enormities used by the Clergy.  
Here floweth divers enormities used by the Clergy/ and by some writers their adherentis/ and specially against the heresy of simony used by the Clergy.  

¶ How some of the Clergy and their adherentis causeless have sklanderously spoken against this noble realm of England and against divers of the Kings lay subjects/ and have preached & written against small offensies/ leaving the greater offensies in the law of god untouched. Ca i.  
THe grace of our lord Ihu Chryst/ the charity of god/ and the communication of the holy ghost/ be ever with our noble King with his nobles & counsellors and with us all Amen.  
OF late time about the beginning of this present parliament/ that was begun the third day of November in the xxj year of the Reign of our most dread sovereign lord that now is/ King henry the yght, defensor of our faith/ when the clergy hard tell that the great extortion that they had long time used/ in the wrongful taking of mortuaries/ and by probate of testamenties/ should be reform/ and more meanly qualified to the great relief and comfort of all the kings lay subyectes/ Then one of them stood up/ and said openly/ that it was to be feared that the commons of this realm of England/ be much infected with heresy because they intended to minyshe and to pluck from the church the liberties of Christ'S church/ dreading that thereby it might fortune to this realm/ as lately be fell to the realm of Boeme/ that was the subversion of that same realm/ But it seemeth that therein the clerk there opined his covetous stomach/ then calling their wrongful exactions to be the liberties of Christ's church/ not considering that there be ii liberties in the church/ one that is temporal that hath be given by the king & by his noble progenitors which may be resumed by like authority And there is an other spiritual liberty that cometh only from god/ that is spoken of i Coryn three saying Our lord is the spirit/ and where the spirit of god is/ there is liberty/ and that liberty none Emperor ne King can ne may take from the church.  
¶ Now although percase the said clerk be a famous doctor/ & preacher of the word of god/ and be also a chaste man of his body/ yet it appeareth evidently by that saying that he is sore infected with Aueryce/ which is the servitude and bondage of Idols and is also root of all evils/ god of his grace amend it in him and all other/ but he would not there speak of the voluptuous conversation/ and extortion/ and other abominations of the clergy/ that riseth of the superfluite of their temporal possessions/ and of the misusing thereof/ neither of the usurpation of their temporal dyngnytes and authorities/ neither yet of the great and most detestable heresy of simony used and long time accustomed among themselves/ as shall be said here after.  
¶ And also sythyn that time of the beginning of this same foresaid present parliament it hath been a common saying of diverse of the clergy/ that there were never so many heretics in england/ as be now at this present day/ yea and also diverse of the lay gentlemen learned in the common law of this realm/ and other folks being of kindred or having offices / fees or rewards or belyechere of the clergy/ with a counterfeit petty/ monefully affirm/ and openly speak the same/ wherein it seemeth that they be not well circumspect in their sayings/ for onlese that they be able to name/ and to bring forth those persons that they speak of/ and mean it by/ and also that they can show their opinions/ and can prove them to be heretical/ It should else seem to be a great blasphemy to the Kings highness/ being most catholic and Christian defensor of the faith And also to be an unnatural and execrable slander to his most honourable counsel/ to this his high court of parliament/ and to all this noble and good catholic realm/ wherein is no little offence if it be well considered. ¶ And yet percase in their so saying all though they mistake the lay fee therein yet regarding the clergy in their said sayings/ they may fortune to say more truly therein than they be ware of/ as shallbe said hereafter/ ¶ And although the heresy of diverse of the clergy shallbe here sum what spoken of/ yet the good sort of good catholic and virtuous clerks be not offended thereby/ for this writer and compiler/ ever hath said/ and continually will say with saint Austen/ O veneranda sacerdotum dignitas/ in quorum manibus dei filius velud in utero virginis incarnatur/ O felices sacerdotes/ si sacerdotaliter vixeritis. & c yet of the voluptuous and heretical sort of the clergy it may be said in contrary wise as thus/ O misera et detestanda superborum/ cupidorum/ Iracundorum/ luxuriancium/ gulosorum/ Inuidorum/ accidiosorum/ voluptuosorum & hereticancium sacerdotum/ animalis & diabolica condicio/ in quorum manibus dei filius iterum quantum in vobis est) crucifigitur & morti traditur/ et non defensi sepulcro/ said fetido sterquilinio mittitur/ videlicꝪ in ora et corpora sacerdotum multiphariis viciis & heresi plenorum/ O infelices sacerdotes/ si non sacerdotaliter vixeritis/ And it is said Dist. xl. Ca multi sunt. & c that there be many priests/ and that there be but few priests/ many in name and but few indeed/ and thereof read in aboke called Dextra pars oculi sacerdotis.  
