The Principles of Christian Religion, Principle 3
¶Of the Lawe.
¶What the Lawe is.
THe Law of God is a doctrine prescribing vntounto vsus what we ought to doe,L…d. x…. and what to eschue, both toward God and our neighbour.
☞The confirmations.
Thou shalt louelove the Lorde thy God with all thy hart.
Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine.
Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not steale.
¶To what vse the lawe was geuen.
Fyrst, that it should declare vntounto vsus the will of God, how we ought to liue, and what workes we ought to do, that we may please the Lord our God.
☞The confirmations.
The law of the Lorde is an vndefiledPsal. xix. law, cōuerting soules. The testimony of the Lord is sure, and geueth wisedome to ye simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, and reioyce the hart. The commaundemēt of the Lord is pure, and geueth light to the eyes.
Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete,Psal. cxi…. &. exlvij. & a light to my pathwaies. He sheweth hys word vntounto Iacob, hys statutes and ordinaunces vntounto Israell. He hath not dealt so with any nation, neyther hauehave the heathen knowledge of hys lawes.
Secondly, that it shoulde reueale and open vntounto vsus, our sinne and wickednes, while we consider how vnable we be of our selues to doe that, which the holy, righteous, & good law of God requireth of vsus to be done.
☞The confirmations.
By the lawe cōmeth the knowledge of sinne.Rom. iij.
The lawe entred in,Rom. v. that sinne should increase.
What shall we say?Rom. vij. is the lawe sinne? God forbid. Nay, I knewe not what sinne ment, but by the lawe: for I had not knowen what lust had ment, except the lawe had said: Thou shalt not lust. But sinne tooke an occasion by the meanes of the commaundement, & wrought in me all maner of concupiscence. For without the lawe sinne was dead. I once liued without ye lawe: but when the commaundement came, sinne …, & I was dead. And ye very same cōmaundement, which was ordayned vntounto lyfe, was found to be vntounto me an occasion of death. For sinne tooke occasion by y• meanes of the cōmaundement, & so deceaued me, & by the same commaundement s…ue me.
The sti…ge of death is sinne:j. Cor. xv. and the strength of sinne is the law.
The letter,ij. Cor. iij. that is to say, the law killeth.
The lawe is the ministring of condemnation.Iohn. vij.
Moyses (sayth Christ) gaue you a lawe, and yet none of you fulfilleth the lawe in deede.
Thirdly, after we hauehave learned our weaknes, our wretchednes, our sinne, our wickednes, by comparing our strength and life with the lawe of God, which proueth vsus all sinners, and worthy of eternall damnation, least we shoulde fall into desperation, and so be damned, the lawe was geuen of God, to bee a Scholemaister vntounto vsus to lead vsus vntounto Christ, the alone end and perfect fulfiller of all the lawes of God, that we through fayth, takyng vppon vsus hys righteousnes, and hys fulfilling of the lawe, myght bee found blameles through hym, in the sight of God, and to bee made inheritours of euerlasting glory.
☞The confirmations.
The law was our Scholemaister vntounto Christ,Gala. iij. that we shoulde bee iustified by fayth. But after that fayth is come, we are no longer vnderunder the Scholemaister. For ye are all the children of God, because ye beleue in Christ Iesu.
The lawe brought nothyug to perfection,Heb. vij. but was an introduction to a better hope, by the which we drawnie vntounto God.
Be it knowen vntounto you (ye men and brethren) that through thys man Christ,Acte. xiij. is preached vntounto you the forgeuenes of sinnes, & that by hym all that beleue are iustified frō all thinges, frō the which ye coulde not hee iustified by the lawe of Moyses.
Why tempt ye God,Acte. xv. to put on the Disciples neckes ye yoke, which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare. But we beleue, that thorow the grace of the Lord Iesu Christ, we shall be saued.
Christ is the fulfilling of the law,Rom. x. to iustifie all that beleue.
Christ hath deliuered vsus from the curse of the law,Gala. iij. in as much as he was made accursed for vsus.
¶The x. Commaundementes of God, with confirmations of eueryevery Cōmaundement out of the holy scripture.
