that lyueth here in the ayre gyue them selfe to serue the deuyll rather then God / and many mo there is that serue the deuil then god / for there is many mo vnfaythfull then faythfull / mo synners then good lyuers / mo that folowe the honours of the worlde / the pleasures of the flesshe / then that truely serueth god by true fayth and faythfull workes of charyte commaunded in the scrypture / mo that abuse the gooddes of the worlde then that vse them as they shulde do / of all abusers of goodes of the worlde the deuyll is the Prynce and captayne / for they do the wyll of the deuyl so we maye learne of whome the deuyll is prynce / what he maketh his seruauntes to do / workes of darcknes / and deathe / and where he vseth his power / here in the ayre where as euyl men lyueth folowyng the lustes of the flesshe / worldely honours / and pleasures of men / sekinge theyr owne pleasure more then goddes glorye / or the profyte of theyr neyghboure 5. Amonge whome we also had our coÌ„uersation / as he shulde say / nat only you Gentiles were deade by syn / going frome one synne to an other doynge the wyll of the prince of the ayre / but also all we Iewes were dead by sinne / had deserued euerlastyng death for our syn worthye to haue bene for euermore excluded the kingdom of heauen / wherfore insomuch the we with you be delyuered from syn / death / hel / eternal dampnacyon / it is is nat to be imputed to our merytes or deseruinges but only to the goodnes of God / to whome we Iewes gyue thankes glorifye god for it / as you Gentyles / for God by his sonne Iesus Christ hathe delyuered vs all from death 6. Men that be out of the fauor of god walke frome one synne to an other / do the lustes of theyr flesshe / and of theyr owne wyll contrary to the wyll of god / here we maye learne what we can do of our selfe / leste to our owne myghtes and powers yf we lacke the grace of God / surely we can do nothing elles but sinne / and folowe the desyres of our corrupte fleshe / as adultery glotony / drunkennes / Enuy / malyce / tancor hatred / pride / couitousnes / error heresy Idolatry / other suche lyke of the which commeth death eternal dampnacion 7. And were naturally the chyldren of wrath aswell as other Saint Paule extolethe the Iewes nothynge aboue the Gentyls as touchyng health iustifycacyon and lyfe euerlastynge / but maketh the Iewes and the Gentyles equall shewing them doth by their owne nature to be children of wrath and of dampnacyon that al prayse and glorye myght be gyuen onely to God for our iustifycacyon / forgyuenes of synne / and the gyfte of lyfe euerlastyng in ioye and blysse and no parte ascrybed to man to mannes myght or power merites or deseruynges ¶ But god which is ryche in mercy throughe his greate loue wherwith he loued vs / euen whan we were deade in synnes hath quyckened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and hathe raysed vs vp with hym / and set vs vp with hym in heauenly thinges through Chryst Iesus that in tymes to coÌ„e he myght shewe the excedynge ryches of his grace in kyndenes to vs warde in Christ Iesu The Apostle nowe sheweth howe that bothe the Iewes and the Gentyles deade by synnes haue opteyned lyfe nat by their owne merites / but onely by the grace of god / and that whan all hope of lyfe was paste after mannes iudgement or by the myghtê of maÌ„nes nature for howe coulde there be any hope of lyfe of them whiche were by nature the chyldren of the wrathe of god / and condeÌ„ned to deathe But then god whiche is by nature good / gentyl and mercyfull / ryche in mercy Of his greate charite and loue towarde vs hathe restored vs deade by synne to lyfe agayne by Iesus Christe / and that nat of our good workes / but frely and for Christes sake only / by whome is our lyfe The goodnes of god in this poynt is more to be noted towarde vs. That he hath loued vs whan we were his enemies euyll wycked synners that then he wolde nat suffre vs to perysshe in our synnes / but hath delyuered vs frome deathe to lyfe to be heyres of his kyngdome 2. And that he wolde make vs sure of perpetuall healthe and lyfe He sayeth that god hath quyckened vs raysed vs agayne with Christe and made vs to syt amonge the heauenly company with Christe / and that by the onely mercy grace of god by the which we are saued Here the Apostle speketh in the tyme past for the tyme to come / for the certayntie of the thynge to come by Christe And leaste anye shulde be wauerynge in hope or doubtefull of the promysses of God to be fulfylled as at mannes promysses God wylleth that men shulde be as sure of his ê“misses as yf they were receyued in dede by fayth and hope of them / whiche hope is neuer disceyued 3. The raysyng vp of Christe from death to lyfe maketh vs sure that we shall aryse fromde deathe to lyfe Ye we whiche are in this laste tymes in the whiche thynge is shewed the ryche grace of god / and his myghty power to all the worlde and for all tymes ⧠FOR by grace are ye saued throughe fayth that nat of your selues for it is the gyfte of god nat of workes lest any man shulde boste hym sealfe For we are his workmanshype created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes to the whiche god ordeyned vs before that we shulde walke in them ♣ Here we may lerne of Paule oftymes if nede be to repete one thynge whiche we wolde haue surely knoweÌ„ / and prynted in mennes hertes / specially this thyng / that our saluation coÌ„meth nat of our selfe / of our workes or merites of man / but onely of the grace of god throughe faythe In the which wordes saynt Paule reproueth all theÌ„ that thynke our iustification dothe come by other thynges then by the grace of god by Christe as by prayers / beades halowed at Syon / by masses of Scala celi / by rosaryes of our Lady / by saint Francis gyrdle / cote / coule or habit / hose / shoes or botes / gyrdeles / purse or knyfe / matyns masses or euen songe / or any other suche lyke without the grace of god without fayth of the which cometh lyfe euerlastyng 2. To fayth in the scripture is attributed our iustification / nat because fayth is the author of our iustification For the author of our iustification is Christe / but iustification is attributed to fayth because faythe receyueth the mercy of god beleueth the promysses of god made to iuste men and beleuers to be fulfylled So faythe is the organe the meane by the whiche we perceyue our