¶ And also where some men have lately taken great study & pleasure/ to ympung a virtuous Clerk & a good wholesome preacher of the word of god/ so esteemed to be in the opinion of many good men/ & also diverse men hath been set with their tales in their hands to write & to mark many of his sayings in the pulpit thinking thereby to confound/ to abjure or to burn him/ wherein appeared great lack of good benignity/ & of charity/ & thereby seemeth to appear great plenty of crafty & envious cruelness/ & also some men write against diverse good catholic & crystyn lay-men/ calling some of them in mockage/ the pacifier & some other of them Euamgelyke brothers/ & other diverse names at their pleasure/ without any loving & frainall sprite of good council/ or of chartable or secret reformation.  
¶ And also they have taken great study in confuting of some other men's writings/ which they thought to be erroneous/ and it seemeth to them to be welldon ¶ But yet percase it may be said to such writers of those things which be but trifles in comparison of other great matters that they never lust to speak ne to write of/ & yet they be great errors & commonly used/ as Chryst said to the pharyseys Ipocrytys/ Math. twenty-three. & Luc. xi. Woe be to you scribes and pharisees Ipocryties/ that teach to pay tythynges of Myntys/ Rwe/ Anne's/ Cummyn/ & such other potteherbies/ and ye leave untaught greater things of more gravity in the law jugment/ mercy/ charity/ and faith/ These things (saith Chryst) must be done/ and the other not left undone/ such blind guides spytt out a flee or gnatt/ and swallow the great Camel/ and outwardly show themselves like to be Just men/ but inwardly they be full of Ipocryse and of iniquity/ Truly ye be witnessys to yourselves (saith Chryst) for ye be the sons of them that have killed the prophetties/ and ye be (saith Chryst) serpents and the brood or spawn of venomous adders/ ¶ And These words be now here spoken and also rehearsed for causes following/ for there be far greater vices and more detestable sins/ customably used/ contrary to the law of god/ than these things before rehearsed/ which of necessity aught to be written and preached of/ And as yet belefte unspoken/ unpreached/ and unwritten of/ as of late season/ As of Irregularyte of diverse of the clergy/ sacrilege by them usually committed in mysepending the tithings & oblations of Christ'S church/ on fresh apparel on themselves/ their servants/ their horsys/ mulies/ and wench's/ And in their costly buildings and repairing of their houses and the superfluous apparel of the same/ with Arras and other things their wine & pompous plate/ The great expenses and cost in dainty vytells/ The unlawful conjurations used by friars and other clerks/ The usual breaking of the three essential vows of religion The diligent study of diverse of the clergy in the sleight of crafty handling and setting of dice and cards to theintent to beguile all men that playeth with them as doctor dewys ase/ bishop prymero/ and such other The felonies and murders oftentimes conmytted by clerks Their conviction thereof/ and their acquittal from the convict prysone by wilful perjury of xii forsworn clerks/ The having & misusing of temporal possessions of the clergy/ contrary to the commandment of god in the old law/ and contrary to the example and teaching of Chryst in the new law of his gospel/ and contrary to the ordinance of many holy canons in the decrees/ & contrary to the wrytyngꝭ of divers holy doctors now saints in heaven/ ¶ The usual simony of diverse of the clergy/ which is most great and most detestable heresy/ as partly shallbe said hereafter/ These and such other be the great offensies against the law of god/ and yet few or none of the comoun preachers/ do speak against any of them/ neither yet he nor any of them which hath taken upon them to write against the said trifles being worthy to be called but trysyls in comparison of the said more grievous offences write no thing of the foresaid great and grievous offences in the law/ neither on's sterr their pens thereto.  
¶ Wherefore it seemeth that it maybe said to diverse of the preachers and to other of the clergy & to such writers of such less offences/ as Chryst said to the pharisees Ipocrytys Mat. xxiii. woe be to you scribes & pharisees Ipocryties which theche/ preach or write/ of/ or against the smaller offences in god's law/ & use yourselves to commit the greater offences/ & ye neither use to teach/ to preach neither to write against them/ which if the great mercy of god/ were not over us/ were much like to be the cause of subversion of this noble Realm/ and of all other Regions where they be used/ without correction God and our noble King defensor of the faith a mend it amen.   

