wyll rewarde them are as it were very sacramentes and visyble and sensible sygnes tokens yernest oblygacyons wytnesses testimonyes and a sure certefyenge of our soules that God hath wyl do accordynge to his promyse to strengthe our weake faythe and to kepe the promyse in mynde But they iustefye vs not no more thē the visible workes of the sacramentes do As for an ensample the worke of baptyme that outwarde wasshynge whiche is the vysyble sacrament or sygne iustefyeth vs not But God only iustefyeth vs actyuely as cause effycient or workeman God promyseth to iustefye who so euer is baptysed to beleue in Christ to kepe the lawe of God that is to say to forgyue them theyr fore synnes and to impute ryghtwysnesse vnto them to take them for hys sonnes and to loue them aswell as though they were ful ryghtwyse Chryste hathe deserued vs that promyse and ryghtwysnesse And faythe do the receaue it and God dothe gyue it and impute it to fayth not the wasshynge And the wasshynge dothe testefye it and certyfye vs of it as the Popes letters do certyfye the beleuers of the Popes perdones Nowe the letters helpe not or hyndre but that the perdone were as good without them as with them saue onelye to stablyshe weake soules that coulde not beleue excepte they rede the letters loked on the seale and sawe the prynte of saynt Peters keyes O mercyfull God and a moste louynge father howe careth he for vs fyrst aboue all and besyde all hys other benyfytes to geue vs hys owne son Iesus and with hym to geue vs hym selfe and all and not content therwith but to geue vs so many sacramentes or visible sygnes to prouoke vs and to helpe our weake faythe and to kepe hys mercye in mynde as baptyme the sacrament of his body and bloude and as many other sacramentes as they wyll haue yf they put sygnyfycacions to thē for we destroy none but they destroy whiche haue put out the sygnificaciōs or fayned some without as wedlocke to sygnefy that Christ is the husbāde and we his wyfe and partakers w t him as the wyfe with her husbande of al his ryches c. and beyonde all those vysible sacramentes to geue vs yet more sensyble and surer sacramentes and suraunce of his goodnes euen in our owne selues as yf we loue and gyue almes to our neyghboure yf we haue cōpassyon and pray for hym yf we be mercyful and forgeue him yf we deny our selues and faste and withdrawe all plesures from the fleshe for loue of the lyfe to come and to kepe the commaundementes of God For when suche thynges beinge before impossible and nowe are easye and naturall we fele and are sure that we be altered and of a newe nature and a newe creature shapen in ryghtwysnes after the ymage of Christ and God our father seynge hys lawes of ryghtwysnesse are wrytten in our hartes When ye fast be not sade as the ypocrites are For they fassyon them a newe countenaunce that it myght appere vnto men howe they faste Verely I say vnto you they haue theyr rewarde Thou therfore whē thou fastest annoynte thyne heed washe thy face that it appere not vnto men howe thou fasteste But vnto thy father whiche is in secrete And thy father whiche seythe in secrete shall rewarde the openly As aboue of almose and prayer euen so here Chryste rebuketh the false entente and ypocrysye of fastyng That they sought prayse of that worke that was ordeyned for to tame the flesh and vsed suche fassyons that all the worlde myght knowe that they fasted to prayse them and to saye O what holye men are these howe pale and petyfull they loke euen lyke deathe hangynge downe theyr hedes and beholdynge the erthe as men clene out of the worlde If these come not to heauen what shall become of vs poore wretches of the worlde If these be not greate in the fauoure of God and theyr prayers harde what soo euer they axe in what case are we laye people Happy is he that may be a brother amonge them and partaker of theyr prayers and fastynges and other holye lyuynge In an vnhappy In an happy I wolde saye houre was he borne that buyldethe them a sell or a cloysture or geueth them a porcyon of hys lande to comforte them good men in thys paynefull lyuynge and strayte penaunce which they haue taken vpon them Blessed were he that myght kysse the edge of the cote of one of thē Oh he that myght haue hys body wrapped in one of theyr olde cotes at the houre of dethe it were as good to hym as his Chrystendome c. It apereth also by y t they axed Christe why hys dyscyples fasted not as well as the pharyses y t they oft fasted whē the comen people fasted not al apere holy As oures fast aduent and begyn before lent at Septuagesima when Laus tibi domine cometh in And concernynge the annoyntynge of thy heed c. is ment as afore of turnyng the other cheke and of that the lefte hande shulde not knowe what the ryght dyd that is y t they shuld auoyde al vayne glory and fast to god and for the entent that God ordeyned it for and that with a mery hart and cherful countenaūce therby to fele the workyng of God and to be sure of his fauoure Such is the meaninge and not to bynde thē that wyl fast to anoynt theyr heed washe theyr faces And the maner or phrase of spekynge cometh of an vsage that was among the Iewes to anoynt thē selues with swete and odoryferouse annoyntmentes when they were dysposed to be mery and to make good chere as ye se howe Mary of Bethany poured a boxe of precyouse oyntmente vpon Chrystes heed at souper As concernynge fastyng it were good that kynges and rulers dyd sette an order of sobernesse amonge theyr subiects to auoyde derthe innumerable deseases and the great hepe of vyces that sprynge of intēperancy and that they forbade not onelye ryote and excesse But also all maner wanton delycyous and customable eatynge and drynkynge of such thynges as corrupte the people and make the men more effeminate then the woman so that there remayneth no more tokens of a man in thē saue theyr berdes Our fassyons of eatinge make vs slouth full and vnlusty to laboure and study vnstable inconstant and lyght manered full of wyttes after wytted as we call it incyrcumspecte in consyderat hedy rashe and hastye to begynne vnaduysedly and without castynge of parelles the ende not consydered what may folowe nor the meanes well loked vpon howe and by what way the mater might be brought to passe tryfelers mockers rude vnsauery iestere with out all maner of salte and euen very apes and Marmesettes and full of wanton and rebaldyshe communycacyon and lewde gestures It corrupteth the wyte with false iudgement and infecteth the body with luste and makethe the hole man so vnquyet in hī selfe
is affyrmed to iustefye of all partyes For fayth in Christes bloude whiche is Goddes promyse quieteth the cōscyence of the true beleuers And a false faythe or truste in workes which is theyr owne fayninge begyleth the blynde ypocrytes for a ceason tyll god for the greatnes of theyr synne when it is full openeth theyr eyes and then they dyspare But the swyne say God is so good that he wyl saue deuelles and al and damne no man perpetually what so euer he do Another cōclusyon is thys to beleue in Christ for the remyssyō of synnes and of a thankfulnes for that mercy to loue the lawe truly that is to say to loue God that is father of all and geueth all and Iesus Chryste that is lorde of vs all and bought vs al with al our hartes soules power myght and our bretheren for our fathers sake because they be created after his image and for our lorde and master Christes sake because they be the pryce of hys bloude and to longe for the lyfe to come because this lyfe can not be ledde with out synne These iii. poyntes I saye are the professyon and relygion of a Chrysten man and the inwarde baptyme of the harte sygnified by the outwarde wasshynge of the body And they be that spiritual charactter badge or sygne wherwith God thorowe hys spyrite marketh all hys immedyatly and assone as they be ioyned to Chryste and made members of hys churche by true faythe The churche of Christ then is the multytude of al thē that beleue in Chryst for the remyssyon of syn and of a thankfulnes for that mercy loue the lawe of God purely and without gloses and of hate they haue to the syn of thys world longe for the lyfe to come Thys is the churche that can not erre dampnablye nor any longe tyme or all of them but assone as anye questyon aryseth the truthe of Goddes promise stereth vp one or other to teche them the truth of euery thynge nedefull to saluacyon out of Goddes worde and lyghteneth the hartes of the other true members to se the same and to consent therto And as all they that haue theyr hartes wasshed with thys inwarde baptyme of the spyryte are of the church and haue the keyes of the scrypture ye and of byndynge and lowsynge and do not erre Euen so they that synne of purpose and wyll not heare when theyr fautes be tolde them but seke lybertyes and pryuyleges to syne vnpunysshed and glose out the lawe of God and mayntene ceremonyes tradicyons and customes to destroy the fayth of Chryste the same be members of Sathan and all theyr doctryne is poyson erroure and darkenes ye thoughe they be Popes Bysshoppes Abbotes Curates and doctoures of dyuynyte and though they can reherse all the scrypture without booke and thoughe they be sene in greke Ebrewe and latyne ye and though they so preache Chryste and the passyon of Chryste that they make the poore wemen wepe and howle agayne For when they come to the poynte that they shulde mynyster Chrystes passyon vnto the saluacyon of our soules there they poyson all together and glose out the lawe that shulde make vs fele our saluacyon in Chryst and dryue vs in that poynte from Chryste and teache vs to put our truste in our owne workes for the remyssion and satysfaccion of our synnes and in the apysplay of ypocrytes which sel theyr merites in stede of christes bloud and passyon Lo now dere reader to beleue in Chrystes bloude for the remyssyon of synne and purchasynge of all the good promyses that helpe to the lyfe to come and to loue the lawe and to longe for the lyfe to come is the inwarde baptyme of the soule the baptyme that onelye aualeth in the syght of God the newe generacyon and ymage of Chryste the onely keye also to bynde and lowse synners The towchestone to trye al doctrynes The lanterne and lyght that skatereth expelleth the myst and darkenes of al ypocrisy and preseruatyue agaynst al erroure and heresy The mother of all good workes The ernest of euerlastynge lyfe and title wherby we chalenge our enherytaunce And though fayth in Chrystes bloude make the maryage betwene our soule and Christe and in properly y e maryage garmēt ye and the signe Thau that defendeth vs from the smytynge and power of the euell aungelles and is also the rocke wheron Chrystes churche is buylte and wheron all that is buylte stondeth agaynste all wether of wynde and tempestes yet myght the professyon of the faythe in Chrystes hloude and of the loue to the lawe and longynge for the lyfe to come be called all these thynges were malyce and frowarde vnderstandynge awaye because that where one of them is there be all thre and where all are not there is none of them And because that the one is knowen by the other and is ympossyble to knowe any of them trulye and not be deceaued but in rispecte and comparyson of the other For yf thou wylte be sure that thy faythe be perfecte then examyne thy selfe whether thou loue the lawe And in lyke maner yf thou wylte knowe whether thou loue the lawe aryght then examyne thy selfe whether thou beleue in Chryst onely for the remyssyon of syn and obtaynynge the promyses made in the scrypture And euen so compare thy hope of the lyfe to come vnto Fayth and loue and to hatyng the synne of thys lyfe whiche hate the loue to the lawe engendereth in the. And yf they accompany not one another all thre together then be sure that all is but ypocresye Yf you say seynge faythee loue and hope bethre vertues inseperable Ergo faythe onely iustefyeth not I answere thoughe they be inseperable yet they haue seperable and sundrye offyces as it is aboue sayd of y e lawe an fayth Fayth onely whiche is a sure and an vndouted truste in Christ and in the father thorowe hym certefyeth the conscyence that the synne is forgeuen and the dampnacyon and impossybylyte of the lawe taken away as it is aboue rehersed in the condycyons of the couenant And with such persuasyons mollefyeth the harte and maketh her loue God agayne and his lawe And as ofte as we synne fayth onely kepeth that we forsake not our professyō and that loue vtterly quenche not and hope fayle and onely maketh the peace agayne For a true beleuer trusteth in Christ onely and not in his owne workes or ought els for the remyssyon of syn And the offyce of loue is to powre out agayne the same goodnes that she hathe receaued of God vpon her neyghboure and to be to hym as she feleth Chryste to her selfe The offyce of loue onely is to haue cōpassyon and to bere with her neyghboure the burthen of hys infyrmytyes And as it is wrytten 1. Pe. 4. Operit multitudinem peccatorum couereth the multytude of synnes That is to saye consydereth the infyrmytyes and interpreteth all to
