A very fruitful & godly exposition upon the xu Psalm of David called Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle. Made by M. John Epinus, preacher to the church of Hamborough: and translated out of Latin into English by. N. L.   

¶ To the right virtuous and gracious Lady. etc. Katerin Dowches of Suffoke. Nicolas Less of London most humbly wisheth good health both of soul and body with continuance in the love and fear of the Lord.  
WHat tim● (most godly and virtuous lady) I take in hand to translat this goodly piece of work of master John Epirus made upon the .xv. Psalm of David beginning with these words (What man shall dwell in thy tabernacle O Lord. etc.) forth of the latin in to our natural and vulgar mother tongemine 〈◊〉 & purpose was not for to translate forth of on tongue into an other: that it should go a broad and be comm●n in every man's hand: but for a certain peculiar dear friend of mine: whom I perceived very desirous of the knowledge thereof which is unlearned and lamenteth himself much that he hath ●acked the good the virtuous bringing up in learning that many men have had to there great comfort. Partly because I do knowledge mine own reudnes to be such, that scant I can satisfy & please mine own mind in the doing thereof being often time displeased and offended with myself that I can do no better: at the leastwise not so well: as I would that thing should be done which being once a broad, must needs come under many men's judgements, must sustain and abide the opinions of ma●i, of whom some will say this might be more clean transtatid: this word or that is not in his own kind: this sens or that is not given according to the mind of the author as it hath been alway sen, the nisnes of some to be such, that they will be more ready to find a fault in an other man's doing: than themself to endeavour that in doing and imitating of such like of theirs, the readers should have no cause to find any thing worthy-of reprehension.  
Partly because I knew my friend so gentle: that he would vowchsafe how so ever it were done to take it in good worth, estemming my zeal and good will in as much as thowght it were so fienly done: that no man might amend it. But after that I had made an end of the translation: and had red it over once or twice again, mi thowght that the pleasure done thereby to my peculiar friend, should not have been able to have weighed down the wrong and injury which I should have wrowght to innumerable: in subtracting & keeping a way or rather in hiding of so great a jewel and treasure from so many which might have thereby great comfort in receiving knowledge & light in the thing wherein they were ignorant & blind and also that they themselves might take occasiō●o vanish such vices & detestable abomination from there hearts as they should see in this book openly reprehended.  
Esteeming therefore the sober godly & modest discretion of many: before the momishe reprehension of a few undiscrete and ungodly momes. I turned my purpose from apeculier and a private commodity of one or twane to the common utility of all men which are desirous to know the truth.  
This done for as much as in time past men have used to dedicate their works: some to one man some to an other, some to obtain favour: some to have there works & writings by their authority defended & maintained (if any peradventure should or would kick against thee) & finally some that their works might be the better regarded for those men's sakes under whose name they were put forth. None of all these causes being in my mind other wise than only for to profit (the verity of itself being always a sufficient succour & bulwark against all falsehood & lies) yet I thought with myself not unmeet and unconvenient but rather expedient and necessary following the example of many learned men which have written, to dedicate this small work bringing with it to the reader great and unspeakable profit to some noble person at whose hand: they which are desirous of knowledge might receive i● the more willingly, the more gladly, and with the more fruit: considering that it is the nature of all men commonly to have in more high estimation a small gift at a great man's hand: and it were but a beke of his head than a thing of much more valeur to be given and received of a person of lower estate and degree yea & would also make much more of it.  
thinking therefore with myself how I might bestow this little gift worthily and to whom: among all other your grace came first unto my mind, whose excellency being a goodly & a bright spetacle to womanhod: and no small reproach to a great meany of men, which are slogardes indeed and veri idle bodies: and great shame (if any shame were in them) to those which should be the brekars of this heavenvly food & bread unto the people, to their trust and small fidelity committed, not being satisfied and contented themselves to be idle: but do wish all other men to be the same, hating and eating them up in there hearts which be otherwise affectioned and among all other not abideing to here that a woman should once have the evangelie in her hand or in here mought. Whose excelentie I say what for the ardent love & desire that your grace doth bear to the holy word of God: but in specially for the diligent promoting & setting forth thereof to your great charges: as it deserveth no small commendation and praise: even so to take upon me to extol and commend those heavenvly gifts which the Lord hath bestowed in your noble person (your grace abhorring nothing more than your own laud & commendation, which referreth all to the glory of the lord) it should seem rather to be an obscuring of the brightness of them then a making of them to apere more commendable being no thing at all praised when they be but half praised: nor yet having their due commendation: the chief and principal part of them left unspoken and unmencioned at the least wise not according to there dignity declared neither with fit words nor sentencis adorned.  
For as much therefore as your grace before alother most luckily did come to my memoriat whose hands being certain that the common people hath received already many comfortable & spiritual consolations, instructions, & teachings thinking also that they would fech this sweet morsel of meat the more glad & readier at the hands which have been wont to feed and nourish them: rather than at the hands of a stranger. I could not devise in my mind to whom I might be so bold to dedicate this matter as to your noble grace: where so great gentleness & lowliness of spirit is: I doubt not but you will so accept & take in good part: this my rugged and unfiled reudnes that both I shall have no cause to be sorry hereafter for my intempeste and bold audacity: and also the readers hereof shall have cause to yield thanks to the Lord for the great knowledge that they shall here fech at your hand: to the great profit and comfort of theresoulls: praying the Lord of all comfort, both they and I together to preserve your grace in this godly mind to your own hearts desire according to the will and pleasure of the Lord ⁂   

Peradventure thou wilt marvel (gentle reader) what I meant to set a prologue be fore this book which is so little that almost a man may as soon read it over, and in as short space, as many a man would be in the telling & numbering the leaves thereof the I should seem to the to do this rather to enlarge the biggnes of the book with more leaves & letters that it might appear the bigger, than that the reader should or might take any profit thereat or be there by any whit more the wise than he was before or else should be, if there were none at all.  
Whereto I answer and say that all thing doth not go by greatness more in writing when a man doth make a work than in wrestling where we do see often times not the lessor man of the greater but the greater body of the lessor over thrown and cast down to the ground. Even so although this treatise be small & lightel yet peradventure (nay with out peradventure) it containeth much more sad & weightiar matters in it than many great monstrous & huge volumes, whereof thou being advertised & some thing monished be fore as it were briefly instructed of the mind of the author shalt find the rest (when thou takest in hand to read the work itself to apere much more facile & light, & half learned of the thing, before thou dost come at it: than it would have been if this were not. Wherefore thy marvel put a part, 'em brace the good will and intent of the writer which here in, doth no thing but for to profit and to edify. Receive therefore the commentary of master John Epinus doctor and preachar unto the church of Hamborowe, being translated in to our mother tongue upon the fourteen Psalm of David, wherein thou shalt find so much fruitful doctrine so godly admonitions instructions & teaching so great reprehension and rebuking of vices (of those vices I say) which are the only pillars of all mischief the drounars of all virtues, there being so described and set forth that every man may know both what they be and also the great dangers and perils threatened to the committers of them. That everse man may so govern and stir his ship in the troublous sea and huge waves if this world, tha● with out he list he shall not need to perish. I do suppose and believe verily that the holy ghost did make no less melody in the breast of this godly doctor in the writing of this commentary, and that he was no less ravished therewith: than was the holy Prophet David: what tyine he did wright this psalm.  
Here may ye see what is meant by the tabernacle of the Lord, what by the worshipping in the tabernacle whereof we do read so often in the old testament. What also is signified by the holy mount. And what kind of people they are which shall rest therein. Here shall you read four notable vices rebuked and reprehended of the Prophet. Hypocrisy. ungodly and unlawful swearing. The damnable the sir and study together goods to gather by usury. And last of all he speaketh of the corrupt judgement and unrighteous justice of the judges.  
The which four vices have so invaded all the world, that no place almost can be found clear thereof, that the most part of all men are either hypocrites, or blasphemers against the name of the Lord, either abominable usurers or else corrupt and wrongful judges. What needeth me here to speak any thing against the devilishness of hypocrites, cloaked with outward holiness: working thereby their own damnation: & the destruction of many thousand souls? which by the conversation of those which are wicked, and keeping company with those which are, and always have been mortal enemies to the Lord are fallen and gone clean away from the true doctrine of Christ, to the teaching of the devil. Whose mouths (I say) before their high and forked promotions so thundered the word of God a broad to the world, that the whole rabble of the universities were not able to resist them: being afterward so stopped with soft wool that their throats are choked up: that they can not give one sound or voice of the truth. I will not say that they be not ashamed to declare openly to the people, that they have erred before times, and so being foul deceived and seduced by the devil: have deceived other, and have taught than most pernicious and false doctrine exhorting them therefore to take heed of such doctrine, if any man do sow any such among them.  
Wherein like foul Hypocrites they do belly themselves shamefully: they do slander the truth, and the holy word of God: they hurt the consciences of many godly men, which believing their words: under a zeal & holiness spoken, do fall ignorantly from the truth. If they had not been plucked up to promotions and dignities: they would never have said tongue thou haste lied. But here we may see the proverb true that Honours mutant mores. There was a right godly man, which on a time did say to a bishop: whom Satan had deceived, being fallen from the right way: I am glad that I am no bishop: or if I were once a bishop, I am glad that I did forsake it, or else I fear me ere this time I should have been carried from the truth, as well as you. Because of this great corruption and poison which cometh by the company of the wicked: and all for promotion sake, for favour and for friendship: to be bishopped, to be personed, to be rewarded with great profit for forsaking of their master Christ of whom they have taken an earnest penny to serve faithfully: there fore our Doctor john Epinus moveth a certain question, whether that a man, which doth profess Christ, which favoureth his word: which loveth verity may keep company, and may be familiar with the wicked, may hold them up with yea and nay: may be conversant with them at all their doings, consenting to their abominations, without the hurt of his conscience: not hurting the spiritual health of his brother or neighbour: not giving thereby occasion of slander to the word of God: and finally, himself not to be a whit the worse thereby: Yea or nay. This question being soluted, that nothing can be said to the contrary: as the Psalm doth minister occasion, being very many, which do affirm that in no case a man ought to swear or to make an oath whether it be commanded him of the magistrate or voluntarily, contending that it is sin to use any oath: for asmuch as Christ did forbid us to swear at all: but that our communication should be ended with yea and nay. Being also many of a contrary sort, which thinking it no sin at all (swear they never so much) but rather supposing themselves best men: which can invent and devise most devilish oaths passing all other (As by familiar example) There were two transgressors cast in prison, in one of the counters in London for a certain robbery committed: which, as they were merrily disposed (their harlots being with them to comfort them) the one of the thieves said to the other. Let us sit down at this table one against the other, and he that can outswere the other shall pay nothing for his breakfast, he that is overcome shall pay for all. Such was their swearing and staring, such was the tearing and renting of the Lord, such was the rehearsal of all the parts of the Lord his body privy and apart, that no godly creature can abide to here it again. Whose end within three days after was hanging, a meet punishment for their impiety and blasphemy, if there had been none other crime to be punished. I would to Christ the magistrates would look some thing on this matter. Concerning therefore the making of oaths, by the way of a question our writer discusseth whether it be lawful and standing with the word of God to swear, either voluntarily or else by compulsion of the magistrates and rulers. Whether they be bound to keep & perform the oath, which they have sworn: if it be to their hurt and prejudice, which do make the oath. Whether an oath made without adding of the name of god in the making thereof do bind the swearer to the performance of the oath. Whether all men without exception are bound to keep their oaths by them made. Whether any magistrate can dispense with an oath lawfully made, yea or nay. In this part also he discusseth the question of votaries: whether that a man may make a vow, and whether that vows being made do bind the votaries, yea or nay. What vows do bind and what do not what men are bound, and what they be whom their vows do not bind to the performing of them. All these demands being answered, wherein is great knowledge and learning: more than in a. M. brabbling sophistical schools: he proceedeth as the text doth go: till he cometh to the verse, which pronounceth that man blessed, and one of the church of God which hath not lent his money to usury. In this point he maketh an excellent piece of work. He showeth what usury is affirming to be unpossible that usurers can be saved, except they do repent, and restore again that which they have wrongfully taken. O merciful Lord what shall become of a great numbered of rich men: which knowing no end of their goods: did never come by the hundredth part of that which they do possess, by any other honest mean and lawful craft, than by this mean which is so cursed and damnable: that it destroyeth at the last both body & soul. If many which are worth thousands, should restore but half that, which they have by this ungodly mean obtained & got: of their thousands how few hundreds should they have left, nay how many thousands should they be in debt? There are so diverse & many kinds of usuries, that almost a man can not reckon them up. Yea it is so crafty and subtle a kind of occupying, that when a man shall think himself lest burdeyned, then shall he find himself at the last most sore cut. As by example, what man would not think himself well at ease, if he might borrow an hundred pound, to pay weekly for one year space, but one penny for every pound, which amounting to an hundred pence for one week maketh by the years end, fifty & two hundred pence, which are pounds. xxi. and. xiii. shillings and four pence. How well at ease is this man now, when he shall perceive that he loseth so much by such small driblettes, as by one penny meele, thinking before that it was nothing at all (to speak of) to give one penny for the lone of a pound weekly? Much more doth that man lose, which doth pay two pence in the pound for every weeks loan. What great gains thereby cometh to the usurer, which of his hundred pound should make by the years end one. C. xl. &. three li vi. s. viii. d. An other sort of usurers there are: which do not lend their money weekly, but for the year, by the hundred, taking for every hundred, some xv. li. some. xx li some. thirty. li The which is the most gentle sort of usurers, of those which intend to be rich by their craft and occupation. But there is an other sort being no men, but devils of hell, making themselves so holy, that to win a thousand pound they would not seem to play the usurers. At whose hand if an honest man being in necessity, and having need, would borrow a little piece of money to serve his purpose: promising to give to them some thing for the lone thereof, they will detest and curse that kind of gain, they will spit at it: and yet like foul hypocrites they be ten times worse and more abominable in the sight of God and man, then that other before rehearsed. They will sort & point forth such wares for them which are in necessity for the time, that where as a man is now but in necessity, he shall be brought to extreme calamity and misery, taking such wares at their hands, as hawks caps, tassels for hawks, hawks bells, points, brown paper, with such other peltrie ware, that the poor man shall never make the fourth penny of his ware again, that it had been less harm for him to have lost. xx. or xx. li. in the hundred, to receive the rest in money wherewith he might do his feat and purpose, then to meddle with such beggarly ware, which he must go about by the help of brokers to sell again (peradventure to the self same man at whose hands he did receive the said ware) for less than three quarters of the money which he must pay for it. And by this means, by a colour of buying and selling, this foul usurer would colour his usury with more oppression & undoing of them which have to do with him, than the manifest usurers and open extortioners. There is an other company of them which will lend their money with a good will, taking no manner of gain and profit for the lone thereof: but yet they do mean no less devilishness in their heart then the other. For if they do lend a man twenty pound & take nothing for the use thereof, yet they will pay him home one way or other that he shall wring for it. They will sell him some old broken wynded horse, some pretty ring with a counterfeited stone, some old laid & braithed piece of chamlet, or some such like trifel that he shall lose in that which was bought, five or six pound for the pleasure of the twenty li. being lent to him. And thus they do void prettily by this legerdemain the name of an usurer. They handle their matters so craftily that God (as they do persuade themselves) can not perceive their usury. What great lands have these usurers gotten by forfeting of bonds, the poor men being so bound in our lady bonds, that they are ready to burst what with statutes merchant, and statutes staple, that they are wiped clean out of all that they have, never to be redeemed again if they do break but one condition of the obligation & bond. There is among them no more redemption then in hell, that the poor men may sing with the soul priests Heu me, quia in inferno nulla eft redemptio. They may cry out to the Lord with these words, pluck me (good Lord) from the jaws of hell. There is no hell worse than the torments wherewith they do torment the poor, wherewith they do beggar them, their wives, & their children. The third & fourth generation do cry for vengeance to fall upon them. The Lord before hand doth know that these thus oppressed, will call on him, as on a just judge for justice. Wherefore as he is just, so must he and also will judge justly. Therefore except they do repent and restore again before they depart fourth of this life all their usurarie profits: I say that all their chauntrees, all their trentals and scala celi masses, all their satisfactory deeds: all their devilish and obominable sacrifices, all their offering up (as they say) of the body and blood of the Lord to the high dishonour of his heavenvly majesty (than the pope's market & fair being at the best when the most devil taketh his leave from this life with such an evil & a desperate conscience, that he careth not what he giveth for this damnable ware and merchandise, and yet not a whit the more quieted) I say once again all that everwyth the Romish merchants they have thus bargained for to save them, shall do as much good to their souls, as a needle point being thrust into the sight of a man's eye. What shall I speak of the lay men: are there no priests (do you think) which use this trade? Think you that the priests willet the lay men go to the devil alone? Nay ● verily, they will be the lay men's chaplains to hell whether they wylor nay: it is not meet that such worshipful men should be without their chaplains. Well, they will go with them or run before them rather than fail, and it were but for company sake. There is a certain priest in London among many (which I might rehearse) sometime being a monk of the charterhouse (I will not say that he-serueth in saint Nicholas parish beside Lumbarde street (though all men there about say so) which will sooner find an hundred pound or twain (as the most men say) to let forth on usury, than many a man which doth go in a cote of silk will find two groats in his purse sometime to pay for his dinner, and yet he will go in a poor gown of fryse, and his hose heeled up to the calf of the leg with leather for sparing of cloth: that & all goodness (my tongue tripped) I would say avarice and covet ousnes were lost, it should be (as the proverb maketh mention) found in priests.  
In discussing of this matter our Doctor declareth to whom we are bound to give freely for god's sake: to whom we are bound to lend freely without interest: & to whom we are not bound, neither to give nor to lend: but at our own pleasure, dividing mankind into three sorts of men, that is to say into those which are extreme miserable and poor: the second into those which are not driven to such poverty, but that they are able to pay again if they do borrow any thing: and the third into those which are rich and substantial.  
This done he proceedeth to an other question, which is this. Whether purchasing of lands be an usurarie contract: yea or nay. Wherein he declareth: that lands bought for twenty years purchase: is a lawful purchase. Alother purchases being under xx. years purchase being plain usury on his part which did make the purchase: & if the land be sold above. xx. years purchase: usury is committed on his side which selleth the land. But I do think verily that there is a greater numbered of those which are usurers, of the buyers, them of the sellers: other wise it should not be seen, that so many men do hop without their lands as do & have done of long time, sense that a certain kind of men began to be purchasers: and again we should not see, that which now all England doth both see & feel to the great ruin and decay of all the whole realm so many come to so great lands: to have so many lordships that they may ride in their own ground, some man ten miles, some twenty, some man thirty. or. xl. and no man having one foot of ground within them, using their tenants under them, not like brethren (which have one father with them) but like bondmen and staves, oppressing them with raising of rents, paying of fines and incomes: compelling them to fetch not so much as bread and drink, but at their bakehouses, and bruhouses, that the poor tenants are not able to have one penny before an other. They become not only unsatiable purchasers: but also they are bakers, brewer's, millers, malt men, colliers, and woodmen, that there can not be a penny of gain, which they will not find out first, and lick it from the poor tenants beard which taketh all the pain. The Turks and Moors which are enemies to the faith of Christ never used their slaves so vumercifully, and uncharitably, if they would be tractable and not stubborn to their master, as these hellhounds do crucify & torment their christian and faithful brethren. To whom are these purchasers profitable and commodious? For sooth neither to their loving and lawful King, nor yet in his commons. Although that he which is loving to the commons can no chose but be also loving to his Prince But these as I have said are neither to the one nor to the other. Fron whence cometh all this beggary and great bareness among the commons thorough out all the kings dominion, but from these cormorauntes which do swallow all together down into their bealies whole. What greater tyranny can there be in the whole world, then to behold & see where as a thousand men had honest livings: now one devil to have all, buying & selling their poor tenants in oppressing them, and keeping them bore: as they would buy oxen and sheep: lest they should grow to rich and be to wealthy. How can victuals be good cheap either in city or town, when that these gorre bealies will be the sellers of corn both for bread and drink: & also of flesh, by their tenants, by their slaves, I should say? when that woodmen & coliars shall be their servants? Thus much good do the great purchasers to the commons, that in great plenty they make great scarcity and penury. Doth the king his majesty lose no thing by them? yes verily, a much greater matters than men can well perceive. His grace loseth so much as the poor men in time of need would with all their hearts give: if they were so wealthy and rich as they were wont to be when they were either Lords of their own ground: or else having so gentle land lords that paying their accustomed rent they might nor should not be put beside their farms & grounds, neither they themselves nor yet their wives after them or children, & childernes children (the landlords at that time rejoicing most which had tenants of longest continuance) which now being so bare that they be able to give nothing at all, nor that other which hath taken away their living, paying one penny more than they should if they had not, nay paying much less, then if they had not been purchasers at all, their great substance now being minished in the buying of lands. If it be usury then to buy land for eighteen years purchase: what name shall we give to them which will have their feed men in countries and towns all the year long: to watch & spy who hath need of money: who is willing to sell his land, who be in that case and danger that they must needs sell their laud, that a thing shall not so soon fall but it is taken up for ten, nine & eight years purchase, to say that they will give xvi or xviii years purchase, except they do perceive & see that they may make as much more of it, either for the goodness of the ground or in tarrying a little time till a lease be expired (afterward being worth thrice the value of that it doth go for at that present) they will be ware of it: they will not drink so hot for scalding of their throat. They will say unto me peradventure. Who can let me to buy as good cheap as I may: the money is mine own: the land is his? Wherefore shall not I buy as good cheap as I may? I will not answer them with these words, which Christ did speak to his children: saying love you one an other, as I loved you: which gave myself for you: whereby men shall know you to be my disciples. I win not answer them that they ought to have a pitiful eye on their brother which is in need. I will not answer them that they are bound to consider whether the selling of the land shall be their utter undoing and impoverishing, yea or nay. I will not say that they ought and are bound rather to help them and lend them also (saving themselves harmless) then to buy that which should be the living of them and theirs. But this I will say. If they will run to the devil who shall stop them? If they will be damned, who can save them. They will say peradventure to me: that none will say as I do, but those which be vagabonds, gnaw, heretics, & such as never come to the honour to were skarlette gounes: or to be knights and sordes fellows. I answer them again that salvation pertaineth to all men that believe and will be saved, and that: not they which have most, but which do live most godly: most quietly without damage and hurt of their neighbour, are most accepted before God. If a man should stand in the declaration of all the evil which doth springe forth of this damnable sin in all common wealths, in all cities & towns: beside that no man is able to attain to the sum thereof: but alway shall leave as much unspoken, as he hath told and declared: what godly man's ears are able to abide to hear the great impiety thereof rehearsed? If it were possible by any man's brains to comprehend by writing or other wise the huge and monstrous mischief, the great sea of alevyl, which it doth cause to overflow the whole world.  
Wherefore to conclude in few words: hanging is to fair & to easy a death for them, which are so abominable traitors both to God and man, which do rob & kill not one or twain by the high way side for need: but sitting at home in their cheers banqueting and feasting, they do rob and undo all the world both high and low. All is fish with them that cometh to the net. I would God every realm had a straight law for them as certain cities and towns have for the cormorant bird which destroyeth all river fish. Yet would they find holes to escape and avoided the danger of the law: yet would they be usurers still, yet would they be damned who so ever saith nay. For they will never repent and restore again their wrong gotten riches. They do perceive: that if they should so do (every bird having his feather home again) that then they should be left as naked as my nail, they should not have a shirt to cover them with, I trust the good and godly will be herewith nothing offended As for the ungodly and those whose consciences are burnt with an hot iron. I doubt not but they will hold them selves content and speak not one word lest that men do find the old Proverb verified in them, which is rub an horse on the gall and he will winch.  
After this matter our Doctor demandeth. If a man lending his money with good will with out gains for certain time: not being paid at the time pointed but prolonged of to his great hindrance: whether that man so lending his money, and being not paid long time after that it should have been: may demand of him, which did borrow the said money, the interest for the damage & hurt, which he hath sustained in forbearing his money longer time: then was his ease for to do, & that demand whether it be usury, yea or nay. Whereto he declareth that it is not reason: that for a man's good will, he should suffer hurt and that he is bound to recompense him for the hurt thereby sustained, and that the lender may demand the damage by way of action: no usury therein committed. Howbeit because every man is ready to take occasion of evil by every light and small example: therefore he counseleth them rather not to demand any such interest, them for to do it: teaching them that it is the stedfaster & more sure way to demand his own and not to meddle with interest.  
This done, where as the Psalmist declareth that same man happy, which taketh no gifts against the innocent: master Epinus taketh occasion of an other question to be proponed. Whether it be lawful for a judge (though he be never so good and righteous) to receive any manner of gifts of either of the parties, which are suitors before him the plaintiff or defendant: or of both, either before the cause or con troversie be ended or after.  
For as much as a judge is a public & common minister of justice in a common wealth to see that every man shall have his right, to see that no man do to his neighbour wrong, to see that the poor be not oppressed by the rich, but to dame & judge all causes uprightly, indifferently, without respect of any manner of person, to end all controversies, debates & strifes which do often times rise & spring up among men, according to equity and justice, nothing in the world being more enemy, nor greater pestilence to justice and right judgement, than a judge to be a greedy and a covetous man, a man looking after gifts not content with his stipend and salary which he doth receive for the doing of his office of the common wealth. Therefore he warneth them of their duty that their office is to be upright, to lean and cleave to neither party: to look a wry neither for friend nor foo, kith nor kin: high or low, rich or poor stranger or country man: nor yet to receive any manner of gifts: on which side so ever it be, neither great nor small as it is written. Deut. xvii. but to weigh all causes by the right line and balance of justice. He declareth to them: that it is theft and robbery for a judge to take gifts of any man which is a sueter before him, not only because it is a selling of justice, an occasion of wrong judgement, and a deprining or robbing of the innocent in his just cause, but also though he be never so much indifferent, though he mind to do no manner of injury for all that he received gifts and rewards: Yet because it is a great conjecture, & an evil suspection of unrighteousness, because it maketh the sentence to be suspect: therefore he willeth judges for nothing to take any manner of rewards: he declareth to them, that the receiving of gifts is counted in the wickedness of them which are cursed by the mouth of the Lord. He declareth furthermore, that the head rulers of common wealths, are bound to provid for judges such sufficiient & honest living: that they should not need to take any manner of rewards and gifts that they may be able to find themselves and theirs therewith honestly: sith that they do bestow their time in the common affairs and business, sith that they can not both labour for their own family and serve the communes also, in the office whereunto they be called. This lesson how well many judges and other persons which are set to be indifferent between man and man, do observe and keep (I can accuse no man) but the tedious and long suetes of the poor, the short and quick dispatch of the rich, maketh men to suspect that all thing is not accordingly as it ought for to be. It hath been often times seen & perceived, that the sentence of the poor man's cause hath been determined before it hath been heard what the poor man might say and lay for himself. I would wish and desire that all judges should give their servants great charge that they do receive no manner of gifts or rewards and that they their self should give to them such wages, that they should not need to take any thing of any man. For all that which is given to them: is to obtain favour and friendship in their causes: to be good unto them, to remember them to their masters, when they be at leisure, when assueters are gone, when the servant may boldly speak, then to speak a good word for them: to help to dispatch them: which all together smelleth not of the best. But some judges and other officers having great and sufficient livings by their offices, have been slandered (I fear me of the truth) that their servants and officers under them have had none other wages of them for their service, than such vantages and gains as they might get in their service, of them which are sueters, scant having of their masters a good livery once in a year. If they have a liveri at their hands, they shall both buy the lining and also the guarding thereof, of their own purse, or else they should were a single cote almost as good never a whit as never the better, & yet their servants in very few years do grow to so much wealth, that almost they know not themselves. If all this be true (as I doubt me it is to true) what doth then follow, but that he which might best give, should speed best, Lord money being the chief judge in his cause whether it be right or wrong. I have heard also of many men which have wrought, yea and bought themselves into great men's service: neither for necessity, nor for the desire to do them any honest service, nor yet that they might thereby be either the more godly or just: but that they might bear the greater swing because they belong to great men in the country where they do dwell, that they might bear and make such a brag in the countries, that no man should once rout against them or say black to their eye what so ever extortion they do. Such servants though their masters be never so upright & just, causeth them to have an evil name, to be ill reported of (as far as men dare speak) to their great dishonour, and to the slander of justice, that a man would be loath to have his cause come before them which have such lewd servants, gathering of the conditions of the servants the manners and affections of the masters. I have known in other countries some judges of such integrity & upright justice that they would not abide him, nor hear his cause, which would but proffer or make mention of any gifts: but yet they could be content that their nigh servants (whom the sueters knew well enough) should take for them, all that they could catch, and much worse than that, like unto the bare footed friars of the order of Frances, which with their bare hands had rather touch twenty women, than one penny: but with their gloves on their hands, or else, per alios, as they were wont to say, by other: yea & into their sleeve if you would power forth of bags bushels of silver, they would not throw it away.  
O Lord where is justice and equity become, when such corruption is in place? How can a judge both be just, and also a receiver of gifts? what man will receive a gift, but to do pleasure again for it, or else he were unkind? Gifts and rewards have come in so fast to some men in times passed, that suddenly from a low and mean estate, as from a low ebb, they have risen and flown up to great possessions, to be Lords fellows, & what else beside? This is to be taken for a proved verity as well in England as in all other nations, that the best judges have been alway the poorest and of smallest substance. The old & ancient Romans what time they were rulers alone having no rulers or heads over them being honest and civil wise men, knowing neither God nor his promise, took it for a certain argument of great extortion, of great bribery and robbery, when they did perceive a senator or an other judge to grow fat in riches, to have and possess great lands and rents, on contrary wise that senator which was most poor: him they had in most honour, in most reputation, him would they bring after his death, with all solemnity, accompanied with them all the honourable and worshipful persons of the City to his grave in token of his righteousness and just service to the common wealth, they would set his image of stone or brass with his name on a pillar in the common places of the City where all resort should be: they would bestow his children to marriages and other promotions on the common purse and charges of the city, that they should not need neither to pill nor poll, nor to do unjustly, for to leave their wife & children rich in great prosperity and abundance of all things. This good judge did think no felicity to be compared to that, for to be remembered after his death to have his image set up to be a memorial to his successors of his equity and good conscience: of his indifferent dealing between all parties: that he was no polar of the common wealth: that he did choose rather to die poor with ministration of right justice, then to leave to his posterity great riches wrongfully gotten and gathered together with the damage and hurt of innumerable. In few wordesly kewyse as the Lord is a most righteous judged over the quick and dead, judging all thing righteously, so must they be here in earth, whose room and place they do occupy for a time, otherwise they are not worthy to be called judges, but robbers & thieves. For the name of a judge is an holy, godly, and a heavenly name, the just ministration of whose office is the preservation of common wealths, and otherwise the utterly decay, and turning the name of a common wealth to a common destruction and undoing of the body where of they have the governance.  
In the end of the work as well as in the beginning, that the workmongars? those (I say) which do claimesaluation by their own works and righteousness shall not in this place at the hands of the Psalmist take●nie manner of occasion, to maintain their presumption and glory of worhes, against the honour and glory of God, because that the prophet pronounceth them happy and blessed which have not offended in any of those vices by him rehearsed: as who should say that by those deeds and works they should obtain their justification and salvation: therefore this author master john ●pinus declareth that it was not the mind of the Prophet to declare in this Psalm whereby we ●re justified: but what manner of men they be which are justified, what manner of people they be which are of his militant church: ●ere in earth, and shall be hereafter of the church triumphant. Which thing no man can per●eyue but by the outward works which do spring forth of faith, which works they do see outwardly, whereby they do perreyve that they be the membres of Christ: of the whole body of the holy and elect church, which the self same Christ hath bought not with silver and gold, but with shedding of his blood, not in hypocrisy with a counterfeited and a strange body from all human nature, but with th● same body, which was naturally borne into this world of his mother. To the which Lord I commend the gentle reader both body and soul: that his heavenly grace, may be alway present with thee: may be all together thy teacher and chief guide, that thou mayst grow to be perfect in all godliness and purity of life to his glory: who be praised and honoured for ever and ever Amen.   

