[...] [Page] bothe worthye to be harde in youe congregation, and also of suche, as beste shal become myn office in this place. That I may do this y^e more commodiously, I haue taken, that notable Sentence, in whiche oure lorde was not afrayde to pronoūce, The chylderne of this worlde to be Luc. 19. moche more prudent and polytike, than the chyldren of lyghte in theyr generation. Neyther I wyll be a­frayde, trustynge that he wyll ayde and guyde me, to vse this sentence, as a grounde and foundation of al suche thynges, as hereafter I shall speake of.

¶ Nowe I suppose, that you see ryght well, being men of suche ler­nynge, for what pourpose the lorde sayd this, and that ye haue no nede to be holpen with any parte of my labour in this thynge. But yet, yf [Page] ye wyll pardone me, I wylle wade somwhat deper in this mattier, and as nyghe as I can, fetche it frome the firste originall begynnyng. For vndoubtedlye ye maye moche mer­uayle at this saying, if ye well pon­der bothe what is sayde, and who saythe it. Define me fyrst these thre thynges, what prudence is, what the worlde, what lyght, and who be the chyldren of the worlde, who of the lyght, see what they sygnifie in scripture, I meruayle, if by and by ye al agre, that the chyldren of the worlde, shoulde be wyser, than the chylderne of the lyghte. To come some what nygher the matter, thus the lorde begynneth.

‘¶ There was a certayn rych man, that had a stewarde, which was ac­cused vnto hym, that he had dissy­pated and wasted his goodis. This [...]’

[Page] For Luke saythe, the Lorde spake these wordis to his disciples. wher­fore let it be out of al doute, that he spake thē to vs, which euen as we woll be compted the successours & vycars of Christis disciples, so we be, if we be good dispensers, & doo our duitie. He sayde these thynges, partly to vs, which spake thē part­ly of hym selfe. For he is that riche man, which not only had, but hath, and shall haue euermore, I say not one, but many stewardes, euen to thende of the worlde.

¶ He is man, seing that he is god and man. He is ryche, not onely in mercy, but in all kynde of rychesse. For it is he, that giueth vs al thin­ges abundantly. It is he, of whose hande, we receyued both our lyues, and other thinges necessarie for the conseruation of the same. What [Page] man hath any thynge I praye you, but he hath receiued it of his plen­tyfulnes? To be short, it is he, that openeth his hande, and fylleth all beastis with his blessynge, and not onely gyueth vnto vs, in most am­ple wyse his benediction. Neyther his treasure canne be spente, howe moche so euer he lasshe oute, howe moche so euer we take of hym, his treasure tarieth styl, euer taken, ne­uer spente.

¶ He is also the good man of the howse. The churche is his howse­holde, whiche ought with all dily­gence, to be fedde with his worde & his sacramētes. These be his goo­des, most precious, the dispensati­on and administration wherof, he wolde byshops and curates shulde haue. Whiche thynge S. Paule affirmeth, sayinge, Let men esteme [...]

[Page] hytherto faythfull stewardes or no? Ponder, whether yet many of them be, as they shulde be or no. Goo ye to, tel me nowe, as your conscience leadeth you (I wolle lette passe to speake of many other) was there not some, that dyspysynge the mo­ney of the lorde, as copre, and not currante, eyther coyned newe them selfes, orels vtterde abrode newely coyned of other, some tyme eyther adulteratynge the worde of god, or els mynglinge it (as tauerners do, whyche brewe and vtter the euylle and good bothe in a potte) somtime in the stede of goddis worde, blo­wynge out the dreames of menne: While they thus preched to the people, the redemption that cometh by Christis dethe to serue onely them that died before his commyng, that were in the tyme of the olde testa­ment, [Page] and that nowe sens redemp­cyon, and forgyuenesse of synnes pourchased by money, and deuysed of men, is of efficacye, and not re­demption purchased by Christe.

They haue a wonderfulle prety ex­ample, to perswade this thynge, of a certayne maried woman, whiche whan her husbande was in purga­tory, in that fyry fornays, that hath burned away so many of our pens, paide her husbandes ransome, and so of duetie claimed hym to be sette at lybertie: Whyle they thus prea­ched Deade y­mages. to the people, that deade ima­ges (which at the first, as I thinke, were set vp onely, to represēt thīges absent) not onely ought to be coue­red with golde, but also ought of al faythful & christē people, yea in this scarsenes and penurye of all thyn­ges, to be cladde with sylke garmē ­tis, [Page] & those also ladē with precious gemmes & iewels, And that besyde all this, they are to be lyghted with waxe candelles, bothe within the churche and withoute the churche, yea at noone dayes, as who shulde say, here no coste can be to greatte, where as in the meane tyme, we see Christis faitheful and lyuely yma­ges, bought with no lesse price, thā with his most precious bloud, alas alas, to be an hungred, a thurste, a­colde, and to lye in darkenes wrap­ped in all wretchednesse, yea to lye there, vntyll dethe take away theyr miseries: While they preched, these wylworkes, that comme but of our owne deuotion, althoughe they be not so necessarye, as the workes of mercy, and the preceptes of god, yet they sayd, & in the pulpet, that wil­workes were more principall, more [Page] excellent, & (playnly to vtter what they meane) more acceptable to god than workes of mercy: as thoughe now mans inuētions and fansies, coude plese god better than goddis preceptis, or straunge thinges bet­ter than his owne: while they thus preached, that more fruite, more de­uotion cometh of the beholdyng of an image, though it be but a Pater noster whyle, than is gotten by re­dynge and contemplation in scrip­ture, though ye rede and contem­plate therin seuen yeres space:

