stabished in the present truth For I think it meete as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp by puttyng you in remembraunce Seyng I knowe that the tyme is at hande that I must laie doune this my tabernacle euen as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me I will endeuour therefore alwaies that ye also maye be able to haue remembraunce of these thinges after my departyng For wee followed not deceiuable fables when wee opened vnto you the power and commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ but with our eyes wee sawe his maiestie For he receiued of God the Father honor and glorie when there came suche a voyce to hym from the excellent glorie This is my beloued Sonne in whō I am well pleased And this voyce we heard when it came from heauen beyng with hym in the holy mount 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 in your hartes So that ye first knowe this that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation For the prophesie came not in olde tyme by the will of man but holiemen of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Simon Peter a Seruaunt and an Apostle of Iesus Christ to you whiche haue obteined like precious Faithe with vs by the righteousnesse of our GOD and Sauiour Iesus Christ AS in the former Epistle so in this wee haue bothe a Subscription and an Inscription That wee maie knowe bothe who writeth it and to whom it is written namelie to them that zealously heare the Woorde of GOD and constantly stande by Faithe in the sincere profession of the same But what Faithe meaneth he Euē that saith he whiche is by the righteousnesse of God In whiche woordes he ascribeth Iustification to Faithe onely euen as S. Paule Roma j. saieth In the Gospell the righteousnesse of GOD is reueiled from Faithe to Faithe as it is written The iuste shall liue by Faithe Sainct Peter therefore warneth them to stand readie not to be beguiled nor to suffer the doctrine of Faithe whiche thei had receiued and learned to slippe awaie from thē And whereas he here peculierly speaketh of the Righteousnesse of God he thereby excludeth and putteth backe all humaine Iustice For it is Faithe onely that iustifieth vs before GOD and therefore Faithe is called the Righteousnesse of God For before the worlde it is nothyng accoumpted of nay it is rather persecuted and flatly condemned Grace and peace bee multiplied to you by the knowledge of God and of Iesus our Lorde THis is an vsuall Salutation wont to bee prefixed at the beginnyng of Letters and Epistles The meanyng whereof is thus I wishe vnto you the encrease of Grace and peace and that ye maie bee therewith enriched euery daie more and more Whiche grace issueth and floweth from the knowledge of GOD and of our Lorde Iesu Christ as if he should saie This Grace no manne can haue vnlesse he haue withall the knowledge of God and of our Lorde Iesus Christ Of this knowledge of GOD aswell the Apostles as the Prophetes dooe verie often and almoste continually make mention in the holie Scriptures as Esaie the xj In all my holie hill thei shall not hurte nor destroye for the Earth shalbe full of the knowledge of the Lorde as the waters that couer the Sea That is The knowledge of God shall bee as plentifull and abundaunt as the waters of the swellyng Sea when it breaketh out and surroundeth some whole Countrey And here hence shall suche peace and tranquillitie presently ensue that no man shal seeke to molest or damnifie an other But this is not to knowe God if thou dooe but onely beleeue that God is Almightie and that he hath created and made all thynges and that Christ was borne of the virgine Marie suffred death and rose againe for thus muche doe the Turkes Iewes and Deuilles beleeue But the true knowledge of GOD is this That thou haue a feelyng of hym in thyne harte conscience and that thou be certainly perswaded that God and his Christ is thy God and thy Christ whiche belief the Deuilles and false counterfaite Christians haue not neither can haue Therefore the knowledge of God is nothing els then a sounde and entire Faithe in Christ For when thou thus fullie knowest GOD and Christe thou wilte moste gladlie resigne and committe thy self vnto hym and firmely beleeue and trust in hym aswell in aduersitie as in prosperitie in death aswell as in life This settled confidence and sure trust can not bee in theim that haue euill consciences that is in theim that want true and sincere Faithe For thei knowe GOD none otherwise but that he is the God of S. Peter and of all the Sainctes in Heauen But for their God thei dooe not knowe hym neitheir haue any feelyng of hym but haue hym and take hym rather as their heauie tormentour and angrie Iudge To haue GOD is to haue all Grace all Mercie and all goodnesse that can bee named To haue Christe is to haue a Sauiour and a Mediatour who hath brought vs vnto God and made hym now all ours and at whose handes he hath obtained for vs all Grace and Blessyng All these thynges thou muste drawe and applie to thy self and not doubte but that Christ is thyne and thou Christes And this is the true knowledge of Christ An vmnaried woman seyng a man maie saie this is a Manne but she can not saie this is my Manne or my Housebande In like sort all of vs can saie This is God But all of vs can not saie that he is our God because wee dooe not all of vs beleeue and trust in hym and comfort our selues onely in hym and by hym This true knowledge of GOD the Scripture tearmeth the face and Countenaunce of the Lorde whereof the Prophetes speake verie copiouslie For thei that see not his face and knowe hym not doe see but onely his hinder partes that is doe see hym as their angrie and displeased God whereas if thei sawe his face that is if thei had the true knowledge of hym by Faith thei should behold and see nothing but Grace and Mercie Wee see here how sainct Peter in this his seconde Epistle purposely entreateth not of Faithe for he largelie discoursed therevppon in his former Epistle but his purpose is in this to write an Exhortation to them whiche beleeue that thei should shewe forthe their Faithe by Good workes For he would not haue Faithe to bee without Good woorkes nor Good woorkes without Faithe But firste he requireth in vs Faithe and Faithe beeyng once surely grounded to shewe foorthe Good woorkes And therefore he addeth According as his godlie power hath giuen vnto vs all thynges that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse WHen wee throughlie knowe God by Faithe wee are possessed of the franke gift of all
of Christe but shall tremble and quake for feare and be loathe â—odye wishyng rather still in this life to lye be dred sicke and diseased then once to dye or exchaunge this life for any other Wherefore I will not bee negligent to put you alwaies in remembraunce of these thynges though that ye haue knowledge and bee stablished in the present truth OF this we haue oftentymes spoken afore Albeit GOD hath caused a great light to shine vnto vs in this so mercifull a manifestation of the Gospell so that we both now know what a Christian life is and also what Christian Doctrine meaneth and dooe also see the skope of the whole Scripture to tend to none other ende but this yet neuerthelesse it is expedient and necessarie still to perseuere and go forwarde in preachyng and teachyng without ceassyng and to â—terate inâ—â—lke the self same doctrine from daie to daie if not to learne yet to bee admonished and put in remembraunce of doctrine before learned and receiued For there are twoo Offices in the Church as S. Paule teacheth Rom. xij the one consisteth in Teaching the other in Exhorting He that teacheth let hym take heede to his teaching and doctrine and he that exhorteth to his exhortation Rom. xij Teachyng is where wee laie the foundation of Faithe and preache the Gospell to them that haue not yet heard any thyng thereof Exhortyng or admonishyng is as here sainct Peter saieth to preache to them that haue bothe heard and learned the same afore to encourage them manfully to proceede and continue in their well begonne enterprise and to awake and stirre vp their dull and drowsie natures to goe on forwarde from steppe to steppe and from degree to degree euery daie more and more We are all cladde and laden with this olde rotten Sacke our Fleshe and Bloud which stil pulleth vs doune and draweth vs the wrong waie whereby the Soule is easily â—ulled asleepe and brought into securitie And therefore it is very behâ—mâ—â—ful and necessarie for vs to bee continually exercised euen as a good householder keepeth his Seruauntes and Familie still occupied and calleth vppon them to looke to their businesse leaste they should growe into ydlenesse Now if the dulnesse of our nature bee suche that it must bee called vppon and put in mynde to dooe thinges expedient and behoouefull for externall foode and maintenaunce of the Bodie how muche more conuenient and meete is it that the same bee vsed and putte in practise in matters appertainyng to the Spirite and Soule For I thinke it meete as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stirre you vp by puttyng you in remembraunce SAinct Peter here calleth his Body a Tabernacle wherin the Soule for a time saiourneth and it is a muche like phraze to that whiche is vsed in the former Epistle wher he called the Body of the Woman a Vessell or Droun And after the like sorte speaketh S. Paule ij Cor. v. Wee knowe that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with haÌ„ds but eternall in the Heauens for the whiche we sigh desiryng to be clothed with our house whiche is from Heauen For so long as wee are in this Tabernacle wee sigh and are hurdened c. And againe But wee are comforted and are bold in this that wee knowe that whiles wee are in the bodie wee are absent from the Lorde But wee had leifer to remoue out of the Bodie and to dwell with the Lorde Here wee see S. Paule calleth this Bodie of ours an House makyng two maner of Dwellynges and twoo maner of Peregâ—inatioÌ„s or absences from home By which phraze of speeche Sainct Peter also here in this place calleth this Bodie a Tabernacle for the Soule to soiourne in by whiche name he doeth muche extenuate the reputation that is commonly made of it and also seth it lower then moste parte of men accoumpt of it for he doeth not call it an House but a Tabernacle 〈◊〉 poore Cotage such as seelie Sheepeheardes vse to dwell in The house is slender and contemptible but the treasure that is laied vp and kept in it is riche and precious Seeyng I knowe that the tyme is at hande that I must laie downe this my Tabernacle euen as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me I will endeuour therefore alwaies that ye also may be able to haue remembraunce of these thinges after my departyng SAinct Peter here testifieth of himself that he is assured of eternall life and that by speciall reuelation from the Lorde he knewe when he should dye all which was doen for our sakes and to confirme and strengthen our Faith For it was very expedient and necessarie that there should bee some suche men that had in themselues a certain perswasion and sure knowledge of their electioÌ„ who might establishe laie the foundation of Faith in others whereby it might bee out of all doubt knowen that they preached not the dreames and fantasies of men but the true and sincere Worde of God Whiche men before thei came to that assuraunce and certaintie God throughly tryed and prooued Therefore saieth sainct Peter I will not onely with my liuely voyce admonishe and put you in remembraunce but I will also committ these my admonitions to writyng and leaue my exhortations written for your directions and instructions that after my death aswell as in my life tyme ye maie bee thereof put in minde by others and bee called vpon to obserue and put the same in vre practise Beholde here what a vigilant care this Apostle had for the safegarde and saluation of Soules and yet neuerthelesse wee see through the malice of Sathan what shamelesse shiftes and cogging marchaundize hath been and still is made of them For wee followed not deceiuable fables when we opened vnto you the power and commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christe but with our eyes wee sawe his Maiestie For he receiued of God the Father honor and glorie when there came such a â—oyce to hym from the excellent glorie This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voyce we heard when it came from heauen beyng with hym in the holy mount HEre S. Peter bringeth in the hystorie of the transfiguration of Christe vppon the Mount written by the Euangelist Mathewe Chapt. xvij Wherein is declared how the Lorde Iesus tooke three of his Disciples viz. Peter Iames and Iohn into an high Mountaine and was there transfigured before them his face shinyng as the Sunne and his clothes beyng white as the Light where also there appeared vnto them Moses and Elias talkyng with hym till at length a bright Cloude shadowed them and a voyce comming out of the Cloude saied This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare hym Whiche when the Disciples heard thei fell on their faces and were sore afraide Then Iesus came and touched them and saied Arise be not afraide
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
