This is a boke worthye to be rede in daye and nyghte and neuer to be oute of handes. For it is the most excellent of all the bokes of Moses It is easye also and light and a very pure gospell that is to wete, a preachinge of fayth and loue: deducinge the loue to God oute of faith, and the loue of a mans neyghboure out of the loue of God. Herin also thou mayst lerne right meditacion or contemplacyon, which is nothing els saue the callynge to mynde and a repeatyng in the hert of the gloriouse &abar;d wonderfull deades of God, and of his terreble handelinge off his enemyes and mercyfull entreating of them that come when he calleth them which thinge this boke doth and almost nothinge els.

In the .iiij. first chaptres he reherseth the benefites of God done vnto th&ebar;, to prouoke th&ebar; to loue, &abar;d his mightie deades done aboue all naturall power &abar;d beyonde all naturall capacite of faith, that they might beleue God &abar;d trust in him and in his strength. And thyrdlye he reherseth the firce plages of God vppon hys enemyes and on them which thorowe impacientie and vnbeleffe fell from him: partelye to

tame and abate the appetites of the fleshe whiche alwaye fyght agenst the spirite, and partely to bridle the wilde raginge lustes of th&ebar; in whom was no spirite: that though they had no power to do good of loue, yet at the lest waye they shulde absteyne from outwarde euell for feare of wrath and cruell vengeaunce whiche shuld fall vppon them and shortly finde them oute, yf they cast vpp goddes nurter and runne at ryotte beyonde his lawes and ordinaunces. Moreouer he chargeth them to put nought to nor take oughte awaye from goddes wordes, but to be diligent onlye to kepe them in rem&ebar;braunce and in the harte and to teache theire childern, for feare of forgettinge. And to beware ether of makynge imagerye or of bowinge them selues vnto images sayenge: Ye sawe no image when God spake vnto you, but herde avoyce onlye and that voyce kepe and therunto cleaue, for it is youre liffe and it shall saue you. And finally yf (as the frayltie of al flesh is) they shall haue fallen from God and he haue brought them in to troble, aduersyte, &abar;d c&obar;braunce &abar;d all necessite: yet yf they repent and turne, he promyseth them that God shall rem&ebar;bre his mercie &abar;d receave th&ebar; to grace agayne

In the fifte he repeteth the .x. comma&ubar;dm&ebar;tes and that they myght se a cause to do them

of loue, he biddeth them remembre that they were bounde in Egipte and how God delyuered them with a mightie hande and a stretchedout arme, to serue him and to kepe his commaundmentes: as Paule sayeth that we are bought with Christes bloude &abar;d therfore are his servauntes &abar;d not oure awne, &abar;d ought to seke his will and honoure onlye &abar;d to loue &abar;d serue one another for his sake.

In the sixte he setteth out the fountayne off all commaundmentes: that is, that they beleue how that there is but one God that doeth all, and therfore ought onlye to be loued with all the herte, all the soule and all the myghte. For loue only is the fulfillinge of the commaundementes, as Paule also sayeth vnto, the Romaynes and Galathians likewise. He warneth th&ebar; also that they forgett not the commaundmentes, but teach th&ebar; their childern &abar;d to shew their childern also how God delyuered th&ebar; out of the bondage of the Egipti&abar;s to serue him and his commaundm&ebar;tes, that the childern myght se a cause to worke of loue, likewise.

The seu&ebar;th is all together of faith: he remoueth all occasi&obar;s that might withdrawe them from the fayth, and pulleth them also from all confidence in them selues, and sturreth th&ebar; vp to trust in god boldlye and onlye.

Of the eyght chaptre thou seyst how that the cause of all temptation is, that a m&abar; might se his awne herte. For wh&ebar; I am brought in to that extremite that I must ether suffre or forsake god, then I shall feale how moch I beleue and trust in him, and how moch I loue him. In like maner, yf my brother do me euel for my good, then yf I loue him when there is no cause in him, I se that my loue was of god, &abar;d eu&ebar; so yf I then hate him, I feale and peaceave that my loue was but wordly, And finallye he sturreth th&ebar; to the fayth &abar;d loue of god, &abar;d dryveth them fr&obar; all confidence of their awne selves.

In the nynth also he moueth th&ebar; vnto faith and to put their trust in god, and draweth th&ebar; from confidence of them selues by rehearsinge all the wekednesse which they had wrought from the first daye he knew them vnto that same daye. And in the end he repeteth how he coniured god in horeb &abar;d ouercame him with prayer, where thou mayest lerne the right maner to praye.

