the in the temple, and the prestes hadden her part of sacrifices, and the fyrst bygeten beestes, and other thinges as the law telleth. And, Lorde, Seynt Poule, thy seruant, seyth, that the ordre of the presthode of Aaron cesede in Christes cominge, and the lawe of that presthode. For Christe was ende of sacrifices yoffered vp on the crosse to the Fader of Heuen, to brynge man out of synne, and bycome hym selfe a prest of Melchisedekes ordre; for he was both kynge and prest withe oute begynnynge and ende; and both the presthode of Aaron, and also the lawe of that presthode ben ychanged in the cominge of Christe. And Seynt Poule seith it ys reproued, for it brouzt no man to perfeccion: for bloode of gotes, ne of other beestes, ne mizt not done awaye synne, for to that Christ schadde his blode.

A Lorde lesu, wether thow ordenest an ordre of prestes to offren in the auter thy flesch and thy blode to bringen men out of synne, and also out of peyne? and wether thow geue hem alonelych a power to eate thy flesch and thy blode? and wether none other man maye eate thy flesch and thy blode with outen leue of prestes? Lorde, we beleuen, that thy flesche is verey meate, and thy blode verey drinke; and who eteth thy flesch, and drinketh thy blode, dwelleth in the, and thou in hym; and who that eteth this breed shall lyve without ende. But, Lorde, thyne disciples seyde, This is an harde worde; but thou answerest hem, and seydest: When ze seeth mannes sone steyn vp there he was rather, the Spirite ys that maketh you lyve; the wordes, that yche haue spoken to you, ben spirite and lyfe. Lorde, yblessed mote thou be, for in this worde thou techest vs, that he, that kepeth thy wordes, and doth after hem, eteth thy flesch, and drinketh thy blode, and hath an everlastinge lyfe in the. And, for we schulden haue mynde of this lyuinge, thou gauest vs the sacramente of thy flesch and thy blode, in forme of breed and wyne, at thy souper, to fore, that thou schuldest suffre thy deth; and toke breed in thine honde, and seydest, Take ye this, and ete it, for it is my body; and thou tokest wyne, and blessedest it, and seydest: This ys the blode of a newe and an euerlastinge testamente, that shalbe sched for many men in forzeuenesse of synnes; as oft as ze do this, do ze this in mynde of me.'

A Lorde, thou ne bede not thine disciples maken this a sacryfice to bringe men out of peynes, zif a prest offered thy body in the auter; but thou bede hem go and fullen all the folke in the name of the Fadur, and the Sone, and the Holy Gost, in forzeuenesse of her synnes; and techeze hem to kepe those things that ych haue commaunded zou. And, Lorde, thine disciples ne ordeyned not prestes principallich to make thy body in sacramente, but for to tech the puple; and good husbande men, that well gouern her householdes, both wiues, and childern, and her meynye, they ordened to be prestes to techen other men the law of Christ both in worde and in dede, and they lyvedeyn as trew christen men; every daye they eten christes body, and dronken hys blode, to the sustenaunce of lyvynge of here soules; and other whiles they token the sacramente of his body in forme of breed and wine, in mynde of oure Lorde Iesu Christ.

But all this ys turned vpso doune; for now, who so will lyven as thou tauztest, he schalben holden a fole; and, aif he speke thy tech

ynge, he shalben holden an heretyke and a cursed. Lorde, y haue ne lenger wonder here of, for so they scyden to the, when thou were here some tyme; and therfore we moten taken in pacyence her wordes of blasfemie, as thou dedest thy selfe, or els we were to blame. And trulych, Lorde, I trowe, that, yf thou were now in the worlde, and tauztest, as thou dedest some tyme, thou shuldest ben done to deeth; for thy teachinge ys damned for heresye of wise men of the worlde; and then moten they nedes ben heretykes that techen thy lore, and all they also that trauelen to lyue there after.

