TWO SHORT TREATISES, AGAINST THE Orders of the Begging Friars, compiled by THAT FAMOUS DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, and Preacher of God's word JOHN WICKLIFF, sometime fellow of Merton, and Master of Ballioll Coll. in Oxford, and afterwards Parson of Lutterworth in Lecestershire.  
Faithfully Printed according to two ancient Manuscript Copies, extant, the one in Benet College in Cambridge, the other remaining in the Public Library at Oxford.  Eccles. Chap. 44. vers. 8. There are of them, that have left a name behind them, so that their praise shallbe spoken of. 
At Oxford, Printed by joseph Barnes, printer to the University. 1608.   

Faults escaped in the printing of these Treatises against the Friars.  
PAg. 1. l. 10. feet, read set. p. 2. l. 27. still, read skill. p. 13. l. 31. lawfully, read lawful. p. 17. l. 3. Famulororum, read Famulorum. p. 21. l. 14. if this, read this p. 25 in the Title for. oderrs, read orders. p. 29. l. 14. yea, read the. p. 29. l 16. then, read them pag. 33. l. 7 them▪ read▪ then, p. 33. l. 20. needful, read. meedfull. p. 40. l. 18. last, read lest he. p. 47 l. 16. so, read tho. p. 50. l. 27. si, read is. p. 50, l 29. bidden read binden, p. 58. l. 16. sinfnll▪ read sinful.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE my singular good Lord, Sr THOMAS FLEMYNGE Knight, Lord Chief justice of England.  
RIght Honourable & my good Lord, being tied unto your Lordship with those bonds, which to recount in particular, were to exceed the bounds of an Epistle, as first for my election into that famous Seminary of good learning near Winchester, secondly for my better promotion into that enermore justly to be called 
a Ind value ex Equo Troiano, viri omni tempore, virtute excellentes prode unt Polyd. Virg Hist. Angl. l. 19 p. 381.  New College in Oxford (two most honourable foundations of one sole Founder William of Wiccham) last for my exceeding great hopes and farther encouragements in the ministery; all which kind favours, as I acknowledge them to have proceeded only, or especially by your Lordship's means, so in a thankful remembrance thereof, accept I beseech you these two small Treatises ensuring, as pledges of my duty, and the mere Interest of that Honour which is due unto your Lordship, and hath been of a long time (Iconfesse) unpaid, but not unremembered wherefore, having not as yet any thing of mine own store worthy the bestowing, I have borrowed these few lines from one, that is rich in this kind: whose soul I trust is with God, his fame with the world, and his bones had rested in the grave, had not the restless malice of his cruel adversaries herein exceeded, by taking, or rather raking them up out of the 
b See the decree of the Council of constance, and the Execution in ●…ox  grave, after he had quietly slept in the Lord, for the space of 41. years; committing them to the mercy of two merciless Elements, Fire and Water; And as if this cruelty had not s●…iced to assuage there blood thirsty appetites, Council must be called upon Council, Bishops, Archbishops, 
c See Walsingham▪ pag 188. Lib. memo rabilium ex don●… Nic. H●…re Atm●… ger●…  and lastly the Pope's Sanctity must be consulted, about the utter rooting out, and abolishing of his name, and doctrine from amongst the memory of men, & hereupon letters are sent in all post haste from the Bishops unto the 
d Walsingham. Ib pag 204.  Pope, from the Pope to the king, from the king to the Archbishop, and from both king Pope and Archbishop unto the 
e Ib p. 306. Pope Gregory ●…ent a Bu●…e by 〈◊〉▪ breathing out th●…eats against the University for ●…uffering Wickli●…es opinions to take so deep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aduen●…us dicti 〈◊〉 nun●…ij d●…u in pendu●…o, haerebant, vt●…um papalem Bul●…m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honor●… reciper●… velomnino cum dedecore refutare. Walsing. p. 200 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…undry other Bulls against him Ib.  Chancellor of Oxford, and last of all to make the matter more sure▪ the high Court of Parliament is summoned wherein his articles being before condemned, must needs be published and recorded; But man 
f Ipse consilium eo●…um d●…ssipauit, qui perdit sapientium sapientiam & prudentium prud●… tiam ●…eprobat solo nutu Wal●…▪ words retorted pag▪ 218.  purposeth, and God disposeth, for behold that God which sitteth on high, laughed them to scorn frustrated their bloody designments, preserved his painful & learned works, to stop the mouths of lying 
g The Apology of the Roman Church is divided into three several tracts whereof the second is this that the Protestants Religion was not so much as in being at▪ or before Luther's first appearing. See the Title pag. This is a m●…st manifest●… 〈◊〉  Pamphleteers which write that our Religion is nothing else but a new and upstart doctrine, scarcely ever heard of before Luther's time, the sharpness of which objection (if there be any edge in it I have rebated in another Treatise dedicated unto an other very Honourable judge of this land, of your ●…ordships near acquaintance judiciam sit pene●… lectorem▪ where I have demonstrated most clearly, to the eye, (as they say) the fondness and vanity of Father 
h Par●…ons in his 3▪ Conuers. Part▪ 2 pag. 487. The Apol. Tract. 2. Cap 2. pag. 105.  Parsons, & our Pseudo-Catho like Apologists calumniations, both against the parson of Wickliff, and doctrine of our Catho▪ like Protestant Religion: accusing the one of foul heresies, and monstrous absurdities, and appealing the other of manifest newness and new-fāglene●…▪ I have (as I trust) freed both from that unjust and slanderous imputation, in the judgement of the indifferent reader: for others that stand popishl●…, indeed sottishly affected, in the Romish religion, from whom a man shall not be able to wring any other answer but this, we know that we are in the right and you are in the wrong (I am afraid) I shall not be able to satisfy non si persuasero no, not when I have persuaded them. But to let them pass, & to excuse myself unto your Lordship, why amongst so many Scholastical Treatises by him written, which are with us extant, I should choose rather to publish these two small Books, taken out of his popular discourses, and those penned (as it should seem) not long after his first open manifestation of his mislike with their noted corruptions and abuses. The motives or inducements were these: first because these Treatises are short and entire of themselves: secondly because our 
i He with his Disciples went barefooted and basely clothed, in course russet garments— ad●…oined himself to the begging Friars, approving their poverty and extolling their perfection Apol. Tract. 2. Cap. 2, pag. 106. Wickliff himself saith, he went too well appareled, rather than otherwise consumendo bona pauperum in excessivo victu & vestitu De Ver. Scrip. pag. 192. & persecuting the begging Friars more than any man of his rank place or time. Woodeford in a Ms. Treatise in defence of the orders of Friars objecteth too great excess of apparel unto his followers.  Adversaries, whose foreheads are tenderer than other men's, shame not to write and cite Wickliff for one of the order of the Begging Friars, adjoining himself unto that Sect, approving there poverty, & extolling there perfection: which notorious untruth, is confuted in every page & passage almost of these Two Books: lastly I have chosen rather to publish somewhat of this argument, in regard of your Lordship's utter detestation of all jesuitical Friars, and Friarlike jesuits. For what is spoken of the one, mutato nomine may well be understood of the other, and what is intended against the Friars, may truly be extended unto the jesuits, they are so like in hypocrisy, blasphemy, treacheries, treasons, lyings, and damnable Equivocations. And as 
k Tales potentes in Clero▪ ●…siue personae simplices Collegiat●… aggregatae, quae religionem Christi dissip antony's sub pallio sanctitatis vel punien tur hic per praepositos suos, aut laicos; vel destruentur per vastrationes hostiles; vel congregant facino●…a in ultionem divini judicij, dicente Apostolo Rom. 2 Existimas autem o homo etc.— Est enim dare mensuram in scelera usque ad▪ quam opo●…tet ultionem divini judicij expectare. De Verit. Scrip pag. 432 433.  john Wickliff prophesied of the Friars, that in short time their great Monasteries, (their great sins so requiring it, when the measure of their iniquities should be complete and full,) would come to great confusion and desolation: so of that other Sect is there a prophecy extant of a 
l Aria's Mon●…anas praefatione praefixa Bib●…iis Interlinearibus, sublata sunt haec verba in quibusdam edit, contra eos qui soli sapere soli bene vivere jesumque propius insequi sibi videantur, atque id palam professi iactitent. Atque high (inquit) quod neminem qui alias bene audiat, palam improbare audent, aliorum quos ad eam rem occult inducere possunt ingenijs & nominibus abutuntur. Horum aut 〈◊〉, ●…ec artes fallunt, nec gregem prodere aut cognomen indica●…e juuat: utuntur quidem il●…i ma●…no & inaccessibile ad suas agendas res mysterio, sed quod faci●…e iis qu●… si●…plicius 〈◊〉 agere volunt pelluceat: quodque non post multos annos tandem aperiendum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illius qui illuminabit abscondita cordis, & occulta tenebrarum, tunc laus erit unicuique secundum opera sua.  man very famously learned, that in short time these counterfeit jesuits, would be unmasked, their vizors pulled of from their faces, and there knaveries and treacheries discovered unto the whole world. For my particular I neither wish nor prophecy there final destruction, only the downfall and ruin of that damned Sect, is that which I profess I do aim at, and to use 
m Against the order of Friars pag. 22.  Wickliffs' words to save there persons & destroy their errors. Wherefore, fearing lest too many of all sorts of men should be bewitched with this Circean Sect, I have presumed to offer up these few lines, as it were so many warrants to be signed by your Lordship's hand, and sent abroad into all parts of this land, that by virtue of them, memmight either apprehended, or amend them, take them, or take heed of them. What should I trouble your Lordship any farther, Wickliff hath not as yet wanted a 
n There was one William james a great Follower of Wickliff. Vir utique pulchrae literaturae, & elegantis facundiae▪ Walden. To. 2. p. 47.  james to follow and embrace his doctrine, nor your Lordship a divine to honour you and your most honourable Profession; professing myself to have learned of this 
o Vide lib. Ms De exposit. 10. Mandate in sine libri. Heagreeth fully with my L Cook in his 5. book of reports and the book De fundamentis legum Angliae in defence of the kings regalty.  Doctor of the evangelical truth (as I find him by Papists styled) to make more account and use of the Common Law of this land. And thus craving pardon of your Lordship for having so long detained you from greater businesses of the Common wealth, committing both him and myself unto your Lordship's pro tection, I end, wishing unto your Lordship, and to your virtuous Lady my dearest Sister, with all yours endless comforts both of this life, and of that other to come From the Public Library in Oxford. Feb. 10. 1608.  
Your Lordships in all Christian duty. THO: JAMES.   

A COMPLAINT OF JOHN Wickliff, exhibited to the King and Parliament.  
PLease it to our most Noble and most Worthy King Richard, king both of England and of France, and to the Noble Duke of Lancastre, and to other great men of the Realm, both to Seculars and men of Holy-church, that been gathered in the Parliament, to hear, assent and maintain the few articles, or points that been feet within this writing, and proved both by authority and reason, that Christian faith, and Christian religion been increased, maintained, and made stable; sith our Lord jesus Christ, very God and very man, is Head and Prelate of this religion, and shed his precious heart blood, and water out of his side on the cross, to make this religion perfect and stable, & clean without error.  

