The Obedience of a Christian Man

¹Understand therefore that to bind and to loose / is to preach the law of God and the gospel or promises / as thou mayest see in the thread chapter of the second pistle to the Corinthians Where Paul calleth the preaching of the law the ministration of death and damnation / and the preaching of the promises thē ministering of the sprite and of righteousness. For when the law is preached all men are found sinners and therefore damned: and when the Gospel and glad tidings are preached / then are all that repent and believe / found righteous in Christ. And so expound it all the old doctors. Saint ²Hierom saith upon this text / what so ever thou bindest / the bishops and priests saith he / for lack of understanding / take a little presumption of the pharisees upon them. ⟨p. Cij⟩And think that they have authority to bind innocents and to loose the wicked / which thing our Pope and Bishops do. For they say the curse is to be feared / be it right or wrong.³ Though thou have not deserved yet if the Pope curse the thou art in peril of thy soul as they lye: ye and though he be never so wrongfully cursed / he must be fain to bye absolution.⁴ But saint Hierō saith as the priest of the old law made the lepers clean or oncleane / so bindeth and unbindeth the priest of the new law⁵

¹Vnderstonde therfore that to bynde and to loose / is to preach the law of God and the gospell or promyses / as thou maist se in the thred chapter of the second pistle to the Corintheans Where Paul calleth the preachinge of the law the ministration of deeth and damnation / and the preachinge of the promyses thē ministrīge of the sprite ād of righteousnes. For when the law is preached all men are founde synners and therfore damned: and when the Gospell and glad tydinges are preached / then are all that repente ād beleve / founde righteous in Christ. And so expounde it all the olde doctours. Saynt