¶ Of the kings great benyngnyte and favour used alway toward the clergy And of their great presumption and cruelty showed against his grace and his lay subjects. Ca ij.  
¶ It is written in the holy decrees that if any man at any time after his baptism/ happen to slay a pagave/ although it were in his defence/ he shall never be received into holy orders/ if he hap to take any holy order's/ he shallbe put from them as it appeareth Distinci. l de hiis clericis/ yet that notwithstanding/ it hath oftentimes beseen that one priest hath Robbed/ and wilfully murdered a good christian man/ yea and sometime one pressed hath wilfully Rob and murdered an other pressed/ and thereupon he hath been attached/ indicted/ arayned/ and convicted/ whereupon/ his ordinary hath been ready at the bar and there hath allowed and Receyvyed him for his clerk/ contrary to the said canons/ and thereupon/ he hath been conveyed to the convict preson/ and in short time thereafter/ he hath been acquytt by a quest of xii. Forsworn clerks/ and after that he hath song and said mass at his pleasure and hath served a cure/ and hath song trentals for soulis/ contrary to the ordinances of the said canons/ And also in the said/ l Dystintion/ Cap. i. expremissis & secundo/ Si lapsus/ and other canons there/ as Qui igitur/ and Si quis Epus/ And si post ordinacionem/ and other/ ¶ It is also there ordained that if any clerk at any time after the receiving of holy orders, happen to fall in sin of the flesh/ than he shallbe put from all holy orders/ and from ministering at the Altar/ & that same is affirmed by saint Gregory. xi. q̄. three Ipse ligandi/ & there puilegni oino/ & there by saint Austyn Rediclin est/ And such a clerk once deposed or disgraded shall never be admitted again to any holy order's/ as it appeareth Dist. l. Si/ quis/ and/ qui semell/ and presbiterum de quo/ such prestis have had to much favour here/ in this land/ of the King/ of his lords temporal/ and of all his lay subiectis/ for godis sake/ and yet they be none of God's servants/ as it appeareth in divers holy canons Dist. l. As is beforesaid/ And also it appeareth by/ christis gospel Math. seven. that god utterly Refusyth all such clerks/ To be any of his. seruauntis/ where it appeareth that such clerks presomtuously shall say to god/ Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied & preached in thy name/ and in thy name/ we have cast out devils/ & in thy name we have done or made many virtues/ And then Christ shall knowledge to them/ that he never knew them (as to their salvation) and will bid them/ go ye from me all ye sinners/ & workers of inyquite. ¶ And here ye shall perceive on the one side the great superfluous favour heretofore showed to the clergy, by the King/ & by his noble progenitors/ & by the lords and by other their lay subjects/ and on the other side ye shall perceive the great cruelty/ & ꝑcyalyte of the ordinaries & of other clerks of authority/ customably showed to the King & to his noble ꝓgenytouris/ to his lords & to other his lay subiectis/ ¶ For where clerks many times by their evil governance/ as by their theft/ murder/ sacrilege & other their grievous offences have lost the privilege of their Clergy/ as hath been said before/ by their own law/ that is by many holy canons in the holy decrees/ & by Christis gospel/ yet the kings hyghtnes/ & his noble progenitor the lords/ & other their lay subiectis have always been contented at their desyries and requests/ to make statutes/ in favour of such clerks murderers and other/ thinking thereby/ to have deserved thank of god/ and of the other good sort of the clergy/ where they in recompense of such reverence & great courtesy/ and good favourable humanity showed to them/ have always in contrary wise showed to the noble progenitors of the king/ & to his grace/ to his lords temporal/ and to all other the kings lay subjects/ all cruelty/ and customable percyalyte in such their authorities as they have used/ sometime presomtuously and cruelly/ & few times or never lovingly/ neither favourably neither yet indifferently/ as now shallbe said And first of their presumption.  
¶ Where god by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah ten curseth all them that maketh any wicked laws/ yet the prelates and other the clergy not dreading that curse have made secretly in their convocation house/ here within the Kings realm presumptuously certain constituitions that they call provincial/ wherein in sum case they spare not to curse & to enterdyte the Kings castles royal/ & other honourable his dominions & all the inhabytaunce thereof/ how noble/ how good/ how virtuous/ howsyke/ and how nigh the artetycle of death so ever they be/ as it appreth in the constitutions provincial in the chapter/ Contingit aliquando/ and all that is done for maintenance of their temporal possessions and of their temporal honours/ where it seemeth that none such should be longing to them.  
