an holye man Zapâ—nath paenea wordes of Egipte are they as I suppose and as moch to saye as a man to whom secrete thinges be opened or an expounder of secrete thinges as some enterprete it That Joseph brought the egiptians in to soch subiection wold seme vnto some a very cruell deade how be it it was a very equall waye For they payde but the fifte parte of that that grewe on the grounde And therwith were they qâ—ytt of all duetyes both of rent custome tribute â—oll And the kinge therwith founde them lordes and all ministres and defended them We now paye half so moch vnto the prestes only besyde their other craft ye exactions Then paye we rent yerely though there grow never so litle on the grounde And yet when the kinge calleth paye we neuer the lesse So that if we loke indifferently their condition was easyar theÌ„ oures and but even a very indiffereÌ„t waye both for the comen people and the kynge also Se therfore that thou loke not on the ensamples of the scripture with wordly eyes lest thou preferre Cain before Abel Ismael before Isaae Esau before Jacob Ruben before Juda Sarah before Pharez Manasses before Ephraim And euen the worst before the best as the maner of the worlde is ¶ Emprented at Malborow in the lande of Hesse by me Hans Luft the yere of oure Lorde M CCCCC xxx the .xvij. dayes of Janu arij A PROLOGE IN TO THE SECONde boke of Moses called Exodus OF the preface vppoÌ„ Genesis mayst thou vnderstonde how to behaue thi silf in this boke also aÌ„d iÌ„ all other bokes of the scripture Cleaue vnto the texte and playne storye and endevoure thi silf to serch out the meaninge of all that is described therin and the true sense of all maner of speakynges of the scripture of proverbes similitudes aÌ„d borowed speach wherof I entreated in the ende of the obedience and beware of sotle allegoryes And note euery thinge ernestly as thinges partayninge vnto thyne awne herte and soule For as god vsed hym sylf vnto them of the old testament even so shall he vnto the worldes ende vse him silf vnto vs which haue receaved his holye scripture aÌ„d the testimonye of his sonne Iesus As god doeth all thinges here for them that beleve his promises and herken vnto his commaundmentes and with pacience cleaue vnto him and walke with him euen so shall he do for vs yf we receaue the witnesse of Christ with a stronge faith and endure paciently folowinge his steppes And on the othersyde as they that fell from the promises of god thorow vnbeleffe and from his lawe and ordinaunces thorow impaciencie of their awne lustes were for saken of god aÌ„d so peryshed even so shall we as many as do lykewyse and as manye as mock with the doctine of christ and make a cloke of it to lyue fleshlye aÌ„d to folowoure lustes Note therto how god is founde true at the last and how when all is past remedye aÌ„d brought into desperacion he then fulfilleth his promises and that by an abiecte and a castawaye a despised and a refused person ye and by awaye impossible to beleue The cause of all captiuite of goddes people is this The worlde ever hateth them for their fayth and trust which they haue in god but iÌ„ vayne vntill they falle froÌ„ the fayth of the promyses aÌ„d love of the lawe aÌ„d ordinaunces of god and put their trust in holy deades of their awne findinge and live all to gether at their awne lust and pleasure without regard of god or respecte of their neygboure Then god forsaketh vs and sendeth vs in to captiuite for oure dishonouringe of his name and despisinge of oure neghboure But the world persecuteth vs for oure faith in christ only as the pope now doeth aÌ„d not for oure weked livinge For in his kiÌ„gdome thou maist quietly aÌ„d with liceÌ„ce aÌ„d vnder a protectioÌ„ doo whath so euer abhominatioÌ„ thi herte lusteth but god persecuteth us because we abuse his holye testameÌ„t aÌ„d because that wheÌ„ we knowe the truth we folowe it not Note also the mightye hand of the Lorde how he playeth with his aduersaries aÌ„d provoketh theÌ„ aÌ„d sturreth theÌ„ vpp a litle aÌ„d a litle aÌ„d deliuereth not his people in an houre that both the pacieÌ„ce of his electe aÌ„d also the worldly witte aÌ„d wilye policye of the weked wherwith they fight agaynst god might appeare Marke the longesoferinge and softe pacieÌ„ce of Moses and how he loveth the people aÌ„d is euer betwene the wrath of god aÌ„d theÌ„ aÌ„d is readye to lyue aÌ„d dye with theÌ„ aÌ„d to be put out of the boke that god had