THe holy euāgelist Luke in the foruth chaytre of the Actes of the Apost­les declaryth / howe in the fyrste begynnyng of the churche (the holy ghost beynge sent from aboue) the vni­uersall congregacion of faythfull peo­ple in Iherusalem dyd lyue in comen / hauyng no properte in any thynge. In those dayes substaūce was deuyded to euery man accordyng to theyr necessyte the which lyfe endured among them so long as the blyssed Apostles were there and rulyd them as faythfull people / yet truely whan the Apostles with that de­uoute Iames the lesse (at that tyme be­ynge president of the church) were from them departed / yet notwithstandynge that most deuoute and feruent lyuynge in comen for a certayne space endured. But after what beleuers in Chrystes faythe beganne to encrease thoroughe [Page] out all Iury / Galylee / and Samarie / & many thousandes began to be regene­rate in Christe / than could not that lyfe in comyn be well obserued of all men. The great feruour also of theyr fyrst de­uotion began to vanyshe awaye. And the hotenes of the bloud of our sauyour Christ began in ꝓcesse of tyme to waxe colde in the hartes of the more parte of men. In so much that the most parte of such faythfull people that were conuer­tyd of the Iewes as of the paynymys to obteygne a properte in goodes to be contentyd to be obedient vnto theyr ru­lers. But for all that many callynge to theyr remembraunce theyr fyrste deuo­cion and conuersacion / beyng inflamyd by the inspyrate operation of the holy ghost aboue / with a great hote and fer­uent loue of perfectiō and pouerte / toke vpon them agayne that indifferent lyfe in comen. And ferther they dyd renewe the institucyons of the Apostles / in the whiche to the entente they myght the more frely and spedyely procede / they se­ueryd themselfe from the other fayth­full people of god / and began to inhabite in suburbes and other secreate and solitary places / lyuynge not onely in [Page] comen with theyr substaunce / but also absteynynge from maryage corporally forsakynge theyr parentes and kyns­folk / ledyng theyr lyuys vnder holy obedience accordyng to the gostly counsell of our sauyour Christ. After which fas­shyon the religious lyfe had his fyrste begynnynge / as Cassianus out of the wordes of a certayn Abbot / callyd Pia­mon in the secound volume of collatiōs shewyth at large. And as the same man wytnessyth in the secounde boke of the rulys of holy fathers howe in Alexan­dria certayne weldisposyd regular per­sons were institute and ordeyned by the holy euangelyst Marke / which dyd not onely lyue after the institucyons of the Apostles in comyn / but they addyd therunto moche more and hyer deuocion as abstinēce with other colde hard & peyn­full lyfe euermore gyuen to prayer and contemplacyon. In so moch that aswel the Iewes as paynymys dyd meruayle therat. They were also so incessauntly gyuen bothe nyght and day to redynge and also to hande labour that scantly the secound or thyrde day the appetyte of meate came in theyr remembraunce. Furthermore that thyng that holy Ie­rome [Page] in the boke of noble men swewyth & agreyth with the same sayenge thus. The euangelyst Marke the fyrst prea­cher of the fayth of Christ vnto the people of Alexandria / dyd institute and or­deyne a church there where so great ler­nyng and chastite of lyfe was / to the entent that he myght prouoke the vniuer­sall folowers of Christe to his example. And further he sayd y^t Philo the moste eloquent of the Iewes which occupyed hymselfe in the prayse and laude of our faythfull people as it apperyth in the boke that he wrote of the fyrste churche of the euangelyst Marke at the cyte of Alexandria / he affyrmyd also that suche christen beleuers were not onely there / but also in many other prouynces / cal­lyng theyr houses and mansion places / monasteries / wherby it apperyth that such was the church of y^e fyrst beleuers in Christe / which we call now monkes. And such as the holy euangeliste Luke doth reherce that were fyrst beleuers in Ierusalem. Also the same Philo made a certayne boke of the lyfe contempla­tyue / wherin he sayth / that the fyrst dis­ciples of the euangeliste Marke were euer gyuen to contemplacion & prayer. [Page] Furthermore of the treuth of this mat­ter / ye shall haue more certayne. [...]ow­lege of the instrucciō of holy Dionisius in his boke de Ecclesiastica hierarchia / For there the same holy mā descrybeth howe the maner and approuyd custome of consecration of monkes in the tyme of the Apostles / and fyrste foundation of the church was very deuoute. More­ouer suche as seueryd themselfe from the companye of faythfull people that obteyned properte of goodes ben deuy­ded into two kyndes. For some toke vpon them the profession of religyouse and solitary lyfe. And some truely con­tynuyd among secular men / & dyd hum­ble seruyce vnto to the congregacion in the churche / lyuynge vnder the gouer­naunce of holy byshopes. For why the deuoute bishops that were at that tyme callyd and ioyned vnto them deuoute faythfull and lernyd people that were theyr houshold seruauntes or such well dysposed persones / as were dwellynge nyght to theyr houses / & suche as ladde that holy lyfe in comyn / accordynge to the institucions of the Apostles before rehersed with many deuoute addicions and obseruaunce / whiche to them were [Page] shewyd by holy byshops / whose clerkes they were. And applyed themselfe to the laudes of god as byshopes dyd / ry­synge at mydnyght or sone after duely to celebrate theyr diuine seruyce / that ought to be done in the nyght and eke in the mornynge. Notwithstandynge they dyd not make that solemne vowes which be requisite to euery religious as monkes do now adayes. For why they seme to be / but the sprynges and begynners of the lyfe and callyng of regulars which whan it chaūsyd that they could not all inhabite with holy byshoppes / they were distributed into other deuout places that be callyd colleges beyng vnder the gouernaunce of byshoppes / and hauynge a meane ruler callyd a deane / which places also were namyd monas­teryes / and had in them one fraytour / and one dortour. They were at that tyme dilygently gyuen to diuyne obser­uaunce and obedience / vtterly auoy­dynge all poyntes of vnclennes and in­continencie. Wherupon Pope Cle­ment in his fourthe Epystle wrote vnto his well belouyd bretherne and vnto his scholyfelowys of Ierusalem [Page] dwellynge to gether with his welbe­louyd brother and byshop after thi [...] maner folowyng. Clement the byshop sen­dyth you gretynge. &c. A lyfe in comyn to all men / and especyally to clerkes is very necessary. And principally to them that desyre to be militaūt in the church of god without rebuke or shame. And such as do coueyte to folowe the lyfe of the Apostles and theyr disciples. And for this cause we commaunde you to folowe and obey theyr doctrine and ex­ample. Furthermore for this purpose saint Ierome sayd vnto one Nepotian / as hereafter folowyth. A clerke he saith ought so to behaue hymselfe / that god may bothe possesse hym. And that he may possesse god. And in so muche that it is wryten. God is my part / he ought to possesse nothing but god onely. Wherfore if he possesse any thynge besydes god he shall not haue his part with god as for exaumple. If a man possesse gold syluer / possessions / or other householde stuffe / it behouyth not y^t our lord shuld be comparyd to suche partes. Of this matter in lyke maner in the .xii. chapi­tre of the decrees more euidently it ap­peryth / wherupon therof wryteth saynt [Page] Ierome agayne / sayeng thus. There be two kyndes & maners of Christen peo­ple / wherof one is that maner of people that be onely set and applyed to diuine seruyce and gyuen to contemplacion & prayer and suche as thynke it most con­uenient to refrayne from the trobylous encomberaūce of temporall and wordly thynges / as clerkes and other deuoute and dedicate people to god which beyng contentyd with a pore and symple ly­uynge / bothe of sustynāce and also clo­thyng hauynge no properte of goodes amonge them / but vsyng all thynge in comen.

THe holy doctour and prelate Isi­dorus in the seuenth boke of his Ethymologyes dyscussyth this worde clerke in this maner of wyse. I suppose that it is callyd clergye / and that they be callyd clerkys / because S. [Page] Mathie (which was fyrste ordeyned by the Apostles) cam and was elected vn­to his dignite by castyng of lottys / syns whiche tyme persones within holy or­dres haue by callyd Clerici / in Englysh Clerkys (and who sayth) men callyd vnto spirituall dignite by the lotte of god­des wyll / for this worde Cleros is as­moch to say in Englyshe as a lot of he­ritage. And therfore they are callyd cle­rici or clerkys / bycause they are of the lot & inheritaunce of god / or els bycause they haue god to theyr lot & inheritaūce or bycause god hath his lot & īheritaūce in them. But generally all such are cal­lyd clerkys that ministre & do seruyce in the church of Christ / whose names & de­grees be such. Benet / colet / subdecane / decane / preste & bishop. And furthermore as Gratianus wytnessyth the degrees of the hyer and lower sorte of prestes in the newe testamēt toke his begynnyng immediatly from Christ / whiche fyrste ordeyned the .xii. Apostles as chyefe & hyeghest prestes. And the threscore and xii. disciples as lower prestes. But he chose the blessyd Peter to be his princi­cipall and hed preste. In so moch as he delyueryd vnto hym the kays of the kyngdom of heuyn for al them & byfore all them. And Christ of hymselfe beyng [Page] callyd Petra (whiche is a very stone or rocke) gaue vnto hym the name of Pe­ter. The Apostles folowynge the same fashyon / [...]n euerye cyte ordeyned bothe prestes & byshopes. Also we rede & fynd that the decanes were ordeyned by the Apostles. But other inferior ordres as benet / colet / subdecane & other / in pro­cesse of tyme were institute by y^e church wherupon (as Raymundus / Ioannes / Vlricus / and other do testify) temporall goodes & possessiōs were therfore by the lay people gyuē vnto the church / & that forbycause that secular men haue no leyser to cōtinue and euermore apply them selfe to prayer & diuine seruyce / they be­ynge minystres & clerkes of the church / shuld supply y^e rhmes of the lay people in prayeng / minystring / & satisfyeng for them by whose almesdede & reward they be found & vpholden / but now in cōclu­syon as it dyd appere / not onely in the tyme of the fyrst beginning of y^e church but also many yeres afterward / that prestes & regulars myght in no wyse haue properte of goodes / but vsyd thēselfe to one fraytour & one dortour / which after­ward by dispensaciō or otherwyse was chaūgyd after / such tyme as the church fell to ley moste lamentable greatly be­waylyng ruyne & decay both in the hede [Page] and also in the membres of the church. The which we haue great nede to pray to almighty god / that he of his goodes wolde wouchesaufe to restore vnto the olde moste laudable ordre and maner. For why / howe many maner of abho­mynable vyces do and dayly wyll ryse and spryng by the reason of the lacke of lyuynge in comen / in one fraytour / and one dortour / it is more euidētly shewyd by experience / than any tonge can ex­presse.

LIke as the law of the gospell was to vs delyueryd by the only begotē sonne of god / the lawe of charite & vertue / the lawe also of all perfection / techynge vs to despyse and contempne all fleshely and worldly thynges & only to be affeccyonate & euermore desyrous of spirituall / godly / and heuenly thyn­ges / incessantly gyuē to the euerlastyng and immutable god with a pure and feruent harte and mynde. Euyn so all christē people especially about all other nacions in the worlde ought to be charitable [Page] / mercyfull / ghostly / holy / full of good example / pacient / meke / chaste / so­bre and perfect / and otherwyse they are not worthy to be callyd the christen people of Christ. It is not suffici [...]t for thē to folowe Christe by fayth onely / but it is very necessary to the helth & holsome callyng of a christen man to folowe his lorde god Iesus Christe / by the due ob­seruaunce of his commaundementes by exercyse of vertue / and by suche maner of lyfe as shall please god. As our lorde and sauyour hymselfe knowledgyth / sayenge thus. Wherfore say ye vnto me lorde / lorde / doyng not that thyng that I commaunde you / wherby it may be perceyuyd that who so euer transgres­syth the preceptes of god / vaynly & vn­worthyly namyth hym lorde. For the same purpose thus he sayeth agayne. Euery man that sayeth vnto me lorde / lord / shall not entre into the kyngdome of heuen / but he that dothe the wyll of my father that is in heuē. Also he saieth agayne in this maner. They that be the people of Christ that is to say per­teygnyng to Christ as his true seruaū ­tes and minystres haue mortifyed and ponyshed theyr fleshe with abstinence [Page] from vice and concupiscence. Therfore christen men are bound to lyue af [...] the fashyon of Christe / that is to wyte / to imitate and folowe christ in all charite / humylite / paciency / sobrenes / and chas­tite / or els they be callyd christen men the more to theyr damnacion. And for that cause the Apostle Iohan sayth in this wyse. Who so sayth that he wyl re­mayne in Christe / hym behouyth to walke as Christ walkyd. Besydes this / howe vtterly holely and purely a man ought to obey and serue god / it is clere­ly expressyd in the sayeng of the Apostle Iames shewing thus / who so euer hath fulfyllyd and performyd all the law / of­fendyng but in one poynte he is iudged gyltye in the hole. Behold therfore how narow the way of helth is / whā for one worde we suffer eternall damnacion. And as the trewth wytnessyth / he that callyth his brother foule / shalbe gyltye of the paynes of hell. In lykewyse he that s [...]laundryth one of these innocētes receyuyth the horryble tormentes of hell / the same lordes opinion. And also he that offendyth one of the lytyll ones that beleuen in men / it is requisyte that a mylstone be hanged obout his necke / [Page] and so to be drownyd in the bottome of the see. Moreouer the maker of our law commaundyd all men that beleuen in hym to do as he sayth hereafter folow­ynge. Loue your enemyes / do good vn­to them that hate you / and pray for thē that doo persequute and sklander you. Those harde thynges truely and with many other lyke belongē to euery faythfull christē man. Furthermore the hyer in estate and degree that a man be / the more and greater rewardes that his chaunce is to haue so moch the more is he boūd to a vertuose lyfe for this. The more to any man is gyuen: the more of hym is askyd agayne. Therfore who so be a regular / he is not onely bounde to the preceptes of the lawe in the gospell before touched: but also to those thyn­ges that are especially to regulars en­ioyned. And verily such as be not onely regulars / but constitute in any maner of holy ordre / are bounde besydes the thynges afore reherced / vnto suche thynges as is commaunded to all them that be constitute in the same ordre / wherfore if he be a prelate or a pastoure / that is to saye a feder of [Page] christē people with ghostly fode / or that he hath taken vpon hym the cure and charge of soules / thā he is surely bound to many more hyer thynges thā before expressyd.

Nowe seyng therfore it is sayd that the ministres of the churche and regu­lars be therfore callyd clerkes / for be­cause they be especially the lot / parte / or heritage of god / as men onely dedicate and deputed to diuine seruice than it is open vnto vs / that they are bounde to lyue so excellently y^t theyr inuisyble ad­uersaries may not obteyne any right / or dominiō in them / of the godly honour / but that all tymes with a substanciall & pure fidelite they may perteygne to god And agayn it is sayd that tēporal rētes were assygned by the lay people vnto the clerkes and regulars / to the entent that they shuld not onely minystre vnto almyghty god for theyr owne welthe & preseruacion / but also in the place and stede of the lay people: there they shulde pray and ministre / and also pacifye and reconsyle that ryghtwyse iudge not onely to themselfe / but also to them by whose stypendes they lyue. They are bounde to reconsyle themselfe & agayne [Page] to come ī the fauour of god / if somtyme they fortune [...]o lese it. And also of ryght they ought to aply. And intēty fly gyue themselfe to the lande of god in theyr prayer and seruyce / bothe for them selfe and also for theyr foundars and bene­factours. Wherby it apperyth howe purely and vertuously they are bounde to lyue / that by the reason of the fulnes of theyr vertue and the abundaunce of theyr meryt they maye helpe & succour theyr frendes and neyghbours as well on lyfe as ded. Therfore such regular & ordinary houres with other prayers / laudes / and psalmodyes / wherto they are bounde ought of them to be done & performed with great diligence. And no dought but they ought to behaue them selfe as worthy minystres / and men contentyd to do the seruyce of god / pronoū ­cyng it distinctly solitarily and deuoutely. Otherwyse they haue no ryght in any goodes or substaunce of the chur­ches / nother in the heritage of Christe / nor yet in the stypendes or rewardes of the souldiars of god. As the profunde lernyd doctour Guilhelmus Parisien­sis wytnessyth in many places. Vlricus also in his boke namyd summa. Ray­mundus [Page] / Durandus / Ioannes / & other be of the same opinion.

LIke as Isidorus sayth that cler­kes be namyd by this greke worde cler [...]s / which is in Englyshe a lot for bycause they be especially of the lot of god / & god is theyr heritage. Ryght so these regulars be called of these greke word / canon / in Latyne / regula / in En­glysh a rule. And as Gratiaunce sayth it callyd a rule / for that that it ledyth directly: nor at any tyme waueryth asyde or as some men sayen / it is callyd a rule for that that it rulyth or gouernyth. And shewyth the very fashion of lyuing directely: or els for bycause it ordryth & correctyth that thyng that is euyll dis­posyd or out of the way. Clerkes ther­fore be namyd regulars for bycause they be bound to lede there lyfe dyrectly and in good rule / auoydyng all inclinacion to vyce. And clerly passynge by pathes of vertue / vnto blyssydnes / accordynge vnto the institucions of holy fathers to [Page] them before ordeyned. But although of [...] [...]ener [...]ll counsell / by hyghe bys­shopes / doctours / and noble prelates. A Ierome / Augustine / Gregory / and Isidore many thynges were institute to be obserued of the regulars which in the decree therof made be towchyd and ex­pressyd / yet notwithstandyng these pre­ceptes (as many as be sufficient for our purpose) are compēdiously gatheryd together in the begynnynge of the thyrde boke of decretalles / wherin amonges other it is this sayd and commaundyd. Clerkes that bere wepyn and be vsu­ra [...]s / let them be excommunicate. If any of the clerkes do vse to set theyr bus­shes or here / let them be accurst. If any of the clerkes do presumptuously haunt the monasteryes of nonnes without a manyfest and reasonable occasion / fyrst he shalbe correctyd by the byshop / and if he wyll not ceasse / he shall clerly be dyscharged of his offyce in the churche. Ferther Innocentius the thyrde in a generall counsell sayd that. To the en­tent that both the actes and condiciōs of clerkes maye be better reformyd. And that they all may lyue contynent­ly and chastly / especyally suche as ben [Page] constitute in holy ordres vtterly eschew ynge vyce and voluptuousnes / so that they may mynistre & serue in the syghte of god with a pure hart and chast body. And to the entente that hope of pardon shall not encorage them to offende / we ordeyne / that who some euer hereaf­ter be founden or taken corrupted with the vice of incontinencie (as he hath of­fendyd more or lesse) so shal he be ponys­shed accordynge to the holy regular or­dres / which we commaunde more effec­tuosly & streythly to be kepte that such as the feare of god can not reuoke from synne. At the least wyse they may be cō pelled to forsake it by temporall ponys­shement / that is to suspende them from theyr offyces / and also to take from thē theyr benefytes of the church. Further­more all clerkes shulde diligently ab­steyne from surfettes and dronkenes. Wherfor they shuld moderatly vse wyne And no man shuld be ꝓuoked to drynke for dronkenes banyshyth a man from his wyt and discresion. And also encorageth a man to the pleasure of the body. Therfore we haue decreed that such abusion must vtterly be forsaken / and that in all partes they shulde be bounde to [Page] drynke after a moderate fashyon. And if any of them in these foresayd thynges be founde culpable (excepte he beyng of his superiour admonyshed wylbe recon­syled) he shalbe from his offyce and benefyce suspendyd. And clerkes shall not excercyse worldly offyces / nor vse mar­chaūdyse / especially such as be vnhonest They shall not gyue audience to myn­strelles / Iesters / & dyssardes. Let them chefely auoyde tauerns / excepte it be in case of necessyte / as a man purposyd in a iorney. They may not play at cardes / nor at dyce / nor vse no suche maner of gamys. Theyr crownes must be shauen accordyngly. And also they muste dily­gently excercyse themselfe in all offyces of the church with all other good & ver­tuous studyes. Theyr vpper garmentes ought to be close / and not to longe or to shorte. They ought also in nowyse to were any rede clothe / or greue weltyd sleuys / or shewys / brydles / or sadels gylt no laces / nor lachettes garnyshed with syluer or golde / nor yet any rynges / ex­cept it be such as be allowyd by dignite of theyr offyce. Also it is commaunded / that no presse kepe any womē by whom he may be suspected. For if any preste / [Page] deane or subdeane beynge suspectyd of fornication with any woman / be after the secounde or thyrd warnynge / founde with her in communicacion / or conuer­saunt with her in any maner of wyse: immediatly after let hym be excommu­nicate / for women be not permyttyd to dwell with clerkes / except they be suche maner of persons / in whom the lawe of nature wyll not suffre any defaulte to be suspected. Clerkes may vse no playes toyes / nor gamynges in the churche. The goodes of clerkes shulde be forthe in comyn / they shulde eate in one house / and slepe vnder one couerynge. Marke therfore / how here it is manyfest ī what good ordre / deuotion / and example the lyf of regulars somtyme hath byn. And how of ryght it ought now to be. Ther­fore let them be fearfull / and let them gyue no confidence to any vnreasonable dispensacion / which is the very destruc­tion of all vertuouse lyuynge. And let them take no regarde vnto customed lybertye / for that is but a meane to cor­rupte a perfyte lyfe / and truely very ne­cessyte / or apparaunt profyte is the mo­ther or originall begynnyng of dispen­sations / by whom theyr vicious conuer­sacion [Page] is excu [...]y [...] / an hygh and holy bys­shopes / [...]o / and [...]elasius with many other princypall doc [...]ours doo a [...]terme / but nowe consequently / some of these thinges shalbe more especially declared.

