commaundement of the lawe oure sauyoure answered them and sayde The chiefe and the greatest commaundement is that thou shalte loue thy lorde god with all thy harte with al thy soule and with al thy mynde And the seconde lyke to this is that thou shalte loue thy neyghboure euen as thy selfe And in these two commaundementes standeth and consysteth all the hole lawe and the prophetes These be the wordes of Christe wherin it is further to be noted that to loue our lorde god with all our harte soule and mynde is to sette all our hole mynde and thought to knowe hym to honour hym to please hym and to loue hym vnsaynedly aboue al other thynges in the worlde For he is a ielous god and wol not be content onles we yelde vnto hym our hole harte and loue And yf we shall set or fyxe ony parte of our harte or loue vpon the worlde or the flesshe no doubte god woll not be parttaker of oure loue For he requyreth the hole loue of our hartes and that we shall loue nothynge but hym or for hym and that so hartely that yf case requyre we shall not refuse to suffre any bodyly punysshemente nor yet deathe for his sake And this loue towardes hym we doo declare when we set our myndes to obserue fulfyll his commaundementes For as Christe sayth in the gospell IonÌ„ xiiii He that hath my commaundementes and kepeth them it is he that loueth me And contrarye the loue and charitie of god and our neyghboure as sayncte Paule sayth is the fulfyllynge of all the hole lawe Rom. xiii For no doubte yf we loue god aboue all thynges thanne we loue hym more than oure selfes And yf we loue hym more than our selfe than woll we folowe in all thinges his wyll and not our owne And in lyke maner yf we loue god aboue all thinges than do we loue hym aboue our neighbour and so we woll for nothinge fulfyll the wylle of our neighbour agaynste his wyll and as the loue of god aboue all thynges shulde so kepe directe and guyde vs that for no loue or pleasure to our selfe or to our neyghbour we shulde wyllyngely transgresse the leaste parte of any of the tenne coÌ„maundementes In lyke wyse the hartie and feruent loue that we shulde beare to our neighbour as to our selfes shulde preserue and kepe vs that we shulde not kylle hym nor committe adultery with his wyfe nor steale his goodes nor beare false wytnes agaynst hym nor by any meanes do speke or wyshe any maner of yuell vnto hym but we shulde with harte tongue and handes wyshe speake and worke all goodnes towardes hym as sayncte Paule sayth He that loueth his neyghbour Rom. xiii hath fulfylled the lawe For these commaundementes Thou shalte not commytte adulterye Thou shalte not kyll Thou shalt not steale Thou shalte not beare false wytnes Thou shalte not desyre and suche other commaundementes be all comprysed in this sayinge Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe Mat. xxii For if we loue oure neighbour as our self thaÌ„ must we vse our self towardê hym ' as we wold that he shuld vse hym selfe towardes vs. that is to saye we must do for hym as we of reason wyl and desyre that he shuld do for vs desire and wyshe towardes hym as we of reason wold that he shuld desyre wishe towardes vs. This is the lawe of nature this is the law of the gospel And therfore let vs kepe these two coÌ„maundementes and than we shall kepe the hole lawe for as saynct Paule sayth The fulfyllynge of the lawe is loue and charitie ¶ Fourthly it is to be noted that there be thre consyderations for the whiche all true christen men oughte to employ theyr labour and diligence to knowe these tenne commaundementes The fyrste consideration is for that in these commauÌ„demeÌ„tes god hath sufficieÌ„tly declared vnto vs his wyl plesure aswel what he wold haue vs to do as what he wolde haue vs not to do The seconde consideration is for that we may know hereby our infirmitie sinne and damnation For whan we loke ernestely vppon these commaundementes of god and consider what thyngis god requireth of vs in them we shall se our selues as in a myrrour or glasse shall easely perceyue howe far we be from the true perfyt obseruyng of the same coÌ„maundementes so we shall perceyue our owne defautes our owne myserie noughtynes Roma iii. our owne damnable estate as saynt Paule sayth By the lawe of the commaundementes we may knowe our synnes The thyrde consideration is for that by these coÌ„mandementes we may also attayne the knowledge of goddis mercye For whan we perceyue that of our selfes we haue no strenght goodnes or liefe eternall but weakenes syynne and euerlastinge death than we maye euidently se howe moche nede we haue of the mercy of god and to haue a sauiour and redemer to paye a raunsome for our synnes and to delyuer vs from euerlastynge captiuitie damnation and deathe due vnto vs for the same And therfore saynt Paule sayth The lawe was our schoole mayster conductour and leader vnto Christ Gala. iii. that we myght be iustified by faythe that is to saye by goodis mercy whiche Christ obteyned for vs. ¶ Fiftely it is to be noted that althoughe these lawes and commaundementes