to syt on his ryghte hande aboue all heauenly powers In Christ was shewed the excellent power of god / aboue all thynges / whiche power god wyl shewe to them that beleueth 2. He sheweth here the glory of Christ to be aboue all the powers / domynyons / or potestates in heauen that we shulde put our truste in Christ / whiche wyll exalte to that place where he is al them that beleue in him and thynketh to come there where Christ is on the right hande of the father onely by Chryste / and nat by theyr owne merytes or deseruinges and to put men in a suretye of that thynge Christe hym selfe was exalted from deathe to lyfe eternal 3. The power and the glory of Christ is shewed in that he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father in heauen aboue all powers rule / dominyon / potestates / and vertues / and aboue all names that is in this world or in the worlde to come / and all thynges are subiected to him and vnder his domynion and power / and he is the heade of the congregatyon whiche is his body Christ is the heade / in whome consisteth the perfeccyon of the hole bodye and he that maketh in the bodye all thynges parfyte 4. This place reproueth the Bysshoppe of Rome and all his decrees that maketh hym heade of the Churche of Chryste / for the hed of the churche of Christ is nat the bysshop of Rome / but Christe whiche maketh all thynges vnparfyte parfite / princes Kinges in their kingdomes worldely / be as heades of theyr subiectes vnder Christ to se euery one be in right order / to goddes wyll and pleasure / and that euery man in euery state and degree do his duty after his calling / for to the Kinges / Princes / and other superior power / it becoÌ„meth euery man to be obedyent / and from their power can no man exempte any of these subiectes by any profession of man / wherfore byshops of Rome exemptyng religyouse men from due obedience to their kinges and Prynces haue done against goddes lawe and saynt Paules doctrine Ro. 13. 1. Pe. 2. Hebre. 13. whiche places commaundeth all subiectes to be obedient vnto the hye powers / for they that resyste powers / they resyst the ordinance of God and these that resyste the ordynaunce of God they take to them selfe Iudgemente and dampnacyon Ro. 13. ¶ The seconde Chapyter to the Ephesyans ANd quickened you also when ye were deade throughe trespacê and synnes / in the whiche in time past ye walked accordynge to the course of this worlde / and after the Prynce that ruleth in the ayre / namely / after the spiryte whiche nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbeleue amonge whome we also had our conuersacyon in tyme paste in the lustes of our fleshe and of the mynde and more naturally the childrenne of wrath euen aswell as other The Apostell compareth the state of these Ephesyans that they were in nowe when he wrote this Epistle to them / with the state condicion of lyfe that they were in before Chryst had called them to fayth by his word preached amonge them / that by the remembraunce of it / they might be prouoked with more gladnesse and harty loue to prayse and laude God / and gyue hym harty thankes that it hathe pleased hym to call them from darknes to lyghte from ignoraunce to knowledge / from syn to iustyce from deathe to lyfe / he saythe whan you knewe nat Chryste / you were deade by trespaces and synnes / beholde in what case they be in the knowe nat Chryste and his holy worde / by trespaces and synnes he vnderstandeth all manner of vyces and synnes / whether they be in thought wyll / acte / or in outwarde dede / when they knewe nat Chryste they were deade by synnes / nowe they knowynge Chryste do lyue / and be called from deathe to the lyfe of grace and of glorye eternal / before they walked in vyce and in synne / nowe they walke in grace and in vertue / before they walked after the maners / lustes and pleasures of this worlde / that is to saye / after the lustes of the fleshe / the lustes of the eyes / and proudnes of lyfe 1. Ioh. 2. Nowe they walke after the good wyll of god and after godes pleasure / before they folowed the prince of the ayre and was obedyente to his wyll this Prynce of the ayre is that euyll spiryte that worketh in sturdy / frowarde / and disobedyent personnes to goddes wyll and that doth nat beleue God but nowe they walke