The practise of prelates. CompiledThe practyse of prelates. Compyled

¶ How the gospel punisheth trespassers and how by the Gospel we ought to go to law with our adversaries.

¶ How the gospell punissheth trespasers and how by the Gospell we ought to go to lawe with oure aduersaryes.

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