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K. Richard. 2. The story of Walter Brute with his declarations. Actes and Mon. of the church.

worth, then the meate: and the body more worth then the apparel? Behold ye the birds of heauen, which do nother sow, nor reape, neither yet lay vp in barnes, and yet your heauenly father feedeth them. And as for apparell, why should you be carefull? Consider the Lylies of the field, how they grow, they labour not, neither do they spynne &c. In conclusiō he sayth, be not ye careful, saying, what shall wee eate, or what shall we drinke, or wherwithall shall we be couered? For all these thyngs do the Gentils seke after. For your father knoweth, that you haue nede of all these thynges. First therfore seeke ye for the kyngdome of God and the rightousnes thereof, and all these thinges shalbe cast vnto you. And Paul right well remembryng this doctrine, instructeth Timothe and sayth thus. But we hauyng foode and wherewithall to be couered, let vs therwith be contented Marginalia1. Tim. 6.And as the actes of the Apostles do declare: In the first conuersion of the Iewes at Ierusalem, they had all thynges common, and to euery one was diuision made, as neede required. MarginaliaTythes not required in the primitiue church.Neither did the priestes make the tythes their owne proper goodes. For lyke as it was not meete þt the lay people beyng conuerted, should haue proprietie of goodes: euen so neither that priestes should haue proprietie of tythes. So that if the priestes started backe from feruent charitie in chalēgyng to them selues the proprietie of tythes: it is no meruaile of departinge backeward (as do the priestes, from the perfectiō of charitie) also of þe laitie to be willing to appropriate to them selues the ix. partes remainyng after the tythes. MarginaliaTythes dew to be paied by the positiue law of men.Wherfore,  

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Foxe's marginal note is quite ingenious. Brut states that tithes are not valid by either Old Testament or New Testament law, but only by human law. Foxe agrees, but adds - which Brut did not intend - that human law alone was sufficient to make them valid.

seyng that neither Christ, nor any of the Apostles, commaunded to pay tythes . it is manifest and playne, that neither by the law of Moses, nor by Christes law, Christen people are bounde to pay tythes: but by the tradicion of men: they are bound.

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By the premisses now it is playne, that Christ did not vndoe the law, but by grace did fulfill it. Notwithstandyng, in the law many things were lawful, which in the time of grace are forbidden, and many thinges were thē vnlawfull, whiche now are lawfull inough. For nothing that is contrary to charitie, is lawfull to a Christian.

