YE are come to gether to daye / fathers and ryghte wyse men / to entre councell: in the whiche / what ye wyll do / and what matters ye wyll handell / yet we vnderstande nat. But we wysshe / that ones remēbrynge your name and profession / ye wold mynde the reformation of the churches matter. For hit was neuer more nede. And y e state of the churche dyd neuer desyre more your endeuours. For y e spouse of Christe / y e churche / whom ye wolde shulde be without spotte or wryncle / is made foule and euyl fauord / as saith Esaias: The faithfull cite is made an harlotte: And as saythe Hieremias: She hath done lechery with many louers: wherby she hath cōceiued many sedes of wyckednes: and [Page] dayly bryngeth forthe very foule frute. wherfore I came hyther to day fathers / to warne you / that in this your councell / with all your mynde / ye thynke vpon the reformation of the churche. But for sothe I came nat wyllyngly: For I knewe myne vnworthynes. I sawe besyde / howe harde it was to please the precise iugement of so many men. For I iuged it vtterly vnworthy and vnmete / ye and almost to malapert / that I a seruāt / shulde counsaile my lordes: That I a sonne / shulde teache you my fathers. Truely it had bene meter for some one of the fathers / y t is to say / you prelates might haue done it with more graue auctorite / and greatter wysedome. But the commaundement was to be obeyed of [Page] the most reuerent father and lorde / the archebysshoppe / presydent of this councell / whiche layde vpon me this bourden / truly to heuy for me. we rede / that the prophette Samuel sayde: Obedience is better than sacrifice? wherfore fathers and ryghte worthy men / I praye you / and beseche you / that this day ye wold susteyne my weakenes with your goodnes and pacience. Farthermore to helpe me at the begynnyng with your good prayers. And before all thynge let vs praye vnto god the father all myghty. Fyrste remembrynge our most holy father the pope / and all spirituall pastours / with all christen people / farthermore the moost reuerēt father and lorde / the archebishoppe president of this coūcell / [Page] and al bishops / and al the Clergie / and all the people of Englande: Remembrynge fynally this your cōgregation / desirynge god to inspire your myndes so accordyngly to agre / to suche profyte and frute of the churche / that ye seme nat after the councell fynysshed / to haue ben gethered to gether in vayne & without cause. Lette vs all saye Pater noster.
To exhorte you reuerent fathers to the endeuour of reformation of y e churches estate: bicause that nothynge hath so disfigured the face of the churche / as hath the facion of seculer and worldly lyuynge in clerkes and prestes: I knowe nat where more conueniently to take begynnyng of my tale / than of the apostle Paule / in whose temple ye [Page] are gethered to gether. For he writynge vnto the Romanes / and vnder their name vnto you saith: Be you nat conformed to this worlde: but be you reformed in the newnes of your vnderstandynge / that ye may proue what is the good wyll of god well pleasing and perfecte. This dyd the apostell wryte to all christen men / but most chiefly vnto prestes and bysshops. Prestes and bysshops are the light of y e worlde. For vnto them sayde our sauiour: you are the lyghte of the worlde. And he sayde also: If the lyghte that is in the be darkenes / howe darke shall the darkenes be? That is to say / if prestes and bysshops / that shulde be as lyghtes / ronne in the darke way of the worlde / howe darke than shall the secular people [Page] be? wherfore saynt Paule sayde chiefly vnto prestes and byshops: Be you nat conformable to this worlde / but be ye reformed. In the whiche wordes the apostle dothe two thinges. Fyrst he doth forbyd that we be nat conformable to the worlde / and be made carnall. Farthermore he dothe cōmaunde that we be reformed in the spyryte of god / wherby we are spirituall. I entendynge to folowe this ordre / I wyll speke first of confirmation / than after of reformation. Be you nat (sayth he) conformable to this worlde. The apostle calleth the worlde / the wayes and maner of secular lyuing: the whiche chiefly dothe reste in foure euilles of this worlde: that is to say / in diuilisshe pride / in carnall concupiscence / in [Page] worldly couetousnes / in secular busines: These are in the worlde / as saynt Iohn̄ the apostle witnesseth in his pistell canonicall. For he saythe: All thynge that is in the worlde / is either the concupiscence of the flesshe / or the concupiscence of the eies / or pryde of lyfe. The same are nowe and reygne in the churche / and in mē of the churche / that we may seme truely to say / all thynge that is in the churche / is either cōcupiscence of fleshe / or eies / or pryde of lyfe. And fyrste for to speake of pride of lyfe / howe moche gredynes and appetite of honour and dignitie is nowe a dayes in men of the churche? Howe rōne they / ye almost out of brethe / from one benefice to an other: from the lesse to the more / from the lower to [Page] the hygher? who seeth nat this? who seynge this sorowethe nat? More ouer these y t are in the same dignities / the moost parte of them doth go with so stately a coūtenāce and with so hygh lokes / that they seme nat to be put in the humble bysshoprike of Christe / but rather in the high lordship / & power of the worlde / nat knowing / nor aduertisinge / what Christe / the mayster of all mekenes / sayd vnto his disciples / whom he called to be bysshoppes and prestes: The princis of people (sayth he) haue lordshyp of them: and those that be in auctorite haue power: but do ye nat so: but he that is greatter amonge you / let him be minister. He that is highest in dignitie / be he the seruāt of all men. The sonne of mā came [Page] nat to be minystred vnto / but to ministre. By whiche wordes our sauiour doth playnly teache / that the maistry in the churche / is none other thynge than a ministration: And the hygh dignitie in a man of the churche / to be none other thing than a meke seruice.