In the tenth he rekeneth vpp the pith of all lawes and the kepinge of the lawe in the harte: which is to feare god loue him &abar;d serue him with all their harte soule and mighte &abar;d kepe his commaundmentes of loue. And he sheweth a reason why they shuld that doo: euen

because god is lord of heuen and erth &abar;d hath also done all for them of his awne goodnesse without their deservinge. And then out of the loue vnto god he bringeth the love vnto a mans neyghboure sayenge: god is lorde aboue all lordes and loveth all his seruauntes indifferently, as well the poore and feble and the straunger, as the rich and mightye, &abar;d therfore wil that we loue the poore and the straunger. And he addeth a cause, for ye were straungers and god deliuered you and hath brought you vnto a londe where ye be at home. Loue the straunger therfore for his sake.

In the .xi. he exhorteth them to loue and feare god, and reherseth the terrible dedes off god vppon his enemies, and on them that rebelled agenst him. And he testifyeth vnto th&ebar; both what will folow yf they loue and feare god, and whate also yf they despise him &abar;d breake his commaundment.

In the .xij. he c&obar;maundeth to put out of the waye all that might be an occasion to hurte the fayth and forbiddeth to do ought after their awne mindes, or to altre the worde of god.

In the .xiij. he forbiddeth to herken vnto ought saue vnto gods worde: no though he which co&ubar;seleth c&obar;trarye shuld come with miracles, as Paule doth vnto the Galathians.

In the .xiiij the beestes are forbidd&ebar;, partely for the vnclennesse of th&ebar;, &abar;d partely to cause hate betwene the heth&ebar; &abar;d th&ebar;, that they haue no c&obar;uersati&obar; to gether, in that one abhorreth whatt the other eateth. Vnto this .xv. chaptre all pertayne vnto faith and loue cheflye. And in this .xv. he beginneth to entreate moare speciallye of thinges pertayninge vnto the comen welth &abar;d equite &abar;d exhorteth vnto the loue of a mans neyghboure. And in the .xvi. amonge other he forgetteth not the same. And in the xvij. he entreateth of right and equite chefly, in so moche that when he loketh vnto faithe and vnto the, punyshment of ydolatres, he yet endeth in a lawe of loue and equite: forbiddinge to comdemne any man vnder lesse them twoo witnesses at the lest and commaundeth to bringe the trespacers vnto the open gate of the citye where all men goo in and out, that allmen might heare the cause and se that he had but right. But the pope hath founde a better waye, even to apposse him without any accusare &abar;d that secretlye, that no man knowe whether he haue right or no, ether hate his articles or answere: for feare lest the people shuld serch whether it were so or no.

In the .xviij. he forbiddeth all false and develish craftes that hurte true fayth. Moreouer

because the people coude not heare the voyce of the lawe spok&ebar; to th&ebar; in fire, he promiseth th&ebar; a nother prophete to br&ibar;ge th&ebar; better tydinges which was spok&ebar; of christ oure sauiour.

The .xix. &abar;d so forth vnto the ende of the xxvij. is almost al to gether of love vnto oure neygboures &abar;d of lawes of equite &abar;d honestye with now &abar;d then a respecte vnto fayth.

The .xxviij. is a terreble chaptre &abar;d to be tr&ebar;bled at: A christ&ebar; mans harte might wel bleed for sorow at the readinge of it, for feare of the wrath that is like to come vp&obar; us accordinge vnto all the curses which thou there readest. For acordinge vnto these curses hath god delt with all nacions, after they were fall&ebar; in to the abhominacions of blindnesse.

The .xxix. is like terreble with a godly less&obar; in the ende that we shuld leue serch&ibar;ge of goddes secrettes &abar;d geue dilig&ebar;ce to walke accordinge to that he hath opened vnto us. For the kep&ibar;ge of the c&obar;ma&ubar;dm&ebar;tes of god teacheth wisdome as thou mayeste se in the same chapter, where Moses sayeth, kepe the c&obar;ma&ubar;dm&ebar;tes, that ye maye vnderst&obar;d whate ye ought to do. But to serch goddes secretes bl&ibar;deth a m&abar; as it is wel proved by the swarmes of oure sophisters, whose wise bokes are now wh&ebar; we loke &ibar; the scripture, fo&ubar;de but ful of folishnesse.

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