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.

Beware of false {pro}phetes whiche come to you in shepes clothynge, but are within rauenynge wolues By their frutes ye shal know them do men gather grapes of thornes? ether figges of bryers? euen so eue¦ry good tree bryngeth for the good frute. But a corrupt tree, bringeth

forth euel frute. A good tre can nat brynge forthe euel frute, nor a cor∣rupte tree brynge forth good frute Euery tre that bryngeth nat forth good frute is to be hewen downe & to be cast in to the fyre, wherfore by their frutes ye shal know them.

Here Christe warneth the,* 1.1 and describeth vn∣to the, those capitayns that shulde so blynde the great multitede (that they shulde nat finde the strayte gate) & leade them the brode waye to perdicion. Note fyrst that though they be false, yet he calleth them prophetes, whiche worde in the newe testamēt is taken for an ex∣pounder & an interpreter of scripture. And he sayth they shal come to you my disciples, then they must be our preachers and our doctours. Ye verely they must be those our false prechers which Peter prophesyed shulde be amonge vs and brynge in dāpnable sectes, for to fulfyl & satisfy theyr couetousnesse, & folowe the way and steppes of theyr father Balam. And they shall come therto in shepes clothynge. Ergo they be nether the turkes nor yet saresins. For they come clothed in yron and stele, and wyll therto suffre vs to kepe our fayth / yf we wyll submytte our selues to them / as the grekes do▪

And as for the Iues they be an hundred tymes fewer then we, & are euery where in bondage, ye and for the great parte captiues vnto vs. They also be nat clothed in shepes skynnes / but mayntene openly theyr fayth cleane con∣trarye to oures. ❧ / ❧

* 1.2But what are these shepes clothynges, truly the very name of Christ, For sayth Christ Mat. xxiiii. There shall come many in my name and deceaue many. And besydes that, they shall do myracles in Christes name, as it foloweth in the texte, that they shal call Christ Maister, Maister, and begynne theyr sermone sayenge. Our maister Christe saythe in suche a chapiter. what so euer ye bynde vpon earthe, shalbe bounde in heuen. Se frendes these be nat our wordes, but our master Christes, And they shal do myracles in Christes name therto, to con∣fyrme the false doctrine which they preache in his name. O feareful & terryble iudgement of almyghty God and sentence of extremery go∣rousnesse vpon al that loue nat the truth (whan it is preached them) that God to aduenge hym selfe of their vnkyndnesse, shal sende them so stronge delusions that doctrine shuld be prea∣ched vnto them in the name of Christ, & made seme to folowe out of his wordes and be con∣fyrmed with myracles done in callynge vpon the name of Christ,* 1.3 to harden their hart{is} in the fayth of lyes accordynge to the prophesye of Paule to the Thessaloniās in the secōde pistle.

* 1.4Another of theyr shepes coutes is, that they

shal in euery sermon preche myghtely agaynst the Scrybes & Phareseyes, agaynste Faustus and Pelagian with such lyke heretykes, which yet neuer preached other doctryne then they thē selues do. And more of theyr clothynge is they shal preache that Christ preached almose prayer and fastynge, and professe obedience pouerty and chastite, workes that our sauiour Christ bothe preached and dyd, Fynally they be the holy churche and can nat erre.

But they be within rauenynge wolues,* 1.5 They preache to other, steale nat yet they them selues robbe God of his honoure, & take from hym the prayse & proffite of all their doctrine and of all their workes. They robbe the lawe of God of her myghtye power wherwith she dryueth all men to Christe, and make her so weyke, that the feble frewyll of man is nat able to wrestle with her, without callynge to Christe for helpe, ❧ / ❧

They haue robbed Chiste of all his mery∣tes and clothed them selues therwith. They haue robbed the soule of man of the breade of her lyfe, the fayth and trust in Christes bloude and haue fede her with the shales and coddes of the hope in theyr merytes, and confydence in theyr good workes ☜ ☞

They haue robbed the workes commaunded by God of the entent and purpose that they were ordeyned for. And with theyr obedience they haue drawen them selues from vnder the obedience of all princes and temporall lawes

with theyr pouerty, they haue robbed all na∣cions & kyngedomes, and so with theyr wyl∣ful pouerty haue enryched them selues, & haue made the comens poore / with theyr chastite / they haue fylled all the worlde full of whores and sodomites,* 1.6 thynking to please God more hylye with kepynge of an whore then an ho∣nest chast wyfe, If they say it is nat truthe then all the worlde knoweth they lye, for if a prest mary an honest wyfe, they punyshe hym imme∣diatly and saye he is an haynouse heretyke as though matrimonye were abhominable. But if he kepe a whore, thē is he a good chast chylde of theyr holy father the pope whose ensample they folowe, an I warrant hym synge masse on y^e next day after as wel as he dyd before, with¦out ether persecucion or excommunicacion / suche are the lawes of theyr vnchaste I wolde say theyr owne chast father. ☜ / ☞