IT is conuenient (as it appe­ryth) that all mynystres / clerkes / or regulars of the chur­che shuld themselfe applye to the seruyce of god / that is to say / they shuld be gyuen to prayer & contemplaciō. And to the lande and prayse of theyr maker. And to desyre god to be mercyfull / as well to them / as to other theyr frendys & neyghbours / by whose exhibicion and stypendes they are vp­holden and susteyned. And seynge that the excercyse of warre (wherin the in­quietnes & trouble of mās hart do espe­cially remayne) shuld be a great impedi­mēt against these good actes to be done / [Page] therfore warre is forbydden them aswel as marchaundyse / for that cause they ought not to bere wepon / lest they shuld be prouokyd to fyght / & least they shulde shewe themselfe as men redy to fyght & leste they shuld quarell with other men. But for all that if they iorney by any daūgerous places / than may they were necessarye weapons to fere theyr ene­myes / and themselfe moderatly to de­fende with harmeles defence / moreouer where as regulars are deputed to serue the altare / wherin the passion of Christ is represented in the sacrament / there is good cause why they are prohibyted to shed blood / but rather are bound to shed theyr owne blood for the loue of Christe and ryghtwysnes. Therfore this sayng of the Apostle / of them is to be obseruyd Stryue ye not with wordes / for it is to no purpose profytable / but to the sub­uersion of the herars. Also further he sayth thus. If any man be supposed full of debate / we and the church of god wyl haue no suche companye. And therfore scripture saith. That mā is to be cōmē ­dyd / that conuayeth hymselfe from de­bate and stryfe. A [...]d furthermore they ought to be armyd with spirituall de­fence [Page] / to preuayle and resyst agaynst the e [...]myes of theyr helth. And to such de­fence they ought to induce the laye peo­ple by theyr example. Of this matter y^e holy father saynt Ambrose / in his boke callyd de officus / and also in other pla­ces wrote many thynges. In the decre also / many thinges were induced to this purpose. For certaynly it was institute at a generall counsell / that what clerke so euer had dyed in fyghtyng skoldyng / or other games of the gentyles / shuld be prayed for / nother in oblation / nother in any oryson / or prayer / but shulde fall into the handes of the iudge / yet not­withstandyng he shulde be buryed. Also it was ordeyned in the counsell of To­lytan / that clerkes beryng weapon ryo­tously shulde lese the degre of theyr or­dre / and be banyshed for euer in to mo­nasteryes / lykewyse it is red in the ac­tes of the counsell of Melde. That none of the clergie shuld take vpon them weapons of defence / not her ī any wyse shuld go armyd / but the name of theyr profes­sion they shuld perfourme both with re­ligyouse maners / & also with religious habyte. The which thyng if they despy­sed / they shulde be greuously correctyd / [Page] as fyrst to lese theyr propre degrees / and further to be taken as extreme despy­sers of the holy canons / and also cursyd corrupters of the auctorite of the church for they can not serue both god and the worlde. Furthermore they ought vtter­ly to auoyde all wordly glorye / and ge­nerallye all thynge that prouokyth a man to incline to the pleasure of the bo­dy / with all other vayne curiosytes. Certayne precepts aggreable with the same be especially enioyned by the Apostle / sayng thus. In no wyse be ye conformable to this worlde / but be you reformyd with the spirite of discresion wherby he meanyth that they oughte to abhorre & auoyde the settynge of theyr bushes the comlynes of theyr locks the trymmyng of theyr here. And chefely the roughnes of theyr berdes / in so much that it is prohibyte that women shulde be attyryd in here / and as Albertus wrote vpon Iob / sayeng thus: Such thynges do prouoke concupyscence / for clerkes are commaū ­ded to be garnyshed both inwardly and outwardly with a vestiment of vertue / and also they shuld be inwardly resplendent and shynynge in good maners / so that they myght procede honestly / being [Page] gouernyd in all theyr syght & sensys / Besydes this vsurie is most straitly prohi­by [...] not onely to them / but also to the vniuersall kynd of faythful people / in so muche that as the philosophour graun­tyth. Vsurie is a thyng moste principall agaynste nature. And as the prophete Dauyd describeth a iuste man / thus he sayth: He lent not his money to vsurie. And as Clymatꝰ shewyth. A nygard is a mokker of the gospell / muche more an vsurer / & especially a clerke whom it be­houyth to be more spirituall & vertuous than a lay mā / for as S. Ierome satyh / it is the moste vehement destruccion of the church / whan lay men be better dis­posed then clerkes. And vsurie truely with symonye be two the most mysche­uous braunches of auaryce / wherupon S. Isidore wrytyh ī this maner of wyse It is cōtayned ī the law of holy fathers that prestes / clerkes / or regulars shulde seuer thēself frō al vulgare & secular lyf / absteynyng always frō the voluptuous desyres of the worlde & eke of the fleshe / they may in no wyse gyue thēself to vsurie / they must hate & abhorre the occasiō of all suche fowle lucre & fraude / ye they must auoyde & eshewe the affecciō of mo­ney as though it were a kendlyng of all other vyces.

THis thyng hath byn by many holy and hyghe byshops / many ge­nerall counsayles / and many prouincyall constitucyons moste especially / moste strongly / and moste oftentymes / enioyned and commaunded vnto mini­stres of the churche / to all regulars and men constitute and appoynted to holy ordres that they shuld absteyne from all vnclennes / incontinence / and detestable fornicaciō. For in the synne of the fleshe is the moste great & manifest turpitude bestlynes / dishonestie / and fylthynes. And also suche maner of vyces in the clergie / be moste vehemently rebukyd of the people / many great vices be to them annexed and ensuynge of them. [...]or fyrste they acquyre the hate and dys­dayne of god / than they procure the ig­noraunce of all spirituall thynges / they engendre also a peynfull sufferaunce of vertuouse excercyse / they blynd a mans mynde / and in conclusion they plucke a [Page] man clene away from the loue and con­templacion bothe of godly and heuenly thynges. Therfore (in so much that the holy misterye of the altare is most pure / and the sacramentes of the churche be most clene and ghostly (especially the sacrament of the blessyd body of our lord) it is most vicyous and inconueniēt that the minysters of the church and altare / shulde so precyous sacramentes defyle & corrupte / with that moste fowle fylthye and abhominable synne of the flesh and bestly concupiscence / ye and to presume to serue. And to receyue so depe a foun­tayne of purite & clennes / with so fowle and corrupt a mouth. And furthermore syns the tyme of the blessyd Apostles / this moste vyle and abhominable vyces haue byn prohybyte vnto clerkes and minystres of the churche vpon moste strayte & greuous paynes. The whiche thynge (to the entent it may be the bet­ter knowen) I wyll somewhat therof declare. And although that strayte and so litary lyfe is now (the more pyte great­ly decayed) yet neuertheles I wyl touch a lytyl of the statutes and rulys of them that it may appere how vehemently holy fathers (in whom the inspiracion of [Page] the holy ghoste / the zele of iustice / & the loue of vertue / dyd excellently preu [...]yle) dyd prohibite the vnclennes of clerkes regulars and prestes. Accordyng verily to the rulys of the Apostles / euery man constitute in holy ordres / especyally a preste / fallyng into the synne of vnclen­nes / shulde be for euer more deposyd / which long tyme after was obserued for the synne of aduoutrie / as concernynge ponyshement / wherof it is conteyned in the seuenth synode holden at Aure­liaunce. That if a clerke hath ben con­uycted of aduoutrye / or had confessed it / he shuld haue ben deposyd from his of­fyce / and so to haue ben commyttyd vn­to a monastery duryng his lyfe. And al­so the holy father Pope Clement (as it is red) made institucyons after the same maner of perpetuall deposynge and po­nyshement of prestes doyng fornicaciō. But after that / in the tyme of pope Sil­uester / that extreme correction was somwhat mitygate / as touchynge prestes / that were penitent and cōtryte of theyr owne propre and free wyll / and such as ceassed theyr synfull lyuynge for in the counsell of Gangara and also in the de­cree / the .xxviii. distinctiō it is read / that [Page] if a preste hath commytted fornicacion / although he oughte by the rulys of the Apostles / to be deposyd yet by the auctorite of that blessyd pope Siluester / if he dyd not contynue in vyce / but refusyd it and rose agayne of his owne frewyll / that then he shulde take repentaunce in this worlde for the space of ten yeres. And beyng remouyd from the other bretherne by the space of thre monethes / he shulde be vsyd with bred and water / frō euenyng to euenyng / but in sondayes & other principall feastes / he shuld be fedd with a lytyll drynke / fyshe or ryse / with­out fleshe or blood / without egges / orels chese / lyenge on the grounde nyght and day desyryng the mercy of god. Than whan thre monethes were determyned / he shulde come forthe / but not abrode in to open places / for feare least / the multi­tude of good people myght be offendyd by his euyll example. And it is in no wyse lawfull for a preste to be enioyned as a lay man to any open penaunce / but after that he hathe perusyd the space of a yere and an halfe lyuyng with bred and water / excepte in sondayes & other principall feastes / in whom he myght [Page] vse wyne / fleshe / blood / egges / and chese / accordyng vnto theyr regular m [...]ure / but the fyrste yere and an halfe beynge fynyshed / he myght haue the sacrament minystred to hym to that intent that he shulde not dispayre in god / and that he shulde come to peace / that is to saye / he shuld be reconsylyd vnto his bretherne / and synge psalmes in the quere amonge them agayne / yet shulde he not come to the ende of the alter / but accordynge to the sayeng of blessyd Clement / he shulde ministre inferior offyces. Than vnto the ende of the seuenthe yere / at all tymes / except y^e thre Ester holy dayes / he shuld fast brede & water thre certayn dayes in euery weke. But the space of seuē yeres beyng fulfyllyd / if the bretherne among whom he repentyd / do comende his pe­naunce as worthy and acceptable in the syght of god / than the byshop according to the auctorite of blessyd pope Calyxt / maye hym reuoke vnto his pristine and former honoure. And surely it is to be knowen / that by syngynge one psalter / in the secoūd ferye / or gyueng one peny to pore folke (if nede be) he may be rede­myd after seuen yeres ended. Than vn­to the ende of the tenth yere there is no [Page] redempcion / but the syxth ferye muste nedes be obserued with brede and wa­ter. But for all this in proces of tyme this foresayd correction vanyshed. And was / but meanely obseruyd / as in the thyrde boke of Decretalles is notifyed / where amonges all other it is reportyd that pope Alexander the thyrd wrote vnto a certayn bishop in maner folowyng. you ought straytly by interdiction and suspension to correcte clerkes cōstitute in holy ordres / that kepe concubynes / that they maye remoue suche maner of women out of theyr company / because no sinystre and froward suspicion maye be had of them. And if any of them re­sort to suche women / or presume to re­ceyue them / that then they maye be ac­cursyd with perpetuall sentence of ex­cōmunicacion that other may refrayne from lyke offences by example of them. Also the same pope wrote vnto an arch­byshop of Canterbury on this fashyon ensuyng. We cōmaunde you dilygently to exhorte the clerkes of your iurisdic­tions that kepe any harlottes within theyr subdeanryes / that they doo them remoue & in nowyse to vse them agayn. And if they refuse to forsake them / than [Page] to be suspēdyd from all benefyces [...]he churche vnto the tyme that they make conuenient satisfaction. And if they be­ynge suspendyd / wyll presume to kepe & retayne suche maner of women / then loke that you remoue them from all maner of benefyces of the churche for euer­more. He speketh agayne in another de­cretall on this wyse. For bycause that clerkes can not intēd both to theyr pleasure and carnall desyres / and also to the diuine seruyce of the church / therfore for theyr vnclēnes they ought to be discharged of al the benefytes of the church. Of this matter in many decretalles of po­pes as of Gregorius / Siricius / Lucius Innocentius / and other it is euidently declared. Where also this is addyd. Pre­lates that presume to suffer such maner of clerkes / especially beynge intreatyd with money and other temporall com­modite / shall incurre the same penaltye. Here of an ordinaūce in the decree the fourscore and thyrde distinction / is rade on this fashion. If any byshop cōsent to the fornicacion of prestes / deanes / or clerkes in his diocyse: other for affec­tion / prayer / or rewarde / or els if he wyll not ponyshe and correcte offenders [Page] by the auctorite of his offyce: he shalbe from his office suspendyd. Of the which sayenge it is also concludyd that a bys­shop that correctyth not the transgres­sions of such men: is more worthy to be callyd a sawltye dogge than a byshope. I pray you: what meanyth this worde: consent: Gratianus expoundyth it in this maner of wyse. He that withstan­dyth not vyce and errour: consentyth therto. Innocentius the pope to the same sayth. Errour that is not resystyd is alowyd: and trewthe that is not de­fendyd is oppressyd: and that man is worthy to be suspectyd of secrete mayn­tenaunce: that wyll not withstand open synne. All which thynge may be princi­pally supposed of prelates that are boūd to resyst vyce: by very duetye of theyr of fyce. But now seyng it standyth in such mysordre / howe greatly ought we to be­wayle the abhominacion of the worlde that now is. Howe much is this miserable & deformyd estate of the church to be lamentyd: in whome other no ponys­shement at all: or els the ponyshement of the purse is extendyd vpon wanton prestes clerkes and regulars: why­che daylye are permytted to walowe [Page] in theyr myscheuous liuynge to [...]i­cious occasion and euyll example of the lay people. The regular visitaciō of clerkes is to none effecte / for many of them do so reioyce that they be so exemptyd / that they may not be correctyd nother of the deane / nor yet of the byshoppe / the which is euyn a lyke matter as though a monke shuld be exemptyd from the correction of his abbot or priour. O what maner of thyng is such exemption / whā agaynst an exemption (moch lesse vnreasonable then this) the most holy and il­luminate father saynte Bernard in his boke de Consideracionibus wrote sharply and discretely to pope Eugenius and the same exemption manye maner of wyse dyd reproue. And for the same ex­emption he greatly rebukyd and con­trollyd the foresayde pope Eugenius sayng thus. wo be to fylthy & wrechyd synners vnponyshyd / which had leuer to be reseruyd vnto the most strayt and terrible iudgemente of god / and also to fall into power of god euerlastyng / than in this present lyfe to be duely correctyd of theyr prelates / and to obey the rulys and decrees of holy fathers / do not such men seme to be of the nombre of them [Page] that shall be reprouyd / and moste ferre from eternall blys. Seme they not also to be the chyldren of infernall torment / whom god sufferyth to lyue accordynge to the desyre of theyr hartes / and truste in theyr owne fantazyes. Furthermore for bycause regulars and all other con­stitute in holy ordres / be consecrate to diuyne seruyce / me thynketh that theyr fornicacion is sacrylege. And it is callyd sacrylege / for that it corruptyth holy or­dre / by vnworthy handelynge and mys­cheuous abusynge that thynge that to god is consecrate. Therfore they are es­pecyally prohibyte to haunte the cloy­stres of nonnes / & that vnder the payne of excōmunicaciō they come not within theyr houses to the entent that all euyll occasion of sacrilege and vicious medde­lynge with them shulde be auoyded / the which beyng commytted shuld be dou­ble sacrylege / and also a certayne abho­minable and enorme aduoutrye / bothe with persones that haue offeryd them­selfe vnto the heuenly spouse beyng pro­fessyd and consecrate / and also to enduce thē vnto the transgression of so solemne a vowe of chastyte which they haue promysed vnto almighty god to be conti­nently [Page] obseruyd and kept.

IT is euyn as our lord spake / by the ꝓphete Ozeas. Wyne / dronkenes / and womē / that is to say / fornicacion taketh away the harte of men / that is to wyte / it blyndyth theyr mynde and maketh darke the iudgement of man­nes reason. And seyng it is the best part of man / to lyue accordyng to the iudge­ment of reason / than it apperyth that surfet and ryot maye engendre in man many incomodytees. For it hurtyth nature / it shortenyth lyfe / it blyndyth vn­derstandyng / it procuryth many syknes infirmites and tediousnes / it engēdryth the hatered of god / it encreasyth enuye / it makyth a man redy to doo iniurye to other men / it inducyth slogardyse and necglygence / it prouokyth a man to vn­mesurable tryfulles and bablyng / it dis­closyth also vtterly al secretenes of hart [Page] compunction and fere. Therfore it is not onely prohybyte vnto al regulars & spirituall persons / but vniuersally to all faythfull christen people / and Christe hymselfe sayng thus. Take ye hede that your hartes be not oppressyd with sur­fet and dronkenes / nor with any other regard of this worlde. For in conclusion lyke as glotony doth corrupte y^e mynd so it makyth the bodye to be dyfformyd monstrous / and depryueth a man from naturall comlynes / and also from a conuenient quantite of body / and that vyle voluptuousnes of taste is bought ryght dere. Therupon saynt Bernarde sayth / that the pleasure of the throte that nowadays is so muche made of / conteyneth scantly the bredeth of two fyngers / and yet for the delectacion of so lytyll a part howe dilygently / howe costly / and with howe great labour do we prepare / but at length to our great payne. By this meanes the backes and sholders of men are spredde / and made brode lyke mon­stres / herby the great belyes are not on­ly fatted / but also puffed vp lyke women with chylde. And whyle the bondys be not able to bere the fleshe / many dyuers dyseases muste nedes engendre.

O with how great labour and exp [...]es is suche dere and delicyous pleasure pre­pared. Glotony and lechery doo obeye the pleasure of the fleshe. Surfet & dronkenes is the deuylles chaleys / for whan a man hath both replenyshyd his mynd and stomake Christe in suche a riotous persone can fynde no place. And lyke as fyre and water can not be mēgled both together / Ryght so spirituall and corporall pleasures can not be sufferyd in one place. For where Christ perceyuyth sur­fet of a riottous person in his drynkyng he wyll not vouchsafe to rewarde hym with his wynes that are more swete than suger or hony / And surely whan y^t curious and delycate dyuersyte of metes and drynkes hath fully fedde the stomackes of men / there is no voyde pure nor clene place for heuynly fode. Why loue ye voluptuosnes / forsakyng vertue and helth. Truely for a fowle and brefe swetnes and delectacion / ye do procure euer­lastyng payne and bytternes / so that at the laste ye wyll desyre / as the rych glotton dyd / one droppe of water to quenche the hete of the fyre of hell / & yet ye shall not obteyne it. For agayne whom doth the feruent hete of the infernall hungre [Page] and deuyllyshe thyrst and other most ex­treme ponyshement / fume more than a­gaynst glottones / whiche do cōuert the necessary sustentacion of pore people in­to theyr owne pleasures. And playnly as S. Bernard wytnessyth. The fautes of the fleshe / the pleasure of the body / the fulnes of the wombe wyll other leue a man before dethe / or els forsake hym at the poynte of dethe. Than this fleshe of yours shortly afterwardes shalbe depu­ted to wormes / the soule shalbe commyttyd to infernall ponyshemēt / where such be compaygnyons in payne as were together compaignyons in vyce. O thou delicate man that swymmyste in plea­sure & ryches / yet in them beynge wrap­ped thou lokyst euer for thyn owne con­fusion / death / and damnacion. ☞ Note what the Apostle saith. The kyngdome of heuyn / is nother mete nor drynke / nother sylke / nor purple / for the rych man habundaunt of these / shall strayte des­cende into hell. O ye delycate & volup­tuose persones / whose god is the bely / whiche noryshe your hartes and bodye with ryot and lechery / what say yow to this? you do here that mete is ordeyned for the bely and the bely for mete / yet [Page] god wyl destroy the one with the other / and yet god shall destroye them bothe. Therfore let regulars that be almoste vtterly decayed for lacke of obedyence vnto holy rulys take hede and feare god which y^e ryght wyse iudge saith as here foloweth. Wo be to you that be satis­fyed with fode / for ye shalbe a hungred. Wo be to you ryche men whose onely cō fort is in your ryches. Wo be to you that lawghe for ye shal wepe and morne / dyd not Iudas the Apostle wryte of these thynges / vomytyng theyr owne confu­syons / to whom an infernall storme of darkenes is conseruyd and kepte. Why sayeth the holy Apostle in this maner. They be not onely corruptyd & spottyd in theyr feastes / but also they be spottes and corrupcion / for that that in theyr fe­dyng / many folde synnes fallen amonge them. And lyke as the Apostle wrote to certayne of the Gentyles that were conuertyd sayng thus. Some tyme ye were darkenes / for in eatyng or feadyng they do not onely excede in qualite or quan­tite of meates or drynkes / but also in vayne superfluous and euyll wordes / I [Page] wyll not say in sklaunderous knanyshe and wanton / in toyes / tryfulles / playes / mockes / mowes / dissolucions / losse of tyme / and moch more heelnes. The pro­phete Iohell cryeth vnto suche maner of people / sayenge: Awake ye dronkar­des / and wepe / and all you that drynke wyne for plesaunce and swetnes / morne ye / for it shall peryshe out of your mou­thes / furthermore of glotonye that vy­cyous mother / folowyth fowle lechery a armore vycyous doughter. Now be not all faythfull christen people bounde to lyue straytly in penytent conuersacion and ferefully in respecte of god aboue. And the hyer that regulars be consti­tute in degre and spirituall estate / so be the more vertuous / sobre / and fearful than the laye people. Let no man dis­ceyue hymself for god requyreth of eue­ry man that he shall lyue accordynge to the degre that he is callyd vnto. Be­sydes this the longer that an euyll cus­tome is vsyd / the more iniuste and incu­rable it is. And therfore from the fyrste foundacion of the church / holy & blessyd fathers haue moste straytly and vehe­mently [Page] prohibyte the synne of th [...] fl [...]he glotony / dronkennes / and wantones to the minystres of the churche / as of the same / in the decre many thynges are declared. It is red also in the rulys of the Apostles / that a byshop / preste / or deane / gyuen to ryot or dronkenes / must other forsake it / or els be condempned and deposed. A subdeane reder or synger in the churche doyng the same / must other ceasse or be expulsyd from the commu­niō. The same purpose it is brought in / in the .xxxv. distinction / that especyally dronkenes shuld be auoyded of clerkes / for of all other vyces it is the norice & and cherysher. Also in the counsell of A­gathon it was ordeyned / that a clerke beyng dronke shulde be seueryd from the communion / for the space of .xxx. dayes / or els corporally to be ponyshed. And the Apostle in lyke maner wryteth to all faythfull people and enioyneth them in this wyse. That they lyue not in gloto­ny & drōkenes. &c. And also regard that they vse not the desyres of the fleshe. And agayne / we be dettours vnto the fleshe / not to that intent that we shulde lyue after the fleshe / for if we lyue after the fleshe / we shold dye.

