spiritual and temporal; even so I say that every person baptized to keep the law of God and to believe in Christ, is under both the regiments, and is both a spiritual person and also a temporal, and under the officers of both the regiments; so that the king is as deep under the spiritual officer, to hear out of God's word what he ought to believe and how to live, and how to rule, as is the poorest beggar in the realm. And even so the spiritual officer, if he sin against his neighbour, or teach false doctrine, is under the king's, or temporal correction, how high soever he be. And look how damnable it is for the king to withdraw himself from the obedience of the spiritual officer; that is to say, from hearing his duty, to do it, and from hearing his vices rebuked, to amend them; so damnable is it for the spiritual officer, how high soever he be, to withdraw himself from under the king's correction, if he teach false, or sin against any temporal law. Finally, ye must consider that Christ here teacheth his disciples, and them that should be the light and salt in living and doctrine, to shine in the weak and feeble eyes of the world, diseased with the meagrim, and accustomed to darkness; that without great pain they can behold no light; and to salt their old festered sores, and to fret out the rotten flesh, even to the hard quick, that it smart again; and spare no degree. But tell all men, high and low, their faults, and warn them of the jeopardy, and exhort them to the right way. Now such schoolmasters shall find small favour and friendship with the rulers of this world, or defence in their laws. As Christ warneth them, (Matt. x.) saying, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Beware therefore of men, for they shall deliver you up to their councils, and shall scourge you in their synagogues or council-houses, and ye shall be brought before the chief rulers and kings, for my sake; and there teacheth them, as here, to arm themselves with patience, and to go forth boldly with a strong faith, and trust in the succour and assistance of God only, and to plant the gospel In lending we must follow the rule of mercy. with all love and meekness, and to water it with their own blood, as Christ did. Thou mayest not in that state come with a sword, to defend either thyself or thy gospel, and to compel men to worship thee as God, and to believe what thou wilt. Nay, ye sheep, use no such regiment among wolves. If thou be a sheep, thou art not in evil taking if thou canst bring to pass that the wolf be content with thy fleece only, and to shear thee yearly. Give to him that asketh, and from him that would borrow turn not away. Luke saith, Give to whosoever asketh thee that is to say, wheresoever thou seest need, or seest not the contrary, but there may be need; to the uttermost of thy power there open thine heart, and be merciful only. And of mercifulness set God thy father, and Christ thy lord and master for an ensample : and enforce to be as like them as thou canst. If thou be merciful, God hath bound himself to be merciful to thee again. Lo, is not this an exceeding great thing, that God, which of no right ought to be bound to his creatures, hath yet put it whole in thine own hands, to bind him against the day of thy tribulation, then to shew thee mercy. Concerning lending, proceed by the foresaid rule of mercy. Many, in extreme need, yet ashamed to beg, shall desire thee to lend. Unto such, instead of lending give, or say thus, Lo, here is as much as ye require. If ye can pay it again, well, do, and ye shalt find me ready against another time, to lend or give (if need be) as much more. But and if ye shall not be able to pay it again, trouble not your conscience, I give it you. We be all one man's children: one man hath bought us all with his blood, and bound us to help one another. And with so doing, thou shalt win the heart of him to thy Father. Concerning merchandise, and chapmen, the less borrowing were among them, the better should the common wealth be if it were possible, I would it were, ware for ware, or money for ware, or part money and part ware. We must not revenge upon our evil debrefer our ourselves tors, but cause to But if it will not be; but that a man to get his living with, must needs lend, and call for it again to find his household, and to pay his debts; then in the lending, be first single and harmless as a dove, and then as wise as a serpent. And take heed to whom thou lendest. If when thou hast lent an honest man, God visit him, and take away his goods, with what chance it be, whether by sea or land, that he is not able to pay thee; then to prison him, or to sue him at the law, or once to speak an unkind word, were against the law of love, and contrary to shewing mercy. There thou must suffer with thy neighbour and brother as Christ did with thee, and as God doth daily. If an unthrift have beguiled thee, and spent thy goods away, and