things in that citie, which would haue béene made sooner, but now it
is too late: neuerthelesse I beséech you to write vnto his holinesse,
with request that he would leaue and abandon that Babylon, which is
but a sinke of mischiefe, and kéepe his court elsewhere in place of
better fame. And this he shall be the better able also to performe, if
by your liberalitie extended towards him, vnto whome you are most
bound, he be incouraged thereto. Manie other words passed to and fro
amongst them, howbeit in the end Vincent ouercame not, but was
dismissed without anie penie obteined. But to returne to our tenths, a
paiement first as deuised by the pope, and afterward taken vp as by
the prescription of the king, wherevnto we may ioine also our first
fruits, which is one whole yeares commoditie of our liuing, due at our
entrance into the same, the tenths abated vnto the princes cofers, and
paid commonlie in two yeares. For the receipt also of these two
paiments, an especiall office or court is erected, which beareth name
of first fruits and tenths, wherevnto if the partie to be preferred,
doo not make his dutifull repaire by an appointed time after
possession taken, there to compound for the paiment of his said
fruits, he incurreth the danger of a great penaltie, limited by a
certeine statute prouided in that behalfe, against such as doo intrude
into the ecclesiasticall function, and refuse to paie the accustomed
duties belonging to the same.
They paie likewise subsidies with the temporaltie, but in such sort,
that if these paie after foure shillings for land, the cleargie
contribute commonlie after six shillings of the pound, so that of a
benefice of twentie pounds by the yeare, the incumbent thinketh
himself well acquited, if all ordinarie paiments being discharged he
may reserue thirtéene pounds six shillings eight pence towards his
owne sustentation, and maintenance of his familie. Seldome also are
they without the compasse of a subsidie, for if they be one yeare
cleare from this paiement, a thing not often seene of late yeares,
they are like in the next to heare of another grant: so that I saie
againe they are seldome without the limit of a subsidie. Herein also
they somewhat find themselues grieued, that the laitie may at euerie
taxation helpe themselues, and so they doo through consideration had
of their decaie and hinderance, and yet their impouerishment cannot
but touch also the parson or vicar, vnto whom such libertie is denied,
as is dailie to be séene in their accompts and tithings.
Some of them also, after the mariages of their children, will haue
their proportions qualified, or by fréendship get themselues quite out
of the booke. But what stand I vpon these things, who haue rather to
complaine of the iniurie offered by some of our neighbors of the
laitie, which dailie endeuor to bring vs also within the compasse of
their fifteens or taxes for their owne ease, whereas the taxe of the
whole realme, which is commonlie greater in the champeigne than
woodland soile, amounteth onelie to 37930 pounds nine pence
halfepenie, is a burden easie inough to be borne vpon so manie
shoulders, without the helpe of the cleargie, whose tenths and
subsidies make vp commonlie a double, if not troublesome vnto their
aforesaid paiments. Sometimes also we are threatned with a Meliùs
inquirendum, as if our liuings were not racked high inough alreadie.
But if a man should seeke out where all those church lands were, which
in time past did contribute vnto the old summe required or to be made
vp, no doubt no small number of the laitie of all states should be
contributors also with vs, the prince not defrauded of his expectation
and right. We are also charged with armor & munitions from thirtie
pounds vpwards, a thing more néedfull than diuerse other charges
imposed vpon vs are conuenient, by which & other burdens our case
groweth to be more heauie by a great deale (notwithstanding our
immunitie from temporall seruices) than that of the laitie, and for
ought that I sée not likelie to be diminished, as if the church were
now become the asse whereon euerie market man is to ride and cast his
wallet.