of god teache vs what is good and what we shulde do to please god yet they gyue not vnto vs strength and power to do the same but all suche strength cometh of god by his singuler grace and gyft And therfore as almyghty god taught vs by his prophete Moyses what we shulde do so he taught vs by his sonne Iesu Christe what we shulde aske For as these tenne commaundementes doo teache vs what is goddis wyl so the Pater noster teacheth vs that we shulde dayly and continually praye to the father of heuen that it may please hym to gyue vs his helpe grace to do all his wyll that is to saye to do all that is good and eschewe that is yuell For surely god commaundeth vs thinges whiche we of our selfes can not do bycause we myght lerne what of hym we shulde aske And therfore after the declaration of these tenne commaundementes in maner as is before expressed we shall descende nowe vnto the declaration of the Pater noster ¶ Here foloweth the fourth parte of this Treatise conteynynge the exposition of the Pater noster and the Aue Maria. ¶ The Pater noster deuyded into seuen petitions 1 OVr father that arte in heuen thy name be halowed 2 Thy kyngedome come vnto vs. 3 Thy wyll be done and fulfilled in erth as it is in heuen 4 Gyue vs this daye our dayly brede 5 And forgyue vs oure trespasses as we forgyue theym that trespasse agaynst vs. 6 And leade vs not in to temptation 7 But delyuer vs from the euyll Amen ¶ The sense and interpretation of the fyrst Petition O God Almyghty oure moste dere
wherby from our youthe we haue prouoked thy dyspleasure and wrathe agaynste vs and dayly do prouoke it by doynge that is yuell and omyttynge that is good And so wasshe our synnes dayly more and more throughe the bloode of thy sonne and our sauyoure Iesu Christe And for asmoche as it is al repugnant contrary vnto our frayle and corrupte nature to loue them whiche hate vs or to forgyue them without reuengynge whiche do hurte or offende vs gyue vs we beseche the this heuenly grace and make thou our hartes soo meke and gentyll that we maye gladly and vnfaynedly forgyue them whiche haue hated or hurted vs in worde or in deade and that we maye behaue our selfe vnto all men frendes and foes with suche mercy gentylnes and kyndenes as we wolde desyre not onely that they but also that thou good lorde shuldest vse vnto vs. For we can not other wyse truste or loke for any forgyuenes or remyssion of our trespasses at thy handes oneles we shall accordyng to thy commaundement forgyue all them that haue trespassed in any wyse agaynste vs. ¶ For the better vnderstandynge of this fyfte Petition we thynke it conuenyent that all bysshoppes and preachers shal instructe and teache the people commytted vnto theyr spirituall charge that no manne oughte to glorye in hym selfe as though he were innocent and without synne but rather that euery good christen man without exception ought to knowledge hym selfe to be a synner and that he hath nede to aske forgyuenes of god for his synnes and to requyre hym of his mercy For doubtles he dayely commytteth synne whiche is commaunded dayely to aske remyssyon of his synnes i. Ioan. i. And saynt Iohn̄ sayth in his epistle If we say that we be without synne we deceyue our selfes and trouth is not in vs. ¶ Seconde that god woll not forgyue vs oure synnes but vppon condicion that we shall lykewyse forgyue all theym whiche trespasse ageynst vs and that not in tongue onely but also in our hartes And that this is a certayne sure lawe and decree of god Christe declareth in sondry places of the gospell Mat. vi For fyrste by expresse wordes Christe saythe If you forgyue men theyr offences done ageynste you your heuenly father woll forgyue you your offences And yf you woll not forgyue them that offende you be you assured youre father woll not forgyue you your offences And in an other place whan Peter came to our lorde Mat. xviii and demaunded of hym howe ofte he shulde forgyue his brother whiche had offended hym and whether it were not sufficient to forgyue hym seuen tymes Our lorde answered hym and sayde I telle the Peter that thou oughtest to forgyue hym not onely seuen tymes but seuenty tymes seuen tymes meanynge therby that from tyme to tyme we must contynuallye forgyue our brother or neyghbour althoughe he trespasse agaynst vs neuer so often And Christe also declareth the same by a Parabole Mat. xviii There was sayth Christe a kynge whiche callyng his seruauntes vnto an accompte fyndynge that one of them shulde owe vnto hym the somme of .x. M. talentes because he had it not to pay commaunded that the sayd dettoure his wyfe and his chyldren and all that he had shulde be solde But whan this dettour came vnto the kynge and prayed hym on his knees to haue pacience with hym promysynge hym to paye all the kynge had pytie of hym and forgaue hym the hole dette It fortuned afterwarde that this man being thus acquited met with an other of his felowes that ought hym but an hundred pence and with violence almoost strangled hym and sayd to hym Pay me my money