So do to other, as thou would haue done to thee.

Itō, they be disobedient agaynst their owne rule, which beyng founded vpon straight pouerty and beggery, this licēce obtained for them to require necessary for their labours of the people, is repugnyng agaynst the same foundation.

MarginaliaFriers disobedient to the rule of Scripture. Item, they be disobedient to the rule of the Scripture, which sayth: let no man take honour vnto hym, except he be called, as Aarō. Also sayth S. Paul, how shall they preach, vnlesse they be sent? And how obserue they this rule of obedience, who professyng to keepe the perfection of the Gospell, yet contrary to the Gospell, procure to themselues priuiledgies to runne before they be sent?

Item, to their own rule they are disobediēt: For where their chapter sayth, that if any will take vpon them this order, and will come to our brethrē: let our brethren first send them to the prouincials to be examined of the Catholicke fayth and Sacramentes of the Church. &c. Cōtrary 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 farre without all examination, that almost at this day there is no notable house of friers, wherein is not either a whole, or halfe a couent of lads and boyes vnder x. yeare olde, beyng circūuented, which neither can skill of the Crede nor Sacramentes.

MarginaliaFriers disobedient to their own profession. Agayne, the rule of Frauncise sayth: that his brethren Obseruantes, must obserue not to preach in the Dioces of any byshop, without the consent of the Byshop. And moreouer the sayd Frauncise in his testament sayth: that if he had as much wisedome as Salomon, and founde poore secular priests in the parishes where they dwel: yet he would not presume to preach without their will, and also would feare, loue, & honour them, & all other as his maisters, & so they be. Hæc ille. Agaynst which rule, how the friers do disobey, how litle they reuerence Byshops or secular Priestes: what priuilegies, exemptions, and immunities they procure agaynst them, the world may see and iudge.

Item, when none may be admitted to preach, or to heare confessions, vnles they be entred into orders: and seyng by the common law of the Church, none must be admitted into holy orders, except he haue sufficient title of lyuing and clothyng: The friers therfore hauyng no such title (beyng wilfull beggers) do disobey in both respectes, that is, both in entryng into such orders without conuenient title, and in exercising the office of preachyng without such lawfull orders.

Moreouer, the foresayd Frauncise in his testament cōmaundeth thus: I commaund (sayth he) firmely by vertue of obedience, to all and singular my brethren wheresoeuer they be: that none of them presume to obtayne in the Court of Rome any letter or writyng, either by hymselfe or by any other meanes, neither for the Church nor for any other place, nor vnder any coulour of preachyng, nor yet for the persecuting of their owne bodyes. &c. Agaynst which testament of Francise, the Franciscans in procuryng their priuiledgies from the Byshop of Rome, haue incurred manifest disobedience, as all the worlde may see. Neither will this obiection serue them, because the Pope hath dispensed with Francise rule. For if the testament of Francise as he sayth came from GOD, (and so should God haue three testamentes) how then can the Pope repeale his precept, or dispense with his rule, when by the rule of the law, Par in parem non habet imperium.

MarginaliaArmachanus chargeth the friers with auarice. Secondly, concernyng the vice of auarice, manifestly it may be proued vpon them (sayth Armachanus) for els, seyng so many charges belong to the office of a secular parishe priest, as to minister the Sacrament at Easter, to visite the sicke with extreme vnction, to baptise children, to wed, with such other wherein standeth as great deuotion: how then happeneth that these friers making no labour for these, onely procure to themselues priuiledgies to preach in churches, to heare confessions, and to receaue licence to bury from parish churches: but because there is lucre and gayne in these to be looked for, in the other is none.

MarginaliaAn other proofe. Which also may appeare by this: for otherwise if it were for mere deuotion onely, that they procure licence to bury from parish churches, and to preach: why then haue they procured with all, licence to take offerynges, oblations and legacies for their funerals. And for their preachyng, why haue they annexed also liscēce to require and take of the people necessaries for their labour, but that onely auarice is the cause thereof.

MarginaliaAn other proofe. Likewise, for hearyng of confessiōs: when all good men haue inough to know their owne faultes, and nothyng lyst to heare the faultes of other: It is probably to be supposed by this their priuilege of hearing all mens confessions, that they would neuer haue bene so desirous of procuryng that priuilege, were it not that these friers dyd feele some swetenes and gayne to hang vpon the same.