¶ An exposition on the xu Psalm of David made by master john Epinus Doctor and preacher of the church of Hamborowe.  

¶ The title. ¶ The Psalm of David.  
This Inscription or title doth show that David is the author of this psalm, which psalm is written in that kind of writing: that doth teach a man this or that thing, as here, by the fruits of a true faith he declareth, which be those men that are godly in deed which are the people of God: and the holy church. Also who shall obtain the heavenly heritage: and felicity of eternal life. It doth not show plainly, how or by which way, we are counted the church of God: and how we shall obtain and get everlasting health: but what manner of men they be, which of right aught to be called the people of God: and have of free gift everlasting life.   

¶ When effect and intent of this Psalm.  
THis psalm declareth, that neither hypocrites nor the wicked sort are the people of God, because that both these do lack faith. And that neither of them shall come to the heavenly kingdom, prepared from the beginning for the elect: because the elect sort being by the merit of Christ redeemed, regenerated, or new borne again: & also sealed with the seal of the holy spirit, do cast of the old man with all his deeds because they do not follow the flesh, 
The faithful do cast of the old man.  nor fulfil the desires thereof. He that is borne of God, sinneth not. He which by faith is counted just with God by the faith in Christ, in the fear of the Lord doth live, and alway after the commandments of God doth rule and govern his affections, manners and conditions.   

The disposition and order of this Psalm.  
This Psalm containeth two things, that is to say. A demand & an answer. It is here demanded who be of the church, and who shall be saved. To that demand an answer is made from the spirit of God. 
Who be the people of God  That they are taken to be the people of God and none else, and that they shall be saved and none else, which do rule and order their mind and life after the commandments of the Lord. In this psalm, all the precepts and commandments are not rehearsed: but under those which be rehearsed & named, all the rest are comprehended. And it doth pertain to all the precepts which are contained in the second table, because it teacheth that our life and manners with all our affections ought to be framed after the commandments of the Lord.   

¶ Of justification.  
THe greatest & most hard question of the justification of man in this Psalm is rather touched, then made plain and open. Man's reason doth devise divers causes of justification. 
The dsuerse opinion of me conterning justification.  Some men do imagen that we are justified by the deeds of our virtues: some by the keeping of the law: some by the works of ceremonies & other works of man's traditions. But the holy scripture teacheth that there is but one cause of our justice, that is to say, the fulfilling of the law of God teaching that men are justified before God by the perfect obedience to the law of God, and that they are condemned for the contrary, that is, for their disobedience. 
Who that kopeth the law by the law is justified, and who breaketh the law, by the law is condemned.  For likewise as God hath ordained the pain of death for sin, so hath he also given for the performing of the law of God the reward of life everlaving. Christ in Matthew the nintene chapter, to the yongmanne demanding of Christ what he should do: that he might have everlasting life, answered. If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments: declaring that the fulfilling & keeping thoroughly of the commandments is the price of eternal life, by the which fulfilling, everlasting felicity is gotten and obtained. S Paul also witnesseth that by the fulfilling of the law men are justified: saying that the workers of the law, and not the hearers are justified before the Lord. But for as much as that man is guilty of the breaking of the whole law, 
All men are breakers and transgressors of the law, & the● fore no man is justified by the law.  which hath offended in any part thereof, and as james sayeth, all men are curfed, which do not abide still in all those things, which are written in the law that all men should. keep them: it is certain and manifest that by the obedience of the law no man can be justified before God: because that no man doth fully keep the law as he ought to do: because there is no man: but either by thought or deed hath trangressed the law of God. The fault why that no man is justified by the keeping of the law, is of man himself and not of God. For the promise which was declared to the law: 
The promise of the law is conditional.  is under a condition: being spoken to them which do fulfil the law. And therefore the promise is not given and performed, except the whole law be kept and performed. So that by this reason the law worketh death unto us, and becometh the cause of death: which was given to be the wynhing & purchasing of life. For as much then as no man can fulfil the law, & that it is plain that by the fulfilling thereof, the justice of God can not be gotten: Christ himself which never committed offence, being of his own nature innocent, 
Christ fulfilleth the law for us all, and becometh our justification.  for our sake made himself subject unto the law, and fulfilled the law to the uttermost for us, making his perfect obedience and fulfilling of the law (which he had no need of) to be ours, which was made a free gift, being no thank to the law that we are justified. Then by the fulfilling, which Christ fulfilled, of the law, the world is redeemed: the same Christ in that he performed the law in all points is become the price of our redemption: and that thyng● which was to us, and to the law impossible: the Lord did supply for us in his only begotten son: and by him he fulfilled the justification of the law in us. 
Rom●. viii.  As to the Roma. viii. transposing and taking away from ourselves, and from the law the benefit and gift of our redemption: and putting it only on Christ. He alone & none other is made our justice: redemption, life & health, 
Wherefore is Christ made our redemption and justice.  vicause he hath fulfilled the law of God for us, that now without him man hath no hope of redemption, of justice, of eternal felicity and of health, in whom is all the price of man's salvation, by the which price both God and the law is satisfied & pleased. He that hath not him, he lacketh the price of his redemption, he lacketh justice & life, he that by●aith taketh hold on him, that man also in him doth receive the cause of our reconciliation, & justification, that is to say, the fulfilling of the law. For likewise as by our disobedience, we are destitute of all hope of health, even so, by the obedience and fulfilling of the law of God, we are delivered from the loss thereof. The which obedience when that no man could perform: jesus Christ was made obedient for us unto the death of the cross, he performed that obedience for us, that by the obedience of one man we might be reconciled to God, we might be justified, that likewise as by the disobedience of one man we fell into the wrath & disdain of God, into unrighteousness and perdition: so by the obedience of one man jesus Christ we are delivered from the wrath of God, from unrighteousness and perdition. The cause of our justification, by the goodness of the lord is translated and put away from us and laid on an other person which is Christ: because that he hath fulfilled for us and in our behalf, the demands & requests of the law, whose obedience and fulfilling hath restored & given again to us justice and life.  
These sentences and sayings: 
To be justified by the fulfilling of the law: and to be justified by the merits of Christ freely is alone thing  that men are justified by fulfilling of the law. And that men by the merit of God thorough Christ by the faith in Christ without their own merits freely are justified: to many men's judgements do appear and seem socon trarie that the one can not be like the other, nor yet can stand both together. But truile they do differ noth●nge at all: for they do express and set forth excellently the matter of justification: showing the wells & causes of our justification. They do declare by whose will and commandment: yea, and by what price we are redeemed and reconciled again to God, & also who hath paid this price & by what means we may be partakers thereof. 
The cause & price of our redemption.  The cause & price of our redemption is the fulfilling of the law, for therein is set of God the remission of sin, justice and life everlasting. 
Th●● things are contained in the fulfilling of the law●.  This chief and final cause of the law Christ hath transposed unto himself, and he is made that thing which the observation of the law should have been.  
Therefore both these sayings are true, that we be justified by the law, and that we be justified by the mercy of god thoro●● Christ freely. But where as it speaketh of the performance of the law: it is meant of that which is in our Lord jesus Christ, & not of our own unperfect and unsufficient performing and keeping of the law. Christ only fulfilled the law, and in fulfilling of it, he paid the price of our redemption taking the justification from the law upon his own self.  
He hath paid I say the price of our redemption, 
Faith truly instifieth.  for them only which do believe in him. Then the price of our redemption is received by faith in jesus Christ. And therefore faith may well and worthily be said to justify. 
The first cause efficient of our sustice.  God and his mercy is the first & chief cause efficient of our justice. Christ is the second cause efficient thereof, 
The second cause efficient  which cause the Logicians do call the ●lowing cause. 
The cause instrumental of out justification.  The faith of Christ is the cause instrumental or instrument whereby we do obtain justice. The fulfilling of the law is the cause material or matter, 
The cause material of our justification.  which done we are justified These causes are so knit together, that they cannot be a sundre, that one leaning and depending on the others help. Wherefore it is not a miss said that we are justified by the mercy of God: by the performing of the law thorough Christ and by faith. For Christ doth justify no man with out faith, nor faith justifieth with out Christ. By faith only in Christ which gave himself to be the price of redemption for all men that do believe in him, we are reputed just before god. And they which are reputed by faith just, by the mercy of God thorough the merits of Christ and no●●f their own, they are reputed and made just. Where they which by Christ his merits are reputed just, they are justified by the performing of the law which is in Christ. It is said therefore properly and in the own kind, that we are justified by the mercy of God, by the performing of the law, and by faith. For all these do go together in the performing of the law, ●r doth the will of him which buil death an house: 
A goodly simi litude.  the workmanship of the carpinter, stone and timber with the tools thereto belonging go together in the said building. When the scripture doth affirm to us that Christ is our justice, alway it doth understand this (that is to say) which christ hath fulfilled, the law for us. For the perfect observation of the law is the cause material & the cause without the which not (as the Logicians use to speak) because that without this no man can be counted just before God. Good works or else the works of the law are not the cause: 
Young children and the thief on the cross, be justified with out works, but not with out the obsersuation of the law.  without the which a man can not be justified. For with out these the infants and young children are justified, & the thief which hanged on the cross was justified. But yet they were not justified without the perfect 〈◊〉 vation and fulfilling of the law which is the price of our redemption: which fulfilling is in Christ. When that the scripture doth testify that we are justified by faith, it doth understand this cause, under those words: that God doth impute the merits of Christ, of his own mercy freely to them which do believe, & that Christ freely doth communicate his merits to all them which do believe in him. Moses saith. Do that which the law commandeth thee, and thou shalt live. Christ preacheth, knowledge and confess thy sin, and believe in me which have satisfied the law for thee, & have fulfilled the law, and thou shalt live. In me shall thy life be. In the law thou shalt have no life, because thou art not 〈◊〉 to perform the requests of the law, and so to purchase the ●ife which is promised for the kee●ing of the law. 
The Lord hath taken the office of the law on 〈◊〉 self.  The law could not perform to the that thing wherefore it was given: therefore I have removed it forth of his place, and am come myself into that room, that by faith in me you may receive blessing and life, which were set before you in the law. For I am made the end or the fulfilling of the law to justification, 
Roma. ●.  to all them which do believe, as to the Roma. x. that is to say. I have done as much as the law can desire: that they which do believe may have those things in me which the law doth require to the justification of man.  
There is yet one thing more in this point to be observed and marked, that where as we have said that Christ hath take 〈…〉 to himself the end of the law, 
The law is not abrogated altogether, but in the cause only of our justification, & wherefore the law yet doth serve.  as touching that it should have justified us: and given to us life, yet the other ends and effects of the law, Christ hath not taken from the law, but hath left them still to the law, that is to say, to show our sin to us, and to be a schoolmaster: whereby we may come to Christ. Those things, which in both the testaments are written of the abrogating & taking away of the power & authority from the law: it is meant of the principal and of the first cause, for the which the law was made. For the law is taken away by Christ in that he hath fulfilled and performed it, as concerning our justification, and obtaining of life. But as touching the declaration of sin, the teaching and instructing of us to Christ: & the governance of our outward life: it doth remain & abide still in his full strength. 
These are those which are adversaries to the law.  Wherefore the Antinomians are deceived out of measure, which hold a foolish opinion that the teaching & monitions of the law ought not to be had in the churches. For the reason of man of his own proper nature can not see how wicked we be: nor yet can perceive and understand the wrath of God against sin. Wherefore the reading of the law is not to be refused, but to be kept still in our churches that in the law: as it were in a glass we may behold our wicked and perverse nature, our unrighteousness, and that therein we may learn what for to do, & what things to fly and void from, while we be in this life. For the law of God is a lante 〈◊〉 to our feet, 
The law of God is alanterne to our living.  which teacheth us how for to go. By the taking away of the law we are not set at liberty to live unhonestly and wickedly after the desire of the flesh: Nor it is abrogated and taken away from them, which do not believe in Christ. 
The law is in his whole strength to them which do not believe.  For the believers (and none other) do receive and put upon them Christ by faith: by the which faith: in Christ they do apprehend and receive the fulfilling and performance of the law: in whom also they do receive the holy ghost: by whom they are renewed and sanctified. 
The spirit of god is the stea●er up of all godliness in ●s.  For the spirit of Christ doth exitate and steer up new motions of the mind, and more pure affections making us desirous to embrace godliness and virtue.  
What be the motions and affections of the godly, and what manner a thing is the study and desire to do well, and to live godly, and what manner of obedience they ought to give to the teaching of the law, which are reserved and saved by Christ. 
A brief decl● ration of Psalm.  This Psalm doth declare & teacheth also what manner of men they be both within and without, which shall inhabit the holy mount of the Lord. It doth not learn us that we do deserve with good works eternal life: nor that with our works we do satisfy for our sin and offences. 
Remission of our sin, out justification & life everlasting are the gifts of God  For the remission or forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, are the gifts of God, not obtained and won by works, because that no man shall be proud thereof, nor glory there at, in himself. The prophet also doth show that they which a●● godly and faithful men in deed, are the church of God: 
Who is the church of god  and that they and none other shall inhabit the everlasting kingdom of God. What manner of men they be which are godly in deed, he doth show by the works of faith, saying that those shall be the citizens of heaven which do enter in with out spot and work righteousness. 
The works of tayth decl●●● who ●e ●od●y.   
This Psalm and these sentences of Paul (which follow) are all one. They which do live after the flesh shaldie. Also there is no condemnation for them, which are in Christ jesus. But what kind of men those be, which are in Christ, he also declareth, saying: which do not walk after the flesh. So the Lord himself saith that the kingdom of God shallbe taken away from them, which do not repent, 
How those texts are to be understand & taken which do seem to make for the justification of works.  and shall be given to them which do bring forth worthy fruits of repentance. These sayings also of Christ do make for this purpose, saying. Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruits shall be cut down and thrown into the fire. Also: not every man which saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but that doth the will of my father which is in heaven. Also: that God the father doth remit sin to them: which do forgive their neigh bours faults: and to them which will not forgive their neighbour, that the father will not forgive their trespasses. These lessons do not teach how we may be justified or by what means, but what manner of men they be which are justified and made ryghtuou●e, to whom the merit of Christ is imputed & reckoned freely for justice and righteousness sufficient. To this end and purpose pertaineth the other testimonies of the scriptures, which do semeto make our works to be the cause of our justification, or rather the justification itself.   

