A Sermon of Henry Gold Vicar of Ospringe 1525 - 27 Preached before Archbishop Warham
This draft sermon, briefly indicated by Professor Gairdner in Letters and Papers of Henry the Sth for 1534 (No. 523, 8, ii) is among the papers which were confiscated from Henry Gold, an adherent of the Holy Maid of Kent, at the time of his arrest. As is well known, he was executed with her in 1534. It has not been printed before, and for four reasons at least has a certain interest. In the first place, Gold himself enjoys the uncomfortable eminence of those who came to a violent death, which is unaffected by whatever sympathy (or otherwise) one has for his case. Secondly, in the year 1522 during a distinguished career at Cambridge he was chosen as one of the university preachers : we thus have here a fairly good specimen of pulpit eloquence of that period. Thirdly, it contains very valuable criticism of the state of the monasteries in his time, free from the unscrupulous and covetous exaggerations of the Cromwellian visitators, yet strong and courageous. Lastly, apart from Gold’s own connections with Kent, the sermon was probably delivered before Archbishop Warham, whose secretary he was, at the visitation of a Kentish monastery. In another sermon of a similar kind he refers to the visitor before whom he is preaching as a “ venerable prelate ” and as having reached “ impotent old age ” (Ibid., No. 523, 8, iii). It is extremely probable that this was Warham.
One of the most remarkable things about Elizabeth Barton was the friendship and esteem in which she was held by educated men. Gold was no exception to this rule. Born probably at St. Neots in Huntingdonshire, he was a Fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge from its inception. The distinctions he gained at the university may be traced in the Cambridge Grace Books. On June 11th, 1525, he was presented to the vicarage of Ospringe in Kent (being the first vicar nominated by St. John’s) and was instituted by Archbishop Warham on June 17th of the same year. He resigned on September 17th, 1527, and was succeeded by Dr. Longforth, the President of the college, having in the meantime become one of Archbishop Warham’s chaplains. According to Fuller in his History of Cambridge University the living of Ospringe was worth £10 a year. This is the valuation in the King’s Books.
On December 10th, 1526, the Archbishop made him Rector of the important parish of St. Mary Aldermary, London, and later Vicar of Hayes in Middlesex (December 23rd, 1529), both of which were " peculiars ” of Canterbury, i.e. in the gift of the archbishops though outside their territory. Both these benefices he held until his death. Three [pg35]letters written to Gold from Louvain by Nicholas Darington, also a Fellow of St. John’s, have been printed by P. S. Alien in Some Letters of Masters and Scholars (Eng. Hist. Rev., Vol. 22, 1907). The best account of Gold is to be found in the Eagle, the magazine of St. John’s College, for June (1915), pp. 253-83. Many letters of his are preserved among the State Papers and his correspondents include Archbishop Warham, Elizabeth Barton, John Dering (also executed with him), Gonell, friend of Erasmus and for a time tutor to the children of Sir Thomas More, Richard Reynolds, the most learned monk of his time who was put to death in 1535 and later beatified by Rome, and others. One letter addressed to Gold by Robert Ridley contains some interesting criticisms of Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament.
Certain features in the sermon, which however shows much repetition (notably pp. 40 and 41), make it worth reprinting. It shows that some religious houses before the Dissolution were already greatly impoverished. The preacher seems to have known some Hebrew, judging from some notes in the margin. He shows considerable foresight in his forebodings of the coming storm. Though a convinced supporter of the old order he has some strong words to say, particularly on gluttony and the pomp and vanity of some monastic priors and lesser officials. He translates each Latin quotation into English afterwards for the benefit of the lay brothers present. The sermon bravely upholds the true monastic ideal with its triple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and the parallelism from the Old Testament is both original and apt.
The Sermon
Ascendit in cor eius, ut visitaret fratres suos filios Israeli. Act. 7o.
This sentence of the holy euangeliste luke, wrytton in thactes of thapostoles the viith chapter do signifie thus moche to yow that be here onlernyd. Gode dyd put into the hartie of that deuoutie man Moyses, that he schuld viset hys brothern the chyldren of israell, and God dyd put into hys hartie thus to do, for this entent, that by that his visitation, hys said brithern mygth be delyuered a capiivitate egiptiica, from the myserable captiuitie & bondage of the egiptions. And now on lyke maner ascendit in cor eius, God hath put into the hartie of this deuoutie honorable father, ut visitaret fratres suos filios israell, that he schuld thus cume hither to visits yow, hys brothern in God, the children of israell. And that, I sey, for this entent that by this hys visitation he may lykewyse as Moyses dyd delyuer yow derly a captiuitate egiptiica from the greate captiuite & bondage, wherewith ye before [were] compresyd now of days. And so thus yow may see that this his graciouse porpose ys to restore yow onto yowr olde libertie & fredom. Therfor that God may gyf onto hym grace necessary to bryng this hys holly porpose to effeote, ye shall all devowtly pray ; in the wich prayer, &c. Preces fiant.
