occasion craftely â—to proloÌ„ge and coÌ„tinewe the sute to the hurte and daÌ„mage of any of the parties or to coloure deuise any craftie and vniust matter to the hinderauÌ„ce of the other parte either accusar or defendar in recoÌ„pence of yâ— rewardes which they haue receiued It is an open commaundemeÌ„t 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 that mynde of theÌ„ which do put it furth for no il intent or purpose for no maner of couetousnes whose mynde their coÌ„science 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 coÌ„mune wealth can be iust profitable good or godly nor yet the ende or inteÌ„t wherfore the gyfte or rewarde is giuen can be laudable commeÌ„dable good but cleane coÌ„trary to all coÌ„mune wealthes ful of peryll daunger disâ—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 maÌ„ whiche doth sue before theÌ„ 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 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 theÌ„ 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 meÌ„â—lynde Thou shalte take no giftes which do make blinde those whiche are wyse men and turne the wordes of iust meÌ„ 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 meÌ„ 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 oftâ—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 that 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 men makyng theÌ„ 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 liceÌ„tious libertie of al mischiefe is brought in which rageth euery where in coÌ„mon wealthes This day by day more and more doth corrupte infect weakeneth publike iudgementes ministration of iustice which are the sinâ—wes streÌ„geth of coÌ„moÌ„ 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 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 haÌ„des 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 maÌ„ at any tyme. Numeri xvi Samuel also when Israell dernaunded a kinge was praysed bicause he neuer dyd take any rewarde of the subiectes whiche were vnder his gouernauÌ„ce iudgemeÌ„t the first boke of the kynges xii Chap. and Ecclesiasticus xlix Chap. These two godly meÌ„ Moyses Sainuell by their exeÌ„ple do teach vs that magistrates ought not to take or receyue any maner of giftes of those personnes which do coÌ„tende before them in iudgement that al magistrates are bounde to obey the precept and coÌ„mauÌ„dement of God wtout any maner of denial or grudge in that thei are forbiddeÌ„ to take receyue rewardes of men stryuyng before theÌ„ in the lawe The causes added vnto the saied precept of the sayed prohibitioÌ„ are so reasonable and iust that no man whiche hath any witte at al caÌ„ deny but it is most coÌ„fourme 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 nuÌ„bre and rehearse the takynge of rewardes and gyftes reputyng theÌ„ 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 haÌ„des 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 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
A very fruitful godly exposition vpoÌ„ the .xv. Psalme of Dauid called Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Made by M. Ihon Epinus preacher to the churche of Hamborough and translated oute of Latin into English by N. L. ¶ To the right vertuos and gracious Lady c. Katerin Dowches of Suffoke Nicolas Lesse of London moste humbly wissheth good helth both of soule and body with continuauÌ„ce in the loue and feare of the Lorde WHat timâ— most godli and vertuous lady I take in hand to traÌ„slat this goodly peece of worke of master Ihon Epinus made vpoÌ„ ye. rv Psalme of Dauid beginninge wyth these wordes What man shall dwel in thy tabernacle O Lord. c furth of the latine in to oure natural and vulgar mother tongemine 〈◊〉 purpose was not for to traÌ„sâ—ate furth of on tonge into an other that it shoulde go a brode and be commâ—n in eueri mans hand but for a certain peculiar deare frind of mine whom I perceiued very desierous of the knoledge thereof which is vnlerned and lameÌ„teth him selfe muche that he hath â—acked the good the vertuous bringing vp in lerning that many men haue had to there great confort Partly bycause I do knowledge mine owne reudnes to be such that scant I can satisfie please mine owne minde in the doinge thereof being often tyme displeased and offeÌ„ded with my selfe that I can do no better at the leastwyse not so well as I would that thing should be done which beinge once a brode muste nedes come vnder many mens iudgments must susteine and abide the opinions of maâ—i of whom some wyl saie this might be more cleane traÌ„statid this word or that is not in his owne kind this