Finally, whyle they preached thus, sowles tourmented in purgatorie, to haue mooste nede of oure helpe, and that they canne haue noo ayde, but of vs in this world, of the whi­che two, if the one be not false, yet at the least it is ambiguous, vncer­certayne, doubtefull, and therfore [Page] rashly & arrogantly with such boldnes affirmed in the audiēce of peo­ple, Thother by all mens opinions is manifestly false. I lette passe to speake of moche other suche lyke countrefayte doctrine, whiche hath ben blasted and blowen out by som for the space of. iii. houres togither. Be these the chrystian and dyuyne misteries, and not rather the drea­mes of men? Be these the faithful dispensers of goddis misteries, and nat rather fals dissipatours of thē? whom god neuer put in office, but rather the dyuell sette them ouer a myserable familie, ouer an howse myserably ordred and intreated.

Happy were the people, if such pre­ched More happy, if they preached neuer. seldome. And yet it is a won­der to see these, in their generation, to be moch more prudent and poly­tike, than the faithfull ministers at [Page] in their generation, whyle they go about more prudently to stablysshe mennes dreames, than these do, to holde vppe Goddis commaunde­mentes.

¶ Thus it commeth to passe, that workes lucratiue, wylworkes, mēs fansies reigne, and christian wor­kes, necessarye workes, fruitefulle workes, be troden vnder the foote. Thus the euyll, is moche better set out by euyll men, than is the good, by good men: bycause the euylle be more wise, than be the good in their generation.

¶ These be the false Stewardes, whom al good and faythefull men euery day accuse vnto the rych ma­ster of the householde, not without great heuynesse, that they wast his goodes, whom he also one day wol call to hym, and saye to them, as he [Page] dyd to his stewarde, whan he sayd, What is this, that I here of the?

¶ Here God partely wondereth at our ingratitude and perfidie, part­ly chydeth vs for them, and beinge bothe full of wonder, and redy to chyde, axeth vs, What is this, that I here of you? As though he shulde saye vnto vs, All good men in all places, complayne of you, accuse your auarice, your exactions, your tyrāny. They haue required in you a longe season, and yet require, dili­gence and synceritie. I commaun­ded you, that with all industrie and labour, ye shulde fede my shepe: ye cruestly fede your selfes, from daye to daye, wallowynge in delytes and ydelnesse. I commaunded you, to teache my commaundementes, and not your fansies, and that ye shulde seke my glory and my vantage: you [Page] teche your own traditiōs, and seke your owne glorie and profite. You preache very seldome, and whan ye do preche, ye do nothynge but cum­ber them that preache truly, as mo­che as lieth in you, that it were mo­che better, suche not to preache at all, than so perniciously to preache. Oh, what I here of you? You that ought to be my preachers, what o­ther thynge do you, than apply all your study hyther, to brynge all my prechers to enuy, shame, contempt, yea more than this, ye pulle theym into perylles, into prisons, and as moche as in you lyethe, to cruclle deathes. To be shorte, I wold, that christen people shulde here my doc­trine, and at their commoditie, rede it also, as many as wold: your care is not, that al mē may here it, but al your care is, that no lay mā do rede [Page] it. Surely being afrayde, lest they, by the redynge, shulde vnderstande it. and vnderstandyng, lerne to re­buke our slouthefulnesse. This is your generation, this is youre dis­pensation. This is your wisedome. In this generation, in this dispen­sation, you be most politike, mooste wyttye. These be the thynges that I here of your demeanour. I wys­shed to here better reporte of you. Haue ye thus deceyued me? or haue ye rather deceyued your selues?

Where I had but one house, that is to say, the church, and this so dere­ly beloued of me, that for the loue of her, I putte my selfe forth to be slayne, and to shede my bloud: this Churche at my departure, I com­mitted vnto your charge, to be fed, to be nourished, and to be made mo­che of. My pleasure was, ye shulde [Page] occupye my place, my desyre was, ye shoulde haue borne lyke loue to this churche, lyke fatherly affecti­on, as I dyd. I made you my vy­cars, ye in mattiers of most impor­taunce. For thus I taughte open­ly, Lnc. 10. He that shulde here you, shulde here me: He that shuld despise you, shuld despise me.

¶ I gaue you also keyes, not erth­ly Matt. 16. keyes, but heuenly. I left my go­des, that I haue euermore mooste highely estemed, that is, my worde and sacramentes, to be dispensed of you. These benefites, I gaue you, and do you giue me these thankes? Can ye fynde in your hartes, thus to abuse my goodnes, my benigni­tie, my gentylnesse? Haue ye thus deceyued me? Noo no, ye haue not deceyued me, but your selues. My gyftes and benefites towarde you, [Page] shall be to your greatter dampna­tion. Bycause ye haue contempned the lenitie and clemency of the ma­ster of the howse, ye haue right wel deserued, to abyde the rygour & se­ueritie of the Judge. Come forthe than, lette vs see accompte of your stewardship. An horrible and feare­full sentence. ye maye haue no lon­ger my goodes in your handes. A voyce to wepe at, and to make men tremble.