The other paiments due vnto the archbishop and bishop at their
seuerall visitations (of which the first is double to the latter) and
such also as the archdeacon receiueth at his synods, &c: remaine still
as they did without anie alteration, onelie this I thinke be added
within memorie of man, that at the comming of euerie prince, his
appointed officers doo commonlie visit the whole realme vnder the
forme of an ecclesiasticall inquisition, in which the clergie doo
vsuallie paie double fées, as vnto the archbishop. Hereby then, and by
those alreadie remembred, it is found that the church of England, is
no lesse commodious to the princes coffers than the state of the
laitie, if it doo not farre excéed the same, since their paiments are
certeine, continuall, and seldome abated, howsoeuer they gather vp
their owne duties with grudging, murmuring, sute, and slanderous
speeches of the paiers, or haue their liuings otherwise hardlie valued
vnto the vttermost farding, or shrewdlie cancelled by the
couetousnesse of the patrones, of whome some doo bestow aduousons of
benefices vpon their bakers, butlers, cookes, good archers, falconers,
and horssekéepers, in sted of other recompense, for their long and
faithfull seruice, which they imploie afterward vnto their most
aduantage.
Certes here they resemble the pope verie much, for as he sendeth out
his idols, so doo they their parasites, pages, chamberleins, stewards,
groomes, & lackies; and yet these be the men that first exclame of the
insufficiencie of the ministers, as hoping thereby in due time to get
also their glebes and grounds into their hands. In times past
bishopriks went almost after the same maner vnder the laie princes,
and then vnder the pope, so that he which helped a clerke vnto a see,
was sure to haue a present or purse fine, if not an annuall pension,
besides that which went to the popes coffers, and was thought to be
verie good merchandize. Hereof one example may be touched, as of a
thing doone in my yoonger daies, whilest quéene Marie bare the swaie
and gouerned in this land. After the death of Stephan Gardiner, the
sée of Winchester was void for a season, during which time cardinall
Poole made seizure vpon the reuenues and commodities of the same,
pretending authoritie therevnto Sede vacante, by vertue of his place.
With this act of his the bishop of Lincolne called White tooke such
displeasure, that he stepped in like a mate, with full purpose (as he
said) to kéepe that sée from ruine. He wrote also to Paulus the fourth
pope, requiring that he might be preferred therevnto, promising so as
he might be Compos voti, to paie to the popes coffers 1600 pounds
yearlie during his naturall life, and for one yeere after. But the
pope nothing liking of his motion, and yet desirous to reape a further
benefit, first shewed himselfe to stomach his simonicall practise
verie grieuouslie, considering the dangerousnesse of the time and
present estate of the church of England, which hoong as yet in balance
readie to yéeld anie waie, sauing foorth right, as he alledged in his
letters. By which replie he so terrified the poore bishop, that he was
driuen vnto another issue, I meane to recouer the popes good will,
with a further summe than stood with his ease to part withall. In the
end when the pope had gotten this fleece, a new deuise was found, and
meanes made to and by the prince, that White might be bishop of
Winchester, which at the last he obteined, but in such wise as that
the pope and his néerest friends did lose but a little by it. I could
if néed were set downe a report of diuerse other the like practises,
but this shall suffice in stéed of all the rest, least in reprehending
of vice I might shew my selfe to be a teacher of vngodlinesse, or to
scatter more vngratious séed in lewd ground alreadie choked with
wickednesse.
To proceed therefore with the rest, I thinke it good also to remember,
that the names vsuallie giuen vnto such as féed the flocke remaine in
like sort as in times past, so that these words, parson, vicar, curat,
and such are not yet abolished more than the canon law it selfe, which
is dailie pleaded, as I haue said elsewhere; although the statutes of
the realme haue greatlie infringed the large scope, and brought the
exercise of the same into some narrower limits. There is nothing read in
our churches but the canonicall scriptures, whereby it commeth to passe
that the psalter is said ouer once in thirtie daies, the new testament
foure times, and the old testament once in the yeare. And herevnto if
the curat be adiudged by the bishop or his deputies, sufficientlie
instructed in the holie scriptures, and therewithall able to teach, he
permitteth him to make some exposition or exhortation in his parish,
vnto amendment of life. And for so much as our churches and vniuersities
haue béene so spoiled in time of errour, as there cannot yet be had such
number of able pastours as may suffice for euerie parish to haue one:
there are (beside foure sermons appointed by publike order in the yeare)
certeine sermons or homilies (deuised by sundrie learned men, confirmed
for sound doctrine by consent of the diuines, and publike authoritie of
the prince) and those appointed to be read by the curats of meane
vnderstanding (which homilies doo comprehend the principall parts of
christian doctrine, as of originall sinne, of iustification by faith, of
charitie, and such like) vpon the sabbaoth daies, vnto the congregation.