¶ The Psalm.  
¶ Lord what ma●● shall dwell in thy tabernacle, or who shall rest and abide in thy holy hill.  
Moyses' in Exod. the xv. chap. calleth the land of the jews, the hill of heritage: the house of God and the sanctuary of the Lord. With this manner of speaking of Moses some men are induced and persuaded in themselves to expound this place, saying that hereby is meant the land of the jews: the extern and outward religion and public wealth of the Israelites. They do say & expound these words, 
How the dwelling in the tabernacle of the Lord is understand of many.  the tabernacle and holy hill to be spoken figuratlie by a figure called sinechdoche (which is when the part is taken for the hole) a● though by these words tabernacle and holy hill: all the land of jury should be meant, where the Lord ordained his religion to be observed with observation of a civil life. They do refer this Psalm unto the corporal & outward rewards of the law, making this sense and exposition: saying, the jews: if they do not obey he Lord: shall for their disobedience and wicked wickedness suffer many calamities a●d miseries: they shall be taken captive and bond, being carried away to strange and barbarous nations, & that all the land where the Lord did found his religion, shallbe destroyed & made waist, with their holy temple and religion also. But if they do obey and fulfil the commandments of the Lord: that then they shall dwell quietly & safety in the land of jury: they shall have their religion and common wealth still, no man shall hurt them: This is (say they) that is meant by the dwelling in the holy tabernacle & holy hill of the Lord.  
There is a like saying in the fifth book of Moses called the Deutero. and. iiii. chap. saying. If ye do provoke the Lord to anger: I take heaven and earth to ●●●nes, that you shall perish: & that quickly forth of the land which you shall possess beyond jordan, you shall not dwellonge therein. The Lord shall put you forth and shall disperse and scatter you abroad one from an other among all nations. But for as much as the promises and threatenings of God are to be taken and understand for mokyndes of obedience or disobedience than one, and are to be referred to all ages: therefore likewise as the jews being rebels and disobedient to the Lord: should be cast out of the whole land of jury: even so they should be cast forth from the very tabernacle and holy hill: that is to say, 
The tabernacle and the hyare taken in two senses.  from the kingdom of God which is spiritual and triumphant.  
The tabernacle & the holy hill, as many other things like vn●● these which are spoken in divers places of the prophets concerning the religion: the temple and kingdom of Israel: are to be expounded not only of the corporal temple which we do see: and kingdom or land of the jews, but also of the very church of God, of the kingdom of God. The Lord himself in Osee the first chap. doth witness, that the wicked jews shall lose not only their temporal possessions and promises, but also their spiritual, saying: you shall not be my people, nor I will not be your God. Every nation and age doth call and name those things which are present with their common and used vocables, the which things being changed & altered, they do also change the manner of calling of them, & ●●ue them other names. The prophets in their time called the church of God the tabernacle: 
What was the church of God called among the prophets, & with what names they did use to call it, and how it is now among the christians.  the holy hill, the holy city, the people of God, they called jacob Israel, and juda. These names because they are now taken away & are no more used: therefore the christians do use other vocables more known to them, calling the church the kingdom of God, where as the jews called the tabernacle & holy hill, Israll and jacob. The writings of Moses almost altogether, do shadow to us spiritual things, inspeciallie those which are written of the tabernacle, of the temple, 
In what places the Lord was worshipped from Moses' time till Solomon.  and of the worshipping of God. The worshhipping of the Lord was in the tabernacles or tents from the time of Moses till the time of Solomon the king. The which Solomon by the commandment of the Lord did build up a temple wherein the Lord should be worshipped. So long as Israellcontinued not in one place: but was sometime here & sometime there, and in divers dangers and perils: so long (I say) as they did war with strange nations, the Lord was worshipped in the tabernacle: but after that they were at rest, their enemies being partly overcome and subdued, partly destroyed, the Lord was worshipped in the temple honorobly, which Solomon did build for him in mount Zion. 
What doth the tabernacle and mount Zion signi●i●.  The prophet in this place speaking of the tabernacle and mount Zion doth figure unto us the state of both the churches. He compareth & likeneth the militant church to them which did dwell in the tabernacle, which h●●e do suffer many evils and innumerable wrong, which continually without taking of anietruce do wage battle, 
The m●litan● church.  with their own proper naughty desires & ill affections, against the mistrust and diffidence in the promise of God with the world, and with Satan.  
The triumphant church, 
The tei●●ph●● church.  that is to say, which hath overcome the world, the devil and itself, with a●hir ill affections and desires, which is departed forth of the tents of this world and ascended into heaven: He doth liken it to Israel, which, all his evils overcome and passed, hath sincerely without ante trouble or danger worshipped the Lord in the mount Zion, which is called the holy hill, or the hill of holiness, because that the Lord which is holy in deed shoul● 〈◊〉 worshipped in that place, which the Lord did make and dedicate for religion, 
Wherefore was the mount called holy.  and for his heavenly seat, it is called holy, I say vicause that the holy word of God and the sacred mysteries should be there showed and done. The which holy mysteries being taken forth of that same place, the hill remaineth as all other hills do, nothing better than they. The scriptures do call places holy for the holy things which are there exhibited and done. 
Wh●●●o: eat plac●● named 〈◊〉.  Even so Jerusalem is called an holy city: Chanaan: is called an holy land. The mount Zion, an holy hill, the tabernacle also holy, the place where the Lord appeared first to Moses is called also holy, yea and the people an holy people. So with us the faithful 〈◊〉 are called holy, 
Wherefore are the faithful called holy.  although of ●●eyr own nature they be wicked, because that the holy one doth dwell in them, because they do embrace the holy word of God, because they do use the sacraments, because they do cleave to Christ & to the Lord by faith, because that these things are holy things, therefore by them they are rudged holy. The which things being taken away they are wicked and unholy. Some have ●urned and translated this word of the texe (dwell) to be in a strange place, which is not contrary to the Hebrew text, for it permitteth & alloweth both translations well enough, for to declare this mystery, that godly men in this world are pilgrims & strangers, and that they have their being here, as it were in a wayfaring or in a journey without any ●●●sion or place to bide in still, and that their life here in earth is no thing else but a continual wa● far & being forth of their own country, as was the life of the jews while they lived in their tents. Although that in this present church (wherein men do lead their life as it were in tents in a field) there be many great evils and dangerous perils: yet for all that so great is the ben●●ite and gift thereof to be as a wayfaring man in this church or tabernacle: that none but such as be godly and faithful can obtain it. Therefore the first step to come to eternal lice is to be admitted and received into this tabernacle or church of the Lord. 
The first step to eternal life.  
The second step or degree to bliss.  The second is to be taken from this tabernacle into the holy hill of the Lord where the blessed do live without any trouble or care from all warring, being delivered from all misery and captivity. This is meant by the resting in the holy hill. What the mount Zion or the holy hill is, I have declared in the second and third Psalm.  
The meaning of the prophet is. Who shall be reputed for the people of God? for whom shall the possession be: which the Lord giveth? who shall obtain the bliss which is promised. He answereth and sayeth. He that entereth in with out spot, and worketh righteousness, that is to say, which repenteth withal his heart of his miss life & by faith liveth godly soberly, honestly & righteously.   

¶ The text.  
¶ Who that entereth in without spot.  
To enter in without spot, 
What it is to enter in who out spot.  is not meant to be without sin: but by faith for to lead an honest conversation of life without blame or doing of any hurt as near as a man may: to keep him in his calling upright: with all diligence, to flee from vice, and to embrace virtue. For this word (entre in) is a vocable used commonly in the company or conversation of men, not pertaining to the inward innocency and pureness.   

¶ The text.  
¶ And Worketh righteousness.  
To work righteousness is to begive to righteous deeds & to do and deal righteously: 
To work righteousness  and by faith to do that thing which the Lord commandeth, that is to flee from evil and to do good: with all thy heart: to shone & void those things which are forbidden, & to follow those things which are commanded. Where as the scripture doth say: and call the walking in the law of God: to be innocent of thine hands: & pure in heart: the self same thing is to work righteousness: and to enter in without spot. These sentences which do follow, declare what it is to enter in without spot, and to work righteousness. The jews were puffed up with pride, because the Lord did chose them before all other people to be his people: because the Lord brought them forth of Egypte, because he was their bulwark & defence, because he did feed them lovingly in the desert, 
These cause● made the I●wes pioud●.  & because that he increased them to be so great a people, that they were fenared of many kings. Also because they came of Abraham, because they were of the blood of the patriarchs, because in the priesthood & excellency of their kingdom they excelled all other, because they were in league with the Lord, because the Lord did speak with them, because he sent his prophets, & committed to them above all other his holy speech opening to them his holy mystery, ordaining and founding among them his true and perfect religion, teaching themhowe to govern a commonalty with a common wealth, by honest civil orders, & such other like benefits which they received at the lords hand: they presumed much being not a little proud for the observation of their ceremonies, & outward worshipping of the Lord. They promised to them selves by this prerogative, salvation and health, they judged themselves to be the worthy worshippers of the lord, & that the glory of eternal bliss should pertain to them only and to none other. Which foolish persuasion & vain superstition of the jews, the prophet in this Psalm doth reprehend and rebuke, saying: that those are not the tokens of the very people of God which they do think for to be: but contrary wise that the people of God are known by the godliness of mind, & pure innocency of life. 
Whereby the people of God are known.  Except a man himself be godly disposed both in thought and deed: none outward thing can make him commendable and acceptable to God. For every man according as he is godly, or otherwise: so shall be be accepted or cast of. The sons & heirs of God, are those which are borne of God. They which are borne of blood, of the will of the flesh and of the will of man, with God they are not taken for the heirs of God: nor shall rest in the holy hill of the Lord. Neither for the nobility and excellency of kindred or lineage: nor yet for any colour or cloak of religion and holiness: 
These outwerde gyfres do not declare us to be the children of God.  no man shall be allowed & acceptable or pleasant in the face of the Lord. saint james in his first chapter in few words declareth that, which the Prophet speaketh in many, saying. The true and perfect religion is that, which keepeth a man undefiled, and clean from the fithines of the world, which doth visit the widows & orphaynes in their tribulations and afflictions. 
By these marks Thriste will know his people, not by shaven crowns, nor disguised garmetes like players.  By these marks Christ at the later day of judgement shall & will acknowledge those which are his: saying to them Come you and possess the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world, for in my hunger, you have given me to eat. etc. The mind of the prophet is: that by innocency of life and pureness of mind we are acceptable and pleasant to the Lord.  
Although the prophet in this place maketh no mention of faith, 
The prophet speaketh of corks whi●● do springe ●●rth of faith  but of good works only: yet 〈◊〉 must think no less, but that 〈◊〉 speaketh of those good works, which do proceed from faith. For what so ever is 〈◊〉 of faith 〈◊〉 sin. Verily nom 〈…〉 good. That 〈…〉 in without 〈◊〉, nor yet ●●●keth ryghtuou●●. 〈…〉 an unfaithful mind 〈…〉 doth work or rather counterfette the works of the law. 
Dorkes with out faith.  Those men which in the Gospel said that they had prophesied, that they had cast forth devils, that they had done many virtues and miracles in the name of Christ: Although that they did boast them of their good works, yet for all that they are called the workers of iniquity: not that the deed which they did was evil, but because it was not done of faith. Also the works of the pharasies being in their own kind good are condemned of Christ: not because they were not good, but because they were done with out faith. Likewise in many places of the prophets the sacrifices with oblations: holy days & other worshippings of the Lord: are not esteemed but cast away: not that they be evil works, but because they were not done by faith because they were not agreeable to the word of god. For every thing which is done by faith is also allowed & commended by the word of God. 
All thing not agteable to the word of God is eupl.  Wherefore that thing can not be good which doth differ from the word of God.   

¶ The text.  
¶ The which speaketh verity in his heart.  
To speak the verity & truth with the tongue, to work no guile to thy neighbour, to deserve none opprobry or rebuke, to hate the wicked and to love those which are godly, not to be forsworn, but to perform that which thou dost swear, to help the needy with thy money without usury, and to judge righteously, all these in themselves are good deeds, but if they be done without faith, 
The best works that meye be done being not done by faith are disproved of the Lords.  before God they do lose the name of all Goodness. When that the prophet doth say, that they which do keep all these, can never be removed nor taken away from the tabernacle of God, and from the holy hill of the Lord: He doth include also with these works faith: giving us to understand that he speaketh of those works which are the proceedings from a true faith, as the works of faith. For without faith it is unpossible to please the lord or to come to ever lasting bliss. When thou dost hear good works commended & praised in the scripture: being no mention made of faith: thou must always conjecture & ●●ynke verily that by those good works are meant the works which do come and springe of faith. To speak the verity, is to speak the thing as it is in deed without guile or craft, to keep touch in all thy promises & to do all thing faith fully with a true & an unfeigned heart To speak the verity, is to speak & to deal like an honest man, plainly and openly, without dissimulation, fraud or guile, without staterie, without all doubleness and with a good heart. 
The Lord doth require the inward pureness of heart, as well as the outward.  By the law of God verity and truth is not alone required in our words and promises, but thereto also to have a gentle heart, and a pure sincerity of minds annexed & joined. For the verity and truth often times may be spoken of those which be crafty and subtle men: yea to the hurt of an other man. 
The wicked will speak verity to hu● their neighbours: & that they may be believed the better when they do lie & speak false tales.  Therefore the Psalm doth bid us speak the truth with heart not feignedly and with a love not counterfeited. For the words or communication which is had with out any dissimulation of any part, and with a pure heart must be without all guile and craft. For they which be true men have that in their minds which they do speak with their mouths, they do not give fair words outward having a corrupt and a crafty mind.   

¶ The text.  
¶ He that hath not Wrought guile with histonge  
By this sentence are reproved not only crafty and deceitful people which do speak with their tongues, lies and false tales. But also all hypocrites which do teach the word of God not with a pure mind, 
Hypocrites are here noted which flatter for promotions and deceive the people with their false doctrine yea and those which for promotions do teach the verity, denying it in their heart  which do not seek with all their hearts after the glory of God, and health of the church, for the which the ministery of the word is instituted and ordained: But to win the love & favour of the people, and seek after their own commodity and profits, & such other things as wicked minds do use to hunt after under the colour and cloak of virtue and godly religion. This kind of men with their mouth doth speak the truth: but with their hearts they do lie and tell falsehood.  
Where as our translator hath turned and translated this word, to work guile and craft. In the Hebrew it is written: defamed, accused, or backbited. The tongue is given as all other membres of the body, to set forth the glory of God, the profit & wealth of thy neighbour, who that doth use his tongue otherwise: who that doth with his tongue backbite his neighbour, who that hurteth his neighbours good fame and name, shall not rest in the holy hill of the Lord, nor shall dwell in his tabernacle. It is that duty of pure and perfect charity to defend the good estimation of thy neighbour: 
The office of perfect charity towards thy neighbour  to keep and mayteine love among men, much less to suffer thy neighbour to be brought out of good name by slanders and diffamations, much less 〈◊〉 suffer any seeds of discord and debate to be sowed and thrown among men.   

¶ The text.  
¶ He that hath not done evil to his neighbour.  
That is to say, he that hath dealt justly and lovingly with his neighbour, which hath hurt or hindered his neighbour in nothing, but with good turns hath helped him to the best of his power.  

Who is our neighbour.  Our neighbour is called every man without exception because we are all the creatures being the handiwork and made of one God, begot of one father, because we are set in one fellowship in this world, as it were in one common wealth, wherein one man hath need of the others help, and counsel. Christ doth call them neighbours which have need one of the others aid and help Not only our friends and them which we do love: but also our enemies must be taken to be our neighbours, 
Wherefore, must we call our enemies, our neighbours.  because that we are also commanded to love them by precept and express commandment.   

¶ The text.  
¶ Nor hath not received and admitted any opprobry & slander against his neighbour.  
Likewise as good and goodly men do covet to have their own good fame and name whole with out any manner of slander among good men: even so they do defend the good name of their neighbour in their absence, nor will suffer their good fame to be minished with any sinister report, they will not give their ears, nor hearken to the voices of slanderous, and backbiting persons, they can not suffer them. 
What is to say, not to receive opprobry against thy neighbour.  Not to receive the opprobry against their neighbour, is not to suffer nor abide, nor be content with any thing that shall be spoken against their neighbour's honesty. They do offend, 
A godly man ought not to here his neighbours spoken ill of  both he that doth slander and he also which doth give ear and hearkeneth to his slanderous words. For there is neither of them good, they be both clean contrary to godly love, and perfect charity, which we do owe to our neighbour, the one in speaking evil, the other in hearing of him with delight thereat.   

