A14136:176
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.
Christ when he had fulfilled his course / 1anointed his Apostles and disciples with the same sprite and sent them forth without all manner disguising like other men also / to preach the atonement and peace which Christ had made between God and man. The Apostles likewise disguised no man / but chose men anointed with the same spirit: one to preach the word of God / whom we call after the greek tongue a 2bishop or a priest / that is / in english / an overseer and an elder. How he was anointed thou readest j. Timothy. iij. 3A Bishop or an overseer must be faultless / the husband of one wife (Many Jews and also gentiles that were converted unto to the faith had at that time divers wives / yet were not compelled to putt any of them away which Paul because of ensample would not have preachers for as much as in Christ we return again unto the first ordinance of God / that one man and one woman should goo together) he must be sober / of honest behaviour honestly apparelled / herberous (that is / ready to lodge strangers / apt to teach / no drō kerde / no 4fighter / not given to filthy lucre: but gentle / abhorring fighting / abhorring ⟨image 72⟩covetousness and one that ruleth his own household honestly / having children under obedience with all honest. For if a man can not rule his own house / how can he care for the congregation of God? he may not be young in the faith or as a man would say an novice / lest he swell and fall in to the judgement of the evil speaker / that is / he may not be unlearned in the secretes of the faith. For such are at once stubborn and headstrong and set not a little by them selves. But alas / we have above twenty thousand that know no more scripture then is written in their por•oves and among them is he exceeding well learned that can turn to his service. He must be well reported of them that are without / lest he fall in to rebuke and in to the snare of the evil speaker / that is / lest the infidels which yet believe not should be hurt by him and driven from the faith / if a man that were defamed were made head and overseer of the congregation.