The Obedience of a Christian Man

And Math. xvij. both Christ and also Peter pay tribute / where the meaning of Christs question unto Peter is: if princes take tribute of strangers only and not of their children / then verily ought I to be free which am the Son of God / whose servants and ministers they are and of whom they have their authority. Yet because they nether knew that nether Christ came to use that authority / but to be our servant and to bear our burden and to obey all ordinances / both in right and wrong for our sakes and to teach us: therefore said he to saint Peter. Pay for thee and me lest we offend them. Moreover though that Christ and Peter (because they were pore) might have escaped / yet would he not for fear of offending other and hurting their consciences. For he might well have given occasion unto the tribute gatherers to have judged amiss both of him and his doctrine: yea & the Jews might haply have bin offended thereby and have thought that it had not be lawful / for them to have ⟨image 41⟩paid tribute unto heathen princes and idolaters / seeing that he so great a prophet paid not: Yea and what other thing causeth the lay so little to regard there princes / as that they see them both despised and disobeyed of the spirituality?¹ But our prelates which care for none offending of consciences and less for Gods ordinances / will pay nought: but when princes must fight in our most holy fathers quarrel and against christ. Then are they the first. There also is none so pore that then hath not somewhat to give.

And Math. xvij. both Christe and also Peter paye tribute / where the meaninge of Christes question vnto Peter is: yf princes take tribute of straungres only and not of their childern / then verily ought I to be fre which am the sonne of God / whose servauntes and ministres they are and of whom they have their auctorite. Yet because they nether knewe that nether Christe came to vse that auctorite / but to be oure servaunte and to beare oure burthen and to obeye all ordinaunces / both in right and wronge for oure sakes and to teach vs: therfore said he to saynt Peter. Paye for the and me lest we offende them. Moareover though that Christe and Peter (because they were pore) might have escaped / yet wold he not for feare of offendinge other and hurtinge their consciences. For he might well have geven occasion vnto the tribute gatherers to have iudged amisse bothe of him and his doctrine: ye & ye Iewes might happely have byn offended thereby and have thought that it had not be lawfull / for them to have