wryten approued of learned men worthye pryntynge / it myghte be prynted and set fourth with pryuylege So God shulde be more gloryfyed / his worde better knowen and beleued / greate glory and commendation come to Englande / whiche shulde gyue greate lyght in the true vnderstanding of the scriptures to all the worlde ☞ These and many other causes moued me to wryte thys playne Exposycyon in thys Epystle of Sayncte Paule to the Ephesians Wherfore gentle reader I praye the accepte in good worthe thys my rude dylygence and laboures / whyche was to set fourth openly before euery mannes eyes the mynde of the Apostle Saynte Paule in this Epistle / to shewe what thinge he wolde haue vs to knowe and to do / and what thynge not to do / and howe he seketh alwaye Goddes glorye and the saluacyon of other to teache vs to do suche lyke yf thys Epystle be declared accordynge to the mynde of Sayncte Paule gyue all thankes and prayse to God onely of whome it commethe / and none to the wryter whose mynde is to teache or defende no errour nor heresye / but to teache the truethe of Goddes worde symply and playnely / more regardynge the truethe / then the eloquence of wordes / and by the truethe of the Gospell to profyte euery man yf he can Yf thys Exposycyon do agree wyth the holye Scryptures / as I truste it dothe / take it / yf it do not / refuse it / I wolde not haue my wrytynges or sayenges no farther to be taken then they do agree with the holy Scryptures of God and by them maye be prouyd / and by the holy Scriptures onely to be iudged I am a man and maye erre as well as other hathe done / but I wyll nat be obstynat / yf I shall be gently admonyshed and instructed better by the holy Scriptures of god to whome be all honoure and glorye / worlde without ende Amen ⧠¶ Here endeth the preface of the author THE ARGVMENT OF the Epystle of Sayncte PAVLE to the Ephesyans ✚ IN THYS EPYstel the Apostle Sayncte Paule sheweth the aboundaunt goodnes of God the Father to all men / howe he hathe created and made all men and all thynges necessarye for them / chosen and elected them to etarnall lyfe and glory / and to be heyres of the celestyall kyngedome / onely of hys mere mercy and grace / and nat of the workes merites or deseruynges of any maÌ„ or of any saynt in Heauen / or in earthe / but by Iesus Chryste onely by whome he hathe restored man agayne to lyfe / whiche by the synne of Adam loste the fauour of almightye God lyfe the celesteal kyngedome to the whiche he was created and made / but by Chryste was restored ageyne to the fauoure of God / to lyfe and to heauen all men both Iewes / and Gentyles theyr synnes clerely forgyuen for Christes sake alone / and be made dere beloued and holy in the syght of the father and ryght heyres of the Heauenly inheritauÌ„ce through fayth in chryste Iesus whyche faythe is receyued by the worde of God preched vnto them ⧠Secondely the Apostle teacheth what all men be of them sealues of theyr owne nature / myghtes and powers / surely nothynge els but the chyldren of the Ire / wrath and indygnacyon of god / chyldren of darkenes / of synne / death and of hel And what they are made by Christ agayne / that is that they be made dere beloued to god / chyldren of loue / of lyfe / of iustice and of eternal saluacyon / and that onely by the mercy and grace of god and nat of the merytes of man / but by the merytes of chryst alone ¶ Thyrdly here is shewed howe both the Iewes and the Gentyles be made at one with God the father and amonges them selues by Christ that suffered death to make them at one Also what is there offyce nowe iustified throughe grace by fayth in Christ Iesus / that is to forsake theyr olde lyfe / and to walke in a newe lyfe nat to be idle / but to do good / to do good workê / nat suche as maÌ„ thynketh godd / but suche as god hathe appoynted to be done in holye scripture that men shulde walke in / and to go from one good worke to another / to fle al maner of vice sinne / if nat for the loue of God / yet for feare of the plage of God ¶ Fourthly here is declared the offices deuties of dyuers states of meÌ„ / as of these that be maryed / of Chyldren to theyr parentes of seruauntes to theyr Maysters / of euery ones deutie to another in they re states of leuynge / as you may reade in the v. and .vi. chapiters of this Epystle / wher it is shewed playnly the offyce of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / let the wyfe loke on her deutye to her husbande / learne yt / knowe and do it Also let the man loke on hys deuty and howe he shulde order hym selfe towardes his wyfe / and howe he shulde intrate her that both of them knowynge theyr deuty accordynge to Goddes lawe / maye more wyllyngely and gladly do that thynge that God requyreth of them / and they to please God better and lyue iÌ„ more peace / vnite / concorde and / quietnes Also the chyldren maye here learne theyr deutye / and wherfore that it becommeth them to be