The first Article.  
The first Article is this: that all persons of what kin, private sects, or singular religion made of sinful men, may freely withouten any letting, or bodily pain leave that private rule, or new religion founden of sinful men, and stably hold the rule of jesus Christ taken & given by Christ to his Apostles, & for more profit than any such new religion founden of sinful men. The reason of this axing is showed this, thus. The rule of jesus Christ yoven to Apostles, and kept of them after Christ's Ascension, is most perfect to be kept for state of living in this world, and each rule of what kin, private sect, or singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sinful men, is less perfect than the rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ of his endless wisdom, & his endless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kind; therefore it is leveful to each 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this singular religion and profession, to leave it clea●…e fast to the rule of jesus Christ, as more 〈◊〉. This rule is plain to each man of wit and discretion, & namely to Clerks: sith men of the Pope's law witnesse●…h plainly, that a man may lawfully, yea against his Soverains will go fro the less perfect religion, to the more perfect. Why then may not a man of private religion, forsake that, and take Christ's clean religion without error of any sinful fool, as most perfect; and that Christ's rule in his own cleanness and freedom is most perfect, is showed by this skill. For in as much as a Patron or a Founder, is more perfect, more mighty, more witty, and more holy, and in more charity than is an other Patron or Foundour; in so much is the first Patrons rule better and more perfect than is the second patrons rule. But jesus Christ Patron of Christian religion given to Apostles, passeth withouten measure in might, wit and good will or charity, the perfection of every Patron of any private sect or singular; therefore his rule is more perfect. Also, that Christ's clean religion without clow●…ng of sinful men's errors is most perfect of all, is showed by this stil. For other Christ might give such a rule most perfect for this life to be kept, and would not, and than he was envious, as Of Austin proveth in other matters, or else Christ would ordain such a rule, & might not, and than Christ was unmighty; but it is heresy to affirm that on Christ; or else Christ might, and couth, and would not, & than he was unwitty; but that is heresy, an no man should suffer to hear. That there fore Christ both might, & could, & would ordain such a rule most perfect, that aught to be kept for state of this life, and so Christ of his endless wisdom & charity ordained such a rule, and so on each side men been needid up pain of heresy and blasphemy, and of damning in hell to believe and knowledge that there religion of jesus Christ to Apostles, and kept of them in his own freedom, without clouting of sinful men's error, is most perfect of all, and so to let no man to forsake private religion, and keep Christ's clean religion, without new wrong traditions of sinful men, that oft erreden in there own life and teaching. Also Christ in making the rule and order of Apostles, was in this time, & ever before, Almighty, alwittie, all full of good will and charity, to make perfect rule: therefore he made not only a perfect rule, but most perfect of all▪ but each Patron of private rule was unmightie; and letted both in gifts of kind and grace, and not alwittie; but in comparison of Christ an ydiot or fool, and not so well willing, to make so good & perfect as Christ: therefore he made a rule less good, & less perfect, and hereof it sueth plainly that Christ clean religion is most perfect of al.  
Also Apostles & there followers, keeping the rule given to them of Christ, won most merit & thanks of God in this keeping before all other times; therefore if all Christian men both in old time, and new hadden kept the same rule of Christ, in his own cleanness & freedom, should have deserved most thanks of God in degree possible to them? Therefore no new sect of religion striving fro Christ's sect, should have begun: but that that was first should have be kept in his cleans, of such new founder; up, of novelries & Patrons. Also hit were now as good, and of as much merit to keep the rule of jesus Christ, as it was at the beginning; sith Christ's rule is enough, and able for all men on live of what ever complexion or age they been of; but this rule was kept of jesus Christ and his Apostles, & there best sewers, by five hundred year after his Ascension, withouten any finding of any such new planting, or religion, in which time holy Church increased & profited most; for than almost all men disposed them to martyrdom, at ensample of Christ▪ therefore it were now not only meritory or medeful, but most medeful to the Church, to live so in all things, and by all things.  
Also both Monks and Canons, forsaken the rules of Benet & Austin, and taken withouten any dispensation the rule of Friars, as most perfect; but the rule of Apostles is utterly & algates most perfect, therefore men may forsake private rules in religion, made of sin full men, and taken the clean religion of Apostles, that is preached with freedom of the Gospel, without dispensation of worldly Clarks, that in caasqueke devils as Christ judas Scariot.  
Also the Pope may dispense with the rule of each private sect or religion, and hath dispensed & yet doth but he may not dispense with Christ's rule given to Apostles; therefore the rule of Christ ordained to Apostles, is more perfect, than any rule of of private religion, and most perfect of all, and hereof it sueth openly, that men may lawfully forsake private religion, and keep Christ's religion in his cleanness, sith it is most perfect, most easy, and light for to keep, & most siker to bring men to heaven, and to highest degree of bliss.  
And if our adversaries of this private religion striven algats, that the rules been more perfect, than the rule of Apostles why than so many persons, as who so saith without number of each such private sect, by licence of the Pope been made; some Chaplains of Household's, some Chaplains of honour, some bishops dowid with secular Lordships, some Bishops among heathen men, and dare not come to their children; but what profession a Frere be of anon, if he be choose thereto, he accepteth ye office of the Pope or Cardinal, of patriarchs, of archbishop, of Eyshop, and forsaketh his own state, sith Christ saith in the Gospel, that no man putting his hand to the plough, and looking backward is worthy to have the Kingdom of God; that is no man taking perfect state of poverty, meekness. and penance, is able to be saved, if he turned again to worldly life, pomp, and pride, and covetousness and ease of body and sloth, and riot and gay clothing and costly. Therefore they changen not the more perfect for the less perfect, for▪ than they were Apostates; but they purchasen the more perfect, for the less perfect, therefore the clean religion and rule of Priesthood by form of the Go●…pell, is more perfect▪ than any rule or religion made of sinful men. Also, nothing that is abominable and reproved of Saints, showld be brought in of other, by any colour or cauteel; but those new sects been such, that been of flesh, as St. Paul saith, in his Pistells: therefore such sects should not be brought in to Charging of the Church; but all Christian men showld cast away, and hold fast the unity, freedom, and cleanness of the rule of jesus Christ. peraventure these Ypocrits sayen to exclude all these reasons, & many more, that the rule to which they make profession, is not strange, ne diverse fro the rule of Apostles, that Christ ordained, but it is utterly the same, and none other: but the contrary of this excusing is openly showed by four the last reasons before said. For if these new rules weren all one with Christ's rule given to Apostles, Christ showld have taught them both, and ensampled both in his life and speaking▪ and writing with Cermonies and rits, and customs thereof; but did not this never in his death, ne after his resurrection, ne to his ascension. And if this excusing were sooth, the sects of Friars showlde not have begonnen about a thousand and tweyn hundred year of Christ. But the contrary is open in Chronicles; hit▪ sueth also of the same, that Christ's Apostles hadden both Monks, Canons and Freers, if men taken Monks Canons and Freers, for men that professen such private sects, but thi●… is openly false. Also Christ's rule yo●…ē to Apostles is like & of o form to all men that maken profession thereto, to speak of substance of the rule; but rule●… of these private sects beeth full diverse and contrary, as to substance of these rules, sith some of them receaven dymes, and dotations, as don these Possessioners; but some for saken all such tithes and possessions, as Fr●…ers mendicaunts. But to descend down in specialty, full many articles of rules of such sects, be openly contrary to the Apostles rule; sith it is lawful to each true man of Christian religion, to convert a man of wrong faith to christian; but this is foreboden in the rule of friars Minours, sith only to Ministers, & none other is licence granted to restrain Friars, to hear private sects notwithstanding that evermore Friars, done the contrary, and Christ received penies, but they shoulden not by there own rule, receive penies, neither by themselves, ne by mean person. Also Christ preaching the Gospel, entered into places both of women and men, as the Gospel of Luke telleth; but is foreboden to Friars to entrens into Abbeys of women, but Friars glosen these rules to the contrary: but Francis there founder commanded them in article of his death, that they should not receive glosses upon his rule. Also if Christ's rule given to Apostles & the rule of private sects weren all one withouten reason, men leaven the first & professeden the other ': but if it were to show there hypocrisy. Also if this feigning be sooth, it seemeth that it is as perfect & meedful to keepen Christ's rule of Francis, or Dominike, or any such other man. Also if these rules been all one, and in nothing divers, than such a rule should not be cleped rule of Francis, ni Dominiks ne any such other, but rule of Christ; for so it should be of more authority, and more commended. And so the Gospel ought to be kept withouten any fouling of all Christian men, withouten such novelries, and put nothing thereto, and draw nothing therefrom, & if this thing were done such private sects should be super slew and waste, as flies living in the air: and it was none need of Francis, Dominik, or any such other new man beside him, about making of this rule of Apostles that friars feign to be thern. For that rule was made of Christ, God and man, and kept of Apostles, and confirmed by the holy Ghost, and at the full declared by a thousand year & two hundred, before Francis, Dominik, or any Friar of such private sect were into this world.   

The second Article.  
The second point or Article is this, that though men that unreasonably and wrongfully han damned▪ and all this counsel be amended of so great error; and that their error may be published to men dwelling in the Realm: the reason of this axing is showed thus. Nothing ought to be damned as error and false, but if it savour error or unrightewisenes against God's law: but neither the King, ne his Counsel, dud unrightfully, for as much as he took away the possessions of some Prelates, that trespaceden, whose contrary Friars han determined openly; therefore reasonably men should assent▪ to this axing. For some Friars written thus in Coventre, among articles that they damneden as heresy and error, that Secular Lords may lawfully and medefully taken away temporal goods given to men of the Church, but sith our king hath done so, & other kings his predecessors han done so, many times by lawful cause, as pertaining to there regalie, and of common Law by counsel of Peers of the Realm it sueth that not only our king, now present, hath erred; but also his predecessors, & generally all his Counsellors, as Lords, and Prelates and all men of the Parliament counseling thereto.  
Also if this be error touching the health of man's soul, than it is against holy writ, and than if a man sustain or maintain this error, he is an heretic; but full many King's Lords, and Prelates, and other wise men han sustained this, and maintained, and yet done as pertaining to the Kings Regalie, and of common law; than been these Friars, all King's Lords and Prelates, & all wise men of our Realm been heretics, Also sith this is an old custom, the which our King, Lords, and Prelates, been sworn to sustain and maintain, if this be error (as Friars sayen openly) it sueth by Friars, that all these been forsworn & heretics. Also if this be error, as friars faynen, that though an Abbot and all his Covent been open traitors conspiring into death of the King and Queen, and of other Lords, and enforce them to destroy all the Realm, the King may not take fro them an halfpenny ne farthing worth, sith all these been temporal goods. Also although other Clarks senden unto our enemies all the rents that they han in our Land, & what ever they may rob or steal of the King's Liege men, yet may not our King punish by o farthing ne farthing worth. Also by this ground of Friars although Monks or Friars, or other Clarks what ever they been slain Lords tenants, the King's Liege men, & defoulen Lords wives, yea the Queen (that God forbid) or the Empiresse; yet the King may not punish them by o farthing. Also it sueth plainly, that men cleped men of holy Church, may dwell in this land at their liking, & do what kin sin, what kin treason liketh them, and nevertheless the King may not punish ne in temporal goods, ne in their body: sith if he may not punish them in the less, he may not●…in the more: and also they maken one of themself King, and so no secular Lord may let him to conquer all Secular Lordship in this earth, and so they may slay all Lord; & Ladies, & there blowed and affinity with any pain in this life, or in body or in cattle. Ye Lords seeth and understandeth with what punishing they deserve to be chastised, that thus unwarly & wrongfully, han damned you for heretics, for as much as you don execution & rightwilnesses by God's law and man's, and namely of the King's regalie. For the chief Lordship in this land of all Temporalties both of secular men & Religious pertain to the King of his general governing; for else he were not King of all England, but of a little part thereof. Therefore the men that bysien them to take away this Lordship fro the King, as done Friars & there fautors in this point been sharper enemies and traitors, than French men and all other nations. Also it pertaineth to the King the while a Bishop or any Abbots see is void, to have in his hand all Temporalties, and at his own will to give them to Prelates; therefore the King may take a way these Temporalties from Prelates, when law full cause excitith. Also the king ought grant no man freedom to do sin or trespass, but to take away the freedom; but men of the Church had free licence to trespass if the king might not bereave their Temporalties, when they sinneden▪ grievously. And so Saint Paul teacheth that each man be subject to their Potestates, for there is no power but of God, and though things that been of God been ordained, & so they that withstandeth power withstandeth God's ordinance. For why? Princes been not a dredd of good works, but of evil. But wilt thou not dread a power, d●…e good, & thou shalt have praising thereof that is of him that is ordained in the high estate, for he is God's minister or servant to the in good; but if thou have done evil, than dread, for he beareth the sword not without cause, for he is God's servant vengere in wrath to him that doth evil, and therefore by need or of need, be ye subject or underlout not only for wrath, but also of conscience. All this saith St. Paul of which authority it is, to known to all men, that Clarks owen to be subject of need to the king's power. For St. Paul that putteth all men in subjection to kings, out taketh never even, and so Secular power oweth and is bound to punish by just pain of his sword, that is worldly power, tyrant's rebelling against God, and trespassing against man, by what kind trespass, and that is more to chastise his subjects by pain and torment of there body; and no dread, much more he may punish than by taking away of their temporalties, that is lass than bodily pain: therefore Secular Lords done this rightfully, sith this is done by commandment of the Apostle, and by ordinance of God and therefore it is plain of these reasons & authorities, and Secular Lords may levefullie and medefully, in many cases taken away Temporal goods given to men of the Church.   