teche and what my lernynge is concernynge the lawe ye shall shortly here and that in fewe wordes Who so euer breaketh one of these leaste comaundementes and teache men so shalbe called the leaste in the kyngedome of heauen But he that dothe them and teacheth them the same shalbe great in the kyngdome of heuen who so euer studye to destroy one of the commaundementes folowynge whiche are yet the leaste and but chyldyshe thynges in respecte of the perfecte doctryne that shall here after be shewed and of the mysteryes yet hyde in Chryste and teache other men euen so in worde or ensample whether openly or vnder a coloure and thoroughe false gloses of ypocresye that same doctoure shall all they of the kyngedome of heuen abhorre and despyce and caste hym out of of theyr companye as a sethynge potte dothe caste vp her fome and skome purge her selfe So faste shall they of the kyngedome of heauen cleaue vnto the pure lawe of God without all mennes gloses But who so euer shall fyrste fulfyl them hym selfe and then teache other and sette all hys studye to the furtheraunce and mayntenyng of them that doctoure shall all they of the kyngedome of heuen haue in pryce and folowe him and seke hym out as dothe the Egle her praye and cleaue to hym as burres For these commaundementes are but the verye lawe of Moyses the draffe of the phareses gloses clensed out interpreted accordynge to the pure worde of God and as the open text compelleth to vnderstande them yf he loke dylygently theron The kyngdome of heuen take for the congregacyon or churche of Chryste And to be of the kyngedome of heuen is to knowe God for our father and Chryste for our lorde and sauyoure from all synne And to enter in to thys kyngedome it is impossyble excepte the harte of man be to kepe the commaundementes of God pure lye as it is wrytten Iohan. 7. yf any man wyll obaye hys wyll that is to saye the wyl of the father that sent me saythe Chryste he shall knowe of the doctryne whether it be of God or whether I speke of myne owne hede For yf thyne harte be to do the wyll of God whiche is his commaundementes he wyl gyue the a pure eye both to dyscerne the true doctryne from the false and the true doctryne from the howlyng ypocryte And therfore he saythe For I say vnto you except your ryghtwysnes excede y e ryghtwysnes of the scrybes and pharyseys ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heuen The ryghtwysnes of the scrybes and pharyseys can not enter into the kyngdome of heuen the kyngdome of heuen is the true knowledge of God and Chryste ergo the ryghtwysnes of the Scrybes and Pharyseys neyther knowethe God nor Chryste He that is wyllynge to obay the wyll of God vnderstandeth the doctryne of Chryste as it is proued aboue the scrybes and the phariseys vnderstand not the doctryne of Chryste ergo they haue no wyll nor luste to obaye the wyll of God To obaye the wyll of God is to seke the glory of God for the glorye of a mayster is the meke obedyence of hys seruauntes the glorye of a Prynce is the vmble obedyence of hys subiectes the glory of a husbande is the chaste obedyence of hys wyfe the glorye of a father is the louynge obedyence of hys chyldren the scrybes and the pharyseys haue no lust to obay the wyl of God ergo they seke not the glorye of God Furthermore the scrybes and pharyseys seke theyr owne glory they that seke theyr owne glory preache theyr owne doctryne ergo the scrybes and pharyses preache theyr owne doctryne The maior thou hast Math. xxiii the scrybes and pharyseys do all theyr workes to be sene of men they loue to sytte vppermoste at feastes and to haue the chefe seates in the Synagoges and salutacions in the open markettes and to be called Raby And the mynor foloweth the texte aboue rehersed Iho. vii he that speketh of hym selfe or of hys owne heed seketh hys owne glorye that is to saye he that preacheth hys owne doctryne is euer knowen by sekynge hys owne glory so that it is a generall rule to knowe that a man preacheth hys owne doctryne yf he seke hys owne glorye Some man wyll happely say the scrybes and pharyseys had no other lawe then Moses and the prophetes nor any other scrypture and grouÌ„ded theyr sayenges theron That is truthe howe then preached they theyr owne doctryne verely it foloweth in the sayd vii of Iho. He that seketh tbe glorye of hym that sent him y e same is true and there is no vnryghtwysnes iÌ„ him that is to say he wyl do his maysters message truly and not alter it where contraryewyse he y t seketh his owne glory wyl be false when he is seÌ„t and wyl after his masters message to turne his maysters glory vnto his owne selfe Euen so dyd the scrybes and pharyseys alter the word of God for theyr owne profyte and glorye And when Godes word is altered with false gloses it is no more Gods word As when God sayth loue thy neyghbour and thou puttest to thy leuÌ„e and sayest yf my neyghbour do me no hurte nor saye me anye I am boundâ— to loue hym but not to gyue hym at hys neadâ— my gooddes whiche I haue gotten with my sore labour Nowe is thys thy lawe and not Goddes Goddes lawe is pure and single loue thy neyghboure whether he be good or bad And by loue God meanethe to helpe at neade Nowe when God byddeth the to gette thy lyuynge and some what ouer to helpe hym that can not or at atyme hathe not wherwith to helpe hym selfe yf thou and .xxx. or .xl. with the gette you to wyldernesse and not onelye helpe not youre neyghboures but also robbe a greate number of two or thre thousande pounde verelye howe loue ye your neyghboures Suche men helpe the worlde with prayer thou wylte saye to me Thou were better to saye they robbe the worlde with theyr ypocresye saye I to the â–ª and it is truthe in dede that they so do For yf I stycke vppe to the myddle in the myer lyke to peryshe with out present helpe and thou stonde by and wylt not socoure me but knelâ—ste downe and prayeste wyll God here the prayers of suche an ypocryte God byddeth the so to loue me that thou put thy selfe in ioperdye to helpe me and that thyne hartâ— whyle the bodye labourethe do praye and trustâ— in God that he wyll assyste the. and throughe thâ— to saue me An ypocryte that wyll put neyther bodye nor goddes in parell for to helpe me 〈◊〉 my neade louethe me not nether hathe compassyon on me and therfore his harte can not praye thoughe he wagge hys lyppes neuer so muche It is wryten Iohan. ix If a man be a worshypper of God and do hys wyll whiche is the true worshype hym God herethe Nowe the wyl of God is that we
wold not defyle hym selfe but to thrust hym into the handes of Phylystynes that they myght sley hym and he hym selfe abyde pure And as our spyrytualtye nowe offer a man mercy once thoughe ye haue spoken agaynste holy chyrche onely yf he wyll but periure and bere a fagot But yf he wyll not they do but dyote hym a season to wynne hym and make hym tell more and then delyuer hym to the lay power sayenge he hathe deserued the dethe by our lawes and ye ought to kyll hym howe be it we deserc it not ¶ But Chryste restoreth the lawe agayne and sayeth to be angry with thy neyghboure to sle hym and to deserue dethe For the lawe goeth as wel on the harte as on the hande He that hateth his brother is a mutherar .i. Io. 3. If then the blynd hande deserue dethe howe moche more those partes which haue the syght of reson And he that sayeth Racha lewde or what so euer sygne of wrath it be or y t prouoketh to wrath ▪ hath not only deserued that men shuld immedyatly pronounce sentence of deth vpon hym but also y t when deth is pronoūced they shuld gather a councel to decre what horryble dethe he shuld suffer And he that calleth hys brother fole hathe synned downe to hel Shal then a man not be angry at al nor rebuke or ponyshe yes yf thou be a father or a mother mayster maystresse husbande lorde or ruler yet with loue and mercye that the anger rebuke or ponyshmente excede not the faute or trespas Maye a man be angrye with loue ye mothers can be so with theyr chyldrē It is a louinge anger that hateth onely the vyce and studyeth to mende the persone But here is forboden not only wrath agaynste father mother and all that haue gouernaunce ouer the whiche is to be angry and to grudge agaynste God hym selfe and that the ruler shall not be wrath without a cause agaynst the subiecte But also al pryuate wrathe agaynst thy neyghbour ouer whome thou haste no rule nor he ouer the no though he do the wronge For he that do the wronge lacketh wytte and dyscrecyon and can not amende tyll he be informed and taught louyngly Therfore thou must refrayne thy wrath and tell hym hys faute louyngly and with kyndenes wyn him to thy father for he is thy brother as wel made and as dere bought as thou and as wel beloued though he be yet chyldyshe and lacke dyscrecyon But some wyl say I wyl not hate my neyghboure nor yet loue hym or do hym good yes thou must loue hym for the fyrst cōmaundemēt out of which all other flowe is thou shalt loue the lorde thy God with all thyne harte with all thy soule and with all thy myght That is thou must kepe all his commaundementes with loue Loue must kepe y e fro killyng or hurting thy neyboure and frō couetynge in thyne harte what so euer is his And .1 Ioh. 4. Thys commaundement haue we of hym that he whiche loueth God loue his brother also And agayne 1. Iohan. iii. he that hathe substaunce of thys worlde and see hys brother haue necessyte and shutteth vp hys compassyon from him howe is the loue of God in hym he then that helpe the not at neade louethe not God but breketh the fyrste commaundement Let vs loue therfore sayth saynte Io not with worde and tonge but in the dede and of a truthe And agayne saynte Iohā sayd in the sayd place he that loueth not hys brother by deth yet styll in dethe And of loue hath Moyses textes ynoughe But the pharyseys glosed them out sayenge they were but good councelles yf a man desyred to be perfecte but not preceptes Exodi xxiii yf thou mete thyne enemyes oxe or asse goynge a straye thou shalte in any wyse brynge them to hym agayne And yf thou se thyne enemyes asse falle downe vnder his burthen thou shalt helpe him vp agayne And Leuyti xix thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne hart but shalt in any wyse rebuke thy neyghboure that thou beare no syn for hys sake For yf thou studye not to amende thy neyghboure when he synneth so art thou partaker of hys synnes And therfore whē God taketh vengeaunce and sendeth what soo euer plage it be to ponyshe open sinners thou must peryshe with them For thou dydest synne in the syght of God as depe as they because thou dydest not loue the lawe of God to maynteyne it with all thyne harte soule power and myght Is not he that seeth hys nyghboures hous in ieoperdye to be sette on fyer and warneth not nor helpeth in tyme to auoyde the parell worthy yf his neyghboures hous be brent vp that hys be brent also seynge it was in hys power to haue kepte all out of ieoperdy yf he had wolde as he wolde no doute yf he had loued hys neyghboure Euen so when God sendeth a generall pestylence or warre to thy cytye to ponyshe the synne therof arte not thou worthy that thyne house shulde be infected or peryshe yf thou myghtest haue kepte it frō synnynge and thou haddest ben wyllynge therto But yf thou do thy beste to further the lawe of God and to kepe thy land or neyghboures frō synnyng against God thē though it pelpe not thou shalte bere no synne for theyr sakes when they be ponyshed He therfore that loueth the lawe of God may be bolde in tyme of pestylence and all ieoperdy to beleue in God And agayne in the same place thou shalt not auenge thy selfe nor beare hate in mynde agaynste the chyldren of thy people But shall loue thy felowe as thy selfe I am the lorde As who shuld say for my sake shalt thou do it And Deuteronomy .10 The lorde your God is the God of Goddes and lorde of lordes a greate God myghty and terryble which regardeth no mannes persone or degree or taketh gyftes But doth ryghte to the fatherlesse and the wydowe and loueth the staunger to gyue hym rayment and fode loue therfore the straunger for ye were straungers in the lande of Egypt And Leuytycum .xix. yf a straunger soiourne by the in your lande se that ye vexe hym not But let the straunger that dwelleth amonge you be as one of your selfes and loue hym as thy selfe For ye were straungers in the lande of Egypt I am the lorde As who shulde saye loue him for my sake Notwithstandynge when thy neyghboure hathe shewed the more vnkyndenes then God hath loue then mayste thou hate hym and not before But muste loue hym for Goddes sake tyll he fyght agaynste God to destroy the name and glorye of God Therfore when thou offerest thy gyfte at the alter and there remembreste that thy brother hathe ought agaynste the leaue there thy gyfte before the alter and go fyrst and reconsyle thy selfe vnto thy brother and then come and offer thy selfe Agree with thyne aduersarye attonce whyle thou arte in the waye with hym leaste thyne aduersarye
delyuer the to the iudge and the iudge delyuer the to the mynyster and thou be caste into pryson Verely I saye vnto the thou shalt not com out thence tyl thou haue payd the vttermost farthynge This texte with the similitude is somewhat sotle and byndeth both hym that hathe offended to reconsyle him selfe as moch as in him is and hym that is offended to forgeue and be attone The offerynges were sygnes and dyd certefye a man that God was at one with hym and was hys frende and loued hym For the fat of beastes was offered and wine therto as though God had sate and eate and dronke with them and the rest they and theyr husholdes dyd eate before god as though they had eate dronke with God and were commaunded to be mery and to make good chere full certefyed that God was at one with them and had forgote all olde offences nowe loued thē that he wold fulfyl all his promyses of mercy with them Nowe wyl God receyue no sacrefyce that is to wyte neyther forgeue or fulfyll any of hys promyses eycept we be fyrst reconcyled vnto our brethren whether we haue offended or be offended In the Chapyter folowynge thou redest ye forgeue your father shal forgeue you And Osia 6. I loue mercy not sacrefyce and the knowledge of God more then I do burnt offerynges that is to saye the knoweledge of the poyntementes made betwene God and vs what he wyl haue vs to do fyrst and then what he wyl do for vs agayne And Esaias 58. God refused fastynge and ponyshynge of the body that was coupled with crudelyte sayth that he desyred no suche fast But sayth thys faste requyre I that ye be mercyfull and forgeue and clothe the naked and fede the hungry c. Then cal sayth he and y e lord shal answere cry and he shall saye see here I am And that symylytude wyl that as a man here yf he wyl no otherwyse agre he must suffer the extremite of the lawe yf he be brought afore a iudge for the iudge hath no power to forgeue or to remyte but to cōdemne hym in the vtmost of the lawe euen so yf we wyll not forgeue one another here we shall haue iudgement of God without mercy And that some make purgatory of the last farthynge they shewe theyr depe ignoraunce For fyrst no symylytude holdeth euery worde and syllable of y e similitude furthermore whē they dyspute tyll he paye