cloister thou workest ageinst thy helth thou maist then retourne into the world without synne and lyve according to the Gospell although that it be grete shame bifore the worlde For it is better to obey vnto god then vnto men as sayd Saint Peter in thactes of thappostles Act. 5 ¶ Howe it is that the Monkes go not forward in spirituaâ—l life but waxe often worse Chaptre .xviij. WIlt thou knowe whie they live nowe sloughtfully in the monasteries and wherfore that there be so many that wold faine thei were out This happeth for none other cause but that they never entred for that entent that they shuld have entred One entreth there of necessite to haue his expences An other to become a greate prelate The thirde to live Idelly to haue good tymes Many for vaine glory to be reputed holy aÌ„d devout to be honoured of the comon people or so in preching to shewe theym silves that they be wise None taketh that astate with suche a sprite and courage as sometyme did saint Fraunceis or saint Benet And therfore they proufâ—t nothing But the longer they be there the more sloughtfull they waxe to do good For to be ydell and to be nourisshed delicatly dulleth vs and maketh the flesshe rebell so that they are the more enclined vnto lubricite vncleÌ„nesse hatred envye and slought then the seculers that labour with they re hondes Some se the religious rede moche praysing watche goo wolwared and were meke clothiÌ„g And this pleaseth them They get a pleasure to serve god in suche a sort They here sey that euery body promiseth the kingdome of heven vnto the observauntes so that they kepe well theire rule and by this meane conceive they sprite aÌ„d courage to lerne this life bicause they consider not what thing is promised theim if they kepe well the promises made at they re baptâ—sme And after that they be thus entred into the cloister they here of none other thing they lerne none other thing but outward workes as reding singing watching fasting and other like ceremonies Thei know none other thing but that the summe of all perfection and helth resteth in these thinges So think they that they haue the principall part of all perfection that they are sure to be saved when with grete vnlust and tediousnesse they haue accomplisshed and observed these outward thinges And bicause they thinke thus thei abide hanging and trusting in suche thinges And so come they never vnto the holy and blissed sprite of saint Fraunceys or of sâ—int Beneâ— They haue never experieÌ„ce howe it stoÌ„deth with a spirituall hart for they know not whate thing they shuld do with inforth They thinke that all lyeth in outward workes and bicause they come not vnto the sprite therfore abide they so coide weâ—y and sloughtâ—ull And so recule they more bakward then they goo ferward in goodnesse And comonly when they haue lived in they re religion twenty or thirty yere they are lesse worth as vnto the purpose of helth then they were at they re entre For they haue nought gotten there but a good estimacyon of theym silf of theyr good workes supersticion and ypochrisye They haue not yet ones tasted the sobriete and lytell estymacyon that the spirituall parson bereth in his hert of him silf for they abide alweys in the flesshe and in the lettre of they re rule and of the commaundementes And they do nought by love nor with good hert And as long as they kepe thus they re ordre they are reproved of God with the Pharesey yn the .xviij. Chaptre of Saint Luke Lu. 18 For if the lawe of Moyses and the Ceremonyes whiche God him silfe did ordeyne might iustifie nor save none as wryteth Saint Paule the Apostle yn all his epistles howe moche lesse may a monke be iustified by his rule and ceremonyes whiche be institute by men wherfore we must serche all in the hert and in the sprite wherby we may be iustified For the outward workes whiche we do without the sprite be sumtyme called flesshe by Christ in the Gospell Iohn â— Suche flesshe proufiteth nothing it is the sprite that quykeneth as Christ saieth That is to sey All outward and forayne thinges seme they never so holy yf yt procede not from the sprite fulfylled with fayth and love That is to sey if it be not done by Charyte and love ioyfully by the mocyon of fayth and trust that we have to God All suche thing seme it never so holy or haue it never so goodly apparaunce proufyteth nothing but rather hurteth and maketh an ypochryte For seing that god is a sprite he lovith nothing but that whiche procedeth from the sprite as he him silf saieth in the gospell Saint Paule ostymes calleth suche outward workes elementes that is to sey Ga. 4 Commencementes and entrees into christendome as though he wold sey that