sens or that is not giuen according to the minde of the authour as it hath ben alwaye sen the nisnes of some to be such that they wyll be more redy to finde a faute in an other mans doinge than them selfe to endeuoure that in doinge and imitatinge of such like of theirs the reders should haue no cause to find any thing worthy-of reprehensioÌ„ Partly bycause I knewe my frende so gentyll that he woulde vowchsafe howe so euer it were done to take it in good worth estemming my zeale and good wyl in as muche as thowght it wer so fienly done that no man myght amend it But after that I had made an end of the translacion and had red it ouer once or twyse againe mi thowght that the pleasure done therby to my peculiar frende should not haue bine able to haue weighede doune the wrong and iniurie which I should haue wrowght to innumerable in subtracting keepinge a waie or rather in hidinge of so great a iuell and treasure froÌ„ so manie which might haue therby great confort in receyuing knowledge lighte in the thinge wherein they were â—â—norante blinde and also that they theÌ„ selfes might take occasioÌ„â—o vanish such vices detestable abominacioÌ„ from there hertes as they shoulde se in this boke openly reprehended Esteming therefore the sober godly modest discrecioÌ„ of many before the momishe reprehension of a fewe vndiscrete and vngodly momes I turned my purpose froÌ„ apeculier and a priuate commodite of one or twane to the coÌ„moÌ„ vtilitie of all men whiche are desirous to knowe the trueth Thys done for as muche as in tyme past men haue vsed to dedicate their workes some to one maÌ„ some to an other some to obteine fauoure some to haue there workes writings by their authoritie defended mainteined if any peraduenture shoulde or woulde kicke against the finally some that their workes might be the better regarded for those mens sakes vnder whose name they were putte furth None of al these causes being in my minde other wise thaÌ„ only for to profit the veritie of it selfe being alway a sufficient succour bulwarke against all falseheade lies yet I thought with my selfe not vnmete and vnconuenient but rather expedient and necessarie folowinge the example of many lerned men whiche haue written to dedicate thys small worcke bringinge wyth it to the reader greate and vnspeakeable proffit to some noble person at whose hand they whiche are desirous of knowledge might receiue iâ— the more willingly the more gladly and wyth the more fruit considering that it is the natur of al men commonly to haue in more highe estimacion a small gift at a great mans hand and it wer but a beke of hys head thaÌ„ a thing of much more valeur to be giueÌ„ and receiued of a person of lower estat and degre yea would also make much more of it Thincking therefore with miself howe I might bestow thys littell gyft worthely and to whome amonge all other your grace came first vnto my minde whose excelleÌ„cie being a goodly a bright spetacle to womanhod and no small reproch to a great meany of men which ar slogardes in ded and veri idel bodies and great shame if any shame were in them to those whiche shoulde be the brekars of this heaueÌ„ly foode breade vnto the people to their trust and smal fidelite commited not being satisfied and contented them selfes to be idel but do wishe al other men to be the same hatinge and eating them vp in there hertes which be otherwyse affectioned and amoÌ„g al other not abideing to here that a woman should once haue the euangelie in her hande or in here mought Whose excelentie I saie what for the ardeÌ„t loue desire that your grace doeth beare to the holy worde of God but in specially for the diligent promotinge settyng furth therof to your greate charges as it deserueth no small coÌ„mendacion and prayse euen so to take vpon me to extol and commeÌ„d those heaueÌ„ly giftes which the Lorde hath bestowed in your noble person your grace abhorringe nothynge more than your owne laude coÌ„meÌ„dacion which referreth all to the glory of the lorde it should seme rather to be an obscuringe of the brightnes of them then a makinge of them to apere more coÌ„mendable being no thinge at al praised when they be but halfe praised nor yet hauing their dew coÌ„meÌ„dacion the chiefe and principal parte of them lefte vnspoken and vnmencioned at the leaste wyse not accordinge to there dignite declared nether with fit wordes nor sentencis adorned For as much therefore as your grace before alother most luckely did come to my memoriat whose handes beinge certaine that the coÌ„moÌ„ people hath receiued alredy many confortable spirituall coÌ„solatioÌ„s instructioÌ„s techinges thinkinge also that they woulde fech this swete morsel of meat the more gladde redier at the haÌ„des which haue ben wont to fede and norishe them rather than at the haÌ„des of a strainger I coulde not deuise in my mynde to whome I might be so bolde to dedicate this matter as to your noble grace where so great gentilnes lowlines of spirite is I doubt not but you will so accept take in good part this