The seconde secular euyll is carnall concupiscence. Hath nat this vice so growen and waxen in the churche as a fludde of their luste? so that there is nothyng loked fore more diligently / in this moost besy tyme / of the most parte of prestes / than that that dothe delite & please the senses? They gyue them selfe to feastes and bankettynge: They spēde them selfe in vaine bablyng: They gyue them selfe to sportes & playes: They applye them selfe to [Page] huntynge and haukynge. They drowne them selfe in the delytes of this worlde. Procurers & fynders of lustes they set by. Against y e whiche kynde of men / Iudas the apostle crieth out in his pistel / sayeng: wo vnto them / whiche haue gone the way of Cain: They ar foule & bestly festing in their meates without feare fedyng them selfe: fluddes of the wylde see / fomynge fomynge out their confusions: vnto whom the storme of darkenes is reserued for euerlastynge.
Couetousnes is the thyrde secular euyll: the whiche saynt Iohn̄ the apostell calleth concupiscence of the eies: Saynt Paule calleth hit idolatry. This abominable pestilēce hath so entred in the minde / almost of all pristes / and so hath [Page] blinded the eies of the minde / that we are blynde to all thynges / but onely vnto those / whiche seme to brynge vnto vs some gaynes. For what other thinge seke we nowe a dayes in the churche / than fatte benefices and hygh promotions? ye & in the same promotions / of what other thyng do we passe vpon / thā of our tithes and rētes? That we care nat howe many / howe chargeful / howe great benefices we take / so that they be of greatte valure. O couetousnes: saint Paule iustly called the y e roote of all euyl. Of y t comech this heaping of benefices vpon benefices: Of the so great pensions assigned of many benefyces resygned: Of the / all the suynge for tithes / for offrynge / for mortuaries / for delapidations / by [Page] the right and title of the churche: For the whiche thing we stryue no lesse thā for our owne life: O couetousnes: of the cometh these chargefull visitations of bysshops / of the cometh the corruptnes of courtes and these daily newe inuētiōs / where with the sely people are so sore vexed. Of the cometh the besyte and wantonnes of officials. O couetousnes mother of all iniquitie. Of the cometh this feruēt study of ordinaries to dilate their iurisdictions: Of the cometh this woode and ragenge contention in ordinaries / of the insinuatiō of testamentes: of the cometh the vndewe sequestration of frutes: Of the cometh the superstitious obseruyng of al those lawes / that soūde to any lucre / settynge a syde and [Page] dispisynge those that concerne the amendmēt of maners. what shuld I reherse the reste? To be shorte / and to conclude at one worde: All corruptnes / all the decaye of the churche / all the offences of the worlde / come of the couetousnes of prestes. Accordynge to that of Saynt Paule / that here I repete agayne / and beate in to your eares: Couetousnes is the roote of all euyll.
