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.

The .v. chapter of Mathewe. (Book Matthew 5)

WHen he sawe the peo∣ple, [ .i.] he wente vp into a mountayne and sat him downe, & hys dysyples came to hym, and he o∣pened hys mouthe and taught them saynge. Blessed be the poore in spi∣rite, for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen.

Chryste Here in his fyrst sarmone begynneth to restore the lawe of the ten commaundementes vnto her ryght vnderstandinge, agaynste the scry¦bes and Pharyses whiche were ypocrytes, false prophetes and false preachers, and had corrup∣te the scrypture with the leauen of theyr gloses,* 1.1 And it is not without a great mystery that Chryst begynneth hys preachynge at pouertye in spy∣ryte, whiche is nether beggery nor agaynste the possessynge of rychesse, But a vertue contrarye to the vyce of couetousnesse, the inordynate desyre and loue of reches and puttynge truste in rychesse.

Ryches is the gyfte of God geuen man to

mayntayne the degrees of thys worlde,* 1.2 and ther¦fore not euell ye and some muste be poore and some ryche, yf we shal haue an order in thys worlde. And God our father deuydeth rychesse and pouertye amonge hys chyldren accordynge to hys godlye pleasure and wysdome. And as rychesse dothe not exclude the from the blessyng so dothe not pouertye certefye the. But to put thy truste in the lyuynge God maketh the heyre therof. For yf thou truste in the lyuynge god. Then yf thou be poore, thou coueteste not to be ryche, for thou art certefyed that thy father shall mynystre vnto the fode and rayment, and be thy defender, and yf thou haue ryches, thou knowest that they be but vanyte, and that as thou brough teste them not into the worlde, so shalte thou not carye them out, and that as they be thyne to daye, so maye they be another mannes to morowe, and that the fauoure of God onely bothe gaue and also kepeth the and them, and not thy wysdome or power, and that they ne∣ther ought els can helpe at nede, saue the good wyll of thy heuenly father onely, Happy and blessed then are the poore in spyryte, that is to saye the ryche that haue not theyr confidence nor consolacyon in the vanyte of theyr rychesse, and the poore that desyre not inordynatly to be ry¦che, but haue theyr truste in the lyuynge God for fode and rayment and for all that partayneth e∣ther to the body or the soule, for thers is the king¦dome of heuen.

* 1.3And contrary wyse, vnhappy and accursed

and that with the fyrste and depest of all cursses, are the ryche in spirite, that is to saye, the coue∣touse that beynge ryche and trust in thir rychesse, or beynge poore longe for the consolacyon of rychesse, and comforte not theyr soules with the promyses of theyr heuenlye father, confyrmed with the bloude of theyr Lord Christ. For vnto them it is harder to enter into the kyngedome of heuen, then for a camell to enter thorowe the eye of an nedle. Mar. 10. No they haue no parte in the kyngedome of Chryste and God. Ephe. v. Therfore it is euydent why Chryste so dylygent¦lye warneth all hys to be ware of couetousnes and why he admytted none to be hys dyscyples excepte he fyrste forsake altogether. For there was neuer couetous person true yet ether to God or man.

Yf a couetous man be chosen to preache goddes worde,* 1.4 he is a false prophete immedyat¦lye. Yf he be of the laye sorte, so ioyneth he hym selfe vnto the false prophetes, to persecute the truthe. Couetousnesse is not onely aboue all other lustes those thornes that choke the worde of God in them that posesse it. But it is also a dedelye enemye to all that interprete goddes worde trulye. All other vyces thoughe they laugh them to scorne that talke godlye, yet they can soffre them to lyue and to dwell in the con∣tre. But couetousnes can not reste as longe as there is one that cleueth to goddes worde in all the land.

Take hede to thy preacher therof,* 1.5 and

be sure, yf he be couetous and gape for promo∣cyon, that he is a false Prophete and leueth the scrypture, for al his c••yenge fathers, fathers holy chyrch and fyftene hundred yeres, and for al hys other holy pretenses.

[ ii.] Blessed are they that mourne, for they shalbe comforted,

Thys mournynge is also in the spyryte, and no kynne to the soure lokynge of Ypocrytes nor to the impaciēt weywardnes of those fleshly which euer whine and complaine that the world is naught, because they can not obtayne and en∣ioye theyr lustes therin, Nether forbydyth in al∣wayes to be mery and to laugh, and make good chere nowe and then, to forget sorowe, that ouermoche heuynes swalowe not a man clene vp For the wyse man saythe, sorowe hath cost many theyr lyues.

And prouer .xvii. and heuy spirite dryeth vp the bones. And Paule commaundeth. Phili. iiii. to reioyse euer. And Roma. xii. he sayth reioyse with them that reioyse, and sorowe with them that sorowe, and wepe with thē that wepe, which seme two contraryes.

* 1.6This mournynge is that crosse without which was neuer any dysciple of Chryst or euer shalbe, For of what so euer state or degree thou be in thys worlde, yf thou professe the Gospell, there foloweth the a crosse (as warmenesse accompa∣nyeth the sonne shynynge) vnder whiche thy spy ryte shall grone and mourne secretlye, not onely

because the worlde and thyne owne flleshe cary the away ••lene contrary to the purpose of thyne harte. But also to se and beholde the wret∣chednesse and mys fortunes of thy bretherne, for whiche (because thou loueste them aswell as thy selfe) thou shalte mourne and sorowe no lesse then for thy selfe. Thoughe thou be kynge or Emperour, yet yf thou knoweste Christ and god thorowe Chryste, and entendeste to walke in the syght of God, and to mynyster thyne offyce tru∣ly, thou shalte (to kepe iustyce with all) be com∣pelled to do daylye that, whiche thou art no lesse lothe to doo, then yf thou shuldeste cut of arme hande or any other member of thyne owne bo∣dye, ye and yf thou wylt•• folowe the ryght waye and nether torne on the ryght hande nor on the lefte, thou shalte haue ymmedyatly thyne owne subiectes, thyne owne seruauntes, thyne owne lordes, thyne owne councellours and thyn owne prophetes therto agaynste the. Vnto whose fro∣warde malyce and stouburnesse, thou shalte be compelled to permytte a thousande thynges a∣gaynste thy conscyence, not able to resyste them, at whiche thyne herte shall blede inwardly, and shalt sawse thy swete soppes whiche the worlde weneth thou haste, with sorowes ynowe and styl murnyng, studieng ether alone or els with a fewe frendes secretly nyght and day, and syghynge to God for helpe / mytygate the fury ouse froward¦nes of thē whō thou art not able to w^tstand that al go not after y^e wyl of the vngodly, what was

Dauyd compelled to soffer all the dayes of hys lyfe of his owne seruaūtes the sonnes of Seruya, Besyde the mychaunses of hys owne chyldren? And howe was our kynge Iohan forsaken of his owne lordes / * 1.7 when he wolde haue put a good and godlye reformacy on in hys owne lande? Howe was Henry the seconde compased in like maner of hys owne prelates whome he hade promoted of nought / * 1.8 with the secrete conspy∣racye of some of his owne temporal lordes with them? I spare to speke of the murning of the true preachers and the poore comen people whiche haue no nother helpe / but the secrete hande of God, and the worde of hys promyse.

But they shalbe comforted of al theyr trybu¦lacyon and their sorowe shalbe turned into ioye and that infynyte and euerlastynge in the lyfe to come. Nether are they without comforte here in this worlde, for Chryst hathe promysed to sende them a comfortour to be with them for euer euen the spirite of truthe whiche the worlde knoweth not. Iohn. xiiii, And they reioyse in hope (of the comforte to come) Roma. xii.

And they ouercome thorowe we faythe / as it is wrytten Hebre. xi. the saynctes thorowe faythe ouercame kyngedomes and obtayned the pro∣myses.* 1.9 And .1. Io. v. thys is the vyctory that ouer cometh the world, euen our fayth. But the blynd world nether seyth our comfort nor our truste in God, nor how god thorowe faythe in his worde, helpeth vs and maketh vs ouercome.

Howe ouercome they (wylt thou saye) that

be all wayes persecuted and euer slayne? ve∣rely in euery batayle somme of them that wynne the felde / be slayne, yet they leue the vyctorye vnto theyr deare frendes for whose sakes they toke the fyghte vpon them / and therfore are conqueroures, seynge they obtayne theyr pur∣pose and maynteyne that they foughte for. The cursed ryche of thys worlde whiche haue theyr ioy and comforte in theyr ryches / haue sence the begynnynge foughte agaynste them / to wede them out of the worlde. But yet in vayne. For thoughe they haue all wayes slayne somme yet those that were slayne / wanne the vyctorye for theyr brethern with theyr deathe / and euer en∣creased the number of them. And thoughe they semed to dye in the syght of the folysshe / yet they are in peace and haue obtayned that euer∣lastynge kyngdome for whiche they fought. And beside all this whē God plageth the world for theyr synne / * 1.10 these that mourne and sorowe are marked with the sygne of Thau in theyr fore heddes and saued from the plage / that they pe∣ryshe not with the wycked / as thou seeste Eze∣chiel. 9. and as lot was delyuered from amonge the Sodomytes.

And contrary wyse / cursed are they that laugh nowe, that is to say / which haue theyr ioy, solase and comforte in theyr ryches / for they shall sorowe and wepe / Luke. 6. And as it was answered the ryche man, Luke. 16. sonne remem¦ber howe that thou receauedest thy good dayes in thy lyfe tyme, and Lazarus lykewyse euell▪

And therfore is he comforted and thou tor∣mented.

[ iii.] Blessed are the meke, for they shall enheryte the erthe.

* 1.11By the erthe vnderstande all that we posses∣se in thys world, whiche al god wyl kepe for vs yf we be softe and meke. And what so euer trou∣ble arise, yet if we wylbe pacient and abyde, the ende wyll go on our syde, as it is wrytten in the xxxvi. Psal. the wycked shalbe weded out, but they that abyde the lordes layser, shall enhe∣rete the erthe. And agayne, with in a whyle the wicked shalbe gone, thou shalt behold the place where he was and he shalbe away / but the meke or softe shal enheryte the erthe. Euen as we say / be styl and haue thy wyl / and of lytle medlynge cometh moche reste / for a pacyent man shal were out all hys enemyes.

It is impossyble to dwelle in any place where no dylplesure shoulde be done the▪ If it be done vnwyllyngly / as when thy neyghbours be∣astes breke into thy corne by some chaunce a∣gaynste hys wyll. then it is reason that thou be softe and forgeue. If it be done of malyce and selffe wyll / then with reuengynge thou doest but with poderynge in the fyere make the flame gre∣ter / and geuest an occasyon of more euell to be done the. If any man rayle on the and re∣buke the / answere not agayne / and the hete of hys malyce shal dye in it selfe and goo out ym∣medyatly / as fyer dothe when no more wode

is layde theron. If the wronge that is done / be greater then thou arte able to beare / truste in God and complayne with all mekenes vnto the offycer that is set of God to forbyd suche vy∣olence, And yf the gentylmen that dwelle about the / be tyrauntes / be ready to helpe to fet home theyr wode / to plowe theyr lande / to brynge in theyr heruest and so forthe / and let thy wyfe vyset my Ladye nowe and then with a cople of hennes or a fat capon and suche lyke / and then thou shalt possesse al the remmanaunt in reste•• or els one quarel or other may be pycked to the, to make the quyte of all togyther.

Chose whether thou wylte with softnes and sofferynge haue God on thy syde / euer to saue the and to gyue the euer ynoughe / and to haue a good conscience and peace on the erthe / or with furyousnesse and ympacyency to haue God a∣gaynste the and to be polled a lytle and lytle of altogether / and to haue an euell conscyence and neuer reste on the erthe, and to haue thy dayes shortened therto, God hathe promysed if thou he meke and soft, and soffer a lytle persecucyon to geue the not onely the lyfe to come / * 1.12 but also an hundred folde here in this lyfe, that is to say to geue the hys owne selfe and to be thy protec∣tor and to minyster the euer ynough, whiche may of right be called an hundred folde, and that is a treasure passynge the treasure of al prynces.

Fynally Chryste teacheth here howe euery man muste lyue for hym selfe amonge them to whom he is a neyghboure / * 1.13 and in pryuat mat∣ters

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

in whiche he is but as a neyboure (thoughe he be a kynge) and in whiche thou canste not be to softe But and yf thou be an offycer / * 1.14 then thou must be good, kynde and mercyful, but not a mylkesoppe and neegligent, As to whom thou art a father, them muste thou rule and make obay and that with sharpenes. if softenes wyll not be harde, and so in all other offyces.

[ iiii] Blessed are they that honger and thyrste for ryghtwysnesse, for they shalbe fulfylled.

* 1.15Ryghteousnes in thys place is not taken for the pryncypall ryghtuousnes of a chrysten man thorowe which the person is good and accepted before God. For these .viii. poyntes are but doc∣tryne of the frutes and workes of a chrysten man before whiche the faythe muste be there, to make ryghteous without all deseruynge of workes and as a tre out of which al suche frutes and wor∣kes muste sprynge. wherfore vnderstande here the outwarde ryghteousnes before the worlde and true and faythful dealynge eche with other / and iuste executynge of the offyces of all maner degrees / and meke obedyence of all that are vnder power / So that the meanynge is / happy are they whiche not onely do theyr dutyes to all men, but also studye and helpe to the vttermoste of theyr power with worde, deade, councel and exortynge, that all other deale trulye also aceor¦dynge to the degre that euery man beareth in the wolde, & be as desyerous to further good order

order and ryghtuous dealynge, as the hongrye and thyrsty be desyrous to eate and drynke.

And not that it is not for naught that he sayth hongre and thurst. For excepte thy soule hongre and thyrste for thys ryghteuosnes of her newe nature, as the bodye dothe for meate and drynke of hys olde nature, the deuell and the chyldren of thys worlde (whiche can not soffer that a man ether deale truly hym selfe or helpe o¦ther) wyll so resyste the,* 1.16 plage the and so wery the, that thou haddeste leuer of very mystruste and desperacion that ought shulde be better,* 1.17 for¦sake al and make thy selfe a monke or a fryer, ye and to ronne into a straunge contrey and leue all thy frēdes, then to abyde in the world, and to let it chose whether it wyl synke or swyme.

But to comforte vs, that we faynte not or be wery of wel doynge, Chryste promyseth that all that haue thys thruste and hongre, shall haue theyr lust satysfied, and be trāslated into a kyng∣dome, where none vnryghtwysnes is, be sydes y^t thou shalt here and se at lēgth many come to the ryghtway and helpe with the, and many thynges that cannot be al together mēded, yet somewhat better & more tolerable so that all ryghtwysnes shal not be quenched.

And contrary wyse cursed be all they that are full, as Luke in the .vi.* 1.18 saythe •• that is to saye they pocrytes whiche to auoyde all laboure, so rowe, care, comberaunce and,* 1.19 sofferynge with theyr bretheren, get them to dennes to lyue at rest and to fyll theyr belyes, the wealth of other

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

men not regarded. No, it were a grefe to them that other were better, that they alone maye be taken for holye, and that who so euer wyl to heuen must bye it of them, ye they be so ful, that they compare them selues to other poore syn∣ners and lo•••• as narowly on them as the phare∣seye dyd on the publycane, thankynge God that he alone was good, and the other euell. Cursed are they yet for al their fulnes, for they shal hon∣ger with euerlastynge honger where none shall geue them to eate, nor they haue any refresshynge of theyr paynes.

[ v.]

* 1.20To be mercyfull, is to haue compassyon and to feale a nother mannes desease, and to mourne with them that mourne, and soffer with them that soffer, and to helpe and socoure them that are in trybulacyon and aduersyte, and to com∣forte them with good councell and wholsome instruccyon and louynge wordes. And to be mer¦cyfull, is louyngly to forgeue them that offen∣ded the assone as they knowledge theyr mysdo∣ynge and axe the mercy. To be mercefull / is pa∣cyently longe to abyde the conuersyon of syn∣ners with a lusty courage and hope that God wyl at the last conuerte them, and in the meane tyme to praye instauntlye for them, and euer when he seythe an occasyon / to exhorte them, warne them / monyshe them and rebuke them. And to be mercyfull / is to enterprete all to the best.

