The seconde parte of reformation.

BVt be you reformed in the
newnes of your vnderstandyng.
The seconde thyng
that saynt Paule commaundeth / is
that we be refourmed in to a newe vnderstandynge /
that we smelle those
thynges that be of god. Be we reformed

B.iij.

vnto those thynges / that are co~trary
to those I spake of euen nowe
that is to saye / to mekenes / to sobernes /
to charitie / to spirituall occupation:
That as the sayde Paule writeth
vnto Titus / Renienge al wickednes
and worldlye desyres / we lyue in
this worlde soberlye / truelye / and
vertuously.
This reformation and restorynge of
the churches estate muste nedes begynne
of you our fathers / and so folowe
in vs your pristis / and in all the
clergie: you are our heedes: you are
an example of lyuyng vnto vs. Vnto
you we loke as vnto markes of our
direction. In you and in your lyfe we
desire to rede as in lyuely bokes / how
and after what facion we may lyue.
wherefore if you wyll ponder & loke
vpon our mottis / firke take away the
blockes out of your eies. It is an olde
prouerbe: Phisition hele thy selfe.
you spirituall phisitions / firste taste
you this medicine of purgation of
maners: and than after offre vs the
same to taste.
The way / wherby the churche may
be reformed in to better facion / is nat
for to make new lawes. For ther be
lawes many / inowe / and out of no~bre /
as Solomon saith: Nothi~g is newe
vnder the sonne. For the euyls that
are nowe in the churche / were before
in tyme paste / and there is no faute /
but that fathers haue prouyded verye
good remedyes for it. There are
no trespaces / but that there be lawes
agaynst them in the body of the Canon
lawe. Therfore it is no nede / that
newe lawes and co~stitutio~s 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 & rehersed.
Those lawes I saye that restrayne

B.iiij.

vice / and those that furder vertue.
Fyrste let those lawes be rehersed /
that do warne you fathers / that ye
put nat ouer soone your handes on
euery man / or admitte vnto holy orders.
For there is the well of euyls /
that the brode gate of holy orders
opened / euery man that offereth him
selfe / is all where admytted / without
pullynge backe. Therof spryngethe
and cometh out the people / that are
in the churche bothe of vnlerned and
euyll pristis. It is nat inoughe for a
priste after my iugement to construe
a collette / to put forthe a question / or
to answere to a sopheme / but moche
more a good / a pure / and a holy life /
approued maners / metely lernynge of
holy scripture / some knowlege of the
sacramentes. Chiefely and aboue all
thynge the feare of god / and loue of
the heuenly lyfe.
Let the lawes be rehersed / that co~maunde
that benefices of the church
be gyuen to those that are worthye:
And that promotions be made in the
churche by the ryght balance of vertue /
nat by carnall affection: nat by
the acception of persones: wherby it
happeneth nowe a dayes that boyes
for olde men / fooles for wyse men / euyll
for good do reigne and rule.
Let the lawes be rehersed / that warreth
agaynst the spotte of Symonie.
The whiche corruption / the whiche
infection / the which cruell and odible
pestilence so crepeth nowe abrode / as
the canker euyll / in the myndes of
pristis / that many of them are nat aferde
nowe a dayes / bothe by prayer
and seruice / rewardes and promesses /
to gette them great dignities.
Let the lawes be rehersed / that commaunde
personal residence of curates
in theyr churches. For of this many
euylles growe: by cause all thynges

B.v.

