done sōethyng for them to god / for the whiche the ignorant hathe crowched / kneled / kyssed / bobbed / and lycked the Images / gyuynge them cotes of clothe of golde / syluer / and of tysshu / veluet / damaske / and saten / suffred the lyuely membre of Chryst to be without a russet cote / or a sacke cloth to kepe hym warme / from the colde / leste for coulde he shulde perysshe / so we haue clothed stockes and stones / and suffered Chryst to perysshe for colde dye without the house and buyldeth goodly houses for an olde Idolle / a stocke or a stone / carued / and paynted for lucre sake .2 we may learne that we haue receyued nat one spirytuall blessynge / but all spyrytuall blessinges as our creacion / redempcion iustifycacion / forgyuenes of syn / lyfe euerlasting of no other but of Christ Iesus / and by no other meanes but for Christes sake throughe faythe / that we shulde gyue all prayse and thanke onely to god / and offer vp our selues thankfull sacryfyce / redy to obeye godes wyll aboue all thynges / redy to suffer with pacience all iniuryes / wronges and affliccyons for god his worde And this is the true sacrifyce of christians dayly and hourely to be offered vp to god for his benefytes of all christyanes 3. As he hath chosen vs before the foundacion of the world was layde / so he hath blessyd vs with al spirituall blessynges before the foūdacyon of the world layde And as this eleccyon of God was only of the mere grace / wyll / pleasure of god / so was all his blessynges towarde vs intended of his onely goodnes / and nat of our merytes or deseruynges / what thing coulde we deserue before we were borne that prouoked God to loue vs / or was the cause why that god loued vs nothynge 4. That we shulde be holy and without blame before hym in loue Nowe he shewith the cause why god elected vs in hym before the begynninge of the worlde / that we shulde be holy and without faute or blame before him in loue We thynketh the Apostle dothe speake these wordes to stoppe the vngodly mouthes of carnall men / whiche saye yf we be elected and chosen of god to immortal glorye / what maketh maier what we do / do what we wyll we shal at the laste come to that glory / and blysse / yf we be nat chosen and predestinat to be saued what skylleth of our workes / they shall nat profyte vs to optayne lyfe euerlastynge in ioye / yf we do al the cōmaundementes that god hath commaunded to be done / at the ende we shall be reiected and dampned yf we be nat predestynate of god to be saued by Chryst Iesus through faythe / that no man shuld speake so vngodly / or reason with hymselfe on this maner / and condemne Good workes / despyse to lyue holyly / care nat howe he lyue / whether he kepe godes commaundementes or no / saynt Paule sayth that god hath elected and chosen vs to be holy before hym in loue / that is to saye who so euer wyll be holy / and gyue themselues to serue god / to kepe his commaundementes / to lyue a lyfe puer and cleane from all vyce and synne / to beleue in god / to truste Chryste onely to be his sauyour / redemer / iustifyer / delyuerer from synne / deathe / hell / and eternal dampnacion / and gyue hym selfe to loue god aboue al thynges in this worlde / preferryng godes glorye aboue all earthely thynges / and to deserue good to euery man / studyinge alway to seke the glory of god and the profyte of other men / according to the wyll and pleasure of god for whose sake only good workes that God commaundeth in scrypture are to be done / which workes they do that be chosen and elected of god to eternall saluacyon / who be elected of god to saluacyon / who be nat / we can nat tell by the outwarde workes that they do Sygnes of godes predestinacyon is these Fyrste god of his goodnes elected / electeth and choseth whome he wyl only of his mere mercye and goodnes withoute all the deseruynges of man / whome he hathe elected he calleth them for the most part by preachynge of the gospell / and by the hearyng of the worde of god to fayth in Chryst Iesus / throughe faithe he iustifyeth them / forgyueth synnes / and maketh them obedyent to heare his worde with gladnes / to do that thynge that Goddes worde commaundeth them to do in theyr state and callynge / wherfore to heare the worde of God with gladnes / to beleue it / to knowe that it is the meane