Another thing there is wherof the most holy Peter the Apostle dothe vs aduer­tyse / sayenge thus: Welbelouyd frendes / I beseche you absteyne from carnall de­syre / which makyth batayle agaynst the soule. Further S Paule sayet (It be­houyth a byshop to be sobre / chaste / and not dronken) perteyneth also to all men cōstitute in holy ordres / as the holy fa­thers Ambrosy & Augustine do wytnesse bysydes all this / it appereth by the wor­des of S. Ierome / howe hard & difficy­le it is for hym that kepyth not sobre­nes / to kepe his chastyte. The princes & minystres of the churche / which do wa­lowe in delicyous pleasure faynynge at feastes that they kepe chastyte / be (by the wordes of the prophete) worthy to be caste out from fayre houses and dely­cate bankettes / into exterior darkenes / whiche Ierome sayth further. The glo­tony of the bely prouokyth lechery / and puttyth a parte euery good wroke and a bely boylynge with wyne sone fallyth to pleasure of the body. For why the bely of man and the preuy membres be verye nere one to an other / so that by the ne­renes of those mēbres ye maye perceyue the more redy inclinacion of vyce. Fur­thermore [Page] as it is mencioned (Leuitici primo) Our lorde commaundyd the pre­stes of the olde lawe / whose presthode or profession was but carnall and figu­ratyue that they shulde drynke no wyne nor any thynge that myght make them dronke / whose wordes are these / wyne and all that may make you dronke / ye shall not drynke what tyme ye entre in the tabernacle of the testamēt lest ye dye so that ye maye haue knowlege to dys­cerne betwene the holy & vnholy / Howe moche more this carnalite / dronkenes / glotony / and voluptuousnes / to be auoyded of prestes & ministres of the church / whose presthode is all together spiri­tuall / and therfore shuld continually be occupyed in diuine seruyce. Therfore lo­uyngly he enbraceth sobrenes / which is the very secreat keper of mynde / sensys / body / and also membres / the defence of chastite / the gouernour of shamefastnes the very preseruor both of peace & frend­shyppe. For truely dronkenes in a preste or regular is as haynous as sacriledge / & also in any other mā it is a great vyce sobrenes prolongyth the naturall lyfe of man / it noryshyth the lyfe of grace / it [Page] deseruyth the lyfe of ioy / it causyth the bodye of man to be well proporcyoned / and valyaunt / it makyth a quyet harte / it makyth redye a mans mynde to pro­cede in wysdome and vertue / it makyth a man apte to applye diuyne seruyce / to laude god in hymnes and psalmes. And to be onely gyuen to holy medytacion. Therfore regulars that are commaun­dyd to serue almyghty god / and to be contynually gyuen to the obseruaunce of hym must euermore obserue this ver­tue of sobrenes. And as the most hyghe byshoppe hathe straytly commaundyd / that if wyues be stronge they muste be temperyd vnto them / nor in any wyse that one prouoke another to drynkyng / but especyally let them beware of suche maner of drynkyng / as men call brynk­shyng / pleggynge / & quaffyng / which verily be bestly / & fowlyshe / for that that maye agree with the complexion of the one / maye fortune not to agre with the cōplexion of the other. And in conclusiō to knowe howe vicyous and out of or­dre it is to excede in the vyces foresayd / it apperyth by that / that the pope commaundyd all suche offenders to be [Page] suspendyd from theyr offyces and bene­fyces / except by warnyng they be r [...]ce [...] ­sylyd. For if a principall ruler or gouernour of regulars / wyll not correer suche euyll doers / other if he hymself [...] do per­sonally offend (which god forbyd) in any vyce before touchyd. O howe great and horrible damnacion hangyth ouer his hed / and also ouer the hedes o [...] such syn­full regulars as do offende in the some / not wyllyng to receyue any holsome dis­ciplyne or lernyng in this present lyfe.

ACordyng vnto the effecte of the ende / all meane thynges muste be ordryd / for the ende causyth thynges of necessyte to be done: whiche be ordey­ned for the ende. And seynge thestate of regulars was institute prouyded and grauntyd (as is before expressyd) to the entent that they shulde applye to the seruyce of theyr maker / with a free / pure / & quyet mynde / & seyng also that by theyr merytes and prayers they shulde be re­consyled [Page] and desyre god to be mercyfull b [...]th [...] to themselfe and also to them: by whose almes / charite / & stypendys they are susteyned: for that cause they are forbydden to vse any worldly actes or occupations which shulde be a vehement let both vnto y^e forsayd quyetnes of mynd vnto theyr pure profession of god / & also vnto theyr inwarde lybertye to dyuyne matters: wherby they shuld be dyschar­ged of all secular and wordly busynes / And these be the same worldly busynes that be ordeyned for worldly lucre: that is to wyte: worldly marchaundyse and secular offyces by whom the hart of mā is greatly dysposyd to outwarde thyn­ges is greatly wrappyd in worldly thinges. And also with drawen from spiri­tuall and ghostly thynges. To the con­trarye wherof the Apostle sayth in this wyse. None that seruyth god ought to entangle hymselfe in worldly busynes. Wherof the byshoppe Nicasius spake in the actes of the counsell of Cartage on this fashyon. I suppose that my sugge­stion doth ryght well please your holy­nes: & partly displease ye: w [...]ich is / that suche as serue god / and annexed to the clergie / shuld not medle in worldly busy­nes [Page] / offyces / or stuardshypes of houses. The holy byshop Gratianus saith that this sentence before reherced was insti­tute of the Apostles / that is to say that / no mā mynistryng in the seruyce of god may folde hymselfe in wordly busynes. And therfore clerkes may be no purcha­sers of houses and no purchasers of houses may occupye the offyces of clerkes. And further to proue these thynges / it euidently apperyth in the .xiiii. questiō. As this / it was establyshed in the statutes of rulys at the counsell of Tarracō / that who so euer wold be one of the clergie / he must not vse the study of byenge good chepe and sellynge dere / and if he dyd / he shuld be correctyd by the clergy. For that purpose also it was institute in the holy synode of Niceo / that for bycause many clerkes folowyng the fowle lucre of auaryce / do forget the preceptes and commaundementes of god / there­fore that holy counsel dyd ordeyne this / that is to wyte. If any man from hens­forthe were founde takynge any vsury / eyther folowyng any fowle lucre by any suche maner busynes / or puttyng forthe any maner of corne for aduauntage or goynge about any suche matter of mar­chaun [...]se [Page] / for the onely lucre & gaynes therof / he shulde then be expulsyd from th [...] clergie: and another of the churche degree to be had in his place. Therof pope Gelasius speakyth in lyke maner sayeng thus. Clerkes know ryght well: that they ought to absteyne from suche vnworthy gaynes: and also to refrayne from all crafte and couetousnes of any maner of marchaudyse. And of what degree so euer they be that wyll not ceasse to vse such lucre: immediatly they muste be compellyd to forsake theyr offyces in the church. In the counsell also of pope Martyn it was cōmaūdyd in this wyse If any of them forgetynge the feare of god had done vsurye vpō trust to wynne but the hundreth parte therof or lokyd for gaymes by any maner of marchaundyse: or hath taken increase: by byeng or sellyng any wyne: corne: or other thyng: he shuld be caste downe from his degree and another of the clergye shulde haue supplyed his stede & place. The sayenge of pope Melchiades herewith agreyth. The holy generall coūsel hath decreyd: that hereafter no clerke shall hyre any possessiōs or intermedel with any worldly busynes: except it be for the charge & mayntenaūce [Page] of infantes / orphleyns / and wydowes / or excepte he were commaundyd by his byshop to take the chargꝭ of any goodes longyng vnto the church: for the offyces spirituall and temporall are extercyse. But furthermore it apperyth about the ende of the thyrde boke of Decretalles in the Lateran coūsell: what busynes is prohibite vnto clerkes. And thus it is there sayd. There be many secular busy­nes of the which we shall touche parte / bycause vnto them all carnall concupis­cence apperteyneth. And what so euer a man that couetyth more thā is ryght: it is callyd fowle lucre / it is forbydden vnto thē iniustly to take or receyue any rewardes: to hyre any mā for any worldly gayne or pray / to loue any contention debate or skoldyng to plede or dispute in secular plees / except it be for the defence of orphelyns / or wydowes. They ought to be no doctoures or proctoures of se­cular matters: to loue no seculer games / or gyftes of fylthy actes or communication / to delyte in dyse / to desyre vnconuenient apparayle for theyr estate: to lyue in delycyousnes: to walowe in glotony and dronkenes: to haunt: or to hauke: or to be conuersaūt in any vayne or super­fluous [Page] busynes. Behold how vtterly we prohybyte these thynges with all other lyke / vnto regulars and mynysters of the altare of god. In the rulys of the apostles it is ferther of this matter mencio­ned after this facion. A bysshop / prest / or decane ought in nowyse to take vpō thē any secular cure or charge. Pope alexander the thyrde dyd also forbyd both regulars / and other clerkꝭ vpon peyne of cursynge that they shuld make no marchaū dyse for any worldly lucre. Saynt Ierome also sayth in this maner. Flee and auoyde from the company of a clerke be­ynge a merchaunt. Auoyd from pouerte to ryches / from a meane man to a noble man / as though it were frō a plage of y^e Pestilēce. Therfore prestes / and clerkes be forbydden / to be brokers of any secu­lar busynes. All this is confyrmed by pope Nicolas in the .xxii. chapytre of the decree in the thyrd questyō sayeng this. It came to knowlege at a general coun­sel that certayne of the clergye had takē vpon them secular matters / for the [...] ­le lucre of great possessyons [...] by that holy coūcell it was [...] from thensforth no prest / [...] [...] lar shulde hyre any poss [...] [...] [...] medle [Page] with any secular matters or pro­curatiōs except such as be callyd by the law theronto for the defence of suche as be within age orphellynes / or the great necessytes of wydowes / or els yf the Bisshop hath cōmyttyd the gouernaunce of the church goodes vnto them. And therfore / oftentymes it is touched in the de­cree that some maner of busynes be vn­lawfull to be don of all men and that be suche as can not be done without tyme as vsurye & symonye. And ther be some that seldome or veray hardly may be done without synne as the marchaundyse before rehersyd. But now to knowe wherfore clerkes & other minystres of y^e churche ought to absteyne from all such worldly busynes / saynt Thomas in the lxxvii. question of his boke cōpendiously touchyth sayeng thus. Clerkes ought not only to absteine from suche thynges that be euyll of them selfe / but also from such thynges as haue a sauour or colour of euyll as marchaūdyse hath / forby cause it is ordeyned for worldly lucre / which clerkes vtterly ought to despyse and cō ­temne. Secōdaryly for the great haūt of synne among merchauntꝭ. Thyrdly bycause that by marchaūdyse the mynde of [Page] man is wrappid with warldly carkes & vtterly withdrawen / from godly thyngꝭ To this the holy Martyr and Bysshop Ciprianus notyng the occasyon thereof addyth his mynde sayeng. Suche as be honorid with holy presthode or cōstistute in the seruyce of clerkes ought them selfe to applye to nothynge / but to the altare and sacryfyce of god with holy and de­uoute prayers / & leccyons. Behold ther­fore to how vertuous / quiet and spiritu­all lyfe and good example regulars be bound whiche be cōmaundyd to abstey­ne not only from euyll and vyce it selfe / but also from all spyce of euyll and occa­syon of synne / in lyke maner from all sensuall affection / from the plesures of this worlde / from all pompe and worldly garnyshynge / mekely also and lowly from all vayne and superfluous actes playes tryfulles / or games. And furthermore they be commaundyd in no wyse to geue audyence to mynystrelles / gestours / or dysardes / to play at dyse / or cardes / or to be present at suche games as shore playnly in the Artycle folowyng is declared.

IT is conueniēt for mynystres of the church (whom it behouith to dyfferre frō the lyfe & maners of secu­lar mē) to be rype in good maners and dysposicyon / to geue dylygence vnto contricyon & to the fere of god / in lyke maner to applye them selfe vnto praier / psalmodyes with other actis of penaūce in the syght of al­mighty god / to the intent that lhey may please and satisfie god / aswell for theyr owne excesse and synne / as for the offen­ces of theyr foūdars and benefactours. Therfore they are cōmaundyd to bewa­re of suche thynges as wyll them dysce­uer from contrition remorse of cōscience and deuotyon / and suche as wyll enduce vnperfite lyuyng and engendre worldly condicyons / as these be / that is to say / famylyarite / excercyse / games / & dissportes of mynstrellꝭ / Iesters / & dyssardys / haū ­tynge [Page] of tauerns feasts and bankettes / play nge at dyse and cardys / whereunto many enorme vyces be annexed / and so it procedeth of the loue and desyre of money and concernyth auarcyte. But fur­dermor that it may be more depely plaī ­ly an surely notyfied / after what facyon it is lawfull for regulars and mynystres of the churche some tyme to play / & what maner of disport is comly for them / that is to be notyd that saint Thomas wry­tyth in his secounde destinctions. Durā dus also in his boke callyd summa. Io­han in his boke callyd summa cōfessorū / and other are of the same opynyon say­eng thus. Lyke as a man nedyth corpo­rall refresshyng / rest / & slepe / forbycause he is not able to labour contynually / ryght so the soule hath nede of recreacy­on and comfort / whiche must be done by some wordes or actis where nothyng is intendyd or required but only spirituall delectacion and pleasure. And these be callyd wordys or actes of pastyme / and dysport concernyng whom / thre thyngꝭ are princypally to be obserued. The fyrst is this. That no such delectacyō be required / by wordes or actis inhonest fylthy or hurtefull to any man. The secunde is [Page] that the grauyte and deuotion of har [...] may in nowyse be resoluyd by ony suche game The thyrde is that y^e game may agre both with the person / tyme / & place and also y^t thē game be garnysshed with other circumstaunces of vertu. And tru­ly that vertue wherwith a man may so conueniētly behaue hymselfe / in games or playes / is (after the mynde of the philosophour in the fourth boke of Ethykꝭ) callyd. Furdermore yf there be any fow­le or fylthy wanton hurtefull / or sklaun­derous wordꝭ / or actes exersysed in such games / or playes. It is a great synne & oftentymes a synne mortall / althoughe perauenture the play of it selfe / be but a synne venyall. Now here we may per­ceue / with whom / what tyme / and after what facyon it is lawfull for Regulars and other mynystres of the churche to play. Suche may play after the maner and facyon forseyd / as do cōsyst in good exersyse bothe of spirituall and tempor­all thynges / so that therwith they do not them selfe ouermych defatigate and make wery. But the same lybertie is not gyuen vnto them that be full of bab­lynge and Idelnes / whiche contynually do moue lawghter and wyldnes whiche [Page] also do haunte bankettes / and in them excede bothe in communicacion mockes gestis outragyousnes and intemperan­cye and also in all other immoderate cō ­ceites. Therfore the mynystres of the churche do greatly offende / and deserue intollerable punysshement / especyally regulars and suche as are constitute in holy ordres / whiche shuld be euery day ve­ray redy to do such thynges as perteigne to the seruyce of god / and spedely perfor­me theyr howres and tymes of prayer / hastely puttynge them selfe forward in dyuyne seruyce. But in the stede therof they do dylygently fulfyll such thynges as may please the carnall carcas / fedyn­ge it gorgeously and delycately delytynge in many praty seueral toyes. And furthermore whan theyr belyes be full or at other vacaunt tymes / they apply thē selfe other to gestes and tryfulles or elles to that / that is more enorme and out of the way / as to play at cardis and dyse / or beynge in presens where suche games be vsed comonyng / talkynge / and beyng in great fauor or famylyarite with the players / beryng many tymes half parte whith thē / in there wynnyng or losing.

Certaynly these men haue no reasona­ble cause to play but rather in such t [...]m [...] as they do play they oughte to bewa [...] theyr synne / & the tyme that they haue spent in all such vayne recreations / idel­nes / tales / fables / laugh [...]rs / vnfruytfully / ye and to say the treuth vycyously / & also to morne and make amendes accor­dyngly / for al theyr necglygens and de­fautes whiche they haue commyttyd in not performynge theyr dyuyne seruyce. But these maner of persones are only gyuen to theyr games and dysportes / & as for theyr deuocion and perfytnes of hart (yf perauēture they had ony before) it is altogyther seueryd and corruptyd.

O god lord howe perillous is the lyfe of such men / ye how wycked and damnable whiche (beyng bound after dyner & sup­per done / to retorne to theyr chambres) or to go in to theyr studyes or libraries / there to be gyuen (as Cipriane saith) to holy redynge to holsome doctrine & de­uoute meditation) wyl vtterly shewe thē selfe vnto vtward thyngꝭ / and stobburnly dyspose them selfe to carnal & wordly pleasure / dyuerse maner of wyse lesynge and in spendynge that precyouse tyme / that god hath grauntyd vnto them / no­thyng [Page] regardyng that thyng that they are [...]alled vnto / nother dysclosyng theyr conscyens before god / nor yet at ony ty­me dewly and effectually ponderynge / how great and manyfold thynges they are bound vnto. Of suche persons saynt Bernard the electe seruāt of god spekyth thus. The necligēt slacknes of clerkys troblyth & molestyth the churche of god throughout al the world / surely they are enryched by other menes labor / they ete the frutes of the erth without money or charge & deuoure y^e laboures of y^e poore a mans mynd accustomed with delycy­ousnes / and barreigne of lernynge must nedes engēdre many vyces. How many (I pray you) shal we se the which do not serue nor obey Cryst as theyr lord & god but theyr wombes as theyr lord & god / and veryly fornycaciō rayneth in many of them / which mynistryng vnto the maker and encreaser of all clennes and cha­styte / with a fylthy mouth and an vncle­ne hart / do not fere the angell of god stā ­dynge nere vnto them / whiche may de­stroy and cute thē atwo in the myddyll. Furdermore as Duradus in his boke callyd summa procidith sayenge. Euery maner of play y^t is applyed vnto chaūce [Page] or fortune (as the play at dyse is) may not be vsed for mony / except syxe thyngꝭ be aggreabble with the same. The fyrste is / couenyence of ꝑson / for it is not law­full for clerkes to play at dyse / wherfore let a comyn dyser / or vsurar be put backe from obtaynyng spiritual dygnite / not­withstandyng there be a custome to the contracy as apperith in the tytle Extra de excess .i. Inter dilectos. yet neuer the les the benefyce beynge obteigned / the bysshoppe may owe hym fauour / yf he wyll be corrected / otherwyse of ryght be ought to be deposyd / for otherwyse / he ought by the law to be deposyd as aper­ith in the .xiiii. question in the tytle. Siquis & caritas. The secunde is conueny­ence of martyer or substaunce for some maner of wyse they may play for meate / or drynke / supposing theyr game alway to be cōmendable as is before expressyd / so yt it be not intēdyd but as reasonable solace & no lucre. The thyrd is the cōclu­syon therof / that is to say / that it be not exercysed for couertyse or auarice but for recreacyon. The fourth is / measure / for no man may play aboue a shyllynge / al­though the player be veray rych as it appereth in the begynnynge of the tytle / de [Page] religiosis. The fyftyth is tyme cōueniēe so y^t the play be not done in tyme of mornynge penaunce or coūsell. The .vi. is y^e conuenience of the facyon and maner so that your play be wythout dys [...]eyte / and no man do any thynge agaynst the law of the game / nor one prouoke another to play. Clerkes fallynge in to soo great blyndnes wyckednes / & frāsye may well note this / that notwithstandynge theyr holy rulys & decrees / they be bold & pre­sumptuous to dyse openly / and for that fowle desyre of lucre / they play at cardes and dyse lyke as it were secular gāsters / where yet not withstandynge they are bound to make restitucyon of theyr wynnyng or els to cōuerte it into some other charitable vse otherwyse they may not be sauyd nor yet absoluid by sacramētes There be also so many & so haynous offē ces cōsistyng in such maner of play / whiche raymūdus hostiensis Iohan & other doth reherce / & pauēture withī this boke somwhat towchid / let thē therfore repēt thē lyke wrechyd creaturis / let thē pōder theyr dredful iudgemēt & also y^e tormētꝭ of hel intollerable: which sone afterward they wyl incure without remedie / except they do not only forsake theyr abhominacion / but also do suffer cōdigne penaūce.

