Search York

' well of the clergy as of the laity.
" No doubt it is neefiful, and there ought to be a redress

' of many matters of religion. As are these : the use of the

' sacraments and ceremonies; the usurping of tenths to pri-

' vate commodity ; the superfluous, unlearned and undis-

' creet, and vicious ministers of the Church, and their su-

' perstitious and idolatrous administration. Of these things,

' I say, ought there to be a speedy reformation. For they

' are now most like, hastily to bring upon this noble realm

' the inevitable vengeance of God, if they be not shortly

' reformed. Forasmuch as it hath pleased the almighty

' and living God to open unto us those abominations,

' which have heretofore been kept secret and hidden from

' us. These things, I say, are yet far out of joint, and

' have great need to be reformed. For, notwithstanding

' the King's Majesty's late visitation, the ignorant people,

' who have long been fostered and brought up in the su-

' perstition, and wrong belief of these things, and are yet

' no doubt secretly instructed by their blind guides, and

' by them holden still in blindness, will not be persuaded

' that their forefathers' superstition was not the true faith

' of Christ; till such as they have continuing among them,

' such preachers as shall be able, and will by the manifest

' Scripture, prove imto them, that botli they and their fa-

' th(M's were deceived, and knew not how to worship God

OF KING EDWARD VI. 219

"aright; but shamefully seduced by the covetise of the CHAP.

" shepherds and guides, sought him, where he is not; and ^^^^'

" when they thought they had been most high in his favour ^""o 1^48.

" by doing him so much honour as they thought most ac-

" ceptable in his sight, then committed they most, detest-

*' able blasphemy, and were abominable before him, &C.''''

He spake next of the abuse of Orders. " That they who Orders.

" received them were not shepherds, but butchers, and

" came not to feed, but to be fed. That it was not possible

" to amend this great enormity otherwise, than by reducing

" the order of choosing of Ministers^ unto the order that

" was in the primitive Church, whereof is mentioned in the

" Acts of the Apostles. — Idle bellies may come to the Bi- Acts i.

^' shop, and be smeared for money. — They applied them-

" selves to priesting, because they liked well the idleness of

" the life." He recommended to, the Parliament the con-

sideration of this matter at the full ; which he doubted not

the King's Majesty's visitors knew more of, than he could

be able to write.
Then he proceeded to speak of the saci'aments, "how The

" they were still abused ; using them as matters of mer- ™^"^s-

" chandise, and chiefly the most worthy memory of our re-

" demption. For that they sell both to the quick and the

" dead, to the rich and to the poor. None shall receive at

" their hands, without he will pay the ordinary shot. And

" so are they ready to serve every man. They looked upon

" the money only, and nothing upon the mind. Whether

" it were taken to comfort of conscience, or judgment, they

" passed not. They told the money, they looked for no

" more. If they would deny this to be true, let them

" say, why they suffered the poor to beg to pay for their

" housel, as they called it. Perchance they would say,

" that the money was not paid for the sacrament, but

" for the four offering days. Then ask I, said he, this

" question, why they appointed not another time to receive

" it in, than that which was too little to be occupied in de-

" daring to the people the right use and profit of the sacra-

" mcnts, and to instruct them so, that they did not receive

sacra-

220 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK " it to their judgment, but to their comfort and quietnes^

^' " of conscience ; for which purpose it was first instituted.

sessioners

Anno 1548." Undoubtedly they could not deny, but that they ap-

^"^^ " pointed to receive it then, because they would be sure

" of it. Their doing would declare it, though they should

" deny it. For none might receive the Sacrament, unless he

" did first pay the money. And then, with how little reve-

" rence it was ministered and received, every Christian
" there saw and lamented Wherefore he was certain,
" he said, they had occasion, and could do no less but seek

" a further redress hereof in this present Parhament.

The oppres- " And as for the oppression of the poor, which was no

^-'*"_''/„L'*'' " less needful to be commoned of and reformed than the

other, he feared it would be passed over with silence. Or

" if it were commoned of, he could scarcely trust, that any

" reformation could be had, unless God did now work in

" the hearts of the jjossessioners of this realm, as he did

" in the primitive Church, when the possessioners were

" contented, and very willing to sell their possessions, and

*•' give the price thereof to be common to all the faithful

" believers. He would not have any to take him, as though

"he went about by these words to persuade men to make

" all things common. But he would wish, that the posses-

" sioners would consider who gave them their possessions,

" and how they ought to bestow them ; and then he

" doubted not, it should not need to have all things made

" common.

