A14136:342
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.
¶The .iiij. senses of the scripture.¶The .iiij. senses of ye scripture.
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.
There is no ear so righteous that can abide the hearing of the law. There is no dead so good but that the law damneth it. But Christ / that is to say the Gospel / the promises and testament that God hath made in Christ healeth the ear and conscience which the law hath hurt. The Gospel is life / mercy and forgiveness freely / and all together an healing plaster. And as Peter doeth but hurt and make a wound where was none before: even so doeth the law. For when we think that we are holy and righteous and full of good deeds if the law be preached a right / our righteousness and good deeds vanish away / as smoke in the wind and we are left damnable sinners only And as thou seest how the Christ healeth not till Peter had wounded / & as an healing plaster helpeth not till the corrosive hath troubled the wound / even so the Gospel helpeth not / but when the law hath wounded ⟨p. cxxxij⟩the conscience and brought the sinner in to •he knowledge of his sin. 1This allegory proveth no thing nether can do. For it is not the scripture / but an example or a similitud• borrowed of the scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the scripture more expressly and to rote it and grave it in the heart. For a similitude or an example doeth print a thing much deeper in the wits of a man then doeth a plain speaking and leaveth behind him as it were a sting to prick him forward and to awake him with all2 More over if I could not prove with an open text that which the allegory doeth express / then were the allegory a thing to be jested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hood. This allegory as touching his first part is proved by Paul in iij. chap. of his Pistle to the Rom. where he sayeth. The law causeth wr•th. And in vij. chapter to the Rom. When the law or commandment came / sin revived / and I become deed▪ And in the ij. pistle to the Corinth. in third chapter / the law is called the minister of death and damnation &ce. And as concerning the second part Paul saith to the Romans in .v. chapter In that we are justified by faith we are at peace with God. And in the second pistle to the Corinthians in .iij. The Gospel is called the ministration of justifying and of