is to bee esteemed and also how to attaine to the certaine knowledge thereof FIrst of all is to bee noted that all the Apostles doe handle one and the self same doctrine and therfore is it not well done of some in that they say there bee onely fower Euangelistes and fower Gospels whereas all is one Gospell what so euer the Apostles haue left in writyng Now the Gospel signifieth nothing els then the preaching and publishing of the grace and mercie of God through Christ our Lorde purchased for vs by his death And to take it properly it is not that whiche is contained in bookes and comprehended in letters but rather the vocall preachyng and the liuely worde and voyce whiche soundeth in the whole worlde and is so openly vttered that it maie euery where bee heard Neither is it a booke that containeth the Lawe wherein are many points of good doctrine as it hath bin hitherto commōly beleeued For it draweth vs from all confidence and hope of any woorke of our owne whereby to become righteous and declareth vnto vs the riche graces of God freely and without any our owne merite giuen vnto vs teachyng vs also Christ who hauing by his intercession appeased y e wrath of God and satisfied for our sinnes hath quite abolished and blotted out our iniquities and by his works iustified and made vs righteous Now whosoeuer either preacheth or writeth these thynges he teacheth the true Gospell in deede whiche all the Apostles but especially S Paule and S. Peter haue done in their Epistles Whatsoeuer then is preached or published concerning Christe is one Gospell although one handle it after one sorce and in one kinde of wordes an other after an other sorce and in an other kinde For a thing may be handled either in many wordes or in fewe and may be described either briefly or at large Howbeit seeyng all tendeth vnto no other ende but to teache vs that Christ is our Sauiour and that we through faith in hym without any our owne workes are iustified and saued it is al one Word and one Gospell as there is one onely faith and one Baptisme in the whole Churche of Christ Thou readest then nothing written by any of the Apostles whiche is not also contained in the writynges of others that were as it were penners of the Scripture but thei that haue handled this poynt especially and with greater endeuour and studie then the rest namely that onely faithe in Christe doeth iustifie euen thei are the best Euangelistes of all Hereupon thou maiest more rightly call the Epistles of Paule the Gospell then those thinges whiche Matthewe Marke and Luke haue written For thei describe not muche beside the Historie concernyng the doinges and miracles of Christe as for the grace whiche Christe hath purchased for vs none doeth more fully and fitly entreate therof then S. Paule especially in his Epistle to the Romans Now seing the Word is of more importance then the actions and doynges of Christe and that if we should want the one of them it were farre better to be with out the deedes and Historie then the Wordes and Doctrine it followeth that those bookes are most highly to be esteemed whiche entreate especially of the doctrine and wordes of our Lorde Iesus Christe For asmuche as if there were no miracles of Christ and that we were altogether ignoraūt of them yet were his wordes sufficient for vs and without which wee can not so muche as liue Hereupon therefore it followeth that this Epistle of S. Peter is to bee accompted among the moste excellent bookes of the newe Testament and is the true and pure Gospell in asmuche as the Apostle herein teacheth nothyng els then that whiche Paule and the rest of the Euangelistes doe namely sincere faith and that Christe is freely giuen vnto vs who hauyng taken awaie our sinnes is our onely Sauiour as in the processe of this Epistle we shall see By this that is here saied wee maie likewise iudge of all bookes and doctrines what is the Gospell what is not For whatsoeuer is not either preached or written after this sorte and to this ende that maie wée boldly iudge not to bee the Gospell haue it neuer so faire and goodly a shewe This power to iudge haue al Christians and not the Pope or Councels alone whiche face and crake that thei and none but thei haue authoritie to iudge of doctrines And thus muche maie suffize for the argument let vs now heare the Epistle The first Epistle generall of Sainct Peter The first Chapter PEter an Apostle of Iesus Christe to the straungers that dwell here and there throughout Pōtus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Elect accordyng to the foreknowledge of GOD the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit through obedience and sprinckling of the bloud of Iesus Christ Grace and peace be multiplied vnto you Blessed be GOD euen the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche according to his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To an inheritaunce immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not awaie reserued in heauen for you Whiche are kept by the power of God through faithe vnto saluation whiche is prepared to bee shewed in the last tyme. Wherein ye reioyce though now for a season if neede require ye are in heauinesse through manifolde tentations That the triall of your faith beyng much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire might be founde vnto your praise and honour and glorie at the appearyng of Iesus Christ Whom ye haue not seene and yet loue him in whom now though ye see hym not yet do you beleue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious Receiuyng the ende of your faith euen the saluation of your soules Of the whiche saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched whiche prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you Searchyng when or what tyme the Spirit whiche testified before of Christ whiche was in them should declare the suffrynges that should come vnto Christ and the glorie that should followe Vnto whom it was reueiled that not vnto themselues but vnto vs thei should minister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you by them whiche haue preached vnto you the Gospell by the holy Ghost sent doune from heauen the whiche thinges the Angels desire to beholde Wherefore girde vp the loynes of your minde bee sober trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelation of Iesus Christ As obedient children not fashioning your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance But as he whiche hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all maner of conuersation Because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy And if ye call him Father whiche without respect of persone iudgeth according to euery mans woorke passe the tyme of your dwellyng here in feare Knowing that ye were not redemed with corruptible thinges
this holinesse of thy self or by thine owne merite but that thou art therefore Holie for that thou haste the worde of GOD for that the kyngdome of heauen is thine and for that thou art become entirely righteous and holy through Christ These thinges must thou confesse if thou wilte bee a Christian For this were extreme ignominie blasphemie to the name of Christ if we should so denie this honour to his blood as not to beleeue that by it onely our synnes are cleane washed awaie and wee sanctified Thou must beleeue therefore and confesse that thou art holie yet by the blood of Christe not by thine owne righteousnesse and this thou must doe with suche certaintie and constancie that in this cause thou maiest not sticke if neede be to spende euen thy life and boldly to abide and looke for whatsoeuer maie herevpon come vnto thee Through obedience and sprincklyng of the blood of Iesus Christe AFter this sorte saieth the Apostle commeth it to passe that wee bee holie when wee beleeue and obey the Woorde of Christ and are sprinckled with his blood And here sainct Peter hath vsed somewhat an other maner of speeche then sainct Paule Yet is it in effecte as muche as when S. Paule saieth wee are saued through Faithe in Christe because it is Faithe whiche maketh that wee bee attentiue and obediente to Christ and his holie Worde Wherefore to obey the Word of God is as muche as to bee subiect to Christ to bee sprinckled with his blood and to beleeue For it is verie greeuous to Nature to bee so wholie subiecte to Christe as altogether to forslowe and ceasse from our owne matters altogether to neglect our owne causes and to counte all that we doe to be synnes Nature therefore stoutly resisteth and striueth againste this doctrine and yet neuerthelesse it must at the laste stoupe and yeeld it self thereunto Of Sprincklyng we read in the 51. Psalme Sprinckle me with Hysop O Lorde and I shalbe cleane He alludeth to the Lawe of Moses from whence saincte Peter tooke this kinde of speeche thereby to reuele Moses vnto vs and as it were to bryng vs into the kynges highwaie of rightly vnderstandyng the Scriptures For whē Moses had builded the Tabernacle he tooke the blood of Goates and therewith sprinckled bothe the Tabernacle and all the people Now this sprincklyng did not inwardlie sanctifie in spirite but onely outwardlie and in externall thinges and therefore is there neede of a Spirituall clensyng forasmuche as that sanctification was outward and carnall whereof there is no regarde before God yet did God thereby as it were by a Type or figure signifie this spirituall sanctification That then whiche S. Peter here saieth is thus muche in effecte The Iewes please them selues in outwarde holinesse wherby thei are thought righteous and of a good life before men but thei counte you emong the reprobate howbeit you haue a sprincklyng farre better for ye are sprinckled in spirite and are clensed inwardlie The Iewes sprinckle them selues with the blood of Goates outwardlie but ye are sprinckled in your consciences inwardly so that your harte is cleane and therefore herein you haue greate cause to reioyce Hereof it is that the Gentiles bee no more Gentiles euen as those righteous Iewes are no more righteous by their sprincklyng for these thynges are now chaunged and altered None other sprinklyng is required but that whiche maie conuert vs and make vs Spirituall Now to sprinkle after this sort is nothyng els then to preache that Christe hath for this cause shed his blood onely to make intercession for vs vnto his Father and to saie Moste deare Father thou seest here my blood whiche I haue shedde for this synner Here if thou doe beleeue thou art truelie sprinkled And thus thou seest what is the true maner of sprinklyng Now if all the Popes Monkes and sacrificyng Priestes should at once iumble together and bryng all their trashe rifferaffe and baggage thei are not able either to teache or doe so muche as S. Peter doeth here in these fewe woordes And this is the subscription of the Epistle wherein he declareth his office what that is whiche he preacheth Wherefore that whiche is here taught is the onely Gospell all other kindes of doctrine if men accoumpt theim any waie necessarie to saluation whiche sounde not after this sorte are to bee troden vnder our feete reiected forsaken refused and abandoned Yea all those bookes are to bee loathed and misliked whiche hauyng gaie titles of good Woorkes Praiers Indulgences Pardons and suche like are not plainlie directlie and soundlie grounded vpon this foundation Grace and peace be multiplied vnto you HEre S. Peter obserueth that maner whiche the Apostle Paule in his salutyng vseth although not in euery respect And that which he saith is in effect thus much Ye haue now peace grace but not perfectly therefore must ye continually profite vntill that olde Adam bee wholy killed and mortified in you Grace is the fauour of God here hath it his beginnyng in vs but needefull and requisite is it that it alwaies become daily more and more effectuall in vs and take encrease euen till our diyng daie He that acknowledgeth beleeueth and is fully perswaded in his cōscience that God is fauourable vnto him is assuredly possessed of this grace and his hart comfortably enioyeth peace so that he feareth neither the world nor Deuilles For he knoweth that God who hath power ouer al thinges is fauourable and mercifull vnto him and that he will deliuer him from death hell and al incommodities whatsoeuer hereupon his conscience is at peace within it self and is ioyfull and glad This doeth Sainct Peter here wishe vnto the faithfull which is a true Christian salutation wherewith all Christians ought to salute one an other Thus haue wee the inscription with the salutation and now beginneth he the matter of his Epistle Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche accordyng to his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not awaie reserued in heauen for vs Which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation whiche is prepared to be shewed in the last tyme Wherein ye reioyce though now for a season if neede require ye are in heauines through manifolde tentations That the triall of your faith beyng much more precious then golde that perisheth though it bee tryed with fire might be founde vnto your praise and honour and glorie at the appearyng of Iesus Christ Whom ye haue not seen and yet loue hym in whom now though ye see him not yet do you beleeue and reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable and glorious Receiuing the ende of your faith euen the saluation of your soules IN this Induction or Preface we see the wordes and nature of a true Apostolicall Pastor suche a beginnyng I saie wherein wee maie plainly
