OFfering thys Breife declaratiō vnto your lordship of the reaso­nable cause whi alfermours or owners of Abbey lāds being disolued ought & shold be cōtributours & helpers to the liuing of their person or vi­car w^tin whose parish thei be (as y^e case hereof hath hapened betwene me & one of those fermers) Some woulde iudge perchaunce that I were a man gyuen to a certen co­uetousnes of liuinge, and thyncke (I suppose) al wer to litle for pre­stes, many woulde bolte oute their grudge saienge: this felowe smel­leth of papistrie, and goeth about to set vp the kingedome of Pre­stes. But what soeuer any man doth conceaue at the fyrst hearing [Page] of y^e title of my declaracion. This wil I protest before god & y^e whol world, y^t I speake nothig but mo­ued w^t y^e zeale of the auaūcement of y^e gospel & gods true lerninge, which of very necessity must go to y^e groūd (if god of his wonderfull goodnes staie it not vp) except y^e studentes and preachers thereof maye be maynteyned wyth honest & sufficyent liuing in the Seruice therof. For by Liuynges all men are enkindled to y^e studies of good lerning. No man will ronne for nought, and if there be no Reward when he commeth to the markes ende he thincketh his labour loste in ronninge thither. Wherfore in that that youre lordeshippes er­nest & pure zeale towardes goddes trueth, and the painfull Laborers therin (at my humble suet made [Page] vnto you, for y^e redresse of y^e same matter, willed me to put you in remēbraūce therof at y^e time of y^e parliamēt: I thought it my boun­dē deuty so to do & some thinge to trauayle herein, in settinge furth y^e matter more plainly w^t my penne. Trusting therby y^e at youre lorde shippes handes my suet shoulde haue y^e better successe, & most especially for y^t you haue ben alwaies a synguler fauorer and preferrer of lerned men, that nowe you would be a patrone to their studies, & to the knowledge and leruinge that shall sprynge after your daies, & to helpe no lesse to preserue and continew good lerning emongest vs, then you haue heretofore hol­pen to bryng it in. And although there bee Rewardes suffycyente and plentyfull inough before god [Page] for all mens paines and studyes in vertue if men wold loke thy­therwarde and waite there for Rewarde (as it becometh them to do) yet the nature of man is such, that if he see the maintenaunce of hys Liuinge in studie faile (as it were hys breath in hys Rase to waxe shorte) by and by he beginneth to fainte and setteth him selfe downe idellie, resting otherwise then els he would do. Wherfore an honest exhibycion of Liuinge is a greate prouocatyon and staie vnto al in­dustryous labour and diligence. As longe as a man hathe his due rewarde, his paines is thought the lesse how many and great so­euer they bee. The rewarde of studye failynge, and the liuinge of ministres and preachers not nou­rysshed, is thoccasion at thys daye [Page] vnto many of shrinckynge from their estate and vocation and ap­plieng thē selues to some other fa­cultie to no litle decaie of Christe hys faithe and Religion. In so much y^e where as ministres ought accordynge to Paule hys lesson,Timot. iiii. giue them selues cheifelie and be­fore al thinges to exhortacion and doctrine, do cleane contrarie applieng the in selues to the world and forsakinge the studie of the word. The whiche thinge to be true, we maie perceiue and se partly by co­mon experience manye that haue sometime labored in y^e gospel (not alltogether vnfrutefullie) being not able to purchase great benefi­ces as it is now a dayes a comon practise to do) nor to liue other­wise of their stipendes & cures, are driuen to kepe all houses, exercyse [Page] the craft of Carpenters, tailors, & other occupations, whych thynge cometh to passe thorough y^e faul­te of vncharitable hartes muche choked with couetousnes, hauing nether zeale towardes the Gospel, nor the setters fourth therof being not wylling to yelde to theyr minystres, which dayle & hourely haue labored to bryng thē from darck­nes to lyghte, that whiche is dewe to them by Scripture, whereby they myght be able to bie bookes, apparel, with other meanes towardes the maintenaunce of their stu­die, and Kepe hospitalitie for the reliefe of the poore, accordinge to the wyll and commaundement of god.i. Timo. iii Like as a man goinge on warfare muste nedes liue of the comō coost, & so beinge prouided for doeth his deutie a great deale [Page] the better: Euen so ministres to thentent they may be able, & more willing to do their dueties, ought to haue all thinges necessary and sufficient without care, grudge, or suet for the same. The maners of mē much is to be lamented in these dayes, which declareth greatelye theyr vnworthynes of the gospell thorough the dissimulacion and vnthanckefull hartes whiche they shewe towardes them that haue thouersyght of thē, in that a great nomber is readier contrarye to the doctryne of the holie Apostle, to take, to snatche, to catche,hebr. xiii. and to spoile them of that lytle whyche they haue, then to giue that, which in consciens, they are bounden to giue. This vnthanckefulnes ap­pereth to them which vnfainedlie fauoreth goddes true lerninge, a [Page] great euel, seyng they spoile Christ in that they depriue his ministres of their liuing. For as woo shalbe to the whych so largely doth feede the Balaanites y^e ministres of Sathā that they should abounde in al plenteousnes. Euen so they feede Christ,Mat. x. that nourisheth his and the setters out of his doctrine, & shall receue their ful reward at his hād. What plentifull handes hath ben opened to y^e familie and houshold of Baal? What gorgious houses what sūptuous monasteries hath ben builded for suche a couente of Oules, and a herd of swyne, being euermore obscurers of the lighte of the truth? What abūdaūce of riches did thei heape vp what prince or what degre was he of, y^t was not benefycyall to them? But in thys world, wherin the brightnes [Page] of gods true light doth most ma­nifestlye appere thorough gods prechers (by y^e hande of our most gracious & noble king Edwarde the sixte, deliueringe hys people from Babilō that is fro the heuy tradicions of y^e byshop of Rome, to the excedinge consolation and cōfort of al people that faithfully coueteth the veryties furtheraūce to the great discomfort of them y^t desireth the hinderance of y^e same. What scarsite find they? what simple liuinge do they possesse? what smal rewardes haue they for their good labours? in min opiniō tru­lye the ernest settyng oute of thys doctryne is of suche a pryce and value, y^e Englyshmen had neuer greater cause to thancke God and to pray for the gracious prosperi­tie of theyr moost worthye Kynge [Page] and his honorable and lerned coū ­cell, then for this matter, and also to be y^e more encoraged to declare themselues louing to the faithful ouerseers and setters out of this doctryne, yea and that much more then they were to the idle lubbers and domme dogges of that mon­streous Religiō in times paste.