my rugged and vnfiled reudnes that both I shall haue no cause to be sory hereafter for my intempeste and bolde audacitie and also the readars hereof shal haue cause to yelde thaÌ„kes to the Lorde for the great knowledge that they shall here fech at your hande to the greate profite and coÌ„forte of theresoulls praing the Lorde of al confort both they and I togither to preserue your grace in this godli minde to your own hertes desire according to the wil and pleasure of the Lorde â‚ PEraduenture thou wilt maruaile gentle reader what I ment to set a prologue bee fore this boke whych is so litell that almooste a man may as sone reade it ouer and in as shorte space as manye a man would be in the telling numbering the leaues therof the I should seme to the to do thys rather to enlarge the biggnes of the boke with mo leaues letters that it might apeare the bigger than that the reader should or myght take any proffet thereat or be there by any whitte more the wise then he was before or elles shoulde be if there were none at all Wherto I answere and saye that al thinge doth not go by greatnes more in writing when a man doeth make a worke thaÌ„ in wrestling where we do se often tymes not the lessor maÌ„ of the greater but the greater body of the lessor ouer throwen and caste downe to the grounde Euen so although thys treatise be smal lightel yet peradueÌ„ture nay with out peraduenture it conteineth muche more sad weightiar maters in it thaÌ„ many greate monstrous houge volumes wherof thou being aduertised some thing monished be fore as it were briefely instructed of the mynd of the authoure shalt finde the rest when thou takeste in hand to reade the worck it selfe to apere much more facil lyght halfe lerned of the thing before thou dost come at it than it woulde haue bin if this were not Wherfore thy merueyle put a parte em brace the good will and entent of the writer which here in doth no thynge but for to proffet and to edifie Receiue therfore the coÌ„meÌ„tarie of maister Ihon Epinê° doctor and preachar vnto the church of Hamborowe being translated in to our mother touÌ„g vpon the fiften Psalme of Dauid wherein thou shalt finde so much fruitful doctrine so godlye admonicions instructions teaching so greate reprehension and rebuking of vices of those vices I saye whiche are the only pillers of al mischiefe the drounars of al vertues there beinge so described and set furthe that eueri man may knowe both what they be and also the greate dauÌ„gers and perils threatened to the committers of them That euerâ—e maÌ„ may so gouerne and stir his shyp in the troublous sea and houge waues if thys worlde thaâ— with out he list he shall not nede to perish I do suppose and beleue verely that the holy gost did make no lesse melody in the breast of this godly doctor in the writing of thys commentary and that he was no lesse rauished therwith thaÌ„ was the holy Prophet Dauid what tyine he did wright thys psalme Here maye ye se what is ment by the tabernacle of the Lord what by the worshipping in the tabernacle wherof we do reade so often in the olde testament What also is signified by the holi mount And what kind of people thei are which shall rest therein Here shall you read foure notable vices rebuked and reprehended of the Prophet Hypocrisie Vngodly and vnlawful swearinge The damnable de sir and study to gether goodes to gather by vsury And last of al he speketh of the corrupt iudgement and vnryghtuouse iustice of the Iudges The whiche foure vices haue so inuaded all the worlde that no place almost can be founde cleare thereof that the moste parte of al meÌ„ are either hypocrites or blasphemers agaynst the name of the Lorde either abominable vsurers or elles corrupte and wrongfull Iudges What needeth me here to speake any thynge agaynst the diuelishnes of hypocrites cloked with outwarde holines working thereby theyr owne damnation the distruction of many thousande soules whiche by the conuersation of those which are wicked and keepynge company with those whiche are and alway haue ben mortal enemies to the Lorde are fallen and gone cleane awaye from the true doctrine of Christ to the teachynge of the Diuyll Whose mouthes I saye before their high and forked promotions