was Baptized or that his sinnes were forgiuen hym and so becommeth he vnthankfull Idle and vnfruictfull without any consideration of his profession liuyng loosely without any remorse of Conscience Hauyng neither feelyng neither yet so muche as any taste of so greate Graces giftes and benefites And this is an exhortation wherin Sainct Peter exhorteth and stirreth vs vp whiche beleeue to the practise of Good woorkes thereby to declare and shewe foorthe that wee haue a true sincere and sounde and not an Hypocriticall or feigned Faithe Neuerthelesse he stil earnestly vrgeth and prooueth this that Faithe onely doeth iustifie and that where soeuer this Faithe is true Good woorkes doe also necessarilie ensue That whiche now followeth maketh for our confirmation herein Wherfore brethren giue rather diligence to make your callyng and election sure THe ElectioÌ„ and eternall predestination of God is so sure in it self that there is no nede to make it surer And so also is our calling firme and stable For he that heareth the Gospell beleeueth and is baptized is doubtlesse called is sure of his Saluation yea hee alreadie hath it Seeyng therefore that wee are called to these thynges wee ought to giue all diligence saieth S. Peter to approoue and assure our Callyng and Election to our selues in our Consciences as the same is alreadie assuredlie knowen with God And this is a phraze or maner of Speeche vsuall in the Scriptures as Ephes lj Ye were strangers from the couenauntes of promise and had no hope and were without God in the world For although there bee no man whether he bee good or hadde but God hath the rule ouer hym sith hee is the Lorde of all Creatures yet neuerthelesse S. Paule saieth that hee is without GOD whiche dooeth not acknowledge hym loue hym and truste in hym Euen so here although in it self the Callyng and Election of God wherewith he hath called and elected vs bee sure and vndoubted yet is it not sure and stable to thee so long as thou dooest not certainly beleeue and vndoubtedly assure thy self that the same belongeth vnto thee And for this cause doeth S. Peter exhorte vs that wee should make our Callyng and Election sure through good Workes And here againe thou seest how muche the Apostle ascribeth and attributeth vnto the Fruites of Faith For albeit thei appertaine and seene to doe good with thy neighbour withall yet also are thei profitable vnto thée because thereby thy Faith is streÌ„gthened and confirmed 〈◊〉 stirred vp more and more to the practise of Good woorkes Wherein also thou seest a farre other vertue and qualitie then is in the faculties of the bodie For the powers of the bodie the more thei bee exercised and vsed the weaker and freebler thei be and in th'ende vtterly decaie whereas contrariwise this Spirituall vertue if it bee not exercised decaieth and fainteth But with muche vse and practise it is strengthened and greately encreased And this was the cause why God at the beginnyng did leade the Christian Churche through hard and rough waies vexed it tourmoiled it and throughlie exercised it in diuers conflictes of Faithe through Ignominie Persecution and Death For he knewe that hereby it should receiue strength and encrease and become the mightier because the more that it was oppressed the more it flourished And this is that whiche Sainct Peter here meaneth when he faieth that wee should not suffer our Faithe to be Idle or vnfruictfull seeyng that the nature thereof is suche that it groweth and encreaseth by vexation and persecution so long till bee fullie assured and certaine of the Callyng and Election of God so that it can not bee deceiued This is the marke that wee must shoote at touchyng Predestination There are many light Spirites who beeyng endued with verie small piâ—â—aunce of Faithe will yet rashelie presume to despute vpon this poincte and curiouslie scare he in what place thei bee reckened and accepted with God But doe not thou entermeddle with such scrupulous curiositie for thou shalt neuer by this waie attaine to that whiche thou seekest If thou desire to bee sure of thy Saluation treade that 〈◊〉 and followe that course whiche Saincte Peter hath 〈◊〉 shewed thee for if thou take any other waie thou â—â—â—iuest thy self and shale bee sure to misse thyne entente Thyne owne experience must teache it thee and that shalte thou certainly knowe and bee assured of when thy faithe is throughly cried and enâ—â—ed For if ye doe these thynges ye shall neuer fall YE shall stande firme and stedfaste ye shall neither stumble fall nor synne but walke without offence all thynges shall goe well with you and frame to the beste whereas if ye leane and trust to your owne foolishe cogitations and rotten deuises the Deuill will quickely and easily hurle you headlong into desperation and hatred of God For by this meanes an entryng shall bee ministred vnto you abundantlie into the euerlastyng kyngdome of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe THis is the highwaie to Heauen and none other And therefore let no manne thinke by dreames and deuises of his owne making touching Faithe to come thither there needeth nothyng therevnto but a liuely Faithe that is throughlie tried and exercised But alas what repugnant doctrines to this hath there but foisted into the Church of GOD by our seducyng teachers while thei affirmed and taught that if a man hauyng runne headlong in wickednesse all his life and at the laste pinche of his death haue but a seelie pittaunce bee it neuer so small and as it were but a verie sparke of Faithe in hym that he should bee sure thereby of saluation But if thou putte of and deferte thy repentaunce and Faithe till then thinkyng and presentyng that thou shalt then euen presentlie and vpon the sodaine haue the gifte of suche a iustifyng Faithe thou trustest to a broken Reede and shalte seeke after Faithe and Saluation when it shall bee too late Dooest thou not heare that euen thei whiche bee strong shall scarcely be saued Howbeit wee ought not to despaire of them that bee weake because there is hope that thei maie bee called although it hardly and not vsuallie so commeth to passe But he whiche in this life throughlie and effectuallie exerciseth and strengtheneth his Faithe in dooyng good shall haue abroade and easie passage or waie with chearfulnesse and assured confidence to enter into the life to come Suche a one maie dye with courage and gladnesse suche a one maie not esteemyng this present life depart hence in the peace of Conscience And as it were with mirthe and ioye take possession of the kyngdome of Christe Whereas on the other side thei that haue a languishyng fainte weake and vnexercised Faithe and haue not enured and acquainted themselues to good and godly exercises shall not with like confidence and ioye as the others enter into eternall life And if thei doe enter yet shal thei not find the doore so open nor the entraunce so easie into the kyngdom
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
The same is this in effect whiche Sainct Peter saieth in this place for it is asmuche as if he had saied we certeinly looke for eternall life although wee liue here on the earth yet no otherwise then by the resurrection of Christe that is to saie euen therefore because he is risen againe ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of his Father For this cause did hee ascende that he might giue vnto vs his spirit whereby beyng regenerate we might bee bolde to goe to the Father and saie Behold I come before thee O mercifull father and praie vnto thee not that I putte any trust or confidence in any praier of myne owne but for that my Lorde Christ doeth make intercession for me and is myne Aduocate All these wordes carie an ardent efficacie and fierie force where there is a harte that beleeueth where the harte beleeueth not there all suche words are colde neither doeth the conscience feele any comfort thereby Wee maie here also iudge and knowe whiche is syncere doctrine and true Christian preaching and which is not For hee that is a Preacher of the Gospell must moste zelously and diligently preache forthe the resurrection of Christ whiche he that doeth not is no Apostle For this is the Summe of our faithe And those Bookes of all other are the best and the excellentest whiche teache and treate vpon this poincte principally and chiefly as before hath beene declared This article of our Faith is of most waightie importaunce For if Christ had not risen againe all our comforte and hope were in vaine and all whatsoeuer Christ hath either done or suffred should be to vs in no steede And therefore this maner of teaching is moste requisite Beholde Christ hath dyed for vs and taken vpon him to satisfie for vs to the iustice of his Father against Sinne Death and Hell with whom he had a moste sharpe and bitter encountrie yet could none of them ouercome hym but were by hym all conquered and subdued for that he was the stronger He rose again mawgre the forces of them all brought them in subiection to himself and that for none other cause but to set vs free and at libertie out of the daunger and thraldome of them This if wee stedfastlie beleeue wee haue a perfect assuraunce and full possession of all these benefites whiche beyng eche waie impossible to bee brought to passe by our selues or any strength that is in vs it behoued that Christ should performe the same Otherwise there had been no cause why he should haue descended from heauen hither among vs vile wretched and sinfull men And therefore when men in preachyng attribute any of these thinges to our woorkes thei doe nothyng els but cause that these so necessarie pointes of doctrine cannot afterwards take any place in the hartes of the hearers nor be rightly vnderstood of them O how well ought these thinges to be knowen to vs Christians how throughly ought this Epistle to be vnderstoode of vs To an inheritaunce immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not awaie WEE hope not for suche a substaunce and inheritaunce as is not present but wee liue in hope of an inheritaunce whiche is present in deede and is immortall is also vndefiled and fadeth not awaie This inheritaunce wee haue perpetually and without ende howbeit wee doe not as yet â—ee the same These are wordes forcible and of wonderfull efficacie and he in whose minde thei are firmely fixed will be as I thinke little mooued with desire of riches and pleasures of this worlde For how can it bee that one should so set his minde vpon these transitorie riches and delightes if he beleeue those thynges whiche bee here spoken For when worldlie wealthe and terrene treasures bee compared to these thinges it appeareth straight how those thinges of the worlde endure but a small tyme and doe sone passe awaie but these thinges continue for euer and doe neuer faile nor fade Moreouer all the thynges of the worlde are vnpure and doe defile vs for there is no man here so godly but in one respect or other he is caried away and defiled with the vanities and pleasaunt thinges of this life but this inheritaunce is vndefiled and pure and he that possesseth the same remaineth for euer immaculate Finally this inheritance doeth not fade doeth not decaie neither is euer subiect to any corruption but euery yearthly thyng although it bée as hard as Iron and Stones is neuerthelesse chaunged and continueth not still As soone as man also becommeth old his beautie is gone and he becommeth lothsome and vnamiable Howbeit this inheritance is farre from mutation or chaunge it alwaies remaineth it is alwaies freshe and floorishyng There is no pleasure so greate on the yearth whiche will not by continuance become lothsome and tedious as we see there is at the laste a tediousnesse in all thynges but our good thynges here spoken of are otherwise whereof there is not sacietie for euer All whiche we obtaine in Christ through the mercie of GOD when we firmely beleeue that thei are freely giuen vnto vs. For how should we miserable men by our owne workes merite those so greate good thynges whiche no reason or vnderstandyng of man is able so muche as to comprehende or by imagination of harte once to conceiue Reserued in heauen for you THis inheritaunce immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not awaie is vndoubtedly ours it is onely for a little while remoued and kepte from our sight vntill these eyes bee closed vpp and this mortall life ended Then shall we certainly finde and see the same vnlesse wee bee vnbeleeuyng And because wee should not doubte of the certaintie thereof the Apostle here addeth that this inheritaunce whereunto no corruption can cleaue is reserued for vs in heauen Whiche are kepte by the power of God through faithe vnto saluation WE in hope saieth the Apostle looke for this excellent inheritance whereunto wee come by faithe For these doe in this sorte followe one an other By the Woorde is wrought in vs Faithe by faithe that newe birth and by this newe birthe wee come vnto hope so that wee certainly looke for these thynges and are throughlie assured thereof Wherefore sainct Peter fitly here saieth that these thynges must be doen by faithe and not by our workes The Apostle here expressely saieth Ye are by the power of God kepte vnto saluation There are many who hauyng heard the Gospell how that faithe onely doeth iustifie without woorkes doe by and by burst forthe and saie Wee also doe beleeue thinkyng that that bare opinion whiche thei feine vnto theim selues is right faithe Wee haue alreadie taught and that out of the Scriptures that it is not in our power to dooe euen the least good woorke that is without the especiall assistaunce of Gods Spirite how then shall wee by our owne strength arrogate that whiche of all other is moste excellent namely to beleeue These cogitations therefore are a mere dreame
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
