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.

Gyue nat that holy thynge vnto dogges, nether cast your perles be¦fore the swyne, lest they treade thē vnder their fete, & the other turne agayne and to teare you.

The dogges are those obstinate and indu∣rate,* 1.1 which for the blynde zele of their leuen / wherwith they haue sowred both the doctrine & also y^e workes, maliciously resyst the truth and persecute the mynystres therof, and are those wolues amonge whiche Christe sendeth hys shepe, warnyng them / nat only to be syn∣gle and pure in theyr doctrine, but also wyse & circumspecte & to beware of men. For they shulde brynge them before iudges & kynges and slay them / thynkynge to do God seruice therin, that is as Paule to the Romaynes testi∣fyeth of y^e Iewes, for blind zele to their owne false and fayned ryghtwysnesse / persecute the ryghtwysnesse of God. ❧ / ❧

The swyne are they whiche for all they haue receaueth the pure Gospell of Christ, wyll yet contynue styll in synne,* 1.2 and roule them selues in the podel and myer of their olde fylthye cō¦uersacion, and bothe befose the ignoraunt & also the weake, vse the vttermost of their liber¦tye, enterpretynge it after the largest fassyon / and muste fauoure of the fleshe, as it were the popes pardon, and therwith make the truthe euell spoken of / that thousandes whiche else

myght haue ben easely wonne. wyll nowe nat once here therof, and stere vp cruell persecuci∣on, whiche els wolde be muche easyer. ye and somtyme none at al. And yet wyl those swyne. when it cometh to the poynte abyde no perse∣cucion at all. But offer them selues wyllynge euen at the fyrst chope for to deny yet they be scasly apposed of theyr doctrine. Therfore lay first the lawe of god before them, & call them to repentaūce. And yf thou se no hope of men∣dynge in them, sease there & go no further, for they be swyne. ¶ But alas, it euer was & shal be that the greater nombre receaue the wordes for a newnesse & curiosite (as they say) and to seme to be somwhat & that they haue not gone to schole in vayne, they wyll forthe with yer they haue felte any chaunge of lyuynge in them selfe, be scholemasters and begyn at libertie, an practise openly before theyr disciples. And whan the Phareseyes se theyr tradicions bro∣ken they rage & persecute immediatly. And then our newe scholemasters be nether groun∣ded in the doctrine to defende theyr doynges nor rooted in the profession of a newe lyfe to suffre with Christ. &c. ❧ / ❧

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dogges.
• * 1.2

  Swyne.