& to loke thorowe the fyngers at many thynges and not to make a greuous synne of euery small tryfle / and to soffer and forbere in hys owne cause the malyse of them that wyll not repente nor be a knowen of theyr wekednes, as longe as he can soffer it, and as longe as it ought to be soffred, and when he can no lenger, then to com∣playne to them that haue auctoryte to forbyde wronge and to punyshe suche euell doers.

But the ypocrytes clene contrary condempne all them for greuous synners,* 1.21 saue them onely that bye theyr holynes of them, And because they wyll soffer with no man, they get them to sylence. And because they wyll helpe no man ••ll that they haue (they saye) partayneth to the couent and is none of theyrs.* 1.22 And yf they be of∣fended, they wyll be aduenged immedyatly. And to cloke, that they shulde not seme to ad∣uenge them selues, the mater (saye they) pa••tay∣neth to God and holy churche, or to some saynte or to one or other holye thynge, as if thou smyte one of them on the one cheke, he wyll turne to hym the other yer he wyll aduenge hym selfe.* 1.23 But the iniurye of the holye Oyle wherewith he was anoynted, that muste he aduenge, and that with a spyrytuall punyshmente / that thou muste be accursed as blacke as a colyer and de∣lyuered to Sathan. And yf thou come not in and axe absolucyon and offer thy selfe to pe∣naunce and to paynge therto, they wel not soffer tyll the deuell fetche the. But wyll delyuer the to the fyer in the meane tyme. And al for zele

of ryghtwysnes (say they.)

* 1.24O ypocrytes / the Zele of ryghtwysnes is to hongre and thryste for ryghteousnes, as it is a∣boue descrybed, that is, to care and study and to do the vttermoste of thy power, that all thyn∣ges went in the right course and due order bothe thorowe all degrees of the temporalty and also of the spyrytualty, and to Ieoperde lyfe and goodes theron.

* 1.25Al the worlde can beare recorde what payne ye take and howe ye care for the temporall co∣mune welthe, that all degrees therin dyd and had theyr dutye, and howe ye put your lyues in aduenture to preache the truthe, and to enfor∣me lordes and prynces and to cry vpon them to feare God and to be lerned, and to mynyster theyr offyces trulye vnto theyr subiectes, and to be mercyfull and an exsample of vertue vnto them / And howe helpe ye that youthe were brought vppe in lernynge and vertue / and that the pore were prouyded for of fode & rayment &c. And howe prouyde ye that your prestes be al lerned, and preache and do theyr dutyes truly euery man in his paryshe? howe prouyde ye that sectes aryse not to poole the people and leade them out of the waye vnder a coloure of longe praynge and ypocretyshe holynes, liuynge them selues ydle and beynge vtterlye vnto the comen¦wealthe improfytable? who smelleth not the swete odoure of chastyte that is amonge you? what ryghtuousnes is in youre sanctuaryes, and what indyfferent equyte is in al youre exempcy∣ons,

pryueleges and lybertyes? By your workes we Iudge you and youre Zele to ryghtuousnes. and not by youre sophystycall sottle reasons, with whiche ye wolde clawe our eares, bleare our eyes and begyle our wyttes, to take your tyrannous couetous crudelyte for the Zele of ryghtuousnes.

Fynally he that wyll not be mercyfull, to be blessed of God and to obtayne mercye of hym bothe here and in the lyfe to come, let hym be accursed with the vnmercyfull and to hym be iudgement without mercy / accordyng to the wor¦des of saynt Iames in the seconde chapter of his Epystle.

Blessed be the pure in harte, for [ vi.] they shall se God.

That whiche entreth in to a man defyleth not a man. But the thynges that defyle a man / pro∣ceade fyrste out of his harte / as thou mayste se Mat. xv. Thence come out euell thoughtes sayeth (Chryste) as murther / adultrye, fornycacy∣on, thefe, false wytnessynge and blasphemyes, These are the thynges which make a man fowle A man then is not fowle in the syghte of God,* 1.26 tyll his harte be fowle. And the fylthynes of the harte are thoughtes that study to breake god∣des commaundementes,* 1.27 wherfore the purenes of the harte is the consentynge and studyous pur∣pose to kepe the lawe of God and to mene truly in al thy wordes and workes, and to do thē with a true intent.

It foloweth then that thou mayste be pure harted and therwith do all that God hathe com∣maunded or not forboden. Thou mayste be pure harted and haue a wyfe and gette chyldren, be a iudge & condempne to deth them that haue deserued it / hange or heed euell doers, after they be by a iuste processe condempned. Thou mayest be pure harted, & do al y^e drudge in the world. Lot was pure harted amonge the Sodomytes. Nycodemus beynge in the councell amonge them that conspyred the dethe of Ghryst was pure har∣ted and consented not with them to the dethe of that innocent.

Yf the lawe be wryten in thyne harte it wyll dryue the to Christ, which is the ende of the lawe to iustefy al that beleue. Ro. x. And Chryste wyll shewe the hys father, for no man seeth the father but the sonne, and he to whome the sonne wyll shewe hym Luke. 10. If thou beleue in Chryste, that he is thy sauyoure, that faythe wyl leade the in ymmedyatlye and shewe the God with a lo∣uely and an amiable countenaunce, and meke the feale and se howe that he is thy father, all mer∣cyful to the and at one with the, and thou his son and hyghlye in hys fauoure and grace, and sure that thou pleseste hym, when thou do este an hun∣dred thynges whiche some holye people wolde suppose them selues defyled. yf they shulde but thynke on them. And to se God is the blesshynge of a pure harte.

Impure and vnclene harted then are all they that study to breke Goddes commaundementes,

Impure harted are all that beleue not in Chryste to be iustefyed by hym. Impure harted are al ypo¦crytes that do theyr worke for a false purpose ether for prayse, profyte or to be iustyfyed ther∣by, whiche paynted sepulchers (as Chryst calleth them) can neuer se God,* 1.28 or be sure that they be in state of grace and that theyr workes be accepte, because they haue not Goddes worde with them, but clene agaynst them.

Blessed are y^e peacemakers, for they [ vii.] shalbe called the chyldren of God.

To enheryte thys blyssynge,* 1.29 it is not only re∣quired that thou haue peace in thy selfe, and that thou take all to the beste, and be not offended lyghtly and for euery small tryfle, and all waye redye to forgeue, not sowe no dyscorde nor ad∣uenge thyne owne wronge. But also that thou be feruent and diligent to make peace and to go be¦twene. where thou knowest or herest malice & en∣uye to be, or seest bate or stryfe to aryse betwene person and persō, and that thou leue nothing vn∣sought, to set them at one.

And though Chryste here speke not of the temporall swerde, but techeth howe euerye man shal lyue for him selfe towarde his neyghboure / * 1.30 yet Prynces (yf they wyll be Goddes chyldren) muste not only geue no cause of warre nor begyn but also (thoughe he haue a iust cause) soffer hym selfe to be entreated, yf he that gaue the cause re∣pent, and muste also seke all wayes of peace be∣fore he fyght. Howe be it, when al is sought, and

nothynge wyll helpe, then he ought & is boūde to defende his lande and subiectes, and in so do∣ynge he is a pece maker, as wel as whē he causeth theues and murtherers to be punished for theyr euell doynge and brekynge of the comon peace of hys lande and subiectes.

If thou haue peace in thy selfe and louest the peace of thy brethern after this maner, so is god thorowe Chryste at peace with the, and thou hys beloued sonne and heyre also.

¶ Moreouer if the wrōge done to the, be greter then thou mayst beare, as when thou art a person not for thy selfe only. But in respecte of other, in what soeuer worldly degre it be, & hast an of∣fyce cōmytted the, then (when thou haste warned with al good maner him that dyd it, and none a∣mēdement wilbe had) kepe peace in thyne harte and loue him styl, and complayne to them that are set to reforme suche thynges, and so art thou yet a peace maker and styll the sonne of God, But yf thou aduenge thy selfe or desyreste more then that suche wronge be forboden, thou syn∣nest agaynst God,* 1.31 in takyng the auctoryte of god vpon the with out hys commaundement. God is father ouer all, and is of ryght Iudge ouer al hys chyldren, and to him only pertayneth all aduen∣gynge, who therfore without his cōmaundement aduengeth ether with harte or hande / the same dothe cast him selfe into the handes of the sword and loseth the ryght of hys cause.

And on the other syde, cursed be the peace breakes, picquarels, whysperers, backebyters

sowers of dyscorde, dyspraysers of them that he good to brynge them out of fauore, interpreters to euell that is done for a good purpose, fyn∣ders of faultes wher none is, sterers vp of princes to batayle and warre, & aboue al cursed be they that fasly bely the true prechers of goddes word to brynge them into hate, and to shede theyr bloude wrongfully for hate of the truth, For all suche are the chyldren of the deuel.

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,* 1.32 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,* 1.33 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.

Blessed are ye, when they reuyle you, and persecute you and saye all

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

maner of euell saynges agaynst you for my sake, and yet lye. Reioyse and be glade, for your rewarde is great in heuen. Euen so verely they per∣secuted the prophetes that were be∣fore you.

He•••• seyst thou the vttermoste what a Chry∣sten man must loke for. It is not ynoughe to sof¦fer for ryghtwysnes. But that no bytternes o•• poyson be lefte out of thy cuppe, thou shalte be reuyled and rayled vpon,* 1.34 and euen whan thou art condempned to dethe then be excomunycate and delyuered to sathan, depryued the felow∣shype of holy church, the company of the angel∣les and of thy parte in Chrystes bloud▪ and shalt be cursed downe to hell, defyed, detestat, and execrate with all the plasphemous ralynges that the poyson hartes of ypocrytes cā thinke or yma¦gyne, and shalt se before thy face whē thou goest to thy deth, that al the worlde is perswaded and brought in beleue that thou hast sayde and done that thou neuer thoughteste, and that thou dyest for that thou art as gyltles of as the chylde that is vnborne.

well thoughe inequite so hyly preuayle, and the truthe for which thou dyest, be so lowe kepte vnder and be not once knowē before the world in so moche that it semeth rather to be hynde∣red by thy dethe, then (furthered) whiche is of all greffes the greateste) yet l•••• not thyne harte

fayle the nether dyspare, as thoughe God hade forsaken the or loue the not. But comforte thy selfe with olde ensamples, howe God hath su∣fred all hys olde frendes to be so entreated,* 1.35 and also hys onely and deare sonne Iesus▪ whose en∣sample aboue all other set before thyne eyes, be¦cause thou art sure he was beloued aboue all o∣ther, that thou doute not, but thou arte beloued also, and so moche the more beloued, the more thou art lyke to the ymage of hys ensample in sufferynge.

Dyd not the ypocrytes watche him in al hys sermones, to trappe hym in hys owne wordes? was he not subtellye aposed, whether it were lawfull to paye trybute to Cesar? were not all hys wordes wronge reported? were not hys my∣racles ascrybed to Belsabub? sayde they not, he was a Samarytane and had a deuell in hym? was he not called a breaker of the Sabothe, a wyne drynker, a frende of publicans and synners? dyd he ought wherwith no faute was foūde, and that was not interprete to be done for an euell pur∣pose? was nat the pretense of hys dethe, the destroynge of the temple, to brynge hym in to the harte of all men, was he not therto accu∣sed of treson, that he for bade to paye trybute to Cesar? and that he moued the temple to in∣surreccyon? Rayled they not on hym in the byt∣terest of all hys passyon, as he hanged on the Crosse, saynge, saue thy selfe thou that saueste other, come downe from the Crosse and we wyll beleuen in the, fye wretche that destroyest the

temple of God.

Yet was he beloued of God, and so art thou his cause came to lyght also / and so shal thyne at the last, ye and thy rewarde is great in heuē with hym, for thy depe sofferynge.

* 1.36And on the other syde, as they be cursed which leue ryghtuousnes destytute and wyll not soffer therewith / so are they mooste accursed whiche knowe the truthe, and yet not only fle ther from because they wyll not soffer. But also for lu∣cre, become the mooste cruell enymyes therof and moste suttyll persecuters, and moste falslye lye theron also.

* 1.37Fynally thoughe God whan be promyseth to blesse our workes / do bynde vs to worke yf we wyll obtayne the blessynge or promyse / yet muste we beware of thys pharesa••cal pestylence / to thynke that our workes dyd deserue the pro∣myses. For what so euer God commaundeth vs to do, that is our dutye to do, thoughe there were no suche promyse made to vs at all. The promyse therfore cometh not of the deseruynge of the worker (as thoughe God had nede of ought that we coulde do) but of the pure mer∣cy of God, to make vs the more wyllynge to do that is our dutye. &c. For yf when we had done all that God commaundethe vs to do he then gaue vs vppe in to the handes of tyrauntes and kylled vs / and sent vs to purgatorye (which men so greatlye feare) or to hell / and all the aun∣gelles of heuen with vs / he dyd vs no wronge nor were vnryghtuous for ought that we or they

coulde calynge of deseruynge, howe so euer that God vseth his creatures / he euer abideth ryghtu∣ous, tyl thou canst proue that after he hath boūd hym selfe with hys owne worde of mercy, he then breake promyse with them that kepe couenaunt with hym. So nowe yf nought were promysed / nought coulde be callenge, what so euer we dyd And therfore the promyse cometh of y^e goodnes of the promyser only / and not of the deseruyng of those workes of whiche God hathe no nede / and which were no lesse our dutye to do / though there were no suche promyse.

ye be the salt of the erthe. But yf the salt be waxen vnsauery, what can be salted therewith, It is hence∣forth nothynge worthe. But to be caste out and to be troden vnder fote of men.

The offyce of an Apostle and true preacher is to salt•• not only the corrupte maners and con∣uersacyons of erthye people / but also the roten harte within and all that spryngeth out therof / theyr naturall reson / theyr wyll / theyr vnderstan¦dyng and wysdome / ye and theyr fayth and be∣leue and all that they haue ymagyned without Goddes worde, concernynge ryghtuousnes iusti∣fyenge / satysfaccyon and sercynge of God. And the nature of salt is to byte / frete & make smart. And the sycke pacientes of thys worlde are mer∣uelous

impacyent, so that thoughe with greate payne they can suffer theyr grosse synnes to be rebuked vnder a fassyon / * 1.38 as in a parable a farre of, yet to haue theyr ryghtuousnes theyr holy∣nes and seruynge of God and hys sayntes / dy∣salowed / improued / and condemned / for dam∣nable and deuely she / that maye they not abyde In so moche that thou muste leaue the saltynge or els be prepared to suffer agayne, euen to be called a rayler / sedicyous / a maker of dyscorde and a troubeler of the comon peace, ye a scysma¦tyke and an heretyke also / and to be lyed vpon that thou hast done sayde that thou neuer though test / and then to be called (coram nobis) and to synge a newe songe and forswere saltynge or els to be sēt after thy felowes that are gone before / and the waye thy mayster went.

* 1.39True preachynge is a saltynge that stereth vppe persecucyon, and an offyce that no man is mete for saue he that is seasoned hym selfe be∣fore with pouertye in spyryte / softenes / meke∣nes / pacyence / mercyfulnes / purenes of harte and honger of ryghtuousnes and longynge for persecucyon to / and hathe al hys hope / comfort and solace in the blessynge only / & in no wordly thynge,

Nay wyll some say / a man myght preche longe ynough without persecucyon / ye and get fauoure to / yf he wolde not meldle with the pope / byshopes / prelates and holye gosty peo∣ple that lyue in contemplacyon and solytarynes nor with greate men of the worlde. I answere /

true preachyng is saltynge and al that is corrupt muste be salted. And those persones are of all other most corrupt, & therfore may not be lefte vntouched.

The popes perdones muste be rebuked / the abuse of the masse / of the sacramenentes and of all the ceremonyes must be rebuked and salted. And sellynge of merytes and of prayers must be salted. The abuse of fastinge and of pylgrimage must be salted. All ydolatrye and false faythe muste be rebuked. And those freres that teache men to beleue in saynt Fraunces cote / howe that they shall neuer come in hell or purgatorye / yf they be buryed therin / maye not be passed ouer with sylence.

