A14136:135
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.
Let kings (if they had lever be christen in deed then so to be called) give them selves all to gather to the wealth of their realms after the ensample of Christ: remembering that the people are Gods and not theirs: ye are Christs inheritance and possession bought with his blood. The most despised person in his realm is the kings brother and fellow men bre with him and equal with him in the kingdom of God and of Christ. Let him therefore not think him self to good to do them service nether seek any other thing in them / then a father seeketh in his children ye then Christ sought in us. Though that the king in the temporal regiment be in the room of God and representeth God him self & is without all comparison better then his subjects: yet let him putt of that and become a brother / doing and leaving undone all things in respect of the commune wealth / that all men may see that he seeketh no thing / but the profit of his subjects. When a cause that requireth execution is brought before him then only let him take the parson of ⟨p. lij⟩God on him. Then let him know no creature but hear all indifferently / whether it be a stranger or one of his own realm / & the small as well as the great and judge righteous for the judgement is the lords Deut. j. In time of judgement he is no minister in the kingdom of Christ: he preacheth no Gospel / but the sharp law of vengeance. Let him take the holy judges of the old testament for an example and namely 1Moses which in executing the law was merciless otherwise more then a mother unto them never avenging his own wrongs but suffering all thing / bearing every mans weakness teaching / warning / exhorting and ever caring for them and so tenderly loved them / that he desired God ether to forgive them or to damn him with them.
LEt kynges (yf they had lever be christen in dede then so to be called) geve them selves all to geder to ye wealth of their realmes after the ensample of Christe: remēbringe that the people are Gods ād not theirs: yee are Christes enheritaūce ād possession bought with his bloude. The most despised person in his realme is the kynges brother and felow mē bre with him and equall with him in the kyndome of God and of Christe. Let him therfore not thinke him selfe to good to doo them service nether seke any other thinge in them / then a father seketh in his childern yee then Christe soughte in vs. Though that the kynge in the temporall regimente be in the rowme of God and representeth God him selfe & is without all comparison better then his subiectes: yet let him putt of that and become a brother / doinge ād levinge vn done all thinges in respecte of the cō mune wealth / yt all men maye se yt he seketh no thīge / but ye profit of his subiectes. Whē a cause yt requireth execuciō is brought before him thē only lett him take the parson of