they were both able and ready to bye it vp. So that euery couent hauyng a great librarie full stuffed and furnished with all sortes of bookes, & beyng so many couents within the realme, and in euery couent so many fryers increasing dayly more & more: by reason, MarginaliaBookes not to be gotten for the fryers.therof it came to passe, that very few bookes or none at all remaine for other studentes. Whiche by his owne experience he thus testifieth, saying: MarginaliaExample what lacke of bokes commeth by the fryersthat he hym selfe sent forth to the vniuersitie foure of his owne priestes or chappelens, who sēdyng hym word agayn that they could neyther finde the Bible, nor any other good profitable booke of diuinitie meete for their studye, therfore were minded to returne home to their coūtry: and one of them, he was sure, was returned by this tyme agayne.

Furthermore as he hath proued hetherto, the Friers to be hurtfull both to the laity, and to the clergy: so procedyng farther, he proueth thē to be hurtfull also to them selues. MarginaliaThe fryers giltie in 3 faultes
1. Disobedience
2. Auarice.
3. Pryde.And that in 3. pointes, as incurring the vice of disobedience agaynst God, agaynst their owne rule: The vice of auarice: And the vice of pride. The probation of all whiche poyntes, he prosecuted in a long discourse.

MarginaliaArmachanus chargeth the Fryers with disobedience.First (sayth he) they are disobediēt to the law of God: Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours house, Oxe, nor Asse, nor any thing that is his. In that they procure the popes letters to preach in churches, and to take burials from churches, wyth licence annexed withall to receaue the auayles which rise of the same, whych properlye belongeth to the ryght of parish priestes.

Item, they are disobedient to thys rule of the gospell: So do to other, as thou would haue done to thee.

Item, they bee disobedient agaynst their owne rule, which beyng founded vpon straight pouertie and beggery, thys lisence obtained for them to require necessarie for their labour, of the people, is repugning agaynst the same foundation.

MarginaliaFriers disobedient to the rule of Scripture.Item, they be disobedient to the rule of the scripture, which saith: let no man take honour vnto him, except he be called, as Aaron. Also sayth S. Paule, how shall they preache, vnlesse they be sent? And how obserue they thys rule of obedience, who professing to keepe the perfectiō of the Gospell, yet contrarye to the Gospell, procure to themselues priuiledgies to run before they be sent?

Item, to their own rule they are disobediēt: For wher their chapter sayth, that if any will take vpon them this order, and wyll come to our brethren: let our brethren fyrst send them to the prouincials to be examined of the catholike fayth and sacramentes of the church. &c. Contrary wherunto the Friers haue procured a priuiledge, that not onely the prouincials, but other inferiours also may take vnto them indifferently, whom they can catch: so far without all examination, that almost at thys daye there is no notable house of Friars, wherein is not eyther a whole. or halfe a couent of lads and boyes vnder ten yeare olde, beyng circumuented, which neyther can skyll of the Crede nor Sacramentes.

MarginaliaFriers disobedient to their own professiō.Agayne, the rule of Francise sayth: that his brethren Obseruantes, must obserue not to preache in the diocesse of any bishop, wythout the consent of the Bishop. And moreouer the sayd Francise in hys testament sayth: that if he had as muche wysdome as Salomon, and founde poore secular priestes in the parishes where they dwel: yet he would not presume to preach wythout theyr wyl, and also would feare, loue, and honour them, & all other as his maisters, and so they be. Hæcille Agaynst whych rule, how the Friars do disobey, how litle they reuerēce bishops or secular priestes: what priuilegies, exemptions, and immunities they procure agaynste them, the world may see and iudge.

Item, when none maye be admitted to preache, or to heare confessions, vnles they be entred into orders: and seyng by the common law of the churche, none must be admitted into holy orders, except he haue sufficient title of liuing and clothyng: The friars therefore hauyng no such title (being wylfull beggers) do disobey in both respectes, that is, both in entryng into such orders wythout conuenient title, and in exercisyng the office of preaching without such lawful orders.

