¶ The title. ¶ The Psalme of Dauid.

THys Inscription or title doth shewe that Dauid is y ^e authour of thys psalme, whiche psalme is wrytten in that kynde of wrytynge: that doeth teache a man thys or that thynge, as here, by the fruites of a true fayth he declareth, whiche be those men y ^t are godly in deede which are the people of God: and the holy churche. Also who shall obteyne the heauenly heritage: and felicitie of eternall lyfe. It doeth not shewe playnely, howe or by whiche waye, we are coun­ted the churche of God: and howe we shall obteyne and get euerla­styng health: but what maner of [Page]mē they be, which of ryght ought to be called the people of God: and haue of free gifte euerlasting life.

¶ Whe effecte and entent of thys Psalme.

THis psalme declareth, that neither hypocrites nor the wicked sorte are the people of God, bicause that both these do lacke fayth. And that neither of them shal come to the heauenly kyngdome, prepared from the begynnyng for the electe: bi­cause the electe sort beinge by the merite of Christe redemed, rege­nerated, or newe borne agayne: & also sealed with the seale of the holy spirite, do caste of the olde man wyth all his deedes bicause they do not folowe the fleshe, The feythful do caste of the olde man. nor ful­fyll the desires thereof. He that is borne of God, synneth not. He whiche by fayth is counted iuste [Page]with God by the fayth in Christ, in the feare of the Lorde doeth lyue, and alwaye after the com­maundementes of God doth rule and gouerne his affections, ma­ners and conditions.

The disposition and ordre of thys Psalme.

THys Psalme conteyneth two thynges, y ^t is to saye. A demaunde & an answer. It is here demaūded who be of the churche, and who shall be saued. To that demaunde an answere is made from the spirite of God. Who be the people of God That they are taken to be the people of God and none elles, and that they shall be saued and none els, whiche do rule and or­dre their minde and lyfe after the commaūdementes of the Lorde. In thys psalme, all the preceptes and commaundementes are not [Page]rehearsed: but vnder those which be rehearsed & named, al the reste are comprehended. And it doeth perteine to al the preceptes which are cōteyned in the seconde table, bicause it teacheth that oure lyfe and maners wyth all our affecti­ons ought to be framed after the commaundementes of the Lorde.

¶ Of Iustification.

THe greatest & moste harde question of the Iustifica­tion of mā in this Psalme is rather touched, then made playne and open. Mannes reason doth deuise diuers causes of iustification. The dsuerse opinion of me conternyng iustification. Some men do imagen that we are iustified by the dedes of our vertues: some by the keepyng of the lawe: some by the workes of ceremonies & other workes of mans traditions. But the holy scripture teacheth that [Page]there is but one cause of oure iu­stice, that is to saye, the fulfyllyng of the lawe of God teachyng that men are iustified before God by the perfecte obedience to the lawe of God, and that they are cōdem­ned for the contrarie, that is, for theyr disobedience. Who that ko­peth the lawe by the lawe is iustified, and who breaketh the law, by the lawe is con­dempned. For lykewyse as God hath ordeyned the payne of death for synne, so hath he also giuen for the perfourming of the lawe of God the rewarde of lyfe euerlauyng. Christe in Mathew the nintene chapter, to the yong­manne demaundynge of Christe what he should do: that he might haue euerlastyng lyfe, answered. If thou wilt enter into life keepe the comaundementes: declaryng that the fulfilling & keepyng tho­rowly of the commaūdemētes is the price of eternall lyfe, by the whiche fulfyllynge, euerlastynge [Page]felicitie is gotten and obteyned. S Paul also witnesseth that by the fulfyllyng of the lawe mē are iustified: saying that the workers of the lawe, and not the hearers are iustified before the Lorde. But for as much as that man is giltie of the breakyng of y ^e whole lawe, Al mē are breakers and trās­gressou [...] of the law, & the [...] fore no man is iustified by the lawe. whiche hath offended in a­ny parte thereof, and as Iames sayeth, all men are curfed, whiche do not abide stil in all those thin­ges, which are writtē in the lawe that all men shoulde. keepe them: it is certeyne and manifest that by the obedience of the lawe no man can be iustified before God: bicause that no man doth fully keepe the lawe as he ought to do: bicause there is no mā: but either by thought or deede hath trāgres­sed the lawe of God. The faulte whie that no man is iustified by [Page]the keepyng of the lawe, is of mā hym selfe and not of God. For the promise whiche was declared to the lawe: The promise of the lawe is conditional. is vnder a cōdition: be­inge spoken to them whiche do fulfyll the lawe. And therfore the promise is not giuen and perfour med, excepte the whole lawe be kepte and perfourmed. So that by thys reason the lawe worketh death vnto vs, and becommeth the cause of death: whiche was gyuen to be the wynhyng & pur­chasyng of lyfe. For as muche thē as no man can fulfyll the lawe, & that it is plaine that by the fulfil­lyng therof, the iustice of God cā not be gotten: Christe hym selfe whiche neuer committed offence, beinge of his owne nature inno­cent, Christ fulfyl­leth the lawe for vs all, and becometh our iustification. for our sake made hym selfe subiect vnto the lawe, and fulfil­led the lawe to the vttermost for [Page]vs, makyng his perfect obedience and fulfillyng of the lawe (which he had no neede of) to be ours, whiche was made a free gifte, be­inge no thanke to the lawe that we are iustified. Then by the ful­fyllyng, whiche Christe fulfylled, of the law, the world is redemed: the same Christe in that he per­fourmed the lawe in all poyntes is become the price of our redem­ption: and that thyng [...] whiche was to vs, and to the law impos­sible: the Lorde did supplie for vs in his onely begotten sonne: and by hym he fulfylled the iustifica­tion of the lawe in vs. Rom [...]. viii. As to the Roma. viii. transposynge and ta­kyng awaye from our selues, and from the lawe the benifitte and gifte of our redemption: and put­ting it onely on Christe. He alone & none other is made our iustice: [Page]redemption, lyfe & health, Wherefore is Christe made our redempti­on and iustice. vicause he hath fulfilled the lawe of God for vs, that nowe wythout hym mā hath no hope of redemption, of iustice, of eternall felicitie and of health, in whom is all the price of mans saluation, by the whiche price both God and the lawe is satiffied & pleased. He that hath not him, he lacketh the price of his redēption, he lacketh iustice & life, he y ^t by [...]aith taketh holde on him, that mā also in him doth receyue the cause of our reconciliation, & iustification, that is to saye, the fulfyllynge of the lawe. For lyke­wyse as by oure disobedience, we are destitute of all hope of health, euen so, by the obedience and ful­fillyng of the lawe of God, we are deliuered from the losse thereof. The whiche obedience when that no man coulde perfourme: Iesu [Page]Christ was made obedient for vs vnto the death of y ^e crosse, he per­fourmed that obedience for vs, that by the obedience of one man we myghte be reconciled to God, we myght be iustified, that lyke­wise as by the disobedience of one man we fell into the wrath & dis­daine of God, into vnrightuousnes and perdition: so by the obe­dience of one mā Iesu Christ we are deliuered from the w [...]ath of God, from vnrightuousnes and perdition. The cause of our iusti­fication, by the goodnes of y ^e lorde is translated and put away from vs and layed on an other person whiche is Christe: bicause that he hath fulfylled for vs and in oure behalfe, the demaūdes & requestes of the lawe, whose obedience and fulfyllyng hath restored & gyuen agayne to vs iustice and lyfe.

These sentēces and sayinges: To be iustifi­ed by the ful­fyllyng of the lawe: and to be iustified by the merites of Christe freely is alone thing that men are iustified by fulfyl­lynge of the lawe. Aud that men by y ^e mertie of God thorow Christ by the fayth in Christe wythout theyr owne merites freely are iu­stified: to manie mennes iudge­mentes do appeare and seme socō trarie that the one can not be like the other, nor yet can stande both together. But truile they do dif­fer noth [...]nge at all: for they do expresse and sette forth excellently the matter of Iustification: she­wyng the welles & causes of oure iustification. They do declare by whose wyll and cōmaundement: yea, and by what price we are re­demed and reconciled agayne to God, & also who hath payed thys price & by what meanes we maye be partakers therof. The cause & price of oure redemption. The cause & price of our redemptiō is the ful­fyllyng [Page]of the lawe, for therein is set of God the remission of synne, iustice and life euerlasting. Th [...] thinges are conteyned in the fulfyl­linge of the law [...]. This chiefe and finall cause of the lawe Christe hath trāsposed vnto hym selfe, and he is made that thynge which the obseruation of the law shoulde haue ben.

Therefore both these sayinges are true, that we be iustified by the lawe, and that we be iustified by y ^e mercie of god thoro [...] Christ freelie. But where as it speaketh of the perfourmaunce of the law: it is ment of that which is in our Lorde Iesu Christe, & not of our owne vnperfect and vnsufficient perfourmyng and keeping of the lawe. Christe onely fulfylled the lawe, and in fulfyllynge of it, he payed the price of our redempti­on takyng the iustification from the lawe vpon his owne selfe.

He hath payed I saye the price of our redemption, Fayth truly instifieth. for them one­ly whiche do beleue in him. Then the price of our redemption is re­ceyued by fayth in Iesu Christe. And therfore fayth may well and worthely be sayed to iustifie. The firste cause efficient of our sustice. God and his mercie is the first & chiefe cause efficiēt of our iustice. Christ is the secōde cause efficient ther­of, The seconde cause efficient which cause the Logitians do cal the [...]lowing cause. The cause in­strumentall of oute iustifica­tion. The faith of Christ is the cause instrumen­tall or instrument wherby we do obteyne iustice. The fulfyllynge of the lawe is the cause materiall or matter, The cause materiall of oure iustifica­tion. which done we are iu­stified These causes are so knitte together, y ^t they cānot be a sūdre, that one lenynge and dependyng on the others healpe. Wherefore it is not a misse sayed that we are iustified by the mercie of God: by [Page]the perfourming of the lawe th [...] ­rowe Christe and by fayth. For Christ doth iustifie no man wyth out fayth, nor fayth iustifieth w ^t out Christe. By fayeth onely in Christe whiche gaue hym selfe to be the price of redemption for all men that do beleue in him, we are reputed iust before god. And thei whiche are reputed by fayth iust, by the mercie of God thorow the merites of Christ and no [...] [...]f their owne, thei are reputed and made iust. Where thei which by Christ his merites are reputed iust, thei are iustified by y ^e perfourming of the lawe whiche is in Christ. It is sayed therefore properly and in the owne kinde, that we are iusti­fied by the mercie of God, by the perfourming of the lawe, and by fayth. For al these do go together in the perfourminge of the lawe, [Page] [...]r doth the wil of him which buil deth an house: A goodly simi litude. the workemāshyp of the carpinter, stone and timbre with the tooles therto belonging go together in the said building. Whē the scripture doeth affirme to vs that Christe is our iustice, alwaye it doth vnderstande thys (that is to saye) whiche Christe hath fulfylled, the law for vs. For the perfect obseruatiō of the lawe is the cause materiall & the cause w ^tout the which not (as the Logitians vse to speake) bicause that wythout this no man can be coū ­ted iust before God. Good workes or els the workes of the lawe are not the cause: Yong chyldrē and the thefe on the crosse, be iustified w ^t out workes, but not wyth out the obsersuation of the lawe. wythout the which a mā cā not be iustified. For with out these the infantes and yonge children are iustified, & the thefe whiche hanged on the crosse was instified. But yet they were not [Page]iustified w ^tout the perfecte [...] uation and fulfyllyng of the law whiche is the price of our redemptiō: which fulfylling is in Christ. When that the scripture doeth testifie that we are iustified by fayth, it doeth vnderstande thys cause, vnder those wordes: that God doth impute the merites of Christe, of his owne mercie freely to them whiche do beleue, & that Christe freely doth communicate his merites to all them wiche do beleue in him. Moyses sayth. Do that whiche the lawe commaun­deth the, and thou shalte lyue. Christ preacheth, knowledge and confesse thy synne, and beleue in me whiche haue satisfied the law for the, & haue fulfylled the lawe, and thou shalte lyue. In me shal thy life be. In the law thou shalt haue no lyfe, bicause thou art not [Page] [...] to perfourme the requestes of the lawe, and so to purchase the [...]ife which is promised for the kee­ [...]ing of the lawe. The Lorde hath takē the office of the lawe on [...] selfe. The law coulde not perfourme to the that thing wherefore it was gyuen: therfore I haue remoued it furth of his place, and am come my selfe into that roume, that by fayth in me you maye receyue blessynge and lyfe, whiche were sette before you in the lawe. For I am made the ende or the fulfyllyng of the lawe to iustification, Roma. [...]. to all them which do beleue, as to the Roma. x. that is to saye. I haue done as muche as the lawe can desire: that they whiche do beleue may haue those thinges in me which the law doth require to the iustificatiō of mā.

There is yet one thynge more in thys poynt to be obserued and marked, that where as we haue [Page]sayed that Christe hath take [...] to hymselfe the ende of the lawe, The lawe is not abrogated altogether, but in y ^e cause onely of our iustification, & wherfore the lawe yet doth serue. as touchyng that it should haue iustified vs: and giuen to vs lyfe, yet the other endes and effectes of the lawe, Christe hath not takē frō the lawe, but hath lefte them styll to the lawe, that is to say, to shewe our synne to vs, and to be a scholemaister: whereby we may come to Christe. Those thynges, whiche in both the testamentes are written of the abrogatyng & takyng awaye of the power & au­thoritie from the lawe: it is ment of the principall and of the fyrste cause, for the which the lawe was made. For the lawe is takē away by Christe in that he hath fulfil­led and perfourmed it, as concer­nyng our iustification, and obteynyng of lyfe. But as touchynge the declaration of synne, the tea­chynge [Page]and instructynge of vs to Christ: & the gouernaunce of our outwarde lyfe: it doth remayne & abyde styll in his full strength. These are those whiche are aduersa­ries to the lawe. Wherefore the Antinomians are deceyued out of measure, whiche holde a folyshe opinion that the teaching & monicions of the lawe oughte not to be had in the chur­ches. For the reason of man of his owne propre nature can not see how wicked we be: nor yet cā per­ceiue and vnderstande the wrath of God agaynst synne. Wherfore the readyng of the lawe is not to be refused, but to be kepte styll in our churches that in the law: as it were in a glasse we may behold our wicked and peruerse nature, oure vnryghtuousnes, and that therein we maye learne what for to do, & what thynges to flie and voied frō, while we be in this life. [Page]For the lawe of God is a lāte [...] to oure feete, The lawe of God is alan­terne to oure lyuyng. whiche teacheth vs howe for to go. By the takynge awaye of the lawe we are not set at libertie to liue vnhonestly and wickedlie after the desire of the fleshe: Nor it is abrogated and taken awaye from them, whiche do not beleue in Christe. The lawe is in his whole strēgth to thē which do not beleue. For the be­leuers (and none other) do receiue and put vpon them Christe by fayeth: by the whiche fayeth: in Christ they do apprehende and receyue the fulfillyng and perfour­maunce of the lawe: in whō also they do receyue the holie goste: by whom they are renued and sanc­tified. The spirite of god is the stea [...]er vp of all godlines in [...]s. For the spirite of Christe doth exitate and steare vp newe motions of the mynde, and more pure affections makinge vs de­sirous to embrace godlynes and vertue.

What be the motions and af­fections of the godlie, and what maner a thinge is the studie and desire to do well, and to lyue god­ly, and what maner of obedience they oughte to gyue to the tea­ching of the lawe, whiche are re­serued and saued by Christ. A briefe decl [...] ration of Psalme. This Psalme doeth declare & teacheth also what maner of men they be both within and wythout, which shall inhabite the holy mount of the Lorde. It doth not learne vs that we do deserue w ^t good wor­kes eternall lyfe: nor that wyth our workes we do satisfie for our sinne and offences. Remission of our sinne, out iustification & lyfe euerla­stynge are the giftes of God For the remis­sion or forgyuenes of synne and lyfe euerlastyng, are the giftes of God, not obteined and wonne by workes, bicause that no man shal be proude therof, nor glorie there at, in him selfe. The prophete also [Page]doeth shewe that they which a [...] godlie and faithful men in deede, are the churche of God: Who is the church of god and that thei and none other shal inha [...]ite the euerlasting kingdom of God. What maner of mē thei be which are godlie in deede, he doth shewe by the workes of fayeth, sayinge that those shall be the citisins of heauen whiche do entre in wyth out spotte and worke ryghtuous­nes. The workes of tayth de­cl [...] who [...]e [...]od [...]y.

Thys Psalme and these sentē ­ces of Paule (whiche folowe) are al one. They whiche do lyue after the flesh shaldie. Also there is no condempnation for them, whiche are in Christe Iesu. But what kynde of men those be, which are in Christe, he also declareth, say­inge: whiche do not walke after the flesh. So the Lorde him selfe sayth that the kyngdome of God [Page]shalbe taken away frō thē, which do not repent, Howe those textes are to be vnderstand & takē whiche do seme to make for the iustification of workes. and shall be gyuen to them whiche do brynge furth worthie fruites of repentaunce. These sayinges also of Christe do make for this purpose, saying. E­uerie tree whiche bryngeth not furth good fruites shall be cutte doune and throwen into the fire. Also: not euerie man which sayth Lorde Lorde shall entre into the kyngdo [...]e of heauen: but that doth the wyll of my father which is in heauen. Also: that God the father doth remitte synne to thē: whiche do forgyue theyr neigh bours faultes: and to them which wil not forgiue theyr neighbour, that the father wyll not forgyue theyr trespasses. These lessons do not teache howe we may be iusti­fied or by what meanes, but what maner of men they be whiche are [Page]iustified and made ryghtuou [...]e, to whom the merite of Christe is imputed & rekened freely for iu­stice and rightuousnes sufficient. To thys ende and purpose perteineth the other testimonies of the scriptures, which do semeto make our workes to be the cause of our iustification, or rather the iusti­fication it selfe.

¶ The Psalme.

¶ Lorde what ma [...] shall dwell in thy tabernacle, or who shal rest and abyde in thy holy hill.

MOyses in Exod. the xv. chap. calleth the lande of the Iewes, the hill of herytage: the house of God and the sanctuary of the Lord. Wyth thys maner of speakyng of Moy­ses [Page]some mē are induced and per­suaded in them selues to expoūde thys place, sayinge that herebye is ment the lande of the Iewes: the externe and outwarde religi­on and publike wealth of the Is­raelites. They do say & expounde these wordes, Howe the dwellynge in the tabernacle of the Lorde is vnderstand of many. the tabernacle and holy hyll to be spokē figuratlie by a figure caled sinechdoche (which is when the parte is taken for the hole) a [...] though by these wordes tabernacle and holy hyll: all the lande of Iurie shoulde be ment, where the Lorde ordeyned his re­ligion to be obserued wyth obser­uation of a ciuile lyfe. They do referre thys Psalme vnto the corporall & outwarde rewardes of the lawe, makyng thys sense and ex­position: sayinge, the Iewes: if they do not obey he Lorde: shall for theyr disobedience and wicked [Page]nes suffre many calamities a [...]d miseries: they shall be taken cap­tyue and bonde, beinge caryed a­waye to straūge and barbarous natiōs, & that all the lande where the Lorde dyd founde his religi­on, shalbe destroyed & made wast, wyth theyr holy temple and reli­gion also. But if they do obey and fulfyll the commaundementes of the Lorde: that then they shall dwel quietly & saftie in the lande of Iurie: they shall haue theyr religion and cōmune wealth styll, no man shal hurt them: Thys is (saye they) y ^t is ment by the dwel­ling in the holy tabernacle & holy hyll of the Lorde.

There is a lyke sayinge in the fyfth boke of Moyses called the Deutero. and. iiii. chap. sayinge. If ye do prouoke the Lorde to an­ger: I take heauen and earth to [Page] [...]nes, that you shall perishe: & that quickely furth of the lande whiche you shall possesse beyonde Iordayne, you shal not dwellōge therin. The Lorde shall put you furth and shall disperse and scat­ter you abrode one from an other amonge all nations. But for as much as the promises and threa­tenynges of God are to be taken and vnderstande for mokyndes of obedience or disobedience then one, and are to be referred to al a­ges: therefore lykewyse as the Iewes beinge rebels and disobe­dient to the Lorde: should be cast out of the whole lande of Iurie: euen so they shoulde be cast furth from the verie tabernacle and holy hyll: that is to saye, The tabern [...] ­cle and the hyare taken in two senses. from the kyngdome of God whiche is spi­ritual and triumphant.

The tabernacle & the holy hyll, [Page]as many other thinges lyke vn [...] these which are spoken in diuers places of the prophetes cōcerning the religion: the tēple and kyng­dome of Israel: are to be expoun­ded not onely of the corporal temple whiche we do se: and kingdom or lande of the Iewes, but also of the verie churche of God, of the kyngdom of God. The Lorde him selfe in Osee the fyrst chap. doeth wytnes, that the wicked Iewes shall leese not onely theyr tempo­rall possessions and promises, but also theyr spirituall, sayinge: you shall not be my people, nor I wyl not be your God. Euerie nation and age doth cal and name those thynges whiche are present with theyr cōmune and vsed vocables, the whiche thinges beinge chaū ­ged & altered, they do also chaūge the maner of callynge of them, & [Page] [...]ue them other names. The prophetes in theyr tyme called the church of God the tabernacle: What was the churche of God called a­monge the prophetes, & with what names they dyd vse to cal it, and how it is now amonge the christians. the holy hyll, the holy citie, the people of God, they called Iacob Israel, and Iuda. These names bicause they are nowe taken away & are no more vsed: therefore the chri­stians do vse other vocables more knowen to thē, calling the church the kyngdome of God, where as the Iewes called the tabernacle & holy hyll, Israll and Iacob. The wrytynges of Moyses almoste altogether, do shadowe to vs spiri­tuall thynges, inspeciallie those whiche are written of the taber­nacle, of the tēple, In what pla­ces the Lorde was worship­ped frō Moy­ses tyme tyll Salomon. and of the wor­shippyng of God. The worshhip­pyng of the Lorde was in the ta­bernacles or tentes frō the tyme of Moyses tyll the tyme of Salomon the kinge. The which Salomon [Page]by the commaundemente of the Lorde did builde vp a temple wherin the Lorde should be wor­shypped. So longe as Israellcō ­tinued not in one place: but was sometyme here & sometyme there, and in diuers daungers and pe­rils: so longe (I saye) as they dyd warre wyth straūge nations, the Lorde was worshipped in the ta­bernacle: but after that thei were at rest, their enemies being part­ly ouercome and subdued, partly distroyed, the Lorde was worshipped in the tēple honorobly, which Salomon dyd buylde for hym in mount Syon. What doeth the taberna­cle and mount Syon signi­ [...]i [...]. The prophete in thys place speakyng of the taber­nacle and mount Syon doeth fi­gure vnto vs the state of both the churches. He cōpareth & lykeneth the militant church to thē which did dwel in the tabernacle, which [Page]h [...]e do suffre many euils and in­numerable wronge, whiche conti [...]ually wythout takynge of anietruce do wage bataile, The m [...]litan [...] churche. with their owne propre naughtie desires & yll affectiōs, agaynst the mistrust and diffidence in the promise of God wyth the worlde, and wyth Sathan.

