¶ The second part of the information for them which take offence at certain places of the holy scripture.¶ The seconde part of the information for them which take offence at certayne places of the holy scripture.

¶ The second part of the information for them which take offence at certain places of the holy scripture.

¶ The seconde part of the information for them which take offence at certayne places of the holy scripture.

YE have heard (good people) in the Homily last read unto you, the great commodity of holy Scriptures, ye have heard how ignorant men, void of godly understanding, seek quarrels to discredit them: Some of their reasons have ye heard answered. Now we will proceed and speak of such politic wise men which be offended, for that Christs precepts should seem to destroy all order in governance, as they do allege for example such as these be. If any man strike thee on the right ¹cheek, turn the other unto him also. If any man will contend to take thy coat from thee, let him have cloak and all. Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. If thine eye, thine hand, or thy foot offend thee, pull out thine eye, cut of thine hand, thy foot, and cast it from thee. If thine enemy (sayeth saint Paul) be an hungered, give him meat, if he be thirsty, ²give him drink: so doing, thou shalt heap hot burning coals upon his head. These sentences (good people) unto a natural man seem mere absurdities, contrary to all reason. For a natural man (as saint Paul sayeth) understandeth ³not the things that belong to God, neither can ⟨p. 307⟩he, so long as old Adam dwelleth in him. Christ therefore meaneth, that he would have his faithful servants so far from vengeance and resisting wrong, that he would rather have him ready to suffer an other wrong, then by resisting to break charity, and to be out of patience. He would have our good deeds so far from all carnal respects, that he would not have our nighest friends know of our well doing, to win a vain glory. And though our friends and kinsfolks be as dear as our right eyes and our right hands: yet if they would pluck us from God, we ought to renounce them, and forsake them.