The payne and grefe of saltynge made mon∣kes fle to theyr cloysture.* 1.40 Naye (saye they) we went thether of pure deuocyon to praye for the people. ye but for all that the more ye encrease and the more ye multyplye youre prayers / the worse the worlde is. That is not oure faute (saye they) but theyrs / that they dyspose not them selues but contynue in synne / and so are ynapte to receaue the influence of our prayers O ypocrytes yf ye were true salt and had good hartes and loued youre neyghboures (yf dead men be neyghboures to them that are a lyue) and wolde come out of youre dennes and take payne to salte and season them, ye shulde make a greate many of them so apte, that your prayers myght take effecte. But nowe seynge as ye saye they be so vnsauery that your prayers be to them

hem improfitable / though their goodes be to you profitable / and yet ye haue no compassion to come out and salt them / it is many feste that ye loue not them, not theyrs, and that ye praye not for them / but vnder the colour of praynge mocke them and robbe them.

Fynally salt which is the true vnderstandynge of the lawe / of faythe / and of the entent of all workes / hathe in you lost her vertue / nether be there any so vnsauery in the worlde as ye are / nor any that so sore kycke against true saltyng as ye / and therfore to be caste out and troden vnder fote & dyspysed of al mē / by the ryghtu¦ous iudgement of God.

* 1.41Yf salt haue loste hys saltnes, it is good for nothynge but to be troden vnder fote of men That is / yf the preacher which for his doctryne is called salt / haue loste the nature of salt / that is to saye, hys sharpenes in rebukynge all vn∣ryghtuousnes / al natural reason / natural wyt and vnderstandynge / and all truste and confy∣dence in what so euer it be / saue in the bloude of Chryst / he is condempned of God and dys∣alowed of all them that cleaue to the truthe. In what case stande they then that haue benefy∣ces and preache not? verely though they stande at the alter / yet are they excomunycate and cast out of the lyuynge churche of almyghtye God. And what yf the doctryne be not true salte? ve∣rely then is it to be troden vnder fote.* 1.42 As muste all wery she and vnsauerye ceremonyes whiche haue loste theyr sygnyfycacyons, and not only

teache not and are become vnprofytable and do no more seruyce to man. But also haue ob∣tayned auctoryte as God in the harte of man, that man serueth them and putteth in them the trust and confydence that he shuld put in God hys maker thorough Iesus Chryst hys redemer. Are the instytucyons of man better then Godes ye are Godes ordynaunces better nowe then in the olde tyme? The prophetes troden vnder fote and defyed the temple of God and the sa∣crefyces of God and all ceremonyes that God had ordayned, with fastynges and prayenges, and all that the people peruerted and comyt∣ted ydolatrye with. we haue as strayte a com∣maundement to salte and to rebuke al vngod∣lynesse as had the prophetes. wyll they then haue theyr ceremonyes honorably spoken of, then let them restore them to the ryght vse, and put the salt of the true meanyng and signyfica¦cyons of them to them agayne. But as they be nowe vsed / none that loueth Chryste can speke honorably of them? what true Chrysten man can gyue honor to that / that taketh al honoure frō Chryst? who can gyue honoure to that / that sleyeth the soule of hys brother / and robbeth his herte of that truste and confydence whiche he shulde gyue to hys lorde that hathe bought hym with hys bloude?

Ye are the lyght of the worlde. A cytie that lyeth on a hyl can nat be hyd / neyther do men lyght a candel

and put it vnder a bushell / but on a cādelstyke / and also geueth it lyght to all that are in the house. Lette youre lyght so shyne before men / that they see youre good workes / and prayse youre father that is in heuen.

Christ goeth forthe and describeth the offyce of an apostle and true preacher by another ly∣kenesse callynge them as before the salte of the erthe. Euen so here the lyght of the worlde / syg∣nyfyenge therby that all the doctryne / all the wysdome and hye knoweledge of the worlde / whether it were phylosophye of naturall con∣clusyons, of maners and vertue, or of lawes of ryghtuousnes, whether it were of the hole scryp∣ture and of God hym selfe / was yet but a darc∣kenes,* 1.43 vntyll the doctryne of hys Apostles came That is to saye, vntyll the knowledge of Chryste came / howe that he is the sacrefyce for our syn∣nes / our satysfaccyon / our peace / attonement and redempcyon / our lyfe therto and resurrec∣cyon, what soeuer holynesse / wysdome ver∣tue / perfectnesse or ryghtwysnes in the worlde amonge men, howe so euer perfecte and holye they appere / yet is all damnable darckenes / ex∣cept the right knowledge of Chrystes bloude be there fyrste / to iustefye the harte before all other holynes.

Another conclusyon. As a cetye buylt on a hyl can not be hyd / no more can the lyght of Chry∣stes gospel. Let the world rage as moche as they wyll / yet it wyl shyne on theyr sore eyes whether they be content or no.

Another conclusyon as men lyght not a can∣dell to whelme it vnder a bushell / but to put it on a candelstycke to lyght al that are in the hous euen so the lyght of Chrystes gospell maye not be hyde nor make a seuerall thynge, as thoughe it pertaynethe to some certayne holye persons onelye. Naye it is the lyght of the whole worlde and pertaynethe to all men / and therfore maye not be made seuerall. It is a madnesse that dyuerse men say / * 1.44 the lay people maye not kno∣we it / excepte they can proue that the laye peo∣ple be not of the worlde. Moreouer it wyll not be hyde / but as the lyghtenynge that brea∣kyth out of the cloudes / shynethe ouer all / euen so dothe the gospell of Chryste. For where it is truely receyued, there it purefyeth the harte and makethe the parson to consente to the lawes of God and to begynne a newe and a Godlye ly∣uynge, facyoned after godes lawes and without all dyssymulacyon.* 1.45 And then it wyll kyndle so greate loue in hym towarde hys neyghboure, that he shall not onely haue compassyon on hym in hys bodely aduersyte / but moche more petye hym ouer the blyndnes of hys soule and to my∣nyster to hym Chrystes gospell / * 1.46 wherfore yf they say, it is here or there, in saint Fraunces cote or Domynykes and suche lyke, and that yf thou

thou wylt put on that cote / thou shalt fynde it there / it is false. For yf it were there / thou shul¦deste se it shyne abrode de thoughe thou crepeste not into a sel or a monkes coulle / as thou seest lyghtenyng without crepyng into the cloudes ye theyr lyght wolde so shyne / that men shuld not onely le the lyght of the gospell / but also theyr good workes / which wolde as fast come out / as they nowe ronne in. In so moche that thou shuldest se them make themselfes pore to helpe other / as they nowe make other pore / to make them selues ryche.

* 1.47This lyght and salte partayned not then to the Apostles and nowe to our byshoppes and spiritualty onely. No it pertayneth to the tem∣poral men also. For all kynges and all rulers are bound to be salt and lyght not onely in ex∣sample of lyuyng, but also in teachyng of do∣ctryne vnto theyr subiectes, as well as they be bounde to punyshe euell doers. Dothe not the scrypture testefye that kynge Dauyd was cho∣sen to be a sheparde and to feade hys people with Godes worde. It is an euel skole mayster that can nought saue bete only. But it is a good skole master that so teacheth that fewe nede be beaten. This salt and lyght therfore pertayne to the temporalty also, and that to euery mem¦ber of Chrystes church / so that euery mā ought to be salt and lyght to other.

* 1.48Euery man then may be a comen preacher thou wylt say / and preache euery where by his owne auctoryte, Nay verely, No man maye yet

be a comen preacher saue he that is called and chosen therto by the comen ordynaunce of the cōgregacion,* 1.49 as longe as the preacher teacheth the true worde of God. But euery priuate man ought to be in vertuous lyuyng both lyght and salt to his neyghbour / in so moche that the po∣reste ought to stryue to ouercome the byshope and to preache to hym in ensample of lyuyng. Moreouer euery man ought to preach in wordand deade vnto his houshold and to them that are vnder hys gouernaunce. &c. And thoughe no man may preache openly, saue he that hath the offyce commytted to hym, yet ought euery man to endeuoure hym selfe, to be as well ler∣ned as the preacher, as nye as it is possyble, And euerye man maye pryuatlye enforme hys neyghboure, ye and the preacher and byshope to, yf neade be. For yf the preacher preache wronge, then maye any man what so euer he be rebuke hym, fyrste pryuatlye and then (yf that helpe not) to complayne further. And when all is proued, accordynge to the order of cha∣rite / and yet none amendment had, then ought euery man that can to resyst hym / and to stond by Chrystes doctrine, and to ieoparde life and al for it. Loke on the olde ensamples and they shall teache the.

The gospel hath a nother fredome with her then the temporall regyment. Thoughe euery mannes body and goodes be vnder the kynge do he ryghte or wronge / yet is the auctoryte of Goddes worde free and aboue the kynge /

soo that the worste in the realme maye tell the kynge, if he do hym wronge, that he doth nought and other wyse then God hathe commaunded hym, and so warne hym to auoyde the wrathe of God whiche is the pacyent aduenger of all vn∣ryghtwysnes. Maye I then and oughte also, to resyste father and mother and all temporall power with Goddes worde, whan they wronge∣fully do or commaunde that hurteth or kylleth the bodye, and haue I no power to resyste the Byshoppe or Preacher that with false doctryne sleyethe the soules for whiche my Mayster and and lorde Chryste hath shede hys bloude? Be we otherwyse vnder our byshopes then Chryste and his apostles and al the prophetes were vnder the byshoppes of the olde lawe? Naye verelye, and therfore maye we and also oughte to do as they dyd, and to answere as the apostles dyd. Act. 5. O Portet magis obedire deo quam bominibus. we muste rather obaye God than men. In the gospel euerye man is Chrystes dyscyple and a persone for hym selfe to defende Christes doctryne in his owne person. The faythe of the byshoppe wyll not helpe me. nor the bishopes kepyng the lawe is suffycyent for me. But I muste beleue in Chryst for the remyssyon of al syn, for myne owne selfe and in myne owne person. No more is the byshop¦pes or preachers defending Godes word ynough for me. But I muste defende it in myne owne per¦sone and ieoperde lyfe and all theron when I se¦nede and occasyon.

I am bounde to gette worldlye substaunce

for my selfe and for my housholde with my iuste laboure and some what more fore them that can not, to saue my neyghboures bodye. And am I not more bounde ••o labour for Godes worde to haue therof in store, to saue my neyghboures soule? And when is it so moche tyme to resyste with Goddes worde and to helpe, as when they whiche are beleued to mynyster the true worde, do slee the soules with false doctryne, for coue∣tousnes sake? He that is not readye to geue hys lyfe for the mayntenaunce of Ghrystes doc∣tryne agaynst ypocrytes, with what so euer name or tytle they be dysguysed, the same is not wor∣thy of Chryste nor can be Chrystes dyscyple / by the verye wordes and testymonye of Chryste. Neuertheles we muste vse wysdome, pacyence, mekenes and a dyscrete proces after the due or∣der of charite in our defendyng y^e word of God lest whyle we go aboute to amende our prelates we make them worse. But when we haue proued all that charyte bindeth vs and yet in vayne, then we muste come forthe openlye and rebuke theyr wykednes in the face of the world and ieoperde lyfe and all theron.

Ye shall not thynke that I am come to dystroye the lawe or the prophe∣tes / no I am not come to dystroye them / but to fulfyll them. For true∣ly I saye vnto you / tyll heauen and

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

erthe peryshe / there shall not one Iott or one tytle of the lawe scape / tyll all be fulfylled.

A lytle before Chryst calleth hys dyscyples the lyght of the worlde and the salt of the erthe and that because of theyr doctryne / wherwith they shulde lyghten the blynde vnderstandyng of man / and with true knoweledge dryue out the false openyons and sophystycall persua∣syons of natural reason, and deliuer the scryp∣ture out of the captyuyte of false gloses which the ypocrety she phareseys had patched therto and so out of the lyghte of true knowledge, to ••••ere vp a newe lyuynge. and to salt and ceason the corrupt maners of the olde blinde cōuersa¦cyon.* 1.50 For where false doctryne / corrupt opy∣nyons and sophistycal gloses raygne ī the wyt and vnderstandynge / there is the lyuynge de∣uelyshe in the syghte of God / howe so euer it appere in the syght of the blynde worlde. And on the other syde, where the doctryne is true & perfecte,* 1.51 there foloweth godly lyuynge of ne∣cessyte. For out of the inwarde beleue of the hart, floweth the outwarde cōuersacyon of the mēbers. He that beleueth that he ought to loue his enemy, shall neuer cease fyghtynge agaynst his owne selfe / tyl he haue weded all rancoure and malyce out of his hart, But he that beleueth it not / shall put a vysure of ypocresye on hys face, tyl he get oportunite to aduēge him selfe.

And here he beginneth to teache them to be that lyght and that salte of which he spake, and sayth. Thoughe the scrybes and phareses beare the people in hande, that all I do / is of the de∣uyll and accuse me of breakynge the lawe and the prophetes (as they afterwarde rayled on the Apostles / that they draue the people from good workes, thoroughe preachyng the iuste∣fyenge and ryghtwysnes of faythe) yet se that ye my dyscyples be not of that beleue. For he∣uen and erthe shall soner peryshe, then one my nume or tytle of the lawe shulde be put out. I come not to destroye the lawe •• but to repare it onely, and to make it go vpryght where it hal∣teth, and euē to make croked strayte, & roughe smothe, as Iohan the Babtyste doth in the wyl∣dernes / and to teache the true vnderstandynge of the lawe, without me the lawe cā not be ful∣fylled nor euer coulde. For thoughe the lawe were gyuen by Moyses / yet grace & verite / * 1.52 that is to say / the true vnderstandinge and power to loue it and loue to fulfyll it / cometh and euer came thorough faythe in me.

I do but onely wype awaye the fylthy and roten gloses whiche the scrybes and the phary¦seys haue smared to the lawe and the prophetes and rebuke theyr dānable lyuyng whiche they haue facyoned / not after the lawe of God / but after theyr owne sophistycall gloses fayned to mocke out the lawe of God / and to begyle the whole worlde, & to lede thē in blyndnes, and that the scrybes and phareseys falsly bely me /

howe that I go aboute to destroye the lawe, and to sette the people at a fleshelye lyberte, and to make them fyrste dysobedyent and to despyce theyr spyrytuall prelates, & then to ryse agaynst the temporall rulers and to make all comune, and to gyue lycence to syn vnponyshed, cometh onelye of pure malyce, hate, enuye and furyouse impacyencye, that theyr vysures are plucked frō theyr faces and their ypocresy dysclosed. Howe be it what I teche and what my lernynge is con∣cernynge the lawe, ye shall shortly here / and that in fewe wordes.

Who so euer breaketh one of these leaste comaundementes and teache men so / shalbe called the leaste in the kyngedome of heauen. But he that dothe them and teacheth them / the same shalbe great in the kyngdome of heuen.

who so euer studye to destroy one of the com¦maundementes folowynge whiche are yet the leaste and but chyldyshe thynges in respecte of the perfecte doctryne that shall here after be she∣wed, and of the mysteryes yet hyde in Chryste and teache other men euen so, in worde or en∣sample,* 1.53 whether openly or vnder a coloure and thoroughe false gloses of ypocresye that same doctoure shall all they of the kyngedome of he∣uen abhorre and despyce, and caste hym out of

of theyr companye, as a sethynge potte dothe caste vp her fome and skome & purge her selfe. So faste shall they of the kyngedome of heauen cleaue vnto the pure lawe of God without all mennes gloses.

But who so euer shall fyrste fulfyl them hym selfe and then teache other, and sette all hys stu∣dye to the furtheraunce and mayntenyng of them that doctoure shall all they of the kyngedome of heuen haue in pryce, and folowe him and seke hym out as dothe the Egle her praye, and cleaue to hym as burres. For these commaundementes are but the verye lawe of Moyses (the draffe of the phareses gloses, clensed out) interpreted ac∣cordynge to the pure worde of God and as the open text compelleth to vnderstande them, yf he loke dylygently theron.