suche thinges are ordined and institute for theym that begyn to take vppon them the christianite As the children of the scole lerne first they re Col. 2 A. B. C. He warneth vs also that we suffer not oure silves to be deceyved that we serve not nor abide subiectes to suche elementes but willeth that we shuld procede vnto the sprite For whate proufit shuld a scoler hane to abide all his life in his A. B. C. lerne no ferther No more proufit bring the workes without the sprite and feith Moreover oure saviour Christ calleth theym mannes constitucions saying Mat. 15 They honour me in vayne teching doctrines and commaundementes of men 1. Tim. 4 Saint Paule also calleth them bodily exercitacion that is to sey thinges wherby oure body is onely exercised busyed and letted to do worse They of theÌ„ silves proufit nothing vnto oure soules For he saieth exercitacioÌ„ or bodily labour is litell thing proufitable but mekenesse proufiteth to all thâ—nges And this is bicause that we do it with the body onely that therby oure hert and sprite is not tourned to god Suche outward workes are moche mocked of the prophete Esaye where he speketh in the parsone of god in this maner Esa. â— Offre me no more sacrifice Sence to me is abhominacion I will no more suffre the festes of the newe mone nor of the sabbat nor other festes My soule hath hated youre calendes and solempnitees And ageyn Heven is my seate the erthe is the fotestole of my fete Esa. 66 whate is the house that thou caÌ„st bild to me And whiche is the place of my rest My hond hath made all these thinges saieth the lord God But wherunto shall I take regarde but vnto the pore and contrite sprite and vnto the fearer of my wordes He that maketh sacrifice of an oxe as he that slewe a man He that killeth a shepe as he that brayned a dogge he that offreth oblacion as he that offered the bloude of a hogge He that remembreth the eusence as he that blissed an ydoll They haue chosen all
and the man without For suche a life is moche plesaunt vnto god as it is wryten in Ecclesâ—astes in this maner In thre hath my sprite had pleasure whiche are approved bifore god and man Eccle. â—5 The concord of bretheren the love of thy neyghboure and the man and wife well agreing togither emong theym silves Suche a life in mariage is pleasaunt vnto god for he hym silf did institute mariage in paradise The man shall alweyes attribute somewhate vnto the woman for she is a frayle vessell They shall live sumtyme also in chastite with one purpose and accord to thintent they may fast and pray It is also alweyes best that in mariage the like take the like For if a poore maÌ„ take a riche or nobill woman she wold be the hede and that is ageynst the teaching of saint Paule And if the poore maydon take a riche and nobill husbond she is not felowe to hâ—m norlsady of the house but a servaunt for he knowelegith her not for his wife but holdeth her as his servaunt and drugge And this is like wise ageynst the theching of saint Paule For by suche meane the woman hath not gotten an husbond but a tyraunt and a violent lord Nether was Eve made of the fete of Adam but of his syde Neverthelesse when the riche is ioyned in maryage with the poore and love well the one the other after such maner as I have seyd so that the man be alweyes the hede and that he dispyse not his wife it is a christen life be they riche or poore nobill or vnnoble For in this mater the will of god is more to be considered then povertye or richesse ¶ Howe the parentes shall teache and governe they re children after the Gospell Chaptre .xxiij. NOthing in all Christendome ys so necessary as to teache and governe the children as it apperteyneth For for defaâ—te of governaunce of theym comyth all evilles into the worlde And oftymes it is the faute of the parentes that the childreÌ„ be nought bicause that they kepe not them silves froÌ„ gyving theym evill ensample whiche is a grete and daungerous sinne This is the cause of the moste part of the synnes that be done in the worlde wherfore it behoveth that the parentes take good hede that they governe they re children well and â—rafiely from the begynnyng of they re yought â–ª For heryn may they do service moche acceptable vnto God Then first â–ª shall the parentes do they re diligence to make they re children to lerne good maners And for to kepe theym from stameryng lysping and pronounsyng they re wordes by half whiche vyce comyth oftymes by they re nouryces whiche speke so to the children and whiche speche those children lerne and folowe And this that they lerne so yn youth can they scarcely leve Ye must also take good hede that no body make theym a frayed of eny thyng yn