¶ You se brothern, you se, to what euyll, the euyl stewardes must come to. your labour is payd for, if ye can so take hede, that no suche sentence be spoken to you. Nay, we must all take hede, lest these thretninges one day take place in vs.

¶ But leste the lengthe of my ser­mon offende you to soore, I wylle leaue the reste of the Parabole, and [Page] take me to the handlyng of the ende of it, that is, I woll declare you, howe the chyldren of this worlde be more witty crafty and subtyle, than Luc. 10. are the children of the lyght in their generation. Whiche sentence, wold god it lay in my poore tongue, to ex­plicate with suche lyght of wordes, that I myght seme rather to haue peynted it before your eyes, than to haue spoken it: and that you myght rather seme, to se the thynge, than to here it. But I confesse playnely, this thynge to be farre aboue my power. Therfore this beinge onely left to me, I wysshe for that I haue not, and am sory, that that is not in me, whiche I wold so gladly haue: That is, power so to handle the thynge, that I haue in hande, that all that I say, may turne to the glo­rye of god, your sowle helthe, and [...]

[Page] was in dede as he had sayd, but cō ­playned rather, that it shulde be so: as many men speke many thinges, not that they oughte to be so, but that they are wonte to be so. Naye, this greued Christ, that the children of this worlde, shuld be of more po­lycie, than the chyldren of lyghte, whiche thing yet was true in Chri­stis tyme, and nowe in our tyme is most true. Who is so blynde, but he seeth this clerely, excepte perchance there be any, that can not discerne the chyldren of the worlde, from the chyldren of lyght? The chyldren of the worlde, conceyue and brynge forth more prudently, and thynges conceyued and brought forth, they nouryshe and conserue with moche more polycie, than do the chyldren of lyght. Whiche thynge is as so­rowfull to be sayd, as it semeth ab­surde [Page] to be herde. Whan ye here the chyldren of the worlde, you vnder­stande the worlde, as a father. For the worlde is father of many chil­dren, not by first creation & worke, but by imitatiō and loue. He is not only a father, but also the sonne of an other father. If ye knowe ones his father, by and by ye shall know his chyldren. For he that hathe the dyuelle to his father, muste needes haue dyuellyshe chyldren. The dy­uelle Prynce of the world the dyuell. is not onely taken for father, but also for prince of the world, that is, of worldly folke. It is eyther all one thynge, or els not moche diffe­rent, to say, chyldren of the worlde, and children of the diuel, according to that, that Christe sayd to the Je­wes, Ioan. 8. Ye are of your father the dy­uel: where as vndoutedly he spake to childerne of this worlde. Nowe [Page] seing the diuell is both author and ruler of the darkenes, in the which the chiiderne of this worlde walke, or to say better, wander, they mor­tally hate both the lyght, & also the children of lyght. And hereof it co­meth, that the chyldren of lyght ne­uer, or very seldome, lacke persecu­tion in this worlde, vnto which the chyldren of the world, that is of the dyuell, bringeth them. And there is no man, but he seeth, that these vse moche more policie in procurynge the hurte and damage of the good, than those in defēdyng them selfes.

¶ Therfore brothern, gather you, the disposition and study of the chil drē, by the disposition and studye of the fathers. You knowe, this is a prouerbe moch vsed, An euyl crow, an euyll egge. Than, the chyldren of this worlde, that are knowen to [Page] haue so euyll a father, the worlde, so euyll a grandefather, the dyuell, can not chose but be euyll. Surely the fyrste heed of theyr auncester, was that deceytfull serpent the dy­uell, a monster monstrous aboue all monsters. I can not holly expresse hym, I wote not what to call hym, but a certayne thynge, all together made of the hatrede of god, of mis­truste in god, of lyenges, deceites, periuries, discordes, manslaugh­ters, & to say, at one word, a thinge, concrete, heaped vp, and made of al kynde of myschiefe. But what the dyuell meane I, to go about to dis­criue particularly, the dyuels na­ture, whan no reason, no power of mans mynde, can comprehende it. This alonly I can say grossely and as in a summe, of the whiche al we, our hurte is the more, haue experi­ence, [Page] the diuel to be a stynking sen­tine of all vices, a foule filthy cha­nell of al myscheues: and that this worlde, his sonne, euen a chylde mete to haue suche a parent, is not moche vnlyke his father.

