Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Letters 1 · Letter 7
¶The Letter of Mayster Latimer written to King Henry, for the restoring agayne the free liberty of reading the holy Scriptures.
❧To the most mighty Prince King of England Henrye the eight, Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father by our Lord Iesus Christ.
An other …tter of M. …a…imer to …. Henry. August. ad Ca…ula…ū Chrisost.THe holy Doctour Saynt Austine in an Epistle whiche he wrote to Casulanus sayth that he whiche for feare of any power hideth the trueth, prouoketh the wrath of God to come vponupon him: for he feareth men more then God. And according to the same, the holy man Saynt Iohn Chrisostome sayth: that he is not alonely a traytour to the truth, which opēly for truth teacheth a lie, but he also which doth not freely pronounce and shewe the trueth that he knoweth. These sentences (moste redoubted Kyng) when I read nowe of late, and marked them earnestlye in the inward partes of mine hart, they made me sore afrayd, troubled and vexed me grieuously in my conscience, and at the last droue me to this strayt,M. Latimer t…uched in conscience … write to the king. that either I must shewe forth such thinges as I hauehave read and learned in Scripture, or elles to be of the sort that prouoke the wrath of GOD vponupon them, and be traitors vntounto the trueth: the which thing rather then it shoulde happen, I had rather suffer extreme punishment.
For what other thing is it to bee a Traytour vntounto the trueth, then to be a Traytour and a Iudas vntounto Christe, which is the very truth and cause of all trueth?… to truth. the whiche sayth that whosoeuer denyeth him here before men, he wil deny him before his father in heauen. The which denying ought more to be feared and dread, then the losse of al temporall goodes, honour, promotion, fame, prison, sclaunder, hurtes, banishmentes, and all manner of tormentes, and crueltyes, yea, and death it selfe, bee it neuer so shamefull and paynefull. But alas, how litle do mē regard those sharpe sayinges of these two holy men? and how litle doe they feare the terrible iudgemente of almightye God? and specially they which boast themselues to be guides and capitaynes vntounto other, and chalenging vntounto themselues the knowledge of holy Scripture, yet will neither shewe the trueth themselues (as they be bounde) neither suffer them that would: So that vntounto thē may be sayd that which our sauior Christ said to ye Phariseis, Math. 23. Wo be vntounto you Scribes and Phariseis, which shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men, Math. 23.and neither will you enter in your selues, neither suffer them that would, to enter in. And they will as much as in them lyeth, debarre, not onelyonly the word of God, whyche Dauid calleth a light to direct and shew eueryevery man how to order his affections and lustes, according to the Commaundementes of God: but also by theyr subtle wylinesse they instruct,The subtile wilines and practises of the prelats. moue, and prouoke, in a maner, all Kinges in christendome to ayde, succour, and helpe them in thys theyr mischiefe: and especially in this your Realme, they hauehave sore blynded your Liege people and Subiectes wyth their Lawes, Customes, Ceremonyes, and Banbery Glofes, and punished them wyth Cursynges, Excommunications, and other corruptions (corrections I woulde say) and now, at the last when they see that they cannot preuayle agaynst the open trueth (which the more is persecuted, the more it increaseth by their tiranny) they hauehave made it Treason to your noble Grace to hauehave the Scripture in English.
Here I beseech your Grace to pardon me a while and paciently to heare me a worde or two: yea and thoughe it be so that as concerning your high Maiesty and regall power, whereunto almightye God hath called your Grace, there is as great difference betweene you and mee, as betwene God and man. For you be here to me and to al your subiectes, in Gods sted, to defend, ayde, and succour vsus in our right,…. 2. …. 12. 1. …. 2. …. 1. …. 12. and so I should tremble and quake to speake to your grace. But agayne, as concerning that you be a mortall man, in daunger of sinne, hauing in you the corrupte nature of Adam, in the which al we be both conceiued and borne, so hauehave you no lesse need of the merites of Christes passion for your saluation, then I and other of your subiectes hauehave, whiche be all members of the misticall bodye of christ. And though you be an higher member, yet you must not disdayne the lesser. For as Saynt Paule sayth: those members that be taken most vilest and had in least reputation, be as necessary as the other, for the preseruation and keeping of the body. This, most gracious king, when I considered, and also your fauorable and gētle nature, I was bold to write this rude, homely, and simple letter vntounto your grace, trusting that you will accepte my true and faythfull minde euen as it is.