the laste ferthynge ergo he shal paye But not in hell ergo in purgatory A wyse reson Ioseph knewe not Marye tyll she had borne her fyrst sonne ergo she bare the seconde or he knewe her after I wyll not forgeue the tyll I be dede or whyle I leue ▪ ergo I wyll do it after my dethe and a thousande lyke Ye haue harde howe it was sayd to them of olde tyme commyt not adultery But I say to you that who so euer loketh on a wyfe lustynge after her hath cōmitted aduoutrye with her all redy in hys harte This commaundement commytte none adulterye had the phareseys blynded and corrupte with theyr sophystry and leuen interpretynge the concupyscence of the harte lewde toyes fylthye gestures vnclene wordes clappynge kessynge and so forthe not to be imputed for syn But euen the acte and dede alone thoughe Noyses say in the texte thou shal not couet thy neyghboures wyfe c. But Chryst putteth to lyght and salt and bryngeth the precept to hys true vnderstandynge and naturall taste agayne and condemneth the rote of synne the concupyscence and consent of the harte Before the worlde I am no murtherer tyll I haue kylled with myne hande But before God I kyll yf I hate ye yf I loue not and of loue kepe me both from doynge hurte and also be redye and prepared to helpe at nede Euen so the consent of the harte with all other menes that folowe ther of be as well aduoutrye before God as the dede it selfe Fynally I am an aduouterer before God yf I so loue not my neyghbour that verye loue forbyd me to couet hys wyfe Loue is the fulfyllynge of al cōmaundementes And without loue it is impossyble to abstayne from synnyng agaynst my neyghbour in any precept yf occasyon be gyuen Carnall loue wyl not suffer a mother to robbe her chylde no it maketh her robbe her selfe to make it ryche A naturall father shall neuer lust after hys sonnes wyfe No he careth more for her chastyte then hys son doth hym selfe Euen so wolde loue to my neyghboure kepe me frō synnynge agaynste hym Aduoutry is a damnable thynge in the syght of God and moche meschefe foloweth therof Dauid to saue his honoure was dreuen to commytte greuous murther also It is vnryght in the syght of God and man that thy chyld shuld be at another wannes cost and be another mannes hayre Neyther canste thou or the mother haue lyghtly a quyet conscyence to God or a mery harte so longe as it is so Moreouer what greater shame canst thou do to thy neyghbour or what greater dyspleasure what yf it neuer be knowen nor come any chylde therof The precyousest gyfte that a man hath in this world of God is the true harte of hys wyfe to abyde by hym in welthe and wo and to bere all fortunes with hym Of that hast thou robbed hym for after she had once coupled her selfe to the she shal not lyghtly loue him any more so truly but haply hate hī and procure his deth More ouer thou haste vntaught her to feare God and hast made her to syn agaynst God For to God promysed she and not to man only for y e lawe of matrymony is Godes ordynaunce For it is wrytten Ge. 39. when Puthyphars wyfe wold haue had Ioseph to lye with her he answered howe could I do thys wykednes syn agaynst God ye verely it is impossyble to syn agaīst mā except thou syn against God first Finally rede Cronycles and storyes and see what hath folowed of aduoutrye what shal we say that some doctores haue dysputed and douted whether syngle fornycacyō shuld be syn◠when it is condempned bothe by Christ Moses to and Paule testefieth 1. Cor. 6. that no fornycatoure or whore keper shall possesse the kyngdome of God It is ryght that al men that hope in God shulde brynge vppe theyr frute in the fere and knowledge of God and not to leaue hys sede where he careth not what come therof Wherfore if thy ryght eye offende the plucke it out and caste it from the. For it is better for the that one of thy membres peryshe then that thy hole bodye shulde be caste into hell And euen so if thy ryght hande offende the cut it of and caste it from the. For it is better for the that one of thy members peryshe then that thy hole bodye shulde be caste into hell Thys is not mente of the outwarde members For then we must cut of nose
Chryste that they couer ouer with the myste of theyr gloses that the lyght therof myght not be sene As they haue interpretate here the wordes of Chryst wherwith he restoreth the lawe agayne to be but good counselles onely but no preceptes that bynde the conscyence And therto they haue so rofelled and tangeled the temporal and spirituall regimente togyther and made therof suche confusyon that no man can knowe the one from the other to the entent that they wolde seme to haue bothe by the auctorite of Christe which neuer vsurped temporal regyment vnto hym Notwithstandynge moste deare reder yf thou reade thys exposycyon with a good harte only to knowe the truth for the amendynge chefely of thyn owne lyuinge and then of other mēnes as charyte reqyreth where an occasyō is geuen then shalt thou perceyue their falshepe and se their myste expelled with the brightnes of the incuytable truthe A nother conclusyon is this al the good promyses whiche are made vs thorowe out all the scripture for Chrystes sake for his loue his passyon or suffrynge his bloude shedynge or dethe al are made vs on this condicyon and couenaunt on our partye that we henceforth loue the lawe of God to walke therin and to do it and fassyon our lyues therafter In so moche that who so euer hathe not the lawe of God wrytten in hys herte that he loue it haue his luste in it and recorde therin nyght and daye vnderstandynge it as God hathe gyuen it and as Chryst and the Apostles expounde it The same hath no parte in the promyses or can haue any true faythe in the bloude of Chryste because there is no promyse made hym but to them onely that promyse to kepe the lawe Thou wylte happely saye to me agayne yf I can not haue my synnes forgyuen excepte I loue the lawe and of loue endeuour my selfe to kepe it then the kepynge of the lawe iustefyethe me I answere that the argumente is false and but blynde sophestrye and like vnto this argument I can not haue forgyuenes of my synne excepte I haue synned Ergo to haue sinned is the forgeuenes of syn And it is lyke to this also No nan can be heled of the pokes but he that hath thē Ergo to haue the pockes doth heale the pockes And lyke sophestrye are these argumentes yf thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes Matth. xix Ergo the dedes of the lawe iustefye vs. Item the herars of the lawe are not ryghteous in the syght of God but the doers of the lawe shalbe iustefyed Roma ii Ergo the dedes of the lawe iustefye from syn And agayne we must al stande before the iudgement seate of Chryste to receaue euery man accordynge to the dedes which he dyd in the body Ergo the lawe or the dedes of the lawe iustefye These and all suche are naughtye argumentes For ye se that the kinge pardoneth no murderar but on a condycyon that he henceforth kepe the lawe and do no more so and yet ye knowe well ynough that he is saued by grace fauour pardone yer the kepyng of the lawe come Howebeit yf he breake the lawe afterwarde he falleth agayne into the same daunger of dethe Euen so none of vs can be receaued to grace but vpon a condiciō to kepe the lawe nether yet contynue any longer in grace then that purpose lasteth And yf we breake the lawe we muste sue for a newe pardon and haue a newe fyght against syn hel and desperacion yer we can come to a quyet faythe agayne and fele that the synne is forgeuē Nether can ther be in the a stable and an vndouted faythe that thy syn is forgyuen the excepte there be also a lustye courage in thyne herte and a truste that thou wylte synne no more for on that condycyon that thou endeuoure thy selfe to synne no more is the promyse of mercy and forgyuenes made vnto the. And as thy loue to the lawe increaseth so dothe thy faythe in Chryste and so dothe thyne hope and longynge for the lyfe to come And as thy loue is colde so is thy fayth weake and thyne hope and longynge for the lyfe to come lytle And where no loue to the lawe is theyr is nether faythe in Chryste for the forgyuenes of synne nor longynge for the lyfe to come but in stede of faythe wycked ymagynacyon that God is so vnryghteous that he is not offendyd with synne And in stede of hope a desyer to liue euer here and agredynes of worldly voluptuousnes And vnto al suche is the scrypture locked vp and made ympossyble to vnderstande They maye reade it and reherse the stories therof and dyspute of it as the turkes maye and as we may of the turkes lawe And they maye sucke pryde ypocresye and all maner of poyson therout to slaye theyr owne soules and to put stomblynge blockes in other mennes wayes to thruste them from the truthe and to get suche lernynge therin as in Arystotelles Etykes and morall Philosophie and in the preceptes of olde philosophers But it is ympossyble for them to applye one sentence therof to theyr soules helthe or to fassyon theyr lyues therby for to plese God or to make them to loue the lawe or vnderstande it ether to feale the power of Chrystes dethe and myght of his resurrection and swetnes of the lyfe to come So that they euer remayne carnal and fleshly as thou haste an ensample of the Scrybes Pharises and Iewes in the newe testament A nother conclusyon is thys of them that beleue in Chryste for the remyssyon of syn and loue the lawe are a thowsande degrees and not so fewe one perfecter or weaker than another of whiche a greate sorte are so feble that they can nether go forwarde in theyr profession and purpose nor yet stande excepte they be holpen and borne of theyr stronger bretherne and tendyd as yonge chyldren are by the care of theyr fathers and mothers And therfore dothe God commaunde the elder to care for the yonger As Paule techeth Roma xv saynge we that be stronger ought to beare the feblenes of the weaker And. Cala. vi bretheren yf any man be caught in any faute ye that be spirituall and are growen in knowledge and haue gotten the vyctorye of your fleshe teache suche with the spirite of softenes not calynge them heretykes at the fyrste choppe and thretenynge them with fyer and faggotes But alter alterius onera portate sayth he et sic adimplebitis legem Christi That is to saye beare eche others burthen and so shal ye fulfyl the lawe of Chryste Euen so verely shall ye fulfyll the lawe of Christe and not with smytinge your brethren and puttyng stumblinge blockes before theyr weake fete and kyllynge theyr conscience and makyng them more afrayde of shadowes and bugges then to breke theyr fathers commaundementes and to truste in wordes of winde and vanyte more then in theyr fathers promyse And for theyr sakes
as nye as it is possyble And euerye man maye pryuatlye enforme hys neyghboure ye and the preacher and byshope to yf neade be For yf the preacher preache wronge then maye any man what so euer he be rebuke hym fyrste pryuatlye and then yf that helpe not to complayne further And when all is proued accordynge to the order of charite and yet none amendment had then ought euery man that can to resyst hym and to stond by Chrystes doctrine and to ieoparde life and al for it Loke on the olde ensamples and they shall teache the. The gospel hath a nother fredome with her then the temporall regyment Thoughe euery mannes body and goodes be vnder the kynge do he ryghte or wronge yet is the auctoryte of Goddes worde free and aboue the kynge soo that the worste in the realme maye tell the kynge if he do hym wronge that he doth nought and other wyse then God hathe commaunded hym and so warne hym to auoyde the wrathe of God whiche is the pacyent aduenger of all vnryghtwysnes Maye I then and oughte also to resyste father and mother and all temporall power with Goddes worde whan they wrongefully do or commaunde that hurteth or kylleth the bodye and haue I no power to resyste the Byshoppe or Preacher that with false doctryne sleyethe the soules for whiche my Mayster and and lorde Chryste hath shede hys bloude Be we otherwyse vnder our byshopes then Chryste and his apostles and al the prophetes were vnder the byshoppes of the olde lawe Naye verelye and therfore maye we and also oughte to do as they dyd and to answere as the apostles dyd Act. 5. O Portet magis obedire deo quam bominibus we muste rather obaye God than men In the gospel euerye man is Chrystes dyscyple and a persone for hym selfe to defende Christes doctryne in his owne person The faythe of the byshoppe wyll not helpe me nor the bishopes kepyng the lawe is suffycyent for me But I muste beleue in Chryst for the remyssyon of al syn for myne owne selfe and in myne owne person No more is the byshoppes or preachers defending Godes word ynough for me But I muste defende it in myne owne persone and ieoperde lyfe and all theron when I senede and occasyon I am bounde to gette worldlye substaunce for my selfe and for my housholde with my iuste laboure and some what more fore them that can not to saue my neyghboures bodye And am I not more bounde â—o labour for Godes worde to haue therof in store to saue my neyghboures soule And when is it so moche tyme to resyste with Goddes worde and to helpe as when they whiche are beleued to mynyster the true worde do slee the soules with false doctryne for couetousnes sake He that is not readye to geue hys lyfe for the mayntenaunce of Ghrystes doctryne agaynst ypocrytes with what so euer name or tytle they be dysguysed the same is not worthy of Chryste nor can be Chrystes dyscyple by the verye wordes and testymonye of Chryste Neuertheles we muste vse wysdome pacyence mekenes and a dyscrete proces after the due order of charite in our defendyng y e word of God lest whyle we go aboute to amende our prelates we make them worse But when we haue proued all that charyte bindeth vs and yet in vayne then we muste come forthe openlye and rebuke theyr wykednes in the face of the world and ieoperde lyfe and all theron Ye shall not thynke that I am come to dystroye the lawe or the prophetes no I am not come to dystroye them but to fulfyll them For truely I saye vnto you tyll heauen and erthe peryshe there shall not one Iott or one tytle of the lawe scape tyll all