nowe a dayes are done by vicaries
and parysshe pristis: ye and those folisshe
also / and vnmete: and often tymes
wycked: that seeke none other
thinge in the people than foule lucre /
wherof cometh occasion of euyll heresies /
and yll christendome in the
people.
Let be rehersed the lawes and holy
rules gyuen of fathers / of the lyfe
and honestie of clerkes: that forbyd
that a clerke be no marchant / that he
be no vserer / that he be no hunter /
that he be no co~mon player / that he
bere no weapon.
The lawes that forbydde clerkes to
hau~te tauernes: that forbydde them
to haue suspecte familiaritie with women.
The lawes that commaunde
sobernes / and a mesurablenes in apparayle /
and temperaunce / in adournynge
of the body.
Let be rehersed also to my lordes
these monkes / chanons / and religious
men / the lawes that co~maunde them
to go the strayte waye / that leadethe
vnto heuen: leauynge the brode way
of the worlde: that co~maunde them
nat to tourmoyle them selfe in busynes /
nother secular nor other: That
commaunde / that they sewe nat in
princis courtes for erthlye thynges:
For it is in the cou~cell of Calcidine~s /
that monkes oughte onely to gyue
them selfe to prayer and fastyng / and
to the chastysing of theyr flesshe / and
obseruynge of theyr rules.
Aboue all thynges let the lawes be
rehersed / that perteyne and concerne
you my reuerent fathers and lordes /
bysshops / lawes of your iuste and canonicall
election: in the chaptres of
your churches / with the callynge of
the holy goste. For by cause that is
nat done nowe a dayes / And by cause
prelates are chosen often tymes more
be fauour of men than by the grace
of god: Therfore truely haue we nat
a fewe tymes byshops full littell spirituall /
men rather worldly than heuenly /
fauorynge more the spirite of
this worlde tha~ the spirite of Christ.
Let the lawes be rehersed of the residence
of byshops in theyr diocesis:
that commaunde / that they loke diligently /
& take hede to the helthe of
soules: That they sowe the worde of
god: That they shewe them selfe in
theyr churches / at the leaste on great
holye dayes. That they do sacrifice
for theyr people: That they here the
causes and matters of poure menne /
That they susteine fatherles children
and wydowes: That they exercise
them selfe in workes of vertue.
Lette the lawes be rehersed of the
good bestowynge of the patrimonye
of Christe. The lawes that commau~de
that the goodes of the churche
be spente / nat in costly byldynge /
nat in sumptuous apparell / & po~pis:
nat in feastynge and bankettyng: nat
in excesse and wantonnes: nat in enrichynge
of kynsfolke: nat in kepynge
of dogges / but in thynges profitable
and necessarye to the churche.
For whan saynt Augustyne / some
tyme bysshoppe of Englande / dyd
aske the pope Gregorie / howe that
the bysshops & prelates of Englande
shulde spe~de their goodes / that were
the offrynges of faythfull people.
The sayde pope answered and his
answere is put in the decrees / in the
xij. chap. and seconde question that
the goodes of byshops oughte to be
deuided in to. iiij. partes: wherof one
parte oughte to be to the byshoppe
and his householde: An other to his
clerkes: The thyrde to repayre and
vpholde his teneme~tes: The fourth
to the poure people.
Let the lawes be rehersed / ye and
that often tymes / that take away the
filthes and vnclenlynes of courtes:
that take awaye those daylye newe
founde craftes for lucre: that besye
them to pulle awaye this foule couetousnes /
the whiche is the sprynge &
cause of all euylles: The whiche is
the well of all iniquitie.
At the laste let be renewed those lawes
and constitutions of fathers of
the celebration of cou~cels / that commaunde
prouinciall councelles to be
oftner vsed for the reformation of the
churche. For there neuer hapnethe
nothi~g more hurtefull to the churche
of Christe / than the lacke bothe of
councell generall and prouinciall.
whan these lawes / and suche other
are 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 seinge we haue a lawe
we lyue after the lawe. For the whiche
thynges / with al dewe reuerence /
I call chiefly vpon you fathers. For
this execution of the lawes / and obseruyng
of the constitutions / must nedes
begyn of you / that ye may teache
vs pristis to folowe you by lyuely examples:
or els truelye it wyll be sayd
of you: They laye greuous burdens
vpon other mens backes / and they
them selfe wyll nat as moche as touche
it with theyr lyttell fynger.
Forsothe if you kepe the lawes: and
if you refourme fyrst your lyfe to the
rules of the Canon lawes / than shall
ye gyue vs lyghte in the whiche we
maye se what is to be done of our
part that is to say / the lyght of your
good example: And we seinge our fathers
so kepi~g the lawes / wyll gladly
folowe the steppes of our fathers.
The clergies and spirituals parte
ones refourmed in the churche / than
maye we with a iuste order procede
to the reformation of the lays parte:
The whiche truely wyll be very easy
to do: if we fyrste be reformed. For
the bodye folowethe the soule. And
suche rulers as are in the citie / lyke
dwellers be in it. wherfore if pristes
that haue the charge of soules be
good / streyghte the people wyll be
good. Our goodnes shall teache
them more clerelye to be good than
all other teachinges and preachi~ges.
Our goodnes shall compelle them
in to the ryghte way / truelye more effectuously /
than all your suspendi~ges
and cursynges.
wherfore if ye wyll haue the laye
people to lyue after your wysshe and
wyll: fyrste lyue you your selfe after
the wyll of god. And so trust me ye
shall get in the~ what so euer ye wyll.
ye wyll be obeyed of them / & righte
hit is. For in the epistell to the Hebrewes /
these are the wordes of saynt
Paule to the laye people.
Obey sayth he to your rulers / and
be you vnder them. But if ye wyll
haue this obedience: fyrste performe
in you the reason and cause of obedience:
the whiche the sayde Paule
dothe teache: and it foloweth in the
texte: that is: Take you hede also
dilige~tly / as thoughe ye shulde gyue
a reckenynge for theyr soules: and
they wyll obey you.
you wyll be honored of the people:
it is reason. For saynt Paule writeth
vnto Timothe: Pristis that rule wel /
are worthye double honours / chiefly
those that labour in worde and teachynge.
Therfore if ye desire to be
honoured: fyrste loke that ye rule
well / and that ye labour in worde and
teachyng: and than shall the people