The kyngdome of heuen take for the con∣gregacyon or churche of Chryste.* 1.54 And to be of the kyngedome of heuen, is to knowe God for our father, and Chryste for our lorde and sauy∣oure from all synne. And to enter in to thys kyngedome it is impossyble, excepte the harte of man be to kepe the commaundementes of God pure lye, as it is wrytten. Iohan. 7.* 1.55 yf any man wyll obaye hys wyll, that is to saye, the wyl of the father that sent me (saythe Chryste) he shall knowe of the doctryne, whether it be of God, or whether I speke of myne owne hede. For yf thyne harte be to do the wyll of God whiche is his commaundementes, he wyl gyue the a pure eye, both to dyscerne the true doctryne from the

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

false / and the true doctryne from the howlyng ypocryte. And therfore he saythe.

* 1.56For I say vnto you / except your ryghtwysnes excede y^e ryghtwys∣nes of the scrybes and pharyseys / ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heuen.

The ryghtwysnes of the scrybes and phary∣seys can not enter into the kyngdome of heuen the kyngdome of heuen is the true knowledge of God and Chryste / ergo the ryghtwysnes of the Scrybes and Pharyseys neyther knowethe God nor Chryste. He that is wyllynge to obay the wyll of God / vnderstandeth the doctryne of Chryste / as it is proued aboue / the scrybes and the phariseys vnderstand not the doctryne of Chryste / ergo they haue no wyll nor luste to obaye the wyll of God. To obaye the wyll of God, is to seke the glory of God (for the glo∣rye of a mayster is the meke obedyence of hys seruauntes, the glorye of a Prynce is the vmble obedyence of hys subiectes, the glory of a hus∣bande is the chaste obedyence of hys wyfe / the glorye of a father is the louynge obedyence of hys chyldren) the scrybes and the pharyseys haue no lust to obay the wyl of God,* 1.57 ergo, they seke not the glorye of God. Furthermore the scrybes and pharyseys seke theyr owne glory / they that seke theyr owne glory, preache theyr owne doctryne, ergo, the scrybes and pharyses

preache theyr owne doctryne. The maior thou hast. Math. xxiii. the scrybes and pharyseys do all theyr workes to be sene of men / they loue to sytte vppermoste at feastes and to haue the chefe seates in the Synagoges, and salutacions in the open markettes, and to be called Raby. And the mynor foloweth the texte aboue reher¦sed Iho. vii. he that speketh of hym selfe or of hys owne heed, seketh hys owne glorye / that is to saye, he that preacheth hys owne doctryne is euer knowen by sekynge hys owne glory, so that it is a generall rule to knowe that a man preacheth hys owne doctryne / yf he seke hys owne glorye. Some man wyll happely say, the scrybes and pharyseys had no other lawe then Moses and the prophetes nor any other scryp∣ture, and groūded theyr sayenges theron. That is truthe, howe then preached they theyr owne doctryne? verely it foloweth in the sayd, vii. of Iho.* 1.58 He that seketh tbe glorye of hym that sent him y^e same is true and there is no vnryghtwys∣nes ī him, that is to say, he wyl do his maysters message truly and not alter it, where contrarye¦wyse he y^t seketh his owne glory wyl be false (when he is sēt) and wyl after his masters mes∣sage, to turne his maysters glory vnto his owne selfe. Euen so dyd the scrybes and pharyseys alter the word of God for theyr owne profyte and glorye.* 1.59 And when Godes word is altered with false gloses, it is no more Gods word. As when God sayth, loue thy neyghbour and thou puttest to thy leūe and sayest, yf my neyghbour

do me no hurte nor saye me anye. I am bound•• to loue hym, but not to gyue hym at hys nead•• my gooddes whiche I haue gotten with my sore labour. Nowe is thys thy lawe and not Goddes. Goddes lawe is pure and single, loue thy neygh∣boure whether he be good or bad.* 1.60 And by loue God meanethe, to helpe at neade. Nowe when God byddeth the to gette thy lyuynge and some what ouer to helpe hym that can not, or at atyme hathe not wherwith to helpe hym selfe, yf thou and .xxx. or .xl. with the gette you to wylder∣nesse / and not onelye helpe not youre neygh∣boures but also robbe a greate number of two or thre thousande pounde verelye, howe loue ye your neyghboures? Suche men helpe the worlde with prayer, thou wylte saye to me. Thou were better to saye, they robbe the worlde with theyr ypocresye, saye I to the▪ and it is truthe in dede, that they so do. For yf I stycke vppe to the myd¦dle in the myer lyke to peryshe with out present helpe, and thou stonde by and wylt not socoure me, but knel••ste downe and prayeste, wyll God here the prayers of suche an ypocryte? God byd¦deth the so to loue me that thou put thy selfe in ioperdye to helpe me. and that thyne hart•• whyle the bodye labourethe do praye and trust•• in God, that he wyll assyste the. and throughe th•• to saue me. An ypocryte that wyll put neyther bodye nor goddes in parell for to helpe me 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my neade, louethe me not nether hathe compas∣syon on me, and therfore his harte can not praye thoughe he wagge hys lyppes neuer so muche.

It is wryten, Iohan. ix. If a man be a worshyp∣per of God and do hys wyll (whiche is the true worshype) hym God herethe, Nowe the wyl of God is / that we loue one another to helpe at nede. And suche louers he hereth and not sottle ypocrytes.* 1.61 As loue maketh the helpe me at my nede, so when it is paste thy power to helpe, it maketh the praye to God, Euen so where is no loue to make the take bodely payne with me. there is no loue that maketh the praye for me. But thy prayer is in dede for thy belye whiche thou loueste.

what were the scrybes and pharyseys?* 1.62 The scrybes besydes that they were pharyseys (as I suppose) were also offycers, as are our bys∣shopes / Chauncelers / Comyssaryes / Archedea∣cones, and offycyalles. And the phariseys were relygyouse men whiche hade professed, not as nowe, one Dominycke the other fraunces, ano∣ther Barnardes rules. But euen to hold the very lawe of God / with prayer / fastynge / and al∣mes dede / and were the flowre and perfectyon of all the Iewes, as S. Paule reioyseth of hym selfe philippen. 3. saynge I was an Ebrue and concernynge the lawe a pharyse, and concer∣nynge the ryghtwysnes of the lawe I was faut∣les. They were more honorable then any secte of Mōkes with vs. whether obseruaūt or Ancre or what so euer other be had in pryce.

They myght moche better haue reioysed to* 1.63 haue ben the true churche and to haue had the spyryte of God, and that they coulde not haue

erred they men whome all the worlde seeth / neyther to kepe Godes lawes nor mannes, nor yet y^t deuelyshe lawe of theyr owne makyng. For God hathe made thē of the olde testament as great promyses / that he wold be theyr God and that his spiryte and al grace shuld be with thē, yf they kepte his lawe, as he hathe made to vs, Nowe seing they kepe the vttermost rote of the lawe in the syghte of the worlde and were fautles,* 1.64 and seynge therto that God hathe pro∣mysed neyther vs nor them oughte at al / but vpon y^e professyon of kepyng his lawes, whe¦ther were more like to be the ryght church and to be taughte of the spyryte of God and they coulde not erre / those pharyseys and oures? Myght not the general councelles of those, and the thynges there decreed with out scrypture seme to be of as great actoryte as the generall councelles of oures and the thynges there or∣dayned and decreed bothe clene with out and also agaynste Godes worde? Myght not the ce∣remonyes whiche those hade adyde to the cere∣monyes of Moses, seme to be as holy & as wel to plese God, as the ceremonyes of oures. The thynges whiche they added to the ceremonyes of Moyses, were of the same kynde as those ce∣remonyes were / and no more to be rebuked then the ceremonyes of Moyses. As for as en∣sāple yf Moyses bade washe a table or a dyshe when an vnclene worme had crepte theron, the pharyseys dyde washe the table with a wete cloute before euery refection, leste any vnclene

thynge hade touched them vnwares to all men, as we put vnto our tythes a mortuarye for all forgotten tythes.* 1.65 what was then the wycked∣nes of the pharyseys? verely the leuen of theyr gloses to the morall lawes, by whiche they cor¦rupte the commaundemētes and made them no more Godes, and theyr false fayth in the cere∣mones that y^e bare worke was a sacrefyce and a seruyce to God, the sygnyfycacyons lost and the opinyon of false ryghtwysnes in theyr pra¦yers fastynge and almos dedes, that such wor∣kes dyd iustefy a man before god, and not that God forgeueth syn of his mere mercy, yf a man beleue, repent and promise to do his vttermost to synne no more.

when these thus sate in the hertes of the peo∣ple, with the opynyon of vertue, holynes,* 1.66 and ryghtwysnes, and theyr lawe the lawe of God theyr workes, workes comaūded by God and confyrmed by all hys prophetes, as prayer, fa∣stynge and almose dede, and they loked vpon as the chyrche of God that could not erre, and fynally they thē selues ether euery where were the chefe rulers or so sate in the hartes of the rulers, that theyr worde was beleued to be the worde of God.

what other thynge coulde it be, to prea∣che agaynste all suche and to condemne theyr ryghtwysnesse for the mooste damnable synne that can be, than to seme to goo aboute to de∣stroye the lawe and the prophetes? what other thynge can such a precher seme to be before y^e

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

blynde worlde / then heretycke / scysmatycke / sedicyous / * 1.67 possessed with the deuel and worthy of shame moste vyle and deth moste cruel? And yet these must be fyrsterebuked and theyr false ryghtwysnes detecte, yer thou mayste preache agaynste open synners.

Or els yf thou shuldest conuerte an open senner from hys euell lyuynge, thou shuldeste make hym nyne hundred tymes worse then be∣fore. For he wolde attonce be one of these sorte / euen an obseruaunt or of some lyke secte of whiche amonge an hundred thousande, thou shalte neuer brynge one to beleue in Chryste, where among open synners many beleue at the houre of dethe, fal flat vpon Chryst and beleue in hym onely without all other ryghtwysnes. It were an hundred thousand tymes better ne∣uer to pray, then to praye soche lyppe prayers and neuer to fast or do almes then to faste and to do almes with a mynde therby to be made ryghtuous / and to make satysfaccyon for the fore synnes.

Ye haue harde howe that it was sayde to them of olde tyme / kyl not / for who so euer kelleth shall be in daunger of iudgement. But I say vnto you / who soo euer is angrye with his brother / shall be in daun¦ger of iudgement. And whosoeuer

saye vnto his brother Racha / shall be in daunger of a councell. But whosouer say to his brother / thou fole / shalbe in daunger of hell fyre.* 1.68

Here Chryste begynneth, not to destroy the lawe (as the pharyseys had falsly accused hym) but to restore it agayne to the ryght vnderstan∣dynge and to purge it from the gloses of the pharyseys. He that sleyeth shall be gyltye or in daunger of iudgement / that is to say / yf a man murther, hys dede testefyeth agaynst hym, there is no more to do / then to pronounce sentence of dethe agaynst hym. This texte dyd the pha∣ryseys, extende no further then to kyll with the hande and outwarde members, But hate / en∣uye / malyce / churlyshnesse and to withdrawe helpe at neade, to begyle and cyrcumuent with wyles and sottle bergenynge, was no synne at all, No, to brynge hym home, thou hatedest to dethe with crafte and falshed, so thou dyddeste not put thyne hande therto / was no synne at al. As when they had brought Chryste to dethe wrongefully and compelled Pylate with sot∣teltye to sleye hym / they thoughte them selues pure. In so moche that they wolde not go into the hall for defylynge them selues and beynge partakers with Pylate in his bloud. And Ac. 5 they sayd to the Apostles, ye wolde bryng this mannes bloude vpon vs / as who wolde saye, we slue hym not. And Saul in the fyrste boke of

the Kynges in the .xviii. Cha▪ beinge so wrothe with Dauid, that he wold gladly haue had him slayne determyned yet that he wold not defyle hym selfe, but to thrust hym into the handes of Phylystynes, that they myght sley hym, and he hym selfe abyde pure.

And as our spyrytualtye nowe offer a man mercy / once thoughe ye haue spoken agaynste holy chyrche / onely yf he wyll but periure and bere a fagot. But yf he wyll not, they do but dyote hym a season / to wynne hym and make hym tell more, and then delyuer hym to the lay power sayenge, he hathe deserued the dethe by our lawes and ye ought to kyll hym / howe be it we deserc it not.

¶ But Chryste restoreth the lawe agayne and sayeth / to be angry with thy neyghboure to sle hym and to deserue dethe. For the lawe goeth as wel on the harte as on the hande, He that ha∣teth his brother is a mutherar .i. Io. 3. If then the blynd hande deserue dethe howe moche more those partes which haue the syght of reson. And he that sayeth Racha / * 1.69 lewde or what so euer sygne of wrath it be, or y^t prouoketh to wrath▪ hath not only deserued that men shuld imme∣dyatly pronounce sentence of deth vpon hym, but also y^t when deth is pronoūced, they shuld gather a councel / to decre what horryble dethe he shuld suffer. And he that calleth hys brother fole / hathe synned downe to hel.

* 1.70Shal then a man not be angry at al nor re∣buke or ponyshe? yes yf thou be a father or a

mother / mayster / maystresse / husbande / lorde / or ruler / yet with loue and mercye / that the an∣ger / rebuke / or ponyshmente excede not the faute or trespas. Maye a man be angrye with loue? ye, mothers can be so with theyr chyldrē It is a louinge anger that hateth onely the vyce and studyeth to mende the persone. But here is forboden not only wrath agaynste father / mo∣ther / and all that haue gouernaunce ouer the / whiche is to be angry and to grudge agaynste God hym selfe / and that the ruler shall not be wrath without a cause agaynst the subiecte. But also al pryuate wrathe agaynst thy neyghbour ouer whome thou haste no rule nor he ouer the, no though he do the wronge. For he that do the wronge lacketh wytte and dyscrecyon and can not amende tyll he be informed and taught lo¦uyngly. Therfore thou must refrayne thy wrath and tell hym hys faute louyngly and with kyn∣denes wyn him to thy father / for he is thy bro∣ther as wel made and as dere bought as thou / and as wel beloued, though he be yet chyldyshe and lacke dyscrecyon.