And after a certeine number of psalmes read, which are limited according
to the daies of the month, for morning and euening praier, we haue two
lessons, wherof the first is taken out of the old testament, the second
out of the new, and of these latter that in the morning is out of the
gospels, the other in the after noone out of some one of the epistles.
After morning praier also we haue the letanie and suffrages, an
inuocation in mine opinion not deuised without the great assistance of
the spirit of God, although manie curious mindsicke persons vtterlie
condemne it as superstitious and sauoring of coniuration and sorcerie.
This being doone, we procéed vnto the communion, if anie communicants be
to receiue the eucharist, if not we read the decalog, epistle and
gospell with the Nicene créed (of some in derision called the drie
communion) and then procéed vnto an homilie or sermon, which hath a
psalme before and after it, and finallie vnto the baptisme of such
infants as on euerie sabaoth daie (if occasion so require) are brought
vnto the churches: and thus is the forenoone bestowed. In the after
noone likewise we méet againe, and after the psalmes and lessons ended
we haue commonlie a sermon, or at the leastwise our youth catechised by
the space of an houre. And thus doo we spend the sabaoth daie in good
and godlie exercises, all doone in our vulgar toong, that each one
present may heare and vnderstand the same, which also in cathedrall and
collegiat churches is so ordered, that the psalmes onelie are soong by
note, the rest being read (as in common parish churches) by the minister
with a lowd voice, sauing that in the administration of the communion
the quier singeth the answers, the créed, and sundrie other things
appointed, but in so plaine, I saie, and distinct maner, that each one
present may vnderstand what they sing, euerie word hauing but one note,
though the whole harmonie consist of manie parts, and those verie
cunninglie set by the skilfull in that science.
Certes this translation of the seruice of the church into the vulgar
toong, hath not a litle offended the pope almost in euerie age, as a
thing verie often attempted by diuers princes, but neuer generallie
obteined, for feare least the consenting thervnto might bréed the
ouerthrow (as it would in déed) of all his religion and hierarchie:
neuerthelesse in some places where the kings and princes dwelled not
vnder his nose, it was performed maugre his resistance. Vratislaus duke
of Bohemia, would long since haue doone the like also in his kingdome,
but not daring to venter so farre without the consent of the pope, he
wrote vnto him thereof, and receiued his answer inhibitorie vnto all his
proceeding in the same.
"Gregorius septimus Vratislao Bohemorum duci, &c. Quia nobilitas tua
postulat, quòd secund[=u] Sclauonic[=a] lingu[=a] apud vos diuinum
celebrari annueremus officium, scias nos huic petitioni tuæ nequaquàm
posse fauere, ex hoc nempe se voluentibus liquet, non immeritò sacram
scripturam optimo Deo placuisse quibusdam locis esse occultam; ne si
ad liquidum cunctis pateret, fortè vilesceret, & subiaceret despectui,
aut prauè intellecta à mediocribus in errorem induceret. Neque enim ad
excusationem iuuat, quòd quidam viri hoc, quod simplex populus quærit
patienter tulerunt, seu incorrectum dimiserunt: cum primitiua ecclesia
multa dissimulauerit, quæ à sanctis patribus postmodum, firmata
christianitate & religione crescente, subtili examinatione correcta
sunt: vnde id nè fiat, quod à vestris imprudenter exposcitur,
authoritate beatri Petri inhibemus; téque ad honorem optimi Dei huic
vanæ temeritati viribus totis resistere præcipimus, &c. Datum Romæ,
&c."