If thou professe obediēce, why ronnest thou from father, mother, master and ruler (whiche God byddeth the to obeye) to be a fryer / yf thou obeye, why obeyest thou nat the kynge and his lawe, by whome God defendeth the bothe the in lyfe and goodes / and al thy great possessions? ❧ / ❧ ❧ / ❧

* 1.7If thou professe pouertye, what doest thou with the landes of gentylmen, squyer••, knygh∣tes, barōs, erles & dukes? what shulde a lor∣des brother be a beggers seruaunt? or what shulde a begger ryde with thre or foure score horses waytynge on hym. Is it mete that a man

of noble byrth, & the right heyre of the landes whiche thou possessest sholde be thyne horse keper thou beynge a begger.

If ye professe chastite, why desyer ye aboue al other men the company of women?* 1.8 what do ye with whores openly in many contreyes, and with secret dispensacions to kepe concu∣bines? why corrupte ye so much other mennes wyues? and why be there so many Sodomites amonge you? ☜ / ❀ / ☞

Your charite is mercylesse to the rest of the worlde to whome ye may gyue nought agayne and onely lyberall to your selues (as is the cha¦rite of theues) xxx.* 1.9 or fourtye of you to gether in one denne, amonge whiche yet are nat many that loue thre of his neyboures hertelye.

Your fastynge maketh you as full and as fatte as your hydes can holde / * 1.10 besye that ye haue a dispensacion of your holy father for your fastynge. ☜ / ❀ / ☞

Your prayer is but patterynge without all affeccyon.* 1.11 Your syngynge is but ro••ynge to stretche out our mawes (as do your other ge∣stures and rysynge at mydnyght) to make the meate synge to the botome of the stomacke y^t ye may haue perfecte dygestion, & be redy to deuoure a freshe agaynst the nexte refeccion.

Ye shal know them by theyr frutes.* 1.12 First thor¦nes beare no grages nor bryers fygges. Also if thou se goodly blossomes in them & thynkest there to haue fygges, grapes, or any frute for the sustenaunce or confort of man, go to them

in tyme of nede, and thou shalt fynde nought at all. Thou shalte fynde, for southe I haue no goodes nor any thyng proper, or that is myne owne, It is the couentes. I were a thefe yf I gaue it my father what so euer nede he had. It is saynt Edmondes patrimony. Saynt Albons patrimonye, Saynt Edwardes patrymonye the goodes of holy churche. It may nat be mynys∣shed nor occupyed vpon lay and prophane vses. The kyng of the realme for al that he de∣fendeth them aboue all other, yet getteth he nought what nede soeuer he haue saue thē only whan he must spende on theyr causes all that they gyue withal that he can get besyde of his pore comēs. If the kyng wyl attempte to take ought from thē by y^e auctorite of his office for the defence of the realme. Or yf any man wyll entre at them otherwyse then they lust them selues, by what lawe or ryght it be, they turne to thornes and bryers, and waxe at once roug∣her then a hedgehogge, & wyll sprynkle them with the holy water of theyr maledictions as thycke as hayle, and brethe out the lyghte∣nynge of excommunicacion vpon them, and so consume them to pouldre, ☜ / ☞

* 1.13More ouer a corrupt tree can beare no good frute That is wher they haue frute that semeth to be good, go to and proue it, and thou shalt fynde it rotten / or the carnell eaten out / and that it is but as a holowe nutte. For fayth in Christ (that we and al our workes done within the compase of the lawe of God,* 1.14 be accepted

to God for his sake) is the kernell, the swet∣nes and the pleasaunt bewty of al our workes in the syght of God. As it is wrytten Iohan, vi, This is the worke of god, that ye beleue ī him whome he hath sent. This faythe is a worke whiche God nat only worketh in vs, but also hath therin pleasure and delectacyon, and in all other for that faythes sake.