be fulfylled A lytle before Chryst calleth hys dyscyples the lyght of the worlde and the salt of the erthe and that because of theyr doctryne wherwith they shulde lyghten the blynde vnderstandyng of man and with true knoweledge dryue out the false openyons and sophystycall persuasyons of natural reason and deliuer the scrypture out of the captyuyte of false gloses which the ypocrety she phareseys had patched therto and so out of the lyghte of true knowledge to â—â—ere vp a newe lyuynge and to salt and ceason the corrupt maners of the olde blinde coÌ„uersacyon For where false doctryne corrupt opynyons and sophistycal gloses raygne iÌ„ the wyt and vnderstandynge there is the lyuynge deuelyshe in the syghte of God howe so euer it appere in the syght of the blynde worlde And on the other syde where the doctryne is true perfecte there foloweth godly lyuynge of necessyte For out of the inwarde beleue of the hart floweth the outwarde coÌ„uersacyon of the meÌ„bers He that beleueth that he ought to loue his enemy shall neuer cease fyghtynge agaynst his owne selfe tyl he haue weded all rancoure and malyce out of his hart But he that beleueth it not shall put a vysure of ypocresye on hys face tyl he get oportunite to adueÌ„ge him selfe And here he beginneth to teache them to be that lyght and that salte of which he spake and sayth Thoughe the scrybes and phareses beare the people in hande that all I do is of the deuyll and accuse me of breakynge the lawe and the prophetes as they afterwarde rayled on the Apostles that they draue the people from good workes thoroughe preachyng the iustefyenge and ryghtwysnes of faythe yet se that ye my dyscyples be not of that beleue For heuen and erthe shall soner peryshe then one my nume or tytle of the lawe shulde be put out I come not to destroye the lawe â— but to repare it onely and to make it go vpryght where it halteth and eueÌ„ to make croked strayte roughe smothe as Iohan the Babtyste doth in the wyldernes and to teache the true vnderstandynge of the lawe without me the lawe caÌ„ not be fulfylled nor euer coulde For thoughe the lawe were gyuen by Moyses yet grace verite that is to say the true vnderstandinge and power to loue it and loue to fulfyll it cometh and euer came thorough faythe in me I do but onely wype awaye the fylthy and roten gloses whiche the scrybes and the pharyseys haue smared to the lawe and the prophetes and rebuke theyr daÌ„nable lyuyng whiche they haue facyoned not after the lawe of God but after theyr owne sophistycall gloses fayned to mocke out the lawe of God and to begyle the whole worlde to lede theÌ„ in blyndnes and that the scrybes and phareseys falsly bely me howe that I go aboute to destroye the lawe and to sette the people at a fleshelye lyberte and to make them fyrste dysobedyent and to despyce theyr spyrytuall prelates then to ryse agaynst the temporall rulers and to make all comune and to gyue lycence to syn vnponyshed cometh onelye of pure malyce hate enuye and furyouse impacyencye that theyr vysures are plucked froÌ„ theyr faces and their ypocresy dysclosed Howe be it what I
loue one another to helpe at nede And suche louers he hereth and not sottle ypocrytes As loue maketh the helpe me at my nede so when it is paste thy power to helpe it maketh the praye to God Euen so where is no loue to make the take bodely payne with me there is no loue that maketh the praye for me But thy prayer is in dede for thy belye whiche thou loueste what were the scrybes and pharyseys The scrybes besydes that they were pharyseys as I suppose were also offycers as are our bysshopes Chauncelers Comyssaryes Archedeacones and offycyalles And the phariseys were relygyouse men whiche hade professed not as nowe one Dominycke the other fraunces another Barnardes rules But euen to hold the very lawe of God with prayer fastynge and almes dede and were the flowre and perfectyon of all the Iewes as S. Paule reioyseth of hym selfe philippen 3. saynge I was an Ebrue and concernynge the lawe a pharyse and concernynge the ryghtwysnes of the lawe I was fautles They were more honorable then any secte of Mōkes with vs. whether obseruaūt or Ancre or what so euer other be had in pryce They myght moche better haue reioysed to haue ben the true churche and to haue had the spyryte of God and that they coulde not haue erred they men whome all the worlde seeth neyther to kepe Godes lawes nor mannes nor yet y t deuelyshe lawe of theyr owne makyng For God hathe made thē of the olde testament as great promyses that he wold be theyr God and that his spiryte and al grace shuld be with thē yf they kepte his lawe as he hathe made to vs Nowe seing they kepe the vttermost rote of the lawe in the syghte of the worlde and were fautles and seynge therto that God hathe promysed neyther vs nor them oughte at al but vpon y e professyon of kepyng his lawes whether were more like to be the ryght church and to be taughte of the spyryte of God and they coulde not erre those pharyseys and oures Myght not the general councelles of those and the thynges there decreed with out scrypture seme to be of as great actoryte as the generall councelles of oures and the thynges there ordayned and decreed bothe clene with out and also agaynste Godes worde Myght not the ceremonyes whiche those hade adyde to the ceremonyes of Moses seme to be as holy as wel to plese God as the ceremonyes of oures The thynges whiche they added to the ceremonyes of Moyses were of the same kynde as those ceremonyes were and no more to be rebuked then the ceremonyes of Moyses As for as ensāple yf Moyses bade washe a table or a dyshe when an vnclene worme had crepte theron the pharyseys dyde washe the table with a wete cloute before euery refection leste any vnclene thynge hade touched them vnwares to all men as we put vnto our tythes a mortuarye for all forgotten tythes what was then the wyckednes of the pharyseys verely the leuen of theyr gloses to the morall lawes by whiche they corrupte the commaundemētes and made them no more Godes and theyr false fayth in the ceremones that y e bare worke was a sacrefyce and a seruyce to God the sygnyfycacyons lost and the opinyon of false ryghtwysnes in theyr prayers fastynge and almos dedes that such workes dyd iustefy a man before god and not that God forgeueth syn of his mere mercy yf a man beleue repent and promise to do his vttermost to synne no more when these thus sate in the hertes of the people with the opynyon of vertue holynes and ryghtwysnes and theyr lawe the lawe of God theyr workes workes comaūded by God and confyrmed by all hys prophetes as prayer fastynge and almose dede and they loked vpon as the chyrche of God that could not erre and fynally they thē selues ether euery where were the chefe rulers or so sate in the hartes of the rulers that theyr worde was beleued to be the worde of God what other thynge coulde it be to preache agaynste all suche and to condemne theyr ryghtwysnesse for the mooste damnable synne that can be than to seme to goo aboute to destroye the lawe and the prophetes what other thynge can such a precher seme to be before y e blynde worlde then heretycke scysmatycke sedicyous possessed with the deuel and worthy of shame moste vyle and deth moste cruel And yet these must be fyrsterebuked and theyr false ryghtwysnes detecte yer thou mayste preache agaynste open synners Or els yf thou shuldest conuerte an open senner from hys euell lyuynge thou shuldeste make hym nyne hundred tymes worse then before For he wolde attonce be one of these sorte euen an obseruaunt or of some lyke secte of whiche amonge an hundred thousande thou shalte neuer brynge one to beleue in Chryste where among open synners many beleue at the houre of dethe fal flat vpon Chryst and beleue in hym onely without all other ryghtwysnes It were an hundred thousand tymes better neuer to pray then to praye soche lyppe prayers and neuer to fast or do almes then to faste and to do almes with a mynde therby to be made ryghtuous and to make satysfaccyon for the fore synnes Ye haue harde howe that it was sayde to them of olde tyme kyl not for who so euer kelleth shall be in daunger of iudgement But I say vnto you who soo euer is angrye with his brother shall be in daunger of iudgement And whosoeuer saye vnto his brother Racha shall be in daunger of a councell But whosouer say to his brother thou fole shalbe in daunger of hell fyre Here Chryste begynneth not to destroy the lawe as the pharyseys had falsly accused hym but to restore it agayne to the ryght vnderstandynge and to purge it from the gloses of the pharyseys He that sleyeth shall be gyltye or in daunger of iudgement that is to say yf a man murther hys dede testefyeth agaynst hym there is no more to do then to pronounce sentence of dethe agaynst hym This texte dyd the pharyseys extende no further then to kyll with the hande and outwarde members But hate enuye malyce churlyshnesse and to withdrawe helpe at neade to begyle and cyrcumuent with wyles and sottle bergenynge was no synne at all No to brynge hym home thou hatedest to dethe with crafte and falshed so thou dyddeste not put thyne hande therto was no synne at al. As when they had brought Chryste to dethe wrongefully and compelled Pylate with sotteltye to sleye hym they thoughte them selues pure In so moche that they wolde not go into the hall for defylynge them selues and beynge partakers with Pylate in his bloud And Ac. 5 they sayd to the Apostles ye wolde bryng this mannes bloude vpon vs as who wolde saye we slue hym not And Saul in the fyrste boke of the Kynges in the .xviii. Cha ▪ beinge so wrothe with Dauid that he wold gladly haue had him slayne determyned yet that he
thyne And more ouer yf the worste come God shall yet set suche a tyraunt ouer the that yf thou be meke and canst be content that he poll the properly and euen thou mayste beare shall defende the from al other who is polled intollerably that hys lyfe is better and euen deathe to hym saue he that is impacyent and can not suffer to be polled Ye poll thy selfe and preuent other and gyue the baylly or lyke offycer nowe a capon nowe a pygge nowe a goose and so to thy land lorde lykewyse or yf thou haue a greate ferme nowe a lambe nowe a calfe and let thy wyfe vyset thy lande ladye thre or foure tymes in a yere ▪ with spysed kakes and apples perrs chyrese and suche lyke And be thou redye with thyne oxen or horses thre or foure or halfe a dossen dayes in a yere to set whome theyr woodde or to plowe theyr lande ye and yf thou haue a good horse let thē haue hym good chepe or take a worse for him and they shalbe thy shylde and defende the though they be tyrantes and care not for God that no man els shal dare poll the. And therto thou mayst withwysdome get of them that shal recompence al that thou doyst to them All this I meane if thou be pacyent and wyse and feare God therto and loue thyne neyghbour and do none euell For if thou kepe thy selfe in fauour with hurtynge thy neyghbour thyne ende wyl be euell and at the laste desperacyon in thys worlde and hell after But and yf thou canst not pol thy selfe with wysdome and laugh and bere a good countenaunce as though thou reioysedest whyle suche persones poll the euery man shal poll the and they shal maynteyne them and not defēde the. Let thys the fore be a comen prouerbe be contented to be polled of some man or be polled of euery man Ye must vnderstande that there be two states or degrees in thys worlde the kyngedome of heuen which in the regyment of the gospel And the kyngdome of this worlde which is the temporall regyment In the fyrst state there is nether father mother sonne doughter neyther mayster maystres mayde man seruaunt nor husbande nor wyfe nor lorde or subiecte nor man or woman but Chyrste is all and eche to other is Chryst hym selfe There is none better then other but al lyke good al brethren Christ only is lord ouer al. Nether is there any other thynge to do or other lawe saue to loue one another as Chryst loued vs. In the tēporal regyment is husbande wyfe father mother son doughter mayster maystres mayde man seruant lorde and subiecte Nowe is euery person a double person and vnder bothe the regymentes In the fyrst regyment thou arte a person for thyne owne selfe vnder Christ and his doctrine and mayst nether hate or be angry and moch les fyght or aduēge But muste after the ensample of Chryste vmble thy selfe forsake and denye thy selfe and hate thy selfe and cast thy selfe awaye and bemeke and pacyent and let euery man go ouer the ▪ and treade the vnder fote and do the wronge and yet loue them and pray for them as Christ dyd for his crucyfyers For loue is al and what is not of loue that is damnable and cast out of that kyngedome For that kyngdome is the kyngdome of God and Chryste But he that loueth not knoweth nether God nor Chryst therfore he that loueth not is not of that kyngdome The minor is this wyse proued he that knowith God and Christ seeth lyght for Chryst is lyght But he that hateth hys brother is in darckenes and walketh in darkenes and wotteth not whyther he goeth for darkenes hathe blynded his eyes 1. Ioh. 2 Ergo he that hateth his brother knoweth not what Chryste hath done for hym and therfore hath no true fayth nor is of the spyritual kyngdome of God To hate thy selfe hat shalt thou gete if thou consyder thyne owne synnes and depe dampnacyon that longe therto with due repentaunce And to loue that shalt thou obtayne if thou beholde the great and infinyte mercy of God with stronge fayth There is none so great an enemy to y e in this world But thou shalt lyghtly loue hym if thou loke wel on the loue that God shewed the in Chryste In the temporall regyment thou art a person in respecte of other thou art an husbande father mother mayster maystresse lorde ruler or wyfe son doughter seruaunt subiecte And there thou mayste do accordynge to thyne offyce If thou be a father thou must do the offyce of a father and rule or els thou dampnest thy selfe Thou muste brynge all vnder obedyence whether by fayre meanes or foule Thou muste haue obedyence of thy wyfe of thy seruauntes and of thy subiectes and the other muste obeye If they wyll not obey with loue thou must chyde and fyght as farre as the lawe of God and the lawe of the lande wyll suffer the. And when thou canste not rule them thou art boūde in many cases to delyuer them vnto the hyer offycer of whome thou dydest take the charge ouer them Nowe to our purpose whether a man may resyste vyolence and defende or aduenge hym selfe I saye naye in the fyrste state where thou art a persone for thy selfe alone and Chrystes dycyple There thou must loue and of loue do studye and enforce ye and suffer all thynge as Chryst dyd to make peace that the blessyng of God maye come vpon the which sayth Blessed be the peace makers for they shalbe the chyldren of God If thou suffer and kepest peas in thy selfe onely the blessynge is the possessyon of this worlde But if thou so loue the peas of thy brethren that thou leaue nothynge vndone or vnsuffred to forther it thy blessynge is thou shalt be Goddes sonne and consequently possesse heuen But in the worldly state where thou art no pryuate man but a person in respecte of other ▪ thou not onely mayste but also muste and 〈◊〉 bound vnder payne of dampnacyon to execute thyne offyce where thou art a father thou must haue obedyence by fayre meanes or by fowle and to whom thou art an husband of her thou must requyre obedyence and chastyte and that to gete tempte all that the lawe of the lande commaundeth and wyll And of thy seruauntes thou must exacte obedyence and feare mayst not suffer thy selfe to be dyspysed And where thou arte a ruler therto appoynted thou muste take pryson and slee to not of malyce and hate to aduenge thy selfe but to defende thy subiectes and to maynteyne thyne offyce Concernyng thy selfe oppresse not thy subiectes with rent fynes or custome at all neyther pylle them with taxes and suche lyke to maynteyne thyne owne lustes But be louynge and kynde to them as Chryste was to the for they be hys and the pryce of hys bloude But those that be euell doers amonge them and vexe theyr brethren and wyll not knowe the for