I would set downe two or thrée more of the like instruments passed
from that see vnto the like end, but this shall suffice, being lesse
common than the other, which are to be had more plentifullie.
As for our churches themselues, belles, and times of morning and
euening praier, remaine as in times past, sauing that all images,
shrines, tabernacles, roodlofts, and monuments of idolatrie are
remooued, taken downe, and defaced; onelie the stories in glasse
windowes excepted, which for want of sufficient store of new stuffe,
and by reason of extreame charge that should grow by the alteration of
the same into white panes throughout the realme, are not altogither
abolished in most places at once, but by little and little suffered to
decaie, that white glasse may be prouided and set vp in their roomes.
Finallie, whereas there was woont to be a great partition betwéene the
quire and the bodie of the church; now it is either verie small or
none at all: and to saie the truth altogither needlesse, sith the
minister saith his seruice commonlie in the bodie of the church, with
his face toward the people, in a little tabernacle of wainscot
prouided for the purpose: by which means the ignorant doo not onelie
learne diuerse of the psalmes and vsuall praiers by heart, but also
such as can read, doo praie togither with him: so that the whole
congregation at one instant powre out their petitions vnto the liuing
God, for the whole estate of his church in most earnest and feruent
manner. Our holie and festiuall daies are verie well reduced also vnto
a lesse number; for whereas (not long since) we had vnder the pope
foure score and fiftéene, called festiuall, and thirtie Profesti,
beside the sundaies, they are all brought vnto seauen and twentie: and
with them the superfluous numbers of idle waks, guilds, fraternities,
church-ales, helpe-ales, and soule-ales, called also dirge-ales, with
the heathnish rioting at bride-ales, are well diminished and laid
aside. And no great matter were it if the feasts of all our apostles,
euangelists, and martyrs, with that of all saincts, were brought to
the holie daies that follow vpon Christmasse, Easter, and Whitsuntide;
and those of the virgine Marie, with the rest vtterlie remooued from
the calendars, as neither necessarie nor commendable in a reformed
church.
[Sidenote: Apparell.]
The apparell in like sort of our clergie men is comlie, & in truth,
more decent than euer it was in the popish church: before the
vniuersities bound their graduats vnto a stable attire, afterward
vsurped also euen by the blind sir Johns. For if you peruse well my
chronologie insuing, you shall find, that they went either in diuerse
colors like plaiers, or in garments of light hew, as yellow, red,
greene, &c: with their shooes piked, their haire crisped, their
girdles armed with siluer; their shooes, spurres, bridles, &c: buckled
with like mettall: their apparell (for the most part) of silke, and
richlie furred; their cappes laced and butned with gold: so that to
méet a priest in those daies, was to behold a peacocke that spreadeth
his taile when he danseth before the henne: which now (I saie) is well
[Sidenote: Hospitalitie.]
reformed. Touching hospitalitie, there was neuer anie greater vsed in
England, sith by reason that mariage is permitted to him that will
choose that kind of life, their meat and drinke is more orderlie and
frugallie dressed; their furniture of houshold more conuenient, and
better looked vnto; and the poore oftener fed generallie than
heretofore they haue béene, when onlie a few bishops, and double or
treble beneficed men did make good cheere at Christmasse onelie, or
otherwise kept great houses for the interteinment of the rich, which
did often see and visit them. It is thought much peraduenture, that
some bishops, &c: in our time doo come short of the ancient gluttonie
and prodigalitie of their predecessors: but to such as doo consider of
the curtailing of their liuings, or excessiue prices whervnto things
are growen, and how their course is limited by law, and estate looked
into on euery side, the cause of their so dooing is well inough
perceiued. This also offendeth manie, that they should after their
deaths leaue their substances to their wiues and children: wheras they
consider not, that in old time such as had no lemans nor bastards
(verie few were there God wot of this sort) did leaue their goods and
possessions to their brethren and kinsfolks, whereby (as I can shew by
good record) manie houses of gentilitie haue growen and béene erected.