And therfore, Lorde, zif it be thy will, helpe thyne vnkunnynge and lewed seruantes, that wolen, by her power and her kunnynge, helpe to destroye synne. Leue, Lorde, syth thou madist woman in helpe of man, and yn a more frele degre, than man is, to be gouerned by mans reson. What perfeccion of charite is in these prestes, and in men of religion, that haue forsaken spoushode, that thou ordenest in paradis by twyx man and woman, for perfeccion to forsaken traueyle, aud lyuen in ese by other mennes traueyle? For they mowe not do bodilich workee for defoulinge of her hondes, with whome they touchen thy preciouse body in the auter.

Leue Lorde, zif good men forsaken the companye of woman, and nedes the moten haue the gouernayle of man, then moten they ben ycoupled with schrewes, and therfore thy spoushode, that thou madest in clenesse from synne, it ys now ychaunged in to lykynge of the flesch; and, Lorde, this ys a gret myschefe vnto thy puple. And zounge prestes and men of religion, for defaute of wives, maken many wymen horen, and drawen, thorow her yuel ensample, many other men gret to synne; and the ese, that they lyuen in, and their welfare, ys cause of this myschefe: And, Lorde, me thinketh, that these ben quaynte orders of religion, and none of thy secte, that wolen taken horen, whilke God forfendes, and forsaken wyues, that God commaundes, and gyuen her selfe to ydelens, that ys the moder of all nouztines.

And, Lorde, Marie, thy blessed mother, and Iosep, touched ofte tymes thy body, and wroughten withe here hondes, and lyueden in as much clennesse of soule, as oure prestes done now, and touched thy body, and thou touchedest hem in her soules. And, Lorde, oure hope is, that thou goist not out of a pore mannes soule, that trauelleth for hys lyuelode with his hondes; for, Lorde, our belefe ys, that thyne house ys mannes soule, that thou madest after thy ne owne lykenes.

But, Lorde God, men maketh now greet stonen houses full of glasene windowes, and clepeth thylke thyne houses and churches; and they setten in these houses Mawmetes of stockes and of stones, and to fore hem they knelen priuylich and apert, and maken her preyers; and all this, they seyen, ys thy worschup, and a gret heryenge to the. A Lorde, thou forbedest some tyme to make such Mawmetes, and who, that had yworschupped such, had be worthy to be deed.

Lorde, in the gospell thou saist, That true heryers of god ne heryeth hym not in that hill beside Samarie, ne in Hierusalem nayther; but trew heryers of God heryeth hym yn spirite and in trewthe; and, Lorde God, what heryenge ys it to bylden the a church of deed stones,

and robben thy quycke churches of her bodyliche lyuelode? Lorde God, what heryenge ys it is to cloth Mawmetes of stockes and of stones yn syluer, and in golde, and in other good coloures? And, Lorde, I se thyne ymage gone in colde and in heet, in clothes all to broken, with outen schone and hosen, an hungred and a thrust. Lorde, what heryenge ys yt to tende tapers and torches by fore blinde Mawmetes, that mowen not I seyen? And hyde the, that art oure Light and oure lanterne to warde Heuen, and put the vnder a bosshell, that, for darkenes, we ne maye nat sene oure weye toward blisse? Lorde, what heryenge ys it to knele to fore Mawmetes, that mowe not yheren, and worschupen hem with preyers, and maken thyne quyck ymages knele before hem, and asken of hem absolucions and blessinges, and worschupen hem as Goddes, and putten thy quyke ymages in Thraldome and in Traueyle ever more, as beestes, in colde, and in heet, and in feble fare, to fynden hem in lykynge of the world? Lorde, what heryenge ys it to fetch deed mennes bones out of the ground there as they schulden kyndelich roten, and schrynen hem in gold and in siluer? And suffren the quyke bones of thyne ymages roten in prison for defaute of clothinghe? And suffren also thy quyke ymages perish for defaute of sustenaunce, and rooten in the hoore house in abominable lecherye? Some become theves, and robbers, and manquellers, that myzten ben y holpen with the Gold and syluer, that hongeth aboute deed mennes bones, and other blynde Mawmetes of stockes and of

stones.