obedyent to theyr parentes / because it is Goddes commaundement and the wyll of God that Chyldren shulde obey theyr parentes And also what is the deutye of seruauntes to they re maysters / and of masters to theyr seruauntes / euery one loke on his deutye / and do it gladly and wyllyngely / for in so doynge they do serue God Fynally here is shewed the armoure of chrysten men to fyght agaynste the deuyl and his temtacyons / Last of all the Apostle desyreth these Ephesians to praye for hym / coÌ„mendynge to them Tychicum by whome he sense thys Epystle to these Ephesyans ¶ The fyrste chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians PAVLE an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST by the wyll of God to the sayntes whiche are at Ephesus / to them that beleue on Iesus Chryste Grace be with you and peas from god our father and trom the lorde Iesus Chryste SAynte Paule out of prison wrote this Epistle to these Ephesians / whom he fyrste saluteth with a christiane salutacyon / and after the salutacyoÌ„ he sheweth the causes wherfore he wrote this Epistle Saynte Paule in his Epystles vseth one christiane salutacyon of the whiche we christians may learne howe we shulde one salute and grete another / And what thynges we oughte one to desyre and wyshe to another In this salutacion is wryten the name of him that wryteth the Epystle / the name of them to whom it was wryteÌ„ In the begynnyng saynte Paule setteth his owne name that they myght knowe this Epystle to be wryten of
myght be fulfylled with all goodnes of God Suche thynges charite wisheth to other / rather then any worldly goodes / and they be wrytten to teache vs what thinges we shulde desire in our faith full and feruente prayers one to an other as long as we be in this presente lyfe / and yf we do nat so as Paul here did / we lacke fayth and charite / be out of the fauoure of god / and to monyshe vs to do our duetye ⧠Vnto him that is able to do excedynge abundatly aboue all that we axe or vnderstande accordynge to the power that worketh in vs be prayse in the congregacioÌ„ whiche is in Christe Iesu at all tymes for euer and euer Amen ☞ Least any man shulde thynke god nat able to graunte these thynges that we desyre of him in our faythfull prayers He sayeth that God dothe gyue to vs aboue all thynges that we aske of hym / and mo thynges he gyueth to vs then we aske of him / or yet can thynke to be desyred of hiÌ„ / for his might is omnipotent / and his ryches can nat be wasted or spente / for they be infinite and euer doth flowe and abunde with plentye to all men 2 He sheweth also that god worketh in al good men by his myght and power mouynge them to good workes alwayes / as in euyll men the deuyl is nat idle / but moueth and styrreth them to euyll dedes and deadly workes that bringeth death 3 The Apostle gyueth God thankes for his gyftes gyuen to hym and to all other faythfull christianes In the whiche he moueth vs al to gyue god thankes for his benefites that he gyueth to vs and to all men euery day / that we shulde nat be vnthankefull or forgetfull of the goodnes of god to whom be glory prayse and commeÌ„dacion for euer Amen ¶ The fourth chapiter to the Ephesyans ⧠THERFORE I whiche am prysoner in the Lord exhorte you that ye walke as it becommeth youre callynge where in ye are called with al humblenes of minde and mekenes and longe sufferynge forbearynge one another in loue and be dilygente to kepe the vnitye of the spyryte throughe the bounde of peace one bodye and one spirite euen as ye are called in one hope of your callynge one lord / one fayth one baptyme one God and father of vs al Whiche is aboue all and thorowe all and in you all IN Chapiters before this chapiter the Apostle hathe exhorted men to fayth Nowe he desyreth them to garnysshe their fayth with good workes / and fyrste of al he exhorteth theÌ„ to vnite and coÌ„corde for by coÌ„corde smal thynges do encrease / by discorde greate thynges are scatered abrode and do peryshe / for in the congregation of christianes nothynge is better theÌ„ vnitie and concorde / nor nothynge worse then discorde or debaite / stryfe or contention Therfore it becoÌ„meth euery man to eschewe discorde and debate / and all vices that styrreth vp coÌ„tention / and to seke for vnitie yf it be by losse of temporall profites / and to gette all vertues that brynge vnitie / concorde / peace / and quietnes / and all suche be blessed / and shal be called the chyldren of god Math. 5. Sayeth Christ Blessed be you peace makers for you shall be called the children of god / and shal haue peace with god 2 The maner of desyryng helpeth much to persuade men / as here Paule in pryson for their sake and their health by his praier did pearce their hertê and mouyd them muche to graunte his peticion / he speaketh to them after this maner Yf I do suffer prisonment and greuouse affliccion for your sake and your helth I caÌ„ nat thynke no other but you wyll do some thynge at my requeste / and specially syth that thing I require of you / is nat for may profite / but for your profite / auauntage / glory / helth and for the glory of god / and that thynge you be called to of god / and is your offyce to do withal diligence Whiche is that you shulde walke as it becommeth christianes to walke / that is nat to be idle but to go forth wardes from one vertue to another / in all mekenes of herte and minde / no man thinkynge of him selfe more then becommeth hym to thynke / farre from pryde and hye mynde / for what shulde make vs proud or hye mynded / thynkynge our selfes better then other / and extolle our selfes aboue other / or thynke no man to be coÌ„pared with vs / what