they re yought For they be sumtyme ferefull all theyr lyfe after And when they become to thage of .vi. or .vij. yeres at the vttermost let one send theym to the scole to some good man that feareth God They re parentes shall often enstruct theym of God howe that Iesus Chryst verey god and verey man died for vs on the crosse and howe that we shall haue another better life after this life here and howe that god hath made and created all thinges and that all that is in the worlde belongeth to him and howe that he lendeth it vs for to lyve with all and to vse it well And howe that it is he that nourissheth and entreteyneth vs And how that we must trust and stikke vppon him and that he will kepe vs well from all evilles And so shall they enstruct theym by lytell and lytell vnto the fâ—ith and trust in God And howe that God ys they re father and they hys â—hyldren as we have shewed bifore Wherfore is moche to be playned the evell custume that is emong the Christen that they ronne into so ferre contreyes on pilgremages and leve they re children and meynye at home without hede and governour It were a thousand tymes better that they abode at home and lerned they re children in the lawes of god For God requyreth not that we shulde go on pilgremages he never commaunded nor preâ—sed theym for it is nothing but all incredulite and lakke of feith that maketh vs to ronne here and there and to â—â—che God in one certeyn place whiche is like mighty in all places But god hath commaunded al his people to governe and teache they re children and they re maynye as writeth saynt Paule vnto Tymoâ—he saying 1. Tim. 5 If eny one take not charge and care for his owne aÌ„d principally for his manye he hath renyed the feith and is worse then an infidele or paynyme Who is he that wold not treÌ„ble hering these wordes of this holy apostell O ye fathers mothers masters mastresses take these wordes into your hartes for it is grete perill to be worse then a paynime and to renye the feith Take good hede what servauntes ye take into your house For your children oftymes will become like vnto theym Take also good hede that your manye tel no vile taâ—es singe no vile songes nor speke no foule wordes for that doth moche corrupt the children ye must also be ware that ye do not aray or clothe your childreÌ„ pompously to flater theym or to make to moche of theym shewing theym to moche folisshe loue For when ye gyve theym to moche of the brydell ye can not afterward chastise or reprove theym It is expedient also that ye take hede that ye clothe not your silves to sumptuously for if the parentes do it It proufiteth nothing to kepe the children from it For the children will lerne it of theym silves by the evill ensample of they re parentes For when they see they re â–ª parentes do it they thinke it is no sinne notwithstonding that they re comyth of hit grete sinne and moche evill Let not your childe â—onne where he will but knowe alwey where he is and who is with him or in his cuâ—â—pany and whate thing he doth Se that your childe hanut honest games I say not rythe or nobill games but of good maners and that they be therto well instructed Suffer not your children to go to weddinges or banquettes for nowe a dayes one can lerne nothing there but rybaâ—drye aÌ„d foule wordes For if it be so that thou wilt nat suffer thy childe to come ynto a place where he may be in daunger to take hurt of his body How mâ—che more art thou bounde to kepe hym from comyng there where he shuld flee or hurt his soule Thou sendest him to the weddinges where thou knowest well as the worlde goeth nowe a dayes that it is likely that he shal be hurt in his soule by hering of suche wordes that he shall with grete difficultye be made hole and yet thou
wylt not kepe hym thence O world without witte Thou must take hede to whate vices thy childe ys most enclyned whether it be to covetous pryde or other vnclennesse and accordyng therunto he must be warned and kept Thus shalt thou do thy diligence to applye hâ—m to vertue yn tyme whiles he is yong for then maist thou bend applye and coudnyte him as thou wilt And if thy childe be naturally enclyned to any vertue thou shalt do thy diligence to entreteyn him and to avaunce him therin Thou shalt also knowe that in the men children there reyneth comonly other synnes then do in the doughters In the doughters reyueth most pryde of beautye and of rayment In the â—oyes slouth dronkennesse and harlottrye So behoveth it that a good father and mother consyder dilygently to whate thing they re children are most enclyned to conduyte and warne theym theryn The parentes ought also to be ware that they be not to hard and rigorous