Many at this daie wil fayne to be verie glad to heare the gospel, but whē it cometh to passe, that eyther they may do a displesure to the set­ter out of it, or by any pryuy mea­nes hindre him of that whiche is his very deutie, then they shew cō trary to goddes doctryne, wyth al ernestnes, theyr hypocrisye, which they haue longe norished in their dissembling hartes both towar­des the worde and the preachers thereof.Thess. v. No small garde also [Page] of suche brethren there is that li­tle passe either of god or of good ordre, thinckyng themselues to be parfect maisters, when in dede they were neuer good scollers, whych wil say: why sholde they be chargeable vnto vs? let them la­bour w^t their hādes as Paule did. Wherin their errour & blindnes doth appeare, in that they thyncke the offyce of preachinge the word, were an idle thinge & not labour: Al though saīct paule as we read,actes. xx. dyd get his liuinge wyth his handes, and lefte that whych was dewe, wyth them to whome he had preched, whiche thinge he dyd by libertie and not by necessity: Yet he lost not his ryght of axing hys deutie, which lawfully he might haue had.ii. Cor. ii. This Apostle as he witnesseth Robbed other congregati­ons, [Page] and toke wages of them, that he myght preache the Gospell fre­lye to the Corinthians,ii. Cor. ii and to do them seruice. Sainct Augustine therefore in his booke of workes sayeth, If they be euangelistes, yf they be ministers, they muste lyue of the goodes of the faythfull.

Christe promysed vnto his Apo­stles the same, & commaūded thē to reserue of the people thynges necessary. Temporalties ought to serue as instrumentes to spirytu­al thinges, and so that benefyte to be giuen, to the preachers offyce & ayde of his liuynge. The worcke mā is worthy his wages, that is: yf they receiuing of the temporall reward be spent in the administracion of spiritual thinges and not laied vp in coffres but bestowed in necessities and kepynge houses [Page] of hospitalitie not in purchasynge of great possessions, or in maintei­ning pompe, pryde, delicate feare, fedinge of houndes, hawkes, car­ding and disinge, and suche lyke euelles, for of suche heate what is said in scripture:Iob. xxi. They haue ledde their dayes in vanitie and welth? but sodenly they go downe to hel.