¶ The text.  
¶ The wicked is brought to naught in his sight. Those which do fear him, he doth glorify.  
That is to say, a godly man doth not regard, nay, doth esteem him as nothing, which is a despiser of God and his neighbour: although he be never so excellent and pass all other never so much in wisdom, 
Riches & high estimation in ●uys world ought not to be regarded in ungodliness: not the poor despised, w●ts the do live & 〈◊〉 the lord  in birth, in glory, and lordships, in riches & other such gay things which fortune useth to give. On the other side the man which feareth the lord him he doth lovingly embrace: he hath him in good estimation: he useth him reverently, although in this world, he be never so poor, never so low and base of blood, be he never so much an object, because he doth love, and reverenseth God in him, likewise as in the wicked he did detest and abhor sin, 
The godl●e & wicked are Clean contrary: therefore they can not be together without distimulation.  and so Satan the devil. God never would that the godly should be joined in amity and friendship with the ungodly. In the primitive and first age of men, God did command and forbid that the children of the godly should keep company with the children of men, that is to say, with those men, which are all together given and addicted to this world. Also the Lord did warn the jews from the company and conversation of the gentiles. 
What is meant by the children of men in the scripture.  The apostles did forbid us that we should not say to them which are deceivers of men, so much as God speed, neither to have any manner of company with the wicked: because there can be no good fellowship between the godly and the ungodly, 
The godly is forbidden to keep company with the wicked.  no good match of righteousness, and unrighteousness together: no fellow ship of light and darkness, no concord nor love between Christ and belial, nor no manner of consent between the temple of God and Idols. They be right contrary the one to the other, virtue and vice, he that loveth the one, can not chose but hate the other. Here I would desire all christian men to mark and see: how those men which can turn them into more fashions, than ever could Protheus might, 
Those men which can 〈…〉 of Thirst.  which can work & strue for the place that they be in, for all seasons, all manners of men, all affections, which will be familiar and friends with all kind of men (they care not with whom) how vain they be, I say: how great liars: how far from the truth: a●d finally how far from the kingdom of God and from his holy hill they be. The godly here in this world, and all in one common wealth must live among the ungodly, therefore they can not clean eschew and flee the company of the wicked. Moreover it shall not be lawful for the godly sort to thrust forth of their abydynges the ungodly and wicked. 
The evil will always do well among the good.  If so be, they be after a civil manner of fashion good and honest, and not blasphemous against God, private men, which have none authority to punish must suffer and bear with their wickedness. 
Show no familiarity, nor love to the wiched lest thou appear to allow and commend their wickedness.  But for to bear such love unto them, or to give to them such honour, as though we should seem to allow & be content with their wickedness: that is not comely, that is not meet for a christian and a godly heart. Therefore the prophet did speak expressly, saying that the good men have & do count wicked despisers of God and of their neighbour: to be in their sight as nothing. Although that for a public honesty and a good tranquillity or quietness in a common wealth: the virtuous sort do meddle or have to do with the wicked after a civil manner of trade & conversation: yet in their hearts, there is nothing more detestable, more vile, and filthy than the wicked are to them: yea though they do wear Scarlet: though they be decte with gold and precious stones, because the godly doth know them to be the enemies of Christ, the vile and most wretched slaves of the devil, of Satan, & the very bait of hell. 
The godly do judge by the inward part and not by the 〈◊〉 & outward.  The godly man doth not judge and deem of men by their outward person and behaviour: but by their inward godliness & virtue, or by their righteousness, which is from the heart: and contrary. Therefore he despiseth the wicked men, though they be clad with purple, & loveth the godly, yea though they be all to ragged. For those which be good men and fear the Lord, they are not only precious in the eye of godly men but also the virtuous men do honour and glorify them: 
what it is to glorify the godly.  that is to say, they do love them, they do reverence them, they help them, & do for them those things, which pertain to their estimation, dignity, and profit.  
Although that is sufficiently manifest and made open (as I think) by the exposition and declaration of this verse, that the godly and christian men ought not in any wise, live & keep company, nor to have any manner of familiar conversation with the wicked (those I say) which do live wickedly which do resist the word of God: yet, forasmuch as I do see, yea those men which would seem to be godly in deed: that they do call and bid openly to their feasts, to their marriage, banqueting, and into their daily conversation, and company, not only to receive and admit such as are the enemies of God, but also to seek after, and to labour for their love & friendship to make friends to them to be in their favour, and that to their own great damage and hurt of their health, to the damnation of their souls. I thought it there fore both meet, convenient and necessari in this place, some thing to speak and add to our exposition: concerning the argument and matter: how that the godly ought not to keep company with the wicked, 
●ette not the ●odi● in anya wise compani●●yth the wi●●ed.  that by that means they may the sooner be brought from their wicked purpose, and I in so doing may discharge my conscience and work health unto me. All godly men ought to show and void the conversation, company and resort of the wicked no less than Satan himself, whom they do know to be adversaries unto the word of God, to be letters and hinderers of the setting forth of the true religion of Christ obscurers & darkeners (as much as lieth in them) of the glory of God, & very enemies to all those things, which do perteyve to our health & salvation. For they which do keep company with the adversaries of Christ, & enemies of our true christian religion, they do sin against the open and manifest word of God, they do differre from the exemples of all godly and virtuous men, they do work against reason, against the mind of all wise men, against natural honesty, yea against nature herself, they do more hurt by their exemples, than the wicked with all their wickedness might do, and become the occasion to many other, of eternal and endless forowes. 
The cause 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 should 〈…〉 from 〈◊〉 con●pan●.  Except that such men by repentance do amend these faults: they shall heap up to them their own destruction, and at the last purchase eternal damnation. This is not so light a matter as many men do think it to be. Men the account & reckoning shallbe made & given up hereafter to the Lord: then they which do make themselves so wise, because that under any colour of religion they have been familiar with the wicked, shall see, and perceive how great a sin it is, to have their fellowship and to keep company with them. There is no sober and honest brain, but knoweth that it is an huge offence to do any thing agayuste the word of God. But they which do keep company with the wicked, do offend and transgress against the manifest word of god. For the scripture doth forbid and condemn all such manner of fellow ship, as by the scriptures solowing shallbe declared.  
Paul to the Thessalon. the ii 
two. Thessa. iii.  Epist. and iii. Chap. If any man do not obey our word by this our epistle: mark him well, and company not with him that he may be confounded. 
two. Corhin. vi.  And the ii to the Corthin. & vi. Chap. Bear you no yoke with the unbelief: go you forth from the midst of them, be you separated from them sayeth the Lord, and touch none unclean: and I will take you up. Also the first, 
1. Torain. v.  Cor. v. If any man which is called a brother: be a whoremonger, a man given to covetousness, a worshipper of Images, a brawler & a chidar, a drunkard, a thief, with such you shall not so much as once eat meat And Ecclesiasticus sayeth in the ninth Chapter. 
Ecclesiasticus 〈◊〉.  With wise and prudent men have you to do, and let just men be thy gests, at thy table. 
Eccles●●. xxi.  Also Ecclesiasticus. xxi. receive not into thine house an ungodly, and give to the wicked no thing: forbidden to give him bread. Paul to the Ro. xvi. 
Roma. xvi.  I do pray you brethren take heed and beware of them, which do make dissension and slanders against the doctrine which you have learned: keep you from them. And to Titus the third. 
Titus. iii  Void and shun the company of an heretic after once or twice warning. 
Math xviii  The Lord also in Mathe xviii showeth us the such persons ought to be to us as ethnics and publicans. Saint john in his second Epistle sayeth. If a man come to you and bring not this doctrine with him, that is to say, the apostolical doctrine, receive him not in to yont houses, nor once salute him. For who the doth say to him, so much as god speed: is partaker of his ill works. Behold I do give you warning before: because you should not be confounded in the day of the Lord.  
These testimonies of the scriptures do prohibit and forbidden not only the conversation and company of the wicked men, but also they do make the godly guilty of other men's faults & sins, whose company they do use: showing to us two necessary & profitable causes: wherefore this was commanded. 
For what cause 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the wicked forbid 〈◊〉.  The first cause is that the wicked, being expelled & put forth of the company of the godly, may take shame: & so thorough shame be brought to repentance and amendment. The second cause is, that the godly should take none infection thorough the conversation of the wicked. For as saint Paul doth warn and coum sell us by a certain verse 〈◊〉 Menander: laying, evil communication doth corrupt & mar good manners. And wickedness doth creep as a canker gnawing round about as it goeth hurting and bringing, foul corruption thereto. And likewise as he that doth touch pyche, is arrayed and defiled therewith, the pyche cleaving to him, and also as the proverb doth teach us, they must needs learn to halt which dwell with the devil, even so they do degender from goodness and wax worse which do keep company with than which are ungodly.  
Solomon in all manner of wise doom did pass and excel all other kings, 
Solomon  yet for all that by the company, and conversation of wicked wives, he was brought into the detestable vice of Idolatry. So muc● churte may the conversation of evil people do, wherefore the godly all that they can, must forsake and flee there from: if they will keep them undefiled. Although that our minds were so strong, steadfast, and surely established in godliness and knowledge of God, that the company of them could not do us any manner of hurt: yet for these causes we ought not to be conversant with them: 
The cō●aundement of the Lord may be ble●●d with no cloak.  nor to contract any manner of amity with them, because the Lord commandeth the contrary, that we shall not do so, to the intent that we be not come guilty of the sin of the wicked, with whom we do acquaint ourselves: and so to bring upon us by our own fault the grievous vengeance of the wrath of the Lord. That the lord is nothing pleased: nay greatly displeased, that the godly should keep company with the wicked: 
josaphat is rebuked forcon paning with ●●hab. Para. nineteen.  the Prophet jehu beareth witness, which did rebuke josaphat the good & godly king, because that wicked Achab (which was enemy to the Lord and he were friends together, and because that he did help that wicked man: the second of Paralipo. nineteen. Also the Lord did strike good king josaphat with great loss of good men, because that he was in league with wicked Ochozias. two. Paral. xx. All godly men alway have voided themselves from the company of the wicked, judging that such conversation should displease the Lord highly. The jews being learned and taught by the misery & miserable calamity, and captivity of Babylon: what a grievous matt● it is not to obey the lord: how sore the Lord doth punish and plague the disobedience to his word: when they were returned and came again into the land of jewrie, considering with themselves & weighing in their mind what an in tolerable delict and offence it was to use that company which was forbidden, they did put away their wives, which were strangers, whom they did love exceedingly well, from them, choosing rather to put and send away both their wives and children, then against the word of God to keep them company, the first Esdras. xi. xii. 
〈◊〉. xi. xii.   
David in this Psalm among the chief benefits & ornaments which the godly hath, doth reckon this to be the principal: that they shall dwell in the tavernacle of the Lord, and that they shall rest in the holy hill, and that in their sight the wicked are despised. Truly it is the chief praise that anse godly man can have, nay he can have no greater, then that he can heartily confess the Lord in all things, not to pass or regard the judgement of men, to forsake & cast of the conversation and company of the wicked.  
This verity and truth, a christian confession and knowledging of God doth require. He that neglecteth this, he doth go back from his promise, he doth not profess the religion of Christ as he ought to doinaye, he doth dishonest this religion which against the word of God is friend with the wicked, preferring the love and amity of the ungodly before the precept of God. 
David did boast that he absented himself from the wicked.  Thus did David boast himself of the knowledge of God and of his word, rejoicing that alway he despised the love and favour of them, which were ungodly: although he did it with great peril and danger. & that he would always continue in that mind as by these words in the xxvi. Psalm appeareth: saying, I have not sit in company with men, which are full of lies, and falsehood: and with them which do work unrighteousness, I will not enter in. I have hated the congregation of the wicked, & with the ungodly I will not sit down. I will wash my hands among them, which are innocent, and so will I go to thine altar, O Lord. By these words of rejoicing what doth David else declare & show: but that it is both execrable and wicked, to be familiarly & friendly conversant with the ungodly, to talk with them, to seek for their love and favour and to delight in their company.  
Good Lord how shall they excuse themselves, what shall or can these false evangelical personnes ley for themselves before God against the word of God which is so manifest against the exemples of so many godly men, which for lucre & their own carnal wealth in this great tribulation and affliction, or rather in so huge and cruel persecution of the church do hunt after the love & fanoure of the most wicked sort of Cardinals, bishops, and other high prelate's: yea monks, canons & friars, not so much as six john & sir William, with the poor Requiem priests, unto the very dregs and most vilest and stinking sort of the popish kingdom of Antechriste, omitted & neglected? If they will make this excuse for themselves: saying, that they do no harm and are good men themselves. I will answer to them again & say. If they be good men: 
Against false Gospel preachers which do flatter with the vice of men  wherefore do not they obey to the word of God: wherefore do they live in the wicked fellowship of the ungodly: for what cause do they (as well as the other) favour and maintain pharisaical and popish superstitions: finally why do they with the adversaries of God, allow, establish and confirm the cruel tiranuie of the Romish Antechriste? It is not enough to say with words, that they do embrace virtue and godliness, & not to follow, or rather in their deeds openly to deny it. Verily it is necessary that our words & deeds be according to our mind, and our mind with our words and deeds all one: so that our mind do not differ from the lively word of God. There be many papists which when they be at feasts & banquets, 
〈◊〉 those 〈…〉 cloaked 〈◊〉.  when they do comen with these men or those men, whom they do know to love the Gospel of the lord: outwardly can show a fair face, and with a gay look can cover & hide their devilish thoughts and minds laid up in the deep stinking dongelle of their stomachs. But when the matter of our religion, of our salvation, of ecclesiastical ministration, and ministers, most godly ordained and instituted: of the right use of the goods of the church, of the popish Simony to be redressed, of giving of the orders of the church to them which are meet & able to receive them: of the reformation of the vicious living of the clergy, with other bold and whorish fashions of them: is earnestly communed of, for a reformation: then do they stand up and bend their selves directly against the word of God (whereunto all things ought to give place) then do they allege against the word of God their most wicked & damnable vows, 
What allegations do the papists use against the word of god  their oaths which they have taken, their liberties, francheses, privileges, the grants of Emperors and kings, the decrees of counsels, the ordinances of their Elders, the processes which have paste in judgements, customs, old fashions, the decrees of the common law, but what decrees? Those truly which do make & serve for their purpose, to the maintenance of their Papistical liberty of their unjust gains & lucre, not those whereby the ministers of the church were well governed and ruled in the old time & yet myghtebe, with such other Popish & monstrous objections for the defence of their wickedness. And when they be a shamed to behold and see their shameful abomination so manifesse that all the wrolde doth perceive it, than they do make as though they were sorry for it, they do lament it with counterfeited sighs, they do wish and desire that there might be a good redress for such things as are a miss. The which, though they do desire in deed, yet the self same desire doth declare, that they be ungracious & wicked hypocrites, because that the word of God is of more authority than the decrees of counsels, which decrees are clean wiped away & made void, when they be against the sacred & holy doctrine of the lord. Wherefore then do they allege, ley for them, and cloak their wickedness, with the authorities of counsels? All popish decrees and canons they do allow & commend but those which are the decrees of Christ and his apostles, they can not abide to hear once named. What availeth to be prolix and long in rehearsal of all their popery, of all their crafty iudgeling. They are nothing else but cloaks & colours, wherewith gladly they would deceive & beguile the church. I do bequeath them to themselves, let them play the crafty merchants as long as the lift.  
This I am sure of, that in the whole popish covent there is not one from the highest to the lowest, with whom a godly man without offence and displeasure of the Lord, can be conversant and keep company, because they are adversaries to Christ to his verity and ordinances, they are enemies mortal unto his church, because they be nothing better than belly beasts, spending and consuming the patrimony & goods of the church in all kind of idleness and abominable fyithines of life, 
After this fashion hath the popish army teiumphed in England against God & his church m●ny yetes.  with sword, with fire, with gebbet, with rack, with all kind of tyranny, defending that the goods of the church should not be distributed according to the true use wherefore they were ordained & given. Tell me now thou false evangelical man what so ever thou art, with what conscience or right canst thou be in amity and love with a papist which is the enemy both of God and man? how canst thou keep him company & offend not? with what cloak canst thou illude and put away the testimonies of the scriptures and exemples of other godly men? what excuse canst thou make to God, which is a righteous judge, which knoweth the hearts of all men & judgeth righteously? Woe shall be to the. Thy part & portion shallbe with the wicked Popish Hypocrites, which dost lean & bear thyself on a staff of reed as the prophet saith which shall go thorough thy hand, and confound thee, & thou shalt have thy worthy reward.  
There, 
Under the ●olo●● of 〈◊〉 ●ie and good behaviour they w●● cloak their wickdnes cal●●ng it good man●●.  be which do colour and paint their wicked conversation with the colour of honest civility and good manner: saying, that it is good manner to show reverence and to give honour to them though they be ungodly: yea, and they were the enemies of Christ. Some do cloak it with consanguinity and nighness of blood, alleging their kindred. Some do dream on the great profits and benefits, which they have received at their hands before time. And finally how many can you find, I pray you, of these godly disposed, which can not find one hole or other to escape out of, which can not find one thing or other to mitigate and suage their offences: if they do perceive that they are not able to make their matter good? But what do they else, then manifest and make open their own impiety, being no less than impiety and wickedness to prefer good manners and fashions of men before the command dement of God? But these godly men: I would that they would tell me: for what cause. 
Whetfore excommunication was ordained  Christ did institute and order in the church, the pain of excommunication. By what authority & law durst Paul be so bold to give that man to the devil, which was found guilty of fornication: wherefore should he cast and expulse him forth of the company of the godly 
i. Corhin. v.  men, if it had been lawful for them to be converinaunt and familiar with the wicked and ungodly? What was in Paul his mind to command the Corhinthes that they should not mixed themselves nor take any meat with a whoremonger, with a man given to covetousness, with an Image worshipper: with a brawler, with a drunkard and such other kind, of men, which not repenting do stand still in their sin against the precepts & commandments of the Lord, and yet for all that will be called brethren.  
Yet thou wilt say peradventure, that the Popish priests, monks, canons, by shops and other like of that affinity be not brethren But thou art deceived. For they will be called Christian men: yea, they would appear to men's eyes double christian men so religious, so holy that it is not possible more. They do feign themselves to be the pillars of the church. Then must they needs be comprehended & contained within the limits of the name of brethren, and so called brethren. And for asmuch as they be christian men and willing to appear before men's eyes none otherwise: it doth pertain to us to give judge meant of them, to drive them forth of the company of the godly, & to flee their conversation as long as their manners, lives & teachings be evil and contrary to the word of God. Let the friends of the ungodly, invent, feign, imagine, think & devise what colour and pretence that they can to cloak their wickedness with: this one thing I am sure of, that they which are joined in amity with such devilish and cursed people, which do give any manner of honour to them, which do give the high places, seats, and upperhand to them, which have them I say in any manner of estimation: that for so doing they can make none excuse to the Lord, that will or may be allowed, because they do and work of a set purpose, for the nonce, and willingly against God, and his commandment, they do participate the sins of other men. Wherefore except they do repent, although they do seem outwardly virtuous and godly: yet shall they perish as well as the manifest & open workers of evil. Such as are well apaid with the company of the wicked, they do make a light thing of the contempt of the Lord, as though it were a trifull or a very small matter: or else they would not delight so much in the conversation of that cursed generation of the papists as they do: wherefore they shall not rest in the hill of the Lord: nor shall dwell in his tabernacle.  
What do we speak of the testimonies of the scriptures? The very natural reason of man doth much disallow and improve the conversation of such ungracious, ungedly, and maliciously disposed people: our natural reason doth affirm these also to be the enemies of God and of Christ, 
Natural reason teacheth us to void the company of the wicked.  high treason workers to the church of God, haters & despisers of all godliness and of the health of our souls, which do seek to be acquainted and familiar with the wicked because they do join themselves to them, and so hold up, comfort, aid, and strength them, which are the manifest open enemies of God and Christ: the cruel enstrumentes of the Deuy●l, furious, mad; and raging enemies of the church the plague & pestilence of our health, persecutors of all virtue, mockers and scoffers of all godliness, which are so far gone beyond all shame, that they doubt not openly to resist the word and ordinances of God, living as all men may see in all abomination of life. The natural love and favour that we do bear to our parents and to our country doth detest and abhor the company of those men, 
〈◊〉 goodly similitude pro●i●ing by a less that which is more.  which have done any foul displeasure to them, or have wrought any manner of hurt to the country, by what reason then can a godly and virtuous man abide the sight (much less the company) of those men, which with opprobrious words do burden and lad down the word of God the Gospel of Christ, which do hinder it as much as is in them from doing of profit to the flock of Christ, which do always lie in watch to hurt the health of the church: which do detest and obhorre the lovers and friends of God and of Christ, worse than any dog or snake: which in open cōte●●pt of the Lord do wallow like swine in all kind of mischief. Thou shalt be of God, and all godly men as much praised for keeping company with such manner of people: as if thou hadst kept company with the devils good grace himself, whose gallant captains and soldiers they be. There can be nothing thought more unjust, more vile, then to company thyself with such as be the adversaries of our Lord and sovereign saviour jesus Christ, of his church, and to have them in any manner of estimation, which do not regard our christian religion, which do loeth the obedience & keeping of the precepts and commandments of the Lord. The wise men of the gentiles thought it meet to love and favour their friends, so long as they touched no● the alt are (that is to say) so●onge as their Gods whom they worshipped were not dishonoured thereby, 
The infidel's ●ferred their religion before ●ll friendship.  preferring their vain religion (such as it was) before all manner of friendship of men. The christian men are much worse, more wicked than the gentiles, which canfind in their heart to love and favour them, which are open enemies to Christ, and his religion, which can find in their heart to play the hypocrites with the wicked and open stinking papists, colouring & cloaking their detestable impiety & traitorie against God. To conclude the whole matter in few words, such men as will play on both the hands are not worthy to be called christians.  
If thou dost go this way to work (you will say to me) them you shall make Christ not to be Christ, Objection. nor to be reckoned among the christians: you shall drive also Paul forth of the church. For both of them were conversant among the wicked. The Evangelists do testify that Christ did eat and drink with the Pharaseis: and that he heard the Pharaseis object against him, saying that he was a friend of the publicans & sinners. Saint Paul also speaking of himself, said that he was made all thing to all manner of men: to the weak, weak, to the jews: as a jew, to the gentiles, which were without a law, as a gentle without a law Wherefore may not we do as Christ and his Apostle Paul did. To this cavillation I do answer, that neither Christ nor Paul did keep any company with them that were obstinate and stubborn wicked. When they were among the wicked, they knew well that they should win some of them to God. As Paul declared marvelous well, 
Wherefore did Christ and his apostles keep company with the wicked, and what sort of wicked they were.  saying, that he was to all men after all their faciong: not to be wray and betray the christian religion, not to creep into the bosom and favour of the impenitent and desperate sort: for his own profit, (as many evangelical brethren use for to do) but that he might do some good among them, that he might win some of them again, & so cause them to be saved. 
He compareth the conversation of those which will company with the wicked papists, with the conversation of Christ and his apostles with the wicked together, whether both their conversations were to on end and effect, yea or nay.  Which of all these things do those which be the friends of the Papists: as Christ and his Apostles did? When did they at any time go about earnestly to bring them from their popery to profess Christ I will not say all that I think? They dare not be so hold as once to mewe or open their lips to confess & openly knowledge that thing, which they do think: nay, for fear of their displeasure, for fear lest their hook, which they do fish with all should come empty away: they be glad and diligent to say, as the wicked do say: they do hold the wicked up with yea and nay. These flatterer's with the wicked do allege Christ and his Apostles for them little to their honesty. Christ and his Apostles kept company with sinners and transgressors of his will, to the intent that he might erect, build up, & increase his church. These hunters after promotions do betray & destroy the church, 
Hunters after promotions.  they do nourish in their common wealths all mischief and wickedness: they do give courage to the enemies of the Gospel, to persist & stand fast in their devilish purpose and unclean kind of life. If the Popery had not such patrons, 
If the popish had not beaters: they would have, o● this time been more gentle and same.  defenders, & comforters, it would remit and sink down some thing their abominable impiety: and from their great licentious manner of living they would show themselves outwardly some thing more honest and godly. But now when that they do see that great men do favour them, & are glad to seek for their friend ship, and some other to get promotions & fat benefices at their hands, they do temper and harden their stomachs with steel against Christ the Lord, against his church: they do bear themselves bold on the favour and help of their friends against God and man. If that the church be any thing bound and beholding to the friends and favourers of the Popish sect: truly it is beholding for nothing else, nay, for nothing so much, as that they be the cause, wherefore the papists do persist & continue so stubbornly in their impiety and mischievous contempt of God and man. For this good deed & turn that they do to the church: let them appear before Christ, which is judge of the dead & of the quick, let them prove, if they can deceive and beguile him with any of their pretenced holiness, with any colour of civility or honest fashion, 
Under thy● colour, to keep the common wealth from sedition the Papists have holden up their pope 〈◊〉 and idola●●●●, and that of long t●me  with any cloak of keeping the common wealth in an unity or concord & love, from sedition and tumults as they do use to blear the communes eye (yea and a degree higher) to cover their impiety & wickedness of mind, to lay a cloak 〈◊〉 the rain, as the Proverb speaketh. This matter is so plain & open to all men's eyes, that it needeth me not to stand any longer therein: But I do exhort with all my heart: & for the love of God do most earnestly pray and beseech the godly sort to void and shun the company of the wicked that they do not fall into the hands and displeasure of the living God: which will be avenged of their impiety & ungodliness, both of the one, and of the other, that they be not, I say, made worse by the acquaintance and conversation of the wicked, that they take none enfection of them. For like wise as the common diseases & sickness of the body do poison and infect other bodies by touching or being over near unto them: as the pox by drinking, and to nigh lying one body to an other, the plague of the pestilence by taking air and the breath of him, which is infect: the leprosy by the cover sation with the leprous personnes, is gotten: even so the infection of the mind, by familiar & friendly cover sation doth creep as it were into the hearts of them which be clean, and poisoneth that which was pure and without all manner of corruption. Such people, as we do● company and acquaint ourselves with all: such do we grow unto, and as the greek verse giveth us warning: saying. Evil company if thou dost use: godlinès will the refuse. For likewise again, as it is impossible that the virginity of a chaste and honest maiden, being conversant in places of ill and naughty resort, with strompettes and harlots, should not be the worse thereby, nor nothing defiled: even so it is unpossible, that a godly man in deed can delight in the company of the wicked, himself being never the worse man. The poison of ungodliness is so subtle, that it creepeth into a manor he beware, much sooner than any corporal disease from one body into an other. What marvel is it, if it be so? for asmuch as Satan than is so diligent to lay his fire brands, and red burning coals together to kindle & set on flame the deadly poison, which he hath instilled into our hearts, making us more hot than any coals to all kind of mischief. Let this be sufficiently spoken for this time (I pray thee) the thou mayst take heed and beware of the company of the wicked.   