First and before all thinges I will exhort your grace to marke the life and processe of our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles in preaching and setting forth of the Gospell,Math. 7. and to note also the wordes of our Mayster Christ, whiche he had to his Disciples when he sent them forth to preache his Gospell, and to these hauehave euer in your minde the golden rule of our mayster Christ: The tree is knowne by the fruit. For by the diligent marking of these, your grace shal clearely know and perceiue who bee the true folowers of Christ and teachers of his Gospell, and who be not.The rule of Christ. And concerning the first, all Scripture sheweth playnelye that our sauiour Iesus Christes life was very poore.
Begin at his byrth, and I beseech you,The pouerty of Christes life expressed. who euer heard of a poorer or so poore as he was? It were to long to wryte how poore Ioseph and the blessed Uirgin Mary took theyr iourney from Nazareth toward Bethlem, in the cold and frosty winter, hauing no body to wayte vponupon them, but he both Mayster and man, and she both Mistres and mayde▪ How vilely thinkes your grace, they were intreated in the Innes and lodgings by the way? and in how vile and abiect place was this poore mayd, the mother of our Sauior Iesus Christ, brought to bed in, without company, lighte or any other thing necessary for a woman in that plighte? Was not here a poore beginning, as cōcerning the world? Yes truly. And according to this beginning was the processe and end of his life in this worlde, and yet he might by his godly power hauehave had all the goodes and treasures of this world at his pleasure, when and where he would.
But this he did to shew vsus that his folowers and Uicars should not regard nor set by the riches and treasures of this worlde,The poore con…dition of Christs life, is an example to vsus to cast down our pride, nor to set by riches. It is not agaynst the pouertye of the spirite, to be rich. What is to be poore in spirite, and what not. Priuy enemyes to spirituall pouertye. but after the saying of Dauid we oughte to take them, which sayth thus: If riches, promotions, and dignity happen to a man, let him not set his affiaunce, pleasure, trust, & hart vponupon them. So that it is not agaynst the pouertye in spirite which Christ prayseth in the Gospel of Saynt Mathew, chapter 5. to be rich, to be in dignity, and in honour, so that theyr hartes be not fixed and set vpō them so much, that they neither care for GOD nor good man. But they be enemies to this pouertye in spirite, hauehave they neuer so litle, that hauehave greedy and desirous mindes to the goodes of this worlde, onelyonly because they woulde liue after theyr owne pleasure and lustes. And they also be priuy enemies (and so much the worse) which hauehave professed (as they say) wilfull pouerty, and will not be called worldly men. And they hauehave Lordes Landes, and kinges riches, yea rather then they would lose one iot of that whiche they hauehave, they will set debate betwene king and king,Against Monkes and Fryers, and Prelates of the spiritualtye. Math. 17. Subiection to superiour powers. Realme and Realme, yea betwene the king and his Subiectes, and cause rebellion agaynst the Temporall power, to the whiche our Sauiour Christ himselfe obeyed and payed tribute, as the Gospell declareth: vntounto whom the holy Apostle S. Paul teacheth eueryevery Christen manne to obey. Yea and beside al this, they will curse and ban, as much as in them lyeth, euen into the deepe pit of hell, all that gayne say theyr appetite, wherby they thinke theyr goodes, promotions, or dignities should decay.
Your grace may see what meanes and craft the Spiritualty (as they will be called) imagine to breake and withstand the Actes which were made in your graces last Parliamēt against theyr superfluities. Wherfore they that thus do, your Grace may knowe them not to be true folowers of Christ.Ambition of the spiritualtye. And although I named the spiritualty to be corrupt with this vnthrifty ambition: yet I meane not all to be faulty therein, for there be some good of them. Neyther will I that your Grace should take away the goodes due to the Churche, but take away such euil persons from the goodes, and set better in theyr stead.