after the wyll of god the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste lorde of heauen and earthe whose spiryte bryngeth and leadeth to all good workes of God who is he that knoweth he is called from synne / death / hel / eternall dampnacion / to iustice / lyfe / heauen / eternal ioy and blisse / wyll nat giue thankes laude and praise to him that brought hym to this ioye and felicyte Truely I thynke no man / but he wolde gyue greate thankes whan he remembreth the benefytes of his callynge / and for that cause saint Paule here compareth these two states to gether that euery one of vs may remember in what case we were in before Christe called vs to his knowledge by his worde / for as these Ephesyans were / so were we / and the same thynge he wryteth to them he writeth to vs / it agreith aswel to vs as to them / and all one thynge / as touchynge our state 2. This place sheweth that al men that came of Adam to be subiecte to synne / and for synne worthy eternall deathe / none able to delyuer them selfe from deathe and dampnacion / of the which we may learne that no man by his owne nature / myght / power / or fre wyll / can saue hym selfe from death and hell / but who someuer be saued that they be saued by the only grace of god and nat by theyr owne merytes / or by the merytes of sayntes departed 3. You see what foloweth syn / deathe / punyshment foloweth syn / as the rewarde for synne / and that these that wante the grace of god can nat but fall to synne / and go from one synne to an other / and walke after the lustes of the fleshe / and applye them selues to the wyll of the deuyll which worketh in euyl men and prouoketh to al vnhappynes vyce / syn / as these Ephesyans dyd before they were called by the worde of god to fayth to knowe Christ 4. In euyll men worketh the prynce of the ayre whiche is the deuyl that entyseth alwaye to euyll / and to do she workes of the deuyll The deuyll is called the prince of the ayre / nat bycause he hathe dominyon and power to rule the ayre at his pleasure or wyl / for that to god doth pertayne / but that he hathe power only of euyl men
and to call Gentyles to saluacion by the gospell without circumsion and other ceremonies necessary to be obserued / to instructe the Apostles of Christ in this matter was the holy Ghoste sente to them and gyuen in Pentecost / and also this mysserye was opened to them by vysions / as to Peter Actes 10. and that by the wyll of God / and of goddes goodnes / of the whiche we maye learne to glorifie god nowe as the Apostles dyd when they sawe the mystery opened that was hyd froÌ„ the begynnynge of the worlde to theyr tyme So let vs nowe glorify god that hath now in our tyme opened and shewed more playnly and more clerely the trueth of his worde longe hyd / obserued and darkened by mannes traditions and inuentyons / then it was in our fathers tyme / and nothynge meruayle at the goodnes of God / but shewe oure selues more thankefull to god gyuynge him thankes for his benefites and prayse to hym as the author of all goodnes / and knowe surely that the truth comes nat to lyght / nat for our merites or deseruynges / but of the goodnes of god as after Christes passion came to the GeÌ„ntyles the gospel and the trueth of it by the Apostles yf meÌ„ wolde consydre this place wel / and deply wey it / they shulde se clerely howe lytle effecte and strength be reasons made of carnall men by the whiche some as yet can nat thynke or be persuaded in theyr hertes that this ys the trueth that is nowe adaies preached by true and faithfull preachers in this realme They grouÌ„de theyr reasons ofte tymes / of men / and of customes / sayeng howe caÌ„ it be thought that god wolde suffer the trueth so longe to be hyd from his people / and suffer men so longe to be deceyued with falsed To this I aunswere and saye / the Gentyles might so haue sayde to god But none said so but those that wolde nat receyue the gospel / beleue it and be saued The faythfull asketh no cause of the wyll of god / but studye to knowe goddes wyll and to do it Also they say / was theyr nat as holy men in tymes paste as is nowe / aswell learned as is nowe / as wyse men as now be / why wolde nat god shewe to them his trueth / as nowe Of the wyll of god I wyl nat dispute / I can gyue no cause