sundrie whiche would think there were none other life after this and therfore would passe their daies lewdely inordinately and accordyng to the deuises of their own sensuall lustes In deede at Rome and in Italie this Prophesie is long ago fulfilled and thei that come from thence to vs bryng with them this opinion that what filthie and wicked life they leade there the same doe they teach vs and those Countries where they chaunce to inhabite But a little before the latter daie suche maner of men must needes bee as Christe himself foretolde Matth. xxiiij As the dayes of Noah were so likewise shall the commyng of the soonne of man be For as in the daies before the floud thei did eate and drinke marie and giue in mariage euen vntill the daye that Noah entred into the Arke and knew nothing till the floud came and tooke them all awaie so shall also the commyng of the sonne of man be And a litle after in the same Chapter Bee ye readie for in suche a tyme as ye thinke not will the sonne of man come Againe Luc. xxj As a snare shal that day come vppon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Againe Luk. xvij As the Lightening that lighteneth out of the one parte vnder Heauen shineth vnto the other parte vnder Heauen so shal the sonne of man be in his daie That is it shall come merueilous sodainly and moste vnlooked for when as the Worlde shall liue in moste senselesse securitie and the Woorde of God altogether deryded and contemptuously skorned This therefore shalbee a signe and a token of the neere approchyng of the latter daie when as menne shall loosely liue accordyng to their owne wilfull lustes and pleasures and whē as thei shall presumptuously aske Where is now the promise of his commyng The Worlde hath continued thus long and euery thyng is in the same case as it hitherto hath been what straunge thyng shall there now happen Sainct Peter therefore forewarneth vs that we bee not lightly caried awaie with these wicked speeches but rather knowe that thei bee vndoubted signes and tokens that this daie will come and that verie shortlie For this they willingly knowe not that the heauens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the woorde of God Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water THei are suche peruerse and frowarde persones saieth he that thei disdaine and grudge to bestowe any tyme or labor in learnyng the truth in so muche that with a flearyng disdaine thei resiste and can not be brought so muche as euen to reade the Scriptures Yea thei are so wilfull and obstinate that thei will not seeme either to thinke or know how that the same thyng came to passe also in the olde worlde when Noah builte the Arke Namely how that the Earth beeyng separated frō the water was in the beginnyng made by the Woorde of God and how againe the same Earth was whollie ouerflowed and drouned with water and how that menne liued then so secure and carelesse that thei looked for no harme to come vnto theim neither thought of any destruction at hande And yet sodainly the Floud couered theim all Of all whiche these peruerse and froward persones are willyngly and wilfully ignorant The plaine meanyng of his woordes is as if he should saie If God then destroied the Worlde with water and by a terrible example declared that he was able to droune it vniuersallie how muche more will he destroie it now hauyng so muche and so often in plaine and sundrie wordes and in so many seuerall places threatened and promised thesame Heauen and Earth had their Beginnyng and Creation by the Woorde of God thei were not from euerlastyng And the Waters that rested aboue in the Cloudes were by a Firmament separated from the Waters whiche were in Seas and Riuers vpō the Earth belowe So that the Earth which was ouerwhelmed and surrounded with the Deepe was by the Worde of GOD parted from the Waters and became drie lande standyng and beeyng hemmed in by the Waters And that whiche Moses at large describeth is by Saint Peter here but lightly touched By the same Worde of GOD whereby thei were made and created are all thynges therein preserued and gouerned For it is not there Nature so to stande or to remaine in suche situation and therefore if God by his vnspeakable power did not vpholde preserue and gouerne theim all thynges would quickly come to a wrecke and ruine and bee sonedrenched couered and wholly ouerflowed with Water But mightie is thee Worde whiche God spake whē he saied Lette the waters vnder the heauens bee gathered into one place and let the drie lande appeare That it let the Waters depart aside and giue place that the drie lande maie bee seen and that menne maie dwell thereon for otherwise as I saied afore by Nature the water would ouerflowe and couer the whole Earth Whiche that it so commeth not to passe is as straunge a miracle as any is among all the woorkes of God Now saieth Sainct Peter These wilfull flouters and stiffe-necked deriders are so peruerse and incōsiderate that thei maliciously thinke skorne to shewe this honor to the holie Ghost to reade the Scriptures and therein to see how God keepeth preserueth and gouerneth the worlde within the water wherby thei might well perceiue and see that all thynges are in the handes of GOD and therefore sithe he hath once alreadie destroied the world by bringing therevpon the general Deluge so also when it pleaseth him can he doe vnto vs. For the example thereof ought so greatly to mooue eche one of vs that as he then performed that whiche afore he threatened so we should now none otherwise think but that he will surely abide by his woordes and doe that whiche he hath spoken concernyng vs. But the Heauens and Earth whiche are now are kepte by the same Woorde in stoare and reserued vnto fier against the daie of Iudgement and of the destruction of vngodlie menne IN the old tyme when God drouned the whole Worlde in the generall Floude the waters in moste abundaunce gushed out of the Cloudes aboue spouted out of the bowelles of the Earth belowe and on euery side suche streames encreased that nothyng was now to bee seene but Waters the Earth accordyng to her Nature beyng all drouned and couered vnder the Waters But God promised that hee would neuer thence forthe destroie the Worlde with waters any more makyng a couenaunt and giuyng his Rainbowe in the Cloudes for a signe thereof Genes ix Therefore he will nexte consume and destroye it with Fire so that there shall then nothing appeare but Fire as aforetyme there was nothyng seene but water Hereof also S. Paule ij Thess j. When the Lorde Iesus shall shewe hymself from heauen with his mightie Angells in flamyng Fier rendryng vengeance to them that doe not knowe God and whiche doe not obeye vnto the
perceiue and note that to be true which was said afore namely that this Epistle amōg all the reste is of moste singuler excellencie For in the verie entraunce hee beginneth to declare what Christe is and what benefite wee receiue by hym when as hee saieth that wee are begotten againe of God vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ Also that all giftes are bestowed vpon vs of the Father of his mere mercie without any our deserte These are in deede true and right Euangelicall phrazes these are comfortable speeches moste meete to bee published and preached But alas what small stoare of suche kinde of preachyng is there to bee founde in the Bookes euen of them that are accoūpted the best The written workes euen of Hierome and Augustine what small consonancie and agreement haue they with these wordes And yet must Iesus Christ bee thus preached that he died and rose againe and why hee died and did rise againe that men beeyng throughly moued with this kinde of preachyng maie beleeue in hym and beleeuyng maie obtaine saluation This it is to preache the true Gospell in deede Whatsoeuer is not preached after this sorte is not the Gospell whosoeuer hee bee that preacheth it The very summe then and effect of these woordes is this that Christ by his resurrection hath brought vs to his father and hereby also Sainct Peter goeth about euen by our Lorde Iesus Christe to bring vs to the Father and to set hym a mediator betweene GOD and vs. It hath bin hitherto preached that wee must call vpon Saincts to bee our intercessors with God Hereupon wee haue runne to the holy Virgine Marie and haue made her our Mediatour leauyng Christe in the meane season as an angrie Iudge So doeth not the Scripture it commeth and approcheth nerer it giueth this glorie to Christ our Lord that he is our onely mediator by whom alone we must come vnto the Father O inestimable treasure which is giuen vs by Christe namely that wee maie goe to the Father and aske the inheritance wherof Sainct Peter here speaketh These wordes doe moreouer plainly shewe what mynde the Apostle had why that so earnestly and with such vehement ardencie he began to praise the Father and will haue vs also to praise and blesse hym for the incomparable riches which he hath giuen vnto vs in that he hath begotten vs againe and that before we could euen so muche as thinke thereof muche lesse preuent hym so that here is nothing remaining to preach and praise but the onely mercie of God And therefore can we boaste of no workes at all but must confesse that we haue all through his onely mercie whatsoeuer wee haue Here is now no more Lawe no wrathe as in tyme past there was when it made the Iewes to flée beyng striken with terror so that they durst not goe vnto the Mount God doeth not now still vrge and strike vs but handleth vs as fauourably as maie be fashionyng and makyng vs anewe neither giueth hee vs grace to doe one good woorke or twoo but frameth in vs a newe creature and a newe life so that wee bee now an other thyng then wee were before when wee were the sonnes of Adam namely wee are translated from the inheritance of Adam to the inheritance of God that hee maie bee our Father and we his children and therein his heires euen of all good thynges that he hath See what excellent thinges are in the Scripture handled concernyng this matter Now inasmuche as wee are regenerate and the sonnes and heires of God wee are equall in dignitie and honor with Sainct Paule Sainct Peter the holy Virgin Marie and all the Saincts For wee haue the same treasure from God and all good thynges as largely as they They were no otherwise regenerate then we wherefore they haue no more then all other Christians Vnto a liuely hope OUr life here vpō the earth is for none other cause but that we should help others otherwise it were best that God should euen straight after our baptisme and the receiuyng of faith ende our daies and suffer vs to dye Howbeit he permitteth vs to liue here to this ende that we maie bring others also vnto the faith which he him self hath doen to vs before Nowe while wee liue here on the earth wee liue in hope For albeit wee be certaine that through faithe wee haue all the good thinges of God for faith as it assuredly bringeth with it regeneration so doeth it bring also adoption and inheritance howbeit we see not this as yet and therefore doeth it as yet consist in hope beyng somewhat remoued from our sight that wee can not see and beholde it Now this the Apostle calleth the hope of life which is an Hebrewe kinde of speeche as is this The man of sinne Wee call that a liuely hope wherby we certeinly hope assuredly looke for eternall life whiche is now hid as it were with a veile that it can not bee seene neither is it presently perceiued but in the harte through faith as Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 3. writeth Now are wee the sonnes of God and yet doeth it not appeare what wee shalbe but we knowe that when he shal appeare we shalbe like hym for we shall see hym as he is Because the life present and the life to come can not be together neither can it bee that wee should eate drinke sleepe watche and doe other workes of Nature which this life bringeth with it and bee therewith also blessed therefore can wee not attaine vnto this to liue for euer vnlesse wee first dye and forgoe this present life Wherefore while wee here liue wee must still stande in hope vntill it please God to call vs hence to beholde and see those good thinges which we now hope after And how maie we come vnto this liuely hope By the resurrection saieth the Apostle of Iesus Christ from the dead I haue oftentymes saied that none can rightly beleeue in God and come vnto hym without a meane for asmuche as wee are all the children of wrathe and of our selues can doe nothyng that is acceptable before God wee haue therefore neede of an other by whom we maie appeare before hym who may make intercession for vs and reconcile vs vnto hym Now there is none other mediator then the Lord Christ who is the Sonne of God It is therefore no true faithe whiche the Turkes and Iewes haue who saie and beleeue that GOD is the maker bothe of heauen and earth for thus doeth the Deuill also beleeue and yet doeth this beleefe nothyng at all profite hym Thei presume to come into the sight of God without Christe the mediator Thus saieth Sainct Paule in the fift to the Romanes Wee haue accesse vnto God through faithe not by our selues but by Christ Wherefore wee must haue Christe with vs wee must come with hym wee must satisfie God by hym and doe all thinges with God by hym and in his name