The triumphant church, The tei [...]ph [...] churche. that is to saye, whiche hath ouercome the world, the Deuyl and it selfe, wyth a [...]hir yll affections and de­sires, whiche is departed furth of the tentes of thys worlde and as­cended into heauen: He doeth ly­ken it to Israell, whiche, all his euylles ouercome and paste, hath sincerely without ante trouble or daunger worshypped the Lorde in the mounte Syon, whiche is called the holy hyll, or the hyll of holines, bicause that the Lorde [Page]whiche is holy in deede shoul [...] [...] worshypped in that place, whiche the Lorde did make and dedicate for religion, Wherefore was the moūt called holy. and for his heauenly seate, it is called holy, I saye vi­cause that the holy worde of God and the sacred misteries shoulde be there shewed and done. The whiche holy misteries beinge ta­ken furth of that same place, the hyl remayneth as all other hylles do, nothynge better then they. The scriptures do call p [...]aces ho­ly for the holy thynges which are there exhibited and done. Wh [...]o: eate plac [...] named [...]. Euen so Hierusalem is called an holy ci­tie: Chanaan: is called an holie lande. The mount Syon, an ho­ly hyll, the tabernacle also holy, the place where the Lorde appea­red fyrste to Moyses is called also holy, yea and the people an holie people. So wyth vs the faythfull [Page] [...] are called holy, Wherfore are the faythfull called holy. although of [...]eyr owne nature they be wic­ked, bicause that the holy one doth dwell in them, bicause they do embrace the holy worde of God, bi­cause they do vse the sacramētes, bicause they do cleaue to Christe & to the Lorde by fayeth, bicause that these thynges are holy thin­ges, therefore by them they are rudged holy. The whiche thinges beinge taken awaye they are wicked and vnholy. Some haue [...]urned and translated this worde of the texe (dwell) to be in a straūge place, whiche is not contrarie to the Hebrewe texte, for it permitteth & alloweth both translations well ynough, for to declare thys misterie, that godly men in thys world are pilgrims & straungers, and that they haue theyr beinge here, as it were in a wayfarynge [Page]or in a iourney wythout any [...] ­sion or place to byde in styll, and that theyr lyfe here in earth is no thynge els but a continuall wa [...] fare & beinge furth of theyr owne countre, as was the lyfe of the Iewes whyle they lyued in theyr tētes. Although that in thys present church (wherin men do leade theyr lyfe as it were in tentes in a felde) there be many great euils and daungerous perils: yet for al that so greate is the ben [...]ite and gyfte therof to be as a wayfaring man in thys churche or tabernacle: that none but suche as be godly and faythfull can obteyne it. Therfore the fyrst steppe to come to eternall lyse is to be admitted and receyued into thys tabernacle or churche of the Lorde. The fyrst step to eternal life. The seconde step or degree to blisse. The seconde is to be taken from thys tabernacle into the holy hil of the [Page]Lorde where the blessed do lyue wythout any trouble or care frō all warring, beinge deliuered frō all miserie and captiuitie. Thys is ment by the restyng in the ho­ly hyll. What the moūt Syon or the holy hil is, I haue declared in the seconde and thirde Psalme.

The meaninge of the prophete is. Who shall be reputed for the people of God? for whom shall the possession be: which the Lorde gi­ueth? who shall obteyne the blisse which is promised. He answereth and sayeth. He y ^t entereth in with out spotte, and worketh ryghtu­ousnes, that is to saye, whiche re­penteth wythall his herte of his misse lyfe & by fayth lyueth god­ly soberly, honestly & rightuously.

¶ The text.
¶ Who that entereth in wythout spotte.

To enter in without spotte, What it is to entre in wych out spotte. is not ment to be wythout synne: but by fayeth for to leade an ho­neste conuersation of lyfe with­out blame or doinge of any hurte as nere as a man maye: to keepe hym in his callyng vpright: with al diligence, to flee from vice, and to embrace vertue. For this word (entre in) is a vocable vsed com­munely in the company or cōuersation of men, not perteynyng to the inward innocencie and pure­nes.

¶ The text.
¶ And Worketh rightuousnes.

To worke ryghtuousnes is to begyuen to ryghtuous deedes & to do and deale ryghtuously: To worke rightousnes and by fayth to do that thinge which the Lorde commaundeth, that is to flee from euyll and to do good: [Page]wyth all thy herte: to shon & void those thinges which are forbiddē, & to folowe those thinges whiche are commaunded. Where as the scripture doeth saye: and call the walking in the lawe of God: to be innocent of thyne handes: & pure in herte: the selfe same thynge is to worke ryghtuousnes: and to entre in wythout spotte. These sentēces which do folowe, declare what it is to entre in wythout spotte, and to worke ryghtuous­nes. The Iewes were puffed vp wyth pride, bicause the Lorde did chose them before all other people to be his people: bicause the Lorde broughte them furth of Egypte, bicause he was their bulwarke & defence, bicause he did feede them louyngly in the deserte, These cause [...] made the I [...] ­wes pioud [...]. & bicause that he encreased them to be so greate a people, y ^t they were fēa­red [Page]of many kynges. Also bicause they came of Abraham, bicause they were of the bloude of the patriarches, bicause in the priesthod & excellēcie of their kingdō thei excelled all other, bicause they were in leage w ^t the Lorde, bicause the Lord did speake w ^t thē, bicause he sent his prophetes, & cōmitted to thē aboue al other his holy speach openyng to them his holie miste­rie, ordeynyng and foundinge a­monge them his true and perfect religion, teachynge themhowe to gouerne a cōmunaltie wyth a cō ­mune wealth, by honeste ciuil or­ders, & suche other lyke benifites whiche they receyued at the Lor­des hande: they presumed muche being not a litle proude for the obseruation of theyr ceremonies, & outwarde worshyppynge of the Lorde. They promised to thē sel­ues [Page]by thys prerogatiue, saluati­on and health, they iudged them selues to be the worthie worship­pers of the lorde, & that the glorie of eternall blisse shoulde perteine to them onely and to none other. Whiche folishe persuasiō & vaine superstition of the Iewes, the prophete in thys Psalme doth reprehende and rebuke, sayinge: that those are not the tokens of the verie people of God whiche they do thinke for to be: but cōtrarie wise that the people of God are kno­wen by the godlines of mynde, & pure innocencie of lyfe. Whereby the people of God are kno­wen. Excepte a man him selfe be godly disposed both in thought and deede: none outwarde thynge can make hym commendable and acceptable to God. For euerie man accordynge as he is godly, or otherwyse: so shal be be accepted or cast of. The [Page]sonnes & heyres of God, are those whiche are borne of God. They whiche are borne of bloude, of the wylle of the fleshe and of the wyll of mā, wyth God they are not takē for the heyres of God: nor shall rest in the holy hyll of the Lorde. Neither for the nobilitie and ex­cellencie of kynred or linage: nor yet for anie colour or cloke of reli­gion and holines: These out­werde gyfres do not declare vs to be the chyldren of God. no man shall be allowed & acceptable or pleasaunt in the face of the Lorde. Saynte Iames in his first chapter in few wordes declareth that, which the Prophete speaketh in many, say­inge. The true and perfecte religion is that, which keepeth a mā vndefiled, and cleane from the fithines of the worlde, whiche doth visite the widowes & orphaynes in theyr tribulations and afflictions. By these markes Thriste wil know his people, not by shauen crow­nes, nor dis­guised garmetes lyke play­ers. By these markes Christe at [Page]the later daye of iudgement shal & wyll acknowledge those whiche are his: sayinge to thē Come you and possesse the kyngdome prepa­red for you from the begynnynge of the world, for in my hūgar, you haue gyuen me to eate. &c. The mynde of the prophete is: that by innocencie of lyfe and purenes of minde we are acceptable and pleasaunt to the Lorde.

Although the prophete in this place maketh no mētion of fayth, The prophete speaketh of [...]orkes whi­ [...] do springe [...]rth of faith but of good workes onely: yet [...] muste thynke no lesse, but that [...] speaketh of those good workes, whiche do procede from faith. For what so euer is [...] of fayth [...] synne. Verely nom [...] good. That [...] in wythout [...], nor yet [...] ­keth ryghtuou [...]. [...] an vnfaythfull mynde [...] [Page]doth worke or rather coūterfette the workes of the lawe. Dorkes w ^t out fayth. Those mē whiche in the Gospell sayed that they had prophecied, y ^t they had caste furth deuyls, that they had done many vertues and miracles in the name of Christe: Although that they dyd boste them of theyr good workes, yet for all that they are called the workers of iniqui­tie: not y ^t the deede which thei did was euyl, but bicause it was not done of fayth. Also the workes of the pharasies being in their owne kinde good are cōdēned of Christ: not bicause they were not good, but bicause they were done with out fayth. Lykewyse in many places of the prophetes the sacrifices w ^t oblations: holy dayes & other worshyppynges of the Lorde: are not estemed but caste awaye: not that they be euyl workes, but bi­cause [Page]thei were not done by faith bicause thei were not agreable to the word of god. For euerie thing whiche is done by fayth is also al­lowed & cōmended by the worde of God. All thinge not agteable to the worde of God is eupl. Wherefore that thynge can not be good whiche doth dif­fer from the worde of God.

¶ The texte.
¶ The which speaketh veritie in his herte.

To speake the veritie & truth wyth the tonge, to worke no gile to thy neighbour, to deserue none opprobry or rebuke, to hate the wicked and to loue those whiche are godlie, not to be forsworne, but to perfourme y ^t whiche thou doest swere, to healpe the needie with thy money wythout vsury, and to iudge rightuously, al these in them selues are good deedes, [Page]but if thei be done without fayth, The best workes that meye be done being not done by fayth are dis­proued of the Lords. before God thei do leese the name of all Goodnes. When that the prophete doth say, y ^t they whiche do keepe all these, can neuer be remoued nor taken away from the tabernacle of God, and from the holy hyl of the Lorde: He doth in­clude also w ^t these workes fayth: gyuynge vs to vnderstande that he speaketh of those workes which are the proceedinges from a true fayth, as the workes of fayth. For wythout fayth it is vnpossible to please the lorde or to come to euer lastynge blisse. When thou doest heare good workes commended & praysed in the scripture: beinge no mention made of fayth: thou muste alway coniecture & [...]ynke verely that by those good workes are ment the workes whiche do come and springe of fayth. [Page]To speake the veritie, is to speake the thinge as it is in deede w ^tout gyle or craft, to keepe touch in all thi promises & to do al thing faith fully w ^t a true & an vnfeined hert To speake the veritie, is to speake & to deale like an honest mā, plain­ly and openly, without dissimulation, fraude or gyle, wythout staterie, wythout all doublenes and wyth a good hert. The Lorde doth require the inwarde purenes of hert, as well as the out­warde. By the lawe of God veritie and truth is not a­lone required in oure wordes and promises, but therto also to haue a gentle herte, and a pure sinceritie of myndes annexed & ioyned. For the veritie and truth often tymes maye be spoken of those whiche be craftie and subtyl men: yea to the hurte of an other man. The wicked wyll speake veritie to hu [...] their neigh­bours: & that they maye be beleued the better when they do lye & speake false tales. Therefore the Psalme doth bidde vs speake the truth with hert not feinedly and wyth a loue not coū ­terfeted. [Page]For the wordes or com­munication whiche is had wyth out any dissimulatiō of any part, and wyth a pure herte muste be wythout all gyle and crafte. For they which be true mē haue that in theyr myndes whiche they do speake wyth theyr mouthes, they doe not gyue fayre wordes out­warde hauynge a corrupte and a craftie mynde.

¶ The text.
¶ He that hath not Wro­ught gyle with histōge

By thys sentence are reproued not only craftie and deceitful people whiche do speake wyth theyr tonges, lyes and false tales. But also al hypocrites which do teach the word of God not wyth a pure mynde, Hypocrites are here noted whiche flatter for promoti­ons and de­ceyue the peo­ple wyth their false doctrine yea and those which for promotions do teache the ve­ritie, deniyng it in their hert whiche do not seeke wyth all theyr hertes after the glorie of [Page]God, and health of the church, for the whiche the ministerie of the worde is instituted and ordeined: But to winne the loue & fauoure of the people, and seeke after their owne commoditie and profites, & suche other thynges as wycked myndes do vse to hunte after vn­dre the colour and cloke of vertue and godly religion. Thys kynde of men wyth theyr mouth doeth speake the truth: but wyth their hertes thei do lye and tel falshod.

Where as oure translatoure hath turned and translated thys word, to worke gyle and craft. In the Hebrue it is writtē: diffamed, accused, or backbited. The tonge is gyuen as all other membres of the bodie, to set furth the glorie of God, the profite & wealth of thy neighboure, who that doeth vse his tonge otherwyse: who that [Page]doeth wyth his tonge backebite his neighbour, who that hurteth his neyghbours good fame and name, shall not rest in the holy hil of the Lorde, nor shal dwel in his tabernacle. It is y ^t dutie of pure and perfecte charitie to defende the good estimation of thy neighbour: The office of perfecte charitie towardes thi neighbour to keepe and mayteine loue amonge men, much lesse to suffre thy neighbour to be brought out of good name by sclaunders and diffamations, much lesse [...] suffre any seedes of discorde and debate to be sowed and throwen among men.

¶ The text.
¶ He that hath not done euyl to his neighbour.

That is to saye, he that hath dealte iustly and louyngly wyth his neighbour, whiche hath hurt [Page]or hindered his neighbour in no­thynge, but wyth good turnes hath holpen him to the best of his power.

Who is oure neighbour. Our neighboure is called eue­rie mā wythout exceptiō bicause we are all the creatures beinge the handiworke and made of one God, begot of one father, bicause we are set in one felowshyppe in thys worlde, as it were in one cō ­mune wealth, wherein one man hath neede of the others healpe, and counsell. Christe doth call thē neyghboures whiche haue neede one of the others ayde and healpe Not only our friendes and them whiche we do loue: but also oure enemies muste be taken to be our neighbours, Wherefore, must we call oure enemies, oure neygh­bours. bicause that we are also cōmaunded to loue them by precepte and expresse commaundement.

¶ The text.
¶ Nor hath not receiued and admitted any oppro­brie & sclaunder agaynste his neighbour.

Lykewyse as good and goodly men do couet to haue their owne good fame and name whole wyth out ani maner of sclaūder among good men: euen so they do defēde y ^e good name of their neighbour in theyr absence, nor wy [...]l suffre their good fame to be minished w ^t any sinister reporte, they wyl not gyue their eares, nor herkē to the voices of sclaūderous, and backe­biting personnes, they can not suffre them. What is to say, not to re­ceyue oppro­brie againste thy neygh­bour. Not to receyue the op­probrie agaynst theyr neighbour, is not to suffre nor abyde, nor be contente wyth any thynge that shal be spokē against their neigh­bours [Page]honestie. They do offende, A godly man ought not to here his neighbours spoken yl of both he that doeth sclaunder and he also which doth gyue eare and harkeneth to his sclaunderouse wordes. For there is neither of them good, they be both cleane cō trarie to godly loue, and perfecte charitie, which we do owe to our neighbour, the one in speakynge euyl, the other in hearyng of him wyth delyte therat.

¶ The texte.
¶ The wicked is brou­ghte to naughte in his syght. Those whiche do feare hym, he doeth glo­rifie.

That is to saye, a godly man doth not regard, nay, doth esteme hym as nothynge, whiche is a di­spiser of God and his neighbour: [Page]although he be neuer so excellent and passe all other neuer so much in wysedome, Riches & high estimation in [...]uys worlde ought not to be regarded in vngodlines: not the poore dispised, w [...]ts the do lyue & [...] the lorde in byrth, in glorie, and lordshippes, in riches & other suche gaye thynges whiche for­tune vseth to gyue. On the other syde y ^e mā which feareth the lorde hym he doeth louyngly embrace: he hath hym in good estimation: he vseth him reuerētly, although in this world, he be neuer so pore, neuer so lowe and base of bloud, be he neuer so muche an [...]biecte, bicause he doth loue, and reuerenseth God in hym, lykewyse as in the wycked he dyd deteste and abhorre synne, The godl [...]e & wicked are Cleane contra­rie: therefore they can not be together wythout di­stimulation. and so Sathan the deuyl. God neuer would that the godly should be ioyned in amitie and friendshyppe wyth the vn­godly. In the primityue and fyrst age of men, God dyd commaunde and forbidde that the chyldren of [Page]the godly shoulde keepe company with the chyldren of men, that is to saye, wyth those men, whiche are al together giuen and addic­ted to thys world. Also the Lorde dyd warne the Iewes from the company and cōuersation of the gentiles. What is mēt by the chyldrē of men in the scripture. The apostles did forbid vs that we should not say to thē whiche are deceyuers of men, so muche as God speede, neither to haue any maner of cōpany wyth the wycked: bicause there can be no good felowshippe betwene the godly and the vngodly, The godly is forbidden to keepe cōpany with the wic­ked. no good mache of ryghtuousnes, and vn­ryghtuousnes together: no felow shyppe of lyght and darkenes, no cōcorde nor loue betwene Christe and Beliall, nor no maner of con­sent betwene the temple of God and Idols. They be ryght contrarie the one to the other, vertue [Page]and vice, he that loueth the one, can not chose but hate the other. Here I woulde desire al christian men to marke and see: howe those men whiche can turne them into mo faciōs, then euer coulde Pro­theus might, Those men whiche can [...] of Thrist. whiche can worke & strue for the place that thei be in, for all seasons, all maners of men, al affections, whiche wyll be familiar and friendes wyth all kynde of men (they care not wyth whō) howe vaine they be, I saye: howe greate liars: howe farre from the truth: a [...]d finally howe farre frō the kyngdome of God and from his holy hyll they be. The godly here in thys worlde, and al in one commune wealth muste lyue a­monge the vngodly, therfore they can not cleane eschewe and flee the cōpanie of the wicked. More­ouer it shal not be lawfull for the [Page]godly sort to thrust furth of their abydynges the vngodly and wicked. The euyl wyl alway do wel amonge the good. If so be, they be after a ci­uill maner of facion good and honeste, and not blasphemous a­gaynst God, priuate men, whiche haue none authoritie to punishe must suffre and beare wyth their wickednes. Shewe no familiaritie, nor loue to the wiched leste thou appeare to allowe and cōmende their wickednes. But for to beare such loue vnto them, or to gyue to thē such honor, as though we should seme to allowe & be content wyth their wickednes: that is not comely, that is not meete for a christi­an and a godly herte. Therefore the prophete dyd speake expresly, saying that the good men haue & do count wicked dispisers of God and of theyr neighboure: to be in their sight as nothing. Although that for a publike honestie and a good trāquilitie or quietnes in a commune wealth: the vertuous [Page]sort do meddle or haue to do with the wicked after a cruil maner of trade & conuersation: yet in their hertes, there is nothynge more detestable, more vile, and filthie then the wicked are to them: yea though they do weare Skarlet: though they be decte wyth golde and precious stones, bicause the godly doth knowe them to be the enemies of Christe, the vile and moste wretched slaues of the De­uyl, of Sathan, & the verie baite of hell. The godly do iudge by the inwarde part and not by the [...] & out­warde. The godly man doeth not iudge and deeme of men by theyr outwarde person and behauour: but by their inwarde godlines & vertue, or by their rightuousnes, which is from the herte: and contrarie. Therefore he dispiseth the wycked men, though they be cled wyth purple, & loueth the godly, yea though they be al to ragged. [Page]For those which be good men and feare the Lorde, they are not one­ly precious in the eye of godly mē but also the vertuous men do ho­nour and glorifie them: what it is to glorifie the godly. that is to saye, they do loue them, they do reuerence them, they healpe them, & do for thē those thynges, which perteyne to their estimation, dig­nitie, and profite.

Although that is sufficiently manifeste and made open (as I thynke) by the exposition and de­claration of thys verse, that the godly and christian men oughte not in any wyse, lyue & keepe cō ­panie, nor to haue any maner of familiar conuersation wyth the wicked (those I saye) whiche do lyue wickedly which do resist the worde of God: yet, forasmuche as I do see, yea those men whiche woulde seme to be godly in deede: [Page]that they do call and bidde open­ly to their feastes, to their marri­age, banketynge, and into their dayly cōuersation, and company, not onely to receyue and admitte suche as are the enemies of God, but also to seeke after, and to la­bour for their loue & friendshippe to make friendes to them to be in their fauoure, and that to theyr owne great dammage and hurte of theyr health, to the damnation of theyr soules. I thought it ther fore both meete, conuenient and necessari in this place, some thing to speake and adde to our exposi­tion: concernynge the argument and matter: howe that the godly ought not to keepe cōpanie wyth the wicked, [...]ette not the [...]odi [...] in any [...] wise compani [...]yth the wi [...] ­ [...]ed. that by that meanes they maye the soner be broughte from theyr wycked purpose, and I in so doing maye discharge my [Page]conscience and worke health vnto me. All godly men ought to shou and voyed the conuersation, company and resorte of the wicked no lesse then Sathan hym selfe, whō they do knowe to be aduersaries vnto the worde of God, to be let­ters and hinderers of the setting furth of the true religiō of Christ obscurers & darkeners (as muche as lyeth in them) of the glorie of God, & verie enemies to all those thynges, whiche do perteyue to oure health & saluation. For they whiche do keepe companie wyth the aduersaries of Christe, & ene­mies of oure true christian religi­on, they do synne agaynst the opē and manifest worde of God, they do differre from the exemples of al godly and vertuous men, they do worke agaynst reason, agaynst the mynde of al wise men, against [Page]naturall honestie, yea agaynst nature her selfe, they do more hurte by theyr exemples, then the wyc­ked w ^t all their wickednes myght do, and become the occasion to many other, of eternall and endeles forowes. The cause [...] the [...] shoulde [...] from [...] con [...] ­pan [...]. Excepte that suche men by repentaunce do amende these faultes: they shal heape vp to thē their owne distructiō, and at the laste purchase eternall damnati­on. Thys is not so lyghte a mat­ter as many men do thynke it to be. Men the accompt & rekenyng shalbe made & giuen vp hereafter to the Lorde: then they whiche do make them selues so wise, bicause that vnder any coloure of religi­on they haue bene familiar wyth the wicked, shall see, and perceyue howe greate a sinne it is, to haue their felowshyppe and to keepe cō pany wyth them. There is no so­bre [Page]and honeste brayne, but kno­weth that it is an houge offence to do anie thynge agayuste the worde of God. But they whiche do keepe companie wyth the wic­ked, do offende and transgresse a­gainst the manifest worde of god. For the scripture doth forbid and condemne al suche maner of felow shyppe, as by the scriptures solo­wing shalbe declared.

Paule to the Thessalon. the .ii. ii. Thessa. iii. Epist. and iii. Chap. If any man doe not obey oure worde by thys our epistle: marke hym well, and company not wyth hym that he maye be confounded. ii. Corhin. vi. And the .ii. to the Corthin. & vi. Chap. Beare you no yoke wyth the vnbeliefe: go you furth from the myddest of them, be you seperated from them sayeth the Lorde, and touch none vncleane: and I wyl take you vp. [Page]Also the fyrst, 1. Torain. v. Cor. v. If any man whiche is called a brother: be a whoremonger, a man gyuen to couetousnes, a worshypper of Images, a brawler & a chidar, a dron­karde, a thiefe, with such you shal not so muche as once eate meate And Ecclesiasticus sayeth in the nynth Chapter. Ecclesiasti­cus [...]. With wyse and prudent men haue you to do, and let iuste men be thy gestes, at thy table. Eccles [...]. xxi. Also Ecclesiasticus. xxi. Receyue not into thine house an vngodly, and gyue to the wicked no thinge: forbid to gyue him bread. Paule to the Ro. xvi. Roma. xvi. I do praye you bretherne take heede and be­ware of them, which do make di­ssention and sclaunders againste the doctrine which you haue lear­ned: keepe you from them. And to Titus the thyrde. Titus. iii Voyed and shonne the cōpany of an heretike [Page]after once or twise warning. Math .xviii. The Lorde also in Mathe .xviii. she­weth vs y ^e such personnes ought to be to vs as Ethnikes and publicans. Saint Iohn in his secōde Epistle sayeth. If a man comme to you and brynge not thys doc­trine wyth hym, that is to saye, the apostolicall doctrine, receyue hym not in to yont houses, nor once salute hym. For who y ^e doth say to him, so much as god speede: is pa [...]aker of his yll workes. Be­holde I do giue you warning be­fore: bicause you should not be cō founded in the daye of the Lorde.

These testimonies of the scrip­tures do prohibite and forbid not onely the conuersation and com­pany of the wicked men, but also they do make the godly giltie of other mennes faultes & synnes, whose company they do vse: she­wing [Page]to vs two necessary & profitable causes: wherefore thys was commaunded. For what cause [...] the [...] of the wicked forbid [...]. The fyrste cause is that the wycked, being expelled & put furth of the company of the godly, maye take shame: & so tho­rowe shame be brought to repen­t [...]unce and amendement. The se­conde cause is, y ^t the godly should take none infection thorowe the cōuersation of the wicked. For as saynt Paule doth warne and coū sell vs by a certeyne verse [...] Me­nander: laying, euyll communication doth corrupte & marre good maners. And wyckednes doeth creepe as a cāker gnawing round about as it goeth hurtynge and bryngyng, foule corruption ther­to. And lykewyse as he that doth touche pyche, is arayed and defiled therwyth, the pyche cleuynge to hym, and also as the prouerbe [Page]doth teach vs, they muste needes learne to halte which dwell with the Deuyl, euen so they do degender frō goodnes and waxe worse whiche do keepe cōpany wyth thē whiche are vngodly.

