The texte.

As the Lorde hath geuen euery man, in thesame let hym serue Christe. In what state of lyuing at the tyme of preachyng the ghospell a manne is founde, let hym in thesame continewe. Our newe religion abolysheth our olde lyfe, but it destroyeth not our olde state of lyfe: because christian religion agreeth and standeth with euery condicion of lyfe, nor was ge∣uen by God to trouble the ciuile policie of the worlde, but to the entente that in euery degree and state of lyfe, euery manne myght lyue therin god∣ly and deuoutly. This is my councell, whiche I not onely teache you, but also all other congregacions. Nor shall it be for you paynfull to folowe that, whiche euery manne foloweth. Wherfore yf the inspiracion of Gods holy spirite when he calleth, fynde the maryed, breake not therefore thy matrimony: if it fynde the circumcised, without cause art thou, why thou shouldest loth thy condicion, and seke to bee vncircumcised. For nothyng eyther furdereth or hyndereth vncircumcision this newe religion. Againe yf thesame fynde the vncircumcised, no cause haste thou to wyshe to be cir∣cumcised. For as touching this newe religion lytle force maketh it, whe∣ther thou be circumcised or vncircumcised. But to both sortes this egally belongeth, that eche lyue henceforth after the commaūdementes of God, whose rule they haue professed, & not as carnal desyres moue them. Suf∣ficient is it to chaunge thy old euil maners, as for to chaunge the condiciō of thy lyfe nothing neadeth, because it is suche a thing, as cannot be done Page  xxi without disquietnes and trouble. And as I haue sayed, that ye shoulde doe, being called to god in the state of matrimonie or in the state of circumcision, euen lyke wyse muste ye iudge of the state of bondage. Suche as at the prea∣ching and receuyng of the gospell are bonde, let them bee content with theyr fortune, nor thinke themselues delyueryd from theyr maisters dominion, be∣cause they are delyuered from the tyranny of syn. Agayn the fre man whiche is called to christian religion, hath no cause to chaunge his state, and become bonde. But rather let euery man endeuoure, yf occasion serue, to embrace lyberty, and chaunge hys bondage. Yf the maister for displeasure borne to Christes name reiecte his seruaunt, let the same seke no newe maister, nor yet be at displeasure w^t him selfe, because he is maisterles, synce he hath Christe to his maister, whose free seruaunt he is bee come of a bonde man. On the o∣ther syde, he that is borne fre, and borne agayne by baptisme let hym for his state neither bee angrie nor pleassed with hym selfe, synce that through bap∣tisme he is become bonde seruaunt to Christ: so that after sondrye sortes, the bondman is made fre, and the fremanne made bonde, to thentent that eche of them shoulde with more sobrietie beare theyr fortune. Fredome and bon∣dage are such thinges, wherof Christe hath in maner no regarde. Embrace the better, yf thou with bondage be oppressed, thinke that albeit thy maister hath vpon thy bodie a certayne power and authority, yet thy soule being de∣lyuered from synne, is to Christe warde fre. Yf thy fredom any thyng make the prowde, remember that thou were bought by Christe, and bought for no smalle price. Thou haste a maister to be had in all feare and honoure, beware thou phantasie not, that thou art fre, and mayst lyue at thy pleasure. And he that is to anye man bonde, is this farfurthe by Christe made fre, that yf hys maister commaunde hym to doe any vngodly seruice, he is rather bounde to gyue eare to Christe hys newe Lorde and maister, than to hys olde, whiche by reason of abuse hath loste his tytle. And yet reason it were, that suche, as* Christe with the price of his bloud hath made fre, shoulde not with any gre∣uouse maister be oppressed. I fauer lybertie, yf it maye be had. For Christes seruice is perfite libertie. That a christian manne shoulde serue an heathen, semeth an vnmete thinge. And reason were it, that suche as are to a chris∣tian maister, seruauntes, shoulde of them bee fauoured as brethren and chyldren, because bothe haue one comon maister, by whome bothe were with one price redeamed. But yet leste vnder the coloure of christian religion the state of the comon weale bee disquieted, let euery manne suffer hys condicy∣on, and therein abyde, and so abyde in it, that in the meane season he re∣member, that goddes commaūdementes muste bee set before the commaun∣dementes of menne. Obey youre maisters, but yet so, that god therwith be pleased, whiche payed more for you, than they. Suche poyntes, as I haue taught you of freedome and bondage, haue also place in the state of matri∣monie, and single lyfe. For he that is vnder the lawe of matrimonie, is after a sorte bound. But he that is single, is in a more fre state of lyfe. Therfore menne muste alwaye folowe that, whiche is more commodiouse, if it maye be. Yf it maye be, (I saye) for we maye not so desyre libertie, that for loue therof we fall into a greater ieopardie.