Lorde, here ben great abhominacions, that thou schewdist to Ezechiel thy prophete, that prestes done in thy temple, and zit they clepen that thyne heryenge; but, leue Lorde, me thinketh, that they louen the litle that thus defoulen thy quyke ymages, and worschupen blynde Mawmetes.

And, Lorde, an other gret myschefe thereynow in the worlde, an hunger that Amos thy prophete speketh of, that there sall comen an honger in the erth, not of breed, ne thrust of drinke, but of heringe of Goddes woorde: and thy scheepe wolden be refreshed, but their scheep ardes taken of thy scheepe her lyfloode, as Tythinges, &c. and lyuen him self thereby where hem lyketh.

Of soch schephardes thou speekest by Ezechiel thy prophete, and scist, woo to the schephardes of Israel that feden hem selfe, for the flockes of schepe schulden ben yfed of her schephardes; but ze eten the mylke, and clothden you with her wolle, and they fatte schepe ye slow, and my flocke ye ne fed not, the sycke schepe ze ne heled not, thylke that weren to broken ze ne knyt not to geder, thylke that perished ze ne brouzt not againe; but ze ruled hem with sternschip and with power: and so the schepe beth sprad a brode in deuouringe of all the beestes of the feelde. And Ieremie the prophete sayeth, woo to the schephardes that disparpleth abrode, and so terith the flocke of my lesew.

A Lorde, thou were a good schepharde, for thou puttest thy soule for thy schepe: but, Lorde, thou teldest, that thilke, that comen not in by the dore, ben nizt thefes and daye thefes; and these, as thou seist, cometh not but for to stele, to sleyne, and to distroye. And

Zacharie the prophete seith, that thou woldist reren up a schepharde vnkunnynge, that ne wole not hele thy schepe that beth sycke, ne sech thilke that beth loste. Apon his arme ys a swerde, and vpon his rizt eye; his arme schall waxe drye, and his rizt eye shall lese his Lizt. O Lorde, helpe, for thy shepe beth at gret myschefe in the schephardes defaute.

But, Lorde, there cometh hyred men, and they ne feden not thy schepe in thy plentuous lesew, but feden thy schepe with swevenes, and false miracles, and talys; but at thy trewth they ne comen not: for, Lorde, Itrowe thou sendest hem never. For have they hyre of thy schepe? They ne chargeth but litle of the fedinge and the kepinge of thy schepe. Lorde, of these hyred men speketh Ieremie thy prophete, and thou seyst that worde by hym: I ne sende hem not, and they ronne blyue: I ne speke unto hem, and they prophicieden. For zif they hadden stonden in my councell, and they had made my wordes knowen to the puple, ych wolde have turned hem awaye from her yvell waye, and from her wicked thouztes. For, Lorde, thou seist that thy wordes be as fuyre, and as an hamer brekynge stones.

And, Lorde, thou saist, lo I to these prophetes metinge swevenes of lesinge, that haue ytold her swevens, and have begyled my puple in her lesinge and in her false miracles, when y nether sente ne bede hem; and these haue profitet no thinge to my puple: and, as Ieremie saith, from the leest to the mest, all they studien couetise; and from the prophete to the prest, all they done gyle.

A Lorde, here ys mych myschefe and matere of sorow, and yet ther ys more. For zif a lewed man wold tech thy puple trewth of thy wordes, as he ys y holde by thy comaundemente of charite, he shall be forboden and y put in prison zif he do it. And so, Lorde, thilke, that haue the keye of conning, haue y lockt the trewth of thy techinge under many wardes, and y hid it from thy childern. But, Lorde, fith thy techinge ys y come from heuen aboue, oure hope ys that, with thy grace, it shall breken these wardys, and schowe hym to thy puple, to kele both the hunger and the thrust of the soule. And then schall no schepharde, ner no false hyridman, begyle thy puple no more. by thy lawe I write, as thou yhiztest some tyme, that from the lest to the mest all they schullen knowen thy will, and we ten how they schullen plese the euer more incertayne.