C

haue you in all honour.
you wyll repe their carnall thinges /
and gether tithes & offrynges without
any stryuynge: ryghte it is.
For saynt Paule writynge vnto the
Romanes / saith: They are dettours /
and oughte to mynystre vnto you in
carnall thynges. Fyrste sowe you
your spirituall thynges: and than ye
shall repe plentifullye theyr carnall
thynges. For truely that man is very
harde and vniuste / that wyll repe
where he neuer dyd sowe: and that
will gether where he neuer skatered.
ye wyll haue the churches libertie /
and nat to be drawen afore seculare
iuges / and that also is ryghte. For it
is in the psalmis. Touche ye nat myn
annoynted. But if ye desire this libertie:
firste vnlouse your selfe from
the worldly bondage / and from the
seruices of men: and lyfte vp your
selfe in to the true libertie / the spirituall
libertie of Christe / in to grace
from synnes / and serue you god / and
raigne in hym. And than beleue me
the people wyll nat touche the anoynted
of theyr lorde god.
ye wolde be out of busines in reste
and peace: and that is conuenient.
But if ye wyll haue peace / come agayne
to the god of peace and loue.
Come agayne to Christe / in whom is
the very true peace of the gooste / the
whiche passethe all wytte. Come
agayne to youre selfe / and to youre
pristlye lyuynge. And to make an
ende / as saynt Paule saythe: Be you
refourmed in the newnes of your vnderstandynge /
that you fauour 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 sayde for the reformation of the
churches estate: I truste ye wyll take

C.ij.

them of your gentylnes to the beste.
And if parauenture it be thoughte /
that I haue paste my bou~des in this
sermon / or haue saide any thynge out
of tempre / forgyue it me: and ye shal
forgyue a man speaking of very zele /
to a man sorowyng the decaye of the
churche: and consyder the thynge it
selfe / nat regardynge any folisshenes.
Consider the miserable fourme and
state of the churche: and endeuour
your selfes with all your myndes to
refourme it.
Suffre nat fathers / this your so
greatte a getherynge to departe in
vayne. Suffre nat this your congretion
to slyppe for naughte.
Truely ye are gethered often tymes
to gether but by your fauoure to
speake the trouthe yet I se nat what
frute comethe of your assemblynge /
namely to the churche.
Go ye nowe in the spirite that ye
haue called on / that by the helpe of
it / ye may in this your councell fynde
out /decerne / and ordeyne those thynges
that maye be profitable to the
churche / prayse vnto you / & honour
vnto god. Vnto whom be all honour
& glorie / for euer more. Amen.

Thomas Berthelet regius impressor
excudebat. Cum priuilegio.