The.xxvii. chapyter

I wil not also sticke mych vpon his hygh solemne dyuynacyon, wherin he prophecyeth that as longe as the spyrytuall rulers wyl eyther pretēde that theyr authoryte is so hygh, and so immedyatly dyryued fro god, that the peple are bound to obay theym, and accepte all that they teache, wythout argument, re[…]ystence, or grudge / and that they wyll pretende that no defaute is in theym, but wyll yet cōtinue […]tyl in the same maner, & the same worldely c[…]tenaunce as they do now and haue done in late tyme paste / the lyght of grace that is spoken of before, be with you now & euer more amen.

This ende of this holy sermon is to lytle purpose. For fyrst as for wordly cōtenaūce is amonge the clergy wythin these few yeres not a lytle abated. whyche thynge who so lyste wyth an euyn eye to loke vppon yt, and indyfferently consyder yt, shall not fayle to ꝑceyue. And so there is good hope, yf that may helpe the mater, that then the lyghte of the grace that this gracyouse pacyfyer spake of before, is not now very farre behynd. And veryly for aught that I can se, a great part of y• proud and pompose appareyll that many prestes in yeres not lōg paste, were by the pryde and ouer syght of some few, forced in a maner against theyr own wyllys to weare, was before his godly coūsayle so by this pretye prented boke pryuyly geuen theym in theyr eare, myche more I trowe then the tone half spent, and in maner well worne oute. And I wote well yt is worne out with many, whyche entende herafter to bye no more suche agayn. And for the resydue of the coū tenaunce I dare be bolde to waraunt, that I can fynde of those that moste may spende, whyche were they sure that yt sholde in thys mater do any good, wold be well cōtente to withdraw from all theyr other coūtenaunce the chyefe parte of theyr mouables, & of theyr yerely lyuelode to, and oute of hande bestow the tone, and wyth theyr owne hand yerely bestowe the tother openly among the pore. And I durst agayne be bolde to warraunt that yf they so dyd / euyn the selfe same folke that nowe grudge and call them proude for theyr coūtenaunce, wolde then fynde as great a grudge and call theym ypocrytes for theyre almoyse, and saye that they spende vppon noughtye beggers the good that was wonte to kepe good yomen, and that therby they both enfeble and also dyshonour the realme.

Now as for the tother part of his prophesye, concernyng that the lyghte of grace that he spake of before, wyll not appere as long as spyrytuall rules wyll pretēde that theyr authory[…]e is so hyghe and so immediately deryued of god, that the people are bounden to obaye them and to accepte all that they do & teche, wythout argumentes resistence or grudgynge agaynste theym: in thys parte he muste fyrste declare whyther he meane in thys wordes, theyr authoryte, all theyr hole authoryte, or theyr authoryte in some parte. If he mene that they say thus of all theyr whole authoryte in euery thynge that they maye now at this tyme lawfully do or saye: I answere that they neither […]tēde nor neuer dyd, all that authoryte to be gyuē theym immedyately by god / but haue authorite now to do dyuerse thynges by y• graūte of kynges & prynces, as haue also many tēporall men / & by those graūtes haue such right in those as tēporall men haue by the like graūtes in theyrs. And therfore in that part the pacyfyer is answered.

And thā yf he meane that the lyght of hys grace that he spake of byfore, wyll not appere as longe as the prelates pretende y• any parte of theyr authoryte is so hyghe that it is immedyately gyuen them of god / then hath thys pacyfyer loste the lyght of treuth. For the greatest, and highest, and most excellent authoryte that they haue, eyther god hath gyuen theym, hym selfe or ellys they be very presūptuouse & vsurpe many t[…]ynges farre aboue all good reason. For I haue neuer redde, or at the leste wyse I remember not that I haue redde, y• euer any kyng graūted them the authoryte, that now not onely prelates but other pore playne prestes also dayly do take vpon thē, in mynistryng the sacramentes and consecratynge the blessed body of Cryste, wyth dyuerse other authorytees besyde