And leue, Lorde, zif it be thy will, helpe at this Nede, for there ys none help but in the. Thus, Lorde, by hym that maketh hymselfe thy viker in erth ys thy commaundemente of loue to the and to oure brothern ybroken both to hym and to thy puple. But, Lorde, God, mercye and pacyence that beth tweyne of thy commaundementes beth distroyed, and thy puple hath forsake mercy. For, Lorde, Dauid in the souter saith, blessed beth they that do ne dome and riztfullnes in everich tyme.

O Lorde, thou hast ytauzt vs as riztfulnesse of heuen, and hast ybeden vs forzeuen oure Brethern as oft as they trespasen azenst vs. And, Lorde, thyne olde Lawe of iustice was, that such harme as a man did his brother, such he schuld suffer by the law, as eye for an eye, a toth for a toth; but Christ made an ende of thys law, that one

brother schulde not desyre wrake of an other, but not that he wolde that synne schulde ben vnpunished, for there to hath he yordened kinges and dukes, and other lewed officers vnder hem, whilke, as sainte Paule saith, ne carien not the swerde in vayne, for they ben the ministres of God, and warkers to wrath, to hem that evill done. And thus hath Christ ymade an ende of this old lawe, that one brother maye nat suen an other hym selfe, for that to wreken with out synne for brekynge of charite. But this charite, Lorde, hath thy viker y broke, and sais, that we synnen but zif we suen for oure rizt; and wele I wote, that thou tauztest vs some tyme to zeue our mantell also, euer that we schulden suen for oure cote: and so, Lorde, beleuen we that we that we ben y bounden to do ne by thy lawe that ys all charite, and officers dutie is to defenden vs from thilke theuery, thouz we complaynen not; but, Lorde, thi law ys turned vpso downe.

A Lorde, what dome ys it, to slene a thefe that take a mannes cattell a wey from hym, and suffren a spousebreker to lyue, and a lechour that kylleth a womans soule? And yet thy law stoned the spousebrekers and Leichours, and lette the theres lyuen and haue other punishment.

A Lorde, what dome ys it, to slene a thefe for stelinge of a horse, and to let hym lyue vnpunished, and to mayntene hym that robbeth thy pore puple of here lyfelode, and the soule of his fode?

Lorde, it was never thy dome to sayen that a man ys an heretike and cursed for brekinge of mans lawe, and demyn hym for a good man that breketh thyne hestes.

Lorde, what dome ys it to cursen a lewed man, zif he smyte a prest, and not cursen a prest that smiteth a lewed man and leseth his charite?

Lorde, what dome ys it to cursen the lewed puple for Tithynges, and not curse the parson that robbeth the puple of tithynges, and ne techeth hem not Gods law, but fedeth hem with payntinge of stonen walles, and songes of Laten that the puple knowen not?

Lorde, what dome ys it to punysch the pore man for his trespas, and suffren the rich continuen in hys synne for a quantite of money?

Lorde, what dome ys it to slene an vnkunnynge lewed man for hys synne, and suffren a prest, other a clerke, that doth the same synne, scapen a lyve? Lord, the synne of the prest, or of the clerke, ys a gretter trespas then it ys of a lewed unkunnynge man, and gretter ensample of wickednesse to the comune puple.

Lorde, what maner puple be we that nother kepen thy domes and thy riztfulnesse of the old testamente, that was a law of drede, ne thy domes and thy riztfulnesse of thy new testamente that is a lawe of loue and of mercye: but han an other law and taken of both thy lawes that is lykinge to us, and the remenaunte of hethen mennes lawes? and, Lorde, this ys a gret myschefe.

O Lorde, thou sayst in thy lawe, ne deme ze not, and ze ne schulen not ben demed: for the same mesure that ye meten to other men, men shall meten to zou azen warde. And, Lorde, thou seist that by her werken we schulen knowen hem. And by that we knowen that thou ne commaunded vs to demen mennes thoughtes, ner her werkes, that ne weren not azenst thy lawe expressely. And zet, Lorde, he that seyeth