contained the summe of a true Christian life As thou liuest therefore so shalt thou receiue and so will God iudge thee And therfore although God iudge vs accordyng to our woorkes yet neuerthelesse this remaineth also alike true that good workes are onely the fruictes of Faithe whereby it shalbe easie to finde and trie where Faithe is and where is Infidelitie And therefore will God iudge thée accordyng to thy workes and will thereby laie it face to face to thy charge whether thou haue Faithe or no. As no man can better confute a Lyer then by his owne woordes And yet neuerthelesse it is plaine that by those words he is not made a Lior but he was a Lyer afore that he vttered any lye because that a lye must needes proceede from the harte into the mouth Take therefore these same woordes of Sainct Peter in a moste simple sense and in such sorte that you vnderstande workes to be the fruictes and seales of Faithe and that God doth iudge men according to these fruictes whiche can not but ensue and followe a true and sounde Faithe to the intent it maye manifestly appeare where Faithe remaineth in the harte and also where Infidelitie lodgeth God will not iudge accordyng to these interrogatories and questions whether thou be called a Christian or no or whether thou bee baptized or not but hee will thus question with thee Sirrha if thou bee a Christian where bee thy fruictes whereby thou art able to confirme and approue thy faithe And therefore saieth sainct Peter forasmuche as you haue suche a father which iudgeth not accordyng to any mans person see that yee haue your conuersation in the tyme of your dwelling here in feare that is to saie Feare ye this Father not in the feare of punishment and reuenge for so the wicked reprobates and Deuilles dooe feare hym but feare ye hym least he should forsake you or withdrawe his holie hande from you Euen as an honest and good childe standeth in feare least hee should offende his father or commit any thyng that should not bee well liked of hym Suche a feare doeth God require at our handes whereby wee maye loathe and abhorre sinne and diligently studie to helpe out neighbour so long as we haue to liue in this worlde That Christian that beleeueth well is possessed of all the goodes and benefites of God and is the childe of God as wee haue heard afore declared but the tyme that hee here hath to liue is nothyng els then a kinde of Sequestration or Pilgrimage For his Spirite by faithe is alreadie in heauen by the whiche hee is euen a Lorde of all thynges But God therefore suffreth hym yet for a tyme to liue in the fleshe and to bee conuersant in bodie vpon the earth purposelie that he should help others and bryng them with him to heauen And therefore wee ought no otherwise to vse this worlde nor to make any other accompt thereof but as Straungers or wayfaring men are wont to doe who commyng into their Lodgyng or Inne make no further reckoning but to haue at their Hostes handes meate drincke and lodging for one night and no longer thei doe not chalenge and laie claime vnto their Hostes whole substaunce After the same sorte ought euery one to accoumpt of his wealth and richesse euen as though thei were none of his to take therof onely so much as is sufficient for the maintenance and nourishment of his bodie and with the rest to relieue and helpe his needie neighbours Therefore the life of a Christian man is no otherwise but as a mansion for one night For wee haue here no permanent dwellyng place wee must haue our desire thither where our Father is namely heauen And therfore wee ought to abandon and laie aside all lasciuiousnesse and dissolute life and to passe as sainct Peter saieth the time of our dwellyng here in feare Knowyng that ye were not redeemed with corruptible thinges as siluer and golde from your vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers But with the precious bloud of Christ THis saieth he ought to prouoke and stirre you to employe your conuersation in the feare of God consideryng how greate a price your redemption coste Heretofore ye were Citezins of the worlde liuyng vnder the tyrannous rule of the Deuill now hath God deliuered you from suche lamentable and desperate conuersation and hath brought you into an other place so that now you are Citezens in heauen and but Straungers and Pilgrims on earth But marke ye wel how muche God hath bestowed on you and how vnvaluable and exceedyng greate that treasure is wherewith you are redeemed and brought into that happie case to become the children of God Therefore passe your time and conuersation in feare and take ye good heede least if ye should contemne and neglect these thynges ye loose this so excellent and precious a treasure And what treasure is that whiche is so excellent and precious wherewith wee are redeemed Not these corruptible thinges Golde or Siluer but the moste precious bloud of Christe the Sonne of God This treasure is so excellent and of price so inescimable that no sense or reason of man is able to comprehende it insomuche that one small droppe of this most innocent Bloud had been fullie sufficient for the sinnes of the whole worlde But it pleased the eternall Father so aboundantly to poure out his Grace vpon vs and with suche a price to procure and worke our Saluation that he would haue his moste deare Sonne Christ to shed all his bloud and to bestow and giue vnto vs all his treasures at once And therefore he requireth vs that we doe not as it were cast awaie into the ayre or make small accoumpt of suche a greate Grace but rather so to esteeme of it that wee maie bee stirred and mooued vnto feare that liuyng therein wee maie not deserue est sones to be depriued of this so surpassing a treasure And this withall must diligently be noted and considered how that sainct Peter here doeth saie that ye were redeemed from your vaine conuersation which ye receiued by the traditions of the fathers For by this hee vtterlie throweth downe that perswasion that wee are wont moste commonly to leane vnto thinkyng that all our dooinges ought to bee allowed and well liked of because the same of an olde custome haue had lonâ— continuaunce and because our Auncestours and predecessors aâ—â—â—ng whom there haue been many wise and good men haue so obserued them For thus hee saieth Whatsoeuer our fathers haue either enacted or doen all was ill and consequently those thinges that you haue learned of theim concernyng the worshippe of God are so corrupt and naught that God muste bestowe the blond of his owne Sonne to redeeme and free men from the same Whatsoeuer now therefore is not washed awaie by his bloud is altogether by the fleshe infected and accused Wherevpon it followeth that the more earnestly that any man striueth to attaine to
heard and God is moste humbly to bee desired and praied vnto to turne his heauie wrath and plague from vs. For this calamitie and wretchednesse commeth not vpon vs by chaunce or blinde fortune but it is sent vnto vs from God as a plague for our wickednesse and impietie as S. Paule witnesseth ij Thes ij Because saieth he they receiued not the Loue of the truth that they might bee saued therefore shall God sende them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes For if this punishment and reuenge of God had extended no further but to the perishing onely of these false counterfaite and seducing Teachers thēselues it might haue seemed very tollerable but now they hauyng maistered and ouerruled the whole Worlde at their own pleasures they haue caried with them to hell whole multitudes of people that haue beene bewitched and enchaunte◠with their spirituall sorceries There is no remedie therefore for vs to recure this mischiefe but to prostrate our selues before the mercie seate of almightie God in all feare and humilitie moste penitently confessyng our faultes and suppliauntlie imploryng his diuine grace and assistaunce◠that it might please him to vouchsafe to remoue and take awaie this plague from vs. It is earnest and hartie praier wherewith wee must impugne and withstande these false and deceiptfull Teachers for Sathan our Aduersarie the Deuill will not bee driuen awaie with any other weapons ¶ The third Chapter THis seconde Epistle I now write vnto you beloued wherewith I stirre vp and warne your pure myndes To call to remembraunce the wordes whiche were told before of the holie Prophetes and also the commaundement of vs the Apostles of the Lorde and Sauiour This firste vnderstande that there shall come in the laste daies mockers whiche will walke after their lustes And saie Where is the promes of his comming for since the Fathers died all thynges continue alike from the beginnyng of the creation For this thei willyngly knowe not that the Heauens were of olde and the Earth that was of the water and by the water by the woorde of God Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water But the Heauens and Earth whiche are now are kepte by the same Woorde in store and reserued vnto fire against the daie of Iudgemente and of the destruction of vngodlie men Dearely beloued bee not ignoraunt of this one thyng that one daie is with the Lorde as a thousande yeres and a thousande yeres as one daie The Lorde is not slacke cōcernyng his promise as some men count slackenesse but is pacient toward vs and would haue no man to perishe but would all men to come to repentaunce But the daie of the Lorde will come as a Thief in the night in the whiche the Heauens shall passe awaie with a noyse and the Elementes shall melte with heate and the Earth with the woorkes that are therein shalbe burnt vp Seeyng therefore that all these thinges must bee dissolued what maner persones ought ye to bee in holie conuersation and godlinesse Lookyng for and hastyng vnto the commyng of the daie of God by the whiche the Heauens beeyng on fire shal be dissolued and the Elementes shall melt with heate But we looke for newe Heauens and a newe Earth accordyng to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloued seyng that ye looke for suche thinges bee diligent that ye maie bee founde of hym in peace without spot and blamelesse And suppose that the long sufferyng of our Lorde is saluation euen as our beloued brother Paule accordyng to the wisedome giuen vnto hym wrote to you As one that in all his Epistles speaketh of these thinges emong the whiche some thynges are harde to bee vnderstande whiche thei that are vnlearned and vnstable peruert as thei doe also other Scriptures vnto their owne destructiō Ye therefore beloued seeyng ye knowe these thynges before beware least ye be also plucked awaie with the error of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse But growe in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to hym bee glorie bothe now and for euermore Amen This secōd Epistle I now write vnto you beloued wherwith I stirre vp and warne your pure mindes To call to remembraunce the wordes which were tolde before of the holy Prophets and also the cōmaundement of vs the Apostles of the Lorde and Sauiour IN this Chapter wee are admonished to bee in a readinesse and euery minute of an hower to looke for the last daie And first S. Peter declareth vnto them how that he hath not written this Epistle to theim purposely and with intent to laye doune vnto them the foundation of Faith for that had he laied doune very substancially effectually and sufficiently afore but to excite and stirre them vp and to admonishe and put them in remembraunce that thei forgett not those thinges whiche thei had afore heard and receiued but rather that thei should perseuere in that sinceritie of mynde and vnderstandyng whiche was requisite fitte expediente and appertinent vnto true Christianitie For the office and duetie of all true Preachers is not onely to teache but also continually to admonishe and exhort Because so long as wee bee clad with this fleshe and bloud wee haue greate neede to haue the Worde of God to dwell plentifully in vs to raigne beare soueraigne authoritie in vs whereby wee maie resist the motions suggestions delites and concupiscences of the Fleshe and with faithfull constancie valiantly subdue resist and striue against the lustes thereof This first vnderstande that there shall come in the last dayes mockers whiche will walke after their lustes And saie Where is the promise of his commyng for since the fathers dyed all thynges continue alike from the beginnyng of the creation THere bee some yet at this daie very waueryng and ficklemynded being caried awaie through certaine reasons sette downe in a Booke entituled and written of Antichrist in whiche Booke is declared that before the latter daie men should fall into suche grosse and Deuilish errour as to denye God and to mocke deryde all that thei heare preached of Christe and of Domesdaie And this saiyng is true from whence soeuer it was borowed But it ought not so straictly to bee taken as though the whole World should fall into suche a generall Apostacie and so vniuersally blaspheme God but that the greater parte and portion thereof should fall awaie For we see it now plainly come to passe and more and more dailie will it burst out that when and where the Gospell shall be published and openly preached among men many wicked shall be wraie themselues and the inward hartes of many shalbe openly detected whose wickednesse and impietie now secretly lurketh is dissimuled And the number now adaies is not small that beleeue little or nothyng of the latter daie neither thinke that euer it will come Of suche mockers and skorners S. Peter here forewarneth vs tellyng vs that there should be