¶ Then this dyuelle beynge suche one, as canne neuer be vnlyke hym selfe, To of enuye, his welbeloued leminan, he begatte the worlde, and after left it with discorde at nours. Whiche worlde, after that it came to mans state, had of many concu­bines, many sounes. He was so fe­cunde a father, and had gotten soo many chyldren of lady pride, dame glottony, maystres auarice, ladye lechery, and of dame subtilitie: that no we hard and scant, ye may finde any corner, any kynd of lyfe, where many of his chylderne be not. In courte, in coules, in cloysters, in [Page] rochettes, be they neuer so whyte, yea where shall ye not fynde them? Howe be it, they that be secular and lay men, are not by and by chyldren of the worlde, ne they chylderne of lyght, that are called spirituall, and of the clergie. Noo noo, as ye may fynde among the laitie, many chyl­dren of light, so amonge the clergie (howe moche so euer we arrogate these holy tytles vnto vs, & thynke them only attributed to vs, vos estis Matth. 5. lux mundi, peculium Christi. &c. Ye are the lyght of the worlde, the chosen people of Christe, a kyngely priest­hode, 1. Per. 2. an holy nation, and suche o­ther) Ye shall fynde many chyldren of the worlde, bycause in all places, the worlde getteth many chyldren. Amonge the lay people, the worlde cesseth not, to brynge to passe, that as they be called worldly, so they at [Page] worldely in dede, driuen heedlonge by worldly desires, in so moch, that they maye ryght well seme to haue take as welle the maners, as the name of their father. In the clergy, the worlde also hath lerned a waye, to make of men spirituall, worlde­lynges, yea and there also to forme worldly children, wherewith great pretense of holynes, and crafty co­lour of religion, they vtterly desire to hyde and clooke the name of the worlde, as though they were asha­med of theyr father, whiche do exe­crate and deteste the worlde (beyng neuer the lesse theyr father) in wor­des and outewarde sygnes, but in hart and worke, they colle and kysse hym, and in all theyr lyues declare them selfes to be his babes: in soo moche that in all worldly poyntes, they far passe and surmount those, [Page] that they call seculars, lay men, men of the worlde. The chylde so dili­gently foloweth the steppes of his father, neuer destitute of the ayde of his grandfather. These be our holy holy men, that say they ar deed to the worlde, whan no men be more lyuely in worldly thinges, thā some of them be. But let them be in pro­fession & name, moste farthest from the world, most alienate from it, yea so farre, that they may seme to haue no occupienge, no kynrede, no affi­nitie, nothynge to do with it: yet in theyr lyfe & dedes, they shewe them selfe no bastardes, but ryght begot­ten chyldren of the worlde: as the whiche, the worlde longe sythens, had by his dere wyfe, dan Hypocri­sie, and syns hath brought them vp and multiplied them to more than a good maynye, encreased theym, to [Page] moche▪ [...]o moche, al be it they swere by al he sayntes and she sayntes to, th [...]t they knowe not theyr father, [...] mother, neyther the worlde, nor hypocrisie, as in dede they can sem­ble & dissemble all thynges, whiche thinge they might lerne wonderfull well of theyr parentes. I speke not of all religious men, but of those, that the worlde hath fast knytte at his gyrdell, euen in the myddes of their religion, that is, of many, and mo than many. For I feare, leste in all orders of men, the better, I must saye, the greatter parte of them, be out of order, and chylderne of the worlde. Many of these myght seme ingrate and vnkynde chyldren, that woll no better aknowledge, and re­cognyse theyr parentes in wordes and outwarde pretense, but abre­nounce and cast them of, as though [Page] they hated them as doggis and ser­pentes. Howe be hit they, in this wise, are most gratefull to their pa­rentes, bycause they be moste lyke them, so lyuely representyng theym in countenaunce, and condytions, that their parentes seme in them to be yonge ageyne, for as moche as they euer say one, and thynke an o­ther. They shew them selfe to be as sobre, as temperate, as Curius the Romaine was, and liue euery day, as though al their life were a shro­uynge tyme. They be lyke their pa­rentes, I saye, in as moche as they in folowynge them seme and make men beleue, they hate them. Thus grandfather dyuell, father worlde, & mother hypocrisie haue broughte them vp. Thus good obedient son­nes, haue borne away their paren­tes cōmaundementes, neither these [Page] be solitarye, howe religious, howe mocking, howe munkyng, I wolde saye, so euer they be. O ye woll laye this to my charge, that Monachus and Solitarius, signifyeth all one. I graunte this to be so, yet these be so solitarie, that they be not alone, but accompanyed with great flockes of fraternities. And I meruayle, yf there be not a greatte sorte of bys­shoppes and prelates, that are bre­therne germayne vnto these, and as a great sort, so euen as ryght borne, and worldes chylderne by as good tytle as they.

¶ But bicause I can not speake of all, whan I saye prelates, I vnder­stande byshops, abbattes, pryours, archedeacons, deanes, and other, of suche sorte, that are nowe called to this cōuocation, as I se, to intreate hereof nothynge, but of suche mat­ters, [Page] as bothe appertayne to the glorie of Christe, and to the welthe of the people of Englande. Whiche thynge I praye god they do as er­nestly, as they ought to do. But it is to be fered, lest as lyght hath many her children here, so the worlde hath sente some of his whelpes hyther.

Amonges the which I know, there Menne [...] diuers opniōs agre [...] [...] they be toither. can be no concorde nor vnitie, albeit they be in one place, in one congre­gation, I knowe, there can be no a­gremēt betwene these two, as longe as they haue myndes so vnlike, and so contrarie affections, iugementes so vtterly dyuerse in all poyntes.