writen for their sakes as Paule for his brothren Roma .ix. and how he taketh his awne wroÌ„ges pacientlie aÌ„d never avengeth him silf And make not Moses a figure of Christ with Rochestre but an ensample vnto all princes aÌ„d to all that are in authorite how to rule vnto goddes pleasure aÌ„d vnto their neyghbours profette For there is not a perfecter lyffe in this world both to the honoure of god and profytte of his neygboure nor yet a greatter crosse theÌ„ to rule christenlye And of Aaren also se that thou make no figure of christ vntill he come vnto his sacrifisinge but an ensample vnto all preachers of goddes worde that they adde nothinge vnto goddes worde or take ought therfro Note also how god sendeth his promisse to the people aÌ„d Moses consermeth it with miracles aÌ„d the people beleve But wheÌ„ teÌ„ptacion cometh they falle into vnbeleffe aÌ„d few byde stoÌ„dinge Where thou seest that all be not christeÌ„ that wil be so called aÌ„d that the crosse trieth the true froÌ„ the fayned for yf the crosse were not Christ shuld haue dissiples ynowe Wherof also thou seest what an excellent gifte off god true fayth is aÌ„d impossible to be had with out the sprete of god For it is aboue all naturall power that a man in tyme of teÌ„ptation when god scorgeth him shuld beleue then stedfastlye how that god loveth him aÌ„d careth for hiÌ„ aÌ„d hath prepared all good thinges for him aÌ„d that that scorginge is as ernest that god hath electe and chose him Note how oft Moses sturreth theÌ„ vpp to beleve aÌ„d to trust in god puttinge theÌ„ in remembraunce alwaye in tyme of temptation of the miracles and wonders which god had wrought before tyme in their eysight How diligently also forbiddeth he al that might with drawe their hartes from god to put nought to goddes word to take nought therfro to do only that which is right in the syght of the Lorde that they shuld make no maner image to knele doune before it ye that they shuld make none altar of hewed stone for feare off images to slee the hethen Idolatres vtterly aÌ„d to destroye their Idolles aÌ„d cutte doune their groves where they worshupped And that they shulde not take the doughters of them vnto their sonnes nor geue their doughters to
the cleare daye light And I beleue also that the prophetes whiche folowed Moses to confirme his prophesyes and to mayntayne his doctrine vnto Christes cominge were moued by soch thinges to serche further of Christes secrettes And though God wold not haue the secrettes of Christ generallye knowne saue vnto a few familier frendes which in that infancye he made of mans witte to helpe the other babes yet as they had a generall promysse that one of the seed of AbrahaÌ„ shuld come and blesse them euen so they had a generall fayth that God wold by the same man saue them though they wist not by what meanes as the very apostles when it was oft told them yet they coude neuer comprehend it till it was fufilled in deade And beyonde all this their sacrifices aÌ„d ceremonies as farforth as the promyses annexed vnto them extende so farforth they saued theÌ„ and iustified them and stode them in the same steade as oure sacramentes doo vs not by the power of the sacrifice or deade it selfe but by the vertue of the faith in the promysse whiche the sacrifice or ceremonye preached and wherof it was a token or sygne For the ceremonies and sacrifices were lefte with them and commaunded them to kepe the promysse in remeÌ„braunce and to wake vpp their fayth As it is not ynough to sende manye on errandes and to tell them what they shall doo but they must haue a remembraunce with them and it be but a ringe of a rush aboute one of their fingers And as it is not ynough to make a bargayne with wordes onlye but we must put thereto an oth and geue ernest to confirme the faithe off the person with whom it is made And in like maner yf a man promysse what soeuer trifull it be it is not beleued excepte he hold vppe his finger also soch is the wekenesse of the world And therfore christ him silf vsed oftymes diuerse ceremonyes in curynge the sâ—ke to sturre vpp their faith with all As for an â—nsample it was not the bloud of the lambe that saued theÌ„ in Egipte when the angell smote the Egiptians but the mercye of God and his truth wherof that bloude was a token and remembraunce to sturre vppe their faythes wyth all For though God make a promysse yet it saueth none finallye but them that longe for it and praye God