¶ And here now followeth somewhat more of the cruelty and percyalyte long time showed and continued by the prelate's and other that Clergy to all the Kings lay subjects and of the unlawful and partial favour borne by the said prelates to the unthrifty & cursed sort of the clergy In the holy decrees Dist l There is a little chapter that beginneth thus/ Si quis viduam/ wherein it is ordained that if any man mary a widow or woman left of an other man he shall never there after take any holy order's/ and if he happen to take any such holy orders he shallbe put from them/ And in the same chapter it is ordained that who so ever at any time after his baptism be in deed/ or by counsel/ or in his defence/ guilty or agreeable to any murder/ or manslaughter/ he shall never take holy orders/ And if he happen to take any than he shallbe put from them/ and he shall never take communion or howsyll but like a lay man/ And also in the next chapter following pervenit ad nos There it is ordained that if any clerk at any time after holy orders by him taken/ fall in lapse of the flesh he shallbe put from all holy orders & he shall never serve at the altar as before is said.  
¶ Now/ no man can read that ever any lay man hath been favoured or dispensed withal by his ordinary in this case/ how honest/ how good/ and how virtuous so ever he and his wife or wyffies were/ and yet all his doing in that case/ hath be done by the law of god & of the holy church/ wherein the said ordinaries have used either to high justice or to great cruelty without discretion or mercy.  
¶ And on the other side few men or none can tell or hath red that ever any of the clergy comytting felony wilful murder fornication adultery incest sacrelege/ or tape before taking of holy orders/ or aft taking of them/ hath at any time lost any orders/ or that he hath been forbodyn or denayed ministration at the altar at any time/ wherein the prelate's hath showed their undiscrete favour and great percialyte/ Therefore it were a chartable deed to make an act of parliament that all such unhappy priests whom the holy canons putteth from ministration at the altar/ should at the temporal law lose all manner of benefits of their clergy/ and should die for felony or murder done by them for they be no clerks ne shall never be admitted to their clergy as before is said. Dist. l  
¶ And although divers prelate's may percase truly say that they never committed neither such presumptuous rigour neither such undiscrete & ꝑeyall favour as now hath been spoky of/ yet they can not excuse themselves/ but that they know that it hath been so this long time used/ and yet every one of them suffereth it/ and neither speak/ neither preach/ neither yet write against it/ wherefore it may be said to them as christ said to the phareseys Ipocrytys Math. twenty-three. woe be to you. & c  
¶ And yet over this the said clergy hath made an ordinance and decree that who so ever teach preach or frowardly meaneth contrary to any of the foresaid decrees decretallies or ordinances in their constitutions provyncyall shallbe judged an heretic/ as it appeareth in the said constitutions provincial titulo/ de hereticis Cap. nullus quoque/ And where the king of his justice and gracious favour proclaymyth all his Actys made in his high court of parliament/ in every shear within this his realm/ and causeth them to be in print because no man should be excused by ignorant/ The clergy doth in a contrary wise/ make their constitions to be secret from/ the temporal & lay subjects of the King/ whereby they may daily fall in danger of heresy/ and that Ignorantly/ wherein seemeth to be much crafty cruelty   

¶ Of the most detestable heresy of simony used customably by them of the clergy and the most convenient order for the punishment of the same. Cap. iij.  
¶ Also he that lusteth to read in the holy decrees. i.. q̄. i. he shall there find a greater danger among the clergy than is yet spoken of/ or much preached/ or written of/ that is that every Symonyte is an infidel and an heretic/ and that he is no member of christs church/ and that he is so cursed that nothing can be blessed by him/ And yet most commonly they be the governors and rulers of the church here in this world/ yea and among many sundry kinds of heresies rehearsed xxiv. q̄. iij. Quidam autem heretici/ That heresy of simony is furst named as most detestable before god/ yea and it is so detestable & abominable that it can not welbe otherwise lykoned but to the treason of judas that sold and betrayed god/ yea and yet moreover it is so detestable before god/ that every man being of authority that knoweth it/ and is not vehemently chafed therewith/ & against the offenders therein is cursed with Simon Magus/ which as clerks say is dampened in hell.  
