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

7. Item, if Christ had begged wilfully, he had offended in declaring an vntruth, in so doing. For he that knoweth in his mind, that he needeth not in deed that thing whych in word he asketh of other: Declareth in himselfe an vntruth as who in word pretendeth to be otherwise then he is in very deede, which Christ without doubt neuer did nor would euer do.

8. Item, if Christ had begged wilfully, that is hauing no true need thereunto: then had he appeared either to be an hipocrite, seeming to be that he was not, and to lacke whē he did not: or els to be a true begger in very deed, not able to suffice his necessity. For he is a true begger in deed, whiche being constrayned by mere necessity, is forced to aske of other that which he is not able to geue to himself. But neither of these two agreeth in Christ.

MarginaliaEx vita S. Clementis. 9. Item, if Christ had begged wilfully, then why did Peter rebuke the mother of S. Clement his disciple, finding her to stād amōg the beggers, whō he thought to be strōg inough to labor with her handes for her liuing: If she in so doing had folowed the example of Christ?

MarginaliaClements example contrarie to the Friers. 10. Item, if Christ had begged wilfully: And if the Friers do rightly define perfectiō of the Gospell by wilful pouerty: thē was Clement S. Peters successor to blame, which labored so much to remoue away beggery and pouerty frō among al them, that were conuerted to the faith of Christ: and is specially for the same commended of the Church?

Marginalia13. quæst. cap. 1. 11. Agayne, why did the sayd Clement, writing to Iames Byshop of Ierusalem, commaund so much to obey the doctrine and examples of the apostles: who as he sheweth in that Epistle, had no begger nor needy person amōgst thē, If Christian perfection (by the friers Philosophy) stādeth in wilfull beggery?

12. Item, if Christ the high priest had begged wilfully, thē did holy Church erre wittingly, which ordeined that none without sufficient title of liuing & clothing, should be admitted to holy orders. And moreouer, when it is seyd in þ^e canonicall decrees, that the bishop or clerke that beggeth, bringeth shame vpon the whole order of the clergy.

13. Item: if Christ had wilfully begged, then the example of wilful pouerty had perteyned to the perfection of Christian life, which is contrary to the old law: which commaūdeth the Priestes (which liued then after the perfection of the law) to haue possessions and tithes, to keep them from beggery.

14. Item, if Christ did wilfully begge, then beggery were a poynt of christian perfection. And so the Church of God should erre, in admitting such patrimonies and donatiōs geuen to the Church, and so in taking from the Prelates their perfection.

15. Agayne, what will these friers which put their perfection in begging, say to Melchisedech: who without begging or wilfull pouerty, was the high Priest of God, and King of Salem, and prefigured the order and Priesthoode of Christ?

16. And if beggery be such a perfection of the Gospell (as the friers say) how cōmeth it, that the holy Ghost geuen to the Apostles, which should lead them into all trueth: tolde them no word of this beggerly perfection, neither is there any word mentioned therof through the whole Testamēt of God.

17. Moreouer, where the Prophet sayth: I neuer did see the iust man forsaken, nor his seed go begging their bread: How standeth this with the iustice of Christ, which was most perfecftly iust, if he should be forsaken, or his seede goe begge their bread? And thē how agreeth this with the abbominable doctrine of friers Franciscan, which put theyr perfection in wilfull begging?

18. Finally, doe wee not read that Christ sent his disciples to preach without scripp or wallet, and bid them salute no man by the way? Meaning that they should begge nothing of no man? Did not the same Christ also labor with his handes, vnder Ioseph? S. Paule likewise did he not labour with his handes, rather then he would burden the Church of the Corinthians? And where now is the doctrine of the friers, which putteth state of perfectiō in wilfull begging.

MarginaliaThe 5. conclusion of Armachanus against the Friers. The fift conclusion of Aramchanus agaynst the friers was this: that Christ neuer taught any man wilfully to begge, which he proued thus. It is written Actes. 1. Christ began to do and to teach. If Christ therfore, which did neuer wilfully beg himselfe, as hath bene proued, had taughtmen otherwise to do, then his doing and teaching had not agreed together.