¶ The text.  
He that sweareth evil & doth not change.  
To swear and not to deceive: is to perform with a good faith, all that thou haste by thine oath promised. The greek & the latin version differeth much from the Hebrew. For the Hebrew in the place of this word, in latin called proximus, which is in English a neighbour, hath this word, malum, that is to say, ill. The which difference cometh by the reason that often time one word of the hebrews in writing is much like unto an other. For both these words in writing and in the numbered of letters with the hebrews hath no manner of difference, saving one little title or point: this word, Ra, being as much to say, as evil, & Resignifiing a neighbour, a friend a fellow. Wherefore an ent●rpreter or an expositor may soon be deceived in this place: except that some of the Hebrew books, when this translator lived had Ra for Re, which is most likest to be true. I do think that this translation, divers expositors & translators have not used for two causes. The one because it seemeth to have a certain absurdity in it, to swear evil & to keep an oath ●n an ill thing, the other cause, thinking that the printers in their print did sail & printed one thing for an other. But follow which thou wilt, either the Hebrew manner of speaking or the latin phrase, it maketh no matter which thou dost follow. For if the writing of the Hebrew in this word be expounded after the mind of the holy scripture, both lessons shal●s all one, neing no difference between the Hebrew word & the latin, but that the hebrews do speak more plainly, more openly than the latins: declaring how and after what manner oaths are to be kept and observed, and whether it is necessary that oaths be kept, when that he that maketh the oath shall receive thereby disprofit, loss, and hurt. We do not swear only to man, 
When we do swear our oath is made to God.  but also we mak● our oaths to God: therefore th● Hebrew speaketh of all oaths generally, both of them which are mad● to God, as well as them, which we do to man.  
In this place, this word malum which is evilly doth not signify that which is before god unrightuous & unjust, or that thing which is forbidden by the law of god: 
How this word eust is to be taken in the scripture: when we say the Lord did make evil isaiah. xlv.  but it signifieth that thing, which bringeth by any manner of way, disprofit to him that sweareth, the which disprofit men use commonly tocal evil. As isaiah xlv. The Lord maketh peace & createth ill. And Hieremie. iiii. I wylbring evil from the mouth & great heaviness. 
Hieremy. iiii.  And Amos. iii. There shall be no evil in the city which the Lord hath not made. 
Amos. iii.   
The Prophet in this Psalm doth discuss this question of making of oaths, being the hardest and that which hath most difficulty of all questions which do pertain to this matter, that is to say: whether a man be bound to keep & perform that thing which he hath sworn to: although it be hurtful and unprofitable to himself, which did swear: yea or nay. 
Whether a man is bound to keep his oath, if it be against his profit.  He doth affirm that no man by any means aught to break his oath, yea in those things, wherein a man shall receive damage and hurt, so that the hurt and disprofit be not so great but that it may be borne, & tolerable. Because that many questions have been moved concerning the making of Oaths: therefore briefly (as I may) I will speak some thing of them in this place, to satisfy and inform the consciences of men therein.  
These be the questions which do follow.  
¶ The first question.  
Whether it be lawful, & standing with the law of God to put a man to his oath, and the man to swear for any manner of cause.  
The second  
Whether a man be bound to keep his oath: if it be prejudicial to himself.  
The third.  
Whether an Oath which is made, the name of God not being added thereto doth bind him which doth make the oath, yea or nay?  
The fourth.  
Whether we be bound of necessity to keep all oaths that we do make, yea or nay.  
The fift.  
Whether that all men with out exception be bound to keep their oaths once made.  
¶ The solution of the first question.  
The controversies which are so doubtful, and that by witnesses they can not be made an end of● the Lord commandeth to search forth the truth by putting of men to their oaths, and so to finish their debate & strife in, Exod. xxii. 
Exod. xxii.  By this precept the Lord doth not only admit & require the manner of swearing, as a thing necessary and expedient in all courts: but he doth also allow & commend the manner of deposing on a book or swearing (as they use to call it) which hath been used in necessary causes, 
Oaths have been taken from the beginning  even from the beginning in all ages. For it was the custom from the first beginning to confirm and ratify their bargains, their byinge and sellynges, their leagues of amity & love, and also to end all causes, debates and striefes, by a certain manner of swearing. The history shall hear witness. For in the time of Abraham all matters that were of any value, were ended by an oath. The Lord commanded the magistrates to put men to their oaths for the finishing of debates, giving power beth to take and for to examine the oaths of them, whom they had before them. Therefore all that is written in the laws according to good reason, concerning the giving & taking of oaths by them, which have power and authority, on conscience, it ought to be observed & kept. For God himself taking and making an oath by himself: did confirm his promises, 
God confirmed his promise with an oath.  which he did make to the fathers. Christ, Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles did often times use to swear in confirmation of their doctrine. The angels opening the secrets of things., which were to come did swear, because the people should believe those revelations to be true, that they would come to pass as they had declared. Daniel. xii. Apo. x. 
Daniel. xii. Apocal. ●.  The patriarthes' did exact oaths of men, and swear also theirselves to other again. Abraham caused the steward of his house for to swear that he should not take a wife for his son forth from among the Cananistes. Gene. xxiiii. Abraham first & Isaac after him, did make their leagues with Abimeleche, confirming it with an oath. Gene. xi. xxvi. The patriarch jacob caused his son joseph to swear, that when he should go forth of Egypt, he should take and carry his body thence also with him. Gene. xlvi. David did with an oath ratify and confirm the league which he made with jonatha the son of saul, the first book of the kings and. xx. Chap. Also the Lord commandeth that we should make our oaths in his name and none other. 
Deut vi Exod. xxiii. Psalm. lxiii.  Deut. vi. x. Exod. xxiii. and Psal. lxii● witnesseth that they are commended which do take in their oath God for witness. Hereby it is manifest that in good, honest, necessary & profitable causes, men may be put to their oath, and they themselves swear not hurting their conscices. To take and make an oath, of itself is not unlawful. Yea to swear in just causes, taking of God to witness, it is a worship and honour to the Lord, to take the Lord as a just judge, which doth love all equity and justice, which doth behold and see all thing, for to be witness in the cause. 
What is it to take the Lord to witness.  Likewise as it is dishonour and despite to the Lord, to take witness on any other gods: so it is, to his honour and praise to be taken to be sworn by, and an oath to be made in his name in a iustecause. It can not be unlawful, that which the Lord himself did make and ordain to be required of men. That can not be but exceeding good, whereof Christ his Angels, the Prophets, Apostles, and holy patriarchs left to us exemples for to follow, th'end whereof is honest profitable, and necessary in this life. But where as Christ in Mathewe the .v. Chap. 
How are the words of Christ to be understand. Mat .v. which is against swearing.  doth command us, that we shall swear in no wise: it is to be understand of these common oaths and swerynges, which men use to swear without need, necessity or commandment: swearing and staring at every word like men which are mad, frantic and beside themselves, dishonouring highly the name of the lord having his majesty in small reverence or none. Those oaths are prohibited of Christ, which are not requisite to be had in the common and familiar speech among men when they do use to talk together, without the which oaths all their communications may be ended with yea yea & nay nay. What so ever is more than our plain assertion or denial, in our private talking one with an other: it cometh of evil saith the Lord, and therefore he doth forbid it. To take an oath to the honour and glory of the lord & profit of thy neighbour in honest, just, profitable and necessary causes, it is law full and godly: if it were not godly and lawful, then Christ himself, his Angels, Apostles, Prophets and patriarchs should be said to have done evil in that they did swear in profitable, necessary and honest causes: which wer● very wickedly spoken.  
Christ doth not take away the authority, nor breaketh the civil laws and orders concerning the exacting and taking of oaths, he doth not make a new law, he doth enterpretate and expound the old law. He doth condemn, 
When is swearing forbidd●  vain, idle, rash, unprofitable, & not necessary oaths. And this is no new thing. For such manner of swearing hath been always, yea among the old and ancient fathers, forbidden, improved & abhorred. As in the xvi & xvii Chap. of jesus Syrache it is manifest & plain to see. The jews at that time when Christ was borne, 
Of this opinion are all our common swearers.  were of that opinion and presumption, that all manner of oaths, if they were not made in the names of idols and strange gods were lawful and without offence, so that in their swearing they did not forswear themselves, and so fall into perjury, which was sin & none other, as they did think. The which opinion Christ did improve and refute, teaching us that all oaths which are made not of necessity and compulsion are wicked and unlawful, because the glory of god is blemished thereby, which commandeth, that we should not take his name in vain. 
Deut. v.  Deutero .v. The teaching & doctrine of Christ may not be laid against the law of God given forth by Moses, nor yet against honest civil ordinances: but against the false opinion of the jews, which did think the abusing and taking of the name of God in vain, to be no sin, persuadyng also to themselves that God was not dishonoured nor dipleased, if they did swear by the creatures. Christ in the .v. chap. of Mathewe doth expound the law of god, he doth not abolish and take it clean away. Wherefore the Catabaptistes do rage foolishly and madly in studying in the contrary part: holding opinion that no oath ought or can be exacted & taken of any man for any cause, without offences and hurt of conscience: for as much as by that we have before declared: it is evident that men way be put to their oaths and also swear with a good conscience in profitable and necessary things. To declare the truth by an oath as often as the truth otherwise can not be known, is never offence. To be forsworn, alway is sin, whether it be the oath, being compulsed, or else voluntary. 
Beware of periutie.  The Lord doth forbid and punisheth all oaths wrongfully made, which is perjury. As for necessary oaths in time of need, he doth not prohibit. Therefore their doctrine which teach that an oath can in no case, be either exacted or made with out sin, is devilish, blasphemous, wicked and deadly: because that in so saying it doth reprehend and accuse God and jesus Christ with his Angels, of sin, for they did swear. 
The law of god requireth oaths: Christ doth not break the law of God. Ergo Christ breaketh not the order of oaths.  They do make Christ a liar, which said that he came not to break the law, but to fulfil it. The law doth requie and commandeth oaths to be exacted of men, for the setting men together in unity for the dissolving and ending of doubtful matters hanging in controversy before judges. That doctrine of them, doth make Christ himself, to be an enemy of God and an undoar of the common wealths, which doth take away the laws, which the Lord did make to the conservation and maintenance of the fellowship and godly unity of men, & maynteynaunce of civil orders made and instituted for a good and godly purpose.  
¶ As touching the second and third question this is my mind and judgement.  
Christ commandeth that all our words and communication shall be, yea yea, nay nay. He doth also require of us in things which are lawful always to keep our promise, how so ever it be made. It followeth then that he will not have that thing broken: which was promised & confirmed with an oath. All our communication ought to be firm, stable, and certain: much more every lawful oath ought to be kept unbroken. We are the sons and children of God. Likewise as God our father is, in all his promises, faithful and true: so it becometh us which are his children to be in all our sayings and deeds, be it by oath, or otherwise, just and true. Every oath that we do make, in whose name so ever it be, be it in the name of god or any of his creatures, it must not be broken.  
Christ in Mat. xxiii. doth reprehend the Pharasies, because they did make a distinction and a difference between oath and oath for his name's sake (by the which name of god men used to swear) saying that this oath ought to be observed & kept, that oath ought not, as the things whereby they did swear, were esteemed and had in price● 
Nothing protitable: which is not honest.  Oaths ought to be judged and regarded according as they be honest and profitable, not after the names whereby they are taken and made. That thing which is profitable must be denied by that which is honest: for other wise it can not be profitable, except it be also joined and annexed to honesty. If it be lawful and honest, that thing which is trowed or promised by oath, that same oth● so made and taken must be kept. It maketh no matter by what thing the oath is made. 
By the breaking of an oath: the Lord is dishonoured.  For the glory of god is never polluted and stained, but by the breaking thereof: as often as thou dost not perform that thing, whereto by thine oath thou hast bound thee: or when that thing is false, which thou hast sworn to be true. 
Less harm to steel a chalice then to break ●hyne oath. ●  To break oaths made in lawful and honest things: no age, no not the ethnics were not so blyude, but they thought it high sacralege. They which were the friends of god had always oaths which were lawfully made, in such estimation: that they always preferred the fayethfulnes of their promise in their oath before any commodity or profit. joshua kept promise with the gabionites according to his oath which he did swear to them, 
joshua.  though they caused him to swear by craft and guile to the damage and hurt of the people of Israel, having in more price and estimation the holiness of an oath, than all the earthly and civil profit and commodity which he might have by breaking thereof. 
Saul.  saul afterward did break the league which was made & established by an oath between Israel and the Gabionites, for the which breach of league and not keeping of the oath, he was punishhed with hunger & with the death of his children. The second book of the Kings. 
two. Reg. xxi.  xxi. chapter. David did swear to Saul, that he would not destroy his seed and kindred: wherefore he did patiently abide and suffer as long as he lived (not without great peril of his life) Semey & other seditious men of the family and household of saul, chofing rather to keep the oath which he did make to Saul: them by the death of them to win to himself the kingdom. i. Regum. xiiii. 
i Reg. xiiii.  ●onathas also putting his life in great danger, did keep the league which he promised being ratified by oath, with David. i. Regum. xx. Also notwithstanding that the oath which the Israelites did make with the Beniamites concerning the delivering of their daughters to them for to be their wives, was very unprofitable and unpleasant to them: yet because they would not break the oath which they did make to them, to help them in their necessity, granted to them that they should take at their pleasures forth of the Israelites their daughters to be their wives. judges. xxi. 
judges. xxi.  Such was the reverence they had to their oaths: that they regarded neither pain nor profit, nor no kind of pleasure of this life: in comparison to the estimation thereof. The self same thing declareth this Psalm, which doth exclude and shut forth from the kingdom of God those which do swear evil and change, which do set more by earthly profits and pleasure, than by the oaths which they have made. As for perjury can not be made good, whether thou takest pleasure or pains therefore: because the Lord hath forbidden it: whereby his glory is hurt, and his name dishonoured, which we ought to have in more price and reverence, than any thing else in the world, them all worldly goods. They are without doubt periurous and very wicked persons, which do hold opinion and contend that men ought not to keep promise or perform their oath, 
Whether an oath made to an infidel ought to be kept and petfourmed.  which they have & do make with an infidel, with a Curke, with a jew, with any other enemies of our christian religion. For in a civil and a lawful matter, if the person be an infidel or never so much wicked to whom a man maketh a pro●ise or an oath: the wickedness & the infidelity of the man can not excuse thine offence in breaking of thy promise & oath. Like wise as the wythdrawing of obedience due to a magistrate, because he is ungodly can not be without sin, even so the promise which thou haste made with an infidel can not be broken without sin. Lawful oaths which are made wherein none unlawful thing is promised nor demanded no man may violate & break For by the law of God all perjury is forbidden & prohibited utterly. The Lord hath declared unto us often times by the heavy destruction of a great numbered of the christians, 
The Lord doth punish breakers and violatours of oaths.  that oaths broken can not be unpunished. The Curke hath subdued the christian men for their perjury, by the indignation and wrath of God, mon then by power and arms. The miserable discomfort and calamity of zedechias might be warning enough to us, how to keep our oaths unbroken, to whom so ever they be made: be he never so wicked an enemy. 
How the Lord punisheth Zedechias for breaking of his oath.  For he was grievously punished for breaking of his promise made with an oath: and for not keeping of the league: his own children being killed before his own face, his own self brought captive into Babylon & his eyes plucked forth of his head. iiii. Reg. xxv. & Ezec. xvii. There can be no more spite nor contumely done to the Lord, then that his people should be taken to be a league breakar & a periurous people. Therefore he doth punish sharply those of his people which do net set by their oaths and promises. The Lord commandeth that we shall not lie nor be in no case perjured or forsworn. He threatenneth also: 
Me are forbidden to lie: ●uche more to for swear  that it shall not be unpunished, if any man doth take his name in bain: whereby he doth declare that it is he himself & none other which taketh vengeance of perjury. Therefore they are foul deceived, which do flatter theirselves & think that so great blasphemy to the Lord in perjury and breaking of promises shall not with most grievous punishments be looked on, & that sharply. The scripture doth witness, that perjury and falsehood in promises be punished with curses both spiritual and corporal, as in zacha. v. and. viii. and in the book of wisdom. xiiii. chap. Neither Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, nor all their counsels, 
No man can despence wtt● an oath lawe● fulli made.  nor any other power of men: no not the angels of heaven can make frustrate, void and undo an oath lawfully in law full things made. As for oaths made in unlawful matters, they need no dispensation: for they are of themself dispensed with. To abide by it: there is no greater to ken in the world to prove the seat of Rome to be the kingdom of Antichrist, then because it hath & doth us to dispense with kings & princes, 
How you may: know that the seat of Rome is the kingdom of Antichrist.  that they may break most godly promises made, & ratified most devoutly with solemn oaths taken and given on both sides, which useth, I say, to cause subjects to break their obedience & bound duty to their most natural princes, with their dispensations & abominable absolutions & altogether to stablish and make strong their tyrannical kingdom,  
To the fourth question: whether that all manner of oaths are to be performed and kept: and also whether that all vows what so ever they be, without any exception, being once made are not to be broken, but to be observed and kept. 
●owes whe●herthei are to 〈◊〉 kept, yea or ●age.  The spirit of the Lord witnesseth in this Psalm that they shall not rest in the holy hill of the Lord which do swear evil and change. Therefore we must take heed and diligently beware what oaths and what manner of vows they be, which may be broken, left undone or changed with a good conscience and with out dishonouring of the Lord. In this matter we must work wisely & discreetly. For we may not think that all manner of vows without exception, at all adventures may be broken, or else left undone. For likewise as oaths which are of faith are to be kept even so it is requisite and reason, that according to faith, they may be either changed, or left undone. Otherwise as well the one as the other, that is to say: 
Vows made not of faith, & according to the word of God be sin.  both the taking of an oath and making of a vow: as well as the not performing of it is sin, because it is done or made against the word of God and to his dishonour, all that which is done without faith. To show and certify you what thing is that which is done with out faith: 
How to know what bows are of fa●th  is all manner of things whereof thou canst not certify thy conscience to be godly and lawful by the word of God.  
There be two kinds of oaths and vows: either those things be lawful or unlawful, which are sworn and promised by vow. Those which be unlawful, ●s they ought not to be promised, 
Two kinds of vows  neither by oath nor vow: so ought they not to be kept. For it is great wickedness and obomination to swear or to vow that thing which is evil: and much more wicked to perform that thing which thou haste sworn or vowed, which is for to continue and stand still in sin.  
Of the first kind of oaths & vows, which be unlawful and wicked, and ungodly, are those which are made against the word of god, against the faith of Christ against the oath which thou hast made to Christ in Baptism, against the common wealth and honesty, against the laws, which for conscience sake we ought to reverence, with all fear and godly obedience. 
Here may you see a googly sort of vows.  Such oaths and vows are those, which men do make when they do swear and vow the death of a man, the mayming and taking away of one member or other of his body, 
Malicious vows.  the undoing of him, to rob this man or the man, to steel his good from him, to play the usurer, swearing and flaring, 
Tovetous ●●wes.  that thou wilt not let thy money forth of thy power to no man with out great interest and profit to swear & to vow that thou wilt not do this thing or thee, 
Lechere ●● bows.  till thou hast dishonested this woman or that woman, till thou hast played the harlot with this or that common and nuslyving woman, till thou hasteben avenged of this or that, 
Super●tti●us vowen.  to vow this or that kind of Idolatry, to vow and swear that thou wilt have these many and so many Masses satiffactory, said and done for thy sins, and for thy friends, to promys● and to vow this pilgrimage or that, to swear that thou wilt not receive the Sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord, 
Heretic vows.  but under one kind, and not under both kinds: that is of bread and mine together, according as it was by the Lord instituted and ordained, 
knows of hypocrites.  to vow and promise this or that numbered, this or that fort of unprofitable prayers, to be measured by numbered and by wagging of their lips, to vow beggary, as the monks did, calling it the vow of poverty, to promise and make a vow of obedience, as they do call it, which did pluck away the obedience of servants and children and also of men's wives from the most lawful obedience due to their masters, parents and loving hus●kndes, to profess poverty & bareness in certain parts of their bodies: that as they were borne into the world naked, so they would show themselves a 'mong men, 
As Frances friar's dy●.  to swear to the order of a sort of idle and ungodly hellhounds, to live severally, to vow the keeping of all manner of wicked traditions and laws made among themselves, yea, & finally to be sworn against the whole religion of Christ, and all christian men with such other diabolical and detestable vows and oaths made against the word of God.  
Also those manner of oaths and vows whereof the end is unlawful & ungodly, as was the bow of jephta concerning the offering up of his daughter for a brent sacrifice, whom saint Hierom called a fool for so vowing, because that it might have chanced some unclean beast to have been in his way, 
The vow of I●ph●●.  which was not lawful for him to have offered up, much less his daughter. Hierome said also that in making of that vow he was wicked and ungedly. For by the law he mighht have redeemed his daughter, and so not to kill her in a sacrifice, or shut her upclosse from the company of all men. There be which ●o think that jephta was not 〈◊〉 mad to slay his daughter, affirming that he did put her up forth of the sight of all men in some pri●y place, as though she were dead in deed and not to kill her. The proof whereof, they had of the use & custom of the mourning of other maidens, which yearly used to lament the virginity of this maid the daughter of jephta, and not her death, whereby they do gether, that she was not slain, but hid up. But whether he did slay his daughter or shut her up: it was all one: for both the deeds are wicked and ungodly. For he might not lawfully neither slay her nor yet shut her up from the company of men. Such is the vow also to live sole and unmarried, to have no wife in honest and godly Matrimony, 
The vow of chastity, as they use to call it.  thence cometh their whorehunting, their foul● and stinking filthiness of life under the vow of chastity. The oath also which Herode did make to the dancing maiden, 
Tee oath of ●●rode.  is of that kind and nature. The canons & decrees of bishops do declare that those vows are not to be made nor kept, which are against the health of the soul, & against the laws of princes. Much more such vows as are made against the law & word of god ought to be broken. An oath or a vow is of things which are possible, lawful, and honest. It followeth them that to unlawful things, unjust, unhonest, 
In what●ind of things ought vows ●e made.  and impossible, no man is bound. In making of oaths and vows, thou dost break thine obedience which thou dost owe to the Lord, as often as thou dost ●ow or promise any thing against the commandment of God.  
The second kind of vows & oaths which of themselves are lawful: 
Another division of vows.  either they be profitable or unprofitable, possible or impossible. As touching those which are impossible, 
Impossible vows  they ought not to be sworn nor vowed. For the impossibility thereof doth reprove him which sweareth and maketh the vow, of foolishness, it bindeth hym●ot. For it is manifest and open madness to swear or to vow that thing, which is not in our power to perform. 
Unprofitable vows.  As for those which are unprofitable vows and oaths, are to be counted and reckoned among the foolish fort of oaths, which men use to make and vow, as the going to Jerusalem, to saint james or such other. Such vows as these be, because they have often times joined and annexed with them much impiety and wickedness, therefore they are to be reckoned among those vows which are unlawful. But all oaths and vows of this second kind, which we now speak of, either they he profitable and possible: or else they be to men's judgements and opinions ungodly, and in deed good and virtuous, or else they be after the fantasy and mind of men, good and godly, and in deed evil and unlawful. Those vows and oaths which are both in opinion and also in deed, 
Vows ●eulbed into their formet kinds: profitable and unprofitable it.  good and godly, they are without doubt to be observed and kept. For of these vows the scripture speaking: saith. Vow you, and pay your vows to the Lord, your God. In an other place it sayeth: if you have made any vow, be not flow in performing of it: what so ever vow thou dost make, let it not be unperformed, for the Lord thy God will ask it at thy hand. What soever shall go forth of thy lips thou shalt observe and do as thou haste promised unto the Lord thy God. duty. xxiii. 
Devet. xxiii. Exode. thirty.  and Exod. thirty. Of these vows are those vows also, which are made on a good faith in things which be awful. 
Actu. xxv.  As was the vow of Paul, whereby he wrought and did things according to the imbecility and weakness of the jews, Acts. xxv. Also of Anna's when he did nominate and point Samuel to the godly ministery and service. i Reg. i. 
i Reg. i.  such was also the deed of Ason which did bring into the house of the lord the silver and gold with other dessels which his father had before vowed & promised. two. Paral. xxv. 
1. Par●. xxv. ●  Such were the vows made to God, of cattles, house, field, possessions, tithes, oblations, fastings abstinence, and such other: whereof there is often times mention made in the holy scriptures. As be all such vows as we do make in things lawful: not being in any such foolish opinion, that we do satisfy thereby for our sins, that we deserve remission of gure sin thereby: But being done for the conservation and maintenance of virtue and honesty living, that we may exercise our faith thereby, to tame and bring low the pride of the flesh. These kinds of vows for all that, necessity doth break: and also a better purpose or intent of more perfectness doth change than with out danger or hurt of conscience for the law in such manner of vows doth extenuate & mitigate the rigour of the law, 
Necessity & a better purpose or intent do break vows  by the benefit of redemption.  
Oaths and vows which are lawful in deed: but in the opinion of men unlawful and ungodly, that is to say, when men dovowe and promise a good work, which is lawful: but because that men have not that good opinion of i●, it is not convenient that it be kept and done with a wicked opinion and estimation thereof. But if it be such a thing that it may be sequestrated and separated from the naughty and wicked opinion, serving to the glory of God, & to the profit of thy neighbour, and profitable to the godliness of life, to the mortification & subduing of the old Adam in us, casting away that wicked opinion & the deed which is vowed must be kept. For it is not meet that a good and profitable deed should be undone for the ill opinion that is of it.  
The error of the thing must be corrected, that is to say, men must be taught how to take it better, and so to put away the wickedness of opinion. But a work which is of itself good, profitable & necessary, may n●t be omitted. Again a work which is both godly and also necessary, being either by oath or else by vow promised to the Torde: may not be taken from him and left unperformed without sin. For of such manner of vows as these be which we now last of aldo speak of: it is written in the scriptures: vow your vows and see that you perform them and pay them to the Lord. Also, the Lord thy God doth require it at thy hand. For asmuch as such works, although they were not vowed, are to be performed to the Lord, much more if they be vowed & also promised to him, they may not be taken from him. If so be a man that maketh a vow & also confirmeth that vow with an oath, binding himself thereby, to the ministry and service of the church of Christ: would for the riches of the world or for fear of the cross forsake it and go from it again: if they be meet for it: if that the church have need of their service, they can not excuse themselves before God, because that they have made void the vow and the oath which they did make, & that not without great injury done to the lord, to Christ and to his holy church. Also they which have vowed to fast: to pray, to bestow their time in godly reading of the scripture & such like, which are profitable to godly living, and righteous dealing, if so be they do forsake these things promised, and in the steed of fasting & abstinence do follow eating and drinking till they surfeit or else be drunken, and in the place of godly rea●yng do give themselves to idleness, & for the poverty of the spirit: do embrace covetousness and the insatiable desire of gethering together of riches: truly such as these be can not defend themselves be fore God. As far as they are profitable, 
How far aught vows to be abstained & forsaken.  which are promised to god by vow or by oath, they are to be kept, so far they ought not to be undone: but as far as they be impediment and let to godliness, it is reason they be refused & left aside. For it is lawful always to take and chose the better: it is convenient that in the forsaking of that which is evil, we should be the better not the worse. Therefore they also which casting of from them all Popish superstition and Popish vows do follow and embrace for evil as bad or rather worse, truly they be both ways inexcusable.  
In all manner of oaths & vows you must renounce all impiety & ungodliness, 
Whereto you must have respect 〈◊〉 your making of your vows.  your eye being directed to all honest, godly, profitable, and necessary works to be done. By the ordinance of God vows and oaths are left to us. Yea always, at all times, in all ages, with the godly men, it was taken for a high and a great matter, 
Vows ought not to be made rashli.  for to take an oath or to make a vow, it was in high estimation: therefore in doing either of them, either taking of an oath or making a vow, all thing must be done circumspectly, with a good consideration, not rashly & unadvisedly.  
We may not set light by oaths and vows, 
In vowing & making of anoth god is one of the par●es.  they ought not to be broken for every trifull, being lawfully & in lawful things made, for he that doth sw●●e or vow, hath to do with God. Therefore it is necessary that he mark well and take good heed what he doth vow, what he doth swear, what vow or oath he doth perform, what vow or oath he doth break, that he seem not to dishonour and defile the holy name of God, that he be not guilty of perjury, that he appear not to make God a laughing stock. For the Lord sayeth that these things shal● not be unpunished.  
The first question is whether all manner men are bound to their oaths & vows which they have made. Moses doth solute and make plain this question and doubt sufficiently in the xxx ca of Nun. saying. 
Numer xxx  They are not bound to any vow made or oath taken, which do vow or swear being under the power of an other man: except that he, 
No body: being under an other man's power can make a vow or oath without the consent of the head: much lose being under age  under whose authority the part is: doth grant to the vow and oath, either by open affirmation, or by consent in not denying of it, having knowledge of the oath and deed For those which are not of their own power to do what they list: they can not, neither by oath or vow be bound to any manner of thing. This is spoken sufficient as concerning vowing & taking of oaths. Let us now go on with the Psalm.   