But some wyl say, I wyl not hate my neygh¦boure / nor yet loue hym / or do hym good.* 1.71 yes thou must loue hym for the fyrst cōmaundemēt out of which all other flowe, is, thou shalt loue the lorde thy God with all thyne harte / with all thy soule / and with all thy myght. That is / thou must kepe all his commaundementes with loue. Loue must kepe y^e fro killyng or hurting thy neyboure and frō couetynge in thyne harte

what so euer is his. And .1. Ioh. 4. Thys com∣maundement haue we of hym / that he whiche loueth God, loue his brother also. And agayne 1. Iohan. iii. he that hathe substaunce of thys worlde and see hys brother haue necessyte, and shutteth vp hys compassyon from him, howe is the loue of God in hym? he then that helpe the not at neade louethe not God, but breketh the fyrste commaundement. Let vs loue therfore sayth saynte Io, not with worde and tonge, but in the dede and of a truthe. And agayne saynte Iohā sayd in the sayd place / he that loueth not hys brother by deth yet styll in dethe. And of loue hath Moyses textes ynoughe. But the pha¦ryseys glosed them out, sayenge they were but good councelles yf a man desyred to be per∣fecte / but not preceptes. Exodi. xxiii. yf thou mete thyne enemyes oxe or asse goynge a straye thou shalte in any wyse brynge them to hym a∣gayne. And yf thou se thyne enemyes asse falle downe vnder his burthen / thou shalt helpe him vp agayne. And Leuyti, xix. thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne hart / but shalt in any wyse rebuke thy neyghboure,* 1.72 that thou beare no syn for hys sake. For yf thou studye not to a∣mende thy neyghboure when he synneth, so art thou partaker of hys synnes. And therfore whē God taketh vengeaunce and sendeth what soo euer plage it be, to ponyshe open sinners, thou must peryshe with them. For thou dydest synne in the syght of God as depe as they / because thou dydest not loue the lawe of God to mayn∣teyne

it with all thyne harte, soule / power and myght. Is not he that seeth hys nyghboures hous in ieoperdye to be sette on fyer and war∣neth not, nor helpeth in tyme, to auoyde the pa¦rell, worthy yf his neyghboures hous be brent vp, that hys be brent also / seynge it was in hys power to haue kepte all out of ieoperdy, yf he had wolde / as he wolde no doute yf he had lo¦ued hys neyghboure? Euen so when God sen∣deth a generall pestylence or warre to thy cy∣tye / to ponyshe the synne therof / arte not thou worthy that thyne house shulde be infected or peryshe, yf thou myghtest haue kepte it frō syn¦nynge, and thou haddest ben wyllynge therto? But yf thou do thy beste to further the lawe of God and to kepe thy land or neyghboures frō synnyng against God, thē (though it pelpe not) thou shalte bere no synne for theyr sakes when they be ponyshed. He therfore that loueth the lawe of God, may be bolde in tyme of pesty∣lence and all ieoperdy to beleue in God. And agayne in the same place thou shalt not auenge thy selfe nor beare hate in mynde agaynste the chyldren of thy people. But shall loue thy fe∣lowe as thy selfe, I am the lorde. As who shuld say, for my sake shalt thou do it. And Deutero∣nomy .10. The lorde your God. is the God of Goddes and lorde of lordes, a greate God / myghty and terryble, which regardeth no man¦nes persone or degree or taketh gyftes. But doth ryghte to the fatherlesse and the wydowe, and loueth the staunger, to gyue hym rayment

and fode / loue therfore the straunger / for ye were straungers in the lande of Egypt. And Le¦uytycum, .xix. yf a straunger soiourne by the, in your lande, se that ye vexe hym not. But let the straunger that dwelleth amonge you, be as one of your selfes, and loue hym as thy selfe. For ye were straungers in the lande of Egypt / I am the lorde. As who shulde saye, loue him for my sake.* 1.73 Notwithstandynge when thy neyghboure hathe shewed the more vnkyndenes then God hath loue / then mayste thou hate hym / and not before. But muste loue hym for Goddes sake / tyll he fyght agaynste God to destroy the name and glorye of God.

Therfore when thou offerest thy gyfte at the alter / and there remem¦breste that thy brother hathe ought agaynste the / leaue there thy gyfte before the alter / and go fyrst and re¦consyle thy selfe vnto thy brother / and then come and offer thy selfe. Agree with thyne aduersarye at∣tonce / whyle thou arte in the waye with hym / leaste thyne aduersarye delyuer the to the iudge / and the iudge delyuer the to the mynyster /

and thou be caste into pryson. Ve∣rely I saye vnto the / thou shalt not com out thence / tyl thou haue payd the vttermost farthynge.

This texte with the similitude is somewhat sotle / and byndeth both hym that hathe offen∣ded to reconsyle him selfe as moch as in him is and hym that is offended to forgeue and be at∣tone.* 1.74 The offerynges were sygnes and dyd cer∣tefye a man that God was at one with hym and was hys frende and loued hym. For the fat of beastes was offered and wine therto, as though God had sate and eate and dronke with them, and the rest they and theyr husholdes dyd eate before god / as though they had eate & dronke with God, and were commaunded to be mery and to make good chere / full certefyed that God was at one with them and had forgote all olde offences, & nowe loued thē / that he wold fulfyl all his promyses of mercy with them.

Nowe wyl God receyue no sacrefyce / that is to wyte / neyther forgeue or fulfyll any of hys promyses, eycept we be fyrst reconcyled vnto our brethren / whether we haue offended or be offended. In the Chapyter folowynge thou re∣dest ye forgeue, your father shal forgeue you And Osia, 6. I loue mercy & not sacrefyce and the knowledge of God more then I do burnt offerynges / that is to saye / the knoweledge of the poyntementes made betwene God and vs

what he wyl haue vs to do fyrst, and then what he wyl do for vs agayne. And Esaias. 58. God refused fastynge and ponyshynge of the body that was coupled with crudelyte / & sayth that he desyred no suche fast, But sayth thys faste re¦quyre I, that ye be mercyfull and forgeue, and clothe the naked and fede the hungry. &c. Then cal (sayth he) and y^e lord shal answere, cry, and he shall saye, see, here I am.

And that symylytude wyl, that as a man here yf he wyl no otherwyse agre / he must suffer the extremite of the lawe, yf he be brought afore a iudge (for the iudge hath no power to forgeue or to remyte, but to cōdemne hym in the vtmost of the lawe) euen so / yf we wyll not forgeue one another here, we shall haue iudgement of God, without mercy.

And that some make purgatory of the last farthynge,* 1.75 they shewe theyr depe ignoraunce. For fyrst no symylytude holdeth euery worde and syllable of y^e similitude, furthermore whē they dyspute / tyll he paye the laste ferthynge, ergo he shal paye. But not in hell, ergo in pur∣gatory. A wyse reson. Ioseph knewe not Ma∣rye tyll she had borne her fyrst sonne, ergo she bare the seconde or he knewe her after, I wyll not forgeue the tyll I be dede or whyle I leue▪ ergo I wyll do it after my dethe / and a thou∣sande lyke.

Ye haue harde howe it was sayd to them of olde tyme / commyt not ad∣ultery.

But I say to you / that who so euer loketh on a wyfe lustynge after her / hath cōmitted aduoutrye with her all redy in hys harte.

This commaundement commytte none adul∣terye had the phareseys blynded and corrupte with theyr sophystry and leuen / interpretynge the concupyscence of the harte / lewde toyes / fylthye gestures / vnclene wordes, clappynge, kessynge and so forthe / not to be imputed for syn. But euen the acte and dede alone, thoughe Noyses say in the texte / thou shal not couet thy neyghboures wyfe, &c. But Chryst putteth to lyght and salt, and bryngeth the precept to hys true vnderstandynge and naturall taste agayne and condemneth the rote of synne, the concu∣pyscence and consent of the harte. Before the worlde I am no murtherer tyll I haue kylled with myne hande. But before God I kyll, yf I hate, ye yf I loue not, and of loue kepe me both from doynge hurte, and also be redye and pre∣pared to helpe at nede. Euen so the consent of the harte with all other menes that folowe ther of / be as well aduoutrye before God / as the dede it selfe. Fynally I am an aduouterer be∣fore God / yf I so loue not my neyghbour, that verye loue forbyd me to couet hys wyfe,* 1.76 Loue is the fulfyllynge of al cōmaundementes. And without loue it is impossyble to abstayne from synnyng agaynst my neyghbour in any precept yf occasyon be gyuen.

Carnall loue wyl not suffer a mother to robbe her chylde / no it maketh her robbe her selfe / to make it ryche. A naturall father shall neuer lust after hys sonnes wyfe. No / he careth more for her chastyte then hys son doth hym selfe. Euen so wolde loue to my neyghboure, kepe me frō synnynge agaynste hym.

* 1.77Aduoutry is a damnable thynge in the syght of God, and moche meschefe foloweth therof. Dauid to saue his honoure was dreuen to com∣mytte greuous murther also. It is vnryght in the syght of God and man that thy chyld shuld be at another wannes cost and be another man¦nes hayre. Neyther canste thou or the mother haue lyghtly a quyet conscyence to God / or a mery harte so longe as it is so. Moreouer what greater shame canst thou do to thy neyghbour, or what greater dyspleasure? what yf it neuer be knowen nor come any chylde therof? The precyousest gyfte that a man hath in this world of God, is the true harte of hys wyfe, to abyde by hym in welthe and wo, and to bere all for∣tunes with hym. Of that hast thou robbed hym for after she had once coupled her selfe to the she shal not lyghtly loue him any more so truly but haply hate hī and procure his deth. More ouer thou haste vntaught her to feare God and hast made her to syn agaynst God. For to God promysed she and not to man only / for y^e lawe of matrymony is Godes ordynaunce. For it is wrytten Ge. 39. when Puthyphars wyfe wold haue had Ioseph to lye with her, he answered /

howe could I do thys wykednes & syn agaynst God, ye verely it is impossyble to syn agaīst mā except thou syn against God first. Finally rede Cronycles and storyes / and see what hath fo∣lowed of aduoutrye.

what shal we say, that some doctores haue dys∣puted and douted, whether syngle fornycacyō shuld be syn•• when it is condempned bothe by Christ & Moses to, and Paule testefieth. 1. Cor. 6. that no fornycatoure or whore keper shall possesse the kyngdome of God. It is ryght that al men that hope in God, shulde brynge vppe theyr frute in the fere and knowledge of God, and not to leaue hys sede where he careth not what come therof.

Wherfore if thy ryght eye offende the plucke it out and caste it from the. For it is better for the that one of thy membres peryshe / then that thy hole bodye shulde be caste into hell. And euen so if thy ryght hande offende the / cut it of / and caste it from the. For it is better for the / that one of thy members peryshe / then that thy hole bodye shulde be caste into hell.

Thys is not mente of the outwarde members For then we must cut of nose, eares, hande and

fote / ye we must procure to destroy the saynge herynge, smellynge, tastynge and felynge, and so euery man kyl him selfe. But it is a phrase or speache of the Ebrue tonge / and wyll that we cut of occasyons / daunsynge / kyssyng / ryotous eatynge / * 1.78 and drynkynge / and the luste of the hart and fylthy ymagynacyons that moue a mā to concupyscence. Let euery man haue his wyfe thynke her the fayrest and the best cōdicyoned and euery woman her husbande so to. For god hath blessed thy wyfe and made her without syn to the / * 1.79 whiche ought to seme a beautyful fayr∣nes, And al that ye suffer to gether / y^e one with the other / is blessed also and made the verye Crosse of Chryste and plesaunt in the syghte of God / why shulde she then be lothe some to the because of a lytle sufferynge, that thou shuldest luste after a nother / that shuld defyle thy soule and flee thy cōscyence and make the suffer euer∣lastynglye?

It is sayde / whosoeuer put away hys wyfe / let hym gyue her a testy∣monyal of the deuorcement. But I saye vnto you / who so euer putteth away his wyfe (except it be for for∣nycacyō) maketh her to breke wed∣locke / and whoso euer maryeth the deuorced / breketh wedlocke.

Moyses Deut. 24.* 1.80 permytted his Israelites in extreme necessyte, as whē they so hated theyr wyues that they abhorred the companye of thē then to put them awaye,* 1.81 to auoyde a worse in∣conuenyence, wherof ye rede also Nath. xix. And he knytte therto that they myght not re∣ceyue them agayne after they hade ben knowen of any other persones, which lycence the Iewes abused and put awaye theyr wyues for euerye lyght or fayned cause, and when so euer they lusteth. But Chryste calleth backe agayne and enterpreteth the lawe after the fyrst ordynaūce and cutteth of all causes of deuorcement, saue fornycacion of the wyues party, when she bre∣keth her matrymony. In whiche case Moyses lawe pronounceth her dede, & so do the lawes of many othercontres, which lawes where they be vsed, there is the man free without all ques∣tyon. Nowe where they be let lyue / there the man (if he see sygne of repentaunce and amen∣dement) maye forgeue for once. If he may not fynde in hys hart (as Ioseph as holye as he was coulde not fynde in hys harte to take Chrystes mother to hym, when he spyed hyr with chyld) he is fre no dout to take another whyle y^e lawe interpreteth her dede, for her syn ought of no ryght to bynde hym.

what shal the woman do, yf she repent and be so tempted in her fleshe that she cā not leue chaste? verely I can shewe you nothynge out of the scrypture. The offyce of the preacher is, to preache the, x. commaundementes whiche are

the lawe natural,* 1.82 and to promyse them whiche submytte them selues to kepe them of loue and feare of God, euerlastyng lyfe for their labour through faythe in Chryste / and to threaten the dysobedyent with euerlastynge payne in hell. And this ponyshment is. yf any man haue offen¦ded throught fraltye, and when he is rebuked turne and repente, to receyue hym into grace and absolue hym, and yf any wyll not amende when he is rebuked / to cast him out among the infydeles. Thys I faye yf the temporall power shut her vp, as a conuicte person appoyntynge her a sober lyuynge / to make satysfaccyon to the congregacyon for her dampnable exsam∣ple, they dyd not a mysse. It is better that one mysdoer suffer then a comen welthe to de cor∣rupte.

where the officers be neglygent and the wo¦man not able to put herselfe to penaunce, if she went where she is not knowen and there mary God is the God of mercye. If any man in the same place where she trespaseth, petyed her & maryed her. I coulde suffer it. were it not that the lyberty wolde be the next way to prouoke all othar that were once wery of theyr husban∣des / to commytte adulterye, for to be deuor∣sed from them / that they myght marye other whiche they loued better. Lette the temporall swerde take hede to their charge therfore. For thys is truth,* 1.83 all the temporall blessynges set in the lawe of Moyses for kepyng theyr lawes / as welthe and prosperyte / longe lyfe / the vpper

hande of theyr enemyes / plenteousnes of fru∣tes and chepe of all thynge / and to be without pestylence / warre and famyshment / and al ma∣ner other abhomynable dyseases and plages / pertayne to vs as wel as to thē / yf we kepe our temporall lawes.

And al y^e cursses and terryble plages which are threatened through out the lawe of Moses,* 1.84 as honger / derth / warre and dyssencyon / pesty∣lence / feuers and wōderfull and straunge fere∣full dyseases / as the swete / pockes / and fal∣lynge syckenes / shortynge of dayes / that the swerde / honger / and suche dyseases / shal eate them vppe in theyr youthe / that theyr enemyes shuld haue the vpperhande / that the people of the lande shulde be mynyshed and the townes decayed and the lande brought vnto wylder∣nes, and that a plenteous lande shal, be made baren or so ordered that derthe shall deuoure the enhabyters / and welth be among fewe that shulde oppresse the reste / with a thousand such lyke, so that nothyng they begyn shulde haue a prosperous ende / all those cursses (I saye) par∣tayne to vs aswell as to them / yf we breake our temporall lawes.

Let Englande loke about them and marke what hathe chaunced them sence they slue theyr ryght kynge whome God hath annoynted ouer them, Kynge Rycharde the seconde.

Theyr people / townes and vyllages army∣nyshed by the thyrde part. And of theyr noble bloude remayneth not the thyrde nor I beleue

the syxte / ye and yf I durste be bolde, I wene I myght saflye swere that there remayneth not the syxteneth parte. There owne swerde hath eaten them vp. And thoughe pastures be enlar∣ged aboue all mesure, yet rotte of shepe, Mo∣ren of beastes with parkes and warrans, with reysynge of fynes and rente, make all thynges twyse so dere as they were. And our owne con∣modytes are so abused that they be the destruc∣cyon of theyr owne realme.

* 1.85And ryght, for yf we wyl not knowe god to kepe hys lawes, howe shuld God knowe vs, to kepe vs and to care for vs and to fulfyl his pro¦myses of mercy vnto vs? sayth not Paul. Ro. 1. of the hethen. Sicut non probauerunt habere deum in noticia, it a tradidit illos deus. As it se∣meth them not good, or as they had no lust / or as they admytted it not, nor alowed for ryght in theyr hertes to knowe God as God, to gyue hym the honour of God / that is, to feare hym as God, and as auenger of all euel, and to seke hys wyll, euen so God gaue them vp to folowe theyr owne blyndenes, and toke hys spyryte and his grace from them / and wolde no lenger rule theyr wyttes. Euen so yf we caste of vs the yocke of our temporall lawes whiche are the lawes of God and dreuen out of the .10. com∣maundementes and lawe naturall / and out of loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe. God shal cast vs of and lette vs slyppe, to folowe our owne wytte. And then shall all go agaynste vs / what so euer we take in hande, in so moch that when

we gather a perlyament to reforme or amende ought / that we there determe shalbe our owne snare / confusion, and vtter destruccyon. so that all the enemyes we haue vnder heauen coulde not wyshe vs so greate myschefe as our owne councell shall do vs, God shall so blynde the wysdome of the wyse. If any man haue any godlye councell, it shall haue none audyence, Erroure / madnes and daunsynge shal haue the vpper hande.

