A Pathway Into the Holy Scripture, Part 2
¶ Of gouernours / as Judges / baylyfes / & other lyke / An information after the goſpell.
THe goſpell is written for all perſones / & for all eſtates of the worlde. And there is no…e eſtate in the worlde / but that he may fynde in the goſpell howe that he ſhuld lyue if that he wyll folowe it. Let none thinke that he is nat boūde to lyue after the goſpell though he be neuer ſo great a perſon / be he duke prīce / emꝑour / or byſſhop: For god hath cōmaunded that the goſpell be preached to eueryevery creature / that is to ſaye / to all mankynde. Before god there is no dyfferynge / neither diſtynction / whether thou be a commen huſbande man or a gouernour of a towne or of a contrey / noble or vnnoble / we hauehave al promyſed at oure baptyſme the one as moche as the other / we hauehave al taken one rule that is the teachyng of the Goſpell after the whiche we muſt lede & gonerne our lyfe, We maye nat ſaye / let the monkes and preeſtes kepe it for we hauehave all promyſed at our baptyſme y• one as moche as the other. Wherfore whan the lordes wyll lyue as they ſhulde do after the Goſpell / they muſt fyrſt obſerue and kepe two thigꝭ / that is to ſay / mercy & iuſtice. And alſo that they knowe whan they muſte be mercyfull / and whan they muſt vſe iuſtyce.
Than firſt it behoueth that thyne intēt be to defende the rightuouſe & innocent / & ſo with the ſeculer ryght to come in ayde vntounto the right of the Goſpell / reprouynge and rebukyng openly & without any fauoure all vnrightouſneſſe / to thentent that the people may liue frely vnderunder thy protection / preſerued from theues / murtherers / and from all maner oppreſſyon and iniurye / as farreforth as is poſſyble vntounto the / whan thou doſt ſo thou art goddes ſeruaunt. But it be houeth yt thou be well ware in ſuche thinges to aduenge thy ſelf in thy iugemēt & that thou gyue no iugement nor ſentence / but only where yu knoweſt yt thy iudgemēt is riȝtful / & y• neither for hatred / enuy / nor fauour. & yet thou muſt do it wt as gret mercy & compaſſyō / & as tenderly as yu woldeſt cut of a corrupte mēbre frō thine own body / which by the malice or corruption if yu dydeſt let hī alone / wolde corrupt thy hole body. It wer alſo no hurt ī this mater to kepe ye ordināce ſōtyme made bi Theodoſiꝰ emꝑour / which ordeyned that non ſhuld be put to deth before that he had bē. xxx. dayes ī priſō to thentēt that in the meane tyme he might be well aduyſed to make anſwer… & to thentent that ye iuge ſhuld cauſe no man to dye haſtely & with out aduiſemēt / but yt he might hauehave tyme to cole his enchaffed courage
And whā any of ye cominalty ſhulde happē to do any euyll by miſfortune agaīſt right & iuſtice / the whiche hath alwayes before bē of good …yfe & name / ſuch a one may a iudge helpe agaynſt the lawes & procure his delyueraūce without ſyn. For …f it be ſo that ye lawe of Moſes had …o great diſcretion that therby they dyd nat put them to deth / which vn…arely & bycauſe of myſaduenture had cōmytted murther againſt their wyll. As it is written in Deuteronomi. iiii. So that Moſes had aſ…ygned. iii. cyties / vntounto which they …hat had commytted homicyde by miſfortune againſt their wil / might …ye for their ſauegarde. How moch more ſhulde we that are Chriſten / …hat lyue after the goſpell / and louelove our enemyes / hauehave and kepe diſcrecion and regarde in this maner.