and thinges vaine and fonde Gods power must bee present to woorke in vs as Sainct Paule writeth Ephes 1.17 God giue vnto you the Spirite of wisedome that yee maie knowe what is the exceadyng greatnesse of his power to vs warde whiche beleeue accordyng to the woorkyng of his mightie power c. For it is not onely by the will of God but also by a certaine Power of his that we doe beleue wherby wee are to learne that it is no lesse matter to make faithe in one then it is to create againe heauen and earth Wee maie euidently perceiue therefore that thei little knowe what thei saie whiche vse suche woordes as these how can onely faithe doe all seeyng many beleeue whiche doe no good woorkes at all For thei thinke their owne imagination to bee faithe and that faithe also maie bee without good woorkes But wee saie with saincte Peter that faithe is the power of GOD In whom soeuer God woorketh thus the same is a regenerate and a new borne creature so that then of faith there can not but naturally followe good woorkes Wherefore it shalbe needelesse to saie to a ChristiaÌ„ doe this or doe that good woorke forasmuche as of his owne accorde vnbidden he worketh nothyng but good woorkes Howbeit he is to bee hereof admonished that he dooe not deceiue hym self with any false counterfaite and supposed faithe Doe not therefore take any regarde to those vaine talkers that can prattle muche of these thynges whose woordes notwithstandyng are but as winde meâ—e trifles Of such Paule speaketh 1. Cor. 4. I will come vnto you and will knowe not the wordes of them that are puffed vp but spirituall power For the kyngdome of GOD consisteth not in woordes but in power Where this power of GOD is not there is neither true faithe nor good woorkes Wherefore thei vndoubtedly are liers whiche boaste themselues of the name and faith of Christ and doe notwithstanding leade a leude and wicked life For assuredly if the power of God bee present thei can not but become other maner of men then suche But what meaneth that whereas S. Peter saith By the power of God ye are kepte vnto saluation surely euen this Faithe whiche the power of God beeyng in vs and wherewith wee are replenished doeth woorke in vs is a thing so noble and excellente that by it wee haue certaine and manifeste knowledge of all thynges that pertaine to saluation beeyng now able to iudge and freely pronounce of all thinges whiche are in the yearth as for example This doctrine is sincere and sounde that is corrupt and false this life is good that is euill this was well dooen that otherwise And what soeuer suche a man doeth define and determine is so in deede For hee can not bee deceiued but is preserued and kepte by the power of God remaineth iudge of all doctrines Contrariwise where faithe and the power of God is not there is nothyng but error and blindnesse there reason is caried away hither and thither from one woorke to an other in asmuche as it striueth by her owne woorkes to come vnto heauen and therefore alwaies thinketh Behold this will bryng me to heauen let me worke this and I shall bee partaker of eternall felicitie and blessednesse Hereupon haue ouerspread the worlde suche rabbles and swarmes of Monasteries Altars sacrificyng Priestes Monkes Friers and Votaries Into suche greate blindnesse doth God suffer them to fall whiche doe not beleeue but to vs that beleeue hee preserueth and affordeth a right vnderstandyng in all thynges that wee maie not bee condemned through this blindnesse but through his mercie attaine saluation Which is prepared to be shewed in the laste tyme. THat is the inheritaunce whereunto ye are appoincted is alreadie purchased and from the beginnyng of the worlde prepared but now it is hid it is as yet couered and as it were closed and sealed vp but after a while it shall in a moment be opened and reueiled that we maie plainly sée it Wherein ye reioyce though now for a season if neede require ye are in heauinesse through manifolde tentations IF thou bee a Christian and lookest for this inheritaunce or saluation thou must needes wholy depende vppon it and vtterly conteinne all earthly thynges thou must also confesse and openly affirme that all the vnderstandyng wisedome holinesse of this worlde is altogether nothing Wherfore thou must looke for no other but that the worlde will condemne and persecute thee And therefore hath Sainct Peter rightlie ioyned together these three Faithe Hope and the crosse or affliction for asmuche as one of these proceedeth out of an other Howbeit he giueth no small comfort to them that suffer persecution for his woordes dooe sounde thus This heauinesse shall endure but a little while afterward ye shall for euer reioyce For saluation is alreadie prepared for you wherfore bee in the meane season pacient in afflictions whiche ye suffer This is a right and Christian consolation not as the doctrines of men doe comfort whiche haue relation no further but to bee ridde and deliuered from outward discommodities The Apostle speaketh not here of any suche corporall comfort It is no discommoditie if outward troubles come with a good courage sustaine suffer ye theÌ„ thinke not how ye maie shake theim of and bee deliuerd from theim but rather thinke thus with your selues Mine inheritance is alreadie prepared these afflictions shall shortly cease So shall that temporall comfort bée taken awaie and that eternall consolation whiche wee haue in God supplie the place thereof Moreouer these words are diligently to be noted whiche the Apostle addeth when he saieth If neede require whiche in effect he vttereth also afterward Chapter 3. in these woordes If the will of God bee so There be many men which as it were with a certaine force striue to come vnto heauen and euen by and by to chruste in and therefore laye vpon them selues a crosse and an affliction accordyng to their owne opinion and iudgement so fondlie is reason giuen to extoll her owne woorkes But God vtterlie disalloweth all suche dealyng For our owne woorkes whiche wee make choise of are not of any force before hym we must looke what he will laie vppon vs and what he will sende vnto vs that we maie walke and followe whither he doeth lead and guide vs. Wherefore there is no neede why thou shouldest seeke or procure to thy self affliction If neede so require that is if it bee the will of God that thou shalte suffer then chearefullie take the Crosse vppon thee and comforte thy self with hope and expectation of that saluation whiche is not temporall but eternall That the triall of your faith being much more precious then golde that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be founde c. THis is the effect of the crosse and of those manifolde affictions whiche wee suffer in this life that syncere faith maie bee knowne from that whiche is false and counterfait And
knowne that the same time was come The Prophet Daniel came verie nere the matter neuerthelesse he spake thereof obscurely and darckly namely at what tyme Christ should suffer and dye and when this or that thing should come to passe So thei had an undoubted Prophecie that the Kyngdome of the Iewes should ceasse before Christe did come but the daie and certaine tyme when the same should bee fulfilled was not expressed forasmuche as it was sufficiente to knowe that when that tyme was come the commyng of Christe was not then farre of So Ioel in the second Chapter of his Prophecie fore shewed the time when the holie Ghost should come In the last daies I will powre out my Spirite vppon all fleshe Whiche Prophecie Sainct Peter in the seconde Chapter of the Actes rehearseth and thereby proueth that it was foretold of that his tyme and those his brethren whiche then liued Hereby thou seest with what diligence alwaies the Apostles rendered reasons of those thynges whiche thei preached and taught approuing theÌ„ same by the Scriptures but CouÌ„cels and the Pope would doe all thynges with vs without the Scriptures coÌ„maundyng vs by the obedience of the Churche and vnder paine of excommunication to beleue theÌ„ The Apostles were replenished with the holie Ghoste were certaine bothe that thei were sent of Christ also that thei did preache the true and vndoubted Gospell yet did thei humble and submit them selues thus farre that thei required to be beleeued in nothyng whiche thei did not proue soundlie out of the Scriptures to bee so as thei affirmed that the mouthes of Infidels might be stopped and be able to saie nothyng against theÌ„ with reason And shall wee beleeue these grosse and vnlearned Lubbers whiche neither preache the Woorde of God neither can doe any thyng but iangle and prate bauie and reuile It could not be y t the Fathers should thus erre so long is it since it was so concluded wherefore of these thinges there ought now no reason to be giuen to any man Wee are able to proue certainly out of the Scriptures that none shalbee saued but he that beleeueth in Christe so that these men are not able to speake any thyng there againste And also thei shall neuer bee able to proue vnto vs their childishe trifles by the Scriptures as namely that he is in a damnable ease whiche fasteth not this or that daie and suche like wherefore it is not meete neither ought wee at any hande to beleeue them Sainete Peter now saieth moreouer And the glorie that should followe That whiche is here spoken of the Apostle maie bee vnderstoode bothe of the afflictions whiche Christ him self suffered and also of those which wee Christians being his members doe suffer For sainct Paule calleth that the sufferyng of Christe whiche euery Christian doeth suffer As the affiance name worde and woorkes of Christe are myne forasmuche as I firmely beleeue in him so are my afflictions also his in asmuche as I am afflicted for his sake Wherefore the afflictions of Christ are daily accomplished in Christians euen vnto the ende of the worlde This now is no small comfort vnto vs that howsoeuer thinges fall out wee are certaine that all our afflictions are so common togither with Christe and vs that he counteth them no otherwise then his owne This also maie not a little encrease our comforte that glorie shall vndoubtedly followe these afflictions Howbeit wee must knowe this also that as Christ came not vnto glorie before hee had suffered so wee also must first beare the crosse with hym that we maie afterwardes reioyce togither with him All thinges therefore saieth the Apostle in effect whiche wee dode now preache the Prophetes haue long since manifestly declared and foretolde that thei should come to passe the holie Ghoste reuellyng the same vnto them Now whereas wee doe so little vnderstande the Prophetes the cause is for that wee are ignorant of the tongue wherin thei did write for thei haue written very plainly and manifestly Wherefore to them that are skilfull of the tongue and haue the Spirite of God whiche vndoubtedly all that beleeue haue it is not harde to vnderstande them for as muche as thei know where unto the whole Scripture tendeth But where bothe the tongue is not vnderstood and the spirite is wantyng it appeareth no otherwise then if the Prophetes were madde or dronken Howbeit if wee should want either of these it were farre better to haue the Spirite without the tongue then the tongue without the Spirit The Prophetes spake after an other sorte then did the Apostles yet did they signifie the same thinges which afterward the Apostles preached For bothe shewe many thinges of the afflictions aswell of Christe as of those that beleeue in his and also of the glorie that followeth the same So Dauid Psal 22. when hee speaketh of Christ in this sorte I am a woâ—â—e and no man 〈◊〉 doth he els declare but his exceeding debasing and 〈◊〉 whiche in his passion hee suffered Also Psal 44. he writeth of the afflictions of Christians sayng Wee are counted as sheepe appoincted to be slaine c. Vnto whom it was also reueiled that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they should minister the thynges whiche are now shewed vnto you by them whiche haue preached vnto you the Gospell by the holy Ghoste sent downe from heauen IT was sufficient for the Prophetes that they knewe these thynges but in that they left the same behinde them in writyng it was for out sakes makyng themselues herein as it were Ministers to 〈◊〉 as to the 〈…〉 and vnderstandyng hereof and that wee might learne the same of them as of our maisters And thus haue wee a sure helpe and strengthenyng of our faithe for our further and better instruction whereby wee maie bee able to defende our selues against all false doctrines Whiche thinges the Angels desire to beholde SO greate thinges haue the Apostles delared vnto vs by the holy Ghoste whiche came downe vppon them from heauen that euen the very Angels doe desire to beholde and see them Here wee muste with greate attention shut our eyes and see what the Gospell is wherein surely we can not but haue exceedyng delight ioye and consolation We can not yet see these thynges with our bodily eyes but wee must beleeue that wee are made partakers of righteousnesse truth saluation and of all good thinges which God hath For inasmuche as he hath giuen vnto vs Christe his onely begotten Sonne the fountaine and head of all good thinges how should hee not through and with hym giue vs also all his good thynges riches and treasures whereat the Angels in heauen doe take merueilous ioye and delight All these thynges are offered vnto vs by the Gospell so that if we beleeue we must needes likewise take merueilous delight and pleasure therein howbeit our delight and pleasure while wee liue on the earth caÌ„ not be so perfect as that of the Angels is For here
golde neither rideth he pompouslie abroade with any glitteryng traine and gallaunt horses But yet neuerthelesse he is the Kyng of all Kynges and hath all Kynges vnder his power and iurisdiction and to speake all at once all thynges must be subiect vnder his feete Behold euen so greate and suche a Lorde art thou if thou beleeue on hym for what soeuer he hath the same is also thyne Here might some peraduenture obiecte thus vnto me and saie Saincte Peter by this thy assertion called Christians Kynges and yet all the worlde well knoweth that we are not all Kynges and therefore saie thei this place is not to bee vnderstoode as spoken of all sortes of Christians For he that is a Christian is not therevppon straightwaies the Kyng of Fraunce or that Prieste of Rome But here now will I demaunde this question of theim whether the Kyng of Fraunce be a Kyng in the sight of God or no Whiche thyng no man dare vpon warrant affirme For GOD will not Iudge accordyng to the dignitie of a Croune In Earth in deede and before the worlde he is a Kyng but when Death hath once seized vpon hym then shall his Kyngdome ceasse and haue an ende and then shall he vnlesse he beleeue aright be subiecte vnder the feete of them that truely beleeue Wee in this place speake of an eternall Kyngdome and Priesthoode of the whiche sorte is euery one before God whiche beleeueth and is bothe a true Prieste and a true Kyng Now who is so ignoraunte that knoweth not that all the table of the greasie Shauelynges bee nothyng lesse then Priestes And as these aforesaied Polleshorne Shauelynges are not therefore to be reputed Priestes afore GOD because of their crounes so neither before God are Kynges accoumpted as Kynges because thei weare Crounes Crouned Kynges and anointed Priestes are of this worlde and are established and constituted by Men. The Pope may at his holie pleasure make as many suche prollyng Priestes as hym listeth to serue his turne but let him not presume to constitute and make a Priest that boldlie maie bee accoumpted for a Prieste before God for suche doeth God himself make and appoinct Therefore in that Sainct Peter here in this place saieth You bee a royall Priesthood it is as muche as if he should saie You are Christians If thou wouldest knowe what title what power prerogatiue and glorie true Christians haue thou seest that thei bee Kynges Priestes and a chosen people Now what this Priesthood is doeth here straightwaies ensue That you should shewe forth the vertues of hym that hath called you out of darknesse into his merueilous light THis office especially appertaineth vnto the Priest that hee should bee the Ambassadour or messenger of God and according to that Commission which he hath from God sincerely preach and declare his Worde The