¶The first Table of the Law, contayning foure Cōmaundementes, wherin is declared our dutie to God.
¶The first Commaundement.
I Am the Lord thy God,Exod. x…. which hauehave brought thee out of the land of Aegypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt hauehave no straunge Gods before me.
☜The confirmations.
The Lord he is God,Deut. iiij. and there is none but he alone.
Understand and thinke it in thy hart, that the Lorde hee is God in heauen aboue, & vponupon the earth beneath: neither is there any other.
Heare O Israell:Deut. vj. The Lord our God is God alone. Thou shalt louelove y• Lord thy God with all thine hart, and with all thy soule, & with all thy might.
Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God, and serue hym alone.
If thou forget the Lorde thy God, &Deut. viij. walke after straūge Gods, and serue them and worship them: I testifie vntounto you, that ye shall surely perishe.
Now O Israell,Deut. x. what doth the Lorde thy God require of thee, but that thou shouldest feare the Lorde thy God and walke in hys wayes, and louelove hym, and serue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart, & with all thy soule, and keepe the commaundementes of the Lord?
If thine hart turne away from God,Deut. xxx so that thou wilt not heare hys word, but go astray, and worship straūge Gods, and serue them: I pronoūce vntounto you this day, that ye shall surely perishe, and not liue long on the earth.
See now how that I,Deut. 32. yea, that I am God, & there is none but I.
I will assure thee (O Israell) if thou wilt …arken vntounto me:Psal. 81. There shall no straunge God bee in thee, neither shalt thou worship any other God. I am the Lord thy God.
Besides me there was neuer any God,Esa. xliij. neither shal there be after me. I am, yea, I am the Lord alone, & besides me there is no Sauiour.
There is none other God but I.Esa. xlv. A true God, and such a one as saueth, there is none but I alone.
Thou shalt louelove the Lorde thy God with all thy hart,Mat. xxij. and with all thy soule, and with… all thy minde. This is the first and greatest commaundement.
This is euerlasting life,Ioh. xvij. euen to know thee y• alone true God, and whō thou hast sent Iesus Christ.
There is none other God but one.j. Cor. viij. And although there be yt are called Gods, whether in heauen, or in earth (as there bee many Gods, and many Lordes) yet vntounto vsus there is but one God.
There is one God,…. Tim. iiij. and one Mediatour.
¶The second Commaundement.
THou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image,Exod. xx. nor the likenes of any thyng that is in heauen aboue, nor in the earth beneath, nor in the waters vnderunder the earth. Thou shalt not bowe downe to them, nor worship them: For I the Lorde thy God, am a ielouse God, and visite the sinnes of the fathers vppon the children, vntounto the thyrd and fourth generation of thē that hate me: and shew mercy vntounto thousandes to them that louelove me, and kepe my Commaundementes.
☜The confirmations.
Ye shall not turne vntounto Idolls,Leuit. xix nor make you Gods of metall.
Take heede vntounto your selues,Deut. iiij. that ye forget not the appointment of the Lorde your God, which hee made with you, and that ye make you no grauen image, nor any picture that the Lorde thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lorde thy God is a consuming fire, & a ielouse God. If ye do wickedly, and make any maner of grauen image, and worke euill in the sight of the Lord thy God, to prouoke hym to anger, I call heauen and earth to recorde agaynst you thys day, that ye shall shortly perishe.
Ye shall ouerthrow the altars of the Idols,Deut. vij. & breake downe their pillers, cut down their groues, and burne their grauen images with fire. For thou art an holy nacion vntounto the Lord thy God.
Cursed be the man that maketh any carued or molten image (an abomination vntounto the Lorde,Deut. 27. the worke of the handes of the craftesman) & putteth it in a secrete place: and all the people shall aunswere, and say, Amen.
Confounded be all they y• worship carued images,Psa. xcvij and that delite in vaine Gods.
I am the Lorde,Esa. xlij. and this is my name. My glory will I geue to none other, neither mine honour to grauen Images.
¶Read the 44. and 46. chapters of Esay.
Be conuerted and forsake your Idoles.Ezecb. 14.