This I ſay / to thentēt that ye iuges ſhall nat thinke that they offende if they helpe ſuch. For whā they hauehave hope & lyklyhod that the euyll doer ſhall amende they muſt be alwayes mererfull / as Chriſt was vntounto ye womā which was foūde in aduoutry. As …. Joh. reherſeth / Jo. viii. The temporall lawe muſt obeye & ſerue vntounto the goſpell / it maye in no wyſe be contrarye thervnto / wherfore if any thynge therin be agaynſt the Goſpell / than the tēporall law muſt gyue place & periſſhe in that poynt For we muſt alwayes obeye more vntounto god than vntounto mē. As techeth vsus ſaint Paul. Actuū. v. Them that we may amende by warnynge we ſhal nat correct them by iuſtyce. All that a iuge may do without ſynne in the cauſe of another / he maye nan do it in his owne. For non may auenge his owne iniury / nor vere his Chriſten brother for his owne profyt. as it is before ſayd / that the true chriſtē neuer playneth vntounto the iuge of the iniury that men do vntounto …hi / but ſuffreth all pacyently. As …yth. ſ. Paule. …. Corin. vi. Nowe …s ſynne yet alwayes in you / bycauſe y• ye hauehave ſtryfe togyther among …ou. Why do ye natte rather ſuffre wronge? why do ye nat rather receyte hurt? It behoueth the iuges to lo…e deligētly yt the one do nat wrōge the other / without lokyng that eueryevery mā ſhulde cōplayne vntounto him / & …ll by charytie / ſechynge nothynge but the reſt and quyetneſſe of their Chriſten brother whom the euyl people do oppreſſe. The prophet Eſay reproueth the princes and iudges that in their iudgementes & ſentenes take regarde vntounto rycheſſe / ſervynge theire owne profyte / or be…ynge fauoure vntounto their fryndes / …yenge on this wyſe.
… They all loueth bryves / they …lowe towardes / they iudge natte vntounto the Orphantes / and the cauſe of the wydowe entreth nat vntounto th… They ought to determyn the cauſe with good auyſement / & as ſhortely as wer poſſyble ▪& to exhort the partyes to make brotherly appoyntemēt the one with the other / ſhe wīge them by the goſpell that the chriſtē ought nat to hauehave ſute & proces amonge them. They ought to be very ſorye of the diſſentyon of their chriſten brethren / & of the euyl gouernaunce of euyll doers. It behoueth alſo that the lordes enforce thē ſelues to put away all euyll cuſtomes / and that they forbyd ſtreytly that no yonge ſtronge perſons go on beggynge. For therof commeth gret euyll / but ſhall conſtryne them to lerne a craft. Therto a place in the Cyuyl law that forbiddeth that no ſtronge perſones beyng in helth ſhall begge their breed. And therfore I merueyle gretly that the temporall lordes kepe nat this lawe / kynge that it is good and nat contrarye / but agreable vntounto the goſpell / which commaundeth that we that laboure natte ſhulde nat eate.
The lordes ſhuld procure & coū ſell the rich folke that they ſhuld do their dtlygence to cauſe the poore …onge folke to lerne a craft / to then …nt that they ſhulde nat go a beggynge / & that they hauehave none occaſion to take thē to the walet. The …alers ſhuld alſo ordeyne ſome honeſt prouiſyon / that the poore impotent / yonge chyldren & olde people that can nat gette breed / & hauehave nat …eherof to lyue / ſhulde nat be con…reyned to go frō dore to dore: but … were rather better that they ſhuld …deyne. iii. or. iiii. honeſt perſons in eueryevery paryſſh / which of a comen treaſure / as of the treaſure of the poore / might prouyde eueryevery weke is moch as ſhulde be nede to eueryevery …ouſe of the pore / & that by porcion after the nombre of the poore. And that they ſhulde exhort the ryche to gyue their almes to that comē treaſure / and to be queth that that they wolde bequeth by their teſtamētes other wayes to that comen treaſure, For we can fynde the meane to byld gret abbeys for to nouryſſhe in delycate lyuynge ſtronge people that may labour / & ſomtyme hores and bawdes alſo. And why can we nat as well fynde the meanes to do our charytable workes according to the goſpell to the poore impotent / ſycke and feble. We ſhuld alſo bye houſes for the poore to dwell in / as are the hoſpytalles / ſytuate in a fayre pleſaunt & large out of the towne. and lyke wyſe ſhulde we prouyde vntounto them an honeſt man that myght eueryevery day make vntounto them a ſermon ſhewynge them the worde of God for to comforte them in their pouertye and langours / which ſhulde be a ſeruyce honeſt / holſome and very acceptable vntounto god.
