Oh London, London! repent, repent; for I think God is more displeased with London than ever he was with the city of Nebo.  Repent therefore, repent, London, and remember that the same God liveth now that punished Nebo, even the same God, and none other; and he will punish sin as well now as he did then:  and he will punish the iniquity of London, as well as he did then of Nebo.  Amend therefore.  And ye that be prelates, look well to your office, for right prelating is busy labouring, and not lording.  Therefore preach and teach, and let your plough be doing.  Ye lords, I say, that live like loiterers, look well to your office; the plough is your office and charge.  If you live idle and loiter, you do not your duty, you follow not your vocation:  let your plough therefore be going, and not cease, that the ground may bring forth fruit.

But now methinketh I hear one say unto me:  Wot ye what you say?  Is it a work?  Is it a labour?  How then hath it happened that we have had so many hundred years so many unpreaching prelates, lording loiterers, and idle ministers?  Ye would have me here to make answer, and to show cause thereof.  Nay, this land is not for me to plough; it is too stony, too thorny, too hard for me to plough.  They have so many things that make for them, so many things to lay for themselves, that it is not for my weak team to plough them.  They have to lay for themselves long customs, ceremonies and authority, placing in parliament, and many things more.  And I fear me this land is not yet ripe to be ploughed:  for, as the saying is, it lacketh weathering:  this gear lacketh weathering; at least way it is not for me to plough.  For what shall I look for among thorns, but pricking and scratching?  What among stones, but stumbling?  What (I had almost said) among serpents, but stinging?  But this much I dare say, that since lording and loitering hath come up, preaching hath come down, contrary to the apostles’ times:  for they preached and lorded not, and now they lord and preach not.  For they that be lords will ill go to plough:  it is no meet office for them; it is not seeming for their estate.  Thus came up lording loiterers:  thus crept in unpreaching prelates; and so have they long continued.  For how many unlearned prelates have we now at this day!  And no marvel:  for if the ploughmen that now be were made lords, they would clean give over ploughing; they would leave off their labour, and fall to lording outright, and let the plough stand:  and then both ploughs not walking, nothing should be in the commonweal but hunger.  For ever since the prelates were made lords and nobles, the plough standeth; there is no work done, the people starve.  They hawk, they hunt, they card, they dice; they pastime in their prelacies with gallant gentlemen, with their dancing minions, and with their fresh companions, so that ploughing is set aside:  and by their lording and loitering, preaching and ploughing is clean