de [...]e. in fine that they be not occupyed in secular offices ne procurators of secular lordes deades & her goo des. And yf presies and clerckes be so bolde to occupye theym in soche busynes and if they fall after by losse of lordes goodes / then sayeth the lawe it is not worthy yt they be holpē & socoured of holy chirche / sythe through ther holy chirche is sclaundred. And saynte Gregorye wrote to the defensoure of Rome in this maner. It is tolde to vs that oure moste reuerēte brother Sasyle ye bysshoppe is occupyed in secular causes and kepith vnproffitable moote halles. Which [Page] thinge makyth him foule & destroyeth y• reuerē ce of presthood / therfore anone as thou hast rea ceiued this mādemēt / cōpell him with sharppe execucion to turne a gayne. So yt it be not lefull to y• by no excusacion totarye fyue dayes / lest in any maner thou suffre hym any lōger to tarye there in / thou be culpable with hym agaynst vs And so bysshoppes & other prestes be bounde to teache & ēforme lordes / to withdrawe theym fro this synne & sharpely to reproue prestes & cura tes vnder thē yt they occupye no secular office. This is proued thus by ye holy prophet Ezechiell sayēge. Yf ye wayte or y• watchemā se enemies Ezechie. xxxiij. come / & yf ye people be not warned & kepe not thē selues but enemies come & [...]sle ye people / thē sayeth god that ye people is take in their wicked nes. And of ye wayte yt shulde haue blowen his horne god will are acountes & rekeninge of the bloode & of the deathe of yt people. But nowe to gostely vnderstandinge / euery bisshoppe shuld be a wayte or a warche mā / totell & warne before to all ye people by his good lyuinge & reachin ge ye perell of synne / & this is ye reason why bisshopes & other prelates ād presies shuld not be occupyed with worldly deades & causes. For so che occupaciōs & charges make prestes slepinge ād slomobringe in synne. And therfore it is great perell to make ouer thē gostly waytes and watchemē / as bisshopes / parsones / vicarres / y• bē slepers in lustes of ye flesshe & in slomebernes ād blinded with pouder of couctyse of worldly deades yt they nether cā ne maye kepe thē selfes [Page] ne no nother man. For of this perell and soche other / a prelate that hath witte and cunninge shuld sharpely reproue and warne all maner men to the shedinge of his oune bloode as christ did And yf he so leaue & blame not thē he assen tyth to their trespases and synneth deadly. For as sayeth Malach. Prestes lippes kepe cunnin ge & the people shall aske the lawe of god of his Mala. ij mouth / for he is the Angell of god / yf he kepe well the ordre & degre of presthood. And therfor it is not lefull to any mā to drawe to seculer offices & busynes ye messangeres of christe / that hath so vtterly for fendyd theym bothe in worde & deade secular offices in presthood. &c.