[pg36]Ascendit in cor eius, ut &c ubi supra.
For so moch as I haue schouyd onto yow that God dyd put into the harte of Moyses that he schuld visite his brothern the childern of israell for to delyuer them from the captiuitie of thegiptions: I do therfor now porpasse (by the help of god) for a firder prosses of this collation, to declare theis iii thinges onto yow. First, the maner how the childern of israell war oppressyd. Secundary, the cause why that they war oppressyd. Thirdly, the meanes wherby thei war delyuered from ther oppression & browghte to libertie : And so than I porpose to apply this history of the children of israell onto the state of religiouse men now of days. Therfor as to the first, that is, to schow yow how & wherin the children of israell war oppressyd, this thing Moyses hym self doith schow onto yow, Exodus lo, seying with greate lamentation, Oderant filios israell egiptii, Alas theis envious egiptions dyd utterly & dedly hate us the childern of israell, in token wherof affligebant illudentes, they did sore skorge & punyshe us, sore moke & skorn us: in so moch, quod ad amaritudinem producebant vitam nostram, that they made us very wery of owr lyvys, for they dyd grevously oppresse us dayly operibus duris luti & lateris, with intollerable labors, as in makyng of brykes, & in tredyng & temperyng of clay : imo a afamulatu in terre operibus premebant. Verely theis crewell egiptions pittously oppressyd us, thelecte peple of god, for thei compellyd & constrained us to do all vile erithly workes & labors. Here yow see evidently the maner how the children of israell war oppressyd : Now than secundary to schow onto yow the cause why they war thus oppressyd. This thing that crewell tyrane kyng pharo did schow onto his peple thegiptions in the said chapter of Exody, wher it apperith that he made this complaynt onto them seying Ecce populus filiorum israell multus, my peple & subiectes take heed & loke dyligently uppon the children of israell, for ye may see how they do dayly encrese wonderfully venite igitur sapienter opprimamus eum, therfor cume onto me your lord & kyng & gyve me your cownsell, how we may fynd some means wysly to oppresse them.lesse that they encresce to so greate & stronge a numbre that they schalbe able to make battell agenst us Et expugnatis nobis egrediatur de terra, and so ouercume us in battell, and than expelle & banyshe us derly owth of thys owr reahne. By theys childern of israell that war thus miserably oppressyd of kyng pharo & of hys peple thegiptions, by cause they dyd so greatly encresce in numbre, may be understondyd alle religyouse persons. They may welbe caUyd^Ki israell, the children of israel, for israell in hebrew is as moch as to sey, as vir videns deum, a man that seyth god. So all religious persons sunt aut essent israelite viri videntes deum, they be or schuld be men, wiche schuld euermore see god by ther stody in holly letters & by ther devote prayers & holly contemplations, for they be they that schuld trewly follow thapostolles of Christe in ther pewarnes & clenes of lyving, in token wherof, Christ [pg37]saith onto all good religiouse men, Math, v®. Kos estis lux mundi, yow that be my apostolles & all thois men that euer schall follow yowr holly & religiouse perfections, yow be the lanterns of ligth, not of oon cittie or ii, not of oon realme or ii, Bed estis lux mundi but yow be the very lanterns of clere ligth of all the world : Sic igitur luceat lux vestra, ut videant opera vestra bona & glorificent patrem vestrum qui in celis est. Therfor I straytly comawnd & charge yow, see that ye do so lyve, that all other men (wich hath not professyd them selfes to soch hyghe religyouse perfections, as ye have done) may be excitid & movyd to folowe virtue by your devoutie exhortations & holly examples of lyving ; so that by this your occasion your fader of hevin God almyghtie may be worschiphed & honorde of imperfecte & onreligiouse persons. We see that theis children of israell—theis religiouse persons, wiche war wonte to be howsys of greate riches be now constrayned by povertie to sell ther plaite, and sume to sell parte of ther londes, yeh we see that maney of ther fayer monasteres be utterly destroyd & plukked down, so that the tyme is now cume wherin religiouse men may lament & morne with the prophite David saying[fn1] Poluerunt templum sanctum tuum, & posuerunt Jerusalem in pomorum custodiam. Ps. 78® Good lord what mean this, that thow doist suffre