vnto they re children to thintent they make theÌ„ not rebelles disobedient and fugityues aÌ„d then rynne they awey vacabundes by the cuntrey as many do They shulde cause theym to lerne an occupacion wherunto they shuld haue most courage and apte intent whiche shuld be laufull without fraude and wherby they might honestly get they re expences in tyme coming This shulde be done in tyme bifore they be gyven to the scoles for we se comonly that clerkes will put theym silves to no craft but become men of warre And although that thou be riche thou shalt alweyes make thiâ— children to lerne an honest and laufull occupacion for in so doyng they occupye the tyme of youth well and kepe theim silves from dronkeÌ„nesse hasarding and fighting and from other mischevous busynesse And if by ony chaunce they come to povertye it is good that they can some craft wherby they may get they re breed And if it happon not vnto theym yet shall they alweyes do sum whate that they thereby may the better helpe the pore for after the scripture none may be ydell For laboure is a penaunce enioyned vnto all the worlde not of man but of god after that AbaÌ„ had sinned And he that laboureth not shuld not eate after the scripture Moreover at the festfull dayes thou shalt bring the children to the churche to here the sermon Gene. 3 2. Tessa 3 And when they shal be comen home thou shalt are theym whate they haue kept yn memory of the sermon Then shalt thou admonest theym to lyve well and to put all they re hope and trust in God rather to die then to do eny thing that is ageinst the will of god Thou shalt also teche theym the christen faith after the naner aboue declared exhorting theim to pacience charite and hope in god And principally thou shalt lerne theym the contentes of the prayer of oure saviour Christ called â–ª the Pater noster and that in they re moder tongue that ys to sey howe they haue an other father in heven of whome they must loke for all goodnesse and without whome one can haue no goodnesse And howe that we may seke nothing in al this life in all oure workes and in all oure ententes but the honour of this hevenly father And howe they must desire that this father wolde governe all that we do or desire And howe that we must submyt all to his holy will And howe that his will can be but good and helthfull Finally howe that aboue all worldly thinges they be myndfull of the contentes of this prayer and set most by it of all other prayers And for to do this the better thou shalt kepe theym from reding of all wilde storyes of batailles of love and other fables Thou shalt bye theym holsome bokes as is the holy Gospell the epistles of the holy appostles Ye and in conclusion both the newe and olde testament that is to sey the hole bible yn langagâ— that they may vnderstond and also this present boke And thus thou shalt do to thintent that thy children may accustume and lerne theym silves in the holy divine scripture and drinke of the sweâ—e foâ—â—taigne whiche is descended from heveÌ„ And by suche meanes mayst thou poore out good water when they shal be old For if thou be carefull and doest grete laboure to get thy children they re bodely expences as thou art bouÌ„de howe moche more art thou bounde to get theym there spiâ—â—uail expences of they re soule whiche is made after the similitude and image of god And the more that the soule is worthyer then the body the more gretter care must thou take to lerne him his helth But whate mete is better to nourisshe the soule then that of the gospell and of the holy scripture the whiche onely is the nutriment of the soule Thou hast kept the body of thy childe from fyre water wheÌ„ he was yong whye wilt thou not nowe also kepe his soule from perill Iaco â–ª It were moche better to be carefull in this mater then to runne to Rome or to saint Iames or elles where on pilgremage For as I haue seyd all this is infidelite for thou hast the helpe of God as redy at home as els where and if tâ—ou pray him with a stedfast fayth nothyng doutyng As saieth saint Iames. And if thou fynd not God yn thy hert thou shalt fynd him no where The parentes can do not gretter service to God then to teache and lerne well they re children For herin lyeth grete vertue Hereby may one please god singulerly Ye parentes also be ware that ye give not to moche money to your children And that that ye give theym take hede howe they spende it and wheruppon And when they bringe eny thing home that is not yours or yf that they report any newes of detraction ye must sharply reprove theim And wheÌ„ thou wilt do any almesse bifore thy house thou shalt do it by thy childreÌ„ to thinteÌ„t that they may lerne to