The.xxi. chapyter

ANd for as myche as yt is most comenly sene, that amonge a great multitude there be many, y• worke rather vpō wyl then vpō reason / and that though they ha[…]e good zele, yet man[…] tymes they lacke good order and dyscrecyon, whyche is the mother of all vertue: therfore some persons thinkyng that wordely honour and▪ ryches letteth greatly deuocyon / so myche that as they thynke, they can not stand to gether, haue holden opinyon, that yt is not lawfull to the chyrche to haue any possessyons. And some takynge a more meane way therin, haue sayde, that (as they thynke) yt y[…] lawfull & also expediēt, that the chyrche ha[…]e possessyons: but they thynke, that the gret ha[…]daūce, that is in the chirch, doth great hurte, and induceth in many of t[…]em / a […] to worldely thynges, and […]etteth and in maner s[…]raungleth the loue of god. And therfore they thynke, that it we[…] good to take away that is to mich / and to leue that is suffycyent. And some […] as of a polycye to pu[…]l ryches fro the ch[…]rche, haue inueyed agaynste all suche thynges as brynge ryches to the chyrch. And bycause great ryches haue comme to the chyrche for […]rayenge for […]oules in pu[…] gatorye, haue by wordes affyrmed that there is no purgatory: and that grauntynge of pardon[…] ryseth of couetyse of the chyrch, & profyteth not the peple / & that pylgrimages be of no effecte / and that the chyrche may make no lawes, and suche other thynges / as foundynge of chaunte […]yes, makynge of brotherhedes, and many mo. wherin they shewe outwardely to ryse agaynst all the thynges before rehersed, and to dyspyse theym / and yet they know and byleue in theyr hartes, that all these thynges be of them self ryght good and profytable, as they be in dede yf they were ordered as they sholde be. And some persones there be, that thorough grace fynde defaute onely at the abusyon and my[…]e order of such thynges / and speke no thynge agaynste the thynges selfe / neyther of purgatory, pylgrymages, settyng vppe of ymages, or suche other. For they know well, they be ordeyned of god, and that the mysorder ryseth onely of man for couetyse, syngularyte, or some other such lyke defaute, thorough persuasyon and desceyte of the gostely enymye.

Here is good reders a specyall frutefull pyece of thre maner of Some sayes or thre maner of thynkynges. The fyrste is of those that thynke and saye, that it is not lyefull that the chyrche sholde haue any possessyons / but that all theyr lyuelod and all suche thynges as any rychesse commeth into the chyrch by, shold be taken awaye euery why[…].

And these men in the iudgement of thys pytuouse pacyfyer be not dyscrete / but yet they haue be sayth a good zele though. And thys good zele hadde ye wote well Simon Fysshe whan he made the supplycacyon of beggers. Bu[…] god gaue hym such grace afterwarde, that he was sory for that good zele, and repented hym selfe and came into the chyrche agayne, & forsoke & forsware all the whole hyll of those heresyes, out of whiche the foūtayne of that same good zele sprange.

And of trouth some suche are th[…]re yet, that haue the same good zele styll that Simon Fys[…]e had whā he▪ was at the wurste. And god sendeth some of them such good spede as they haue good zele. For some such haue I know[…] that haue engroced ī to theyr handes myche other mennys goodes, and for a whyle flowred, & were accōpted thryfty, a[…] helde theyr owne & other mennes to / but in conclusyon wasted awaye bothe […]wayne, a[…]d fayne to fynde a place to hy[…]e theyr heddes, or to kepe them from pryson fynde some other shyfte.

Of these sorte was there one not very longe a go, whiche wente aboute to make a good bargayne, and was no[…] than knowē but for his owne man / and yet is now god be thāked his own man agayn, for any other mā that he hath to wayte vppon hym. But so happed it than that as he sa[…] in a tauerne in Lumberdes strete wyth an honeste merchaunt wyth whome he shold haue bargayned / the tother had herd an inclynge whyche yet he beleued not▪ y• this man was not mych afo[…]re hād. And as they […]ell in tal[…]yng of the worlde, they talked at laste of the clergy: wherin whan he was fallē, he waxed so warme wyth the wyne, and so full of good zele, that he sware by y• masse he trusted shortely to se them lese all / & that the kyng sholde put theym all for euer out of hys proteccyon. And wyth that worde he clapped his fyste vpon the borde, with suche a feruent zele that hys own proteccion fell out of his sleue. whych whan the tother perceyued / brother (quod he) you be not a these I thynke, and therfore I truste it is no perdō that ye haue purchaced there. you truste you say to se the clergy put out of the kynges protecciō / and I purpose to se you oute of the kynges protecciō, e[…]e you and I bargayne ony more togyther.

And suche banke ruptes be these men of that good zele, that gape after the spoyle of the spyrytualty / whych whan they haue wasted and mysse spent theyr owne, wolde than very fayne saue for hangyng robbe spyrytuall and temporall to.