These bee they that executeth theyr offyce not as Peter & Paule did, but as Iudas amongest the apostles, & as Simon Magus a­mongest the dysciples. These (I saye) are blinde guides to the peo­ple, euē as smoke y^e blindeth mens eyes in stead of a clere light. Ther­fore this sentēce is worthy to rūne vpō them. That they be cast ouer y^e borde, be put out of their Ro­mes, & other to be placed. It is a sentence also moste pithie to ad­monishe [Page] them, where as the apo­stle sayth:Timo. iiii. take hede vnto your sel­ues, see y^t you ronne in this world that you may receiue a ful reward as the Philippiās did,i. Cor. ix. which plē ­tifully distributed that manyfold grace giuē by paule his preching, which walked in their vocatiō not in the pompe of the world, whiche distributed, not studied to lay vp and hyde. In like maner the coue­tousnes that in these dayes gene­rally reigneth (I knowe not why­ther it be more worthy to be lamē ­ted then spokē vnto) the practises be shamefull that they vse for the brynging in of money, their mou­thes are as wide as hel neuer beīg content but groping for occupiēg not of fermes but of townes not of Townes but of hole contreis, in the desier of encroching they be [Page] so roted that they cast in their her­tes how they may defraude euery man of his liuing, or at the least of some parte thereof. And also wyth what spytefull rebukes, taun­tings, and sclaūdringes, those co­uetous men deface and put to sy­lence the earnest setters out of the doctrine of Christ it is wōderfull, and to muche shame to speake of. They would make the ministres their seruaūtes, the preachers co­loters & berers with their wickednes, of whō the prophetes speketh. This is an obstinat people dissemblynge Chyldren,Esai. xxx. that refuseth to heare y^e law of the Lord. For they say vnto the seers: se not, & to thē that be clere of iudgemēt, loke not out right thīges for vs, but speke faire wordes vnto vs. The worke of robery is in their handes,Esai. lix. in the [Page] waye of crafte and falsehode they go, but the waye of the Lorde they wyl not knowe. But no meruayle it is in dede that the worlde at this day is thus bent towardes the ste­wards and disposers of y^e secretes of God for it hath bene so sence the beginning. Take Abel for exam­ple, what small fauour had Mo­ses and Aaron amonge the cruell Iues,Gene. iiii. Num. xvi. when they brought thē out of Egipt with many others mo, as Iacob, Ioseph, Dauid, & Elias. Yea when the wyse men shewed kynge Herode, that the Kynge of the Iewes was borne? he was sore vexed and al Ierusalem with him.Mat. ii. It is no smal vexation and disturbaunce y^t riseth at the true sounde of goddes worde amongest a nombre of couetous men and phare­sies, But verely as when the Kingdome [Page] of the papistes religion flo­rished it brought forth riches, and then riches as it were her daugh­ter springing vp so fast deuoured the mother. Euen so (I feare me) we shall fall nowe into a worse ex­tremitie then that was, thorough neade and necessitye, and be com­pelled to do as when a mans scy­ence fayleth him.Act. iiii.v. And therefore I can not a little alowe the fathers of y^e primitiue church, which sold al y^t euer they had for the mainte­naunce of Christes gospel, nether was there any amongest thē that lacked. Yea & thē also which foun­ded Colledges giuing great yerely rentes for y^e staiyng and vphol­ding of learning frō time to time, w^t mani & diuerse wel affected mē vnto vertue & knowledge whiche were wōt to giue exhibiciō to sco­lers [Page] in vniuersities, and bringe vp pore mennes sonnes