" He protested unto them all, that the same Spirit that

" sent Jonas to the Ninevites, Daniel to the Babylonians,

" Nathan to King David, Achior unto Holofernes, Judith

" unto the priests and elders of the Jews, the prophet to

" Jeroboam in Bethel, John the Baptist unto Herod, and

" Christ unto the Jews ; witnessed with his conscience that

" he renne not unsent. For even the same Spirit that said

*' untoEsay, Cry and cease not, and declare unto my people

" their wickedness, cried also in his conscience, bidding

" him not to spare to tell the possessioners of tliis realm,

" that unless they repented the oppressions wherewith they

OF KING EDWARD VI. 221

" vexed the poor commons, and shewed themselves through CHAP.

" love to be brothers of one father, and members of one ^^^^'

" body with them, and would repent the violence done Anno 154$

" to the poor and needy members of Christ, and become as

" hands ministering unto every member his necessities ;

" they should at the day of their account be bound hand

" and foot, and cast into utter darkness, where should be

" weeping, &c.
" He cried out also against leasemongers, as he called Lease-

" them, that took grounds by lease, to the intent to let "^

" them out ao^ain for double and treble the rent ; and

" against surveyors of lands, that of ten pounds land could

" make twenty. That they should not be forgotten in the

" effusion of God's plague. For that, when they had mul-

" tiplied their rents to the highest, so that they had made

" all their tenants their slaves, to labour and toil, and bring

" to them all that might be ploughed and digged out of

" their grounds, then should death suddenly strike them ;

" then should God withdraw his comfortable grace from

" them ; then should their consciences prick them, &c.

" Oh ! noble counsellors, as he added, be merciful to your-

" selves, destroy not your own souls to enrich your heirs.

" Enlarge not your earthly possessions with the loss of the

" eternal inheritance. Learn to know the estate that God

" hath called you unto, and to live according to your pro- 142

" fession. Know, that ye are all members in the common-

" weal, and that the portion which you are born unto, or

" that your prince gives you, is your estate. Know, that

" your office is to distribute, and not to scrape together on

" heaps. God hath not set you to survey his lands, but to

" play the stewards in his household of this world, and to

" see that your poor fellow servants lack not their neces-

" saries. Consider, that you are but ministers and servants

" unto the Lord our God, and that you shall render a

" strait account of your administration. Stand not too

" much in your own conceit, glorying in the worthiness of

" your blood. For we are all one man's children, and have

" by nature like right to the l-iches and treasures of this

MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK " world, whereof our natural father Adam was made lord
" and king That you are lords and governors there-
Anno 1548. " fore cometli not by nature, but by the ordinance and ap-

" pointment of God. Know then, that he had not called

" you to the wealth and glory of this world, but hath

" charged you with the great and rude multitude. And if

" any of them perish through your default, know then for

" certainty, that the blood of them shall be required at

" your hands. If the impotent creatures perish for lack of

" necessaries, you are the murderers : for you have their

" inheritance, and do not minister unto them, &c.

The sad ef- " Do not therefore, as he went on, neglect this principal

pTes^sion?^' " P^^'^ ^^ your duty, to seek in this Parliament a redress of

" this great oppression, wherewith the poor members of this

" noble realm are most unmercifully vexed on every side.

" The landlords, for their parts, survey and take the utmost

" penny of all their grounds ; beside the unreasonable fines

" and incomes. And he that will not or cannot give all

" that they demand, shall not enter, be he never so honest,

" or stand he in never so great need ; yea, though he hath

" been an honest, true, faithful, and quiet tenant many

" years. Yet, at the vacation of his copy or indenture, he

" must pay welmost as much as would purchase so much

" ground, or else void in haste, though he, his wife, and

" children should perish for lack of harbour. What a sea

" of mischief hath flowed hence ? Honest householders have

" been made followers of others. And so honest men's

" tables and honest matrons brought to the needy rock

" and cards. Men's children, of good hopes in the liberal

" sciences and other honest qualities, (whereof this realm

" hath great lack,) compelled to fall to some handicrafts,

" as some to day labour, to sustain their parents' decrepit

" age, and miserable poverty. Fro ward and stubborn chil-

" dren have hereby shaken off the yoke of godly chastise-

*' ment, running headlong into all kinds of wickedness, and

"finally garnished gallowtrees. Modest, chaste, and wo-

" manly virgins, for lack of dowry, have been compelled to

" pass over the days of their youth under great service, or

OF KING EDWARD VI. 223

" else to marry to perpetual, miserable poverty. Immodest CHAP.

" and wanton girls have hereby been made sisters of the ^^I^-

"bank, [L e. the bank side, where the stews were,] the Anno 1 548.

" stumbling stocks of all frail youth, and finally most mi-

" serable creatures, lying and dying in the streets, full of

" all plagues and penury, &c.

