LAW OF MOSES

Your precepts are true, & of perpetual strength On justice grounded, as will apere at length. Wha ̄ Angel was made, this law he had by & by, To serve you his lord, and with laudes to prosecute This law was given Man, in time of innocency, In no wise to eat, of the forbidden fruit. These two laws broken, both they were destitute, Of their first freedom's, to their most high decay, Till your only son, dead ma ̄ nys whole rau ̄ some pay Then my course is next, for time of his po ̄ nishment Where shall I sweet lord, for that same season ̄ dewell Than God be with you, we leave you here behind, The lord perceiving, his first law thus continued rupted, With unclean vices, sent me his law of Moses, To see him for sin, substantially corrected. And brought in again, to a trade of godliness. For I am a law, of rigour and of hardens. I straightly command, and if it be not done. I thretten. I curse, and slee in my anger soon. To God I require, a perfect obedience, Condemning all soch, as do it not in effect. I show what sin is, I burden ̄ soar ma ̄ nys continued ̄ science To him am I death, when his life is infect. Yet if he take heed, to Christ I him direct, Forgiveness to have. with light, health & salvation, Least he should despair, & fallen into damnation. Where wouldst have had met tell me good brother . At the Mynorasse? Why. what was there a do? And what dead follow of this? And what includeth this mystery? I assure the plain, I set not by soch gaudee, Thy usage show the, to be brought up amo ̄ ge bawds The law of Moses, to lie I were to blame. Mankind to reform, that he his life amend. I show what sin is, & what thing pleases God, I Comfort the joust, and the ill I ponnysh with rod. The continued ̄ men people, have thought it commodyouse, Diverse Gods to have, with rites superstitious. My continued ̄ maundement is, to seek one God alone, And in all their needs, to him to make their moan. Among the Gentiles, was it thought no ̄ injury, If a man were hurt, to slee his adversary. This thing I forbid, and say, thu shalt not kill, Law is the revenger, the man may do no ill. Some persons there are, that inordynatlye love. Those are persuaded, all things them to behoove. Which I inhybyte, saying continually, No rape shalt thu do, nor yet commit aduouterye. Thu shalt do no theft, nor covet that is not thine. Against thy neyber, shalt thu not falsely dyffyne. What, thu Wilt not fight? thy wits are better than ̄ so Thu were Much better, to keep thy Patience. Soch a foal art thu, as seek thine own decay. If Jones meddle, to the it will be death. Dedyst thu never hear that law sleath I ̄ his wreathe Why, what partly Wilt thu play? It will be to late, if I ones cupple with the. Acquaintance good fellawe, thu mayest soon have of me. Keep silence a while, and thu shalt understand. Three things I declare, the first are the precepts moral. Next, the laws iudycial, & last the rites ceremonial The moral precepts, are Gods continued ̄ maundeme ̄ tes ten. Which ought evermore, to be observed of all men. The laws of Nature, the moral precepts declare, And y e plesau ̄ to works, to God they teach & prepare They stir man to faith, & provoke him also to love To obey, to sorn, and to worship God above. In two stony tables, God wrote them first of all, That they should remain, as things continual. The first hath but three, which to ̄ de to Gods high ho nou_r_, Give ̄ hath the second, & they concern our neybour. The first does expound, the first law natural. The next the other, making them very formal. In sprete is the first, y to we should God honour & love. To outward working, the second does us move. Forbidding all wro ̄ ges, preserving joust marriage, Norryshynge true peace, and other godly usage. Soch things to continued ̄ mand, as are cyuyle or to ̄ porall. From vice to refrain, and outward injury, Quiet to conserve, and public honesty. These are to support, the laws of the second table. Ceremonial rites are also commendable, In holy days, garme ̄ tes, temples & consecrations, Sacrifices & vows, with offerings & expiacyo ̄ S Which are unto Christ, as fygurs, types & shadows As Paul does declare, in his pystle to the Hebrews. These are only figures, & outward testymonyes, No man is perfect, by soch dark ceremonies. Only pertain they, unto the third continued ̄ maundement, Of the Sabbath day, till Christ the lord be present. In his death ending, the whole Judaical priesthood. What art thu called, I pray the heartily. And hast thu so long, dyssembled thus with me Avoid hens I say, thu false Infidelity. Wilt thu not in deed, than ̄ will I fetched hither the pour Of judges & kings, to subdue the within ̄ this hour. If pity may move, your gentle Christian hearts, Lete it now stir you, to mourn this heavy chasice. Two enemies with me, have played most wicked par tes. And left me stark blind, God knoweth to my soar grievance, And I think also, to your more hindrance. To lead you to Christ sometime, a guide I was. Now am I so blind, I can not do it, Alas. Most rygorouslye, those enemies now of late. Dead fallen upon me, and spoil me of my sight. One was Ambycyon, which ever ought me hate, And Covetousness, the other enemy height. Now forsooth and God, in their most cruel spite. The one made me blind, the other made me lame, And wha ̄ they had done, there at they had great game Thus a blind crypple, I wander here alone, Abiding the time, and grace of restauration, By the son of God To whom I make my moan, My cause to pity, and grant me supportation, Least I be left here, to utter desolation, And extreme decay, without any remedy. If he dead not help, of goodness and of mercy, You Christian princes, God hath given you the pour, With scepture and sword, all vices to correct. Let not Ambycyon, nor Covetousness devour, Your faithful subjects, nor your officers infect. Have to your clergy, a diligent respect And see they do not corrupt the laws of God, For that does require, a terrible heavy rod. God gave me to man, and left me I ̄ tables of stone, That I of hardenesse, a law should specyfye, But the pharisees, corrupted me anon, And took from ̄ me clean, the quyuernesse of body, With clearness of sight, & other pleasures many. Now will I to Christ, that he may me restore, To more perfection, than ever I had afore. Our heave ̄ lie governor, great is thy gracious pity For our eyes have seane, what thu hast now prepared. For thy peoples health. which hath be here declared The name of our God, to praise and magnyfye. I hope blessed lord, to do as me shall behoove. The effect of me, is for to worship the lord. As one God alone, and to fle from Idolatry. Nor to slee nor stele, nor yet to bear false record, To show what is sin, and to seek the remedy, Public peace to hold, & soar to po ̄ nysh the guilty. From these good effects, see that Ma ̄ never swerve, Than shall he be sure, that God will him preserve. Who hath restored, these same three laws again? But your late Josia's, & valeaum ̄ to King Henry. No prince afore him, took ever yet soch pain, From ̄ Englam ̄ de to ba ̄ nysh, Idolatry & fowl sodomy Covetousness. Ambycyo ̄ , false doctrine & hypocrisy, It was he that brought, Christ's verity to light, When he put the pope, with his filthiness to flight.