The Obedience of a Christian Man

Last of all thes arguments are contrary to the arguments of Christ and of his apostles. Christ disputeth Luke. xj▪ saying: if the son axe the father bred / will he give him a stone? or if he ask him fish / will he give him a serpent? and so forth. If ye then (saith he) which are evil can give good gifts to your children / how much rather shall your heavenly father give a good sprite unto them that ask him? And a little before in the same chapter he saith. If a man came never s• ⟨image 121⟩out of season to his neighbour to borrow bred: even when he is in his chamber and the door shut / and all his servants with him. Never the less yet if he continue knocking and praying / he will rise and give him as much as he needeth / though not for love / yet to be rid of him that he may have rest: As who should say / what will god do if a man pray him: seeing that prayer over cometh an evil man? Ask therefore (saith he) and it shall be given you / seek and ye shall find / knock and it shall be opened unto you. And Luke. xviij. he putteth forth the parable or similitude of the wicked judge which was overcome with the importune prayer of the widow. And concludeth saying: Hear what the wicked judge did. And shall not God avenge his elect which cry unto him night and day? Whether therefore we complain of the intolerable oppression & persecution that we suffer / or of the flesh that combreth and resisteth the sprite / God is merciful to hear us and to help us. Seest thou not also how Christ cureth many & casteth out devils out of many unspoken to / how shall he not help / if he be desired and spoken to?

Last of al thes argumentes are contrary to the argumētes of Christ and of his apostles. Christ disputeth Luke. xj▪ sayēge: yf the sonne axe the father bred / will he geve him a stone? or yf he aske him fysh / wil he geve him a serpēte? and so forth. Yf ye then (sayth he) which are evell can geve good gyftes to youre childerne / how moch rather shall youre hevēly father geve a good sprite vnto thē that aske him? And a litle before in the same chapter he saith. Yf a man came never s• ⟨image 121⟩out of season to his neyboure to borowe bred: even when he is in his chambre and the dore shett / and all his servauntes with him. Never the lesse yet if he contynue knockynge and prayenge / he will ryse and geve him as moch as he neadeth / though not for love / yet to be rydd of him that he maye have rest: As who shuld saye / what will god doo yf a man praye him: seynge that prayer over cometh an evyll man? Aske therfore (sayth he) and it shalbe geven you / seke and ye shall fynde / knocke ād it shalbe opened vnto you. And Luke. xviij. he putteth forth the parable or similitude of the weked iudge which was overcome with the importune prayer of the wedowe. And cōcludeth sayenge: Heare what the wycked iudge dyd. And shall not God avenge his electe which crie vnto him nyght and daye? Whether therfore we cōplayne of the intollerable oppressiō & persecuciō yt we sofre / or of ye flesh yt cōbreth ād resisteth ye sprite / God is mercifull to heare vs ād to helpe vs. Seist thou not also how Christ cureth many & casteth out devyls out of many vnspoken to / how shall he not helpe / if he be desyred and spoken to?