in learninge. And now what streames of teares maye seme sufficiente vnto vs in speakinge of the wonderful decay thereof, which wilbe the very brin­ging in againe of ignoraūce, bar­barousnes, & cruelty. And wher as the lawes of this Realme bindeth Clerkes of .C.li. liuinges to finde certen scollers in the vniuersityes, Yet they be so slouthfull them sel­ues, & haue so lytle minde to that y^t they do not studye, y^t it were as good no lawe to be made and bet­ter, for then were it no offence to theyr cōscience not to do that they knew they were not bound to do. But what is further to be sayed, see you not that euen whereas the late kyng of most noble memorye Kinge Henry the eyght hath buil­ded [Page] colledges, and giuē great yerelye stipendes for the maintenaūce of pore mens children to learning, whiche were not able of them sel­ues so to set them forwarde. Howe shamefullye euen straight wayes thys thynge is abused, emongeste men of knowledge, and of a hygh profession of godes worde, that e­uerye gentleman as he can beste make hys frende bringeth in hys Sonne thyther, and kepeth hym there, with the liuing ordeined for the pore mans sōne, wher he must be daintelye brought vp, with as lytle applyeng of lerninge as may be, sauing for his breking a while to se the maner of the vniuersitye, and so prolōg a time there almost in idlenes. Where the pore schol­ler is driuē to his studye, & would wyth all his harte refuse no pay­nes [Page] to come to knowledge (howe hard so euer they were) if he had y^t to put in hys bealye and laye on hys backe to kepe him there, that the gentlemans sonne agaynste all reason and consciens in myne opynyon kepethe frō hym, Yea & many of them minding to departe from the vniuersitie, a lytle before procureth a lyke chapman to la­bour for hys rome. So that the worlde is so farre runne in blind­nes at thys day by couetousnes in catchyng all and departyng from nothyng that onelesse other pro­uysyon be founde or thys that is alredy made be better loked vnto, it wyll come to passe that the way whyche is thought to expel papy­strye longe rooted amongeste the people, wilbe the redrest and most strongest meane to brynge it in a­gayne, [Page] in that the mayntenaunce of studentes doth wante, whereby it is impossyble y^t good learninge shulde sprynge. What is he that hath traueled in study these many yeres y^t at this present can receiue the rewarde of hys studye. That is, other a benefyce or lyke Ly­uyng at a nombre of handes, but it shal be other sold, or equally de­uided betwene the taker and the giuer, or els it passeth ouer to simple sir Iohn, which can scase read an homelie, and in dede loketh for no further, if that he can brynge y^e well to passe. And so the Benefyce beinge worth .xl.li. by yere, he shal haue .xx. nobles being a personne in name, and a verye seruaunte in dede. Yea, and some pretende (if they myght be suffred to bryng it to passe) to vnite their patronages [Page] shortli to their inheritaūce. Wold not thys brynge in a great pouer­tye thinke you? Woulde not po­uerty seke agayne after olde ro­mysh marchandise thyncke you? I feare it muche. O case moste la­mentable, & men moste vnworthy such patronages. With what face shall suche loke at the latter daye before the iudgemente seate of the greate iudge Christe Iesus? Or such of whom the scripture sayth: Thenemie hath put hys hande to al thyngs to him desierable,Lamen. i. for y^e he hath a certaine people Lawles entrynge into his sanctuarie, that neither them selues kepe the lawe of God, nor suffer thē to come in that can teache other.