The third Article.  
The third Article is this; that both Tithes and Offering; bene yoven and paid, and received by that intent, to which intent both God's law & the Pope's law ordained them to be paid and received; and that the betake away by the same intent and reason, that both God's law, & the Pope's law ordainen that they shoulden be with drawn. This axing is reasonable, for many skills: for the intent of the maker in every law should be kept, and most the intent of God that may not err. soothly thus saith God's law in the 1. book of Kings that the sin of Helies' children was full great before God, for they withdrawn men fro sacrifice of God, taking by strength or violence that part of the sacrifice, that pertained to the Priest & God saith afterward I speaking have spoken, that thine house & thy Faders' house should minister, and serve in my sight evermore, but now God saith; be that thing far fro me, but who ever shall worship me, I shall glorify them, but they that despisen me, saith God, shall been unnable, or without honour; of which authority it is plain and open, that the things that be due to Priests, should not be axed by strength, by violence or cursing, but be given freely withouten exaction or constraining, and if the Priest be reproved of God for his sins, he should be put out of his office, and the sacrifices shoulden not be yoven to him but taken fro him, as God commandeth from the high Priest Hely, and an other true man walking in God's ways, as did Samuel, shoulden be ordained to receive such sacrifices. Also in beginning of Toby men finden thus, when Priests of the Temple wenten to calverens of gold, to honour them for Gods of jeroboam King of Jsrael made, Toby offride truly all his first fruits and tithes. So that in the third year Toby ministered all his tithes to proselytis, and comelings or guests, and withdroweth them wholly fro the wicked Priests, and the book saith that the Little Child kept these things and other such after the law of God. Therefore if our Prelates or other Priests what ever they been, openly blecked by sacrifice of maumetry, as with coveitise, that is, openly sacrifice of false Gods, and other great sins, as Pride, Simony, and Manquelling, Glotanie, drunkenness, and Lechery, by the same skill tithes and off●…ings should be withdrawn from them by God's law, and be given to poor needy men, at ensample of rightful Toby.  
Also S. Paul speaking to Timothe Bishop, saith thus: Be we pay with these things, if we han lifelode, and to be hiled with. And S. Barnard speaketh thus in this matter: what ever thou takest to thee of thine entrage, that is Dymes and offerings beside simple lifelode and straight clothing, it is not thine, it is theft, ravine, and sacrilege. Whereof it sueth plainly, that not only simple Priests and Curates, but also Sovereign Curates, as Bishops should not axe there subjects by constraining more than lifelode and heling, when they done away all manner wast both of money, and worldly array. Also Christ with his Apostles lived most poor life, as it is known by all the process of the Gospel, nothing challenging by exaction, ne constraining but lived simply and scarcely enough of alms freely, and wilfully given: therefore they that pretenden them to been principal followers of Christ's steps, should live and walk as Christ did, and so lead full poor life taking of things freely given as much as need is, for there ghostly office and no more, and therewith be apaied. Also the Pope's law commandeth in the best part thereof, that Priests open lechers, taken no part of portion of goods of the Church, therefore it is lawfully to parishioners to withhold there tithes for open fornication, of there Curate, and turn them into better use, & much more they may and owen to withdraw there tithes for great sins and open, as for Simony, that is heresy, as the Pope's law saith, and for covetousness, that is worshipping of Gods, as holy writ saith, and for pride, envy, gluttony, and drunkenness sith both by God's law and man's law God curseth such men's blessing, & prayings as S. Austen & S. Gregory teachen this in many books by holy writ and reason.  
Also commonly when parish Churches been appropered to men of singular religion, sith appropriation is made by false suggestion that such religious men have not enough for lifelode and healing; but in truth they han overmuch. Also commonly such Churches been appropered by Simony, as they witten better themself paying a great sum of money for such appropriation, if the benefice be fat. But what man led by reason & good conscience should pay to such religious men tithes and offerings gotten by falseness, leasings, and Simony. But suppose that such parish Churches weren lawfully gotten, yet sith they been superflue ●…o such men, the tithes & offerings shoulden been given to poor needy men, as S. jerom and the Pope's law teachen, & therefore the true great Clerk Robert Grosted Bishop of Lincoln, writeth to the Pope, that when appropriation of parish Churches is made to men of Religion, of fourteen great sins and defauts that comen of evil Curates, is made a perpetuation, that is endless confirmation; also by God and his law, curates been michel more bounden to teachen there subjects charitably the Gospel and Gods hests, both by open preaching & ensample of good life for to save there souls, than there subjects been holden to payen them tithes & offerings, and of this suen fifty things. The first if Curates do not there office in word and in ensample, that God commandeth than there subjects be not bounden to pay them tithes and offerings, sith the principal cause for which tithes and offerings should be paid is away, the paying of tithes should cease. Also Curates been more cursed in withdrawing this teaching, in word & ensample, than been Parisheners' withdrawing tithes and offerings, though curates dudden well there office.  
A Lord God, where this be reason to constrain the poor people to find a worldly Priest, sometime unable both of life and cunning in pomp and pride, covetise and envy, gluttony, drunkenness and lechery, in Simony and heresy, with fat horse, and jolly & gay saddles, and bridles ringing by the way, and himself in costly clothes and pelure, and to suffer their wives & children, and there poor neighbours perish for hunger thirst and cold, and other mischiefs of the world. A Lord jesus Christ sith with in few years men paid there tithes & offerings at there owen will free to good men, and able to great worship of God, to profit and fairness of holy church fight in earth. Where it were lawful and needful that a wordly Priest, should destroy this holy and approved custom constraining men to leave this freedom, turning tithes & offerings into wicked uses, or not so good as they weren don before times.   

The fourth Article.  
The fourth Article is this that Christ's teaching & believe of the Sacrament of his own body that is plainly tawght by Christ and his Apostles, in Gospels and Pistles may be tawght openly in Churches of Christian people, and the contrary teaching and false believe is brought up by cursed Hypocrites, & heretics and wordly Priests unkunning in God's law which seem that they are Apostles of Christ, but are fools. Also Christ would not take the kingdom when the people would have made him king, as Ihons' Gospel ●…elleth, but if it had be a Priest's office, to deal about thus bodily alms, Christ that could best have do this office, would have take these temporal goods to deal them among poor men, but he would not do thus, but fly and took no man of the Apostles with him, so fast he hiede Lord. where than wordly Priest's kunnen better done this parting of worldly goods of jesus Christ, & if they say that Christ fed the people in desert with bodily alms many thousand, as the gospel saith, that did Christ by miracle, to show his God head, & to teach Priests how they feed ghostly Christian men by God's word, for so did Christ's Apostles, and had not whereof to do bodily alms when they mighten have treasure and meals enough, of Kings and Lords. Also Peter saith in deeds of Apostles, to a poor man; that to him neither was gold, ne silver and yet he performed well the office of a true Priest. But our Priests been so busy about wordly occupation, that they seemen better Bailiffs or ●…eues, than ghostly Priests of jesus Christ. For what man is so busy about merchandise, & other worldly doings, as been Priests that showld be light of heavenly life to all men about them, but certes they should be as busy about studying of God's law & holy prayer not of Famulororum but of holy desires, & clea●…e meditation of God, and true teaching of the Gospel as been labourers, about worldly labour, for their sustenance; and much more busy if they mighten. For they been more holden for to live well and ensample of holy life to the people, and true teaching of holy writ, than the people is holden to give the dymes or offerings, or any bodily alms: and therefore Priests showld not leave ensample of good life and studying of holy writ, & new teaching thereof ne for bodily alms ne for worldly goods, ne for saving of their bodily life. And as Christ saved the world by writing and teaching of four Evangelists, so the fiend casteth to dam the world & Priests; for letting to preach the Gospel, by these four; by feigned contemplation, by songs, by Salisbury use, and by worldly business of Priests.   
God for his mercy stir these Priests to preach the Gospel in word in life, and beware of Sathanas deceits.  
Amen.   

A TREATISE OF JOHN Wickliff against the orders of Friars.  

Cap. 1. Friar's orders perfecter than Christ's.  
FIrst Friars say, that there Religion founden of sinful men, is more perfect, than that Religion or order, the which Christ himself made, that is both God and man. For they say that each Bishop and Priest, may lawfully leave there first dignity, and after be a Friar: But when he is once a Friar, he may in no manner leave that, & live as a Bishop or a Priest by the form of the Gospel. But this heresy says that Christ lacked wit, might, or charity, to teach Apostles and his Disciples the best Religion: But what man may suffer this foul heresy to be put on jesus Christ? Christian men say, that the Religion and order that Christ made for his Disciples and Priests, is most perfect, most easy, and most siker. Most perfect, for this reason; for the Patron or Founder thereof is most perfect, for he is very God and very man, that of most wit and most charity gave this Religion to his deare-worthe friends. Also the rule thereof is most perfect; sith the Gospel in his freedom withouten error of man, is rule of this Religion. Also knights of this Religion been most holy, and most perfect. For jesus Christ & his Apostles been chief knights thereof, and after them holy Martyrs and Confessors. It is most easy & light; for Christ himself says; that his yoke is soft, and his charge is light, sith it stands all in love and freedom of heart, & bids nothing but reasonable thing, and profitable for the keeper thereof. It is most siker; for it is confirmed of God, and not of sinful men, and no man may destroy it or dispense there against: but if the Pope or any man shallbe saved, he mought be confirmed thereby, and else he shallbe damned. But men saien that other new orders & Rules been nowght worth, but if they been confirmed of the Pope, and other sinful men, and then they been not worth but if they been confirmed of the devil, and in case the Pope shallbe damned, for than he is a devil, as the Gospel says of judas; and thus men say, that Christ's religion in his own cleanness and freedom, is more per fit then any sinful man's religion, by as much as Christ is more perfect than is any sinful man. And if new religions say, that they keepen all that Christ's religion bids, they sparen the sooth, for they lacken the freedone and measure of Christ's Religion, and been bounden to errors of sinful men, and thereby been letted to profit to Christian men's souls, & not suffered to teach free lie God's law, ne keep it in themself. For by the first and most commandment of God, they been holden to love God of all their heart, and all their life, of all their mind, and all their strengths, and their neighbours as themselves▪ but who may do more than this? then may no man keep more than Christ's religion bids. And so if this new religion of Friars be more perfit than Christ's religion, then if Friars keepen well this religion they been more perfect than Christ's Apostles, & else they been Apostates; and if men been Apostates they leaven the better order, & taken an other less perfect. And the order of Christ in his cleanness, and freedom is most perfect, and so it seems that all these Friars been Apostates.   