And the sayd seruaunt his felowe fel vpon his knees and prayde hym to haue pacience promysyng to pay al. albe it he wolde not but cast hym into prison vntyll all was payde And whan the rest of theyr felowes seynge this crueltie had tolde the kynge therof the kynge forthwith sent for this cruell felowe and sayd to hym O wycked man I forgaue the thy hole det at thy suite and request It shulde therfore haue besemed the to haue shewed lyke compassyon to thy felowe as I had shewed to the. And the kynge beynge sore displeased with this crueltie commytted hym to tourmentours that shulde roughly and straytly handell hym in pryson tyll he had payde the hole det Vpon this parabole Christ inferreth and sayth Euen so shall your heuenly father doo with you yf you woll not forgyue euery one of you his brother euen from the harte Thus it appereth playnly that yf we woll be forgyuen if we woll escape euerlastynge damnation we must hartily forgyue those whiche haue trespassed and offended agaynst vs. No man can offende vs soo moche as we offende god and yet he is alwaye redy to forgyue vs. What ingratitude is it than what hardenes of harte what cruelnes is in vs yf we for his sake woll not forgyue one an nother There is none offence great that man dothe to man yf it be compared to our offences agaynst god And therfore we maye be well accompted to haue lyttell respecte and consyderation vnto our owne benefyte yf we wol not remitte and forgyue smal fautes done vnto vs that we maye haue pardone and forgyuenes of so many thousandes of greatte offences whiche we haue committed agaynst god And if any peraduenture wol thynke it to be a harde thynge to suffre and forgiue his ennemie whiche in worde and dede hath done hym many dyspleasures lette hym consyder agayne howe many harde stormes our sauiour Christe suffred and abode for vs. What were we whan he gaue his moste precyouse lyfe and blode for vs but horrible synners and his ennemyes Howe mekely toke he for our sake all rebukes mockes byndyng beatynge crownynge with thorne and the moste opprobrious deathe Why do we boste vs to be chrysten men yf we care not for Christe of whom we be soo named yf we endeuoure not our selfe to take example at him we be not worthy to haue the name of the membres yf we folowe not the heed And if any wol say that his ennemie is not worthy to be forgyuen let hym consyder and thynke that no more is he worthy to haue forgiuenes of god And by what equitie or iustyce can we requyre that god shulde be mercyfull vnto vs yf we woll shewe noo mercy but extremytie vnto our neyghbour and brother Is it a great matter for one synner to forgiue an other seing that Christe forgaue them that crucified hym And althoughe thy ennemie be not worthy to be forgyuen yet we be worthye to forgyue And Christe is worthye that for his sake we shulde forgyue But surely it is aboue our frayle and corrupte nature to loue our ennemies that doo hate vs and to forgyue them that do hurte and offende vs. Thus to do is a greatter grace thā can come of our selfes Therfore our sauiour Christ teacheth vs to aske this heuenly gyfte of
your sede laufully procreated in matrimonye accordynge as I haue instituted the same This lawe and commaundement of matrimony thus repeted and gyuen agayn by god vnto Noe and his children althoughe it was sufficient commaundemēt and instruction vnto them and all theyr posteritie howe to vse the same in all puretie and cleannesse to goddis pleasure and his good contentation yet god perceyuynge the naturall inclination of man to malyce and synne dyd afterwarde further explicate and establishe the same by his other lawes wryten wher by god prohibyted Leui xviii et xx that any matrimonye shuld be made betwene the father and the doughter the mother and the sonne the brother and the syster and betwene dyuers other persones beinge in certayne degrees of consanguynitie and affinitie whiche lawes of prohibicion in mariage althoughe they were not by expresse wordes of god declared at the fyrste institution of Matrimonie ne yet at this seconde repetition of the same made vnto Noe yet vndoubtedly god had engraued and enprynted the same lawes in the harte of man at his fyrste creation And for as moche as in longe contynuaunce and processe of tyme the naturalle lyght and knowledge of man was almooste by synne and malyce extincted or at the leaste so corrupted and obscured in the mooste parte of men that they coulde not perceyue and iudge what thynges were of theyr owne nature noughtie and detestable in the syghte of god ne yet howe farre that naturall honestie and reuerence whiche we owe vnto suche persons as be nere of blud or of nere allyaunce vnto vs was extended god commaunded his prophete Moyses to promulgate and to declare by his worde vnto the people of Israel the sayde lawes of prohibition of Matrimonye in certayne degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie whiche be specially mencyoned in the boke of Leuiticus And commaunded also Moyses Leu. xviii et xx to declare vnto his sayde