serve the poore And when they have strived the one ageinst the other thou shalt cause theym to come forth in the evening to axe the one the other mercy and forgivenesse And likewise shall they do wheÌ„ they haue offended or angred they re parentes Thou-must be well ware that thy childe growe not vp into partinacite rebellion or incredulyte And that he be no fighter nor striver and when thou herest thy child swere curse strive fight lye or speke eny foule wordes or sing eny rybaud songes thou shalt reprove him sharply The parentes shall alweyes laboure that they re children shall rather feare theym for love and reverence then for pnisshement and feare For children that obey vnto they re parentes for feare of beting they feare theym no lenger theÌ„ the stripes and beting endureth As all they that serve god for feare of peynes they serve him no longer then the peynes or tribulacion endureth And after that they be delivered they retourne ageyn to
their old sinnes But the children that feare they re parentes by dilection abide alweyes obedient by that same dilection The parentes must be well ware that they strive not the one ageinst the other that they swere not and that they speke none inordinate or dishonest wordes principally bifore they re children for when they lerne eny vnhappinesse in youthe they shall with grete difficultie leve it in theire age Ye may never shewe your silf sorowfull waile nor make compleynt bifore your children for losse of erthly goodes or bicause ye haue not good gaines For when they here you plaine for suche thinges thei get a desire and a love of temporall thinges so that they take pleasure in nothing els but in temporall richesse and have sorowe of nothing but for the losse of suche thinges for they lerne it of they re pareÌ„tes The childe foloweth nothing so moche as that whiche he seeth his father mother aÌ„d other frendes do Finally thou must marke verey diligently whether they haue desire or will to be maryed at the state of mariage or not And as ye perceive it so must you incontynent helpe theym and care for theym that they may make a good manage As AbrahaÌ„ was carefull for his sonne Isaac And forbicause that the parentes be many tymes not carefull in suche case it comyth to passe that so fewe come chast to the state of maryage that they re children be often deceyved and that they haue shame dishonour and sorowe of they re children And this is most the faute of the parentes whiche be more carefull for the bodyes of theire children then for they re soules And therfore they will in no wise that they re children be poore but seke rather to mary theym richely then helthfully aÌ„d axe more for temporall goodes then after vertue good maners and goodes spirituall And for to make theym haue good tymes they make theym many tymes prestes or relygious And so for to provide theym of the case of they re bodyes they are oftymes cause of the everlasting payne of they re soules For none ought to be brought in vnto the state of prysthod except he be first chosen to some office in the congregacyon and that bycause that we mought se whate lyfe that he ledith This thyng compleyneth saint Austyne in the boke of his confessions in the secunde Chaptre that hys parentes were not carefull for him in this mater ¶ Of the lyfe of the comune Cyteuns or housholders Chaptre .xxiiij. IN all the worlde there is not a more Christen life nether more accordaunt vnto the Gospell then is the life of comune Citesins or housholders whiche by the labour of they re hondes in the swette of they re visage get they re brede expences 1. Tessa and. 4 for saint Paule reioyseth that he gayned his brede in the labour of his hondes And he rebuketh the idell wâ—dowes that ronne about pleying from house to house Wherfore it were moche better emong the christen that euery one were set to some occupacion and that we shulde not suffer so many yong and strong parsones to begge theire brede but rather cause theim to lerne some occupacion And if that all yong prestes monkes and religious did likewise it were nether sinne nor shame wil thei be better then saint Paule was the other appostles we se nowe a dayes that thei be forboden to worke whiche is Ga .1 manifestly appostasie and ageinst the christen faith It becometh none to forbid theÌ„ to laboure although he were an angell of heven moche lesse man The monkes also were wont to laboure in olde tyme. It is plaine that there be to many prestes and religious in the world by half And seing prestes will not laboure then if all the world were prestes who shulde laboure the erth I can not tell whate holinesse there is now a dayes in the life of prestes or moÌ„kes