what do men in bishops’ Consistories?  Shall you often see the punishments assigned by the laws executed, or else money-redemptions used in their stead?  How think you by the ceremonies that are in England, oft times, with no little offence of weak consciences, contemned; more oftener with superstition so defiled, and so depraved, that you may doubt whether it were better some of them to tarry still, or utterly to take them away?  Have not our forefathers complained of the ceremonies, of the superstition, and estimation of them?

Do ye see nothing in our holidays? of the which very few were made at the first, and they to set forth goodness, virtue, and honesty:  but sithens, in some places, there is neither mean nor measure in making new holidays, as who should say, this one thing is serving of God, to make this law, that no man may work.  But what doth the people on these holidays?  Do they give themselves to godliness, or else ungodliness?  See ye nothing, brethren?  If you see not, yet God seeth.  God seeth all the whole holidays to be spent miserably in drunkenness, in glossing, in strife, in envy, in dancing, dicing, idleness, and gluttony.  He seeth all this, and threateneth punishment for it.  He seeth it, which neither is deceived in seeing, nor deceiveth when he threateneth.

Thus men serve the devil; for God is not thus served, albeit ye say ye serve God.  No, the devil hath more service done unto him on one holiday, than on many working days.  Let all these abuses be counted as nothing, who is he that is not sorry, to see in so many holidays rich and wealthy persons to flow in delicates, and men that live by their travail, poor men, to lack necessary meat and drink for their wives and their children, and that they cannot labour upon the holidays, except they will be cited, and brought before our Officials?  Were it not the office of good prelates to consult upon these matters, and to seek some remedy for them?  Ye shall see, my brethren, ye shall see once, what will come of this our winking.

What think ye of these images that are had more than their fellows in reputation; that are gone unto with such labour and weariness of the body, frequented with such our cost, sought out and visited with such confidence?  What say ye by these images, that are so famous, so noble, so noted, being of them so many and so divers in England?  Do you think that this preferring of picture to picture, image to image, is the right use, and not rather the abuse, of images?  But you will say to me, Why make ye all these interrogations? and why, in these your demands, do you let and withdraw the good devotion of the people?  Be not all things well done, that are done with good intent, when they be profitable to us?  So, surely, covetousness both thinketh and speaketh.  Were it not better for us, more for estimation, more meeter for men in our places, to cut away a piece of this our profit, if we will not cut away all, than to wink at such ungodliness,