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Let vs now heare what maner of commaundemētes Christ hath geuē vs in þe gospel, without the obseruation of whiche commaundements, charitie shall not perfectly be kept. By whiche commaundements, Christ did not vndoe the olde law, but did fulfill it. By the obseruation also of whiche cōmaundementes, he teacheth vs to passe and go beyond the rightuousnes of the scribes and phariseis, who moste perfectly thought them selues to keepe the law. This absolute and perfect righteousnes, whiche we are bound to haue beyōd the rightuousnes of þe Pharisies & the Scribes, he teacheth in Math. v. vi. & vij. cap. Which being heard, & compared to the tradicions made and commaunded by the Romane prelates: it shall plainly appeare, whether they be contrary or no. MarginaliaThe doctrine of Christ, whether it be contrary to the traditions of the pope or not.
Math. 5.
Christ therefore sayth, You haue heard, that it was sayd to them of the olde tyme, Thou shalt not kill. For he þt killeth shalbe giltie of iudgement. But I say vnto you, that euery one that is angry with his brother, shalbe in daunger of iudgement. In this hee doth teache, that wee ought not to be angrye with our brethren: not that hee would vndoe thys olde commaundement (thou shalte not kyll) but that the same should be the more perfectly obserued. Againe he saith: You haue heard that it was sayd, thou shalt loue thy friend, and hate thine enemy: But I saye vnto you, Loue your enemies, do well to them that hate you, pray for them that persecute and slaūder you, that you may be the children of your father which is in heauē: Which maketh his sūne to aryse vpon the good and the euill people, and rayneth vpon the iust and vniust. For if you loue them which loue you, what reward shal you haue? Doo not the publicanes thus? And if you shal salute your brethren onely, what great thing do ye? Do not the heathen thus also? Be you therefore perfect,as also your heauenly father is perfect. Agayne Christ saith, you haue heard that it is saide: an eye for an eye, a toothe for a tooth: but I say vnto you see þt you resist not euil. But if any mā shal strike you vpon the right cheke, geue him the other to. And to him that wyll striue wyth thee for they coate in iudgement, let him haue thy cloke also. And whosoeuer shall constraine thee one myle, go with him also two other. He that asketh of thee, geue him: and he that will borrow of thee, turne not thy selfe from him. MarginaliaThe doctrine of Christ and of the pope compared.By these things it may plainly appeare, how that Christ the king of peace, the sauiour of mankinde, who come to saue and not to destroy, who gaue a lawe of charitye to bee obserued of his faithfull people: hath taught vs not to be angry, not to hate our enemies, not to render euill for euill, nor to resiste euill. For all these thinges do fostre and nourish peace and charitie, and do procede and come forth of charitie, and whē they be not kept, charitie is losed, and peace is broken. MarginaliaThe popes doctrine aloweth war for temporall goodes.But the Byshop of Rome approueth & alloweth warres, & slaughters of men in warre, aswell against our enemies, that is, the infidels, as also against the Christians for temporall goods. Now, these thinges are quite contrarye to Christes doctrine, and to charitie, and to peace. In the decrees, 23. q. 1. cap. Paratus, it is taught, that the precepts of pacience muste alwaies be retained in purpose of the hart, so that pacience with beneuolence must bee kepte in the minde secrete. Marginalia23. q. 1. ca. Paratus.
Patience so that it be inwardlye kept, may be outwardly broken.
But apparantly and manifestlye, that thing should be done, which seemeth to doe good to those, whom we ought to wishe well vnto. Wherin they geue to vnderstand, that a Christian may freely defend hymself. MarginaliaThe answer of Christ to him that smote him examined.And for cōfyrmatiō of this saying, they do say: That Christ whē he was stroken in the face of the high bishops seruant, did not fulfill (if we loke vpon þe words) hys owne commaundement: because he gaue not to the smyter the other part, but rather did forbid him, that he should not do it, to double his iniurie. For he sayd, if I haue spoken euill, beare witnes of euill, but if well, why doest thou strike me? MarginaliaHow he disproueth the glose of Gratianus vpon the cap. Paratus, 23. q. 1I do meruaile of this saying: for first if those cōmaundementes of pacience must be kept in secrete in the minde: MarginaliaChrist in answering to his striker, did not breake hys rule of patience outwardly.and seing, the bodye doth worke at the mocion of the minde, and is and ought to be moued and ruled by the same: It must thē nedes be, that if pacience be in the minde, it must appeare also outwardly in the body.

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MarginaliaThis case here of Christ was priuate.Secondly I maruaile that it is sayd, that Christ did not fulfyll his own precept of pacience. For it is manifest, that albeit he teaching alwaies as a good scholemaster, those thinges which were fyt for the saluation of soules, speaking the wholesome worde of instruction to the high bishops seruant, smyting him vniustly: did neither by worde forbyd an other stroke to be geuen on the other cheke, neyther dyd he defend himself bodely from stryking on the same cheake: MarginaliaThe precept of Christ to turne the other cheke hath a priuy comparison: as if ye would say, rather be you contēt to suffer 2. blowes, thē to reuenge one. And so the exāple of Christes answering, did nothing differ from his doctrine.But speaking to him, it is likely that he gaue him the other cheke, he meaneth, that he turned not the other cheake away. For a mā turneth not awaye from him whom he speaketh to, or whom he informeth, but layeth open before him all his face. MarginaliaThis article of Brute must haue a relation euer to the doctrine of the clergy, not to the necessitie of publike magistratesEuen so do I beleue that Christ did, that he might fulfill in very dede that, which before he had taught in word. Neyther yet did Christ by his word or by his dede, shew any thing of defence, or of bodely resistaunce.

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Thirdly, I meruaill why wise men leauing the plaine and manifest doctrine of Christ, wherby he teacheth pacience: do seeke corners of their imagining, to the intent they may approue fightinges and warres. MarginaliaThe case here agayn of Christ was priuate, and his doctrine is to be vnderstanded in priuate cases.Why marke they not after what maner, Christe spake to Peter strikyng þe high Bishops seruant, saying: Put vp thy sword into the sheath, for euery one that shall take the sworde, shal perish with the sword. MarginaliaWarre in case alowed of Walt. Brute.But in an other case we must make resistaunce: whiche case may be so rightuous, as it is for a mans Lord and maister being a most righteous man, and yet sufferyng iniurie of mischieuous persons.

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Fourthly