Therfore God by his Prophet Osee sayeth:Osias. iiii. For that thou haste put away the knowledge of gods [Page] wyll, I wyll put the away, y^t thou shalt vse no priesthode to me, how wilt y^u answere God, O ignorant prieste, when thou shalte come to thy rekening, it is to be fered thou wilt stand dombe for lacke of an­swere, and for confusion of thyne owne conscience. Thou I say, and thy maister the patrone placynge the not as a heard, but as an hyr­lynge, both you twayne (I saye,) shall fall into thys moste horrible sentence.Mat. xxii. Take them and bynde them hande and fote. &c.

And what is to be thought here in of wycked inproperatiōs of be­nefices, whych haue plucked from studentes lawefull liuynges, be­ynge ordeyned for the Preachers of the Gospell. Manye Godlye men surely haue preached and de­clared opēly herein their learnyng [Page] and gods trueth to the vtter con­demnation of the same, to whome I subscrybe wyth all my harte, wyshing of god moost hartelye a redresse to be takē in the abolish­mente of the same, or at the leaste it wyll please the kynges maiestie hys moost excellent and gracious goodnes, hauing respect to the li­uyng of hys prechers within hys Realme, woulde not here after graunt or suffer any such licences of improperacions to passe, and I would wyshe that the byshops would not gyue theyr good wyl & consēt therunto for obscience sake, y^t at the least we might reserue vnto the posterity of studētes, & lear­ned men y^t shal folow vs, no smaller or fewer rewardes for theyr studye then we haue foūd. What shal we say vnto mam of the hou­ses [Page] of religion (as they called thē) whyche were exempted from pai­enge or contrybuting any thinge to the mayntenaunce of ministres and preachers, by reason wherof, the owners and fermours at this daie claime to pay nothynge, and yet to haue the ministres as much bounde to them as to the reste of the parish,i. Tim. v. I wolde haue the ow­ners of thē note wel saint Paules saieng herein: The elders that ru­leth well are worthye double ho­nour. Moste specially they which labour in the word and techyng. And y^e scripture saith. Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne.Deu. xxv. i. Tim, v. Haue they any Auctorytie to condemme this? Or gaue they any liberty by this to famish the Oxe, or to scant the Oxe of his meat? No forsoth. [Page] for thou shalt not (sayth the scrip­ture) caste anye Mosell vpon hys mouth. And what if those dul & fat oxen whyche were estalled in their Abbayes, grated vpon the people in this (as in all thinges they lay­ed importible burdens vpō them) claymynge to fede and liue vpon theyr goodes. Were those thynke you the oxen that y^e scripture here speaketh of? Or if they were, is there any succession or inheritaūce into the office of those Oxen? No verelye, for in that sayinge of the scripture, there is a further thinge then appeareth, for it is not ment but of the spiritual Oxe, the prea­cher, the spirituall treader oute of the corne of the lyuyshe worde of god vnto his people. Such trea­ders Christ byddeth vs desire our Mat. x,heuēly father to send into his har­uest. [Page] But those Abbey Oxen were scholemasters of ceremonies, mās traditions, supersticion, & finallye of all ignoraūce. Wherfore if you be not lyke thē whose landes now you do posses (as if you were, you were vnworthye of any thynge) if you haue not y^e gift of preachinge (as it is manifeste you haue not) whych way then shold you claime to lyue vppon that portion of ly­uyng whych parteyneth to the ox­en that drawe in Gods ploughe? Mary you wyl peraduēture giue place to y^e manifestnes of Goddes scripture in thys behalfe (as you must nedes) and you wyll brynge me in a reason for youre purpose on this wyse. We haue purchased these fredomes and exemptions of paymēte of Tythes of the kinges maiestie, hys moste noble proge­nitours, [Page] and we haue them graū ­ted vnto vs in as ample wyse as the monasteryes euer had. Whye shuld then our liberties therof be taken from vs? Well, marke I praye you a greate sorte of you y^t wyth holde these duties, were not your monasteries parishes by thē selues? And neuer chargeable to [...] vicars or ꝑsōs of any parish? it cā not be denied, thē wyl I improue your reason on this wise. The pe­culiaritie of your fredomes (is certayne) was in respect of your pa­ryshes. Your parishes be extinct, ergo your fredome is extinct. Whi should you then seyng your pari­shes be dyssolued associate youre selues to the floke of the herdmā, and contrarye to sainte Paules lessō not suffer him to eate of your mylke?

[Page]Peraduenture agayne you wyll stande in this, and say generally,Cor. ix. That no man by the scripture of god is bounde to paye any tithes of dutie to their Curates as thin­ges which they mai not pretermit, but suche as they are able to spareter the mesure of theyr owne con­science, and as they see theym do their duties. Pithely spoken, and as much I think as is vsed to be sayde for you, wherin thus ma­ny matters you comprehēd. The paymente of tithes whether they be of necessitie and by the lawe of god or no? Then whither youre abilitie ought to be loked vpon in the paimēt therof (As for your conscience I wil not speake of it, for it is no question whither you shold pay any if they were mesu­red by your conscience.) Last of al [Page] whither the not doinge of the mi­nisters duties as you loke for, be a suffycient cause for you to ab­brydge them of their tithes. To proue that the tythes be of neces­site, & by y^e law of God, y^e bookes of Exodus, Leuiticus, Numeri, Deutro, Malach, Ecclesiasticus, do teach the plainely, the autoritie is good my voucher is true.

Yea mary you saye, but the old lawe was but a figure, and the fi­gures be abolished and vanished awaye with the lawe.