¶ What prelate or other clerk of authority/ can a void now that curse/ that fell on Simon Magus/ And also the Clergy tell the lay men/ that who so ever know any manner of person/ to be an heretic and doth not disclose that person/ and also his heresy/ he is afavorer of the heresy/ and he may be thought as guilty therein as the principal heretic/ as it appeareth xxiij q̄. iij. Qui potest obuiare/ & Also it is written Consencientes & agentes pari pena punientur/ And also Ioh. two Qui dixerit ei ave conicat operibus eius malignis Ecce predixi vobis ut in die dni non confundamini/ Now than by the Kings commandment or assent It may be asked of the Clergy/ in their house of convocation which and how many of them can truly say/ that he never committed that heresy of simony/ neither hath consented thereto/ neither hath at any time known one or more clerkis to have offended therein/ & yet he hath not disclosed it/ It is to be thought by vehement suspicion/ that few of them can justly excuse themselves thereof/ And yet they be neither attached/ imprisoned/ examined/ abjured/ neither burned therefore But they be always cruel on the Kings lay subjects/ in arresting them/ by force/ by cruel imprisoning of them in their Dark and close prisons/ where none of their friends or other good chartable/ and catholic men/ can be suffered to come to them/ to see them and to relief the unwholesome diet of them/ with their refuse of a little cold meat/ small & palled drink/ with hunger thirst/ and could/ with hard lodging among vermin/ with many subtle and crafty opposyngys'/ & thretinyngꝭ for their lucure/ yea and in abjuring or burning of them/ which sometime skantely know what good faith/ & heresy meaneth/ ¶ The grace of god/ and of good King harry amend it/ and grant that the bill of the lay commons called the bill/ ex officio may have good furtherance and speed/ or else the cruelty of the clergy is like to increase/ & not to be pacified/ for it seemeth that they had as leave die/ as to forego any part of their temporal power in such cruel handling the Kings lay subjects with the sword of vengeance and of cruel blodesheding/ as it appeareth in their answer to the said bill exofficio/ allegging for them this text/ Non veni mittere pacem/ sed gladium/ wherein they show their foul hypocrisy covered with sanctity/ And under that name and colour of charity/ they be cruel murderers & bloodshedders/ as before is said/ It is also said that every good Chyristyn man should rather sufferdeth than to receive the holy sacrament of the hands of any heretical priest knowyngly/ as it appeareth/ xxiv. q̄. i. Si quis dederit.  
¶ Simony is committed three divers ways/ furst by reward of the tongue/ as by flattering or fair words of request/ or craving/ gevyn by yourself or by any other person for you to the intent to have thereby spiritual promotion/ ye knowing it furst or last/ are bound in immediately to resignation and to restitution/ Secondly by reward of undue service as when ye or any other person for you do service/ or promise service to any man to th'intent to have spiritual promotion/ ye that knowing are bound to restitution/ Thirdly by reward of money or of any thing that is money worth as if ye or any person for you give or promise any sum of money any cattles or farm any stuff of household or any other thing that is money worth/ as soon as ye may have knowledge thereof/ ye are bound to resignation and to restitution of all your profits before received thereof/ as it appreth i q̄. three salvator predicit/ and also in destructorio viconrum in the title and chapter of Simony.  
¶ It hath been oftentimes known to many men that divers Clerks have committed and used this heresy of simony/ But it hath not been much known that any of them hath truly repented them thereof/ neither by free resignation/ of their benefices so symonytely gotten/ neither yet by restitution of their temporal goods simonytely and heretically gotten/ neither in their testaments at the point of death/ wherefore it is to be supposed and is much to be feared/ that all such heretical clerks have lacked/ and shall lack grace of true repentance/ and of satisfaction/ In confirmation whereof/ it is not red/ that balam/ of whom it is written Num xxii. and deut. xxiiij neither of Geysye of whom four regum. v. neither of judas the traitor of whom Mat. xxvi. neither of the falls bishops scribes & phareseys Ipocritꝭ/ which bought Christ of judas/ of whom in many places of holy scripture neither of Simon Magus of whom Actum. viii. All which were symonyties/ buying or selling spiritual things for temporal reward/ of whom it is not found that ever any of them did fruitful penance but by all likelihood/ they died Impenytente/ and out of the state of grace/ And here ye may mark a marvelous usurpation in the pope/ for where saint Peter never did/ ne would assoil Simon Magus of that detestable crime and heresy of Simony/ but suffered him to perish both in body and in soul/ yet the pope hath used to assoil all symonyte clerks for money/ yea and also to dispense with them/ and to licence them continually for term of their lives/ to retain and enjoy the benefycies and all the fruits and profits of the same symonytly and heretycally gotten/ without scrupulosity of conscience.  