" On the other side, there be certain tenants, not able to Raising

" be landlords, and yet after a sort they counterfeit land- f,"^'^"^^"

" lords by obtaining leases, and upon grounds and tene- ^^her op-

" ments, and to raise fines, incomes, and rents ; and by P""^^^'""'

" such pillage pike out a portion to maintain a proud port; 143

" and by pilling and polling the poor commons, that must

" of necessity seek habitations at their hands, &c. For the

" truth of this he reported him to the Lord Mayor, and

" other head officers of London, who could witness with Usual in

" him, that the most part, yea, he thought nine of the ten ^^*'"^^"'

" parts of the houses in London, were set and let by them

" that had them by lease, and not by the owners. How

" they polled the poor tenants would be tried, if their leases

" were conferred with their rent rolls."

H6 went afterward to the great extortian and usury that Extortion,

reigned in the realm, and seemed to be authorized by Par-

liament within these three years last past. " The Clergy The Clergy

•' of the city of London had for their parts obtained byJe^jf^^r"^

=' Parliament authority to over-tenths, ever after the ex-

•' ample of the landlords and leasemongers, and might by

' virtue of the act require for double rents, double tenths.

' If the rent of any kind of housing or ground within the city

' of London were raised, as there was indeed very much

' from ten shillings to twenty shillings ; then might the par-

' son, who had before but 16 c?. oh. by virtue of this act de-

' mand 2

' took of the poor commons was so much beyond all reason

' and conscience. No couple could be married, but these

' men must have a duty, as they called it. No woman

' might be purified, but they and their idle ministers must

' have some duties of her. None could be buried, but they

* would have a fleece.'' An instance of which lie brings in.

224 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK that it was not three months before the beginning of the

present Parhament, he had just occasion to be at the pay-

Anuo 1548. ment of this duty, for the burying of an honest poor man,

whose friends were wilhng to have his body reverently laid

in the ground ; and according to the custom he gave warn-

ing to the Curate, that they should bring the dead body to

the church, desiring him that he would do his duty, and to

be there to receive it, and according to the custom to lay it

in the ground. " But this raven, said he, smelling the car-

" rion, could not but reveal it to the other carrion birds of

" the same church, and so would needs come all together in

" a flock to fetch their prey, with cross and holy water, as

" they were wont to do, notwithstanding the King's injunc-

" tions, and late visitation. The friends of the dead refused

" all this, and required to have no more but the common

" coflin to put the body in ; agreeing to pay to the keeper

" thereof his accustomed duty, and in like manner to the

" grave-maker, and the four poor men to carry the body.

" So that the whole charges had been but seven pence.

" But when the corps was buried without" either cross or

'' holy water, styck, dirige, or mass, with prayers of as

" small devotion as any poor Curate could say, yet must

" we needs pay seven pence more ; that is to say, one penny

" to the Curate, which he called an head-penny^ and six

" pence to three clerks that we had no need of." This was

done in Sepulchre's parish in the city of London. " This

" he wrote, as he said, addressing to the worthy counsel-

" lors of Parliament, to give them an occasion to set such

" an order in this and such other things, that either they

" might have Ministers found upon the tenths that they

" paid yearly to the churches ; or else that it might be

'' lawful for them to do such ministries themselves : and

1 44 " not to be thus constrained to feed a sort of carrion crows,

" which were never so merry as when other lamented the

" loss of their friends."

Usury. This for the extortion of the Clergy. Then he passed
" to the intolerable usury ^ which at that day reigned freely

" in the realm over all; and especially in London. That it

OF KING EDWARD VI. 225

" was taken for most lawful gain: yea, that it was almost CHAP.

" heresy to reprove it. For men said, it was allowed by ^^^^•

" Parliament. Well, said he, the most part, I am sure, of ^"no 1548.

" this most godly assembly and Parliament do know, that
" the occasion of the act that passed here concerning usury,
" was the insatiable desires of the usurers : who could not
" be contented with usury, unless it were unreasonable
" much. To restrain this greedy desire of theirs therefore,
" it was commoned and agreed upon, and by the authority
'' of Parliament decreed, that none should take above 101.
*' by year for the loan of a 100 Z. Alas ! that ever any
" Christian assembly should be so void of God's holy
" Spirit, that they should allow for lawful, any thing that
" God's word forbiddeth. Be not abashed, most worthy
*' Counsellors, to call this act into question again. Scan the
" words of the Psalmist concerning this matter. Who shall
'' enter into thy tabernacle^ S^c. He that hath not given his
" money unto usury How can you suffer this act to
" stand, which shall be a witness against you in the latter

" day, that you allow that which God's Spirit forbiddeth,

" Luke vi. Do ye lefid, looking' ^br no gain thereof, and

" your reward shall be plenteous, &c.