And let the spyrytualty take hede and loke wel about them and see whether they walke as they haue promysed god,* 1.86 and in the steppes of his sonne Chryst and of his apostles whose of∣fyces they bere, For I promyse them / all the deuelles in hell / if God had let them all lowse▪ coulde not haue gyuen them worse counsell / then they haue gyuen them selues thys .xx. yere longe. God gaue vp his Israeltites oftentymes when they wolde not be ruled nor knowe thē selues and theyr dutye to God / and broughte them into captyuyte vnder theyr enemyes / to proue and fele (saythe the texte) whether were better seruyce, ether to serue God, and wyllyn¦glye to obaye hys lawe coupled with so many folde blessynges / or to serue theyr enemyes / and to obaye theyr cruelnes and tyranny spyte of theyr hedes in nede and necessyte. And let the temporaltye remember, that because those nacyōs vnder which the Israelites were in cap∣teuyte, dyd deale cruelly with them, not to po∣nyshe them for theyr ydolatrye and syn whiche

they had commytted agaynst God / but to haue theyr landes and goodes and seruyce onely, r••¦ioysinge to make them worse and more out o•• theyr fathers fauoure, therfore when God had scorged his chyldren ynough / he dyd bete the other for theyr laboure.

But to our purpose / what yf the man ronne from hys wyfe and let her sette. Verely the ru∣lers ought to make a law / if any do so & come not agayne by a certayne daye / as within the space of a yere or so that then he be banyshed the contry / and yf he come agayne, to come on his hede, and let the wyfe be fre to mary where she wyll. For what ryght is it that a lewde wretch shulde take his goodes and ronne from his wyfe without a cause and sytte by an whore ye and come agayne after a yere or two (as I haue knowen it) and robbe his wyfe of that she hath gotten in the meane tyme / and go agayne to hys whore? Paule sayth to the Corinthyans. that if a man or woman be coupled with an in∣fydell / and the infydel depart, the other is free to mary where they lust. And .1. Timothe. 5. he saythe. yf there be any man that prouydeth not for his, and namely for them of his owne hous∣holde, the same denyeth the fayth and is worse then an infydel. And euen so is thys man moche more to be interpretat for an infydel that cau∣seles runneth from his wyfe. Let (I say) the go∣uerners take hede howe they let syn be vnpo∣nyshed and howe they bringe the wrath of god vp on their realmes. For God wylbe aduenged

on all iniquyte and ponyshe it with plages frō heuen. In lyke maner if the woman depart can seles and wyl not be reconcyled, though she cō¦mytte none adultery, the man ought of right to be fre to mary agayne. And in al other causes if they seperat them selues of impacience that the one can not sufferthe others infirmite, they must remayne vnmaryed. If any parte burne / let the same suffer the payne or infirmytes of the other And the temporaltye ought to make lawes to brydle the vnruly party.

Agayne ye haue harde how it was sayd to them of olde tyme / forswere not thy selfe / but paye thyne othes vnto thy lorde. But I saye vnto you / that ye swere not at all / ney∣ther be heauen / for it is the seate of God / nether by the erthe / for it is his fotestole / nether by Ierusalem / for it is the cety of the great kynge nether thou shalte swere by thyne heed / for thou canste not make a whyte here or a blacke. But your communycacyon shalbe ye ye / nay naye. For yf ought be aboue that / it procedeth of euell.

* 1.87As to hate in the harte, or to couet another mannes wyfe / was no synne with the phare∣seys, no more was it to hyde one thynge in the harte and to speake another with the mouthe, to deceyue a mannes neyghbour / yf it were not bounde with an othe. And thoughe Moyses say Leuitici. xix. Lye not nor deceyue any man hys neyghboure or one another, yet they interpre∣ted it but good councell / yf a man desyred to be perfecte. But no precepte to bynde vnder payne of synne. And so by that meanes not onelye they that spake true / but also they that lyed to deceyue, were compelled to swere and to confyrme theyr wordes with othes, yf they wolde be beleued.

But Chryste bryngeth lyght and salt to the texte whiche the phareseys had darkened and corrupte with the stynkyngemyste of theyr so∣phystry,* 1.88 and forbyddeth to swere at all▪ eyther by God or any creature of Goddes, for thou canst swere by none othe at al, excepte the dys∣honoure shal redowne vnto the name of God. If thou swere, by God it is so, or by God I wyl do this or that, the meanynge is, that thou ma∣kest God iudge, to auenge it of the, yf it be not as thou sayest, or yf thou shalte not do as thou promysest. Nowe if truth be not in thy wordes thou shameste thyne heuenlye father, and testy∣fyest that thou beleuest that he is no ryghtwyse iudge nor wyll aduenge vnryghtwysnes / but that he is wycked as thou arte and consenteth and laugheth at the / whyle thou deceyuest thy

brother, aswell created after the lykenes of God and so deare bought with the precyous bloude of Christ as thou. And thus through the a wycked sonne is the name of thy father dys∣honoured, and his lawe not fered nor hys pro∣myses beleued. And when thou swereste by the gospell boke or byble, the meanynge is, that God yf thou lye. shall not fulfyll vnto the, the promyses of mercye therin wrytten. But con∣trarye wyse to brynge vp on the all the cursses / plages / and vengeaunce therin thretened vnto the dysobedyent and euell doers. And euen so whē thou swerest by any creature, as by breade or salte. the meanynge is, that thou desyreste / that the creator therof shall aduenge it of the, yf thou lye. &c̄. wherfore our dealynge ought to be so substancyal that our wordes myght be beleued without an othe. Our wordes are the signes of the truth of our hartes, ī which ought to be pure and sīgle loue toward thy brother, for what so euer procedeth not of loue is dam∣nable. Nowe falshed to deceyue hym and pure loue can not stande together. It cā not therfore be but dampnable syn to deceyue thy brother with lyenge, thoughe thou adde no othe to thy wordes. Moche more dampnable is it then to deceyue and to adde an othe therto. &c̄.

Howe be it al maner of sweryng is not here forboden, no more then all maner of kyllyng.* 1.89 when the commaundement sayth, kyll not / for iudges and rulers muste kyll. Euen so ought they, when they put anye man in offyce, to take

an othe of hym that he shall be true and fayth∣full and dylygent therin. And of theyr subiec∣tes it is lawefull to take othes, and of all that offer them selues to beare wytnes. But yf the superior wolde compell the inferior, to swere that shulde be to the dyshonour of God or hur¦tynge of an innocent, the inferior ought rather to dye then to swere. Nether ought a iudge to compel a man to swere agaynst hym selfe, that he make hym not synne and for swere whereof it is ynough spoken in another place. But here is forboden sweryng betwene neyghbour and neyghboure, and in all our pryuate busynesse and dayly communycacyon. For customable sweringe, thoughe we lyed not, doth robbe the name of God of hys due reuerence and feare. And in our dayly communicacyon and busynes one with another is so moch vanyte of wordes that we can not but of many thynges lye, which to cōfyrme with an othe, though we begyle not is to take the name of God in vayne and vnreue¦rently agaynste the seconde precepte. Nowe to lye for the intent to begyle / is dampnable of it selfe / howe moch more then to abuse the holye name of God therto, and to cal to God for ven¦geaunce vp on thyne owne selfe.

* 1.90Many cases yet there chaunce dayly betwene man and man, in whiche charyte compelleth to swere, as I knowe that my neyghboure is fasly scalundered, I am bounde to reporte the truth and may lawfully swere, ye and am bounde if it nede, and that thoughe nat before a iudge.

And vnto the weake where ye and naye haue loste theyr credence thorowe the multytude of lyers,* 1.91 a man maye lawefully swere to put them out of doute. whiche yet cometh of the euell of them that abuse theyr language to deceyue with all. Fynally to swere to do euel is damp∣nable, and to performe that is double damp∣nable. Herodes othe made hym not innocent and gylties of the dethe of Iohan the Baptyste thoughe the ypocryte had not knowen what his wyfes doughter wolde haue asked. And when men saye, a kynges worde muste stande / that is trouth, yf his othe or promyse be lawfull and expedyent.

In al our promyses it is to be added, if God wyll and yf there be no lawful let. And though it be not added, it is to be interprete, as added As yf I borowe thy swerde, and by the houre I promyse to brynge it y^t agayne, thou be besyde thy selfe. If I promyse to paye by a certayne daye, and be in the meane tyme robbed or de∣cayed by chaunce that I can not perfourme it. I am not forsworne yf myne herte ment truely when I promysed. And many lyke cases there be of whiche are touched in other places. To lye also and to dyssemble is not alwaye synne. Dauid. 1, Regum. 27. Tolde Kynge Achis the Phylystyne that he had robbed hys owne peo∣ple the Iewes, whē he had ben a rouyng amōge the Amalekytes, and had slayne man / woman and chylde for tellynge tales. And yet was that lye no more synne then it was to destroye the

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

Amalekites those deedly enemyes of the fayth of one almyghtye God. Nether synned Cusay Dauydes trusty frende. 2. Reg. 18. in faynynge and begylynge absolon. But plesed God hiely To beare a seke man in hande that a wholsome bytter medecyne is swete. to make hym drynke it, is the duty of charite & no syn. To persuade him that pursueth his neyghbour to hurt him or slee hym, that hys neyghboure is gone another contrary way, is the duty of euery chrysten man by the lawe of charyte and no syn, no though I confyrmed it with an othe. But to lye for to de∣ceyue and hurt, that is damnable onely. &c.

Ye haue harde / howe it is sayde / an eye for an eye / tothe for a tothe, But I say vnto you / that ye with∣stande not wronge. But yf a man giue the a blowe on y^e ryght cheke / turne to hym the other also. And yf any man wyll go to lawe with the and take away thy cote / let hī haue thy cloke therto. And yf any man compell the to go a myle / go with him twane. Gyue to him that axeth and from hym that wolde borowe turne not awaye.

Chryst here entēdeth not to disanul the tem¦porall regyment, and to forbyd rulers to pu∣nyshe euell doers, no more then he ment to de∣stroy matrymony when he forbade to lust and couet another mannes wyfe in thy harte. But as he there forbade, that defyleth matrymonye, euē so he forbeddeth here y^t which troubleth, vnquyeteth and destroyeth the temporal regy∣ment, and that thynge whiche to forbydde, the temporal regyment was ordyned which is that no man aduenge hym selfe.

Christ medleth not with the temporal regy¦ment. But in al this lōge sermō fyghteth against the phareseys false doctryne and salteth the law, to purge it of the corrupcion of their fylthy gloses, and to brynge it vnto y^e ryght tast and true vnderstandynge agayne.

For the phareseys had so enterpret that lawe of Moyses (which partayned only vnto the ru∣lers) that euery pryuat person myght adueng hym selfe, and do his aduersary as moch harme agayne as he had receyued of hym.

Nowe if he that is angry haue deserued that then pronounce dethe vpon hym, and he that sayeth Racha hath deserued that men shuld ra∣ther a councell to determyne some sundry and cruel deth for so haynouse a cryme, and he that calleth his brotherfole, haue deserued hel what deserueth he y^t smyteth or aduengeth him selfe with his owne hand. Here is forboden therfore pryuate wrathe onely, and that a man aduenge hym selfe.

* 1.92 To turne the other cheke is maner of spea∣kynge and not to be vnderstande as the wor∣des sounde as was to cutte of the hande and to plucke out the eye. And as we commaunde our chyldren not onely not to come nye a brooke or a water, but also not so herdye as once to loke that waye▪ eyther to loke on fyer or once to thynke on fyer, whiche are impossyble to be obserued. More is spoken then ment to feare them and to make them perceyue that it is er∣nest that we comaūde. Euen so is the meanynge here that we in no wyle aduenge / but be pre∣pared euer to suffer as moche more / and neuer to thynke it lawfull to aduenge, howe great so euer the iniury be, for he hym selfe turned not the other cheke, when he was smyten before the byshope, nor yet Paulus when he was bo∣fetted before the byshoppe also. But ye haue harde a lytle aboue.* 1.93 Blessed are the meke, for they shall possesse the erthe. Let all the worlde studye to do the wronge, ye lette them do the wronge, and yet yf thou be meke, thou shalte haue fode and rayment ynoughe for the and thyne. And more ouer yf the worste come, God shall yet set suche a tyraunt ouer the, that (yf thou be meke and canst be content that he poll the properly,* 1.94 and euen thou mayste beare) shall defende the from al other who is polled intollerably, that hys lyfe is better and euen deathe to hym, saue he that is impacyent and can not suffer to be polled. Ye, poll thy selfe. and preuent other, and gyue the baylly or lyke

offycer nowe a capon, nowe a pygge. nowe a goose, and so to thy land lorde lykewyse, or yf thou haue a greate ferme, nowe a lambe / nowe a calfe / and let thy wyfe vyset thy lande ladye thre or foure tymes in a yere▪ with spysed ka∣kes and apples / perrs / chyrese and suche lyke. And be thou redye with thyne oxen or horses thre or foure, or halfe a dossen dayes in a yere to set whome theyr woodde or to plowe theyr lande, ye and yf thou haue a good horse, let thē haue hym good chepe or take a worse for him, and they shalbe thy shylde and defende the / though they be tyrantes and care not for God / that no man els shal dare poll the. And therto thou mayst withwysdome get of them, that shal recompence al that thou doyst to them. All this I meane if thou be pacyent and wyse and feare God, therto, and loue thyne neyghbour and do none euell, For if thou kepe thy selfe in fauour with hurtynge thy neyghbour / thyne ende wyl be euell / and at the laste desperacyon in thys worlde and hell after.

But and yf thou canst not pol thy selfe with wysdome, and laugh and bere a good counte∣naunce as though thou reioysedest whyle suche persones poll the, euery man shal poll the and they shal maynteyne them / and not defēde the. Let thys the fore be a comen prouerbe / be con∣tented to be polled of some man / or be polled of euery man.

Ye must vnderstande that there be two states or degrees in thys worlde / * 1.95 the kyngedome

of heuen which in the regyment of the gospel. And the kyngdome of this worlde which is the temporall regyment. In the fyrst state there is nether father / mother / sonne / doughter / ney∣ther mayster / maystres / mayde / man seruaunt / nor husbande nor wyfe / nor lorde or subiecte, nor man or woman, but Chyrste is all, and eche to other is Chryst hym selfe. There is none bet¦ter then other, but al lyke good, al brethren, & Christ only is lord ouer al. Nether is there any other thynge to do or other lawe saue to loue one another as Chryst loued vs. In the tēporal regyment is husbande / wyfe / father / mother / son / doughter / mayster / maystres / mayde / man seruant / lorde and subiecte,

* 1.96Nowe is euery person a double person and vnder bothe the regymentes. In the fyrst regy∣ment thou arte a person for thyne owne selfe / vnder Christ and his doctrine, and mayst nether hate or be angry and moch les fyght or aduēge But muste after the ensample of Chryste vmble thy selfe, forsake and denye thy selfe, and hate thy selfe, and cast thy selfe awaye, and bemeke and pacyent, and let euery man go ouer the▪ and treade the vnder fote and do the wronge, and yet loue them and pray for them, as Christ dyd for his crucyfyers. For loue is al and what is not of loue / that is damnable and cast out of that kyngedome.

* 1.97For that kyngdome is the kyngdome of God and Chryste. But he that loueth not / knoweth nether God nor Chryst, therfore he that loueth

not is not of that kyngdome. The minor is this wyse proued / he that knowith God and Christ seeth lyght, for Chryst is lyght. But he that ha∣teth hys brother / is in darckenes and walketh in darkenes and wotteth not whyther he goeth for darkenes hathe blynded his eyes. 1. Ioh. 2, Ergo he that hateth his brother / knoweth not what Chryste hath done for hym, and therfore hath no true fayth / nor is of the spyritual kyng¦dome of God.

To hate thy selfe, hat shalt thou gete, if thou consyder thyne owne synnes and depe damp∣nacyon that longe therto with due repentaunce And to loue that shalt thou obtayne if thou be∣holde the great and infinyte mercy of God with stronge fayth. There is none so great an enemy to y^e in this world. But thou shalt lyghtly loue hym if thou loke wel on the loue that God she∣wed the in Chryste.