Solomon in all maner of wyse dome did passe and excel all other kynges, Soloman yet for al that by the company, and conuersation of wicked wyues, he was brought into the detestable vice of Idolatrie. So muc [...] churte may the conuersasi­on of euyll people do, wherefore the godly all that they can, must forsake and flee there frō: if they wyll keepe them vndefiled. Al­though that our myndes were so stronge, stedfast, and surely stablished in godlines and knowledge of God, that the company of them coulde not doe vs any maner of hurte: yet for these causes we [Page]ought not to be cōuersaunt with them: The cō [...]aun­dement of the Lorde may be ble [...]d wyth no cloke. nor to contracte any ma­ner of amitie wyth them, bicause the Lorde commaundeth the contrarie, that we shall not do so, to the entent that we be not come giltie of the synne of the wycked, wyth whom we do acquaynt our selues: and so to brynge vpon vs by our owne faulte the greuouse vengeaunce of the wrath of the Lorde. That the lorde is nothing pleased: naye greatly disp [...]eased, that the godly shoulde keepe company wyth the wicked: Iosaphat is [...]eb [...]ked forcō paning with [...]hab. Para. xix. the Pro­phet Iehu beareth witnes, which dyd rebuke Iosaphat the good & godly kynge, bicause that wicked Achab (whiche was enemie to the Lorde and he were friendes together, and bicause y ^t he dyd healpe that wicked man: the seconde of Paralipo. xix. Also the Lorde dyd [Page]stryke good kyng Iosaphat with great losse of good men, bicause that he was in leage with wicked Ochozias. ii. Paral. xx. All godly men alwaye haue voyded them selues from the cōpany of the wicked, iudgyng that such conuersation shoulde displease the Lorde highly. The Iewes beinge lear­ned and taughte by the miserie & miserable calamitie, and captiui­tie of Babilon: what a greuous matt [...] it is not to obey the lorde: howe sore the Lorde doth punish and plage the disobedience to his worde: when they were returned and came agayne into the lande of Iewrie, consideryng wyth thē selues & weighing in their minde what an in tollerable delicte and offence it was to vse that cōpany which was forbiddē, they did put awaye their wyues, whiche were [Page]straungers, whom they dyd loue excedingly wel, frō them, chosing rather to putte and sende awaye both theyr wyues and chyldren, then against the worde of God to keepe them company, the first Es­dras. xi. xii. [...]. xi. xii.

Dauid in this Psalme amōge the chiefe benifites & ornamētes whiche the godly hath, doeth re­ken thys to be the principal: that they shall dwell in the tavernacle of the Lorde, and that they shall rest in the holy hyll, and that in theyr sighte the wicked are dispi­sed. Truly it is the chiefe prayse that anse godly mā can haue, nay he can haue no greater, then that he can hertely confesse the Lorde in all thynges, not to passe or re­garde the iudgemente of men, to forsake & cast of the conuersation and company of the wicked.

Thys veritie and truth, a christian cōfession and knowledging of God doth require. He that neglecteth thys, he doth go backe frō his promise, he doth not professe y ^e religion of Christe as he ought to doinaye, he doeth dishoneste thys religiō which agaynst the worde of God is friende wyth the wic­ked, preferryng the loue and ami­tie of the vngodly before the pre­cepte of God. Dauid dyd boste that he absented him selfe from the wicked. Thus dyd Dauid bost him selfe of the knowledge of God and of his worde, reioysyng that alwaye he despised the loue and fauour of them, whiche were vngodly: although he did it with great perill and daunger. & that he would alway continue in that mynde as by these wordes in the xxvi. Psalme appeareth: sayinge, I haue not sit in companie wyth men, whiche are full of lyes, and [Page]falshod: and wyth them which do worke vnryghtuousnes, I wyll not entre in. I haue hated the cō gregation of the wicked, & wyth the vngodly I wil not sit downe. I wyl washe my handes amonge them, whiche are innocent, and so wyll I go to thyne alter, O Lorde. By these wordes of reioy­synge what doth Dauid elles de­clare & shewe: but that it is both execrable and wicked, to be famili­arly & friendly conuersaunt with the vngodly, to talke wyth them, to seeke for their loue and fauour and to delite in their company.

Good Lorde howe shal they excuse them selues, what shall or cā these falfe euangelical personnes ley for them selues before God a­gaynst the worde of God which is so manifest agaynst the exemples of so many godly men, whiche for [Page]lucre & their owne carnal wealth in thys great tribulation and af­fliction, or rather in so houge and cruell persecution of the churche do hunt after the loue & fanoure of the moste wicked sorte of Car­dinals, bishoppes, and other high prelates: yea monkes, chanons & friers, not so muche as six Iohn & sir Williā, wyth the poore Requiem priestes, vnto the verie dreg­ges and moste vilest and stinkyng sorte of the popishe kyngdome of Antechriste, omitted & neglected? If they wyl make thys excuse for them selues: sayinge, that they do no harme and are good mē them selues. I wyl answere to them a­gaine & say. If they be good men: Agaynst false Gospell prea­chers whiche do flatter w ^t the vice of mē wherfore do not they obey to the worde of God: wherefore do they lyue in the wicked felowshippe of the vngodly: for what cause do [Page]they (as well as the other) fauour and mainteyne pharisaicall and popishe superstitiōs: finally why do they wyth the aduersaries of God, allowe, stablish and cōfirme the cruel tiranuie of the Romish Antechriste? It is not ynough to say with wordes, that they do embrace vertue and godlines, & not to folow, or rather in their deedes openly to denie it. Verely it is necessarie that our wordes & deedes be accordynge to our mynde, and our mynde wyth our wordes and deedes all one: so that our mynde do not differ frō the lyuely worde of God. There be many papistes whiche when they be at feastes & bankettes, [...] those [...] clo­ked [...]. when they do cōmē w ^t these men or those men, whō they do know to loue the Gospel of the lorde: outwardly cā shewe a fayre face, and wyth a gaye loke can co­uer [Page]& hide their deuelish though­tes and myndes layed vp in the deepe stinkinge dongelle of their stomakes. But when the matter of our religion, of our saluation, of ecclesiastical ministration, and ministers, moste godly ordeyned and instituted: of the right vse of the goodes of the churche, of the popishe Symony to be redressed, of gyuynge of the ordres of the churche to thē which are meete & able to receyue them: of the refor­mation of the vicious lyuynge of the clergie, with other bolde and whorishe facions of them: is ear­nestly communed of, for a reformation: then do they stande vp and bend their selues directly against the worde of God (whereunto all thinges ought to giue place) then do they alledge against the worde of God their moste wicked & damnable [Page]vowes, What allega­tions do the papistes vse agaynste the worde of god their othes whiche they haue taken, their liberties, francheses, priuileges, the grauntes of Emperours and kynges, the decrees of counsels, the ordi­naunces of theyr Elders, the pro­cesses whiche haue paste in iudgementes, customes, olde facions, the decrees of the commune law, but what decrees? Those truely whiche do make & serue for their purpose, to the mayntenaunce of their Papisticall libertie of their vniuste gaynes & lucre, not those wherby the ministers of y ^e church were well gouerned and ruled in the olde time & yet myghtebe, w ^t suche other Popishe & mōstrous obiections for the defence of theyr wyckednes. And when they be a shamed to beholde and see theyr shameful abhomination so manifesse that all the wrolde doeth perceyue [Page]it, then they do make as though they were sory for it, they do lament it wyth counterfeited syghes, they do wyshe and desire that there myghte be a good re­dres for suche thynges as are a misse. The which, though they do desire in deede, yet the selfe same desire doeth declare, that they be vngratious & wicked hypocrites, bicause that the worde of God is of more authoritie then the de­crees of counsels, whiche decrees are cleane wypte awaye & made voyed, when they be agaynste the sacred & holy doctrine of the lorde. Wherefore then do they alledge, ley for them, and cloke theyr wyc­kednes, wyth the authorities of counsels? All popishe decrees and canons they do allowe & cōmende but those whiche are the decrees of Christe and his apostles, they [Page]cā not abide to heare once named. What auayleth to be prolix and longe in rehearsall of all theyr popery, of al theyr craftie iudgeling. They are nothyng els but clokes & colours, wherwyth gladly they would deceiue & begile y ^e churche. I do bequeth them to thē selues, lette them playe the craftie marchauntes as longe as the lifte.

This I am sure of, y ^t in the whole popishe couent there is not one from the highest to the lowest, w ^t whō a godly man wythout offēce and displeasure of the Lorde, can be conuersaunt and keepe company, bicause they are aduersaries to Christe to his veritie and ordinaūces, they are enemies mortall vnto his churche, bicause they be nothynge better then bealy bea­stes, spendyng and cōs [...]myng the patrimony & goodes of y ^e churche [Page]in all kynde of ydlenes and abhominable fyithines of lyfe, After thys fa­cion hath the popishe army teiumphed in Englande a­gaynst God & his church m [...] ny yetes. wyth sworde, wyth fyer, wyth gebbet, wyth racke, with al kynde of tirā ny, defendyng that the goodes of the churche shoulde not be distri­buted accordynge to the true vse wherefore they were ordeyned & gyuen. Tell me nowe thou false euāgelical mā what so euer thou art, wyth what cōscience or right canst thou be in amitie and loue with a papist which is the enemy both of God and man? howe canst thou keepe him cōpany & offende not? wyth what cloke canst thou illude and put awaye the testimonies of the scriptures and exem­ples of other godly men? what excuse canst y ^u make to God, whiche is a rightuous iudge, whiche knoweth the hertes of all men & iud­geth ryghtuously? Wo shal be to [Page]the. Thy part & portion shalbe w ^t the wycked Popishe Hypocrites, which dost leane & beare thy selfe on a staffe of reede as the prophet sayth which shall go thorowe thy hande, and confounde the, & thou shalt haue thy worthy rewarde.

There, Vnder the [...]o­lo [...] of [...] [...]ie and good behauour thei w [...] cloke their wickdnes cal­ [...]ng it good man [...]. be which do colour and paynt theyr wicked conuersation wyth the coloure of honeste ciuilitie and good maner: sayinge, that it is good maner to shewe reue­rence and to gyue honoure to thē though they be vngodly: yea, and they were the enemyes of Christ. Some do cloke it wyth cōsanguinitie and nighnes of bloude, al­ledgynge theyr kynred. Some do dreame on the great profites and benifites, whiche they haue receyued at theyr handes before tyme. And finally howe many can you fynde, I praye you, of these godly [Page]desposed, whiche cā not fynde one hole or other to escape out of, whiche can not fynde one thynge or other to mittigate and swage theyr offences: if thei do perceiue y ^t they are not able to make theyr matter good? But what do they els, then manifest and make open theyr owne impietie, beinge no lesse thē impietie and wyckednes to preferre good maners and fa­cions of men before the commaun dement of God? But these godly men: I woulde that they woulde tel me: for what cause. Whetfore ex­cōmunication was ordeyned Christe dyd institute and ordre in the church, the payne of excommunication. By what authoritie & lawe durst Paule be so bolde to gyue y ^t man to the Deuyl, which was founde giltie of fornication: wherefore shoulde he caste and expulse hym furth of the company of the godly i. Corhin. v. [Page]men, if it had ben lawefull for thē to be conuerīaunt and familiar wyth the wycked and vngodly? What was in Paule his mynde to cōmaund the Corhinthes that they shoulde not mixte thē selues nor take any meate w ^t a whoremō ger, with a man gyuen to coue­tousnes, wyth an Image wor­shypper: wyth a brawler, wyth a dronkarde and suche other kinde, of men, whiche not repentyng do stande styl in theyr synne against the preceptes & commaūdemētes of the Lorde, and yet for all that wyll be called bretherne.

Yet thou wylte say peraduenture, that the Popishe priestes, monkes, chanons, by shoppes and other lyke of that affinitie be not brethern But thou art deceiued. For they wyll be called Christian men: yea, they woulde appeare [Page]to mens eyes double christen men so religious, so holy that it is not possible more. Thei do feyne them selues to be the pillars of the churche. Thē must thei needes be comprehended & cōteyned within the limites of the name of bretherne, and so called bretherne. And for asmuche as they be christian men and wyllynge to appeare before mennes eyes none otherwyse: it doth perteine to vs to gyue iudge mēt of them, to dryne them furth of the companie of the godly, & to flee theyr cōuersation as longe as theyr maners, liues & teachinges be euyl and cōtrary to the worde of God. Lette the friendes of the vngodly, inuent, feyne, ymagin, thinke & deuise what coloure and pretēce that they cā to cloke their wickednes wyth: thys one thinge I am sure of, that they which are [Page]ioyned in amitie wyth such deue­lishe and cursed people, which do giue any maner of honour to thē, whiche do gyue the highe places, seates, and vpperhande to them, whiche haue them I saye in any maner of estimation: that for so doynge they can make none ex­cuse to the Lorde, y ^t wyll or maye be allowed, bicause they do and worke of a sette purpose, for the nonce, and wyllyngly agaynste God, and his commaundemente, they do participate the synnes of other men. Wherfore except they do repent, although they do seme outwardly vertuous and godly: yet shal they perish as wel as the manifest & open workers of euyl. Suche as are well apayed wyth the company of the wycked, they do make a lyghte thynge of the cō tempt of the Lorde, as thoughe it [Page]were a trifull or a verie smal matter: or els they would not delite so much in the conuersation of that cursed generation of the papistes as they do: wherefore they shall not reste in the hyll of the Lorde: nor shall dwell in his tabernacle.

What do we speake of the testimonies of the scriptures? The verie naturall reason of man doeth muche disalowe and improue the cōuersation of such vngratious, vngedly, and maliciously disposed people: oure natural reason doth affirme these also to be the ene­mies of God and of Christe, Naturall rea­son teacheth vs to voyed the company of the wicked. high treason workers to the church of God, haters & dispisers of al godlines and of the health of oure soules, whiche do seeke to be acquainted and familiar with the wicked bicause thei do ioyne them selues to them, and so holde vp, confort, [Page]ayde, and strength them, whiche are the manifest open enemies of God and Christe: the cruel enstrumentes of the Deuy [...]l, furious, madde; and ragynge enemies of the churche the plage & pestilence of our health, persecutours of all vertue, mockers and scoffers of al godlines, which are so far gone beyonde al shame, y ^t they doubte not openly to resist the worde and or­dinaunces of God, lyuynge as all men maye see in all abomination of lyfe. The naturall loue and fauoure that we do beare to our parentes and to our countrey doth detest ond abhorre the company of those men, [...] goodly si­militude pro [...]i [...]ing by a lesse that whiche is more. whiche haue done any foule displeasure to them, or haue wroughte any maner of hurte to the coūtrey, by what reason then can a godly and vertuous man abyde the syghte (muche lesse the [Page]company) of those mē, which with opprobrious wordes do burdene and lade downe the worde of God the Gospell of Christe, whiche do hyndre it as muche as is in them frō doinge of profite to the flocke of Christe, whiche do alway lye in watche to hurte the health of the churche: whiche do detest and ob­horre the louers and friendes of God and of Christe, worse then a­ny dogge or snake: whiche in open cōte [...]pt of the Lorde do wallowe like swine in al kinde of mischefe. Thou shalt be of God, and al godly men as muche praysed for kee­pyng company wyth such maner of people: as if thou haddest kepte cōpany w ^t the Deuils good grace him selfe, whose gallāt capitaines and souldiers they be. There can be nothynge thoughte more vn­iust, more vile, then to company [Page]thy selfe wyth suche as be the ad­uersaries of our Lorde and soue­reigne sauiour Iesu Christ, of his church, and to haue them in any maner of estimation, whiche do not regarde oure christian religion, wiche do loeth the obedience & keepyng of the preceptes and commaūdementes of the Lorde. The wyse men of the gentils thought it meete to loue and fauour their friendes, so longe as they touched no [...] the alt are (y ^t is to say) so [...]onge as their Gods whō they worshipped were not dishonoured ther­by, The infidel [...]s [...]ferred their [...]eligiō before [...]ll friendship. preferring their vayne religiō (suche as it was) before all maner of friendshippe of men. The chri­stian men are muche worse, more wicked then the gentils, which cā fynde in theyr hert to loue and fauour them, whiche are open ene­mies to Christe, and his religion, [Page]whiche can fynde in theyr hert to playe the hypocrites wyth the wicked and open stynkynge papistes, colourynge & clokyng theyr dete­stable impietie & traitorie against God. To conclude the whole matter in fewe wordes, suche men as wyl playe on both the handes are not worthy to be called christiās.

If thou doest go thys waye to worke (you wyl say to me) thē you shal make Christ not to be Christ, Obiection. nor to be rekened amonge the christians: you shall dryue also Paule furth of the churche. For both of them were conuersaunt amonge the wicked. The Euangelistes do testifie that Christe dyd eate and drynke wyth the Pharaseis: and that he hearde the Pharaseis ob­iecte against hym, sayinge that he was a friende of the publicans & synners. Saynt Paule also spea­kyng [Page]of himselfe, sayed y ^t he was made all thynge to all maner of men: to the weake, weake, to the Iewes: as a Iewe, to the gentils, whiche were wythout a lawe, as a gentil w ^tout a lawe Wherfore may not we do as Christe and his Apostle Paule dyd. To thys ca­uillation I do answere, that nei­ther Christe nor Paule dyd keepe any cōpany with them that were obstinate and stubburne wycked. When thei were amonge the wicked, thei knewe wel y ^t they should wynne some of them to God. As Paule declared merueilous well, Wherfore did Christe and his apostles keepe compa­ [...]y wyth the wicked, and what sorte of wicked they were. sayinge, that he was to al men after al theyr faciōg: not to be wray and betray the christian religion, not to creepe into the bosome and fauour of the impenitent and de­sperate sorte: for his owe profite, (as many euāgelical brethern vse [Page]for to do) but that he myghte do some good amonge them, that he myghte wynne some of them a­gayne, & so cause thē to be saued. He compareth the conuersat [...] on of those whiche wyll cōpanie wyth the wicked papistes, w ^t the conuersation of Christ and his apostles w ^t the wicked together, whether boeth their conuersations were to on ende and effecte, yea or naye. Which of al these things do those whiche be the friendes of the Papistes: as Christ and his Apostles dyd? When dyd they at any time go about earnestly to brynge thē frō their popery to prof [...]sse Christ I wyl not saye all that I thynke? They dare not be so holde as once to mewe or open theyr lyppes to confesse & openly knowledge that thynge, whiche they do thynke: nay, for feare of their displeasure, for feare leste their hoke, whiche they do fishe wyth al should come emptie away: they be glad and diligēt to say, as the wicked do say: they do holde the wycked vp with yea and naye. These flatterers w ^t the wicked do alledge Christ and [Page]his Apostles for thē litle to their honestie. Christe and his Apo­stles kept company with synners and transgressours of his wyl, to the entent that he myghte erecte, buylde vp, & encrease his church. These hunters after promotions do betraye & destroye the church, Hūters after promotions. they do nourish in their cōmune wealthes al mischiefe and wickednes: they do gyue courage to the enemies of the Gospel, to persist & stande fast in theyr deuelishe purpose and vncleane kynde of lyfe. If the Popery had not suche pa­trones, If the popish had not bea­ters: they woulde haue, o [...] this tyme ben more gen­tle and same. defenders, & conforters, it woulde remitte and sinke downe some thinge their abominable impietie: and frō theyr great licencious maner of liuyng they would shewe thēselues outwardly some thynge more honest and godly. But nowe when that they do see [Page]that great men do fauour them, & are glad to seeke for their friend ship, and some other to gette pro­motions & fat benifices at theyr hādes, thei do tempre and harden their stomakes w ^t steele agaynste Christe the Lorde, agaynste his church: they do beare them selues bolde on the fauour and healpe of theyr friendes agaynste God and man. If that the churche be anie thynge bounde and beholdyng to the friendes and fauourers of the Popishe secte: truly it is behol­dynge for nothynge els, naye, for nothynge so muche, as that they be the cause, wherefore the papi­stes do persist & continue so stub­burnly in their impietie and mis­cheuous contempte of God and mā. For thys good deede & turne that they do to the church: let thē appeare before Christe, whiche is [Page]iudge of the dead & of the quicke, let them proue, if they cā deceyue and begile hym with any of their pretēsed holines, wyth any colour of ciuilitie or honest facion, Vnder thy [...] coloure, to keepe the commune wealth from sedition the Papistes haue holden vp their pope [...] and idola­ [...], and that of longe t [...]me wyth any cloke of keepyng the comune wealth in an vnitie or concorde & loue, from sedition and tumultes as they do vse to bleare the com­munes eye (yea and a degre higher) to couer theyr impietie & wy [...] kednes of minde, to ley a cloke [...] the rayne, as the Prouerbe spea­keth. Thys matter is so playne & open to all mennes eyes, that it needeth me not to stande any longar therein: But I do exhorte w ^t all my herte: & for the loue of God do moste earnestly praye and be­seche the godly sorte to voyed and shunne the cōpany of the wycked that they do not fall into the handes and displeasure of the lyuyng [Page]God: whiche wyll be auenged of theyr impietie & vngodlines, both of the one, and of the other, that they be not, I say, made worse by the acquayntaunce and conuersation of the wicked, that they take none enfection of them. For lyke wyse as the commune diseases & sicknes of the body do poyson and infecte other bodies by touchyng or being ouer nere vnto them: as the pox by drynkynge, and to nye lyinge one bodie to an other, the plage of the pestilence by takinge ayre and the breath of him, which is infect: the leprosie by the cōuer sation w ^t the leprose personnes, is gottē: euen so the infection of the minde, by familiar & friēdly cōuer satiō doeth creepe as it were into the hertes of thē which be cleane, and poysoneth that whiche was pure and without al maner of corruption. [Page]Suche people, as we do [...] cōpany and acquaynt our selues wyth al: suche do we growe vnto, and as the greke verse gyueth vs warnyng: saying. Euyl cōpany if thou dost vse: godlinès wyl the refuse. For likewyse agayne, as it is impossible that the virginitie of a chast and honest mayden, being conuersaunt in places of ill and naughtie resort, wyth strōpettes and harlottes, shoulde not be the worse thereby, nor nothynge defi­led: euen so it is vnpossible, that a godly mā in deede can delyte in the company of the wycked, hymselfe beinge neuer the worse man. The poyson of vngodlynes is so subtile, that it creepeth into a mā or he beware, much soner then a­ny corporal disease from one body into an other. What merueyle is it, if it be so? for asmuche as Sa­than [Page]than is so diligent to laye his fyre brandes, and red burnynge coles together to kyndle & set on flame the deadly poyson, which he hath instilled into oure hertes, ma­kynge vs more hotte then any coles to all kynde of mischiefe. Lette thys be sufficiently spokē for this tyme (I praye the) y ^e thou maist take heede and beware of the company of the wicked.

¶ The texte.
He that swereth euyll & doth not chaunge.

To sweare and not to deceyue: is to perfourme w ^t a good fayth, all that thou haste by thyne othe promised. The greeke & the latin version differeth muche from the Hebrue. For the Hebrue in the place of thys worde, in latin cal­led proximus, whiche is in Eng­lishe [Page]a neighbour, hath this word, malum, y ^t is to say, ill. The which difference commeth by the reason that often tyme one worde of the Hebrues in writyng is much lyke vnto an other. For both these wordes in wrytyng and in the nūbre of letters w ^t the Hebrues hath no maner of differēce, sauynge one li­tle title or poynt: this worde, Ra, being asmuch to say, as euil, & Resignifiyng a neighbour, a friende a felowe. Wherfore an ent [...]rpre­ter or an expositour maye sone be deceyued in thys place: excepte that some of the Hebrue bokes, when this translatour lyued had Ra for Re, which is most lykest to be true. I do thynke y ^t thys tran­slation, diuers expositours & trā ­slators haue not vsed for two causes. The one bicause it semeth to haue a certeyne absurditie in it, [Page]to swere euyll & to keepe an othe [...]n an yll thynge, the other cause, [...]hynkynge that the prynters in theyr printe dyd sayle & printed one thynge for an other. But fo­ [...]owe whiche thou wylt, either the Hebrue maner of speakinge or the latin phrase, it maketh no matter which thou dost folowe. For if the writing of y ^e Hebrue in this word be expounded after the mynde of the holy scripture, boeth lessons shal [...]s al one, neing no differēce betwene the Hebrue worde & the la­tin, but y ^t the Hebrues do speake more playnely, more openly then the latins: declarynge howe and after what maner othes are to be kepte and obserued, and whether it is necessarie that othes be kept, whē that he that maketh the oth shall receyue thereby disprofite, losse, and hurte. We do not swere [Page]onely to man, When we do swere our oth is made to God. but also we mak [...] our othes to God: therefore th [...] Hebrue speaketh of al othes gene­rally, both of thē which are mad [...] to God, as wel as them, which we do to man.