But yf the chyldren of this worlde be eyther mo in nōbre, or more pru­dent than the children of light, what than auayleth vs to haue this con­uocation? Had it not ben better, we had not ben called togyther at all? [Page] For as the chyldren of this worlde be euyll, soo they brede and brynge forth thinges euyll, and yet there be mo of theym in all places, or at the leest they be more politike, than the chyldren of light in their generati­on. And here I speake of the gene­ration. wherby they doo engender, and not of that, wherby they are engendred, bycause it shuld be to long to intreate, howe the chyldren of lyght are ingendred, and how they come in at the doore: and howe the children of the world be engendred, and come in an other way. How be hit, I thynke all you that be here, were not ingendred after one gene­ration, neyther that ye all came by your promotions after one maner. God graunte, that ye, engendered worldly, do not ingender worldly: And as nowe I moche passe not, [Page] how ye were engendred, or by what meanes ye were promoted to those dignities, that ye nowe occupye, so it be honest, good, and profitable, that ye in this your Consultation shall do, and ingendre. The ende of your Conuocation, shall shewe what ye haue done: the fruite that shall come of your cōsultation, shall shewe, what generation ye be of. For what haue ye done hytherto I praye you, these. vii. yeres and mo? what haue ye ingendred? what haue ye brought forthe? what fruite is come of your long and great assem­ble? What one thynge, that the peo­ple of England hath ben the better of an heare? or you your selues, ey­ther more accepted before God, or better discharged towarde the peo­ple, committed vnto your cure? For that the people is better lerned and [...]

[Page] trewly neuer hurte any of you, ye wolde haue raked in the coles, by­cause he wolde not subscribe to cer­tayne articles, that toke awaye the supremetie of the kynge. Take a­waye these two noble actes, and there is nothynge els lefte, that ye went aboute, that I knowe, sauying that, I nowe remembre, that som­what ye attempted agaynst Eras­mus, all be it as yet, nothynge is come to lyght.

¶ Ye haue ofte sytte in consulta­tion, but what haue ye done? ye haue had many thynges in deliberation, but what one is put forth, wherby eyther Christe is more glorified, or els Christis people made more ho­lyer? I appele to your owne con­science. Howe chaunced this? howe came this thus? bycause there were no chyldren of lyght, no chyldren of [Page] god amonges you, whiche settynge the worlde at nought, wolde studye to illustrate the glorye of god, and therby shewe theym selfes chyldren of lyght? I thynke not so, certain­ly I thinke not so. God forbyd, that all you, whiche were gathered to­gyther, vnder the pretense of lyght shulde be chylderne of the worlde. Than why happened this? Why I pray you? Perchaunce eyther by­cause, the chylderne of the worlde, were mo in noumbre, in this youre congregation, as it oft happeneth, or at the leest of more policie, than the chyldren of lyght in their gene­ration. Wherby it might very sone be brought to passe, that those were moche more stronger, in gendryng the euyll, than these in producynge good. The childerne of lyght haue Chylderne of sightes polycie policie, but it is lyke the polycie of [Page] the serpent, and is ioyned with dou­uysshe symplicitie. They ingendre nothyng but simply, faythfully, and playnly, euen so doing all that they do. And therfor they may with more facilitie be combred in theyr ingen­dryng, and be the more redy, to take iniuries. But the chyldren of this worlde, haue worldly policie foxely crafte, lyonlyke crueltie, power to do hurte, more then eyther aspis or basiliscus, ingendrynge and doing al thynges, fraudulently, deceyt­fully, gylefully. Whiche as Nem­brothes and suche sturdy and stoute hunters, being full of simulation & dissimulation, before the lorde, de­ceyue the chyldren of lyght, & com­bre theym easely. Hunters go not forth in euery mans syght, but do theyr affaires closely, and with vse of gyle and deceyte, waxe euery day [Page] more craftier than other. The chyl­dren of this worlde be lyke crafty hunters, they be misnamed children of lyghte, for as moche as they so hate lyghte, and so study to do, the workes of darknes. If they were the chyldren of lyght, they wold not loue darknes. It is no meruayle, that they go aboute to kepe other in darknes, seinge they be in darknes, from top to toe ouerwhelmed with darknes, darker thā is the darknes of hell. Wherfore it is well done, in all orders of men, but in especiall in the order of prelates, to put a diffe­rence betwene children of light, and chyldren of the world, bicause great deceyte aryseth in takynge the one for the other. Great imposture com­meth, when they that the common people take for the lyght go aboute to take the sonne and the lyght out [Page] of the worlde. But these be easyly knowen, bothe by the dyuersitie of myndes, and also their armours. For where as the chyldren of lyght at thus minded, that they seke their aduersaries helthe welthe and pro­fyte, with losse of their owne com­modities, and ofte tymes with ieo­perdie of their lyfe, The children of the worlde, contrary wise, haue su­che stomakes, that they woll soner se them deed, that doth them good, than susteyne any losse of temporal thinges. The armure of the childrē Armure of the childrē of lyght. of light, are first the worde of god, whiche they euer sette forthe, and with al diligence put it abrode, that as moche as in them lyeth, it maye bringe forthe fruite: after this, pa­cience and prayer, with the whiche in all aduersities the lorde comfor­teth them. Other thinges they cō ­mitte [Page] to god, vnto whom they leue all reuengemente. The armure of Armure o [...] worldes chyldren. the chyldren of the worlde, are som­tyme fraudes and deceytes, som­tyme lyes and money: By the fyrst, they make theyr dreames, theyr tra­ditions: by the second, they stablishe and confirme theyr dremes, be they neuer so absurde, neuer so agaynst scripture, honestye, reason. And yf any man resyste theym, euen with these weapons they procure to slee hym. Thus they boughte Christis deathe, the veray lyght it selfe: and obscured hym after his deth. Thus they bye euery daye the chyldren of lyght, and obscure them, and shall so do, vntyl the world be at an ende. So that it may be euer true, that Christe sayd, The chylderne of the worlde be wyser. &c.