¶ And yet the pope and the clergy will not be contented/ that the king's highness shall at any time pardon the life of any lay heretical person/ that they have once judged to the fire or have put from them to the lay hands/ although it be evidently known/ that the king hath more power over the bodies of his subjects/ than the pope and all his clergy hath/ where by it should seem that the pope is not only an heretic himself/ but also a customable maintainer and upholder of heretics and heresies And yet hereof we can here no preaching neither see no writing of late season/ but some one hath scornfully said/ I pray you be good to the clergy/ wherefore it may be said to many of the preachers/ and to such writers and confuters of the smaller heresies/ that leaveth the greater offences in God's law as the said simonical heresies and other be/ to be unpreached/ unwrytyn and not confuted/ as Christ said to the lindsays Ipocrytꝭ Math. xxiii. as before is written/ woe be to you. & c  
¶ The correction of all such enormities in the clergy of this realm belongeth to the kings highness as to his seculer-power/ as it appeareth by diverse holy canons that is xxiii q̄. i. Si apud carnales. xxiii. q̄. three Qui pont. xxiii. q̄. v. Sunt que dan enormia/ and there de lyguribus & veneticis/ and there Regum officium est & there/ Qui malos ꝑcutit/ and there Si propterea/ and in many other diverse placis of the holy decrees.  
¶ And every man both temporal and spiritual is bound to be obedient and to believe in all the holy canons/ and to maintain/ nothing contrary to any of them upon pain of heresy as it is said and commanded in the said constitutions provincial/ Titulo de hereticꝭ Ca Nullus quoque and also xxv q̄. i. violatores canonum/ ¶ And in confirmation of the Kings authority for correction of all enormities in the clergy/ ye may harkyn what is said thereof joh. nineteen. When Christ stood before pilate and was there untruly accused of treason against Cesar/ there pilate said to Christ/ knowest not thou that I have power to crucify thee/ and also to discharge and to forgive thee/ Chryst denayed it not/ but affirmed it/ saying/ Thou shouldest have no power upon me, but if it had be given the from above/ as from god/ Harkyn also saint Paul Ro. xiii. Where he willeth every man to be obedient to the high power of the King saying let every man be subject to the powers/ There is no power but of god/ he that resisteth power/ doth resist the ordinance of god/ And they that so resist gear damnation to themselves/ for princes be not set here in dread of any good work/ but of evil & c He beareth the sword not without cause/ he is God's minister and avenger wrathfully to him that evil doth. etc.  
And saint Peter. i Petri. two. saith Be ye subject to every human creature for god & c to the vengeance of evil doers and to the laud and praise of good men. & c  
¶ The preaching/ writing/ & showing of these foresaid and other great and grievous offensies against the law of god/ And the declaration of the Kings power in punishing thereof/ had been and yet willbe much pleasant to god/ And also it should have been good acceptable service to the Kings highness/ for it should have put/ and yet may put his grace in good perfit knowledge/ what belongeth for a King or prince to do hereafter in all such outrageous offences/ if the clergy/ do not cease there of/ And so the corretion thereof had been/ and yet may be a help & furtherance to the mayneteynaunce of the Kings honour/ and of his prerogative reyall/ For by estimation the knowledge thereof hath been long time kept from his grace/ and from his noble progenitors/ and from the temporal lords peeris of this Realm/ wherefore in the honour of god and for the duty that ye own to the King/ ye preachers & writers that have hereto fore preached/ and written/ of such tryfyls and smaller offences in god's law as is before rehearsed/ Now preach ye and write ye first in reproving and oppressing of these for said great and detestable vices/ and that done than may ye preach and write of other smaller offences at your pleasure (quia ipsa oportet facere & illa non omittere) And so ye may also a void from yourselves the great & perilous curse that is fallen on Simon Magus/ or else the foresaid holy canon. i. q̄. i. quisquis per pecuniam/ reporteth that ye be in great danger thereof/ And in so doing/ the time shallbe well spent/ and god and the King shallbe well served/ and the commonalty of this realm may be thereby set at moche rest and peace/ ¶ For the clergy in their cruel persecution of the kings lay subjects do all contrary to Christ'S doings and to his commandments and also contrary to the holy canon. xxiv. q̄. three