In thys place, thys worde ma­lū whiche is euyli doth not signi­fie that whiche is before god vn­rightuous & vniust, or that thing whiche is forbiddē by the lawe of god: Howe thys word eust is to be takē in the scripture: when we say the Lorde dyd make euyll Esaie. xlv. but it signifieth that thyng, whiche bringeth by any maner of waye, disprofite to hym that swe­reth, the whiche disprofite mē vse communely tocal euyl. As Esaie xlv. The Lorde maketh peace & createth yll. And Hieremie. iiii. I wylbrynge euyl from the mouth & greate heuines. Hieremy. iiii. And Amos. iii. There shal be no euyll in the citie whiche the Lorde hath not made. Amos. iii.

The Prophete in this Psalme [Page]doth discusse thys question of makyng of othes, beinge the hardest and that whiche hath most diffi­cultie of all questions whiche do perteyne to thys matter, that is to saye: whether a man be boūde to keepe & perfourme that thynge whyche he hathe sworne to: al­though it be hurtfull and vnpro­fitable to hym selfe, whiche dyd swere: yea or nay. Whether a man is bound to keepe his othe, if it be a­gaynst his profite. He doth affirme that no mā by any meanes ought to breake his othe, yea in those thynges, wherein a man shall re­ceiue dammage and hurt, so that the hurte and disprofite be not so great but that it maye be borne, & tollerable. Bicause y ^t many que­stions haue ben moued cōcerning the makinge of Othes: therefore briefely (as I maye) I wyll speake some thinge of them in this place, to satisfie and infourme the con­sciences [Page]of men therein.

These be the questions which do folowe.

¶ The fyrst question.

Whether it be lawefull, & standing with the lawe of God to put a man to his oth, and the man to swere for anie maner of cause.

The seconde

Whether a man be bounde to keepe his othe: if it be preiudiciall to hym selfe.

The thirde.

Whether an Othe whiche is made, the name of God not being added thereto doeth bynde hym whiche doth make the othe, yea or naye?

The fourth.

Whether we be bounde of necessitie to keepe all othes that we do make, yea or naye.

The fifte.

Whether that all men wyth out exception be bounde to keepe their othes once made.

¶ The solution of the first question.

The controuersies which are so doubtfull, and that by witnes­ses they can not be made an ende of [...] the Lorde commaundeth to searche furth the trueth by put­tynge of men to theyr othes, and so to finishe theyr debate & striefe in, Exod. xxii. Exod. xxii. By thys precepte the Lorde doeth not onely admit & require the maner of swerynge, as a thynge necessarie and expedient in all courtes: but he doth al­so allowe & commende the maner of deposyng on a boke or sweryng (as they vse to call it) whiche hath ben vsed in necessarie causes, Othes haue ben taken frō the beginning euen from the begynnynge in all ages. For it was the custome from the [Page]fyrst begynnyng to confirme and ratefie their bargaines, theyr by­inges and sellynges, theyr leages of amitie & loue, and also to ende al causes, debates and striefes, by a certeine maner of swering. The historie shall heare witnesse. For in the tyme of Abraham all mat­ters that were of any value, were ended by an oth. The Lorde com­maunded the magistrates to put men to their othes for y ^• finishing of debates, gyuing power beth to take and for to examin the othes of them, whom they had before them. Therfore all that is writtē in the lawes accordynge to good reason, concernynge the gyuynge & takyng of othes by thē, whiche haue power and authoritie, on cō science, it oughte to be obserued & kepte. For God hym selfe takyng and makyng an oth by hym selfe: [Page]dyd confirme his promises, God confir­med his pro­mise with an othe. which he dyd make to y ^e fathers. Christ, Moyses, the Prophetes, and the Apostles dyd often tymes vse to swere in cōfirmation of their doctrine. The angels openynge the secretes of thynges., whiche were to come did swere, bicause the people shoulde beleue those reuelations to be true, that they woulde come to passe as they had decla­red. Daniell. xii. Apo. x. Daniel. xii. Apocal. [...]. The pa­triarthes dyd exacte othes of mē, and sweare also theyr selues to o­ther againe. Abraham caused the stuarde of his house for to swere that he should not take a wife for his sonne furth from amonge the Cananistes. Gene. xxiiii. Abrahā fyrst & Isaac after hym, dyd make their leages wyth Abimeleche, cō firmyng it wyth an oth. Gene. xi. xxvi. The Patriarche Iacob caused [Page]his sonne Iosephe to swere, that when he shoulde go furth of Egypt, he shoulde take and carie his bodie thence also wyth hym. Gene. xlvi. Dauid dyd wyth an othe ratifie and cōfirme the leage whiche he made wyth Ionatha the sonne of Saull, the firste boke of the kynges and. xx. Chap. Also the Lorde commaūdeth that we shoulde make oure othes in his name and none other. Deut vi Exod. xxiii. Psalm. lxiii. Deut. vi. x. Exod. xxiii. and Psal. lxii [...] wit­nesseth that they are commended whiche do take in their othe God for witnes. Hereby it is manifeste that in good, honeste, necessarie & profitable causes, mē may be put to theyr othe, and they thē selues sweare not hurtynge theyr conscices. To take and make an othe, of it selfe is not vnlawefull. Yea to swere in iuste causes, takynge of [Page]God to witnes, it is a worshyppe and honoure to the Lorde, to take the Lorde as a iuste iudge, which doeth loue all equitie and iustice, whiche doeth beholde and see all thynge, for to be witnesse in the cause. What is it to take the Lorde to witnes. Lykewyse as it is dishonor and dispite to the Lorde, to take wytnes on any other goddes: so it is, to his honour and prayse to be taken to be sworne by, and an othe to be made in his name in a iustecause. It can not be vnlawefull, that whiche the Lorde hym selfe dyd make and ordeyne to be required of men. That cā not be but exceding good, wherof Christ his Angels, the Prophetes, Apo­stles, and holy patriarches left to vs exemples for to folow, thende wherof is honeste profitable, and necessarie in thys life. But where as Christe in Mathewe the .v. [Page]Chap. Howe are the wordes of Christ to be vnderstande. Mat .v. which is agaynst swerynge. doth commaunde vs, that we shall swere in no wyse: it is to be vnderstande of these commune othes and swerynges, which men vse to sweare wythout neede, ne­cessitie or commaundement: swe­ryng and staryng at euery worde lyke men whiche are mad, frātike and beside them selues, dishonouring highly the name of the lorde hauyng his maiestie in smal reuerēce or none. Those othes are prohibited of Christe, whiche are not requisite to be had in the cōmune and familiar speach amonge men whē thei do vse to talke together, without the which othes al their communications maye be ended wyth yea yea & naye nay. What so euer is more then our playne a­ssertion or denyall, in our priuate talkynge one wyth an other: it cō meth of euyl sayth the Lorde, and [Page]therefore he doeth forbidde it. To take an othe to the honoure and glory of the lorde & profite of thy neighbour in honest, iuste, profitable and necessary causes, it is law full and godly: if it were not god­ly and lawefull, then Christe hym selfe, his Angelles, Apostles, Pro­phetes and Patriarches shoulde be sayd to haue done euyl in that they dyd swere in profitable, ne­cessary and honest causes: whiche wer [...] very wickedly spoken.

Christ doth not take away the authoritie, nor breaketh the ciuile lawes and orders concerning the exactyng and takyng of othes, he doeth not make a newe lawe, he doeth enterpretate and expounde the olde lawe. He doth condemne, When is sw [...] ­ryng forbidd [...] vayne, idle, rashe, vnprofitable, & not necessary othes. And thys is no newe thynge. For such maner [Page]of swerynge hath bene alway, yea amonge the olde and auncient fathers, forbid, improued & abhor­red. As in the .xvi. & .xvii. Chap. of Iesu Syrache it is manifest & playne to see. The Iewes at that tyme whē Christ was borne, Of thys opi­nion are all our cōmune swerers. were of that opinion and presumption, that all maner of othes, if they were not made in the names of idolles and straūge goddes were lawefull and wythout offence, so that in theyr swerynge they dyd not forswere them selues, and so fal into periurie, whiche was syn & none other, as they dyd thinke. The whiche opinion Christe dyd improue and refute, teachyng vs that al othes which are made not of necessitie and compulsion are wicked and vnlawful, bicause the glory of god is blemished therby, which cōmaundeth, y ^t we shoulde [Page]not take his name in vayne. Deut .v. Deutero .v. The teachynge & doctrine of Christe maye not be layed a­gaynste the lawe of God gyuen furth by Moyses, nor yet against honeste ciuile ordinaunces: but a­gainst the false opinion of the Ie­wes, whiche dyd thynke the abu­syng and takynge of the name of God in vayne, to be no synne, per suadyng also to them selues that God was not dishonoured nor dipleased, if they dyd sweare by the creatures. Christe in the .v. chap. of Mathewe doeth expounde the lawe of god, he doeth not abolishe and take it cleane awaye. Wher­fore the Catabaptistes do rage folishly and madly in studiynge in the contrary parte: holdyng opinion that no othe ought or can be exacted & taken of any man for any cause, without offences and hurt [Page]of cōscience: for asmuch as by that we haue before declared: it is eui­dent that men waye be putte to theyr othes and also swere with a good conscience in profitable and necessarie thinges. To declare the trueth by an othe as often as the trueth otherwyse can not be kno­wen, is neuer offence. To be for­sworne, alwaye is synne, whether it be the othe, beinge compulsed, or els volūtary. Beware of periutie. The Lorde doeth forbidde and punisheth all othes wrongfully made, whiche is per­iurie. As for necessarie othes in tyme of neede, he doeth not prohi­bite. Therefore theyr doctrine which teache y ^t an othe can in no case, be either exacted or made w ^t out synne, is deuelishe, blasphe­mous, wicked and deadly: bicause that in so sayinge it doeth repre­hende and accuse God and Iesu [Page]Christ with his Angels, of synne, for they dyd swere. The lawe of god requireth othes: Christe doeth not breake the lawe of God. Ergo Christe breaketh not the ordre of othes. They do make Christ a lyar, which sayed that he came not to breake the lawe, but to fulfyll it. The law doth requie and commaundeth othes to be exacted of men, for the settyng men together in vnitie for the dissol­uynge and endynge of doubtfull matters hangynge in controuer­sie before iudges. That doctrine of them, doeth make Christe hym selfe, to be an enemie of God and an vndoar of the commune weal­thes, whiche doth take awaye the lawes, which the Lorde did make to the conseruation and maintei­naunce of the felowship and god­ly vnitie of men, & maynteynaūce of ciuile orders made and instituted for a good and godly purpose.

¶ As touchynge the seconde and thirde question thys is [Page]my mynde and iudgement.

Christe commaundeth that all our wordes and communication shall be, yea yea, naye naye. He doth also require of vs in thinges which are lawfull alway to keepe oure promise, howe so euer it be made. It foloweth then y ^t he wyl not haue y ^t thynge broken: which was promised & confirmed wyth an othe. All oure communication ought to be firme, stable, and cer­teyne: muche more euery laweful othe oughte to be kept vnbroken. We are the sonnes and chyldren of God. Likewise as God oure father is, in all his promises, fayth­full and true: so it becommeth vs which are his chyldren to be in al oure sayinges and deedes, be it by othe, or otherwyse, iuste and true. Euery othe that we do make, in whose name so euer it be, be it in [Page]the name of god or any of his creatures, it muste not be broken.

Christe in Mat. xxiii. doeth reprehende the Pharasies, bicause they did make a distinction and a difference betwene othe and othe for his names sake (by the whiche name of god men vsed to sweare) saying that this othe ought to be obserued & kept, y ^t othe ought not, as the thinges whereby they did swere, were estemed and had in price [...] Nothynge protitable: whiche is not honeste. Othes oughte to be iudged and regarded accordynge as they be honest and profitable, not after the names whereby they are ta­ken and made. That thing which is profitable muste be denyed by that whiche is honeste: for other wyse it can not be profitable, ex­cept it be also ioyned and annexed to honestie. If it be lawefull and honest, y ^t thynge which is trowed [Page]or promised by oth, that same oth [...] so made and taken muste be kept. It maketh no matter by what thynge the othe is made. By the brea­king of an oth: the Lorde is dishonoured. For the glory of god is neuer poluted and stained, but by the breaking ther­of: as often as thou doest not perfourme that thynge, whereto by thyne othe thou hast bounde the: or whē that thynge is false, which thou haste sworne to be true. Lesse harme to stele a chalice then to breake [...]hyne othe. [...] To breake othes made in lawfull and honest thinges: no age, no not the Ethnikes were not so blyude, but they thoughte it highe sacralege. They which were the friendes of god had alway othes which were lawefully made, in suche estimation: that they alway preferred the fayethfulnes of their promise in theyr othe before any commoditie or profite. Iosue kepte promise w ^t the gabionites accordyng to his [Page]othe which he dyd swere to them, Iosue. though they caused hym to swere by craft and gyle to the dammage and hurte of the people of Israel, hauyng in more price and estima­tion the holines of an oth, then al the earthly and ciuile profite and cōmoditie whiche he might haue by breakyng therof. Saul. Saull after­warde dyd breake the leage which was made & stablished by an othe betwene Israell and the Gabio­nites, for the whiche breache of leage and not keepyng of the oth, he was punishhed wyth hunger & wyth the death of his chyldren. The seconde boke of the Kynges. ii. Reg. xxi. xxi. chapter. Dauid dyd swere to Saul, that he would not distroy his seede and kinred: wherfore he dyd paciently abyde and suffre as longe as he lyued (not wythout great perill of his lyfe) Semey & [Page]other seditious men of the fami­lie and housholde of Saull, cho­fynge rather to keepe the othe which he dyd make to Saul: thē by the death of them to winne to hym selfe the kyngdome. i. Regū. xiiii. i. Reg. xiiii. [...]onathas also puttynge his lyfe in great daunger, dyd keepe the leage whiche he promised be­inge ratified by othe, wyth Da­uid. i. Regū. xx. Also notwyth­standyng that the othe which the Israelites dyd make w ^t the Ben­iamites concernynge the deliue­ryng of theyr daughters to them for to be theyr wyues, was verie vnprofitable and vnpleasante to them: yet bicause they would not breake the othe whiche they dyd make to them, to healpe them in their necessitie, graunted to them that thei should take at their pleasures furth of y ^• Israelites their [Page]daughters to be theyr wyues. Iudges. xxi. Iudges. xxi. Such was the reuerēce they had to theyr othes: that they regarded neither peyne nor profite, nor no kynde of pleasure of thys lyfe: in comparison to the estimation therof. The selfe same thynge declareth thys Psalme, whiche doeth exclude and shutte furth from the kyngdome of God those whiche do swere euyll and chaunge, whiche do sette more by eart [...]ly profites and pleasure, thē by the othes whiche they haue made. As for periurie can not be made good, whether thou takeste pleasure or peynes therefore: bi­cause the Lorde hath forbiddē it: whereby his glorie is hurte, and his name dishonoured, which we oughte to haue in more price and reuerence, then any thynge els in the world, thē all worldly goodes. [Page]They are wythout doubt periu­rous and very wicked personnes, whiche do holde opinion and contende that mē ought not to keepe promise or perfourme their othe, Whether an othe made to an infidell oughte to be kept and pet­fourmed. whiche they haue & do make with an infidel, wyth a Curke, wyth a Iewe, with any other enemies of our christiā religion. For in a ci­uile and a laweful matter, if the personne be an infidel or neuer so muche wycked to whō a man maketh a pro [...]ise or an othe: the wickednes & the infidelitie of the man cā not excuse thine offence in breakyng of thy promise & othe. Lyke wyse as the wythdrawing of obe­diēce due to a magistrate, bicause he is vngodly can not be without synne, euen so the promise whiche thou haste made wyth an infidell can not be brokē wythout synne. Lawefull othes whiche are made [Page]wherein none vnlaweful thynge is promised nor demaūded no mā maye violate & breake For by the law of God al periury is forbiddē & prohibited vtterly. The Lorde hath declared vnto vs oftē tymes by the heuy distruction of a great numbre of the christians, The Lorde doth punishe breakers and violatours of othes. y ^t othes brokē cā not be vnpunished. The Curke hath subdued the christi­an men for theyr periurie, by the indignation and wrath of God, mon then by power and armes. The miserable disconforte and calamitie of zedechias myghte be warnyng ynough to vs, howe to keepe our othes vnbrokē, to whō so euer they be made: be he neuer so wycked an enemy. Howe the Lorde puni­sheth Zedechi­as for brea­kyng of his othe. For he was greuously punished for breakyng of his promise made wyth an oth: and for not keepyng of the leage: his owne chyldren beinge kylled [Page]before his owne face, his owne selfe broughte captiue into Babi­lō & his eyes plucked furth of his heade. iiii. Reg. xxv. & Ezec. xvii. There cā be no more spite nor contumelie done to the Lorde, then that his people should be taken to be a leage breakar & a periurous people. Therfore he doth punishe sharply those of his people whiche do net set by theyr othes and pro­mises. The Lorde commaundeth that we shall not lye nor be in no case periured or forsworne. He threatēneth also: Me are for­bidden to lye: [...]uche more to for sweare that it shall not be vnpunished, if any man doeth take his name in bayne: whereby he doth declare that it is he hym selfe & none other whiche taketh vengeaunce of periury. Therfore they are foule deceyued, which do flatter theyr selues & thynke that so greate blasphemy to the Lorde [Page]in periurie and breakynge of pro­mises shall not w ^t moste greuous punishmentes be loked on, & that sharply. The scripture doeth witnes, that periurie and falshead in promises be punished with curses both spirituall and corporal, as in zacha. v. and. viii. and in the boke of wysedome. xiiii. chap. Neither Pope, Cardinall, Byshop, nor all theyr counsels, No man can despence wtt [...] an othe lawe [...] fulli made. nor any other po­wer of men: no not the angels of heauen can make frustrate, voyed and vndo an oth lawfully in law full thynges made. As for othes made in vnlawfull matters, they neede no dispensation: for thei are of them selfe dispensed wyth. To abyde by it: there is no greater to kē in the world to proue the seate of Rome to be the kyngdome of Antichrist, then bicause it hath & doth vs to dispence wyth kynges [Page]& princes, Howe you may: knowe that the seate of Rome is the kyngdome of Antichrist. that they maye breake moste godly promises made, & ra­tified moste deuoutly wyth solēpe othes taken and gyuen on boeth sydes, whyche vseth, I saye, to cause subiectes to breake theyr o­bedience & bounde duety to theyr most natural princes, wyth theyr dispensations & abominable abso­lutions & altogether to stablishe and make stronge theyr tiranni­cal kyngdome,

To the fourth question: whe­ther that al maner of othes are to be perfourmed and kept: and also whether that all vowes what so euer they be, wythout any excep­tion, beyng once made are not to be broken, but to be obserued and kepte. [...]owes whe­ [...]herthei are to [...] kept, yea or [...]age. The spirite of the Lorde wytnesseth in thys Psalme that they shall not rest in the holy hyll of the Lorde whych do swere euyl [Page]and chaunge. Therfore we must take heede and diligently beware what othes and what maner of vowes they be, whyche maye be broken, left vndone or chaunged wyth a good conscience and wyth out dishonourynge of the Lorde. In thys matter we muste worke wysely & discretely. For we maye not thynke that all maner of vo­wes wythout exception, at all a­uentures maye be broken, or elles left vndone. For likewise as othes whyche are of fayth are to be kept euen so it is requisite and reason, that according to fayth, they may be either chaūged, or left vndone. Otherwyse as wel the one as the other, that is to saye: Vowes made not of fayth, & accordynge to the worde of God be sinne. both the ta­kyng of an othe and makynge of a vowe: as well as the not perfour­mynge of it is synne, bicause it is done or made agaynste the worde [Page]of God and to his dishonoure, all that whyche is done w ^tout fayth. To shewe and certifie you what thynge is that whyche is done w ^t out fayth: Howe to knowe what bowes are of fa [...]th is al maner of thynges wherof thou canst not certify thy conscience to be godly and lawful by the worde of God.

There be two kyndes of othes and vowes: either those thynges be laweful or vnlaweful, whyche are sworne and promised by vow. Those which be vnlawful, [...]s thei ought not to be promised, Two kindes of vowes neither by othe nor vowe: so oughte they not to be kepte. For it is greate wyckednes and obomination to sweare or to vowe that thynge whyche is euyll: and muche more wycked to perfourme that thyng whyche thou haste sworne or vo­wed, whyche is for to continewe and stande styll in synne.

Of the fyrste kynde of othes & vowes, whiche be vnlaweful and wycked, and vngodly, are those which are made agaynst y ^e worde of god, against the fayth of Christ agaynst the othe whych thou hast made to Christe in Baptisme, a­gaynst the commune wealth and honesty, against the lawes, which for conscience sake we ought to reuerence, wyth all feare and godly obedience. Here maye you see a googly sorte of vowes. Suche othes and vo­wes are those, whych mē do make when they do swere and vowe the death of a mā, the maymyng and takynge awaye of one membre or other of his body, Malitious vowes. the vndoyng of hym, to robbe this man or y ^e man, to steele his good frō hym, to play the vsurer, sweryng and flaryng, Touetous [...] ­wes. that thou wylt not let thy money furth of thy power to no man w ^t out greate enterest and profite to [Page]swere & to vowe that thou wylte not do thys thynge or y ^e, Lechere [...] bowes. tyll thou haste dishonested thys woman or that woman, tyl thou hast played the harlot wyth thys or that commune and nuslyuyng woman, tyl thou hasteben auenged of thys or that, Super [...]tti­ [...]us vowen. to vowe thys or that kynde of Idolatry, to vowe and sweare that thou wylte haue these many and so many Masses satiffactory, sayd and done for thy synnes, and for thy friendes, to promys [...] and to vowe this pilgrimage or that, to sweare that thou wylte not receyue the Sacrament of the bo­dy and bloude of the Lorde, Heretci [...] vowes. but vnder one kynde, and not vnder both kyndes: that is of bread and myne together, accordynge as it was by the Lorde instituted and ordeyned, knowes of hy­ [...]ocrites. to vowe and promyse thys or that numbre, thys or that [Page]forte of vnprofitable prayers, to be measured by numbre and by waggyng of theyr lyppes, to vow beggery, as the monkes dyd, cal­lynge it the vowe of pouerty, to promyse and make a vowe of obe­dience, as they do call it, whych dyd plucke away the obedience of seruauntes and chyldren and al­so of mennes wyues frō the moste lawefull obedience due to theyr maysters, parentes and louynge hus [...]kndes, to professe pouertie & barenes in certayne partes of theyr bodyes: that as they were borne into the worlde naked, so they woulde shewe them selues a monge men, As fraunces fri [...]rs dy [...]. to swere to the ordre of a sorte of ydle and vngodly hel­hoūdes, to lyue seuerally, to vowe the keepynge of all maner of wycked traditions and lawes made amonge them selues, yea, & final­ly [Page]to be sworne agaynst the whole religion of Christ, and al christian men wyth suche other diabolicall and detestable vowes and othes made agaynst the worde of God.