If in anie age some one of them did found a college, almeshouse, or
schoole, if you looke vnto these our times, you shall see no fewer
déeds of charitie doone, nor better grounded vpon the right stub of
[Sidenote: Mariage.]
pietie than before. If you saie that their wiues be fond, after the
deceasse of their husbands, and bestow themselues not so aduisedlie as
their calling requireth, which God knoweth these curious surueiors
make small accompt of in truth, further than thereby to gather matter
of reprehension: I beséech you then to looke into all states of the
laitie, & tell me whether some duchesses, countesses, barons, or
knights wiues, doo not fullie so often offend in the like as they: for
Eue will be Eue though Adam would saie naie. Not a few also find fault
[Sidenote: Thred-bare gownes from whence they come.]
with our thred-bare gowns, as if not our patrones but our wiues were
causes of our wo. But if it were knowne to all, that I know to haue
beene performed of late in Essex, where a minister taking a benefice
(of lesse than twentie pounds in the Quéenes bookes so farre as I
remember) was inforced to paie to his patrone, twentie quarters of
otes, ten quarters of wheat, and sixtéene yéerelie of barleie, which
he called hawkes meat; and another left the like in farme to his
patrone for ten pounds by the yéere, which is well woorth fortie at
the least, the cause of our thred-bare gownes would easilie appeere,
for such patrons doo scrape the wooll from our clokes. Wherfore I may
well saie, that such a thred-bare minister is either an ill man, or
hath an ill patrone, or both: and when such cookes & cobling shifters
shall be remooued and weeded out of the ministerie, I doubt not but
our patrons will prooue better men, and be reformed whether they will
or not, or else the single minded bishops shall sée the liuing
bestowed vpon such as doo deserue it. When the Pragmatike sanction
tooke place first in France, it was supposed that these enormities
should vtterlie haue ceased: but when the elections of bishops came
once into the hands of the canons and spirituall men, it grew to be
farre worse. For they also within a while waxing couetous, by their
owne experience learned aforehand, raised the markets, and sought
after new gaines by the gifts of the greatest liuings in that
[Sidenote: Number of churches in France.]
countrie, wherein (as Machiauell writeth) are eightéene
archbishoprikes, one hundred fortie and sixe bishoprikes, 740 abbies,
eleuen vniuersities, 1000700 stéeples (if his report be sound.) Some
are of the opinion, that if sufficient men in euerie towne might be
sent for from the vniuersities, this mischiefe would soone be
remedied; but I am cleane of another mind. For when I consider
wherevnto the gifts of felowships in some places are growen: the
profit that ariseth at sundrie elections of scholars out of grammar
[Sidenote: Pretie packing.]
schooles, to the posers, schoolemasters, and preferrers of them to our
vniuersities, the gifts of a great number of almeshouses builded for
the maimed and impotent souldiors, by princes and good men heretofore
mooued with a pittifull consideration of the poore distressed: how
rewards, pensions, and annuities also doo reigne in other cases,
wherby the giuer is brought somtimes into extreame miserie, & that not
so much as the roome of a common souldior is not obteined oftentimes,
without a What will you giue me? I am brought into such a mistrust of
the sequele of this deuise, that I dare pronounce (almost for
certeine) that if Homer were now aliue, it should be said to him:
"Túque licèt venias musis comitatus Homere,
Si nihil attuleris ibis Homere foras."
More I could saie, and more I would saie of these and other things,
were it not that in mine owne iudgement I haue said inough alreadie
for the aduertisement of such as be wise. Neuerthelesse, before I
finish this chapter, I will adde a word or two (so brieflie as I can)
of the old estate of cathedrall churches, which I haue collected
togither here and there among the writers, and whereby it shall
easilie be seene what they were, and how neere the gouernment of ours
doo in these daies approch vnto them, for that there is an
irreconciliable ods betwéene them and those of the papists, I hope
there is no learned man indéed, but will acknowlege and yéeld vnto it.