theyr iudge and feare thy lawe theÌ„ smyte and vpon them drawe thy swerde and put it not vp vntyll thou haue done thyne offyce yet without hate to thy person for hys masters sake and because he is in the fyrst regyment thy brother but amende hym onely or yf it can not be but that thou muste lose one to saue many then execute thyne offyce with suche affeccyon with suche compassyon and sorowe of harte as thou woldeste cutte of thyne owne arme to saue the reste of thy body Take an exsample thou arte in thy fathers house amonge thy brethren and systers There yf one fyght with a nother or yf any do the wronge thou mayste not aduenge nor smyte But that perteyneth to thy father onely But yf thy father gyue the auctoryte in his absens and commande the to smyte yf they wyll not be ruled â–ª nowe thou arte another persone Notwithstandyng yet thou haste not put of the fyrst persone but art a brother styll and must euer loue and proue all thynge to rule with loue But yf loue wyll not serue then thou muste vse the offyce of the other persone or synne agaynste thy father Euen so when thou art a temporal person thou puttest not of the spyrytual Therfore thou muste euer loue But when loue wyll not helpe thou must with loue execute the offyce of the temporall persone or synne agaynste God A mother can smyte loue and so mayst thou with loue execute the offyce of thy second state And the wyfe sonne seruauÌ„t and subiecte are brethren in the fyrst state and put not that person of by reason of the seconde degree and therfore must they loue euer â–ª and with loue pay custome trybute feare honoure and obedieÌ„ce to whome they belonge as Paule teacheth Roma 13. And thoughe the other do not his duety and loue the but rule the with rigorousnes and deale vnkyndly with the thou not deseruynge cleaue thou to Chryst and loue styl and let not his euell ouercome thy goodnes and make the euell also And as after the ensample aboue thy father hath power ouer the to comauÌ„de the to vse hye power ouer thy brethren euen so hath thy mayster to gyue the his auctoryte ouer thy felowes which when thou hast thou must remember that thou art a felowe styll and bounde to loue styl But yf loue alone wyl not helpe then put thy maysters auctoryte vnto thy loue And so hathe the ruler power ouer the to sende the to vse vyolence vpon thy neyghboure to take hym to pryson him and happely to kyl him to And thou must euer loue thy neyghbour in thyâ— harte by the reason that he is thy brother in the fyrst state and yet obeye thy rular and go with the constable or lyke offycer and breake open thy neyghbours dore yf he wyll not open it in the kynges name ye and if he wyl not yelde in the kynges name thou must laye on and smyte hym to grounde tyll he be subdued And loke what harme he getteth ye though he be slayne that be on hys owne hede For thyne harte loued hym and desyredest hym louyngly to obey and haste not aduenged thy selfe in that state where thou arte a brother but in the worldly state where thou arte another maner persone in thys case thou haste executed the auctoryte of hym that hath suche power of God to comauÌ„de the and where thou were dampned of God yf thou dyddest not obey And lyke it is yf thy lorde or prynce sende the a warfare into a nother lande thou muste obey at Goddes commaundement and go and auenge thy princes quarel which thou knowest not but that it is ryght And when thou comest thyther remeÌ„ber that thou arte in the fyrst state with them agaynst whom thou must fyght howe that they be thy brethreÌ„ and as depely bought with Chrystes bloude as thou and for Chrystes sake to be beloued in thyne hâ—rte And se that thou desyre nether theyr lyfe or gooddes saue to aduenge thy prynces quarell and to brynge them vnder thy princes power And be content with thy prynces wages and with suche part of the spoyle wheÌ„ thou hast wonne as thy prynce or hys debyte appoynted the for yf thou hate them in thyne harte and couetest theyr goodes and art glade that an occasyon is founde thou â—arest not whether it be ryght or wronge that thou mayste go a robbynge murtherynge vnponyshed then arte thou a murtherar in y e sight of God and thy bloude wyll be sheed agayne for it eyther in the same warre folowynge or when thou art come home as thou there dydest in thyne harte so shalt thou robbe and steale and be haÌ„ged for thy labour or slayne by some other myschefe Nowe concernynge the goodes of thys worlde it is easy to iudge In the fyrste state or degree thou oughtest to be thankeful to Christ and to loue to gyue and to lende to them that are bought with hys precyous bloude all that thou art able For all that thou owest to Chryst whose seruaunt thou arte to do hys wyll that muste thou paye them And that thou doest to them that same doest thou to Chryste and that thou art not redye to do for them that denyest thou to do for Chryst But and any of thy brethren wyl with holde or take away by force aboue that thou mayste spare by the reason of some offyce that thou hast in the seconde state or inuade the vyolently and laye more on thy backe then thou canste beare then holde thyne harte and hande that thou nether hate or smyte and speake fayre and louyngly and let neyghboures go betwene And wheÌ„ thou hast proued almenes of loue in vayne then coÌ„playne to the lawe and the offycer that is set to be thy father and defende the and to iudge betwene the and thy brother Thou wylt saye the texte forbyddeth me to go to lawe for it sayeth yf a man wyl law with the and take thy cote thou muste let hym haue gowne and all If I muste suffer my selfe to be robbed by the lawe wylte thou saye by what ryght can I with lawe recouer myne owne I answere Beholde the texte dylygently For by no ryght of lawe can a man take thy cote from the. For the lawe was ordeyned of God to maynteyne the in thy ryght and to forbyd that wronge shulde be done the wherfore the texte meaneth thus y t where the lawe is vniustly mynystred and the gouerners and iudges corrupt and take brybes and be percyal there be pacyent redy to suffer euer as much more what soeuer vnryght be done the rather then of impacyency thou shuldeste aduenge thy selfe on thy neyghbour and rayle or make insurreccyon against the superyours which God hath set ouer the. For to ryse against them is to rebel against God and agaynst thy father when he scourgeth the for thyne offence and a thousande tymes more synne then to aduenge the on thy neyghbour And to rayle
come out of Egypte The Moabites and Ammonites hyred Balam to curse them and begyle thē with their women and made a great plage amonge them These lyke nacyons were perpetual enemyes to theyr lande which God had gyuen them and also of y e name of God and of their fayth For which cause they not onely myght lawfully but were also bound to hate thē and to study theyr destruccion agayne howe be it they myght not yet hate the sayed nacyons such as were conuerted to theyr faythe Nowe by the reason of such textes as commaunded to hate the comune enemyes of theyr contrye and of God and his lawe and of theyr fayth the pharyseys doctryne was that a man myght lawfully hate all hys pryuate enymyes without excepcion nor was bound to do them good And yet Moyses sayth Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne harte And agayne thou shalt not aduenge thy selfe nor bere hate in mynde agaynst the chyldren of thy people And yf thyne enemyes asse synke vnder hys burthen helpe to lyfte hym vp agayne and yf hys oxe or asse go a straye brynge them home agayne which all no doute the pharyseys dyd enterprete for good councell but for no preceptes wherfore Chryst salteth theyr doctryne and proueth that a man is bounde both to loue and to do good to hys enemye and as a naturall sone though hys brethren be neuer so euel yet to loue them and shewe them kyndnesse for hys fathers sake and to studye to amende them what hast thou to reioyse of yf thy relygyon be not better then the religion of theues For theues loue amonge themselues and so do the couetouse of the worlde as the vsurars and publycans whiche bought in greate the emperoures trybute and to make theyr moste aduauntage dyd ouer sette the people Naye it is not ynough for the to loue thy benefactoures onely as monkes and freres do and them of thyne owne cote and order or the brethren of thyne owne Abbaye onely for amonge some ther loue stretcheth no further and that shall he that is remoued out of another cloysture thyther well fynde ye and in some places charyte reacheth not at all the celles of the same cloysture and to all the monkes that were professed in the same place But lyfte vp thyne eyes vnto thy heuenly father and as thy father doth so do thou loue al thy fathers chyldrē He mynystreth sonne and rayne to good and badde by which two vnderstande all hys benefytes For of the heate and dryeth of the sonne and colde and moyst of the rayne sprynge al thynges that are necessary to the lyfe of man Euen so prouoke thou and drawe thyne euell brethren to goodnes with pacyence with loue in worde and dede and pray for them to hym that is able to make thē better and to conuerte them And so thou shalt be thy fathers natural son perfecte as he is perfecte The text sayth not ye shalbe as perfecte as God But perfecte after his ensample To be perfecte y e scrypture is not to be a monke or a fryer or neuer to syn For chryst teacheth not here monkes or fryers but hys dyscyples and euery Chrysten man and woman And to be in thys lyfe al to gether without syn is impossyble But to be perfect is to haue pure doctryne without false opinyons and that thyne hart be to folowe that lernynge FINIS ¶ An exposycyon of the syxte Capiter TAke hede to your almose that ye do it not before men to be sene of them or els ye get no rewarde of youre father which is in heuen Therfore when thou gyueste almose make not a trompet to be blowen before the as the ypocrytes do in the synagoges and in the streates to be praysed of men Verely I say vnto you they haue theyr rewarde But thou when thou gyuest almose let not thy lefte hande knowe what thy ryght hāde doth that thyne almose may be in secrete And then thy father whiche seeth in secrete shal rewarde the openly As he rebuked theyr doctryne aboue euen so here he rebuketh theyr workes for out of deuelyshe doctryne can sprynge no godly workes But what workes rebuketh he Verelye such as God in the scrypture commaūdeth and without whiche no man can be a chrysten man euen prayer fastynge and almose dede For as the scrypture corrupt with gloses is no more Goddes worde euen so the dedes cōmaunded in the scrypture when the entent of them is peruerted are no more godlye dedes what sayde the scrybes and pharyseys of hym thynke ye when he rebuked suche maner of workes No doute as they sayde when he rebuked theyr false gloses howe he destroyed the lawe and the prophetes interpretyng the scripture after the lyterall sence ▪ whiche kylleth and after hys owne brayne cleane contrarye to the comune fayth of the holy chyrche and myndes of great clerkes and autentyke exposycions of olde holye doctoures Euen so here what other coulde they saye then Beholde the heretyke and dyd not we tell you before wherto he wolde come and that he kepte some myschefe behynde and spued not out all hys venome attonce see to what al his godly newe doctryne that sounded so swetly is come he preached all of loue and wolde haue the people saued by fayth so longe tyl y t nowe at the last he preached clene agaynst all dedes of mercy as prayer fastynge and almose dede and destroyeth al good workes Hys dyscyples faste no more then d◠〈◊〉 they despyce theyr dyuyne seruyce and come not to churche ye and yf the holyest of al saynt Fraunces order axe them almes they byd hym laboure with his handes and gete hys lyuynge and saye that he that laboureth not is not worthy to eate and that God bade that no suche stronge loboures shulde loyter and go a beggynge and be chargeable to the congregacyon and eate vp that other pore men gete with the swete of theyr bodies ye and at the last ye shal see yf we resyste him not be tymes that he shal moue the people to insurreccyon as Cayphas sayd and the Romaynes shall come and take our lande from vs. As ye se in the texte Luke 13. Howe when they coulde not dryue y e people from hym with these persuasyons they accused hym to Pylate sayenge we haue founde thys felowe peruertyng the people and forbyddyng to pay trybute to Cesar and saynge that he is Chryste a kynge wherfore thou canst not be Cesars frend yf thou let hī escape But after al these blasphemies yet must the holy ghost rebuke y e world of their ryghtwisnes ye of theyr false ryghtwysnes and false holynes which are nether ryghtwysnes or holynes but coloure of ypocresye Christ here destroyeth not prayer fastynge and almose dede But preacheth agaynste the false purpose and entent of suche workes and peruertynge the true vse that is to saye theyr sekynge of glorye and that they estemed them selues righteouse therby and better then other men and so
