MarginaliaAgainst Simony.bayly, that is a prelat other a Curat of mens soules, is this: How hast thou entred? Math. xxii. Friend, how entredst thou hether? Who brought thee in to thys office? Truth or Symony? God or þ^e Deuell? Grace or mony? The flesh or the spirit? Geue thou they reconing if þ^u canst. If thou canst not, I rede þ^t thou tary for to learn. For vp hap ere night thou shalt be cleped. And if than thou stande dombe for vnkunning, or els for confusion of thy conscience: thou fall into the sentence that anon followeth: Binde hys handes and hys feete, and cast hym in to the vtter warde of darknes, there shal be weeping and grenning of teethe. Therefore I rede thee, that thou aduise thee how thou shall answer to this question. How hast thou entred? whether by cleepyng, or by thyne own procuring: for that þ^u wouldest trauayle in Gods gospel, other for thou wouldest be richly arayed? Answer now to thy selfe as thou shalt answer to God, thou that hast take nowe the order of prieste, whether thou be curate or none: MarginaliaQuestio.who styrred thee to take vpon thee so hyghe an estate? MarginaliaSolutio.Whether for thou wouldest lyue as a priest ought to do studying of Gods law to preach, and most hartely to pray for þ^e people: or for to lyue a delicious lyfe, vpon other mens trauayle and thy selfe trauayle nought. MarginaliaQuestio.Why also setten men their sonnes either their cousyns to schole? MarginaliaSolutio.Wherto but for to get them great aduancementes, or to make them the better to knowe howe they shoulden serue God? Thys men may see openly, by the science that they set them to. Why I pray you, put men their sonnes to the law ciuyll, or to the kynges court to write letters and writs: than to philosophye or Diuinitie, but for the hope that these occupations shoulde be euer meens, to make them great in the world. I hope that ther wil no man say, that they ne shoulde better learne the rule of good liuyng in the booke of gods law, than in any bokes of mans worldly wisedom? MarginaliaIohannes Chrisostomus Homelia. xxvii.But certes now it is sothe, that Iohn Chrisostome sayth. Mothers be louyng the bodies of their children, but þ^e soule they despise, they desire them to wel fare in thys worlde, but they take none hede what they shal suffer in the tother: Some ordeinen fees for their children, but none ordeyne them to godwarde: The lust of their bodies they wol deere by, but the hele of their soule the reke nought of. If they see them poore or sicke, they sorrow & sigheth, but though they see them sinne, they sorrowe not. And in thys they shewe that they brought forth the bodies but not the soules. MarginaliaNote.And if we take heede truly, what abhominations be scattered and spread abrode in holy church now adayes among priestes: we shul well wit, that they come not all to the folde of Christ by Christes clepping for to profite: but by other wayes to gette them wordlye welth, and this is the cause of lesyng of soule, that Christ boughte so dear, and of many errours among the people: and therefore, it is iwritte in the booke of mourning, where the prophet speaketh this to God. Tre. 1. MarginaliaThe rashe making of ministers.The enemy hath put his hand to all thinges desyrable to him: for he hath let lawles folke enter into the sanctuary, of the which thou hadst commaunded, that they should not enter in to the church: This enemy is Sathanas, as his name sowneth, that hath put hys hande to all that him liketh. What sinne I pray you wull the fiend haue sow on mē, that nis now yvsed? In what plenty is now pride, enuy, wrath and couetise? Whan weere they so great as they be now, and so of all other sinnes. And why trowest thou? But for there bee lawles people entred into thy sanctuary, that neither kepe in themself the law of God, ne konne teachē other: And to euery such, saith God by the prophet, Ose 4. For that thou hast put away cunning: I shal put thee away that thou shal vse no priesthoode to me. MarginaliaOse. 4.Lo that god expresly here in holy writte, forbiddeth men to take the state of priesthoode on them, but they haue cunnyng, that needeth them. Thou than that canst neither rule thy selfe ne other, after the lawe of God, beware howe thou wilt answer to God, at hys dreadfull dome, when he shall saye to thee, that which I tooke to my theme.

Yelde the reckening of thy bailye, how thou hast entred.