In the temporall regyment thou art a per∣son in respecte of other, thou art an husbande / * 1.98 father / mother / mayster / maystresse / lorde / ru∣ler / or wyfe / son / doughter / seruaunt / subiecte. And there thou mayste do accordynge to thyne offyce. If thou be a father / thou must do the of∣fyce of a father and rule or els thou dampnest thy selfe. Thou muste brynge all vnder obedy∣ence whether by fayre meanes or foule. Thou muste haue obedyence of thy wyfe / of thy ser∣uauntes / and of thy subiectes / and the other muste obeye. If they wyll not obey with loue, thou must chyde and fyght / as farre as the lawe

of God and the lawe of the lande wyll suffer the. And when thou canste not rule them / thou art boūde in many cases / to delyuer them vnto the hyer offycer of whome thou dydest take the charge ouer them.

* 1.99Nowe to our purpose, whether a man may resyste vyolence and defende or aduenge hym selfe. I saye naye in the fyrste state, where thou art a persone for thy selfe alone and Chrystes dycyple. There thou must loue, and of loue do studye and enforce ye and suffer all thynge (as Chryst dyd to make peace / that the blessyng of God maye come vpon the / which sayth. Blessed be the peace makers, for they shalbe the chyl∣dren of God. If thou suffer and kepest peas in thy selfe onely, the blessynge is, the possessyon of this worlde. But if thou so loue the peas of thy brethren that thou leaue nothynge vndone or vnsuffred to forther it / thy blessynge is, thou shalt be Goddes sonne and consequently pos∣sesse heuen.

But in the worldly state / where thou art no pryuate man, but a person in respecte of other▪ thou not onely mayste / but also muste and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bound vnder payne of dampnacyon to execute thyne offyce, where thou art a father, thou must haue obedyence by fayre meanes or by fowle, and to whom thou art an husband / of her thou must requyre obedyence and chastyte / and that to gete, tempte all that the lawe of the lande commaundeth and wyll. And of thy seruauntes thou must exacte obedyence and feare, & mayst

not suffer thy selfe to be dyspysed. And where thou arte a ruler therto appoynted, thou muste take, pryson and slee to / not of malyce and hate, to aduenge thy selfe / but to defende thy subiectes, and to maynteyne thyne offyce.

Concernyng thy selfe, oppresse not thy sub¦iectes with rent, fynes or custome at all, / ney∣ther pylle them with taxes and suche lyke / to maynteyne thyne owne lustes. But be louynge and kynde to them, as Chryste was to the / for they be hys and the pryce of hys bloude. But those that be euell doers amonge them and vexe theyr brethren, and wyll not knowe the for theyr iudge, and feare thy lawe, thē smyte, and vpon them drawe thy swerde, and put it not vp vntyll thou haue done thyne offyce, yet without hate to thy person for hys masters sake and because he is in the fyrst regyment thy bro∣ther / but amende hym onely / or yf it can not be / but that thou muste lose one to saue many / then execute thyne offyce with suche affeccyon / with suche compassyon and sorowe of harte, as thou woldeste cutte of thyne owne arme to saue the reste of thy body.

Take an exsample,* 1.100 thou arte in thy fathers house amonge thy brethren and systers. There yf one fyght with a nother / or yf any do the wronge, thou mayste not aduenge nor smyte. But that perteyneth to thy father onely. But yf thy father gyue the auctoryte in his absens, and commande the to smyte yf they wyll not be ru∣led▪ nowe thou arte another persone. Notwith∣standyng

yet thou haste not put of the fyrst per∣sone / but art a brother styll / and must euer loue and proue all thynge to rule with loue. But yf loue wyll not serue, then thou muste vse the of∣fyce of the other persone or synne agaynste thy father. Euen so when thou art a temporal per∣son, thou puttest not of the spyrytual. Therfore thou muste euer loue. But when loue wyll not helpe, thou must with loue execute the offyce of the temporall persone or synne agaynste God. A mother can smyte & loue, and so mayst thou with loue execute the offyce of thy second state And the wyfe / sonne / seruaūt / and subiecte are brethren in the fyrst state and put not that per∣son of / by reason of the seconde degree, and therfore must they loue euer▪ and with loue pay custome / trybute / feare / honoure and obediēce to whome they belonge as Paule teacheth Ro∣ma. 13. And thoughe the other do not his duety and loue the, but rule the with rigorousnes and deale vnkyndly with the / thou not deseruynge cleaue thou to Chryst and loue styl / and let not his euell ouercome thy goodnes / and make the euell also.

And as after the ensample aboue / thy father hath power ouer the to comaūde the to vse hye power ouer thy brethren / euen so hath thy may¦ster / to gyue the his auctoryte ouer thy felowes which when thou hast thou must remember that thou art a felowe styll / and bounde to loue styl. But yf loue alone wyl not helpe / then put thy maysters auctoryte vnto thy loue. And so

hathe the ruler power ouer the / to sende the to vse vyolence vpon thy neyghboure, to take hym / to pryson him and happely to kyl him to And thou must euer loue thy neyghbour in thy•• harte by the reason that he is thy brother in the fyrst state, and yet obeye thy rular and go with the constable or lyke offycer and breake open thy neyghbours dore / yf he wyll not open it in the kynges name / ye and if he wyl not yelde in the kynges name / thou must laye on and smyte hym to grounde tyll he be subdued. And loke what harme he getteth / ye though he be slayne / that be on hys owne hede. For thyne harte lo∣ued hym and desyredest hym louyngly to obey and haste not aduenged thy selfe in that state where thou arte a brother / but in the worldly state where thou arte another maner persone in thys case / thou haste executed the auctoryte of hym that hath suche power of God to comaūde the and where thou were dampned of God, yf thou dyddest not obey.

And lyke it is / yf thy lorde or prynce sende the a warfare into a nother lande,* 1.101 thou muste obey at Goddes commaundement and go and auenge thy princes quarel which thou knowest not but that it is ryght. And when thou comest thyther / remēber that thou arte in the fyrst state with them agaynst whom thou must fyght, howe that they be thy brethrē and as depely bought with Chrystes bloude as thou, and for Chrystes sake to be beloued in thyne h••rte. And se that thou desyre nether theyr lyfe or gooddes, saue

to aduenge thy prynces quarell and to brynge them vnder thy princes power. And be content with thy prynces wages and with suche part of the spoyle (whē thou hast wonne) as thy prynce or hys debyte appoynted the / for yf thou hate them in thyne harte and couetest theyr goodes and art glade that an occasyon is founde (thou ••arest not whether it be ryght or wronge) that thou mayste go a robbynge & murtherynge vn¦ponyshed, then arte thou a murtherar in y^e sight of God / and thy bloude wyll be sheed agayne for it / eyther in the same warre folowynge, or when thou art come home (as thou there dydest in thyne harte) so shalt thou robbe and steale / and be hāged for thy labour, or slayne by some other myschefe.

* 1.102Nowe concernynge the goodes of thys worlde it is easy to iudge. In the fyrste state or degree thou oughtest to be thankeful to Christ. and to loue / to gyue and to lende to them that are bought with hys precyous bloude / all that thou art able. For all that thou owest to Chryst whose seruaunt thou arte to do hys wyll / that muste thou paye them.* 1.103 And that thou doest to them / that same doest thou to Chryste / and that thou art not redye to do for them / that denyest thou to do for Chryst. But and any of thy bre∣thren wyl with holde or take away by force a∣boue that thou mayste spare by the reason of some offyce that thou hast in the seconde state / or inuade the vyolently / and laye more on thy backe then thou canste beare, then holde thyne

harte and hande, that thou nether hate or smyte and speake fayre and louyngly / and let neygh¦boures go betwene. And whē thou hast proued almenes of loue in vayne, then cōplayne to the lawe and the offycer that is set to be thy father and defende the, and to iudge betwene the and thy brother.

Thou wylt saye the texte forbyddeth me to go to lawe, for it sayeth,* 1.104 yf a man wyl law with the and take thy cote / thou muste let hym haue gowne and all. If I muste suffer my selfe to be robbed by the lawe, wylte thou saye / by what ryght can I with lawe recouer myne owne? I answere. Beholde the texte dylygently. For by no ryght of lawe can a man take thy cote from the. For the lawe was ordeyned of God / to maynteyne the in thy ryght and to forbyd that wronge shulde be done the, wherfore the texte meaneth thus, y^t where the lawe is vniustly my¦nystred, and the gouerners and iudges corrupt and take brybes and be percyal / there be pa∣cyent & redy to suffer euer as much more, what soeuer vnryght be done the / rather then of im∣pacyency, thou shuldeste aduenge thy selfe on thy neyghbour and rayle or make insurreccyon against the superyours which God hath set ouer the. For to ryse against them is to rebel against God and agaynst thy father when he scourgeth the for thyne offence, and a thousande tymes more synne then to aduenge the on thy neygh∣bour. And to rayle on them is to rayle on God as though thou woldest blaspheme hym / yf he

make the syke, pore or of lowe degre or other∣wyse then thou woldest be made thy selfe.

* 1.105Thou wylt happely saye, the subiectes euer chose the ruler and make hym swere to kepe theyr lawe and to maynteyne theyr priuyleges and lydertyes / and vpon that submytte theyr selues vnto hym. Ergo yf he rule amysse they ar not bounde to obeye. But may resyste hym and put hym downe agayne? I aunswere your ar∣gument is nought. For the husbande swereth to his wyfe / ye though he forswere hym selfe / she hath no power to compell hym. Also thoughe a mayster kepe not couenaunt with his seruaūt, or one neyghboure with a nother, yet hathe ne∣ther seruaunt / no nor yet neyghboure (thoughe he be vnder none obedyence) power to ad∣uenge. But the vengyaunce pertayneth euer to an hyer offycer / to whom thou muste com∣playne,

Ye but thou wyl say / it is not lyke. For the hole body of the subiectes chose y^e ruler. Now Cuius est ligare, eius est soluere. Ergo yf he rule amysse, they that sette hym vp / maye putte hym downe agayne. I answere, God (and not the comen people) choseth the prynce / though he chose hym by them. For Deutero. 16. God commaundeth to chose and sette vp offycers / and therfore is God the chefe choser and setter vp of them / and so muste he be the chefe putter downe of them agayne, so that without his spe¦cyall commaundement, they maye not be putte downe agayne. Nowe hath God gyuen no com∣maundement

to put them downe agayne. But contrary wyse / when we haue anoynted a kyng ouer vs at hys commaundement / he sayethe, Touche not myne anoynted. And what ieoper∣dye it is to ryse agaynste thy prynce that is an∣oynted ouer the / howe euell so euer he be, se in the storye of Kynge Dauyd and through out al the bokes of the kynges. The auctoryte of the kynge is the auctoryte of God, and all the sub∣iectes compared to the kynge, are but subiectes styll (thoughe the kynge be neuer so euell) as a thousande sonnes gathered to gether are but sonnes styll / and the commaundement obeye your fatehrs goeth ouer all as wel as ouer one. Euen so goethe the commaundement ouer all the subiectes / obeye your prynce and the hyer power / and he that resysteth him, resysteth God and geteth hym dampnacyon. And vnto your argumēt. Cuius est ligare, eius est soluere. I an¦swere, he that byndeth with absolute power / & without any hyer auctoryte, hys is the myght to lowse agayne. But he that byndeth at a no∣ther mannes commaundement, maye not lowse agayne with out the commaundement of the same. As they of London chose them a mayre. But may not put hym downe agayne how euel he be with out the auctoryte of him with whose ly••ence they chose him. As long as the powers or offycers be one vnder another / yf the infe∣rior do the wronge, complayne to the hyer. But if the hyest of al do the wronge, thou must complayne to God onely. wherfore the onely

remedy agaynste euell doers is, that thou turne thyne eyes to thy selfe and thyne owne synne / and then loke vp to God and saye. O father, for our syn and the synne of our fathers is thy•• misery come vpon vs. we knowe not the as our father, to obey the and to walke in thy wayes / and therfore thou knowest not vs as thy sonnes to set louinge scole masters ouer vs, we hate thy lawe, and therfore haste thou through the wyc∣kednes of vnryghtwyse iudges, made that lawe that was for our defence, to be a tyraunt moste cruel and to opresse vs and to do vs iniurye a∣boue al other kyndes of vyolence & robbyng. And amende thy lyuynge, and be meke and pa¦cyent, and let them robbe as moch as they wyl. yet shal God gyue the fode and rament and an honest possession in the earth to maynteyne the and thyne with all.

* 1.106Moreouer concernynge thy goodes / thou must remember howe that thou art a person in the temporall regyment, and the kynge as he is ouer thy body, euen so is he lorde of thy good and of hym thou holdest them, not for thy selfe onely, but for to meynteyne thy wyfe, chyldren and seruauntes, and to meynteyne the kynge / the realme and the country and towne or cetye where thou dwellest, wherfore thou mayste not suffer thē to be wasted / that thou were not able to do thy dutye, no more then a seruaunt maye suffer hys masters good to go to wracke negly¦gently. Eor he that prouydeth not for hys, and namely for them of his owne household, fayth

Paule / denyeth the faythe and is worse then an infydell. But euery man is bounde to laboure dylygently and truely and therwith so soberly to lyue, that he may haue ynough for hym and hys and somewhat aboue for them that can not labour or by chaunce are fallen into necessyte. And of that gyue and lende and loke not for it agayne. And if that suffice not thy neybours ne¦cessyte, then speake & make labour to thy bre∣thren. to helpe also. For it is a comē prouerbe many handes make lyght worke / & many may beare that one alone can nor.

And thy wyfe / thy chyldren / and seruauntes art thou bounde to defende. If any man wolde force thy wyfe / thy doughter / or thy mayde / it is not ynough forthe to loke on and say. God amende you. Naye thou must execute thyne of∣fyce and auctoryte whiche the kynge gyueth the. And by the waye thou muste defende thy mayster and hys good / and the kynges good / whiche thou haste to maynteyne thy wyfe and household, and thy neyghbour that goeth with the agaynste theues and murtherars.

And agaynste al suche persones lay aboute the, and do as thou woldeste do yf thou were vnder the kynges standerde agaynste hys ene∣myes whiche had inuaded the realme. For all suche persones are mortall enemyes to the re∣alme and seke to put downe kyng & lawe and altogether, and to make that it myght be law∣full to synne vnponyshed. And of thys maner▪ yf thou marke well the dyfference of these two

states and regymētes / thou mayst soyle al lyke doutes that shalbe layde agaynste the.

* 1.107More ouer when I saye, there be two regy∣mentes, the spyrytual and the temporall. Euen so I saye that euery persone baptysed to kepe the lawe of God and to beleue in Chryst. is vn∣der bothe the regymentes, and is both a spyry∣tuall person and also a temporall / and vnder the offycers of both the regymentes / so that the kynge is as depe vnder the spyrytual offycer, to heare out of Goddes worde what he ought to beleue and howe to lyue and howe to rule / as is the porest begger in the realme. And euen so the spyrytuall offycer yf he syn agaynste hys neyghbour or teache false doctryne, is vnder y^e kynges or temporall correccyon, howe hye so euer he be. And loke howe dampnable it is for the kynge to withdrawe hym selfe frō the obe∣dyence of the spyrytual offycer / that is to saye / from heringe his duty, to do it, and frō herynge his vyces rebuked, to amende them / so damna∣ble it is for the spyrytuall offycer, howe hye so euer he be, to withdrawe hym selfe from vnder the kynges correccyon, yf he teache false or syn agaynst any temporall lawe.

