IT were, Right Mighty Princes, a thing worthy the moving of the High and Honorable as­sembly of Parliament, to grant this licence, that all Dukes, Earles, Lords, Barons, Knights, and their right begot­ten Sonnes, might have autho­ritie, whensoever they saw any startup which could not spend two Hundred pounds a yeare of his own truely gotten lands, wearing silke, velvet, or any Golden Chaine to carry this Crowe to the next Market Towne, and there to pull his feathers, that is to cut his [Page 2]cloathes all to peeces, & to take his chaine frō him; and take the one halfe thereof himselfe, and give the other halfe to the poore of the Towne. Elizabeth, the Countesse of East Freseland when she was certified, that a cer­taine Yeamons wife had guarded her gowne with a broad guard of velvet, she sent her of­ficers unto her, and caused them to cut all her guards in peeces, and condemned her in a great some of money for her pride. Mee thinkes you doe very ill to suffer every man that listeth to come into your livery appar­rell, fellowship and orders, and refuse no man whatsoever hee bee. Birds of a feather fly together, beasts of a kind flocke together, fishes of a sort swimme together; onely the Nobility of England suffer all kindes of men to come into their order and livery. Every company will receive none into their com­pany but such as are of their company. If a man put a Priests cap upon a sowes head, and a tippet about her neck, and set her up against a stall in Cheapeside, and give her huskes to eate, would not all the whole order of Sacri­ficers bee angry with him that cloathed the sow so. If a man should shave an ape in the crowne, and set a miter upon his head, and put a rocket upon him, would not the Bishops be displeased with him that did so? But Oh ye Nobles, doe not ye suffer Dicers and Car­ders, and all kind of vnthrifts, not onely to [Page 3]goe in Gentlemens apparrell, but also recei­ve them into your houses: ye suffer also a sort of false Apostles to take your honour from you, and to be your Lords and Masters, and to occupy your offices, which should belong onely unto your order and dignity, is not this as it were a kinde of leprosie in your faces to be thus defaced and shamed by these crafty foxes. These false named Bishops and Prelates become Embassadors, or at least beare a great hand in it. Also presidents, Iu­stices of peace, and some full Lordly sit at Sises and Sessions amongst temporall Iud­ges, leaving their owne Courts to some single sir Iohn, or to some blind Briber, sometimes they are Councellors of State, Knights of the Garter, yea to be the High Chauncellor of England, and president of the Councell, a­boue all the Lords. Wee reade in Iosephus, that the Nobility of the Jewes suffering them to partake with them in their office, in the end became both Priests & Kings, and had all the Nobility under their girdle: And thus it is at this day with the Bishops of Rome. And if you saw but how they use heare to handle the Clargie in their Convocation House, you would say that they were the Popes right shapen sonnes; for whereas their sitteth se­ven or eight linnen wearing Bishops: If there be fortie Pastors, and Elders that are wol­wearers, yet in the coldest weather, whilest [Page 4]they stand there before them, they must stand bareheaded, bee they never so old or sickley. Is this pride to be suffered; by this you may see how they would handle you, if they could get the upper hand over you; thus was it with the Bishops of Mense, the Bishop of Wormes, and the Bishop of Collen came impudently to Henry the fourth, Emperour of that name, & tooke his Crowne from of his head. And Anno Dom. 1260. two Ca­nons under the Bishops, bad the Governour of Colen to dinner, and brought him to a faire Chamber, wherein was an hungry Lyon, and shut him in; but the Governour whom God preserved, put his left hand into the Lyons throate, and with the other hand tooke out his dagger & slew the Lyon; and within few dayes after hanged up the two Canons (as they well deserved.) The Bishop of Luke Anno Dom. 1460. would not heare of any mercy though the Citty petitioned for Peace, but he caused his cosen Charles to kill 40000 men, and to drowne 12000 women in the flood Mosa. And in Jermany, they made this rime of their Bishops tyrany:

[Page 5]And it may easily be perceived what an ambi­tious minde they beare amongst us, and how they would gladly Raigne over you if they could effect it. The only remedy therfore is to drive these idle ambitious Bishops home to their studies, & to cause them to preach Gods Word to the people cōmitted to their charge. To make good and honest Civilians, & Scrip­ture-learned honest men; Lawyers & no Priests to be Knights, Lords, Councellors, Iustices of Peace, Chancellors, &c. And to take your offices upon you, & to doe them your selves; But hold in no case the Bishops from their Pulpits, least the vengance of God fall both on you, and them; upon you for holding of them from doing of their duty, upon them for not doing of their duty, if yee drive these falsely named Lords and Gentlemen out of your order, and company, & will doe your of­fices and duties in your owne persons; as Al­mighty God would have you to do; then shall ye have just honour in this world, and in the world to come, life everlasting.