A14136:110
The Obedience of a Christian Man
The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christ[n] rulers ought to govern, where in also (if thou mark diligently) thou shalt find eyes to perceive the crafty conveyance of all jugglers.The obedie[n]ce of a Christen man and how Christe[n] rulers ought to governe, where in also (if thou marke diligently) thou shalt fynde eyes to perceave the crafty conveyance of all iugglers.
At Marlborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the second day of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviii, by me Hans luft i.e. J. Hoochstraten, 1528At Marlborow in the lande of Hesse i.e. Antwerp : the seconde daye of October. Anno. M.CCCCC.xxviii, by me Hans luft i.e. J. Hoochstraten, 1528
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.
That thou mightest feel the working of the spirit of God in thee and lest the beauty of the dead should deceive thee and make the think that the law of God which is spiritual were content and fulfilled with the outward and bodily dead it followeth. Owe no thing to any man: but to love one an other.1 For he that loveth another fulfilleth the law. For thes commandments: thou shalt not commit adultery / thou shalt not kill / thou shalt not steal / thou shalt not bear false witness / thou shalt not desire / and so forth if there be any other commandment are all comprehended or contained in this saying:2 love thy neighbour: therefore is love the fulfilling of the law. Here hast thou sufficient against all the sophisters work holy & justifiers in the world / which so magnify their deeds. The law is spiritual and requireth the heart / and is never fulfilled with the dead in the sight of God. With the dead 3thou fulfillest the law before the world and livest thereby / that is / thou enjoyest this present life and avoidest the wrath and vengeance the death and punishment which the law threateneth to them that break it. But before God thou keepest the law if thou love only. Now what shall make us love?4 Verily that shall faith do. If thou behold how much God loveth them Christ and from what vengeance he hath delivered ⟨p. xliij⟩thee for his fake and of what kingdom he hath made the heir / then shalt thou see cause enough to love thy very enemy without respect of reward / ether in this life or in the life to come / but because that God will so have it and Christ hath deserved it: Ye thou shouldest feel in thine heart that all thy deeds to come / are abundantly recompensed already in Christ.
That thou mightest feale the workinge of the spirite of God in the and lest the bewtie of the deade shuld deceave the and make the thinke that the lawe of God which is spirituall were content and fulfilled with the outwarde and bodyly deade it foloweth. Owe no thinge to any man: but to love one an other.