Cah. 2. Friars hinder the free preaching of the Gospel  
ALso Friars say plainly, that it is Apostasy and heresy for a Priest, to live as Christ ordained a Priest to live by form of the Gospel. For if there be any Friar that is a Priest cunning in God's law, and able to travel to sow God's words among the people, if he do this office freely going fro country to country, where he may most profit & cease not, for Prior ne any other Satrap, and charge not singular habit, and beg not, but be paid with common meat & drink as Christ and his Apostles were, they will pursue him as Apostata, & draw him to prison, & say that he is cursed for this deed. For if this free going about, and free preaching is lawful to such a Friar, sith it is ensampled & commanded of Christ, & not to be closed in a Cloister, as it were Caymes Castle, and so Friars shoulden be nedid to leave this living of Cloister and feigned obedience, by singular profession, and to dwell among the people to whom they may most profit Ghostly. For charity ne did Christ and Baptist to come out of desert, to teach the Gospel to the people, till they were dead therefore, much more charity showld drive Friars to come out amongst the people, & leave Caymes Castles that been so needless & chargeous to the people; sith they cannot occupy themselves so well in such solitary life and contemplation, as couthen Christ & john Baptist. And to this same Christ ordained all his Apostles and Disciples, to live an open good life, in meekness and wilful poverty, and discreet penance, to teach busily his Gospel to the people, and not be closed in great Cloisters and costly as Caymes Castles. And it seems an open doing of Antichrist not to suffer Priests freely to do this office of Christ, but need them upon pain of prisonning to be ruled in this after the will of a simple Idiot, and in case a damned devil of hell, and so there leaves no mean to hold these sects together, but if it be this blasphemy, to prison a man for as much as he does after the will of God. And thus this new profession is harmful for many skills. For it is not ensampled of Christ, ne any of his Apostles, & he taught us all that was needful and profitable. Also this profession serves of nowght, but if it be to make fools do more after the errors of sinful men, then after the commandment of God. For by virtue of Christ's teaching, each man is holden to do after each other, in as much as he teacheth Christ commandment or counsel, & more may no man bind an other. Also Christ gave his Disciples power of each work, that turns to profit of their souls, and help of other men, & this freedom is letted by this profession made to sinful men, and in case to ●…iends of hell. But here men will not destroy Friars ne flee them ne curse them, but destroy their errors, and save the persons, and bring them to that living that Christ ordained Priests to live in. For that is algats the best, to the most worship of God, to most profit of holy Church, and to Friars also. But what man showld not help thereto upon all his power, wit and will.   

Cap. 3. A man once professed to their religion may never leave it.  
ALso Friars saien, that if a man be once professed to their religion, he may never leave it and be saved; though he be never so unable thereto, for all time of his life; and they will need him to live in such a state ever more to which God makes him ever unable, and so need him to be damned. Alas, out on such heresy that man's ordinance is holden stronger than is the ordinance of God. For if a man enter into the new religion against man's ordinance, he may lawfully for sake it; but if he enter against God's ordinance when God makes him unable thereto, he shall not be suffered by antichrist's power to leave it. And if this reason were well declared, sith no man wot which man is able to this new religion by God's doom, and which is not able, no man showld be constrained to hold forth this new sect; and thus this new religion may not last, but if it be by this blasphemy to constrain a man unable by God's doom to hold this new sect, & suffer him not to come to freedom of Christ's order.   

Cap. 4. No preaching without licene of their Sovereign how bad soever.  
ALso Friars saien if a man be professed to there holy order, he shall not preach freely and generally the Gospel of Christian men without en licence of his Sovereign, for virtue of obedience; be his Sovereign never so cursed man of life and uncunning of God's law, and enemy to Christian men soul. and in case a foul devil of hell; though this man professed have received of God never so much cunning of God's law, and power, and will to work after this cunning, and so this man shall needs be damned for misspending of God's treasure. For sith God's law says, that he is out of charity that helps not his brother with bodily alms if he may in his need, much more is he out of charity, that helps not his brother's soul, with teaching of God's law, when he sees him run to hell, yea by ignorance. And thus to magnify and maintain there rotten sects, they neden men by hypocrisy, false teaching, and strong pains, to break God's hests and lose charity. Out one this false heresy and tyrantrie of Antichrist, that men be needed strongly to keep more his laws, and obey more to them then to Christ's commandments ever rightful.   

Cap. 5 The lawfulness of begging maintained by Friars. Deut. 15.  
ALso Friars saien and maintainen, that begging is lawful, the which is damned by God both in the old testament & in the new. For in the fifth book of holy writ God says to his people Algats a needy man an beggar shall not be amongst you. Also the holy ghost tawght Solomon to pray these two things of God God make vanity and leasing words far fro me, and give not to me begging or beggingnesse; but give only things that been needful for my livelihood; inanter lest I fulfilled be drawn to renaye and say who is Lord? As who say, I know no Lord: and lest I be compelled, or made of force by neediness to steal, and to for swear the name of my God. Also the wise man says. It is a wicked 
Ecclesi. 1. 29.  or way word life, to seek there berowgh fro house to house and he shall not do trustily, there he shallbe hereborowed, and he shall not open his mouth. Also Christ bids his Apostles and Disciples, that they should not bear a sachel ne scrip, but look what meynes is able to hear the Gospel, and eat and drink therein, and pass not thence, & 
Luc. c. 9 &. 10.  pass fro house to house. Also S. Paul laboured or traveled 
Act. Apost.  with his hands for him, and for men that weren with him, and covered neither gold ne silver, ne clothes of men that he taught, to give other teacher's ensample to do the same in time of need; and S. Peter fished after 
Io. 21. 2, Thess.  Christ's resurtection. Also S. Paul bids that men that will live in Idleness and curiosity, and not travel, should not eat. Also S. Clement ordained, that Christian men should not beg openly. And for to put away this begging S. Austen makes two books how Monks ought to travel with there hands for there livelode. And the same teaches Be●…et to his Monks and S. Bernard, and so does Francis to Friars. And Jerome says that Monks shoulden travel with there hands, not only for need, but rather to exclude idleness and vanity. For in state of Jnnocencie God ordained man to travel, & afterward in the state of sin God gave this labour to man for his penance. Then sith each open begging is thus sharply danoed in holy writ, it is a foul error to maintain it; but it is more error to say that Christ was such a beggar; for than he must have been contrary to his own law; but it is most error to continue in this damned begging, and rob thus against charity the poor people, & make them to believe that Christ was such a beggar, and that this begging is well done.   

Cap. 6. Friars draw all alms from poor & needy men to maintenance of their sinful & superfluous order.  
ALSO Friars saien, that it is meedful to leave the commandment of Christ, of giving of alms to poor feeble men to poor crooked men, to poor blind men, and to bedredden men, & give this alms to Hypocrites, that sainen them holy and needy, when they been strong in body, & have over much riches, both in great waist houses, & precious clothes, in great feasts and many Jewels & treasure▪ & thus they slain poor men with their false begging, sith they take falsely fro them there worldly goods, by which they should sustain there bodily life, & deceiven rich men in there alms, and maintainen or comforten them to live in falseness against jesus Christ. For sithence there were poor men enough to take men's Alms, before that Friars comen in, and the earth is now more barren than it was; our Friars or poor men moughten want of this alms: but Friars by subtle hypocrisy gotten to themselves & let the poor men to have this alms.   

Cap. 7. Traditions of Friars preferred before Christ's commandments.  
ALso Friars chargen more breaking of there own Traditions, then breaking of the commandments of God. For a Friar shall more be punished for breaking of one of them, then for breaking of God's hests. For breaking of God's hests is not charged of them, & in this they shown how they love there own worship more than Gods, & thus they taken to themselves the worship that is appropered to God, and so been blasphemers and here●…icks, & so they chargen more there bodily habit than charity and other virtues. For if a Friar leave his bodily habit to the which he is not bound by God's law, he is holden Apostata, & sharply pursued; sometime to prison, & sometime to the death, though he serve better God without his habit, than therein: but though he trespass against charity by impatiency, and false leasings, or pride, or covetousness, it is little or nought charged; but rather praised, if it bring them worldly muck.   

Cap. 8. Friars great Hypocrites, as poor as Christ in show as sumptuous as Lords and Prelates in deed.  
ALso Friars fainen them as Hypocrites, to keep straitly the Gospel and poverty of Christ, & his Apostles; and yet they most contrarien to Christ and his Apostles, in hypocrisy, Pride and covetise. For they shown more holiness in bodily habit, and other signs than did Christ and his Apostles, and for there singular habit or holiness, they presume to be even with Prelates & Lords, & more worthy than other Clarks, & in covetise they can never make an end, but by begging, by queething, by burying, by salaries, & ●…rentals, and by shriving, by absolutions and other false means crien ever after worldly goods, where Christ used none of all these; and thus for this stinking covetise, they worshippen the Fiend as there God.   

Cap. 9 Their stealing of children & enticing of them to there order.  
ALso Friars drawn children fro Christ's religion into their private order, by hypocrisy, leese, and stealing. For they tell that there order is more holy than any other, and that they shall have higher degree in bliss, than other men that been not therein, and say that men of there order shall never come to hell, but shall deem other men with Christ at dooms day: and so they stealen children fro father and mother, some time such as been unable to the order, and sometime such as showlden sustain there father, & mother by commandment of God. And thus they been blasphemers, taking upon them full counsel in doutouse things, that be not expressly commanded ne forbidden in holy writ: sith such counsel is apropried to the holy Ghost. And thus they been therefore cursed of God, as the Pharisees were cursed of Christ, to whom he says thus: woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees that been writers of Law, and men of singular religion, that compassen about the water and the land to make a man of your religion, and when he is made of your religion ye maken him double more a child of hell. And sith he that steals an Ox or a Cow is damnable by God's law and man's also: much more he that steals a man's child that is better than all earthly goods, & draws him to the less perfect order: And though this singular order were more perfect than Christ's; yet he wot never whether it be to damnation of the Child, for he wot not to what state God hath ordained him, and so blindly they done against Christ's ordinance.   

Cap. 10. curates defrauded of their duties by means of Friars.  
ALso Friars for pride and covetise, drawn fro Curates there office and Sacraments, in which lain winning or worship, and so maken dissension betwixt Curates and there Ghostly children. Friars drawn to them confession and burying of rich men by many subtle means, and Massepences and Trentals, but they will not come to poor mens Dirige, ne receive them to be buried amongst them. And they cryens fast that they have more power in confession than other Curates; for they may shrive all that come to them: But Curates may no farther than their own parishees. But Curates said that sith they shall awnswere before God for the souls of their sogettis, they will know their life; & Friars saien it is no need, for they have more power than the Curate; and thus dissension & hate is made betwixt Curates and there children, and pride and covetousness of Friars is cause of all this & many other sins and thus for they maken discord among christian men, they been hatcd and cursed of God almighty.   

Cap, 11. Friars come in under the name of Saints & forsaken the Rule.  
ALso Friars come in under the name of Saints, & for saken the Saints rule, and live & putten there own errors to the Saints, and so slaundrens both them and God. For if men speaken of Francis, he used and taught much meekness, poverty, and penance: & Minours now usen the contrary. For they maken statutes of their own will, and them they keepen fast, and make men to ween that Francis made them. But Preachou●…s say that Dominick founded them, & then he kept Austin's rule, sith he was a Canon before; for else he was Apostata, if Austin's rule were good. But Austen would algats sue yea Apostles living, & preachours done even the contrary. And Friar Austin's founded then on Austen the great Doctor; but his rule speaks not of Friars, and so they been grounded on leasings, for they haven no Patron Saint. And of though carmes known men neither founder ne rule, and so the Friars that have founders done against there founder's teaching, and Christ's also, and colourens there own wicked laws under name of these Saints, and so been grounded on leasings, and slaundrens there Patrons and Christ also. And other Friars that have no Patrons liuen after themselves & putten there errors on Saints, and so slaundrens them and Christ, and so hypocrisy reigns, and sin is maintained, by colour of holiness.   