haue we / that we haue nat receiued And if we haue receyued why do we glory and be proude as we had nat receyued it it is in his wyll and pleasure howe longe we shall haue it / of whom we receyued that we haue / and when he pleaseth he may take it away from vs agayne He wylleth also that we shall walke in mekenes / whiche is a vertue by the whiche / yre angry / fury / malyce / enuye / and other lyke passion or affection of the myndes is quenched and put away from the hart we must haue also patience by the whiche all aduersitie / tribulation / affliccyon howe some euer they come they be patientely suffred / without murmure or grudge agaynst god or man / without all desyre to be auenged for iniuries done / but remlite the matter to god that wyl auenge iniuries and pray for them that hathe done iniuries that they might amende and so quenche the yre of god towardes them whiche god wyll powre vpon synners that wyll nat repent and amende and refourme theyr noughty lyuyng / make amendes for theyr iniuries 3 The Apostle sheweth wherfore he exhorteth them to vnite of the spirite / for of vnite coÌ„meth many vertues / as mekenes patience / sobernes â–ª long sufferaunce with other many mo / whiche be knyt togyther with charite the bounde of peace that coupleth and knytteth all vertues together kepeth them that one shrynke nat from another Of discorde commeth many great vyces and synnes / that bryngeth to death as yre / hatred / enuye / malyce / furye / madhastynes / cauelnes / pryde / dyspysynge of other / stryfe / contencyon and / debate and many other vices mo that bringeth death Gal. 5. Therfore fle discorde / seke for vnite and peace / if it be to losse of your temporal goodes or pleasures So doynge you shall wynne more heuenly riches then you lese temporall goodes / sekynge for vnitie and peace / and if you wil haue peace and other vertues / se that you studye fyrste to gette charite and haue hyr fauoure / whose fauoure yf you lacke / you shall lacke peace / vnite / and all other vertues and hauynge her fauour / you shall haue all vertues / and the spirite of god that moueth alway to al goodnes to workes of charite and mercy 4. He sheweth the reasons why he hath exhorteth theÌ„ to concorde / and vntie of the spirite
the studye and knowledge of mannes lawe to knowe the wyll of man and howe they shulde come to ryches and goodes in the worlde / but to knowe the wyll of god / and his lawe they be nothyng diligent / ye nor desyrous of yt / it is well yf they be nat aduersaries to Goddes worde / but all suche shewe them selues what they be / perauenture wyse men to the worlde but fooles before god / men that loue more this presente lyfe theÌ„ the lyfe to come This place shulde moue al lawyers and iudges to be deligeÌ„t to knowe goddes lawe / least in there iudgementes they do iudge other wayes then goddes lawe wyll / by the whiche al mannes lawe shulde be ruled / yf goddes lawe shulde be the rule of mannes lawe as it is in dede howe shall they rule well mannes lawe that be ignoraunce in Goddes lawe Surely after my mynde there is nothynge more to the hynderaunce of Goddes worde or more to the destructyon of men soules in this realme theÌ„ that the nobilite and lawers and other that haue rule ouer the people both in the spiritualtye in the temporalty be ignoraunte in goddes lawe / in the whiche it becommeth theÌ„ most cheifely to be lerned / that they might ordre all causes and matters accordynge to Goddes lawe / geltylmen and a greate parte of lawyers be ignoraunt in Goddes lawe And therefore seldome they do loue goddes worde / or the true teachers of yt / and the laye people folowe the gentylmen or rulers As touchynge the spyrytualtye vnder the Byshoppes / rulers be lawyers brought vp in the Byshop of Romes law and for the most parte suche men that be ignoraunt in goddes worde be Chauncellours / Comysaries / Officials / which oftymes do hate Goddes worde and the true preachers of it / and fauoureth as muche as they darre the byshop of Romes lawes and his waies It is a very seldome thing to haue a lawyer a Chancellour / a Commyssary / a Preacher of Goddes worde / a setter forth of it / howe by theÌ„ that be ignoraunte it hathe ben hyndered and letted we haue experience enoughe I pray God that all Byshoppes with al there offycers vnder them may be true fauourers of goddes worde / and ernestly set forwardes and moue and exhorte al men to goddes word and to lyue after yt that God may more more be glorified of al men Amen ⧠AND be nat dronken with wyne wherin is excesse but be ful of the spyryte / and talke amonge youre selfes of Psalmes and Himnes and spyrytuall songes / syngynge and makynge melodye vnto the Lorde in youre hartes / gyuynge thankes alwaye / for all thynges / vnto God the father in the name of our Lorde Iesê° Christ submyttynge your selfes one to another in the fear of god âš¹ The Apostle here forbiddeth dronkeÌ„nes as a cause of fornication or adultry / he monysheth to ware of drinkyng wyne whiche prouoketh to adultery or fornication In these wordes he forbyddeth also al excesse and ryot in eatyng and drynkyng or other bankettynge of the whiche coÌ„meth many incoueniences and greate diseases bothe to the body and soule / of vnreasonable drynkynge or riotynge we se daylye greate syckenes to come to the bodye / as the goute / dropsy / palsey / other diseases many of the body Also dronkennes / adultry / fornication / chydynge / fyghtyng maÌ„ slaughter dothe come of greate drynkyn-whiche be destructyon and deathe of the soule The Apostle here nat onely forbyddeth synne and vyce / but also he forbyddeth the occasion and causes of them 2 Dronkennes