An exposycyon vpon the v.vi.vii. chapters of Mathewe which thre chapters are the keye and the dore of the scrypture, and the restoring agayne of Moses lawe corrupt by ye scrybes and pharyses. And the exposycyon is the restorynge agayne of Chrystes lawe corrupte by the Papystes. Item before the boke, thou hast a prologe very necessary, conteynynge the whole sum of the couenaunt made betwene God and vs, vpon whiche we be baptysed to kepe it. And after thou haste a table that ledeth the by the notes in the margentes, vnto al that is intreated of in the booke.

Ye haue harde howe it was sayd to them of olde tyme / commyt not ad∣ultery.

But I say to you / that who so euer loketh on a wyfe lustynge after her / hath cōmitted aduoutrye with her all redy in hys harte.

This commaundement commytte none adul∣terye had the phareseys blynded and corrupte with theyr sophystry and leuen / interpretynge the concupyscence of the harte / lewde toyes / fylthye gestures / vnclene wordes, clappynge, kessynge and so forthe / not to be imputed for syn. But euen the acte and dede alone, thoughe Noyses say in the texte / thou shal not couet thy neyghboures wyfe, &c. But Chryst putteth to lyght and salt, and bryngeth the precept to hys true vnderstandynge and naturall taste agayne and condemneth the rote of synne, the concu∣pyscence and consent of the harte. Before the worlde I am no murtherer tyll I haue kylled with myne hande. But before God I kyll, yf I hate, ye yf I loue not, and of loue kepe me both from doynge hurte, and also be redye and pre∣pared to helpe at nede. Euen so the consent of the harte with all other menes that folowe ther of / be as well aduoutrye before God / as the dede it selfe. Fynally I am an aduouterer be∣fore God / yf I so loue not my neyghbour, that verye loue forbyd me to couet hys wyfe,* 1.1 Loue is the fulfyllynge of al cōmaundementes. And without loue it is impossyble to abstayne from synnyng agaynst my neyghbour in any precept yf occasyon be gyuen.

Carnall loue wyl not suffer a mother to robbe her chylde / no it maketh her robbe her selfe / to make it ryche. A naturall father shall neuer lust after hys sonnes wyfe. No / he careth more for her chastyte then hys son doth hym selfe. Euen so wolde loue to my neyghboure, kepe me frō synnynge agaynste hym.

* 1.2Aduoutry is a damnable thynge in the syght of God, and moche meschefe foloweth therof. Dauid to saue his honoure was dreuen to com∣mytte greuous murther also. It is vnryght in the syght of God and man that thy chyld shuld be at another wannes cost and be another man¦nes hayre. Neyther canste thou or the mother haue lyghtly a quyet conscyence to God / or a mery harte so longe as it is so. Moreouer what greater shame canst thou do to thy neyghbour, or what greater dyspleasure? what yf it neuer be knowen nor come any chylde therof? The precyousest gyfte that a man hath in this world of God, is the true harte of hys wyfe, to abyde by hym in welthe and wo, and to bere all for∣tunes with hym. Of that hast thou robbed hym for after she had once coupled her selfe to the she shal not lyghtly loue him any more so truly but haply hate hī and procure his deth. More ouer thou haste vntaught her to feare God and hast made her to syn agaynst God. For to God promysed she and not to man only / for y^e lawe of matrymony is Godes ordynaunce. For it is wrytten Ge. 39. when Puthyphars wyfe wold haue had Ioseph to lye with her, he answered /

howe could I do thys wykednes & syn agaynst God, ye verely it is impossyble to syn agaīst mā except thou syn against God first. Finally rede Cronycles and storyes / and see what hath fo∣lowed of aduoutrye.

what shal we say, that some doctores haue dys∣puted and douted, whether syngle fornycacyō shuld be syn•• when it is condempned bothe by Christ & Moses to, and Paule testefieth. 1. Cor. 6. that no fornycatoure or whore keper shall possesse the kyngdome of God. It is ryght that al men that hope in God, shulde brynge vppe theyr frute in the fere and knowledge of God, and not to leaue hys sede where he careth not what come therof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Loue is the fulfyllynge of the lawe
• * 1.2

  Aduoutry.