A14133:186
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…
An exposition upon the v.vi.vii. chapters of Matthew which three chapters are the key and the door of the scripture, and the restoring again of Moses law corrupt by the scribes and pharisees. And the exposition is the restoring again of Christs law corrupt by the Papists. Item before the book, thou hast a prologue very necessary, containing the whole sum of the covenant made between God and us, upon which we be baptised to keep it. And after thou haste a table that leadeth the by the notes in the margents, unto all that is entreated of in the book.An exposycyon vpon the v.vi.vii. chapters of Mathewe which thre chapters are the keye and the dore of the scrypture, and the restoring agayne of Moses lawe corrupt by ye scrybes and pharyses. And the exposycyon is the restorynge agayne of Chrystes lawe corrupte by the Papystes. Item before the boke, thou hast a prologe very necessary, conteynynge the whole sum of the couenaunt made betwene God and vs, vpon whiche we be baptysed to kepe it. And after thou haste a table that ledeth the by the notes in the margentes, vnto al that is intreated of in the booke.
London? : R. Redman, 1536?
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But in the worldly state / where thou art no private man, but a person in respect of other▪ thou not only mayest / but also must and […] bound under pain of damnation to execute thine office, where thou art a father, thou must have obedience by fair means or by foul, and to whom thou art an husband / of her thou must require obedience and chastity / and that to get, tempt all that the law of the land commandeth and will. And of thy servants thou must exact obedience and fear, & mayst ⟨p. l⟩not suffer thy self to be despised. And where thou art a ruler thereto appointed, thou must take, prison and slay to / not of malice and hate, to avenge thy self / but to defend thy subjects, and to maintain thine office.
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 ⟨p. l⟩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.
Concerning thy self, oppress not thy subjects with rent, fines or custom at all, / neither pill them with taxes and such like / to maintain thine own lusts. But be loving and kind to them, as Christ was to thee / for they be his and the price of his blood. But those that be evil doers among them and vex their brethren, and will not know thee for their judge, and fear thy law, then smite, and upon them draw thy sword, and put it not up until thou have done thine office, yet without hate to thy person for his masters sake and because he is in the first regiment thy brother / but amend him only / or if it can not be / but that thou must lose one to save many / then execute thine office with such affection / with such compassion and sorrow of heart, as thou wouldst cut of thine own arm to save the rest of thy body.