You runne verye fast awaye, but stay a little, & herken what Christ sayeth: Thynke not that I come to destroy the law, or the Prophe­tes.Mat. v. No, I am not come to destroy but to fulfyll. Then marcke that Christe is come to fulfyll, whyche is to approue, to alowe, & to make [Page] good the sayinges of the law and the Prophetes, and not to con­demne them and take them cleare awai as shadowes. For although Christes commyng abolished and did dryue away (beinge hym selfe the perfection and the ende of the lawe) al figures and sygnes, vn­der whyche hys moste acceptable commynge dyd appeare. The re­sidue of the lawe which perteineth to erudicion, example, and insti­tucion necessary amōg vs, he did not cōdemne or take away, as ap­pereth Luk. ii. in this same point, wher he rebuketh y^e Pharises for great matters y^t they left vndone,Luk. ii. yet for their due payinge of tithes whyche they hyghlye estemed of mynte, and rewe, he rebuked them not, but rather alowed, he checked them for their peruersitie, he reprehended [Page] not there diligence of ty­thing. As to the abilitie of payers of tithes whither it be, to be consi­dered in y^e paiyng therof? Yf there abilitie be sufficyente, they are cō ­cluded as you se, and muste nedes paye. Yf they be poore and indy­gent, then are the tithes, although they be, receiued by the ministres parte also of there porcion of ly­uyng, and oughte to be distribu­ted and larged oute by the myni­sters to the mayntenaunce & helpe of y^e poore widowes & fatherlesse or what so euer they be, wherin y^e scripture dothe not onely consent, but also y^e auctoryte of many aunciēt Doctors, for in dede y^e goods of the churche be the goodes of y^e poore. But now a daies y^e greatest nomber of them be but symple distributers, for they scarse can be [Page] trusted for meate and dryncke to put in there owne bellies. Then whether the not doinge of the mi­nister hys dutie as y^e people loke for be a sufficiēt cause to abridge them of there dueties or no? All thoughe in dede I woulde haue no minister thincke that he hathe done his parte sufficiētly ynough in that behalfe, but that he shuld traueile and spende his time con­tinually instructing, enformyng, and exercisinge hys flocke in the knowledge & lerninge of goddes holy Gospell. Yet if he haue not suche a gifte and talente of lear­ninge or vtteraunce giuen him as other haue, whereby he maye satisfye the desyer of a great sorte for as y^e apostle saith: The giftes of the holy goste be diuers, and euery mā hath receiued according [Page] to the mesure of the gifte of God yet he ought not therfore to be di­spysed, or to haue his liuing ta­ken frō him, spetially if he trauell wyth all hys diligence and wyth his best power. To do more, then the gyfte whyche they haue recey­ued doth extende vnto, they are not bidden, for sainct Peter by­deth them.i. Peter. v. See that you fede so muche as lyeth in you. And I woulde not haue them in dede do one iote lesse thoroughe Idelenes or entanglinge in other necessary matters for there is a great waite hangeth vpon there heades, the bloude of the shepe shalbe requi­red at the shepherdes hādes. Thē is it manifeste that their dutyes hange not vpon your expectaciō,Eze. xxxiii. but vpon their owne diligence.

And nowe to these Abbey owners [Page] agayne I say, if they wil be of the congregation, they muste do as the congregation doth. The con­gregation is bounde to minister vnto their teachers & ouerseers, ergo they be boūd to do likewise. But although they coulde fetche them a good title from the law of man (whych they wold fayne find oute) to discharge them selues of distributing to y^e prechers liuing, shall Christe and all the testimo­nies of hys scripture woorke no­thing herein to enforme there conscience? Christ saieth: The work­mā is worthy his wages,Math. x how da­reste thou then kepe it from him? Sainct Paule saieth: He that is taught in the worde ought to mi­nister vnto him that teacheth him in all good thinges. Who is then exempted? Who is discharged? or [Page] what is it thou shuldest grudge to giue him? And further he saithe that in hope he y^e ploweth shulde plow, & he that thresheth in hope, shoulde be partaker of hys hope. And that it maye be plainly per­ceiued what the apostle meaneth by it, streight waie he saith: Yf we haue sowen spiritual thinges vnto you, is it a great matter if that we reape youre carnall thinges? Doo not you know y^t they whiche laboure in holye thinges, liue of the same? Euen so the Lord hath ordeined y^t they whych preach the Gospel, shuld lyue of the Gospel. Manifeste it is to euery one that vnfaynedlye searcheth the worde of GOD, how of dutye the peo­ple ought to bringe in vnto god­des preachers thynges sufficient. For though theyr office be hyghe [Page] and heauenlye, yet God doeth not vse communely to sende hys aun­gels thence to brynge them meate and money. But hys wyll is that they to whom the worde & sacra­mētes are m nistred, whether they be owners of monasteries or far­mers, should plentifully and ve­rye wyllyngely rewarde them for theyr laboure. And therefore, he openeth the wyndowes of heauen vnto them, and poureth out vnto them a blessynge with plentuous­nes of corne, fruite,Malach. iii. and manifold encrease.

And herein a godlier ordre cā not otherwyse be deuised for theyr ho­nest rewardes,Exod. xxii. Leui. xxvii. Nu. xviii. Deu. xii. Malach. iii. Eccle. vii. then almighty god ordeyned and appointed in Mo­ses tyme, that the tenthe parte of all that came oute of the grounde should be geuē vnto the Leuites [Page] and Priestes,Eccle. vii. [...]at. iii. and that wythoute fraude and of the best. They that wyl may reade, none was then ex­empted, and why should any now be exempted, but rather be bound more by the law of GOD to giue after the rule of charitie.