oughte to be eschewed for many causes that commeth of it / that bryngeth men to deathe oftymes bothe of the body and of the soule it depriueth men of wytte wisdome and reason and maketh them worse then a brute beaste / yee then aswyne that walters ouer and ouer in the myre Drokennes it causeth many deseases in the body / it bringeth with it idelnes chydynge / braulynge / fyghtyng / murder / ye what myscheife doth it nat bryng with it / death both to body soule It is therfore to be aborred of all men 3 He nat onely reproueth vyce but he sheweth vertue to be taken in the place of vyce / as here he reproueth dronkennes / wylleth me not be fulfylled with the holy ghoste and to synge in their hertes spiritual Psalmes and Hymnes / gyuyng thaÌ„kes to god alwayes for his benefytê / these spirituall Psalmes and Hymnes he setteth for the fruytes of dronkennes And in this me thinke the Apostle willeth that lay men and lay women shulde synge spyritual Pslames and Hymnes as preestes and spirituall men / and gyue thankes to god for all his benefites gyuen to theÌ„ and and in this he sheweth playnely that it is lawefull for laye men and laye women to reade the holy scriptures / to haue them by harte / that they may talke of them / speke of them to theyr edyfieng / and synge spyrituall Psalmes and Hymnes gyuynge thankes to the Lorde / howe shulde they synge spirituall Psalmes and Hympnes excepte that they knewe them before / and had redde them or lerned them This place euidently sheweth that it is lawfull for laymen and lay womeÌ„ to rede the scriptures of god / to talke of them to goddes glorye and to theyr edyfienge The Apostle dothe nat heare speake onelye to mynysters in the Churche / but to all men / to whome he forbyddeth dronkennes and hê fruites / and for them the holy gooste and his fruytes to be receyued with spirituall thankes Psalmes and Hymnes gloryfyenge god alwaye 4. He wylleth that euery man shall be obedieÌ„t one to another in his state and degree and that in the feare of God / that none shulde contemne another thynkyng hym selfe better then other / but euery one humyle him vnder other / and thynke hym selfe worse in his owne syght / and in this he reproueth proude hartes and stomakes and moueth euerye one to mekenes and lowlynes in them selfe ¶ Let the women submytte them selfes vnto their husbandes as vnto the Lorde / for the husbande is the wyues heade euen as Christe also is the heade of the congregacion / and he is the sauyoure of his bodye Therfore as the congregacion is in subiection to Christe / lykewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to thei husbandes in all thinges ¶ Before the Apostle hathe vniuersally taught euery man Nowe he commeth to perticular persons as to the wyfe and the husbande he sheweth ther duetye on to the other But before I wyll shewe of their dewties I thynke it expedient som thiÌ„ge so entreate of matrymonye by the whiche the man and the wyfe be ioyned togyther and the one bouÌ„de to the other by the law of god / and that with suche knottes as caÌ„ nat be lowsed with out the breakynge of goddes law and displeasure of god / except it be for suche causes as by the scriptures may lowse the bounde of
that is deu to God / true iustice gyueth onely to Christe our reconciliation / redemption / iustification / forgyuenes of synne / and our lyfe euerlastynge / and all that is good / it gyueth to God as to the author of al goodnes / and nat to vs to our workes or meritê / true iustice seketh nat other mennes goodes / nor kepeth thinges that be nat his / but gyueth to euery one that is iuste and right And as a brest plate do couer and defende the breste so dothe iustice kepe and defende the harte from all daunger and peryl of the deuyl suffereth no euyll to entre the harte This iustice putteth away all gyle / fraude / theft lyeng / stealyng / crafte / deceyte and all other crafty wayes and disseÌ„blynges wherby other be deceyued this iustice wyll nat suffer vs to ascribe to our selfe these thynges that be nat ours / or to attribute to vs that pertayneth to Iesu Christe 5 He wolde we shulde be shode with the gospel of peace / he wolde we shuld be redy to receyue the gospell that bryngeth peace ioy / and quietnes to our conscience / and to haue on shooes as armoure for our legges and fete which signify that we shulde mortifie our carnall affections and desyres / that we shall nat desyre carnall thinges / but heueÌ„ly thinges as the gospel of peace the kyngedome of heauen and ioy euerlastynge These be armour to defende the body / that no darte wounde it 6 Aboue all thynges take the shelde of fayth Fayth is the armour that defendeth nat onely the heade / but also it defendeth the hole body / as a buckeler defendeth meÌ„ from dartes of their enemies / so fayth defendeth men from temtations of the deuyl and his assaultes The deuyll casteth his fyre brandes and dartes againste vs intendynge to pearce and wounde vs with theÌ„ / he throweth at vs his fyry dartes of diffydence / of carnall desyres and pleasures / when he casteth before our eyes sinne and the pleasure in sinne / and by such pleasing baytes draweth vs to synne / but all the deuyls fyry dartes / by the which we be moued and set on fyre to synne / true fayth do quenche and put them clere out / and maketh vs safe without hurt of them / of such vertu is fayth / which is a sure armoure to beare of strokes wyl nat suffer any dart of the deuyll to wounde vs. 7 Take the helmet of saluacion that is take Iesus Christ your heade for your helmet to defende you / and haue true hope in him put all your care in god / for he hath care for you / and these that beleue in hym