with a stronge fayth to fulfill it for his mercye and truthe onlye and knowlege theyr vnworthynesse And euen so oure sacramentes yf they be truelye ministred preach Christ vnto vs and leade oure faythes vnto Christ by which faithe oure synnes are done awaye and not by the deade or worke of the sacrament For as it was impossible that the bloude off calues shuld put awaye synne euen so is it impossible that the water of the ryuer shuld wash oure hartes Neuerthelesse the sacramentes cleÌ„se vs and absolue vs of oure synnes as the preastes doo in preachinge of repentaunce and faith for which cause ether other of them were ordened but yf they preach not whether it be the preast or the sacrament so profitte they not And yf a man allege Christ Iohan in the. iij â–ª chapter sayeng Excepte a man be borne agayne of water and the holye goste he can not se the kingdome of God and will therfore that the holy gost is present in the water and therfore the verye deade or worke doth put awaye synne then I will send him vnto Paule whiche axeth his Galathians whether they receaued the holy goste by the deade of the lawe or by preachinge of faith and there concludeth that the holy gost accoÌ„panyeth the preaching of faith aÌ„d with the worde of faith entreth the harte aÌ„d purgeth it which thou mayst also vnderstonde by saynt Paule sayenge ye are borne a new out of the water thorowe the worde So now if baptim preach me the wasshing in christes bloude so doth the holy gost accompaâ—y it and that deade of preachinge thorow fayth doth put awaye my synnes For the holy gost is no dome god nor no god that goeth a mummige Yf a man saye of the sacrament of Christes bodye aÌ„d bloud that it is a sacrifice as well for the dead as for the quycke and therfore the very deed it self iustifieth and putteth awaye synne I answere that a sacrifice is the sleynge off the body of a beest or a man wherfore yf it be a sacrifice then is christes body there slayne aÌ„d his bloude there shed but that is not so And therfore it is properly no sacrifice but a sacrament and a memoriall of that euerlastinge sacrifice once for all which he offered apon the crosse now apon a .xv. hundred yeres a go and preacheth only vnto them that are alyue And as for them that be dead it is as profitable vnto them as is a candell in a lantrene without light vnto them that walke by the waye in a darke night and as the gospell song in laten is vnto them that vnderstond none at all and as a sermon preached to him that is dead and hereth it not It preacheth vnto them that are a lyue only for they that be dead yf they dyed in the faith which that sacrament preacheth they be faffe and are past all iâ—opardye For when they were alyue their hartes loued the lawe off God and therfore synned not and were sory that their membres synned and euer moued to synne and therfore thorow faith it was forgeuen them And now their synnefull membres be dead so that they can now synne no more wherfore it is vnto them that be dead nether sacrament nor sacrifice But vnder the pretence of their soule health it is a servaunt vnto oure spiritualtyes holy coueâ—nousnesse and an extorcyonar and a bylder of Abayes Colleges Chauntryes and cathedrall chirches with false goteÌ„ good a pick purse a pollar aÌ„d a bottomlesse bagge Some man wold happely saye that the prayers of the masse helpe moch not the lyuinge only but also the dead Of the hote fire of their farvent prayer which consumeth faster then all the world is able to bringe sacrifice I haue sayde sufficiently in other places Howe be it it is not possible to bringe me in beleffe that the prayer which helpeth hâ—â— awne master vnto no vertue shuld purchesse me the forgeuesse of my synnes If I sawe that their prayers had obtayned theÌ„ grace to lyue soch a liffe as goddes worde did not rebuke then coud I sone be borne in hande that what soeuer they axed off God their prayers shuld not be in vayne But now what good can he wysh me in his prayers that envieth me Christ the fode and the liffe of my soule What good can he wish me whose herte cleaveth a sundre for payne when I am taught to repent of my euell Forthermore because that fewe knowe the vse of the olde testament and the moste parte thinke it nothinge necessarye but to make alle goryes which they fayne euery maÌ„ after hys awne brayne at all