"And so wishing them, in the conclusion, the same The conciu-

" spirit that in the primitive Church gave unto the multi- ?'*^" °^ *^^

" tude of believers one heart and one mind, to esteem no-

" thing of this world their own ; ministering unto every

" one according to his necessities And this reform-
" ation had, no doubt, the majesty of God should so appear

" in all their decrees, that none so wicked a creature should

^' be found so bold as once to open liis mouth against the
*' order they should take in all matters of religion But
" if they let these things pass, and regarded them not, he

" bade them be sure the Lord should confound their wis-

" dom : invent, decree, establish, and authorize what they

^' could, all should come to nought. The ways that they

" should invent to establish unity and concord should be

" the occasions of discord : the things whereby they should

" think to win praise through all the world, should turn to
^ VOL. II. Q,

226 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK " their utter shame, and the ways they should invent to

estabhsh a kingdpm, should be the utter subversion of the

Anno 1548. « same.*

Another Another small treatise came forth, and writ (as it seems
the PraLse" to me) for the use of the same ParHament, and for the same

of such as intent with the former. It was entitled, The praise and

sought - • n 1 7 11
Comnion- commendation of such as sought commonwealth; and to

wealths, ^j^^ co)itra7'f/^ the end and discormnendation of such as

comes forth. , .
sought private wealths, gathered both out of the Scriptures

and Philosophers. It was printed by Anth. Scoloker, dwell-

ing in the Savoy Rents. This discourse is chiefly levelled

against the' covetousness and self-seeking of the age, which

then so much prevailed. In the forefront of this discourse

is set a moral saying of Epicurus : " If a man having goods

" in abundance do not repute it sufficient, he is but a

" wretch and a caitiiF, although he were lord over the whole

" world." Then followed this sentence ; " Four things fol-

145 "low covetousness. I. L^nsatiableness, being never con-

" tented. II. Scarceness of all things amoncr the commons.

" III. Deceit among the people. And IV. The desire of

" worldly honour.'" The book begins thus :
" Aristotle, in the first book of Pohtics, the tenth chap-

" ter, saith, how that divers men esteem riches to be no-

" thing but only a heap or quantity of gold and silver.

" And it is great folly either to think or say the same. For

" the philosopher saith, that and if the course of gold and

" silver were restrained, that then it should no more be

" profitable to commonwealths, neither yet to those things

" that are needful to man'*s life. For many times it may

" chance to him, which hath abundance of gold and silver,

" to perish for lack of food." And after some lines, " We

" see in these days men so given to unsatiable covetousness

" in procuring their own private wealths, that the common-

" wealth decayeth, and no man looketh to it. We are com-

" manded to love God above all, and our neighbour as oiir-

" selves. But how do we love our neighbours as ourselves,

" when we put them out of their houses, and lay their

" goods in the streets .^'' And then soon after, reproving the

OF KING EDWARD VI. 227

professors of the Gospel for this fault, adds, " Who in these CHAP.

" days are such oppressors, such graziers, [tui-ning arable '

" land into pasture,] such shepherds, [keeping sheep instead Anno 1548.

** of ploughing for the setting poor men on work,] such en-

" hancers of rents, such takers of incomes, as are those

" which profess the Gospel ? What is this but to speak

" evil of that good name of Christ, after whom we are

" named Christians ? Would to God that in these days
" men would be as careful for their poor brethren, as they
" are for their dogs. We see the city of London can of the London
,_,, ,,., ., , , nej'liffent of
" Chamberlams cost provide an house to keep twenty orthepoor.
" thirty dogs, and to give ten pounds a year for one to
" keep them. But they will not allow ten pence by year
'' out of the chamber towards the finding of the poor. But
" the poor artificers must bear part and part alike to the
*' most extremity that can be invented, as lately appeared
" by the Common Council. By hearsay, there is a good
" sum yearly coming into the chamber of London : and no
" man knoweth how it is spent but the gray cloaks, [ser-
" vants to the Court of Aldermen, and such like.] Yet
" can there not be a poor spring fet two flight shot out of
" the city [to supply the city with water] but the poor com-
*' mons must bear part thereof. I trust within twenty years
" men will make suit to be Mayors of the City, &c. [Glanc-
" ing at the benefits and advantages the Mayors in those
" times looked at to make of that office.]
" We have now no Samuels, which will ask the commons. Bribery too

" saying. Have I taken any man''s ox or ass ? If I have'

" d(me any man violence or wrongs rfl have oppressed any

" mail, if I have received a gift qf any marbs hand, and

" kept it secret, I will restore it you agai?i. And the people