The fourthe secular euyll / that spotteth and maketh yll fauored the face of the churche / is the continuall secular occupation: wherin prestes & bysshops nowe a dayes doth besy thē selfe / the seruātes rather of men than of god: the warriours rather of this worlde than of Christe. For the apostle Paule [Page] writeth vnto Timothe: No man beinge goddes soudiour / turmoyle hym selfe with seculare busynes. The warrynge of them is nat carnall but spirituall. For our warrynge is to pray / to rede and study scriptures / to preache the worde of god / to ministre the sacramentes of helth / to do sacrifice for the people / and to offre hostis for their sinnes. For we are mediatours and meanes vnto god for men: The whiche saynt Paule witnessethe / writynge to the Hebrewes: Euery byshoppe (sayth he) taken of men / is ordeyned for men in those thynges that be vnto god / that he may offre gyftes and sacrifices for synnes. wherfore those apostels / that were the first pristes and byshops / dydde so moche abhorre from all [Page] maner of medlyng of secular thinges / that they wolde nat minystre the meate / that was necessarye to poore people / all though that were a great worke of vertue: but they sayd: it is nat mete / that we shulde leaue the worde of god / and serue tables: we wyll be continually in prayer / and preachynge the worde of god. And saynt Paule crieth vnto the Corinthes. If you haue any secular besynes / ordeyne them to be iuges / that be mooste in contempt in y e churche. without dout / of this secularitie / and that clerkes and prestes (leauyng all spiritualnes) do turmoyle them selfe with erthly occupations / many euils do folowe. Fyrst the dignitie of pristhode is dysshonoured / the whiche is greatter than other the kynges [Page] or emperours: it is egall with the dignite of angels. But the brightnes of this great dignitie is sore shadowed / whan prestes are occupied in erthly thinges: whose conuersation ought to be in heuen.
Secondarily pristhode is dispised / whan there is no difference betwixt suche pristis and lay people: but accordynge to the prophecy of Ozee. As the people be / so are the pristes.
Thyrdly the beautiful ordre / and holy dignite in the churche / is confused / whā the highest in the churche do meddle with vile and erthly thynges: and in theyr stede / vile & abiecte persons do exercise hygh and heuenly thinges.
Fourthly the laye people haue great occasion of euils and cause [Page] to fall / whan those men whose dutie is to drawe men from the affection of this worlde / by their continual conuersation in this worlde / teche men to loue this worlde: and of the loue of the worlde cast them downe heedlyng in to hell.
More ouer in suche pristes / that are so besyed / there must nedes folowe hypocrisy. For whan they be so mixte and confused with the lay people / vnder the garmēt and habite of a priste / they lyue playnly after the lay facion. Also by spiritual wekenes and bondage feare / whan they are made weake with the waters of this worlde: they dare neyther do nor say / but suche thynges as they knowe to be pleasant and thākefull to their princis. At laste ignorancy and blyndnes / [Page] whan they are blynded with the darknes of this worlde / they se nothynge but erthly thynges. wherfore our sauiour Christe / nat with out cause / dyd warne the prelates of his churche: Take hede (sayde he) lest your hartes be greued with glotony and dronkēnes / and with the cares of this worlde. with the cares (saythe he) of this worlde / wherwith the hartes of pristes beynge sore charged / they canne nat holde and lyfte vp their myndes to high and heuenly thinges.
Many other euils ther be / beside those that folowe of the secularitie of pristis / whiche were longe here to reherce / but I make an ende.
These be the foure euyls that I haue spoken of / O fathers / O pristes / by the whiche we are conformable [Page] to this worlde / by the whiche the face of the churche is made euyll fauoured / by the whiche the state of it is distroyed / truly moche more thā it was in the begynnyng by the persecution of tyrantes: or afterward by the inuasion that folowed of heretikes. For in the persecution of tyrantes / the churche beynge vexed was made stronger and bryghter: In the inuasion of heretykes / the churche beynge shaken / was made wyser and more cunnyng in holy writte. But sens this secularitie was broughte in / after that the secular maner of lyuynge crepte in / in the men of the churche: the roote of all spirituall lyfe / that is to say / charite was extincte: The whiche taken awaye / there can nother wyse nor stronge [Page] churche be in god.