he wyll defende and saue them and make them to ouer come the deuyll and all his teÌ„tatyons / so by true fayth and sure hope in god / is our enemy the deuyll put away and his temptations do nat noye or hurte vs. ♣ ♣ 8 Take also the Swerde of the spirite / whiche is the worde of god / the armour to inuade our enemy the deuyl / by the whiche the deuyll is put awaye and expelled / wounded and kylled Here we may learne how necessary is the worde of god to fight agaynst the deuyll to inuade hym / and to expelle him / ye the word of god is so necessary to fyght againste the deuyll / that the deuyl is nat ouercoÌ„med nor ouer throwne but by the worde of god / at the whiche he is nat able to stande / but it ouer throweth hym at the fyrste / and all the temtatyons of the deuyl is expulsed by the word of god onely yf the worde of god be so necessary a thynge to expelle the deuyll and all his teÌ„tations / and by no other way the deuyl is expelled / nor his temtations put away I pray you what haue they done that haue dissuaded lay men and laye women frome the worde of God / and kept them so longe from it / persuading to the vnlearned / that it was nat lawfull ne expediente for them to reade the holy scripture to haue the word of god to fyght agaynst the deuyll and by it to dryue away the deuyll / and to resyste vtterly the deuylles temtations I praye you Iudge you now / of whose partly haue these men ben of goddes partye / or of the deuyls party that hath depryued christians of their armoure by the whiche they shulde resyste and ouer come the deuyll / it was no great meruail yf we were brought in greate darkenes and blyndnes and the deuyll to haue hade greate rule and power ouer vs and vs sure bounde in his chynes / when we had no weapons to fyght against him / neither to kepe out his fire dattes / nor yet weapons to smyte him again And yet these that did take away from vs out lawfull armoure that is the holy scripture / by the whiche onely the deuyll is ouercommed / they dyd persuade them to be our frendes / to spoyle vs of our armoure to be for our profyte / as who shuld say the deuyll wyll nat tempt laymen or lay womeÌ„ to synne / so to brynge them to death / but be mercyful lorde to theÌ„ / which is againste the nature of the deuyls magestye / but yf lay men and lay wemeÌ„ do nat fyght agaiÌ„st the deuyll and by the worde of god do nat dryue him awaye but gyue place to hym they shal be kylled and deuoured brought to eternall death Therfore le nat christians be spoyled of their armour / that is the holy scripture / that they may resyst / and ouercome the deuyll and all his temtatyons / it is as necessary for lay men and lay women to haue theyr armour / as for spiritual men called / seyng the deuyl doth teÌ„pt to siÌ„ne as well lay men as spirituall men Thus the Apostle hathe gyuen vs weapons to fyght agaynst the deuyll and his temtatioÌ„s and wylleth vs to take chastite for a gyrdle / iustice for a breste plate / denyenge of our affection gladnes to receyue the gospell for leg harnesse / Christe for an helmet / fayth for a bucler and for a swerde the worde of God / that ouercommeth and kylleth the deuyll / and these be the weapons wherby christenmen shulde fyght agaynste the deuyll and ouercome hym These weapons gyuen to christianes to fyght agaynste the deuyll do nat take away from christen prynces and rulers the secular or temporall swerde as the Anabaptystes thynke / and say / whiche so thynkynge and sayeng / do both thynke euyll say euyll For christiane prynces and kynges and rulers may vse the teÌ„poral swerde vpon malefactors and euyll doers / to correcte them / to punyshe them / yet to punyshe them with temporall death to feare other frome doynge euyll / yf nat for loue of god and of heauenly rewarde yet for feare of punyshment / as saynt Paule playnely sheweth to the Romayns 13. sayenge The
the profyte of other For what purpose and ende good workes are to be done it is shewed Ephe. 2 Where the Apostle sayeth We are nat iustifyed of workes / leaste any shulde reioyse but by grace through fayth There yf you please you may se my mynde ⧠Let no fylthy communication procede out of youre mouthe but that whiche is good to edifye with all / when nede is / that it be gracious to heare / and greue nat the holy spirite of God / wherwith ye are sealed vnto the daye of redemptyon let al bitternes and fearfulnes and wrath / and roryng and cursed speakynge be farre from you with all malyciousnes / but be ye curteous one to another mercyfull and forgyue one another euen as god hathe forgyuynge you in Christe ⧠The Apostle exhorteth men to flee al vncleane spekynge and all fylthy communication / and wylleth thē to speake clenly honest wordes to the edyfyenge of other in Christe / and nat to make sadde the holy gooste whiche is greued at fylthy communication and vncleane wordes / whiche be sygnes of a fylthy and vnlceane harte / for of abundaunce of harte the tonge speaketh The Apostle forbyddeth all fylthy communication or vncleane wordes in all companyes of men / as t dyner or souper or any other bankettes / and in these wordes he reproueth mynstrels / gesters or raylers / that vse fylthy or vncleane wordes / songes / raylynge or gestynge to delyte the eares of the heaters / with baudye songes or rebaldry wordes / ye the Apostle reproueth all them that haue pleasure in suche vncleane wordes or songes / in the whiche many haue pleasure and can nat be mery without they haue a gester that can make hym and al gestes merye with fylthy wordes / and vncleane communycation / with the whiche great mennes rables be furnyshed / and theyr gestes made merye glad at the whiche