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.

And for reymente why take ye thought. Beholde the lylyes of the felde, how they growe, they labour

not, nether spyn. And yet I saye to you that euen Sa••om••n in al hys glory was not apparailed like one of thē. Wherfore if the gras whiche is to daye in the feldes and to mo∣rowe shal be caste into the furnace, God so clothe, howe muche more shall he do the same vnto you, O ye of lytle fayth.

Not only fowle and beast, but also tre, erbe,* 1.1 and al the flowres of the erth do cry vnto vs to trust God to cast awaye all care that is coupled with couetousnesse of more then suffycyent to beare the charges which we haue in our handes by the reason of the state we be in the worlde, and al care that is anexed with mystrust y^t God shuld not mynister ynough to beare al our char∣ges, if we endeuer our selues to kepe his cōmaū¦dementes & to do euery man his craft or offyce he is in truly / and (when God to proue vs, soffe¦ryth vs to haue nede of our neyboures) we fyrst cōplayne to God, & desyre him to prepare the hartes of our neyghboures agaynst we come to desyer theyr helpe.

But Māmon pypeth another songe,* 1.2 sayenge yf thou shuldeste make no nother maner of la∣boure for a benefyce, then as yf thou careddest

not whether thou haddest it or haddest it not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wolde be longe yet thou gattest one, al wolde be take out of thyne hande? I answere, as the labour was to get it, suche shalbe thy behauor in it, as thou flatteredest to haue it, so shalt thou in it. And as thou boughtest and soldeste to get it, so shalte thou fell in it to be fauoure and to be set by in the worlde. If thy pryncypal entend that thou sekeste a benefyce for, be lucre / then take hede to the ensāple of thy fore father Sy∣mon magus / * 1.3 Let thy care therfore be to do thy office that God putteth the in truly, & the bles∣synge that he coupleth therto y^t take with than¦kes, and nether care nor couet farther.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Care.
• * 1.2

  Nammon.
• * 1.3

  Actes. 8.