In this tyme also we perceyue contradiction of the laye people. But they are nat so moche contrarye vnto vs / as we are our selfe. Nor theyr contrarines hurteth nat vs so moche as the contrarines of our euyll lyfe / the whiche is contrary both to god and Christe. For he sayd: who that is nat with me / is agaynst me.
we are also nowe a dayes greued of heretykes / men mad with marueylous folysshenes: but the heresies of them are nat so pestilēt and pernicious vnto vs and the people / as the euyll and wicked lyfe of pristes: the whiche (if we beleue saynt Barnard) is a certeyn kynde of heresye / and chiefe of all / and most perillous. For that same holy [Page] father / in a certeyne conuocation / preachynge vnto the pristes of his tyme / in a certayne sermon / so he sayde by these wordes. There be many catholyke and faithfull men in speakynge and preachynge / the whiche same men are heretykes in workyng: For that that heretikes do by euyll teachynge: that same do they throughe euyll exaumple / they leade the people oute of the ryght way / and brynge them in to errour of lyfe. And so moche they are worse than heretyckes / howe moche theyr workes preuaile their wordes. This that holye father saynt Barnarde / with a great and a feruent spirite / sayde agaynste the sect of euyl pristes in his time: By whiche wordes he shewethe playnly / to be two maner of heresyes / [Page] the one to be of peruerse teachynge / and the tother of naughty life: Of whiche this later is worse and more peryllous: the whiche raygneth nowe in the churche in pristes / nat lyuynge pristly but secularly / to the vtter and miserable distruction of the churche. wherfore you fathers / you prestes / and all you of the clergie / at the laste loke vp & awake / from this your slepe in this forgetful worlde: And at the laste / beynge well awaked / here Paule crienge vnto you: Be you nat conformable vnto this worlde. And this for the first part. Nowe let vs come to the seconde.
The seconde parte of reformation.
[Page] BUt be you reformed in the newnes of your vnderstandynge. The seconde thynge that saynt Paule commandeth / is that we be reformed in to a newe vnderstandynge / that we smelle those thynges that be of god. Be we reformed vnto those thynges / that are contrary to those I spake of euen nowe: that is to saye / to mekenes / to sobernes / to charite / to spirituall occupation: That as y e sayd Paule writeth vnto Titus / Renyenge al wickednes & worldly desires / we lyue in this worlde soberly / truely / and vertuously.
This reformation and restoring of the churches estate muste nedes begynne of you our fathers / and so folowe in vs your pristes / and [Page] in all the clergye. you are our heedes: you are an example of liuing vnto vs. Unto you we loke as vnto markes of our directiō. In you and in your lyfe we desyre to rede as in lyuely bokes / howe & after what facion we may lyue. wherfore if you wyll ponder and loke vpon oure mottis / fyrste take awaye the blockes out of your eies. Hit is an olde prouerbe: Phisition heale thy selfe. you spirituall phisitions / fyrst taste you this medicine of purgation of maners: and thā after offre vs the same to taste.
The waye / where by the churche maye be reformed in to better faciō / is nat for to make newe lawis. For there be lawes many / inowe / and out of nombre / as Salomon saith: Nothyng is newe vnder the [Page] sonne. For the euils that are nowe in the churche / were before in tyme paste: and there is no faute / but that fathers haue prouyded very good remedies for hit. There are no trespaces / but that there be lawes against them in y e body of the Canon lawe. Therfore hit is no nede / that newe lawes and constitutions be made: But that those / that are made all redye / be kepte. wherfore in this your assemble / let those lawes / that are made / be called before you and rehersed. Those lawes (I say) that restrayne vice / and those that furder vertue.
Fyrst let those lawes be rehersed / that do warne you fathers / that ye put nat ouer soone your handes on euery mā / or admitte vnto holy orders. For ther is y e well of euils / [Page] that the brode gate of holy orders opened / euery man that offereth hym selfe / is all where admytted without pullynge backe. Therof spryngeth and cometh out the people / that are in the churche both of vnlerned and euyll pristes. Hit is nat inough for a priste (after my iugement) to construe a collette / to put forth a question / or to answere to a sopheme: but moche more a good / a pure / and a holy life / approued maners / metely lernynge of holye scripture / some knowlege of the sacramentes. Chiefly & aboue all thyng / the feare of god / & loue of the heuenly lyfe.
Let the lawes be rehersed / that commaunde that benefices of the churche be gyuen to those that are worthy: And that promotions be [Page] made in the churche by the ryghte balance of vertue / nat by carnall affection: nat by the acception of persones: wherby hit happeneth nowe adayes / that boyes for olde men / fooles for wise men / euyll for good / do reigne and rule.
Lette the lawes be rehersed / that warreth agaynst the spotte of Symonie. The whiche coruption / the whiche infection / the whiche cruell & odible pestilence so crepteth nowe abrode / as the canker euyll / in the myndes of prestes: that many of them are nat aferde nowe a dayes / both by prayer and seruice / rewardes and promesses / to gette them great dignities.
