X. THOMAS CHAPMAN TO MASTER NEWELL. (fn. 1)

1538.

In nomine Jhesu.

Dandumque tibi salutem. Master Newell, all commendacyons and thankes presupposyd. I pray yow be good to me yn a cause; but ffyrst here ye what movys me to wrytte: the apostyll sayth ad Ro. 14 and I^a Co. viij (fn. 2) , si esca mea scandalizat fratrem meum non manducabo carnes in eternum: and yet yt were but scandalum acceptum et non datum, therfor yt doyth consquently ffolow off this that euery man is bownd to eschewe that thinge wherby hys neybur ys offendyd or wylle be offendyd except yt be a thynge de necessitate salutis eterne. Yff thys be tru yn metes and drynkes, yt must be tru yn aparell a forciori. Lyke wysse 2^a cap ait que facio faciam ut amputem occasionem eorum qui occasionem querunt: theys spake he off resyvyng off necessaryes off the corynthys to home he precheyd, the which he wold not receyve that other shuld cesse thar evyll doyng or els covetus precheyng. Also prima Co. 2°: (fn. 3) veni ad vos non in sublimitate sermonis ne evacuetur: ther also thys Math. v. Nolite jurare omnino: non prohibuit juramentum set occasionem periurii. And many other placys off scripture. He prohibyth the thynge that ys good i-now when yt ys or may be occasyon off ewyll, and so to say to yow at ffew wordes the kote that we were and the ffacyon that sum off us use ys the occasyon off ewyll. I am Warden, and have laburd to amende yt, and yt passyth my abylite; wheruppon I perceyve that yt ys nere and also tyme to call ffor more helpe then we have amonge us. Ther ys not won yn owyr howse but he wuld gladly change his kote, so that thay had a lywyng provydyd as thay have now; the which lewyng I kowd dewyse to them justly, and put the kynges grace to no cost nor yet begg ffor yt. I wuld show thys to my lord privy sele, the whiche hath all way byn my good lord at many tymys, but I here say that off layt hys lordchypp gaffe commandment that we should not cum yn to speke with hym. Yff yt wuld plese hys lordchyppe to speke with me, I kowd putt hys lordchyppe yn remembrans off sum thynges, the which shuld be a way toward a better order off relygyon then ys now. I thynke to hys plesur and to goddes honor. I wuld yt war your chanse to talke with my lord privy sele off thys mater, ffor I know that ye be my ffrynd and wuld say better off me then I have deservyd. I showyd yow parte off my mynd when I was with yow. I am the same man that I was then. I cowd breke thys mater to sum abowth hym, but thay have so many other mens maters that owyr shuld be forgot. We thynk long euerychon off us tyll we have changgyd our koote. So ffare ye well as I wuld yn god and yn the world. Per tuum fratrem thom[am] Chapman, gardianum ffratrum minorum Londini. . . . (fn. 4)

To the Ryght Reuerent master Newell, steward to my Ryght honorabyll lord off Cantorbery, yn Lambyth be thys delyveryd yn hast.

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