greate men do laughe So the breakynge of goddes cōmaundemente is counted a pastyme and a pleasure But let all suche take hede / for it wyl be no pastyme at the last day / when we shall make answere for euery idle worde Math. 12. Muche more we shall make aunswere for euery noosome worde / and vnprofytable / therfore let euery man refrayne his longe from speakyng of fylthy wordes / and his eares from hearynge of vncleane commucacion / and from pleasure in the same / in this poynt we shal nat prouoke God to powre his vengeaunce vpon vs / nor yet feare the reckeynynge at the laste daye for nosome and vncleane wordes / but let our cōmunication be to the glorye of god / to the edyfyeng of another 2 Fylthy communycatyon greueth the holy ghost gyuen to vs to be as surenes of the heauenly inheritaunce promysed to vs of god Yf we faythfully beleue walke in goddes commaundementes / accordyng to his pleasure 3 He exhorteth men also to put awaye al bytternes / yre / wrathe / malyce / enuye / hatred / raylyng / and cursed speakyng one of another and al blasphemy agaynst god and al other vices with the affections and concupyscence of the flesshe / and wylleth that we shulde put vertue in theyr places as gētylnes / mekenes / mercifulnes redynes one to forgyue another / that they might opteyne of god mutuall mercy forgyuenes of theyr sinnes ¶ The fyfthe Chapiter to the Ephesyans ⧠BE YE the folowers therfore of God as deare chyldren and / walke in loue euen as Christe loued vs / and gaue hym selfe for vs an offeryng and sacryfyce of a swete sauoure vnto God IN the ende of the Chapiter that goeth before he exhorteth vs to mutuall forgyuenes by the example of god the father Nowe goeth he forwardes with the same exhortacion mouyng vs to be folowers / nat of this world / the fleshe or the deuyl nat of sayntes departed but in these thynges that they were folowers of God / but that we shulde be folowers of God and to folowe his fote steppes This place reproueth al them that wyll nat be folowers of god / but of them selfe / of theyr owne mind wyl and pleasure / folowers of the worlde of worldly honoures and pleasures / and gyue them selfe holy to the worlde and to worldely facions and maners / or wyll folowe theyr sensual pleasures of theyr flesshe and the lustes or desyres of it This place reproueth all them that wyl nat folow God / nor his holy worde / but wyl folowe them selfes / there wyl workes / there owne good zeales / or intentes / or workes inuēted of them selfe or of men / and leue the workes commaunded of God vndone / as many hathe done prefertynge pardons / pylgrimage / payntynge of stockes or stones / aboue workes commaunded of God to be done This place also reproueth all them that wyll nat be folowers of God / but they wyll go before god or els wyll be felowes or rhecinat with god Some their is that go before god / that preferreth men before God / or mennes lawe mennes decrees traditiōs / statutes / religiousnes / ceremonies or other lyke ordinaunces inuented by man preferrynge these thynges aboue goddes lawe / or goddes commaundemente / and wyll punysshe muche more greuously the breakyng of mannes lawe / mannes tradition / a dum ceremonye brokyng or omitted / thē the breakyng of goddes cammaundement / all suche do nat folow god / but go before god There be some also that wyll go equall with god and be checkmate with hym / whiche he they that make mānes traditions / lawes or ceremonies inuented of man equall with goddes lawe / and thynke them selfe as well boūde to kepe mannes traditions or ceremonies as goddes lawe / suche there hath ben many in religion / and I feare there is as yet that so thynke / that thynk it is deadly sine to omytte any part of mannes traditions ceremonies / or customes vsed / this thynge maketh me so to beleue / because theyr is more punyshement for a tradition of man omytted then for breakynge of goddes cōmaundementes / and more cryeng out of a mannes law broken then for the breking of Goddes lawe / and many that thynke mannes lawe byndeth as well the consciēce / as Goddes lawe / and all one thynge to omytte the one as the other All suche folowe nat god / but go cheke by cheke with god and make man equal with god Al suche the Apostle here reproueth / and al thē that wyl twyne to much on the ryght hād or left hāde nat folowe Christe streight forthe declynynge to nother hande 2 He wylleth that we shulde walke in loue as dere beloued children / yt behoueth chyldren to folowe their father to shewe their father in maners / conditions in al goodnes / and it is a shame for the sonne to shrynke frome the vertue of his father / in loue therfore it behoueth vs to folowe our father of heauen / whiche of his great loue to vs / dyd
gyue his onely sonne for vs / to brynge vs to euerlastynge saluacyon And also his sonne Christ Iesus dyd shewe the loue of his father towardes vs which was obedyent to the wyll of his father and wyllyngly dyd suffer death to delyuer vs from death / hell / and eternall dampnacion / and brought lyfe to vs. And this same Christe did gyue him selfe an oblation and a thankefull sacrifice for vs to the Lorde / by the which one sacrifice he reconciled vs to the father and made vs wel beloued to hym Here is allusiō to the sacrifices of the olde lawe whiche pacefied the yre or wrathe of god as Noe pacyfied the wrath of a god by an oblation or sacrifyce offered vp to god Gene. 8. And this sacrifice that Christ offered vp to god was a full and a suffycians sacrifice to pacyfie the wrath of God and to take awaye all the synnes of the worlde ones for euer / as saynte Paule sheweth Hebre. 