The seeking out of Idoles is the beginning of whoredome,Sap. xiiij. and the bringing vp of them, is the destruction of lyfe. For they were not frō the beginning, neither shall they continue vntounto the end. The wealthy idlenes of men hath found thē out vppon the earth, therefore shall they come shortly to an end. The honouring of abominable images, is the cause, the beginning, and the end of all euill.
¶Read the 13. 14. 15. and 16. chapters of Wisedome. Read also the 6. chapter of the Prophet Baruck.
We preach vntounto you,Acte. xiiij. that ye shoulde turne from these vanities vntounto the liuing God, which made heauen and earth, and the sea, and all thinges that are therein.
My sentence is,Acte. xv. yt we trouble not thē, which frō among the Gentiles are turned to God, but yt we write vntounto them, that they abstaine thē selues frō the filthines of Images.
They are not Gods,Acte. xix. which are made with handes.
Be not worshippers of Images.j. Cor. x.
No worshippers of images shall inherite the kingdome of God.j. Cor. vj.
Babes,j. Io…. v. keepe your selues from Images.
¶The third Commaundement.
THou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vayne:Exod. xx. for the Lorde will not holde hym giltles that taketh hys name in vayne.
☜The confirmations.
Ye shall not sweare by my name in vayne:Leuit. xix. neyther shalt thou defile the name of thy God. I am the Lorde.
He y• hath not sworne to deceaue hys neighbour:Psa. xxii… hee shall receaue blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God hys Sauiour.
He that blasphemeth the name of the Lorde,Leuit. 24. let hym be slaine, and all the multitude shall stone hym to death.
Thou shalt sweare, the Lord liueth, in truth,Iere. iiij. in equitie, and righteousnes.
My curse and vengeance (sayth the Lord) shall fall vponupon his house,Zacb. v. that falsly sweareth by my name: and shall remaine in his house, and consume it, with the timber and stones therof.
Ye hauehave heard how it was said to them of old tyme:Mat. v. thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe vntounto the Lord those thinges that thou swearest. But I say vntounto you, sweare not at all: neyther by the heauen, for it is Gods seate: neither by the earth, for it is hys footestoole: neither by Ierusalē, for it is the citie of the great king: neither shalt thou sweare by thy head, because thou canst not make one heare white or blacke. But your cōmunication shall be yea, yea, and nay, nay. For what soeuer is added more then these, it cōmeth of euill.
Aboue all thinges,Iacob. v. my brethren, sweare not, neither by heauen, nor by earth, neither any other oth: but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into hypocrisie.
Let not thy mouth bee accustomed with swearing,Eccle. …. for in it there are many falles.
A mā that vseth much swearing, shall be filled with wickednes, and the plague shall neuer go from hys house. And if he sweare in vaine, he shall not bee found righteous, for hys house shall be full of plagues.
The wordes of y• swearer bring death (God graunt that it bee not found in the house of Iacob) but they that feare God, esehue al such, and lie not weltring in ….
O prayse the Lord with me,Psal. 35. and let vsus magnifie his … together.
All our glory is in God all the day long,Psa. xliiij. and we will prayse thy name for euer.
Call on me in the day of trouble,Psal. l. and I will deliuer thee, and thou shalt honour me.
Because he hath trusted in me,Psal. xcj. I will deliuer hym: yea, I will defend hym, because he hath knowen my name. He shall call vpō me, and I will heare hym: yea, I am with him in trouble: I will deliuer him, and bring hym to honour. With long life will I satisfie hym, and shewe hym my saluation.
The name of the Lord is a strong Tower,Prs. xviij the righteous flyeth vntounto it, and shall be …aued.
The time shall come,Ioell. 2. that who soeuer calleth on the name of the Lord, shall be saued.
¶The fourth Commaundement.
REmember that thou keepe holy the Sabbaoth day.Exod. xx. Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do, but the seueth day is the Sabbaoth of the Lorde thy God: in it thou shalt do no maner of worke, thou, nor thy sonne, nor thy daughter, thy manseruaunt, nor thy maydseruaunt, nor thy cattell, nor thy straunger that is within thy gates. For in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seuenth day: wherfore the Lord blessed the Sabbaoth day, and …allowed it.
