A14136:43
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.
By this means then / thou wilt that no man teach another / but that every man take the scripture & learn by him self. Nay verily / so say I not. 1Never the less / seeing that ye will not teach / if any man thirst for the trueth / & read the scripture by him self desiring God to open the door of knowledge unto him / God for his truths sake will & must teach him. How be it my meaning is that as a master teacheth his prentice to know all the points of the mete yard / first how many inches / how many foot & the hal•e yard / the quarter & the nail / & then teacheth him to mete other things thereby: 2even so will I that ye teach the people Gods law / & what obedience God requireth of us unto father and mother / master / lord / king & all superiors / and with what friendly love he commandeth one to love another. And teach them to know that natural venom & birth poison which ⟨p. xviij⟩moveth the very hearts of us to rebel against the ordinances and will of God / and prove that no man is righteous in the sight of God / but that we are all damned by the law. And then (when thou hast meked them and feared them with the law) teach them the testament and promises which God hath made unto us in Christ / & how merciful and kind he is / and how much he loveth us in Christ. And teach them the principles and the ground of the faith and what the sacraments signify and then shall the sprite work with thy preaching and make them feel. So would it come to pass / that as we know by natural wit what followeth of a true principle of natural reason: even so by the principles of the faith and by the plain scriptures and by the text / should we judge all mens exposition and all mens doctrine / and should receive the best and refuse the worst. I would have you to teach them also the properties and manner of speakings of the scripture / and how to expound proverbs and similitudes. And then if they goo abroad and walk by the fields and meadows of all manner doctors and philosophers they could catch no harm. They should discern the poison from the honey and bring whom no thing but that which is wholesome.
By this meanes then / thou wilt that no man teach a nother / but that every man take the scripture & lerne by hym selfe. Naye verely / so saye I not.