William Roye's Dialogne between a Christian Father and his stubborn Son. 435 



though he be to hym a fatlier most füll oflF mercy, yett is he 

 a iudg-e also strayght and rightous. and therefore all wayes 

 behave hym sylfe, as a membre, or instrument, wherin god 

 only maye be knowen to work vnto his glory, and Christen 

 mens edificacion, and nott vnto their hinderaunee or detriment, 

 accordynge to the doctryne of Paul every where. and specially 

 where as he declareth vnto the Gallathians what the Gai. v. 

 liberte of a Christen manne is saynge. Brethren ye were called 

 into liberte, only lett nott youre liberte be an occasion vnto the 

 flesshe but in love serve one another. This shiilde a Christen mane 

 often remembor, and therby as neare as he canne^ stody to kepe 

 hym silfe from all evill occasion gevynge. So. Declare this vnto 

 me somwhat playnlyer. Fa. Ytt is lefuU, indifferently for a Christen 

 manne withouten scruple of conscience, to eate, and to j. tim. lüj. 

 dryncke of all that God hath created and ordened Mat. iv. 

 vnto mannes fode, so that therby he misedify not his eo. xüij. 

 neghbom-e. Foryf his brother be greved by the reason, of his 

 meate, [fol. 13''.] then walketh he nott acordynge to ro. xüij. 

 charite. Lykwyse there is none ydole in the worlde, nor yett 

 thynge ther vnto offered of eny valewe. Nothwithstondynge, yf 

 one whieh as yett is weake in his conscience, for lacke of 

 knowledge of the trueth, eate of eny soche offeryuge, doutles 

 he is defoyled. Yf he also whiche perceaveth the trueth, eate 

 therof withoute respecte of the feblenes of his brothers belefe, 

 and therby provoke hym to eate of the same, triily he abuseth 

 his liberte also and destroyeth for apece of meate, his j. co. vüj. 

 brother bought with the most precious treasiire of christis 

 blowdde. Furthermore, ydols are nothynge in the worlde as 

 Faul evidently sheweth in the pistles to the Corinthians, j. co. vüj. 

 and that there is but one god, and one lorde Jesus Christ, 

 and therfore shulde we llye all manner worshippynge of theym. 

 nott inwardly in the herte alone, but also in every exteriall 

 thynge. Wherfore he that hath power to avoyde soche falce 

 ydols out of the waye, and to clense churches, ordened only 

 for the administracion of goddis werde, from all abomiuacions, 

 as are domme stones, blynde stakes, and deffe postes, with all 

 soche paynted mammettes ' on bordes, or pillers, and negligently 



' Siehe Nares, Glos arv s. v. 