☜The confirmations.
In any wise see that ye kepe my Sabbaothes:Exod. 31. for it is a signe betwene me and you, in your generations, for to know, that I the Lord am he, that doth sanctifie you.
The mā that was found gathering stickes on the Sabbaoth day,Num. xv. was stoned to death, at the commaundement of God.
Blessed is the man that takethEsa. lvj. heede, that he vnhalloweth not the Sabbaoth (that is to say) keepeth him selfe so, that he doe no euill. All they which keepe them selues that they vnhallow not the Sabbaoth, I meane, that they fulfill my couenaunt: them will I bring to my holy mountaine, and make thē ioyfull in my house of prayer.
If thou on the Sabbaoth day turne thy feete,Esa. lviij. so that thou do not the thing which pleaseth thy self in my holy day, but geuest God the honour, so that thou doe not after thine owne imagination, neither seeke thine owne will, nor speake thine own wordes: then shalt thou hauehave thy pleasure in the Lord, and I will cary thee hie aboue y• earth, and feede thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father: for the Lordes owne mouth hath so promised.
There shall be a new Sabbaoth for the other olde Sabbaoth,Esa. lxvi. and all … shall come to worship before me, sayth the Lord.
There remaineth yet a rest to the people of God.Heb. iiij. For hee y• is entred into his rest, …ath ceased also frō his owne workes, as God dyd from hys. Let vsus study therfore, to enter into that rest, least any mā fall after the same ensample of vnbeliefe.
¶What it is to keepe holy the Sabbaoth day.
To keepe holy y• Sabbaoth day, … from bodily labour, that thou shouldest the more licenciously geue thy minde to the wearing of gallant apparell, to ba…cketting, to idle talke, to vaine pastime, & such other filthy pleasures of the flesh, but that thou setting aside all worldly business, shouldest the more freely apply thy selfe to read, heare, and learne the wo…d of God, to pray in the temple with the congregation, to bee thankfull to God for his benefites, to bee present at the ministration of y• holy Sacramentes, to be partaker of y• mysteries of the Lordes body and bloud, to geue some good thing to the reliefe of the poore, to visite and comfort the sicke, & them that are in prison, and casting away the workes of the fleshe, wholy to exercise thy selfe in the fruites of the spirite.
¶The second Table of the Law, cōtayning …ixe Commaundementes, wherin is dec…ared our dutie towardes our neighbour.
¶The fift Commaundement.
HOnour thy father and thy mother,Exod. xx. that thy dayes may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God g…eth thee.
☞The confirmations.
Ye shall reuerence eueryevery mā his father and his mother.Leuit. xix
Whosoeuer hee bee that curseth hys father or his mother,Leuit. xx. let hym die: for he y• hath cursed his father and mother, hys bloud be vpō him.
He that smiteth his father or mother,Exod. xxj. let hym be slaine for it.
If any man hauehave a sonne that is stubborne and disobedient,Deut.xxj. that he will not harken vntounto y• voice of his father, nor y• voyce of his mother, & they hauehave chastened him, & he will not obey them: then shall his father & his mother take him, & bring him out vntounto y• elders of that citie, & to the gates of that same place, & say vntounto the elders of the citie: this our sonne is stubborne & disobedient, & will not harken vntounto our voyce: he is a riotour, and a drunkard. And all the men of that citie shall stone hym with stones vntounto death.
Cursed be he that curseth his father and mother:Deut. 27. and all the people shall say, Amen.
My sonne,Pro. j. heare thy fathers doctrine, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For that shall bring grace to thy head, & shall be as a chaine about thy necke.
A good childe will harken to his fathers warning:Pro. xiij. but hee that is scornefull, will not heare when h… is reproued.
He yt hurteth hys father,Prou. xix. or … teth out his mother, is a shamefull and an vnworthy sonne.
Who so robbeth his father and mother,Pro. 28. and fayth it is no …, the … is like vntounto a destroyer.
