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 gone. And thus
if the ploughmen of the country were as negligent in their office as
prelates be, we should not long live, for lack of sustenance. And as it
is necessary for to have this ploughing for the sustentation of the body,
so must we have also the other for the satisfaction of the soul, or else
we cannot live long ghostly. For as the body wasteth and consumeth away
for lack of bodily meat, so doth the soul pine away for default of
ghostly meat. But there be two kinds of inclosing, to let or hinder both
these kinds of ploughing: the one is an inclosing to let or hinder the
bodily ploughing, and the other to let or hinder the holiday-ploughing,
the church-ploughing.

The bodily ploughing is taken in and inclosed through singular commodity.
For what man will let go, or diminish his private commodity for a
commonwealth? And who will sustain any damage for the respect of a
public commodity? The other plough also no man is diligent to set
forward, nor no man will hearken to it. But to hinder and let it all
men's ears are open; yea, and a great many of this kind of ploughmen,
which are very busy, and would seem to be very good workmen. I fear me
some be rather mock-gospellers, than faithful ploughmen. I know many
myself that profess the gospel, and live nothing thereafter. I know
them, and have been co