by the which god hath ordeyned to bring to saluacyon them that beleueth to order theyr liues accordyng to the commaundement of the worde of god to do all good workes commaunded in the scryptures to the vttermoste of your poure these be the sygnes of Saluacyon / of the contrarye parte who so euer be nat glad to heare the worde of God / but despyse it / condemne it / regarde it no more than Esopes fabules or thynke the worde of God to be folysshenes a vayne thing / of no profyte ne pleasure / a thynge to be hated and set at noughte / and so gyue no credence to it / care nat for it care nat to kepe Goddes commaundementes al set to seke the pleasures and the glorye of this worlde who so euer is so affected / it is a token that they be nat the chyldren of saluacion but of perdition and eternall dampnacyon of these workes that folowe we maye haue a coniecture who be ordeyned of God to be saued and who to be damned ¶ And ordynated vs before to receyue vs as chyldren throughe Iesus Chryst / accordyng to the pleasure of his wyll / vnto the promyse of the glorye of his grace / wherby he hathe made vs accepted in the beloued in whome we haue redemcyon / throughe his blode / forgyuenes of synnes accordyng to the ryches of his grace / whiche he hathe shewed vpon vs abondantly in al wysdome and prudence / and hath opened vnto vs the mistery of his wyll accordynge to his pleasure / whiche he hadde purposed in hym selfe / that it shulde be preached / whan the tyme was ful come / that all thynges shulde be gathered together by Chryst both the thynges which are in heauen / also the thynges that are vpon earth by hym Saynt Paule repeteth here with many playne wordes the thynges he had spoken before / that is to saye that we were elected of god in hym to be saued before the begynnynge of the worlde / that we shulde be holy and without blame before god by loue / the same thyng is repeted agayne in other wordes whiche thynge the Apostle dothe bycause he wolde haue this thynge surely knowne and roted in euery mannes harte and minde of the whiche preachers may
their faith in good workes .4 in whome whan ye beleued / ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promes here is shewed what frute dothe come of hearyng of the worde of truthe that by it is gotten faythe / without the whiche no man can please God / and hauynge it all thynges pleaseth God / and these that beleue receyue the spirite of God / as an earnest to put them in suretye that they shall receyue and haue all thynges that be promysed them to haue by goddes word / that is to saye that they shall haue lyfe euerlastynge and the inherytaunce of heauen / and for a suretye of that promise the beleuers receyue the holy ghoste as an oblygacyon for the perfourmaunce of that promyse by the whiche they be made as sure to haue the promyse of god as yf they had receyued it all ready This place maketh agayne them that saye no man can know whether he is in the fauour of God or no / or whether they be worthy hatred or loue of god alledginge for them the sayenge of Ecclesyastes .9 to whome this aunswere I make that men can not knowe of them selfe whether they be in the fauour of god or no / but that they maye knowe by the holy spirite whome they haue that beleue faythfully / yf a man may knowe whether he hathe fayth or no / he may knowe whether he be in the fauour of god or no If he haue true fayth God fauoryth hym / yf he lacke faythe god fauoureth hym nat / so a man maye knowe by fayth the spirite of god gyuen to glorifye vs of goddes fauour and loue towardes vs / and that god fauoureth vs as longe as we shall haue fayth the spiryte of god which faythfull beleuers haue and possesse / so a man may knowe whether he is now at this present time in the fauor of god or no hated or beloued / but what he shal be to morowe / the next day or in time to come no man can tel Therfore he that stādeth in the fauor of god by fayth / by the holy ghoste / let hym loke that he fal nat from god by vnfaithfulnes and incrudelite by vnkindnes / contempnyng of godes word / disobedient to goddes cōmandementes / and so fall from the fauour of god / lose fayth the holy spirite of god / lose lyfe eternal As for the wordes of Ecclesiastes .9 where it is written that no man can knowe whether he is worthy hatred or