¶ The text.  
Which hath not given and put forth his money to usury.  
That is to say, which hath taken and received of the poor & needy nothing, 
Vsu●i.  more than the thing which was lent & borrowed, which hath taken nothing above the just price of the thing which was borrowed and lent, for the lending thereof. But hath helped & comforted the poverty freely with his money, without interest, which hath not sucked out the blood of the poor, 
The property of usurers  which hath not oppressed the poor, as the property of usurers is to do.  
Under the vocable and name of money, 
Whether usury be committed onli by money yea or naye●  all manner of things are to be understand, which are lent, and not only money where with men use to buy and sell.  
The fellowship of mankind in this world is knit together & preserved by these three things following, that is to say, by alms deeds, by lending and borrowing one of an other, and by contracts and bargains made between man and man. 
The synowe● whereby the joints of the whole body of mankind is knit together and maintained.  By these sinews & jointers the whole state of mankind is holden up, & preserved, the which being taken away all together must needs fail concerning the friendly and loving brotherly fellowship of man, none other wise than the whole body must needs perish when the sinews which do hold together the joints, are cut a asunder. For they are the ordinances of God among all other things in this world most necessary. The law of God doth not only command deeds of charity, which is called alms deeds, and also that we should lend one to an other: but also it hath ordained buying and selling, 
Buying and selling is by the law of God.  for the profit● of the common wealth of all men. There is no doubt then, but tha● men may use contracts and m●kyng of bargains in buying and selling by the law of God, and with a good conscience as all other ordinances of God. The civil law doth also allow the trade & occupying between man and man, and doth prescribe certain manner and forms of trades and o● making of bargains, how and after what fashion they shall occupy together. The mind of the which law you may follow with out offence in all civil matters and business. 
In all ciusle matters you may follow the order of the civil law.  This is without question, that a christian man may use and observe all politic and civil ordinances, which be received and confirmed by the authority of the magistrates and rulers. Wherefore this is not to be reasoned & disputed of, whether that men may without sin occupy together in buying and selling according as the laws have ordained. But this is to be discussed & reasoned of: 
The purchasing of lands.  whether that the buying and selling of rents and revenues of lands be a lawful and a just trade of occupying yea or nay. This question must be handled so wisely, that the wicked, covetous, and insatiable usurers shall not take or gether any thing to make for their devilish purpose, to whom nothing is more sweet, more precious than is stinking usury: no not heaven, nor God, nor yet his blessing more pleasant, and again that the consciences of them which do live by their rents & the profits of their lands be not troubled, and that there be no manner of tumults in the common wealth. First we will speak of usuries: afterward we will discuss this question of byeing and selling of re●tes, whether it is athing that may be done by the law of God, yea or nay, among godly men.  
Usuries are forbidden both by the law of God & of man: 
Usuries by all laws forbidden.  wherefore it is not to be doubted that this kind of bargaining is unlawful: and that usurers can have no hope of the kingdom of God except they do repent them, and restore again that which they have taken away from the needy by their abominable usury, 
How many beggeats should we have of the great rich men (you know whom I do mean) if they would follow this lesson: but they pass not, for they can beguile God they do work so wisely.  against the commandment of God and the common law. For a true repentance requireth with it the restitution of an unjust lucre or gain: being manifest that it can not be called and named a right repentance, nor he to repent her te which doth wickedly, hold still and keep that thing: which he unjustly doth possess. Usuries by no mean, by no colour, neither with God nor with man can be excused. Therefore, those which be usurers do flatter themselves in vain, nay they are foul deceived, which with divers colours and pretences do defend their usury, to maintain & hold up their avarice, and covetousness. first it shall be said to you what usury is properly. 
There can be no good man which is an usurer.  afterward I will set●e forth the testimonies of the scriptures and of the laws with certain other reasons, whereby it may well be known, that usury of & by all right is condemned, and that no good man can use it. 
What is usury.  Usury according to the teaching of the scripture is to take for the use of a thing, more than that which was lent, or above the just price and valour of the thing, lent, taken, I say, of them which are needy. Moses maketh this definition of usury: 
How Moses defined usury.  saying. To take & receive again more than was lent. Ezechiel doth call it that which is above the thing lent, 
What Ezechi●i doth call usury.  or that which is given for the thing lent and borrowed. Christ calleth usury to be all that gain & vantage, which the lender doth take of the borowar for the use of that thing which is lente. 
What Christ doth say usury for to be.  usurers are called those which for hope of vantage do lend any thing to be paid and delivered again: 
Who be usurers.  which do take profit for that thing which is lent. Whether it be little or much gains: that which is taken therefore it can be no less than usury. For there is no difference between usurers, 
Some usurers are more passed shame: then other.  but that they be all one as well they which do take little, as they which do take unreasonable, saving that the one is more passed shame in demaundinge then the other They be both usurers. They do offend both. Both have need of repentance For the Lord is not contented & pleased with such unlawful gain. That usury can not be taken of any man, without the loss of heaven, & of the bliss everlasting, the testimonies of the scriptures, the authority of the laws & good strong reasons do declare and show more manifest than any sober man can deny or doubt of.  
The Lord doth forbid usuries, saying. Take thou no usury of thy brother, nor more gain, but the self same thing, or so much as thou diddest give unto him, that is to say, in the way of borrowing. Fear thy Lord, that thy brother may live with the. Thou shalt not let thy money to him for usury, nor thou shalt not give to him meat for to receive more again than thou gavest to him. 
Deut. xxiii.  Deut. xxiii. It is said also thou shalt not let thy money to thy brother for usury, nor thy corn, nor any other manner thing, but to a stranger.  
But as to thy brother lend him without usury that which he hath need and necessity of, that the Lord thy God may bless the in all thy works. Exod. xxii. Also if thou dost lend to my poor cripple any thing which dwelleth with thee, thou shalt not be hard unto him, as an usurer: thou shalt not oppress him with usury Deutron. xxv. If any of thy brethren which do dwell within the gates of thy city where thou dost dwell do fall into poverty, 
duty. xxi.  thou shalt not harden thy heart, thou shalt not pluck in and shut thy hand, but thou shalt open it to the poor, thou shalt lend to him that which he seemeth to have need of. etc. 
Many men willende a poor handy crafts man at his need xx. s. but the poor man shall work at times the worth of forty shillings for it. Many will take no money of their tenants for their houses: but where as the house doth go for forty shyllenges they shall pay in workmanship iiii li. which is no usury.  Thou shalt give unto him and thou shalt work nothing craftily in helping of his necessity. and Luke the xvi. love your enemies, do good to them, lend to them looking for no profit of that which thou dost lend, and your reward shall be great, and you shallbe the children of the almighty, for he was gentle and liberal toward the unkind, unthankful and evil people. The Lord sayeth that they shall not rest in the holy hill of the Lord which do deliver their money for usury. ezechiel sayeth that they shall not live, which do make the poor sad & heavy with the burden of usury, and take of them more than they delivered for the lone. By these godly testimonies it is manifest, that it is a thing with out all exception unlawful to play the usurer. And that usurers are destitute of all hope of salvation and bliss.  
Also the civil laws do condenne usury, 
It is unpossible for usurers to be saved: without they repent & restore that they have taken.  and taking vantage or profit for lone. (the which laws not only for fear of the pain ordained for the transgressers, but also for conscience sake you must obey) they do command also that those which be usurers shallbe driven forth of the common wealth of Cities and towns where they do dwell. 
Usurers by the law must be driven forth of all places as the common plague of all the world.   
The ecclesiastical laws do ex commune also those men which be usurers, they do forbid them the communion of the Sacrament of the body & blood of the Lord they do deprive them of all honest burial from among the faithful: whose oblations and offering they do command not to be received. 
Pains ordained by the eccles●asticall laws for usury.  All the old and catholic writers do detest & obhorre usury. Saint Ambrose saith, that the godly men may no more play the usurers among themselves one with an other then to go together by the ears, fight & rob one an other. The old fathers did esteem and judge usurers worse & more hurt full, than thieves and robbers by the sea, and worthy of much more grievous punishments, because that those which are robbers & thieves do but now and then, and from a few take & sell that which is other men's, they hurt but a small in comparasion of these. As for usurers they do pylle po● and oppress all the whole world with their usuries they hurt all men. But for asmuch as usurers are condemned by the law of God, by the common laws, and by the consent of the whole church of God, truly the impenitent usurers can not excuse themselves before God, they can make but small boast of salvation & hope of bliss everlasting. Therefore there be many urgent, just and great causes set and put in nature, whereby usury is condemned, and is declared also that usury may as ill be borne and suffered in a common wealth, as manslaughter or murder, as adultery, theft & robbery, sacralege, perjury, and such mischievous vices, contrary, and enemy to nature & to the whole fellowship of men.  
The magistrates are the ministers of God, 
It is the office of the magistrates to look earnestly on this matter.  in whose steed they be here in this world, whose room and place they do occupy here in earth in these civil and worldly matters. It is their duty to defend those constitutions and ordinances, to set them forth to see that they be kept, which are commanded by God and by the law of nature, to condemn, punish, and rote out all those things, which are forbid by the commandment of God and by the law of nature. Usury because it is contrary to the brotherly fellowship of man and enemy to nature and contrary to the common reason and judgement of men, with the whole consent of all godly men that ever were: therefore it is not for no cause to be borne and suffered. 
Make well this point.  For in usury the use of the thing is sold severally & apart from the thing itself. And for asmuch as the use of a thing, is the spending of the thing which is used, there is nothing sold, & for that thing which is nothing, 
How and wherein a man may sell the use of a thing.  there is some thing taken. To ●ell the use of a thing is properly and in his own kind to be understand of those things, which things may be restored again whole and safe in that kind that they were delivered in, which is in letting & hiring. As in house or ground and such like and not in borrowing and lone. As for usury is committted in the loan of things and not in other bargains or contracts. Things lent and borrowed are those which may be restored again in the self same thing lent or in that same kind of thing, by the self same weight measure and numbered that it was borrowed. But yet not in the self same matter that was lente. For in these things the use of a thing is the wasting or spending of the thing, which use ceaseth with the thing when it is consumed. As, bread, wine, butter, cheese, flesh, wood, money, fish, corn, and such like. In these things there must either be alone or a sale, that is, they must either be full bought & sold, or lent, friendly, and freely for love. For it is against nature in such things to sell the use thereof. Also in those things which may be restored again in the self same matter that they were delivered in, the substance and matter doth not perish nor is consumed with the use thereof & in such things is properly a certain kind of trade which is called a letting to hire, as a servant, a house, a garment a horse, an ox, ground & such like: when for the use of these things or such like any price is set & required, 
The use of these: may be sold without the thing.  it is called the contract of hiring, not of lending. In borrowing and in lending there is no price set: if so be that there be any agreement between the parts for any price for the thing which is lent, than it loseth the name of an honest contract between friend and friend, and becometh mosts unlawful & wicked usury, which can not be maintained nor defended under no colour of honest contract & bargain. Moreover by this reason it is manifest the usury is clean contrary to the nature of all honest bargaining, because that in usury the needy is oppressed with things which do not increase, nor bring forth more fruit to him that payeth for the use of them, but straight way with the bare use is consumed, so that there riseth no more profit thereof. Beside this, usury is directly contrary to the right and perfect love of our neighbour, without the which love, nothing can be well done, which only is the bond and chain of brotherly fellowship between man and man, the which love the Lord himself requireth of all men, the which love nature herself doth teach to be necessary for the preservation of mankind among themselves. 
Usury.  By usury men do gain to themselves great profit & winning with the hurt, damage and undoing of them which are in need, wherein it doth follow that usury is repugnant to brotherly love and charity. 
Usurers.  usurers do regard nothing but their own avarice and satisfying of their covetous mind, eating up, devouring, wring and oppressing the poverty, and needy brethren, whom they are bound of duty to help with lending of their good, freely with out interest or gain. 
I christian love seeketh not his own profit but his broth●ts also.  For a sincere and a perfect pure love, doth not seek after his own proper commodity and wealth, but the profit & wealth also of an other as of himself, such a love (I say) doth nothing unjustly, it envieth not, it doth profit every body and hurteth no body. The usurer doth all together contrary. For he doth seek his own profit, and no bodies else, he doth hate, & lieth in wait for other men's goods, he doth oppress and tread down, but not help and comfort. Also usury doth extinguish and quench, dissipate and undo the godly ordained fellowship and conversation of man, which nature doth teach to be preserved by the mutual love and good turns done one for an other together among us. The usurers do pass for no such love, friendship and amity, they do take away clean the good will that one ought to bea●e to an other, wherewith one ought to help an other, theidoe seek no bodies profit but their own, with the damage, hurt and hindrance of other men, 
Against those which do engross all victuals and wates into their ownchā●es, and also a 'gainst those companies of matchauntes which will take a whole commodity, of all a realm from the rest of the communes.  they do increase their riches and do grow to great substance. Those, which should be comforted and holpen by them, with their usuries they do eat up clean, they do engross all things to their own hands, they do bring in dearth and scarcity of all things: they do bring all the world into bondage, and what man is able to rehearse all their obomination, whereby they do take all good fellowship of men together forth of the world, 
The usurers do allthing against nature the● with their usury do bury nature in the grave.  all the gentleness & love that one ought to show to an other, wherewith they do bury and lay, as it were in a grave, nature herself, and the end of all honest manner of occupying of men together: finally in all the world there is no pestilence more hurtful & poisonous than the pestilence of usury For it forbiddeth utterly that no man shall lend and help his brother with his substance freely, as he is commanded of God, standing in the steed and place thereof, corrupting all manner of honest occupying, which nature hath taught us, for to be a common increase of wealth among us together one with an other.  
Therefore those contracts and bargains can not be profitable and just, which do lack equity. In the bargains of the usurers there is neither equity nor equality: 
There is none indiffirect in the usurary bargains.  therefore they deserve not to bear the name of contracts and bargains, for as much as the name of contracts & bargains is an honest and a lawful name. 
Mark this ●●ynt.  There is nothing more unlawful and unjust, then are usurers, there is nothing further from all equity than their bargains: for the usurer biding still at home in his house idle: bearing of his goods no manner of venture gaineth certainly and unreasonably. The debtor only ventereth, uncertain of his gain, he doth labour, he loseth also the stock of that which he received of the usurers. 
The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sure 〈◊〉 to lose, but alway to win, he 〈◊〉 have 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉.  The usurer contrary wise doth only not lose any part of his stock, but he is sure that his debtor shall make to him good and that the loss which the debtor doth sustain shall be to him profitable with great vantage.  
Which is the most misshapen kind of getting that ever might be thought. For what more unnatural and unjust extremity can there be, more great, more detestable, more contrary to the law of God and of nature, then to exact of the poor and needy any vantage, and usurary profit, 
Out natural reason is a blind judge in good things.  for the whole stock or any part of it, which is lost. The common opinion of men, and our natural reason which is corrupted (in all good things a very evil judge) in this one thing thinketh exce dyngly well, that it is far from all reason, & a thing which hath great absurdity in it, to say the a dead woman should bring forth and bear, and that a thing which doth not fructify & bring forth fruit: yea which is both spent & also lost should bring forth interest with great profit & gains. This great inequality being so far out of the neck and wide from all reason & conscience declareth how wicked a thing their usuries be. Where as an equal and an indifferent fashion in doing of things hath no place how or which way may there be any honest or lawful manner of occupying: what kind of occupying so ever it is: for as much as equity, & indifferent dealing for both the parts: is the only preserver of all honest contracts. For, those usurary bargains, which are not according to equity, nor indifferent: how can they be called lawful and just: when that honest, lawful, profitable, and necessay contracts and bargains allowed and confirmed by the laws are become unhonest, unlawful, unprofitable (nay hurtful) if that equity and conscience be not observed and kept in them, 
Equity the right balance of susticie.  which equity is the balance of all justice in all worldly things, which taken away, what thing can be done a right: but all together against justice, against good equity & conscience? By these reasons it is easy for to see, or rather, to manifest & open, 
Vsurets are a damnable sort of men.  that usurers are a damnable kind of men: whose usuries can no ways be either excused or defended. How may a man use any manner of defence in that thing which the Lord himself hath prohibited and forbidden, which the common laws, the consent of the whole church, 
Honest contracts were ordained to meinteyne honch● and protite.  the order of nature doth condemn, & affirm to be a thing repugnant to all honesty & profit, for the maintenance whereof, lawful contracts and occupying between man & man was ordained. 
In usurer is no member of Christ.  In good faith, that man can not be a civil good man: that is to say: profitable for city, town and country, which is an usurer, much less can he be the member of Christ and of the church.  
The defences & reasons which the usurers do commonly use to ley for them, as bucklers & shields of their impiety: are nothing but bare Sophistical cavillations. It is possible that in their doings they may deceive the ignorant (as they are full of all subtility and cautel) but the Lord, 
Their own consciences ●o condemn 〈◊〉.  they shall never beguile: he will not be deceived for them, no not their own conscience, nor yet the consciences of other men can be well pleased, at rest, & quiet with their doings: how godly so ever they would appear to do & seem to work This is one of the bulwarks. By usury, 
With these bucklers they do bear of the reasons which are laid against usury: full weakly.  merchandise and occupying is maintained: men shall by such usurary contracts, find one thing or other ever to do: that they shall not lack in this life: of what state & degree soever they be, they shall find hereby to ease them and to help them at their need. The second bulwark. Without Dame usury this worldly substance and riches can not be maintained. The third. It is a great benefit to him which needeth to find so much pleasure as to have lent to him money for usury: they do think that in so doing we do much for them. The fourth. Often times they which have been needy & in great necessity, by borrowing on usury have not been only helped but also havegrowen to great rich men. The fift. The laws also do permit usury. The sixth. This kind of occupying is voluntary, not compul●yue, no man is compelled thereto, 
〈…〉 these 〈…〉 〈◊〉.  but they that list their own selves. For they which would have money do desire and pray for to have it, what so ever they do pay for the usury thereof: they do receive it and give great thanks that they may be sped: we force no man to take it. By usuries also we do maintain gods service in the church: we do make and build free schools, hospitals for the poor people: by our usuries whole common wealths when they are in great decay and necessity are preserved, and helped, though they do pay for the use of our money as reason is. Orphans and widows also are comforted and nourished thereby. Also our money we do let forth by usury, not to them that have no thing (for they shall get nothing of us) out to them that are substantial enough of their own: and yet for a time do lack. Such cavillations as these be: usurers do shadow their wickedness with. Every man may lightly refute them and put them away, though they do appear in deed (as they be) Sopisticall & crafty: for they are very foolish excuses which they do ley for themselves, where with they go about to defend their usuries. For to the conservation and preservation of all honest trade of merchandise, and increase of substance in the world, it is necessary and expedient to use honest, just and lawful bargaining between man & man, and no usury. Also we must help our neighbour and secure him that hath need, and do good works after the word of God which ought to be thy rule, and not against the word and commandment of God. 
〈…〉  For seem it never so good a deed that thou dost, if it be not according to the word of God it is evil and sin Yea and moreover when thy neighbour being driven for need to come to thee, 
〈◊〉 man ●●inge in necessity doth 〈◊〉 care what he pro 〈…〉 though he do●h repent of 〈…〉.  to have this or that, and willing to give the whatsoever thou dost ask of him: thou mayst not give and help him after his ask, which is to his own hurt and loss: but as the Lord doth command the to help him: so must thou do. Also the permission and sufferance of this law can not clear men before God. For no civil law can make that thing just and lawful: which by the judgement of God and of the law of nature is pronounced unlawful and unjust. 
No civil laws can dispense with a● buses, against the law● of God.  Nay they can not cloak their usuries by the authority of the laws, for the laws do condemn usuries and utterly disprove them. For although that the wickedness of men is such, that the laws must needs suffer and bear with some things: which can not be reformed without a common disturbance and disquiethes, 
The laws suffer some things which they cannot redress without more inconuentence.  it followeth not straight weigh that the laws do allow and confirm them. For somuch as the laws can not remedy all vices, enormities and abuses: in so great diversity of minds, opinions and desires of men: often times they do wink at many things: in many things they do set and put a moderation and a measure, sith that the whole cannot be taken clean away, that they shall not exceed and be to far out of the way. This is not to confirm, stablish and allow such detestable enounities and vices. Likewise although that the magistrates do bear, suffer and permit, with usurary contracts and bargains some thing, it followeth not that they do allow & commend such dealing, considering that if they did not make some moderation in these things, the usurers would be to exceeding deuel●she & pass neither for God nor the devil. And for all this permission no man can excuse him thereby, before God: but against the civil pains and punishments by laws ordained against usurers: they may some thing have to stand by to save them from the danger of the laws. As for their defences which they do use they are both ungodly and unlawful. And although that the Magistrates should or would allow usury: yet for all that a christian may not exact & require such unlawful gains, except he intendeth to be damned both body and soul. For the magistrate can not grant any manner of ordinances which are against the law of God and of nature. But in case that he would, it is our duty not for to follow that which he doth permit. 
The Magistrate is the servant an● minister of God and of nature.  For the magistrate is the servant of God and of nature: not the lord of God and nature: therefore he ought to give place to the ordinances of God and to the law of nature, to be ruled of them, & not they of him. Therefore he that will have God merciful to him and a gentle Lord, desiring to be in the numbered and fellowship of saints & of the children of God: he must forsake all the blind excuses of these usurers with all their usuries. Let this be sufficiently spoken concerning usury: now that remayneh, we will declare of rents and interest.  
The doubt and question of buying of rents: 
〈◊〉.  & of the damage, otherwise called the interest or recompensation, which a man ●●th receive of his debtor for the hurt and loss, which he hath sustained and borne: by reason that the debtor did not pay him his debt at the day he should have paid. We will not make thereof any declaration, to th'intent that we would allow it: or to steer up the excessive and insatiable covetousness of men to the buying and purchasing of great quantity of lands and tenements, or to cause them hereby to be the more straight & extreme to their tenants if that they do not pay at the day: but to settle and satisfy the consciences of these men: which upon just and reasonable considerations and causes do buy lands & tenements for to live by: & of these no heathen do use also to require interest for the damage & hindrance that 〈◊〉 doth sustain by that he hath not his money and duty at his day. It is much more godly to be occupied in doing of good deeds (as to give for god's sake in alms deeds and to lend freely without hope of gains) then for to gape after lucre and vantage, wherefore to these last good deeds named, thy mind above all thing ought to be given: in these thou shouldest exercise thyself. 
To the sender and 〈…〉 great rewards 〈…〉  For ●n lending and showing thyself liveral to thy neighbour there are promised of God great rewards both in this life and in the life to come. As for the purchasing of rents & the desire of lucre & gains, they have no manner reward of God, but such benefits and pleasure as are open to all the world, that is the pleasure and prosise that thou dost take thereof. For likewise as in all man●● of contracts and bergaynes there is some recompense of pleasure for them in this life: even so in the life to come, these contracts and bargains, for the doing of them have nor shall have no manner of reward. For as the Lord sayeth the works of the civil righteousness and justice have there rewards already. But liberality in giving and lending to thy neighbour, principally and before all other thing is commanded of the Lord. Wherefore if this be not regarded in all thing that thou dost, not only thy purchasing shall be detestable and wicked but also all other manner of contracts and bargains seem they never so godly, if thou haste not mind of Christ in doing thereof. For there can be nothing well & godly done, in what state or degree of light so ever it be, where the love of thy neighbour is not regarded and also minded.  
There be many which do think that the purchasing of rents hath a spice of usury in it: because they do perceive that often times men do come by them by evil crafts & deceitful means. They do think also that it is a thing unjust and ungodly to exact and demand any manner of interest for the duty not paid in dew season. And truly therein they are nothing at all deceived. For it is certainly true that wicked and ungodly rents either by ungodly ways gotten or unconscionably deniaunded, 
unlawful purchasinge and unjust interest are usury: with reasing of rents. How many usurers have we in England  & also that interest which is unjust and unrighteous: is plain usury. For those are wicked rents, which are taken against the commandment of God, against the ●rore of the common law & against the law of nature: that is to say, by the which rents thy neighbour is polled or pylde, wherein the even & equal portion of equality and justice on both the parts with equity is not observed & kept. What so ever is bought and taken according to the commandment of God, after the public civil ordinances and according to the law of nature, it is bought and taken righteously and according to good conscience, and ought not to be judged usury in no case. The consciences of those which are godly men abiding in the fear of the Lord are moved & troubled by the authorities of the scriptures, for the which cause chiefly it is to be di●●●ssed whether that rents are to be taken as usuries prohibited by the scripture, yea or nay. Wherefore we will first speak of rents, and then afterward of the interest which is demanded for lack of payment in dew season. 
The Lord prescribeth no order in civil matters, he doth permit is to the Magistrate to do & order all thing after the rule of his word.  The precepts of the Lord and commandments of liberality in giving and lending ought not to be objected and laid against, as contrary to the purchasing of rents, because the Lord in his commandments & precepts doth not meddle at all: nay speaketh no word of buying and selling, he doth not prescribe any manner of order in bargaining. He biddeth us only to show ourselves gentle and liberal in healping of our neighbour, and that that good, deed which we do, should be frankly & freely done. We ought not to fetch forth of the scriptures the form and manner of bargaining one of us with an other, but from the civil laws, which do handle all such matters so cunningly, so excellently, that nothing can be more, which hath had alway authority to dame & judge between man and man, concerning all manner of contracts and bargains which are used to be made. The Lord doth not abolish and take away the fashion and manner of occupying in bargaining, but rather confirmeth it, commanding that by those civil laws all manner of controversies & striefes should be finished and ended, and that we do obey to them, whereby he doth improve and condemn only usuries, and not contracts. As for the true buying and selling of rents, it is a kind of contract and bargain, it is no part of usurary convention, Ergo it is not condemned of the Lord. 
Usury consisteth in that thing which is lent & borrowed: purchasing of rents do not consist in lending and borrowing, ergo lawful purchasing is no usury.  For usury pertaineth only to such things as are lent to be paid again in the self same substance or in some other substance of the same kind of thing with vantage & gain, not pertaining to any other manner of contracts of occupying. But lawful and just buying of rents, consisteth neither in borrowing nor in lending, Ergo buying of rents without fraudegyle and deceit, can be none usurary convention, nor to be called usury. This reason proveth it to be true, because that when any man doth buy with his goods & money, any manner of lands or houses, men do not say that he hath then lente his money or his goods, but that he hath bought this or that with his money and goods. Also what soever is taken in lone of the needy, more than that thing which was delivered, is plain usury, not that which is bought in their ground or other possessions, which is a plain sale, without any free gift, and of duty doth owe nothing to begive freely therein. Then it followeth, if a rich man do byerentes of him that is not needy and poor, he committeth no usury, for the rents are the vantage gain and profit of that, which was bought and sold, and not of money or goods lent & borrowed, For the precept and commandment of lending is ordained for the needy, not for them which with other men's money do gain & get profit, buying therewith ●llages, grounds, houses, & such other possessions.  
There be three manner of men in this life, 
Three kinds of men.  to whom by the law of God & of nature we are bound to do good, but after a several and distinct manner, having respect to what sort of men we do our good deed. There is one kind of men which be so poor, that of mere necessity they are driven to beggary & asking of their alms, 
Beggars.  which if they doborowe any thing, 
Honest poor men having need.  can not restore it again. Another sort of men are needy, which have need other while of other men's help, but not alway, which can sometime restore again that which they have borrowed. The third sort are those, which having possessions & livelihood, have enough of their own substance to maynt eyen them without the help of other men's goods. 
rich men.  This by the diversity and divers sorts of men: must you ponder & judge, to whom you are bound to do well freely without profit, 
This is a goodly lesson and full of learnmg●.  and with whom you may buy and sell or make any other lawful contract for vantage & gain. The laws of Moses do bear witness that the Lord did divide his people of Israel in to these three forts of men, showing how and to whom men ought to show themselves gentle & loving, 
The first sort must be helped with gift.  & after what manner to every sort. The first sort of these three, he commandeth to help freely, with free gift, that is to say, with alms deed: saying. Thou shalt not lack poor men ●wellynge in thy land: therefore I command the to open thy hand to thy needy brother, and to the poor which are with the. To this precept pertain those words which are spoken of the Lord, saying, that we are bound to give to them which do ask. And those words also, concerning hospitality, and the provision which is to be had for the voiding of great numbered of poor folk. 
The second● sort with 〈◊〉 ding.  The second fort, the Lord commandeth to be helped & succourred not with alms deeds & giving of men's goods, but with lending for a time to be repaid again, because that they are not driven to extreme necessity of poverty: having of their own wherewith they are able to restore and pay again that which they have borrowed. Saint Paul teacheth that our good deeds ought to be done with a good judgement and discretion observing an equal and an indifferent order and manner therein: 
Me must have respect in our good deeds lest we be occasion of much poverty: thorough our intempestive liberality.  lest the need & necessity of the one should make the other also to be more idle, slouggyshe and slothful. For if without any respect a man should give freely as an alms deed, his goods to them, to whom according to reason, he ought but lend them (because that they are able to restore again that they do receive) what reason or order would be therein? what equal judgement would apperre in that thing, which should be to the one extreme calamity: to the other occasion of great idleness & sloth. Of this second kind and sort of men speaketh the laws of God when they do treat of lending and of usuries which we have rehearsed here before. The which laws apertly, many fest & as it were showing with a fingar do mean and speak of those men which are needy and of none other as the Lord himself wytnesheth, saying, thou shalt lend to thy brother with out usury. Also of thy brother which standeth in need, thou shalt take no usury for that which thou dost lend him. 
All these scriptures do ma● for the seco● sort of men.  Again. My poor people thou shalt not oppress with usury. Of this sort also is that scripture which saith. Thou shalt not turn thy face from him which cometh to borrow any thing of the. 
The third kind of men.   
For the third kind of men, contracts and occupying by buying and selling was ordained, which may lawfully among themselves bargain for lucre & gain. To whom the laws do prescribe how & after what manner they shall occupy together. For the which cause also judges are ordained to give sentences concerning all civil controversies and variances, and by judgement to determe, decree and ordain what is right and what contrary. Those ought men to follow. For Christ doth not take away the old politic and civil ordinances, he maketh no new decrees & ordres for civil matters, he doth not take on him to discuss such matters: the knowledge whereof he committeth to the laws and politic ordinances of men. He doth bid and command us to give unto Cesar: the right of Cesar, and to be obedtent to the civil and lawful magistrates: to keep and follow their ordinances, 
The ordinauces of the magistrates are the ordinances of God.  because that their ordinances, are the ordinances of God. For the Magistrate is the minister of God. He teacheth also that we may without hurt or scruple of conscience, in all civil business and matters, which do pertain unto this third sort & order of men: imitate and follow the laws and civil ordres made and ordained by a lawful Magistrate, to whom of God is committed the judgement and ministration of right in all such things. The kingdom of Christ is not of this world: 
Wherefore did not Christ make civil constitutions.  therefore Christ doth not ordain and make civil constitutions and laws for such matters as do pass among men in their occupiynges and other deeds which they are bound to observe being ordained by the Magiserates and rulers: he maketh no laws of ending their controversies and debates between them: but all together he doth commit to the civil Magistrate & head. As by the answer did anpeare which he did make to him which desired of the Lord that he would divide and give to him the portion and part due to him of his father's heritage, saying that he was not ordained a divider & judge of heritage matters as a thing pertaining nothing to his office. Christ doth that which is the business of his father, which his father commanded him to do: those things which pertain to the kingdom of God, 
The office o● Thirst.  and to the health of man. He showeth and setteth forth his Gospel: he offereth everlasting health, he giveth all spiritual gifts: he openeth the secrets and privity of his father's will, he doth interpret the law of God, he teacheth what is well, what is evil done, what thing the Lord is pleased or an ●ry with: how we may be saved, how we may be damned, he maketh no civil laws, only he doth commend and allow in our civil and politic matters a civil and politic justice, he, praiseth the ordinances which the law of nature hath ordained and been death us to keep, he extolleth the honest dealing and conversation of men, he commandeth that we do use our contracts, & bargains, whereby we obtain either the propriety, or the use only and occupying of things as the contract doth declare, rightly and according to equity and conscience.  
The Lord doth look for no more, but that we do obserne and keep the civil laws and ordinances which are brought and borrowed forth of the law of nature with out any grudging, with a simple sincerity and pureness, in our buying and selling, in our permutation changing or bartering, in our free giving, in our lending, in our companies & fellow ships in all things that are laid to us to keep, 
Contracts innominate & nominate.  being with us in deposit, in taking of pledges, and in all other manner of contracts, be they nominate or unnominate, as these which do follow. I do give that thou shalt give again, I do, to the intent that thou shalt do again. I do give, for that thou mayst do. I do, for that thou mayst give. The judgement of all such matters are left to the civil magistrate and ruler. In the Gospel and doctrine of the apostles there is no form and order prescribed for contracts and other civil business. But only the church is taught and admonished of all virtuous, of all godly & gentle cover sation in doing & deserving well one of an other, the men should not refer their deeds all together to private vantage and lucre: but also to the common profit and wealth of all other men. It doth prohibit no manner of honest lawful occupying: but all fraud, guile, and deceit it doth abhor and detest, it doth teach us also that in our contracts and other occupiynges we should behold our selves lovingly, upright & godly, that is to say, that we should not offend and trespass any thing in our dealings. For the which cause the Lord doth prescribe to us certain general sentences, by the which our deeds and duties toward our neighbour ought to be governed and ruled, that is to say, that we should give to the poor liberally and freely, wyth● good stomach, having a good conscience, and with a charity & love not feigned. To them which are not in so much poverty as the other be, that we should lend our goods without vantage or gain, or hope of any profit, and to do in all our contracts as we would be done to. And finally that we do not defraud and deceive our neighbour in nothing that we do go about. Those me which under any cloak or colour of Christ his doctrine would have abolished civil ordinances & laws, are passed all shame: working wickedly, overthrowing & turning upside down common wealths, setting division among men, abolishing honest, necessary and profitable ordinances and acts, and last of all the disturbers of all quietness and tranquillity, & the love breakers of all men. The doctrine of Christ as I have said rebuketh the vices and abuses which men use in their occupying, the order of occupying not abrogated or minished, nor yet the authorities and judgements of the laws taken from them, but confirmed & made more strong. Likewise as they do deprave, corrupt & sclaun the Gospel: which do wry & wrest every precept and commandment, making it to serve for all states of life for all kinds of persons generally. So do they which take these precepts of Christ, saying (To him that asketh of thee: give. Turn not from him which would borrow of the and such other) laying the said precepts against the common laws & ordinances as contrary & repugnant to them, applying (I say) these prec●●● to all manner of men without respect, difference or knowledge, which of the three states or sorts of men they be of, in whom these commandments are to be kept. They which do make the precepts of Christ to serve for all men generally, having no considerate on, in what, to whom, & how, truly they do bring in, a foul confusion, they do confound and mingle together sundry and different things, they do overwhelm the duty & office of amity & friendship, they do reprove and forsake the right judgement of reason, they pluck out all civil justice & equity from this life: they do trouble men's consciences, bringing them into a marvelous perplexity and doubtfulness: they do set forth, as it were to sale, the law of ●ature, concerning the keeping of an equal and indifferent order in all things that men do: finally of all things they do turn that which should be up, down: and that which should be down, up. It is a very pernicious error to make every precept which is commanded to serve for all men in general together, what state, 
The precepts in the law are not all univetsall.  degree, or order so ever they be. There is a great sort of men thinking themselves very wise, which by this error being seduced and deceived, or rather brought into great madness, do say that by the evangel or Gospel of God the common natural reason & judgement of men is overwhelmed and choked, that it can not tell what to do: that thereby, the civil laws are abolished: that the common wealths of men are destroyed, that all good ordinances and 〈◊〉 are taken clean away: and finally that the Gospel is nothing else, but the doctrine of some man which was not sober or else in his right wits. When that our old and great Doctors in divinity could not tell which way to make answer to the cavillations of these wicked railers, they did make them believe that these precepts were nothyuge else but counsels, 
He doth impounge the frantic madness of many which do contend that the Gospel is but an idle matter and a disquietinge of all common wealths  which appeared to be repugnant to nature and civil justice, affirming that these counsels were not written to all men, but to them only which were perfect. By the which blind reason, they have not made answer to the wicked and devilish cavillations of them, wherewith they should be contented and pleased: but they have gone oboute to blind their eyes and to deceive them: making them more mad, than they were before, giving to them a greater occasion to slander and report evil of the Gospel. For every mandoeth see that Christ doth command earnesty, that which his will is to be done Wherefore if so be a man should aptly, rightly, without any manner of fraud & colour, make answer to their cavillations, it is requisite and necessary that the precepts and commandments of Christ be so expounded, that they shall not appear contrary and repugnant to the law of nature, and to the common laws: otherwise the sclaun derous reports of the enemies & abversaries of Christ can never be put a side and overcome. If so be that the precepts of Christ were referred and applied to them, to whom they do pertain, these foul railers against God were confuted and also confounded, that they should have nothing to answer, we should not need to make them believe: as the divines used to do, that they were but counsels. The Lord doth command, (he doth not counsel) that we should not resist them which would do to us evil, 
The lords precepts may not be called tounsels.  that we judge not, that we do not condemn, that we strive and contend not in the law, that we do swear in no case, to turn the left cheek to him which hath smotte the on the right, not to demand again that which is taken from thee, to give to him also thy cloak which would take thy cote, to love our enemy, to do good to them which hate us, to renounce and forsake all our goods, to give to every man that asketh aught of us, to sell all that we have and to distribute it to the poor: to bid to our feasts the poor, feeble, halt, lame, blind, not our friends, brethren, kinsfolk, neighbours, and rich men, which can bid us again, which can do as much for us again, to give that thing freely which we have freely received, not to possess, neither silver nor gold, to bear and carry no money in our gyrdesses about us, to have no wallette nor shoes, nor two garments, and such other. If these & such other like precepts of Christ should be laid against the honest, necessary and prefitable ordinances made according to reason, there should nothing remain untroubled and in order in a common wealth, all good acts and civil laws should be taken away, because that the laws do stablish & confirm judgements, require the oaths of men, alloweth the propriety of goods, they permit a man to use his defence showing how he shall defend him, they teach how we may defend both our bodies & goods they commend civil justice, they command to render thanks for good turns received, they do monish us that we ought and are bound to recompense with like benefit him which is beneficial to us: and finally they do teach us that we ought to show ourselves in all our-deedes gentle and loving, and alway requite one good turn for an other.  
To this judgement & mind of the civil laws and ordinances, the precepts of the Lord are not repugnant & contrary: if they be understand as they ought to be: being referred to such kind of men as the Lord dydpreach & speak to them. The Lord by his precept doth not abrogate the public judgements: he forbiddeth not oaths lawfully made, he taketh not from the Magistrate the authority of punishment of transgressors: he doth not forbid private men to defend them selves according to right and to the order of laws: but he commandeth that christian men should not use extremity: but some thing releasing of their right to follow those things which charity doth lead us to: not to avenge their own quarrel after their own will and mind, nor to do any thing else which is not to be seen or noted in a christian man, unworthy the soberness which we ought to have in Christ. Saint Paul in the first epistle and sixth Chap. to the Corhinthians declareth openly that the judgements, by laws are not of God prohibited among christian men, he did no more but reprehend & rebuke that christian men to the great dishonour of Christ his religion, would contend and strive in the law before wicked and unbelieving judges, that they would one touble & vex an other wrongfully. Moreover the Lord doth not prohibit against the common laws, and law also of nature, that men should have any thing of their own proper, as their own goods: but he commandeth us that we do not set our hearts on our goods, that we also do help our neighbour with such goods as God hath given us, in his necessity. 
How is this saying (you have recryne freely, give freely) to be understand  And whereas Christ sayeth, you have received freely, give it therefore again freely, it is to be understand of the gift of power and of healing, which the Lord did from heaven above give to his disciples and Apostles to the stabishment and confirmation of his evangelical doctrine.  
Whereas we are commanded not to possess gold or silver nor money in our girdles, 
You shall not possess at. how is it meant  not to have a wallet, not two coats, not a rod not shoes in the way or journey, it is not against the common laws of private possessions, it doth not take away possessions from the ecclesiastical ministers and rulers: but it teacheth and showeth that they which be disciples, hearers, and scholars, should give both meat & drink to their masters and teachers, and it is not requisite that they which do teach and preach the word of God should find themselves. For every work man by the law of nature is worthy to have his reward and finding. Who soever doth lay these precepts of Christ against the laws which do allow propriety of goods and against other honest civil ordinances for the giving of stypendes to them which do ministre in the church, he doth not only impounge and infringe the law of nature and politic ordinances and acts, but also he doth improve and disallow the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, which in his church hath constituted & ordained divers ordres of ministers, which hath commanded that by the common charges of the church they should be found and maintained. As it is a great and a foul error to make these laws by me rehearsed to serve for all kind of men without respect, and so to lay them as laws contrary to the common laws and honest profitable and necessary ordinances of Magistrates and rulers: so it is a very pernicious error to hold and persuade that those precepts of liberality in giving and of lending freely without profit & usury do pertain to all manner of men, and to lay them against the honest politic ordinannces of contracts, of purchasing of lands or tenements, and of interest. Every precept must be accommodate and made to serve for this kind or that kind of men, according to the state and degree that they be of. For likewise as the Magistrate doth not sin & offend in iudgeging, condemning, resisting of evil and in recovering of stolen goods. etc. if he do use his authority and power as he ought for to do: even so doth he not transgress which doth buy and purchase any thing of them with whom he may lawfully contract and bargain for profit & gain. And as the precepts of Christ do not bind all men indifferently or a like, so by this precept of lending, to lend to all sorts of men we are not bound. For by that which we have declared, it is manifest that the precept of Christ concerning lending and alms deed doth not pertain to the third sort of the three sorts of men which we have rehearsed. Wherefore if any man do either give for ever (as the common saying is) or else do lend any thing to any of these men which be of the third sort: he doth it of his own free will without necessity or compulsion of the law of God, for friendship sake, to whom he may without grudge of conscience, if him pleaseth: neither give nor lend: the law binding him not thereto. For asmuch then: by the precept of giving and lending we are not bound, to the third sort of men, that is to say, to the rich and substantial men, so is it not prohibited and forbidden to them among themselves, that is to say: such as they be themselves, rich and substantial to bargain & make contracts for honest gains and lawful l●cre: nor yet the profit and gain, which for the use either of money or any other thing is received and taken with reason, not excessively of those men which are of the third sort: is not to be named usury. For usury pertaineth & dependeth only on that thing which is lent, which loan is due without denial by the law of god to the needy, and not on other manner of occupiynges by contracts and bargains which is proper to the third sort of men. Wherefore buying & yurchasing of land & tenements, not with to great damage and loss of the seller: is no usury. Contrary wise sith that in the precept of Christ of giving and lending, is commanded, that men of the first and second sort should be succoured and helped, either by free gift or lending, without any hope of vantage, it shall not then be lawful in no case to take little or more for the gain and profit of that which thou haste either given or lent to such men as they be. For nature teacheth and biddeth us to help him that needeth freely, the which thing Christ himself also doth command If any thing be taken of such men as they be: it is usuty: for as much as it is unlawful to bargain with them any manner of ways for lucre & vantage. And the magistrate what to ever he be which doth permit contracts and bargains to be made for lucre and vantage with any of these two sorts of men, doth wickedly: for he doth permit that thing which is forbidden by the law of God, which the law of nature condemneth. And yet, for all that the magistrate doth thus permit & suffer: they which so do, can not be excused thereby before God, which do take of them, which are in neces●●ti, any lucre or gain for the use of any thing which they do give or lend.  
By this declaration of the precepts of Christ, concerning liberality in giving & lending: and by the exposition of the laws of Moy says concerning usuries: and by the conferring of the laws together: I doubt not but it is manifest & open that the purchasing oflandes or housing, is no usurary bargain, nor reproved by the commandments of God, if it be done according to reason and conscience: with the third sort of men: with whom the law of God permitteth to bargain for profit & gain.  
It is allowed & also confirmed by the Emperor his majesty, 
The Parliament at worms.  & authority of the whole Empire to purchase & to buy land according to right and conscience. 
Twenty years purchase is apyroved by all laws.  It is also in the counsel had at Worms by the decree of the whole Empire, that he which will purchase so much rend as will come to five florins by the year: shall pay for the purchase thereof, one hundredth florins, which is after twenty years purchase. This manner of purchasing the authority of the empire doth numbered among those contracts, whic● are both profitable, lawful & indifferent, confirming & defending it b● the common judgement & decree of the said Parliament, discharging it of the slander & nought report of all usurary bargains contracts. Bisydes this the Emperor with all his nobility with fuconsent & agreement of the whole n●bre assembled together at the say Worms, have & do pronounce tha● man or men what so ever they 〈◊〉 to commit usury and to be usurers which do purchase for one hundret that is, 
To ●ye under xr. years pur choose is usurp  five score florins, abo● five florins by the year, & of year ● rend. This moderation which th● empire hath taken in purchasi● is according to reason & equity declaring that in purchasing of rente● there is a certain equality & an i● different order to be observed, ne● ssary and profitable for the fellow: ship of men & conversation of man. Therefore that same ordinance men may use, as just & profitable, being the constitution & decree of a lawful Magistrate. Wherefore it ought not to be taken as an usurary & unlawful contract: for as much as it hath been & is decreed & ordained by the authority of the public Magistrates & rulers. This constitution & order taken and demanded by the authority of the whole Empire, is not contrary to the law of nature: for it is not against the common profit, it is not with the hurt & hinder ance of any man, but to their help & secure, it is indifferent & equal for the seller, as well as the bier, it is not against the love which we do owe to our neighbour: therefore it ought not to be improved. The consciences of those men which d● purchase after this order oughta not to be disquieted, doing thei● feat with a good conscience and without filthy desire of unlawful sucre and gain.  
Also for the honest mainteining● of occupiynges, in buying & selling and other manner of trades which are used among substantial and rich men, the use of other men's m●ney is necessary, for without tha● no business can be done: & who tha● doth take that away from among● men, he doth detract & pluck much from the commu 〈…〉 saith that men (I do mean thos● men of the third sort, to whom neither gift, nor lone by the law o● God is dew) ought not to ba● gain among themselves for a moderate & lawful gains to be tak● for the use of their money doth err & kicketh against the common profit. For it is right that that manshoulde have some gain, with whose money an other man doth get profit & vantage. 
Moderate preite and gain it may be tak● among the rich for the use of their money.  Wherefore sith that every man can not nor ought not to esteem & judge after his own mind and will, what is right, indifferent and equal to be taken for the use of money, let us follow the minds, judgements & sentences of Magistrates lawfully ordained, concerning such manner of bargaining, wherein the use of money is bought & sold.  
The evangel of Christ doth require in all worldly business & civil matters a just & an equal order for all parts to be observed, but how & after what fashion it shallbe observed & kept: it showeth no form nor example: neither generally in all manner of contracts, nor yet specially or saverally by themself, as what is just or contrary, equal or unequal, it declareth nothing at all. Therefore it is necessary in all civil and temporal matters, to follow the common ordinance made and ordained by Magistrates and rulers agreeing to reason, equity, & conscience, being not lawful for any man to exceed and pass the limits & bond of those public orders confirmed & approved by the authority of superiors. Thewhiche laws and ordinances of the public Magistrates we are bound to obey, not only for fear of the pains for the transgressors in the laws contained: but also for conscience sake. Therefore those men do offend which do buy and purchase of yearly rend above the some of five florins for an hundredth florins: for they do against the order and decree of the whole Empire which can not excuse themselves though they do lay for them the possession & propriety of the thing saying, 
They do not offend which the purchase a●●et. x. or vi● years, purchase I warrant you.  that the laud was his own which did sell it, that he might do therewith what him listeth and such other words.  
For although that every man is proprietary & lord of his own goods: yet no man may use them at his own pleasure and will against the order of the law. For the Lord & the magistrate which is his ministre, are the lords and heads both of our body & goods, we are but the dispensers & stewards thereof. Therefore it is necessary that in the stuardshippe to us, of the Lonrde committed, & in the administration of our goods, that we do behave ourselves after the will of the Lord & the ordinances of the lawful Magistrates and governors.  
For asmuch then as the purchase of house and land, and the gain thereof remaineth and also doth yearly fructify & bring profit to him which bought the purchase, 
By 〈◊〉 ●●●●ō he proveth 〈◊〉 no usury to purchase land●●  the thing which was sold doth not by the use thereof consume & waste. Therefore it is not against nature for the use of the thing which was sold to take profit● & gain according as the laws have ordained. For, to sell the use of a thing which doth not consume, is of himself no sin: if it were, than should it be unlawful, to let forth any thing to hyar, and such other contracts: wherein both the use of our goods and also of our personages & bodies for a time are sold. To sell the use of our money, the circumstances thereof do make it sin and grievous, of itself it is none. As to sell the use of thy money to him which is in necessity, being of the two first sorts of men which we have declared and also because it is sold against the common law. The state, condition & quality of the person declareth this contract to be lawful or unlawful: when a man from riches falleth to poverty. In this contract a man with conscience can not demand any gain or vantage: because this manner of contract of buying the use of money in courts of conscience is not called buying & selling, but taketh an other name of it, & is called a lone or money lent, in the which thing lent & borrowed, the use of the thing ought not to be sold. Also it is against natury ᵗ, that thing, which is spent, consumed or lost, & of itself increaseth not, nor bringeth any manner of fruit of his own nature to the debtor, should bring lucre and gain to the creditor, that is to him, which delivered the money. For it is sin and repugnant to the law of nature, in this cause to sell the use of any thing: when with the use of the thing, the thing also itself is wasted & consumed of his own nature, or to speak more plainly, when the use of the thing is the spending & wasting of the thing whose use is sold. These things well weighed & considered, it is manifest & clear that the purchasing of lands is allowed by the authority of the whole Empire, that it is not contrary to the law of nature, nor none other law, nor yet repugnant to the maintenance of fellowship & amicable society of man in this life, all manner suspication of usury by the authority of the said counsel being taken away from it.  
Some men there be which do doubt, 
Interest.  whether a man may look & demand amends & recompense, for the damage & loss which he hath sustained in forbearing the money which he did lend, longer then the time that it was lent for: or when the man which did borrow the money, did not according to his promise pay it again, but differred the payment thereof longer than w●as promised to the loss, hindrance & hurt of the lender, whether in this case it should be usury to demand any recompense, yea or nay. For asmuch as this is about the question of lending, which ought to be free without vantage & gain, it is thought that it should be usury. Although that interest as well as usury is bought, that thing which is lent, yet there is great difference between them. For an action which is taken for interst, is for the damage & loss which the creditor doth sustain that he may be saved harmless. Contrary wise anaction of usury, is for no damage which the creditor hath had or sustained, but for gain & vantage which he would have. In this matter the mind & judgement of the civil law must give to us light, what is to be done, which allowe●h recompensation & making of amends for so much damage & hurt as the creditor hath sustained, which recompense is called the interest, which sentence & mind is conform & agreeable to reason. For it is against all reason, that the thing lent should be damage to the lender, & that the good wy● of the lendar, and his good deed should be recompensed with an evil turn and hurts. 
Matk●  How be it I would counsel every godly man (what soever the law doth permit grant & suffer) for to follow that thing which shall stand with equity & charity. For this is the most surest & best way. This have I spoken of usury, & of purchasing of lads & tenements. Now let us return again to the text.   