¶ These worldlynges pull downe [Page] the lyuely fayth, and full confidence that men haue in Christe, and sette vp an other fayth, an other confi­dence of theyr owne makynge: the chyldren of lyght contrary. These worldelynges sette lyttell by suche workes, as god hath prepared for our saluation, but they extoll tra­ditions and workes of theyr owne inuention: the chylderne of lyghte contrary. The worldlynges, if they spye profyte, gaynes, lucre, in any thynge, be it neuer suche a tryfle, be it neuer so pernicious, they preache it to the people, if they preache at a­ny tyme: and these thinges they de­fende with tothe and nayle. They can scarse disalowe the abuses of these, all be it they be intollerable, lest in disalowynge the abuse, they lose parte of theyr profite. The chil­dren of the lyght, coutrarye put all [Page] thinges in their degre, best highest, nexte, next, the worste lowest. They extoll thynges necessarie, christian, and cōmaunded of god. They pull downe wylworkes feyned by men, and put them in their place. The a­buses of all thynge they ernestly re­buke. But yet these thynges be so done on bothe partyes, and so they bothe do gendre, that children of the worlde shewe them selfe wyser than the children of lyght, and that frau­des and deceytes, lyes, and money, seme euermore to haue the vpper hande. I hold my peace, I woll not say, how fatte feastes and ioly ban­kettes be ioly instrumentes, to sette forthe worldely matters withall.

Neyther the chyldren of the worlde, be onely wyser, than the chyldren of lyght, but are also some of them, a­monge them selfe, moche wiser then [...]

[Page] lyght, and also the rest of their company, that they bothe are but foles, if ye compare them with these.

¶ It was a pleasaunt fiction, and from the begynnynge so profitable to the feyners of it, that almoste, I dare boldly say, there hath bene no emperour, that hath gottē more by taxes and tallages of theym that were alyue, than these the very and right begotten sonnes of the world gotte by deed mennes tributes and gyftes.

¶ If there be some in Englande, Purgato­ry the swe tinge of worldlin­ges. that wold this sweting of the world to be with no lesse policie kept styll, thā it was borne and brought forth in Rome, who thā can accuse Christ of lyenge? No no, as it hath ben e­uer true, so it shall be, that the chil­dren of the worlde, be moch wyser, not only in makyng their thinges, [Page] but also in conseruing them. I wot not what it is, but somewhat it is, I wotte, that somme men be so loth to se the abuse of this monster, pur­gatorie, whiche abuse is more than abhominable. As who shulde saye, there is none abuse in it, or elles as thoughe there canne be none in it.

They may seeme hartily to loue the olde thynge, that thus ernestly en­deuoure theym to restaure hym his olde name. They wolde not sette an heare by the name but for the thynge. They be not so ignoraunt (noo they be craftye) but that they knowe, yf the name come ageyne, the thynge woll come after. Ther­by it aryseth, that some men make theyr crakes, that they, maugre of all mens heedes, haue founde pur­gatorie. I can not tel, what is foūd. This, to praye for deed folkes, this [...]

[Page] uocation, As our actes shall be, so they shall name vs, so that nowe it lyeth in vs, whether we woll be called chylderne of the worlde, or chylderne of lyght.

¶ Wherfore lyfte vp your heades brotherne, & loke aboute with your eyes, spye what thinges are to be re­formed in the churche of Englande. Is it so harde, is it so great a mat­ter for you, to se many abuses in the clergye, many in the laytye?

What is done in the arches? No­thynge The ar­ches. to be amended? What doo they there? Do they euermore rydde the peoples busynes and matters, or combre and ruffle theym? Doo they euermore correcte vyce, or elles defende it, somtime being wel corre­cted in other places? How many sen­tences be gyuen there in tyme, as they ought to be? If men say truth, [Page] howe many without brybes? Or if Bysshops cōsistories all thinges be well done there, what do men in byshoppes consistoryes? Shall you ofter se the punysshe­mentes assigned by the lawes exe­cuted, or elles money redemptions vsed in theyr stede?

¶ Howe thynke you by the Cere­monies, Ceremo­n [...]. that are in Englande, ofte times with no litle offence of weake consciences, contempned: more of­tener with superstition soo defyled, and soo depraued, that you maye doubte, whether it were better, some of them to tarye styll, or vtterly to take them away? Haue not our fore fathers complayned of the nombre of ceremonies, of the superstition, and estimation of them?