for this cause doeth the Lord so afflict vs that our faith maie be tried exercysed and made manifest to the world that others also maie bee inuited and wonne to the same faithe by our example and wee at the last maie attaine vnto glorie For as wee praise God so will he againe also praise glorifie and honour vs when as those counterfait and liyng Hipocrites who haue contemned the right waie shall be subiect to shame and confusion The Scripture doeth often compare the crosse vnto fire so here Sainct Peter compareth gold which is tried with fire to the triall of faith whiche is made by the crosse and afflictions The fire doeth not diminishe Golde but clenseth and purifieth it that whatsoeuer drossie substaunce is mixed with it maie be separated from it After the same sorte layeth God the crosse vpon all Christians whereby thei maie be as it were scoured and polished And it was well saied of the Apostle That the trial of your faith c. That is your faith must be tried and purified euen as the Worde is pure whereunto alone ye must sticke and trust vnto nothyng els Now this purgyng scouryng and polishyng of vs by the crosse is daily very necessary for vs because otherwise that olde and dull Adam would still to muche hang vppon vs and dull the spirite and make our faith vnpure Suche then is the life of a true Christian that it continually becōmeth better and purer For when through the worde of the Gospell wee doe beleeue wee are iustified and beginne to be purged yet as long as we are in the fleshe we can not be altogither cleane and pure And therefore doeth God cast vs into the middest of the fire that is into affliction ignominie and trouble whereby wee are daily more and more purged vntill suche tyme as wee dye This purgyng wee can attaine vnto by no workes of our owne for how should the outwarde worke purifie the harte within Now when faith is after this sorte tried whatsoeuer was mixed with it or was feined and counterfait must needes bee remoued and separated from it Hereupon at the last when Christe shall appeare shall followe magnificent honour praise and glorie And reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable glorious Receiuyng the ende of your faith euen the saluation of your soules THE Apostle saieth they haue vnspeakeable and glorious gladnesse and ioye because it bringeth with it honour and glorie when as the worlde hath suche ioye whereof cometh ignominie and shame Sainct Peter speaketh here of true spirituall ioye more plainly then thou shalt reade almost in the whole Scripture yet could he not fully vtter declare the same Now these things which haue bin saied are part of the preface wherein the Apostle sheweth both what faith in Christ is and also how the same must be proued and purged by aduersities and afflictions whiche God doth sende It now followeth that this faith is contained and promised in the Scriptures Of the whiche saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched whiche prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you Searchyng when or what tyme the Spirite whiche testified before of Christe whiche was in them should declare the suffrynges that should come vnto Christ and the glorie that should followe Vnto whom it was reueiled that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they should minister the thinges whiche are now shewed vnto you by thē whiche haue preached vnto you the Gospell by the holy Ghost sent downe frō heauen the which thinges the Angels desire to beholde HEre Sainct Peter calleth vs to the Scriptures wherein wee may see that God of his onely grace and by no merit of ours performeth those thynges whiche he hath before promised For hereunto tendeth the whole Scripture that withdrawyng vs from al confidence in our own works it maie bryng vs to faith and very needfull it is that we he very diligent in learnyng the Scriptures whereby wee maie bee certein and throughly confirmed in faith After the same sorte doeth Sainct Paule also call vs to the Scriptures when as in the first Chapter to the Romanes he saieth that God had promised his Gospel afore by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures Also when as he saieth Rom. 3. that the faith whereby wee are iustified was witnessed before in the Lawe and the Prophets We reade also in the 17. of the Acts that he did the same when he preached of faith to them of Thessalonica whō he called to the Scriptures and expounded the same vnto thē who also on the other side searched the Scriptures daily whether those thynges were so or no which sainct Paule did teach This it behoueth vs to doe also that those thynges whiche we reade in the newe Testament wee maie learne to confirme out of the olde Wherein wee shall see those promises concernyng Christ whereof Christ himself also hath admonished vs Iohn 5. Searche saieth he the Scriptures for they beare witnesse of mee And againe If ye did beleeue Moses ye would also beleeue me for he wrote of mee Those vaine ianglers therefore are not to bee regarded whiche contemne the olde Testament and presumptuously saie that wee haue no more neede thereof when as notwithstandyng out of it alone must be taken the foundation and grounde of our faith For to this ende God sent his Prophets to the Iewes that thei might testifie vnto them of Christe that was to come Wherefore the Apostles did euery where conuince and refell the Iewes out of their owne Scriptures prouyng Iesus to be Christ And for this cause the bookes of Moses and the Prophets are Gospels forasmuche as in them we reade the same thinges foretolde concernyng Christe whiche afterwarde beyng doeu and accomplished the Apostles did preache and write This difference onely there is that whereas the bookes of bothe were committed to writing yet is it not withstanding not so much requisite that the Gospel or new Testament should be contained in writyng as preached by the voyce whiche maie openly publishe and sounde it forth that it maie be heard euery where in the worlde Now whereas it was also written that was more then necessary For whereas the olde Testament doeth speake onely of Christ to come the Gospel is that liuely word and vocall preachyng of Christe who is alreadie come Betweene the bookes of the olde Testament moreouer this difference there is first the fiue bookes of Moses are the summe of the whole Scripture and are peculiarly called the olde Testament Then are there Histories also and Bookes wherein are described the deedes and diuers examples of them whiche obserued Moses lawe and also of them which transgressed the same Lastly there are Prophets whiche haue plaine relation to the writyngs of Moses and haue more largely and in plainer wordes expressed the same Howbeit there is one and the same meaning both of Moses and of al the Prophetes Now whereas it is wont to be saied that the olde Testament is abrogated and reiected it is thus
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
it beginneth in vs so that by faith wee haue a certein feelyng thereof but in heauen it shall bee so greate that the harte of man is not able to comprehende it yet shall we enioye the same when we come thither Thus thou seest how Saincte Peter teacheth vs to arme and prepare our selues by the Scriptures For hitherto hath he described what it is to preache the Gospell and how it was foretolde by the Prophetes that it should bee after this sorte preached and taught Now hee proceedeth and hereafter exhorteth vs by faithe to embrace and by loue to followe suche preachyng of the Gospell saiyng Wherfore girde vp the loynes of your mind bee sober and trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the reuelatiō of Iesus Christ As obedient children not fashioning your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignorance But as he whiche hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all maner of conuersation Because it is written Bee ye holy for I am holy THis is an exhortation to faith the meaning wherof is this Forasmuche then as so greate thynges are preached and giuen vnto you by the Gospell whiche euen the Angels doe desire with pleasure to beholde see that ye faithfully cleaue vnto them and with an assured trust and affiance repose your hope therein that your faithe maie bee sincere and sounde and not any fained opinion or dreame Girde vp the loynes of your mynde SAinct Peter speaketh here of the spirituall girdyng of the mynde like as if a man should corporally girde a sworde vppon his loynes Of which girdyng Christ maketh mention Luke 12. where he saieth Let your loynes be girded about In some places of the Scripture Loynes signifie carnall lust or concupiscence But sainct Peter speaketh here of Spirituall Loynes Whereas the Scripture speaketh of the bodie and calleth that part the Loynes from whence from the Father proceedeth naturall generation according as we read Gen. 46. that Christ should spring out of the Loynes of Iuda Wherefore corporally to girde the Loynes signifieth nothing els then chastitie as it is in Esay Chap. 11. Righteousnesse shall be the girdle of his Loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reynes that is by onely faithe filthie and vnlawfull lust is restrained and brideled But the spirituall girdyng whereof the Apostle here speaketh is after this sorte As a Virgin is in bodie chast and entire so the mynde through faithe whereby it is espoused to Christ is spiritually sounde and sincere Howbeit as sone as it reuolteth from faithe to false and erroneous doctrine it is violate and corrupted wherevppon the Scripture commonly calleth Infidelitie and Idolatrie by the names of adulterie and fornication namely when the mynde sticketh to the doctrines of mē and forsaketh faithe in Christ From this Sainct Peter here dehorteth when hee biddeth to Girde vp the loynes of the mynde which in effect is asmuche as if he should saie Ye haue now heard the Gospell attained vnto faithe see then that ye persist therein and suffer not your selues to be defiled corrupted with false doctrine waueryng in vncertentie now this waie now that waie The Apostle sainct Peter vseth here a certen peculiar and proper kinde of speeche not suche as sainct Paule vseth when he saith Gird vp the loynes of your mynde Hee calleth that the Mynde which we otherwise call the thought as when I saie I thinke thus that this is right and as sainct Paule saieth so dooe wee thinke suche is our opinion so it seemes vnto vs. And by this meanes doeth the Apostle here moste properly signifie Faith meanyng thus much in effect Ye haue now attained to a true thought and are setled in a right perswasion that wee are iustified by faithe onely persist strongly herein girde it fast vnto you and valiauntly sticke thereunto let no man pull these sounde opinions out of your hartes and then shall yee prosperously persener and stande There will many false teachers arise who will forge doctrines of men thereby to corrupte your mynde and looze this girdle of Faithe wherefore in harte receiue this admonition whiche I giue you aforehande that the Doctrine of Truthe maie be well fixed in your mynde and that you maie valiauntly persiste therein Those Hypocrites whiche truste to their woorkes and liue an honest and vertuous life as it appeareth outwardly dooe verily thinke and are fully perswaded that God muste needes receiue theim into heauen because of their woorkes This maketh them proude presumptuous and glorious in their owne conceiptes As that Pharisey mentioned in the 18. of Luke and whereof also Marie maketh mention in her song commonly called Magnificat where she vseth the same woorde whiche thou readest here in Sainct Peter He hath scattered the proude in the imagination of their hartes that is he hath ouerthrowne and brought them to confusion in the deuises of their owne myndes and thoughtes Bee sober THis Sobrietie perteineth outwardly to the bodie and is an especiall woorke of Faithe For although manne bee iustified yet is he not free from euill desires In deede Faithe hath begonne to restraine and bridle the fleshe notwithstandyng the same doeth continually striue against it and assaulteth it with sondrie sortes of desires whiche goe aboute accordyng to the concupiscence thereof againe to burst forthe and preuaile Wherefore the Spirite hath daiely muche adoe to bridle and restraine them and it must therefore without intermission haue continuall fight with them and alwaies take greate heede of the fleshe least that at any tyme suche is the craftinesse thereof it vndermine and supplant Faithe By the premisses it appeareth how farre thei deceiue theim selues whiche boste that thei haue Faithe and coumpt that sufficient liuyng in the meane season according to their owne lustes and desires For where true Faithe is there muste needes bee an earnest endeuour to keepe the bodie vnder and to holde it as it were with a bridle from outragyng and doyng what it listeth herevpon it is that sainct Peter here exhorteth vs to bee sober Howbeit he biddeth vs not as it were to destroye our bodie or to weaken it more then is meete as some haue doen whiche haue made them selues mad by ouer muche fastyng yea some haue quite pined and consumed themselues a waie In this fonde error for a tyme was sainct Bernard although he was otherwise an holy man For he afflicted his bodie with so great abstinence that by reason of noysome breathe whiche hee gott thereby no man could abide to stande neere hym or bee in his companie But hee was at length deliuered from this error and willed his brethren that thei should not too much pine and pinche their bodies For he well sawe that by that vndue abstinence he had made himself vnfit to serue his brethren Wherefore Sainct Peter requireth no more then that wee be sober that is that wee doe so muche and so farre restraine the fleshe as wee feele the wantonnesse and vnrulinesse thereof