Also those maner of othes and vowes wherof the ende is vnlaw­full & vngodly, as was the bowe of Iephta concernynge the offe­rynge vp of his daughter for a brent sacrifice, whō saynt Hierom called a fole for so vowynge, bi­cause that it myght haue chaun­ced some vncleane beaste to haue ben in his waye, The vowe of I [...]ph [...]. whiche was not lawefull for hym to haue offered vp, muche lesse his daughter. Hie­rome sayed also that in makynge of that vowe he was wycked and vngedly. For by y ^e law he mighht haue redemed his daughter, and so not to kyll her in a sacrifice, or shutte her vpclosse from the com­pany [Page]of all men. There be whyche [...]o thynke that Iephta was not [...] mad to sley his daughter, affir­ [...]yng y ^t he dyd put her vp furth of the syght of al men in some pri­ [...]y place, as though she were dead in deede and not to kyll her. The profe whereof, they had of the vse & custome of y ^e mourning of other maydens, whyche yerely vsed to lamēt the virginity of thys maid the daughter of Iephta, and not her death, wherby they do gether, that she was not slayne, but hyd vp. But whether he dyd sley his daughter or shut her vp: it was al one: for both the deedes are wicked and vngodly. For he myghte not lawfully neither sley her nor yet shut her vp from the compa­ny of men. Suche is the vowe al­so to lyue sole and vnmaryed, to haue no wyfe in honest and god­ly [Page]Matrimony, The vowe of chastitie, as they vse to call it. thence commeth theyr whorehuntyng, theyr foul [...] and stynkynge fylthynes of lyfe vnder the vowe of chastitie. The othe also whych Herode dyd make to the daūsyng maydē, Tee othe of [...]rode. is of that kynde and nature. The canons & decrees of byshoppes doe declare that those vowes are not to be made nor kept, whych are against the health of the soule, & agaynste the lawes of princes. Much more such vowes as are made ag [...]ynst the law & word of god ought to be brokē. An oth or a vow is of thynges whyche are possible, lawefull, and honest. It foloweth thē that to vnlawefull thynges, vniuste, vnhonest, In what [...]ind of thynges ought vowes [...]e made. and impossible, no man is bounde. In makynge of othes and vowes, thou dost breake thine obedience which thou dost owe to the Lorde, as often as thou doest [Page] [...]ow or promise any thing against the commaundement of God.

The seconde kynde of vowes & othes whyche of them selues are lawfull: Another diui­siō of vowes. either they be profitable or vnprofitable, possible or impo­ssible. As touchynge those whych are impossible, Impossible vowes they ought not to be sworne nor vowed. For the im­possibilitie thereof doeth reproue hym whych swereth and maketh the vowe, of folishnes, it byndeth hym [...]ot. For it is manifeste and open madnes to sweare or to vow that thynge, whych is not in our power to perfourme. Vnprofita­ble vowes. As for those whyche are vnprofitable vowes and othes, are to be counted and rekened amonge the folishe forte of othes, whiche men vse to make and vowe, as the goyng to Hierusalem, to saynt Iames or suche o­ther. Such vowes as these be, bi­cause [Page]they haue often tymes ioy­ned and annexed wyth thē much impietie and wickednes, therfore they are to be rekened amonge those vowes whiche are vnlawe­full. But all othes and vowes of thys seconde kynde, whyche we nowe speake of, either they he prositable and possible: or els they be to mennes iudgementes and opinions vngodly, and in deede good and vertuous, or els thei be after the phantasy and mynde of men, good and godly, and in deede euyl and vnlawfull. Those vowes and othes whyche are both in opinion and also in deede, Vowes [...]eul­bed into ther formet kin­des: profi­table and vn­profitable it. good and godly, they are wythout doubte to be obserued and kepte. For of these vowes the scripture speaking: saith. Vowe you, and paye your vowes to the Lorde, your God. In an o­ther place it sayeth: if you haue [Page]made any vowe, be not flowe in perfourmynge of it: what so euer vow thou dost make, let it not be vnperfourmed, for the Lorde thy God wyll aske it at thy hande. What soeuer shal go furth of thy lyppes thou shalt obserue and do as thou haste promised vnto the Lorde thy God. Deute. xxiii. Deuet. xxiii. Exode. xxx. and Exod. xxx. Of these vowes are those vowes also, which are made on a good fayth in thinges which be [...]wefull. Actu. xxv. As was the vowe of Paule, whereby he wrought and dyd thynges accordyng to the imbicilitie and weakenes of the Ie­wes, Actes. xxv. Also of Annas when he dyd nominate and point Samuell to the godly ministerie and seruice. i. Reg. i. i. Reg. i. Suche was also the deede of Ason whych dyd brynge into the house of the lorde the syluer and golde wyth other [Page]dessels whiche his father had be­fore vowed & promised. ii. Paral. xxv. 1. Par [...]. xxv. [...] Such were the vowes made to God, of catell, house, felde, po­ssessiōs, tithes, oblatiōs, fastinges abstinence, and such other: wher­of there is often tymes mention made in the holy scripturs. As be al suche vowes as we do make in thynges lawefull: not beinge in any such folyshe opinion, that we do satisfie therby for oure synnes, that we deserue remission of gure synne thereby: But beynge done for the conseruation and mayn­tenaunce of vertue and honestye lyuyng, that we may exercise our fayth therby, to tame and brynge lowe the pryde of y ^e fleshe. These kyndes of vowes for all that, necessitie doeth breake: and also a bet­ter purpose or intent of more per­fectnes doeth chaunge thē wyth [Page]out daunger or hurt of conscience for the lawe in such maner of vo­wes doeth extenuate & mittigate the rigoure of the lawe, Necessitie & a better purpos or intent dooe breake vowes by the be­nefite of redemption.

Othes and vowes whiche are lawfull in deede: but in the opinion of men vnlawefull and vngodly, that is to saye, when men dovowe and promise a good worke, which is lawful: but bicause that men haue not that good opinion of i [...], it is not conuenient that it be kept and done wyth a wycked opinion and estimation thereof. But if it be such a thyng that it maye be sequestrated and sepera­ted from the naughty and wicked opinion, seruynge to the glorie of God, & to the profite of thy neigh bour, and profitable to the godli­nes of lyfe, to the mortification & subduinge of the olde Adā in vs, [Page]castyng awaye that wycked opi­nion & the deede which is vowed must be kept. For it is not meete that a good and profitable deede should be vndone for the ill opinion that is of it.

The errour of the thyng must be corrected, that is to saye, men muste be taughte howe to take it better, and so to putte awaye the wyckednes of opinion. But a worke which is of it selfe good, profitable & necessarie, maye n [...]t be omitted. Agayne a worke whiche is both godly and also necessarie, beinge either by othe or elles by vowe promised to the Torde: may not be taken from hym and lefte vnperfourmed wythout synne. For of suche maner of vowes as these be whiche we nowe last of aldo speake of: it is writtē in the scriptures: vow your vowes and see [Page]that you perfourme thē and paye them to the Lorde. Also, the Lord thy God doeth require it at thy hande. For asmuche as suche workes, althoughe they were not vo­wed, are to be perfourmed to the Lorde, muche more if they be vo­wed & also promised to hym, they maye not be taken from hym. If so be a mā y ^t maketh a vowe & also confirmeth that vowe wyth an othe, byndyng hym selfe thereby, to the ministery and seruice of the churche of Christ: woulde for the riches of the worlde or for feare of the crosse forsake it and go from it agayne: if they be meete for it: if that the churche haue neede of theyr seruice, they can not excuse them selues before God, bicause that they haue made voyed the vow and the othe which thei dyd make, & that not wythout greate [Page]iniury done to the lorde, to Christ and to his holy churche. Also they whiche haue vowed to faste: to praye, to bestowe theyr tyme in godly readynge of the scripture & suche lyke, whiche are profitable to godly lyuyng, and ryghtuous dealynge, if so be they do forsake these thynges promised, and in the steede of fastyng & abstinence do folowe eatyng and drinkynge tyl they surfet or els be dronken, and in the place of godly rea [...]yng doe gyue them selues to ydlenes, & for the pouerty of the spirite: do embrace couetousnes and the in­saciable desyre of getheryng together of ryches: truly such as these be can not defende them selues be fore God. As farre as they are profitable, Howe farre ought vowes to be abstay­ned & forsakē. which are promised to god by vowe or by othe, they are to be kepte, so farre they oughte not to [Page]be vndone: but as far as they be impediment and let to godlines, it is reason they be refused & lefte asyde. For it is lawefull alway to take and chose the better: it is conuenient that in the forsakinge of that whiche is euyl, we should be the better not the worse. There­fore they also whiche castyng of from them al Popishe superstiti­on and Popishe vowes do folowe and embrace for euyl as bad or rather worse, truely they be boeth wayes inexcusable.

In al maner of othes & vowes you muste renounce al impietie & vngodlines, Wherto you muste haue respect [...] your making of your vowes. your eye beinge directed to al honest, godly, profitable, and necessary workes to be done. By the ordinaū [...]e of God vowes and othes are lefte to vs. Yea al­way, at al tymes, in all ages, with the godly men, it was taken for a [Page]high and a greate matter, Vowes ought not to be made rashli. for to take an othe or to make a vowe, it was in highe estimation: there­fore in doing either of thē, either takynge of an othe or makynge a vowe, all thinge muste be done circumspectly, wyth a good cōsideration, not rashly & vnaduisedly.

We maye not set lyghte by othes and vowes, In vowing & making of anoth god is one of the par [...]es. they ought not to be broken for euery trifull, beynge lawefully & in lawefull thynges made, for he that doeth sw [...]e or vow, hath to do wyth God. Therfore it is necessary that he marke well and take good heede what he doth vowe, what he doth sweare, what vowe or othe he doeth per­fourme, what vow or oth he doth breake, that he seeme not to dishonoure and defile the holy name of God, that he be not gyltie of per­iury, that he appeare not to make [Page]God a laughinge stocke. For the Lorde sayeth that these thynges shal [...] not be vnpunished.

The fyrst question is whether all maner men are boūde to their othes & vowes whiche they haue made. Moyses doth solute and make playne thys question and doubte sufficiently in the .xxx. ca. of Nume. sayinge. Numer .xxx. They are not bounde to any vowe made or oth taken, whiche do vowe or sweare beinge vnder the power of an o­ther man: excepte that he, No body: be­inge vnder an other mannes power can make a vowe or othe with­out the cōsent of the hed: much lese be­ing vnder age vnder whose authoritie y ^e parte is: doth graunte to the vowe and othe, ei­ther by open affirmation, or by consent in not deniynge of it, ha­uyng knowledge of the othe and deede For those whiche are not of theyr owne power to doe what they liste: they can not, neither by othe or vowe be bound to any maner [Page]of thynge. Thys is spoken su­fficient as cōcerning vowynge & takyng of othes. Let vs nowe go on wyth the Psalme.

¶ The text.
Vvhiche hath not gyuē and putte furth his mo­ney to vsury.

That is to saye, which hath takē and receyned of the poore & needy nothynge, Vsu [...]i. more then the thynge which was lent & borowed, which hath taken nothynge aboue the iuste price of the thynge whiche was borowed and lent, for the lendynge therof. But hath holpen & conforted the pouertie frely with his money, w ^tout interest, whiche hath not sucked out the bloude of the poore, The proper­tie of vsurers whiche hath not oppre­ssed the poore, as the propertie of vsurers is to do.

Vnder the vocable and name of money, Whether vsurie be commit­ted onli by money yea or naye [...] all maner of thynges are to be vnderstande, which are lent, and not onely money where wyth men vse to bye and sell.

The feloshippe of mankinde in thys worlde is knytte together & preserued by these three thynges folowyng, that is to saye, by al­mes deedes, by lendyng and boro­wyng one of an other, and by contractes and bargaynes made be­twen [...] man and man. The synowe [...] wherby the ioyntes of the whole bodye of mankynde is knyt toge­ther and mai [...] teyned. By these si­nowes & ioynters the whole state of mankynde is holden vp, & pre­serued, the whiche being taken a­waye all together muste needes fayle concerning the friendly and louyng brotherly felowshyppe of man, none other wyse then the whole body muste needes perishe whē the sinowes whiche do holde together the ioyntes, are cutte a [Page]sonder. For they are the ordinaū ­ces of God amonge all other thin­ges in thys worlde moste necessa­ry. The lawe of God doth not on­ly commaunde deedes of charitie, which is called almes deedes, and also that we shoulde lende one to an other: but also it hath ordeined byinge and sellyng, Bying and selling is by the law of God. for the profit [...] of the commune wealth of al mē. There is no doubt then, but tha [...] men maye vse contractes and m [...] ­kyng of bargaynes in byinge and sellynge by the lawe of God, and with a good conscience as al other ordinaunces of God. The ciuile lawe doth also allowe the trade & occupiyng betwene man and mā, and doeth prescribe certeyne ma­ner and fourmes of trades and o [...] makyng of bargaynes, howe and after what facion they shall occu­py together. The mynde of the [Page]which lawe you may folowe with out offence in all ciuile matters and busines. In all ciusle maters you may folow the order of the ci­uile law. Thys is wythout question, that a christian mā may vse and obserue al politike and ciuile ordinaunces, whiche be receyued and confirmed by the autho­ritie of the magistrates and ru­lers. Wherefore thys is not to be reasoned & disputed of, whether that men maye without synne occupy together in byinge and sel­ling according as the lawes haue ordeyned. But thys is to be discussed & reasoned of: The purcha­syng of lādes. whether that the byinge and sellynge of rentes and reuenues of landes be a laweful and a iuste trade of occupying yea or naye. Thys question muste be handled so wysely, that the wicked, couetous, and insaciable vse­rers shall not take or gether any thynge to make for their deuelish [Page]purpose, to whō nothyng is more sweete, more precious then is stynkyng vsury: no not heauen, nor God, nor yet his blessynge more pleasaunte, and agayne that the consciences of them which do liue bi their rētes & y ^e profites of their landes be not troubled, and that there bee no maner of tumultes in the cōmune wealth. First we wyll speake of vsuries: afterward we wyl discusse thys question of byeynge and sellynge of re [...]tes, whether it is athynge that maye bee done by the lawe of God, yea or naye, among godli men.

Vsuries are forbidden both by the lawe of God & of man: Vsuries by all lawes for­bidden. where­fore it is not to be doubted that thys kynde of bargaynyng is vn­lawful: and that vsurers cā haue no hope of the kyngdome of God excepte they do repent them, and [Page]restore agayne that whiche they haue taken awaye from the needy by theyr abominable vsurie, How many beggeats shoulde we haue of the great riche mē (you knowe whom I do meane) if they woulde folow this lessō: but they pas not, for they can begile God they do worke so wisely. a­gaynst the cōmaūdement of God and the cōmune lawe. For a true repētaunce requireth with it the restitution of an vniuste lucre or gayne: beinge manifest that it cā not be called and named a ryghte repentaunce, nor he to repent her tely whiche doth wickedly, holde styl and keepe that thynge: which he vniustly doth possesse. Vsuries by no meane, by no coloure, nei­ther wyth God nor wyth man cā be excused. Therfore, those which be vsurers do flatter them selues in vayne, naye they are foule de­ceyued, whiche wyth diuers co­lours and pretenses do defende theyr vsury, to mainteine & holde vp theyr auarice, and couetous­nes. Firste it shall be sayed to you [Page]what vsury is properly. There can be no good man whiche is an vsurer. After­warde I wyl set [...]e furth the testimonies of the scriptures and of the lawes with certeine other reasons, wherby it maye wel be kno­wen, that vsury of & by all righte is condemned, and that no good man can vse it. What is vsury. Vsury accordynge to the teachynge of the scripture is to take for the vse of a thynge, more then that whiche was lent, or aboue the iust price and valure of the thynge, lent, taken, I saye, of them whiche are needy. Moy­ses maketh thys diffinition of v­surie: How Moy­ses defined v­sury. sayinge. To take & receyue agayne more then was lent. Eze­chiel doth call it that whiche is aboue the thynge lent, What Ezechi [...]i doeth call vsury. or y ^t which is gyuen for the thynge lent and borowed. Christe calleth vsury to be al that gaine & vantage, which the lēder doth take of the borow­ar [Page]for the vse of that thyng which is lente. What Christ doeth say vsury for to be. Vsurers are called those which for hope of vātage do lende any thynge to be payed and deliuered agayne: Who be vsu­rers. whiche do take profite for that thinge which is lent. Whether it be litle or much gay­nes: that whiche is taken there­fore it can be no lesse then vsurie. For there is no difference betwne vsurers, Some vsu­rers are more paste shame: then other. but y ^t they be all one as well they whiche do take litle, as they which do take vnreasonable, sauing that the one is more paste shame in demaūdinge then the o­ther They be both vsurers. Thei do offende both. Both haue neede of repētaūce For the Lorde is not cōtented & pleased wyth suche vnlawefull gayne. That vsurie can not be taken of any mā, wythout the losse of heauen, & of the blisse euerlastynge, the testimonies of [Page]the scriptures, the authoritie of the lawes & good stronge reasons do declare and shewe more mani­fest then any sober man can deny or doubte of.

The Lorde doth forbidde vsuries, saying. Take thou no vsury of thy brother, nor more gayne, but the selfe same thynge, or so muche as thou dyddeste gyue vnto hym, that is to say, in the way of borowyng. Feare thy Lorde, that thy brother maye lyue wyth the. Thou shalt not lette thy mo­ney to hym for vsury, nor thou shalt not gyue to hym meate for to receyue more agayne thē thou gauest to hym. Deut. xxiii. Deut. xxiii. It is sayed also thou shalte not let thy money to thy brother for vsury, nor thy corne, nor any other ma­ner thynge, but to a straunger.

But as to thy brother lende hym [Page]wythout vsury y ^t whiche he hath neede and necessitie of, that the Lorde thy God maye blesse the in all thy workes. Exod. xxii. Also if thou doest lende to my pore creple any thinge which dwelleth with the, thou shalte not be harde vn­to hym, as an vsurer: thou shalte not oppresse him w ^t vsury Deut­ron. xxv. If any of thy bretherne whiche do dwell wythin the gates of thy citie where thou doest dwel do fall into pouertie, Deute. xxi. thou shalte not harden thy herte, thou shalte not plucke in and shutte thy hande, but thou shalte open it to the poore, thou shalt lende to him y ^t whiche he semeth to haue neede of. &c. Many mē willende a poore handy craftes mā at his nede xx. s. but the poore man shall worke at tymes the worth of for­ty shillings for it. Many will take no mo­ney of their tenauntes for theyr houses: but where as the house doeth go for fortie shyl­lenges they shall pay in workemāshyp iiii li. which is no vsury. Thou shalt gyue vnto him and thou shalte worke nothynge craftely in helpyng of his necessi­tie. and Luke the xvi. Loue your enemies, do good to them, lende [Page]to them lokynge for no profite of that whiche thou doest lende, and your rewarde shall be greate, and you shalbe the chyldren of the al­mighty, for he was gentle and li­berall towarde the vnkynde, vn­thankefull and euyl people. The Lorde sayeth that they shall not reste in the holy hyll of the Lorde which do deliuer theyr money for vsury. Ezechiell sayeth that they shal not lyue, whiche do make the poore sad & heauy wyth the bur­dē of vsury, and take of thē more then they deliuered for the lone. By these godly testimonies it is manifest, that it is a thinge with out all exceptiō vnlawful to play the vsurer. And that vsurers are destitute of all hope of saluation and blisse.

Also the ciuile lawes do cōdēne vsury, It is vnpossi­ble for vsu­rers to be sa­ued: without they repent & restore y ^t they haue taken. and taking vantage or profite [Page]for lone. (the whiche lawes not only for feare of the peyne or­deyned for the transgressers, but also for conscience sake you muste obey) they do cōmaunde also that those which be vsurers shalbe dri­uē furth of the commune wealth of Cities and townes where they do dwell. Vsurers by the lawe must be driuē furth of al places as the commune plage of al the worlde.

The ecclesiasticall lawes do ex commune also those men whiche be vsurers, they do forbidde them the comunion of the Sacrament of the body & bloude of the Lorde they do depryue them of al honest burial from amonge the faithful: whose oblatiōs and offeryng they do cōmaunde not to be receyued. Paines ordei­ned by the ec­cles [...]asticall la­wes for vsu­ry. Al the olde and catholyke writers do detest & obhorre vsury. Saynt Ambrose sayth, that the godly mē maye no more playe the vsurers amonge them selues one wyth an [Page]other then to go together by the eares, fight & robbe one an other. The olde fathers dyd esteme and iudge vsurers worse & more hurt full, then theues and robbers by the sea, and worthy of much more greuous punishmentes, bicause that those whiche are robbers & theues do but now and then, and from a fewe take & sell that which is other mennes, they hurt but a small in comparasion of these. As for vsurers they do pyll [...] po [...] and oppresse al the whole worlde with theyr vsuries they hurte all men. But for asmuche as vsurers are condemned by the lawe of God, by the cōmune lawes, and by the consente of the whole churche of God, truely the impenitent vsu­rers cā not excuse them selues be­fore God, they can make but smal boste of saluation & hope of blisse [Page]euerlastynge. Therefore there be many vrgent, iust and great causes set and put in nature, wherby vsury is condemned, and is declared also that vsury maye as yll be borne and suffered in a commune wealth, as māslaughter or mur­ther, as aduoutry, thefte & rob­bery, sacralege, periury, and such mischeuous vices, contrary, and enimy to nature & to the whole felowshyppe of men.

The magistrates are the ministers of God, It is the office of the magi­strates to loke [...]rnestly on this matter. in whose steede they be here in thys worlde, whose rome and place they do occupie here in earth in these ciuile and worldly matters. It is theyr du­tie to defende those constitutions and ordinaūces, to set them furth to see that they be kept, which are commaunded by God and by the lawe of nature, to condemne, pu­nishe, [Page]and rote out all those thyn­ges, whiche are forbidde by the cō maundement of God and by the lawe of nature. Vsury bicause it is cōtrary to the brotherly felow­ship of man and enemy to nature and cōtrary to the commune reason and iudgement of men, wyth the whole consent of all godly mē that euer were: therfore it is not for no cause to be borne and suffe­red. Make well thys poynt. For in vsury the vse of the thynge is solde seuerally & aparte from the thynge it selfe. And for asmuche as the vse of a thynge, is the spending of the thinge which is vsed, there is nothynge solde, & for that thyng which is nothing, Howe and wherin a man may sell the vse of a thing. there is some thynge takē. To [...]ell the vse of a thyng is properly and in his owne kynde to be vnder­stande of those thynges, whiche thynges maye be restored againe [Page]whole and safe in that kynde that they were deliuered in, whiche is in lettyng & hyrynge. As in house or grounde and such lyke and not in borowyng and lone. As for vsury is cōmittted in y ^e lone of thyn­ges and not in other bargaynes or contractes. Thynges lent and borowed are those whiche may be restored agayne in the selfe same thynge lent or in that same kinde of thyng, by the selfe same weight measure and numbre that it was borowed. But yet not in the selfe same matter that was lente. For in these thinges the vse of a thing is the wasting or spending of the thynge, whiche vse ceaseth wyth the thynge when it is consumed. As, breade, wyne, butter, chese, fleshe, woode, money, fishe, corne, and suche lyke. In these thynges there muste either be a lone or a [Page]sale, that is, they muste either be ful bought & solde, or lent, friend­ly, and freely for loue. For it is a­gaynste nature in suche thynges to sell the vse therof. Also in those thynges whiche maye be restored agayne in the selfe same matter that they were deliuered in, the substaunce and matter doeth not perishe nor is consumed wyth the vse thereof & in suche thynges is properly a certeyne kinde of trade whiche is called a letting to hyre, as a seruaunt, a house, a garment a horse, an oxe, groūde & such like: whē for the vse of these thinges or suche like any price is set & requi­red, The vse of these: may be solde without the thinge. it is called the contracte of hyrynge, not of lendynge. In bo­rowyng and in lendynge there is no price set: if so be that there be any agremēt betwene the partes for any price for y ^e thynge whiche [Page]is lent, then it loseth the name of an honest cōtract betwene frinde and friende, and becōmeth mosts vnlawfull & wicked vsury, which can not be maynteyned nor defended vnder no colour of honest contracte & bargayne. Moreouer by this reason it is manifest y ^e vsury is cleane contrary to the nature of al honest bargaynyng, bicause that in vsury the needy is oppre­ssed wyth thynges whiche do not increase, nor brynge furth more fruite to hym that payeth for the vse of them, but streyght way wyth the bare vse is consumed, so that there ryseth no more profite thereof. Beside thys, vsury is di­rectly contrary to the ryghte and perfecte loue of oure neighboure, without the which loue, nothing can be well done, whiche onely is the bonde and cheyne of brother­ly [Page]felowshippe betwene man and man, the whiche loue the Lorde hym selfe requireth of al men, the whiche loue nature her selfe doth teache to be necessary for the pre­seruation of mankynde amonge them selues. Vsury. By vsury men do gayne to them selues greate pro­fite & wynnyng wyth the hurte, dammage and vndoinge of them whiche are in neede, wherein it doth folowe that vsury is repug­nant to brotherly loue and chari­tie. Vsurers. Vsurers do regarde nothinge but theyr owne auarice and satis­fiynge of theyr couetous mynde, eatyng vp, deuouryng, wringing and oppressyng the pouertie, and needy bretherne, whom they are bounde of duetie to healpe wyth lendyng of their good, frely with out interest or gayne. I christiā loue seketh not his owne profite but his bro­th [...]ts also. For a sin­cere and a perfect pure loue, doth [Page]not seeke after his owne propre cō moditie and wealth, but the pro­fite & wealth also of an other as of hym selfe, suche a loue (I saye) doth nothynge vniustly, it enui­eth not, it doth profite euery body and hurteth no body. The vsurer doth al together contrary. For he doth seeke his owne profite, and no bodies els, he doeth hate, & ly­eth in wayte for other mens goo­des, he doeth oppresse and treade downe, but not healpe and cōfort. Also vsury doth extinguishe and quenche, dissipate and vndo the godly ordeyned felowshyppe and conuersation of man, whiche na­ture doeth teache to be preserued by the mutual loue and good turnes done one for an other toge­ther amonge vs. The vsurers do passe for no suche loue, friendship and amitie, they do take awaye [Page]cleane the good wyll y ^t one ought to bea [...]e to an other, wherewyth one ought to healpe an other, theidoe seeke no bodyes profite but their owne, wyth the dammage, hurte and hinderaunce of other men, Against those whiche do en­grosse all vit­tayles and wates into ther ownchā ­ [...]es, and also a gaynst those companies of matchauntes whiche wyll take a whole commoditie, of al a realme from the reste of the communes. they do encrese their ryches and do growe to great substance. Those, whiche shoulde be confor­ted and holpē by them, with their vsuries they do eate vp cleane, they doe ingrosse all thynges to theyr owne handes, they do bring in derth and scarcitie of all thyn­ges: they do brynge all the worlde into bondage, and what man is able to rehearse al their obomination, wherby they do take al good felowship of men together furth of the worlde, The vsurers do althing a­gaynst nature the [...] with their vsury do bu­ry nature in the graue. all the gentlenes & loue that one oughte to shewe to an other, wherwyth they do bury and ley, as it were in a graue, na­ture [Page]her selfe, and the ende of all honeste maner of occupiynge of men together: finally in all the world there is no pestilence more hurtfull & poysonous then the pestilence of vsury For it forbiddeth vtterly that no man shall lende and healpe his brother wyth his substaunce frely, as he is cōmaū ­ded of God, standing in the steede and place therof, corruptynge all maner of honest occupiyng, which nature hath taught vs, for to be a commune increase of wealth a­monge vs together one wyth an other.