Fayth is the lyfe of man, as it is wrytten. Iustus ex fide viuit, out of whiche lyfe the plea¦santnesse of all his workes sprynge. As for an ensample, thou arte a shoumaker whiche is a worke within the lawes of God,* 1.15 and sayest in thyne harte. Lo God, here I make a shue as truely as I wolde for my selfe / to do my ney∣boure seruice / and to get my lyuynge in truthe with the laboure of myne handes as thou com∣maundest, and thanke the that thou hast geuen me this crafte and makest it luckye that I gette my lyuynge therwith / and am surelye persua∣ded that bothe I and my worke please the, O father, for thy sonne Iesus sake. Lo nowe this faythe hath made this symple worke plea∣saunt in the syght of God. ☜ / ☞

Another ensample, thou takest a wyfe and sayest, O father, thou nat only permyttest this but also commaundest all that burne and haue their myndes vnquyeted / to mary for feare of fornicacion & so forthe. And father I promise the to loue this woman truelye and to care for her, and gouerne her after thy lawes, & to be true to her, & to stande by her in all aduersites

and to take in worthe as well the euell as the good and to brynge vp the frute that thou shalte geue me of her / in thy feare / and teache it to knowe the. ❧ / ❧ / ❧

❧ Moreouer as concernyg the acte of Matri∣mony, as whā thou wylt eate, thou blessed god and receauest thy dayly fode of his hande ac∣cordynge to the fourthe peticion of thy pater noster, and knowlegest that it is hys gyfte, and thankest hym, beleuyng his word, that he hath created it for the to receaue it with thankes by the which worde & prayer of thākes thy meate and drynke is sanctifyed. 1. Timot. iiii. Euen so thou sayest, Father this I do, nat only at thy permission which is ynough to please the with all, but also at thy commaundement, and haue bounde my selfe here vnto to kepe my soule from synnynge agaynst the, and to helpe my neyboure that she synne nat also, and promyse the to kepe this profession truly / & to noryshe the frute that thou shalt gyue me ī the feare of the & in the faith of thy son Iesu, & so thankest the lorde for his gyftes. How is thy worke tho¦rowe this fayth & thankes pleasaunt & accep∣table in the syght of God. And so was the gen∣derynnge of Iacob in faith / and of Samuel, & many other. And y^e geuyng sucke was a good worke, and so was the dressyng of them by the fyre. And whan our lady conceaued Christs thorowe fayth, was nat that a good worke? what yf God whan she doubted & asked (by what maner she shulde conceaue him) had com¦maunded

her to conceaue hym of Ioseph or of some other man, had nat that worke done in obedience and fayth / ben as good a worke?

The wyll that Abraham had to slaye Isaac, & all that he dyd tyl he came at the very poynte to slaye hym / were good workes / and so had ben the slayenge also. And Abraham was sure that he pleased God hylye / and as well as in any other worke, and had as depely synned yf he had ben disobedient therin, as though he had done any other cruell dede forboden by God, ye but shomakynge is nat commaunded by God, yes and hath the promise of God an∣nexed therto. For God hath commaunded me for the auoydynge of syne to do my brethren seruice / and to lyue therby / ❀ 1.16 and to chose one estate or other (for if thou woldest receaue on∣ly of thy brethren and do nought agayne thou were a thefe and an extorcioner & a tyraunt) And I chose shomakynge, or receaue it at the obedience of myne elders. Nowe haue I god∣des commaundement to worke therin trulye, and his promyse annexed therto, that he wyll blesse myne occupacion and make it lucky and frutful to brynge me an honest lyuynge. worke I nat nowe at goddes commaundement and haue his promyse that it pleaseth hym?

❀ Note th{is} also, Fyrst my crafte is goddes cō∣maundemēt. Secōdarely I beleue and am sure that my worke pleaseth god for Christes sake Thyrdlye my worke is proffytable vnto my neyboure, and helpeth his necessite. Fourthlye

I receaue my rewarde of the hande of God w^t thankes, and worke surely certefyed that I please God in my worke thorowe Christe and that god wyl gyue me my dayly breade therby

But yf thou examyne theyr doctrine / thou shalt fynde that this fayth is away in all theyr frutes, and therfore are they worme eaten and shales without kernelles, ☜ ☞

* 1.17☞ Note agayne, the turkes and lewes gyue almose as well as we & as muche, and yet ab∣hominable for lacke of fayth and knowledge of the true entent. what sayth the texte, he that receaueth a prophete in y^e name of a prophete shall haue the rewarde of a prophete. That is, because thou aydest him in preachyng of Chri¦stes worde, thou shalt be partaker with him & haue the same rewarde, And he that receaueth a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall haue &c. And he y^t geueth one of these lytle ons but a cuppe of colde water for my name sake shal haue his rewarde. If a kyng minister his kynge¦dome ī the fayth of this name, because his sub¦iectes be his brethren and the pryce of Christ{is} bloude, he pleaseth God hyghly, and yf this fayth be nat there / it pleaseth him nat. And yf I sowe a shue truly in the fayth of his name, to do my brother seruice / because he is the pryce of Christes bloude / as pleaseth God. Thus is fayth the goodnesse of all workes.