Cap. 12. Persecution of true Priests by false Friars  
ALso Friars pursuen true Priests, and let them to preach the Gospel, notwithstanding that Christ enjoined Priesthood, & preaching of the Gospel, and so they departen that thing that God joined together, and so (as much as in them is) they foredone God's ordinance, and so they harmen Christian men more cruelly, than the soldan of Sarracens, for they been near and more malicious. For sith Christ charges all his Priests to preach truly the Gospel; and they pursuen them for this deed, yea to the fire, they will slay Priests, for they done Gods bidding, and therefore they been man▪ slaiers and irregular and cursed of God. For they let his people to be saved, and so need them to be damned. And sith the principal point and end of Christ's dying and his passion, was to save man's soul, and the Principal work of Sathanas is to lose men's soul, they been traitors to Christ & Angels of Sathanas transformed into Angel of light and cruel traitors of all men.   

Cap 13 Capped Friars served as Lords or Kings at table  
ALso Capped Friars, that been called Masters of Divinity, have there Chamber and service as Lords or Kings, and senden out Idiot's full of covetise, to preach not the Gospel; but Chronicles, Fables, & Leese, to please the people, & to rob them. A what cursedness is this, to a dead man, as to the world, and pride & vanity thereof, to get him a Cap of masterdom by prayer of Lords, and great gifts, & making of huge feasts, of a hundred and many hundred pounds, and then be idle fro teaching of God's law; but if it be seldom before Lords and Ladies, or great gatherings, for name of the world, & then to leave there poverty & simpleness that he is bounden to, & devour poor men's alms in waist, and feasting of Lords and great men, and so give slander to his brother, & other men to live in pride and covetise, gluttony and idleness, and leave the service of God as though they were exempt fro all gods; & yet forfending of these covetous fools, that been Limitours, goes much Simony, envy, and much foul merchandise; & who can best rob the poor people by false begging▪ and other deceits, shall have this judas office, and so anest of antichrist's Clerks is maintained by subtle cautels of the Fiend.   

Cap. 14. Great flatterers of the people neither reproving nor removing there sins from among them.  
ALso Friars shown not to the people there great sins stably, as God bids, and namely to mighty men of the world, but flatteren them, & glozen & nourishen them in sin. And sith it is the office of a Preacher to show men there foul sins and pains therefore, and Friars taken this office and done it not, they been cause of damnation of the people. For in this they been foul traitors to God and ●…eke to the people, & they been nurses of the Fiend of hell. For by flattering and false behests, they let men live in there lusts, & comforten them therein, and sometime they pursuen other true preachers for they will not gloze mighty men, & comfort them in there sins, but will sharply tell them the so the: and thus mighty men hire by great costs a false traitor, to lead them to Hel. And ensample men may take how Friars suffrens mighty men, fro year to year, live in avowtrie, and covetise, and extortions doing, and many other sins. And when men been harded in such great sins▪ and will not amend them Friars, should flee there homely company, but they do not thus, lest they lose worldly Friendship, favour, or winning; and thus for the money they sellen men's souls to Sathanas.   

Cap. 15 How much & how oft they deceive and cousin the lay-people by then letters of Fraternity.  
ALso Friars by letters of Fraternity deceiven the people in faith, robben them of temporal goods, & maken the people to trust more in dead p●…rchment, sealed with leasings, & in vain prayers of Hypocrites, that in case been damned Devils, then in the help of God, and in there own good living. Commonly these letters been powdered with hypocrisy, covetise, Simony, blasphemy, and other lease▪ With hypocrisy; for therein been told withouten end many good deeds, and sometime been false, & more to show them holy to get worldly goods, than to save men's souls. With covetise; for they done this to win the penny, for a poor man that may not give them be he never so true to God, shall not have them: but a rich, be he never so cursed, shall have such letters, and weanes that he is siker enough thereby, do he never so much wrong to poor men. With Simony; for they sellen this supernal good, for temporal goods & that unskilfully for luch chaffering and granting of letters was never ensampled of Christ, ●…e his Apostles, & yet they loved best men's souls. With blasphemy; for these sinful wretches taken upon them yea dealeing of good deeds, but this thing is appropried to God, & so they been blasphemers: For they passon bishops, Popes, and eke God himself. For they grant no pardon, but if men be contrite and shriven, and of merit of Christ's passion, and other Saints, but Friars maken no mention neither of contrition, ne shrift, ne of merit of Christ's passion, but only of their own good deeds. And so Christ grants to no sinful man continuing in his sin such part; but Friars graunten rather to cursed men for worship or winning them to good poor men. And thus falsely they passen Christ. For Christ wowld not grant to his Cousin's part of his Kingdom but if they wowlden suffer passion as Christ did: But Friars will make men heirs in the bliss of heaven, sith they graunten men part of there good deeds after this life, & they may not have then part but if they showlden be saved, But christian belief teaches, that all men in charity, been procurers by grant of God of all▪ meedeful deeds▪ Why then graunten Friars this part, for they will have property of Ghostly goods where no property may be, and leaven property of wordly goods where christian men may have property▪ And thus they teachen the people that it is more needful to give such hypocrites bodily alms, then to give it to poor needy men after the Gospel. And thus they deceaven the people in belief, and robben them of temporal goods, and maken to reck less of there own good living for trust of these false letters.   

Cap. 16. Friars pervert the right faith of the sacrament of the Altar by making it to be an accident without subject.  
Also Friars perverten the right faith of the Sacrament of the Auter, and bringen in a new heresy. For when Christ says that the bread that he broke and blessed is his body, they say it is an accident with outen subject, or nought. And when holy w●…it says openly, that this Sacrament is bread that we breaken, and God's body; they saien that it is neither bread, ne God's body, but accident withouten subject, & nought. And thus they leaven holy writ and taken new heresy on Christ & his Apostles and on Austin, jerom, Ambrose, Isidore, and other Saints, & the Court of Rome, & all true Christ men, that holden the faith of the Gospel. For Christ says that this bread is my body. And S. Paul says The bread that we breaken is the communication of the Lords body: and S. Austin says, that that thing that we seen is bread, but as to faith, fully taught the bread is Christ's body. Ambrose says that thing that is bread, shallbe Christ body▪ Jerome says, that that bread which Christ broke and gave to his Disciples, is the body of our Saviour; for Christ says this is my body. Berengary by approving of the Court of Rome says thus: I acknowledge with heart and with mouth, that the bread that is laid on the Auter is not only the Sacrament but very Christ's body. Ah Lord what hardy Devil durst reach these Friars to deny thus openly, holy writ and all these Saints and the Court of Rome, and all true Christian men and to find this heresy, that this Sacred host is accident withouten subject or nought; sith this is not taught openly in holy writ, and reason and wit is against this and Austin in 3. or 4. great books says expressly, that none accident may be withouten subject; and all wise Philosopher's accord here with Austin. Lord what should move Christ Almighty, all witty, & well willing, to hide this belief of Friars by a thousand year, & never to teach his Apostles, and so many Saints the right belief; but to teach first these Hypocrites, that comen never into the Church, till the soul F●…end Sathanas was unbounden. Hereby shoulden all Christian men know the Friars he▪ resie, and not receive them into there houses, before that they confesseden under there general Seal, the right belief of Christian men and had forsaken there old heresy.   

Cap. 17. There excess in building of great Churches and costly houses & Cloisters▪  
ALso Friars builden many great Churches, & costly waste houses and Cloisters, as it were Castles, and that without need, where through Parish Churches, and common ways been paired, and in many places undone. And so they teachen in deed that men shoulden have heritage and dwelling City in earth, & forget Heaven against S. Paul. For by this new housing of Friars, though it rain on the Auter of the Parish Church, the blind people is so deceived, that they will rather give to waste houses of Friars, then to Parish Churches, or to common ways, though men, cattle, and beasts been perished therein. Before that Friars comen in, there was more people, and the earth more plenteous, and then were Churches enough. What skill is it now to make so much cost, in new building, and let old parish Churches fall down? And if men say that in these great Church's God is fair served; certes great houses make not men holy, and only by holiness is God well served. For in heaven that was so fair Lucifer served God untruly and so did Adam in Paradise. And jesus says that though great Temple of Jerusalem that was a house of prayer, and sometimes God's house, was made a den of thieves, for covetous preachers dwelliden therein. But job served Good full well on the Dunghill, and so did Adam out of Paradise, and Christ before when he prayed in hills and deserts, and baptisteke. And therefore Christ and his Apostles made no great Churches ne Cloisters; but wenten fro country to country, preaching the Gospel and teaching men to do there alms, to poor men and not to waste houses. For Christ tawght men to pray in spirit and truth, that is, in good will and devotion and holy living. And to destroy this hypocrisy, he ordained the Temple of Jerusalem showld be destroyed for sin done therein.   

Cap. 18. Friars teaching the vow of obedience contrary to God's law.  
Friar's also destroien obedience of God's Law and magnifien singular obedience made to sinful men and in case to devils, which obedience Christ ensampled never neither in himself ne in his Apostles. For by teaching of S. Paul, each man ought to be subject to other in the dread of Christ, that is in as much as he teaches them Gods will, & no man showld obey more to any man▪ And ever the more that a man were, the more showld he thus meek himself, as Christ did, to all his Apostles. But Friars tell nowght by this obedience, but if they maken singular profession, to sinful fools that many times teachen and commanden them against God's will, and say that in such things as been not expressly commanded, ne forfended in God's law, they should algats do after there Soveraines; yea though it be vnwi●…tinglie against God's will: And sith it is appropered to the holy Ghost to give full counsel in such points, they maken there sinful priors even with the holy Ghost. And where they showld be governed in such doughty points by the holy Ghost, they leaven his counsel and ruling many times and taken them to the ruling of a sinful fool, and in case a damned fiend in hell, And thus they leaven obedience that Christ tawght and ensampled as unperfit & not sufficient▪ & praisen more feigned obedience to sinful fools, that they taken of there own presumption, as if such fools had founden perfiter obedience then ever did Christ God and man.   

Cap. 19 How they forsake the perfection of their order for worldly respects  
ALso Friars forsaken perfection of there order for worship of the world, and covetise, and been not suffren to take the freedom of the Gospel for to preach God's word to the people. For Friars been made Bishops, yea many times by Simony, & sworem strongly to go and preach and convert heathen men and leaven this Ghostly office, and been Suffragans in England and robben men by extortions, as in punishing of sin for money & suffren men to lie in sin, fro year to year, for an annuel rent, and so in hollowing of Churches and Churchyards, and Auters, and commonly all other Sacraments for money. And thus these Friars bishops liuen commonly ever after in Simony, pride, and robbery, and thus they been exempt by Caiphas bishopric fro all good observances of Gods law, and of there own order and be free to live in sin and to rob our land and envenime it by many cursings. And so they bearen out first the gold of our land to Aliens, and sometimes to our enemies, to get of Antichrist this false exemption, & ever after live in robbing of poor men, & maintainen much sin, cursing, & simony, that is passing heresy. And other Bishops of them that have Dioceses in this land, forsaken poverty, and penance, and obedience: for they looken to be Masters of all Friars of that order in this land, and to live in pride, lusts of there flesh, idleness and spoiling of the people, more subtly than other. And thus a Friar shall dwell in Courts of Lords and Ladies to be there Confessor, and not displease them for nothing, though they liuen in never so cursed sins, for to live in his lusts and to get falsely muck to antichrist's covent, & let poor men of there alms, and thereto he shall have leave & commandment upon virtue of obedience: but he shall no leave have, to go generally about in the world, and preach truly the Gospel without begging, and live an open poor and just life as Christ and his Apostles didden. For this were destroying of there feigned order. And therefore they loven more pride covetise & lusts of there own flesh, than the worship of God and heal of man's soul. And thus they maken sacrifice to Lucifer, to Mammon and to there own stinking belly.   

