The.xxxiii. chapyter

BUt as for all this pacyfyers preachynge, the spyrytualty may be contente to take in good worth. For peraduētur if he were knowē, he were such one as to preche to all the spyrtualtye myghte well become hys personage / and yet yf he be but a symple person in dede, yet the spyrytualty may meken them selfe accordynge to his good counsayle, and admyt his holsome admonycyons. But surely this one thynge, though the spyrytualtye bere yt and take yt well in worth / me thynketh y[…]t that euery good temporal man may very mych misselyke, that this pacyfyer in the begynnynge of this his holy preachynge, preacheth vppon them to theyre sore slaunder / fyrst with an vntrew surmyse grounded vppon ymagynacyon, & after wyth a very playn open lye / neyther an ydle lye nor of any good purpose (of whyche two kyndes of lyeng saynt Austayn admytteth neyther nother, in folke of y• perfeccyon that th[…]s pacyfyer by his preachyng vsed with such authoryte towarde all the spyrytualtye, sholde seme to be) but a lye very pernycyouse, […]hyche is one of the thynges y• leste can become any good crysten man.

For fyrste hy sayth, that all that the […]pyrit[…]a[…]ty doth to the appeasyng o[…] the peop[…]e is mo[…]e c[…]menly this, th[…]t they take yt that they that fynde defaute at abusy[…]n[…] and dysorder of the […] that they do yt of ma[…]yce all that they d[…], to de[…]troye the chyrche.

Thys is a goodly […] false surmyse, groūded as I sayed vppon a cherytable imagynacion. But for all this, though good temporall men be euyll content wyth suche as are in the spyrytualty nought, with whome the good folke of the spyrytualtye be as euyll content as they: yet I veryly truste for all thys as I saye, that not the temporaltye nor any one good temporal man, is for them that are nought amonge the spyrytualtye, so dyspleased & angry agaynste the spyrytualtye, that is to wytte agaynst the corps and body therof, that they sholde greately nede to be appeased / nor do not laye the fawtes of noughty spyrytuall persons, to the rebuke of the hole spyrytualtye / no more then they wolde thynke it reason, that y• straūgers of other realmes so sholde laye the fawtes of euyll temporall folke here to the rebuke of the whole temporaltye, y• they shold grudge and saye shrewdely by vs for them.

Now yf this pacyfyer wyll saye that it is not lyke / & wyll saye that we be not sewtely y• temporaltye and spyrytualty of this realme / but that we be mych better for our part then the spyrytualty be for theyrs: the temporaltye shall not be dispraysed for me. For I trust that though in respecte of the goodnes that goddes benefytes vnto man requyreth of men agayne / and in respecte of the constaunce and perseueraunce in vertue that men sholde holde faste and kepe, there are fewe or none good in neyther nother parte: yet in such kynde of goodnes as the frayltye of our nature suffreth in thys worlde, now vp now downe, now fallynge by synne & now rysynge agayne by grace, the temporaltye is good I truste and the spyrytualtye both, for all that there lacketh not a sorte of some suche as are very desperate deuylysshe wreches in bothe / as no man dowteth but there was a very good chyrche of Cryste in hys blessed apostles dayes, & yet were there […] many full very nought & starke heretykes to therin.

And as for the dyfference in goodnes bytwen them and vs, god knoweth the better & the wu[…]se bothe. But straungers of other cou[…]treys that come hycther and se bothe (sauynge some that haue come bothe oute of Fraunce and Flaūders, and haue here be putte in trouble by the spyrytualty for bryngyng in of Luthers gospe[…]) other straūgers ellys I saye whan they haue cōsidered y• spiritualty of this realme, & cōpared the[…] in theyr myndes not onely wyth the temporaltye of the same, but also wyth the spyrytualtye of theyr owne countreys, haue sayed that oure spyrytualtye maye wythout any specyall reproche, shewe theyr facys among other folke. And therfore that the whole body of y• spyrytualltye of thys realme is so farre fallē in the grudge and indygnacyon of the hole temporaltye, as thys pacyfyer speketh / I neyther se cause why it sholde so, nor yet byleue that it is so, nor thinke it eyther good or honorable for thys realme that other realmes shold wene it were so

But where as thys pacyfyer speketh of appeasyng: I pray god that some of the spyrytualtye haue not in some thynges gone aboute ou[…]r myche to appease that sort of p[…]ple, by whose meanys they haue thought that all theyr […]is[…]ase hath come / those folke […] […]aye of whome by good informacyon they haue had dete[…]ted vnto theym for […]ery starke here[…]ikes in dede / whō yt for any fere of suche other folkes false suspycyon spryngynge vppon suche slaunderouse lyes as thys pacyfyer speketh of, and groūdeth hys conclusyons vpon, the clergy begynne to spare / and for any […]uc[…]e causes begyn to slak[…], and be the mo[…]e remisse in the callynge▪ attachyng, and cra[…]myny[…]ge, and of the ferther o[…]d[…]rynge of heretykes, god wyll not fayle to make fall in theyr neckes the dowble slaū der of that from whyche they fle. For whan they wa[…]e so faynt harted in hys greate cause of repressynge of heresyes and maynteyn[…]nge of hys fayth, that they forbere theyr dewty for fere of false slaunderouse wordes / god wyll than make them fall into the more slaunder, by the selfe same meanys by whiche they fle fro the lesse. For instede of the false slaunder of euyll men and here[…]ikes that they fere in the pursewynge / god wyll sende them a trewe slaunder, and make theym be dyffamed amonge good men & catholyk[…]s, for theyr slacke and remysse handelyng. And ferther yf they fall into y• foly that the prophete reproueth, and ceace to call vppon god for strēgth, and then tremble for drede where there is no perell, and for any drede of men whych yf they not onely wold slaunder the[…] but bete them and kyll them to, can yet kyll but the body and than haue spette all theyr poysen, wolde forgete the fere: god (whiche whan he hath slayne the body maye sende y• soule into euerlastynge fyre) yf (whych oure lorde forbede) any bysshoppe fall in thys fere & cowardyse of faynt harte, that for a[…]y worldly fere they suffer to be blowen out the lyghte of hys lant[…]rne of fayth, he wyll no[…] fayle to make fall vpon them the terryble commynacyon & thrette that the spyryt speketh of in the Apocalyps vnto the byshoppe of Ephesye, I wyll come and remoue thy candelstycke oute of his place.