Catechismus, that is to say, a short instruction into Christian religion for the singular…Catechismus, that is to say, a shorte instruction into Christian religion for the synguler…

For in this world they lose the favour both of God and man, they lose their good name & fame, & are called of every man extortioners, bribers pollers & piellers, devourers of widows houses, & oppressors of fatherless and motherless children. And what a gaining is it I pray you, by purchasing of a little land herein this life to ⟨p. ci⟩purchase therewithal everlasting damnation in hell? What profiteth it a man (sayeth Christ) if he win all the world and lose his own soul? what did David win, when he lusted after the wife of Uriah, & had his pleasure of her? did not God therefore so punish him, that he himself lost all his own wives? For his son Absalom in the sight of all the people entered unto his fathers wife, and deflowered them all in his fathers own house, and after did pursue his father David even unto death. What did it profit Ahab, that he slew Naboth & toke possession of his vineyard? Verily God did punish him therefore in such sort, that he caused him to be slain in the next battle that he went unto and toke the kingdom from all his succession, & destroyed ⟨image 124⟩all his linage, and left not one man alive, and beside all this, the dogs licked Ahab's blood in the same place where he caused Naboth to be slain. What gained Judas, when he sold our Lord Jesus Christ for thirty peaces of silver? verily he was punished of God therefore, and was so tormented with the horrible fear of conscience, that he ran to the halter for succour, and hanged himself. Wherewith as he ended the miseries of this life, so he began, the pains of the other life. Likewise God, even now a days doth punish these glyerynge kites, that seek their pray in every place, for commonly either they be deceived of their expectation for all their gaping and prying, or if they obtain their pray, they purchase to themselves therewith great misfortune ⟨p. cii⟩and evil ends. Wherefore good children let this commandment deeply sink into your hearts, and consider well, that it is no man, nor creature, but God himself, that saith unto you, Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife, his man servant, woman servant, ox, ass, or any other thing that is his. For to desire these things, is a very heinous sin, & God will not suffer it to escape unpunished.

For in this worlde they lese ye fauoure both of God and man, they lese their good name & fame, & ar called of euery man extorcioners, brybers pollers & piellers, deuourers of widowes houses, & oppressers of fatherles and motherles children. And what a gaynyng is it I praye you, by purchasynge of a lytle lande herein this lyfe to