LIKE as the holy Apostle Saynt Petre wyttnessythe. Our sauiour Christe sufferyd for vs / leuynge ex­ample to folowe his steppes. Therfore who so sayeth that he dwellyth in Christ he must walke as Christe walkyd. For membres ought to be conformable vnto theyr hed. And forsothe it is radde that Christe in this present world / dyd syghe morne wepe and was trowblyd in spirit but he neuer played lawghyd nor made dysport. For that cause we are boūd (as moche as the fragylyte of humane na­ture wyll permyt and suffer vs) to fo­low his perfytnes grauyte and dylygence as by his owne cōmaundment appe­ryth in this wyse. He that wyll be my seruaunt let hem folow me. And forder­more.

¶ The fyrst introduction to despyse vo­luptuosnes vanite as slacknes is the cō ­sideratcyon of the lyfe and conuersacion of Christ / which sayd vnto his dysciples in this maner. I gaue you exāple / that as I dyd / you shuld do / holy saīt Hiero­me affyrmyth the same saieng thus / it is impossible to reioyce of this worlde / and after to reigne with Christ. To y^e same Salomon sayd in this wyse. I reputed lawghyng as an errour / and saye vnto Ioy / why art thow deceoyd in vayne.

¶ The secounde introduction is the consideratiō of the place of this present lyfe For we be in this worlde as though we were in a great exyle / in a vale of lamen­tacyon in a cotage of calamyte / in a re­ligion of the shadowe of deth in a feyg­ned Kyngdome in a pylgrymage in a worne way and in a pryson.

Therfore me thynke it agaynst all wys­dome in such a place to desyre to swyme in delycyousnes / to be let slyppe amonge vanytees / to be refresshid with lawghter and dysportꝭ / ye & he that in this wolde couetythe to be prosperous in ryches plesure and honour shewyth hym selfe in so doynge to be no Pylgrym / nothe [...] the louer of the heuenly contrey / but a [...]ys [...]syne [Page] and / sone of babylon / a seruant of imquite / a man in the way of perdycyo [...].

Therof spekyth the Prophet Ieremie saynge thus. O thow wandrynge and wycked doughter / vnto the tyme that thou be losyd & dissoluyd from delycyousnes / my soule refusyth all comfort. And also this of the prophet Dauid wo is me that my dwellyng place is prolongyd.

And the Apostle wytnessyth of the holy Prophetes of the old testamēt and of y^e lawe of nature in this maner / that they confessyd to be Pylgrymmes & estraun­gers vpon the Erthe. Therfor from this present exile we shuld oftentymes veray feruently syghe vnto that most glorious countrey of blessyd men / & these worldly ioyes we shuld abhore / as though they were the veray carppis of euerlastynge dethe / that we myght say as the apostle sayde. God forbyd that I shulde reioyce in any thynge except in the crosse of my lord Iesu Christe by whom the world of me is persercuted / and I of the worlde.

The thyrd is the consideration of daun­gere ī whom we be put at large. For we do walke and be alwayes cōuersaunt in the myddys of gynnys / & ī a fylde euery where fully cōpassed with a multitde of [Page] innumerable inuisib [...]e most cruel & craf­ty enemyes of this world whose power & furor veray few do escape. And truly we be vncerteigne whether our conuersatiō do please god or no / or whether fynally we shall be damned / or whether our oftē ­ces shalbe forgyuen. And also we knowe that greuously & many maner of wyse we dysplease our most strait & fereful iudge & that dayly we offend beyng also ve­ray proue & redy to vyce. Al such thyngꝭ yf we deuly consydre / it shal please vs better to morne and lament than to make dysportꝭ & playes. And also we shall say as Salomon sayd. Better it is to go to the howse of lamētacyon thā to the howse of plesure and solace. In the one house that is to say in the house of mornynge / the ende of all mortall men is notyd / & a man lyuynge shulde ponder what is to come.

¶ The fourth is the cōsideracyon of all euyll and myschyef as well of offence as of payne & ponyshement that euery daye is done in the worlde (that is to say) by­cause so many great and myscheuous actes be contynually done in the worlde / by cause our maker a myghtye of his creaturs at all tyme is hadde in small [Page] honour and reuerence / bycause contynually so many soulꝭ do eternally perysshe / bycause so many and great tribulac [...] calamytes / penury discomfort / oppressi­ons / do incessauntly chaūce our frendes / neibours / & membris of Christ of whom (yf we loue them) we must haue compassyon / as we wolde that thy shulde haue compassyon of vs beynge in lyke case / surely who so doth this dewly ponder / he wyll say as Ieremye sayd.

Who wyll geue to my hed / water / and to myn eyes a fountayne of teres / & I wyll wepe euermore. And seynge Samuell so longe tyme and so sorowfull bewayled Saull / and Ieoronne the destruccyon of Ierusalē. Paule also some of the Corin­this / howe much more is our forsets myschiefe to be bewaylyd. Therfore let vs haue cōpassyon of our neibours beynge in great daunger and dyscomfort.

¶ The .v. is the multitude and greatnes of harme and dyspleasure / that suche de­lectacions bryngyth vnto mā. For they spoyle a man from all grace / whiche de­lectacyons also broght Salomon in to great foly. And attēpted Eue to the trāsgressyon of goddes cōmaundment / they do vehemently blynd the mynd of man [Page] and harden and maynteyne hym in my­schief ye they procure euerlastynge dam­nation. For that thynge wherein a man delytyth is but of short tyme his vexacyon and troble therfore is perdurable.

What man for the plesure of one nyghte / wyl be glad euer after to lye ī a brēnyng fornace. O wherfore presume we to commyt mortall synne where for one synne mortal we must be ponyssed with the feruent infernall paynes that euermore do endure. The syxth is vylenes fylthynes and bestly pleasure of the flesshe / for the which / man is most despysed of god and made vnlyke to aungels / and conformable to bestes / wheruppon the sayenge of the Prophet Iohel concernyng carnall desire is expoundyd on this facyon. The herdes of bestys dyd rotte and consume in theyr owne fylthynes and dunge.

And as the Prophet Dauid sayth in ly­ke maner. A mā that perceuyth not whā he is in honour / may be compared vnto brute and rude bestes / furdermore moch bytternes is mengled with the plesure of the world and the flesshe / suche pleasure also is oftentymes acquisyte / and goten both with great expensys and daūgere / prepared with sore labor / and yet they [Page] repent at lenght. Therfore Salomon sayeth youth and voluptuousnes be but vany [...]c [...]s. And forther [...]his he sayde. I wyll go and swyme in delyte and walow in ryches / & yet I perceuyd that all was but vany [...]e. Therfore in this present lyf graunt to vs to take repentaunce / let vs endeuer our selfe vnto the ac [...]es of pe­naūce / let vs also euer absteigne frō wildnes of hart vanyte / & obstynate lyberte.

THE more vertuous y^t the mynystrꝭ of the church are boūd to be in respecte of y^e lay people / the more symple meke & ful of good example they ought to be in theyr apparayle.

They ought in lyke maner to obserue y^e thyng that is red in the boke of Ecclesiasticꝰ that is to say. Thou shall not reioyce at ony tyme in thyne apparayle especially in such maner of apparayle as may geue euyll occasyon or pleasaūtly intyse or moue the eyes or hartes of womē that behold it (that is to say) they be alwayes bound to beware of curiouse arayment & [Page] [...]ompous apparayle. And where also holy fathers as Ierome & Chrisostome & other do not only testyfye this of thē but also of euery faythfull creature sayenge thus. A man or a woman garnysshynge themself / & by theyr deckyng & trymmīg prouokyng the eyes of other vpon them although therof no myschyef doth ensue yet he or she so doyeng shal suffer eternal ponysshemēt / bycause they dyd put forth poyson / yf there had be any man y^t wold haue dronke it that is to say they dyd shewforth temptacyon yf any man wold haue be attempted. If this abhomyna­cyon be so detestable among the lay peo­ple / it is much more mischeuous amōge the ministres of the churche / which princypally be boūd to edifie other creatures in vertue. Therfor (seing they go so gor­geously) deckid as though it were a bride we may say as saīt Bernard said behold how they go garnyshyd lyke to a bryd y^t were cōmyng forth of her wedding chā ­ber / insomych that yf ye se ony such ferre from you / ye wolde rather iudge it to be the bryde than the prest that shulde her marye. Surely accordynge to the doctryne of holy fathers then be as well com­maundyd to be contentyd with symple [Page] apparayle / as wyth symple fare. Therof the holy Apostle sayth thus. Be ye in no wyse conformable vnto this world / but be ye renewed in y^e spirite of your mynd Therfore a regular or a prest ought to beware of al curyosyte / pompe / superfluyte vanyte / and wantones of al worldly garmentes / as the holy Doctours and Pre­lates / Basilius / Isidorus & other / haue vs enformed. But now cōcernynge this matter / the rulys and estatutes whiche sprange by the diuyne inspiracyon shuld be consyderyd. For why it is red in the seuenth synode / and also in the .xxi. decre as here folowyth. All braggyng / rufflīg and garnysshynge is the thynge that is moste farre from holy ordre / and it behouyth such Bysshopes and Clerkes whi­che dresse them selfe in bryght gloryous & plesaūt apparayle / to amende it / for yf they remayn in weryng therof they shal be put to penaūce. In semblable wyse al such maner of men that vse oyntemētes such cursyd people also whiche haue thē in derysyon that be clothed in pore and relygyous ornamentes / shalbe correctyd by emprisonment. In the olde tyme verily a holy man (that is to say) a man con­stytute in holy ordres dyd lede his lyfe [Page] beynge coueryd with a veray vyle and meane garmēt. And truly euery garmēt that is not taken for necessyte / but for cō lynes (as Basilius sayeth) hath a spyce of pryde: moreouer Pope zacharye dyd instytute this that folowyth. Bysshops Prestes and Decanes may were no secular apparayle / but garmentes conueny­ent for theyr ordre. They may not presume to walke in ony cyte comyne way or strete without theyr cowlys or coueryn­ges except it be in some long iornay / for lyke as a woman prayeng in the church bareheded / accordynge vnto the sayenge of thapostle doth dishonest her owne hed euen soo prestes or regulars wandrynge abrod without theyr cowles or other vpper garmētes dyshonest theyr Presthod and relygyon / wherfore it is ordeined y^t yf any of them do stobbornly presume to transgresse the sayd institutes / that he shuld be expulsyd from the relygyous cō gregation / vnto the tyme that he had fulfillyd such thynges that were ordeigned by the same estatutes for the same pur­pose. Innocentius the second aggreeth with the same sayeng thus we cōmaund that as wel bysshope / as prestes and clerkes shall thē self endeuer to pacifye god [Page] and man / both in theyr spiritual estate & also in theyr corporal behauour / & not in superfluyte cuttyng gardyng or coloure of garmentꝭ / nother they shall offend or hurt by theyr shauyng the aspecte of the beholders whose rule and example they ought to be / but rather they shuld obser­ue holynes whiche wold much better be come them. Here also sayth saynt Ber­nard. That it is the synne of sacryledge / where as the goodes of pore people be not dystrybute / vnto them. For the ecclesyastical goodes be the patrymonye and heritage of the poore people. And what someuer the mynystres of the church do take besydys theyr symple and necessary fode and apparayle it is vyolently stolen frō the poore people as cruel sacryledge And god ordeyned not that such as my­nystre the gospell / shuld therby desyre ryches or apparaile / but that they shuld be contentyd to lyue with necessary fode & apparaile / & not to seke prouocatiō vnto pleasure of the body / not to receyue suche apparayle wherwith they myght be trī ­myd / but such wherewith they myght be coueryd. But nowe whan a man may be contentyd with suche a necessarye lyuīg what creature in this world wold enter [Page] in to relygyon to the intēt that he wold gather together kepe and dyspend the srypendes of the clergye in to vses of plesure curyosyte and vanyte. Hereof agayne spekyth that blessyd saynt Bernard sayinge thus. The nakyd and hung [...]y do cry and complayn on this facyon.

What auaylyth vnto vs miserably vexid with hungre and cold / the great chaung of garmentes that lye in pressys and are eten of Mothis. It is ours that ye con­sume and wast / it is cruelly stolen from vs / that ye vnprofytably and wyckid­ly dyspend. O ye curyous and delectable persones ye haue wherewith we myght be refressyd / and we pore people can not fynde wherwith we shuld be susteigned. And furdermore god moste ryghtwyse and sapyent made al wordly goodes cō ­myn to euery man hauynge nede / and that euery man shulde conuenyently vse them accordynge to his estate / soo that as towchynge / the vse / all temporall goodes shulde be in commune / although that concernynge the ryght and tytle of possessynge & dyspensynge of them / some men haue propertye in some goodes.

And as saynt Thomas affirmyth in his boke callyd Secunda secūde / in this ma­ner what soeuer any man superfluously conuerscyth to his owne vse / or what so euer he reseruyth nygardly / or geteth immoderately / he stelyth it away from the poore people / and incurryth the synne of thefe or robbry / ye and the daungere of other greuous cruelte as Wilhelmꝰ par­isiensis & Vlrichꝰ doth de wyttnesse and declare. For this purpose also y^e blessyd father Ambrose makyth protestacyon of that thyng that is had in the decre in the xxvii. distinction / in the chapitre begyn­nyng sicut hi / ī this maner of wyse whether god be so iust / so inequalle to distribute the subsydyes and sustynaunce of lyfe (that is to say) that thou shuldyst be rych and abundaunt & other veray pore and nedy? Or dyd he suffer it to be so / to then sent that thou myghtꝭ haue a profe of his lyberalyte / and to glorifie another thorugh the vertue of pacience or suffer­aunce / but thou therfore receiuynge the gyftes of god / & bestowyng them to thy nowne vse / thynkyst thou dost nothyng iniustly / yf thou alone do obteygne or reserue the substaunce of lyfe of many cre­aturys. O what creature can fynde in [Page] is hart to be so vncharitable and so couetous to dyspende the noryshement of so many pore people / not only to his owne pryuate vse / but also to his great habundaunce delyte and pleasure. And truly it is no lesse synne to take away from hym that hath / than to denye the nedy whan a man is habundaunt and may geue.

That thou witholdyst / is the fode & bred of them that be hūgry. Thyne apparayle that thou putyst vp is the clothyng of them that be naked. Thy money which thou hydyst in the erthe / and dyst enclose in thy cofer is the veray redemption of men beynge in calamyte mysery & captyuyte. Therfore thou mayst knowe howe thou walowyst in the goodes of other men / and howe prosperous thou art in respecte of them / and yet wylt not leue or depart with them / with this thynge especially y^e sayeng of Basiliꝰ aggreith. If thou wylt confesse that the temporal ryches came to thy handes by the gyfte of god / shall god therfore be reputed vn­iust / for dystrybutynge the goodes vnto vs / not indefferētly / by cause thou hast to muche & another hath to lytyll. Nay but to thentēt that thou shuldyst obteigne of a iuste dispensatour & that they neybour [Page] shuld be rewardyd for his pacyence it is the brede of the hungry that thou with­holdyst the cote of the bare that thou ke­pest in preuey chamber / the shooe of the bare fore that rottyth in thy house / the money of the nedy that thou posse [...]t in the erth and cofers. Therfor thou doste great iniury to so many poore people as thou art able to geue or lend vnto Let my masters the regulars and mynystres of the churche to whom one benefyce is not competent and sufficient / marke wel this. Let such note and consydre the ne­cessyte of the poore people / that haue soo many precious garmētes and furres ly­eng in theyr chambers / that make theyr gold and syluer theyr god / and treasour that voluptuosly and sumptuosly do al­dayes of theyr lyfe cōsume & wast it. Let them loke howe they can make accompt therof vnto the hygh iudge of heuē / whose membres they dayly suffer to perysshe by hungre / thyrst / nakydnes / and cold to whom also they geue nother harborow nor beddynge. Therof also it is spoken in the boke callyd. S [...]mma virtutum et vitiorū in this wyse. Mynystres of the churche do greuou [...]ly and many maner of ways offend in theyr apparayle.

Fyrst in the excedyng precyousnes there of. Secondaryly in tendernes. Thyrdly in curyousnes. Fourthly in superfluy [...]e therof. For as blessyd Iohan the Bap­tyst sayth who so hath two cofes that is to say / one that he hath no nede of / let hym geue it to one that hathe none.

Therfore trymmyng / and deckynge / apparayle is to be auoyded of regulars & mynystres of the church / which before is towchid in the fourth chapitre that they shuld were close garmetes not ouer long nor short / and also there it is prohybyte that in no wyse they may were red or grene clothe except in theyr ornamētes per­teynyng to dyuyne seruyce. Furdermore it is red amōg the myracles of gloryouse saynt Ierome that a certayne cardynal namyd Andreas beyng dede shulde haue ben eternaly cōdemned / except saint Ie­rome by intercessyon had obteigned the restoryng agayne of the bodye vnto the soule / to do penaūce and satysfaccyon in this present lyfe / & especyally forbycause he meruelowsly excedyd in his apparayle yet notwithstandynge otherwyse he was a veray chast and clene man and also endyd with many goodes and com­mendable vertues.

EXPERIENCE is the mastres of trewth. Therfor what nedyth it manifoldly to proue that thyng that experyence shewith. For euidētly it apperyth by good profe / how many and enorme my­schefes howe / hurtefull occasyons howe great ruyne and dyfformyte (worthy to be lamentyd) haue sprong by the reason of the cohabytacyon and dwellynge of women with prestꝭ and regular persons in somuch that now from the crowne of the hede to the sole of the fote there is in a maner no helth (that is to say) frō the highest vnto the lowyst in a maner no clennes or chastyte. But it is as the pro­phet Ozeas hath ꝓphesyed. That fornicacyon and aduoutry hath swymmyd al about wherby it apperith how daunge­rous such cohabytacions is and worthy to auoyde / with howe great reason also [Page] and discrecyon / holy fathers Popes / bysshopes / and other in many generall coū ­celles haue the same prohybyted. And truely the more straytly and vehemētly that it is prohybite vnto high and noble prelates the more dysobedyence contēpt and necligence is in them yf it be not a­uoyded. Therfore certayne decrees of the generall councelles of popes / bysshopes & other be veray necessary to be touchyd and spokyn of to declare how sagely / holy and dyscrete fathers haue abhorryd / prohybyte and vtterly excludyd this for seyd cohabytacyon / or dwellynge with women. It is rede that concernyng this matter / it was fully prouyded at the coū cell of Magūtyne. That no prest or clerke shulde kepe or retayne any women wherby euyll suspicyon myght be had betwene them / nor yet such maner of women as theyr rulys wole graunt them / that is to say / that mother / aunte / or sy­ster / for by the the instygacyon of the de­uyl it hath be perceuyd that abhomyna­ble offence hath be don with them / or els with theyr waytyng maydens. But the straytnes of this decree was afterward somewhat losyd as touchyng veray olde women & nere kynnysfolke vpon whom [Page] nature or age wyll not suffer any synny­ster acte to be suspectyd. Hereuppon Innocentius the thyrd wrytynge to a cer­tayn byshop sayth. That ye ought not to suffer women to inhabite with clerkꝭ except suche (as before is sayd) in whom the law of nature wyll no euyl suspecte. Therto also the blessyd Pope Gregori sayth in this wyse / we wyll and forbyd that clerkes prestes or regulars be not conuersant nor dwellyng with women / except with theyr mother / syster / or such other. It is red and also dyscussyd in the regystre that blessyd Augustyne dyd not agre that one shuld be in howse with his owne suster sayenge thus. Suche as be with my syster be not my systers. Ther­fore that vnderstanding of so great a lernyd man ought to be an instruccyō vnto vs. Saynt Gregori sayeth agayne that it is declaryd in the decree in the .lxxxi. dystynccyon / how it behouyth that pre­stes (to whom the people of god be com­myttyd) do substācyally attēd vpō theyr lordes flocke that it be not deuowryd of deuylls nother I ought to kepe sylence ī th [...] thīge that I do shew vnto you with great lamētacyon and sadnes. For I do perceue prestꝭ inhabityng with women / [Page] whiche is an abhomy [...]able thyng to be hard or spoken of & contrary to the [...] ­tutes of theyr holy rulys and ordynaun­ces For loke where suche cohabytacyon is / there lackyth no prouacatyon o [...] at­tēptyng of our enymye the deuyl. Ther­for they ought to be seuerid lett the tr [...]wde of the inuisible enemy discrye them [...]o that (accordyng to the wordes of the A­postle) our seruice may not be despys [...]d / for he sayth thus. We pres [...]es ought to be wate of all vnlawful actes / that we may lyft vp clene handes vnto a [...]myghty god (which sayth) be you holy for I am holy And truly yf ony man presumyth to do contrary / let hym be excludyd from the honour of presthode. Furdermore it is induced in the actes of the generall coū ­cel of Nice in this wyse. Aboue al thyng the generall councell forbyddeth that it is not lawful to any byshop / prest / decan or subdecon / nor to ony other in the cler­gy to haue or kepe any woman in his howse (that is to saye) to inhabyte or dwell with ony woman (as Eratianus expoundyth in the Rubrikes) except with the mother / syster or aunte or with such persones as wyll auoyd suspycyon. [Page] The beray same thynge was cōmaun­dyd in the Councell of Carthago for there Scirietus then Pope sayd. We wyll suffre no other women to be in the houses of clerkes but suche as the holy counsell of Nice hath sufferyd to inhabyte with them / for certaine causes only of necessyte. Moreouer holy fathers dyd not only prohybyte cohabytacyon with women / but also suspectyous visitacyon a [...]d cōmunycacyon with them. This al [...]s conteigned in the syxth synode or [...]uncell. It is cōuenient to be obseruyd of al clerkes / that they neuer comyn and talke with a woman except at a coue­nyent tyme and place / to the entent that all myscheuous suspycyon may be auoyded. Surely no maner of religyon may permyt & suffer them to come to gether alone. This is also rehersed in the syxth councell Affrykan. Clerkes or chast men may in no wyse resort to wydowes or virgyns except by the cōmaūdement of bysshopes or prestes / and yet they shall not alone / but they shal go with theyr clerkꝭ or with other which the bysshop or prest hym selfe may not vnto womē alone re­sort for fere of suspeccyō. Therfore pope Luttus saieth. A clerke shal not go alone [Page] without his superiors cōmandmēt vnto the howse of a woman. And a prest and a woman may in no wyse talke to gether alone. Nor the Archedecane may vnder the coloure of humylyte or of his offyce / oftentymes entre into the howses of women / nor sende any thynge to the good wyf preuely by theyr scolers / or howse­hold seruauntes. For yf that be cōmyt­tyd and knowen / he shalbe deposyd from his office. And she shalbe suspendyd from the graces of the churche. Therfore by­cause prestꝭ are sufferyd to cohabyte and dwell with women that be of theyr kyn­rede / it is to be supposed that no other prohybytyd women ought to inhabyte with theyr kynneswomen.

