The texte.

I knowe that youth is prouoked with sondrye lustes that maye drawe a man to vncleanesse. But thou that exercisest the office of an Elder, auoyde all lustes of youthe, rather folowe the thynges that worthyly beseme thee: righte∣ousenes, fayth charitie and peace with them that professe Christe with a pure herte. With suche as Hymeneus is, haue thou nothynge to doe. Innocencie synneth not, fayth disputeth not charitie is not statelye, peace stryueth not. T• be shorte, receyue no folyshe and vnlerned questions, that haue more ostentaci∣on Page  xxiii than wisedom, knowyng that of suche nothing elles spryngeth, but chyding and braulyng, whylest the heate of disputacion breaketh oute alwayes more and more, the matter at last groweth vnto rageyng madnesse, and so that none wyll geue place to other but had rather moste stubburnely defende the parte that he knoweth to be false, than to be taken for the lesse learned. With thys kynde of men therfore thou shalte not meddle, whan it is not possyble to ouer∣come them. Christe perswaded not the worlde by this waye. He ouercame with sobrenesse and gentilnes, and his voyce was not hearde in the stretes.

And so it becometh the seruaunt to folowe his maisters fote steppes, and not to be abrauler, but peaceable and gentle towardes all men: for that man doth perswade with more ease that is praysed for his charitie and sobrenes, beynge ready rather to teache than to chyde: patient in suffryng euill, and not a pro∣uoker, and suche a one as correcteth more saddely than sharpely, those that be resistoures, expressyng himselfe to meane nothyng elles in all his muche a do, but to bring them to amendement. For no man ought to be despaired of rashe∣ly. For it maye be, that throughe sobre and frendelye correccion, God maye geue them repentaunce of their former errours, and whan the darkenesse of mynde is wyped awaye, they maye acknowledge and embrace the trueth which before they impugned, and at laste beyng repentaunte and (as it were) awa∣kyng frome the heauye slepe of ignoraunce, they maye rushe out of the deuil∣les snare, whiche vndoubtedlye are naughtye lustes, wherein beyng catched before, they were caried about at his pleasure, yea euen vnto persecutyng the trueth of the ghospell.