¶ Do ye se nothynge in our holy Holydaye dayes? of the which very fewe were made at the fyrste, and they to sette [Page] forth goodnes vertue and honestie. But sythens, in some places, ther is neyther meane nor measure in ma­kynge newe holy dayes: as who shulde saye, this one thynge is ser­uynge of god, to make this lawe, that no man may worke. But what The bare is holy, yf we be ho­ly. doth the people on these holydayes? Do they gyue them selfe to godly­nes, or els vngodlynes? Se ye no­thynge brotherne? If you se not, yet god seeth. God seeth all the hole ho­ly dayes, to be spente miserably, in dronkennes, in glossynge, in stryfe, in enuy, in daunsynge, dycyng, idei­nes and glortony. He seeth all this, and threteneth punyshement for it. He seeth it, whiche neyther is decey­ued in seinge, nor deceyueth when he threteneth. Thus men serue the dyuell, for god is not thus serued, all be it ye saye, ye serue god. No, the [Page] dyuell hath more seruice done vnto him on one holy day, than on many workynge dayes. Lette all these a­buses be compted as nothyng, who is he, that is not sory, to se in so ma­ny holy days, riche and welthy per­sons to flowe in delicates, and men that lyue by their trauaylle, poore men, to lacke necessarie meate and drinke for their wyues, and theyr chylderne, and that they can not la­bour vpon the holy dayes, excepte they woll be cited and brought be­fore our officials? were it nat the of­fice of good prelates, to consult vp­pon these matters, and to seke some remedy for them? Ye shal se my bro­therne, ye shall see ones, what woll come of this our wynkynge.

¶ What thynke ye of these images Images. that are had more than theyr felo­wes in reputation? that are goone [Page] vnto, with suche labour and wery­nes of the bodye, frequented with suche our coste, sought out and vy­sited with suche confidence? What say ye by these images, that are soo famous, so noble, soo noted, beinge of them so many and so dyuers in Englande? Doo you thynke, that this preferrynge of picture to pyc­ture, image to image, is the righte vse, and not rather the abuse of y­mages? But you woll saye to me, Why make ye all these interrogati­ons? And why in these youre de­maundes doo you lette and with­draw the good deuotion of the peo­ple? Be not al thinges well doone, that are doone with good intente, whan they be profitable to vs? So surely Couetousnes bothe thinketh and speketh. Were it not better for vs, more for estimation, more meter [Page] for men in our places, to cut awaye a piece of this oure profytte, if we wyll nat cutte awaye all, thanne to wynke at suche vngodlynesse, and so longe to winke for a lyttell lucre, specially if it be vngodlynesse, and also seme vnto you vngodlynes?

These be two thinges, so oft to seke Relikes of sayntes. mere images, & sometyme to visite the relikes of saintes. And yet as in those, there may be moche vngod­lynes committed, so there may here some superstition be hydde, if that sometime we chāce to visite pigges bones, in stede of sayntes reliques, as in tyme past it hath chaunced) I had almoste sayde) in Englande.

Than this is to great a blyndenes, a darkenesse to sensyble, that these shuld be so commended in sermons, of somme men, and preached, to be done after suche maner, as though [Page] they coude not be euyll done, which not withstandynge are suche, that neyther god nor man commandeth them to be done. No rather, men cō manded them eyther not to be done at all, or ess more slowlyer and sel­domer to be done: for as moche as our auncetours made this consty­tution,

¶ we commaunde the priestes, that they oft admonysshe the people, and in especiall wo­men, that they make no vowes, but after longe deliberation, cōsent of their husban­des, and counsell of the prieste.

¶ The church of England in time past made this constitution. What sawe they, that made this decree? They sawe the intollerable abuses of images. They sawe the peryls, that myght ensue, of goinge on pil­gremage. They sawe, the supersty­tious difference that men made be­twene [Page] image and image. Surely somwhat they sawe.

¶ The cōstitution is so made that in maner it taketh awaye all suche pylgremages. For it so plucketh a­waye the abuse of them, that it lea­ueth eyther none, or els seldome vse of them. For they that restreyne ma­kynge vowes, for goynge of pyl­gremage, restreyn also pilgremage. Seinge that for the moste parte, it is sene, that few go on pilgremage, but vowemakers, and suche as by promyse bynde them selfe to goo. And whan, I praye you shulde a mans wife go on pilgremage, if she went not, before she had well deba­ted the matter with herself, and ob­teined the consent of her husbande, beinge a wyse man, and were also coūselled by a lerned priest so to do? Whan shuld she go farre of, to these [Page] famous images? For this the com­mon people of Englande thynke to be goinge on pilgremage, to go to somme deed and notable image out of towne, that is to saye farre from theyr house.

¶ Nowe if your forefathers made this constitution, and yet thereby dydde nothynge, the abuses euery day more and more encreased, what is left for you to do? Brotherne and fathers, if lye pourpose to do any thynge, what shulde ye sooner do, than take vtterly awaye, these de­ceytfull and iuglyng images: or els if ye knowe any other meane, to put awaye abuses, to shewe it, if ye in­tende to remoue abuses. Me thinke it shulde be gratefull and pleasant to you, to marke the ernest mynde of your forefathers, & to loke vpon their desyre, where they say in their [Page] constitution, we commaunde you, and not, we counsell you. Howe haue we ben so longe a colde, so longe slacke in settynge forth so holsome a pre­cepte of the churche of Englande, where we be so hote in all thynges, that haue any gaynes in them, all be it they be neyther commaunded vs, nor yet gyuen vs by counsell: as though we had leauer, the abuse of thynges shulde tary styll, than it taken awaye, lose our profyte.