people that not onely they but also all other the people of the worlde were as moche and as strayghtely bounden to the contynuall obseruation of the same lawes as they were vnto the other morall lawes of the tenne commaundementes Thyrdly that this coniunction betwene man and woman in Matrimonye was instytuted by god to the intent therby shulde be sygnyfyed and represented or rather prefygurated and prophecied before not onely the perfyte and indissoluble coniunction and vnion of the nature of god with the nature of man whiche was fulfylled whan the seconde person in Trinitie descendinge from his father dyd take vpon hym the veray forme and substaunce of our nature and so those two natures were vnyted and knytte togyther in one person but also to thintent there shulde therby be sygnyfyed and represented the lyke coniunction or societie in perfyte and indyssoluble loue and charitie betwene Christe and his Churche that is to saye the congregation of all christen people whiche be the very mysticall body of Chryst and Christ the onely heed of the same And this to be trewe sayncte Paule hymselfe confirmeth in the .v. chapyter of his epistle vnto the Ephesians Ephe. v. In whiche place the Apostle minding to proue and persuade that all women beynge maried ought to loue to reuerence to honour to obeye and to be subiecte vnto theyr husbandes in all thynges euen as the churche is subiecte vnto Christe and lyke wyse that all husbandes ought and be bounde to loue theyr wyues euen as they loue theyr owne selues and theyr owne bodyes and euen as Christe loueth the churche his espouse and his owne bodye He bryngeth in the fyrste institution of Matrimonie as it was ordeyned by god in Paradyse and alledgeth the wordes of god pronounced by our fyrste father Adam as they be before rehersed Vppon whiche wordes the apostell inferreth and sayth This cōiunction of man and woman togyther in maryage wherby they are knytted vnited and made all one flesshe and one body is the sacrament that is to saye the fygure the sygnification the mysterie or the prophecienge before of that greatte and meruaylous coniunction whiche is betwene Christe and his churche For lyke as by the vertue and effycacye of this fyrste institution of Matrimonie the husbande and the wyfe be made to be but one bodye wherof the husbande is the heede Euen soo the loue and charytie of Christe towardes his Espouse the Churche dothe knytte vnyte conglutynate and make Christe and his churche to be but done bodye wherof Christe is the verye heede By the whiche wordes of Sayncte Paule it appereth not onely what is the vertue and effycacie of Matrimonye in the vnytynge and incorporatynge of two bodyes in one but also that hit was instytuted by god to sygnyfye this other coniunction whiche is betwene Christe and his Churche And that this coniunction betwene Christe and the churche is the verye selfe thynge whiche was prophecyed sygnyfyed and represented by the other coniunction of man and woman in maryage For thoughe Sayncte Paule vsed in this place other argumentes and persuasyons taken of the lawe of Nature to induce maried persones the one to loue the other sayinge that menne naturally do loue and nourysshe theyr owne bodyes and theyr owne flesshe and that it is agaynste nature that a manne shulde hate his owne flesshe yet surely he thoughte that this was the reason of mooste effycacye to perswade his sayde purpose That is to saye that all husbandes and wyues oughte so to vse theym selfes the one vnto the other that theyr Matrymonye and all theyr workes and affections in the same myghte and shoulde corresponde and be conformable and lyke in all poyntes vnto that most holy thynge whiche is sygnyfied and represented therby that is to saye vnto that spirituall coniunction whiche is betwene Christe and his espouse the churche And that therfore specyallye the man oughte and is bounde to loue his wyfe and the wyfe to loue and obey her husbande in all thynges leste by doynge the contrarye they shulde after and subuerte the institution of God and make the fygure all vnlyke vnto the thynge that is sygnyfied therby And so by these wordes and reasons of saynt Paule it is euident that concernynge the sacramente of Matrymonye his sentence and doctryne was that the same was instituted by God at the fyrste creation of man to sygnifie that inseparable coniunction and vnyon whiche is betwene Chryste and his churche ¶ Item we thynke it conuenyent that all Bysshoppes and preachers shall instructe and teache the people commytted to theyr spirituall charge that althoughe this Sacramente of Matrymonye be no newe Sacramente instytuted in the newe Testamente but instytuted by God and consecrated by his worde and dignyfied by his lawes euen from the begynnynge of the worlde and before any other of the sacramentes were instituted in the newe testament as was sayde before yet the truthe is that Christe hym selfe dyd also accepte approue and allowe the sayde institution as well by his worde as also by his sondrye workes and