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.

Blessed are they that suffer perse∣cucyon [ ix.] for ryghteuousnes sake, for theyrs is the kyngedome of heuen.

Yf the faythe of Chryste and lawe of God in whiche two all ryghtuousnes is contayned, be wrytten in thyne harte, that is, yf thou beleue in Christ to be iustefyed from syn or for remyssyon of syn, and consentest in thyne harte, to the lawe that it is good, holy and iuste and thy duty to do it and submytest thy selfe so to do, and ther vp on goest forth and testefyeth that fayth and lawe of ryghteousnes openly vnto the worlde in worde and deade. Then wyll Sathan stere vp his mem∣bers agaynste the, and thou shalte be persecuted on euerye syde. But be of good comforte and faynte not. Call to mynde the saynge of Paule. 2. Tymo. 3. howe al that wyl lyue godly in chryst Iesu, shal so fer persecucyon, Remember howe al the prophetes that wēt before the, were so dealt with, Luke. vi. Remember the ensamples of the apostels, and of Chryste hym selfe, and that the dyscyple is no better then hys mayster, and that

Chryste admytteh no descyple whiche not onely leueth not all,* 1.1 but also taketh his crosse to, we be not called to a softe liuynge and to peace in this worlde. But vnto peace of conscyence in God our father thorowe Iesus Chryst, and to warre in thys worlde.

Moreouer comforte thy selfe with the hope of the blessynge of the enherytaunce of heuen, there to be gloryfyed with Chryste yf thou here soffer with hym. For yf we be lyke Chryste here in his passyons, and beare his ymage in soule and bodye, and fyght manfully ye / that Sathan blot it not out / and soffer with Chryste for berynge recorde to ryghtuousnes, then shall we be lyke to hym in glorye. Saynt Iohan saythe in the .iii. Chapter of hys fyrste pystle. yet it apereth not what we shalbe. But we knowe / that when he a¦pereth / we shalbe lyke hym. And Paule. Phil. 3. oure conuersacyon is in heuen, whence we loke for a sauyour, the Lorde Iesus Chryst which shal chaunge our vyle bodyes and make them lyke his gloryous body.

It is an happy thynge to soffer for ryghteous∣nes sake / but not for vnryghtuousnes. For what prayse is it (say the Peter in the seconde of hys fyrste epystle) though ye soffer, when ye be bofet¦ted for your offenses, wherfore in the fourthe of the same he saythe, se that none of you soffer as a murtherar or a these or an euell doer or a busye body in other mennes maters, Suche sofferynge gloryfyeth not God, nor thou arte therby heyre of heuen. Beware therfore that thou deserue

not that thou sofferest. But yf thou do,* 1.2 then be∣ware moche more of them that wolde bere the in hande, howe that suche sofferynge shulde be sa∣tysfaccyon of thy synnes and a deseruynge of he¦uen. No, sofferynge for ryghtuousnes (thoughe heuen be promysed theyrto) yet dothe it not de∣serue heuen, nor yet make satysfaccyon for the fore synnes, Chryste dothe bothe twane. But and yf thou repente and beleue in Chryst for the remissyon of synne, and them confesse, not onely before God, but also open before all that se the soffer / howe that thou haste deserued that thou soffrest, for breakynge the good and ryghtwyse lawe of thy father, and then takest thy punyshe∣ment paciently / as an holsome medecyne to hele thy fleshe that it synne no more / and to feare thy brethern that they fall not in to lyke offence / as Moyses teacheth euery where. Then as thy pacy∣ence in sofferynge is plesaunt in the syght of thy brethren whiche beholdeth, petye the and soffer with the in theyr hertes, euen so is it in y^e syght of God, and it is to the a sure token that thou haste true faythe and true repentaunce.

And as they be blessed which suffer for ryght¦ousnes, euen so are they accursed which ronne a∣way and let it be troden vnder the fete / and wyll not suffer for the faythe of theyr Lorde and lawe of theyr father, nor stande by theyr neyghboures in theyr iuste causes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  peace, the peace of Chryste is peace of conscyence
• * 1.2

  Payne No bodely payne can be a satys∣faccyon to God saue Chrystes passyon.