aboue the life of the housbondman The husbondes life is betrer nowe after the Gospell then the life of a grete parte of prestes monkes or freres For all prestes monkes and freres whiche haue none office that is necessary vnto the christenâ—e do â—ate vnrightuously the goodes of the poore and are called of Christ in the Gospell Iohn 10 murtherars and theves But let vs shewe vnto the housholders howe they shall live holsomely For it behoveth that they also knowe howe they shulde live The housholder shall first whether he be husbond craftes man or marchauÌ„t kepe the rule that God hath given in the gospell that Mat. 7 is to sey that in all his marchaundise and in all his businesse he do to another as he wolde be done vnto not seking his owne proufit to the hurt or dammage of an other He shall never dispreyse his neighbours goodnesse but wisshe him as moche good as he wolde haue him silfe Thus commaundeth vs saint Paule that 1. Tessa 4 none oppresse or disceyve his brother in any maner bicause the lord god is vengear of all suche for we be all bretheren and meÌ„bres of one body Therfore thou shalt be ware to striveo and to move eny maner of dissention with thy neighbour be he riche or poore noble or ignoble for we be all like nobill bifore God bicause we have all togyther one father Ga .3 For saint Paule saieth ye are all one in Christ. And therfore shall none dispise the poore nor cast hys povertye in his teth but shall socoure him with his goodes and comfort him alweyes in his povertye If thy neyghboure or christen brother be sike and poore thou shalt oft go to him and comfort him distributing to him of thy goodes according to thy power Thou shalt be redy to serve him and to gyve thy life for him as saieth saint Iohn Hereâ—y knowe we the love bicause he hath given his life for vs. â— Iohn 3 And we ought also to gyve oure lyves for oâ—re bretheren And if thou haue nothing to gyve vnto him thou shalt gyve knowlege therof vnto theim that haue and shall exhort theym to socoure this pore parson Biforetymes it was accustumed to gyve knowlege to the pastor or curate of the churche whiche did socoure the poore wyth the treasure of the churche wherof was made mencyon in the life of saint Laurence of saint Gregory wheÌ„ there was nomore the bisshop toke the chalices the other vessels of gold silver brake theÌ„ distributed the price therof vnto the pore The bisshoppes also were wont to warne the â—ytesins that they shuld gyve him knowlege when eny were diseased or syke But nowe God amend it it is all otherwise the Bisshoppes take care of no suche thinges the treasure of the churcheis speÌ„t â—gilding of ymages in founding of greâ— prevendes in bilding of tabernacles in â—ostly auter tables and suche superfluous â—rodigalite And thus are the poore memâ—res of Christ deprived of that that to theÌ„â—pperteyneth O world blynd
subiectes for therof they shall yeld a streyte accompt bifore God ¶ Of men of warre and of the warre whether the Christen may warre without synne an informacyon after the Gospell Chaptre .xxix. THe men of warre haue nothing in the gospell for the gospell knoweth no meÌ„ of warre nor the warre but onely peace Albeit that many doctoures sey that the men of warre is a thing resonable good bicause of the wordes of saint Iohn baptist who as writeth saint Luke in the gospell answered vnto the men of warre axâ—ing him whate thing they shulde do to be saved that they shuld hurte nomaÌ„ but shulde be contented with theire wages By these wordes will the doctours and Theologyens saye that the men of warre may warre pill and do evill without synne But they vnderstond not the wordes of saint Iohn ye must vnderstond that the teching of saint Iohn brought noman vnto full perfectioÌ„ It did but onely make redy the hert of man vnto god and vnto the teaching oâ— Iesu christ He rebuked the most grettesâ— euilles by his preaching He did but onely teche the beginning of rightuousnesse aâ— though he wolde haue seyed If I shuld all arâ—once forbid you to warre ye mighâ— not yet for your wekenesse suffer it â— nor yeâ— might not leveâ—t all sodeynly But beginne first to â—eue the most grettest evill as to do hurt and outrage vnto other as to burne to kill to pill and so forth And be alweyes content with your wages So was saint Iohn Baptist none other thing but as a man that abateth and cutteth of from a pece of timber the most gretest knotres He doth it not to thintent that it shulde abide so But wheÌ„ the knottes and warres be cut of then comith a better master carpenter that planeth it maketh it more smothe with a large fine rabot Likewise did saint Iohn by his preaching he did but onely abate