men to spoyle & diffile thy holy temples, yeh thow hast suffred them so much quod posuerunt Jerusalem &c. that they have madd a garden an orchard uppon thy goodly cittie Jerusalem & uppon all the fayer temples that war in yt. In the hebrew it is not[fn2] in pomorum custodia, but it is in aceruis lapidum that is to sey they haue mad greate heppes of stones uppon Jerusalem & uppon all the goodly temples therof. I pray yow, do not wee thus see now of days religiouse places plukked down & gardens & fermes made uppon them, & the stonys that they war byldyd with all kast uppon greate heppes in hyghe ways & myary places, yeh and that within few myles of this monastery ? But what is the cause think ye of this ther greate oppression ? Trewly I fere that they that thus do punysh them, may lykewise excuse them onto us, as kyng pharo dyd excuse hym self onto his peple, seying onto them Ecce populus filiorum multus Yow that be good christien men take heyd & loke diligently upon religiouse men now of days & ye schall see that they encresce mervelously non in numero sed in vicio, not in numbre, but in viciouse & synfull lyving : venite igitur sapienter opprimamus eos, therfor layte us go wisly & oppresse them & put them owth of ther places & possessions, lese that they by ther viciouse & evile example of lyving, therby they schalbe cast owth & clerly banyshed de sancta Jerusalem, de terra viuentium, from the gloriouse cittie of hevin. For trewly theis men that thus destroys religiouse places, they sey they do it to this entent, that the possessions & londes of them myghth be applyd to better usys : [pg38]but whan men first gave ther londes onto religiouse men they thougth that they could not apply them to ony better or more vertuouse use, for that that religiouse men war at that tyme so holly & devoutie. but now trew religion is wonderfully dekayd from her old state of perfection, as it is thowgth, & that not only of theis men that be in greate auth- orite, but also me fere that it is a common proverbum amonge all maner of men ; wher schall a man fynd envy, pryd & glottoney & soch other vices but in the closter ? I pray God this be a fals proverbe, howbeit it is greatly feryd of gode men that ther be maney hedes of religion now of days, as priores & rectors & soche lyke men be so gevyn to worldly pryd & vanite that they loke that mean & poere men schuld call them my lord at euery word. Trowgh yow that soche heedes of religion be trew religiouse men ? noo trewly, but they be very aposta- taas, for they do folow the stepes of the prowd scribes & phareseis, & not of the meke apostols of Christe : of them Christ thus spekyth, Math, 220. Scribe & pharisei amant vocari ab hominibus Rabbi, Theis false hipocrites the scribes & phareseys, wich outwardly pretendith great perfection & holynes, be prikkyd upp with pryd, that they be. desiorouse & loke that euery man schuld call them maisters. Vos auiem nolite vocari rabbi, sed qui maior est vestrum, erit minister vester. but yow that be my apostoles, (saith Christ) and all thois that will trewly follow yowr stepes, nolite vocari rabbi, see that ye never desier in yowr hartes, ne thinke yowr selfes worthy to be callyd maisters, but he that is chossyn amonst yow to be maior vestrum, yowr hedd & gouernowr, he must accownte & grawnte hym selfe to be minister vester,. to be yowr mynister, yowr bayly, yowr common seruant & officer, & not yowr lord ne maister. We se also that sume ther be both abottes & priors of mean possessions, yeh sume religiouse men that be nether abottes ne priores, but only officers a monge them, as Selerrers, Kecheners, Sextens & soche lyke, wiche whan they ryde ony yorney they will haue a company of eeruyng men to wayte uppon them so great & well trymyd, that it wold becume a temporal! knygth or lord to ryd so gorgyously: Dowgtles the fownders of them that thus do did not gyve so goodly so profitable maners & towns onto them to thentent, that they schuld thus miserably abuse them in worldly pompe & glory: Therfor they that thus abuse ther fowndations lat them not dowgth but this ther pryd is abominable in the sygth of God & he will sore skorge them for yt, lyke as he doth lovingly gyve them monition of by his prophite Amos, c. 60, saying ve vobis ingredientes pompatice domum israell, detestor enim superbiam vestram. Thois men (saith God) that do entre into the howse of israell, of religion of them that allways schuld see God by ther holly contemplations, if