Lette the lawes be rehersed / that commaunde personall residence of curates in theyr churches. For of [Page] this many euils growe: by cause all thinges nowe a dayes are done by vicaries and parysshe prestes: ye and those foolysshe also / and vnmete: and often tymes wicked: that seke none other thynge in the people than foule lucre / wherof cometh occasion of euyl heresies / and yll christendome in the people.
Lette be rehersed the lawes and holy rules gyuen of fathers / of the lyfe and honestie of clerkes: that forbydde that a clerke be no marchant / that he be no vsurer / that he be no hunter / that he be no cōmon player / that he beare no weapon.
The lawes that forbyd clerkes to haunte tauernes: that forbydde them to haue suspecte familiaritie with women. The lawes that cō maunde sobernes / and a measurablenes [Page] in aparayle / and temperāce in adournynge of the body.
Let be rehersed also to my lordes these monkes / chanons / and religious men / the lawes that commande them to go the straite way / that leadeth vnto heuen: leauyng the brode way of the worlde: that commandeth them nat to turmoile them selfe in busynes / nother secular nor other: That commaunde / that they sewe nat in princis courtes for erthly thynges. For it is in the coūcell of Calcidinens / that monkes ought onely to gyue them selfe to prayer and fastyng / and to the chastynge of their fleshe / and obseruyng of theyr rules.
Aboue all thynges let the lawes be rehersed / that pertayne and concerne you my reuerent fathers and [Page] lordes / bysshops / lawes of your iuste and canonical election / in the chaptres of your churches / with the callynge of the holy goste. For bycause that is nat done nowe a dayes / And bycause prelates are chosen often times more be fauour of men than by the grace of god: Therfore truly haue we nat a fewe tymes bishops ful lytell spirituall / men rather worldly than heuenly / sauouryng more the spirite of this worlde than the spirite of Christe.
Let the lawes be rehersed of the residence of bysshops in theyr diocesis: that commaunde / that they loke diligently / and take hede to the helthe of soules: That they sowe the worde of god: That they shewe them selfe in their churches / at the leest on greatte holye dayes. [Page] That they do sacrifice for their people: That they here the causes and matters of poure men: That they susteine fatherles children and widowes: That they exercise them selfe in workes of vertue.
Let the lawes be rehersed of the good bestowyng of the patrimony of Christe. The lawes that commande that the goodes of the churche be spent / nat in costly byldyng / nat in sumptuous apparell / and pompis: nat in feastyng and bankettynge: nat in excesse and wantonnes: nat in enrichinge of kyns folke: nat in kepynge of dogges / but in thinges profitable and necessary to the churche. For whan saynt Augustine / some tyme bysshoppe of Englande / dyd aske the pope Gregorie / howe that the bysshops [Page] and prelates of Englande / shulde spende theyr goodes / that were the offringes of faithfull people. The said pope answered (and his answere is put in the decrees / in the .xij. chap. & seconde question) that the goodes of byshops ought to be deuyded in to .iiij. partes: wherof one parte oughte to be to the bysshoppe and his householde: An other to his clerkes: The third to repayre and vp holde his tenementes: The fourth to the poure people.
Let the lawes be rehersed / ye and that often tymes / that take away the filthes and vnclenlines of courtes: that take awaye those daylye newe founde craftes for lucre: that besy them to pulle away this foule couetousnes / the whiche is the [Page] spryng and cause of all euils: The whiche is the well of all iniquitie.
At the laste let be renewed those lawes and cōstitutions of fathers of the celebration of councels / that commaunde prouinciall councels to be oftener vsed for the reformation of the churche. For there neuer hapneth nothyng more hurtefull to the churche of Christe / than the lacke both of councell generall and prouinciall.
whan these lawes / and suche other ar rehersed that be for vs / and that concerne the correction of maners / there lacketh nothynge / but that the same be put in execution / with all auctoritie and power.
That ones (seing we haue a lawe) we liue after the lawe. For the whiche thinges / with al due reuerence / [Page] I calle chiefly vpon you fathers. For this execution of the lawes / and obseruyng of the constitutiōs / muste nedes begynne of you / that ye may teache vs pristes to folowe you by lyuely examples: or elles trewely hit wyll be sayde of you: They lay greuous burdens vpon other mens backes / and they them selfe wyll nat as moche as touche hit with theyr lytell fynger.