I name nor appoynte no person nor persons, but remit your Grace to the rule of our Sauiour Christe, as in Mathew the seuēth Chapiter:Math. 7. By theyr fruites ye shall know them. As touching the woordes that our Sauiour Christe spake to his Disciples when hee sente them to preache hys Gospell, they be readde in Mathew the fiftenth Chapiter, where he sheweth,Math. 15. that here they shall bee hated and despised of all men worldly, and broughte before the Kinges and Rulers, and that all euill shoulde be sayde by them, Christ promiseth no promotions, but persecution to his followers.for theyr preaching sake, but he exhorteth them to take paciently such persecution by his owne example, saying: It becommeth not the seruaunt to be aboue the Mayster. And seing they called me Belz… bub, what maruayle is it, if they call you Deuillishe persons and heretickes? Reade the fourtenth Chapiter of Saynt Mathewes Gospell,Math. 1…. & there your Grace shall see that he promised to the true Preachers no worldlye promotions or dignity, but persecution and al kindes of punishment, and that they should be betrayed euen by theyr owne brethren and children. In Iohn also he sayeth: In the worlde ye shall hauehave oppression, and the worlde shall hate you: but in mee you you shall hauehave peace. Iohn. 16. Math. 10.And in the 10. Chapiter of S. Mathewes Gospell sayth our Sauiour Christ also: Loe I send you forth as sheepe among Wolues. So that the true Preachers go like sheepe harmelesse, and be persecuted, and yet they reuenge not theyr wronge,Gods word only is the weapon of Spirituall Pastors. but remit all to God: so farre it is of that they will persecute any other but with the worde of God onelyonly, whiche is theyr weapon. And so this is the most euidēt tokē that our sauior Iesus Christ would that his Gospell and the Preachers of it should be knowne by, and that it shoulde be despised among those worldly wyse men, and that they should repute it but foolishnes and deceiuable doctrine, and the true Preachers should be persecuted and hated, and driuen from towne to towne, yea and at the last lose both goodes and life.
And yet they that did this persecution, shoulde thinke that they did wel, and a great pleasure to God. And the Apostles remembring this lesson of our Sauioure Christ,The Apostles were persecuted, but neuer no persecutors. were content to suffer such persecutions, as you may read in the Actes of the Apostles and the Epistles. But we neuer read that they euer persecuted any man. The holy apostle S. Paule sayth, that eueryevery man that wil liue godly in christ Iesu, should suffer persecution. And also he sayth further in the Epistle written to the Philippians in the first chapter: that it is not onelyonly geuen you to beleue in the Lord, Phillip. 1.but also to suffer persecution for his sake.
Wherefore, take this for a sure conclusion, that there, where the word of God is truely preached, there is persecution,Persecution a sure marke of true preaching. aswell of the hearers as of the teachers: and where as is quietnesse and rest in worldlye pleasure, there is not the trueth. For the world loueth all that are of the world, & hateth al thinges that is contrary to it. And to be short, S. Paule calleth the Gospell the word of the crosse,The worde of the Crosse. the word of punishment. And the holy Scripture doth promise nothing to the fauourers and followers of it in this worlde, but trouble, vexation, and persecution, which these worldly men cannot suffer, nor away withall.
Therefore, pleaseth it your good Grace, to returne to this golden rule of our Mayster & Sauiour Iesus Christ, which is this: by theyr fruites ye shall know them. For where you set persecution, there is the Gospell, and there is the trueth: and they that doe persecute, be voyde and wythout all trueth: not caryng for the cleare light, which as our Sauior Iesus Christ sayth in the third Chapter of Saynt Iohns Gospell) is come into the worlde, and which shall vtter and shewe forth eueryevery mans workes. Iohn. 3.And they, whose workes be nought, dare not come to this light, but goe aboute to stop it and hinder it, letting as muche as they may, that the holy scripture should not be read in our mother toūg,Crafty pretenses of the Prelates to stoppe the reading of holy Scripture. saying that it would cause heresye and insurrection, and so they perswade, at the least way they would faine perswade your Grace to keepe it back. But here marke their shamelesse boldnesse, which be not ashamed, contrary to Christes doctrine, to gather figges of Thornes, and grapes of bushes, and to cal light darckenesse, and darckenesse light, sweete sower, and sower sweete, good euill, and euill good, and to say that that, whiche teacheth all obedience, shoulde cause dissension and strife,Belly wisedome. but suche is theyr bellye wysedome: therewith they iudge and measure eueryevery thing, to holde and keepe still this wicked Mammon, the goods of this worlde, which is theyr GOD, and hath so blinded the eyes of theyr hartes, that they canne not see the cleare light of the Sacred Scripture, though they bable neuer so much of it.