of the hye preast And se that ye polute not the londe which ye are in for bloude defyleth the londe And the londe can none other wyse be clensed of yâ— bloude that is shed therein but by the bloude of it that shed it â—efyle notherfore the londe which ye in habitt in the myddes of which I also dwell for I am yâ— Lorde which dwell amonge the childern of Israel ¶ The .xxxvi. Chapter ANd the auncyeÌ„t heedes of the childern of Gilead the sonne of Machir yâ— sonne of Manasse of the kynred of yâ— childern of Joseph came forth and spake before Moses and the prynces which were auncieÌ„t heedes amoÌ„ge the childern of Israel sayed The Lorde commaunded my lorde to geue yâ— lande to enherette by lotte to the childern of Israel And then my lord commaunded in yâ— name of the Lorde to geue the enheritaunce of Zelaphead oure brother vnto his doughters Now when any of the sonnes of the trybes of Israel take them to wyâ—es then shall their enheritaunce be taken from the enheritaunce of oure fathers and shall be put vnto the enheritaunce of the trybe in which they are and shal be taken from the lott of oure enheritaunce And when the fre yere cometh vnto the childern of Israel then shall their enheritaunce be put vnto the enheritaunce of the trybe where they are in and so shall their enheritaunce betaken awaye from the enheritaunce of the trybe of oure fathers And Moses commaunded the childern of Israel at the mouth of the Lorde sayenge the trybe of yâ— childern of Joseph haue sayed well This therfore doeth the Lorde commauÌ„de the doughters of Zelaphead sayenge let them be wyâ—es to whom they theÌ„ silfe thynke best but in the kynred of the trybe of their father shall they marye that the enheritaunce of the childern of Israel roole not from trybe to trybe But that the childern of Israel maye abyde euery man in the enheritaunce of the trybe of his fathers And euery doughter that possesseth any enheritaunce amonge the trybes of the childern of Israel shal be wife vnto one of the kynred of the trybe of hir father that the childern of Israel maye enioy euery man the enheritaunce of his father that the enheritaunce goo not from one trybe to another but that the trybes of the childern of Israel maye abyde euery man in his awne enheritaunce And as the Lorde commaunded Moses euen so dyd the doughters of Zelaphead Mahela Thirza Hagla Milca and Noa â—d were maried vnto their fathers brothers sonnes of the kynted of the childern of Manasse the sonne of Joseph aÌ„d so they had their enheritaunce in the trybe of the kynred of their father These are the commaundmentes lawes which the Lorde commaunded thorow Moses vnto the childern of Israel in the feldes of Moab apon Jordayne nye vnto Jerich◠¶ The ende of the .iiij. boke of Moses A PROLOGE IN TO THE fyfte boke of Moses called Deuteronomye THis is a boke worthye to be rede in daye and nyghte and neuer to be oute of handes For it is the most excellent of all the bokes of Moses It is easye also and light and a very pure gospell that is to wete a preachinge of fayth and loue deducinge the loue to God oute of faith and the loue of a mans neyghboure out of the loue of God Herin also thou mayst lerne right meditacion or contemplacyon which is nothing els saue the callynge to mynde and a repeatyng in the hert of the gloriouse aÌ„d wonderfull deades of God and of his terreble handelinge off his enemyes and mercyfull entreating of them that come when he calleth them which thinge this boke doth and almost nothinge els In the .iiij. first chaptres he reherseth the benefites of God done vnto theÌ„ to prouoke theÌ„ to loue aÌ„d his mightie deades done aboue all naturall power aÌ„d beyonde all naturall capacite of faith that they might beleue God aÌ„d trust in him and in his strength And thyrdlye he reherseth the firce plages of God vppon hys enemyes and on them which thorowe impacientie and vnbeleâ—â—e fell from him partelye to tame and abate the appetites of the fleshe whiche alwaye fyght agenst the spirite and partely to bridle the wilde raginge lustes of theÌ„ in whom was no spirite that though they had no power to do good of loue yet at the lest waye they shulde absteyne from outwarde euell for feare of wrath and cruell vengeaunce whiche shuld fall vppon them and shortly finde them oute yf they cast vpp goddes nurter and runne at ryotte beyonde his lawes and ordinaunces Moreouer he chargeth them to put nought to nor take oughte awaye from goddes wordes but to be diligent onlye to kepe them in remeÌ„braunce and in the harte and to