Ephes. iv.

have we little cause to glory, but rather to fear and tremble, and to count him most happy to whom least is committed; for God, to whom this account must be made, cannot be deluded, although the world may be blinded.

If God have given thee thy perfect limbs and members, then get to some occupation, and work with thine own hands, that thy members which are whole and perfect may minister to their necessity that lack their members; for that is acceptable in the sight of God, and the contrary so detestable, that if thou withdraw thy members from aiding thy neighbours, thou shalt of God be recounted for a thief and a murderer. And therefore, I affirm that all our holy hypocrites and idlebellied monks, canons, and priests, whether they be regular or secular, if they labour not to preach God's word, are thieves and also murderers; for they maintain their strong members in idleness, which ought to labour for the profit of their neighbours, that their perfect members might minister unto the necessity of them that lack their members : as the eye must minister her fruit of sight unto the feet, hands, and other members which lack it; or else are they in jeopardy to perish at every pit, and the eye guilty of their destruction for withdrawing her office from them. And this may we establish by the words of St. Paul, which saith, He that did steal, let him steal no more, but rather labour with his own hands, that he may have to distribute to them that lack. And some doctors do very well expound it of certain persons that walked inordinately, and would not work themselves, though they were sturdy lubbers, but lived on other men's charity, which thing the apostle calleth theft, and exhorteth them to work with their own hands, that they may both help themselves and others.

And for because some persons which feel themselves aggrieved, because they are guilty, will not be content to

allow this exposition, I will allege another text of the wise man, which shall not only allow this sentence, but also bite them better; for he saith, Panis egentium vita Ee xxxiv. pauperis est, qui autem defraudat eum homo sanguinis est, that is to say, The bread of the needy is the life of the poor, and he that defraudeth him of it is a murderer. This text holdeth their noses so hard to the grindstone, that it clean disfigureth their faces, for it proveth our bishops, abbots, and spiritual possessionaries double thieves and murderers, as concerning the body (besides their murdering of the soul for lack of God's word, which they will neither preach, nor suffer any to do it purely, but persecute and put them to the most cruel death.) First, they are thieves and murderers, because they distribute not that which was appointed by our faithful forefathers to the intent it should have been ministered unto the poor, (for then they seemed to be very virtuous,) but now they bestow it upon hawks, hounds, horses, &c. upon gorgeous apparel and delicate fare and glad are the poor when they may get the scraps. They may have not so much as a pig of their own sow, nor scant a feather of their own goose. he that may dispend four or five thousand marks a year, would think it were too much if he gave twenty nobles of it unto the poor, which, notwithstanding, are the owners, under God, of all together, the minister's living deduct, which (as the apostle saith,) having their food and clothes to cover them, ought therewith to be con- 1 Tim. vi. tent. And thus they defraud the poor of their bread, and so are they thieves; and (because this bread is their life,) as the aforesaid text testifieth, He that defraudeth him of it, is not only a thief, but also a murderer.

For

And when they think to bestow it very well, and bestow it in building palaces of pleasure, yet are they therein much to be reproved; for as an old doctor saith, they are in that point worse than the devil, for the devil would have had that Christ should have turned stones VOL. IV.

יד

Objection.

Solution.

Eccles. iv.

Isaiah v.

into bread (which might have succoured the poor,) and
these builders turn the bread into stones.
For they
bestow the good which should be given to the poor for
their sustenance, upon an heap of stones.

But here they will object (as they are never without evasions,) that if they should distribute it among the poor according as they are bound, within a while all would be spent, and no good should come of it, nor no man know where it is become, or who fareth the better for it. Whereunto I answer, that indeed ye be too wise for me; for since ye go about to correct Christ, and to set him to school and learn him what is best, it were but folly for me to meddle with you. For Christ's mind and commandment is, that we should distribute it, and not withhold it from them. And saith by his prophet, Wo be to them that couple and knit houses together! which I think may justly be verified upon you. Nevertheless, this I dare say, that if a bishop, which may dispense four thousand marks, would, unto the poor of his diocese, distribute every year but the one half, giving unto one man forty shillings, and lending unto another twenty nobles to set up his occupation withal, and so give and lend as he seeth need, he should within five or six years more make a flourishing diocese. And I think, verily, that his face should more be allowed before God, than if he had builded a thousand abbeys; for God's commandment ought first to be done, and is much more acceptable to him than all the works that proceed of our imaginations and foolish phantasies.

Besides that they are thieves and murderers for withdrawing their perfect members from labour, whereby they might minister unto their neighbours' necessity, (I speak of as many as are not occupied about preaching God's word;) for in that they withdraw their members from succouring their poor neighbours, they are thieves; and because this succour is called their life, they are murderers for keeping it from them.

Here our begging orders of friars would think to be exempt, because they have not received rents to be distributed. Notwithstanding, if we ponder this text well, we shall find them condemned as deep as the other. For they enter into every mass-house, and with unshamefaced begging, poll them so nigh, that in a manner they leave nothing behind for the very poor which are sick, lame, crippled, blind, and maimed; for there is not the poorest desolate widow, but with his fair flattering he will so deceive her, that he will be sure either of money or ware. But, dear brethren, maintain ye no such murderers, lest ye be partakers of their sins, but rather follow the counsel of the apostle, which chargeth us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we withdraw ourselves from every brother that walketh inordinately, and worketh not; and biddeth, if he will not 2 Thes. iii. work, he should not eat.

Now if they object that they live in contemplation, and study of Scripture, and say that they ought not to be let from that holy work; for Christ said that Mary had chosen the best part which should not be taken from her:

Thereunto may I make the same answer which that holy father and abbot St. Silvan made. This Silvan was an abbot, a holy man, having many monks under him, whom he caused, after their prayers (which were nothing so long as our monks use now-a-days, which think for their many words to be heard, like as did the Pharisees whom Christ rebuked;) he caused them, I say, to labour for their living, according to the word of Paul. And upon a time there came a religious man to his abbey, and when he saw his monks working, he asked the abbot why he so used them? and why they gave not themselves to holy contemplation, seeing that Mary had chosen the best part? The abbot made few words, but gave this monk a book, and sent him into a cell, to be there occupied in study and contemplation.

And at dinner time the abbot called all his monks to meat, and let him sit in contemplation. After noon, when he began to wear very hungry, he came out again to the abbot Silvan, and asked whether his monks had not yet dined? And he answered, Yes.—And why called ye not me, quoth the monk, to dine with them? -Verily, said the abbot, I thought you had been all spiritual, and had needed no meat.-Nay, quoth the monk, I am not so spiritual, nor fervent in contemplation, but that I must needs eat.-Verily, said the abbot, then must you also needs work, for Mary hath need of Martha. When the monk heard that, he repented, and fell to work as the other did. And I would to God that this answer would cause our religious even so to do, and to fall to work, that they might succour their needy neighbours.

And as touching their study in Scripture, St. Austin saith, How shalt thou better learn to understand the Scripture, than by going about to fulfil that thou there readest? And if thou go about to fulfil it, saith he, then must thou work with thy hands, for that doth St. Paul teach thee. Of this I have compiled a whole book, which if God have appointed me to finish it and set it forth, shall be a rule of more perfection unto our religious, than any that they have used this hundred year.

THE THIRD CHAPTER.

THE CONCLUSION

OF THIS TREATISE, THAT NO FLESH SHOULD REJOICE, BUT FEAR AND TREMBLE IN ALL THE GIFTS THAT HE RECEIVETH.

HERE mayest thou perceive that no man liveth but he may fear and tremble; and most he may fear, to whom most is committed, for of him shall much be re