The second question, that euery curate and prelate shall aunswer to, is this. How hast thou ruled? That is to say, the soules of thy suggets, and the goods of poore mē: Geue now thine acounte. Fyrst, how thou hast gouerned gods folke that were take thee to keepe: Whether art þ^u an herde or an hyredman? that doost all for loue of bodelych hyre? As a father, or as a Wolf, þ^t eaten his shepe and kepeth them nought? Say whō thou hast turned from his cursed liuyng, by thy deuout preaching, Whō hast þ^u taught the law of God that was erst vncūning: Ther shal ben heard a greuous accusing of fatherles children, and a hard aledging, that priests haue liueden by their wages, and not done away their sins. Yelde also rekoning how thou hast ruled and spended the goodes of poore men. MarginaliaBernardus.Hark what s. Bernard saith. Dreadeth clarkes, dreadeth the ministers of the church, the which ben in the place of saintes, that they do so wickedlye, nought holdyng them apayde with suche wages that were sufficient to them? That ouerplus that nedy men shuld be sustayned by, they be not ashamed to wast in the house of their pryde & lecherye, & w^tholdē to thēself wickedly & cursedly þ^t which should be the lyfeloode of pore men. With double wickednes truly thei sinne. Fyrst, for they reeuen other mens goods, & saith they misuse holy things in their vanities & in their filthes. Euery such Bailye therefore beware, for anone, to the last farthyng he shall recken with Christ. Trowest thou not thē, that thou ne shalt be disalowed of god of þ^t thou hast mispended in fedyng of fat Palfreyes, of hoūds, of Haukes, and if it so be that is worst of al, on lecherous women. Heare what is sayd of such. They hath led their dayes in wealth. And in a poynt they beene gone downe into hell: Thinke therfore I rede thee, that thou shalt yelde reckenyng of thy bayly.

The third question that this baily shall answer to, is this: How hast thou lyued? What lyght of holynes hast thou shewed in thy liuing to the people, or what mirrour hast thou ben of holynesse to them? Geue now thy reconing, how thou hast liued, as a priest, or as a leude man, as a man or as a beast. That is to wonder trulye howe the lyfe of priestes is chaunged. They bee clothen as knyghtes, they speaken as vnhonestlye as carels, other of wyn-nyng as Marchauntes: They riden as princes, and al that is thus spended, is of the goodes of poore men, and of Christes heritage. Therfore saith an holy doctor: The claye of Egipt was tough and stinking, and medled with bloud. The slates were harde to be vndoe, for they were baked with fire of couetise, and with the lyghte of lustes. In this trauayleth riche men, in this they wake, a wayting poore men. In these trauayleth preistes, that been to muche blent with to much shinyng of riches, that make them houses like churches in greatnes, that with dyuers paintries, colorē their chābers, that with diuers clothings of colours, make images gay: but the poore man for default of clothes beggeth, and with an empty wōd cryeth at their doore: And if I shal þ^e sothe say, saith thys doctor, ofte tyme poore men be robbed for to cloth þ^e trees & stones. Of such speaketh the prophet. MarginaliaEsa 22 quis tu hic aut quasi quid hic.How art þ^u here? or as who art þ^u? Here thou art occupying the place of Peter or of Poule, or of Thomas or of Martine: But how, as Iudas among the Apostles, as Symon Magus among the disciples, as a candell newe queinte that stincheth all the house in stede of a light lanterne, and as a smoke that blindeth mens eyen, in place of cleane fyre. If thou contrarye thus the forme of liuyng that Christ & his disciples left to priests: To what saith the prophet Ieremye. MarginaliaIere. 31.They haue entred, and they haue had and nought ben obedient. They hauē with false tytle or with their false and corrupte intention, had poore mens goodes to their misusing, and they haue not bee obedient to the lawe of God in their owen liuing. Therefore it is writ, MarginaliaSap. 6.that the hardest dome shall fall on such. An hard dome, for they haue mysentred. An hard dome, for they haue misruled. And the hardest dome for they haue so cursedly lyued. Thinke therfore I rede, how thou wylte gyue reckning of thy Baily.