MarginaliaAn other proofe. Item, where the rule of frier Francise forbiddeth them to company with any women, to enter into Monasteries, to be Godfathers and Gossyps to men and women: how commeth it, that they contrary to their rule, enter into the secret chambers of Queenes and other wemen, and made to know the most secret counsayles of their doynges, but that auarice and commoditie haue so blynded their eyes, and styrred their hartes.

MarginaliaArmachanus chargeth the friers wyth pride. Thyrdly, that the friers fall into the vice of pride & ambition, the sayd Armachanus proued thus.

To seeke or to procure any hygh place in the Church, is a poynt of pride & ambition. Chrisost. in opere perfecto: Nūquam sine ambitione desideratur primatus in Ecclesia.

The friers seeke and procure a high place in the church.

Ergo, the friers be proud and ambitious.

The Minor he proueth: To haue the state of preaching and hearyng confessions, is in the church a state of honour.

The friers seeke and haue procured the state of preachyng and hearyng confessions.

Ergo, the friers seeke and procure an hygh place in the Church. &c.

MarginaliaThe 3. conclusion or article. His thyrd conclusion was, that the Lord Christ in his humane conuersation was alwayes poore, not for that he loued or desired pouerty for it selfe. &c. Wherin this is to be noted, that Armachanus differed not from the friers in this that Christ was poore, and that he loued pouertye: but here in stode the difference, in maner of louyng, that is whether he loued pouerty for it selfe, or not. Wherin the foresayd Armachanus vsed foure probations.

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

His second reason was deriued out of Aristotle. MarginaliaArist. Ethic. lib. 1. Nothyng (sayth he) is to be loued for it selfe, but that frō which (all commodities beyng secluded, which folow therupon) is voluntarely sought and desired. But take from pouerty all respect of cōmodities folowing the same, it would be sought neither of God nor man. Ergo, he cōcluded, Christ loued not pouerty for it selfe.

Thyrdly, agayne: No effect of sinne, said he, is to be loued for it selfe. But pouerty is the effect of sinne. Ergo, pouerty 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. Pouerty is the priuation of the thyng that is good, that is of riches (for God hymselfe is principally rich:) Ergo, pouerty for it selfe was not loued of Christ.

MarginaliaThe 4 conclusion of Armachanus agaynst the Friers. The fourth conclusion was, that Christ our Lord and Sauiour did neuer begge wilfully. Which he proued by sondry reasons.

1. First, for that Christ in so doyng should breake the law, which sayth: Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house, his wife, his seruaūt, his maid, his oxe, his asse, or any thing that is his. Exod. 20. In the daunger of which cōmaundement, he that beggeth voluntarely muste needes incurre.

2. Item, if Christ had begged voluntarely, he should haue committed agaynst an other commaūdement, which sayth. There shalbe no begger, nor needy person among you. &c. Deut. vj.

3. Item, Christ in so doyng should haue transgressed the Emperours law, vnder which he would hymselfe be subiect (as appeareth by geuyng, & bydding tribute to be geuē to Cesar) for asmuch as the same Emperours law sayth. There shall no valiaunt begger be suffered in the Citie.

4. Item, if Christ had bene a wilful beggar, he had broke the law of louyng his neighbour: whō he had vexed, hauyng no neede. For who so without neede asketh or craueth of his neighbour, doth but vexe hym, in such sorte as he would not be vexed hymselfe. Which Christ would neuer do.

5. Item, if Christ had begged wilfully, he had moued slaūder therby to hys owne Gospell, which he with miracles dyd confirme. For then they that saw his miracle in feedyng 5000. in wildernes, would haue thought much with thēselues how that miracle had bene wrought, if he in feedyng other, either could not, or would not feede hymselfe.

6. Item, if Christ had begged wilfully, then he had done that which hymselfe condemneth by Paule: for so we read. 1. Timo. 6. That Paule condemneth them, which esteme pietie to be gayne and lucre. Which all they do that vnder the coulour of pietie, hunte or seeke for gayne, when otherwise they neede not.