Cap. 20. There rotten habit esteemed above Christ's body.  
ALso Friars praisen more there rotten habit, than the worshipful body of our Lord jesus Christ. For they teachen lords, and namely Ladies, that if they dien in France's habit they shall never come in Hell, for virtue thereof, and certes this is an open heresy damning all that trust thus into there lives end. But a man may have the Sacrament of the Auter, & that is very God's body in his mouth, and strait flee to Hell withouten end: & the more be damned for the evil taking of this Sacrament. Such Heretics been unable to be amongst Christian men.   

Cap. 21. Friars beg without need when the poor want without remorse. See Chap. 6.  
Also Friars beggen withouten need for there own rich Sect, & not for there poor bedradden men that may not go and have no man to send for there livelode: but rather drawn rich men's alms fro such poor men. And therefore charity is outlawed among them, and so is God: & leasings, & covetise and Fiends been inhabited among them, for they decea▪ ven men in there alms to make costly houses, not to harbour poor men but Lords, and mighty men; and teachen men to suffer God's Temple, that been poor men, to perish for default; & thus they been traitors to God, and his rich people whom they deceaven in there alms, and manquellers of poor men, whose livelihood they taken away fro them by false leasings, & therefore they been irregular before God & despisen him, and harmen the people when they saien Mass or Matines in this cursed life, as Holy writ teaches and Austin and Gregory declaren fully.   

Cap 22. Friars reprove not there Brethrens as the Gospel willeth but as themselves wil  
Friar's also keepen not correption of the Gospel against there brethren, that trespassen, but cruelly done them to painful prison; but this is not the meek suing of jesus Christ, for he & his Apostles prisoneden not sinful men in this life, but sharply reproved there sin and at the last, when they would not amend them taughten good men not to common with them: But these Friars shown there tyrantrie at the full: who so knew well there pains and torments: and it seems no wisdom, ne profit, to give Friars power to prison men. For when the King by his officers prisons a man, that is commonly done for great & open trespass and that is good warning to other misdoe●…s, and some profit comes of the King's Ministers: But when Friars prisonen their brethren the pain is not known to men, although the sin were never so open & slanderous, and that does harm to other liege men, and profit of King's Ministers is away, And when the potestatis of Friars been proud, covetous, and sinful and haten the truth, they will soon prison true men that reproven there sins, and spare other shrews that they may flatter them and maintain them in there sin; and so beside the Kings leave tormenten true men, for they wolden do God's hests, & sith the king grants occasion thereto, the King is held to revoke and let Friars prisoning, lest he be guilty of the sin that comes thereby, sith he may destroy it, & does not: & thus did beggars Friars leapen up to King's power, and many times more than the Kings dare do, and maken the King the Fiend's torment or to prison true men, for they saien the troth. And so the King stops God's law to be known in his land, and nourishes evil men, and prisons good. For this dread and many more, showld the King revoke this prisoning, & make Clarks be ruled after the Gospel by simpleness and holy living.   

Cap. 23. Friars lawless egging the King and the mighty ones of the land to maintain there sect begging there alms & beggaring the whole land.  
ALso Friars maken our land lawless; for they leaden Clarks and namely rulen Prelas and Lords and Ladies and Commons also; and they been not ruled by Gods law, ne laws of the Church, ●…e laws of the King. For they glosen God's laws as them likes, and been exempt fro Bishops and other ordinaries & leaden the Bishops of Rome, as them likes. And men saien they been not liege men to the King, ne subject to his laws. For though they stealen men's children, it is said there goes no law upon them, and that seems well; for they robben the Kings liege men by false begging of sixty thousand mark by year as men dowbten reasonably, & yet they be not punished therefore. And the lawless Friars by there false ruling, maken our land lawless. For they let Clerks, Lords, and Commons to know the truth of holy writ, and maken them to pursue true men to the death, for they teachen the commandments of God, and crien to the people the foul sins of false Friars. And thus falseness is maintained, and false men been raised to great estates, and truth is put on back, & true men been pursued, yea to prisoning, to loss of all there goods, and to sharp judgement, for as much as they wowlden destroy sin that was openly and cursedly done, and in point for to fordo our land. And of this ruling been Friars most guilty, for they leaden Prelates Lords and Ladies, Justices and other men by confession, and tell them not speedily there sins. For if they tell them there sins, and they wowld not amend them, the Friars that been there confessors, showlden leave them up as Christ and Paul teachen; but they done not thus, for than they showlden lose winning and favour of the world. And thus for love of money and welfare of there body, they leaden our land out of the law of God and alrighteousnes.   

Cap, 24. Friars no peace-make is but makebates strivers themselves & stirrers up of others to wars & dissensions:  
ALso Friars been irregular procurators of the fiend, to make and maintain wars on christian men, and enemies of peace & charity. For Friars counsellen and openly preachen that men shoulen flee to heaven withouten pain, if they woulden go and slay in there own person, or maintain and find one at there cost to slay christian men. And the end was to make Christ's Vikar most rich to the world, the which Vikar showld be most poor, ●…suing in this most highly Christ & his Apostles: But Christ died to make peace & charity & if men mighten thus freely grant pardon, they showlden yea to lose there own life, grant pardon to make peace. Yet they preachen noe pardon ne meed to make peace and charity: And yet they been bounden of God to make men siker to have the bliss of heaven if they will truly procure for peace and charity. But of the pardon that men usen to day fro the Court of Rome, they have no sikernesses by holy writ ne reason, ne ensample of Christ, of his Apostles. And so of other wars and debats that Friars mighten let if they wolden, and sith they done not; but rather counsel thereto, and comforten men therein. and tell not the peril▪ of them, they been cause and procurators of all war●…s & specially of this war in Flaunders, for they preacheden that & haden it forth against the King, the Duke, and other Lords and Clarks, & sharply pursueden Priests that stooden by charity, and profit of the Realm, And so they weren then above the King, Lords and true Priests, and robbeden the Kings liege men by false leasings, of many thousand pounds that though the King showld now be taken and our land now conquered or destroyed, the King might not raise so much to help himself & his land. And certes there was treason to God and the King, and false deceit of all men, both of cat-tail and of foul, and letting and destroying of peace and of charity.   

Cap. 25, judas children seling Christ & all for money.  
Friar's also been Scariots' children, betraying true men of the Gospel, and so Christ for money, & for money they senden souls to Sathanas by example of there evil living, by counsel to wars, & nourishing and comforting men in sin, for lusts of there flesh. For in pleasing of Bishops and other men, they preachen against poverty of Christ and said that Preachers of the Gospel and Christ's life been Heretics, worthy to be burnt. And so for gifts of Bishops and other men, and worldly favour, they sellen truth of the Gospel & so Christ as judas did. For S. Bede & S. Ambrose saien, sith Christ is truth, he that for money says falseness and leaves the sooth, does such sin as judas did, and so they counsailen to wars for they winnen much thereby and for default of charity they senden soul's to Hell, when men by there counsel taken false wars & enden in them, weening that they done well, and therefore dien withouten sorrow of them. And for to heart men in this cursed warring, they gone with them into war and been there Confessors and sometime slaien men in there own person, and thus they been antichrist's Martyrs and fleene to Hell to draw other menthither after them.   

Cap. 26. They slander ●…rue Priests & flatter wicked men.  
ALso Friars distroien this world most of all cursed men for they backbiten good Clarks & saien that they distourblen the world, and flaterens evil Clarks in there sin, & so they praisen Lords that been tyrants, extortioners, and evil livers, and Ladies also. And they despisen Lords and Ladies that be given to leave pride and vanity of the world, and saien it was not merry sithen Lords and Ladies tooken reward to the Gospel, & leften there ancestors manners, that weren worshipful to the world. And so of rich men and other they praisen them that bring them much money with wrong, and many deceits & saien that they been holy: but other men that given not Friars much more then enough, they lacken at the full, though they done there alms much better to there poor neighbours. And sith God says that evil teachers been cause of destruction of the people, and Grosted declares it well, and Friars been principal evil teachers, they been principal cause of destroying of this world. For they been Confessors Preachers and Rulers commonly of all men, and they teachen them not there foul sins and perils of them but suffrens them in there sins, for winning of stinking muck and lusts of there own belly, that is foul worms meat, and a sack of dirt.   

Cap. 27. Friars most impatient of all men living, in bearing reprooff.  
ALso Friars been most rebel against the teaching of Christ's Gospel, and most out of patience and pity. For they been most unpatient against reproving of sin and destroying thereof. For a Lord will meekelier suffer sharp despising of his little sin, than they will suffer meek and soft reproving of there great heresies. For they been wood that men's alms should be rightly departed among poor needy men, feeble, crooked and blind, for than they saien they been undone, but they been of vain religion as S. jame says: For this is a clean religion withouten spot anentis God the Father, to visit the fatherless & modirles children & widows in there tribulation, and to keep aman unfouled fro this world, that is, fro pride covetise & vanities. But Friars done all the contrary, for they visiten rich men, and by hypocrisy gotten falsely there alms, and withdrawn it fro poor men; but they visiten rich widows for there muck, and maken them to be buried at the Friars, but poor men comen in not there. And wilful poverty they forsaken, and most covetous of all men and boasten more of there holiness, and been most dislanie of there vain speech and worldly, & as true men tell, Friars saien apertlie: if the King and Lords and other men stonden thus against there false begging, and will not suffer Friars to rob there Tenants, but give there Alms to there poor neighbours, Friars will go out of the Land, & come again with bright heads. And look whether this be treason or none.   

Cap. 28. The Holy scripture accused by these unholy men of falsehood.  
ALso Friars teachen and maintainen, that Holy writ is false, and so they putten falseness upon our Lord jesus Christ, and on the Holy Ghost, and on all the Blessed Trinity. For sith God Almighty taught, confermes, and maintains Holy writ; if this writing be false, than God is false, and maintainour of error and falseness, but certes then he is no God: yet known we never that any sect would say that laws of there God were false, and there with believe on the same God: but this despite done these blasphemers to the Holy Trinity. Alas who may suffer this blasphemy, that Christ in whom is all treasure of wit, wisdom & truth, couth not or would not say true words, and sentence, but sinful fools have true manner of speaking, contrary to the speech of our Lord jesus Christ. For if this be, sinful fools, yea in case Devils of Hell, been wiser & truer then is jesus Christ. And when this cursed ground is sought, it stands in this error. For I am Master of vanity and of Heresy, misunderstond the words of God, therefore they been false▪ But these Heretics shoulden know, that it sues of there cursed ground, that God is the falsest thing in earth or heaven or in Hell. Why? for men falsely understonden most falseness of him. And thus might each Panime or Sarracene make our God false, as him liked. But why saien they that Holy writ is false, for they been wont so much to leasings and falseness that they taken falseness for truth. As men saien, a man may so long be nourished little & little by venom, that he weens it be wholesome, meet, & good. Also Holy writ damns there foul▪ Hypocrisy, begging, covetise, and other sins, & therefore they saien that it is false to colour by there falseness. Also Holy writ praises much Christ's religion and tells how new Sects, full of Hypocrisy & covetise shullen come & deceive Christian men, and bids them know them by there covetise and Hypocrisy. And therefore they saien as Sathanas Clerks, that Holy writ is false.   

Cap. 29. How strongly wedded to there rotten habit.  
Friar's also been stronglier wedded with there rotten habit against the freedom of the Gospel, them the husband is with his wife by ordinance of God. For the husband may lawfully be absent from his wife by a month, an half year, & sometime seven year, & by common consent of them both by all there life: But if a Friar be out of his rotten habit, yea an hour, he is Apostata, though he love more God, & serve him better, and profit more to christian men. And they putten more holiness in there rotten habit than ever did Christ or his Apostles in there clothes. For Christ was thrice on a day out of his clothes, and yet he was not Apostata. But they chargen so much this rotten habit, for thereby the people weens that they been holy, and given them more dirt than is needful, or profitable▪ & therefore each party draws an other to hell. So Friars for there false taking of alms when no need is, ne have they leave of God's law thereto, blind the people, for they drawn there alms fro there poor and needy neighbours where they showlden do it by the hest of God and maintainen Friars in there false begging hypocrisy and other sins many.   