the old birth proceeded and came of Seede the newe Birth also must needes be of some Seede But what Seede is this Truely not fleshe and blood What then Nothing that is corruptible and mortall but euen the eternall and liuyng worde This is all that whereby we liue whereby we are nourished and haue our beyng and whereby specially as he here saieth we are regenerated But how and by what meanes is this wont to bee dooen and brought to passe God sendeth out this his Worde to 〈◊〉 the Gospell whiche casteth seede into the hartes of menne â—f this Seede abide and sticke Fast in the harte then is there presently readie the holie Ghoste who fashioneth a newe manne whiche becomneth altogether of an other fort their he was afore hath other deuises thoughtes and cogitations other wordes and other woorkes And thus is he whollie and altogether altered Whatsoeuer thou aforetyme diddest est huc and auoide now thou pursuest and seekest what soeuer thou â—aâ—ste sought thou now fleest The state of Corporall generation is suche that the Seede whiche is in manne hath his alteration and remaineth not still Seede But the Seede of the Spirite can not bee chaunged but remaineth one for euer so entirely alteryng chaungyng me that I am transmitted and altered into it and the corruption and euill whiche naturally dwelleth in me is quite abolished And therefore this is a wonderfull kinde of Birthe and of a merueilous Seede For all fleshe is as grasse and all the glorie of man is as the flower of grasse The grasse withereth and the flower falleth awaie But the word of the Lord endureth for euer THis place is takeÌ„ out of the xl Chap. of Esaiâ— Where a voice saied vnto the Prophete Crie And he saied what shall I crie To whom the voice saied Crie thus All fleshe is grasse and al the glorie thereof as the flower of the feeld The grasse withereth and the flower fadeth a waie but the word of the Lorde standeth for euer These wordes hath S. Peter here brought in and alledged For this Epistle is as I saied bothe riche and grounded vpon the aucthoritie of sondrie Scriptures Now the meanyng of the Scripture here alledged is this The woorde of the Lorde endureth for euer But whatsoeuer is fleshe and blood the same is as corruptible grasse Bee a manne of neuer so flourishyng and gallant age bee he neuer so riche and mightie neuer so wise and iuste neuer so braue freshe and beautifull all whiche appertaine to the flower yet doeth the flower in the ende wither awaie and that whiche in gallante age and beautie lately excelled is waxed olde and become ilfauoured that whiche earst was riche is growne to be poore and so forthe also all other thinges fade awaie sauyng onely the Woorde of God Whiche Seede can neuer perishe nor decaye And this is the Worde whiche is preached among you AS though he should saie you neede not to seeke farre how to come to this Woorde for behold you haue it euen before your eyes It is that Worde whiche wee preache vnto you by this you maie qualifie and restraine all wicked desires Thou needest not to seeke farre for it onely looke to this that thou gladly embrace it when it is preached vnto thee For it is so neere vnto thee that it maie bee heard As Moses also saieth in the xxx of Deuter. The worde which I commaunde thee this daie is not farre of from thee that thou shouldest neede to goe farre to seeke it as either to goe vp to heauen or to goe ouer the Sea to fetche it but it is verie neere vnto thee euen in thy mouthe and in thy harte It was straightwaies preached and heard but when it hath feased and takeâ— full possession of thy harte it can not any more dye and vanishe awaie neither dooeth it suffer thee to dye but saueth thee so long as thou stickest and cleauest faste vnto it As when I heare how that Iesus Christ died for me and bore all my synnes and purchased heauen for me and also how he hath giuen all that he hath vnto me now dooe I heare the Gospell and glad thynges I meane the Worde of God beyng preached whiche peraduenture quickly passeth awaie and is forgottenâ— but if it bee effectually receiued with the harte and that thou throughlie embrace hym in faithe then can not he any more slippe from thee nor be forgotten This truthe no Creature whatsouer is able to ouerthrowe the Gates of hell shall neuer preuaile againste it Yea although I sticke faste in the Iawes of the Deuill yet if I be able to take holde vpon and to apprehende this Woorde I muste needes bee bailed and deliuered thence and shall remaine where the Woorde remaineth And therefore it is not without good cause that the Apostle here in effect saieth that there is none other Worde to bee looked for then this whiche we haue preached vnto you To this purpose tendeth that whiche Paule in the firste to the Romaines saieth I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christe for it is the power of God vnto saluation to all that beleeue The Woorde is the Diuine and eternall power of God For although the voice sounde or speeche dooe quicklie vanishe and passe awaie yet the kernell that is to saie the knowledge and truthe contained in that voice remaineth stil As when I putt a Goblet or Iugge of wine to my mouthe I drinke vp the Wine the Goblet or Iugge remaining still vnspent So also y e Word which being brought vnto vs by voice descendeth into the harte and there beginneth to haue life the voice remainyng still without and vanishyng awaie And therefore it is well tearmed the power of GOD yea rather God hymself For so he saied vnto Moses Exod. iiij I will be in thy mouthe And in the lxxxj Psalme Open thy mouthe wide that is shewe forthe boldlie speake out bee an hungred and I will fill it I my self beyng present with thee will speake enough So also Christe in the xiiij of Ihon saieth I am the waie the truthe and the life he that cleaueth therevnto the same is borne of God Therefore this Seede is the Lorde our God hymself All which thinges serue to this end to instruct and teache vs that wee can not possibly bee relieued and holpen by woorkes and the Woorde be it neuer so small a thyng in shewe when it is vttered out of the mouth and in apparaunce seeme nothyng glorious and honorable yet is there in it a kinde of suche incomparable vertue and force as maketh so many the children of God as faithfully cleaue thereunto Iohn 1. VpoÌ„ suche an excellent staie and goodnesse leaneth our saluation This is the first Chapter of this Epistle wherein thou seest with what singuler Arte and cunnyng sainct Peter handleth and preacheth Faithe Whereby it manifestly appeareth that is Epistle is the very Gospell or glad Tydynges it self Now followeth next the seconde Chapter wherein he teacheth vs
of euill doers thei maie bee ashamed whiche slaunder your good conuersation in Christe For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doyng then for euill doyng For Christe also hath once suffred for sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bryng vs to God and was put to death concernyng the fleshe but was quickened in the spirite By the whiche he also went and preached vnto the spirites that are in prison Whiche were in tyme passed disobedient when once the long sufferyng of God abode in the daies of Noe while the Arke was preparing wherein fewe that is eight soules were saued in the water To the which also the figure that now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth not the puttyng awaie of the filth of the flesh but in that a good cōscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ Whiche is at the right hande of God gone into heauen to whom the Angels and Powers and Mighte are subiect Likewise let the wiues bee subiecte to their Housbandes that euen thei whiche obey not the word maie without the woorde bee wonne by the conuersation of the wiues While thei behold your pure conuersation which is with feare SAincte Peter in this place namely speaketh of those Wiues whiche in his tyme had vnbeleeuyng Housebandes and again of suche faithful Housebandes as yet had Heathen and Ethnick wiues For it oftentymes happened in those daies that the Apostles preached the Gospell emong vnbeleeuyng Pagans and Infidelles emong whom it was often seen that the one of the parties to witte either the Housebande or the Wife was conuerted and wonne vnto Christe the other still wallowyng and persisting in errour Now if this charge of Wiues subiection and obedience to their housbandes were so straightly commaunded then how muche more is it behouefull and necessarie to performe and shewe it forth now adaies The office therefore of a Wife saieth sainct Peter is this to bee loyall and subiecte to her Housebande yea though he bee an Infidell and a Heathen And here he inferreth the cause why it is conuenient and behoouefull so to doe That euen thei whiche obeye not the worde maie without the woorde bee wonne by the conuersation of the wiues WHen the Housebande seeth that his Wife liueth orderly innocently and honestlie he is thereby moued and prouoked to embrace the like Christian Faithe and godlinesse And albeeit the office of preachyng bee not committed nor allowed vnto Women yet ought thei neuerthelesse so honestly to demeane and behaue themselues in maners and conuersation that euen thereby thei maie allure and drawe their Housebandes vnto Faithe Wee reade that the vertuous Matrone Monica Mother vnto sainct Augustine conuerted her houseband a little afore his death vnto the Faithe of Christ and after that her Soonne Augustine also But wee must note that this is an externall office and outward charge not to bee doen of any woman with intent thereby to bee iustified For by all this obedience shall not a woman bee saued For euen emong the Heathen Infidelles wee maie finde some Wiues in eche respecte verie duetifull seruiceable and debonaire to their housebandes but that obedience of theirs raught no farther then to content serue and please their housebandes For so did God ordaine and appoincte Genes iij. when he saied to the woman Thou shalt be subiecte to thy Housebande and he shall rule ouer thee whiche is one of the punishmentes that God there inflicted and laied vpon Women But yet this is as I saied afore appertainyng to outward conuersation and belongeth to the bodie not to the Spirite Women haue here greate cause to reioyce in that thei knowe what Worke to doe to please God withall For this is suche a greate treasure as a wife can not haue a greater nor more precious in that she certainely knoweth that when she sheweth suche subiection and obedience to her housebande she highlie pleaseth God therewith and doeth that whiche to hym is right acceptable then whiche knowledge and persuasion what can be tide vnto her more ioyfull and gladsome And therefore she that is desirous to bee a right Christian wise let her thus thinke with her self I will not respect what maner of persone my housebande is with whom I am now coupled in mariage whether he bee Iewe or Gentile good or badde but I will drawe my self to this consideration and respecte onely that God hath appoincted me to bee this mannes Wife and linked me vnto hym in the bandes of Matrimonie and therefore as I am bounde so will I in all poinctes bee subiecte and obedient vnto hym This persuasion beeyng once throughlie settled in her liuyng in suche duetifull obedience all her Workes bee bothe acceptable and commendable If any bee so wilfull and waiwarde whom these reasons doe not moue to suche a one doubtlesse no other persuasions will be auaileable By beatyng a man shall doe no good if he thinke thereby to bryng his wife to be tractable and duetifull for in castyng out one Deuill by beatyng he shall bee sure to beate in twoo as badde or worse as in our common Prouerbe we are wont to saie O that Wiues throughlie knewe this doctrine and exhortation of Saincte Peter how happily and blessedlie should thei liue But our peruerse and crooked Nature is suche that what God commaundeth none are willyng to followe but what mannes idle braine deuiseth after that men runne headlōg Furthermore God hath willed this Commaundement of wiues obedient subiection to their housbandes to bee so firmely and inuiolablie obserued that he hath graūted power and aucthoritie to the housebandes to dissolue vndoe disalowe and to make frustrate and of none effecte any vowes made by their wiues if thei mislike the same As wee read Num. xxx And that for none other cause but to liue therby at home in peace quietnesse and tranquillitie And thus muche firste of the office and duetie of Wiues towarde their Housebands now next the Apostle setteth doune how a Wife ought to behaue her self towardes all others Whose apparailyng let it not be outward as with broided haire and golde put aboute or in puttyng on of apparaile But let the hidde man of the harte bee vncorrupte with a meeke and quiet Spirite whiche is before God a thyng muche set by THis treasure and inward garnishement we maie not thinke here to be commaunded and prescribed onely for Wiues but the same stretcheth ought to bee construed as ment also of Men. Here maie some aske this question Whether these saiynges of Saincte Peter concernyng Womens apparaile bee straightly commaunded or no Wee reade of Queene Esther how that she ware a Croune of gold on her head and putte on her roiall apparaile that was very rich precious and meete for a Quene Esth ij and .v. Iudith also apparailed her self moste brauelie and magnificently Iud. x. But in bothe places we finde it thus explaned that thei did it not for any vaine delite that thei had therein