of his wyl / why he wyll this thinge / and why that thynge he wylleth all thynges to the beste / to his glory and to our profite It is ynough for me to konwe that god wylleth this thyng and that he gyueth his gyftes of his mercye and goodnes / and nat for the merytes of men The knowledge of the trueth / it is the gyfte of god gyuen at the wyl of god nat of man / and gyuen when it please the god to gyue it / and when god seyth it most for his glory and for the profyte of man / So the wâ—… of god is the cause of the truth now shewed to the worlde and nat the holynes of fathers the lerninge or wysdome of men / and of our partye is receyued that we shulde take the truth now shewed with gladnes gyuynge to god herty thankes to lyue after the trueth / as these Ephesyans that was faythfull dyd ¶ Vnto me the leaste of all sayntes / is thê grace gyueÌ„ that I shuld preache among the hethen the vnsearcheable riches of Christe and to make all men se what is the felowshyppe of the mystery whiche from the begynnyng of the worlde hath ben hyd in god Which made al thinges throughe Iesus Christ to the entente that nowe vnto rulers and powers in heauen myght be knowen by the congregacion the manyfolde wysdome of god accordynge to the eternall purpose which he hath shewed in Christ Iesu our lorde by whoÌ„ we haue boldnesse entraunce in all confidence throughe fayth on hym ¶ The Apostle repeteth the same thyng he hathe spoken before / but in other wordes / of the whiche he teacheth that one seÌ„tence may be spoken of the precher diuers tymes without a faute / specyally if it be suche a sentence as is mete to be surely fixed and rooted in the hertes of the hearers and be for theyr profyte to be knowen surelye 2 Lerne here mekenes and lowlynes of harte of this Apostle saynt Paule Which so dyd humble him selfe and set him vnder other / that he called hym selfe leaste of all saitê or Apostles / nat worthy be to callyd an Apostle of Iesus Christe / because he dyd persecute the Churche of Christe / as he sayth 1. CoriÌ„ 15. But yet he was made the Apostle of Christe / althoughe he sumtyme before his conuersion dyd persecute Christis churche Of the whiche we maye lerne what a Lorde is god / whiche of hys goodnes doth make a faythfull preacher and defender of his worde / of a persecuter / A sure pyller of his Churche / of a plucker downe of it Of the whiche we maye lerne the goodnes of god towardes sinners / his power / nat to dyspayre of no man as long as he shall lyue here in this worlde But God maye by his grace tourne him from his synnes and noughtynes / and brynge him to goodnes / and make of an euyll maÌ„ a good man / and the true seruaunt of god and to condempne the olde sayenge / ones euyll alway euyll / whiche is an euyll sayenge and worthy to be condempned / and abolyshed 3 The Apostle sayeth / it was gyuen to him of the grace of god that he shulde preache the vnsearcheable ryches of Christe amongeste the hethen And these vnsearcheable ryches was the mystery of the gospell that Saynte Paule preached to the Gentyles by whose preachinge the Gentyles receyued fayth / and was brought to eternal saluacion Beholde what the Apostle calleth the mystery that was hid from the world so long in god / he calleth it the vnsearchable ryches of Christe They be called vnsearcheable ryches bycause no man can come to the true knowledge of them of his owne myghtes / powers / workes / merites / or deseruinges without the grace of God Or elles they be vnsercheable bycause no man opteineth them al / but euery one that beleueth opteyne one parte or an other of the ryches of god / that is sufficieÌ„t for his saluacion For if one mortal maÌ„ shulde possesse all the ryches of God / he wolde be to proude / he wolde condempne euery other man and thynke hym selfe to haue nede of no man / but euery man to haue nede of his helpe / and he of no man / nor yet of goddes helpe / wolde make him selfe equall with Christe and with God the father Whiche thiÌ„ges god wolde nat / therfore he gyueth to no mortal man all his riches as he dyd to Christe Iesus After this waye the ryches of god be called vnsearcheable / for no man can haue all goddes ryches /