But as concerning this matter, other men hauehave shewed your Grace theyr mindes, howe necessarye it is to hauehave the Scripture in Englishe. The whiche thing also your Grace hath promised by your last Proclamation: the whiche promise I pray God that your gracious highnesse may shortly perfourme, euen to day before to morrow. Nor let not the wickednesse of these worldly men deceiue you from your Godly purpose and promise.Perswation to let the Scripture to be read in Englishe. Remember the subtle worldly wise Counsellours of Hammon the sonne of Naas, king of the Ammonites, which, when Dauid had sent his Seruauntes to comfort the young King for the death of his Father, by craftye imaginations counselled Hammon, not alonely not to receiue them gentlye, but to entreate them moste shamefully and cruelly saying: that they came not to comfort him, Sinister counsell about Princes.but to espye and searche his lande so that afterward they bringing Dauid word how eueryevery thing stood Dauid mighte come and conquere it. And so they caused the young king to sheare theyr heades, and cut theyr coates by the poyntes, and sent thē away like fooles: whom he ought rather to hauehave made much of, and to hauehave entreated them gently, and hauehave geuen them great thankes and rewards. O wretched Councellers.Wicked … his owne de…struction. But see what followed of thys carnall and worldly wisedome. Truly nothing but destruction of all the whole Realme, and also of all them whiche tooke theyr partes.
Therefore good king, seeyng that the right Dauid, that is to say, our Sauiour Christ hath sent his Seruauntes, that is to say, true preachers, and his owne worde also to comfort our weake and sicke soules, let not these worldlye menne make your Grace beleue that they wil cause insurrections and heresies, and such mischiefes as they imagine of theyr owne madde braynes,VnderUnder the … Christes Gospell. Obiection preuented and aunswered. The cause and cause…s of … kinges Proclamation against …he reading of Scripture booke▪ in …. He meane…h o… Cronmer, Cromwell. & one or two mo…, agaynst whom the Bishop of Winchester & his faction did preuayle. least that he be auenged vponupon you and your Realme, as was Dauid vponupon the Ammonites, and as he hath euer beene auenged vppon them which hauehave obstinately withstand and gainsayd his word. But peraduenture they will lay this agaynst me, and saye that experience doth shew, how that such men as call them selues folowers of the Gospell, regardeth not your Graces commaundement, neither set by your Proclamation, and that was well prooued by these persons which of late were punished in London for keeping of suche bookes as your grace had prohibited by proclamation: and so like as they regarded not this, so they will not regard or esteme other your Graces lawes, statutes and ordinaunces. But this is but a craftye perswasion. For your grace knoweth that there is no manne liuing, specially that loueth worldly promotion, that is so foolish to set forth, promote, or enhaunce his enemy, wherby he should be let of his worldly pleasures and fleshly desires: but rather he will seek all the wayes possible that he can, vtterly to confoūd, destroy and put him out of the way. And so as cōcerning your last proclamation, prohibiting such books, the very true cause of it, and chiefe Counsellors (as men saye, and of likelyhoode it should be) were they whose euill liuing and cloked hypocrisy these bookes vttered and disclosed. And howbeit that there were 3. or 4. that would hauehave had the Scripture to go forth in Englishe, yet it happened there, as it is euermore sene, that the most parte ouercommeth the better, and so it might be that these men did not take this proclamation as yours, but as theyrs set foorth in your name, as they hauehave done many times moe, which hath put this your Realme in great hinderaunce and trouble, and brought it to great penury,A practise of Prelates, to conuey their owne proclamations vnderunder the kinges name and authoritye. He meaneth of the Pope, which went about to driue K. Henry out of his kingdome, and that not without some adherentes, nere about the king. The cause of insurrections is falsly layed vponupon English bookes: but rather is to be lyed vponupon the Popes pardōs. Extortioners, Bribers, theeues, be the greatest enemyes to the Gospell to be in Englishe. and more would hauehave done if God had not mercifully prouided to bring your Grace to knowledge of the falsehoode and priuy treason, which theyr head and Captayne was about: and be you sure not without adherents, if the matter be duely searched. For what maruel is it, that they being so nigh of your Councell, and so familiar wyth your Lordes, shoulde prouoke both your Grace and them to prohibite these bookes, which before by theyr owne authority hauehave forbidden the new Testament, vnderunder payn of euerlasting damnation: for such is theyr maner, to sende a thousand men to hel, ere they send one to God, and yet the new Testament (and so I thinke by ye other) was me…kely offered to eueryevery man that would and could, to amend it, if there were any fault.