The offyce of all eſtates. i. Timo. iii.
A Byſſhop muſt be fauteleſſe / the huſbande of one wyfe / ſobre / diſcrete / houeſtly apparelled / herberouſe / apte to teche / nat dronken / no fyghter / nat gyuen to fylthy lucre: but gentle / abhorryng fyghtynge / abhorrynge couetouſneſſe / and one that ruleth his owne houſe honeſtly / hauynge chyldren vnderunder obedyence with all honeſty.
¶ Rulers. Sap. t.
Ye that are rulers of the erth / ſe that you louelove rightuouſneſſe / and that you cōmyt none vnrightuouſneſſe in iudgement. Leui. ix.
Thou ſhalt nat fauour the poore nor honour the mightye: but ſhalte iudge thy neyghbour rightuouſly.
¶ The co…ens. Leui. xix.
Ye ſhal nat diſceyue your brethrē / neither wt weight nor meaſure: but ſhall hauehave trew balances and trewe weightꝭ / for I am ye lorde your god
¶ Huſbandes. Ephe. v.
Huſbandes / louelove youre wyues / euen as Chriſt loueth the congregatyon / & gaue him ſelfe for it to ſāctifye it / & clenſed it in the fountayne of water thorowe the worde / to make it vntounto hīſelfe a gloriouſe cōgregatyon withoute ſpotte or wryncle or any ſuche thynge.
So ought men to louelove their wyues / as their owne bodyes. He that loueth his wyfe / loueth him ſelfe. For no man euer yet hated his own fleſſhe but nouriſſhed it. &c.
¶ Wyues. Ephe. v.
Wyues ſubmytte your ſelues to your owne buſbandes / as vntounto the lorde. For the huſbāde is the wyues heed / euen as Chriſt is the heed of the congregation. Therfore as the Congregatyon is in ſubiectyon to Chriſt: like wiſe let ye wiues be ī ſub…ectiō to their huſbādꝭ in all thīges.
¶ Fathers & moders. Eph. vi
Ye fathers / moue nat your chyldren ſo wrath / but bringe thē vp wt the nurter & information of the lord
¶ Chyldren. Ephe. vi.
Chyldren / obey youre fathers & mothers in ye lorde / for ſo it is right … Honour thy father & mother (that is the fyrſte commaundemente that hath any ꝓmys) that thou mayſt be in good eſtate & lyue lōge on therth
¶ Maiſters, Collo. iii.
Ye maiſters / do vntounto your ſeruā tes that which is iuſt & egalle / puttynge away all bytterneſſe & thret…enynges / knowynge that euen ye hauehave alſo a maiſter in heuen.
¶ Seruaūtes. Collo. iii.
Seruauntes / be obedyent vntounto your bodily maiſters in al thinges …at with eye ſeruyce as men pleſers but in ſynglenes of hert feryng god And whatſoeuer ye do / do it herteli as though ye dyd it vntounto the lorde / and nat vntounto men / for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye ſhall receyue the reward of inherytance for ye ſerue the lorde Chriſt.
¶ Wydowes. i, Timo. v.
She that is a very wydo we and frendleſſe / putteth her truſt in god and contynueth in ſupply catyon & prayer / nyght and daye.
¶ The ſōme of all.
LoueLove thy neybour as thy ſelfe / & what ſo euer ye wolde that other ſhulde do to you / do you euyn the ſame to them: and what ye wolde nat that other men ſhuld do to you ſe that ye do it nat to them.
Finis.
¶ Printed at London by Thomas Godfray. Cum priuilegio Regale.
End of the text · William Tyndale, A Pathway Into the Holy Scripture (1536)