Therfore those cōtractes and bargaynes can not be profitable and iuste, whiche do lacke equite. In the bargaynes of the vsurers there is neither equitie nor equalitie: Ther is none indiffirect in the vsurary bargaynes. therfore they deserue not to beare the name of contractes and [Page]bargaynes, for as muche as the name of contractes & bargaynes is an honest and a lawfull name. Marke thys [...]ynt. There is nothynge more vnlaw­full and vniust, then are vsurers, there is nothynge further from al equitie then their bargaynes: for the vsurer biding styl at home in his house idle: bearynge of his goodes no maner of venture gayneth certeinly and vnreasonably. The detter onely ventereth, vn­certeyne of his gayne, he doth la­boure, he loseth also the stocke of that which he receyued of the vsurers. The [...] be sure [...] to lose, but alwaye to wynne, he [...] haue [...] [...] [...]. The vsurer contrary wyse doeth onely not lose any parte of his stocke, but he is sure that his detter shal make to him good and that the losse whiche the det­ter doeth susteyne shall be to him profitable wyth great vantage.

Whiche is the moste misshapen [Page]kinde of getting that euer might be thought. For what more vnnatural and vniuste extremitie can there be, more great, more detestable, more contrary to the lawe of God and of nature, then to exact of the poore and needy any van­tage, and vsurary profite, Out natural reason is a blynde Iudge in good thyn­ges. for the whole stocke or any parte of it, whiche is loste. The commune o­pinion of men, and oure naturall reason whiche is corrupted (in all good thinges a very euil Iudge) in thys one thynge thynketh exce dyngly wel, y ^t it is far from al reason, & a thynge which hath great absurditie in it, to saye y ^e a deade woman should brynge furth and beare, and that a thynge whiche doeth not fructifie & bringe furth fruite: yea whiche is both spent & also loste shoulde bringe furth in­terest wyth greate profite & gay­nes. [Page]Thys greate inequalitie be­inge so far out of the nocke and wyde from all reason & conscience declareth howe wicked a thynge their vsuries be. Where as an equall and an indifferent facion in doing of thinges hath no place howe or whiche waye maye there be any honest or lawfull maner of occupiynge: what kynde of occu­piynge so euer it is: for as muche as equitie, & indifferent dealynge for both the partes: is the onely preseruer of al honest contractes. For, those vsurary bargaynes, whiche are not according to equi­tie, nor indifferent: howe cā they be called lawefull and iuste: when that honest, lawefull, profitable, and necessay contractes and bar­gaynes allowed and cōfirmed by the lawes are become vnhoneste, vnlawefull, vnprofitable (naye [Page]hurtfull) if that equitie and con­science be not obserued and kepte in them, Equitie the right balaūce of susticie. whiche equitie is the balaunce of all iustice in all worldly thynges, which takē away, what thynge can be done a ryghte: but all together agaynste iustice, a­gaynst good equitie & conscience? By these reasons it is easy for to see, or rather, to manifest & open, Vsurets are a damnable sorte of men. that vsurers are a dānable kynde of mē: whose vsuries cā no wayes be either excused or defēded. How maye a man vse any maner of de­fence in that thynge whiche the Lorde hym selfe hath prohibited and forbiddē, whiche the cōmune lawes, the consent of the whole churche, Honest con­tractes were ordeyned to meinteyne honch [...] and pro­tite. the ordre of nature doth condemne, & affirme to be a thing repugnant to all honestie & pro­fite, for the maynteinaunce wher­of, lawefull contractes and occu­pyinge [Page]betwene man & man was ordeined. In vsurer is no membre of Christ. In good fayth, that mā can not be a ciuile good man: that is to say: profitable for citie, towne and coūtrey, whiche is an vsurer, muche lesse can he be the membre of Christe and of the churche.

The defences & reasons which the vsurers do communely vse to ley for thē, as bucklers & shyldes of their impietie: are nothynge but bare Sophisticall cauillati­ons. It is possible that in theyr doinges they maye deceyue the ignoraunt (as they are ful of al subtilitie and cautell) but the Lorde, Their owne consciences [...]o condemne [...]. they shall neuer begyle: he wyll not be deceyued for them, no not their owne conscience, nor yet the consciences of other men can be well pleased, at rest, & quiete with theyr doinges: howe godly so euer they woulde appeare to do & seme [Page]to worke Thys is one of the bulwarkes. By vsury, Wyth these bucklers they do beare of the reasons whiche are layed agaynst vsury: full weakly. merchaundise and occupiynge is maynteyned: men shall by suche vsurary con­tractes, fynde one thyng or other euer to do: y ^t they shall not lacke in thys lyfe: of what state & degre soeuer they be, they shall fynde hereby to ease them and to healpe them at theyr neede. The seconde bulwarke. Without Dame vsu­ry this worldly substaunce and ryches can not be maynteined. The thirde. It is a greate benifite to hym whiche needeth to fynde so much pleasure as to haue lent to hym money for vsurie: they do thynke y ^t in so doinge we do much for thē. The fourth. Often tymes they whiche haue ben needy & in great necessitie, by borowynge on vsury haue not ben onely holpen but also hauegrowē to great rich [Page]men. The fifte. The lawes also do permitte vsury. The sixt. Thys kynde of occupiynge is volunta­ry, not compul [...]yue, no man is cō pelled therto, [...] these [...] [...]. but they that lyste their owne selues. For thei which would haue money do desire and praye for to haue it, what so euer they do paye for the vsury therof: they do receiue it and gyue great thankes that they maye be sped: we force no man to take it. By v­s [...]ries also we do mainteyne gods seruice in the church: we do make and [...]uylde free scholes, hospitals for the poore people: by oure vsu­ries whole commune wealthes when thei are in great decay and n [...]cessitie are preserued, and hol­pen, thoughe they do paye for the vse of our money as reasō is. Or­phans and wydowes also are conforted and nourished thereby. Al­so [Page]oure money we do let furth by vsury, not to them that haue no thynge (for they shal get nothing of vs) out to them that are substā tiall ynoughe of theyr owne: and yet for a tyme do lacke. Suche cauillations as these be: vsurers do shadowe theyr wyckednes wyth. Euery man maye lyghtly refute them and put thē awaye, though they do appeare in deede (as they be) Sopisticall & craftie: for they are very folishe excuses whiche they do ley for themselues, where wyth they go aboute to defende theyr vsuries. For to the conseruation and preseruation of al honest trade of merchādise, and encrease of substaunce in the worlde, it is necessarie and expedient to vse honest, iust and lawful bargaynyng betwene man & man, and no vsu­ry. Also we must healpe our neighbour [Page]and succour hym that hath neede, and do good workes after the worde of God whiche oughte to be thy rule, and not agaynste the worde and commaundement of God. [...] For seme it neuer so good a deede that thou dost, if it be not accordyng to the worde of God it is euyl and synne Yea and more­ouer when thy neighbour beinge dryuen for neede to come to the, [...] man [...]inge in necessitie doth [...] care what he pro­ [...] though he do [...]h repent of [...]. to haue thys or that, and wylling to giue the whatsoeuer thou dost aske of hym: thou mayst not giue and healpe hym after his asking, whiche is to his owne hurte and losse: but as the Lorde doeth com­maūde the to healpe hym: so must thou do. Also the permission and sufferaunce of thys lawe can not cleare men before God. For no ci­uile lawe can make that thynge iuste and lawefull: whiche by the [Page]iudgemēt of God and of the lawe of nature is pronounced vnlawe­ful and vniust. No ciu [...]e lawes can dispence with a [...] buses, against the law [...] of God. Nay they can not cloke their vsuries by the autho­ritie of the lawes, for the lawes do condemne vsuries and vtterly disproue them. For although that the wickednes of mē is such, that the lawes must needes suffre and beare wyth some thinges: whiche can not be refourmed wythout a cōmune disturbaunce and disquiethes, The lawes suffer some things which they cannot redres without more incōuentence. it foloweth not streyghte wey that the lawes doe allowe and confirme them. For somuche as the lawes can not remedy all vices, enormities and abuses: in so great diuersitie of myndes, opinions and desires of men: often tymes they doe wynke at many thynges: in many thynges they do set and put a moderation and a measure, sith that the whole cā not [Page]be taken cleane awaye, that they shal not excede and be to far out of the waye. Thys is not to cōfirme, stablishe and allowe such detestable enounities and vices. Lykewyse although that the ma­gistrates do beare, suffre and per­mitte, wyth vsurary contractes and bargaynes some thynge, it foloweth not that they do allowe & commende suche dealyng, considerynge that if they dyd not make some moderation in these thyn­ges, the vsurers woulde be to ex­cedynge deuel [...]she & passe neither for God nor the Deuyll. And for al thys permission no man can excuse hym therby, before God: but agaynst the ciuile paynes and punishmentes by lawes ordeined a­gaynste vsurers: they maye some thynge haue to stande by to saue them from the daunger of the la­wes. [Page]As for their defences which thei do vse they are both vngodly and vnlawefull. And althoughe that the Magistrates shoulde or woulde allowe vsury: yet for all that a christian may not exact & require suche vnlaweful gaynes, excepte he entendeth to be dam­ned both body and soule. For the magistrate can not graunte any maner of ordinaunces which are agaynste the lawe of God and of nature. But in case y ^t he woulde, it is oure duetie not for to folowe that which he doth permitte. The Magi­strate is the saru [...]unt an [...] minister of God and of nature. For the magistrate is the seruaunt of God and of nature: not the lorde of God and nature: therefore he oughte to gyue place to the ordi­naunces of God and to the lawe of nature, to be ruled of them, & not they of him. Therfore he that wyll haue God mercifull to hym [Page]and a gentle Lorde, desiring to be in the numbre and felowshyp of sayntes & of the chyldren of God: he muste forsake al the blynde ex­cuses of these vsurers wyth all their vsuries. Let thys be suffici­ently spoken concernynge vsury: nowe that remayneh, we wyl de­clare of rentes and interest.

The doubt and question of by­ing of rentes: [...]. & of the dammage, otherwise called the interest or recompensation, which a man [...]th receyue of his detter for the hurt and losse, whiche he hath sustey­ned and borne: by reason that the detter dyd not pay hym his dette at the day he shoulde haue paied. We will not make therof any de­claration, to thentēt y ^t we would allowe it: or to steare vp the exce­ssiue and insatiable couetousnes of men to the byinge and purcha­syng [Page]of great quantitie of landes and tenementes, or to cause them hereby to be the more streighte & extreme to their tenaūtes if that they do not paye at the daye: but to settle and satisfie the conscien­ces of these men: which vpon iust and reasonable cōsiderations and causes do bye landes & tenemētes for to lyue by: & of these no heathē do vse also to require interest for the dammage & hinderaūce that [...] doeth susteyne by that he hath not his money and duetie at his daye. It is muche more godly to be occupied in doing of good dee­des (as to gyue for gods sake in almes deedes and to lende freely without hope of gaynes) then for to gape after lucre and vantage, wherefore to these laste good dee­des named, thy mynde aboue all thyng ought to be gyuen: in these [Page]thou shouldest exercise thy selfe. To the sen­der and [...] great rewardes [...] For [...]n lendyng and shewyng thyselfe liveral to thy neighbour ther are promised of God great rewardes both in thys lyfe and in the lyfe to come. As for the purcha­syng of rētes & the desire of lucre & gaynes, they haue no maner rewarde of God, but such benifites and pleasure as are open to al the worlde, that is the pleasure and prosi [...]e that thou dost take there­of. For lykewyse as in all man [...] of cōtractes and bergaynes there is some recompēce of pleasure for them in thys lyfe: euen so in the lyfe to come, these contractes and bargaynes, for the doing of them haue nor shall haue no maner of rewarde. For as the Lorde sayeth the workes of the ciuile ryghtu­ousnes and iustice haue there re­wardes already. But liberalitie [Page]in gyuynge and lendynge to thy neighbour, principally and before all other thynge is commaunded of the Lorde. Wherfore if this be not regarded in all thynge that thou dost, not onely thy purcha­sing shal be detestable and wicked but also all other maner of con­tractes and bargaynes seme they neuer so godly, if thou haste not mynde of Christe in doing therof. For there can be nothynge well & godly done, in what state or degre of lite so euer it be, where the loue of thy neighbour is not regarded and also mynded.

There be many whiche doe thynke that the purchasynge of rentes hath a spice of vsury in it: bicause they do perceyue that of­ten tymes men do come by them by euyll craftes & deceitfull mea­nes. They do thynke also that it [Page]is a thynge vniuste and vngodly to exacte and demaunde any ma­ner of interest for the duetie not payed in dewe season. And truely therein they are nothynge at all deceyued. For it is certeynly true that wycked and vngodly rentes either by vngodly waies gottē or vncōscionably deniaunded, Vnlawefull purchasinge and vniust in­terest are vsu­ry: with rea­syng of rētes. Howe many vsurers haue we in Englād & also that interest which is vniust and vnryghtuous: is playne vsury. For those are wicked rētes, which are taken agaynst the commaundement of God, agaynst the [...]rore of the commune lawe & agaynste the lawe of nature: that is to say, by the whiche rentes thy neigh­boure is polde or pylde, wherein the euen & equall portion of equalitie and iustice on both the par­tes wyth equitie is not obserued & kepte. What so euer is boughte and taken accordynge to the com­maundemente [Page]of God, after the publyke ciuile ordinaūces and ac­cordynge to the lawe of nature, it is bought and taken ryghtuous­ly and accordynge to good consci­ence, and ought not to be iudged vsury in no case. The consciences of those whiche are godly men a­bydynge in the feare of the Lorde are moued & troubled by the au­thorities of the scriptures, for the whiche cause chiefely it is to be di [...]ssed whether that rētes are to be taken as vsuries prohibited by the scripture, yea or naye. Wher­fore we wyl fyrst speake of rentes, and then afterwarde of the inter­est which is demaunded for lacke of payment in dewe season. The Lorde prescribeth no ordre in ciuile matters, he doth permit is to the Magi­strate to do & ordre al thinge after the rule of his worde. The preceptes of the Lorde and commaundementes of liberalitie in gyuyng and lendyng oughte not to be obiected and layed agaynst, [Page]as contrary to the purchasyng of rentes, bicause the Lorde in his commaundementes & preceptes doth not meddle at all: naye spea­keth no worde of byinge and sel­lynge, he doeth not prescribe any maner of ordre in bargaynynge. He biddeth vs onely to shewe our selues gentle and liberall in heal­pyng of our neighbour, and that y ^t good, deede which we do, should be frākely & frely done. We ought not to fetche furth of the scrip [...] ­res the fourme and maner of bargaining one of vs wyth an other, but from the ciuile lawes, whiche do handle al suche matters so conningly, so excellētly, that nothing can be more, whiche hath had al­waye authoritie to deme & iudge betwene mā and man, cōcerninge all maner of contractes and bar­gaynes wich are vsed to be made. [Page]The Lorde doth not abolishe and take away the facion and maner of occupiyng in bargaynyng, but rather confirmeth it, commaun­dyng that by those ciuile lawes al maner of controuersies & striefes should be finished and ended, and that we do obey to them, wherby he doeth improue and condemne onely vsuries, and not cōtractes. As for the true bying and sellyng of rentes, it is a kynde of cōtracte and bargayne, it is no parte of v­surary cōuention, Ergo it is not condemned of the Lorde. Vsury consi­steth in that thinge whiche is lent & boro­wed: purcha­sing of rentes do not consist in lending and borowyng, er­go lawful purchasing is no vsury. For vsury perteyneth onely to such thin­ges as are lent to be paied againe in the selfe same substaunce or in some other substaūce of the same kynde of thynge wyth vantage & gayne, not perteynynge to any o­ther maner of contractes of occupiyng. But laweful and iuste by­inge [Page]of rentes, consisteth neither in borowynge nor in lendyng, Ergo bying of rētes without fraudegyle and deceite, can be none vsurary conuention, nor to be called vsury. Thys reason proueth it to be true, bicause that when any man doth bye wyth his goodes & money, any maner of landes or houses, men do not saye that he hath then lente his money or his goodes, but that he hath bought thys or that wyth his money and goodes. Also what soeuer is taken in lone of the needy, more then that thinge which was deliuered, is playne vsury, not that whiche is boughte in theyr grounde or other possessiōs, which is a plaine sale, wythout any free gyfte, and of duetie doth owe nothinge to begyuen freely therein. Then it foloweth, if a ryche man doe byerentes [Page]of hym that is not needy and poore, he committeth no vsury, for the rentes are the vantage gayne and profite of that, whiche was bought and solde, and not of money or goodes lent & borowed, For the precepte and commaundement of lendynge is ordeyned for the needy, not for thē which with other mennes money do gayne & gette profite, byinge therewyth [...]llages, groūdes, houses, & suche other possessions.

There be three maner of men in thys lyfe, Three kindes of men. to whom by the lawe of God & of nature we are bound to do good, but after a seuerall and distinct maner, hauynge respecte to what sorte of men we do oure good deede. There is one kynde of men whiche be so poore, that of mere necessitie thei are driuen to beggery & askyng of theyr [Page]almes, Beggars. whiche if they doborowe any thynge, Honest poore men hauinge neede. can not restore it a­gayne. Another sorte of men are needy, whiche haue neede other while of other mens healpe, but not alwaye, whiche can sometime restore agayne that whiche they haue borowed. The third sort are those, whiche hauyng possessions & lyuelode, haue ynough of their owne substaunce to maynt eyne them without the healpe of other mennes goodes. Riche men. Thys by the diuersity and diuers sortes of men: must you ponder & iudge, to whō you are bounde to do well frely wythout profite, This is a goodly lesson and full of learnmg [...]. and wyth whō you maye bye and sell or make a­ny other lawefull contract for vā [...]ge & gayne. The lawes of Moyses do beare witnes y ^t the Lorde dyd deuide his people of Israel in to these three fortes of men, she­wynge [Page]howe and to whom men ought to shewe thē selues gentle & louyng, The fyrst sorte must be holpen with gifte. & after what maner to euery sort. The firste sort of these three, he commaundeth to healpe freely, wyth free gyfte, that is to saye, wyth almes deede: sayinge. Thou shalte not lacke poore men [...]wellynge in thy lande: therefore I cōmaund the to opē thy hande to thy needy brother, and to the pore which are with the. To this precepte perteyne those wordes whiche are spoken of the Lorde, saying, that we are boūde to gyue to them which do aske. And those wordes also, concernyng hospita­litie, and the prouision whiche is to be had for the voyding of great nūbre of poore folke. The second [...] sorte wyth [...] dyng. The seconde fort, the Lorde commaundeth to be holpen & succourred not wyth almes deedes & gyuynge of mens [Page]goodes, but wyth lendynge for a time to be repaied againe, bicause that thei are not driuē to extreme necessitie of pouertie: hauynge of their owne wherewyth they are able to restore and paye agayne that whiche they haue borowed. Saynt Paule teacheth that our good deedes oughte to be done w ^t a good iudgement and discretion obseruynge an equall and an indifferent ordre and maner therein: Me must haue respect in our good deedes lest we be occasion of much pouer­ty: thorow our intēpestiue liberalitie. leste the neede & necessitie of the one shoulde make the other also to be more ydle, slouggyshe and slouthfull. For if wythout any respecte a man shoulde gyue freely as an almes deede, his goodes to them, to whom accordynge to reason, he oughte but lende them (bi­cause that they are able to restore againe that they do receiue) what reason or ordre woulde be therin? [Page]what equall iudgemente woulde apperre in that thynge, whyche should be to the one extreme calamitie: to y ^e other occasion of great ydlenes & slouth. Of this seconde kinde and sorte of mē speaketh the lawes of God when thei do treate of lendyng and of vsuries whiche we haue rehearsed here before. The whiche lawes apertly, mani festly & as it were shewyng wyth a fingar do meane and speake of those men whiche are needy and of none other as the Lorde hymselfe wytnesheth, sayinge, thou shalte lende to thy brother wyth out vsurie. Also of thy brother whyche standeth in neede, thou shalte take no vsurie for that whiche thou doest lende hym. All these scr [...] ­tures do ma [...] for the seco [...] sorte of men. A­gaine. My pore people thou shalt not oppresse wyth vsurie. Of this sorte also is that scripture which [Page]sayth. Thou shalte not turne thy face from him which commeth to borowe any thynge of the. The thirde kinde of men.