so thundered the worde of God a brode to the worlde that the whole rable of the vniuersities were not able to resiste them beinge afterwarde so stopped with softe wolle that their throtes are choked vp that they caÌ„ not giue one sounde or voice of the truth I wyl not say that they be not ashamed to declare openly to the people that they haue erred before tymes and so beinge foule deceiued and seduced by the Diuyll haue deceyued other and haue taught theÌ„ moste perniciouse and false doctrine exhortyng theÌ„ therfore to take hede of suche doctrine if any man do sowe any suche amonge them Wherein lyke foule Hypocrites they do bely them selues shamfully they do sclaunder the trueth and the holy worde of God they hurt the coÌ„sciences of many godly men whiche beleuynge theyr wordes vnder a zeale holines spoken do fall ignorauntly from the trueth If they had not bene plucked vp to promotioÌ„s and dignities they woulde neuer haue sayed tonge thou haste lyed But here we may se the prouerbe true that Honores mutant mores There was a ryghte godly man whiche on a tyme dyd saye to a bishoppe whoÌ„ Sathan had deceyued being fallen from the ryghte waye I am glad that I am no bishop or if I were once a bishop I am glad that I dyd forsake it or elles I feare me er thys tyme I shoulde haue bene caryed froÌ„ the truth as well as you Bicause of this great corruption and poyson whiche commeth by the company of the wicked and al for promotion sake for fauoure and for friendship to be bishopped to be personed to be rewarded wyth greate profite for forsakyng of their maister Christ of whom they haue taken an earnest peny to serue faithfully ther fore oure Doctor Iohn Epinus moueth a certeine question whether that a man whiche doth professe Christe which fauoureth his worde which loueth veritie may keepe company and maye be familiar with the wicked maye holde them vp with yea and naye may be conuersaunt wyth them at all theyr doinges coÌ„senting to their abominations wythout the hurt of his conscience not hurting the spirituall health of his brother or neighbour not giuyng therby occasion of sclauÌ„der to the worde of God and finally hym selfe not to be a whitte the worse thereby Yea or nay This question being soluted that nothyng caÌ„ be saied to the contrary as the Psalme doth minister occasion being verie many whiche do affirme that in no case a man oughte to swere or to make an othe whether it be commaunded hym of the
braithed piece of chamlet or some suche lyke trifel that he shal leese in that whiche was bought fyue or sixe pounde for the pleasure of the .xx. li. being lent to hym And thus they do voyed pretelie by thys legerdemayne the name of an vsurer They hādle their matters so craftely that God as they do persuade thē selues cā not perceyue theyr vsurie What great landes haue these vsurers gottē by forfetynge of bondes the pore men being so bounde in our lady bondes that they are ready to braste what with statutes marchaunt and statutes staple that they are wyped cleane out of al that they haue neuer to be redemed againe if they do breake but one cōdition of the obligation bonde There is amonge them no more redemption then in hell that the poore mē may singe with the soule priestes Heu me quia in inferno nulla eft redemptio They maye crie out to the Lorde with these wtordes plucke me good Lorde frō the iawes of hel There is no hel worse then the tormētes wherewyth they do torment the poore wherewyth they do begger thē their wyues their children The thirde fourth generation do crie for vengeaunce to fall vpō them The Lorde before hande doeth knowe that these thus oppressed wyll call on hym as on a iust Iudge for iustice Wherfore as he is iuste so muste he and also wyl iudge iustly Therfore except they do repent and restore againe before they departe fourth of this lyfe all their vsurarie profites I say that al their chauntrees al their trentals and scala celi masses all theyr satisfactorie deedes al their deuelishe and obominable sacrifices al theyr offerynge vp as they saye of the body and bloud of the Lorde to the high dishonoure of his heauēly maiestie then the popes market fayre beinge at the best when the moste diuyl taketh his leaue frō thys lyfe wyth such an euyll a desperate conscience that he careth not what he gyueth for this damnable ware and marchādise and yet not a whitte the more quieted I saye once agayne all that euerwyth the Romish merchaūtes thei haue thus bargayned for to saue them shall do as muche good to their soules as a nedell poynte beinge thruste into the sighte of a mannes eye What shall I speake of the laye men are