vertues saieth sainct Peter that is to wit those wonders whiche God hath doen for you in bringyng you out of darkenesse into light your partes and office is to preache and tel forth for therein chiefly consisteth the office of a Priest Thus therefore and to this ende ought your preachyng to tende that one Brother should declare and shewe forthe vnto an other that greate and wonderfull worke of Gods admirable vertue how Christ hath deliuered vs from Sinne Death and Hell and all other miseries and hath called vs vnto eternall life Hereof you ought to admonishe others also that thei in like sort maie attaine and come vnto this Light For vnto this ende ought all your driftes to be directed first to acknowledge and knowe what God hath doen for you and next with all diligent care and studie to notifie preache and openly make knowen this benefite of God towarde you and this wonderfull worke of his in you and also to drawe and call all men indifferentlie into this Light Where you see any men that are as yet ignoraunt hereof those ought you to instruct and to teache these thinges in whiche you your selues haue been enstructed and taught to wit that by the vertue and power of God thei must obteine saluation and attaine this merueilous Light Here thou seest how sainct Peter plainly saieth that there is but one onely Light wherein he maketh it most apparaunt that all our Reason seeme it neuer so sharpely to vnderstande and perceiue is nothyng els then mere darkenesse For albeit that Reason be able and hath the skill to coumpt one two three c. and likewise to see discerne and knowe blacke from white and greate from small and so of other externall and outwarde thinges yet is it not able to see what Faithe is Here is it altogether blinde insomuche that if all the wisedome of al men in the worlde were gathered and incorporated into one yet were it not able to comprehende or reache so muche as vnto one letter of the wisedome of God Wherefore S. Peter here speaketh of an other Light and that a merueilous Light and flatlie also telleth euery one of us that we grope in darknesse and vtter blindnesse if God dooe not call vs into his true Light Experience also teacheth vs the same thing For when we heare it preached that by our workes we can not obteine any thyng at Gods handes and therefore that wee haue neede of a Mediator to make intercession vnto God for vs and to reconcile vs vnto hym heere doubtlesse must reason needes confesse that of it self it was neuer able to vnderstande and know these thinges and therefore had neede of an other Light and an other knowledge to teache it to vnderstande the same Therefore whatsoeuer is not the Worde of God and Faithe the same is nothyng els then blinde darkenesse For without these two the Worde of God I meane and Faithe Reason iumbleth at randon and groapeth after his waie like a blinde man in the darke catchyng holde first of one thyng and then of an other and neuer knoweth what it should dooe But when these thinges are tolde to the greate learned and wise men of this world thei can not abide to heare it thei stamp and stare thei fret fume and merueilously rage at it And therefore S. Peter sheweth himself here an Apostle of a singuler vndaunted boldnesse in that he dared to call that Darknesse whiche the whole worlde in a maner doeth euen generallie almoste adore and reuerence as Light Now therefore wee see that the chiefest and especiallest office of all others appertainyng vnto vs Christians is that wee should shewe forthe and declare the vertues and wonderful workes of our God These Vertues and notable workes by God for vs doen are those which somewhat afore we haue spoken of namely how that Christ by the vertue of God hath swallowed vp Death deuoured Hell consumed Sinne and placed vs into an eternal life These Vertues are so great and wonderfull that no man is able to comprehende the same muche lesse to perfourme them And therefore it is to little purpose that some in this poynt
obiect and preach to vs Christians the doctrines of men they ought rather to preache vnto vs this Vertue whiche ouercometh both Deuill Synne and Death And here againe alludeth sainct Peter to sundrie places of the sacred Scripture as in all the rest of his Epistle almoste he still conioyneth and knitteth one place of Scripture to confirme and proue an other For of this doe all the Prophetes foretell and prophesie that it should come to passe that all men euery where should worship preache forth the name and glorie of God and the power of his mightie arme and that he should worke suche a worke whereof the whole world should both speake and make reporte Of this the Prophetes are euerywhere very plentifull and to these places doeth S. Peter here allude Thei haue also spoken muche of Light and of Darkenesse and that it is necessarie for vs to bee illumined with the Light of God wherby vndoubtedly thei shewed and signified that all humaine Reason is nothyng els then very Darkenesse it self Whiche in tyme past were not a people yet are now the people of God whiche in tyme past were not vnder mercie but now haue obtained mercie THis place worde for word is taken out of the Prophet Osee in his ij Chap. and is cited also by sainct Paule in the ix to the Romanes I will call them my people whiche were not my people Al which saiyngs belong to this place God peculierly choose the people of Israell and bestowed on them greate honour he gaue vnto them many Prophetes and did for theim many merueilous things because he had decreed that out of this people the man Christ should be borne For this Childes sake were all these thinges doen for thē and for this cause are thei in the Scriptures called the people of God Whiche the Prophetes more at large expounded and foretolde that this promise of Christe should stretche further and reache also vnto the Gentiles Therefore saieth S. Peter in this place You are now the people of God which in time past were not a people And by this it euidentlie appeareth that he wrate this Epistle vnto the Gentiles and not vnto the Iewes And hereby his meanyng is to proue and shewe that the saiyng of the Prophete is now fulfilled sith thei whiche once were Idolatrous Nations and blasphemous Gentiles and thereby no People are now made and become an holie nation a peculier people a royall Priesthood and a Kyngdome and haue all thynges that Christe hath so that in the meane tyme thei haue onely a stedfast beliefe Dearely beloued I beseche you as straungers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they whiche speake euill of you as of euill doers maie by your good woorkes which thei shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation SAinct Peter here vseth a Style somewhat differyng from the phraze of Sainct Paule For Sainct Paules methode is not after this sorte as anone wee shall heare but euery man hath a seuerall and peculier kinde of speakyng as also in the Prophetes wee maie easily perceiue and see Hitherto hath hee very aptlie and orderlie planted the foundation of the Christian Faith whiche is his chiefest drift Now proceedeth he to teache vs how we ought to demeane and behaue our selues generallie towardes all Men. And this is truely the verie right course and order of true preachyng Namely first to set out the dignitie excellencie and effect of Faith how it is to be knowen how and what it worketh what vertue strength efficacie and nature it hath how it yeeldeth and bringeth vnto vs all thinges euen aboundantlie whiche are appertinent and needful to Godlinesse or Saluation how that no good Work can bee doen by any man but onely by Faithe and finally how that by this faithe all that whiche God hath is made ours If God now haue thus dealt with vs and hath giuen and bestowed all his riche gifes vpon vs it followeth that he himself also is ours insomuche that by Faithe we are possessed of all his goodnesse whereby wee can lacke nothyng What a greate charge therefore lyeth there now vpon vs to doe in lieu of this so surpassyng bountie Shall wee giue our selues to idlenesse God forbid It were best in deede euen straight waies to dye that we might presently haue the fruition and possession of all these his gracious goodnesse But so long as wee liue here it is our partes and dueties so to deale and so to shew our selues in euery respect towardes our neighbours as God hath dealt and shewed himself towardes vs. Therefore it is Faithe onely that saueth vs Loue requireth of vs that we should serue our neighbours and bee carefull ouer them For that whiche Faithe receiueth from God Loue bestoweth vpon our neighbour That which was spoken in one word maie now largely be expounded and declared in many as S. Peter doeth in this place The meanyng therefore of the Apostle where he saieth Dearely beloued I beseche you as Straungers and Pilgrims is this You that are now one with Christe are growen as it were into one masse or lumpe with him insomuche that his goodnesse is yours and your hurtes be his hurtes who as he is carefull bothe for you and for all suche thinges as maie happā vnto you so also ought you to imitate herein this your so louing a Sauiour and so to frame and direct your liues that you maie seeme nothing lesse then to bee Citizens of this World sith you bee adopted and enfraunchised Citizens in heauen where al good thinges are laied vp for you That if you should once loose all these transitorie and momentanie goodes of the worlde yet hauing still Christe who is infinitely more worth then all these brittle and temporall trash you shall receiue and sustaine no damage no losse no hinderaunce at all The Deuill is Prince of this Worlde and gouerneth the same and his Citezens are the men of the World Therefore seyng that you are not of this Worlde so vse and behaue your selues as Straungers and Passingers dooe in their Inne who hauing not there their full wealth and Substaunce make shifte to buye for their money onely suche thinges as be needefull and necessarie and straightwaies addresse themselues forward to the dispatch of their iourney So also we vnto whom this life is nothyng then a certaine passage to an other place for here wee haue no abidyng place but muste passe to an other ought not to rake vnto our selues nor vsurpe more of these worldlie pelfe and gooddes then maie competentlie supplie our wantes for meate drincke and raimente All other thynges muste bee so rekoned and accoumpted of as that thei maie not bee any hindrance or impechement vnto that speedie iourney whiche wee make into an other Countrey In Heauen wee are Citezens on Earth wee are but Pilgrimes and Straungers Absteine from fleshly lustes whiche fight againste the Soule I
their Neighbour and that are so moued with compassion ouer the necessities and wants of others as a mother is ouer her Babe that she bore in her wombe Be curteous VSE your conuersation so gently and amiably one towarde an other in these outwarde thinges of the world that euery one not onely accoumpt the thynges whiche happen to an other to appertaine also to hymself euen as Parentes are wont to doe who make no lesse reckoning of that whiche is their Childrens then of their owne but also that euery one vse louing and curteous conuersation with his Neighbour For there bee some so waiwarde churlishe crabbed and vnreasonable that euery one almost is vnwillyng to haue any dealyng or vse any companie or conference with theim And so it commeth to passe that suche persones commonly be suspicious and easilie drawen vnto wrath and anger so that none will willingly deale with them But thei be truely curteous freendly fauourable sincere and amiable whiche construe all thinges to the best bee of nature nothyng suspicious and are not easilie mooued vnto anger and wrathe but can take well in worthe whatsoeuer is doen vnto them Beholde now and looke into the Gospell and there shall you finde Christe depaincted and sett out after this maner in whom wee maie beholde and see moste euidently all these vertues singularly abidyng The Pharisees tempted hym after sundrie sortes now one waie and now an other to entrapp and catche hym at auauntage and yet is not hee a whit therewith mooues And although his Apostles now and then stumbled and did amisse foolishly yet neuer did he roughly and hardly checke them but vsed alwaies a myld and curteous lenitie towardes them assuryng and drawyng them vnto hym to the intent to make them the gladder and willynger with all their hartes to liue with him and to haue a greate pleasure in adheryng and cleauyng vnto his companie The same kinde of louyng affection wee commonly see to bee among tried freendes and faithfull Companions where there bee two or three that bee sincerely affected in mynde one towardes an other If one of them make a fault the other taketh it well in worth and gentlie beareth with it This example somewhat confirmeth this sentence and aduertisement of Saincte Peter but not whollie expresseth the full meanyng thereof For the freendlinesse and courtesie that is here spoken of ought indifferently to bee extended and shewed vnto all men Here thou seest the verie nature of sincere and true Loue and what a perfecte gracious and fauourable people Christians are The Aungelles leade this maner of life emong theim selues in heauen Whiche kinde of life wee ought also to practise and leade here on earth but the nomber emong whom the same is to bee founde is verie rare and scante As sainct Peter therefore hath taught Housebandes and Wiues Menseruauntes and Womenseruauntes so to frame and leade their liues as that eche one should looke to his owne charge and function and carefullie applie his owne peculier vocation So willeth he likewise thesame practise and order to bee putte in vre in our common dealynges emong our selues Now the onely Workes wherevnto Sainct Peter here would haue vs earnestlie and zealouslie to giue our selues are these to bee sorie at the harmes and mischaunces of our Brethren to bee feruent in Brotherlie Loue to haue our verie bowelles throughlie enflamed with the loue of theÌ„ and to shewe our selues readie willyng tractable and fit to loue and to bee loued of all men Here is neuer a woorde mencioned of any of those flim-flam toyes and friuolous deuises that haue heretofore verie deuoutlie been preached or rather prated on vnto vs. He doeth not here saie Builde an Abbeye or a Nunnerie giue some maintenaunce for an ordinarie Masse take the holie order of Priesthood