they do abuse the goodes of ther places pom- patice, in pompe & pryd of the world contrary to ther profession, Destestor ego superbiam vestram, this ther prid is abominably in my syth & therfor after this lif ve vobis the euerlasting sorow & woo of the [pg39]panes of hele schall lygth uppon all soch prowd religious persons. Firdermore it is not onknown that in many places of religion, oon religious man schall haue for hys pitance meet sufficient for viith or viiith persons, God gyve grace, that maney of them put not ther chef delite & felicite in fedyng ther bodes, mor lyke epicures than men wiche hathe professyd ther lyvys to greate abstinence & fasting. For theis soche apostataats that thus spend ther lyvys in glotteney & dronkennes God doith sore threeth in the said chapter of Amos wher yt thus folowithe ve vobis dico, qui comeditis agnum de grege & vitulos de medio armenti. Also thoys that entre into the howse of israell of religion & do put ther pleassures inordinatly in fedyng ther bodes with fate lambes of ther foldes, & with fate calfes of ther herdes & drovys, ve vobis dico, I sey agen (saith God) after this lif theuerlasting woo & sorow of the pannys of hele schall lygth uppon all soch, for thowghe it be so that canitis ad vocem psalterii, that soche religiouse men do dayly syng the holly psalmys of the psalter so solumly quod sicut David putatis vos habere vasa cantici that they thinko them selfes to haue lyke clene vessels, lyke pewer soles to practise theis holly songes as the holly prophite Dauyd hadd, whan ther belles be fillyd with deliciouse wyne, & with swannys cranes & faate venison pastes bibentes vinum in phiolis & optimo unguento delibuti, in excesse of metes & drinkes nihil compatie- bantur super contristationem Joseph and whan that they that be such glotton or drenkars hath fyllyd ther owyn belles than they haue not compassion ne pittie uppon poere Joseph, ypon poere peple, that lyghe in the depe sestern of hunger & thorste, of syknes & deseese. For sume of them had rather feed howndes grewons[fn1] & dogges, with that met that they leve of ther seyd pitans than poere men ; lyke as that prowd glotton Dives Epulo did. And in sume places sume of them do sell ther met that they do leue onto them that be howsholders. The rewar of all soche religiouse persons that thus abuse ther fowndations in defrawdyng poere peple after this lif schalbe ve vobis the euerlasting payne of hele. For this word ve in holly scripture do signifie payne euerlasting, after the mynd of that greate clarke Beede in thexposition of the xiiiith chapter of theuangeliste Marke. And God wilnot only thus punyshe religiouse men, that thus abuse ther fowndations in pryd & glottoney with payne euerlasting after this lif; but also he will sore punysh them here in this lyf, lyke as he gyvith them warning of by his said prophite Amos in the aforsaid chapter, wher it thus folowith, Dominus mandavit, & percutiet domum maiorem ruinis, <£> domum minorem scissionibus, Behold this thing, yow that be religiouse persons (saith the prophite Amos) how that dominus mandavit God hath straytly commawndyd thois that be the heedes & governowrs of his peple, that they schall stryke down domum maiorem yowr greate & fayer places ruinis onto the hard grownde, & also they schall stryke down domum [pg40]minorem scissionibus & rend them in peces onto ther very fowndations. Therfor accordyng to this prophicie yt is to be ferd that the very cause of this your oppression now of days, is, for that maney reJigiouse men do not lyf after the holly perfection of ther religion : for if they war trew Israelites always seing God by ther holy living dowtles God wold not suffice them thus myserably to be oppressyd ; and this thing apperith well in the old law, for so long as the children of israell lyvyd after the lawes of God, ther enymys cowld never have ony power uppon them, but whan they forsoke the lawes of God & fell abominably to synne than God sufficed Nabugodonoser kyng of babilon, as apperith 4 Begum ultimo and also that tyrane Kyng antiochus as apperith 2o machai to ouercome the children of Ysraell & to distroy ther cittes & rob & spoyle ther temples ; and for this cause the prophite David in this psalme, Deus, venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam, pohierunt templum sanctum suum &c Pituously doith kry onto God for help & soker, saying, Usquequaque irasceris infinem. Alas good Lord wolt thow style suffre owre enymys