And for that cause prestes and regulars cohabytyng with theyr mothers or kynneswomē must take hede that no estrāge women dwell with theyr kynneswomen except they be veray olde and agyd.

Seynge also this cohabytacyon is soo straytly prohybyted / that no preste or clerke although he were chast in dede ought suche cohabytacyon to admyt for any hope of temporall auauntage whi­che thynge he wyll surelye fulfyll / yf he haue any prest or persone relygious vn­der [Page] hym whiche he ought to ouersee.

And altough it vere sure / that he shulde neuer be prouyd of the part of the womē yet it ought to be serched / lest y^e woman be prouyd of his part.

SVRE it is / that no man may please God or obteyne blysse / without clennes of hart inso­mych / that our sauyour sayth. Blessybed they that be clene of hart for they shall se the face of god. Wherof also Salomon sayth. He that louyth clen­nes of hart shall haue a kyng to his frende. Where of in lyke maner the Apostle sayd / vnto the kyng of worldes immor­tall and inuisyble on this fasyon. Euery feythfull Christen man is bounde to chastyte / other virgynall / coniugall / or viduall / or to suche chastyte that is abstynence from all vnlawfull congressyon. Fur­dermore the mynystres of the churche be [Page] many wayes bounde vnto Chastyte.

Fyrste bycause in theyre fyrste conscera­tion / or promotion to holy ordres / they haue straytly by vowe & promyse bound thēselfe vnto chastyte. And as it is copyously declaryd in theyr decree. No man ought to be promotyd vnto presthode / nor yet to take vpon hym ony holy or­dres that be inferyor vnto presthode / except he do promyse and vowe chastyte / and that chastyte is not only vtwardly promysed / but also inwardly / insomuche that they bynd them selfe to obserue all the holy rulys and decrees of the same.

For verely a vowe doth more substaun­cyally bynd / than an othe / as saynt Thomas in his boke callyd Secūda secunde. Ioannes Bartholomeus and other / do wyttnesse / and as Alexander / Bonauen­tura and other / that do wryte vpon the fourth boke of y^e sentence sayen. A vowe by relygyous professyon and takynge of holy ordres / is solemnyzed & made veray solemne in effecte whiche also strongly byndyth a mā to the performyng therof & lykewise vnto spiritual cōursacyon in somuch that it doth not only ꝓhibyt & let them to contracte matrymony / but also dissolueth and breakyth that matrimo­ny [Page] that is alredy contracted / for in suche a solemne vowe a man promyseth not only to do well and eschew euyl / but also he muste fulfyll his vowe in seuerynge hymselfe from wordly and carnall thyn­ges and also in applyenge dyuyne & spy­rytuall thynges. Therfor prestes regu­lars & other in the takyng of holy ordres they geue and offer them selfe to god / to the entēt that they wy [...]l do hym feythful and dylygent seruyce / and therfore they be consecrate to theyr maker / and ordey­ned to be his mynystres. The violent takynge and vsurpynge of other mennes goodes / is thefte / yf it happen to be done preuely. And truly robbrye openly done and also the abusyon of holy thynges is callyd sacrylege. Also robbynge or spoy­lynge of thyngꝭ cōsecrate vnto god may be very well iudged sacrylege. Therfore prestes and mynystres of the church do­ynge fornycacyon do cōmyt sacryledge / sacryledge: ye sacryledge and hyghe robbrye / in withdrawynge them selfe from the seruice of god / from the actes of clen­nes / and shamefull obeyeng and geuyng them felfe to al maner of fowle stynkyng and abhomynable vyce & carnall desyre. Wherfore yf stelyng or robbyng of a cha­leys [Page] be an horryble theft and sacryledge muche more abhomynable is the spoy­lynge or corruptyng of a reasonable cre­ature offeryd / consecrate and geuen vnto god / as prestes be. Secondaryly chastyte pryncypally belongeth vnto mynystres of the churche / for this cause. For as holy Dionisius sayeth. The lowest of hygh ordre / and the hyghest of the lower ordre owght to be agreable and lyke / now the lowest of the hygh hyerarchy or ordre is the company of holy aungeles. And the hyghest in the lower ordre of the church mylytaunt is the ordre of prestes and clerkes wherfore the prophet Malachie callyth a preste by the name of aungell / for it is sayd. The lyppys of a preste dothe kepe lernynge / and the people: shall loke for theyr lawe out of his mouth / for he is the aungel of the lord of hostes. Prestes therfore and Clerkes are bound to lyue purely / & chastly lyke aungeles / but they agaynst all ryghtwysnes do mordynatly synne / ledynge theyr lyfe in carnall fylthy & bestly desyre. Thyrd­ly bycause they be in the place and stede of god / & as the vicars of god. Therfore they are straytly bound to lyue godly / & not bestly & fylthylye / or els they do gre­uously [Page] offend agaīst the charyte of god. Fourthly forby cause they be set in high dygnyte & had in greatter honour for y^e loue of god / therfore they ought to be acceptable to god / & to serue hym in clēnes. Fyfthly forby cause they may please god reconsyle other vnto god / and clence thē that be vnclene / therfore they are bound to please god with chastyte and clennes. And where saynt Bernard sayeth wo be to the chyldren of the deuyll whiche not beynge reconsyled themselfe / hath take vpon them the offyce to reconsyle other / as though it were people that had done ryghtwysnes. And also the apostle affyrmyth the same sayeng thus. They that be in fleshe (that is to say) they that lyue carnally can not please god In the boke also of Ecclesiasticus thus it is sayd. Of an vnclene thynge what may be made clene. And in the .xii. chapytre of the prophet Naun. It is wryten thus. The prestes were clensyd & than they made clene the people. The syxte forby cause they do take / handell / & receue holy thynges / ye that thynge that is holy of all holy / whiche sayeth hymselfe. I am the lyuynge brede that descendyd frō heuyn. And furdermore [Page] yf it were so straytly ꝓhybyt in Moises law that no vnclene ꝑson shulde eare o [...]ferre or thouche any fleshly / or bestly sacryfyce / howe cursyd & myscheuous be they before the face of god / whiche do take handell and put forth to other / the veray body / & blode of our sauiour Christ and only begotten sonne of god / and yet they remayn in theyr abhominacion ly­uynge wyckedly and fylthyly / & geuyng euyll occasyon to other / dyd not god by the mouth of Moises cōmaund that no prest shuld presume to mynistre vnto god except he were sanctyfyed. And also that a man beynge vnclene shulde not offerre bred vnto god. And in a nother place a corrupt soule which had eten of the sacrifice of good creatures shulde peryishe frō amōg the people. And ferther ī the fyrst boke of kynges in the .xxi. chapytre it is red that a byshop sayd vnto Dauid ī this wyse. I haue no vnhalowyd bred / but only holy bred / and yf the chyldren and seruauntes be clene (especyally from women) let them eate it / ye the prestes of the old lawe in the tyme of theyr offyce / and sacryfyce were commaundyd to ab­steigne from theyr lawfull wyues.

Therfore howe great myschyefe cursyd­nes and vnshamfastnes is among prestꝭ and clerkes whiche (walowyng in theyr fowle & abhomynable fylthynes) do hā ­dell the most worthy and precyous sacramentes. Doth ther not (thynke you) hā ­ge ouer theyr heedes an infynyte & more than a paynfull ponyshment? God kno­wyth. The seuenth is forbycause they be the eyes in the mystycal body of the hole churche and truly a lytyll spot or offence is veray hurtefull to the eye. The eyghte forbycause they be the glasse into whom the lay people shulde dyrecte theyr eyes / whiche glasse ought to be veray clene & bryght. The .ix. is bycause the carnalyte of them is so abundaūt / to the great in­iurye / and contēpt of almyghty god / and geuyth so euyll occasyon vnto the people and also is more hurtful than can be supposed vnto all such offenders / for it blyndyth and hardenyth them in vyce and in conclusyon damneth them. It makyth also suche vyle and cursyd creaturs / to be despysed dysdayned and hated both of god & man. Furthermore after the mea­nynge of Wilhelmus Parisiensis & other doctours / such mynystres haue no ryght to the goodes of the church which be de­puted [Page] to the membres and sowdyars of Christ. And what soeuer they do vsurpe and spend of the patrymonye of Christe it is veray thefte and robbrye. They be also straytly bound to restytucyon of all suche goodes as they dyspend amonge bores or harlottes or other fylthy perso­nes / behold therfore howe synfull & daū ­gerous the lyfe of wanton and lecherous mynistres is. Therfore let them refrayn from the snares & gynnes of the dyuell / let thē also feare the great hepe of peryll and daunger that hangyth ouer them or els we may say to them as it is sayd in scripture. The people be without coūsell and wysdome / wolde to god they wolde waxe wyse & vnderstād / that they myght prepare to auoyde daunger in tyme o come.

THEy do synne mortally (as saynt Augustin sayth) which put forth them selfe to stryfe or debate. And truly that mā doth clene contrary to wysdome (wherūto we be bound as well as to charite and iustyce) which presumyth to pa [...]se nyghe a brydge / from the whiche scantly one amonge an hundreth hath escaped without fallyng in / or drownīg. In this case what man can say / but he dyd beray folysshly and was veray bar­reigne of wysdome / to put hymfelfe in so great ieoperdy much rather may vnshā ­fast prestes or regulares be countyd foles which contrary to theyr lawe wyll cohabyt and dwell with women from whom scātly one amōg a thousand shall escape without great peryl and daungere. And yf perauēture some do fortune to eschew the sowle & fylthy acte it selfe veray fewe can escape vnclene imagynacyon euyll prouocacion vnlawfull consent and sen­sualyte therof. Wherfore they ought in nowyse to choabyte / or dwell with any women (except she be veray agyd / or of theyr nygh kynrede) nor cōtynual to be­hold any woman / nor to haue any opor­tunyte of tyme / or place to comyt any euyll acte with her. How be it yf he wer [Page] such a one as were of synguler goodnes / exercized and tride in the feare of god & al maner of vertue aboue the comō sorte of men / it were not possyble that he shuld by any mean excede / or be entāgled with any suche carnall desyre / or eny wyse be mouyd from the purpose of chastyte. Is it not veray daungerous for a man not yet excersysed nor estabylysshed ī grace & vertue / to inhabyte / or dwell with a wo­man that is prohybyte. Let euery prest and clerke therfore take hede that no woman seldome or neuer do ons enter into theyr houses / for who so euer vysytheth the walkes / or steppes of womē can not inhabyte with god with a clene and hole hart. For a woman inflamyth the consciens of hym with whom she dwellyth.

Thou shalt neuer dispute / or haue comunycacyon of the bewtye of women. But yf thou perceue a womā in good conuersacyon / loue her with spirituall affection and not w^t corporall vysytacyon. Ther­for it is cōmaūdyd vnto prestꝭ & clerkꝭ ī the .xxxiiii. distynction that they shuld a­uoyd ouermuch familiarite w^t theyr kīsfolke inhabityng w^t thē furdermore as saynt Ierome saeth. The sharper tormē tes of hell be reseruyd vnto prestes and clerkꝭ doyeng fornycacyon / & ferder this [Page] Wo be to the beyng a prest that hast kyst the doughter of venus with the same mouth with whom a lytyll before thou dydyst receue the sonne of the Vyrgyn Mary. O cursyd Iudas that with a kysse dost betray the sonne of man. Therfor also gloryous saynt Ierome beynge in the extremyte of dethe in the presence of the blessyd bodye yf our lord / spake vnto Christe sayeng thus. Wo be to them that receue the vnworthyly / for truly they do crucyfye the agayne to theyr great con­demnation and punyshment. Alas good lord what shall I say / forbycause prestes do eate the in the altare / as it were the fleshe of byrdes or bestes on a table / by­cause also in the nyght they vse fylthy cō gressyon with women / & erly in the mor­nyng in theyr celebracion they do receue the / and eate the. Than good lord where art thou hyd dost thou slepe or wake?

Is such seruyce accepted of the? Is that the sacryfyce and oblation whiche thou desyryst. Behold the world is full of pre­stes and yet ther is scantly one amonge an hoūdreth that is good and weldyspo­syd. There is in the world none so cruell a beste as an euyll and wanton preste is for he dysdaynyth to be correctyd & in no [Page] wyse wyll suffer to here the trouth. Therfore in the person of Chryste spekynge saynt Augustyne in this wyse. O thou prest torment me nomore with thyn of­fences / for the wound of thy synne hur­tyth me more (that is to say) dyspleasyth me more / than the wound of my syde.

Thou dost synne more greuously which offendyst me raynynge in leuyn with thy fornicacyon / and my body & blod vnreuerently handelyst / geuyng euyll occasyon and example vnto my people / for whose helth I dyd vouchsaffe to be crucified on a crosse / than they which also crucyfyed me walkyng on the erth. Therfor o thou preste here holy saynt Bernard exhor­tyng and enformynge the / sayeng thus. O thou preste thy mouth is dayly made the receuer / and as ye wold say the sepul­ture of the blessyd body of Chryst. Ther­fore why doth that mouth euer lye / why doth it euer speke lecherously why is that soule and mynd of thyne made vytious. Wherfore do thynyes behold vanytees / whiche euery day on the altare hath be­fore them / Christe hym selfe the hyghe & euerlastynge trewth / why puttyst thou forth thy handes vnto thynges vnlaw­full and vnclene / which do handell most [Page] precyous and immaculate sacramētes / why swymmyst thou in the dronken stremys of wyne / whiche drynkyst the blod of our sauyour / & euer oughtyst to be full of spiritual refresshyng. Is it not a fowle and myscheuous acre for thē / to handell the shameles bodyes of harlotes with such handes as be geuen / and dedycate vnto god ye consecrate also with holy a­noyntment / and with the same handes to touch the holy body of our lord Iesus Chrste. O how wycked & presumptuous it is to handell the sonne of the Virgyne Mary / ye the only begoten sonne of god the father / and hym to receue with so fylthy a mouth whiche excellyth and ouer cummyth all vnderstandyng. What man wolde not be abasshyd to se the most pre­cyous treasour in the worlde to be cast in to a dounghyll. For truly a Lecherous prest is more fylthy than any durt / or clay / and more stynkynge and corrupt than any synke / or drawght furdermore as saynt Ierome sayeth / and as it is red in the decree / no man ought for to eate of the easter lambe / or to be receuyd to the communyon at such tyme as he knowith his wyfe.

¶ The cause wherof saynt Thomas & [Page] other vpon the fourth boke of sentence / haue notyd saieng thus / that althowgh the carnall acte in wedlocke may be done without synne / yet by the plesure and voluptuosnes therūto annexed / it plockyth and withdrawith a mans mynd frō de­uocyon. Therfor yf it be not laful for maryed folke / whiche may vse the bodyly occupacyon without synne / to receyue thyr maker / where the nyght before they ha­ue carnally knowen yche other. Howe abhomynable do these prestes which cō ­myttyng fornycacyon in the nyght / pre­sume to celebrate in the day. Surely it may be conceuyd by no vnderstandynge nor by any tong it may be expressed how in ordynatly such do offend which beyng polluted with so fowle vyce / do presume to handel and recyeue the most pure and heuenly mysteryes of Christ / and to pro­noūce the most holy wordꝭ of the masse & canon therof with so corrupt a mouth.

Therfore of suche thynges spekyth the hygh iudge Christ hymself by the mouth of the ꝓphet Ozeas sayeng thus. I wyl correcte thē at my pleasure / and thus be holde I wyll mete thē as it were a bere & lyones that had lost theyr whelpes and wyll destroye the inward parte of them & also wyll cōsume thē as it were a lyon. [Page] Than as the Prophet Dauid this psalmes sayth. He wyll speke vnto them in his angre / and wyl vexe and troble them in his furor. He wyll thrust them in to a fornace of fyre in tyme of his wrathe & they shall haue no rest in theyr mysery.

And as the Prophet Ezechiell spekyth. Beholde I haue clappyd my handes at theyr malyce. Can your hart susteigne or your handes preuayle in the tyme of my punysshemēt? And thus I wyll blow you and brenne you in the fyre of furor / and you shalbe blowen in the myddis o a fornace & than I wyll ceasse / of whom also god by the Prophet Amos god spe­kyth in this wyse. Beholde I wyll grate vpon you / as a wayne wyl grate that is laden with hey. And nowe by the Pro­phet Malachias the word of god is spo­ken vnto prestes that polute and corrupt his name in this wyse. I wyll cast vpon you the fyltes of your ceremonies / and it shall take you with it (that is to say) I wyll impute vnto you / your owne fylthy & fleshly werkes / & you shall fall together with your myschyef into the depe flod of Acheon in hell. And the more intenty fly ye were geuen vnto voluptuousnes and carnal desyre / the more peynfully ye shal [Page] be bornyd in most hote and wyld fyre for euermore / in lyke maner as I haue spo­ken in the Apocalypsis / that is to say.

The more they haue gloryfyed thē selfe in delyte and plesure / geue vnto them so much the more payn and torment.

IT is red in the boke of the doctryne & reuelacyons of saynt Kateryne of zenis that the e­uerlastyng father spake vnto her in a vysyon in this wyse. The soule of wrechyd and carnall prestes / takyth great corruption of vyce by theyr sensu­alyte. And furder thus I haue anoynted and consecrate them to the entent that they shuld serue me in holynes & iustice / and mynystre sacramētes vnto beleuers and wottyst thou my welbelouyd doughter howe they reward me for my benefy­cyall goodnes? I wyll tell the howe.

They do dayly persecute me with so ma­ny myscheuous actes / that it is impossi­ble for thy tonge to expresse it. And yf thou dydyst here them all rehersed / thou woldyst dye for veray sorow / yet I wyll shewe the some of them that thou mayst haue the more compassyon.

For veryly they oughte to stand at the fable of the moste holy crosse there inces­sauntly beynge in medytacyon / of the bytter passyon of Christ / and there them selfe to fede with the foode of soules / la­bourynge contynually for the helth of them / euermore reioysynge in the spyry­tuall profet of them. But they go into tauerns / and there they swere / and stare / tellynge wanton tales / seruynge Glotony / and Dronkenes / forgetynge theyr dyuyne seruyce / but yf they chaunce to say it / theyr hartes notwithstandyng be farre from me. They be full of mysera­ble vyce / as it were men blyndyd in syn­ne / ye theyr wordes and dedes standyth alwayes of wantones / they be not asha­myd to offende openly / they be veray ry­baldes / players / and mockers. But after they haue played away theyr soules / so that it perteyneth to the bodye of the dy­uell / than they play away the goodes of [Page] the churche / and to expende the substaunce (whiche they take in the name and vertue of the blod of our sauyour Christe) in theyr owne pleasurys so that the pore people be nothynge holpen therwith.

Nother the churche hath necessarye or­namentes / for they beynge the tem­ple of the dyuell / care not for my tem­ple and suche ornamentes as they shuld make in the churche / they make in theyr owne houses / ye and do worse with it then that / for loke howe the bryde gro­me attyryth his bryde / ryght so these fleshly dyueles do attyre theyr fleshly con­cubynes and perramours. And whan these vnhappy dyuelꝭ (that is to saye) wanton prestes do passe vnto the altare / they be nothyng abasshed to se theyr concubynes or harlottes goynge with theyr chyldren to do theyr oblacyon with o­ther people. O ye dyuelles and worse then dyuelles / wolde to god your iniqui­te were more hyd vnder fote / for than i [...] shuld do lesse hurt vnto the lay subyectes But nowe truly ye be the veray occasy­on of abhomynable lyuynge. Is this the puryte or clennes that I desyre in a preste.

Is this clennes / whā he rysyth with an vnchast mynd with a corruept & stynkīg bodye with whom all nyght he lay with his deuyll or leman. O tabernacle of Behebub / where is they weldysposed wat­chynge in the nyght whan contynually thou shuldyst be deuoute ī prayer at whiche tyme also thou shuldyst vertuouslye dyspose they selfe to celebratyon on the morow. Therfore of carnall delyte it cō ­myth / that these sylthy prestꝭ do nother seke myne honour / the helth of thē selfe nor yet of theyr neybours. They wyll not correcte also such as they haue cure & charge of / but of theyr owne propre and pryuate affection wherwith they be en­flamyd / they coueyte and desyre worldly ryches pleasure of the body with whom yet they must haue temporall honoures delycate feastes and bankettys precious superfluous and well trymmyd garmentes of these prestes therefore this holy & innocent virgyn saynt Kateryne wrote many other thynges by the speche and reuelacion of god / wiche be brought in / in another place.