with stoare of muche godlie and wholesome doctrine and therefore to bee accoumpted as golden and among the beste and moste absolute Epistles that are Not rendryng euill for euill neither rebuke for rebuke â—ut contrariwise blesse knowyng that ye are theâ—eunto called that ye should bee heires of blessyng YEt he continueth his exposition of Loue more at large instructyng vs further how we should behaue our selues toward them that hurte and persecute vs. The meanyng of the Apostle is this when thei persecute trouble moleste and hurte you dooe not you the like againe vnto them but for the euill that thei doe vnto you require ye good vnto them againe When thei ceuile and slaunder you take heede that ye doe not the like vnto theÌ„ but contrariwise blesse them praie for them and wishe well vnto them And this is a moste excellent point and office of Loue But O Lorde how fewe is the number of suche Christians But why must wee not render euill for euil but contrariwise good for euill Doubtlesse saieth he because ye are herevnto called that ye should bee heires of blessyng Whiche ought bothe to admonishe and to inuite and allure you herevnto In the Scripture we Christians are called a blessed people blessed euen by God hymself For God saied vnto Abraham Gene. xij In thy Seede shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed Seeyng therefore that God hath so bountifully powred this blessyng vpon vs that he might take a waie from vs all the curse and malediction whiche we had drawen from our first Parents which Moses denounced vnto all those that did not beleeue it is verie meete and requisite that wee beeyng thus graciouslie blessed should so vse and behaue our selues in eche respecte as that this maie be saied and verified on vs behold this is a blessed people And therefore sainct Peters meanyng herein is as though he should haue saied Consider with your selues and behold GOD hath infused and bestowed this his gracious fauour vpon you to take awaie all curse and malediction from you and hath not imputed nor laied to your charge the blasphemie where with ye haue dishonoured hym neither hath he for the same punished you as ye haue well deserued but contrariwise hath moste liberally and franckly bestowed the richesse of his grace and benediction vppon you who in respecte of your continuall blasphemie were worthie of al maner of malediction and curse for where stedfast Faithe wanteth there can the harte none otherwise doe but still curse and blaspheme God Now therefore endeuour your selues so to deale with others as it hath been dealt with you Curse not reuile not but doe good and speake well yea although others raile on you and speake all maner of euill against you and paciently suffer when iniurie and wrong is offred vnto you And now he bryngeth a place out of the xxxiiij Psalme where the Prophet Dauid saieth thus For if any man long after life and to see good dayes let hym refraine his tongue from euill and his lippes that thei speake no guile HE that would enioye a pleasaunt and delightsome life and not dye the Death but see good daies that all thynges maie prospere and goe well with hym lette hym refraine his tongue from speakyng euill and that not onely against his freendes whiche is a moste viâ—e qualitie and resemblyng the Nature of verie Serpentes and Vipers but his meaning is thus muche more let hym carie aboute with hym an honest and good meanyng mynde let hym refraine his tongue from speakyng any harme euen against his Enemies yea when hee is thereto prouoked and hath greate cause ministred vnto hym to reuile and speake amisse Yea lette hym restraine his lippes also saieth he that thei vtter no guile For there be not a fewe whiche outwardly in mouthe speake well and bidde their neighbour freendly Good morowe whiche inwardly in harte thinke cancardly and spightfully euen wishyng them at the Deuill These men are thei that haue no right nor interest in the inheritaunce of blessyng Thei be euill fruites of an euill Tree And thus dooeth Saincte Peter fitly referre the place whiche he alledged concernyng Woorkes vnto the roote inwardly namely vnto the Harte And this is the verie true and proper interpretation hereof There followeth alâ—o afterward in the afore alledged place of the Psalmist these woordes Let hym eschue euill and doe good let hym seeke peace and followe after it THE worlde thinketh the beste waie to purchase this peace is to require wrong with wrong and one displeasure with an other But this is not the right waie to attaine vnto it For there was neuer yet any Kyng that by this meanes could winne peace at his Enemies handes The Romaine Empire grewe to suche might and Maiestie thâ—â— it subdued and ouerthrew all that againstoode it and yet could it neuer retaine the people that were Subiecte vnto theim in their due obeisaunce And therefore this course and order of repressyng our Enemies with force is not the beste waie to purchasse and confirme stedfast peace emong vs. For if we ouercome and suppresse one Enemie there will arise vp tenne yea twentie till we our selues bee brought to confusion But hee taketh the right and orderly waie to seeke after peace and shall surely finde it whiche refraineth his tongue escheweth euill and rendreth good for il This is another maner of waie then the Worlde taketh or hath skill of Now to decline from euill and to doe good signifieth to refraine either from hearyng or speakyng any wordes of spight and malice and not to seeke requitall of iniuries Seeke after peace this waie and thou shalt bee sure to finde it For when thyne enemie hath serued his owne mynde and fullie satisfied his angrie humour in doyng what he can against thee if thou againe replie not againste hym with bitter and bityng wordes neither storme and fret at his iniuries thou shalt ouerthrowe hym in his owne turne and get the vpperhande of hym in the swaie of his owne maliciousnesse For in this sort did Christ ouercome his Enemies vppon the Crosse and not with any sworde or materiall weapon Requitall of one iniurie with an other and one shrewde turne with an other encreaseth furie and setteth parties at further iarre then thei were afore wheras pacience and suffraunce procureth quietnesse and ease But some will saie how can this so bee it standeth not with manhood neither can flesh and bloud abide so to deale I confesse it is more then is simplie in man thus to dooe but beeyng assisted with supernall grace and thus paciently tolerating iniuries without desier of actuall reuenge thou shalt be sure to speede as this next sentence purporteth to wit For the eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous and his eares are open vnto their praiers and the face of the Lorde is vpon them that doe euill IF thou thy self seeke not priuate reuenge neither recompence euill for euil there sitteth one in the Heauens euen the Lorde
for euill doyng IT can not possibly bee that thei to whom heauen is appoincted for their enheritaunce should here in this worlde liue in quiet state according to the desire of Nature seeyng the same happeneth not to those that be of the worlde and which haue neither parte nor portion in the kyngdome of heauen It is an Iniunction indifferently appertainyng and equally alike liable vnto all Adams children and posteritie whiche was denounced to Adam by the mouthe of God hymself Gene. iij. In the sweate of thy browes shalt thou eate thy breade And vnto Eue In sorrowe shalt thou bryng forthe Children Seyng therefore that these externall incommodities are indifferently and alike inflicted vpon all persones how muche more meete is it for them to beare the Crosse vpon their shoulders who shortly after shall bee translates hence into the heauenlie kyngdome there to enioye endlesse blisse and life euerlasting Therefore saieth he if the will of God bee so it is better that ye suffer for well doyng Thei whiche suffer for euill dooyng and deseruedly cary aboute with them an euill conscience and are tormented with a double punishemente Whereas true Christians abide onely but she one haste of that paine because although thei suffer outwardly muche paine grief anguishe smarte vexation tribulation and torment in their Fleshe yet haue thei inwardly in their Spirite and conscience greate ioye and consolation But here he hath set doune certaine limited boundes how we should submit our selues to affliction And in that he saieth If the will of God bee so he giueth vs a profitable lesson and warnyng that none should bee so madde to imitate the custome and maner of the Donatistes of whom Saincte Augustine maketh mention who snatching certaine textes and places of the Scripture touchyng suffryng and affliction killed themselues and wilfully threwe themselues headlong doune into the Sea GOD hath no pleasure in seeyng vs to doe any kind of harme vnto our selues or to seeke any newâ—angled deuise of bodily annoyance Let this bee our drifte and shoote anker sincerely to wâ—lke in Faithe and brotherly loue and then if it please the Lorde to laye the Crosse vpoÌ„ vs lett vs ioyfully embrace it as it please hym to exempte vs from trâ—â—ble let vs not wilfully and willyngly 〈◊〉 it And therefore 〈◊〉 preposterous course doe those 〈◊〉 hâ—â—te Spirites take whiche vse to whippe and perâ—e yea many tymes to 〈◊〉 themselues with beatyng thinkyng by that meanes to 〈◊〉 and winne Heauen This kinde of newe founde Religion and wilfull counterfaite humilitie and affliction in this outward punishement of the bodie S. Paule forbiddeth to be vsed Coloss iij. We must mortifie our bodie and subdue our members that thei growe not wanton â—r waxe â—aseiâ—iâ—â—s but wee maie not violently destroye them This is the meanyng of these wordes If the will of God bâ—â— so whiche is as muche to saie as if God bee pleased to 〈◊〉 any kinde of Crosse or persecution vnto vs For then it is better to suffer and them therein out the happier and blessedder if for well doyng thou abide and suffer afflictioÌ„ For Christe also hath once suffred for sinnes the iuste for the vniuste HEre againe doeth sainct Peter propounde and sette before vs for a paterne to imitate our Lorde Christe and his bitter Passion after the rule whereof wee ought to frame our selues and not presume to prescribe vnto our selues any newe deuised singularitie For as Christe is a Patterne to all Christian Beleeuers and to them all is sette doune for an Example so ought all men in generalitie to imitate his steppes and in all their actions professions and functions of life what soeuer betide to haue respect vnto him and after his dealynges semblablie to conforme themselues And Sainct Peters woordes in effecte sounde thus Christ was iuste and suffred for well dooyng for our sakes that were vniuste But he sought not to sayng the Crosse vpon hym but taried the tyme till the will of GOD did so appoincte that he should drinke of the Cuâ—â—e of his painfull Passion Hym now ought wee to take is by Example and in the whole course of our life diligeÌ„tly â—â—â—â—presse and resemble And this example Saincte Peter here namely setteth doune vnto vs because he hath alreadie taught euery sorte of persones in what trade soeuer thei liue their seuer all offices and dueties concludyng the same with this example of Christes Passion And this is here to bee noted that he saieth that Christ suffred once which is as much to saie as that Christ suffred and satisfied once for al euen for all the sinnes of the whole worlde and not that he should for euery seueral sinne seuerally die By which his death once for all he hath cleane taken awaie al the Synnes of so many as in Faithe approche nexe vnto hym and faithfully beleeue in hym All which are now deliuered froÌ„ the daunger of Death as surely and as certainly as he hymself is now deliuered and freed from the power of Death The iuste for the vniuste AS though he should saie How muche more ought we to bee willyng to suffer beyng so sinfull and so many waies deseruyng it seeyng that Christ was content to suffer death for our sakes beeyng hymself moste iuste for vs that were vniuste and clogged with the chaines of so many moste horrible Sinnes wickednesse and transgressions That he might bryng vs to God ALL this is spoken onely to instructe and teache vs in what sorte the Passion of Christe was to witte suche that he died not for any cause of his owne but to the intent to reconcile and bryng vs to GOD. How can that bee wilt thou saie Did he not offer vp hymself I aunswere True it is that he offred vp hymself on the Crosse for so many of vs as beleeue in hym In whiche his offryng and oblation he offred vs vp also so that so many of vs as stedfastly beleeue on hym must also with hym accordyng to the fleshe suffer and be killed euen as he suffred and died God hath here in such estate placed vs that wee liuyng in the Spirite might yet due in the fleshe as afterwardes sainct Peter declareth But as we are offred vp with Christ that is as we dye with Christ euen as he accordyng to the fleshe truely died so doe we liue with hym in Spirite euen as he hymself doeth Spiritually liue And was put to Death concernyng the fleshe but was quickened in the Spirite THis woorde Fleshe in the Scripture is a common vsuall woorde as also this woorde Spirite is whiche twoo vocables the Apostles doe euer in a maner set the one against the other Now the meanyng of these woordes is this Christe in his Passion died and was taken out of this life whiche is fleshe and blood suche fleshe and blood as manne here in this worlde is cladd withall the offices and functions whereof are these Goyng Standyng Eatyng Drinkyng Sleapyng Watchyng Seeyng Hearyng Touchyng Feelyng and to speake all