/ and to kepe that vnite by charite the bonde of peace One reason is this It becommeth them nat to be at discorde to whome so many thynges be comon / yt becommeth them nat to be of diuers mindes and affections / at debarte and stryfe that be of one body / one spyryte one callynge / one hope / one lorde / one fayth / one baptyme / one God and father / whiche maketh al / in all / as who shulde say / it is nat mete that there shulde be variaunce amongeste them that be membres of one body / al we be membres of Christes body Wherfore it is nat mete that amongeste chrysten men shulde be discorde and debate / but vnitie concorde and euery one to seke as well for the profyte of another as membres in the body speketh laboureth one for another howe deadly warre amongest christen meÌ„ for worldly honoures and pleasures / doth agree with saynt Paule here in this place I wolde lerne of other Also yf we haue the spirite of god / as I truste we haue / or elles we be nat of Christ Roma 8. There shulde be no debate amongest vs / for thal spirite is nat the spirite of contencion / but of peace / we be called in one hope of the heauenly inheritaunce / where as there shal be no discorde nor contention For contentiouse men opteyne nat the kyngedome of god / we be seruauntes to one Lorde / it becommeth nat seruantes to be at contentioÌ„ amongest them selfes / there is one profession of al christians by the which they professe to be seruauntes of god alone / to beleue and trust in him to be obedient to his wyll alwaye / to loke for al necessary thynges / lyfe and saluacion of hym alone / and one baptyme by the which we be made his seruauntes / receyue name and lyueray by the whiche we be knowen to be seruantes onely to god / whiche is our Lorde god / father it becommeth nat seruauntes nor brethren to stryfe / but to haue all loue / peace vnitie / and concorde and euery one for his parte to endeuer hiÌ„ selfe with all his power myght and diligence to do the wyll pleasure of his lorde father / that he may receyue the heuenly inheritauÌ„ce promised to obediente chyldren ♣ Vnto euery one of vs is giueÌ„ grace accordyng to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Therfore sayeth he / he is gone vp an hye and hath led awaye captyuite capptiue and hath gyuen gyftes vnto men that he went vp what is it but he first came downe in to the loweste partes of the earthe he that came downe is euen the same whiche is gone vp aboue all heauens to fulfyll all âš¹ Leaste any man shulde thynke or saye that the diuers gyftes of the spirite shulde hurte or hynder the vnite of the spiryte be cause of debate / and sterre vp stryfe or contencion for the diuersite of the gyftes of god / the Apostle sayeth that these gyftê gyuen frely shulde rather be cause of concorde / then of discorde / seynge nat al gyftes be giuen to one / but to euery one after suche a fashyon and measure that euerye one hathe nede of the helpe of another Therefore it becommeth euery man to be content with his gyfte and nat to contemne another that hathe nat so muche gyuen to him he that hathe muche / muche shall be requyred of hym / and he that hath lesse / lesse shal be requyred of hym / and he that hath moste / he hath nat so much but he hathe nede in some thynges the helpe of other / that none shulde contemne another 2 The distribution of the gyftes of God is nat at mannes wyll / but at the wyl and pleasure of God / whiche geueth them as he pleaseth / to some more and some lesse as he seyth it expedient for his glorye and our saluation therfore let none be dispised because he hath lytle / nor no man proude because he hath much or more then other / let euery one exercise and vse there gyftes gyuen them / to the glory of god and to the profyte of other and so be thankefull to god the gyuer of all goodnes / whiche gyuethe his giftes nat al to one man least he shuld contemne all other men / and abuse the gyftes of god to lucre / to vayne glorye to pryde and arrogancie 3 The Apostle proueth by the testymonye and recorde of Dauyd the prophete in the Psalme 67. That Christe hath ouercommen his enemyes s synne / death / hell and the deuyll / and hathe ascended to heuen and hathe gyuen gyftes to men / as appereth more playnly Roma 12.1 CorÌ„ 12. Here he alludeth and foloweth the maner of conquerours whiche conquere and ouercome theyr enemye get spoyles and ryches of theyr enymies / which