Moreouer, I will aske them the causes of all insurrections, whiche hath beene in this Realme heretofore. And whence is it that there be so many Extortioners, bribers, murtherers, and theeues which dayly do not breake onelyonly your graces lawes, ordinaunces, and statutes, but also the lawes and commaundementes of almighty God? I think they will not say these bookes, but rather theyr Pardons which causeth many a man to sinne in trust of them. For as for those malefactours which I nowe rehearsed, you shall not finde one amongest a hundreth, but that he wil cry out both of these bookes, and also of them that hauehave them, yea & will be glad to spend the good whiche he hath wrongfullye gotten, vponupon Fagots to burne both the bookes and them that hauehave them.
And as touching these men that were latelye punished for these bookes, there is no man (I heare say) that can lay any word or deede agaynst them that shoulde sound to the breaking of any of your graces lawes (this onelyonly except) if it be yours, and not rather theyrs.The froward lyfe of the Gospellers, is not to be layd to the Gospel. And be it so that there be some that hauehave these bookes, that bee euill, vnruely, and selfe willed persons, not regarding Gods lawes nor mās, yet these bookes be not the cause therof, no more then was the bodily presence of Christ and his wordes the cause that Iudas fell, but theyr owne froward mind and carnal wit, which shoulde be amended by the vertuous example of lyuing of their Curates, & by the true expositiō of the scripture. If the lay people had suche Curates that would thus doe theyr office,Lacke of good Curates, is the cause of all mischiefe in the Realme. these bookes nor the Deuill himselfe coulde not hurte them, nor make them to goe out of frame, so that the lacke of good Curates is the destruction and cause of al mischiefe. Neyther doe I write these thinges because that I will either excuse these menne lately punished or to affirme al to be true writtē in these books, which I hauehave not all read, but to shew that there can not such inconuenience folow of them, and specially of the scripture as they would make men beleue should folow.
And though it bee so that your Grace maye by other bookes, and namely by the Scripture it selfe know & perceiue the hipocrite Wolues clad in sheepes clothing, yet I thinke my selfe bounde in conscience to vtter vntounto your grace such thinges as God put in mind to write.… And this I do (God so iudge me) not for hate of any person or persons liuing, nor for that that I thinke the word of GOD should go forth without persecution, if your Grace hadde commaunded that eueryevery man within your Realme should hauehave it in his mothers tongue. For the Gospell must needes hauehave persecution vntounto the time that it bee preached throughout all the world, which is the last signe yt Christe shewed to his Disciples that should come before the daye of iudgement: so that if your grace had once commaunded that the scripture shoulde be put forth, the deuill would set forth some wyle or other to persecute the trueth. But my purpose is, for the louelove that I hauehave to God principally, & the glory of his name, which is only known by his word, and for the true allegiaunce that I owe vntounto your Grace, and not to hide in the grounde of my hart the talent geuen me of God, but to chaffer it forth to other, that it may encrease to the pleasure of God, to exhort your grace to auoid and beware of these mischieuous flatterers and their abhominable wayes and counsels.
And take heed whose counsels your grace doth take in this matter: for there be some that for feare of losing of their worldly worship and honor, will not leaue theyr opinion, which rashly, and that to please menne withall by whome they had great promotion, they tooke vponupon them to defend by writing, so that now they thinke that all theyr felicity which they put in this life, should be mard, and their wisedome not so greatlye regarded, if that whiche they hauehave so slaunderously oppressed, should be now put forth and allowed. But alas, let these men remember S. Paul, how feruent he was agaynst the truth (and that of a good zeale) before he was called: he thought no shame to suffer punishment & great persecutions for that which he before despised & called heresy. And I am sure that theyr liuing is not more perfect then S. Paules was, as concerning the outward workes of the law, before he was conuerted.
Also the king and Prophete Dauid was not ashamed to forsake his good intent in building of the Temple,… to Gods word. By Nathan we may learne not … to call … our w…rdes when we … Gods pleasure to …. The Popes … geuen to K. Henry. after that the Prophet Nathan had shewed him that it was not the pleasure of god that he should build any house for him: and notwithstanding that Nathan had before allowed & praysed the purpose of Dauid, yet he was not ashamed to reuoke and eat his words againe when he knew that they were not according to Gods will and pleasure.
Wherefore they be sore drowned in worldly wisedome that thinke it agaynst theyr worship to knowledge theyr ignoraunce: whom I pray to God that your grace may es…ye, and take heede of theyr worldly wisedome, whiche is foolishnes before God, that you may do that that God cō maundeth, and not that seemeth good in your owne sighte without the word of God, that your grace may be founde acceptable in his sight and one of the mēbers of his church and according to the office that he hath called your Grace vntounto, you may be found a faythfull minister of his giftes, and not a defender of his fayth, for hee will not hauehave it defended by man or mans power, but by his wordes onelyonly, by the whiche he hath euermore defended it, and that by a way farre aboue mans power or reason, as all the stories of the Bible maketh mention.