vppon thee professe thy self a Monke weare a Cowle vowe Chastitie or any suche like But he saieth thus Looke that thou bee milde gentle and courteous These are the true good Woorkes in deede yea rather the golden Deedes the Pearles and the precious Stones wherewith God is singularlie delighted But as this doctrine is a perfecte Christian and right wholesome doctrine So can not the Deuill any waie abide it For this doctrine once preuailing would quickly ouerthrowe and subuerte his Kyngdome And therefore he seeketh all the waies that he can to deface and extinguishe it by stirryng vp these pompous Popes and mumpyng Monkes to yell and â—aule to banne and curse and malapertly to affirme that whosoeuer he be that speaketh against any of their doynges speaketh by the verie instincte suggestion and procurement of the Deuill hymself But little knowe thei the vse of these â—eedefull and necessarie good Workes whereof saincte Peter here speaketh Namely Brotherly loue beeyng entirely and in the bowelles of vnfeined sinceritie meante and exercised with all freendlinesse courtesie and sweetenesse For if these bee 〈◊〉 as needes thei must confesse them to bee then are thei muche to blame and to bee accoumpted as impudent liers in presumyng and affirmyng their owne dregges and deuises to bee moste worthie to bee preferred It is to bee wondered at how suche grosse and palpable blindnesse could sincke into mennes hartes Thomas Aquinas â—â—e of their moste reâ—erende couled Rabbines impudently aduouched that the Orders of Popes and Monkes farre surmounted the common state of the simple Laitie Whiche moste impious shamelesse and liyng assertions were afterward by the Schoolemen ratified and allowed and thei onely that were the Professors thereof inuested with the title dignitie and name of right Reuerend Doctors and afterward the Pope with the Ruffianlie route of his carnall Cardinalles and adherentes Canonized and Calendred them for holie Sainctes Abandonyng therefore and reiectyng all other doctrines I wishe thée to embrace and firmely to sticke vnto this Christ hymself and his Apostles haue taught so If thou wilte therefore dooe those Woorkes that of all others are beste and take that profession vpon thee that of all others is moste holie embrace Faithe and Charitie and detest that grosse impudencie of these Popelynges whiche affirme and vaunte their Profession to surmounte either Faithe or Charitie For if their vowed Profession were of suche worthinesse that it excelled Faithe it muste also excell the woorde of God And if it excell the worde of God it must needes followe that it excelleth and passeth God himself And here we see that S. Paule ij Thes ij wrate verie truely in saiyng that Antichrist should exalt him self against al that is called God Finally leaâ—â—â— thus to iudge al these matters wheresoeuer Loue Mildnesse and Courtesie are wanting there doubtlesse all other Workes be damnable Wee see therefore how plainely and fullie Sainct Peter hath here sette doune vnto vs how wee ought to frame our selues to liue a Christian life euen in our outward conuersation hauing afore with no lesse excellencie and skill declared how our â—nner life should be framed to God warde Wherefore this Epistle is fullie staught
Father and hath caused the same to bee published and preached vnto vs to the intente wee should beleeue on hym we haue therefore a certaine couenaunt or promise with GOD vnto the whiche wee certainly and vnfeignedly dooe truste and by the whiche wee are saued and preserued euen as Noah was by the Arke Thus therefore hath Saincte Peter laied before our eyes and made the whole Arke spirituall vnto vs in whiche is neither Fleshe nor Blood but a good Conscience to Godward and that is Faith Whiche is at the right hande of GOD gone into heauen to whom the Angelles and Powers and Mightes are subiecte ALL this he speaketh to make our Faithe the perfecter and stronger For it behooued that Christe should ascende into Heauen and bee made Lorde of all Creatures and that all Power what soeuer and where soeuer should bee subiected vnto hym to the ende he might aduaunce and bryng vs thither and make vs also Lordes of all thynges All whiche be of singuler force and efficacie to comfort and confirme our hartes and mindes For hereby are we assuredly perswaded that all thinges through Christ and by Christ are made to serue vs That whatsoeuer power there is in Heauē or in Earth yea Death Deuill all are hereby enioyned and cōpelled to serue vs and for our vses euen as thei are bound to serue Christ and to lye in all subiection vnder his feete The fourth Chapter FOrasmuche then as Christ hath suffred for vs in the flesh arme your selues like wise with the same mynd which is that he which hath suffred in the flesh hath ceassed from sinne That he henceforward should liue as muche tyme as remaineth in the fleshe not after the lustes of men but after the will of God For it is sufficient for vs that wee haue spent the tyme past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walkyng in wātonnesse lustes drunkennesse in gluttonie drinkinges and in abominable idolatries Wherein it seemeth to them strange that ye runne not with them vnto the same excesse of ryote therefore speake thei euill of you Whiche shall giue accounts to hym that is readie to iudge quicke and deade For vnto this purpose was the Gospell preached also vnto the dead that thei might be condemned according to men in the fleshe but might liue accordyng to God in the spirite Now the ende of all thinges is at hande Be ye therefore sober and watchyng in praier But aboue all thinges haue feruent loue among you for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Be ye harberous one to an other without grudgyng Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to an other as good disposers of the manifold grace of God If any man speake lett him talke as the woordes of GOD. If any man minister let him doe it as of the abilite which God ministreth that God in all thinges maie bee glorified through Iesus Christe to whom is praise and dominion for euer and euer Amen Dearely beloued thinke it not straunge concernyng the firie triall whiche is among you to proue you as though some straunge thing were come vnto you But reioyce in asmuch as ye are partakers of Christes suffringes that when his glorie shall appeare ye maie bee glad and reioyce If ye be rayled vpon for the Name of Christe blessed are ye for the spirite of glorie and of God resteth vpon you whiche on their parte is euill spoken of but on your parte is glorified But let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters But if any manne suffer as a Christian let hym not bee ashamed but let hym glorifie God in this behalfe For the tyme is come that iudgment must beginne at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shall the ende be of them whiche obeye not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarsely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Wherefore let them that suffer accordyng to the will of God commit their soules to him in well doyng as vnto a faithfull Creator Forasmuche then as Christe hath suffred for vs in the flesh arme your selues likewise with the same mynd which is that he whiche hath suffred in the fleshe hath ceased from sinne SAinct Peter still continueth in the same Argument that he had in hande in the other Chapter afore For as he there generallie exhorted vs to suffer affliction and persecution if so the will of God bee and for the same sett Christ for an example vnto vs so doeth hee here more largely handle and confirme the same makyng thereof as it were a repetition saiyng Forasmuch as Christ our Graund Captaine and head suffred in the fleshe for vs and also by his bitter passion redeemed vs and in his suffryng became an Example vnto vs it is most meete and our bounded duties are to imitate him and to bee likewise armed and furnished For the life of Christe and especially his passion is set doune vnto vs in the Scriptures after two sortes First as a free Gift giuen vnto vs as sainct Peter in the third Chapter afore hath worthilie described and set him doune vnto vs moste chiefly labouring to builde vs on him by Faithe and teaching vs that by the Bloud of Christ all our sinnes are expiated and clearely done awaie and we freed from the thraldome of our transgressions and restored to the participation of eternall life seeyng that Christe was freely giuen vnto vs all whiche benefites can of vs bee none otherwise conceiued and apprehended then by Faith onely And of this hee spake afore where he saied that Christe once suffred for our Sinnes This is the principall and the chiefest poinct of all and in the holie Scriptures set doune as most excellent And secondlie Christe was giuen and set forthe vnto vs as an Example or patterne for vs to imitate For when as wee haue once apprehended and taken holde of Christ as a free Gift by Faithe wee must nexte endeuour our selues and bende all our studies to imitate and resemble him in the whole course of his life vnto passion After this sorte doeth sainct Peter here commende vnto vs Christes passion He purposelie speaketh not hereof the workes of Loue wherin wee serue our Neighbour which bee properly called Good workes for of them hath he alreadie spoken very sufficiently but of suche workes as concerne our owne bodies as namely when wee serue our selues and bee so carefull of our owne estates that our Faithe while wee mortifie our Sinnes may be the strōger and we our selues the fitter to serue our Neighbour For when as I doe tame and bridle myne owne bodie and keepe it vnder that it waxe not wanton and proue to lasciuiousnes I shall not haue any delight to enueigle my neighbours wife or his daughter to satisfie my inordinate lustes So likewise if I my self kill and quench in mine owne mynd the flames of
his heauenly graces and benefites Wee haue the influence of his Diuine power woorkyng in vs whiche promoteth and furthereth vs vnto all thynges that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse that is when wee beleeue wee receiue so many benefites of hym that God bountifully bestoweth vpon vs euen the giftes of his power whiche power is diffused into all and euery our actions bothe is and also effectually woorketh in vs. What soeuer we speake or what soeuer wee doe it is not wee but GOD in vs that speaketh and doeth He is in vs strong mightie and omnipotence yea euen when wee suffer torment and affliction when wee are killed and dye and when before the worlde wee are altogether seelie and weake In somuche that when wee haue not this power of God there is in vs no strength at all no facultie no habilitie Now whereas Sainct Peter saieth that all thynges are giuen vnto vs of his Diuine power his meanyng is not as though wee should bee able to make Heauen and Earth and to woorke Miracles and doe wonders For what good would that doe vnto vs But wee haue all the giftes of his godly and Diuine power in vs so farre as is necessarie and profitable for vs. And therefore the Apostle addeth further these woordes That pertaine to life and godlinesse That is to saie wee haue all thynges by his godlie and diuine power moste abundantly giuen vnto vs that wee should dooe good and alwaies liue in vertuous estate and blessednesse Through the knowledge of hym that hath called vs. THis mightie power and greate grace of God proceadeth not from elswhere then from this perfecte and sounde knowledge of GOD. For when thou throughlie knowest hym for thy God he dealeth with thee as God After this maner also sainct Paule j. Cor. j. saieth In all thynges ye are made riche in hym in all kinde of speeche and in all knowledge as the testimonie of Iesus Christe hath bin confirmed in you so that ye are not destitute of any gift This is the greatest and the moste necessarie gift of all others that God can giue vnto vs whiche wee ought not to exchange for all other riches that is either in Heauen or in Earth For what would it auaile thee although thou couldst goe through Fire and Water without takyng any harme and woorke all kinde of Miracles and wonders if thou shouldest want this For there bee a greate many condemned that haue been able is woorke suche Miracles But this exceedeth and farre surmounteth all Miracles in that God bestoweth and giueth so greate a power vnto vs wherby al our sinnes are forgiuen vs and abolished quite out of remembraunce Death Sathan and Hell beyng vtterlie vanquished and swallowed vp Whereby we possesse our Consciences without feare and haue our hartes ioyful merie and bold without beyng afraied of any thing All whiche the knowledge of GOD that calleth vs doeth affoord and bryng vnto vs. Vnto glorie and vertue AND after what sorte was that Callyng wherewith God called vs Forsooth this God sent his holie Gospell into the World and caused the same to bee proclaimed and preached abroade for the whiche no man euer made any labour no man euer praied or made any entreatie to him but before any one so much as once thought of it he offred and gaue this grace vnto vs and powred the same moste aboundantly vppon vs all that he alone might haue all the glorie and praise and wee enioying suche a benefite should ascribe this power and vertue al onely to him For it is no worke of our owne but his And therefore seeyng that this Callyng is none of our owne neither coÌ„meth of our selues it is not mâ—â—te that we should lift vp our selues in pride as though we had brought it to passe of our selues but he is onely to bee glorified of vs and all thankes are to bee giuen vnto hym for so mercifullie bestowyng and giuyng his Gospell vnto vs and withall also for so strengthenyng vs with power and vertue against Sathan Death Hell and all mischieues at once whatsoeuer Whereby moste greate and precious promises are giuen vnto vs SAinct Peter hath added this to shewe forth and declare the nature and force of Faithe For when we knowe God to bee ours wee haue also with hym by Faith eternall life and the power of God wherby wee ouercome and get the victorie both of Death and Deuill And yet for all this we do not see these things neither yet feele wee them although all thinges be promised vnto vs. We haue al things but thei yet appeare not but in the last daie we shall plainly discouer and see all thinges present and apparantly laied open vnto our eyes Wee beginne here in this Worlde but wee come not to any