loue / the wordes are to be vnderstande thus that of good or euil that chance to men in this worlde / no man can knowe whether he is worthy hatred or loue / for goodes and euyls / prosperyte aduersyte chaunce equal to good men and euyl men oftymes it chaunceth that euyl men haue more prosperite then good men / euyl haue ryches / welth / pleasure / good men haue pouertye nede / payne / and punysshmente / wherfore of prosperytie or aduersytie in this worlde is no man to be estemed more or lasse in the fauour of God / seynge these thynges chaunce equally to the good and the euyl / in this worlde / I wolde that euery man shulde not only thynke hym selfe that he is in the fauour of god / but also knowe it surely that god fauoureth hym excepte he thinke so howe can he fauour god for loue yf he dout whether god loue hym or no / or in this thyng be waueryng / thynke some tyme god loue hym somtyme he loueth hī nat The spirite of god is giuen vs to put vs in a suretye that God fauoureth vs / and yf we lacke this spirite / we be nat of Chryste Ro. 8. we haue also receyued the spirite of adopcyon by whome we call father father / and this spirite sheweth to our spirite that we are the chyldē of god Ro. 8 therfore I wolde that euery man shulde certaynly thynke and persuade with hym selfe that he is in the fauour of God / and that god wyll gyue hym euerlastynge lyfe ioye blysse in the worlde to come / which they that beleue nowe haue by fayth / and in the worlde to come shal possesse in dede / then I suppose they wolde contynewe in fayth and shewe theyr faythe by all good workes commaunded in the Scrypture Some also here wyll aske howe shall we knowe whether we haue faith the spirite of god or no / this thyng maye be knowen by the frutes / by the wordes mocyons that they shal perceyue in theyr hartes / yf they perceyue that they be glad to heare goddes worde / to reade it / study it / be glad it goth forwarde for Goddes glory onely / do beleue it to be true / and that God wyll performe and brynge to passe all thynges promysed or thretened in his worde / that he wyll rewarde good men / and punysshe euyll men in the worlde to come / yf they shall perceyue a redynes a towardnes to be obedyente to do Goddes commaundement / ye to do it in dede for god only to the vttermost of theyr power / if these thinges they perceyue in them selues / they be sure sygnes that they be in the fauour of god / haue faith and the spyrite of god / and shal haue lyfe euerlasting / of the contrary part if you perceyue in your selfe no desyre / luste / or wyll to heare the worde of god / to reade it / to studye it / ye thynke it is but folysshenes a vayne thing / an vnprofytable thing or that you care nothynge for it / or that you hate it and enuy it and the professors of it persecute them as auctors of deuyles doctryne / you feele your selfe nothyng redy to obey the commaundementes of god but ready to all pleasure of the flesshe and of the worlde / to do synne and noughtines these be sure tokens that you be out of the fauour of god / lacke fayth and the spiryte of god / and in the hie displeasure with god of these thynges and tokens shewed / you shall knowe whether you be in the fauour of god / more sure than by the fyght of the holy blode of hayles / or by the goyng thoroughe saynt wylfredes nedle / and also yf you be oute of Goddes fauoure / you lacke faythe and the spiryte of god that moueth and stereth men alwaye to all good workes for god only / alone regarding his wyl and pleasure 7. That we might be his owne to the prayse of his glory / for what ende god hath chosen vs made the word of god to be preached to vs / surely for this ende / that we shuld haue faith / receiue the holy spirite / be made sure of goddes fauour towardes vs and that he loueth vs / that we shulde glorify hym agayn / by faith / by loue to hym to our neyghbour to do the workes of god cōmaunded vs to do in the holy scrypture in our vocacyon