Cap. 30. The Pope's dispensation or commandment of the superior more regarded than Christ's commandment.  
ALso Friars teachen that it is not lawful to a Priest or any other man to keep the Gospel in his bounds and cleanness withouten error of sinnful men but if he have leave thereto of Antichrist. And thus they say it is not lawful to a Christian man to do God's commandment, but if a fiend give them leave thereto: as if the leave & commandment of God be not enough thereto. For they saien that a Priest that has bounden himself to errors of sinful men by new profession, may not go to the freedom of the Gospel and live thereafter as Christ tawght Priests, but if they have dispensation of the Pope. And I suppose that he be Judas, and shallbe damned, than he is a devil as Christ says: & than it is plain, sith this Priest may not keep the Gospel in his freedom withouten his leave, and he is in this case a devil, than a Priest may not keep the commandements of God withouten leave of a fiend: But for to get this leave, is our gold given to Aliens, and sometime our enemies; & yet the Priest shallbe bounden commonly to the rotten habit and be exempt fro goodness, and bolded in sin.   

Cap. 31 There usury. Simony Covetousness, extortion, sapine & theft.  
ALso Friars been receipt, and a swallow of Simony, of usury, of extortions, of ravines, & of theft and a nest or hoard of Mammon's treasure. For although men liuen in Simony they will not counsel them, and charge them in shrift to resign there benefice, but comfort them to hold it still, and bring them much dirt thereof, and they will undertake for there sin. And so of usurers they chargen them not speedily to make restitution, but rather colouren this sin to be partner of this winning, and so of other robbery they receaven it privily, and so maintainen & colouren thefts in there theft, where other liege men should be punished therefore, and so they been more covetous, than the wicked Jews that bowghten Christ for they wowld not take the money of Judas and do it to there money ne treasure, for it was the price of Christ's blood▪ for Christ was sold and traied to death for that money. But Friars will receive money, gotten by as great sins or more to make great houses and great feasts to Lords, and not buy a field to bury in pilgrims as the jews didden; but rather lain it up in there treasure, to maintain wrongs against there Curates and other poor men, by false plea at Room and merchandise in England,   

Cap. 32. Friars cannot endure to hear of Christ's poverty preached.  
Friar's also crien loud that poor Priests been heretics, for they teachen by God's law how Clarks showlden keep wilful poverty and Christ's Gospel, and the King and Lords owen to compel them thereto. And thus they damnen holy writ, & the king's regalree. For sith poor Priests have tawght both in English and in latin, how many open laws both in the old Testament and in the new, forfend all Priests & Deacons to have secular Lordship and these laws been confirmed by Christ's life and his Apostles, and Friars saien that this is heresy, they damnen openly holy writ: and sith the kings regalie asks by old stat●…te, that the King may in many, in case take Temporalties fro Clerks, and Friars saien that this taking is error against God's law, they damnen this rightful regalie of our King, and also our Kings and Lords, as heretics if they maintain this rightful law to stable peace of our Realm. And sith by God's law the office of the King and Lords is to praise reward, & maintain good and rightful men, and to chastise sharply wicked men, & constrain Clarks to hold the state that Christ put them in and algates wilful▪ poverty: Friars say if the King and Lords done there office of Gods law that they been foul heretics. But why showlde the king maintain in his land such traitors both to God and him and cruel enemies of all Christian men.   

Cap. 33. Friars like thieves co●…g into the Church by the window not by the door.  
ALso Friars been thieves, both night thieves, and day thieves, entering into the Church not by the door, that is Christ. For withouten authority of God, they maken new religions of errors of sinful men, and yet they maken worse rules ever the longer that they lasten, & they seeken not meekly the worship of God and profit of Christian men's souls, & this thing they musten do if they comen in by Christ: but they chosen & finden a new order less perfect and profitable then is that that Christ made himself, and so they maken division in Priesthed against the commandment of God; and sith they been not grounded on Christ & his law, they moten needs be drawn up, and the ordinance of Christ might stand in his cleanness and perfection.   

Cap. 34. Binden there novices to impossible things.  
ALso Friars by hypocrisy binden them to impossible thing that they may not do, for they binden them over the commandments of God, as they saien themselves, but they may do no more than the commandment of God. For God bids in his most commandment, that thou shalt love the Lord thy God of all thy heart, of all thy life, of all thy mind & of all thy strengths & mights, but who may do more than this? No man. Then they binden them to more than they may do, & sith it si not counsel of Christ to make singular profession to a sinful Jdeot and in case a Devil, and they bidden them to such one that they done over the counsel of Christ: but all that is over the counsel of Christ, is algats evil, sith Christ's counsels to each good thing. And thus many blind fools binden them to the high counsels of Christ that cannot keep the least commandment: but see hypocrisy of them; sith each counsel of Christ is commandment for some time, and some circumstances, how binden they them to more than to the commandments? Not by the counsels, for they been commandments but they fainen this to draw young children into there rotten Habit, & other fools that known not the perfection of Christ's order.   

Cap. 35. The necessity and multitude of there vain & changeable Ceremonies.  
Friar's also been worse Heretics, than weren Jews, that woulden keep Ceremonies of the old law with freedom of Christ's Gospel. For the Jews kepten reasonable laws made of God and meedefull for time that God ordained them: But Friars keepen new laws feigned of errors of men, more than God ordained in the old Law, and more uncertain: for to day this law is holden among them, & to morrow destroyed; but this uncertain was not God's law, and these laws of Friars been more against the Gospel. For the laws of the old Testament were figure of Christ's coming & passion, & leaden men to the Gospel: but new laws of Friars been not such figure, and let men to hold freedom of the Gospel. Ah Lord, sith good laws ordained of God musten need cease for freedom of the Gospel, much more moten evil laws ordained of error of sinful men, & worldly cease and let not men to keep the Gospel in his freedom,   

Cap. 36. Friars return evil for good.  
ALso Friars been adversaries of Christ and disciples of Sathanas, not yielding good for evil as God's law teaches, ne good for good as kind and man's law teachen; but yielding evil for good, as the Fiend's law teaches. For they casten and imagine the death of true men, that desiren and travailen to deliver them fro the Fiend's mouth and everlasting death, & to bring them to that state in which Christ ordained Priests to live in. And they proferen Friars this condition, if they will teach by holy writ or reason, that Friars order & living is best for Priests, they will gladly be professed to the Friars order. And if Priests may teach both by Holy writ and reason, that there order is better than Friars, sith Christ himself made there order and not Friars, they praien Friars for love of God to take that order and to leave there singular order, in as much as it draws them fro the freedom of the Gospel. And thus they pursuen Priests, for they reproven there sins as God bids, both to bren them, and the Gospel of Christ written in English to most learning of our nation. And thus for the great alms that men given to Friars they let men to con God's law, and so let them to be saved, for they may not be saved withouten cunning & keeping of God's law, and so Friars needen our land to be damned with Fiends in Hel.   

Cap. 37. Friars under the habit 〈◊〉 holiness le●…d men into sin.  
Friar's also been worse enemies and slaiers of man's soul, then is the cruel Fiend of Hell by himself. For they under the Habit of holiness, leaden men and nourishen them in sin, and been special helpers of the Fiend to strangle men's souls. For the name of holiness & of great Clarks in reputation of the people, that the people trusts not to few true men preaching against there covetise hypocrisy and false deceit. And the Friars for love of a little stinking muck, & welfare of there foul belly, sparen to reprove the cursed sin of the people. For commonly if there be any cursed Jurour, extortioner, or a●…outrer he will not be shriven at his own Curate, but go to a flattering Friar, that will assoil him falsely, for a little money by year, though he be not in will to make restitution & leave his cursed sin. And thus if the foul Fiend might be showed in his shape to the people, as men saien he was in time of S. Bartholomew the people would be feared to dwell in his service, that is sin: But the cursedness of sin is h●…d, and the people is made sicker by false Pardons & Letters of Fraternity though they all breaken the hests of God and keepen not charity and certain then is the Devil sicker of both parties.   

Cap. 38 They persuade men to reckon more of there Anathemaes then of God's curse.  
ALso Friars leaden and nourishen our Prelates, our Lords & Commons in great blasphemy, against God. For they teachen all this people to reck less of the most rightful curse of God, then by the wrong curse of sinful man, though he be a damned devil. For they call the curse of God the less curse, & the curse of sineful man the more curse. For although a man be never so cursed of God for pride, envy, covetise or avowtrie, or any other this is not charged ne pursued neither of Prelate ne Lord ne Commons: But if a man with stand ones the Citation of a sinful Prelate yea after the commandment of God, than he shallbe cursed and prisoned after forty days, and all men shullen go upon him, though the man be pursued for truth of the Gospel, and be blessed of God. And thus sinful men's doom and in case of the fiends is more dread & magnified than is the rightful doom of God almighty.   

Cap. 39 Friar's heresy in affirming the wicked to be members of Christ Church.  
Friar's also destroien this Article of Christian men's faith: I belief o common or general Church. For they teachen that though men that shallbe damned be members of holy Church, and thus they wedden Christ and the devil together. For Christ is ghostly wedded with each member of holy Church, and some of these as they saien shul be damned, & then as Christ says, they been friends: Therefore by them Christ & the devil been wedded together. But God say, by Paul, that there is no commining ne consent to Christ and to Belial, and then may there no wedding be betwixt them, but this general holy Church is the congregation of Christ that is head and all good Angels in heaven and all men and women in earth or in Purgatory that shullen be saved & no more. For Christ says that none of his members shall perish, for no man shall take them out of his hands. And john Evangelist says of false teachers that they went out of us but they were not of us. And therefore Chrysostome says that though that keepen not God's law but dien out of charity weren never Christ's body the which shall not reign with him: & sith each part of Christ's ghostly body of which Austin speaks, as Holy writ does, shall reign with him in bliss. then no man that shallbe damned is part of Christ's ghostly body and so part of member of Holy Church: But Friars saiden thus, for men shoulden give them much money to pray for all both good and evil; and also to please Bishops and Possessioners.   

Cap, 40 Arrogating unto themselves glory due unto other men and sometimes to God himself.  
ALso Friars seeken busily there own worldly worship, and putten the worship of God behind, against the teaching of jesus Christ and S. Paul, yea that is worse, they taken upon themselves glory that is appropered to God and so maken them even with God, for they seeken fast by great gifts and vain costs to be called Masters of Divinity, and speak before Lords, and sit at the meat with them, and not to teach truly the Gospel to all manner of men by meek life, & freely as Christ bids. Also to be Confessors of Lords and Ladies algats to be much told by and far well, and not seek poor men, though they have more need. And so of other business of Friars who so takes good sight to them. For if a Friar do little well that shall be praised algats: but if another man do much better that shallbe lacked or despised. Also they shullen swear by him that they call Patron of there order, and leave God behind, & yet they done so for worship of there own Patron and there own Sect, and nevertheless God teach to swear by him in need, and not by his Creatures, but for there proud swearing and idle, they de spisen God and there Patron also.   

Cap. 41. Exalting themselves above Christ himself.  
Friar's yet highen yet falsely themself above Christ. For where Christ bids that men trow not to him, but if he do the works of the Father of Heaven, Friars chalengen that men trust and obey to them, as needful to souls health when they done not the works of God. For else they may not ask that men do after them when they witten not whether the thing that they commanden is against God's doom or there wit. And thus no man should do after them, but when they teachen certainly the hests of God or his counsels, lest men doing after there teaching, in this do against the will of God, but farewell then this new feigned obedience, with this new profession.   