bloude and in the promyses made vs for his sake dothe brynge ryghtwysnesse into the harte And the ryghtwysnes of the harte by fayth is felt and knowen by the worke As Peter in the fyrst of his seconde epystle commaundeth to do good workes for to make our vocacyoÌ„ and election sure that we myght fele our fayth and be certefyed that it is ryght Eor except a man be proued and tryed it can not be knowen nether to hym selfe or other men that he is ryghtwyse and in the true fayth Take an ensample lest thou be begyled with sophystrye Chryst sayeth Mat. 13. The kyngdome of heueÌ„ is lyke leuen which a womaÌ„ taketh and hydeth in thre peckes of meale tyll all be leuended or soure Leuen is some tym taken in an euel sence for the doctryne of the phareseys which corrupted the swetnes of the worde of God with the leuen of theyr gloses and some tyme in a good sens for the kyngedome of heuen that is to say the gospel and glad tydinges of Christ For as leuen altereth the nature of dowe and maketh it throughe sowre euen so the gospell turneth a man into a newe lyfe and altereth him a lytle and a lytle fyrst the hart and then the meÌ„bers Fayth in Chryst fyrst certyfyeth the conscyence of the forgeuenes of synnes and delyuereth vs from feare of euerlastynge dampnacyon and then bryngeth the loue of God and of hys lawe into the harte whiche loue is the ryghtwysnes of the harte Loue bryngeth good workes in to the members whiche workes are the outwarde ryghtwysnesse and the ryghtwysnesse of the members To hate the wyll of God is the vnryghtwysnes of the harte and causeth euell workes whiche are the vnryghtwysnesse of the members As when I hatyd my brother my tonge spake euel my haÌ„des smote and so forth To loue is the ryghtwysnesse of the harte and causeth good workes whiche are the ryghtwysnes of the members As yf I loue my brother and he haue nede of me and be in pouerte loue wyll make me put myne hande in to my pursse or almorye and to gyue hym some what to refresh hym c. That the loue of God and of his commaundementes is the ryghtwysnesse of the harte doeth no man doute saue he that is hertlesse And that loue spryngeth of faythe thou mayst euydently see 1. Iohan. 2. â—e that loueth hys brother dwelleth in the lyght But he that hateth his brother is in darckenesse and walketh in darckenesse and woteth not whether he goeth for darckenesse hathe blynded hys eyes why is he that hateth in darckenesse verely because he seyth not the loue of God For yf he sawe that he coude not but loue his brother for so kynde a fathers sake If any man hate hys brother thou arte sure that thesame man is in darkenes and hath not the lyght of true faythe nor seyth what Chryste hathe done If a man so loue that he can forgyue his brother thou arte sure that he is in the lyght of the true fayth and seyth what mercy is shewed hym in Chryst This is then the somme of all together workes are the outwarde ryghtuousnes before the worlde and may be called the ryghtuousnes of the meÌ„bers and spryng of inwarde loue Loue is the ryghtwysnes of the hart and spryngethe of fayth Faythe is the trust in Christes bloude and is the gyfte of God Ephe. 2. where vnto a man is drawen of the goodnesse of God and dreueÌ„ thorowe true knowledge of the lawe and of beholdinge his dedes in y e lyght of the law and with comparynge the lust and desyre of y e meÌ„bers vnto the requeste of the lawe and with seynge hys owne dampnacyon in the glasse of the lawe For yf a man sawe his owne dampnacion in the law he shuld ymmedyatly hate God and al his workes and vtterly dyspare except that God offered hym Chryste and forgaue all that were paste made hym his son toke the dampnacyon of the lawe away and promysyd that if he wold submytte him selfe to lerne and to do his best that he shulde be accepte as well as an aungell in heauen and therto yf he fell of frayltye and not of maâ—yce and stoburnesse it shulde be forgeuen vpon a meÌ„dment and that God wolde euer take him for his son and only chastyce hym at home wheÌ„ he dyd a mysse after the most fatherlyest maner and as easely as his deseases wold suffer but neuer bring hiÌ„ forthe to be iudged after the rygorousnes of the lawe And as thou couldest not se leuen though thou brakest vp a lose except thou smellest or tastedest the sourenes euen so couldest thou neuer se true fayth or loue except thou sawest workes and also sawest the entente meanynge of the worker leest ypocresy deceaue the. Our dedes are the effecte of ryghtwysnes and therto an outwarde testymony and a certefyenge of the inwarde ryghtwysnes as sourenesse is of leuen And when I say faythe iustefyeth the vnderstandynge is that fayth receaueth the iustefyenge God promyseth to forgyue vs our synnes and to impute vs for ful rightwysse And God iustefyeth vs actyuely that is to saye forgeueth vs rekeneth vs for ful ryghtwyse And Chrystes bloude deserueth it and fayth in the promyse receaueth it and certyfyeth the coÌ„scyeÌ„ce therof Fayth chalengeth it for Chrystes sake which hath deserued al that is promysed and cleueth euer to the promyse truthe of the promyser and pretendeth not the goodnesse of her worke But knowledgeth that our workes deserue it not saue are crowned and rewarded w t the deseruynge of Chryst Take an ensaÌ„ple of yonge chyldren when the father promyseth them a good thynge for the doynge of some tryfle and when they come for theyr rewarde dalyethe with them saynge what that thou hast done is not worth hafe so much shulde I geuethe so great a thynge for so lytle a tryfle They wyll answere ye dyd promyse me it ye sayde I shulde haue it why dyd ye promyse and why then dyd ye saye so And let hym saye what he wyl to dryue them of they wyl euer say agayne ye dyd promyse me so ye dyd ye sayd I shuld haue it so ye dyd But hyrelinges wyl pretende theyr worke and saye I haue deserued it I haue done so muche and so muche and my laboure is worthe it Nowe at the first couenaunt makynge with God and as ofte as we be reconsyled after we haue synned the ryghtwysnesse cometh of God all together But after the attonement is made and we reconsyled then we be partlye ryghtwyse in our selues and vnrightwyse ryghtwyse as ferre as we loue and vnryghtwyse as ferre as the loue is vnperfecte And fayth in the promyse of God that he dothe reken vs for full ryghtwyse doth euer supply y t vnryghtwysnes imperfectnes as it is our hole ryghtwysenes at the begynnynge Fynally our workes which God coÌ„maundeth and vnto which he annexed hys promyses that he
epistle of his seconde epystle prophesyeth that there shuld be false teachers amonge vs that shoulde folowe the way of Balam that is to saye for couetousnes persecute the truth and thorowe couetousnesse with fayned wordes to make marchaundyse of the people and to bringe in damnable sectes to And here ye haue an infallyble rule that where coutouesnesse is there is no truthe no thoughe they call them selues the churche saye thereto that they can not erre Couetousnesse kepte Iudas styll in vnbelefe thoughe he sawe and dyd myracles also in the name of Chryste and compelled hym to sell hym to the scrybes and pharesyes for couetousnesse is a thynge mercylesse Couetousnes made the pharesyes to lye on Chryste to persecute hym and falsly to accuse him And it made Pilate though he founde hym an innocente yet to slee hym It caused Herode to persecute Chryste yet in hys cradel Couetousnes make the ypocrites to persecute the truth agaynst their owne conscyences and to lye to prynces that the true preachers moue sedicion and make their subiectes to ryse agaynste them and the sayde couetousnesse maketh the prynces to beleue theyr wycked perswacyons and to lende theyr swerde to sheed ynnocent bloude Fynally couetousnes maketh many whom the truthe pleaseth at the begynnynge to caste it vppe agayne and to be afterwarde the moste cruel ennemyes thereof after the ensample of Symon Magus Actes viii Ye and after the ensample of Syr Thomas More K. whiche knewe the truthe for couetousnes forsoke it agayne and conspyred fyrst with the Cardynal to dysceaue the kynge and to leade hym in darckenes And afterwarde when the lyght was spronge vpon them had dryuen them clene out of the scrypture and had delyuered it out of theyr tyranny and had expelled the darcke stynkynge myst of theyr deuelyshe gloses and had wyped awaye the cobwebbes whiche those poysoned spyders had speade vpon the face of the clere texte so that the spiritualtye as they call them selues were asshamed of their parte as shamelesse as they be yet for all that Couetousnes blynded the eyes of that glerynge foxe more and more and hardened hys harte agaynste the trouthe with the confydence of hys paynted poetry babyllynge eloquence and iuggelynge argumentes of sutle sophystry grouÌ„ded on his in wrytten verytes as true and as autentycke as hys storye of Vtopia Paule therfore byddeth Tymothe to charge the ryche to beleue in the lyuynge God and not in theyr vncerten ryches for it is impossyble for a couetous ydolater or ymage seruer that trusteth in the deed God of hys ryches to put hys trust in the lyuinge God One mysery is that they which here gather and leye vppe can not tell for whom An other iâ— rust canker mothes and a thousaÌ„de mysfortâ—nes besyde theues extorcyoners oppressers and myghtye tyrantes to the whiche the ryche â—e euer praye And thoughe they prosper to the ende outwardlye yet feare euer gnawethe their hartes inwardly And at the houre of deth they knowe and fele that they haue gathered naught and then sorowe they and are lyke one that dremeth of rechesse and in the mornynge when he fyndeth naughte is heuye and sorye for the remembraunce of the pleasaunt dreme And fynally when they be moste lotheste to dye and hope to lyue longe then they peryshe sodaynlye after the ensample of the ryche man whiche entended to make hym larger barnes and store houses Happy therfore is he that layeth vp treasure in heuen and is ryche in faythe and good workes for the rewarde therto promysed shall God kepe sure for hym No maÌ„ can take it awaye Here is not forboden to haue ryâ—hes But to loue it to trust in it and to be careful for it For God hathe promysed to care for vs and to gyue vs ynoughe and to kepe that which is gotten yf we wyll care to kepe his coÌ„maundementes what so euer offyce or degree thou art in in this worlde do the dutye of thy offyce dylygently and trust in God and let him care If thou be an husband maÌ„ Eare and sowe and husbande thy grounde and let God alone for the rest he wyll care to make it growe plenteously and to seÌ„de seasonable wether to haue it in and wyll prouyde the a good market to sell c. In lyke maner yf thou be a kynge do the offyce of a kyng and receaue the dutyes of the kynge let God care to kepe the in thy kyngdome Hys fauoure shall do more for the then a thousande myllyons of golde and so of all other He that hathe but a lytle and is sure that God shall kepe bothe him and it is rycher then he which hath thousande hath no other hope then that he and it must be kept with hys owne care and polycye And fynally marke one poynt in Lu. 14. none of them that refuseth not al that he posesseth can be my dyscyple that is he that caste the not awaye the loue of all worldly thynges can be no scoler of Christes to lerne hys doctryne Then he addeth that salt is good but if the salt be vnsauerye or hathe lost his vertue what can be seasoned therwith verely nothynge Nowe by salt is vnderstaÌ„de the doctryne and the menynge is yf ye be couetouse and loue worldlye thynges it wyll corrupte the salte of your doctrine so that what so euer you pouder therwith it shalbe more vnsauery then before where your treasure is there are your hartes If your treasure be in the worlde so is the loue of youre hartes And yf ye loue the worlde and the thinges of the worlde the loue of God is not in you the loue of God is the loue of hys coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes and he that loueth not Goddes coÌ„maundementes shal neuer preache them truelye because he louethe them not But shal corrup them with gloses that they may stande with that which his hart loueth and vntyl they haue a nother sence theÌ„ euer God gaue them Ergo no couetouse person can be a true prophete It is not for naught theÌ„ that Christ so oft and so dylygeÌ„tly warneth his dyscyples to beware of couetousnes as of that thinge which he wyst wyl had euer corrupt the word of God and euer shulde The lyght of thy body is thyne eye wherefore yf thyne eye be syngle al thy body shalbe ful of lyght But and yf thyne eye be wycked then shal thy whole body be darcke If therfore the lyght that is in the be darkenesse howe greate is that darkenes Note the conclucyon with a proper symylytude The eye is the lyght of the body â–ª by the lyght of the eye all other members see and are gouerned As longe as the eye seyth hande and fote do theyr dutyes neyther is there any feare that a man shulde stomble or fall into fyer or water But yf the eye be blynde all the body is blynde and that so blynde that there is no remedye at all set a candel
