A14136:332
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.
But contrary wise unto monks / friars / and to the other of our holy spirituality the belly is all in all & cause of all love.1 Offer thereto / so art thou father / mother / sister / and brother unto them Offerest thou not / so know they it not / thou art nether / father / mother / sister / brother nor any kin at all to them. She is a sister of ours he is a brother of ours say they he is verily a good man / for he doeth much for our religion. She is a mother to our convent▪ we be greatly bound to pray for them And as for such & such (say they) we know not whether they be good or bad or whether they be fish or flesh / for they do nought for us we be more bound to pray for our benefactors (say they) and for them that give us / then for them that give us not. ⟨image 127⟩For them that give little are they little bound and them they love little and for them that give much are they much bound and them they love much. And for them that give nought are they nought bound and them they love not at all. And as they love thee when thou givest: so hate they thee when thou takest away from them / and run all under a stole and curse thee as black as pitch. So is cloister love 2belly love / cloister prayer belly prayer and cloister brotherhood belly brotherhood. More over love that springeth of Christ seeketh not her own self (.j. Corinth. xiij.) but 3forgetteth her self and bestoweth her upon her neighbours profit as Christ sought our profit & not his own. He sought not the favour of God for him self / but for us ye •e toke the wrath and vengeance of God from us unto him self and bare it on his own back to bring us unto favour. Like wise doeth a Christen man give to his brethren and robbeth them not as friars and monks do: But as Paul commandeth Ephe iiij. laboureth with his hands some good work to have where with to help the needy They give not but receive only. They labour not but live idly of the sweat of the pore. There is none so pore a widow / though she have not to find her self and her children nor any money to give: yet shall the friar snatch a cheese or some what. They preach / sayest thou