Cap. 42. Christ's rule no sufficient warrant for them to be ruled by.  
ALso Friars falsely enhaunsen themselves above Christ and his Apostles. For they will not be paid with Christ's rule in the Gospel, to teach truly the Gospel, and have meat and drink freely of a good man and devout to God, ne be apaied with food and hylling as Christ and his Apostles weren, but they robben Curates of there office, and ghostly worship, and let them to know God's law, by holding books fro them, & with drawing of there vantages, by which they shoulden have books and learn. And also they robben Lords of there rents, & some by more hypocrisy taken free annual rents of Lords coffers, and they robben the Commons of there livelode by hypocrisy & false begging, damned by God's law. And thus at the beginning they fainen them most poor of all Clerks, but at the last they passen all other in great Houses and costly Libraries, and great feasts, & many other prides and covetises and ever they passen foul Christ & his Apostles. For where Christ had not to rest in his head, Friar's feigned beggars have Lordly places, that almost through England they may each night lie on there own.   

Cap. 43 Friars policy in binding there novices to unknown things  
FRiars also of great cautel binding novices to un known thing. For they will not suffer them to know there privities of there rule and there life till that they been professed, & then they shullen not be suffered to leave there rule though they witten well that they may not keep it; and this is openly against Christ's teaching and john's Gospel. For Christ says that he spoke openly to the world, and in hiddennes nothing, & Friars done here fully the contrary. For first they shown great devotion and sweetness of holy life to young child till they be professed, and then maistrens them by tyrauntrie to do many things against there conscience, and so needen them to go to Hell or to prison, or some time to cruel death.   

Cap. 44 Mispenders of the treasure of this land.  
ALso Friars been wasters of treasure of our land by many blind and vn●…kilfull manners. For first they blinden them blindly fro freedom of the Gospel, and than spenden much gold to get them dispensation. And many times bring vain pardons cowienales & other vain privileges, & in all this the gold of our land goes out, and Symoney and curse and boldness in sin comes again. And God wot where privities of our land been thus showed to our enemies And God wot where matrimony be thus departed for money by such Friars making false suggestion and false pursuit after. Also it seems that in this they magnifien a sinful caitiff, and in ca●…e a damned fiend, more than God almighty. For they dare not by free grant of god do a good thing to please him therewith, but if they have leave of such a sinnful caitiff: and if they have leave of such an unwitty caitiff they dare do against Gods pleasing an unreasonnable thing and sinful and slanderous to all christian men.   

Cap. 45. Friar's holier than other men.  
Friar's also by Lucifer's pride highen themselves, & holden them holier than all other out of there sect, for as much as they binden them to new Traditions of sinful men, the which been full of error, over the most sufficient rule of jesus Christ, that left no profitable ne needful thing out of his rule. For though a Priest or Bishop do never so truly the office that God bade Priests do, yet they saien he is more holy if he come to there new feigned religion and obedience. But sith boasting and rejoicing of sin is one of the greatest sins of all, and these Friars boasten so much of there sinful error how they have founden a better religion than Christ made for his Apostles and Priests, it seems they been most sinful and cursedly proud over all other wicked men. For it seems that they maken themselves wiser than Christ more witty and more full of charity, sith they teachen better way to heaven, than did Christ as they fainen.   

Cap 46. Friars altogether ●…et upon covetousness.  
ALso Friars setten more by stinking dirt of worldly goods, than they done by virtues and goods of ●…lisse. For if a Caymes castle of Friars has much dirt of worldly goods, though the Friars therein be full of pride covetise Simony and false robbery by false begging & flattering yet they saien, that that rich House is better than a poor house of Friars, though they liven in meekness poverty and penance and much holiness. And they travellen more to get dirt of this world then to get the bliss of heaven, and they commenden more a Friar that con subtly & thick get this worldly dirt, than an other, that con do & teach much virtuous life. And thus these Friars make sacrifice to false Gods for there coveti●…e and forsaken God Almighty, sith they loven more worldly muck than virtues and the love of jesus Christ.   

Cap 47. Friars dead unto the world but raised by Antichrist to pride Covetousness and maintenance of sin  
FRiars also shown & witnessen in themselves antichrist's miracles, right as Lazar and other raised by Christ sheweden and witnesseden Christ's miracles. For as Lazar and other weren verily dead and verily raised by Christ to live of kind & grace: so these Friars●…ainen ●…ainen them dead to pride of the world & other sins but they been raised by Antichristes doing to pride of State's covetise and subtle maintaining or colouring of sin. For though men been cursed avowterers, extortioners and wrongful maintainers of falseness and debates: yet Friars will colour these sins and undertake for these sinful men, if they will give them much dirt, and maintain there vain sect, & commend it more than Christ's own religion. And they been quick to strive, pleet, & fight bodily for worships & states of this world: and so they been dead to meekness charity and good religion, and been raised to cursed life of sin, and this is antichrist's miracle.   

Cap. 48. Friars spiritual Sodomites.  
Friar's also been foully envenimed with ghostly sin of Sodom, & so been more cursed than the bodily Sodomites, that weren suddenly dead by hard vengeance of God; for they done ghostly lechery by God's word, when they preachen more there own findings for worldly muck, than Christ's Gospel for saving of men's souls, & when they leaven to preach the seed of God's word & leesen it, by which men shoulden by ghostly gendure be made Gods sons, they done more sin than though they losten man's seed, by which the body of man should be gendrid. For the misusing of the better virtue is more sin, but the seed of God's word is better than the seed of man, therefore it is worse to misspend that then to miswast man's seed. And Rob. Grosted declares this reas●…n well against cruel Curates.   

Cap. 49. Friars notable factors for the Pope herein England.  
Friar's also been most privy & subtle procurators of Simony and soul winning and begging of benefices of indulgences, and travels, pardons and vain priniledges. For men saien, they will get a great thing of the Pope, or of Cardinals in England better cheap than other procurators, and they been more wily, and more pleasantly can flatter the Pope & his Court, and most privily make Lords to maintain the Pope and his, in rob●…ing our land of Treasure by his Pardons, privileges, and the first fruits of benefices in our land, and Dimes & Subsidies to war on Christian men, for stinking worldly Lordship that God has forbidden to him and all Priests; and in false confession they stirren Lords much thereto & needen to destroy the land, when they maintainen the Pope & this false robbing.   

Cap. 50. Friars most Perilous enemies to ho lie Church & to all our land.  
YEt Friars been most perilous enemies to holy Church and all our land, for they let Curates of there office, and spenden commonly & needless sixty thousand mark by year, that they robben falsely of the poor people. For if Curates didden there office in good life and true preaching as they been holden upon pain of damning in hell, there were Clarks enough of Bishops, Parsons, and other Priests; and in case over money to the people, and yet not two hundred year agone, there was no Friar, & then was our land more plenteous of cattle and men, and they were then stronger of complexion to labour them now, and then were Clarks enough. And now been many thousand of Friars in England and the old Curates standen still unamended, and among all sin is more increased and the people charged by sixty thousand mark by year, and therefore it mowght needs fail, and so Friars suffren Curates to live in sin so that they may ●…obbe the people and▪ live in there lusts. For if Curates done well there office Friars weren superflue, and our Land showld be discharged of many thousand mark, and then the people showld better pay there rends to Lords, and dimes and offerings to Curates, and much flattering and nourishing of sin showld be destroyed and good life and peace and charity showlden rain among Christian men: and so when all the ground is sowght Friars saien thus indeed, let old Curates wax rotten in sin, and let them not do there office by God's law, and we will live in lusts so long, & waste vainly and needless sixty thousand mark by year of the poor Commons of the land, & so at the last make dissension between them, & there children for dimes and offerings that we will get privily to us by hypocrisy, and make dissension between Lords & there Commons. For we will maintain Lords to live in there lusts extortions and other sins, & the Commons in covetise lechery & other deceits, with▪ false swearing and many guiles, And also the Curates in there damnation for leaving of there Ghostly office & so be procurators of the fiend, for to draw all men to hell: thus they done indeed, however they feign in hypocrisy of pleasing of words.  
Of these fifty Heresies and Errors, & many more if men will seek them well out, they may know that Friars been cause, beginning, well, and maintaining of perturbation in Christiandome, and of all evils of this world, and these errors shullen never be amended till Friars be brought to freedom of the Gospel, and clean religion of jesus Christ.   
God for his endless mercy and charity make very peace and charity among Christian men, & bring all Priests to Christ's clean religion withouten error of wrong by-lawes.  
Amen.   

An exposition of the hardest words.  

Algats, always, evermore, notwithstanding, forsooth.  
asking, demand.  
apaid, contented.  
appropered, appropriated.  
A, oh.  
Anentis, towards.  
Apertly, openly.  
Assoil, absolve.   

Blecked, spotted, defiled.  
Been, be, been.  
Berowgh, living.  
Behest, request, commandement  
Brenne, burn.  
Brend, burnt.  
Backed, put back.  
Bylawes, Traditions.   

Cowth, could.  
Cleped, called.  
Calueren, calves.  
Certes, truly.  
Chargeous, chargeable.  
Children, children.  
Carmes, Friars Carmelits.  
Covetise, covetousness.  
Chaffering, merchandising.  
Convienalis, belonging to there covent.  
Caymes, Cayns.   

Dowyd, endowed.  
Dymes, tenths.  
Dudden, did.  
Doutouse, doubtful.  
Doutie▪ high, deep.  
Distourblen, trouble.  
Dislany, lavish.  
Dome, judgement.   

Even, one.  
Eke, also.  
ensample▪ declared by example.  
Enhausen, raise, extol.  
Envenimed, poisoned.   

Fro, from.  
Forboden, forbid.  
Fautors, favourers.  
Fiend, Deevill.  
Fore-don, break overthrow.  
Forefending, forbidding.  
Before do, undo, break.   

Gendrure, generation.   

Hiled, appareled.  
Healing, appareling.  
Hylling, apparel.  
Hests, commandments.  
heal, health.  
Haden, holden.  
Highen, extol.  
Hiddenes, secrecy.  
Hien, extol.  
Hied, extolled, praised.   

Inanter, peradventure.   

kin, kind, kin.  
Knights, disciples, followers.   

Levefull, lawful.  
Lifelode, living.  
Lacked, dispraised.  
Leasings, lies.   

Meedefull, helpful.  
Medefullie, metitoriouslie.  
Mawmetrie, mahometry, Idolatry.  
Mene.  
Michael, much.  
Meynes, houses.  
Manquellers, murderers.  
Meede, help.   

Needid, constrained.  
Ne, neither.  
Nowght, nothing▪ not.  
Near & more, altogether, right so.  
Needen, to force.  
nevertheless, nevertheless.  
Novelries, novelties.   

O, one.  
Owen, ought.   

Pleete, plead.  
Pelure, furs.  
Potestatis, powers, great men.  
Paid, contented.   

Queeke to cry.  
Queething, bequeathing, testaments.   

Regalie, or Regalrie, Regalty, the  
Kings Right, Crown & dignity.  
Reward, regard.  
Ravines, opp●…essions.  
reck, esteem, reckon.  
Reves, Bailives husbands.   

Sueth, followeth.  
Sue, to follow.  
Suers, followers.  
Siker, true, well, verily.  
Skille, reason.  
sooth, truth.  
Satrap, A great man either of the laity or Clergy.  
Salary, wages.  
Sogetttis' subjects.  
Sikernesses, truth.  
Sith, sithence, since.  
soothly, truly.   

Traied, betrayed.  
though, those, that, although.  
Tyrauntrie, tyranny.  
Trow, to esteem.   

Vnwarly, unwarily.  
Vnkunning, unskilful.  
Veynelich, vainly.  
Unwitty, unskilful, untoward.  
Vnderlout, underling, subject, obedient.  
Vnfouled, undefiled.   

Winning, getting:  
Weanes, thinks.  
Withouten, without.  
Wood, mad.  
Writ, Scripture.  
Witten, know.   

Yoven, given.  
Yeve, give.  
Yiftiss, gifts.   
FINIS.