Who so laugheth his father to sc…rne,Pro. xxx. and setteth his mothers cō maundemēt at … ought, the rauens picke out his eies in the valley, and deuoured be he of younge …gles.
The Lorde will hauehave the father honoured of the children: and loke what a mother commaundeth her children,Eccle. iij. he will hauehave it kep….
Who so h…noureth hys father, shall hauehave a …ye of his owne children: and when hee maketh hys prayer, he shall be heard.
He that honoureth his father, shall hauehave a longlife: and he that is obedient for the Lordes sake, his mother shall hauehave ioye of him.
He that feareth the Lord, honoureth his father and mother, & doth them seruice, as it were vntounto the Lorde him selfe.
Honour thy father in deede, in word, & in all pacience, yt thou mayest hauehave Gods blessing, & hys blessing shall abide with thee at ye last.
The blessing of the father buildeth vp the houses of the children, but the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations.
Reioyce not when thy father is reproued, for it is not honour vntounto thee, but a shame. For y• worship of a mans father, is his owne worship, & where the father is without honour, it is the dishonestie of y• some.
My sonne, make much of thy father in his age, & greeue him not as long as he liueth. And if his vnderstanding faile, hauehave pacience with hym, and despise him not in thy strēgth. For the good deede yt thou shewest to thy father, shall not be forgottē, & when thou thy self wantest, it shall be rewarded thee (and for thy mothers offence, thou shalt be recompenced with good, yea, it shall be founded for thee in righteousnes) and in the day of trouble thou shalt be remēbred: thy sinnes also shall melt way, like as the Ise in the ayre and warme weather. He that forsaketh his father, shall come to shame: and he that despiseth his mother, is cursed of God.
Children obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde:Ephe. vj. for that is right. Honour thy father & mother, (the same is the first commaundement in y• promise) that thou may…st prosper, and liue long on earth.
¶The sixt Commaundement.
THou shalt not kill.Exod. xx.
☞The confirmations.
Who so sheddeth mans bloud,Gene. ix. by man shall his bloud be shed: For in y• image of God, did God make mā.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy hart. &c.Leuit. xix
Thou shalt not auenge thy selfe, nor be mindfull of wrong agaynst the children of my people, but shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. I am the Lord.
He that killeth any man,Leuit. 24. let him dye the death.
Cursed bee he that smiteth hys neighbour secretly:Deut. 27. and all y• people shall say, Amen.
Ye hauehave heard,Mat. v. that it was sayd to thē of the olde time: Thou shalt not kill: for who soeuer killeth, shall bee in daunger of iudgement. But I say vntounto you, that who soeuer is angry with hys brother, shall be in daunger of iudgement. &c.
Ye hauehave heard, that it was said: thou shalt louelove thy neighbour, and hate thine enemie. But I say vntounto you: louelove your enemies. Blesse thē that curse you. Do good to thē that hate you. Pray for thē which hurt you, and persecute you, that ye may be the childrē of your father which is in heauen: for he maketh hys … to arise on the euill, and on the good, & sendeth raine on y• righteous, and on the vnrighteous.
Bee ye mercifull,L…ke. v…. as your father is mercifull. Iudge not, and ye shal not be iudged. Condemne not, and ye shall not be cōdemned. Forgeue, and ye shall be forgeuen. Geue, and … other men mete to you againe.
Recōpence to no mā euill for euill.Rom. xij.
If it be possible (as much as is in you) liue peaceably with all men. Dearly beloued, auenge not your seluest, but rather geue place vntounto wrath.Deut. 32. For it is writtē: Uengeance is myne, & I will reward, saith the Lord. Therfore, if thine enemy hū ger, feede him: if he thirst, geue him drinke: for in so doing, thou shalt heape coales of fire vponupon hys head. Be not o…rcome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnes.
Be angry and sinne not:Ephe. iiij. let not the sunne goe downe vppon your wrath, neither geue place vntounto the backbiter.
Let all bitternes, and fearcenes, and wrath, and roaring, & cursed speaking, bee put away from you, …. Be ye … an other, merciful, … euen as God for Christes sake hath forgeuē you.