¶ To lette passe the solempne and nocturnal bacchanals, the prescript myracles, that are done vpon cer­tayne dayes in the Weste parte of Englande, who hath not harde, I thynke, ye haue harde, of sayncte Blesis harte, whiche is at Mal­uerne, and of saynct Algars bones, how longe they deluded the people? I am afrayde, to the losse of many [Page] sowles. Wherby men may wel con­iecture, that all aboute in this re­alme, there is plentie of suche iug­lynge deceytes. And yet hytherto ye haue sought no remedy. But euyn styll the myserable people is suffe­red, to take the false myracles for the true, and to lye styll a stepe in all kynde of superstytion. God haue mercy vpon vs.

¶ Laste of all, howe thynke you of Matrimo­nye. matrimonie? Is all well here? What of baptisme? Shall we euermore in ministring of it, speke latine, and not englyshe rather, that the people may knowe what is sayd and done?

¶ What thynke ye of these masse priestes, & of the masses them selfe? The abu­ses repro­hēded, the reuerēce of the Masse is not di­minisshed, but rather set forth. What saye ye? Be all thynges here so without abuses, that nothynge ought to be amended? Your forefa­thers sawe somwhat, whiche made [Page] this constitution, against the vena­litie and sale of Masses, that vnder peine of suspending, no priest shuld sell his sayinge of tricēnals, or an­nals. what sawe they, that made this constitutiō? What pristes sawe they? what maner of masses sawe they, trowe ye? But at the last, what became of soo good a constitution? God haue mercy vpon vs.

¶ If there be nothing to be amen­ded abrode, concernynge the holie, lette euery one of vs make one bet­ter. If there be neyther abrode nor at home any thinge to be amended, and redressed, My lordes, be ye of good chere, be mery: and at the least bycause we haue nothyng els to do, lette vs reason the mattier, how we may be rycher. Let vs fall to some pleasant communication: after let vs goo home, euen as good as we [Page] came hyther, that is right begotten chyldren of the worlde, and vtterly worldlynges. And whyle we lyue here, let vs all make bon chere. For after this lyfe, there is smalle plea­sure, lyttell myrthe for vs to hoope for, if nowe there be nothynge to be chaunged in our facions. Lette vs say, not as S. Peter dyd, Our ende 1. Petr. 4. approcheth nighe, this is an heuye herynge: but let vs say, as the euill seruaunt sayde, It woll belong ere Matt. 24. Luc. 12. my maister come. This is pleasant. Let vs beate our felowes. Lette vs eate and drynke with dronkerdes. Surely, as ofte as we do not take away the abuse of thynges, so ofte, we beate our felowes. As oft as we gyue not the people their true fode, so oft we beate our felowes. As oft as we let them dye in superstition, so ofte we beate them. To be short, [Page] as ofte as we blynde, leade theym blynde, so oft we beate and greuou­sly stryke our felowes. Whanne we walter in plesures and idelnes, thā we eate and drynke with drunkar­des. But God wyll come, God wyl come, he woll not tarye long away. He woll come vpon suche a day, as we nothynge loke for hym: and at suche houre, as we knowe not. He woll come, and cutte vs in pyeces. He woll rewarde vs, as he doth the hypocrites. He woll sette vs, where wayling shalbe my brothern, where gnastyng of tethe shall be my bro­therne. And let here be the ende of our tragedie, if ye woll. These be the delycate dysshes, prepared for worldes well be loued chyldren.

These be the wafers and tōkettes, prouided for worldly prelates, way­lynge and gnasshynge of teethe. Can [Page] there be any mirth, where these two courses, laste al the feaste? Here we lawghe, there we shall wepe. Our teeth make mery here, euer dashing in delicates, there we shall be torne with teeth, & do nothing but gnashe and grynde our owne. To whatte ende haue we nowe excelled other in policie? What haue we broughte forth at the laste?

Ye se brothern, what sorow, what punyshement is prouyded for you, yf ye be worldlynges. If ye wol not thus be vexed, be not ye the chyl­derne of the worlde. If ye woll not be the chyldren of the worlde, be not stryken with the loue of worldelye thynges, leaue not vpon them. If ye woll not dye eternally, lyue not worldly. Come, go to my brothers, goo to, I saye agayne, and ones a­gayne, go to, leaue the loue of your [Page] profite, study for the glorie and pro­fyte of Christe, seke in your consul­tations, suche thynges as pertayne to Christ, and bring forth at the last, somwhat, that may please Christe. Fede ye tenderly with all diligence, the flocke of Christ. Preache truely the worde of god, Loue the lyght, walke in the lyght: and so be ye the chyldren of lyght, whyle ye are in this world, that ye may shyne in the world, that is to come, bright as the sonne, with the father, the sonne, & the holy goost, to whom be all ho­nour and glorie.

Amen.