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.

[ v.]

* 1.1To be mercyfull, is to haue compassyon and to feale a nother mannes desease, and to mourne with them that mourne, and soffer with them that soffer, and to helpe and socoure them that are in trybulacyon and aduersyte, and to com∣forte them with good councell and wholsome instruccyon and louynge wordes. And to be mer¦cyfull, is louyngly to forgeue them that offen∣ded the assone as they knowledge theyr mysdo∣ynge and axe the mercy. To be mercefull / is pa∣cyently longe to abyde the conuersyon of syn∣ners with a lusty courage and hope that God wyl at the last conuerte them, and in the meane tyme to praye instauntlye for them, and euer when he seythe an occasyon / to exhorte them, warne them / monyshe them and rebuke them. And to be mercyfull / is to enterprete all to the best.

& to loke thorowe the fyngers at many thynges and not to make a greuous synne of euery small tryfle / and to soffer and forbere in hys owne cause the malyse of them that wyll not repente nor be a knowen of theyr wekednes, as longe as he can soffer it, and as longe as it ought to be soffred, and when he can no lenger, then to com∣playne to them that haue auctoryte to forbyde wronge and to punyshe suche euell doers.

But the ypocrytes clene contrary condempne all them for greuous synners,* 1.2 saue them onely that bye theyr holynes of them, And because they wyll soffer with no man, they get them to sylence. And because they wyll helpe no man ••ll that they haue (they saye) partayneth to the couent and is none of theyrs.* 1.3 And yf they be of∣fended, they wyll be aduenged immedyatly. And to cloke, that they shulde not seme to ad∣uenge them selues, the mater (saye they) pa••tay∣neth to God and holy churche, or to some saynte or to one or other holye thynge, as if thou smyte one of them on the one cheke, he wyll turne to hym the other yer he wyll aduenge hym selfe.* 1.4 But the iniurye of the holye Oyle wherewith he was anoynted, that muste he aduenge, and that with a spyrytuall punyshmente / that thou muste be accursed as blacke as a colyer and de∣lyuered to Sathan. And yf thou come not in and axe absolucyon and offer thy selfe to pe∣naunce and to paynge therto, they wel not soffer tyll the deuell fetche the. But wyll delyuer the to the fyer in the meane tyme. And al for zele

of ryghtwysnes (say they.)

* 1.5O ypocrytes / the Zele of ryghtwysnes is to hongre and thryste for ryghteousnes, as it is a∣boue descrybed, that is, to care and study and to do the vttermoste of thy power, that all thyn∣ges went in the right course and due order bothe thorowe all degrees of the temporalty and also of the spyrytualty, and to Ieoperde lyfe and goodes theron.

* 1.6Al the worlde can beare recorde what payne ye take and howe ye care for the temporall co∣mune welthe, that all degrees therin dyd and had theyr dutye, and howe ye put your lyues in aduenture to preache the truthe, and to enfor∣me lordes and prynces and to cry vpon them to feare God and to be lerned, and to mynyster theyr offyces trulye vnto theyr subiectes, and to be mercyfull and an exsample of vertue vnto them / And howe helpe ye that youthe were brought vppe in lernynge and vertue / and that the pore were prouyded for of fode & rayment &c. And howe prouyde ye that your prestes be al lerned, and preache and do theyr dutyes truly euery man in his paryshe? howe prouyde ye that sectes aryse not to poole the people and leade them out of the waye vnder a coloure of longe praynge and ypocretyshe holynes, liuynge them selues ydle and beynge vtterlye vnto the comen¦wealthe improfytable? who smelleth not the swete odoure of chastyte that is amonge you? what ryghtuousnes is in youre sanctuaryes, and what indyfferent equyte is in al youre exempcy∣ons,

pryueleges and lybertyes? By your workes we Iudge you and youre Zele to ryghtuousnes. and not by youre sophystycall sottle reasons, with whiche ye wolde clawe our eares, bleare our eyes and begyle our wyttes, to take your tyrannous couetous crudelyte for the Zele of ryghtuousnes.

Fynally he that wyll not be mercyfull, to be blessed of God and to obtayne mercye of hym bothe here and in the lyfe to come, let hym be accursed with the vnmercyfull and to hym be iudgement without mercy / accordyng to the wor¦des of saynt Iames in the seconde chapter of his Epystle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  To be mer∣cyful what ••t is.
• * 1.2

  Monkes
• * 1.3

  Couent·
• * 1.4

  Oyle. Holy oyl•• must be ad¦uenged.
• * 1.5

  ••ele of ••yghtwys∣••es what ••t is.
• * 1.6

  Care howe ••e spiritual ••are for y^e ••ēporal co¦••ē wealth