cupie their wits truely and effectuously in þ^e ryght fayth of holy church. MarginaliaShrewesbery, except thou turne from thy wicked waies, thou canst not receyue the truth.Wherfore all these, nor none that folow their maners, shall any time come verely in the fayth of holy church, except they enforce thē more truely to come in the way which now they despyse. For these men and women that are nowe called faythfull and holden iuste, nother know, nor wil exercise them self to know (of faithfulnes) one commaundement of God. And thus full many men and women nowe, and specially men that are named to be principal limmes of holy church, stirre God to great wrath, and deserue hys curse for that they call or holde them iuste men, which are full vniuste, as their vicious wordes, their great customable swearing, and their slaunderous and shamefull workes shewe openlye and witnes. And therfore, such vicious men and vniuste in their own confusion, call them vniust men & women, which after their power and cunning busie them self to liue iustly after the cōmaundement of God. And where sir ye say, that I haue distroubled the comminaltie of Shrewsbury, and many other mē and women with my teaching: MarginaliaIerusalem troubled by the preachyng of Christ.If it thus be, it is not to be wondred of wyse men, since all the comminaltie of the citie of Ierusalem was distroubled of Christes own person, that was very God and mā, and most prudent preacher that euer was or shall be. And also, all the Sinagoge of Nazareth was moued against Christ, and so fulfilled with ire towards him for his preaching, that the mē of the Sinagoge rose vp and caste Christ out of their citie, and led hym vp to the top of a mountaine for to cast him downe therehedling. Also accordingly hereto, the Lord witnesseth by Moses, that he shall put dissention betwixt hys people, and the people that contraryeth & pursueth his people. Who sir is he, that shal preach the truth of Gods worde to the vnfaythfull people, and shall let þ^e sothfastnes of the gospell, and the prophecie of god almightie, to be fulfilled?

And the Archbishop sayd to me. It followeth of these thy wordes, that thou and such other thinkest: that ye do ryght well for to preach and teach as ye do, without authoritie of any byshop. For ye presume, that the Lorde hath chosen you only for to preach, as faythful disciples and speciall followers of Christ.

MarginaliaThe worde of God ought truely to bee preached.And I sayd, Sir by authoritie of Gods law and also of saintes and doctors I am learned to deme, that it is euery priestes office and dutie for to preach busily, freely, and truely the word of God. For no doubt, euery priest should purpose first in hys soule, and couet to take the order of priesthode chiefly for to make knowē to the people the word of God, after his cōning and power: A prouing hys words euer to be true by hys vertuous works, and for thys entent we suppose that byshops and other prelates of holy church, should chiefly take and vse their prelacie, and for the same cause, byshops should geue to priests their orders. For byshops should accept no man to priesthoode, except that he had good wil and full purpose, and were well disposed, and well learned to preach. MarginaliaIf this lessō had been wel followed, the world had not been brought into suche darknes, by blynde and dumme priestes.Wherfore sir, by the bidding of Christ, and by example of his most holy liuing, and also by the witnessing of his holy Apostles and Prophets: we are bounde vnder full great payn, to exercise vs after our conning and power (as euery priest is likewyse charged of God) to fulfill duely the office of priesthoode. We presume not here of our selues for to be estemed (nother in our owne reputation nor in none other mans) faythefull disciples, and special followers of Christ. But sir, as I sayd to you before, we deme thys by authoritie chiefly of Gods worde, that it is the chiefe duetie of euery priest, to busie them faythfully to make the lawe of God knowen to his people, and so to comune the commaundement of God charitably, how that we may best, where, whan, & to whom that euer we may, is our very dutie. And for the wil and busines that we owe of due debt to doe iustlye our office thorowe the stirring and speciall helpe (as we trust) ofGod, hoping stedfastly in hys mercy: MarginaliaAn effecteous prayer, god graunt in all ministers.we desire to be the faythfull disciples of Christ, and we pray thys gracious Lord for hys holy name, þ^t he make vs able so to please him with deuoute prayers, & charitable priestly works, that we may obtaine of hym to follow hym thankfully.

And the Archbishop sayd to me: Leud losell, wherto makest thou such vayne reasons to me? Asketh not S. Paule, how should priestes preach, except they be sent? MarginaliaWhy he preached without the bishops licence.But I sent thee neuer to preach. For thy venemous doctrine is so known thorow out England, that no bishop will admit thee to preach by witnessing of their letters. Why then lewd Idiot, willest thou presume to preache, since thou art not sent nor licensed of thy soueraigne to preach. Sayth not S. Paul, that subiectes ought to obey their soueraignes, and not only good and vertuous: but also tirauntes that are vicious?

MarginaliaHe answereth to the question concerning the letter of licenceAnd I said to the Archbishop. Sir, as touching your letter of licence or other byshops, which ye say we shuld haue to witnes þ^t we were able to be sent for to preach? We know wel that nother you sir, nor any other bishop of this land, wil graunt to vs any such letters of licence, but yf we should oblige vs to you, & to other byshops by vnlefull othes, for to passe not the bondes and termes which ye sir or other byshops will limit to vs. And since in thys matter your termes be some to large, and some to straite: we dare not oblige vs thus to bee bounden to you for to kepe the termes, whiche you will limit to vs, as you do to Friers, and such other preachers. MarginaliaThe inconueniences of seking of the bishops letters or licēceAnd therfore, though we haue not your letter sir, nor letters of other byshoppes written with inke vppon parchment: we dare not therfore leaue the office of preaching (to whiche preaching, all priestes after their conning and power are bound, by diuers testimonies of Gods lawe, and great doctors) without any mention making of byshops letters. For as mekell as we haue taken vpon vs the office of priesthoode (though we are vnworthye therto) we come and purpose to fulfill it with the helpe of God, by authoritye of his owne lawe, and by witnesse of greate doctours and saintes, accordinglye here to trustyng stedfastly in the mercy of God. MarginaliaThe witnes of the preachers, is the good life of the followers.For that he commaundeth vs to do the office of priesthode, he wil be our sufficient letters and witnes, if we by example of his holy lyuing and teachyng, specially occupy vs faithfully to do our office iustly: ye the people to whom we preache (be they faythful or vnfaithfull) shall be our letters, that is our witnes bearers: for the truthe where it is sowen, may not be vnwitnessed. For all that are conuerted and saued by learning of Gods word, and by working there after: are witnes bearers: that the truth and sothfastnes whiche they hard and did after, is cause of their saluation. And agayne, all vnfaithfull men and women whiche herd the truth told out to them, and would not do there after: also all they that might haue hard the truth, and would not heare it, because that they would not do there after: All these shal beare witnes against thē selues, and the truth whiche they would not heare, or els hard it and despised to do there after, thorow their vnfaithfulnesse, is & shal be cause of their dampnacion. Therfore Syr, since this aforesayd witnessyng of God, and of diuers saintes and doctours, and of all the people good and euill, sufficeth to all true preachers: we thincke that we do not the office of priesthode, if that we leaue our preachyng, because that we haue not, or may not haue duely Byshops letters, to witnesse that wee are sent of them to preache. This sentence approueth S. Paul, where he speaketh of him selfe, and of faythfull Apostles and disciples saying thus. We nede no letters of cōmendation as some preachers do, whiche preache for couetousnesse of temporall goodes, and for mens praysing. And where ye say Syr, that Paul biddeth subiectes obey their soueraignes, this is soth, and may not be denyed. MarginaliaTwo maner of soueraignes.But there is ij. maner of soueraignes, vertuous soueraignes & vicious tyrantes.