at one woorde what soeuer is naturally to bee doen in this bodie and is fraile and transitorie To all these died Christe Saincte Paule calleth these the Naturall or Animall bodie for that all other Creatures haue the vse of all these actions as well as we But his fleshe died not in any other sorte but accordyng to the fleshe that is accordyng to those Naturall and corporall functions whiche are done and exercised by the bodie To this life I saie Christe died so that all these functions likewise died and ceassed in hym and hee hymself transported into an other life And beeyng quickened accordyng to the Spirite tooke vnto hym a life Spirituall and supernaturall comprehendyng and possessyng in it self all that life whiche Christe now possesseth as well in Bodie as in Spirite Who now hath not any longer suche a carnall Bodie as he had afore but a Spirituall bodie And thus doeth sainct Paule expounde this place The very same hope wee also at the latter daie to enioye to witt that our fleshe and bloud shall passe and bee altered in to a spirituall life wherein these our Bodies shal no more eate and drinke begette children digest concoct euacuate or any suche like but shall 〈…〉 in Spirite and this bodie shall bee as clearâ— as nâ—w the Sâ—nne is yea 〈◊〉 clearer Fleshe and bloud shall not thenceforth bee naturall there shall then be no suche function either 〈◊〉 or corporall suche as other Creatures now 〈◊〉 aswell as wee These bee in a maner the woordes whiche sainct Paule vseth j. Cor. xv The first man Adam saieth he was made a liuyng Soule and the last Adam was made a quicknyng Spirite And it there followeth That as we haue borne the Image of the earthie and naturall Man so shall we beare the Image of the spirituall and heauenlie From Adam wee haue all the offices and functions naturall euen as brute Beastes haue accordyng to our outwarde senses and faculties But Christe liueth in the Spirit and is fleshe and bloud but not so as he did afore all outwarde functions of bodily Senses are ceassed in hym he neither sleepeth nor watcheth and yet knoweth he all thinges and is in euery place Suche also shall wee bee for he is the first fruictes the oblation and first boxâ—re as S. Paule saieth of the 〈…〉 that is he is the first that arose from the dead and tooke vnto him a spiritual life Therefore Christ doeth now liue accordyng to the Spirite that is to saie He is still very perfect Man but he hath a spiritual Body And therfore that whiche is here saied is not so to 〈◊〉 taken as we vsually doe wheÌ„ we separate Fleshe and Spirite asunder the one from the other but that the Bodie and Fleshe are now spirituall and that the Spirite is bothe in the Bodie and with the Bodie For sainct Peters meanyng is not here that Christe was raised by the holie Ghost but he vseth this worde Spirite after a general maner 〈◊〉 if a man should saie the Spirit doth this or that In whiche wordes is not simplie meant the holie Ghoste but rather that inwarde working and effectuall force whiche worketh in vs by the operation of the holie Ghost By the whiche he also went and preached vnto the spirites that are in person Whiche were in tyme passed disobedient THis place I dooe take to bee as obscure and harde to bee vnderstoode as any in the newe Testament insomuche that I confesse my self not yet to haue founde out the certaine meanyng thereof First the words them selues doe sounde as though Christe had preached vnto Spirites I meane the Soules of them that would not beleeue in the tyme that Noah built the Arke The sense thereof beeyng somewhat harde to conceiue hath hitherto so entangled mee that neither can I aduouche any sounde interpretation of it neither any other as yet that hath takeÌ„ in hand the exposition thereof Some peraduenture will not sticke to take these woordes so as that Christe after his deathe on the Crosse went downe into Hell and preached to the Soules there with whiche vain opinion I meane not here to enter disputation But mee thinkes these wordes doe very well admit an other sense meanyng to wit that our Lorde Christ after his ascension into Heauen came in Spirite and preached albeeit not bodilie For hee speaketh not now with any bodilie voyce as he also vseth none of the other functions of corporall or bodily nature And therefore let vs take the wordes to signifie and meane accordyng as thei sounde that is in Spirite and that he preached to the Spirites in that his spirituall life Wherevppon it also followeth that his preachyng then was spirituall emplantyng the same in their hartes and Soules so that there was no neede for him to goe in bodie and preache with mouth for the same These words of sainct Peter proue not that after he dyed he went doune vnto the Ghosts that are in Hell to preache vnto them For he saieth thus In whiche he went c. Whiche is asmuche as if he had saied After he was deade accordyng to the fleshe and quickened accordyng to the Spirite that is after hee had laied doune and left his life in the fleshe and all other naturall workes and functions of his bodie and had now taken vnto him a spirituall life and conuersation as now he hath and doeth in heauen then hee went and preached to the Spirites c. Now it is most euident and certaine that Christ descended not eftsoones to Hell after he had receiued this his newe glorified life And therefore wee must vnderstande that he made this preachyng after his Ascension into Heauen Seyng therefore that the wordes doe well beare to be vnderstood of a Spirituall preachyng wee are to thinke that S. Peter in this place speaketh of the Office of Christe for that as the worde is outwardly preached by Voyce so worketh he inwardly in the harte Hee enioyned his Apostles to preache the Gospell bodily but yet is hee hymself present spiritually and whatsoeuer the Apostles vtter in outwarde speeche to the bodily eares of men that doethe he speake and preache into the hartes and myndes of them inwardlie And then preacheth hee to the Spirites whom the Deuill holdeth captiue and in thraldome so that wee take this worde went and these wordes preachyng to the Spirites that are in prison accordyng to the accoumpt and computation of God himself because in the sight of Christe thei that haue been long since are euen in the same state as thei bee that now presently liue For his Kyngdome reacheth to the deade aswell as to the liuyng In that life wherein hee now liueth the Beginning the Middle and the ende of the Worlde are conteined and reckened after one and the same accoumpt all as one although in this life these thinges bee not reckened so but eche thyng accordyng to his orderly succession as the Sonne after the Father and so of others All thinges
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 selflikyng of theimselues trustyng in their owne Merites Woorkes and rotten Ceremonies Thei beleeue that Christ the Sonne of God in his humanitie suffred death and rose againe the third daie that he is the Sauiour of the worlde c. but thei doe not firmely and onely trust in hym for if thei did thei would not so scrupulously bee tied to their owne Lowsie trashe and beggerly Traditions After the same maner did thei beare the Laitie in hande that they could not attaine to saluation except they did after their directions Ye are Christians saie thei we confesse but this is not enough ye must doe suche and suche good workes ye must build Churches in the honor of this and that Sainct ye must erect and founde Monasteries and Abbayes ye must buie certaine Trentalles of Masses to be saied or song for you ye must pyue awaie your selues with fastyng and suche like Thus haue the séely poore people been beguiled and thus haue thei been perswaded and brought to shew themselues as well likers of these trumperies thinkyng it to be the Kynges high waie to heauen and these rotten workes of blinde deuotion to be of all workes the best because they sawe them which caried the tytle of the Church to allowe and followe the same so that in processe of tyme there grewe to bee as many Factions Sectes and Religions as there were Cities yea almoste as there were Men. Whereas they should rather haue taught them thus Ye are Christians aswell as thei that bee an hundred myles distant from you ye haue all one Christ one Baptisme one Faith one Spirite one Worde one God there is no worke that ye of your selues are able to doe towarde your saluation or able to bring you to the perfection of a right Christian If this Doctrine might generally bee preached men should be kept in the fellowshippe and vnitie of one Common Faith neither would there bee any difference at all in thinges appertainyng to God but all would be alike and one the same that an other is This Communion and vnitie thei haue broken and disioynted in that thei seduce and misleade vs in teachyng vs that wee must merite heauen by our Workes drawyng vs thereby from Faith to our own Pharisâ—icall deedes S. Peters wordes therefore if he bee well marked caâ—ie this meanyng There shall arise among you Sophisticall Scholemen Doctors Teachers Priestes Munkes and suche like beyng the very offall and Skumme of the Worlde who shall bryng in pernicious sectes odible orders damnable heresies and seduce the Worlde with their lying and false Doctrines These these doubtlesse are thei of whom the Apostle here speaketh For thei are all thus perswaded and verely beleeue that their willfully Professed Orders are meritorious to theÌ„ and shall bryng them to saluation and perswade others also to put confidence and trust in them If this were not their opinion who would thinke but thei would rather liue free abroade then as thei do cage and empound themselues in their Cloysters as it were in Prisons Euen denying the Lorde that hath bought them THei are readie to saie that thei doe not denye the Lord but if this question be demaunded of them what thei meane or what they seeke to get through these their vowed ProfessioÌ„s if thei beleeue as thei saie thei doe that they are redéemed by Christ and that their sinnes are washed awaie by his bloud Thei will quickly aunswere that forsooth Faith alone is not sufficient and therefore they must haue the helpe of good Workes Thus with mouth they confesse God and in harte flatly renounce hym Consider also what pithie and vehement words S. Peter here vseth They denye saieth he the Lord that hath bought them Thei ought to bee subiect vnto hym as vnto their supreme Souereigne Lord whose inheritaunce thei are Now they dooe beleeue that he is the Lorde and that he redeemed the worlde by the sheadyng of his precious bloud but that he redeemed them thei cannot nor doe not beleeus neither dooe thei acknowledge and take hym for their Lorde for thei saye and confesse that he hath bought and redeemed them but yet thei are not perswaded that that is enough and sufficient because thei must thei saie discharge and satisfie for their sinnes by their Works To whom this answere maie wel be made If thou canst doe any worke to take awaie thy Synnes what good hath Christe by his death doen vnto thee For there can not bee twoo Christes to take awaie Synnes Hee as good right it is must bee acknowledged to be the onely Redeemer and taker awaie of Sinnes Whiche beeyng graunted to bee true as it is moste true thou thy self canst dooe no maner of worke to take away thy sinnes If thou do goe about or think any whit by thy works to merite Heauen thou canst not truly saie thou beleeuest that he taketh awaie thy Sinnes And this is flatly to denye Christe For although these fellowes doe acknowledge Christe to bee the Lorde yet doe they denye that he bought them Thei beleeue that he sitteth in heauen and is Lorde but the takyng awaie of Sinnes whiche is his proper and peculier office thei nippe and take quite from hym and attribute it vnto their owne woorkes and by that meanes leaue nothyng to hym but the bare name and tytle ascribyng his power woorke vertue and office vnto themselues And therefore Christ moste truely foretolde that there should come many in his name and saie I am Christ and shal deceiue many Math. xxiiij Mar. xiij For these Iusticiaries and Meritemongers thus tying Saluation to Woorkes shewe foorth in their so doyng as though they should saie not I am called Christe but I am Christ Whereby thei snatch and applye vnto themselues that office whiche is onely proper and peculier vnto Christ and so thrust Christ out of his seate and place themselues therein This is so euidently knowen that no man can truely denye it And therefore worthily doeth S. Peter tearme them damnable pernicious Heresies for thei leade a man straight to Hell insomuche that I greatly feare least in a thousande of them there is scarcely one saued For whosoeuer of them wilbee saued must quight abandon himself and all that of himself he hath or can doe yea he must franckly confesse and from the harte pronounce these wordes The rules of my vowed Obedience are nothyng worth my Chastitie can not saue me my workes can not take awaie any parte of my Sinnes c. And bryng vpon themselues swift damnation THeir damnation shall come vppon them sooner then thei thinke although God seeme to deferre his commyng and to tarie long yet will he hasten his iudgment and come tyme enough to their cost But this shall not bee corporallie and visiblie to the eye but so and in suche sorte as it is sett downe in the l.v. Psalme They shall not liue out halfe their dayes that is Death shall catch holde of them sooner then thei think so that thei