He that hateth hys brother,i. Io…. iij. is a manflayer. And ye know, that eueryevery manflayer hath not euerlasting life dwelling in hym.
This commaundement hauehave we of God:j. Iohn. iiij. that he which loueth God, should also louelove his brother.
¶The seuenth Commaundement.
THou shalt not committee adulterie.Exod. xx.
☞The confirmations.
Thou shalt not lie wt thy neighbours wife,Leuit. 18. to defile her with sede.
Thou shalt not make thy daughter common,Leuit. xix that thou wouldest cause her to be an whore, least the land also fall to whoredome, and be full of wickednes.
It a man be found lying with a woman y• hath a wedded husband,Deut. xxij they shall die both of them: both the man that lay with that wife, and also the wife: and so shalt thou put away euill from Israell.
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israell,Deut. 23. nor whorekeeper of the sonnes of Israell.
Cursed be he that lieth with his neighbours wife:Deut. 27. and all the people shall say, Amen.
The lips of an harlot are a dropping hony combe,Pro…. v. and her throte is more glistring then oyle. But at the last she is as bitter as wormewood, and her tounge as sharpe as a two edged sword. Her feete goe down vntounto death, and her steppes pearse through vntounto hell.
Be glad with the wife of thy youth. Louing is y• Hinde, & frendly is y• Roe. Let her brestes alway satisfie thee, & holde thee euer content with her louelove. O my sonne, why wilt thou hauehave pleasure in an harlot, & embrace y• bosome of an other woman? EueryEvery mans wayes are open in the sight of y• Lord, and he … of the vngodly shall … himself, & with the … of his own sinnes, shall he be trapped.
Keepe thee frō the euill woman,…. and frō the … tounge of the harlot, that thou lust not after her beautie in thy hart, and least thou be taken with her faire lookes. An harlot will make a man to beg hys bread: but an honest woman will seke about to get her liuing. May a mā cary fire in his bosome, & in his clothes, & not be burnt? or can one go vponupon hote coales, & his feete not be hurt? Euen so, who soeuer goeth into his neighbours wife, and tou…heth her, can not be vngiltie.
Who so cōmitteth adultry with a woman, he is a …oole, & bringth his life to destruction. He getteth him self also shame and dishonour, such as shall neuer be put out. …
An whore is a deepe graue,Pr…. xxi…j. & … like a thee…e, and bringeth vntounto her such men as be full of vice.
He that keepeth company with harlots,…. shall come to beggary.
¶Read the … Chap of ….
My sonne,Tob. iiij. keepe the well frō all whoredome, and (beside thy wife) see y• no fault be knowen by thee.
If my hart hath lusted after my neighbours wife,Iob. xxxj. or if I hauehave layd waite at his doore? Oh then let my wife be an other mans whore, and let other men lie with her. For thys i… a wickednes and …inne, that is worthy to be punished: yea, a … that shoulde vtterly consume and roote out all my substance.
Whoredome,Ose. iiij. wine, & drunkennes, take the hart away.
Ye hauehave heard,Mat. …. that it was sayd to them of old time: thou shalt not commit adultry. But I say vntounto duplicate page duplicate page you, that who soeuer loketh on an other mans wife, to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his hart.
If any that is called a brother be a fornicatour,j. Cor. v. with him that is such, see that ye eate not.
Neither fornicators,j. Cov. vj. neither adultrers, neither weaklings, neither abusers of thē selues with mākind, shall inherite y• kingdome of God.
Let vsus not be def…ed with fornication,j. Cor. x. as some of them were defiled with fornication, and fell in one day xxiij. thousand.
As for fornication & all vncleannes,Ephe. v. let it not be once named amōg you, as it becōmeth sainctes, or filthines, or folishe talking, or iesting, which are not comly, but rather giuing of thankes. For this ye know, y• no whoremonger, nor vncleane person, hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God.
This is the will of God,j. Thess. iiij euen your holines, yt ye should abstaine from fornication, & that eueryevery one of you should know how to keepe his vessell in holines & honour, and not in y• lust of concupiscence, as do the heathen which know not God.
Wedlocke is honourable among all men,Heb. xiij. and the bed vndefiled. As for whoremongers and adultrers, God shall iudge them.