Cap. ultimo in which holy canon is rehearsed Christ'S act and commandment Math. xiii. saying/ suffyr ye as well the cokell as the good corn to grow both together till harvest time/ for dread that when ye would weed and pluck up the cokell ye shall also therewith pluck up the good corn by the rote/ And there the said holy canon saith It is necessary that some heresies & heretics be/ And also Math. xv. where Chrystis appostolys said to him/ Thou knowest that in this thy word the pharisees be slandered/ And there Chryst bade & commanded those pharisees to be suffered/ seying they were blind and leaders of blind men or of blind things/ And no clerk doubteth but knoweth those pharisees to be heretics/ and yet Chryst bade suffer them/ But the said cruel sort of the clergy hath not of late season done so/ But some time it hath been thought that they would abjure a good crystyan man causeless/ as it seemeth by some persons lately being in their danger & prison/ wherefore these premyssies well considered it should seem to be very necessary counsel to the ordinaries spiritual and to other the clergy/ to advise than/ to leave their cruel handling of the kings lay subjects for such heresies as be but small heresies in comparison of greater/ till they may clear and cleanse themselves from simony that is the greatest and most abominable heresy or else till they can prove by good authority that simony is none heresy/ for it seemeth to be a great abuse that where a prelate's duty is to feed Christ'S flock that is put to his keeping with wholesome doctrine/ yea and to anoint and to he'll them that be infected or scabbed/ lovingly with soft salnies/ and not to beat them/ neither to shear or poll them/ neither to slay them in there good name/ ne other wise/ but lovingly and secretly to reform them that be in errors/ like a good shepherd and not to be among them like awolfe or like a bear/ that all ways fedyth himself on the flock/ and never cheressheth them/ for to such one it may well be said ye Ipocryte and archeherytyke/ if ye lust to pike a straw or mote out of mine eye/ first it willbe much necessary/ that ye draw out the great post or beam from your own eye/ and so shall ye the better see to pike the straw or more out of mine eye.  
¶ And if the clergy will not be therewith contented/ then it is to be thought that the kings highness hath good cause to say to them/ as Chryst said to the scribes and pharisees hypocrites as is before said Math. xxiii ye be wyttenessys to your own selfies for ye have written in your bill of answer/ to the bill of complaint that my lay subjects hath put to me in their supplication against you the spiritual ordinaries of this my realm/ called the bill ex officio/ that ye were never grievous to your brethren/ and ghostly children but only to such as were infected with the pestilent poison of heresy/ with whom (ye say) that ye are commanded by Christ'S gospel to have no peace saying. Math. x. Non veni mittere pacem sed gladium/ And although yet as it seemeth by the prosese of that chapter/ it is not in tended neither mente as ye have applied it/ for in four or five hundred places of scripture/ god hath commanded love & peace/ and not strife war/ neither blood shedding/ And therefore it appeareth that it may be justly said to you as Chryst said to the pharyseis hypocrites in the foresaid gospel Math. xxiii. ye be the sons of them that slew the prophets/ ye will say saith Chryst that if ye had been officers in that time when your fathers slew the prohetꝭ that ye would not have been their fellows in blood shedding/ but it is not so/ for at this day ye say ye love your brother's/ and yet ye will kill them/ but ye can not do both/ and therefore Chryst calleth you in that said gospel/ the spawn or seed of venomous Adders and ye would blind the people and say that therein ye esteem that ye do acceptable service to god in all such your crafty cruelty/ but ye know the contrary/ though ye lust to apply and to expound holy scripture at your pleasure and to your wretched and sinful appetytis/ to colour and to hide your cruelty and your Ipocrysye/ And if any of my lay subietꝭ show to you holy scripture sufficient to confound your wrong appling of scripture/ and your Iwysh fables/ Anon ye say that no lay man should meddle with holy scripture/ but therein Chryst confoundeth you/ Luc. xi saying to you of the clergy woe be to you that be learned in the law/ that have taken or borne away the kaye of cunning/ & yourself have not entered or gone in/ & ye have foreboden those that entered/ & hereby ye think to colour & to hide your great cruel Ipocrysy/ but it is written by a famous doctor in a book called Destructorium