An exposition upon the v.vi.vii. chapters of Matthew which three chapters are the key…An exposycyon vpon the v.vi.vii. chapters of Mathewe which thre chapters are the keye…

Here Christ beginneth, not to destroy the law (as the pharisees had falsely accused him) but to restore it again to the right understanding and to purge it from the glosses of the pharisees. He that slayeth shall be guilty or in danger of judgement / that is to say / if a man murder, his deed testifieth against him, there is no more to do / then to pronounce sentence of death against him. This text did the pharisees, extend no further then to kill with the hand and outward members, But hate / envy / malice / churlishness and to withdraw help at need, to beguile and circumvent with wiles and subtle bargaining, was no sin at all, No, to bring him home, thou hatedest to death with craft and falsehood, so thou diddest not put thine hand thereto / was no sin at all. As when they had brought Christ to death wrongfully and compelled Pilate with subtlety to slay him / they thought them selves pure. In so much that they would not go into the hall for defiling them selves and being partakers with Pilate in his blood. And Ac. 5 they said to the Apostles, ye would bring this mans blood upon us / as who would say, we slue him not. And Saul in the first book of ⟨image 47⟩the Kings in the .xviii. Cha▪ being so wroth with David, that he would gladly have had him slain determined yet that he would not defile him self, but to thrust him into the hands of Philistines, that they might slay him, and he him self abide pure.

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