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.

Leade vs nat into temptacyon.

That is. Let vs not slyppe out of thy leafe, but holde vs faste, gyue vs not vp nor cease to gouerne vs, nor take thy spirite frō vs. For as an hounde can not but folowe his game when he seyth it before him yf he be lowse, so can we not but fall into synne when occasyon is gyuen vs, yf thou withdrawe thyne hande from vs. Leade vs not into temptacyon. Let no tempta¦cyon fall vpon vs, greater then thyne helpe in vs. But be thou stronger in vs than the tempta∣cyon thou sendeste or letteste come vppon vs. Leade vs not into tēptacyons. Father though we be neglygent, ye and vnthankful, and dyso¦bedyent to thy true prophetes / yet let not the dyuell lowse vpon vs to deceyue vs with hys

false prophetes and to harden vs in the waye, in which we gladly walke, as thou dydest Pha∣rao with the false myracles of hys sorserars, as thyne Apostle Paule threateneth vs. 2. The. 2. A lytle threde holdeth a stronge man where he gladly is. A lytle pullyng draweth a man whe∣ther he gladly goeth. A lyght wynde dryueth a greate shyppe with the screme. A lyght persua∣syon is ynoughe to make a lecherous man be∣leue that fornycacyon is no synne. And an an∣grye man that it is lawful to aduenge him selfe, and so forth by all the corrupt nature of man. A lytle myracle is able to confirme and harden a man in that openyon and faythe whiche hys blynde reason beleueth all redye. A fewe false myracles were ynoughe to persuade the coue∣tousnes of Pharao and hys gredynes to holde the chyldren of Israel in bondage for theyr ser¦uyce, that thy true myracles shewed by Moyses for theyr delyueraunce / were not of the. But of the same kynde and done by the same crafte / as were the myracles of hys sorserars, and so to harden his harte.

Euen so father yf thou gyue vs ouer for our vnkyndenesse / seynge the blynde nature of man delyteth in euell / and is ready to beleue lyes, a lytle thynge is ynoughe to make them that loue not to walke in thy truthe (and ther∣fore neuer able to vnderstande thy sonnes doc∣tryne. Iohan. 7) for to beleue the faynynges of our most holy father, al is superstycyous po∣petry and inuysyble blessynges / and to harden

them therin. As a stone caste vp in to the ayer, can nether go any hyer nether yet there abyde / when the power of the hurler ceaseth to dryue it. Euen so father, seynge our corrupt nature can but go downeward•• onely, and the deuell and the worlde dryueth therto the same waye, howe can we procede further in vertue or stāde therin, if thy power cease in vs. Leade vs not therfore o mercyfull father into tēptacyon nor cease at any tyme to gouerne vs. Nowe seynge the God of al mercy which knoweth thyne in∣firmite cōmanded the to pray in al temptacion and aduersite, and hath promysed to helpe / yf thou trust in hym, what excuse is it to say, when thou hast synned, I coulde not stāde of my selfe when his power was ready to helpe the, yf tho•• hade axed it.