victorun/ That by divers ways a man may know an hypocrite/ whereof one now followeth/ ¶ Ccognoseuntur ipocrite ex opp̄ssione bonorum/ Opprimunt enim bonos ꝑsequen do factis/ & detrahendo verbis/ cuiusmodi videntur esse hoens multi superiores eccle tam seculares tanseclaresquam regulares/ qui fideles & humiles servos xpi persequntur/ id est eos incarcerando & aliquando comburendo occidunt/ sed, quare hoc faciunt/ Certe experientia do cente/ pro eo ꝙ eorum vitam reꝓbant voluptuosam/ & negligenciam reprehendunt / SꝪ o miser qui taliter agis/ quare respiciendo scripturas sacras/ & specialiter evangelia/ non consideras/ ꝙ in aug mentacionem sue proprie dampnacionis ita fecerunt predecessores tui pontifices falsi/ scribe & pharesei/ qui de bonis ecclesie voluptuose vixerunt/ sicut tu nunc Nonne epi occiderunt rpmm/ aplos & scons martyrs/ reputando eos hereticos ꝓeo ꝙ eorum peccam reꝓbaverunt/ sic tu reputas eos hereticos qui tuam vitam reprobant voluptuosam. & c  
¶ Now sithence it is sufficiently laid and proved to you by diverse great authorities of the holy law canon/ that clerks symonytes be greatest heretics/ yea and archeheretykes in comparison of a lay man that is an heretic/ and sithence also that the same holy law canon affirmeth and declareth every man of authority that is not vehemently chafed and displeased with you for that same your simony/ and heresy/ to be cursed with Simon Magus which all ye will grant and affirm to be dampened in to hell perpetually/ And also sithence it is sufficiently proved by holy scripture and also it is decreed by divers of the said holy canons before alleged/ that the punishment thereof belongeth to me that am your king & governor/ as to our secular power/ what can ye now say but that of very justice in God's cause and in eschewing/ and avoiding of that terrible curse that fell on Simon magus/ from which almighty god of his great mercy save and defend us/ we must be vehementley sterede and chafed against you/ and according to your demeritis/ and to your for said answer to the said bill ex officio/ to have no peace with you/ and to say to you with Christ/ Math. x. Non venimittere pacem sed Gladium/ for heryn ye be wyttenessis to your own selfs/ And so of necessity we must see you punished with the sword of sharp execution/ as ye have caused other small heretics being but small in comparison of them that be greater heretics of late time to be punished/ as with cruel arresting you/ hard impresoning opynlye abjuring you/ and grievously amersing you with great fines/ and with taking from you/ all that ye have here/ before symonytely and heretycally gotten/ and long received/ or else with fire consume you/ if ye lust not to abjure/ for in this case ye be wyttnessys to yourselves as before is said ¶ And it is congruent/ and well consonant and agreeable to good reason/ and to all laws of god and of man/ furst to punish/ and to confownde the greater offenders/ and archeretykys/ and afterward the less/ for every bishop and priest heretic may truly be called an Archeherytyke in comparison of a lay heretic/ aswell for the qualities and difference of their spiritual dignity/ as of their offensies/ and therefore it ought aswell to be furst punished/ as also most grievously/ and most openly punished/ witness of saint Bar. saying/ Non enim par debet esse pena/ ubi disparest causa.  
¶ Now if any clerk lust to make answer here to/ then for the love of god let their answer be put in writing charitably/ that it may be Replied to/ if need be/ Or else let them yield them selfys guilty therein/ and put themselves holy to the mercy & grace of the Kings highness/ which is/ and hath always been/ merciful and gracious/  

¶ Vivat Rex  
Gaudeat grex  
Luceat lex   In Regno maiestatis. 

¶ Salus senioribus  
Concors coimbus  
Et pax hoimbus   Bone voluntatis.  
¶ Amen amen say every man.   

¶ Impressum/ Cum privilegio regali.   

¶ Tabula.  

¶ How some of the Clergy and their adherentis causeless have sklanderousely spoken against this noble realm of England and against divers of the Kings lay subjects/ and have preached & written against small offensies/ leaving the greater offensies against the law of god untouched. Ca i  
¶ Of the kings great benyngnyte and favour used alwy to ward the clergy And of their great presumption and cruelty showed against his grace and his lay subjects. Ca two  
¶ Of the most detestable heresy of simony used customably by them of the clergy and the most convenient order for the punishment of the same. Ca iij.   
¶ Finis.   

 printer's device of John Skot 
ALAVENTURE · TOVT VIENT APONIT QVI PEUT · ATENORE JOHN SKOT ·  
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