The text  
And hath not taken any gifts or rewards against the innocent.  
Those gifts and rewards, which are given for tokens of love and friend ship among friends and lovers, are not meant, nor blamed by these words of the Psalmist, but such gifts and rewards whereby the innocentes dosuffre damage and hurt, whereby also, right, equity and justice are abused and perverted. 
B●●ynst i●dg●s which, do take gifts whereby the ●nnocentes a●● 〈…〉 〈…〉  Therefore it is spoken openly and manifestly of those gifts which are taken to the hurts and wrong of the innocent & of him which is with out blame. By these sentences & words of the Psalm all they are judged to eternal damnation, which for their own profit and vantage do give sentence against right and justice which do main teyne and prolong unjust suetes which do counterfeit just causes and quarrels for their own lucre and vantage, & finally who so ever doth wrong and hurt the innocent for to get any gain or profit thereby. It is generally spoken it pertaineth to all states, degrees and ordres of life to all manner of men, and not to judges and rulers only. Likewise as he is guilty of eternal damnation which hath received any reward against the innocent, 
The giver as well as the ●eceyuer is threatened.  so is he also which hath given the reward to do the innocent harm, which doth give (I say) that by his bribes he might corrupt justice and righteousness to that hurt of his neighbour. This man doth against the precept of god, which precept doth command brotherly love with all purity & sincereness, which commandeth us to love our neighbour as our own selves, and to do to him as we would be done to. The Lord doth not permit to quite evil for evil, hurt for hurt, one evil word for an other, much les doth he permit and suffer that we shall slander the innocent, that we shall seek to hurt him with our bribes. For asmuch as we now do talk of rewards and gifts, it is often times had in question, when their the magistrates or any other officer, 
Whether it be lawful for a judge to take any gi●●● at 〈◊〉  before whom causes being in controversy use to be decided & to be made an end of by judgements, with a good conscience, without the wrath and vengeance of God: either before the cause is heard, or after the sentence is given and pronounced: may take of both or either of the seuters any rewards and gifts. In answering to this question the crafty and ungracious imagination of men may object many things, which shall seem and appear to be according to right and equity. but the doubt & question of this matter can not be dissolved and concluded with uncertain, dark & misty opinions of men with their conjectures and persuasions, devised to maintain their filthy lucre and gain, but by the manifest scriptures & open laws which are conform and agreeable to reason. This is without all doubt that all manner of judges and magistrates are forbidden to take gifts and rewards, for this cause and end, that they should not being corrupted give no wrong judgement and sentence, that they should not have any occasion craftily ●to prolong and continue the suit to the hurt and damage of any of the parties, or to colour & devise any crafty and unjust matter to the hindrance of the other part, either accuser or defendar, in recompense of the rewards which they have received. It is an open commandment of God, to judge justly & righteously. The very natural reason of man doth both know and judge it to be an unlawful thing for to abuse & corrupt the authority of righteous judgement. About the which question the mind of man doth reason with itself, ask: whether that a good & godly judge & Magistrate (which for no reward wyldo wrong or pervert the right order of justice) may take gifts of the sueters, before the cause be heard or after the sentence is given, yea or nay? Concerning this question I will speak some thing in this place briefly & with few words to satisfy that mind of them, which do put it forth for no ill intent or purpose: for no manner of covetousness, whose mind their conscience doth move and also giveth warning of the health of their soul, & of the glory of the Lord. The use of such gifts which seuters do give to the magistrate or judge, in no common wealth can be just, profitable, good or godly, nor yet the end or intent wherefore the gift or reward is given can be laudable, commendable & good: but clean contrary to all common wealths full of peril, danger & destruction. Therefore it is not lawful nor meet, that any magistrate should suffer or permit to any other, nor to himself for to take any gifts & rewards of any man which doth sue before them for any matter in controversy, because they are worse than poison to all justice. The Lord himself doth forbid the magistrates to take any rewards, the causes whereof, which are natural causes he doth annex and join to his precept & commandment. The which causes being joined to his precepts are general, being taught us also of the law of nature. Wherefore they do pertain to all magistrates, and to all them which have any authority of judgement. For asmuch then as the precepts & the causes of the precepts are general, universal and natural: the Lord therefore doth forbid all magistrates thorough out all the world to receive gifts or rewards of them which have any matter depending before them to be determined by judgement. The precepts of the Lord which do forbid the taking of gifts and rewards thou dost find in Exod xxiii. 
Gifts do make wise mē●lynde.  Thou shalt take no gifts which do make blind those which are wise men, and turn the words of just men. Also in Deutero. xvii. Thou shalt not consider the parsonage of any man, nor any gifts, which do blind the eyes of wise men, & change the words of the just men. Thou shalt execute justly that thing which is just & righteous. The Lord knew well enough, how weak and wicked the nature of man is, how easy and light to fall, as often as any manner of occasion is given, and how much gifts & rewards do prevail & weigh among men. For that cause the Lord did forbid the magistrates that in no manner of wise they should receive and take any gifts, not leaving forth the cause of his prohibition, saying: because they do blind the eyes of men, & change & alter the words of wise & just men, making them to speak other wise than they would. It is a poisonous & a foul vice in a magistrate for to covet, gape & hunt after gifts & rewards. Hereby a great part of these execrable & cursed licentious liberty of all mischief is brought in, which rageth every where in common wealths. This, day by day, more and more, doth corrupt, infect & weakeneth public judgements & ministration of justice, which are the sin●wes & strengeth of common wealths.  
The desire of gifts & rewards, is a detestable and a very pernicious vice in them which be set in rule & authority, which doth bring with it the ruin & decay of all good things & godly ordres. For that cause the magistrates & rulers, yea among the gentiles had a very ylname: Being evil spoken & reported of for their greediness in receiving of gifts. Hesiodus a greek Poet doth give to those magistrates which are takers of rewards, an odious & a very contumelious name: calling them gift takers. Of other wise men among the greeks: they are named gift gluttons, or gift bealies. Always among all nations this corruption of judges & rulers hath been odious, as well in the receivers and takers as in the givers. All godly magistrates and rulers have always abherred this vice, refusing to receive & accept gifts at the hands of any man which hath had any cause before them. Moses' before God, in the sedition of the people, rejoiced and boasted himself of that he had taken no gifts of any man at any time. Numeri. xvi. Samuel also (when Israel dernaunded a king) was praised, because he never did take any reward of the subjects which were under his governance & judgement, the first book of the kings. xii. Chap. and Ecclesiasticus. xlix. Chap.  
These two godly men, Moses & Sainuell by their example do teach us, that magistrates ought not to take or receive any manner of gifts of those persons which do contend before them in judgement, & that all magistrates are bound to obey the precept and commandment of God, without any manner of denial or grudge, in that they are forbidden to take & receive rewards of men striving before them in the law. The causes added unto the said precept of the said prohibition are so reasonable and just that no man, which hath any wit at all can deny but it is most conform to justice and to the law of nature, and very allowable and expedient. David in the xxvi psalm, among other kinds of wickedness and impiety doth count, numbered and rehearse the taking of rewards and gifts, reputing them to be wicked, which do receive and accept them, worthy of great rebuke and blame, saying. Lord, let not my soul be cast away and lost among the wicked, nor my life among men which delight in blood: whose hands are full of iniquity. Their right hand is filled with gifts and rewards. But I good Lord have entered in, in innocency & pureness. isaiah also in the first Chap. sharply and wythsore words and bitter cheeks doth rebuke them, which do take rewards while they be in office, 
If the gifts which judges do receive be theft by the law of God: then judges are thieves which do receive them & the givers also.  making the gifts which they so received, no better than theft and robbery, speaking after this manner. Thy princes and rulers are unfaithful, fellows and companions to thieves & robbers, they do love gifts, they do follow after rewards for their unrighteousness. There be many (great pity it is) which do think that they may heap up great numbered of gold and silver: that they may get to them great riches by the taking & receiving of such corrupt gifts, which do deceive & beguile their own selves with their own foolish thoughts & cogitations, considering not that the Lord doth put forth and spend all his riches & substance out of his own treasure, and that he maketh no man rich, with the hurt of any other man's health & welfare. They do not pondre with themselves, that the Lord doth punish all wicked thoughts & damnable desires of gethering together of riches, they do not weigh the old proverb & saying (which is said of long experience) that evil got goods are equal and fellows to the hurts & injuries of other men nay they be no less than hurts & griefs in deed, not like & equal: but of themselves, not several nor different, but all one thing. This one thing is so sure and certain that nothing can be more sure and certain, that goods & riches gathered together by ungodly crafts & devilish ways prohibited of God, can not be stable, firm, & of long continuance. They can not last & endure many years. What so ever is heaped together against the precept and commandment of God, it shall at the last shamefully consume & vanish away like unto smoke, and as the Prophet Aggeus sayeth, it is cast into a bottomless bag, which doth fall thorough and abideth not.  
The Lord doth command all magistrates & all other to whom any matters being in controversy, are committed, for to be ended, that they do take no gifts, threatening to them great pains for doing the contrary: therefore they are foul deceived, which do think that they and theirs may be enriched & grow to great substance by receiving & accounting of gifts with such bribery & corruption.  
The Lord himself, which is Lord & owner of the gold & silver, with all that is contained in the earth beareth witness, that riches & substance by taking of gifts do not increase and grow, but minish being scattered abroad & lost. As it is to see in job the twenty Chap. Fire shall devour the tabernacles of them, which love to receive and take gifts. And the proverbs, xx. He doth bring his house out of order which followeth avarice & covetousness: But he the doth hate & abhor gifts shall live. And isaiah xxxiii Cham He that walketh in justice and righteousness and speaketh the truth: he that abhorreth gains won by violence & deceit, which doth pluck his hands from gifts. etc. that man shall dwell on high, whose safgarde shall be in bulwark of rocks, to him shall be given meat, & his waters shall not fail. How manifest is it by these sentences that it is not only wicked and ungodly for a Magistrate to take gifts: but also that the Lord doth punish it from above with the loss and perishing of the goods.  
Although there be many good and godly men in every place, some being Magistrates and rulers, which had rather suffer great damage and hurt, then for any manner of profit and lucre would pronounce a wrong sentence against justice, yet for all that in no wise they may receive gifts or rewards: because the Lord hath forbidden it, and because also it is a very naughty example, whereby the greedy and covetous sort of cormorantes would lightly take occasion to buy and sell justice, to pill and suck the juice of their flesh or goods from them which are in law before them. 
One ca●● example of a good man doth more hurt than a thousand of the wicked  The good men can not so soon do an evil deed, though it be against their will: but the wicked quickly will do the same, and the more gladly, because they take example of them, which are good. Therefore it is necessary that the godly do void all such evil exemples, which the evil men follow to the hurt of many and to the utter destruction of common wealths.  
But forasmuch as they which are the magistrates and judges are burdeined with public matters of the common wealth having many and divers cares in their heads, being also occupied and let with other men's business, are constrained to leave their own business and study for their own proper family, to their great dii profit, apart & undone, to take in hand other men's causes: for as much (I say) as their livings which they have given to them forth of the treasure and coffers pertaining to the common wealth, are very small or almost nothing at all for the great labours which they do take, for their great pains and studies in serving of the common wealth. It should or might seem to stand with equity and conscience, that the magistrate or judge of right might take & receive rewards of those, in whose causes they do take pain, sith that nature doth teach us, that one hand ought to wash an other, and one benefit & good turn to be rewarded with an other, and finally that no man ought to serve in war or other wise, as the Proverb is, on his own proper costs and charges.  
But if the thing be weighed and considered as it ought for to be: it may soon be understand and perceived, that it is contrary to equity to take any gifts of either part, either of the plaintiff or defendant. What cloak or colour so ever they can make or imagine for to defend it, not only because that the Lord hath forbidden it: but also for that it is a very pernicious example in a common wealth to see a judge to be a taker of gifts, and also because that the parties, plaintiff and defendant are not bound of their own proper expenses and charges to maintain and find those ministrations and offices which perceyne to the whole commonalty. 
Public officers ought not to be maintained of private persons, but of the common purse, & that the communes are bound t● provide sufficiently for thy that they shall not need to bride.  It is the duty and part of the communes upon their common purse to maintain their public courts & common officers which are put and set in office and rule to see equity and justice to be observed among all men in their common public wealth. The parties which are suitors, seeking to have their matters decided have nothing to do therewith. moreover although it be against reason and conscience, that the magistrates and common rulers should be denied to have salaries and stipends for their labours of the common purse of the whole commonalty, yet they may not (because they do see and find such ingratitude in the communes) do that thing which the Lord doth forbid, whereby the integrity & pureness of judgements might be corrupted. For the fault of an other man can not excuse before God our delict: if we do transgress his commandment. judgements are ordained for to defend justice and verity: indifferent for all men. The Magistrate is the ministre and servant of all men together: not of any private man. Therefore they ought not of right to be bought and sold of any private man: nor yet the expenses & charges of the officers for their duty doing in ministering of justice, which is common for all men, ought not to be gathered up of the parts which be in the law before them: for asmuch as those parties are not the whole body of the common wealths but several & private membres of the whole body.  
This is not my mind and sentence only: but it is the mind & sentence of the old ancient godly and right writers. Saint Austen to Macedonius did write these words. It is not lawful for a judge to sell just judgement, that is, either to pronounce a rights sentence for reward, or to judge unrighteously: or to teach the witness to say & depose, the thing which shall make for his purpose, although that the advocate may lawfully sell his labourr and diligence, 
Advocates & counsellors gave their ly●yng by sue●ers.  and the counselor his counsel. For the judges are set to hear both parts indifferently, the advocates and counsellors do serve but for either of the parts, either for the plaintiff or for the defendant: the plaintiff and defendant having each of them their advocate and counsel for their money. Gregory also doth write. He that doth judge righteously: and looketh for reward: doth commit fraud and guile against the Lord: because he did sell justice for money: which he is bound to ministre freely. They do use good things naughtily, which for such lucre do ministre right judgement. For such judges as these be: it is not the defence and desire to maintain righteousness: but the love of gifts & rewards, which causeth them to do right: which hope of lucre taken away: that they have no more trust of gifts: straight way they will turn to the contrary. 
receit of gi● is a cortuption of justice.  The acception of gifts, is the prevarication and alteration of verity. To be short, it is not lawful for righteous and upright magistrates (which have fully decreed and purposed with themselves not so much as one hear breadth to serve from justice, though the parties would give them never so much) to receive any manner of gifts of them which are suitors, sith that the Lord hath forbid it expressly with threatening of pains to the doers of the contrary.  
The exemples also of the ancient godly magistrates: do cry out against it. Moreover it is against equity, that the public ministers of the whole commonalty shall sell their ministery, and maintain their office with the costs, charges, & expenses of the suitors which have their causes in controversy before them Biside this: it is so naughty & euyi●an example in a common wealth, that there can be none more pestilent, more poisonous, more full of infection to the undoing of all public judgement, to the overthrowing of all justice: 
The sentence 〈◊〉 suspect where a judge exceyveth gyf●rs either before or af●●●.  & finally which maketh (be the causes never so just and right, be the sentence never so truly and righteously given) yet both the cause & also the sentence shall be suspected because of the receiving of rewards and gifts, beside that also many foul slanders and controversies do rise & come thereof.  
That which I have said of rewards and bribes, is to be taken and understand of all manner of benefits and pleasures, as well as of the rewards and gifts, which of these parts that be in suit, are or may be given to the magistrates, judges, or arbitrary judges, either before the controversy be ended, or afterward. This much have I said of the corruption in giving of gifts and doing of pleasures to those which are judges, and those in whose hands the ministration of justice doth lie to be given by them which are sueters.   

