But the fellist folke that euer Antechrist found, bene last brought into the churche and in a wonder wise: for they bene of diuers sectes of Antechrist, sowen of diuers contreys and kynreddes. MarginaliaAntechrist his broode.And all men knowen well, that they be not obedient to byshops, ne liege men to kyngs: nether they tyllē, ne sowē, weden, ne repen, wode, corne, ne grasse, nether nothing þ^t mā shuld helpe: but only thē selfes ther lyfys to sustein. And these men han all maner power of God as they seyn in heuyn and in yerth, to sell heuyn and hell to whō that they lykyth, and these wrechys wete neuer where to bene them selfes.

MarginaliaPacience proueth M. Frier.And therfore (Frere) if thy order & rules bene groūded on Goddys law, tel thou me Iake vp land, that I aske of the: and if thou be or thinkyst to be on Christes side kepe thy paciens.

SAint Paul teacheth, that all our dedes shuld be do in charitie: and els it is nought worth, but displeasing to God and harme to our owne soules. And for that freres chalenge to be greatest clerkes of þ^e church, and next folowyng Christ in liuyng: MarginaliaThe Friar must answer according to Gods worde.men shuld for charite axe them some questions, and pray them to grounde theyr answeres in reason and in holy write, for els theyr aunswere wold nought be worth, be it florished neuer so fayre, and as me thinke men might skilfully axe thus of a frere.

1 ¶ Frere, how many orders be in erth: and whiche is the perfitest order? of what order art thou? who made thine order: what is thy rule? Is there any perfiter rule then Christ him selfe made? MarginaliaFriers may better breake Gods law then mans lawe.If Christes rule be most perfite why rulest thou the not thereafter: without more why, shall a frere be more punished if he breke the rule that his patron made, then if he breke the heestes that God him selfe made?

2 Approueth Christ any more religions than one, that Saint Iames speketh of? MarginaliaThere is but one religion.If he approueth no more, why hast thou left his rule and takest another? why is a frere apostata that leuyth hys order and taketh another secte, sith there is but one religion of Christ.

3 Why be ye wedded faster to your habites then a man is to his wife: MarginaliaThe Frier more bound to hys habit then the man to hys wyfe.For a man may leue his wife for a yeare or two as many mē don, & if you leue your abite a quarter of a yeare, ye shuld be holden apostatase.

4 Makith your abite you men of religion or no? MarginaliaIf the habite make the Frier religious: as his hahit weareth so doth his religion.If it do, then euer as it wereth, your religion wereth, & after that that your abite is better, your religiō is better: and when ye lyggyn it beside you, then lyg ye your religion beside you, and byn apostatase: why bye ye you so precious clothes, sith no man sechith such but for vayne glory, as saint Gregory sayth.

What betokeneth your great hoode, your scaplery, your knotted gyrdell, and your wyde cope?

5 Why vse ye all, one colour more then other Christen men do? what betoknith that ye bene clothed all in one maner clothing?

MarginaliaHolynes of all hipocrites cōsisteth in clothing and outwarde apparance.If ye say, it betockneth loue and charite: certes, then ye be oft ypocrites, whē any of you hateth other, and in that that ye woole be sayd holy by your clothing.

Why may not a frere were clothing of an other sect of freres, sith holynes stondeth not in the clothes.

6 Why hold ye silence in one howse more then in an other, sith men ought ouer all to speke the good and leue the euill?

Why ete you flesh in one house more then in another? if your rule and your order be perfite, and the patrō that made it?

7 Why gete ye you dispensations to haue it more esy: certes, other it semith þ^t ye be vnperfite, or he that made it so hard: that ye may not holde it. MarginaliaAll Fryars found lyers.And seker, if ye holde not the rule of your patrōs, ye be not then her freres and so ye lye vpon your selfes.

8 Why make ye you as dede men, when ye be professed, MarginaliaFriers be dead mē & quicke beggars.and yet ye be not dede but more quicke beggers thenye were before: and it semith euell a dede man to go about and begge.

9 Why will ye not suffer your nouices, heere your counsels in your chapter house ere that they bene professed, if your counsels byn trew and after Godes law?

10 Why make ye you so costly houses to dwell in? MarginaliaGraues be fyt for dead men and not costly houses.sith Christ did not so, and dede men shuld haue but graues, as fallyth to ded men, and yet ye haue more courts then many Lordes of Englād. For ye mowe wēdē through the realme, and eche night welnigh lygge in your owne courts, and so mow but right few Lordes do.

11 Why hyre ye to ferme your limitors, geuing therfore eche yeare a certaine rente, and will not suffer one in an others limitacion, ryght as ye were your selfes Lordes of countreis.MarginaliaFriers not the kinges liege men.Why be ye not vnder your bishops visitations, and liege men to our Kyng.

MarginaliaFriers nede no mens prayers.Why are ye no letters of brether hedes of other mēs prayers, as ye desire that other men shulde aske letters of you?

If your letters be good, why graunt ye them not generally to all maner men for the more charite?

12 Mow ye make any man more perfite brother for your prayers then God hath by our beleue? MarginaliaFriers greater & better then God.by our baptime and his owne graunt? if ye mowe, certes then ye be aboue God.

Why make ye men beleue that your golden trentall song of you to take therfore. x. shillynges, or at the least, v. shyllinges: wole bryng soules out of hel or out of purgatorye? MarginaliaO vncharitable Friersif this be soth, certes ye myght bring all soules out of payne, and that wolle ye nought, and then ye be out of charite.

13 Why make ye men beleue, that he that is bured in your abyte shall neuer come in hell and ye wyte not of your selfe whether ye shall to hell or no: and if this were soth, ye shulde sell your hye howses to make many abytys, for to saue many mens soules.

14 Why stele ye mens children for to make hem of your secte? MarginaliaFriers stealers of mēs children.sith the theft is agaynst Gods heste, and sith your sect is not perfite: ye know not wether the rule that ye binde him to, be best for him or worst.

15 Why vnderneme ye not your brethren for their trespas after the law of the Gospel: sith that vndernemynge is the best that may be. But ye put them in prison ofte whē they do after Gods law, and by saint Austeins rule: if any did amys and wolde not amende hym, ye shulde put him from you.

16 Why couete ye shryft and buryenge of other mens perishens, and none other sacramēt that fallyth to Christen folke.MarginaliaShrifte, and burialls were more gaynefull thē the ministring of the sacramentes.

Why bussy ye not to here shryfte of poore folke as welle as of ryche Lordes and Ladyes? sith they mowe haue more plenty of shryft fathers thē poore folke mow.

Why say ye not the Gospell in howses of bededred men? as ye do in riche mens that mow go to church and here the Gospell.

Why coueyte you not to burye poore folke among you? MarginaliaPoore men haue no soules saith my fellowe frier.sith that they ben moste holy (as ye fayne þ^t ye ben) for your pouerty.

17 Why wyll ye not be at her diriges as ye bene at rich mens? sith God prayseth hē more then he doth other mē.

What is thy prayer worth? sith thow wilte take therfore: for of all chapmen ye nede to be most wise for drede of symonye.

What cause hast thou that thou wilte not preach the Gospell, as God sayeth that thou shuldest? MarginaliaThese be they that will not enter them selues nor suffer other men that would.sith it is the best lore and also our beleue.

Why be ye euill a payed that seculer priestes shulde preach the Gospell? sith God him selfe hath boden hem.

18 Why hate ye the Gospel to be preached, sith ye be so miche holde therto: MarginaliaThe frier getteth by Inprincipiofor ye winne more by yeare with In principio, then withall the rules that euer your patrons