¶ Moreouer there be many thyngꝭ red of [...]ese prestes in the boke of the reuela­cyon of the blessyd wydowe saynt Bry­gyde [Page] where amonge other Christ in a visyone spake vnto her on this facyo / was it not sayd by the prophet Dauid howe they that haue eten my b [...]d haue magnyfied supplantacyon aboue m [...]yeuē so now I say to you. Tha [...] [...] [...]cheroꝰ prestꝭ which eate my br [...]e [...] [...] [...]he [...] / be veray traitours vnto [...]. I [...] y^e Iewes & paynyms & I can ꝑceue [...]g thē none worse thā such p [...]e [...]ꝭ. Th [...]fore of the veray zele of iustyce / I [...]urse [...]. And cursyd be all thynge [...] they [...]a [...]e of the erth to theyr ꝓfter or [...]f [...]acyo [...] / forbycause they be so vnkyn [...] to ge [...].

Cursyd be theyr meate / and drink [...] whi­che fedeth theyr bodyes to wor [...]es meate and theyr soules to hel (th [...] is to [...]ay) they kepe the soules in theyr bodyes to theyr damnacyons. Cursyd be the bodyꝭ of them / whiche shall ryse and brenne in hell without end. Cursyd be the yeres in whom they so viciously haue lyuen. Cursyd be that houre that begynnyth to thē inhell / & shall neuer haue ende Cursyd be y^e eyes of thē with whō they haue sene the lyght of the fyrmament. Cursyd be the eares of thē that hath hard my wor­des / and not fulfylled them. Cursyd be the taste of them wherwith they haue [Page] perceuyd my gyftes. Cursyd be the tou­chynge of them / that haue touchyd me vnworthyly. Cursyd be the sauour of thē that haue smellyd thynges for theyr owne delyght / and despysed me / that am most delecrable of all thynge. Amonge these cursyd prestes there rayneth coue­tyse auaryce slewth symony / hatred / ob­stynacy / carnall pleasure / the loue of the world / and yet with worldly thynges they are not satysfyed. They preche my worde and seme to do many good thyn­ges / but all is to theyr owne honour and comodyte. Holy sancte Brigitte reher­seth many mo thynges lyke vnto these whiche nowe for this purpose we haue sufficyently touchyd bycause in the boke of the lyfe and rules of curates they be more largely declaryd.

THe holy & most dyuyne Dionysiꝰ / saith. That no man ought to pre­sume to be a leder in ony dyuyne office or seruyce / but such as be most lyke or veray nyghe facyoned vnto god ī ver­tue (that is to say) so wyse and vertuous that of the plētuousnes of thē other may [Page] be clensed lyghtened & with vertue replenysshed where vpon saīte Thomas vpō the fourth boke of sentence in the .xxiiii. dystynctyon concludyth & Albertus affirmyth the same. That where euery man in holy ordres / is cōstitute a leder ī other dyuyne matters / yf he presume to take vnworthyly that ordre vpon hym / he synnyth dedly. In lyke maner he that is constitute in holy ordres / wether he be prest / decane / or subdecane / as oftentyme as he executyth any acte of his holy or­dre vnworthily / so oftētymes he sinnyth dedly / as it were a man that had no charyte nor yet grace. The same thyng Du­randꝰ in his boke callyd summa raymū ­dus / Iohannes Bonauētura and other agreably do affyrme. Therfore holynes of lyfe is aswel required vnto the taking of holy ordre / as to the execution and de­mynystracion of the same by cause of the cōmaundmēt & not bycause of the sacra­ment / herewith aggreyth the sayenge of that deuoute Dionysius in a certayn epistle whiche he wrote ad demophilū say­eng thus. Any man not weldissposyd nor vertuous / vnworthyly executing thyngꝭ that be holy shewyth hym to be veray presumptuous / and a man supposynge [Page] that god is ignorāt of that / that he kno­with (that is to say) he thynkyth y^t god (whom lyke a lyer he callyd father) doth dote or mystake his wretchednes or vice I wyll not say that such a on doth (lyke a Christen man) shew forth prayers / or orysons vpon the holy syngnes that is to say the sacramentes. Vpon whiche wordes the doctours before rehersed do conclude / that such a prest / decane / or subdecane / is taken as a blasphemour dece­uour & traytour vnto Christe. Therfore (seyng regulars be in some holy ordre) it apperyth howe vertuous and clene they ought to be / and howe obedyently they ought to excecute theyr offyces. Wherby also they be boūde to geue good example vnto the people / and that theyr neygh­bours shulde be parttakers of the abun­daunce of theyr vertu and grace. &c.

THe holy and elect saynt Bernard / the louer of regular bretherne / a fauourer of the publyk wele / auoydour & assistour of the church / oftētymes in his bokes descrybyth and lamentyth [Page] the great ruyne / & [...] of the churche. But amonge all other / espe [...] [...] waylyeh the lapse and fall of [...] He sayeth also that Clerkes [...] men) do prīcypally vsurpe and [...] that thynge wherein is theyr [...] vtterly auoyde y^t thynge that [...]hu [...]de b [...] paynfull vnto thē. And no [...]ought euery kynd of people hath some la [...]our / & so [...]e pleasure but now adayes ye may ꝑerue [...] m [...]ruayle at the [...]uysion of Clerkꝭ / how by a newe meanes they can dyscer [...]e [...]he plesure from the payne / cho [...]syng & em­bracyng all thynge for theyr dely [...]e / and vtterly auoid [...]ng all thynge that is gre­uous and peynfull. They compare with soudyars tu [...]ers of the [...]orlde in p [...]y [...] / noble apparaunce / tra [...]pynge of horses or mules / hūtynge / hawkyng / dye [...] / [...]ar­des / ye thy begynne to coun [...]er [...]e [...] wa [...]nē in werynge precyous furres hangynge donne on theyr neckes in swete odour [...] in gloryous garmentes ye in all ma [...]er of tendernes. Ful craftely they retrayne from weryng of harnes / frō watchynge all nyght in pauylyons / from sodeygne / skyrmysshes.

¶ The husbandman swetyth the ke­per of the vyneard dyggyth / and deluyth [Page] And clerkes which sytt sluggysshly in idelnes at the fruteful tyme of the yere / do cō maunde theyr barnes to be stuffyd theyr buttryes to be replenysshed before the husbandmē. They eate fyne white bred. They drinke pure wine / they franke thē with the fattenes of corne / they coueyt the sauour of straung and swete herbes. Marchauntes do sayle about the see ingrete labour / both in daūgere of body & lyfe gathering ryches that by wracke or mysaucnture they may lese these are sore thynges. Our ryche prestes wyll be­ware of them / for they wyll slepe in the meane space. I wyl not say they play y^e wantons in theyr beddes / furdermore o­ther craftesmē geate theyr lyuyng with sore laboure / but idell clerkes wallowe & swymme in ryches & pleasure without labour / or payne / but at the last whan al men shall aryse euery man in his ordre / where (thynke ye) this generacion shall be appointed. If they torne to kynyghtꝭ or sowdyars. They wyll beate thē away in lyke maner husbandmen / marchaun­tes / and all other craftes men wyll dryue them away frō theyr partes / bycause they haue not labouryd as they haue done. But than what remayneth.

Infayth that suche (whom euery ordre doth forsake and accuse) must be appoynted vnto a place where is no ordre / But euerlastynge fere and troble. Therfore saynt Bernard shewyth in his thyrd bo­ke callyd (de consideracione) that clerkes be out of all ordre / saynge thus. What meanyth it that clerkes wyll be of one facyon / and yet wylbe countyd to be of another / for in theyr apparayle they be sowdyars or ruflars in theyr gaynes or lucre they are veray clerkes / but in dede they appere to be nother / for they fyght not as sowdyars / & theyr techynge and conuersacyon is not lyke clerkes / howe may we knowe of what ordre they be / whan they wyll be of both ordres / but truely they destroy and confund bothe. The blyssed apostle sayd thus euery mā shall aryse in his ordre. In whiche (thynke ye) shall these aryse. Whether they that haue offendyd without ordre shall peryshe without ordre. Or yf it be suppo­sed that the most true / and ryghtwyse God wyll forsake (from the hyghest vnto the lowyste) all them that be out of ordre. I feare lest they shall be or­dred in no other place but where euerla­sting horrour / fere / & troble doth inhabite [Page] Forsoth they be not frendly spouses whiche feare not to re [...]ayne thynges assig­ned vnto to church to theyr owne priuat v [...]e and professet. And suche as ought to prepare tabernacles in heuen both for them self and other / thy procure herein the erch houses vpon houses lande vpon land / & cōtrary to the doctryne of Christ they mucke vp mony & treasure in this world / where as nature is cōtentid with a lyetyll. But they do not only seke a ne­cessary lyuyng by the goodꝭ of y^e church which they may obtayne with small pe­ryls / but also they desyre to be honouryd they study to please man & not god / to be proud & full of plesure / in euery poīt to be cōformable to this world. It is not cha­ryte / but a couetousnes that is straunge to god / which inducyth al mē to gete pryuate honour / or ryches in substaunce / or ordres of y^e church / or els to seke plesure of y^e body (that is to say) such thyngꝭ as be theyrs / & not such thingꝭ as be Christꝭ What meane they to be so fole hardye.

Howe chaunsyth it that they be so mad / where is the feare of god / where is the remembraunce of deth / where is the fea­re of the paynes of hell / where is the lo­kynge for the terryble day of iudgment. [Page] The spouses cryeth to the heuēly spouse in this maner. Take me with the / we wyll runne in to the sauour of thyne oli­mentes. Nowe euery man takyth his owne pleasure / and folouyng the sauour of foule lucre / they suppose gaines to be goodnes / the damnation of whom is rightwyse.

HOly saīt Bernard spekyth of this matter sayeng thus / wo be to the beīg a clerke / deth is in thy cuppe deth is in thy delyte and plesure / forby­cause thou eatest & drynkyst the synnes of y^e people (that is to say) thou eatest / & drynkest the goodes of the churche offe­ryd of the people to purge thē from syn­ne. Thou rekenyst to haue the rewardes of the churche for god a mercy. Thou singyst for them / but better it were for the to begge & labour except by thy iust con­uersacyon in all thynge / thou do satysfy god for the offences of thy foundars and benefactours. Therfore be thou sad and circumspecte to do frutes of penaunce to [Page] shed cōdygne teres for theyr offences as though thou shuldyst make accompt for them: or els thou knowyst that the syn­nys of the people (whiche now thou ac­countyst among thy plesurys / nothynge regardyng them as though they belon­gyd not vnto the) wyll be layed to thy charge. O the great depnes of the iudgementes of god / O how terryble is god in his counsaylys to the chyldren of men.

O wretchis it wylbe to late for you to say vnto the hylles. Fal ye vpon vs and couer vs with downs. For ye shall come before the iudycyall barre of Christ / and the greuous complaynt of the people shalbe hard agaynst yow / the sore accusation of thē by whose almes and stypen­des ye were susteyned and haue not was­shed away the synnys of them to whom ye were veray blynd leders and dysceyt­full medyatours. O thou fole what ple­sure fyndyst thou than in thy delycyous­nes / how do thy ryches delyte thyn eyes wherewith thou hast bought the so ter­ryble a iugement / soo intollerable and eternall ponysshment / & hast bound thy [Page] selfe vnto so strayte an accompt / for why all that thou hast vnto the last farthyng shalbe taken away from the / but nowe let regulars marke what the holy anointed saynt Bernard (beyng taught by the holy ghost) wrote vnto one Falco a wel­disposed regular hauynge no more but one benefyce / whiche Falco also after­ward was made a bysshop sayeng thus. Thou rysyst vp at vygylles / thou geyst vnto masses / thou vsyst the quere bothe in the houris of the nyght and eke of the day. This doyeng thou dost well and takyst not the prebendes of the churche for nothynge / for it is mete that he that seruyth the altare do lyue by the altare. I wyll he shulde lyue by the altare / but I wyll not that he shulde be prowd / lecher­ous / nor ryche / nor by the goodes of the clergye of a pore man to be made a ryche man / nor of a meane man to be made a gloryous man. Of the goodes of the churche he may buylde hym no great palayeꝭ no precyous maners / or dwellynge houses. Curyously kerued / peynted / or gylted / he may gather no bagges of money too gethere / he maye not [Page] destroye and expend the goodes of the poore people in such vany [...] or sup [...]erflu [...] / he may no [...] exal [...]e or ꝓmo [...]e his ne­ [...]wes / or [...]ynsfolke with the goodes of the churche / and I was about to say / he shu [...]b not mary his sonnes, or doughters therwith / but now let i [...] palie. It is grā [...]yd vnto the (yr thou i [...]ue th [...] al [...]are) that thou shalt be susteyned by the altar [...]ut to the emen [...] tha [...] thou shuld bye the [...]g [...]den bryl [...]s / paynted s [...]dles / syluer [...] soi [...] and fy [...]e [...]u [...]res or chaunge­ [...] [...] / to be se [...]uin rych [...] appareyl / [...] aboute theyr neckys & vpō [...]. Than we muste conclude [...] soeuer thou retaynest of the [...] of the churche / except necessary [...] ap [...]tayl [...] / it is not thyne / but [...] [...]t [...]nb [...]y and sacryledge. Alas [...] in the beginnyng o [...] the esta­ [...] [...] worde haue thought that [...] [...]old [...]a [...]e tumb [...]yd downe in to so [...] euyn [...]. But whan a lytyll and a ly [...] [...] [...]an began more greuously to ostend [...] bo [...]enes had hardened his na [...]e [...]ce without shame / [...]nsomuch that he [...] it not / than this desperate / vnhap [...]es began. For a wycked p [...]est whan [...] [...]mpth vnto the bottom or synne / settyth [Page] not a paynt therby / nor fearyth to present hymselfe to the face of god / bold­ly entryng into the church / as yf it were an howshold seruaūt / than he goyth into the quere / he knylyth downe and kyssyth the altare with a theuysshe mouthe / he thynkyth that he doth craftely / but how openly is his iniquyte foūd to his great hatered in the syght of god / so than som of them do fall from fornycacyon / to in­cest and aduoutrie / but wold to god they had not fallen to the affeccyons of igno­mynye / and abhomynable lyuyng. Fur­thermore of these regulars holy sayncte Bernard wrote many other thynges of the ambytyon / and desyre of promotyon of clerkes / and how they be asshamed to be contentyd with a suffycyent prebende but euermore they brethe to hygher dygnyte / tyll at the last / they fall downe as depe as the dyuel / and no meruayle that so cursyd conuersatyon is in the churche amonge them constitute in holy ordres / for they enter not into them by Christe but by symonye / & many other peruerse intencyons / sekyng god in pleasure and idelnes / lyuynge in vanyte and worldly desyre / not seruynge god in sanctyte and iustice / or procedyng to god by a str [...]y [...]e [Page] or narowe waye of helth / hauynge more respecte vnto thynges temporall than spiritual / furdermore as holy saynt Bernard sayeth. Euery where men runne hedlonge in to holy ordres without any reuerence or consideratyon / and yet it is a mystery worthy to be honourably my­nystred of spirituall angelꝭ. But nowe adayes they make men prestes in whom auarice reygneth / ambytyon gouernyth pryde hath domynacyon / but iniquyte and lechery beryth most rule. After this facyon they coueyle & runne to the dyg­nytees and charges of the churche / as though they ought to lyue without charge / whan they come to theyr honoures and charges. Truly they do not ponder the bourdone annexyd vnto the charge / nother they do beholde what iudgement they stande in. whom veryly (the more negligent they be in theyr accompt / the more at lybertye and plesure that they lyue) the more intollerable shall theyr dā nacyon approche vnto them.

FOr bycause it is the chyef exercyse of regular [...] (or els it ought to be) continually to be occupied in orysons & prayse to god / and in syngynge theyr di­uine howres. Therfore we shall breuely touch how god ought to be lawdyd and prayed vnto. But in the meane tyme / I purpose somwhat to declare howe inces­santly and feruently we haue nede to cal vpon god. Fyrste it apperyth of the part of the place wherein we do dwell. For ye know we inhabyte in this wyked world as in a great exyle / in a vale of terys and mornynge in a fylde fully beseged with most cruel craftye and stronge enemyes / by whom we be dayly in great peryll & daungere / for our inuisible aduersaryes do neuer slepe / but euermore they ley a­wayte and go aboute to cast vs downe in great aduersyte & with them to wrappe vs in eternall damnation. And truly we be veray brytyl and weke to resyst them. Therfore aswell of the parte of the place as of the parte of y^e daūgere & gynnes in whom we be dayly set & cōuersaunt & al­so of the parte of our gostly enemyes / we haue greate nede to fle vnto God / with prayer / and moste affectuously to desyre his helpe comfort and defence.

Especially and forbycause we do dayly & euerywhere brynge with vs our domestycall aduersary (that is to say) our owne bodye whiche greuyth our soule depres­syth our vnderstandynge / and besydys that inducyth a thousand impedymētes of spiritual profet. Secondaryly it apperyth howe feruently it behouyth to pray god for a great cause the which we haue to do with hym before hand. And this is the matter / forbycause we haue despysed to take eternall damnation. Therfore of ryght we ought to serue god / and therby to obteyne euerlastyng ioy. And ferther yf men so affectuously and lamentably de entrete / for the conseruation & defence of this short and present corporall lyfe.

yf also people do so mekely and instaūtly desyre god for worldly prosperyte / howe much more mekely / and feruently doth it become vs to besech the mercy of god for escapyng perpetuall damnatyon / for vertue also to preuayle agaynst all temptatyons / for the obteynīg of euerlastyng helth / for euery gyfte of grace necessarye to combye and deserue so great and infi­nyte blysse. Thirdly it apperith for that: that so oftentymes and so greuously we haue offendyd god / and dayly do dysho­nour [Page] hym. Therfore Climacus sayeth that by cōsideration of them that be gylty of deth / ye may lerne how ye ought to pray vnto god. For yf theues or murde­rers beynge taken by a prynce / or great man / haue ony hope or truste to escape / they wyll knele downe byfore hym whō they haue offendyd & with great humy­lyte and feruent affectyon desyre pardon promysyng to amende and that euer af­ter vnto the tyme of deth they wyll humble them selfe and be veray dylygent to do that prince or great man veray faythfull seruyce / much more we abhomyna­ble wretchis / whiche tymes innumera­ble haue deseruyd eternall damnatyon / ought after the same maner to cal vpon god euerlastyng / which graunty [...]h hope to them that be penitent and promyseth pardon to them that he contryte. Furder more we may ponder a part by god hym selfe and by his maieste / howe and after what facyon we oughte to pray vnto hym. For fyrst yf we cōsyder the infynite maieste / dignite / holynes / and honour of god most blessyd & gloryous / we oughte to desyre hym of pardon with al reuerēce subiection / and humylyte. For yf the mynystres of kyngꝭ & prelates in this world [Page] do so mekely / reuerently / & lyke subiectes worshyp them / muche more we ought to do honour and reuerence (and not with­out great humylyte & subiection) vnto the euerlastyng / and most incomparable kynge of heuen / moreouer considerynge y^e most fauorable goodnes of god behol­dyng vs / we ought to cal vpon his grace with a dylygent custodie of hart / with a veray cyrcunspecte attendaunce to pon­dre the sense of our wordes / thynkyng vtterly to refrayne from all vnfruythfull dygressyon. Consideryng also the infinyte mercy and reward of god / we ought to pray vnto hym with great hope and cō ­fidence. And ferther in consideracyon of godly iustice we ought to pray vnto hym with feare & tremblyng / moreouer consi­derynge our owne transgressyon & offen­ces / we ought to pray vnto hym / with inward contrytion mekely knowledgynge our offences / to our great ꝓffet. And tru­ly cōsideringe our owne necessyte / infyr­myte / & redynes to vyce & myschyef / we ought euermore with sore sighyng & la­mentacyon to desyre his grace of mercy for as our sauyour hymselfe sayeth. It behouyth for to pray and neuer ceasse.

Consideryng olso our owne small deser­uyng we ought louyngly & w^t great me­knes [Page] to call vpon god puttyng our only feyth hope and trust in his mercy / euyn as creatures of veray small and weke power. Of these consideracyons for the most parte it apperyth / how attētysly / reuerently / distinctly / affectuously / plesaūtly to god / ferefully / mekely / purely / & dy­scretly we ought to lawde & honour god in syngyng. Therfor sayeth saynt Ber­nard in this wyse. Most welbelouyd bretherne / alwayes I exhort you / y^t boldly ye appere in your diuine seruice / & that duely / & reuerently ye resort vnto it / not slowly heuily or slepīgly not sparīg your voices whā ye shuld syng / not ꝓnoūcing halfe wordes & somtyme eskyppyng the hole / not sowning thē softly as it were a womā that sang thorowgh the nose / but to ꝓnoūce such holy & gostly wordꝭ w^t a manly brest & affection / with so good dy­sposytion that ye shuld seme to imagyne or thinke that thing y^t ye sang / but alas there be many regulares nowe a daies in that point foūd greatly ī defaulte / for they syng to rasshely not pawsing in the middis / nother reuerētly nor ferefully stā ding lyke good dyseyples before god / but sone absenting thē self frō diuine seruyce cōming tarde into the quyre / but yet wyl go out wyth the fyrst.

And howe can they be intentysly gyuen to the sence of such gostly wordes / whan they pronunce them so hastely and indi­styntly / but wolde god that they wolde harken to this that is sayed of them.