The text  
He that doth all these: shall never fall.  
The Prophet in this Psalm doth not teach us, whereby and how we be justified: but what manner of men they be which are justified, as I have in the beginning of this Psalm declared plentifuly to you. The sense & mind of the Prophet is: that all men which do fear God, and do walk thorough a pure & a perfect faith in his precepts, shall come to eternal bliss and life everlasting, for to such men the price of our redemption, and of the forgiveness of our sin is laid up of God in our Lord jesus Christ. To them which do live after the flesh, the salvation and health promised in Christ doth not pertain.  
The Prophet sayeth that the godly can never fall, nor be moved nor changed, although that every day, they be beset round about and also shaken with tribulations and evils: although I say they do sometime of the fragility of this flesh stumble & fall. It is not the mind of the Prophet that godly and virtuous men, are perfectly good without all spot of sin: he sayeth not, that they be clean void of all humane affections, and that no salt which is in man can be found in them: but this is his meaning: that the godly can not so be moved, can not so stumble and fall that they shall perish thereby. The obedience of the godly being not perfect: but a new begun and an unperfect obedience: the Lord doth commend, allow and take for a perfect and full obedience, supplying of his own goodness, that which lacketh on their part, which he doth not lay to their charge: but keepeth and preserveth them against death & hell in this life with his grace, in the life to come with the glory which is promised. This is the mind herein of the Prophet that no creature living, can be hurtful to them which do persever and continue in the obedience of the Lord, and that they are steadfast, stable, firm, immovable and sure against all manner of assaults, that Satan can do no more harm with all his power against them, he can no more shake, steer and move them, then can the storms of wind move, steer or cast down a house which is strongly builded on a rock.    

Thus endeth the commentary of john Epinus upon the xu Psalm of David.  
¶ Imprinted at London by john day, dwelling in Sepulchres parish, at the sign of the Resurrection, a little above Holborn condit.  
¶ Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.