thus to ouercome us & spoyle owr temples ; we know well thow dost thus punysh us for owr iniquite & syne, ne reminisceris iniquitatum antiquarum nostrarum. Therfor now we beseche the mercifull Lord remembre no more our old offensys, sed cito anticipent nos misericordie tue, but take us schortly onto thy mercy. Quia pauperes facti sumus nimis for our enymys hath browgth us onto greate & extreme pouertie. Thus religiouse men now of days may welle confesse with the holly prophite Dauid quia pauperes facti surd nimis, that they be browgth onto wonderfull povertie & great oppression for ther iniquite & syne : Here yow see than the cause, why that God sufferyth his children of israell his religiouse peple to be oppressyd. Therfor I proposse now to schow yow how & by what means they may be delyuered from this ther seruitute ; trewly they can be delyuered no other ways but only as the children of israell war. They war delyuered from the seruitute of kyng pharo & thegiptions by the help & means of [a] man callyd Moyses, wich Moyses was in the singler favor of God, in so moch that God dyd gyve first onto hym the knowlege of the old law, wich therfor is callyd onto this day lex moseica, Moyses law. Whan, I sey, this Moyses did see into how greate myserie & bondage that the children of israell war browgth, than ascendit in cor eius, than God did put into his harte, ut visitaret fratres suos filios Israeli, that he schuld delyuer his brothern the childern of israell from yt by his visitasion, And God schowyd onto hym the maner how he schuld delyuer them, for he commawndyd hym to go onto kyng pharo & say this message onto hym. Dominus Deus Hebreorum vocauit nos, ibimus via/m trium dierum in solitudinem, ut invmolemus domino Deo nostro, And it please yowr grace (said Moyses) onto kyng pharo, The Lord & god of us the childern of Israeli hath callyd us to cume onto hym into Wyldernes, by the space of iiith days yorney ut immolemus domino [pg41]deo nostro, to this entent that we schuld ther make our oblations & sacrifycys onto hym our lord & God. Thus I sey must yow that be religiouse men be now delyuerede from yowre captiuitie by an other Moyses, that is by this honorablie & devoutie father.[fn1] This is he that may welbe callyde Moyses, for Moyses in thegipte townghe is as moche to say as aqua water. He hadd theys name gevyn onto hym by cause that kyng pharos darter Tulit sum de aqua Exo xo fownde hym a yong babe swymmyng uppon the water in a basket. So this honorable prelat of the chirch, yowr visitor, may well (I say) be callyd Moyses, watter ; quia aqua sapientie salutaris potauit Mum dominus deus noster Eccli. 15o for owr lord God hath not only fownd hym swymmyng uppon the water of his holly lawes & doctrine but also he hath fyllyd hys sole plentuously with the same holsome water, This yowr loving Moyses consydering the greate dekay & seruitute that ye be in he is very desioriose to redeme yow from yt, and therfor I sey Ascendit in cor eius ut visitaret fratres suos filios israell, God hath put into his harte now to cume hither to visite yow his brithern in God the childern of israell, viri videntes deum, men wich always schuld see God by yowr holy lyving. And thus do, he must needes say onto yow, as Moyses said onto Kyng pharo, Dominus deus hebreorum vocavit vos, ibitis in solitudinem viam trium dierum, ut immoletis domino deo vestro. The lord & god of yow Israelites, of yow religiouse men, bathe callyd yow by hys grace inspyryd into yowr soles to cume onto hym into wildernes, by the space of ni days yorney, ther to do sacrifice onto hym. Yf ye will thus go onto Gode thither as he hath callyd yow ther is no doute but he will delyuer yow from this yowr miserie, lyke as he dyde the childern of israell. Yow here that he hathe callyd yow, not to cume onto hym to the ale house, to the markat place wher ye schall kard or dice ne yet onto the feldes, wher ye schall hake or hunte, scoote or baile : but he hath callyd yow in solitudinem, to cume onto hym into wildernes, wher as ye may lif in greate quietnes, for thexercysyng of your holly mediatations & prayers. And for this cause all religiouse men, at the begynnyng of religion war callyd monachi /uovaxoi 5’ d in greke signyfith solitarius, a man that lyvith solitary alone : Thus all, I sey, religiouse men schuld go in solitudinem into ther closters & celles ther lyving soliterry withowthe worldly troble & bysynes ther so quietly spendyng ther lyvys in prayer & contemplation, but we se now of days that maney religiouse men do so diligently apply them selfes to worldly facultes & kraftes, that dyuers of them be accowntyd the chef devisors that be in englond of new & strawnge fascions in byldyng : in so moch that sume of them for this ther pollices & worldly wysdom be in greate favor with eritly princes & with other noble temporal) men. All soche worldly religiouse men seynt paule reprovith, as apperithe evidently be the commawndment, wich he dyd gyve onto his disciple Timothe 2» c. 2o. Labora sicut bonus [pg42]miles Christi Jesu, nemo enim militans deo, implicat se negociis seculari- bus, ut ei placeat cui se probauit. My disciple Tymothe (said seynt Paule) yf thow wilt lyve the lyve of trew perfection, of trew religion thow must than exercyse thy selfe in greate paynes & labors, not in eritly & worldly labors as thowgh thow war a faytfull seruant onto an erytly prince ; but thow must always labor pro celestibus sicut bonus miles Christi Jesu, as a good & trew soger of Christ Jesu, for this oon thing I essewer the my disciple, Nemo militans deo implicat se negociis secularibus ut ei placeat cui se probauit. Ther is no man that hath wilfully professyd hym selfe onto a contemplatiue & reEgiouse lif & do retome from yt onto temporal! besynessys & labors that can please God. Therfor yow that will please God ye must accordyng onto yowr promise & vow leve the trebles & besynes of the world & go onto hym in solitu- dinem into yowr closters & selles, wich be places of quictnes. But how far do God call yow reEgiouse persons to cume onto hym into this wyldernes ? Ibitis viam trium dierum, ye must go onto hym therin by the full space of theis in days yorneys, that is to sey, by wilful pouertie, by meke obedience & by pewar virginitie, for theis ui days Jorneys be caUyd tria vota essentialia religionis, the in essentiall vouvys of religion; so that whoo so euer do not obserue ony of theis three he is not worthy to be callyd a reEgiouse man. Therfor all they that wilbe accowntyd as trew reEgiouse men they must nedes obserue faithfully thys com- mawndment wiche Moyses dyd gyve onto the childern of israell, Deutero. 24». Cum votum voueris domino deo tuo, non tardabis reddere. Whan so euer ony of yow the childern of israell, thelecte peple of God, do make ony solome vow onto yowr lord God, see that ye do fulfyle yowr vow by & by, withowth ony delaye ; guia requiret illud dominus deus tuus, for thy lord God, man, will straytly requier the performyng therof, moo moche that if thow doist differe to fulfyUe it reputabitur tibi in peccatum : I essewer the (sayd Moyses) for these delayes thow schalbe reputyd & takyn for a greate synner before the face of God, quia si volueris poUiceri absque p ... 1 eius, for if thow hade made no soche vow ne promyse onto God by thy owyn free mynd & will, thow schuld not so haue synyd in that behalf before God, & modo igitur propria voluntate semel egressum est de labiis tuis, obseruabis & facies sicut promisisti domino deo tuo: therfor man what so euer holy vow & promyse that thow doyst make at any tyme by thy owyn fre will, in ony wyse obserue & fulfyle it iustly, sicut promisisti domino deo tuo, accordyng as thow doist promysse onto thy lord God. Except ye thus do ye here by thys seying that (the) God of Moyses will accownte ye as greate synners, and no merveil, for do we not see that if a man broke his promise with another, he is therfor take a monge men as a wreohe & a false deseytefull person, moch more than that a reEgiose person that makyth solom vowys & promyssys onto God almygthie & do nott trewly fulfyle them is worthy to be caUyd a wreche & a false deceytfull [pg43]person. Therfor in ony wyse see thow go onto God, wich hath callyd yow by thinspiration of his singler grace into the secret & quiete places & that by the space of theis iii dayes yorneys, by poverte, obedience & chastite, and if ye thus cume onto hym, than ye nede not fere ut immoletis domino deo vestro, for to make yowr prayers & petitions onto God to be delyuered from yowr impoveryshment & miserie, for dowgtles he will gladly here yow & delyuer yow here in thys lif from all soch myserable oppression of yowr enymys & that if nede be manu forti by his dedly power lyke as he dyd the childern of israell; And also after this lif he will bryng yow to hys euerlasting glory in hevin, To the wiche, &c.
Dixi.
[fn]1|grewhound, greyhound.[/fn]
[fn]1|No doubt Archbishop Warham ?[/fn]