is spirituall and iudgeth al thynges and is iudged of no man Nat all that say to me lord lorde shall entre in to the kyngdome of heuen but he that fulfylleth the wyll of my father whiche is in heuen Many wyll say vnto me at that daye lorde lorde dyd we not prophelye in thy name and in thy name cast out deuelles and dyd we not in thy name many myracles Then wyll I confesse vnto them I neuer knewe you departe from me ye workers of iniquite This doublynge of lorde hath vehemensy betokeneth that they whiche shalbe excluded are suche as thynke them selues better perfitter then other men to deserue heuen with theyr holy workes nat for them selues onely but also for other And by that they prophesyed by whiche thou mayst vnderstande the enterpretynge of scripture and by that they cast out deuelles and dyd myracles in Christes name and for all that they are yet workers of wykednesse and do nat the wyll of the father which is iÌ„ heuen it is playne that they be false prophetes and euen the same of which Christe warned before ⧠††⧠†And nowe for as muche as Christe and his apostles warne vs that suche shall come and descrybe vs the fassioÌ„s of their vysures Christê name holy churche holy fathers and fyftene hundred yeres with scripture and myracles and coÌ„maunde vs to turne our eyes from their visures and consider their frutes and cut them vp and loke within whether they be sounde in the coreÌ„ and kernell or no and gyue vs a rule to trye them by is it excuse good ynough to say God wyl nat let so great a multitude erre I wyll folowe the most parte and beleue as my fathers dyd and as the preachers teache and wyll nat busy my selfe chose them the faute is theirs and nat oures God shal nat laye it to our charge yf we erre ☜ †☞ †where suche wordes be there are the false prophetes all redy for where no loue to the truthe is there are the false prophetes and where suche wordes be there to be no loue to the truthe is playne Ergo where suche wordes be there be the false prophetes in theyr full swynge by Paules rule .2 Thessa 2. Another coÌ„clusion where no loue to the truthe is the be false prophetes The greatest of y e worlde haue least loue to the truth Ergo the false prophetes be the chapelanes of the greatest which may with the swerde compell the rest As the kynges of Israell compelled to worshype the golden calues And by false prophetes vnder stande false teachers as Peter calleth them wycked expounders of the scripture Who so euer hereth these wordes of me dothe them I wyll lyken hym vnto a wyse man that buylte his house vpon a rocke and there fell a rayne and the floudes came and the wyndes blew bete vpon that house but it fel nat for it was grounded vpon a rocke And all that heare of me these wordes and do them nat shalbe lykened vnto a folyshe man that buylt his house vpon the sande there fell a rayne and the floudes came and the wyndes blewe and dasshed vpon that house and it fell and the fall therof was great †Christ hath two fortes of hearers of whiche nether nother do there after The one wyll be saued by fayth of their owne makyng without workes The other with workes of their owne makynge without fayth The first are those volupteouse which haue yelde them selues vnto synne sayenge tushe God is mercyfull and Christ dyed for vs that must saue vs only for we can nat but synne without resistence The secoÌ„de are the ypocrites which wyl deserue al with theyr owne ymagyned workes only And of fayth they haue no nother experience saue that it is a lytle meritoriouse where it is paynfull to be beleued As that Christ was borne of a virgyne and that he came nat out the waye that other chyldren do fye no that ware a great inconuenience but aboue vnder her arme and yet made no hole though he had a verye naturall bodye as other men haue and that there is no breade in the sacrament nor wyne though the fyue wyttes saye all ye And the merytoriouse payne of this belefe is so heauye to them that excepte they had fayned them a thousande wyse similitudes and lowsye lykenesses and as manye madde reasons to steye them with all and to helpe to captiuate theyr vnderstandynge they were lyke to cast all of their backes And the onely refuge of a greate many to kepe in that faythe is to cast out of theyr myndes and nat to thynke vpon it As though they forgyue nat yet yf they put the displeasure out of their mindes thynke nat of it tyll a good occasion be geuen to aduenge it they thynke they loue theyr neyboure well ynough all the whyle and be in good charite And the fayth of the best of them is but lyke theyr fayth in other worldlye storyes But the fayth which ls trust and coÌ„fydence to be saued and to haue theyr synnes forgeuen by Christe whiche was so borne haue they nat at al That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstande the lawe as Christe interpreteth it here and fele therbye theyr ryghtwyse dampnacion and runne to Christe for succoure and for remyssyon of all theyr synnes that are past and for al the synne whiche chaunce thorowe infirmite shall compell them to do and for remysson of that the lawe is to stronge for theyr weake nature And vpon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfyll it to the vttermost of theyr power and then go to and worke Fayth or coÌ„fidence in Christe bloude without helpe and before the workes of the law bryngeth al maner of remission of synnes and satisfaccion Fayth is mother of loue Fayth accoÌ„payneth loue in all her workes to fulfyll as muche as there lacketh in our doynge the lawe of that perfayte loue whiche Christe had to his father and vs in his fulfyllynge of the lawe for vs. Nowe whan we be reconcyled than is loue and fayth to gether our ryghtwysnesse our kepynge the lawe our contynuynge our proceadynge forwarde in the grace whiche we stande in and our bryngynge to the euerlastynge sauynge and euerlastynge lyfe And the workes be estymed of God accordynge to the loue of the harte If the workes be great and loue lytle colde then the workes be regarded therafter of God If the workes be small and loue muche and feruent the workes be taken frr great of God ⧠And it came to passe that whan Iesus had ended these sayenges the people were astonied at his doctrine For he taught them as one hauyng power nat as y e scribes †The Scribes Phariseyes had thrust vp the swerde of the word of god into a scabarde or shethe of gloses and therin had knytte it fast that it coulde nether
stycke nor cut teachynge deed workes without fayth loue whiche are the life y e hole goodnes of al workes the only thynge why they please God And therfore their audieÌ„ce abode euer carnal fleshly mynde without fayth to god loue to theyr neyboures Christes wordes were spirite and life Io. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and lyfe and entred into the harte and grated on the coÌ„science and thorowe preachynge the lawe made the herars perceyue theyr dutyes euen what loue they ought to God and whAt to man the right daÌ„pnacion of al them that had nat the loue of God man written iÌ„ their hartes and thorow preachyng of fayth made al y t coÌ„sented to the lawe of god â—ele the mercy of God is Christ and certefyed theÌ„ of theyr saluacion â—or y e word of god is a two edged swerde that perceth and deuydeth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Hebre 4. A man before the preaching of Goddes worde is but one man all fleshe the soule consentyng vnto the lustes of the fleshe to folowe them but the swerde of the worde of God where it taketh effecte diuideth a man in two and setteth hym â—t variaunce agaynst his owne selfe The fleshe â—alynge one way and the spirite drawynge a â—other y e flesh ragyng to folowe lustes the â—pirite callynge backe agayne to folowe the â—awe and wyll of God A man al the whyle he â—oÌ„senteth to the fleshe and before he be borne â—gayne in Christ is called soule or carnal But when he is renewed in Christ thorowe y e word of lyfe and hath the loue of God and of his neyboure and the fayth of Christe wrytten in his harte he is called spirite or spirituall The lorde of all mercye sende vs preachers with power that is to say true expounders of the worde of god and spekers to the harte of man deliuer vs from Scribes Phareseyes ypocrites and all false prophetes Amen ☜ †☞ w. T. ⧠The table whiche shall sende you to all thynges conteyned in this boke The table ALmose prayer and fastyng are inseperable Folio lxxvii s ii Anointe the heed what it is fo 76. s i Almose prayer and fastynge howe necessarye Fo. lxxvii s ii Aduoutrye ⧠⧠fo xxxix s ii Angrye Howe a man may be angrye and synne nat Folio xxv s ii Absolucion Goddes couenaunt is a sure absolucion Fo. lxxi s ii ⧠Baptyme Folio lxxiiii s ii Breade daylye breade Fo. lxv s ii Baptyme the ryght baptyme what fo ix s i. Beame Fo. xciii s i. Belefe To beleue in God what it is fo xcv s i Beleuers without workes and workers without fayth are buylt on sande fo C.vii. s ii †Ceremonies must be salted Fo. xxv s ii Couetousnes what a pestileÌ„ce it is fo 81. s i Care Folio xc s i. Couenaunt kepe couenaunt with God and he shall kepe promyse with the. fo lxxxix s i Couetousnes causeth darkenes Fo. 84. s i. Cursed most accursed who Fo xxiii s ii Care Fo. lxxxviii s i. Couetousnes maketh a false prophete Folio lxxxiii s i. Couetousnes maketh the salt of goddes word vnsauery Fo. lxxxiii s i. Churche of Christe what Fo. ix s i. Clothynge shepes clothynge what fo C. s ii Ceremonyes Folio xciii s ii Ceremonyes He that breaketh vnite for zele of ceremonies vnderstandeth nat the lawe Folio xciii s i. Couetousnes can nat but erre fo lxxxi s ii Care what care euery man ought to haue Folio xci s i. Care what care is forboden fo xci s i Churche what fo 31 s i. Chambre To shut thy chambre dore what it meaneth fo lxiii s ii Couenaunt Goddes couenaunt is a sure absolucion Folio lxxi s ii Couenaunt fo 71. s ii Couetousnes Fo. lvi s ii Cheke To turne the other cheke what it meaneth Fo. lxvii s ii Couetousnes By couetousnes is a false prophete knowen fo xiii s i. Couetousnes is contrary to the worde of god and to the ministres of the lawe Fo 13. s i †Darckenes all knowledge is darkenes tyl the knowledge of Christes passion be in the harte Fo. xxvi s ii Doctrine False doctrine is cause of euell workes fo xxix s ii Doctrine True doctrine is cause of good workes fo 29. s ii Dogges ☜ †☞ fo xciiii s i. Darckenes Fo. lxxxiii s i. fo 84. s ii Dogges loue nat the lawe fo viii s i. Darckenes Fayth in workes is darckenes fo lxxxiiii s ii †Darckenes Fo. 85. s i. Doutes Howe to assoyle doutes fo xcvii s ii Fayth The office of fayth Fol. x. s ii Fayth fo C xiiii s i. fo lxxvi s ii Fayth is our victorie fo xiiii s ii Fayth the differeÌ„ce of faythes howe it is to be vnderstande fayth iustifieth fo viii s ii Fayth Fo. lxxiiii s ii Fayth of swyne what fo viii s ii Fayth maketh the worke good acceptable fo C.iii. s i Fayth loue and hope are inseperable in this lyfe fo v s ii Fayth iustifieth what it meaneh fo lxxiii s ii Fayth in workes is darckenes fo lxxxiiii s ii Fayth and the lawe be of contrary operacioÌ„s folio 3. s i. Fayth is the kernell of all our good workes folio C.iii. s i. Fayth hope charite are iÌ„seperable fo x. s i Faythe true fayth is coupled with loue to the lawe fol. 8. s i. False prophetes what theyr wickednes is folio xcvi s i. False prophetes howe to knowe where they be fo C.vi s ii ⧠⧠Fastynge is nat in eatynge and drinkynge onlye fol lxxvii s ii Fast howe the Iewes dyd fast fo lxxx s i Fastynge the true entent is awaye in the popes fast â–ª ⧠†⧠fo lxxx s i. Ferthynge the last ferthynge fo xxxviii s ii †Glorie he that seketh his owne glorie teacheth his owne doctrine and nat his masters Folio 31 s ii fo 32. s i. Glorie he that seketh his owne glory altereth his masters message Folio xxxii s i. ¶ Hate whan a man may hate his neyboure Folio xxxvii s ii Henry the seconde fo xiiii s ii Herted Impure herted who fo 20. s i. Hope the office of hope· fo xii s i. Honoure to honoure the name of God what Folio lxvii s ii Hundred folde fo xvi s i. Handy craftes are Goddes commaundement Folio C. iiii· s i Holynes of ypocrites fo C.v. s ii ☞ Iustifye Fayth iustifyeth what it meaneth Folio· lxxiii s ii Impure herted who fo xx s i Iudgynge what Iudgynge is rebuked Folio xcii s ii Ignoraunce excuseth nat fo C.vi s ii ☞ Keye what it is· Folio 2. s· ii Kynges ought to be lerned fo xxvii s ii Kyngedome of heuen what fo lxxxix s ii Kynge Iohan. fo xiiii s ii Kyngdome of heuen what it is fo ii s i. ⧠Lawe Folio· xlv s ii Lawe the lawe is restored fo xxxv s i Lawe what her office is fo 2. s ii Lawe