Whoremongers hauehave their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.Apoc. xxj.
¶The eight Commaundement.
THou shalt not steale.Exod. xx.
☞The confirmations.
Ye shal not steale,Leuit. xix neither lie, neither deale falsly one with an other.
Thou shalt not do thy neighbour wrong, neither rob him violently, neither shall thy workmans labour abide with thee till the morning.
Ye shall do no vnrighteousnes in iudgement, in metyard, in weight, or in measure. True balances, and true waight shall ye hauehave. I am the Lorde.
If thou sellest ought vntounto thy neighbour,Leuit. 25. or byest of thy neighbors hand, ye shall not deceaue one an other. If thy brother bee … poore, and fallen into decay with thee, thou shalt relieue hym, that he may liue with thee. Thou shalt not geue hym thy money vppon …, nor lend him thy corne for increase. Thou shalt not take vsury of hym, or vauntage.
If one of thy brethrē among you,… be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lorde God geueth thee, thou shalt not ha…den thy hart, nor shut thy…e … from thy poore brother, but …pen thine hand vntounto him, …
The land shall neuer be without poore, and therefore I commaund thee saying: Thou shalt open thine hand vntounto thy brother that is needie and poore in thy land.
Who so keepeth company with a theefe,Pro. xxi…. hateth hys owne soule.
Wo be to thee y• spoylest,Esa. 33. for thou thy selfe shalt be spoyled.
Breake thy bread to the hungry,Esa. lviij. and bring the poore waudring, into thine house. When thou seest a naked man …ouer him, and so shalt thou not despise thy fleshe.
The theefe is cursed of God,Zach. v. & all that he hath, shall come to nought.
Shame and sorow goeth ouer the theefe.Eccle. v.
Anna olde Tobies wife,Tob. ij. went dayly to the weauing worke, and looke what liuing she coulde gette with the labour of her handes, she brought it home. And it happened that she tooke a kid, and brought it home: and whē her husbād heard it cry, he said: looke that it bee not stollen, if it bee, restore it agayne to the owners: for it is not lawfull for vsus to eate or touch any thing that is stollen.
Geue almes of thy goods,Tob. iiij. and turne neuer thy fare frō the poore: so shall it come to passe, that the face of the Lord shall not be turned away from thee. Be mercifull after thy power. If thou hast much, geue plentiously: if thou hast little, doe thy diligence, gladly to geue of that little. For so gatherest thou thy selfe a good reward in the day of necessitie. For mercy deliuereth from all sinne, and from death, and suffereth not the soule to come in darkenes.
Beholde Lorde,Luke. xix. sayd Zacheus, the halfe of my goods do I geue to the poore: & if I hauehave done any mā wrong, I restore him foure folde.
Neither theeues,j. Cor. vj. neither pillers, shall inherite ye kingdome of God.
Let hym yt stole,Ephe. iiij. steale no more, but let hym rather labour with his hādes ye thyng which is good, that he may geue vntounto him that nedeth.
¶The ninth Commaundement.
THou shalt not beare false witnes agaynst thy neighbour.Exod. xx.
☜The confirmations.
Thou shalt not accept a vaine tale:Exod. 23. neither shalt thou put thy hand to the wicked, to be an vnrighteous witnes.
If any vnrighteous witnes rise vp against a man,Deut. xix. to accuse hym of trespasse: then both the men which striue together, shal stād before the Lord, before the priestes, & the iudges which shall be in those dayes, and the iudges shall make diligent inquisition. And if the witnes be found false, and that he hath geuen false witnes agaynst hys brother, then shall you do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother: and thou shalt put away euill frō thee.
Cursed be he yt taketh a reward to stay the soule of innocent bloud:Deut. 27. and all the people shall say, Amen.
The Lord hateth a false witnes that bringeth vp lies.Prou. vj.
A false witnes shall not remaine vnpunished:Prou. xix. and he that speaketh lies, shall perishe.
A false witnes shall perishe:Pro. xxj. but he that is a true man, boldly speaketh that he hath heard.
