A14136:210
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.
1The Jews boasted them selves of Abraham. And Christ said unto them. John. viij If ye were Abraham's children ye would do the deeds of Abraham. Our hypocrites boast them selves of the authority of Peter and of Paul and the other Apostles / clean contrary unto the deeds and doctrine of Peter / Paul and of all the other Apostles. Which both obeyed all worldly authority & power usurping none to them selves / and taught all other to fear the kings and rulers and to obey them in all things not contrary to the commandment of God / and not to resist them / though they toke away life and goods wrongfully / but patiently to abide Gods vengeance. This did our spirituality never yet / nor taught it. 2They taught not to fear God in his commandments / but to fear them in their traditions. In so much that the evil people which fear not to resist a good king and to rise against him / dare not lay hands on one of them / nether for defiling of wife daughter or very mother 3When all men loose life and lands / they remain all ways sure and in safety / and ever win ⟨p. lxxxvj⟩some what. For who so ever conquereth other mens lands unrightfully ever gevis them part with them. To them is all thing lawful * In all councils and parliaments are they the chief. Without them may no king be crowned / nether until he be sworn to their liberties. All secretes know they / even the very thoughts of mens hearts. By them all things are ministered. No king nor Realm may through their falsehood live in peace. To believe they teach / not in Christ but in them and their disguised hypocrisy. And of them compel they all men to by redemption and forgiveness of since. The peoples sin they cate and there of wax fat. The wickeder the people are / the more prosperous is their commune wealth. If kings and great men do amiss they must build abbeys and colleges / mean men build chantries pore find trentals and brotherhoods and begging friars. Their own heirs do men disinherit to endow them. All kings are compelled to submit them selves to them Read the ••ory of king John / and of other kings. They will have their causes avenged / though hole Realms should therefore parish. Take from them their disguising / so are they not spiritual. Compare that they have taught us unto the scripture / so are we without faith.