For the thyrde kynde of men, contractes and occupiynge by by­inge and sellynge was ordeyned, whiche maye lawefully amonge them selues bargayne for lucre & gayne. To whō the lawes do prescribe howe & after what maner thei shal occupy together. For the whiche cause also Iudges are or­deyned to gyue sentences concer­nyng all ciuile controuersies and variaunces, and by iudgemente to determe, decree and ordeyne what is ryght and what contra­ry. Those oughte men to folowe. For Christe doth not take awaye the olde politike and ciuile ordi­naunces, he maketh no newe de­crees & ordres for ciuile matters, he doeth not take on hym to discusse [Page]such matters: the knowledge wherof he cōmitteth to the lawes and politike ordinaunces of men. He doeth bydde and commaunde vs to gyue vnto Cesar: the ryght of Cesar, and to be obedtēt to the ciuile and lawefull magistrates: to keepe and folowe theyr ordi­naunces, The ordinau­ces of the ma­gistrates are the ordinaū ­ces of God. bicause that theyr ordinaunces, are the ordinaunces of God. For the Magistrate is the ministre of God. He teacheth also that we maye wythout hurte or scruple of conscience, in all ciuile busynes and matters, whiche do perteyne vnto thys thirde sorte & ordre of men: imitate and folowe the lawes and ciuile ordres made and ordeyned by a lawefull Ma­gistrate, to whom of God is committed the iudgement and mini­stration of right in all such thyn­ges. The kyngdome of Christe is [Page]not of thys world: Wherefore did not Christ make ciuile cō stitutions. therfore Christ doth not ordeyne and make ciuile constitutions and lawes for such matters as do passe amonge men in theyr occupiynges and other deedes which they are bounde to obserue beinge ordeyned by the Magiserates and rulers: he maketh no lawes of endyng their cō trouersies and debates betwene them: but all together he doeth cō mitte to the ciuile Magistrate & heade. As by the answere dyd an­peare whiche he dyd make to hym whiche desired of the Lorde that he would deuide and gyue to him the portion and parte due to hym of his fathers heritage, sayinge that he was not ordeyned a deuider & Iudge of heritage matters as a thynge perteynyng nothing to his office. Christ doth y ^t whiche is y ^e busynes of his father, whiche [Page]his father cōmaunded him to do: those thynges which perteyne to the kyngdome of God, The office o [...] Thrist. and to the health of man. He sheweth and setteth furth his Gospell: he offereth euerlasting health, he giueth all spirituall gyftes: he openeth the secretes and priuitie of his fathers wyll, he doth enterprete the lawe of God, he teacheth what is well, what is euyll done, what thynge the Lorde is pleased or an [...]ry with: howe we may be saued, howe we maye be damned, he ma­keth no ciuile lawes, only he doth commende and allowe in oure ciuile and politike matters a ciuile and politike iustice, he, prayseth the ordinaunces whiche the lawe of nature hath ordeyned and byn deth vs to keepe, he extolleth the honest dealyng and conuersation of men, he commaundeth that we [Page]do vse our cōtractes, & bargaines, wherby we obteine either the proprietie, or the vse onely and occu­piyng of thynges as the contract doeth declare, ryghtly and accordyng to equitie and conscience.

The Lorde doth loke for no more, but that we do obserne and keepe the ciuile lawes and ordinaunces whiche are brought and borowed furth of the lawe of nature wyth out any grudgyng, wyth a simple sinceritie and purenes, in our byinge and sellyng, in our permutation chaungyng or barteryng, in our free gyuyng, in our lendyng, in our companies & felow shippes in al thynges that are layed to vs to keepe, Contractes innominate & nominate. beinge wyth vs in deposite, in takynge of pledges, and in all other maner of contractes, be thei nominate or vnnominate, as these whiche do folowe. I do giue [Page]that thou shalte gyue agayne, I do, to the entent that thou shalte do agayne. I do gyue, for y ^t thou mayst do. I do, for y ^t thou mayst gyue. The iudgement of all suche matters are lefte to the ciuile magistrate and ruler. In the Gospel and doctrine of the apostles there is no fourme and ordre prescribed for cōtractes and other ciuile busines. But onely the churche is taught and admonished of al ver [...]uous, of all godly & gentle cōuer sation in doinge & deseruing well one of an other, y ^e mē shoulde not referre their deedes all together to priuate vātage and lucre: but also to the commune profite and wealth of all other men. It doeth prohibite no maner of honest law­ful occupiyng: but al fraude, gile, and deceite it doth abhorre and detest, it doth teache vs also that in [Page]oure contractes and other occupiynges we shoulde beholde our selues louyngly, vprighte & godly, y ^t is to saye, y ^t we should not offende and trespasse any thynge in oure dealynges. For the whiche cause the Lorde doth prescribe to vs certeyne generall sentences, by the whiche oure deedes and dueties towarde oure neighbour oughte to be gouerned and ruled, that is to say, that we should gyue to the poore liberally and freely, wyth [...] good stomache, hauyng a good cō science, and with a charitie & loue not feyned. To them whiche are not in so muche pouertie as the other be, y ^t we shoulde lende oure goodes without vātage or gaine, or hope of any profite, and to do in al our contractes as we would be done to. And finally that we do not defraude and deceyue our [Page]neighboure in nothynge that we do go about. Those me whiche vnder any cloke or colour of Christe his doctrine woulde haue aboli­shed ciuile ordinaunces & lawes, are paste all shame: workyng wyckedly, ouerthrowyng & turnynge vpsyde downe cōmune wealthes, settyng diuision amonge men, abolishing honest, necessary and profitable ordinaūces and actes, and last of all the disturbers of al qui [...]tnes and tranquilitie, & the loue breakers of all men. The doctrine of Christe as I haue sayed rebuketh the vices and abuses whiche men vse in theyr occupiynge, the ordre of occupiyng not abrogated or minished, nor yet the authori­ties and iudgemētes of the lawes taken from them, but cōfirmed & made more stronge. Lykewyse as they do depraue, corrupt & sclaun [Page]the Gospell: whiche do wry & wrast euery precept and cōmaundement, makyng it to serue for all states of lyfe for all kyndes of persons generally. So do thei which take these preceptes of Christ, say­ing (To him y ^t asketh of the: giue. Turne not frō him which would borowe of the and such other) lay­inge the sayed preceptes agaynste the commune lawes & ordinaūces as cōtrary & repugnant to them, appliynge (I saye) these prec [...] to all maner of men wythout re­specte, difference or knowledge, which of the three states or sortes of men they be of, in whom these cōmaundementes are to be kept. They whiche do make the precep­tes of Christe to serue for all men generally, hauyng no considerat [...] on, in what, to whō, & howe, tru­ly they do brynge in, a foule conf [...] sion, [Page]they do confounde and min­gle together sundry and different thinges, they do ouerwhelme the duetie & office of amitie & friend­ship, they do reproue and forsake the ryghte iudgemente of reason, they plucke out al ciuile iustice & equitie frō thys lyfe: they do trouble mennes consciences, bringing them into a merueilous perplexi­tie and doubtfulnes: they do set furth, as it were to sale, the lawe of [...]ature, cōcernyng the keeping of an equall and indifferent ordre in all thynges that men do: final­ly of all thynges they do turne that which should be vp, downe: and that which should be downe, vp. It is a very pernitious er­rour to make euery precept which is commaunded to serue for al mē in generall together, what state, The preceptes in the law are not al vniuet­sall. degree, or ordre so euer they be. [Page]There is a great sort of mē thyn­king thē selues very wyse, whiche by this errour being seduced and deceyued, or rather brought into great madnes, do say that by the Euangell or Gospell of God the commune natural reason & iudgement of men is ouerwhelmed and choked, that it can not tell what to do: that therby, the ciuile lawes are abolished: that the commune wealthes of mē are destroied, that all good ordinaunces and [...] are taken cleane away: and finally that the Gospell is nothynge els, but the doctrine of some man whiche was not sobre or elles in his right wittes. When that our olde and greate Doctours in diuinitie coulde not tel which way to make answere to the cauillations of these wicked raylers, they dyd make them beleue that these pre­ceptes [Page]were nothyuge elles but counsels, He doth im­pounge the frantike mad­nes of many which do con­tende that the Gospel is but an idle matter and a disqui­etinge of all commune wealthes whiche appeared to be repugnant to nature and ciuile iustice, affirming that these counsels were not wryttē to al mē, but to thē onely whiche were perfect. By the which blinde reason, they haue not made answere to the wicked and diuilishe cauillations of them, wherewyth they shoulde be contented and pleased: but they haue gone oboute to blynde theyr eyes and to deceyue thē: makinge them more mad, then they were before, gyuyng to them a greater occasion to sclaunder and reporte euyll of the Gospell. For euery mā doeth see that Christe doeth commaunde earnesty, that which his wyl is to be done Wherefore if so be a man shoulde aptly, ryghtly, wythout any maner of fraude & colour, make answere to their ca­uillations, [Page]it is requisite and ne­cessary that the preceptes and cō ­maundementes of Christ be so expounded, that they shall not ap­peare cōtrary and repugnant to the lawe of nature, and to the cō ­mune lawes: otherwyse the sclaū derous reportes of the enemies & abuersaries of Christe can neuer be put a syde and ouercome. If so be that the preceptes of Christe were referred and applied to thē, to whom they do perteyne, these foule raylers agaynste God were confuted and also cōfounded, that they shoulde haue nothynge to answeare, we shoulde not neede to make thē beleue: as the diuines vsed to do, that they were but coū sels. The Lorde doth cōmaunde, (he doth not coūsell) y ^t we shoulde not resist them whiche woulde do to vs euyll, The Lordes prec [...]p [...]es may not be called tounsels. y ^t we iudge not, that [Page]we do not condemne, y ^t we stryue and cōtende not in the lawe, that we do sweare in no case, to turne the left cheeke to him which hath smotte the on the ryghte, not to demaunde agayne that which is taken from the, to giue to him al­so thy cloke whiche woulde take thy cote, to loue our enemie, to do good to them which hate vs, to renounce and forsake al our goodes, to gyue to euery man that asketh ought of vs, to sel al that we haue and to distribute it to the poore: to bidde to oure feastes the poore, feable, halte, lame, blinde, not our friendes, bretherne, Kynsfolke, neighbours, and rych men, which can bidde vs agayne, whiche can do as much for vs againe, to giue that thinge freely which we haue freely receiued, not to possesse, neither siluer nor golde, to beare and [Page]cary no money in oure gyrdesses aboute vs, to haue no wallette nor shoes, nor two garmētes, and suche other. If these & suche other lyke preceptes of Christe shoulde be layed agaynst the honest, nece­ssary and prefitable ordinaunces made accordynge to reason, there shoulde nothynge remayne vn­troubled and in ordre in a com­mune wealth, all good actes and ciuile lawes shoulde be taken a­waye, bicause that the lawes do stablishe & confirme iudgemētes, require the othes of menne, allo­weth y ^e proprietie of goodes, they permitte a man to vse his defence shewynge howe he shall defende hym, they teache howe we maye defende both our bodies & goodes they commende ciuile iustice, they commaunde to render thākes for good turnes receiued, thei do mo­nishe [Page]vs that we oughte and are bounde to recompence wyth lyke benifite hym whiche is benificiall to vs: and finally they do teache vs that we oughte to shewe oure selues in al our-deedes gentle and louinge, and alwaye requitte one good turne for an other.

To thys iudgement & mynde of the ciuile lawes and ordinaunces, the preceptes of the Lorde are not repugnant & contrary: if they be vnderstande as they oughte to be: beinge referred to suche kynde of men as the Lorde dydpreach & speake to them. The Lorde by his precepte doeth not abrogate the publike iudgementes: he forbyd­deth not othes lawfully made, he taketh not from the Magistrate the authoritie of punishment of transgressours: he doth not forbid priuate men to defende them sel­ues [Page]accordynge to ryghte and to the ordre of lawes: but he cōmaundeth that christian men shoulde not vse extremitie: but some thing releasynge of theyr ryghte to fo­lowe those thynges whiche charitie doth leade vs to: not to auēge their owne quarell after theyr owne wyll and mynde, nor to do any thynge elles whiche is not to be sene or noted in a christian mā, vnworthy the sobrenes which we ought to haue in Christe. Saynt Paule in the firste epistle and sixt Chap. to the Corhinthians declareth openly that the iudgemētes, by lawes are not of God prohibi­ted amonge christian men, he dyd no more but reprehende & rebuke that christian men to the greate dishonour of Christe his religion, woulde cōtende and stryue in the lawe before wycked and vnbele­uyng [Page]Iudges, that they woulde one touble & vex an other wrong­fully. Moreouer the Lorde doeth not prohibite agaynste the com­mune lawes, and lawe also of nature, that men shoulde haue any thynge of theyr owne propre, as theyr owne goodes: but he com­maundeth vs that we do not set oure hertes on oure goodes, that we also do healpe our neighboure wyth suche goodes as God hath gyuen vs, in his necessitie. Howe is thys sayinge (you haue recryne freely, gyue freely) to be vnderstande And whereas Christe sayeth, you haue receyued freely, gyue it therefore agayne freely, it is to be vnder­stande of the gifte of power and of healynge, whiche the Lorde dyd frō heauē aboue gyue to his disciples and Apostles to the stabish­ment and confirmation of his E­uangelical doctrine.

Whereas we are commaūded [Page]not to possesse golde or syluer nor money in our girdels, You shall not possesse at. how is it mēt not to haue a wallet, not two cotes, not a rod not shoes in the waye or iourney, it is not agaynst the commune lawes of priuate possessions, it doth not take awaye possessions from the ecclesiastical ministers and rulers: but it teacheth and sheweth that they whiche be disciples, hearers, and scholers, shoulde gyue both meate & drinke to theyr mai­sters and teachers, and it is not requisite that thei which do teach and preache the worde of God should finde them selues. For euery worke man by the lawe of na­ture is worthy to haue his re­warde and fyndyng. Who soeuer doth ley these preceptes of Christ agaynste the lawes whiche do al­lowe proprietie of goodes and a­gaynste other honeste ciuile ordi­naunces [Page]for the gyuynge of sty­pēdes to them whiche do ministre in the churche, he doeth not onely impounge and infringe the lawe of nature and politike ordinaun­ces and actes, but also he doeth improue and disalow the doctrine of Christe and his Apostles, which in his churche hath constituted & ordeyned diuers ordres of mini­sters, whiche hath commaunded that by the commune charges of the church they should be founde and maynteyned. As it is a great and a foule erroure to make these lawes by me rehearsed to serue for all kynde of men wythout re­spect, and so to ley them as lawes contrary to the commune lawes and honeste profitable and nece­ssary ordinaūces of Magistrates and rulers: so it is a very pernicious errour to holde and persuade [Page]that those preceptes of liberalitie in gyuynge and of lendyng freely wythout profite & vsury do per­teyne to all maner of men, and to lay them agaynst the honest poli­tike ordinannces of cōtractes, of purchasing of lādes or tenemētes, and of enterest. Euery precepte muste be accommodate and made to serue for thys kynde or that kynde of men, accordynge to the state and degree that they be of. For lykewyse as the Magistrate doth not synne & offende in iudgegyng, condemnynge, resistynge of euyll and in recoueryng of stolne goodes. &c. if he do vse his authoritie and power as he oughte for to do: euen so doeth he not trans­gresse whiche doeth bye and pur­chase any thynge of them wyth whom he may lawefully contract and bargayne for profite & gaine. [Page]And as the preceptes of Christ do not bynde all men indifferently or a lyke, so by thys precepte of len­dyng, to lende to all sortes of men we are not bounde. For by that whiche we haue declared, it is manifest that the precepte of Christe concernynge lendynge and almes deede doeth not perteyne to the thirde sorte of the three sortes of men whiche we haue rehearsed. Wherefore if any man do either gyue for euer (as the cōmune say­ing is) or elles do lende any thing to any of these men whiche be of the thirde sorte: he doeth it of his owne free wyl wythout necessitie or compulsion of the lawe of God, for frindshippe sake, to whom he maye wythout grudge of consci­ence, if hym pleaseth: neither giue nor lende: the lawe byndyng hym not thereto. For asmuche then: by [Page]the precepte of gyuynge and len­dynge we are not bounde, to the thirde sorte of men, that is to say, to the ryche and substantial men, so is it not prohibited and forbid­den to them amonge them selues, that is to saye: suche as they be themselues, ryche and substanti­al to bargayne & make contractes for honest gaynes and laweful l [...] ­cre: nor yet the profite and gaine, which for the vse either of money or any other thynge is receyned and taken wyth reason, not exce­ssiuely of those men whiche are of the thirde sorte: is not to be na­med vsury. For vsury perteyneth & dependeth onely on that thinge whiche is lent, whiche lone is due wythout denial by the law of god to the needy, and not on other ma­ner of occupiynges by contractes and bargaynes whiche is propre [Page]to the thirde sort of men. Where­fore byinge & yurchasing of lande & tenementes, not wyth to great dammage and losse of the seller: is no vsury. Cōtrary wise syth y ^t in the precepte of Christe of gyuyng and lendinge, is cōmaunded, that men of the fyrst and seconde sorte shoulde be succoured and holpen, either by free gyfte or lendynge, wythout any hope of vantage, it shall not then be lawefull in no case to take litle or more for the gayne and profite of that whiche thou haste either gyuen or lent to suche men as they be. For nature teacheth and byddeth vs to helpe hym y ^t needeth freely, the whiche thynge Christ hym selfe also doth commaunde If any thynge be takē of such men as they be: it is vsuty: for asmuch as it is vnlawefull to bargayne wyth them any ma­ner [Page]of waies for lucre & vantage. And the magistrate what to euer he be whiche doeth permitte con­tractes and bargaines to be made for lucre and vantage wyth any of these two sortes of men, doeth wickedly: for he doth permit that thynge whiche is forbiddē by the lawe of God, whiche the lawe of nature condemneth. And yet, for all that the magistrate doth thus permit & suffre: they whiche so do, can not be excused thereby before God, which do take of thē, whiche are in neces [...]ti, any lucre or gaine for the vse of any thynge whyche they do gyue or lende.

By this declaration of the preceptes of Christ, cōcerning liberalitie in gyuing & lending: and by the expositiō of the lawes of Moy ses cōcerning vsuries: and by the conferring of the lawes together: [Page]I doubt not but it is manifeste & open that the purchasing oflādes or housynge, is no vsurary bar­gaine, nor reproued by the cōmaū dementes of God, if it be done ac­cording to reason and conscience: wyth the thirde sort of men: with whō the lawe of God permitteth to bargayne for profite & gayne.

It is allowed & also confirmed by the Emperoure his maiestie, The Parlia­ment at wor­mes. & authority of the whole Empire to purchase & to bye lande according to right and conscience. Twentie ye­res purchase is apyroued by all lawes. It is also in y ^e coūsel had at Wormes by the decree of the whole Empire, that he whiche wyl purchase so muche rent as wyll come to fyue florens by the yere: shal paye for the pur­chase therof, one hundreth florēs, which is after twentie yeres pur chase. Thys maner of purchasing the authoritie of the empire doth [Page]nūbre amōg those cōtracts, whic [...] are both profitable, lawful & ind [...] ­fferēt, cōfirminge & defēding it b [...] the cōmune iudgement & decree of the sayed Parliament, discha [...] ­ging it of the sclaūdre & naught report of all vsurary bargaynes cōtractes. Bisydes thys the Em­perour with al his nobility w ^t fu­cōsent & agremēt of the whole n [...] ­bre assēbled together at the saye Worms, haue & do pronoūce tha [...] man or men what so euer they [...] to cōmit vsury and to be vsurers which do purchase for one hūdret that is, To [...]ye vnder xr. yeares pur chose is vsurp fiue score florens, abo [...] fiue florēs by the yere, & of yere [...] rent. This moderation which th [...] empire hath taken in purchasi [...] is accordynge to reason & equiti [...] declaring y ^t in purchasing of rēte [...] there is a certein equality & an i [...] differēt ordre to be obserued, ne [...] [Page]ssary and profitable for the felow: ship of men & cōuersation of mā. Therfore that same ordinaunce men may vse, as iust & profitable, being the cōstitution & decree of a lawful Magistrate. Wherfore it ought not to be takē as an vsura­ry & vnlawful cōtract: for asmuch as it hath ben & is decreed & ordeined by the authoritie of the pub­like Magistrates & rulers. Thys cōstitution & ordre taken and de­maūded by the authoritie of the whole Empire, is not contrary to the lawe of nature: for it is not a­gaynst the commune profite, it is not with the hurt & hinder aunce of any man, but to their healpe & succour, it is indifferēt & equal for the seller, as well as the byer, it is not agaynst the loue which we do owe to our neighboure: therefore it ought not to be improued. The [Page]cōsciences of those men whiche d [...] purchase after thys ordre ought [...] not to be disquieted, doinge thei [...] feate wyth a good conscience and wythout filthy desire of vnlawe­full sucre and gayne.

Also for y ^e honest mainteining [...] of occupiynges, in bying & selling and other maner of trades which are vsed amonge substantiall and rich mē, the vse of other mens m [...] ­ney is necessary, for wythout tha [...] no busines cā be done: & who tha [...] doth take that away frō among [...] mē, he doth detract & plucke much frō the cōmu [...] saith that men (I do meane thos [...] men of the thirde sort, to whō ne­ther gyfte, nor lone by the lawe o [...] God is dewe) oughte not to ba [...] gaine amonge thē selues for a m [...] ­derate & lawful gaynes to be tak [...] for the vse of their money doeth [Page]erre & kicketh agaynst the cōmon profite. For it is ryght y ^t that mā shoulde haue some gayne, wyth whose money an other man doeth gette profite & vātage. Moderate pr [...]ite and gayn [...] it may be tak [...] amonge the riche for the vse of their money. Wherfore syth that euery man can not nor ought not to esteme & iudge after his owne mynde and wyll, what is right, indifferent and equall to be taken for the vse of money, let vs followe the myndes, iudgemē ­tes & sētēces of Magistrates law­fully ordeined, cōcerning such maner of bargaynynge, wherein the vse of money is bought & solde.

The Euāgell of Christ doth require in all worldly busines & ciuile matters a iust & an equal or­dre for all partes to be obserued, but howe & after what facion it shalbe obserued & kept: it sheweth no fourme nor exēple: neither ge­nerally in all maner of cōtractes, [Page]nor yet specially or sauerally by them selfe, as what is iuste or contrary, equal or vnequal, it decla­reth nothynge at all. Therfore it is necessary in all ciuile and tēpo­ral matters, to follow the cōmon ordinaunce made and ordeyned by Magistrates and rulers agre­ing to reason, equitie, & cōscience, beinge not lawefull for any man to excede and passe the limittes & bonde of those publike ordres cō ­firmed & approued by the autho­ritie of superiours. Thewhiche lawes and ordinaūces of the publike Magistrates we are bounde to obey, not onely for feare of the paynes for the transgressours in the lawes conteyned: but also for cōscience sake. Therfore those mē do offende whiche do bye and purchase of yerely rēt aboue the some of fyue florens for an hūdreth flo­rens: [Page]for they do against the ordre and decree of the whole Empire which can not excuse them selues though they do laye for them the possession & proprietie of the thing saying, They do not offende which de purchase a [...]et. x. or vi [...] yeares, pur­chase I war­rant you. y ^t the laude was his owne whiche dyd sell it, that he myghte do therwyth what him listeth and suche other wordes.

For although that euery man is proprietary & lorde of his owne goodes: yet no man maye vse thē at his owne pleasure and wyll a­gaynste the ordre of the lawe. For the Lorde & the magistrate which is his ministre, are the lordes and heades both of oure body & goo­des, we are but the dispensers & stuardes therof. Therfore it is necessary that in the stuardshippe to vs, of the Lōrde cōmitted, & in the administratiō of our goodes, that we do behaue our selues after the [Page]wyl of the Lorde & the ordinaun­ces of the lawefull Magistrates and gouerners.

For asmuche then as the pur­chase of house and lande, and the gayne therof remayneth and also doth yerely fructifie & brynge profite to him which bought the purchase, By [...] [...] ­ [...]ō he pr [...]ueth [...] no vsury to purchas [...] land [...] the thinge which was solde doth not by the vse therof cōsume & wast. Therfore it is not against nature for the vse of the thynge which was solde to take profit [...] & gayne accordynge as the lawes haue ordeyned. For, to sell the vse of a thynge whiche doth not con­sume, is of hym selfe no synne: if it were, then shoulde it be vnlaw­full, to lette furth any thynge to hyar, and suche other cōtractes: wherein both the vse of our goo­des and also of oure personages & bodies for a tyme are solde. [Page]To sell the vse of oure money, the circumstances thereof do make it sinne and greuous, of it selfe it is none. As to sell the vse of thy mo­ney to hym which is in necessitie, being of the two first sortes of mē which we haue declared and also bicause it is solde against the commune lawe. The state, condition & qualitie of y ^e person declareth this cōtract to be lawful or vnlawful: whē a mā frō ryches falleth to pou [...]tie. In this cōtract a mā with cōsciēce cā not demaūd any gaine or vātage: bicause this maner of cōtract of bying the vse of money in courtes of cōscience is not cal­led bying & sellyng, but taketh an other name of it, & is called a lone or money lent, in the which thinge lent & borowed, the vse of y ^e thing ought not to be solde. Also it is a­gainst natury ^t, y ^t thinge, which is [Page]spent, cōsumed or lost, & of it selfe encreaseth not, nor bryngeth any maner of fruite of his owne nature to the detter, should brynge lucre and gayne to the creditour, that is to hym, whiche deliuered the money. For it is synne and repugnant to the lawe of nature, in thys cause to sell the vse of any thynge: when with the vse of the thynge, the thynge also it selfe is wasted & cōsumed of his owne nature, or to speake more playnely, when the vse of the thynge is the spendyng & wastyng of the thyng whose vse is solde. These thynges wel weighed & cōsidered, it is manifest & cleare y ^t the purchasing of lādes is allowed by the authoritie of the whole Empire, y ^t it is not cōtrary to the lawe of nature, nor none other lawe, nor yet repugnāt to the maynteynaunce of fe­lowshyp [Page]& amicable societie of mā in thys lyfe, all maner suspication of vsury by the authoritie of the sayed counsel beinge taken away from it.