there no priestes do you thynke whiche vse thys trade Thinke you that the priestes willet the laye men go to the Deuyll alone Naye ◠verely they wyll be the laye mennes chaplens to hell whether they wylor nay it is not meete that suche worshipful men shoulde be wythout theyr chaplens Wel they wyl go wyth thē or runne before them rather then fayle and it were but for company sake There is a certeine priest in London amonge many which I myght rehearse sometyme being a monke of the charterhouse I wyll not saye that he-serueth in saynt Nicholas parishe beside Lumbarde strete though al men there aboute saye so whiche wyll soner fynde an hundrede pounde or twayne as the most mē say to let furth on vsurie then many a man whiche doeth go in a cote of sylke wyl fynde two grotes in his purse sometyme to pay for his diner and yet he wyll go in a poore goune of fryse and his hose heeled vp to the calfe of the legge wyth lether for sparyng of cloth that al goodnes my tonge tripped I would say auarice and couet ousnes were loste it should be as the prouerbe maketh mentiō founde in priestes In discussynge of thys matter our Doctor declareth to whō we are boūde to gyue freely for gods sake to whom we are bounde to lende freely wythout interest to whom we are not bounde neither to gyue nor to lende but at our owne pleasure deuiding mākynde into thre sortes of mē that is to say into those which are extreme miserable and poore the seconde into those whiche are not dryuen to such pouertie but that they are able to pay againe if thei do borowe anie thynge and the thirde into those whiche are riche and substantiall Thys done he procedeth to an other questian whiche is thys Whether purchasynge of landes be an vsurarie contracte yea or naye Wherin he declareth that landes bought for twentie yeres purchase is a lawfull purchase Alother purchases beinge vnder xx yeres purchase being plaine vsurie on his part which did make the purchase if the lande be sold aboue xx yeres purchase vsurie is cōmitted on his side which selleth the lande But I do thynke verely that there is a greater nūbre of those which are vsurers of the byers thē of the sellers other wyse it shoulde not be seene that so many men do hoppe wythout their landes as do haue done of longe tyme sence that a certeyne kynde of men began to be purchasers and agayne we shoulde not see that which nowe al Englāde doth both see feele to the greate ruine and decaye of all the whole realme so manie come to so greate landes to haue so manie Lordeshyppes that they maye ryde in theyr owne grounde some man ten miles some twentie some mā xxx or xl and no mā hauyng one fote of grounde wythin them vsyng theyr tenauntes vnder thē not lyke bretherne whiche haue one father wyth them but lyke bondmen and staues oppressynge them with reising of rentes payinge of fines and incomes compelling them to fetch not so much as bread and drynke but at their bakehouses and bruhouses that the poore tenauntes are not able to haue one peny before an other They become not onely vnsatiable purchasers but also they are bakers bruers myllers malt mē coliers and woodmen that there can not be a peny of gaine which they wyll not fynde out first and licke it from the poore tenauntes bearde which taketh al the peine The Turkes and Mores whiche are enemies to the faith of Christ neuer vsed theyr slaues so vumercifully and vncharitably if they woulde be tractable and not stubburne to their maister as these helhoundes do crucifie tormēt theyr christian and faythfull bretherne To whom are these purchasers profitable and commodious For soth neither to theyr louyng and lawfull Kynge nor yet in his commons Although that he whiche is louynge to the commons can no chose but be also louing to his Prince But these as I haue sayed are neither to the one nor to the other Frō whence commeth all thys beggerie and great barenes amonge the commons thorowe out al the kynges dominion but from these cormorauntes which do swalowe al togyther doune into theyr bealies whole What greater tirannie cā there be in the whole world then to beholde see where as a thousande men had honest lyuynges nowe one Deuyll to haue all bying selling theyr poore tenaūtes in oppressyng them and keepyng thē bare as they would bye oxen and shepe lest they should growe to ryche and be to welthie Howe can vitayles be good chepe either in citie or towne when that these gorre