and cut of the grete knottes that is to sey the grete sinnes And yet they were not clene taken away â—nd cut of till an other better master workman came after and â—ut them of with his fine rabot And therfore was he nothing els but a voyte crying in the deserte whiche cryed Esa. 40 Make redy the wey of the lorde make â—â—reyght his fete pathes He was not the light as saieth saint Iohn the Evaungelist He coude not pardone oure sinnes for he was not Christ. Iohn 1 He was but onely a voyce a foregoar and a shewer whiche made redy the wey ageinst the coming of Christ. And for this cause did Saint Iohn sende his disciples to Iesu Christ when he shulde die to thintent that they might lerne the full perfection of him For he had but onely made them redy for to come vnto christ for this cause reason it is al manifest that saint Iohn hath not preised the warre by these wordes but hath rather forboden it As teacheth all the gospell for as it is a thing evill agreing that the hoÌ„de fight ageinst the hede So is it a thing as evell agreing and grete sinne that one Christen warre ageinst the other Ro. 12 For we are all bretheren and membres of one body the body is Christe whiche in all his life preached peace and concorde to all theim that he taught Saynt Iohn in his fyrst epistle saieth 1. Ioh. 4 He that hateth his brother is an homicide We may hate noman we must love oure enemyes we must pray for theym and do good vnto theym that persecute vs. How can it then be possible after the gospell that we may warre without sinne wherin so many people lose they re livis and wherby so many parsones come to wildenesse ryot and evill life There be textes in the canon lawe that suffre some warres But the reehing of Christ forbiddeth all warres It is a thing horrible and daungerous for body and soule to enterpryse move a warre For all malice reyneth in tyme of warre Neverthelesse when a cuntrey is invaded or a towne beseged wheÌ„ the comon peace is troubled and grete violence is done vnto the subiectes the lord of that cuntrey ys bounde by brotherly love to helpe hys subiectes and to defende theym to punysshe the evyll and to put hys lyfe yn ieoperdy for hys subiectes But he must alweyes beware that he do it not to revenge his owne wronge or for to enlarge his londe and lordship but onely to defende his subiectes And so may he vse the horrible businesse of the warre charitably and christenly But if it were possible to agre for golde or silver he is bounde to do it For the life of a chrilren is more worth then all the richesse of the worlde A lorde shall thinke alweyes that there is a king aboue him in heve bifore who me all parsones shall yeld accompte at the last day of iugement ye of the lest workes and thoughtes that he shall do be he king or Emperour 〈…〉 nobill or ignoble yong or olde We rede that the people of Israell did warre many tymes but theire warres were 1. Co. 10 but all figures As saieth saint Paule wherfore it betokeneth to vs that we shal likewise fight not the one ageynst the other but ageynst oure silves that is to sey ageynst oure synnes ageynst pryde wrath covitize lechery hatred envye and suche other ¶ Howe servauntes shulde lyve a doctrine after the Gospell Chaptre .xxx. SErvauntes that serve theyr lordes mastres ladyes and mastresses shal be true vnto theym as vnto theym silves and shall alweyes do the proufit of they re lordes and mastres as though it touched theym silves They shall nor do they re service onely for temporall rewardes For thou mayst by the service that thou doest vnto thy master please god as wele as though thou were no servaunt and as though thou were in the churche â—prayng on thy knees Therfore thou shalt do thy service by faith and love in god thus thinking in thy silf Behold dere lorde God I thanke the that thou hast not made me riche I am well content with the state that I am yn I will with a good wilâ— for the love of the serve all the worlde And I thanke the that thou hast made me worthy to suffereny thing for thy love and that I may in this worlde be one of the lest and leâ—t estemed when thou serveâ—â— thy lorde in suche a faith with a good will thou receivest not onely the rewarde or wages of men towhome thou servest bnt that more is of God Therfore thou shalt do thy laboure diligently and ioyfully not as though thou didest sarve a man but as though thou didest serve God as truely thou doest For so doeth saint Paul teche the writing to the Ephesians where he saieth Ephe. Servauntes obey vnto youre carnall mastres with feare and trembling in ynnocency of your hartes as vnto Iesu christ not with service in the yie â—ight as men pleasers but as the servauntes