A14136:35
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.
If the scripture were in the mother tongue they will say / then would the lay people understand it every man after his own ways. Where fore serveth the curate / but to teach them the right way? Where fore were the 1holidays made / but that the people should come and learn? Are ye not abominable 2schoolmasters / in that ye take so great wages / if ye will not teach? If ye would teach how could ye do it so well and with so great profit / as when the lay people have the scripture before them in their mother tō ge? For them should they see by the order of the text / whether thou juggledest or not. And then would they believe it / because it is the scripture of God / though thy living be never so abominable. 3Where now because your living and your preaching are so contrary / and because they grope out in every sermone youre open and manifest lies / & smell your unsatiable covetousness they believe you not / when you preach truth. But alas / the curates them selves (for the most part) wot no more what the new or old testament meaneth / then do the turks.4 Nether know they of any more then that they read at mass / matins and evensong which yet they understand not. Nether care they but even to mumble up so much every day (as the pie & popinjay speak the wot not ⟨p. xiiij⟩what) to fill their belies with all. If they will not lat the lay man have the word of God in his mother tongue / yet let the priests have it / which for a great part of them do understand no latin at all:5 but sing & say and patter all day / with the lips only / that which the heart understandeth not.
Yf the scripture were in the mother tōge they will saye / then wolde the laye people vnderstōde it every mā after his awne wayes. Wher fore serveth the curate / but to teach thē the righte waye? Wher fore were the 1