teache theire childern for feare of forgettinge And to beware ether of makynge imagerye or of bowinge them selues vnto images sayenge Ye sarâ—e no image when God spake vnto you but herde avoyce onlye and that voyce kepe and therunto cleaue for it is youre liffe and it shall saue you And finally yf as the frayltie of al flesh is they shall haue fallen from God and he haue brought them in to troble aduersyte aÌ„d coÌ„braunce aÌ„d all necessite yet yf they repent and turne he promyseth them that God shall remeÌ„bre his mercie aÌ„d receave theÌ„ to grace agayne In the fifte he repeteth the .x. commauÌ„dmeÌ„tes and that they myght se a cause to do them of loue he biddeth them remembre that they were bounde in Egipte and how God delyuered them with a mightie hande and a stretchedout arme to serue him and to kepe his commaundmentes as Paule sayeth that we are bought with Christes bloude aÌ„d therfore are his servauntes aÌ„d not oure awne aÌ„d ought to seke his will and honoure onlye aÌ„d to loue aÌ„d serue one another for his sake In the sixte he setteth out the fountayne off all commaundmentes that is that they beleue how that there is but one God that doeth all and therfore ought onlye to be loued with all the herto all the soule and all the myghte For loue only is the fulfillinge of the commaundementes as Paule also sayeth vnto the Romaynes and Galathians likewise He warneth theÌ„ also that they forgett not the commaundmentes but teach theÌ„ their childern aÌ„d to shew the ir childern also how God delyuered theÌ„ out of the bondage of the EgiptiaÌ„s to serue him and his commaundmeÌ„tes that the childern myght se a cause to worke of loue likewise The seueÌ„th is all together of faith he remoueth all occasioÌ„s that might withdrawe them from the fayth and pulleth them also from all confidence in them selues and sturreth theÌ„ vp to trust in god boldlye and onlye Of the eyght chaptre thou seyst how that the cause of all temptation is that a maÌ„ might so his awne herte For wheÌ„ I am brought in to that extremite that I must ether suffre or forsake god then I shall feale how moch I beleue and trust in him
and how moch I loue him In like maner yf my brother do me euel for my good then yf I loue him when there is no cause in him I se that my loue was of god aÌ„d eueÌ„ so yf I then hate him I feale and peaceave that my loue was but wordly And finallye he sturreth theÌ„ to the fayth aÌ„d loue of god aÌ„d dryveth them froÌ„ all confidence of their awne selves In the nynth also he moueth theÌ„ vnto faith and to put their trust in god and draweth theÌ„ from confidence of them selues by rehearsinge all the wekednesse which they had wrought from the first daye he knew them vnto that same daye And in the end he repeteth how he coniured god in horeb aÌ„d ouer came him with prayer where thou mayest lerne the right maner to praye In the tenth he rekeneth vpp the pith of all lawes and the kepinge of the lawe in the harte which is to feare god loue him aÌ„d serue him with all their harte soule and mighte aÌ„d kepe his commaundmentes of loue And he sheweth a reason why they shuld that doo euen because god is lord of heuen and erth aÌ„d hath also done all for them of his awne goodnesse without their deservinge And then out of the loue vnto god he bringeth the love vnto a mans neyghboure sayenge god is lorde aboue all lordes and loveth all his seruauntes indiffe rently as well the poore and feble and the straunger as the rich and mightye aÌ„d therfore wil that we loue the poore and the straunger And he addeth a cause for ye were straungers and god deliuered you and hath brought you vnto a londe where ye be at home Loue the straunger therfore for his sake In the .xi. he exhorteth them to loue and feare god and reherseth the terrible dedes off god vppon his enemies and on them that rebelled agenst him And he testifyeth vnto theÌ„ both what will folow yf they loue and feare god and whate also yf they despise him aÌ„d breake his commaundment In the .xij. he coÌ„maundeth to put out of the waye all that might be an occasion to hurte the fayth and forbiddeth to do ought after their awne mindes or to altre the worde of god In the .xiij. he forbiddeth to herken vnto ought saue vnto gods worde no though he which couÌ„seleth cotrarye shuld come with miracles as Paule doth vnto the Galathians In the. xiiij the beestes are forbiddeÌ„ partely for the vnclennesse of theÌ„ aÌ„d partely to