Some men there be which do doubt, Interest. whether a man may loke & demaunde amendes & recōpence, for the dammage & losse whiche he hath susteyned in forbearyng the money which he did lende, longar then the tyme y ^t it was lent for: or whē the man whiche dyd borowe the money, dyd not accordynge to his promise paye it agayne, but differred the payment therof lōgar thē w ^•as promised to the losse, hinderaunce & hurt of the lēder, whether in this case it shoulde be vsury to demaūde any recōpence, yea or naye. For asmuche as thys is aboute the question of lendynge, whiche ought to be free wythout [Page]vantage & gayne, it is thoughte that it should be vsury. Although that enterest as well as vsury is bought, that thing which is lent, yet there is greate difference be­twene them. For an action which is taken for interst, is for the dammage & losse whiche the creditour doeth susteyne that he may be saued harmeles. Contrary wyse anaction of vsury, is for no dāmage whiche the creditour hath had or susteyned, but for gayne & vātage whiche he woulde haue. In thys matter the mynde & iudgemente of the ciuile lawe must giue to vs lyght, what is to be done, whiche allowe [...]h recōpensation & making of amendes for so much dāmage & hurt as the creditour hath susteyned, which recōpence is called the interest, whiche sentence & minde is cōfourme & agreable to reason. [Page]For it is agaynste all reason, that the thyng lent should be dāmage to the lender, & that the good wy [...] of the lendar, and his good deede should be recōpēsed wyth an euyl turne and hurtes. Matk [...] Howe be it I woulde counsel euery godly man (what soeuer the law doth permit graūt & suffre) for to followe that thyng which shal stāde with equitie & charitie. For this is the most surest & best waye. Thys haue I spoken of vsury, & of purchasynge of lades & tenementes. Nowe let vs returne againe to the text.

The texte
And hath not takē any gyftes or rewardes agaynste the innocent.

Those gyftes and rewardes, which are giuē for tokens of loue and friend shyppe amonge frien­des [Page]and louers, are not ment, nor blamed by these wordes of the Psalmist, but suche gyftes and rewardes wherby the innocētes dosuffre dāmage and hurt, wherby also, right, equitie and iustice are abused and peruerted. B [...]ynst i [...]d­g [...]s whiche, do take giftes wherby the [...]nnocentes a [...] [...] [...] Therfore it is spoken openly and manifest­ly of those gyftes which are taken to the hurtes and wronge of the innocent & of hym which is wyth out blame. By these sentences & wordes of the Psalme al they are iudged to eternall damnation, which for theyr owne profite and vantage do giue sentence agaynst ryght and iustice whiche do mayn teyne and prolonge vniust suetes whiche do counterfeite iuste cau­ses and quarels for theyr owne lucre and vantage, & finally who so euer doth wronge and hurt the innocent for to get any gaine or profite [Page]therby. It is generally spokē it perteyneth to al states, degrees and ordres of lyfe to all maner of men, and not to Iudges and ru­lers onely. Lykewyse as he is gil­tie of eternall damnation whiche hath receiued any reward against the innocent, The giuer as well as the [...]e­ceyuer is thr [...] ­tened. so is he also whiche hath giuen the rewarde to do the innocent harme, which doth giue (I saye) y ^t by his brybes he might corrupt iustice and ryghtuousnes to y ^t hurt of his neighbour. Thys man doth agaynste the precepte of god, which precept doth cōmaūde brotherly loue wyth all puritie & sincerenes, whiche cōmaūdeth vs to loue oure neyghboure as oure owne selues, and to do to hym as we woulde be done to. The Lorde doth not permit to quite euyl for euyll, hurte for hurte, one euyll worde for an other, much les doth [Page]he permit and suffre that we shal sclaunder the innocent, y ^t we shal seeke to hurte hym wyth oure brybes. For asmuche as we nowe do talke of rewardes and giftes, it is often tymes had in question, whe ther y ^e magistrates or any other o­fficer, Whether it be lawfull for a Iudge to take any gi [...] at [...] before whom causes beinge in controuersie vse to be decided & to be made an ende of by iudge­mentes, wyth a good conscience, without the wrath and vēgeaūce of God: either before the cause is hearde, or after the sentence is gy­uen and pronounced: may take of both or either of the seuters any rewardes and gyftes. In answe­ryng to thys question the craftie and vngracious imagination of men may obiecte many thynges, whiche shall seme and appeare to be according to right and equitie. but the doubte & question of this [Page]matter cā not be dissolued and cō ­cluded wyth vncerteyne, darke & mistie opinions of mē wyth their cōiectures and persuasions, deui­sed to maynteyne their fylthy lu­cre and gayne, but by the mani­fest scriptures & opē lawes which are cōfourme and agreable to reason. Thys is wythout all doubte that al maner of Iudges and magistrates are forbiddē to take gyf­tes and rewardes, for thys cause and ende, that they shoulde not beinge corrupted giue no wronge iudgemēt and sentence, that they should not haue any occasion craftely [...]to prolōge and cōtinewe the sute to the hurte and dāmage of any of the parties, or to coloure & deuise any craftie and vniust matter to the hinderaūce of the other parte, either accusar or defendar, in recōpence of y ^• rewardes which [Page]they haue receiued. It is an open commaundemēt of God, to iudge iustly & ryghtuously. The very naturall reason of man doth both knowe and iudge it to be an vn­lawfull thynge for to abuse & cor­rupt the authoritie of rightuous iudgement. About the which question the mynde of man doeth reason wyth it selfe, asking: whether that a good & godly Iudge & Magistrate (which for no reward wyldo wronge or peruerte the ryghte ordre of iustice) maye take gyftes of the sueters, before the cause be hearde or after the sentence is gi­uen, yea or nay? Concerning this question I wyl speake some thing in thys place briefly & wyth fewe wordes to satisfie y ^t mynde of thē, which do put it furth for no il in­tent or purpose: for no maner of couetousnes, whose mynde their cō science [Page]doth moue and also giueth warnynge of the health of their soule, & of the glorie of the Lorde. The vse of such gyftes which seu­ters do gyue to the magistrate or Iudge, in no cōmune wealth can be iust, profitable, good or godly, nor yet the ende or intēt wherfore the gyfte or rewarde is giuen can be laudable, commēdable & good: but cleane cōtrary to all cōmune wealthes ful of peryll, daunger & dis [...]ruction. Therefore it is not laweful nor mete, that any magi­strate shoulde suffre or permit to any other, nor to hym selfe for to take any giftes & rewardes of any mā whiche doth sue before thē for any matter in controuersie, bi­cause they are worse then poyson to all iustice. The Lorde hym selfe doeth forbidde the magistrates to take any rewardes, the causes [Page]wherof, which are natural causes he doeth annex and ioyne to his precept & commaundement. The whiche causes beinge ioyned to his preceptes are general, beinge taught vs also of the lawe of na­ture. Wherfore they do perteyne to all magistrates, and to al them which haue any authoritie of iudgement. For asmuche then as the preceptes & the causes of the pre­ceptes are general, vniuersal and natural: the Lorde therfore doth forbidde all magistrates thorowe out al the world to receyue giftes or rewardes of them whiche haue any matter dependyng before thē to be determined by iudgemente. The preceptes of the Lorde which do forbidde the takynge of gyftes and rewardes thou dost fynde in Exod xxiii. Giftes do make wise mē [...]lynde. Thou shalte take no giftes which do make blinde those [Page]whiche are wyse men, and turne the wordes of iust mē. Also in Deutero. xvii. Thou shalte not considre the personage of any man, nor any gyftes, whiche do blynde the eyes of wyse men, & chaunge the wordes of the iust mē. Thou shalt execute iustly that thynge which is iust & ryghtuouse. The Lorde knewe well ynough, howe weake and wycked the nature of man is, howe easy and lyght to fal, as of­t [...]n as any maner of occasion is gyuen, and howe muche gyftes & rewardes do preuayle & weigh amonge men. For that cause the Lorde dyd forbid the magistrates y ^t in no maner of wise they should receyue and take any gyftes, not leauing furth the cause of his prohibition, sayinge: bicause they do blinde the eyes of men, & chaunge & alter the wordes of wyse & iuste [Page]men, makyng thē to speake other wyse then they woulde. It is a poysonous & a foule vice in a ma­gistrate for to couet, gape & hunte after gyftes & rewardes. Hereby a greate parte of these execrable & cursed licētious libertie of al mis­chiefe is brought in, which rageth euery where in cōmon wealthes. This, day by day, more and more, doth corrupte, infect & weakeneth publike iudgementes & ministra­tion of iustice, which are the sin [...] ­wes & strēgeth of cōmō wealthes.

The desire of gyftes & rewar­des, is a detestable and a very pernicious vice in them which be set in rule & authoritie, whiche doth brynge with it the ruine & decaye of al good thinges & godly ordres. For that cause the magistrates & rulers, yea amonge the gentiles had a very ylname: Beinge euyll [Page]spoken & reported of for their gre­dines in receyuyng of gyftes. He­siodus a greeke Poete doth gyue to those magistrates whiche are takers of rewardes, an odious & a very contumelious name: cal­linge them gyft takers. Of other wise men amonge the grekes: they are named gyfte gluttons, or gift bealies. Alwayes amonge al nations thys corruption of Iudges & rulers hath bene odious, as well in the receyuers and takers as in the gyuers. Al godly magistrates and rulers haue alway abherred thys vice, refusynge to receyue & accept gyftes at the hādes of any man whiche hath had any cause before them. Moyses before God, in the sedition of the people, reioysed and bosted hym selfe of that he had taken no gyftes of any mā at any tyme. Numeri. xvi. Samuel [Page]also (when Israell dernaunded a kinge) was praysed, bicause he neuer dyd take any rewarde of the subiectes whiche were vnder his gouernaūce & iudgemēt, the first boke of the kynges. xii. Chap. and Ecclesiasticus. xlix. Chap.

These two godly mē, Moyses & Sainuell by their exēple do teach vs, that magistrates ought not to take or receyue any maner of gif­tes of those personnes which do cō tende before them in iudgement, & that al magistrates are bounde to obey the precept and cōmaūde­ment of God, w ^tout any maner of denial or grudge, in y ^t thei are for­biddē to take & receyue rewardes of men stryuyng before thē in the lawe. The causes added vnto the saied precept of the sayed prohibi­tiō are so reasonable and iust that no man, whiche hath any witte at [Page]al cā deny but it is most cōfourme to iustice and to the lawe of na­ture, and very alowable and expedient. Dauid in the .xxvi. psalme, amonge other kyndes of wycked­nes and impietie doeth count, nū bre and rehearse the takynge of rewardes and gyftes, reputyng thē to be wycked, whiche do receyue and accept them, worthy of great rebuke and blame, saying. Lorde, lette not my soule be caste awaye and loste amonge the wycked, nor my lyfe amonge men whiche de­lite in bloud: whose hādes are ful of iniquitie. Their right hande is fylled wyth giftes and rewardes. But I good Lorde haue entered in, in innocency & purenes. Esaie also in the first Chap. sharply and wythsore wordes and bitter che­kes doeth rebuke them, whiche do take rewardes while they be in o­ffice, [Page] If the giftes which Iud­ges do receiue be theft by the lawe of God: then Iudges are theues whiche do re­ceiue them & the gyuers al­so. makynge the gyftes whiche they so receyued, no better then theft and robbery, speaking after thys maner. Thy princes and rulers are vnfaythfull, felowes and companions to theues & robbers, they do loue gyftes, they do folow after rewardes for their vnrygh­tuousnes. There be many (great pitie it is) whiche do thynke that they maye heape vp greate nūbre of golde and syluer: that they may get to them great riches by the takyng & receiuing of such corrupte gyftes, which do deceiue & begyle their owne selues w ^t their owne folishe thoughtes & cogitations, cōsideringe not y ^t the Lorde doeth put furth and spende al his riches & substaūce out of his owne trea­sure, and that he maketh no man ryche, wyth the hurt of any other mannes health & welfare. They [Page]do not pondre wyth them selues, that the Lorde doeth punishe all wycked thoughtes & dānable de­sires of getheryng together of ryches, they do not weigh the olde prouerbe & sayinge (which is saied of longe experience) that euyl got goodes are equall and felowes to the hurtes & iniuries of other mē naye they be no les then hurtes & griefes in deede, not like & equal: but of thē selues, not seuerall nor different, but al one thynge. This one thynge is so sure and certeine that nothyng cā be more sure and certeyne, that goodes & ryches gethered together by vngodly craf­tes & deuelishe wayes prohibited of God, cā not be stable, firme, & of longe continuaunce. They cā not last & endure many yeres. What so euer is heaped together against the precept and cōmaūdement of [Page]God, it shal at the last shamefully cōsume & vanishe away lyke vnto smoke, and as the Prophete Ag­geus sayeth, it is caste into a bot­tomles bagge, which doth fal tho­rowe and abydeth not.

The Lorde doth cōmaunde all magistrates & all other to whō a­ny matters being in cōtrouersie, are cōmitted, for to be ended, that they do take no gyftes, threate­nyng to thē greate paynes for do­ing the cōtrary: therfore they are foule deceyued, whiche do thynke that they and theirs may be enriched & growe to great substaunce by receiuing & accompting of giftes w ^t such brybery & corruption.

The Lorde him selfe, whiche is Lorde & owner of y ^e gold & syluer, with al y ^t is cōteined in the earth beareth witnes, that riches & substaunce by taking of giftes do not [Page]increase and growe, but minishe beinge scatered abrode & loste. As it is to see in Iob the .xx. Chap. Fier shal deuour the tabernacles of thē, whiche loue to receiue and take gyftes. And the Prouerbes, xx. He doth bring his house out of ordre whiche foloweth auarice & couetousnes: But he y ^e doth hate & abhorre giftes shal lyue. And Esaie .xxxiii. Cha. He that walketh in iustice and ryghtuousnes and speaketh the truth: he that abhor­reth gaynes wonne by violence & deceite, whiche doeth plucke his hādes frō gyftes. &c. that mā shal dwel on high, whose safgarde shal be in bulworkes of rockes, to hym shal be giuen meate, & his waters shal not fayle. Howe manifeste is it by these sentences that it is not onely wycked and vngodly for a Magistrate to take gyftes: but [Page]also that the Lorde doeth punishe it frō aboue wyth the losse and perishyng of the goodes.

Althoughe there be many good and godly mē in euery place, some beinge Magistrates and rulers, which had rather suffre greate dā mage and hurte, then for any maner of profite and lucre woulde pronoūce a wrong sētence against iustice, yet for all that in no wyse they maye receyue gyftes or re­wardes: bicause the Lorde hath forbidden it, and bicause also it is a very naughtie exemple, wherby the gredy and couetous sort of cormorantes woulde lightly take occasion to bye and sel iustice, to pyl and sucke the iuyce of theyr fleshe or goodes frō them whiche are in lawe before them. One ca [...] ex­emple of a good man doeth more hurt then a thousande of the wicked The good men can not so sone do an euyll deede, thoughe it be agaynst their wyll: [Page]but the wycked quickely wyll do the same, and the more gladly, bi­cause they take exemple of them, which are good. Therfore it is necessary that the godly do voied all suche euyll exemples, whiche the euyl men folow to the hurt of many and to the vtter distruction of commune wealthes.

But forasmuch as they which are the magistrates and Iudges are burdeined wyth publike matters of the cōmon wealth hauing many and diuers cares in theyr heades, beinge also occupied and let wyth other mennes busines, are cōstrained to leaue their owne busines and study for their owne propre familie, to their greate dii profite, aparte & vndone, to take in hande other mens causes: for asmuch (I say) as theyr lyuynges whiche they haue gyuen to them [Page]furth of the treasure and coffers perteyning to the cōmon wealth, are very small or almost nothyng at al for the great labours which thei do take, for their greate pay­nes and studies in seruinge of the commune wealth. It shoulde or myghte seme to stande wyth equitie and conscience, that the magistrate or Iudge of ryght myghte take & receyue rewardes of those, in whose causes they doe take paine, sith that nature doth teach vs, that one hāde ought to washe an other, and one benifite & good turne to be rewarded wyth an other, and finally that no man oughte to serue in warre or other wyse, as the Prouerbe is, on his owne propre costes and charges.

But if the thynge be weighed and considered as it oughte for to be: it may sone be vnderstand and [Page]perceyued, that it is contrary to equitie to take any gyftes of ei­ther part, either of the playntyffe or defendant. What cloke or colour so euer they can make or imagin for to defende it, not onely bicause that the Lorde hath for­bidden it: but also for that it is a very pernicious exemple in a cō mon wealth to see a Iudge to be a taker of gyftes, and also bicause that the parties, playntyffe and defēdant are not bounde of their owne propre expenses and char­ges to maynteine and fynde those ministrations and offices whiche perceyne to the whole communaltie. Publike offi­cers oughte not to be maynteyned of priuate personnes, but of the commune purse, & that the cōmunes are bounde t [...] prouide sufficiently for thi that they shal not neede to bryde. It is the duetie and parte of the cōmunes vpon their cōmune purse to maynteyne their publike courtes & cōmune officers whiche are put and set in office and rule to see equitie and iustice to be obserued [Page]amonge al men in their cō mune publike wealth. The par­ties whiche are suters, sekyng to haue their matters decided haue nothynge to do therwyth. More­uer although it be against reason and conscience, that the magistrates and commune rulers shoulde be denied to haue salaries and sti­pendes for their labours of the cō mune purse of the whole communaltie, yet they maye not (bicause they do see and fynde suche ingratitude in the communes) do that thynge whiche the Lorde doeth forbidde, whereby the integritie & purenes of iudgementes might be corrupted. For the faulte of an other man can not excuse before God our delict: if we do trāsgresse his cōmaundement. Iudgemen­tes are ordeined for to defende iu­stice and veritie: indifferent for al [Page]men. The Magistrate is the mi­nistre and seruaunt of al men to­gether: not of any priuate man. Therfore they ought not of right to be bought and solde of any pri­uate man: nor yet the expenses & charges of the officers for theyr duetie doinge in ministryng of iustice, whiche is commune for all men, oughte not to be gethered vp of the partes which be in the lawe before them: for asmuche as those parties are not the whole body of the cōmune wealthes but seueral & priuate membres of the whole bodie.

Thys is not my minde and sentence onely: but it is the mynde & sentence of the olde auncient god­ly and righte writers. Saint Austē to Macedoniꝰ dyd wryte these wordes. It is not lawefull for a Iudge to sel iust iudgement, that [Page]is, either to pronounce a ryghts sentence for rewarde, or to iudge vnryghtuously: or to teache the witnes to saye & depose, y ^e thynge whiche shal make for his purpose, although that the aduocate may lawefully sell his labourr and di­ligence, Aduocates & counselers gaue their ly­ [...]yng by sue­ [...]ers. and the counseler his coū sell. For the Iudges are sette to heare both partes indifferently, the aduocates and counselers do serue but for either of the partes, either for the playntyffe or for the defendant: the playntyffe and de­fendant hauyng eche of thē theyr aduocate and counsell for theyr money. Gregory also doth wryte. He that doth iudge ryghtuously: and loketh for rewarde: doth committe fraude and gyle against the Lorde: bicause he dyd sell iustice for money: which he is bounde to ministre freely. They do vse good [Page]thynges naughtly, which for such lucre do ministre right iudgemēt. For suche Iudges as these be: it is not the defence and desire to mainteyne rightuousnes: but the loue of gyftes & rewardes, which causeth them to do righte: whiche hope of lucre taken awaye: that thei haue no more trust of giftes: streight waye they wyll turne to the cōtrary. Receite of gi [...] is a cortupti­on of iustice. The acception of gif­tes, is the preuarication and alteration of veritie. To be shorte, it is not laweful for ryghtuous and vpright magistrates (which haue fully decreed and purposed wyth them selues not so muche as one hear bredth to swarue from iu­stice, thoughe the parties woulde gyue them neuer so muche) to re­ceyue any maner of gyftes of thē whiche are suters, syth that the Lorde hath forbidde it expressely [Page]wyth threatenynge of paynes to the doers of the contrary.

The exemples also of the auncient godly magistrates: do crye out agaynst it. Moreouer it is a­gaynste equitie, that the publike ministers of the whole communaltie shall sell their ministerie, and maynteyne their office wyth the costes, charges, & expenses of the suters whiche haue their causes in controuersie before thē Biside thys: it is so naughty & euyi [...]an exemple in a cōmune wealth, that there can be none more pestilent, more poysonous, more full of infection to the vndoinge of all pub­like iudgement, to the ouerthro­wing of al iustice: The sentence [...] suspecte where a iudge exceyueth gyf [...]rs either be­fore or af [...]. & finally which maketh (be the causes neuer so iuste and ryghte, be the sentence neuer so truly and ryghtuously gyuen) yet both the cause & also [Page]the sentence shall be suspected bi­cause of the receyuynge of rewardes and gyftes, bisyde that also many foule sclaunders and con­trouersies do ryse & come thereof.

That whiche I haue sayed of rewardes and brybes, is to be ta­ken and vnderstande of al maner of benifites and pleasures, as wel as of the rewardes and gyftes, whiche of these partes that be in sute, are or maye be gyuen to the magistrates, iudges, or arbitrary Iudges, either before the contro­uersie be ended, or afterwarde. Thys muche haue I sayed of the corruption in gyuynge of gyftes and doinge of pleasures to those whiche are Iudges, and those in whose handes the ministration of iustice doeth lye to be gyuē by thē whiche are sueters.

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He that doeth all these: shall neuer fall.

The Prophete in thys Psalme doth not teache vs, whereby and howe we be iustified: but what maner of men they be whiche are iustified, as I haue in the begyn­nyng of thys Psalme declared plē tifuly to you. The sence & mynde of the Prophete is: that all men which do feare God, and do walke thorowe a pure & a perfecte fayth in his preceptes, shal come to eternal blisse and lyfe euerlastyng, for to suche men the price of oure re­demption, and of the forgyuenes of our sinne is layed vp of God in our Lorde Iesu Christ. To them which do lyue after the fleshe, the saluation and health promised in Christe doth not perteyne.

The Prophete sayeth that the [Page]godly can neuer fal, nor be moued nor chaunged, although that euery daye, they be besette rounde a­boute and also shaken wyth tri­bulations and euyls: although I saye they do sometyme of the fra­gilitie of this fleshe stumble & fal. It is not the mynde of the Pro­phete that godly and vertuous men, are perfectly good wythout all spotte of synne: he sayeth not, that they be cleane voyed of al humaine affections, and that no salt whiche is in man can be founde in them: but this is his meaning: that the godlie can not so be mo­ued, can not so stumble and fall that they shall perishe thereby. The obedience of the godlie being not perfecte: but a newe begonne and an vnperfecte obedience: the Lorde doth cōmende, allowe and take for a perfecte and full obedi­ence, [Page]suppliyng of his owne good­nes, that whiche lacketh on their parte, whiche he doeth not laye to their charge: but keepeth and preserueth them agaynste death & hell in thys lyfe wyth his grace, in the lyfe to come wyth the glo­rie whiche is promised. Thys is the mynde herein of the Prophet that no creature lyuynge, can be hurtfull to them whiche do per­seuer and continewe in the obe­dience of the Lorde, and that they are stedfaste, stable, firme, im­moueable and sure agaynst al maner of assaultes, that Sathan can do no more harme wyth all his power agaynste them, he can no more shake, steare and moue them, then can the stormes of wynde moue, steare or cast downe a house which is strongly builded on a rocke.