The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.

The obedience of all de∣grees proued by Gods word and first of children vn∣to theyr elders.

GOd (which worketh all in all thynges) for a secrete iudgement and purpose and for hys godly plea∣sure, prouided an houre that thy father and mo∣ther should come together, to make thee throughe them. He was present with thee in thy mothers wombe and fashioned thee & brethed lyfe into thee, and for y^t great loue he had vnto thee, prouided milke in thy mothers brestes for thee agaynst thou were borne: mo∣ued also thy father and mother and all other to loue thee, to pitie thee and to care for thee.

And as he made thee through them, so hath he cast thee vnder the power & authoritie of them, to obeye and serue them in his stede, saying: honor thy fa∣ther and mother. Exo. xx. Which is not * 1.1 to be vnderstand in bowyng the knee and puttyng of the cappe onely, but that thou loue them with al thyne hart and feare and drede them and wayte on their commaundementes, and seke their worshyp, pleasure, will and pro∣fite in all thynges, and geue thy life for them, counting them worthy of all ho∣nour, remembryng that thou art theyr good and possession, & that thou owest vnto thē thine owne selfe, and all thou art able, yea and more then thou art able to doe.

Vnderstand also that what soeuer * 1.2 thou doest vnto thē (be it good or bad) thou doest vnto God. Whē thou plea∣sest them, y^• pleasest god: whē thou dis∣pleasest thē, thou displeasest God: whē they are angry with thee, god is angry w^t thee: neither is it possible for thee to come vnto y^• fauour of God againe (no though all the aūgels of heauē pray for thee) vntil thou haue submitted thy self vnto thy father and mother agayne.

If thou obey (though it be but car∣nally * 1.3 (either for feare, for vayne glorie or profite) thy blessyng shalbe long lyfe vpon the earth. For he sayth, honour thy father and mother, that thou mayest liue long vpon the earth. Exod. xx. Con∣trarywise * 1.4 if thou disobey them, thy life shalbe shortned vpon the earth. For it foloweth. Exod. xxj. He that smiteth his father or mother shalbe put to death for it. And he that curseth (that is to say, rayleth or dishonoured hys father or mother with opprobrious woordes) shalbe slayne for it. And Deut. xx••. If any man haue a sonne stubburne and disobe∣dient, which heareth not the voyce of his father and the voyce of hys mother, so that they haue taught hym nurtoure and he regardeth them not, then let his father and mother take hym, & bryng him forth vnto the Seniours, or elders of the Citie and vnto the gate of the same place. And let them say vnto the Seniours of that Ci¦tie: this our sonne is stubburne, and dis∣obedient. He will not harken vnto our voyce: he is a rioter, and a dronkard. Thē let the men of the Citie, stone hym with stones vnto death: so shall ye put awaye wickednesse from among you, and all Is∣raell shall heare and shall feare.

And though that the temporall offi∣cers (to their owne damnation) be ne∣gligent in punishing such disobedience (as the spirituall officers are to teache it) and winke at it or looke on it tho∣rough the fingers: yet shall they not scape vnpunished. For the vengeance * 1.5 of God shall accōpanie them (as thou mayst see Deut. xxviij.) With all mis∣fortune and euill lucke, & shall not de∣part from them vntill they be murde∣red, drownde or hanged, either vntill by one mischaunce or an other they be vtterly brought to nought. Yea & the world often tymes hangeth many a man for that they neuer deserued, but God hāgeth them because they would not obey and harkē vnto their elders: as the consciences of many well finde when they come vnto the galowes. There can they preach and teach other, that whiche they thē selues would not learne in season.

The Mariage also of the children * 1.6 perteineth vnto their elders, as thou mayst see. i. Cor. vij. and throughout all the Scripture, by the authoritie of the sayd commaundement, child obey father and mother. Whiche thyng the heathen and gentiles haue euer kept and to this day keepe, vnto thee great shame and rebuke of vs Christē: in as * 1.7 much as the weddyngs of our virgins (shame it is to speake it) are more lyke vnto the saute of a bitche, then the ma∣riyng of a reasonable creature. Se not we dayly three or foure calengyng one woman before the Commissary or Of∣ficiall, of whiche not one hath the con∣sent of her father and mother. And yet hee that hath most money, hath best right, and shall haue her in the despite of all her frendes and in deffiaunce of

Gods ordinaunces.

Moreouer when she is geuen by the iudge vnto y^t one party, & also maried, euen then oft tymes shall the contrary party sue before an hyer iudge, or an o∣ther that succedeth the same, & for mo∣ney deuorce her agayne. So shameful∣ly doth the couetousnes and ambition of our Prelates mocke with the lawes of God. I passe ouer with silence how many yeares they will prolōg the sen∣tence with cauillations and suttletie, if they be well monyed on both parties, * 1.8 and if a damsel promise ij. how shame∣full Councel they will geue the second, and also how the religious of Sathan do separate vnseperable matrimonie. For after thou art lawfully maryed at the commaundemēt of father and mo∣ther, and with the consent of all thy frendes: yet if thou wilt be disgised eke * 1.9 vnto one of them, and sweare obediēce vnto their traditions, thou mayst diso∣bey father and mother, breake the othe which thou hast sworne to God before his holy congregation, and withdraw loue and charitie the hyest of Gods cō∣maundements, and that dutie and ser∣uice which thou owest vnto thy wife: whereof Christ can not dispence with thee. For Christ is not agaynst God, but with God, and came not to breake Gods ordinaunces, but to fulfill them. That is, hee came to ouercome thee w^t kindnes, and to make thee to do of ve∣ry loue the thyng which the law cōpel∣leth thee to doe. For loue onely and to do seruice vnto thy neighbour is the fulfillyng of the law in y^t sight of God. To be a Monke or a Frier, thou mayst thus forsake thy wife before thou hast lyne with her, but not to be a seculare priest. And yet after thou art professed, the Pope for money wil dispence with * 1.10 thee, both for thy coate and all thy obe∣dience, & make a seculer Priest of thee: likewise as it is simonie to sell a bene∣fice (as they call it) but to resigne vpon a pension, and thē to redeine the same, is no simony at all. Oh crafty iugglers * 1.11 and mockers with the word of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Our fa∣thers and mothers are to vs in Gods stede.
• * 1.2

  What wee doe to our fathers & mothers, that we do to God.
• * 1.3

  The re∣ward of o∣bedience.
• * 1.4

  The re∣ward of di∣sobedience.
• * 1.5

  God auen∣geth diso∣bedience hym selfe though the officer will not.
• * 1.6

  Mariage.
• * 1.7

  couetous∣nes ma∣keth our spiritualitie that they cannot see that which a Turke is ashamed of.
• * 1.8

  Get her with child say they so shall thy cause bee best.
• * 1.9

  Gods com∣maunde∣mentes breake they throughe their owne traditions.
• * 1.10

  Money ma¦keth mar∣chaundise.
• * 1.11

  Iugglers.