Cursyd is that man / that doth the werke of god negligently. And also that which god spake by the prophet Isaie and whiche Christe hymselfe rehersed in the go­spell on this facyon. The people do ho­nour me with theyr lyppis / but the hart of them is farre from me. What answere wyll these people make to the hyghe iudge / which dylygētly haue occupyed such thynges as perteyned to the flesshe and so longe tyme in them haue remayned / which ryng late to mattens / & fynyshe it so quikly yeuyn as they do other houres They syt also muche longer / at theyr dyners / suppers / feastes / bākettes / games / playes / and dysportes than nature necessyte or reson wold requyre. Veryly full sone they dyspatche them selfe from all thynge that is godly / and consernynge the welth of soules and at all tymes lede theyr lyf peruersly. Therfor let them re­pent and slake no more the due tyme of the dyuyne seruyce of theyr maker / but suche princypall and gostly wordis / let [Page] them more princypally dylygently & ty­mely execute. Furdermore there be some regulars that syng nothyng at all / not­withstandynge they stand in the quyer / but they cōmaund and cōmyt it to chyl­dren and other syngers in the quyer.

But that custome semyth to be a corruptyon of religion and no lawe / and to procede of no humylyte or deuotion / but ra­ther of pryd abusyon or hatered / where in tyme past not only the canons of ca­thedrall churches / but also the prelates themselfe were wont to synge with the quyer. Therfore let them marke what the apostle sayeth. He that labouryth not shal not eate. Is not the benefyce or­deigned for hym that doth the offyce / or deutye / for that cause the rentes of the church is due to none / but to such as do execute theyr offyces and labour in diuy­ne seruice.

LIke as it is declared in a certayne boke namyd / summa virtutū et vi­tiorum / it is greatlye reprouid in syngynge the dyuyne seruyce to fayne a voyce to much quaueryng or warbelyng eyther for pride / vainglorye / or pleasure. For as saynt Gregorye sayth. Whylste they fayne warblynge voyces / they let slyp all good deuocion / lykewyse in syn­gynge diuine seruyce ouermuche lowde­nes and mountynge of the voyce is no [...] comendable nor lykewyse the rollyng of it / nor also to much swyftnes or to drag­ge ouerlong at the latterēde / & to skyppe ouer the rest or pausinge in the myddes. And specyally when the song is so swyft that it is shakē all to nought. Moreouer a question may be mouyd whither descāt or breking of the voice may lawdably be sufferyd in goddes seruice / vpō that in y^e said notable boke of summa it is wryten thus. Breakyng of the voice or descante semyth to be nothyng cōmendable in y^e diuine seruice / wherupō it is redde in the legend of saīt Sebast. that ꝑsone is to be estemyd no right christian / which is in a maner weddid vnto the barbour / which trīmeth his bushe / which sekith swete sauours / & breakyth his voice / for brekyng of the voyce semith to betoken a broken [Page] mynde / euyn as the turnyng ī of the hed is nothyng cōendable vnto men / nor the great rollys of playtes in the garmētes of womē [...]omore is descāt vnto syngers. And lyke as the wynde is wonte to reyse vp great plentie of wauis & surges / euyn so the wynd of vanyte is the cause of all this quauers & surges in singyng / these thyngꝭ ar cōtaynid in the foresaid boke of summa / wherby it is ꝓuydyd y^t they that vse such maner of singyng / do vtter it for nothyng els but for theyr vainglo­ry & wātones of mynde which .ii. thyngꝭ do cōsyst ī theyr uyce singīg / for yf it wer excusable or to be cōmēdyd for any cause it shulde be onlie done for excyting & styrryng the people vnto deuocion / for some folkys by reason of suche melodyes / ar greatly mouyd vnto contēplacyō & deuocion for which cause also organes ar vsid in the church. Whereupon saynt Augu­stine sayeth. As often as the songe is more delectable vnto me / then the dite / so oftē I knowledge that I do synne penally / & then had I rather to here no song at al / furthermor although that descāt spe­cially ꝓuokith some vnto deuociō & heuē ly cōtemplacion / yet for al that it semith greatly to reuoke & let some frō y^e minde of theyr owne prayours.

For god from whome nothynge vnlaw­full don is hydden dothe not [...]oke af [...]er the plesauntnes of the voyce / but the pu­ryte of harte.

DAuid the maker of Psalmis dyd not w^tout cause praye this prayer vnto god sayenge. Let not myne harte inclyne vnto the wordis of malig­nyte / for to inuente excusis in synne.

Surelye this maner or excusynge cau­syth many to be vncorrigible & vnrulye. Let none therfore excuse hymselfe from the obserua [...]ce or kepyng of the thyngꝭ before specyfied / sayeng we can not lyue nowe a dayes / as our predecessours and elders haue lyues in tymes pa [...]syd (that is to wytte. For to be c [...]en [...]yd with ne­cessarye [Page] lyuynge / syngle araye / and one benefyce. But for the honestye / and wor­thynes of the churche / we haue nede of many moo thynges / and we muste kepe hospytalyte / and he clothed & sedde / ac­cordyng to the dygnyte of oure estate / degree / and ordre / & to mayntayne good housholders vnto the whiche maner of excusis / and suche lyke cauyllations / and perswasions / wherby many deceyue thē ­seluis and other to / this aunswere may be made. Howe it is conuenient that re­ligious persones / and al other within holy orders / shuld haue theyr lyuing / theyr clothyng / theyr mayntenaūce / & kepyng after an honest sorte / and accordynge to the degree that they ar callyd vnto / and as it is cōuenyēt for theyr degree / estate ordre / and dygnyte. But wolde god they wolde substaunciallye / and euynlye con­sydre / what belongyth vnto theyr very honestie / and to theyr conuenyent appa­rayll / and furnyshynge. For whatsoeuer thyng is contrarie vnto vertue / thesame is also contrarye vnto the true and com­mendable honesty. Forasmuch as good­nes & honestye (accordynge to the mynde of phylosophers and doctours) callyd so bycause of theyr owne nature and pro­pertie [Page] they do allure intyse / & cause men to desyre them for theyr owne sake / & for none other respecte / as wysedom / science & vertue / lyke as the phylosopher wry­teth in his fyrst boke (de anima) herevpō sayth Isodore / that honestie is asmuche to say as thestate of honour / bycause honour is due vnto wysedom and vertue / & also vnto dignyte: which ought to be furnyshed with wysedom and vertue / is to be whatsoeuer therfore is contrarye vnto / wysedom and Vertue / stemyde vnhonest / and cōtrary vnto the perfy­renes of lyuyng. Wherfore the honestye of spirytual mynystres standith in holye and perfyte humylite: greate pacience: myldenes: obedience: charyte: all chastyre: dyligence / sobreues / & gyuynge good example / true Iustice / mercye / lyberalyte and other lyke vertues / gyftes / and gra­cys of the holy ghoste / in the despysynge of erthlye thynges / in the desyre and contemplacyon of heuenlye thynges / not [...] the excesse / and superfluyte / costlynes / [...]posyte / delycatnes / and pleasure of appareyll / in mete: in drynke / and in sump­tuos [Page] houses / not in royall housekepyng in multeplyenge of ryches / and haboun­daunce of householdestuffe & other lyke. For in suche maner of thynges the very dygnyte worshyp comlynes and honesty of ecclesiastiques doth stande as the Apostle witnessyth wrytynge vnto Tymo­thee / that woman shulde praye in conue­nyent araye: meke: symple: and deuoute not in costlye: pompous: trymne: and ryche apparell: for the most holye Chieftayne of thapostles saith: be ye not clo­thyd with rych apparayll / and perlys.

In this poynte therefore consysteth the very honestye and dygnyte of relygious persones and prestes that (asmoch as is possyble) they shall endeuour for to vse themseluys accordynge to the cōmaun­demētes / decres / rulys / tradycyons / and steppys of Christe: thapostles: and holye fathers. And so by gyuynge good exam­ple / Dyligence and / Spirituall conuer­sacyon they shall edefye the Vnlernyd people & shalbe a good sauour vnto god / and shall gloryfie god in perfyte lyuynge [Page] and seruyng hym with all chastite / sobernes / and dilygence in doynge the diuyne seruyce / in simple & necessarye clothynge in charyte / deuocion / & the other vertues before touchyd. And in so doynge they shall obey / subdue / and conferme them selues vnto theyr prynce / theyr Lorde / theyr bishop / theyr master / theyr teacher and theyr iudge that is Iesu Christ / for in euery ordre & degree there is one thīg whiche is chief and superior / the whiche thyng is a rule and a measure of thyngꝭ more lasse & inferiour / so that the more that they be lyke & conformable to theyr hed and superyour / they ar somuche the more perfyte in theyr proper nature & degree / and the further that they vary and dyffer from it somuch the more vnperfit they be. Seynge therfore that Christe is the fyrste and chief hed measure and rule of al faithfull people that be of this con­gregacion or churche / somuch the more ar all christen people to be estemyd good vertuos / holy / and honest / in that they folowe Chryste theyr hed in whom was all honestye / vertu and goodnes. Ther­fore the true honesty of spirituall myny­stres consysteth in this poynte / which is to folowe Christes humylite / charite / [Page] iustice / good example / mercye / sobrenes / clennes / accordyng vnto the rulys / and decrees of holye Fathers / not to fede theyr belyes delycatelye / whereby they ar prouokyd vnto bodely luste / not to be arayed in gorgeous appareyll. But that they shulde be somuch the more vertuos / holy / sobre / chast / and good / in respecte of the laye people / as they ar set in more hygh estate and dygnyte. Moreouer it is prouyd by comon experiēce & teachyth that such relygyous persones as ar ver­tuos / and chaste in theyr cōuersacion / of which there is almost (the more pyte) as great plēte as is of whit crowes / ar more set by / more welbelouyd / much better re­gardyd among the cōmune people / then ar the other sorte. But how straytlye the superfluyte of goodes / incōtynence of ly­uynge / and sumptuosnes of appareyll / is forbydden vnto clerkys / is sufficientlye declaryd in the .xi. article wherin among other thynges it is conteynyd thus. All maner of starynge and gorgeous appa­reyll / shuld not be vsyd among spirytuall persones wherfore it is veray mete that such byshopes and clerkes as cloth them seluys in trym costlye appareyll shuld be refourmid. For in tyme past such as were [Page] of spirituall estate were contentyd with symple and mean aray. Finally the holy Apostles folowyd the same perfyte honesty of theyr Mayster Christ wherof mencion is made before / whose example holy Bishopes with theyr clerkes did alwais folow not only dutynge the persecucion of the churche / but also longe syns both in the tyme of saynt Gregorie / and also of saynt Bernard what tyme holy chur­che was in much higher / and more gloryous estate then it is nowe / for the blyssed fathers before namyd dyd most vehemētly rebuke mynystres of the churche for theyr excesse / superfluyte / curoisite / aua­ryce / & vicyous lyuynge / affyrmyng that they ar specially bounden to be contētyd with symple fare / and symple clothyng / and other lyke vertues as ar spoken of before. Therfore let them not excuse thē ­selues from the obseruaunce of suche thynges / but rather applye themselues (asmuch as is possible) vnto vertuos ly­uyng which is perfite honesty according to y^e rule that is expressyd in the begyn­nyng of the thyrd boke of decrees. And further as they ar cōmaū ­dyd in the canons of holy fa­thers and hyge bishopes.

♣ We haue now declaryd suf­fyciently / how chast / how tymorous / and how sobre / all clerkes / relygions / and all that be within holy ordres / ought for to be and in lyke maner howe they ar bounden to eschew all maner of pryde / excesse and worldly pompe in theyr appareayl / theyr stuffe / and theyr houses / and to be contentyd with symple fare / and symple clothynge. whiche ordre yf they wolde obserue / vndoubtydly they myght lyue competently with a mean benefyce / but forbicause they obserue not the thynges before specified but wyl haue superfluyte of al thynges / as of ryches / of gorgeous appareyll / of sumptuos fare / and suche lyke prouysyons lyke vnto ruflers / and ryche men of the worlde / no meruayle therfore yf they procure to haue many benefyces. But howe peryllous it is to haue pluralyte of benefyces / the true ca­tholique / and famous doctours afore namyd that is to wyte saynt Thomas / Wyllyam of Paris / Raymundus / and the author of the boke callyd Summa Virtutum & Vitiorum / and many other haue suffycyentlye declaryd / out of [Page] whose workis specially I haue gatherid this litle treatyse agaynst pluralite of benefices that now a dayes is euery where vsyd. But theffecte of theyr myndes cō ­sisteth in this pointe / that suche as haue more benefices then one (excepte it be in certayne casys hereafter to be towchyd) do robbe god of his seruyce / do dysmem­bre the church in dymynyshynge the iu­ste noumbre of her mynystres / do spoyle the poore and the nedy of theyr almes / the dead soules of theyr suffrages / & fy­nally deceyue the good entente of theyr foundours and patrones. Seynge ther­fore that contrary to the holsome coun­sell and doctrine of so many / and solemne doctours and holye fathers / they haue & coueyte to haue pluralite of benefices / they put themselues in great peryll (and to be playne) so doyng they cōmytte deadlye synne. Hereupon Wyllyam of Paris wryteth in this wyse / verely the hauyng of spirituall possessions is very daunge­rous / whiche ought not to be gyuen / but only to such as deserue them / for the whiche cause good and holye men haue ben daungerous to receyue them. And all y^t myght be sauyd besydes theyr necessary sustenāce / they vsyd to distribut vnto the [Page] poore / to the entent they shulde supplye theyr defautes in prayeng & doyng good dedys / wherupon the holy father saynt Bernard sayeth / that a clerke hauynge suffycient aboue his necessarie chargys / and coueytynge to get more / is a church robber / and synneth damnably. More­ouer the sayd holy father saynt Bernard wrytyng to a certayne regular that had but one benefice how much so euer (sayth he) that thou dost retayne and kepe of y^e goodes of thy churche besydes a symple and a competent fyndynge for thy selfe thinke it not thyne owne / but rather that it is stolen and robbed out of the church What thyng can be spoken more playnly or more terryblye? Ought not he to be estemyd blynde & past all grace that doth not regarde / ne feare the wordis of these holy fathers. Now yf it be so meant / for the hauynge of one benefice / with howe many Theftys / Robboryes / Brybe­ryes and Sacrilege / ar they entanglyd / the whiche beynge not content with one benefice or two / wyll purchase vnyons / pluralitees / totquotes / ye hole hepes of benefices. Certaynlye yf acordynge to the mattiers before alledgyd / all that be rudedly synne / haue no right to y^e goodꝭ [Page] of the church / nor yet to y^e worst benefice that is / then muste it be grauntyd that such as haue more benefices then one / ar playne theuys and churcherobbers. And yf they alledge the dyspensacion of my lorde the Pope / we knowe well ynough that his fatherhod can not dispēse with couetyse / ambicion / pryde / and lecherye / excepte it be his pleasure to vsurpe vpon the law of god / for yf it shulde be tryed in the court of conscience / or before god. I dare boldely saye that his dyspensacyon myght not be allowyd without it were some vrgent cause / that is / yf it were don eyther for very necessyte / or for manyfest vtylyte / whiche excusyth no man for the kepynge of many benefices / nor may be lawfully admytted / excepte it be in cer­tayne casys hereafter to be touchyd.

Morouer by the lawe of god we ought not to possesse more themporall goodes / then ar necessary for vs / hauyng regard vnto spyrytuall gyftes of grace and to our saluacion / that is to lyue well / and to obtayne the lyfe euerlastyng. He that hath one competent benefyce / I wolde know of hym / for what cause / what pur­pose & to what entent he wolde reteyne / orels go about to retayne any more / for eyther it must be to the entent for to ha­ue [Page] habūdance of temporall goodes (whiche is vnlaufull when one hath a suffy­ciet lyuyng) orels for to lyue more spiri­tually / and to exercise charitable workis and for to growe to further perfeccion / whiche can not come that waye / for the goodes that they get by hauyng manye benefyces causith them to be more vn­quiet / and troublyd in mynde / wherby they haue great occasion to lyue more at pleasure and viciously. Besydes this Wyllyam of Paris / and dyuerse other great clerkes do proue dyuers ways that whosoeuer hath pluralyte of benefices (except it be in certayne casys hereafter to be touchyd) is bounden to saye as many payres of mattynes as he hath bene­fices. And so he dothe daylye incurre as many deadly synnes / as he leuyth pay­ers of mattynes vnsayed. The sayd Do­ctours also / & many other affyrme / that whosoeuer is in deadly synne / he synneth deadly as he procurith to haue spiritual goodꝭ which ar apoynted for none other but for suche as deserue them / howe be it there are certayne casys where it is leful to haue more benefices / or prebendꝭ then one / which after the myndes of doctours ar suche as here folowe.

The fyrste is / where the benefyce is not suffycient to fynde one preste his cōpetēt sustenaunce and clothynge. The secound is / where one benefice is annexyd to another. The thyrd is / where there is defaut and lacke of prestes. The fourth is yf the church be appendāt to a prebēde / or such lyke dygnyte. The fyfte is / yf one haue a iuste tytle to one benefice for a tyme / and another in comendam vntyll theffecte of the cause do ceasse. Also there maye be added the syxte cause / whiche is / yf one be in seruice for the cōmune profite of y^e churche as to be a preachour / or in lyke office. Wherfore according to the premysses / it may be estemyd lightly how much is sufficient for the reasonable lyuyng of a clerke / yf it be remembryd how they ar bounden to lyue chastely / sobrely / mekely moderatly: and gyuyng good example. Ouer this we may lerne by experience y^t small reuenues ar sufficient / for suche as vse the vertues before rehersyd / howbeit we do graunte that the greatter that a clerke is in spirituall estate / the greatter benefyce he ought to haue. But plurali­te of benefices (excepte it be in the cases be fore towchyd) is reprouyd of all good men / as beynge moste daungerous vnto [Page] soule helthe / and therfore (accordynge to the councel of the doctours before alled­gyd) it ought to be eschewyd of al ꝑsones that entende the chrystian perfeccion.

NOwe agayne there be many of the clergy / that excuse the hauynge of many benefyces with this pretense. It beho­uith vs (saye they) to maynteyn good hospitalyte / ye & to make prouision for vn­bydden gestes. Wherfore to auoyde this colouryd cauyllacyon / I wyl partely de­clare / vnto you what maner of hospitalite they ar bounden / & that is none other but one of the workys of mercie wherof Christe sayth in his gospell that he wyll put vs in remembraunce at the daye of iugement / and wyll speake in this wyse. I was a straungier / & ye wolde not [...]ake me in. The which he speakith in the per­sone of his membres / and creatures / the poore & the nedy / and not in the person of the riche and the myghty. At this sayenge of our sauyour ought all clerkys & mynystres of the churche specyallye to [Page] tremble and quake whiche haue not her­boroued nor sed the poore and nedy beg­gars. What wyll they aunswere whiche haue ben so negligent of the poore that scarsely they can finde in theyr hartes to rewarde them with the fragmentes of theyr meate / or to aforde them lodginge in theyr barnes. But yet they receyue great astates / rych men / & officers / with much reuerēce: they intertayne thē with moch solemnite / they refresh them delicately / and lodge them in softe beddynge. Let them here / and amende thē seluys / & endeuour to obserue that whiche Christ cōmaundith in the gospell. When thou makyst a feast (sayth he) do not cal ther­unto thy kynsfolke / nor rych men / or y^t be in authorite leste they recompense the agayne for it in this worlde: but call the poore / and the feble / the blynde and the lame / & so thou shalt be blessyd / for they haue not to reward the / but thou shalt be rewardyd / at the resurrecciō of the right wise. Merke well this plaine sentence / an [...] moste holsome councell. Notwith­ [...]andinge these sayenges ar not so to be [...]nderstāden but that spiritual possessio­ [...]ars may lawfully at some tyme vpon a [...]esonable cause maye kepe conuenyent [Page] hospytalyte in makynge chere to theyr kysfolke / and bylyke reason to such as be ryche & in authoryte / so they vse it but seldom / & without excesse & pompe / and to a goodement. Leste they do wrong to the poore: & palse measure: furtheemore as it hath ben reperyd often here before / the possessyons of the churche / be the patri­mony of Christ / the almes of the poore / the wages of the seruauntes of god.

Therfore they ought to be conuerryd to suche vses and to none ohter. For saynt Hierom sayth. It is Sacriledge to be­stowe the goodes of the poore vpon such as ar not poore. And in another place.

