An answer to a certain godly man[n]es letters desiring his friends judgement, whether it…An answer to a certain godly man[n]es lettres desiring his frendes iudgement, whether it…

For the midwives and Rahab were not rewarded of God for their lying / but for the mercy they used toward the people of God. As for Jehu / he is not in all scripture commended: no / scripture sayeth of him / that his heart was not right before the Lord. And the scripture sayeth not / that Naamā had a dispensation of the prophet. For if the prophet would have consented to his request / he had had non authority to dispense with God's word. The deeds of ancient fathers and others in scripture are not written / to the intent we should follow them in every thing / but many evil things be declared of them / to let us know / that were they never so holy / yet they were men / and might and did fall: that knowing their and our weakness / we should not trust in our own selves / or in our own works / but ⟨image 7⟩confessing our selves to be sinners / we should call to God for mercy. To be short / S. Austen concludeth / that for no cause men may lye or dissemble: and specially in matters of religion they may in no wise do it. And that that is thus spoken against liars and dissemblers / maketh as much against Idolatry and wicked doers. For in both of them the hart and the outward senses do not agree. And this is a general sentence in scripture without exception: Thou hatest (O God) all those that work iniquity / and shalt destroy all those that speak lies. And Christ also sayeth: He that confesseth me before men / I will confess him before my father which is in heaven: and he that denieth me before men / I will deny him before my father in heaven. And again. Woe be to him by whom slander cometh. And again, who so ever offendeth one of these little ones which believe in me / it were better for him / that a millstone were hanged about his neck / and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

For the midwiues and Rahab were not rewarded of God for their lieng / but for the mercie they vsed towarde the people of God. As for Iehu / he is not in all scripture cōmēded: no / scripture saieth of him / that his harte was not right before the Lorde. And the scripture saieth not / that Naamā hade a dispensaciō of the prophet. For if the prophet wolde haue consented to his request / he hade had nō autoritie to dispense with Goddes worde. The dedes of aūcient fathers ād others in scripture are not writtē / to thintēt we shoulde folowe thē in euery thīg / but many euil thīges be declared of them / to let vs knowe / that were they neuer so holy / yet they were men / and might ād did fall: that knowīg their ād our weakenesse / we should not trust ī our owne selues / or ī our owne works / but