And now I would ask a strange question? Who is the most diligent bishop and prelate in all England, that passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I know him, who it is; I know him well. But now I think I see you listing and hearkening, that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent prelate and preacher in all England. And will ye know who it is? I will tell you. It is the Devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other, he is never out of his diocese, he is never from his cure, ye shall never find him unoccupied, he is ever in his parish, he keepeth residence at all times, ye shall never find him out of the way; call for him when you will, he is ever at home, the diligentest preacher in all the Realm; he is ever at his plough, no lording or loitering can hinder him; he is ever applying his business, ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. And his office is, to hinder religion, to maintain superstition, to set up idolatry, to teach all kind of popery; he is ready as can be wished to set forth his plough, to devise as many ways as can be, to deface and obscure God's glory. Where the Devil is resident and hath his plough going: there away with books, and up with candles, yea, at noon-days. Where the Devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry, sensing, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water and new service of men's inventing, as though man could invent a better way to honour God with than God himself hath appointed. Down with Christ's Crosse, up with Purgatory pick-purse, up with him, the popish purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the naked, the poor and impotent, up with decking of images and gay garnishing of stocks and stones, up with man's traditions and his laws, down with God's tradition and his most holy word. Down with the old honour due to God, and up with the new God's honour, let all things be done in Latin. There must be nothing but Latin, not as much as "Memento, homo, quod cinis es, et in cineres reverteris"--Remember, man, that thou arte ashes and into ashes thou shalt return. Which be the words that the minister speaketh, to the ignorant people, when he giveth them ashes upon Ash Wednesday, but it must be spoken in Latin. God's word may in no wise be translated into English. Oh, that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockel and darnel! And this is the devilish ploughing, the which worketh to have things in Latin and letteth the fruitful edification. [Footnote 71: A Moabite town; see Jeremiah xlviii.] THE ORDINANCES, STATUTES AND RULES MADE BY JOHN LORD TIPTOLFE, EARL OF WORCESTER, CONSTABLE OF ENGLAND, BY THE KING'S COMMANDMENT, AT WINDSOR ON THE 29TH OF MARCH (CIRCA 1590). +Source.+--From Sir J. Harrington's _Nugae Antiquae_, Vol. III., p. 234, 1792.