what foloweth the breakynge therof Folio ☜ ☞ xlii s i. Lawe is that dryueth to Christ Fo. 2. s ii Lawe ⧠†⧠fo xlv s ii Lawe what is the fulfyllynge therof Fol. xcviii s i. ☜ ☞ Lawe To go to lawe Fol. lii s i. Lawe by kepynge the lawe we continue in grace fo v. s i. Lawe he that professeth nat the lawe hath no parte in the promyse fo 4. s ii Lawe Christe is a gyfte geuen onely to them that loue the lawe Fo. 4. s ii Lawe they that loue nat the lawe can nat vnderstāde the scripture to saluacion fo v. s ii Law fayth be of cōtrary operaciōs fo 3. s i Lawe what foloweth the kepynge of the law Folio xli s ii ⧠⧠Lawe they that haue nat the lawe wrytten in theyr hartes can nat vnderstande the passion of Christ to saluacion fo ix s ii Lawe exetpt a man loue the law he can nat vnderstande the doctrine of Christe fo 31. s i Leauen ☜ ☞ Fo. lxxii s i. Loue to loue is to helpe at nede fo 37. s ii Lyfte hande Fol. lx s i Loue. Fol. C.viii. s i. Fol. lxxiii s i Loue is the kepynge of the lawe fo 36. s i Loue the office of loue Fol. x. s ii Loue is the fulfyllynge of the lawe fo 39. s i Loue prayeth Folio xxxiii s i Loue is ryghtwysnes Fol. lxxx s ii Laye ought to haue the gospell fo xxvii s i ⧠Mammons seruaunt howe he is knowen Folio lxxxvi s ii ⧠†⧠Mammon ☜ †☞ Fo. lxxxviii s i. Mammon the true seruaunt of Mammon is no true preacher fol. lxxxvi s ii Mammon what it is fo lxxxv s ii Mammon is a God fo lxxxvi s ii Mammon the seruauntes of Mammon are nat of Christes churche fo lxxxvi s i Mammon to be Mammons seruaunt what Folio lxxxvi s ii Mammon maketh men to disguyse themselues Folio lxxxvi s i. Mekenes possesseth the erthe Fo. xv s ii Mekenes fo xlvii s ii Measure fo xciii s ii Mercyfull to be mercyfull what fo xvii s ii Monkes Fo. xviii s i. Monkes made the pope a God for his dispensacions fo lxxx s ii Monkes robbe the whole worlde with theyr prayers Folio xxxii s ii Monkes why they ron to closture fo 25. s i Monkes why they ron to religion fo 17. s i Monkes be accursed Fo. xvii s i. Mournynge godly mournynge fo xiii s ii Morners for ryghtwysnes are saued whā god taketh vēgeaūce on the vnryghtwyse fo 15. s i More Syr Thomas More K. fo lxxxii s i. Moses face Fo. 2. s ii ¶ Narowe way fewe fynde it Fo. xcix s i †Obedience The obedience pouertie and wylful chastite of our spiritualty fo C.i. s ii Oyle holy oyle must be aduēged fo 18. s i. Othe to performe an euell othe is double synne Fo. xlvi s i. Offerynge what they meant fo xxxviii s i. Obedience of the spiritualtye Fo. C.i. s i. Obedience fo C i. s i. †Pater noster is expounded fo lxvii s ii Pardons A surer way then pardōs fo lxix s i. Payne no bodly payne can be a satisfaccion to God saue Christes passion fo 22. s i Payne Howe God delyteth in our payne takynge fo lxxix s ii Peace the peace of Christ is a peace of conscience ☜ †☞ fo xxi s ii Peace makynge what fo 20. s i. Perfecte to be perfecte what fo lviii s i. Persecucion what the moste cruell persecucion is Fo. 22. s ii Phareses what theyr wyckednes was Folio xxxiii s ii Pharases what they were fo xxxiii s i Phareses The phareses myght better haue proued them selues the true churche then our spiritualtye Fo. 33. s ii Prayer Fo. lxxvii s i. fo lxiii s ii Pollynge Howe to aduoyde it fo xlvii s ii Pouertye in spirite fo xii s i. Prayer what it is fo lxiiii s i Prayer is a commaundement fo xcv s i. Prayer by prayer we wyn y e victory f. xcv s ii Prayer Goddes cōmaundement and promyse shulde moue vs to pray fo lxv s i. Prayer false prayer is payneful fo lxvi s i. Preacher the order howe euery man may be a preacher Fo. xxviii s i. Preacher why the true preacher is accused of treason and heresye fo 34. s i. Preacher the office of a preacher fo xli s ii Preacher of the Gospell may vse no violence Folio liiii s i. Princes what they ought to do yer they make warre fo 20. s i Princes whether they maye be resisted or put downe of theyr subiectes fo lii s ii Promise he that professeth nat a new life hath no promyse of mercy in Christ fo lxiii· s i. Promyses The promyses are made vpon the profession of the lawe of God so that the churche wyll nat kepe the lawe hath no promyse that he can nat erre Fo 33. s ii Purenes of hart what fo xix s i. Pouertye Fo. C.i s ii ⧠Rauenynge wolues Fo. C.i. s i. Regimētes an ensample to vnderstāde the difference of the two regimentes fo 50. s i. Regiment the tenporal regimēt fo xlix s i. Regimentes euery man is vnder bothe the regimentes fo liiii s ii Regimentes two maner states or regimentes Folio xlviii s i. Ryche in spirite ⧠⧠fo xii s ii Ryghtwysnes fo xvi s ii Ryghtwysnes of the kyngedome of heuen what Fo. lxxxix s i. Ryghtwysnes of Phareses Fo. xxxi s ii Ryche must pray for dayly breade fo xcvi s i. Ryght eye ☜ †☞ fo xli s i Ryght hande fo xli s i. Rulers why they were ordayned fo vi s i Rulers be ordayned for them that can note rule them selues fo lxxviii s i ¶ Salt who is mete to salte Fo. 24. s ii Sacrifice what they meant fo xxxviii s i. Scripture how it is locked vp fo 3. s i Scourge why god scourgeth his fo vi s ii Scribes Phareses what they were fo 23. s i Synne to synne vnder grace and to synne vnder the lawe what Folio vii s ii Synners he that helpeth nat to amēde synners must suffer with them whā they be punysshed folo ☜ †☞ xxxvi s ii Spirituall who they be fo C.vi s i. Shepes clothynge what fo C. s ii Spiritualtye why they be despised fo 25. s ii Spiritualtye an admonicion to the spiritualty Folo ☜ ††☞ xliii s i. Spiritualtye Euery man is of the spiritualty Fol. xlviii s ii Strayte gate ☜ ☞ fo xcviii s ii Swyne Fo. viii s i Fo. xciiii s i Swyne haue no fayth folio viii s i Swere Fo. xliiii s ii ¶ Tempte why God letteth his be tempted with aduersite Fo. xc s ii Temporall regiment Fo. iiii s i. Temporaltye Euery man is of the temporaltye Folio xlviii s ii Tyraūtes why god geueth vs vp ī to the hand of tyraūtes in to all miserie fo xlii s ii Tyraūtes why god suffereth them fo xci s ii †Vengaunce pertayneth
to God Fo. xx s ii Venge the priuate person may nat aduenge but the officer must Fol. xvi s ii Violence nat to resyst violence fo xlix s ii wyfe howe good a thynge she is Fol. xl s ii warre howe to be awarry oure fo li. s i way few fynde the narowe way fo xcix s i wolues Rauenynge wolues fo C.i s i workes iustifye nat fo lx s ii fo 4. s ii workes make ypocrites yf the true entent be awaye Folio lxxviii s i workes must be seasoned with goddes worde Folio ☜ ††☞ lxiii s ii workes what they do fol. lxii s ii workes are sacramentes fo lxxiiii s i. worde Goddes worde altered is nat his worde Folio xxx s ii ⧠Ypocresye it is ieopardous to salte it Folio ☜ †☞ xxiiii s ii Ypocrites the holynes of ypocrites wherin it is Folio C v s ii †Zele of ryghtwysnes what it is Fo. 18. s ii ¶ Cum priuilegio regali Abrahams wellos The kyngdome of heuen who it is The keye what it is The lawe is the waye that ledeth to Chryste lawe what â—er office is The braseâ— serpente Num. xxi The lawe and faythe be of contrary operacyons The scrypture howe it is lockeâ— vppe Christ vseâ— no teÌ„poraâ— regyment â–ª Christ is a gyfte gyueÌ„ only to theÌ„ that loue lawe and professe it He that professeth not â—he lawe â—ath no parâ—e in the â—romyses Yorkes â—o not iuâ—yfye ii Cor. v. The lawe by kepyng y e lawe we contynue in grace Fayth loue and hope are inseperable iÌ„ this lyfe The lawe they that loue not the lawe can not vnderstande the scrypture to saluacyon Care howe God careth for the weake Rulers why they were or dayned why God scourgeth hys the coÌ„dycyons of the couenaunt Fleshe and spirite Crosse To syn vnder grace and to syn vnder the lawe Lambes Swyne Dogges Swyne haue no fayth Dogges loue not the lawe True fayth is coupled with loue to the lawe The differeÌ„ce of faythes and howe it is to be vnderstaÌ„de fayth iustfyeth Fayth of ypocrytes Faythe of swyne The ryght baptyme The church of Chryste â—hey that â—aue not y e â—awe wrytâ—en in theyr â—artes can â—ot vnderâ—tande the passyon of Chryste to â—aluacyon A short repetynge Thau Fayth hoâ—pe and châ—â—rite are inâ—seperablâ— â–ª Faythe â—â—â—pe and â—â—â—ryte are knowen one by the other The offyce of faythe The offyce of loue The offyce of hope Pouertye in spyryte Ryches Ryche in spirite Couetousnes is a thynge contrary to the worde of god and to the mynysters of the same By couetousenes is a false prophete chefely knowen Godlye mourninge Kynge Iohan. Henry the seconde Fayth is our victory The mourners for ryghtwysnes are saued wâ— God taketh vengeaunce on the vnright wyse Mekenes possesseth the erthe Hundred folde The pryuat person may not aduenge But the officer muste Ryghtwysnes Monke Monkes why they ronne into relygyon Luc. vi Monkes be cursed To be mercyful what â—t is Monkes Couent· Oyle Holy oylâ— must be aduenged â—ele of â—yghtwysâ—es what â—t is Care howe â—e spiritual â—are for y e â—eÌ„poral coâ—eÌ„ wealth The fylthynes of the harte what The purenes of the harte what Impure haâ—â—ted who Peace maâ—kyng whaâ— Prynces what they ought to do yer they make war â–ª â—engeauÌ„ce â—artayneth â—o God â—nely peace the peace of Chryste is peace of conscyence Payne No bodely payne can be a satysfaccyon to God saue Chrystes passyon what the moste cruel ê‘secucyoÌ„ is Set the ensample of Chryst before the. Cursed Moste accursed who workes iustyfye not It is a ieopardous thynge to salte ypocrysye Salt who is mete to salte Monkes why thy ronne to cloystures Spirytuallye why they be dyspysed Ceremonyes muste be salted Darkenes â—ll knowâ—edge is â—arckenes â—ntyll the â—nowlege â—f Christes â—loude she â—lyng be in â—he harte Laye The laye ought to haue the gospell Gospell The propertye of the gospel Gospell The true gospell not hyd in dennes Kynges ought to be learned The order howe euery man maye be a preacher and howe not False doctryne cauâ—het euell workes True doctryne is the cause of good workes Grace and truthe thoroughe Iesus Chryste Gloses They that destroy the law of god with gloses must be cast out The church Lawet Excepte a man loue gods lawe he can not vnderstand y e doctrine of Chryste The ryghteousnes of pharyseys Glorye Hâ— that seketh hys owne glory teacheth his owne doctryne and not his masters Glorye He that seketh hys owne glory altereth his masters message worde gods word altered is not his worde To loue is to helpe at nede Prayer The prayer of Monkes robbeth helpeth not Loue prayeth Scrybes Pharyseys what they were The pharyses myght better haue proued theÌ„ selues the true chyrch then our spyritualty maye The promyses are made vpon the profes syon of the keping the law of God so that the church that wyl not kepe Goddes lawe hathe no promise y t they can not erre The wyckednes of the Pharyseys what it was Preacher why the true preacher is accused of tresoÌ„ and heresy Ypocrysy why ypocrysy muste be fyrst rebuked thoughe it be ieoê‘dy to preache agaynste it The lawe is restored Racha how a man may be angrye without siÌ„nyng Loue is the kepyng of the lawe Synners he y t helpeth not to menâ—de synners muste suffer with them when they be ponyshed Hate when a man may hate hys neyghbour Offeringes or sacrefyces what they mente Laste ferthynge Loue is the fulfyllynge of the lawe Aduoutry Fylthye A wyfe how good a thynge Ryght eye Ryght haÌ„d The offyce of a preacher Law what foloweth the keping of the lawe Law what foloweth the breakyng of y e lawe Tyrantes why God gyueth vs vp and leuethe vs in the handes of tyrantes in al myserye An admonycyon Swerynge To swere by God Swerynge Charite moderateth y e lawe Othe To performe an euell othe is double synne Cheke To turne the other cheke what it is Mekenes Pollynge howe to aduoyde it Two maaer states degrees of regymeÌ„tes Euery man is of y e spyrytualty of the temporaltye bothe Loue. He that loueth not his neyghboure hath not the true faythe of Chrystâ— The temporal regimeÌ„t Vyolence Not to resyst vyoleÌ„ce hawe it is vnderstaÌ„d An exâ—pul of two reamentes How to be a warry ouâ— Goodes â—ath 25. To go to lawe Prynces whether they maye be resysted or putte downe of theyr subiectes in any case Gooddes Regymentes Euery man is vnder bothe regimeÌ„tes A preacher of the gospell maye vse no vyolence Couetousnes Iaco. 2. Publycans what they were To be perfecte what it meaneth Iohan. 16. TroÌ„pettes To blowe trompettes what Lefte hand Vayne glory A good remedyâ— agaynste it workes iustefye not from synne â—ether deserue the rewarde promysed Crosse workes what they do Promyse he that professeth not a newe lyfe hathe no promise of mercye in Chryste Prayers workes must be seasoned with gods word if they shal please god Prayer what it is Chamber To shutte thy chaâ—ber dore what it meaneth Prayer Gods commandemeÌ„t and promyse shuld moue vs to praye False prayer is paynfull true prayer is plesaunt Syon Shene The Pater noster is expounded To honour gods name what it is A couenauÌ„t where with god is bonde to forgyue vs we to forgyue eche other Gods couenaunt is a sure absolucyoÌ„ to al y t kepe it Leuen Fayth Loue is ryghtwysnes Fayth bryngeth loue workes Loue. Faythe that faythe iustefyeth what it meanethe Faythe workes are sacrameÌ„tes Baptym Chryste Faythe To annoiÌ„t the heed what it meneth Fastynge Almose Prayer Fastynge Almose Prayer and fastynge howe necessarye Almose Prayer and fastynge are inseperable Fastynge is not in eatyng and drynkynge onelye workes make ypocrytes yf the true entent be awaye Rulers be ordeyned for them that caÌ„ not rule them selues Preacher the offyce of a true preacher Payne howe God delyteth in our payne takynge Fast The entent of fastynge what it is Fast Howe the Iewes faste Fast The popes faste Fastynge The true entent is awaye from the Popes fastynge Monkes made the Pope a God for his dyspensacyons Couetousnes what a pestylence it is 2. Pe. 2. Couetousnes can not but erre More Luc. 12. Luke 14. Couetousnes maketh the salte of Goddes worde vnsauerye Couetousnes maketh A false prophete Darkenes Couetousnes causeth Darkenes Darkenes Faythe in workes is darkenes Darkenes Mammon what it is Mammon is a God Mammon make men dysgyse theÌ„ selues The seruauÌ„tes of Mammon are not of Chrystes churche The seruaunt of Mammon is no true preacher To be MaÌ„mons seruaunt what it is Mammon seruaunt howe is he knowen Birdes and bestesteche vs to put away care Care Nammon Actes 8. Couenaunt kepe couenaunt with God and he shall kepe promyse with the. Kyngdom of heuen what Ryghtwysnes of the kyngdome of heuen what it is Care Tempte why God letteth his chyldren be teÌ„pted with aduersite what care is forboden Care what care euery man ought to haue Goddes coÌ„maundement is mannes lyfe Exod. 20. why God soffereth tyrauÌ„tes to prospere Iudgynge what iudgynge is rebuked The beame Ceremonies he that breaketh vnite for zele of ceremonies vnderstandeth nat Goddes lawe Ceremonyes Measure Dogges Swyne Prayer is a commaundement Belefe To beleue in God what Luke 18. Prayer By prayer we wynne the vyctorye onely and therfore is it of all thynges moste necessarie False prophetes what theyr wekednes is Marc. xiii Mat 24. The ryche must praye for daylye breade Fayth must be ioyned to our prayers †Doutes howe to soyle doutes Nota. Nota. Law what the fulfyllynge therof is Strayte gate The narowe way Few fynde the narowe way and why Peter Paule Christe The false prophetes who Shepes clothynge what 2. The. 2. Shepes clothynge Raueninge wolues The obedience pouertye wylful chastite of our spiritualtye Pouertye Chastite Charite Fastynge Prayer Thornes beare no fygges A corruptetre beareth no good frute Fayth is the kernell of all our good frutes Fayth maketh the worke good and ecceptable †Handy craftes are the coÌ„mandement of God Nota. The holynes of ypocrites wherin it is Axe the Austen fryers why they murthered one of theyr felowes at London who is the spirituall IgnorauÌ„ce excuseth nat yf we wyl nat se False prophetes howe to know wher they be Beleuers without workes and workers without fayth are buylt on sande Fayth Loue.