ful fruition or perfection thereof in this life But we haue this promise that we liue here by the mightie power of God and that after this life we shalbe euerlastingly blessed He that faithfully beleeueth these thinges hath the some as it were alreadie in possession he that beleeueth not hath them not but is sure to perishe eternallie How greate and how precious these promises are Sainct Peter further yet declareth saying That by them ye should bee partakers of the godlie nature in that ye flee the corruption whiche is in the worlde through lust THis benefite wee haue by the power of Faithe that wee thereby are made partakers of God and come into a certein participation and communion of his diuine nature This is suche a sentence as the like ye shall not reade againe neither in the olde Testament nor yet in the newe Howbeit among the Painims and Heathen writers it is often read that wee partake with the very diuine nature it self But what is this nature of God Euerlastyng truth righteousnesse iustice wisedome eternall life peace ioye pleasure and al goodnesse that can bee named He now that is partaker of the nature of God is seized and priuiledged in all these to wit that he shall liue for euer enioye perpetuall and endlesse peace pleasure ioye and mirth bee pure holie iust and able to withstand and supplant Sathan Sinne Death Peters wordes therefore sounde as though he should saie thus Looke how vnpossible it is to take from God euerlastyng life and eternall truth so impossible is it also that these thinges should be taken from you If any man hurt you he must needes also hurt God For he must first oppresse God that seeketh to oppresse a right Christian All these properties are comprehended vnder this worde Diuine or Godly Nature whiche worde be therefore vsed because it containeth in it so large a signification These bee greate and singuler benefites if wee faithfully beleeue the veritie of them But all that is here set doune is as afore was declared Doctrines wherevppon the groundwoorke of our Faith is laide for that whiche here is written is rather to declare and shewe what greate and excellent benefites grow vnto vs through
And when thei lifted vp their eyes thei sawe no man saue Iesus onely And as they came downe from the Mountaine Iesus charged them saiyng Shewe the Vision to no man vntill the Sonne of man rise againe from the dead This therefore whiche here Sainct Peter writeth hath this meanyng That Gospell which I haue preached and shewed vnto you of Christ and of his commyng I haue not sucked out of myne owne fingers endes nor feigned out of myne owne braine neither yet receiued I the same from vaine and Sophisticall Pratlers and Ianglers that can roundely and readily talke and tattle of matters such as the Greekes were Whereas in truthe all that which thei with finenesse of EloqueÌ„ce and galantnesse of phrazes painted out thinkyng them selues therein greate Wisemen was nothyng els but mere toyes trifles and vanities These and suche like persones wee neither haue giuen eare vnto neither followed and sought after that is wee dooe not preache vnto you the doatyng dreames and foolishe fantasies of Men But we are moste sure of our doctrine and of the certaintie thereof that it is of GOD because we haue bothe heard it with our eares and seen it with our eyes To witte when wee were present with Christe in the Mounte and there bothe sawe and heard his glorie from heauen proclaimed Whose glorie was suche that his face shined as the Sunne and his clothes were white as Snowe and wee also heard a voice from the high Maiestie of the Father saiyng This is my beloued Sonne heare hym Therefore euery Preacher ought to be so sure and so farre from any doubtyng of the certaintie of his doctrine and of the Woorde whiche he preacheth that he should not feare to scale and confirme the same with his death seyng it is the Woorde of Life whiche he hath in hande The Apostles therefore were certainly assured of the truthe of the Gospell whiche thei preached and were out of all doubt that it was the true and infallible Worde of GOD and withall that the Gospell is none other thyng then the preachyng of Christe And therefore none other preachyng is to bee heard because the Father will not haue any other This is my beloued Sonne sâ—â—th he heale hym Let hym be your Schoole maister and your Teacher as if he should saie when ye heare hym ye heare me And therefore saieth S. Peter wee haue preached and made knowen vnto you that Christe â—s â—e Lorde and Ruler of all thynges and that all power is deliuered ouer vnto hym whiche power he also hath whiche faithfullie beleeueth in hym These thynges haue not wee deuised and forged by our owne imaginations but wee haue bothe seen and heard them by the Reuolation of God who hath commaunded vs to heare this Christ alone But what is the cause that S. Peter here seuereth the Power of Christ from his Commyng His Power is in that he is Almightie and able to dooe all thynges And againe in that he hath all thinges in subiection vnder his feete This his Power shall perpetually continue and stande in force so long as the worlde hath continuaunce and so long as Fleshe and Bloud hath any beeyng vpon earth This entire power of the Kyngdome of Christe shall haue continuaunce and force till the laste daie and then shall an other worlde begiane when as Christe shall deliuer vp his Kyngdome vnto God his Father whereof is spoken by S. Paule j. Cor. xv Christe is the firste fruictes then thei that are of Christe whiche shall bee at his commyng and then shalbee the ende when he hath deliuered vp his Kyngdome to GOD euen the Father c. And againe When all thynges shall bee subdued into hym then shall the Sonne also hymself bee subiecte vnto hym that did subdue all thynges vnder hym And whereto tendeth all this Is not the Kyngdome of God the Father now at this presence and are not all thynges now also subdued vnto hym I aunswere S. Paule in the self same place expoundeth hymself yeldeth a reason of his wordes saiyng That God maie be all in all that is what soeuer a man longeth after what soeuer he desireth to haue that shall God bee vnto hym that as S. Peter saied afore we maie bee partakers of the Diuine Nature And therefore what GOD hath the same shall we haue and what soeuer is needefull and necessarie for vs shalbee ministred vnto vs what soeuer any manne requireth as Wisedome Righteousnesse Fortitude and Life it shalbe giuen to vs which wee now beleeue by hearyng with our eares and truely possesse in the Worde of God But then shall the Woorde ceasse and our Soules shall open and displaie themselues and shall see and feele all thynges present And this is it that bothe S. Peter and S. Paule meane that now in this while the power of Christes Kyngdome beareth all the aucthoritie now dooeth the Woorde raigne and exercise his Empire by whiche Woorde he now raigneth in his humanitie ouer Deuilles Synne Death and Helle. And all these thynges shall not till the laste daie bee plainly manifested For although God doeth raigne for euer alwaies yet is not the same manifestly to vs apparaunced He seeth vs but we see not hym And therefore it behooueth that Christ should resigne his Kyngdome ouer vnto hym that wee also maie see and then shall wee truely bee the Brothers of Christe and the Soonnes of God In this sorte Receiued he of God the Father honour and glorie as here S. Peter saieth when as the Father subiected all thynges vnto hym and made hym Lorde of all glorifiyng and dignifiyng him with these woordes This is my beloued Soone in whom I am well pleased And in these woordes S. Peters meanyng is to confirme his Doctrine and preachyng that it might bee knowen from it wheÌ„ce it was Besides this seyng of the Maiestie of Christ and hearyng of the voice of the Father concernyng Christe it was needefull also that the holie Ghoste must woorke withall and confirme him in that he had bothe seen and heard the more to make hym to beleeue it and that he might bothe boldelie preache and zelouslie confesse the same to others Wee haue also a moste sure worde of the Prophetes to the whiche ye doe well that ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the daie dawne and the daie starre arise â—n your hartes HEre commeth S. Peter nerer to the matter and of that whiche he here saieth this is the verie meanyng All that I preache vnto you is to this ende that your Consciences maie bee surely settled strengthened in the truthe and that your hartes maie be firmely fixed vpon the same not suffryng your selues to bee caried a ware from it by any meanes because wee are out of all doubte that wee haue the verie pure and sincere Worde of GOD. For the Gospell is a matter of greate waight and importaunce and therefore we ought to be most diligent carefull and precise that wee keepe
sawe their obstinate perseueraunce in Sinne My Spirite shall not alwaies striue with Manne because he is but fleshe his daies shalbe an hundreth and twentie yeres Genes vj. And a little after in the same Chapter I will destroye from the Earth the Man whom I haue created from Man to Beast to the creepyng thyng and to the Foule of the Heauen c. These wordes did Noah in his daiely Sermons preache and beate into their heades withall also buildyng the Arke accordyng as God had commaunded hym and that in the full space of an hundreth yeres But thei were so senselesse of their estate and so frozen in the dregges of their accustomed Synnes that thei laughed him to skorne and grewe still more and more obstinate and rebellious The Sinnes wherefore God brought the Floud vppon the Worlde as it appeareth in the same sixte Chapter of Genesis were that the Soonnes of God that is the Children of the holie Fathers degenerated from the Faith and knowledge wherein thei had been trained taught For seing the daughters of MeÌ„ that thei were faire thei tooke them wiues of all that thei liked Of whom were borne mightie Gyantes and lawlesse Tyrantes whiche did all thynges accordyng to their owne lustes and as beste liked themselues This was the cause why God punishing their sinnes drouned the whole Worlde And tourned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrhe into ashes condemned them and ouerthrewe theÌ„ and made theim an ensample vnto them that after should liue vngodly THis third example is of the fiue Cities whiche God destroied as we read Genes xix Ezechiel also in his xvj Chapter speakyng hereof in the persone of God and appliyng his woordes by waie of vpbraidyng to Hierusalem saieth This was the iniquitio of thy Sister Sodom Pride fulnesse of Bread abundauÌ„ce of Idlenesse both in her and in her daughters neither did she strengthen the hande of the poore and needie but thei were hautie and committed abhomination before me therefore I tooke theim awaie as pleased me Sodome and Gomorrha and the Territories thereof till the Lorde destroyed them were as Moses witnesseth Genes xiij as the Paradise or gardein of the Lorde aboundyng and flowyng with plentie of Wine and Oile in theim all thynges that to the life of man were either necessarie delightfull or commodious were in moste aboundaunce to bee had in so muche that the common sorte beleeued that God hymself had chosen it for his owne peculier habitation and dwellyng And therefore as Moses in the same Chapter saith the people thereof were wicked and exceeding sinners against the Lorde leadyng their liues accordyng to the leuell of their owne leude lustes Whiche inordinate beastly and wicked lustes their owne vaine curiositie and the greate plentifull aboundaunce and Idlenesse whiche thei enioyed procured and brought vnto them As wee at this daie by experience doe set that the wealthier aâ—y Cities be the wantoner and dissoluter life the people therein lead but where Famine Penurie or other extremities pinche there the Citezeins are nothyng so muche giuen to loosenesse and Sinne. And therefore God vseth to exercise and enure those that be his and whom he loueth with hard cheere and slender pittaunces because they maie the better walke in integritie of life These therefore are the three dreadfull Examples wherewith S. Peter threateneth the vngodlie whiche he here aptly alledgeth and bringeth in as fitlie hittyng the persones of whoÌ„ he here speaketh who he saieth liued euen as these Sodomites and Gomorrheans did whose greeuous punishement is heere laied before them for their greater terrour And therefore these thynges agree in eche respect and verie fittly are to be applied namely and specially vnto the Pope with his Cardinalles Bisshoppes Munkes Friers Nunnes and all the rest of his filthie Spiritualtie and rumpwood retinue For thei beyng appoincted to be as it were Angels in the places of Apostles truely to preache and expounde the Woorde of God in steade of beyng suche Angelles for the name Angell is a worde of Office and not of Nature signifiyng a Messenger or an Embassadour wherevppon all Preachers of the Truthe who are the Messengers of GOD are called in the Scriptures Mala. ij j. Cor. xj by y e name of Angels thei do cary vs headlong with themselues into the dungeon of error and quite reuolte from their loyall allegiaunce to GOD by mere Pride and Apostacie like these of whom S. Peter here speaketh aduauncyng theimselues aboue God and will haue no Lorde ouer them but bee Lordes themselues and of them selues And yet will thei bee called Apostolicall hauyng nothyng in theim but onely a vaine braggyng shewe of the bare name and title as heere afore in this Chapter thei are named by the name Angelles who properly are not so This blasphemous route therefore of Pope and Popelynges for that thei haue conspired with the Deuill against God and denied hym that is their Creatour are kepte faste fettered in Chaines of darkenesse vnto damnation whose Iudgement as he saied afore ceasseth not neither dooeth their damnation sleepe although as yet it bee not fullie and completly come vpon them Againe thei bee herein also like vnto the old Worlde who although thei haue the Prophetes and the Woorde of GOD preached vnto them yet did thei blaspheme and as it were defy hym and as Moses writeth of them tooke to theim selues Wiues accordyng to their owne lustes and likynges and became mightie Tyrauntes and Gyantes in the earth Gen. vj. Now a little let vs see whether all the properties and dealynges reported by Moses to be in those men of the old World bee not nowe moste manifestly resiaunte and inuested in our Popishe Clergie For thei now be greate mightie and dreadfull Tyrauntes thei liue of all menne moste delicately moste riotouslie and euen as thei liste theimselues thei haue moste aboundaunt store and plentie of all thynges thei oppresse the Worlde and with their tyrannous exactions and bloodie cruelties ouercrowe all Christendome and yet maie no manne speake one woorde or once open his mouthe against them no not Kynges and Princes Againe if thei bee disposed to take a waie a mannes Wife or his daughter from hym thei maie with suche impunitie dooe it that no man maie dare so muche as complaine of their violence and if any doe complaine yet are thei themselues the iudges of the matter and so it shall be euen as good to saie nothyng at all for amendes hee shall haue none at all Finallie by all the shiftes and driftes by all the waies and meanes that thei can possibly deuise to pill and poll robbe and spoile rake and scrape by cosonage pillage exaction tribute commaundementes licenses depredations and al other suttle trickes whatsoeuer thei hale and pull thei catche and snatche vnto theim without hoe without measure without conscience without shame And if any manne in any sorte laye his lawfull claime or touche any thyng whiche thei pretende to be theirs and whiche thei haue in theirs