But it semeth to hym peraduenture, that in one poynte at the leste wyse y• spyritualty ys to prowde. For he saythe they pretende to be obayed, & haue theyr ordynaunces and theyr teachynges obserued, without resystence grudge or argumentes to the contrary. Surely in suche thynges as the whole clergy of chrystendome techeth and ordereth in spyrytuall thynges, as be dyuerse of those lawes whyche thys pacyfyer in some places of this boke toucheth, beynge made agaynst heretikes / and albeit that they be and longe haue bene thorow the whole corps of chrystendome bothe temporalty and spyrytualty, by longe vsage and custome ratyfyed agreed and confyrmed, yet he layeth some lacke in them callynge theym very sore / in those thynges I saye, that syth I no thynge dowte in my mynde / but in that congregacion to goddys honour gracyousely gathered together, the good assystēce of the spyryte of god is accordynge to Crystes promyse as very[…]y present & assystente as it was with his blessed apostles, mē ought wyth reuerence & wyth out resystence, grudge, or argumentes to receyue theym. And yf a prouyncyall counsayle erre / there are in Cristes chyrche ordynary wayes to reforme it. But in suche thynges as any spyrytuall gouernours after a lawfull order & forme, deuyse for the spyrytuall weale of theyr sowles that are in theyr charge, and whyche thynges are suche as good folke maye soone perceyue them for good / in these thynges at the lest wyse shold the good not geue eare to the bad folke and frowarde, that agaynste the beste thyng that can be deuysed can neuer lacke a fonde frowarde argument. And therfore not onely thapostles beynge dyuerse, assembled togyther wyth the chyrch in theyr coū sayle holden at Hierusalem, dyd in those lawes that they there deuised and prouulged amōge the gentyls that were in dyuers countrees farre of conuerted vnto Cryste, dyd wyth authoryte wryte vnto them, these thinges haue semed both to vs and to the spyryte of god necessary for you to kepe, leste some stoborne folys wolde peraduenture be bolde wyth frowarde argumentes and reasonynge to resyste it▪ but saynt Poule also by hym selfe whan he deuysed vnto the Corinthyes certayn good lawes and orders concernynge theyr order that he wolde haue them kepe in the chyrch in tyme of goddes seruyce, leste such as wold fayne wyth dysputynge agaynste good order, be taken and reputed for wyse, sholde wyth some propleme pulled out of a peny pycher, enueigle and corrupte the company, whom farre the febler reason maye drawe to the wurse parte for affeccyon vnto lewd lyberty: he fynally bysyde the reasons that he layed for hys law, dyd putte theym to sylence wyth his authoryte / and forbidyng thē to reason or dyspute there agaynste but obaye it sayed, agaynste all suche argumentes and such choppelogiques agaynste good rulys, yf any man wyll be contencyouse in thys mater, lette hym well knowe that we haue no suche guyse or custome, nor y• chyrches of god.

But now wyll thys pacyfyer peraduēture, say that he neyther speketh nor meaneth of suche thynges as the spyrytualtye doth or sayth that ys good / but that the lyghte of grace wyll not appere as longe as the prelates pretende that theyr authorite is so hygh & so immediate of god, that the people are […]ounde to obaye them, and to accept all that they do and t[…]he / with our argumentes, resistence, or grudgyng / so that he hath cyrcumspectly for the nones qualyfyed and modered his tale wyth thys worde all, that the prelates shold not pretēde to be obayed in thynges as well badde as good. who herde euer the prelates of this realme pretende thys? that they sholde be obayed in all thynges were the thynges bad or good? I am very sure that euer hytherto they haue professed the cōtrarye / and not letted to say, that yf euer any prelate of thys realme, ye or the moste parte of theym, ye or all the whole mayny were so farre fallē fro god, as to preache the contrary of our olde knowen catholyque fayth / as for ensample that there were no purgatory after thys worlde, or that yt were not lawfull to praye to our blessed lady or other holy saynts, or to preche that there is yet neuer a saynt in heuen, but that all soules lye styll & slepe, or to preache agaynst penaunce as Tyndale dothe, that is as lothe good tender pernell to take a litle penaūce of the preste, as the lady was to come any more to dyspelynge that wepte euyn for tender herte two days after whē she talked of yt, that the prest hadde on good frydaye wyth the dyspelynge rodde beten her hard vpon her lyly whyte handes: who so wolde I say preche any of these heresyes, or that in y• blessed sacrament of the auter were not the very body and very blood of Crist, but as Fryth teacheth nothynge but wyne and brede, or elles as Tyndale testeth starch ī stede of brede / though there wolde hereafter (whych shall I trust neuer happen) all the prelates in this realme fall therto & preache the same, yet all the prelates hytherto playnly do preache and teach that no laye man sholde then byleue them.

And therfore lyke as yf the prelates dyd pretēde y• thyng that this pacyfyer speketh of, then were his aforesayd wordes well and wisely tempered and crycumspectly spoken / so whyle they neyther preteude that thynge nowe, nor neuer here before dyd, there is lytle wytte in those wordes. For now doth all his tale amount vnto no more, but y• the lyght of grace wyll neuer appere, as long as the prelates do the thynge that they neyther do nor neuer dyd. Is not thys therfore good readers by this good pacyfyer brought vnto a wyse conclusyon?