Who so beareth false witnes agaynst hys neighbour,Pro. xxv. he is a very club, a sworde, and a sharpe arrow.
The mouth that lyeth,Sap. j. slayeth the soule.
Thou O Lord,Psal. v. wilt destroy all them that speake lies.
In no wyse speake agaynst the worde of truth,Eccle iiij. but be ashamed of thy lying.
Use not to make any maner of lie,Eccle. vij. for y• custome therof is not good.
A theefe is better,Eccle. xx. then a mā that is accustomed to lie: but they both shall hauehave destruction to heritage.
The two elders that bare witnes against Susanna,Dani. xiij. were stoned to death.
Out of the hart come false witnesses,Mat. xv. and those defile a man.
Euill speakers shall not inherite the kingdome of God.j. Cor. vj.
Put away lying,Ephe. iiij. and speake eueryevery man truth vntounto his neighbour, for asmuch as we are members one of an other.
All lyers shall hauehave their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.Ap…. xxj.
¶The tenth Commaundement.
THou shalt not couet thy neighbours house,Exod. xx. thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife, nor his seruant, nor hys maide, nor hys Oxe, nor his Asse, nor any thing that is hys.
☜The confirmations.
Keepe thy hart with all diligēce,Pro. iiij. for therupon hangeth life.
God hateth an hart that goeth about with wicked imaginations.Prou. vj.
Take heede that thou lust not in thy hart after the beautie of a straunge woman.
Euill thoughtes are abomination to the Lord.Pro. xv.
Who soeuer loketh on an other mans wife,Mat. v. lusting after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his hart.
Out of the hart procede euill thoughtes,Mat. xv. and those defile a man.
The cares of this world,Mark. iiij. and the deceitfulnes of riches, & the lustes of other thinges, choke the worde, and make it vnfruitfull.
Take heede to your selues,Luke. xxj. least at any tyme your hartes bee ouercome with the cares of thys life.
I had not knowen what lust had ment,Rom. vij. except the law had sayd: thou shalt not lust.
Make not prouision for the flesh,Rom. xiij. to fulfill the lustes of it.
Mortifie your earthy members,Coloss. iij. fornication, vncleannes, vnnaturall lust, euill concupiscence. &c.
Godlines is great riches,j. Tim. vj. if a man be content with that he hath. For we brought nothing into the worlde, neyther can we cary any thyng out. But when we hauehave foode and rayment, let vsus be content therwith. They that hauehave a minde to be riche, fall into temptation and snares of the deuill, & into many folishe and noysome lustes, which drowne men in perdition and destruction. For couetousnes is the roote of all euill: which while some lusted after, they erred frō the fayth, & tangled them selues with many sorrowes. But thou man of God, flie such things. Follow righteousnes, godlines, fayth, louelove, pacience, meekenes. &c.Heb. xiij.
Let your conuersatiō be without couetousnes, and bee content with such thinges as ye hauehave alreadie.
LoueLove not the world,Ioh. ij. nor those thinges that are in the worlde. For all that is in the world, as the concupiscence of the fleshe, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but of the worlde. And the world passeth away, and the lustes therof: but he that doth the will of God, abydeth for euer.
¶The summe of these x. Cōmaundementes, and all other lawes of God.
Thou shalt louelove the Lorde thy God with all thy hart,Mat. xxij. with all thy soule, with all thy minde, and with all ye vttermost of thy power. This is the first and greatest commaundement. And the second is like vntounto it. Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy self. In these two commaundementes, are contayned the whole law and the Prophets.
Owe nothyng to any man,…. xiij. but that ye louelove one an other: for he that loueth an other, hath fulfilled the lawe. For these commaundementes: Thou shalt not cōmit adulterie: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steale: Thou shalt beare no false witnes: Thou shalt not lust, and all other commaundementes, are briefly comprehended in these wordes: LoueLove thy neighbour as thy selfe.
The end of the law,j. Tim. j. is louelove out of a pure hart, and of a good cōscience, and of a fayth not fayned.
What soeuer ye would that men should do vntounto you,Mat. vij. do ye euen the same to them also: for this is the law and the Prophetes.