Moreouer, the foresayd Francise in his testament commaundeth thus: I commaund (sayth he) firmly by vertue of obedience, to all and syngular my brethren whersoeuer they be: that none of them presume to obtayne in the court of Rome any letter or wryting, eyther by hym selfe or by any other meanes, neyther for the churche norfor any other place, nor vnder any coulour of preaching, nor yet for the persecuting of their own bodies. &c. Agaynst which testament of Francise, the Franciscans in procuring their priuiledgies from the bishop of Rome, haue incurred manifest disobedience, as all the worlde may see. Neyther wyll thys obiection serue them, because the Pope hath dispensed with Francise rule. For if the testament of Francise as he saith came from God, (and so should God haue three testamentes) howe then can the Pope repente hys precept, or dispense with hys rule, when by the rule of the lawe, Par in parem non habet imperium.

MarginaliaArmachanus chargeth the friers Wyth auarice.Secondly, concerning the vice of auarice, manifestly it may be proued vpō thē (sayth Armachanus) for els, seing so many charges belong to the office of a secular parishe prieste, as to minister the sacrament at Easter, to visyte the sycke with extreme vnction, to baptise chyldren, to wed, with such other wherin standeth as great deuotiō: how thē happeneth that these Friars making no labour for these, onelye procure to themselues priuiledgies to preach in churches, to heare confessions, and to receaue lisence to bury from parish churches: but because ther is lucre & gain in these to be loked for, in the other is none.

MarginaliaAn other proofe.Which also may appeare by this: for otherwise if it wer for mere deuotion onely, that they procure lisence to bury from parish churches, and to preache: why then haue they procured withall, lisence to take offeringes and oblations and legacies for their funerals. And for their preaching, why haue they annexed also lisence to require and take of the people necessaries for theyr labour, but that onely auarice is the cause thereof.

MarginaliaAn other proofe.Lykewyse, for hearing of confessions: when all good men haue ynough to know theyr owne faultes, and nothing lyst to heare the faultes of other: It is probably to be supposed by this their priuiledge of hearing all mens confessions, that they would neuer haue bene so desirous of procuring that priuilege, were it not that these friers did fele some swetenes & gayn to hang vpon the same.

MarginaliaAn other proofe.Item, where the rule of friar Francis forbiddeth them to companye with anye women, to enter into monasteries, to bee Godfathers and Gossyps to men and women: how cōmeth it, that they contrary to their rule, enter into the secret chambers of Queenes and other wemen, and made to knowe the most secrete counsayles of theyr doinges, but that auarice and commoditie haue so blynded theyr eyes, and styrred theyr hartes.

MarginaliaArmachanus chargeth the friers with pryde.Thirdly, that the friers fall into the vice of pride and ambition, the sayd Armachanus proued thus.

To seeke or to procure any high place in the church, is a poynt of pride and ambition. Chrisost. in opere perfecto: Nunquam sine ambitione desideratur primatus in ecclesia.

The friars seke & procure a high place in the church.

Ergo the Friers be proud and ambitious.

The Minor he proueth: To haue the state of prechyng and hearing confessions, is in the church a state of honor.

The friers seeke and haue procured the state of preaching and hearing confessions.

Ergo the friers seeke and procure an high place in the church. &c.

MarginaliaThe iii. conclusion or article.His thyrd cōclusion was, that the Lord Christ in his humane conuersation was alwayes poore, not for that he loued or desired pouertie for it self. &c. Wherin this is to be noted, that Armachanus differed not from the Friers in this that Christ was poore, & that he loueth pouertie: but herein stoode the difference, in maner of louyng, þ^t is whether he loued pouertie for it selfe, or not. Wherin the foresayd Armachanus vsed iiij. probations.

First, forso much as to be poore, is nothyng els but to be miserable: and seyng no man coueteth to be in miserie for it selfe: Therfore he concluded, that Christ desired not pouertie for it selfe.

His seconde reason was deriued out of Aristotle.MarginaliaArist. Ethic. lib. 1. Nothyng (sayth he) is to bee loued for it selfe, but that from which (all commodities beyng secluded, whiche folowe therupon) is voluntarely sought and desyred. But take from pouertie all respecte of commodities folowyng the same, it would bee sought neyther of God nor man. Ergo he concluded, Christ loued not pouertie for it selfe.

Third, Again: No effect of sinne, sayd he, is to be loued for it selfe. But pouertie is the effect of sinne. Ergo pouertie was not loued of Christ for it selfe.

Fourth, Item, no priuation of the thyng that is good, is to be loued for it selfe. Pouertie is the priuation of the thyng that is good, that is of ryches (for God hym selfe