set doune as it pleaseth the Pope to appoincte eche thing must â—â—oupe and bee determinable by the doome of his lawlesse Tyrannie he and his adherentes haue wrinched wrested and expounded all thynges as beste pleased theimselues And now loste of all thei haue boldly pronounced that the holie See of Roome can not erre Not one of theim taught any thyng of Faithe or Charitie but of dreames and dotages of their owne brainelesse deuisyng By Gouernemente and Dignitie he meaneth Kynges Princes Lordes and all Ciuile Magistrates not the Pope with his Cardinalles and Bishoppes who ought to bee nothyng lesse then Lordes For Christe in the newe Testament appoincted none to be any otherwise then Seruauntes that one Christian should serue and helpe to benefite an other and one to reuerence and honour an other Saincte Peters meanyng therefore is that thei whiche boaste themselues to be of Christ should in all thynges be Subiecte and obedient to the Ciuile and externall Magistrate and should stande in awe of the power of the Sweard beeyng Gods Institution and Ordinaunce Contrarie wherevnto these Shauelynges in eche respecte dooe deale who haue exempted themselues from their due obedience to Ciuile Magistrates and affirmed themselues not to be subiect vnto them yea thei haue not onely exempted themselues from this their due subiection and lawfull obedience vnto the Magistrate but thei also moste arrogantlie haue made the Ciuile Magistracie subiect vnto theÌ„ and haue trodden it vnder foote And withall moste impudently suffer theimselues to bee called Lordes ouer Kynges and Princes The Pope also calleth hymself Lorde bothe of Heauen and Earth and braggeth that hee hath in his handes bothe the Sweardes the Spiritual and the Temporal that euery one should fall doune before hym and kisse his feete Also saieth S. Peter Thei feare not to speake euill of theim that bee in dignitie For it hath hitherto been but a plaiyng matter and a tricke of small regarde with the Pope at his pleasure to curse Kynges and Princes and to depose theim from their Regall crounes and aucthorities And this to all Popes hath been a thing vsual and familier to set Princes together by the eares and to sowe inextricable discorde warre and dissension betweene them If any resisted or withstoode this bloudie Tyrannie of theirs hym thei shortly suppressed and snatched vp not as one that had committed any thyng repugnainte or contrarie to Christian Charitie but as a rebellious Childe and wicked member that would not enthrall subiect himself to the See of Rome and kisse the feete of that Italian Prieste the Pope whose power thei affirme so farre to surmounte and excell the dignitie of any earthly Kyng or Ciuile Magistrate as the Sunne in brightnesse of light exceedeth the Moone and as farre as the Heauen is higher then the Earth Beholde howegregiously thei blaspheme and how impiouslie thei lye For thei which ought to be subiect and to shewe all humble obedience vnto Kinges Magistrates to blesse theÌ„ and to praie for them as Christe shewed obedience to Pilate and paied Tribute vnto Caesar shake of the yoke of all obedience and bee the aucthours and Seedemen of al Obstinacie Rebellion Contempt and Disorder Thei ought at the hearyng of any euill spoken against Princes and Magistrates beyng placed in soueraigne dignitie to tremble But thei are so shamelesse so gracelesse so voide of reuerent awe and duetifull feare that thei moste sawâ—ily and malapertlie theimselues without all feare blapheme and speake euill of theim Not waighyng and consideryng that if the Angels whiche be of greate power and might can not abide the heauie iudgement of GOD against theim how muche lesse then shall thei wretched caitifes be able to abide it whiche boldly resiste and blasphemously speake euill against them But these as brute beastes led with sensualitie and made to bee taken and destroyed speake euill of those thynges whiche thei know not and shall perishe through their owne corruption And shall receiue the wages of vnrighteousnesse HE calleth them brute and vnreasonable Beastes for that thei haue not in them any sparke of the spirite of God neither giue themselues to that spirituall function whereunto they are charged but liue like filthie Swine altogether swallowed vp in the beastly pleasures of the fleshe Whereas he saieth Thei are made to bee taken and destroyed it maye bee vnderstoode after two sortes either that they doe deuoure and destroye that whiche they haue taken as the maner of Lyons Beares Hawkes Egles and Vultures is for after the maner of these Beastes dooe our Polleshorne Prelates take and catche to themselues all wealth honour promotion dignitie and preeminence that possibie thei can Or els because thei shalbe taken caught ensnared and made a praie to others to bee destroyed and as it were slaughtered in iudgement at the last daie As they which count it pleasure to liue deliciously for a season BEholde how angrie S. Peter sheweth hymself to be with these Bellygods They thinke if thei maie liue delicately ydly and fare deliciouslie that then they are throughly happie and haue raught to the tippe of their wished desires This euidently appeareth in their owne Decretalles wherein they pronounce hym the Sonne of the Deuill and an accursed person that dare presume to touch or meddle with their pompous wealth and reuell or with their pampered paunches and embolned bellyes Wherein they so manifestly so apparauntly and in so good earnest handle the cause of their Belly that thei can not themselues denye but that their whole Canons and Lawes and the whole pollicie of their Churche is purposelie directed to this ende that they maie lye snortyng in ease and carelesse securitie and liue in most abundant stoare of all thinges without either paine or labour makyng others to labour in the meane while for them And other cause to pretende and alledge for themselues why thei should thus deaâ—e haue they none sauyng that forsooth thei must chaunt sing and pipe God a daunce in the Churche or pray But God hath expresly commaunded all men without exception that thei should eate their breade in the sweate of their owne browes and vppon euery one hath he laied some burdens and troublesome charges to exercise themselues in from which these our Lordly Rabbines and Maisters would bee exempted and by their good willes would do nothing but leane on their pillowes And this is the greatest blindnesse and blockishnes that can be to think that suche a beastly and shamefull life is either good or worthie to be any waie dignified or had in any honor or estimatioÌ„ Spottes thei are and blottes THese Drones and Humblebees in their own conceites thinke themselues the Pillers and Ornamentes of the Churche euen as the Sunne and the Moone are the beautie and ornamentes of the Heauen they looke to bee accoumpted of all others the best the noblest and the excellentest euen as in the Worlde Golde and precious Stones are of greatest price and highest estimation But
and gouerned by others For suche bee the menne that are begotten of Fleshe the Spirite beegetteth other maner of persones Thus hath God in his Scriptures very properly and aptly tearmed and sette them out in liuely colours namely thereby to giue vs to vnderstande and knowe what is to bee thought of them The Asse beeyng a dumme beaste and daiely accustomed to the yoke and burdeÌ„s signifieth the People whiche must bee content bothe to bee snaffled brideled sadled ridden vpon and to goe whiche waie thei are bidden And as this Asse was violently dealt withall and greeuously beaten when she went out of the waie and was forced to goe still forwarde till she came into suche a straite Lane where shee could not any waie either starte aside for the narownesse of the place nor goe on for the Angell that withstoode and stopped her so that she was driuen to fall doune So the poore people so often as thei feele theim selues to be hardly dealt withall and to be caried into vnsuffeâ—able errours and faine would goe aside out of that wicked waie straighwaies these seducyng Balaamites were readie with rigour and violence to bryng them into their erring waie againe and therein compelled and enforced them to goe till it pleased God to open our mouthes and to putte his Woordes therein so that now his name be praised euen young children doe talke of it Whereby their brainsicke madnesse is so notoriously detected that though thei be moste shamelesse and impudent yet can thei not choose but blushe thereat And here out of this place our Balaamites maie very fitly bee answered when as thei bragge and crie out accordyng to their wonted order that it is not meete for the Laie people as thei call theÌ„ to read the Scriptures nor to talke and conferre of the same one with an other but rather to giue eare and hearken what the Generall Councelles doe decree and what soeuer thei agree vpon that onely to bee beleeued and embraced Maie we not thus answere them That GOD speaking by a poore Asse reprooued the Prophete whiche satte on her backe of madnesse Thei now therefore beeyng infatuated and their harte whollie possessed with couetousnesse what marueile is it though God stirre vp the poore common people to declare and shewe foorthe his truthe whom thei hitherto haue surcharged with heauie burdeins and driuen whiche waie thei lifte none otherwise then a dumme seelie Asse seruyng onely to carie burdens This is therefore the similitude that sainct Peter sheweth betweene Balaam and our blinde Popishe Guides These are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about with a tempest SOlomon in the xxv of his Prouerbes vseth a similitude saiyng A manne that boasteth of false liberalitie is like Cloudes and Winde without Raine So saieth sainct Peter here in this place Thei are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about with a tempest that is they boaste of great things but thei performe nothyng thei are like Welles that are stopped and dried vp hauyng in them no water at all and yet thei beare theimselues highly vppon that title and boste themselues to bee the true Welles But the Scripture calleth theim Welles whiche teache and from whom doeth flowe and issue good and wholesome doctrine wherewith the Soules of men maie be refreshed This is the office that thei ought to doe and for this are thei appointed But alas sauyng onely the name there is no suche thyng in theim as likewise thei call theimselues Shepeheardes whereas in verie deede thei be rather rauenyng Wolues Againe thei be as Cloudes caried hither and thither with the winde Not as the thicke and blacke Cloudes that destill and droppe doune Raine vpon the earth but as the thinne and light fleetyng Cloudes in the Aire whiche are tossed and caried about hither and thither out of whom there commeth no Raine at all Euen so likewise doe these Pompous Prelates vaunt and bragge and carie loftie and high countenaunces in the Churche seducyng the worlde with their owne vaint guegawes and Traditions beyng like to light windetossed Cloudes and are contented to swaie whiche waie soeuer Sathan lifteth to carie them and to preache what soeuer maie be to his likyng but not so much as one Worde of the pure and sincere Gospell of God Which Gospell Word because none preacheth but thei that be true Preachers and Teachers therefore are thei in the v. of Esaie and other places of the Scriptures tearmed Cloudes because thei doe destill and lette fall into the hartes of their Auditorie the sweete and comfortable Water of Gods truthe and mercie To whom the blacke darknesse is reserued for euer THey liue now euen at their own pleasures euery thing accordyng to their owne hartes desires prospereth and hath good successe but there is a glommie daie toward them there shall come vpon them euerlastyng darkenesse although now thei neither beleeue it nor feele it For in speakyng swelling wordes of vanitie they beguile with wantonnes through the lustes of the fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour IF ye aske how they can bee called Welles without water and Cloudes without raine sith thei preache very much euery where S. Peter maketh you this answere thei preach in deede and rayne enough and enough but their preachynges are nothyng els then swellyng and proude woordes wherewith they accloye and fill the eares of the poore seelie people whom thei make to beleeue that what thei speake is right good and Catholike whereas indeede there is nothyng more vaine fonde and childishe Thus are our lubberly Monkes wont with braue and plausible words to boaste and vaunt their Obedience Pouertie and Chastitie and all because thei would be thought of the common people to be of all menne the holiest whereas all their doings and preachinges are nothyng but mere iugglynges deceites and collusions not hauyng in theim either Faithe or Charitie And so is also this loftie vaine bragge of theirs that the state and office of a Bishoppe is an estate of perfection whereas thei that bee in that mitred state dooe nothyng but Pompously ieste the streates awaited vppon with a greate retinue of Suiters and Seruauntes as though their were great Lordes and fare like Princes riding vpon braue horses like gallant Caualieres Without any regard had to their Pastorall charge sauyng that now and then thei hallowe a Churche or consecrate an Altar or Baptize Belles for with these and suche like swellyng and vaine wordes their whole Pontificiall Law is full thwackte pestred Thei beguile with wantonnesse through the lustes of the Fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour THE drifte of these Welles and these Teachers is none other but to entangle and catche in their snares the selie Soules that had scarcely afore escaped As namelie children lately Baptized and newly receiued into the Church and washed from their synnes deliuered from Adam and engraffed into Christ them I saie waxyng somwhat bigge
Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ Againe j. Cor. iij Euery mannes woorke shalbee made manifest for the daie shall declare it because it shalbee reueiled by the Fire Therefore when that laste daie shall like a sodaine flashe of Lightnyng come vppon vs all thynges in this Heauen and this Earth shall in the twincklyng of an eye be consumed to Cinders and sodainly chaunged with Fire euen as in the tyme of Noah all thynges were chaunged with the water and that GOD will not faile in this his threatening commination wherof we ought to take his former dealyng for an infallible token the whiche he hath left vnto vs for a signe Dearely beloued bee not ignoraunte of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeres and a thousande yeres as one daie The Lorde is not slacke concernyng his promise as some men counte slacknesse but is pacient toward vs and would haue no man to perishe but would all men to come to repentaunce But the daie of the Lorde will come as a Thiefe in the night in the whiche the Heauens shall passe awaie with noyse and the Elemētes shall melt with heate and the Earth with the woorkes that are therein shalbe burnt vp IN these woordes S. Peter meeteth with those cauillers of whom he spake afore whiche saie that the Apostles haue foretold many vaine and foolish tales of the latter Daie and that al thinges stande still in the same course and order as thei did before notwithstandyng so long a space of tyme since thei foretold and Prophecied thereof And this place borowed he out of the praier of Moses in the lxxxx Psalme A thousand yeres saieth he in thy sight are as yesterdaie when it is paste This is after twoo sortes to bee vnderstoode and taken One as it hath respecte and relation to God the other as it respecteth Men and the Worlde Againe this life is to be considered after one sort the life to come after an other This life can not bee the life to come because into that none can passe but by Death that is till he ceasse from the functions of this mortall life This present Life consisteth and is preserued by eatyng drinkyng sleapyng digestyng c. all whiche consiste and are doen within the limitation of Houres Daies and Yeres But when thou wilt throughly consider the life to come thou must quight forget and put out of thy cogitation and remembrance all the course of this present life and neuer thinke to make any conference or comparison betweene this Life and it For all thynges in it are as one Daie one Houre one Minute one Moment Seyng therefore that there is no Dinumeration of tyme with God it followeth that a thousande yeres with hym are as one daie and therefore the first manne Adam is as neere to God as he that shalbe laste borne the daie next afore the Generall daie of Iudgement For God respecteth not tyme according as the same is in length but rather as it were aslope as if a man should behold and looke vpō a verie long Tree liyng ouerthwarte or aslope afore hym For so should he with one glaunce of his eye beholde bothe the endes thereof at once whiche he could not doe if he should stande at the one ende and beholde it long wise Now we mortall Creatures can not by our owne reason beholde and consider the Tyme but accordyng to the length by numbryng and addyng yere to yere from Adam till the laste daie But with God all thynges are lapped vp as it were in one bundle and seen with one blushe What we thinke to de long the same with hym is shorte and contrariwise A man when he dieth lieth buried in the Earth and his bodie is consumed into duste neither knoweth he any thyng but when he shall arise againe in the laste daie he shall thinke he hath slept as it were scarcely as houre then shall he see and beholde a greate multitude that liued after hym of whom hee knewe nothyng at all Saincte Peters meanyng therefore is this The Lorde is not slacke to performe his promise as these Mockers and Skorners doe thinke that he is but is pacient and long suffryng therefore be ye ready against the laste daie whiche will come sooner then ye looke for and will sodainly ouertake the wicked Worldlynges as Saincte Paule saieth j. Theis v. When thei shall saie peace and safetie then shall come vppon them sodaine destruction as the trauaile vpon a woman with child and ther shall not escape That daie shall come with suche a noise and shall so sodainly as it were a terrible tempest fall vpon the world that al thinges shalbe consumed in a moment Seyng therefore that all these thinges must be dissolued what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse Lookyng for and hastyng vnto the commyng of that daie of God SEyng that ye know that all these thinges shall passe awaie bothe Heauen Earth and all thinges therein consider and waigh with your selues with what holinesse of life and godlinesse of conuersation ye ought to stande readie against that daie For S. Peter so describeth this daie as that it is euen now at hande against the whiche wee should not onely be in a readinesse but also moste ioyfully and gladly expect and looke for the commyng thereof Yea he would haue vs with moste willing myndes to goe to meete the Lorde in that daie as in whiche wee hope at length to bee clearely ridde and deliuered from the tyrannie of Sinne Death and Hell By the whiche the heauens beyng on fier shalbee dissolued the Elementes shall melt with heate But we looke for newe Heauens and a new Earth accordyng to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse THE Lord by his Prophetes in sundry places hath promised that he will create newe Heauens and a newe Earth as Esay Lxv. Loe I will create newe Heauens and a newe Earth and the former shall not be remembred not come into your mynde Againe Esay xxx The light of the Moone shalbee as the light of the Sunne the light of the Sunne shalbe seuenfold and like the light of seuen daies And Christ saith Matth. xiij that the iust shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their father But how after what fashion al this shall come to passe we cā not tell sauing that it is faithfully promised by him who can not deceiue that there shalbee newe Heauens and a newe Earth in which shall dwell no sinne vncleannesse but righteousnesse and they that bee the children of God as Paule also Rom. viij witnesseth There shalbe nothyng but ioye and perpetuall solace to wit the kyngdome of God and all felicitie Here he that would bee inquisitiue to knowe whether the elect and blessed shal at that tyme bee in the Heauens or on the Earth Truely this place soundeth that thei shal remaine and dwell on the Earth so that al both Heauens and Earth shalbe as one Paradise
expectation reserued sorthe last daie and commyng of the Lorde whether the same come and approche with speede or staie yet somewhat longer And of all their cruell speakynges whiche wicked synners haue spoken against hym IN these wordes he both reprooueth their life and reprehendeth their saiynges and it is as much as if he should saie Thei speake presumptuously and malapertly against the Lord and against his commyng they bee impudent and tooto arrogant thei deryde and blaspheme hym as S. Peter also in his Epistle writeth of them He speaketh not here of their life as it is defiled and deformed with sinnes and iniquities but as it is giuen ouer and entierly addicted to woorke all impietie I call that Impietie when the life is led without Faith although the outwarde conuersation bee not altogether flagitious and damnable Euill works be in deede the fruictes of Impietie but Impietie it self is properly called that life whiche glittereth outwardly with a gaie shew of hypocriticall workes whereas the harte is vtterly voyde of Faithe Suche impious persons saieth he the Lord will reproue because the presumptuous doctrine whiche thei boldly teache thei stiflie defende and obstinately maintaine leanyng alwaies to their owne brainsicke glosses and constructions and not sufferyng themselues to bee conuerted and turned to the truthe but are harder then the Flint and will neuer desist from condemnyng and blasphemyng the doctrine of true godlinesse Here we see how liuely these wordes of Enoch paint out and describe these kinde of persons that are and should foyst themselues into the Churche towarde the latter ende of the Worlde whiche vndoubtly are y e Papistes as to euery man euidently appeareth These are murmurers complainers walkyng after their owne lustes whose mouthes speake proude thynges IF a man finde fault with their dealynges and reproue them as vnlawful and dissonaunt to the Worde of God he shalbee sure to bryng himself thereby into a pecke of troubles they will murmure repine and gnashe their teeth at him As for example if a man should but leaue out or omit any peece or parte of the Bishoppes ordinarie style and wonted tytle they straightwaies with open throates crye out Contempt and Disobedience There is no waie left to withstand their lawlesse lustes and selfwilled dealinges for thei bragge that they haue power bothe ouer our bodies ouer our soules thei haue gotten into their handes bothe the Swordes so that they can not bee compelled by Lawe to dooe that is iust and right and that any man should preache against them that can thei not at any hand abide They haue exempted thēselues and all theirs from all maner of taxe tribute and imposition so that no man dare once touche any thing that belongeth vnto them finallie thei are growen to that degree of tyrannie that no man dare presume to preache a worde contrarie to the order of their peeuish Proceedings To alledge any Scriptures against them it is altogether bootelesse for they saie that none maie expoūd or enterprete the same sauing thei themselues By which meanes it is come to passe that in all places and in all thinges they liue as licentiously as thei list For these saiynges can not bee wrested or applied against vs professours of the true Gospell for that wee reuerently and dutifully submitt our selues and yeeld our obedience aswell to the Scriptures as to the ciuile Power from bothe whiche thei wilbe free and not compellable by any Last of al their Decrees and Cannons be pestered and thwacked full of proude arrogant and swellyng wordes vtterly voyde of all good and godlinesse Hauing mens persones in admiration because of a vantage THis hitteth their natures and dispositions very iumpe for thei iudge all thinges accordyng to the person In all the whole Popes Canons ye shall not once finde it commaunded that the Bisshoppe should humble himself beneath the poore Parishe Priest nor any of the fruictes of a Christian life whatsoeuer But al thinges rather sounde thus Let the Curate bee vnder the Priest the Priest vnder the Bisshoppe the Bisshoppe vnder the Archbishoppe the Archbishoppe vnder the Patriarch and the Patriarch vnder the Pope Finallie how euery one should weare his Habite his Amyse his Weede and Cowle after what fashion he should clippe his hayre shaue his crowne and beard and make his apparaile how many Benifices and how many Prebendes he might keepe c. Thus thei brought all thinges to certaine externall Ceremonies and traditions of their own makyng and wholly occupied themselues in mere childishe foolish and friuolous trifles which thei had in greate accoūpt and estimation yea thei iudged it no lesse then deadly sinne if any man should refuse to adore reuerence these their boyishe toyes And therefore very well saieth Iude in this place Thei haue mens persons in admiratiō for thei lappe vp their lewd and loude lyes in vizardes of hypocrisie and only admire those gaie shewes that are visiblie obiect to the eye All this while thei neuer speake woorde neither knowe any thyng as they should knowe of Faith of Charitie or of the Crosse And yet the poore vulgare people suffer themselues still to be beesotted with these Popishe Bugges and thinke themselues to doe very acceptable seruice to God in giuing all their Goods Substaunce and Patrimonie to feede these filthie Swine in the Stye of this their lewd sensualitie But ye beloued remember the woordes whiche were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christ How that thei told you that there should be mockers in the laste tyme whiche should walke after their owne vngodlie lustes THis place also giueth some occasion to thinke that this Epistle was not written by Saincte Iude the Apostle because the Aucthour hereof reckeneth not hymself among the other Apostles but speaketh so of theim as though thei had preached long before his tyme whereby it maie well bee thought that this was rather written by some other godlie man that had read Sainct Peters Epistle and out of it culled and gathered these woordes and Sentences Who these mockers bee wee haue afore declared and who thei also bee that walke after their owne lustes not onely carnall and fleshely lustes but those rather that sauour of horrible impietie wherin thei liue in eche respect accordyng to their owne inordinate desires neither reuerencyng the Ciuile Magistrate nor obeiyng the Worde of God but liue so loosely and contemptuously that thei neither obediently acknowledge any externall nor yet internal Gouernement Al Lawes aswell Diuine as Humaine thei flatly despise and sette at naught and so flye in the Aire in the middle betweene Heauen and Earth euen as thei are hoised vp and caried aloft by their Maister the Deuill These are makers of sectes Fleshely hauyng not the Spirite HEre he alludeth to that whiche sainct Peter in his Epistle saied That there should come false Teachers whiche priuilie should bryng in damnable heresies These are thei that disobediently breake asunder the vnitie of Faithe and beyng not