Brethren ye were called into libertie: only let not your libertie be an occasion vnto the fleshe, but by loue (of the spirite) serue one an other▪ For all the lawe is fulfylled in one worde whiche is this: thou shalte loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. Yf ye byte and deuoure one another: take hede, leste ye be lykewyse consumed one of another.
Synce they are so content, let them styll continewe on in theyr shame∣full bondage. But ye my brethren throughe the gospell are called to liber∣tie, and not to be bonde. So that nothyng elles nowe remayneth, but to take hede, that the libertie gyuen vnto you by the spirite of Christe be not applyed, to y• occasion of fleashlye lustes. The bondage of the lawe is in suche sorte taken awaye, that in her steede is come charitie taughte by the gospell, whiche by fayre meanes obtayneth more than the lawe was able to do with compulsion. And yet for all that among frendes, of whome one is glad to do for an other, there is nor may stershyp nor bondage. The law byddeth noman to put his lyfe in ieopardye for defence of his frende, nor that a man shoulde by defraudyng nature ease his brothers nede, nor that thou whiche arte stronger, shouldest beare with the weaker, or the learned with the vnlearned, or the better with the worse, all whiche yet commaun∣deth charitie, whiche so alwaye telleth, that thynges are to be done, not by force, but euen of good wyll▪ and voluntarily. Besyde this onlye charitie comprisyng in her the whole strength and effecte of the lawe briefly, bryn∣geth that aboute, that the lawe with so many rules and threatnynges is not able to do.
For all that the brablyng law with so many rules laboreth to bryng to passe, all that is in a shorte sentence concluded, written in Liuiticum, whiche is this, thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. Wherfore yf ye with charitie be knytte together, ye shall one by an others diligent la∣bour helpe an other, and with mutuall seruice labour to comforte other. But contrarye, yf ye, as carnal men are wont, do disagree eche one hating an other, and not onlye helpe not eche one another, but also backbite and gnawe one another, and not onlye backbyte and gnawe, but lyke outragi∣ouse wylde beastes, asmuche as in you is. deuoure other, great cause sure∣lye haue ye to feare, leste ye lyke beastes tearyng one another be with ey∣thers woundes destroyed.
To this inconuenience fall they, whiche beyng withoute the charitie taught by the gospell stycke styll to the carnall law, whyles they measure