The fortress of the faithful against [the] cruel assaults of poverty and hunger newly…The fortresse of the faythfull agaynst [ye] cruel assautes of pouertie and honger newlye…

Phil. God forbid.¹ For as the holy man Job sayeth: A man is borne to labour, even as the bird is to fly. From the beginning, god appointed man to labour,² saying: In the sweet of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, until thou return unto the earth, whence thou wast taken: For earth thou art and unto earth shalt thou return.³ David also sayeth: Thou shalt eat the labours of thine own hands.⁴ The holy apostle Saint Paul giveth a commandment, that ⟨image 81⟩if any man will not labour, the same should not eat, and giveth a charge that all men work with quietness, and eat their own bread. We beseech you brethren, saith he, that ye study to be quiet,⁵ and to meddle with your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.⁶ Again, let him that stole, steal no more, but let him rather labour with his hands some good thing, that he may have to give unto him that needeth. Saint Paul calleth it theft for any man to live of the labour of other mens hands, idly and without any certain vocation, and commandeth that all such should labour and get them some honest occupation, whereby they may be the more able both to find them selves, and also to distribute unto other,⁷ that have need. Our first father Adam toiled in the earth according ⟨image 82⟩to gods commandment, and so ga• his living.⁸ Cain was a ploughman. Abel was a shepherd. Jubal exercised music. Thubalcain was a smith, and a graver in metal. No he was a planter of vineyards. Abraham,