Item, if Christ which neuer begged himselfe wilfully, had taught men this doctrine of wilfull begging contrary to his owne doing: he had geuen suspition of his doctrine, and ministred slaunder of the same, as hath bene proued in the fourth conclusion before.

MarginaliaThe 6. conclusion of Armachanus against the Friers. Moreouer in so teaching, he had taught cōtrary to the Emperors iust law, which expresly forbiddeth the same.

The sixt conclusion of Armachanus agaynst the Friers was, that our Lord Iesus Christ teacheth vs, that we should not beg wilfully, which he proueth by seuē or eight reasons.

First where it is written Luke. 14. When thou makest a feast call the poore, weake, lame, and blind: and thou shalt be blessed, for they haue not wherwith to reward thee agayne.

To this also perteineth þ^e decree of þ^e apostle. 2. Thes. 3. He that will not worke let him not eat. Furthermore, the same Apostle addeth in the same place: for you haue vs for exāple how we were burdenous to no mā, neither did we eat our bread freely: but with labor and wearines, toiling both day and night, and all because we would not burthē you. &c.

4. Item, where we read in the Scripture, the slouthful mā reprehended, Pro. 6. Why slepest thou O sluggard, thy pouerty and beggery is comming vpon thee like an armed man. &c. And agayne in the same booke of Prouerbs. The slouthfull man (sayth the Scripture) for colde would not go to the plough, therfore he shal beg in sommer, and no man shall geue him. &c. Also in the sayd booke of Prouerb. last chapter. The diligent labouring woman is commended, whose fingers are exercised about the cocke & spindle. And all these places make agaynst the wilfull begging of sturdy Friers.

MarginaliaThe rule of Frier Fraunces. 5. Item, Frier Frances their owne founder in his owne testament sayth: And I haue laboured with mine owne hands, and will labor, and will that all my frierlings shall labor and liue of theyr labor, wherby they may support thēselues in an honest meane. And they that cannot worke, let them learne to worke, not for any couetousnesse to receiue for theyr labor, but for example of good workes, and to auoyd idlenesse. And when the price of theyr labor is not geuen them, let them resort to the Lords table, & aske their almes from dore to dore. &. Thus much in his Testamēt. And in his rule he sayth: Such brethren to whom þ^e Lord hath geuen the gift to labor, let them labour faithfully and deuoutly. &c. Wherfore it is to be maruelled, how those friers with their wilfull begging, dare transgresse the rule & obedience of Frier Frauncis their great graundfathers testament.

6. Item, if Christ at any time did beg or did lacke, it was more because he would vse a miracle in his own persō, thē because he would beg wilfully: as when he sent Peter to þ^e sea to finde a groat in the fishes mouth. Which thing yet he thought rather to do, thē to beg the groat of the people, which he might soone haue obteined.

7. Item, by diuers other his examples he semeth to teach the same as where he sayth: The workmā is worthy of his hier. Also the workeman is worthy of his meate. Math. 10. Luke 10. And whē he spake to Zache, that he would turne into his house. And so likewise in Bethany and all other places he euer vsed rather to burden his frends thē to beg of other, vnacquaynted.

8. Item,with playn precept thus he sendeth forth his disciples, willing them not to go from house to house, Luke. 10. so as Friers vse now to goe. Many other Scriptures there be, which reproue begging: as where it is sayd. The foot of a foole is swift to the house of his neighbor, Eccl. 29. And in an other place: My childe (sayth he) see thou want not is the time of thy life, for better it is to die then to lack. Eccl. 21.

9. Itē, where Christ counselling the young man, bad him go and sel that he had and geue to the poore and folow him if he would be perfect: doth not there cal him to wilful begging, but calleth him to folow him, which did not beg wilfully.

MarginaliaThe seuenth cōclusion of Armachanus against the Fryers. The seuenth conclusion of Armachanus is: that no wise nor true holy man take vpon him wilfull pouerty to be obserued alwayes, which he proueth by foure reasons.

First, that wilfull beggery was reproued both by the doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles, as in the conclusion before hath been declared.

2. Item, a man in taking vpon hym wilfull beggery, in so doing should lead himselfe into temptation, which were agaynst the Lordes prayer. For as muche as Salomon