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
wherein God himself will dwell For he not onely dwelleth in the Heauens but euery where and therfore where he is there shall the elect also bee Wherefore beloued seeyng that ye looke for such thynges bee diligent that ye maie bee founde of hym in peace without spot and blamelesse FOrsomuche saieth he as ye haue escaped so great mischieues and daungers and shall come to suche and so great ioyes this ought not a little to moue you to contemne and despise all the thinges of the Worlde and with pacient myndes to suffer what aduersitie soeuer shalbe allotted vnto you and this is it that he saieth ye ought diligently to endeuour yourselues to liue without spot and blame and after this â—orce in peace to expect and looke for that daie And suppose that the long suffryng of our Lorde is saluation IN that hee so long spareth you and deferreth his iudgement and doth not by and by iudge you think ye it your greate gaine and auaile He hath cause enough to be angrie with you and euen by and by to take present reuenge vpon you but suche is his mercie and clemencie y t he spareth you pardoneth all your transgressions 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 among the whiche some thinges are hard to bee vnderstande which they that are vnlearned and vnstable wrest as thei do also other Scriptures vnto their owne destruction SAinct Peter here giueth expresse testimonie and allowaunce of the sounde doctrine contained in S. Paules Epistles whiche prooueth that this Epistle was written long after the Epistles of Paule And this is one of those places whereby a man maie take occasion to thinke that this Epistle was not written by S. Peter as also an other senteÌ„ce a little afore in this present Chapter expressed dooeth insinuate and purporte where he saieth that God would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentaunce For it seemeth to sauour of a lower spirite and to carie a meaner grace then to one inspired with an Apostolicall spirite is vsuall Yet is it not altogether incredible nor amisse to thinke this Epistle to bee written by Peter For seeyng that in this Epistle his purpose and meanyng was not to write of Faithe but of Loue and Charitie be purposely abazeth hymself in his Style as the nature of Charitie alwaies is to dooe to the intent thereby to humble hymself to his Neighbour as on the other part Faith alwaies mounteth and lifteth vp it self to Godwarde And this 〈◊〉 he well see would come to passe that many light and vnstable Spirites would wrest and wring inuert and peruert S. Paules wordes in sundrie places For that in his Epistles there are some Textes harde to bee vnderstoode as where he saieth that no man is iustified by workes but by Faithe onely Rom. iij. Againe that the Lawe was giuen to knowe Sinne. Rom. iiij vij And moreouer Where sinne abounded there grace abounded muche more Rom. v. and suche like places For assoone as they heare this they straight ways breake out into these or y e like speeches â—f it be thus we will liue ydlie and merilie wee will doe to good worke at all and yet shall wee neuerthelesse be saued and iustified and after this sorte euen nowadaies doe they â—aise on vs and shamefullie helpe vs faiyng that wee in our Sermons condemne and dispraise good Workes But wee maie not thinke it any meruaile or straunge thyng seeyng thei haue not spared to wrest and misconstrue S. Paules wordes Ye therefore beloued seyng ye knowe these thinges before beware lest ye bee also plucked awaie with the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse But growe in grace and in the knowledge of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe to him bee glorie bothe now and for euermore Amen SEyng therfore ye perfectly know all these thinges afore declared and are certainly giuen to vnderstande that many false Teachers shalbee chopped and foysted in among you to seduce the Worlde and many froward mockers shal wilfully mistake and wrest the Scriptures not beyng willyng to vnderstande them aright it greatly standeth you vpon to take good heede to your selues and moste carefully to beware of them least with their false and erroneous doctrine thei carie you awaie from the right Faithe but looke rather that ye dailie encrease in godlinesse and knowledge that from daie to daie through continuall preachyng and exercise of the Worde of God ye maie bee more and more confirmed and strengthenes And here wee are to beholde and note the greate care that the Apostle had ouer them which had now receiued the Faith whiche caused hym to write vnto them these twoo Epistles wherein is largely and plentifully layed doune al and whatsoeuer is expedient and necessarie for a Christian man to know yea concernyng those thynges also whiche are to come God graunt vnto vs his grace that we maie both rightly vnderstand also effectually keepe and obserue the same to the glorie of his holy and blessed name and to the comforte and consolation of our own Soules and consciences Amen ⧠THE GENERALL Epistle of S. Iude. IVDE a seruaunt of Iesus Christ and brother of Iames to theim whiche are called and sanctified of God the Father and reserued to Iesus Christ Mercie vnto you and peace and loue bee multiplied Beloued when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common Saluation it was needefull for me to write vnto you to exhorte you that ye should earnestly contende for the maintenaunce of the Faithe whiche was once giuen vnto the Sainctes For there are certaine men crept in whiche were before of old ordained to this condemnation vngodlie men thei are whiche tourne the grace of our God into wantonnesse and deny God the onely Lorde and our Lorde Iesus Christ I will therefore putt you in remembraunce forasmuche as ye once knewe this how that the Lorde after that he had deliuered the people out of Egypt destroied them afterward whiche beleeued not The Angelles also whiche kept not their first estate but lefte their owne habitation he hath reserued in euerlastyng chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the Iudgement of the greate daie As Sodom and Gomorrhe and the Cities about theim which in like maner as thei did coÌ„mitted fornicatioÌ„ followed strauÌ„ge Flesh are set forth for an ensample suffer the vengeance of eternall Fier Likewise notwithstaÌ„dyng these dreamers also defile the Fleshe and despise Gouernement and speake euill of theim that are in aucthoritie Yet Michaell the Archangell when he stroue against the Deuill and disputed aboute the bodie of Moses durste not blame hym with cursed speakyng but saieth The Lorde rebuke thee But these speake euill of those thynges whiche thei knowe not and whatsoeuer thynges thei knowe naturallie as beastes whiche are without â—eason in those thynges thei corrupt themselues Wo bee vnto them
who can not abide to see his Seruauntes to take wrong and therefore thei haue the best and the iustest cause whiche strike not againe neither seeke reuenge God hymself careth and respecteth theÌ„ and their praiers sound in his eares He is our protectour ayder and mainteinour he is our Guardian and ouerseer he will not be vnmindfull of vs neither can wee slide out of his sight for his eyes are alwaies vppon vs. And this is it that ought to erect and stirre vp our courages and to perswade and prouoke euery Christian paciently to suffer all maner of iniurie without requiring one euill with an other For al I coÌ„sider the matter with my self aright I muâ—â— thus thinke that the Soule of that man whiche hurteth me without earnest repentaunce shalbe in endlesse tormentes in hell and there vppon a Christian harte can not choose but thâ—s burst out in hartie and zealous praier vnto God and saie most louyng and gracious Father forsomuche as this man hath so horriblie incurred thy displeasure and so miserably thereby throwne himself into the daunger of Hell fier I humbly praie and beseeche thee that thou wouldest pardon and forgiue hym this his fault and so doe to him as thou haste doen vnto me in deliueryng me froÌ„ this thy heauie wrath and anger For as he hath his eyes euer readilie bent and with fauour moste graciouslie beholding them that be good so looketh he with a sterne and frounyng countenaunce vppon them that bee euill Wee therefore whiche knowe that hee fauourably and graciouslie looketh vpon vs but vpon them angerly frouningly and with indignation ought to pitie their wofull case and to be throughly sorie for their miserable estates and hartily to praie for theÌ„ And who is it that will harme you if ye followe that whiche is good WHen wee followe that whiche is good and recompeÌ„ce not euill for euill but rather most curteouslie and with the very bowelles of tender affection embrace and loue all menne there is none that can doe vs any harme For although thei should take from vs our wealth our name and bodie yet are not wee in any poynt harmed because wee possesse suche abundant stoare of good thinges vnto whiche the thinges taken from vs can by no meanes and in no respect bee compared Thei that persecute and seeke after vs to dooe vs harme haue no goodes at all sauyng onely these lame momentarie vnperfect and transitorie trashe of the worlde and shall afterward if thei continewe in impenitencie bee cast into Hell fier there for euen to bee tormented But our goodes are eternall and incorruptible although wee suffer a little losse of these worldly and temporall goodes Notwithstanding blessed are ye if ye suffer for righteousnesse sake HE not onely saieth that no man shalbe able any whitt to harme you if ye suffer any thyng for Gods sake but he further addeth Blessed are ye for the same so that ye haue greate cause of reioycing if ye so be afflicted For so saith Christ Matth. v. Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and say all maner of euill against you for my sake falselie Reioyce and bee glad Hee that rightlie and throughlie waigheth these wordes and considereth that the Lord hymself speaketh them and that so louingly and so comfortably how should he but constantlie stande to his tacklyng and paciently abide all that can or maie happen Againe thei that in these wordes feele no comfort and inwarde consolation can not but bee voide and vtterly without all strength ioye and comfort Yea feare not their feare neither be troubled But sanctifie the Lorde God in your heartes THis place againe hath sainct Peter cited out of the Prophete Esay where he hath these words Feare ye not their feare neither bee ye afraied of them but sanctifie God in your hartes and let hym bee your feare and let hym bee your dread c. Esay viij Here wee haue a verâ— greate protection and refuge so that we maie boldly repose ourselues in safetie and bee assured that none shall harme vs Let the worlde terrifie and rage threaten and menace neuer so tyrannouslie yet shall their terrour come to an ende whereas our ioye and consolation shall be endlesse And therefore we ought not to feare the worlde any thing aâ— all but rather to bee valiauntlie minded and constantly encouraged againste it but before God to humble our selues and â—o feare with all reuerence And what meaneth sainct Peter in bidding vs to sanctifie the Lord God How can we sanctifie hym of whom we must be sanctified I answere that wee after this sort praie Hallowed or sanctified bee thy name for that it is our dueties to sanctifie his name whereas notwithstandyng he hymselfe sanctifieth his owne name Wherefore sainct Peter is thus to bee vnderstoode Sanctifie the Lorde God in your hartes that is whatsoeuer it shall please God to laie vppon vs whether it seeme to vs good or badde pleasaunt or greeuous honorable or ignominious luckie or vnluckie it is our partes and dueties not onely to embrace and take the same in good parâ—e as thinges sent to vs for our furtheraunce and benefite but also to accoumpt the same as holie and therevpon to saie This that I now receiue from the Lordes hande is a thyng so precious and holie that I am not worthie to bee partaker thereof So saieth the Prophete Dauid Psal Cklv. The Lord is iust in all his waies and holie in all his woorkes When as I therefore in these thinges doe thus glorifie God and repute his workes as precious and holie I doe thereby sanctifie hym in my harte But those fellowes that dwell so muche vpon the poinctes of the Lawe that thei thinke not God to bee righteous but that he doeth them wrong and that he is asleepe and neither wil maintaine his owne iustice and righteousnesse nor yet repulse wrong and iniurie doen vnto hym these fellowes I saie dishonour God in thus deemyng him to bee neither iust nor holie But hee that is a true Christian must entierlie ascribe all iustice vnto God and vnto himself as truthe it is all iniustice to acknowledge God euer holie and himself prophane and sincerely to professe and confesse that God is in all his doinges most iust and holie This harty acknowledgment he requireth at the handes of euery one of vs. And foreade we Dani. ix O Lorde God iuste and true are thy Iudgmentes which thou hast doen vnto vs for we haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue doen wickedlie yea wee haue rebelled and haue departed from thy preceptes and from thy iudgementes and therefore vnto thee O Lorde belongeth Righteousnesse honour and glorie but vnto vs open shame and confusion To conclude when any calamitie or mishappe as it is commonlie taken betydeth vs let vs hartilie thanke God and blesse his holie name for it and that is it which sainct Peter and Esay doe here cal the right sanctifiyng of the Lord our God Notwithstanding it