The ministers of the churche of God hath a seuerall office from al other, and therfore God wyll that a seuerall prouision be made for them, or els it should be a greate hinderaunce to the preachynge of the gospell, in that they should of necessitie be driuen to get their li­uyng by some other facultie.

Prouision was made by Gods appointmēt, for the priestes of the olde lawe and shadowes, & shall not the ministers of the Gospel be muche more prouided for, as wel of the goodes of owners and fer­mours [Page] of dissolued Abbey landes as of other, seynge they preach not shadowes, but the trueth it selfe: both to those fermers and owners as to all other? The dygger, the Clayer, the Carpenter, the Tyle­man loketh for hys wages, and is sure to haue it, much more he that laboreth in the haruest of y^e lorde, oughte to be sure of hys wages, and to be payed with a good wyl, so muche as the soule is better thē the bodye.

Saint Paule that elect vessel of GOD sayeth:Cor. ix. that those that preache the Gospell, shoulde lyue therby, y^t is of there goods to whō it is preached. But for as muche as the hartes and stomakes of mē be so soore corrupte and defiled with dissimulation and indigna­cion not only agaynst y^e prechers, [Page] but also (as appeareth by their dedes) against the verites furthe­raunce, to haue a positiue lawe is verye necessarye. That where as the worde of God that spirituall sworde can not prouoke theim to that thynge whyche is good, yet that the feare of the temporall swerde myght compell theym to do well. I meane the owners and farmers of Abbey grainges whi­che be taught and ministred vnto wyth other, yet wyl helpe nothing vnto the lyuynge of their Curate wyth other.

For as it hath bene alwayes the ordeynaunce of God to haue spirituall pastours to enstruct the people wyth hys worde: euen so by the same ordinaunces, kynges and chyefe rulers are ordeined to defende the same with the swerd.

[Page]And as abundaunce of riches and possessions can not helpe mā, but rather causeth him to forget hym selfe, Yea oftentimes oppresseth hym as too greate a waighte doth a Shyppe. Euē so pouertie and muche beggerlynes bringeth a man oftentimes into disdayne, and maketh him to be forgotten. And as the mans personne is dis­dained, so is his doctrine vilipen­ded and set at nought.

The very beginning of al errour and misorder in this worlde as the lerned man) saith, is the depre­uation of iudgementes when as thynges haue not theyr due re­wardes.

And surely lyke as that family and housholde can not stand and endure where as enuy & disdayne one towardes another raygneth,

[Page]Euen so I feare me, if that the suppressyon of lyuynges of mini­sters and preachers be winked at. Yea if they be not maynteined w^t the rule of hys doctrine that iud­geth euerye thynge wyth ryghtu­ousnes, not only the numbre ther­of shal decaye, but the byshoppes theym selues in not prouydynge and speakynge for them, shall al­so be a iuste punishment of God, haue theyr lyuynges so taken frō them, that at the length they shall be caste into lyke pouertie.

The whych if it should so come to passe, howe lyttle their worde and preachynge should be regar­ded? Howe greate confusion also otherwyse shoulde ensue, euerye man wythin hym selfe playnelye perceyueth, and daylye more and more maye vnderstād. To preach [Page] Christes Gospell sincerely (to the byshoppes theyr lyuynges was geuen,) and also not to forgette in their abundaunce, the oppressed and neady, but to haue a diligent eye vnto them, especiallye whyche are of the housholde of fayeth: if they be neuer so politykelye occu­pied, and beare neuer so greate a zeale to the commune wealth. Yet if they seke not fyrste therein, the kyngedome of GOD,Mat. vi. and the maintenaunce of hys holye worde and seruice, all is but vayne what soeuer they do.

Let no mā be seduced nor snared w^t the dignitie & promotiō of this world, nor desire to folow ambici­on, whiche thynge whē some men haue coueted, they haue forsakē & forgotten theyr ryghte vocation, applyinge them selues to thinges [Page] not necessarye. But let them ra­ther folow quietnes in studi of lerning, a thinge passinge al wordly tresures (if a man haue sufficient to the maintenaunce thereof,) and take no hede what the most parte doeth, or what is most profitable for y^e purse, but what is to be done riches & dignities if they come not by vertu thei are euel, if thei come by vertue, then is vertue better then they, & they not muche to be regarded. Yet notwithstāding as a mā cā not be called a parfect & a whole man lackyng any partes or members belonging to man, so is it no parfect cōmon welth (except it be maintened with all estates degrees and sortes of people) expedient and necessary to the same.