* 1.108Fynally ye muste consyder that Chryst here teacheth his dyscyples and them that shulde be the lyght and salt in lyuynge and doctryne / to shyne in the weke and feble eyes of the world deseased with the mygrym and accustomed to darkenes / that without greate payne they can behold no lyght, & to salt theyr olde feastered

sores and to frete out the rotten fleshe euen to the harde quycke. that it smart agayne, & spare no degree. But tell all men hye and lowe, theyr fautes, and warne them of the ieoperdye / and exhorte them to the ryght waye. Nowe suche scole maysters shall fynde small fauoure and frendshyppe with the rulers of thys worlde or defence in theyr lawes. As Chryst warneth thē. Mat. 10. sayenge (I sende you out as shepe a∣monge wolues. Beware therfore of men / for they shal delyuer you vp to their coūcelles, and shall scorge you in theyr synagoges or councel houses / and ye shalbe brought before the chefe rulers & kinges for my sake) and ther taecheth them as here / to arme them selues with paciēce and to go forthe boldely with a stronge faythe and truste in the socoure and assystence of God onely / and to plante the gospell with all loue and mekenes and to water it with theyr owne bloude, as Chryst dyd. Thou mayst not in that state come with a swerde / to defend eyther thy selfe or thy gospel, and to compel men to wor¦shyp the as God and to beleue what thou wylt Nay, shepe vse no such regyment amonge wol∣ues. If thou be a shepe, thou art not in euell ta∣kynge yf thou canste brynge to passe that the wolfe be content with thy fleshe onely and to shere the yerely. Giue to him that axeth, and frō hym that wolde borowe we turne not away, Luke sayeth, gyue to whosoeuer axeth the. That is to saye, whosoeuer thou seest nede or seest not the contrarye but there may be nede, to the vtter∣most

of thy power there open thyne harte and be mercyfull onely. And of mercyfulnes sette God thy father and Chryste thy lorde and ma∣ster for an ensample and enforce to be as lyke thē as thou canst. If thou be mercyful God hath bounde him selfe to be mercyful to the agayne Lo / is not this an excedynge great thynge, that God which of no ryght ought to be bounde to his creatures / hath yet put it hole in thyne owne handes, to bynde him against the day of thy try¦bulacyon, then to shewe the mercy?

Concernynge lendyng, procede by the for∣sayd rule of mercy, Many in extreme nede, yet ashamed to b••gge, shal desyre y^t to lende. Vnto suche in stede of lendynge gyue, or saye thys▪ lo / here is as moch as ye requyre. If ye can pay it agayne well, do / and ye shall fynde me redy agaynst a nother tyme to lende or gyue (if nede be) as moche more. But and yf ye shall not be able to paye it agyne / trouble not your conscy¦ence, I gyue it you, we be all one mannes chyl∣drē, one man hath bought vs all with his bloud and bounde vs to helpe one another. And with so doynge / thou shalt wynne the harte of hym to thy father. Concernynge marchaundyse and chapmen the lesse borowinge were amonge thē the better shulde the comen welth be, if it we•••• possyble, I wolde it were / ware for ware or mo¦ny for ware / or parte mony and parte ware. But yf it wyll not be / but that a man to get hys lyuynge with muste nedes lende and call for it agayne to fynde hys householde / and to pay••

his dettes / then in the lendynge / be fyrst syngle and harmeles as a doue / and then as wyse as a serpent / and take hede to whom thou lendest. If when thou hast lent an honest man / God vy∣set him / and take away his gooddes with what chaunce it be / whether by see or lande / that he is not able to paye the / then to pryson hym or to sue hym at the lawe, or once to speake an vn∣kynde worde, mere agaynst the lawe of loue & contrary to shewynge mercy. There thou muste suffer with thy neyghboure & brother as Chryst dyd with the, and as God dothe dayly, If an vn¦thryste haue begyled the, and spente thy good awaye and hathe not to paye / then holde thyne hande and harte that thou aduēge not thy selfe But loue hym and pray for hym and remember howe God hath promysed to blesse the pacyēt and meke. Neuerthelesse because such persones corrupt the comen maners and cause the name of God the lesse to be feared / men ought to cō∣playne vpon suche persones to the offycer that is ordayned of God to ponyshe euell doers / and the offycer is bounde to ponyshe them. If thou haue lent a foxe which with cauelacyon wyll kepe thy good from the / then yf the ruler and the lawe wyll not helpe the to thy ryght. do as it is aboue sayde of hym that wyll go to lawe with the and take thy cote from the. That is to saye / be content to lose that and as moche more to it / rather then thou woldest ad∣uenge thy selfe. Let not the wykednes of other ••••en plucke the from God. But abyde styll by

God and hys blyssynges and ••arye hys iudge∣ment.* 1.109 Lyberalyte is mercy fulnes that bynd•••••• God to be mercyfull agayne. Couetousnes (the roote of all euell and father of all false pro∣ph••tes, and the seole mayster that teacheth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 messengers of Sathan to dysguyse them selues lyke to the messengers of Chryste) is mercyl•••• that shall haue iudgement without mercy.* 1.110 And therfore exhorteth Chryste al his so dyligently and aboue all thynge, to be lyberall and to be¦ware of couetousnes.

Ye haue harde / howe it is sayde / thou shalt loue thy neyghbour and hate thyne enemy. But I say vnto you loue your enemyes. Blesse thē that curse you / do good to thē that hate you. Praye for them which do you wronge and persecute you. That ye maybe the chyldrē of your heuenly father. For he maketh hys sonne to aryse ouer the euell and ouer the good / and sendeth rayne vpon the ryghtuous and vnrygh¦teous. For if ye loue them that loue you / what rewarde shall ye haue? do not the publycans so? and yf ye

be frendely to your brethren onely / what synguler thyng do ye? do not the publycans lykewyse? ye shall therfore be perfecte / as your father whiche is in heuen / is perfecte.

Thys texte of hatynge a mannes enemye / standeth not in any one place of the byble / but is gathered of many places in which God com∣maundeth the chyldren of Israel to destroye theyr enemyes / the Cananytes / the Amorytes / the Amolekites / and other hethen people / as the Moabites / and Amonytes / whiche sought to brynge them out of the fauour of God / and to destroye the name of God. The Amalekites came behynde them and slue al that were fayn∣tye and wery by the waye as they come out of Egypte. The Moabites and Ammonites hyred Balam to curse them / and begyle thē with their women and made a great plage amonge them. These & lyke nacyons were perpetual enemyes to theyr lande which God had gyuen them, and also of y^e name of God and of their fayth. For which cause they not onely myght lawfully, but were also bound to hate thē / and to study theyr destruccion agayne / howe be it they myght not yet hate the sayed nacyons such as were conuer¦ted to theyr faythe.

Nowe by the reason of such textes as com∣maunded to hate the comune enemyes of theyr contrye and of God and his lawe, and of theyr

fayth / the pharyseys doctryne was / that a man myght lawfully hate all hys pryuate enymyes without excepcion, nor was bound to do them good. And yet Moyses sayth. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne harte. And agayne thou shalt not aduenge thy selfe nor bere hate in mynde agaynst the chyldren of thy people. And yf thyne enemyes asse synke vnder hys bur¦then, helpe to lyfte hym vp agayne, and yf hys oxe or asse go a straye / brynge them home a∣gayne, which all no doute, the pharyseys dyd enterprete for good councell, but for no pre∣ceptes, wherfore Chryst salteth theyr doctryne and proueth that a man is bounde both to loue and to do good to hys enemye, and as a natu∣rall sone, though hys brethren be neuer so euel yet to loue them and shewe them kyndnesse for hys fathers sake, and to studye to amende them, what hast thou to reioyse of, yf thy rely∣gyon be not better then the religion of theues? For theues loue amonge themselues,* 1.111 and so do the couetouse of the worlde, as the vsurars and publycans, whiche bought in greate the empe∣roures trybute / and to make theyr moste ad∣uauntage, dyd ouer sette the people. Naye, it is not ynough for the to loue thy benefactoures onely / as monkes and freres do, and them of thyne owne cote and order / or the brethren of thyne owne Abbaye onely (for amonge some ther loue stretcheth no further, and that shall he that is remoued out of another cloysture thy¦ther, well fynde / ye and in some places charyte

reacheth not at all the celles of the same cloy∣sture and to all the monkes that were profes∣sed in the same place.) But lyfte vp thyne eyes vnto thy heuenly father, and as thy father doth so do thou loue al thy fathers chyldrē. He my∣nystreth sonne and rayne to good and badde / by which two vnderstande all hys benefytes. For of the heate and dryeth of the sonne and colde and moyst of the rayne, sprynge al thyn∣ges that are necessary to the lyfe of man. Euen so prouoke thou and drawe thyne euell bre∣thren to goodnes / with pacyence / with loue in worde and dede / and pray for them to hym that is able to make thē better and to conuerte them. And so thou shalt be thy fathers natural son & perfecte, as he is perfecte. The text sayth not, ye shalbe as perfecte as God. But perfecte after his ensample. To be perfecte y^e scrypture is not to be a monke or a fryer, or neuer to syn. For chryst teacheth not here monkes or fryers,* 1.112 but hys dyscyples and euery Chrysten man and woman. And to be in thys lyfe al to gether without syn / is impossyble. But to be perfect, is to haue pure doctryne without false opiny∣ons / and that thyne hart be to folowe that ler∣nynge.

FINIS.

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pouertye in spyryte
• * 1.2

  Ryches.
• * 1.3

  Ryche in spirite.
• * 1.4

  Couetous∣nes is a thynge con¦trary to the worde of god and to the myny∣sters of the same.
• * 1.5

  By coue∣tousenes is a false pro¦phete chefe¦ly knowen
• * 1.6

  Godlye mourninge
• * 1.7

  Kynge. Iohan.
• * 1.8

  Henry the seconde.
• * 1.9

  Fayth is our victory
• * 1.10

  The mour∣ners for ryghtwys∣nes are sa∣ued w•• God ta∣keth ven∣geaunce on the vnright wyse.
• * 1.11

  Mekenes possesseth the erthe.
• * 1.12

  Hundred folde.
• * 1.13

  The pryuat person.
• * 1.14

  may not aduenge But the offi¦cer muste.
• * 1.15

  Ryghtwys∣nes.
• * 1.16

  Monke.
• * 1.17

  Monkes. why they ronne into relygyon.
• * 1.18

  Luc. vi.
• * 1.19

  Monkes be cursed.
• * 1.20

  To be mer∣cyful what ••t is.
• * 1.21

  Monkes
• * 1.22

  Couent·
• * 1.23

  Oyle. Holy oyl•• must be ad¦uenged.
• * 1.24

  ••ele of ••yghtwys∣••es what ••t is.
• * 1.25

  Care howe ••e spiritual ••are for y^e ••ēporal co¦••ē wealth
• * 1.26

  The fylthy¦nes of the harte what
• * 1.27

  The pure∣nes of the harte what.
• * 1.28

  Impure ha••••ted who?
• * 1.29

  Peace ma••kyng wha••
• * 1.30

  Prynces what they ought to do yer they make war▪
• * 1.31

  ••engeaūce ••artayneth ••o God ••nely.
• * 1.32

  peace, the peace of Chryste is peace of conscyence
• * 1.33

  Payne No bodely payne can be a satys∣faccyon to God saue Chrystes passyon.
• * 1.34

  what the moste cruel {per}secucyō is
• * 1.35

  Set the en∣sample of Chryst be∣fore the.
• * 1.36

  Cursed. Moste ac∣cursed? who?
• * 1.37

  workes iu∣styfye not.
• * 1.38

  It is a ieo∣pardous thynge to salte ypo∣crysye.
• * 1.39

  Salt who is mete to salte.
• * 1.40

  Monkes why thy ronne to cloystures
• * 1.41

  Spirytual∣lye / why they be dyspysed.
• * 1.42

  Ceremo∣nyes muste be salted.
• * 1.43

  Darkenes ••ll know∣••edge is ••arckenes ••ntyll the ••nowlege ••f Christes ••loude she ••lyng be in ••he harte.
• * 1.44

  Laye. The laye ought to haue the gospell
• * 1.45

  Gospell The pro¦pertye of the gospel
• * 1.46

  Gospell. The true gospell not hyd in dennes.
• * 1.47

  Kynges. ought to be learned.
• * 1.48

  The order howe euery man maye.
• * 1.49

  be a prea∣cher, and howe not.
• * 1.50

  False doc∣tryne cau∣••het euell workes.
• * 1.51

  True doc∣tryne is the cause of good wor∣kes.
• * 1.52

  Grace and truthe tho∣roughe Ie∣sus Chryste
• * 1.53

  Gloses They that destroy the law of god with glo∣ses must be cast out
• * 1.54

  The church
• * 1.55

  Lawet Excepte a man loue gods lawe he can not vnderstand y^e doctrine of Chryste.
• * 1.56

  The rygh¦teousnes of pharyseys.
• * 1.57

  Glorye. H•• that se∣keth hys owne glo∣ry teacheth his owne doctryne / and not his masters
• * 1.58

  Glorye He that se∣keth hys owne glo∣ry altereth his masters message.
• * 1.59

  worde. gods word altered is not his. worde.
• * 1.60

  To loue is to helpe at nede.

  Prayer. The prayer of Monkes robbeth & helpeth not.
• * 1.61

  Loue pra∣yeth.
• * 1.62

  Scrybes & Pharyseys what they were.
• * 1.63

  The phary¦ses myght better haue proued thē selues the true chyrch then our spyritualty maye.
• * 1.64

  The pro∣myses are made vpon the profes. syon of the keping the law of God so that the church that wyl not ke¦pe Goddes lawe hathe no promise y^t they can not erre.
• * 1.65

  The wyc∣kednes of the Phary∣seys what it was.
• * 1.66

  Preacher why the true prea∣cher is accu¦sed of tresō and heresy.
• * 1.67

  Ypocrysy why ypo∣crysy muste be fyrst re¦buked thoughe it be ieo{per}dy to preache agaynste it.
• * 1.68

  The lawe is restored.
• * 1.69

  Racha.
• * 1.70

  how a man may be an∣grye with∣out sīnyng
• * 1.71

  Loue is the kepyng of the lawe.
• * 1.72

  Synners he y^t helpeth not to men••de synners muste suffer with them when they be ponys∣hed.
• * 1.73

  Hate when a man may hate hys neyghbour
• * 1.74

  Offeringes or sacrefy∣ces what they mente
• * 1.75

  Laste fer∣thynge.
• * 1.76

  Loue is the fulfyllynge of the lawe
• * 1.77

  Aduoutry.
• * 1.78

  Fylthye,
• * 1.79

  A wyfe how good a thynge.
• * 1.80

  Ryght eye.
• * 1.81

  Ryght hād
• * 1.82

  The offyce of a prea∣cher.
• * 1.83

  Law / what foloweth the keping of the lawe
• * 1.84

  Law / what foloweth the brea∣kyng of y^e lawe.
• * 1.85

  Tyrantes / why God gyueth vs vp, and le∣uethe vs in the handes of tyrantes & in al my∣serye.
• * 1.86

  An admo∣nycyon.
• * 1.87

  Swerynge.
• * 1.88

  To swere by God.
• * 1.89

  Swerynge.
• * 1.90

  Charite mo¦derateth y^e lawe.
• * 1.91

  Othe. To perfor∣me an euell othe is dou¦ble synne.
• * 1.92

  Cheke. To turne. the other cheke what it is.
• * 1.93

  Mekenes.
• * 1.94

  Pollynge howe to ad¦uoyde it.
• * 1.95

  Two ma∣aer states. degrees, of regymētes.
• * 1.96

  Euery man is of y^e spy¦rytualty & of the tem∣poraltye bothe.
• * 1.97

  Loue. He that lo∣ueth not. his neygh∣boure hath not the true faythe of Chryst••.
• * 1.98

  The tempo¦ral regimēt
• * 1.99

  Vyolence. Not to re∣syst vyolēce hawe it is vnderstād.
• * 1.100

  An ex••pul of two rea¦mentes.
• * 1.101

  How to be a warry ou••
• * 1.102

  Goodes.
• * 1.103

  ••ath. 25.
• * 1.104

  To go to lawe.
• * 1.105

  Prynces / whether they maye be resysted or putte downe of theyr sub∣iectes in a∣ny case.
• * 1.106

  Gooddes.
• * 1.107

  Regymen∣tes. Euery man is vn∣der bothe regimētes.
• * 1.108

  A preacher of the gos∣pell maye vse no vyo∣lence.
• * 1.109

  Couetous∣nes.
• * 1.110

  Iaco. 2.
• * 1.111

  Publycans what they were.
• * 1.112

  To be per∣fecte what it meaneth.