MarginaliaKings, Princes and magistrates admonished.The second Bayliff, that accounteth at this dome for himself and also for other, is he: that keping hath of any communite, as kings, princes, Maiers, and Shireues, and iustices. And these shull also answer to the same three questions. MarginaliaHow thou hast entred.The first question, how hast þ^u hentred, that is to say, into thine office: Other for help of the people to destroy falshed and forthren treuth? other for desire of winning or worldly worship? If thou take such an office, more for thine own worldly profite, than for helpe of the comunite, thou art a tirant as þ^e philosopher seith. For it is to fear least there ben to many þ^t desirē such states, that they ne may the rather oppresse thilke that they hateth, and take giftes to spare to punishe thilke, that hauen trespassed, and so maketh them parteners of their sinnes. And many such, whē they ben so high, they think nought that they beeth poore mens brethren: but they wene to passe them in kind, as they passeth in worldly worship, that is but winde: of wich God saith by þ^e prophet, they hauen raigned, but nought of me, they haue bene princes but I know nought. So we reade of Roboham, MarginaliaOse. 8. 2. Para. 10that was the son of king Salomon, what tyme he was fyrst king, the people of Israell comen to hym, and sayd: Thy father in hys last dayes, put on vs great charge. We pray thee some deale make it lighter, and we wyllen serue thee. And the king tooke counsayle of the olde wise men, and they counsailden to answer them fayre, and that shoulde be for the best. But he left these old wyse mennys counsayle, and dyd after the counsayle of chyldren that were his playferen, and sayd to the people, when they came agayn: My left finger, is greater then my fathers riegge: My father greeued you somwhat, but I wil echen more therto. And the people heard this, and rebeleden to hym, and tooke them another king: and sithe, the kingdom came neuer whole agayne. And therefore it is good, that euerye ruler of cominalties, that they be not lad by follyes, ne by none other eare rowner þ^t he ne haue an eygh of loue to the comontie that he hath to rule. For wete ye wel, be he neuer so high, that he shal come afore hys hygher, to yelde reconing of hys bayly.

MarginaliaHow hast thou ruled.The second question is: How hast thou ruled the people, and the office that thou haddest to gouerne? Thou that hast bene a Iudge in causes of poore mē, how hast thou kept this hest of God? Thou shalt not take heede to the person of a poore man, to bee to hym the harder for hys pouerty, ne þ^u shalt not behold a rich mans semblāce to spare or to fauour hym in hys wrong for hys riches. MarginaliaDeut. 9.O Lorde, what abusion is there among officers of both lawes, now adayes? If a great man pleadeth with a poore man, to haue ought that hee holdeth, euery officer shall be ready to hye all that he may, that the rich man might haue such an end as he desired. But if a poore man pleade with a ritch man, than there shall be so manye delayes, that though the poore mans right be open to all the comontye, for pure faute of spending, he shall be glad to cease. MarginaliaPro. 13.Shriues and bayliffes wyllen retourne poore mens writs with tarde venit, but gif they feelen meede in their handes. And yet I heare saye, men that hauen seyen both lawes, that ilke court that is cleeped Christes court, is much more cursed. Therefore it is wryt: gifts they taken out of mens bosoms, to ouerturne the right way of dome. MarginaliaMath. 7.But it is to dread the word of Christ: In what dome ye deeme, ye should be demed when ye comen to yelde a reconing of your bayly.

MarginaliaHow hast thou liued.The third question is: Howe hast thou lyued, thou that demest and punishest other men for their trespas. A great doctor saith: thee behoueth to flee the wyckednes of other men, that thou chasticest them for their trespas. For if thy self do vnlawfullych in deemyng other men, thou damnest thy selfe, sythe thou doest that thou damnest. And Poul saith: why teachest thou nought thy self, that thou teachest other? Why stealest thou, that techest nought other mē to steale? MarginaliaRom. 5.Saint Gregory saith: He shal not take gouernaile of other, that cannot go before them in good lyuing. And when anye man stand before hym in dome, he must take heede to fore what Iudge he shall stand hym selfe, to take hys dome after hys deedes. MarginaliaSusan.But it is to dread, that many fareth as the twe false priests that woulden haue damned to death holy Susan, for she would not assēt to their lechery. Of the whych it is wryt: they turned away their eyen, for they would not see heauen, ne haue mynde of rightfull domes. MarginaliaSocrates.So it happeth ofte, they that were more worthe to bee hanged, damneth them that be lesse woorthye, as a clarcke telleth of Socrates