hath not to pay, then hold thine hand and heart, that thou avenge not thyself; but love him, and pray for him, and remember how God hath promised to bless the patient and meek. Nevertheless, because such persons corrupt the common manners, and cause the name of God the less to be feared, men ought to complain upon such persons to the officer that is ordained of God to punish evil doers, and the officer is bound to punish them. If thou have lent a fox, which with cavillation will keep thy goods from thee; then if the ruler and the law will not help thee to thy right, do as it is above said of him that will go to law with thee, and take thy coat from thee. That is to say, be content to lose that and as much more to it, rather than thou wouldest avenge thyself. Let not the wickedness of other men pluck thee from God. But abide by God and his blessings, and tarry his judgment. Liberality is mercifulness that bindeth God to be merciful again. Covetousness (the root of Covetousall evil, and father of all false prophets, and the school-ness is the master that teaches the messengers of Satan to disguise evil. themselves like to the messengers of Christ) is merciless, that shall have judgment without mercy; and therefore exhorteth Christ all his so diligently, and above all thing, to be liberal and to beware of covetousness. God, and his officers. -root of all James ii. The ene⚫ mies of God, and his word are to be hated. Levit. xix Ye have heard, how it is said, Thou shalt love thy neigh- This text of hating a man's enemy, standeth not in any one place of the Bible, but is gathered of many places, in which God commandeth the children of Israel to destroy their enemies, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Amalekites, and other heathen people; as the Moabites, and Ammonites, which sought to bring them out of the favour of God, and to destroy the name of God. The Amalekites came behind them, and slew all that were faint and weary by the way, as they came out of Egypt. The Moabites and Ammonites hired Balaam to curse them, and beguiled them with their women, and made a great plague among them. These and like nations were perpetual enemies to their land which God had given them, and also of the name of God and of their faith. For which cause they not only might lawfully, but were also bound to hate them, and to study their destruction again; howbeit they might not yet hate (of the said nations) such as were converted to their faith. Now by the reason of such texts as commanded to hate the common enemies of their country, and of God and his law, and of their faith; the pharisee's doctrine was, that a man might lawfully hate all his private enemies without exception, nor was bound to do them good. And yet Moses saith, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. And again, Thou shalt not avenge thyself, nor bear hate in thy mind against the children of thy people. And if thine enemy's ass sink under his burden, help to lift him up again. And if his ox or ass go astray, bring them home again; which all, no doubt, the pharisees did interpret for good counsel, but for no precepts; wherefore Christ salteth their doctrine, and proveth that a man is bound both to love and to do good to his enemy. And as a natural son, though his brethren be never so evil, yet to love them, and shew them kindness, for his father's sake and to study to amend them. What hast thou to rejoice of if thy religion be no better than the religion of thieves? For thieves love among themselves: and so do the covetous of the world, as the usurers and publicans, which bought in great the emperor's tribute, and to make their most advantage, did overset the people. Nay, it is not enough for thee to love thy benefactors only, as monks and friars do, and them of thine own coat, and order, or the brethren of thine own abbey only, (for among some their love stretcheth no farther, and that shall he that is removed out of another cloister thither, well find: yea, and in some places charity reacheth not to all the cells of the same cloister, and to all the monks that were professed in the same place. But lift up thine eyes unto thy heavenly Father, and as thy Father doth, so do thou love all thy Father's children. He ministereth sun and rain to good and bad, by which two, understand all his benefits. For of the heat, and drith of the sun, and cold and moist of the rain, spring all things that are necessary to the life of Even so provoke thou and draw thine evil brethren to goodness, with patience, with love in word and deed, and pray for them to Him that is able to make them better and to convert them. And so thou shalt be thy Father's natural son, and perfect, as he is perfect. The text saith not, Ye shall be as perfect as God; but perfect after his man. Publicans, what they were. As our hea venly Fa ther be stoweth his benefits upon good and bad, so ought we to love both friend and foe. |