For sothe if you kepe the lawes: and if you reforme fyrste your lyfe to the rules of the Canon lawes / than shall ye gyue vs lyght (in the whiche we maye se what is to be done of our parte) That is to say / the lyghte of your good example: And we seynge our fathers so keping the lawes / wyl gladly folowe the steppes of our fathers.
[Page] The clergies and spirituals part ones reformed in the churche / than may we with a iuste order procede to the reformatiō of the lays part: The whiche trewely wyll be verye easy to do: if we fyrst be reformed. For the bodye foloweth the soule. And suche rulers as are in the cite / lyke dwellers be in it. wherfore if pristes / that haue y e charge of soules / be good: streyghte the people wyll be good. Our goodnes shall teche them more clerely to be good than al other teachynges and prechynges. Our goodnes shall compell them in to the right way / truly more effectuously / thā all your suspendynges and cursynges.
wherfore if ye wyll haue the lay people to lyue after your wysshe and wyll: fyrst lyue you your selfe [Page] after the wyl of god. And so (trust me) ye shall gette in them what so euer ye wyll.
ye wyll be obeyed of them / and right it is. For in the epistell to the Hebrewes / these are the wordes of saynt Paule to the laye people.
Obey (saith he) to your rulers / and be you vnder them. But if ye wyll haue this obedience: first performe in you the reason and cause of obedience: the whiche the sayd Paule dothe teache: and hit foloweth in the texte: that is: Take you hede also diligently / as though ye shuld gyue a recknynge for theyr soules: and they wyll obey you.
you wyll be honored of the people: hit is reason. For saint Paule wryteth vnto Timothe: Pristes that rule well / are worthy double [Page] honours / chiefly those that labour in worde and teachynge. Therfore if ye desyre to be honoured: fyrste loke that ye rule well / and that ye laboure in worde and teachynge: and than shall the people haue you in all honour.
you wyll repe theyr carnall thinges / and gether tithes and offrynges without any stryuynge: right it is. For saynt Paule writing vnto the Romanes / sayth: They are dettours / & ought to ministre vnto you in carnall thinges. Fyrst sowe you your spirituall thynges: and than ye shall repe plentifully theyr carnall thynges. For truely that mā is very harde and vniust / that wyl repe where he neuer dyd sowe: and that wyll gether where he neuer skatered.
[Page] ye wyl haue the churches liberte / and nat to be drawen afore secular iuges / and that also is ryght. For hit is in the psalmis. Touche ye nat myne anoynted. But if ye desire this liberte: fyrst vnlouse your selfe frome the worldlye bondage / and from the seruices of men: and lyfte vp your selfe in to the trewe lybertye / the spirituall lybertye of Christe / in to grace frome synnes / and serue you god / and raygne in hym. And than (beleue me) the people wyll nat touche the anoynted of theyr lorde god.
ye wolde be out of busines in rest and peace: and that is conuenient. But if ye wyll haue peace come agayne to the god of peace & loue. Come agayne to Christe: in whom is the very true peace of the goste / [Page] the whiche passeth al wytte. Come agayne to your selfe / and to your pristly lyuynge. And to make an ende / as saynt Paule saythe: Be you reformed in y e newnes of your vnderstandynge / that you sauoure those thynges that are of god: and the peace of god shall be with you.
These are they reuerent fathers and ryghte famous men / that I thought to be said for the reformation of the churches estate: I trust ye wyll take them of your gentylnes to the best. And if parauēture it be thought / that I haue past my boundes in this sermon / or haue sayd any thyng out of tempre / forgyue hit me: and ye shall forgyue a man speakynge of very zele / to a man sorowynge the decaye of the churche: and consyder the thynge [Page] hit selfe / nat regardynge any foolysshenes. Consyder the miserable fourme and state of the churche: and endeuour your selfes with all your myndes to reforme it.
Suffre nat fathers / this your so greatte a getherynge to departe in vayne. Suffre nat this your congregation to slyppe for naughte. Truly ye are gethered often tymes to gether: but (by your fauour to speke the trouth) yet I se nat what frute cometh of your assemblyng / namely to the churche.
Go ye nowe in the spirite that ye haue called on / that by the helpe of hit / ye maye in this your councell fynde out / decerne / & ordeyne those thynges that may be profitable to the churche / prayse vnto you / and honour vnto god. Unto whom he [Page] all honoure and glorye / for euer more. Amen.
Thomas Berthelet regius impressor excudebat. Cum priuilegio.