10. By one ablation he hathe made them perfyte for euer that are sanctifyed Therfore they offende that by other sacrifyces then by Christe Iesu / go aboute to pacify the wrath of god / and to take away sinnes as by Masses and Scala celt / of the holy ghost / of the fyue woundes / of requiē or other lyke wayes or meanes / or by any workes of man to be done to swage the wrath of god to deserue the grace of God forgyuenes of synne and lyfe euerlastynge by the vertue of the worke in it selfe / for the which ende good workes are nat to be done / as I haue shewed before ☞ As for whordome and all vnclennes or couetousnes / let it nat be named amongest you as it becommeth Sayntes Neyther fylthynes / nor folyshe talkynge / neyther iestynge whiche are nat comly but rather gyuynge of thankes for be ye sure that no whore monger or vnclean person or couetous persone whiche is a worshypper of Images hathe inheritaunce in the kyngedome of Christe and of God Let no mā deceyue you with many wordes for bycause of these commeth the wrathe of god vpon the chyldren of vnbeleue be nat ye therfore companyons with thē ¶ The Apostle sheweth here certayne vyces that christiane men shulde flee and eschewe As whoredome / vnclennes / and couetousnes / whiche be vyces nat to be named / muche lesse to be done amongest christianes / that shulde be sayntes and al holy in conuersation and lyuyng The Apostle wolde haue bothe the names of these vyces and the vyces them selfe clerely abolyshed and put away / that no man shulde do them / nor yet so muche as name them ones for the vengeaunce of god doth come vpon all fornicatours / vnlcennes / and couetousnes Example in them that perysshed in Noes floude / and at Sodome and Gomorrhe / and of other many of the Israelytes that perysshed in the wyldernes for these synnes Nume 25. The punyshement of them may affraye all other frome these vices / lest they be ponyshed as these were with the plage of god 2 He requyreth of vs an holy conuersation of lyfe / as it becommeth Sayntes 1. faythfull men in Christe Iesu / whome it becommeth to be farre frome al whoredome / fornication / auoutrye or vnclennes in worde or in dede And here the Apostle reproueth all them that hath great pleasure to talke and speake them selfes of whoredome / fornycation / baundrye / or that delyteth to here other speake / talke or rayse vnclensy and so to make thē mery and there gestes to laugh at fylthy and vnclean wordes or songes / it is greatly to be lamented amōgest christen men / that suche sause displeasyng god / shulde please christen mē and that the displeasure of god / shulde be a laughter amongest christyans But these that haue pleasure in fylthy communycacion and delireth therin and wyl vse it or suffer it to be vsed where they maye set it / that they be whoremongers and vnclean in theyr hartes before God Therfore yf they wyl nat so be coōted before mē / whoremongers or vncleane / and laughers at goddes displeasure / ye and auoyd the plage and punyshement of god / let thē leue al fylthy cōmunication filthy deyng / amēde and do no more so / haue pleasure therin no more / suffer these vyces in no other / reproue them / studye to amende youre selfe and other / that you maye auoyde the plage of god for these vyces 3 The Apostle wolde christianes shulde auoyd al vncomely behauer both in word and in gesture that none shulde be prouo / ked to vncleane doynges by vnclean wordes or gestures by the which he reprouith many vnclean songes / louers songes called / that sounde and prouoke to vncleane loue or fylthy pleasure of the bodye he reproueth also vncomly daunces vsed of womē / and al ther indissolute gestures that becommyth nat He reproueth all folysshe speakynge / ydle talkynge / and fayned fables of the whiche commyth no profyte / nor edifyeng to the auditors Also he reproueth all knauery in all scoldynge all raylynge / al vncomly gestynge and al vncomly behauoure / that be nat to the glorye of god / nor yet to the edyfyenge of the hearers nor to helpe to amende euyll doers make them better to seke goddes glorye / and the profyte of other 4 He dissuadeth christians from whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes / and fromē al vice that folowe of these / yf nat for loue of god / yet for feare of punyshementes that folowe these vices / that they shulde abstayne from them / He sayeth that no whoremonger / no fornicatours no vncleane persons / no couetous men shall haue the kingdome of heauen This payne thretened whiche without doubte wyll fal vpon thē yf they do nat amende this payne shewed howe great synnes before god be fornicacion / whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes vncomely raylynge or gestynge for the whiche synnes men be excluded from the kyngedume of Christe of god / they must nedes be great synnes / that shit out from the kyngdome of heauen / howe some euer they be estemed of men in the worlde / gret or small 5 The couetous man is called a worshypper of Images or Idolles / for as the ydolater do whorshyppe ydolles for God / put hope and truste in ydoles so dothe the couetousmā worshyp riches for his God / making more of ryches / then of God louynge ryches better then god / settyng his harte and mynde more vpon ryches then vpon god / puttynge truste and confidence in ryches more then in the prouydence of of god / extollyng hym selfe aboue other by reason of his ryches / substance / or goodes he hath aboue other 6 After that he had monyshed them to flee vices / he byddeth them beware that they be nat deceyued by vayne wordes / of the whiche it aperethe that there was amōgest the Ephesyās some mē of corrupt myndes and iudgementes blynded with synne and obdurated in