❧ Fynally whan God geueth, and I receaue with thankes, is nat God as well pleased / as whan I geue for his sake and he receaueth? A

true frende is as glad to do his frende a good turne, as to receyue a good turne, whan the fa∣ther gyueth his sonne a newe cote & sayth. Am nat I a good father / & wylte nat thou loue me agayn and do what I bydde the, And the boye receyueth it with thankes and sayth ye, and is glade and proude therof, dothe nat the father reioyse as muche nowe in the lade, as a nother tyme whan the lade dothe what so euer it be at his fathers commaundemēt? But the false pro¦phetes do well to paynte God after the lyke∣nesse of theyr owne visenomye, glad whan he receyueth▪ ye whan they receyue in his name. But sowre grudgynge and euell content whan he geueth agayne. But thou pleaseth god, whā thou askest ī faith, & whan thou receauest with thankes, and whan thou reioysest in his gyftes and louest hym agayne, to kepe his commaun∣dementes and the apoyntemāt and couenaunt made betwene hym and the. ☜ / ☞

❀ And for a conclusion besydes, that they ex∣pell feyth which is the goodnesse of al workes they set vp workes of theyr owne makynge to distroye the workes of God, and to be holyer then goddes workes, to the depisyng of god∣des worke, & to make Goddes workes vyle. ❀ with theyr chastite they distroye the chastite that god ordeyned & only requyreth w^t theyr obedience, they destroye the obedience that God ordeyned in this world, and desyreth no nother, with theyr pouertye they destroye the pouerty of the spirite which Christ taugh only

whiche is, onely nat to loue worldely goodes with theyr fast, they destroye the fast whiche God commaundeth that is a perpetuall sobre∣nesse to tame the fleshe, with theyr patterynge prayer, they destroye y^e prayer taught by god whiche is ether thankes or desirynge helpe with fayth & trust that God heareth me.

* 1.18Theyr holynesse is to forbyd that God or∣deyned to be receaued with thankes gyuynge, as mete and matrimonye. And their owne wor¦kes they mayntayne and let Goddes decaye. Breake theirs and they persecute to the dethe But breake Goddes, and they ether loke tho∣rowe the fingers or else gyue the a flappe with a foxe tayle for a lytle monye. There is none ordre amonge thē that is so perfecte, but that they haue a prison more cruell then any ••ayle of theues and murtherers. And yf one of theyr brethren commytte fornycacion or adulterye in the worlde, he fynissheth his penaunce ther∣in in thre wekes or a moneth, and then is sent to a nother place of the same religion. But yf he attempt to put of y^e holy habite,* 1.19 he cometh neuer out, and is so straytlye dyoted therto, that it is meruel if he lyue a yere, besyde other cruell murther that hath ben founde amonge them, and yet is thys shamefull dyotynge of theyrs, murther cruell ynough,

Be nat deceaued with vysures, nor yet with myracles. But go to and iudge theyr workes, for the spiritual iudgeth al thyng{is} sayth Paule i. Cor. 11, who is that spirituall? nat suche as

we nowe call men of holy churche,* 1.20 But al that haue the true interpretacion of the lawe wryt∣ten in theyr hartes. The ryght fayth of Christe and the true intent of workes, which God byd¦deth vs worke, he is spirituall and iudgeth al thynges, and is iudged of no man.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The false prophetes who.
• * 1.2

  Shepes clo¦thynge what.
• * 1.3

  2. The. 2.
• * 1.4

  Shepes clothynge.
• * 1.5

  Raueninge wolues.
• * 1.6

  The obedi¦ence pouer¦tye & wyl∣ful chastite of our spi∣ritualtye.
• * 1.7

  Pouertye.
• * 1.8

  Chastite.
• * 1.9

  Charite.
• * 1.10

  Fastynge.
• * 1.11

  Prayer,
• * 1.12

  Thornes beare no fygges.
• * 1.13

  A corrupte¦tre beareth no good frute.
• * 1.14

  Fayth is the kernell of all our good fru∣tes.
• * 1.15

  Fayth ma∣keth the worke good and ecceptable
• ❀ 1.16

  Handy craftes are the cōman¦dement of God.
• * 1.17

  Nota.
• * 1.18

  The holy∣nes of ypo¦crites wher¦in it is.
• * 1.19

  Axe the Au¦sten fryers why they murthered one of theyr fe∣lowes at London.
• * 1.20

  who is the spirituall.