Defender of the …ayth no … title for man.Wherefore gracious king remember your selfe, hauehave pity vponupon your soule, and thinke that the daye is euen at hand when you shall geue accountes of your office and of the bloud that hath bene shedde with your sworde. In the which day that your grace may stand stedfastly and be not ashamed, but to be cleare and readye in your reckoning & to hauehave (as they say) your Quites est, sealed with the bloude of our Sauiour Christ whiche onelyonly serueth at that day,The …ayth of Christ is … by man …, but … Christ …. is my dayly prayer to him that suffered death for our sinnes, which also prayeth to his father for grace for vsus continually. To whom be all honour and prayse for euer. Amē. The spirit of God preserue your Grace. Anno Domini 1530. 1. die Decembris.
In this Letter of Mayster Latimer to the king aboue prefixed, many thinges we hauehave to consider: First his good conscience to God,… of M. Latimer to the … to be co…idered. his good will to the king, the duety of a right Pastour vntounto trueth, his tender care to the common wealth, and especially to the Church of Christ. Further we hauehave to consider the abuse of Princes courtes, how kinges many times be abused with flatterers and wicked coūsellers aboute them, and especially wee maye note the subtle practises of prelates, in abusing the name and authority of kinges to set forth theyr owne malignaunt proceedinges. We may see moreouer, and rather maruell at in the sayde letter, the great boldnes and diuine stoutnes in this man, who as yet being no Bishop,The heauenly courage of M. Latimer in discharging his conscience. so freely and playnely without all feare of death aduentring his owne life to discharge his cōscience, durst so boldly, to so mighty a Prince, in such a daungerous case agaynst the kinges law and proc…amation set out, in such a terrible time, take vponupon him to write, and to admonish that, which no coūseller durst once speak vntounto him, in defence of Christes Gospell. Whose example if the Bishops and Prelates of this Realme, for theyr partes likewise in like cases of necessity would followe (as in deed they should) so many thinges peraduenture woulde not be so out of frame as they be, and all for lacke that the officers of Gods word do not theyr duty.
Finally, this moreouer in the sayd letter is to be noted, how blessedly almighty God wroughte with his faythfull seruaunt, whose bolde aduenture, and wholesome counsel, though it did not preuayl through the iniquity of the time:The King well pleased with the playnnes of M. Latimer. yet notwithstanding GOD so wrought with his seruāt in doynge his duetye, that no daunger, nor yet displeasure rose to him thereby, but rather thankes and good will of the Prince: for not long after the same he was aduaunced by the king to the Bishopricke of Worcester, as is aboue declared.
Seing M. Latimer was so bolde and playne with the king (as is afore specified) no greate maruell if he did vse like freedome and playnes toward other meaner persons in admonishing them of theyr misorder, especially if anye such occasion were geuen, where trueth and equity requyred his defence agaynst iniurye and oppression. For example whereof we hauehave an other Letter of his, written to a certayne Iustice of peace in Warwickshyre, who as he is long since departed, so he shall be here vnnamed. The letter although it may seme somewhat long and tedious: yet I thought here not to ouerpasse the same for diuers & sondry respectes: first that the vertue and faythfull conscience of this good Pastor may appeare more at large: also for that all other Bishops and pastors by this example may learn with like zeale and stomacke to discharge theyr duety and conscience in reforming thinges amisse and in pouderyng with the salt of Gods word the sores of the people.Example for Bishops and al… good Pastors to follow. Whiche thing if eueryevery Bishop for his part within his Dioces had done in king Edwardes dayes, in redressing such corruption of that time with like diligence as this man did, verely I suppose that the persecution of queene Mary had not so plagued the Realme as it did: but where as neuer man almost liueth in due order, and yet neuer a Bishoppe will styrre to seeke redresse, what can become of the Realme? Item,Warning to Iustices of peace. an other respecte is because of the Iustices and all other placed in roome and office, which may take heed hereby, not to abuse theyr authority to tread downe trueth and beare downe poore men with open wrong through extortion or partiality: and finally that all iniurious oppressors whatsoeuer, by the sayd letter may take some fruit of wholsome admonition. What the argument and occasion was of this letter, I shewed before. The tenour and purporte thereof, as it was written to the Gentleman, is this as foloweth.