They do synne deadly that bestow theyr goodes vpon ryche folke / for they make oblacyon to the deuyll. And as it sayde before / for to gyue the goodꝭ of the poore to such as ar not poore / is playne sacri [...]ege / for the possessions of the church ar y^e patrimony of y^e poore / & can not be deteyned frō thē but by thefte / which is when the mynistrꝭ of y^e church kepe any more to them selues then theyr bare lyuynge. Therfore (as saynt Hierom sayth) that all suche as mysuse the goodes of the churche / or that belongyth / vnto the church bestowynge it in suche thynges / [Page] as make for theyr owne voluptuosnes & pleasure / be lyke vnto the scrybes & pha­rysees. They therfore that muccor vp y^e goodes of the churche / and purchase landes therwith for to leue vnto theyr fren­des and kyndeswomen (I was about to haue sayed theyr sonnes & theyr dough­ters) or that bestowe it vpon vayne and worldly hospitalyte / in theyr so doynge / comytte deadly synne as to spend it vpon rych men or theyr carnall companyons / for whom they make sumptuos prouysion / and can neuer be mery without such gestys / or if they hap to be callyd by thē wyll come in all the haste to solace with them. Albeit that suche facions ar specyallye forbydden vnto the clergye accor­dyng vnto the sayeng of Isodore which saythe thus. Clerkes ought to eschewe feastis not only comune but also secrete / and ought to fare meanly in sobrenes / for al such festyng is perylloꝰ to Christē people for it both quenchyth deuocyon & distroyeth true cōtricion of hart / & nourysheth lechery / and drawith vnto it / ydle wordes / iestyng / raylyng / wyldenes / the forgettyng of good werkes and much vngracyous pastyme. And so the feare of almyghty god neclectyd and set a parte / [Page] the synfull men regarde slenderly bothe theyr soule helth. Therfore saynt Iohā / Chrysostom and suche holye men wolde neuer be bydden vnto feastes / nor lyke­wyse wolde byd any other. In consideracion wherof (O ye Christen prestes / and true mynistres of the church) these great daungerous / often / and delycat feastys. Remembre well / that a certayne prelate that was both rych and deuoute / incuyd with remorse of consciense by inspiracy­on of God sayd these wordes here folo­wyng. I am made ryche in goodes / and am a beggar in soule. I haue won worldly honour and haue loste god. I folowe the courtes of prynces / and am of counsell with greate estates / and therby am bannyshed the courte of heuen. What shuld I speake of hospitalite / that rather ought to be callyd hostylite and moste of all yf it be don for vaynglorye / & not ra­ther for the loue of Christe. For yf they hap to send for men of ryches or authorite / they receyue them with great honour and reuerence / and spend on them ryght largely of the patrymonye of the crucy­fixe. This is y^e hospitalite of this world wherby rych men ar fed sumptuoslye to the glory of the dyuell / and Chryste whiche [Page] is perfite charyte is afflycted with despisinges / with hungre / with strypes / & with nakednes in his poore creatures / for lo I lytle regardyng the terryble iu­gementes of god do syt amonge my ghe­stes as Balthazar / misp [...]dyng the goodꝭ and the treasure of the poore in the de­spyte of Christe. Vnder the colour of su­che false hospytalyte they make greate feastꝭ to men of authorite / & offycers (I had al moste sayd offenders) & then is all the chere loste / and greate vnkyndnes taken except one syt with them / and kepe companye in drynkynge / and quas­synge tyll some of them be as dronke as beastes. ¶ The Iudgement of suche thynges shalbe commytted vnto hym / whose Iudgement is secrete and ther­fore / the more terryble inasmuche as the goodes that they mysbestowe ar not theyr owne. But ar the almes of the poore. Therfore as saynt Hierom sayth. It is great shame that the poore shulde be bannyshed out of the houses of spyry­tuall men / and in the stede of them take r [...]fiers / & waytyng mynyons lyke vnto temporall prynces.

¶ The oblacyons of good people / for nedy soules. The tythe of the poore / and [Page] of the symple: and the exaccyons and oppressyons of the poore / whiche rather ought to get theyr bread with the swet of theyr facys / and not to haue myspen­dyd the Labours of good people in such vicyous plesures / as in su [...]fetiynge and dronkenes / to deuoure that other sweate for. ¶ He that beholdith the depenes / and sytteth aboue Cherubyn shall deter­myne the causes of the Poore / when they shall stande boldely before hym / agaynste them that haue wronged them and haue consumyd and myspent theyr goodes in euyll vses: and haue bestowyd vpon the ryche men / wherfore they shall haue as great mede: as yf they had caste water into the see. Howe wyll they ac­complyshe this sayenge of scripture. He hath dystrybuted and gyuen to y^e poore. But that prelate whome we alledgyd before vnderstode this perfyghtly: for he sayd that huspytalyte which is a dede of charyte ought to be shewyd and don: not for vaynglory / or any such carnall affec­cion: but ought to procede from a good mynd and a vertuos entent. Wherfore to conclude accordynge to the premysses: not only hospitalite but also al other charitable dedis & workꝭ of mercy aswel bo­dily as ghostely [Page] ought to be exercysed of spiritual ꝑsones after theyr abylite lyberallye / louingly: and deuoutly / but most of all they ought to gouerne theyr houses dyscretelye / and to edifye theyr housholde seruantes with good example gyuynge both in worde & dede / and shulde rebuke suche as offende sharply and charitablye / vsynge themselues vnto all men vertuoslye / mekely / so­brely and iustlye.

ACcordyng to the myndes of saynt Augustyne & saynt Thomas / not onlye the wordys of our Mayster Christe but also of other holy fathers / ar of suffycient authorite to bynde vs to the folowynge of them wherfore we maye much better / and more surely giue credence vnto theyr sayenges / then the perswasions of certayne schole men that truste [Page] theyr owne wyttes ouermuch / wrestyng the authoritees of holye fathers / vnto theyr owne fantasye. And notwithstan­dyng that some of them: in the questyon before purposyd: alledge that it may be lawfully don. yet I thynke it more wysedom to folow the authorite of saynt Hierom / sait Bernard & other holy fathers / then them. Also Pope Damasus sayth / that a clerke which is founden with the goodes of his frendes / yf he take any of the church goodes / doth cōmytte playne sacryledg. And so doynge he eatyth and drynketh his damnacion. But yf he ne­dyth / & then takyth / it is rather a gyfte then a takynge / but yf he haue no nede & takyth / he stelyth. Lykewise Prosperus speakyth in this wyse. I can not well expresse / how great an offence they do commytte / which when they ar able to haue of theyr owne / do charge y^e church with theyr finding. And he sayth further that holy men dyd possesse the goodes of the churche not as possessioners but as pro­curatours / and therfore they percyuyng that the goodes of the church wer none other but the gyftes of god / oblacyons for synnes / & the inherytāce of the poore they dyd not challenge them as theyr [Page] owne / but bestowyd them as thyngꝭ be­quethyd to the poore [...]. And dyd not re­gard the hauynge of them / but kepte thē not to themseluys / but for other / nor dyd not procure to haue them with any couetous entēt / but vpon a good zeale to hel­pe other. Lo with howe greate reason these holy fathers perswade vs / for such as ar able to lyue of theyr owne ar not accountyd / in the noumbre of the poore & nedy / for whome the goodes of the chur­che wer ꝓuyded. And therfore it is more wysedō to inclyne to the myndes of these holy fathers / then to such dreamers that do not only teach the contrary / but also do lyue cōtrarye. But if they wyl obiecte agayne / that the goodes of the churche belonge vnto the mynistres / & that they ought to vse them as in rewarde of theyr seruice. To this it may be aunsweryd / that they ar the goodꝭ of none other / but of suche as nede them / for yf the myny­stres of the churche haue suffycient of theyr owne / and for all that wyll empley them to theyr owne vses / it is damnable and therfore they shulde be spent vpon the poore / and the nedy for inasmuche as temporall thynges ought to be vsyd [Page] in charytable and ghostly workys: they shulde not bestow temporall goodꝭ other wyse then spiritually / that is when they be consumyd superfluosly / where there is no nede / lyke as one that is hole of body and lusty hath no nede of a Physi­cion / but rather suche a one as is sycke & euyll at ease. Wherfore those clerkes that be ryche haue no wronge / though they lacke the profyttes of theyr temporal­ties / for therby they meryte the heuynly rewardes and gyftes of grace / which ar thousand tymes more to be desyred then temporall thynges. And fynally it apperyth by the authoritees here alledgyd in howe greate peryll they ar / whiche ha­uynge sufficient of theyr propre goodes wyll maynteyne themseluys with bene­fices of the church / spendynge all vpon theyr kynsfolke / which after theyr degre ar able to lyue well ynough. And contrarie wyse they ar in as greate peryll that consume both patrymony and benefices raptously / and in carnal liuyng. And consequentlye these two articles do agree with the sayenge of the famous Clerke maister Iohan Browt.

No goodes of the churche (sayth he) can be spend in feastyng and bankettes to ryche men / but with deadly synne / for they ar apoynted to the poore and ar Christes patrimonie / and purchasyd for vs by the passion of Christe / to our inherytaunce / wherfore we can not lawfully gyue thē to our owne frendes & kynsfolke / onles they be poore and nede / and that must be don only for Chrystes sake.

IT is vniuersally knowen to be true / as holy Dionisius techyth. That in euery estate / degree & ordre the chyef or heed / ought to be at y^e tyme of his callyng of so great perfection / that with y^e abundaūce of his spirituall riches & ver­tue / he myght inflame / clence / & illumy­nate / such as be vnder hym & cause to ly­ue accordynge to the ordre & estate that they be callyd vnto. Therfor it apperyth that a deane / or heed ruler / ought especyally to be fulfillyd with al maner of ver­tuous exercise & obedience / that (as it is sayd to apperteyne to regulars / to y^e en­tent that he may be an exāple / to all his [Page] regulars & other cōmyttyd to his gouernaunce / and that he may relygiously ex­horte them / ledyng them the ryght way to the effecte of theyr ordre / both openly and secretely informynge them with vertue / dyscretly correctyng suche as wolde forsake theyr ordre / & also y^t he may cause the seruice of god to be dewly kept & ꝑ­formyd in the quyre / and that al fables & wyldnes may be eschewyd as wel in the quyre / as thorowe all the churche in the tyme of diuine seruice. Nether he shal suffer any y^t be vnder his obedicēce to play the wantons: or to speke any incōuenyēt wordes. He must be ful of good example at all tymes / ye & at the table (as moche as he can) muste forbyd the eaters to vse any vnlawfull cōmunycacion he muste question with them of suche thynges as wyll byld them in vertue / abhorryng all wordꝭ inordinate / studyeng & precuryng with all his dylygens that theyr diuine seruyce be holely / dystynctly / deuoutely & reuerently performed and ended / geuyng them exāple in comynge oftentymes be­fore them to theyr regular houres or seruyce. Furdermore (to his power) he must exquisytly procure / kepe and increase / the welth of his church especyally in spirituall [Page] thyngꝭ / euermore feruently prayeng vnto almyghty god for them that be cō ­myttyd vnto hym: to the entēt that such thing as he can not fulfyl or obteigne by rebuke or correcciō he may obteygne by praier / keping alwaies an honest meane bothe in his apparayle & also in his fare let hym gladly prepare hymselfe cōtynually to mynystre and celebrate But dylygently let hym beware that he geue no euil occasion to any man by incōtinency or sklaūder / or any other maner of wyse not only beynge chast and sobre / but also the exāple of chastite and sobrenes / and ferther the greater nomber that he must accōpt for vnto almyghty god / the more meke ferefull & deuoute he ought to kepe hymselfe. And he that hath nede of much grace & fauour how m [...]ch necessary is it / that he be ful of mekenes and humylyte: howe incessantly ought the to embrace our sauyour Chryste. And conuenyently to shew hym selfe before god & man both in his wordes apparaile goyeng lyuyng and all his actes / pryde / ambytion / vaine glory / and auaryce haue vsyd to statue our rulers & p̄lates of the church except they were well groūdyd & establysshed in the feare of god & deuoute excercyse.

In lyke maner where prelatꝭ were wont to be meke and gentyl / now adayes they be comunly proude and malicyous. And some of them for fere or fauour of man or for some vyce rolyd in them felse wyll nothyng regard to fulfyl the correctyōs of thyr predecessours wherunto they be bounde as well of charyte as of dewe iustice but they loke more for theyr owne honour & priua [...]e profit / than for the ho­nour of god or wel [...]h of mās soule where in yf they ons wallow / they do nother regard the spiritual felycite of thyr subiec­tes nor yet of them selfe but blynded w^t ambition and couetyse they fall hedlong into the depe dungynne of vice. Hereof saynt Bernard in his [...]oke de Consideracione writyth to pope Eugenius in this wyse. Thou being a man shalt not desyer to haue domynacyon ouer another man lest al vnryghtwysnes haue dominacyon ouer the. For no poyson nor yet ponyshement ought to be more feryd of the than the desyre or plesure / or domynacō. Wherupon saynt Gregory sayeth thus. The mynd of mā is proude ynough of it selfe ye although it be incoraged w^t no power or p̄hemynēce / than much rather a man wyl loke alofte whā p̄ferremēt is geuen hym. [Page] For truly as oftentymes as any prelate deliteth to be a maister & ruler ouer men so oft he fallyth in to the synne of apostasy. And who so delyteth in this world to haue prehemynence / he sall not delyte to behold his iudge Christe. This folysshe pryde a prelate myght sone ouercome / yf wysely profundly & oftentymes he wold beholde and ponder y^e terrible rigour of goddes iudgemēt / especially cōcernyng prelates the extreme sharpnes of infer­nall ponyshment / & also the great negly­gence of theyr owne lyfe. So a prelate shall repute his dignite as it were a peynfull bourden / & not as it were a pryde & honour / & shalbe careful before god yf he marke the wordes of the apostle / whiche be these. It is a fereful thyng to fall into the handes of god lyuyng / remēber therfore how enorme & damnable it is to gete any temporal comodyte or honoures by prelateship & not to fulfyll theyr dewe of­fices / nor yet to behaue thē lyke worthy vycars of god.

SEynge (as Vlricus declaryth in his boke callyd Summa) that clerkes do make treasour of suche substance as remayneth besydes theyr necessary [...] [Page] cōpetent lyuyng / other expendyng it in vnlawful vses / as in makyng rych theyr frendꝭ or kynsfolke / or other fylthy ꝑso­nes wastyng & cōsumynge theyr money in gorgeous & delycate fare / getynge the fame of the worlde by great expensis / as geuyng liberall rewardis to gestours or mynstrelꝭ / byeng in the fauour or frend­shyp of ryche & noble men encreasynge a superfluous houshold of seruaūtes whi­che oftētymes must be renewid with co­stly apparaile or framīg great curious & sumptuous buyldyngꝭ / or els in such o­ther lyke vses do prodigally expend the patrymony of Christ: me thynke in so doyng they do not only offend ī the synne of prodigalite as euery man doth that abu­syth that thyng to his owne vse / whiche is cōmyttyd to hym with charge / but also they make theyr offence more greuoꝰ forbycause they do stele away so expen­dyd from thē that be the veray owners therof (that is to say) the poore people.

Saynt Hierom callyth this synne a robbry exceding al cruelty of thefys: or els a sacriledge or church robbry / furthermor saynt Augustin callyth it playnly man­slauther / sayeng thus. Whosoeuer immoderately reseruith to his owne vse goodꝭ [Page] by god dedicate vnto the poore / is gylty of the slaughter of so many men / as haue ben pore & dyed in theyr houses for hun­gre. These regulars therfore are bounde to restitucion of al such thīgꝭ. Such also as vnworthily haue receuyd any goodꝭ of the church are bound to restitucion as hores harlattes & bawdes & other fylthy persones of euyll demeanour. Of these thynges spekyth vlricus whose wordes in the treatyse agaynst pluralitees of benefyces more playnly do appere. More­ouer agaynst pryde in buyldynge certayne thyngꝭ be rehersed in his boke callyd Summa virtutum et victorum / in this maner. In buyldyng fyue thyngꝭ be not to be cōmendyd. The fyrst is the multy­tude of houses / and that agreeth wyth the sayeng of the prophet I saie in the .v. chapitre sayeng thus. Wo may you be which ioyne to gether house vpon house Offenders be in the same case whiche fo­low not Christe sayeng thus. The sonne of man hathe no place where he may put his hed. The second thyng not to be cōmendyd in buldynge is the greatnes sumptuousnes and pleasauntnes therof. The pleasauntnes truly is dyscernyd in the colours and pictures therof. Of this [Page] also it is spoken in the .xxii. chapiter of the prophet Ieremie. Fordermore saynt Paule the fyrst heremyte beyng desyred of y^e holy father Anthony / asa [...]d a que­styon whether chrysten men shuld folow the facyon of the gentyls in theyr sumptuous buyldyng or no [...] and he ha [...]de say that ye Than greatly he beway [...]yd that vanyle consideryng hi [...] was the part of a christen man to say on this facyon. We haue no dwellyng place in thys worlde but we do loke for a place in tyme to cum Therfore whatsoeuer regulars or mynystetes of the churche do immodera [...]ly expend in suche sumptuous buyldynges it is cruell robbry and sacriledge as byfore is sayde and also they are bound to resti­tucyon whiche restitucyon is to be done vnto poore people but for all that there be many nowe adayes whiche out of all good ordre and facyon do excede in such sumtuous and costly buyldynges.

By the meanes of large lyberal & vnreasonable dispēsacions y^e church is brought to great confusion / and surely in tyme past holy & fereful popes & bysshopꝭ dyd innowyse admyt but euer­more prohybyte pluralitees of benefyces which now adayes euerywhere be graū tyd to one partycular person / ye & often­tymes to hym that nother by his cōuer­sacion or lernyng is worthy to haue one Therfore pope vrbane dyd institute that it shulde not be lawfull to any man to be inducte in to .ii. churches but euery man to be regular & residēt in one church only wherin he is inducte. Another instituci­on also is cōteigned in the decretalꝭ / and that is this. A clerke frō this p̄sent tyme shall not be nombryd in .ii. churches / for that is but a comodyte of marchaūdyse: or foule lucre / and the thyng that is most ferre from the good ordre of the churche wherupon the decree of pope Gregori is thus. We cōmaūd that al benefices of y^e church be comyttyd partycularly to particular ꝑsons. Furdermore saīt Bernard alledged as saīt Thomas dyd sayēg thꝰ One ī ꝑson is not one / but many ī respect of benefices / therfor they shalbe many in respect of theyr ponyshemēt for theyr of­fence [Page] is greuous. Moreouerthaut [...] of y^e bo [...] bees say [...]. as here folowith. I wyll that who / so fortune to rede this shall knowe that I (frō the in­carnacion of our lorde god. 1437.) was at Paris / where the honourable Wylliā bishop there / made a cōuocacion of al y^e maisters of the church / where a question was put forth of pluralite of benefices / & by long & discrete disputaciō it was apꝓuyd / that .ii. benefices wherof the one did amount vnto the value of .xv. poundꝭ of paryse myght not be kept to y^e welth of mānes soule / & that this bishop of whom we speke before w^t many other doctours dyd fynally determyne. And this thyng is more plaīly rehersed ī the werke made against pluralytees of benefices / as tou­chyng this matter pope Gregori y^e .ix. beyng examyned whether by his power he myght dispēse with pluralite of bene­fices or no / he answeryd & sayd. I can dyspēse for nothyng of pluralites but only for the ponyshmēt of such as kepe many benefices / & therfor let no man reioyce y^t any man hath w^t hym dispensid for it is but in vayne / but bothe the law of god & the lawe of nature is / that no man ought to coueyte or procure ony more tēporall goodes than is expediēt to vertuous lyfe [Page] or hathe respecte to spirytuall comodite or veray saluacyon. All these thynges which [...] here I do breuely touch be more at large conteyned in the boke agaynste pluralyte of benefices. And veryly we ought muche rather to gyue credaunce vnto holy ferefull & famous doctours & to good relygious and weldisposed peo­ple (whome before we haue namyd for witnesses) than to suche as haue .ii. benefyces or mo / howe connyng so euer they seme to be. For in theyr owne matters they may gyue an euyll iudgment / as it apperyth by this prouerbe. Loue and hatered subuertyth euery iudgement.

THe holy and moste d [...]uoute father saynt Bernard sayeth as here fo­lowyth. Let clerkes fete set maysters & prelates of y^e church fere / which behaue them selfe so wyckedly in laudes of holy fathers wherin they dwell / nat beyng contentyd with a competent stypend or lyuyng that myght suffyse them but cruelly & theuysshly procuring & reteynyng superfluous possessions where with the pore people shulde be susteyned / and the same expendyng into theyr owne car­nall & vayne vse / offendyng with double iniquite / for they do bothe spoyle other [Page] men of theyr goodes / and also abuse the holy and spirituall goodes & substance in theyr fylth and vanyte. Fauour I be­seche ye / fauour your seluys / [...]auour the blode that was shed for your saluacyon. Beware of the horryble peryll and daunger of hell declyne from the euerlastyng fyre that is preparyd for you. Morne & lament ye in the myddys of Babylon that is to say in thys wretchyd worlde / and saue your soules / flee to the cy [...]es of spiritual refresshīg y^t is / to veray religious cloystres that ye may do penaun­ce for your synnys past that ye may ob­tayne grace in thys present lyfe. Be nat stacke to knowledge your syn / for where is aboundaunce of iniquite there hathe grace nede to be aboundaūt. Let nat the sharpnes of penaūce greue you / for the penaūce of this world be nat cōdygne or able to coūteruayle our offences before comytted. Therfore in conclusyon S. Bernard sayth. If regulers & other constitute ī holy ordres be nat redy to enter in to relygion / it shalbe sufficient for thē duely to walke & be cōuersaūt accordīg to the effecte wherunto they be callyd / or els after the forme and ordre to them publysshed expoundyd and commaun­dyd in the thyrde boke of Decretalles [Page] Let them also cōsidre the vncertente / breuite & subtilte / of this present lyfe / the de­testable fylthines of synne / the fauor and mercy of goddes maieste / y^e p̄ciousnes of tyme that god to vs hath enlarged / & y^t it be not vnfruitfully expēdyd. Let vs loke also how fereful our iudgemēt is / ye and howe sharpe & intollerable the infer­nall ponyshemēt is for vs / yf (as god forbyd that we shuld so do) we lede our lyf in carnalyte and neglygēce. Therfor euery day let them examyne theyr cōsciences & remember the ende / that they may go by a narow & strayt way vnto saluation: let them ferefully vse the goodes of the churche / beyng euermore conuersaunt in chastite / sobrenes / deuotion. And good example vnto the tyme the charite of this present lyfe be cōsumid / & than by the mercy of god to be brought vnto the most bles­syd fruitiō of euerlastyng felicite & ioyes of heuē to the great laude & prayse of god omnipotent whiche is the moste hygh & blyssed aboue all thynges. Amen.