cause hate betwene the hetheÌ„ aÌ„d theÌ„ that they haue no coÌ„uersatioÌ„ to gether in that one abhorreth whatt the other eateth Vnto this .xv. chaptre all pertayne vnto faith and loue cheflye And in this .xv. he beginneth to entreate moare speciallye of thinges pertayninge vnto the comenwelth aÌ„d equite aÌ„d exhorteth vnto the loue of a mans neyghboure And in the .xvi. amonge other he forgetteth not the same And in the xvij he entâ—eateth of right and equite chefly in so moche that when he loketh vnto faithe and vnto the punyshment of ydolatres he yet endeth in a lawe of loue and equite forbiddinge to comdemne any man vnder lesse them twoo witnesses at the lest and commaundeth to bringe the trespacers vnto the open gate of the citye where all men goo in and out that all men might heare the cause and se that he had but right But the pope hath founde a better waye even to apposse him with out any accusare aÌ„d that secretlye that no man knowe whether he haue right or no other hate his articles or answere for feare lest the people shuld serch whether it â—â—â—re so or no. In the. xviij he forbiddeth all false and deâ—elish crastes that hurte true fayth Moreouer because the people coude not heare the voyce of the lawe spokeÌ„ to theÌ„ in fire he promiseth theÌ„ another prophete to briÌ„ge theÌ„ better tydinges which was spokeÌ„ of christ oure sauiour The .xix. aÌ„d so forth vnto the ende of the xxvij is almost al together of love vnto oure neygboures aÌ„d of lawes of equite aÌ„d honestye with now aÌ„d then a respecte vnto fayth The .xxviij. is a terreble chaptre aÌ„d to be treÌ„bled at A christeÌ„ mans harte might wel bleed for sorow at the readinge of it for feare of the wrath that is like to come vpoÌ„ us accordinge vnto all the curses which thou there readest For acordinge vnto these curses hath god delt with all nacions after they were falleÌ„ in to the abhominacions of blindnesse The .xxix. is like terreble with a godly lessoÌ„ in the ende that we shuld leue serchiÌ„ge of goddes secrettes aÌ„d geue diligeÌ„ce to walke accordinge to that he hath opened vnto us For the kepiÌ„ge of the coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„tes of god teacheth wisdome as thou mayeste se in the same chapter where Moses sayeth kepe the coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„tes that ye maye vnderstod whate ye ought to do But to serch goddes secretes bliÌ„deth a maÌ„ as it is wel proved by the swarmes of oure sophisters whose wise bokes are now wheÌ„ we loke iÌ„ the scripture fouÌ„de but ful of folishnesse The first Chapter of Deuteronomye THese be the wordes which Moses spake vnto all Israel on the other syde Iordayne in the wildernesse and in the feldes by the red see betwene PharaÌ„ aÌ„d Tophel Laban Hazeroth and Disahab .xij. dayes iurney from Horeb vnto Cades bernea by the waye that leadeth vnto mount Seir. And it fortuned the first daye of the .xi. moneth in the fortieth yere that Moses spake vnto the childern of Israel acordinge vnto all that the Lorde had geuen him in commaundment vnto them after that he had smote Sihon the kynge of the Amorites which dwelt in Hesbon and Og kinge of Basan which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei On the other syde Iordayne in the londe of Moab Moses begane to declare this lawe saynge the Lorde oure God spake vnto us in Horeb sayenge Ye haue dwelt longe ynough in this mount departe therfore and take youre iurney and goo vnto the hilles of the Amorites and vnto all places nye there vnto both feldes hilles and dales and vnto the south and vnto the sees syde in the londe of Canaan and vnto libanon euen vnto the greate ryuer Euphrates Beholde I haue set the londe before you goo in therfore and possesse the londe which the Lord sware vnto youre fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to geue vnto them and their seed after them And I sayde vnto yov the same season I am not able to bere you myselfe alone For the Lorde youre God hath multiplyed you so that ye are this daye as the starres of heauen in numbre the Lorde god of youre fathers make you a thousande tymes so many moo as ye are and blesse you as he hath promysed you how sayde I can I myselfe alone beare the combraunce charge and stryste that is amonge you brynge therfore men of wisdome and of vnderstondinge and expert knowne amonge youre trybes that I maye make them ruelars ouer you And ye answered me and sayed