Therefore lyke as a man is spe­cially gouerned by reason, whych [Page] defendeth and loketh vnto all the members of the bodye, euen so a Realme doeth floryshe thorough a vertuous and a louing kyng to wardes his subiectes, by execu­ting true iustice that the lābe mai dwel by the wolfe, the poore by y^e riche. And as al y^e other partes of man as his head, fete and handes wyth the reast standeth nede eche of other and all to y^e maintenaūce of the bodi: So al degrees of people are to the vp holdinge & stay­ing of the comon welthe as magistrates artificers with such other

Agayne, as the body canne not well gouerne it selfe wythoute the principal part of the eye, but shal wander, not knowynge whyther to go: So the people beynge de­stitute of theyr eyes, which are the preachers of Goddes worde, shall [Page] fall into all errours and blindnes of the soule, and thē let them none otherwyse thynke, but that al shal go againste theym, what so euer good thynge they take in hande. For he that knoweth not God a­ryghte, that loueth hym not, that dreadeth and feareth not hys ter­rible threatenynges, hym wyll he gyue vp to folow his owne blind­nes, there is no doubte,Rom. i. as he hath done vnto them, in whom the pro­phecye of Esay at thys day is ve­rified. Of these he loked for equi­ty, but se,Esaie. v. there is wrong for righ­tuousnes. Loe it is but miserie. &c And amongest vs where townes and villages were fruitfullie oc­cupied with husbandrye, by wyc­ked oppression loe they be fallen downe and turned into pastures, or els one or two men holdeth thē [Page] al and let their neyghbours haue none. Wel let thē be meri a while. The darcknes of Hell shall fall vpon suche at the laste, let thē not doubte. For it is vnpossible for a cursed extorcioner or a couetouse idolater that trusteth in the dead God of his riches & sacrifieth so vnto him, to se the light of heuen. Sainct Paule chargeth you that are riche in thys worlde, that you be not hygh minded, nor trust in vncerten riches, but in the lyuing god (which giueth vs abundant­ly all thinges to enioye them) that you do good worckes,i. Tim. vi. that you be redie to giue, & glade to distri­bute, laiynge vp in store for your selues a good foundaciō against the tyme to come, that you maye obteyne eternall life. Take good hede to your selues I say againe, [Page] Marke wel y^e Israelites so lōg as they were obediēt to the lawes of God, florished w^t al plentifulnes. But after they fel frō y^e true wor­shipping of God▪ litle regarding the instructiōs & teachynges geuē thē of god by Moses & Aarō their guides, they were banished frō al theyr wealth and sore scourged of God, & brought into captiuitie.

Wherfore let vs diligently harkē to y^e cōmaundemētes of God. Let vs ernestly regard thē lest we tast of the mysfortunes that fell vpon the Israelites. Let vs regard the prechers thereof,Ebrue. xiii. and maynteine goddes messengers amongest vs that watche for our soules euē as they that must giue accomptes, y^t they may do it wyth ioye and not with grefe, and they shall teache vs to walk so y^t we shal not slide. [Page] Let vs cherish their studies if thei be necessarye mēbres amonge vs, let vs prouide y^t the nūbre of them decay not, but pray that it may be multiplied. Al you y^t be patrones of learning in this realme, now set to your hādes y^t learning seke her not an other region to dwel in, cō ­pelled wyth pouertie. But em­brace her amongest your selues, interteine her, and reteine her dy­ligently wyth all the prouisiō you can make, It is nowe time and that wyth spede: for couetousnes, ambycyon, and pryde, standeth in wait for their rewardes, and thursteth at her very sore to dryue her awaye. In whose cause, I at this tyme all th nges (ryght honora­ble lord) wayed and considered, & accordynge to gods holye worde sincerly and purelie discussed, ha­uyng [Page] not so muche an eye to mine owne cōmodite as to y^e cōmoditye & profit of many other, yea, and to the horrible incōmoditie of al true christians (if remedy be not found in this behalfe) do here hūbly be­sech your Lordship, y^t as you haue ben a singuler patrone of al good and vertuous studies, a defender of the truth, a mayntener of poore mens causes, that nowe you wyll prosecute and go forwarde to the lande of God, and beautifying of learned studyes to your power, in the redressinge & expulsyng of all these enormities before rehersed, nowe most manifestly rayninge in thys cōmon welth, for Gods sake, and hys holy wordes sake.