that the beste Iudges haue ben alwaye the poorest and of smallest substaunce The olde auncient Romaines what time they were rulers alone hauynge no rulers or heades ouer them beinge honest and ciuile wyse men knowing neither God nor his promise toke it for a certeyne argument of great extortion of great briberie and robberie when they did perceiue a senator or an other Iudge to growe fatte in ryches to haue and possesse great landes and rentes on coÌ„trary wyse that senator whiche was moste poore him they had in moste honour in moste reputation hym woulde they bringe after his death with all solemnitie accompanied with them al the honourable and worshypful personnes of the Citie to his graue in token of his ryghtuousnes and iuste seruice to the coÌ„mune wealth they woulde sette his image of stone or brasse wyth his name on a pillar in the commune places of the Citie where all resorte should be they woulde bestowe his chyldreÌ„ to mariages and other promotions on the coÌ„mune purse and charges of the citie that they shoulde not neede neither to pill nor poll nor to do vniustly for to leaue their wife chyldren ryche in great prosperitie and abundauÌ„ce of al thynges Thys good iudge dyd thynke no felicitie to be compared to that for to be remeÌ„bred after his death to haue his image sette vp to be a memoriall to his successoures of his equitie and good conscience of his indiffereÌ„t dealing betwene all parties that he was no pollar of the commune wealth that he dyd chuse rather to dye poore with ministration of ryghte iustice then to leaue to his posteritie greate riches wrongfully gotten and gathered together wyth the dammage and hurte of innumerable In fewe wordesly kewyse as the Lorde is a most rightuous iugde ouer the quicke and deade iudgynge all thynge ryghtuously so must they be here in earth whose roume and place they do occupie for a time otherwise they are not worthie to be called iudges but robbers theues For the name of a Iudge is an holy godly and a heauenly name the iuste ministration of whose office is the preseruation of commune wealthes and otherwyse the vtterly decay and turnyng the name of a commune wealth to a commune destruction and vndoing of the bodie where of they haue the gouernaunce In the ende of the worke as well as in the begynnynge that the workmongars those I saye which do claimesaluatioÌ„ by their owne workes and ryghtuousnes shall not in thys place at the handes of the Psalmist takeâ—nie maner of occasioÌ„ to maynteyne their presumption and glorie of worhes agaynste the honour and glorie of God bicause that the prophete pronounceth them happie and blessed whiche haue not offended in anie of those vices by hym rehearsed as who shoulde say that by those deedes and workes they should obteyne their iustification and saluation therefore thys authour maister Iohn â—pinus declareth that it was not the mynde of the Prophet to deâ—lare in thys Psalme wherby we â—re iustified but what maner of men they be whiche are iustified what maner of people they be which are of his militant church â—ere in earth and shal be hereafter of the churche triumphant Whiche thynge no man can perâ—eyue but by the outwarde workes whiche do sprynge furth of fayth whiche workes they do see outwardly whereby they do perreyue that they be the membres of Christe of the whole bodie of the holy and electe church which the selfe same Christ hath bought not wyth syluer and golde but wyth sheddinge of his bloud not in hypocrisie wyth a counterfeyted and a straunge bodie from all humayne nature but wyth thâ— same bodie whiche was naturally borne into thys worlde of his mother To the whiche Lorde I commende the gentle reader both bodie and soule that his heauenlie grace maye be alwaye present with the may be all together thy teacher and chiefe guyde that thou maist growe to be perfecte in al godlines and puritie of life to his glorie who be praised and honoured for euer and euer Amen ¶ An exposition on the .xv. Psalme of Dauid made by maister Iohn Epinus Doctor and preacher of the church of Hamborowe ¶ The title ¶ The Psalme of Dauid THys Inscription or title doth shewe that Dauid is the 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 that 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 meÌ„ 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 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 that is to saye A demaunde an answer It is here demauÌ„ded 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 commauÌ„dementes of the Lorde In thys psalme all the preceptes and commaundementes are not rehearsed but vnder those which be rehearsed named al the reste are comprehended And it doeth perteine to al the preceptes which are coÌ„teyned 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 maÌ„ 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