they shew and blase theÌ„ abrode that euery man may se them / and then dystrybute them to the people in a triumphe and prayse of victorye So Christe hauynge victory ouer his enemyes / synne / death / hell and the deuyll and robbed them of theyr captyues / he triumpheth ouer them and hath ascended to heauen and gyuen many gyftes of the holy ghoste to men / in laude and prayse of his victory ouer his enemyes 4 In that he asketh / what is that ascended and discended in to lowe partes of the earthe / he expoundeth it him selfe sayenge it is he whiche discended before and ascended aboue all to fulfyll all / that is to saye it is Christe whiche came frome heuen in to the earthe and toke the nature of man vpon hym / and was be come as man and as an abiecte persone and suffred death / ascended to heauen and fulfylled all thynges / restored al thynges / and made al thinges perfyte / by whome we haue free passage to the father be made heyres of the celestiall inheritaunce ☞ And the same hathe set some to be Apostles some to be Prohetes / some to be Euangelystes some to be Shepherdes teachers / wherby the Sayntes might be coupled togyther throughe comon seruyce to the edefyenge of the bodye of Christe tyll we all come vnto one maner of faythe and knoweledge of the sonne of God and become a perfyte man in to the measure of the perfite age of Christe ¶ Of this place we may lerne howe god hath distributed his gyftes and set in hys church diuers ministers for diuers offices and wylleth that euery one shulde vse him selfe in his office accordynge to his offyce / callynge and gyfte Some he calleth Apostles / some Prohetes / some Euangelystes some Doctoures / some teachers Apostles they were called whiche were nat fixed to one place to one people / but wente frome place to place preachyng the Gospel both to the Iewes and the Gentyles Prophetes were they that opened the mysteries of the scriptures and somtyme shewed thiÌ„nges to come EuaÌ„gelystes were they that were deputed
thretned to euyl seruantes / so theyr is a rewarde promysed to good seruantes and a payne to euyll seruauntes / whiche god wyll gyue when he seyth his tyme. ☞ And ye maysters do euen the same vnto them puttynge awaye threatnynges and know that eueÌ„ your mayster also is in heuen neyrher is there any respecte of persoÌ„nes with hym ⧠Here he sheweth the office of maisters to theyr seruauntes / sayeng It is the offyce of the mayster to shewe hiÌ„selffe meke and gentle to his seruantes whome they suffer nat to wante necessaries neyther to wante meate ne clothe / nat to entreate theÌ„ with great hardnes / fearsnes or cruelnes nat to lay great burdiÌ„ges vpon theyr backes / or to put them to iÌ„tollerable labours and paynes / but that the maysters shulde thynke their seruantes to be men made to the symilitude of god / redemed by the preciouse bloude of Christe to be heyres and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen as wel as they Fynally let maysters so order them selfes towardes theyr seruantes and be so louyng / so kynde / so gentle / that of theyr seruaÌ„tes they may be more loued then dred / do more for theyr loue then for feare / or for profyte 2 Puttynge awaye threatnynges / the lorde coÌ„maundeth the maysters nat onely to put away betynges / and punysshementes / but also all cruel threatnynges fears and fell wordes whiche maketh the seruaÌ„tes oftymes to runne awaye and forsake his maister contrary to the lawe of God This place reproueth fears / fell and cruel maysters frowarde to theyr seruauntes / that threate great and greuous plages / punysshementes thynkynge they shall do more with rhough rygorouse meanes theÌ„ with louynge wordes and gentle facyons but such frowarde maisters deceyueth theÌ„ selfe / for gentylnes wyll do more with an honest seruant and with hym that feareth god then any rough wordes or rygorous maners / for there be fewe seruauntes that be amended by bunchynge beatyng or other greuouse punyshement yf he nede muche punysshement it is a token he is an euyll seruant and lytyl regardeth his profyce or his Maysters profyte honestye or worshyppe 3 And knowe that your Mayster is in heuen / he sheweth the cause why maysters shulde entreat theyr seruauntes gently remyt to them plages / punyshemenentes and threatnynges / because god the father which is in heaueÌ„ is the Lorde of the seruauntes as well as he is of the maysters and wyll make the seruauntê equal with the maysters in Heauen / for God dothe nat regarde ê‘sonnes of men / whether they be maysters or seruauntes / but loketh at euery mannes office and deuty / and whom he fyndeth hath done theyr offyce deuty well he wyll rewarde them with a greate rewarde and whom he fyndeth negligent in his offyce not done his deutye / he wyl punyshe whether they be maysters or serseruauntes ☞ Fynally my brethren be strong in the Lorde and in the power of his myght / put on the armoure of God / that ye maye stande stedfaste agaynst the crafty assaultes of the deuyll / for we wrestle nat agaynst flesshe and bloude / but agaynst rule agaynst power namely agaynst the rulers of the worlde of the darkenes of thys worlde / agaynste the spyrytes of wyckednes vnder the Heauen ☞ The Apostle here before hathe exhorted men to the vnite of the spirite / to peace to concorde and hath shewed certayne degrees howe they shall lyue in their state to their deuty / as what is the duety of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / of the chyldren to their parentes / and of the parentes to theyr chyldren of the seruantes to theire maysters / and of maisters to their seruauntes Nowe he sheweth that these that wyl lyue after the rule dyscribed to them of Paule / that soÌ„tyme they shall haue enymies and temptacions of the deuyl whome they muste resyst and ouercome / and here he sheweth what armoure they muste haue to fyght agaynste enemyes / and by what weapons they shal ouer come enemyes Therfore he coÌ„maundeth them to be strong nat in them selfe in their owne myghtes or powers / but in the lorde and in the powers of the lorde by the whiche the enemyes shal be ouercommed yf we be stronge in the Lorde we nede nat to feare enemyes / for the Lorde is stronge ynoughe to ouercome enemyes and all aduersaries / and we by him / for he hath cure of vs and wyll defende vs from enemyes yf we truste in him 2 Put on the armoure of God / that ye may stande stedfaste agaynste the craftye assaultes of the deuyl In these wordes he sheweth with what weapons we shal be armed that we maye stande stedfast and sure agaynste the assaultes and craftes of the deuyll and to ouercome him and his temtations put away / by the whiche he temteth vs / as by carnal pleasure of the fleshe by couetousnes of ryches or of desyres of worldly / honoures by threatnyng or feare of the worlde / or losse of goodes fauour or promotyon by the whiche meanes the deuyll vseth to plucke men from god and froÌ„ his worde This armour by the which we shall resyste the deuyll and his temtation / is nat by the lyght of the holy candle halowed of candlemesse day / by strynklynge of holy water / by the ryngynge of the halowed great bell / by hauyng on their body a crosse made on Palsonday ane Agnê° dei called Etheldrede lace aboute their necke by goyng to religion inuented by man / by takynge this habyte or that habyte of religion in this place or in that place / by shiftyng vp within walles and neuer to come out agayne as the deuyll coulde nat come within suche walles / or by catyng of fyshe alway and neuer flesshe These be nat the armoure that the Apostle byddeth to put on to resyste the Deuyll / but he byddeth put on the armoure of god / that is the worde of god by the whiche the deuyl is resisted ouercommed / and al his craftes teÌ„tacioÌ„s be made vayne By this armour Christe ouer came the deuyll Math. 4. to teache vs with what armour we shulde fyght agaynste the deuyll / and howe to ouercome hym and all his temtatyons kepe vs safe from all hurte / or peryll of the temptations of the deuyll 3 For we wrestle nat againste fleshe and bloude / and so furth as he shulde saye we must nat onely fyght againste the temtations of the flasshe and of the worlde / but also againste more cruel aduersaries then these be as agaynst the deuyl / wycked spirites adn all other powers And here the Apostle lyke a valyant and a prudent captayne of warre exhorteth his sogers to be of good chere and to feare nothynge theyr enemyes althoughe they be fears / cruel / crafty in fyghtyng / haue great polycy / in ingynes experience in fyghtynge / he openeth all their crafte