Though that they of Christs congregation be all wyl•ing: yet because that the most part is always weak & because also that the occasions of the world be ever many and great, in so much that Christ, which wys•e all thing beforehand, saith Matthew xviij. Woe be unto the world by reason of occasions of Evil, and saith also that it can not be avoided but that occasions shall come, therefore it can not be chosen but that many shall overfall, when a weak Brother hath trespassed, by what law shall he be punished? verily by the law of love / whose properties thou readest in the xiii. of the first to the Corinthians. If the love of God / which is my profession / be written in mine hart, it will not let me hate my weak brother when he hath offended me▪ no more then natural love will let a Mother hate her child when it trespasseth against her. My weak brother hath offended me, he is fallen, his weakness hath overthrown him: it is not right by the law of love that I should now fall upon him, & tread him down ⟨image 12⟩in the mire and destroy him utterly: but it is right by the law of love, that I run to him & help him up again. ¶By what process we should go to law with our trespassers / christ teacheth us Math. xviij. Tell him his fault between him & the with all meekness, remē bring y• thou art a man & mayst fall also: If ye repent, & thou love him / ye shall soon agree / & then forgive him. And when thou forgivest thy neighbour, then thou art sure that god forgiveth the thy trespasses by his holy promise Math. vi. If he hear y• not / then take a neighbour or two. If he hear them not, then tell the congregation where thou art: & let the preacher pronounce gods law against him & let the sad & discreet men rebuke him & exhort him unto repentance, if he repent, & y• also love him according to the profession, ye shall soon agree. If he hear not the congregation, then let him be taken as an heathen. If he that is often dead be weak also / then let them that be strong •o between & help them. And in like manner if any sine against the doctrine of Christ & the profession of a christen man so that he be a drunkard, & an horekeper, or whatsoever open sin he do, or if he teach false learning: then let such be rebuked openly before the congregation & by the authority of the scripture.
THough yt they of Chrystes congregacion be all wyl•ing: yet because yt the moost part is always weake & because also that the occasions of the world be euer many and greate, in so muche that Chryst, which wys•e all thing beforehande, sayth Mathew xviij. Wo be vnto ye world by reason of occasions of Euell, and saythe also that it can not be auoyded but that occasyons shall come, therfore it can not be chosen but that many shal ouerfaule, when a weake Brother hath trespassed, by what law shal he be punisshed? verely by the law of loue / whose properties thou readest in ye xiii. of the first to the Corinthians. If the loue of God / which is my professiō / be written in myne hart, it wyll not let me hate my weake brother when he hath offended me▪ no more then naturall loue wyll let a Mother hate her chyld when it trespasseth against her. My weak brother hath offēded me, he is fallē, his weaknes hath ouertrowne hī: it is not ryght by the lawe of loue yt I shuld now faule vpō hī, & treade hī downe ⟨image 12⟩in ye myre and destroy him vtterly: but it is ryght by the law of loue, yt I runne to hym & helpe him vp agayne. ¶By what ꝓcesse we shuld go to law wt our trespacers / christ teacheth vs Math. xviij. Tell hī hys faute betwene hī & the with all mekenesse, remē bryng y• thou arte a man & mayst fall also: Yf ye repet, & thou loue hī / ye shall sone agre / & thē forgeue hī. And whē thou forgeuest thy neyghbour, thē thou arte sure that god forgeueth the thy trespaces by his holy promysse Math. vi. If he heare y• not / thē take a neyghboure or two. If he heare thē not, thē tell the cōgregaciō wher thou art: & let ye preacher pronoūce gods law agaīst hī & let ye sad & discret mē rebuke hī & exhort hī vnto repētaūce, if he repēt, & y• also loue him accordyng to ye professyon, ye shall sone agre. If he heare not ye cōgregaciō, then let him be taken as an hethē. Yf he yt is offē ded be weake also / thē let them yt be strong •o betwene & helpe thē. And in lyke maner if any sine agaīst ye doctrine of Chryst & ye professiō of a christē mā so that he be a dronkard, & ā horekeper, or whatsoeuer opē sinne he do, or if he teach false learnīg: then let such be rebuked opēly befor ye cōgregaciō & by ye auctoritie of ye scripture.
