Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 5 · Body of tract
¶ Prelates appointed to preach Chriſt, may not leaue Gods worde, and miniſter temporall offices: But ought to teach the lay people the right way, and let them alone with all temporall buſineſſe.
OVr Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt anſwered Pilate, Ioh. 18. that his kindome was not of Iohn. 18.thys worlde. And Mathew. x. he ſayth: The Diſciple is not Math. 1… ▪greater then his maſter: but it ought to ſuffice the Diſciple that he be as hys maſter is. Wherfore if Chriſtes kyngdome be not of this worlde, nor any of his diſciples may be otherwiſe then he was, then Chriſtes Ʋicars which miniſter The m… ſters of Chriſtes doctrine may not hauehave any temporall offices.his kingdome here in his bodely abſēce, & hauehave ye ouerſight of his flock, may be none Emperours, kinges, Dukes, Lords, Knightes, temporall iudges, or any tēporal officer, or vnderunder falſe names hauehave any ſuch dominion, or miniſter any ſuch office as requireth violēce. And Math. 6. No mā cā ſerue two maſters. Where Chriſt cōcludeth Math. 6▪ſaying: Ye can not ſerue God & Mā mon: that is, riches, couetouſnes, ambicion and temporall dignities.
And Math. xx. Chriſt called his diſciples vntounto him, and ſayde: ye know y• Math. 1… ▪the Lordes of the heathen people hauehave dommion ouer them, and they that be great do exerciſe power ouer them: How be it, it ſhall not be ſo among you. But whoſoeuer will be great among you, ſhall be your miniſter, and he that will be chiefe ſhalbe your ſeruaunt: euen as the ſonne of man came not that men ſhoulde miniſter vntounto hym: but for to miniſter and geue his life for the redemption of many. Wherfore the officers in Chriſtes The officers in Chriſtes kingdome may hauehave no temporall dominion.kingdome may hauehave no temporall dominion or iuriſdiction, nor execute any temporall auctoritie or lawe of violence, nor may hauehave any like maner among them. But cleane cōtrary they muſt caſt themſelues downe vnderunder al, and become ſeruauntes vntounto all, ſuffer of all, and beare the burthen of eueryevery mans infirmities, and go before thē, & fight for them againſt the world with the ſworde of Gods word, euē vntounto ye death, after the enſample of Chriſt.
And Math. xviij. Whē the diſciples aſked who ſhoulde be greateſt in the Math. 1….kingdome of heauen, Chriſt called a young child vntounto hym and ſet him i… y• middes among them ſaying: Excepte ye turne backe and become as childrē, ye ſhall not enter in the kingdome of heauen. Now younge children beare no rule one ouer an other, but al is felowſhip amonge them. And he ſayde moreouer: whoſoeuer humbleth himſelfe after the enſample of this childe, he is greateſt in the kingdome of heauen, that is, to be (as concerning ambition and worldly deſire) ſo childiſhe that thou couldeſt not heaue thy ſelfe aboue thy brother, is the very bearing of rule, & to be great in Chriſtes kingdome. And to deſcribe the very …aſhion of the greatneſſe of his kingdome, he ſayd: He that receaueth one ſuch childe in my name receaueth me. What is yt to receaue a childe in Chriſtes name? Ʋerely to ſubmitte, to meeke, and to …o receiue a child in Chriſtes name what it is.humble thy ſelfe, and to caſt thy ſelfe vnderunder all men, & to conſider all mens infirmities and weakeneſſes, and to helpe to heale their diſeaſes wyth the worde of truth, and to liue purely that they ſee no contrary enſample in thee to whatſoeuer thou teacheſt them in Chriſt, that thou put no ſtumblinge blocke before them, to make them falle while they be yet yoūg and weake in the fayth: But that thou abſteine as Paule teacheth. 1. Theſ. 5. Ab omni ſpecie …. Theſ. 3.mala, from all that might ſeeme euill or wherof a man might ſurmiſe a…iſte, and that thou ſo louelove them, that whatſoeuer gi…t of god in thee is, thou thinke the ſame theirs and their foode, and for their ſakes geuen vntounto thee, as the truth is, and that all their infirmities be thine, and that thou fe…e thē, and that thine hart mourne for them, and that with al thy power thou helpe to amende them, and ceaſe not to crye to God for thē neither day nor night: and that thou let nothing be founde in thee that any man may rebuke, but whatſoeuer thou teacheſt them, that …e thou: and that thou be not a Wolfe in The Pope is a Wolfe in a lambes ſkinne.a Lambes ſkinne as our holy …ather ye Pope is, which commeth vntounto vsus in a name of hypocriſie, and in the …e of curſſed Cham or Ham, calling hymſelfe Seruus ſeruorum, the ſeruaunt of all ſeruauntes, and is yet founde tyrannus tyra…norum, of all tyrauntes ye moſt cruell. This is to receaue young children in Chriſtes name, and to receaue young children in Chriſtes name, is to beare rule in the kingdome of Chriſt. Thus ye ſee, that Chriſtes kingdome is all together ſpirituall, and the bearing of rule in it is cleane cōtrary vntounto the bearing of rule temporally. Wherfore none that beareth rule in it may hauehave any temporall iuriſdiction, or miniſter any temporall office that requireth violence to compell withall.