to syt on his ryghte hande aboue all heauenly powers In Christ was shewed the excellent power of god / aboue all thynges / whiche power god wyl shewe to them that beleueth 2. He sheweth here the glory of Christ to be aboue all the powers / domynyons / or potestates in heauen that we shulde put our truste in Christ / whiche wyll exalte to that place where he is al them that beleue in him and thynketh to come there where Christ is on the right hande of the father onely by Chryste / and nat by theyr owne merytes or deseruinges and to put men in a suretye of that thynge Christe hym selfe was exalted from deathe to lyfe eternal 3. The power and the glory of Christ is shewed in that he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father in heauen aboue all powers rule / dominyon / potestates / and vertues / and aboue all names that is in this world or in the worlde to come / and all thynges are subiected to him and vnder his domynion and power / and he is the heade of the congregatyon whiche is his body Christ is the heade / in whome consisteth the perfeccyon of the hole bodye and he that maketh in the bodye all thynges parfyte 4. This place reproueth the Bysshoppe of Rome and all his decrees that maketh hym heade of the Churche of Chryste / for the hed of the churche of Christ is nat the bysshop of Rome / but Christe whiche maketh all thynges vnparfyte parfite / princes Kinges in their kingdomes worldely / be as heades of theyr subiectes vnder Christ to se euery one be in right order / to goddes wyll and pleasure / and that euery man in euery state and degree do his duty after his calling / for to the Kinges / Princes / and other superior power / it becoÌ„meth euery man to be obedyent / and from their power can no man exempte any of these subiectes by any profession of man / wherfore byshops of Rome exemptyng religyouse men from due obedience to their kinges and Prynces haue done against goddes lawe and saynt Paules doctrine Ro. 13. 1. Pe. 2. Hebre. 13. whiche places commaundeth all subiectes to be obedient vnto the hye powers / for they that resyste powers / they resyst the ordinance of God and these that resyste the ordynaunce of God they take to them selfe Iudgemente and dampnacyon Ro. 13. ¶ The seconde Chapyter to the Ephesyans ANd quickened you also when ye were deade throughe trespacê and synnes / in the whiche in time past ye walked accordynge to the course of this worlde / and after the Prynce that ruleth in the ayre / namely / after the spiryte whiche nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbeleue amonge whome we also had our conuersacyon in tyme paste in the lustes of our fleshe and of the mynde and more naturally the childrenne of wrath euen aswell as other The Apostell compareth the state of these Ephesyans that they were in nowe when he wrote this Epistle to them / with the state condicion of lyfe that they were in before Chryst had called them to fayth by his word preached amonge them / that by the remembraunce of it / they might be prouoked with more gladnesse and harty loue to prayse and laude God / and gyue hym harty thankes that it hathe pleased hym to call them from darknes to lyghte from ignoraunce to knowledge / from syn to iustyce from deathe to lyfe / he saythe whan you knewe nat Chryste / you were deade by trespaces and synnes / beholde in what case they be in the knowe nat Chryste and his holy worde / by trespaces and synnes he vnderstandeth all manner of vyces and synnes / whether they be in thought wyll / acte / or in outwarde dede / when they knewe nat Chryste they were deade by synnes / nowe they knowynge Chryste do lyue / and be called from deathe to the lyfe of grace and of glorye eternal / before they walked in vyce and in synne / nowe they walke in grace and in vertue / before they walked after the maners / lustes and pleasures of this worlde / that is to saye / after the lustes of the fleshe / the lustes of the eyes / and proudnes of lyfe 1. Ioh. 2. Nowe they walke after the good wyll of god and after godes pleasure / before they folowed the prince of the ayre and was obedyente to his wyll this Prynce of the ayre is that euyll spiryte that worketh in sturdy / frowarde / and disobedyent personnes to goddes wyll and that doth nat beleue God but nowe they walke after the wyll of god the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste lorde of heauen and earthe whose spiryte bryngeth and leadeth to all good workes of God who is he that knoweth he is called from synne / death / hel / eternall dampnacion / to iustice / lyfe / heauen / eternal ioy and blisse / wyll nat giue thankes laude and praise to him that brought hym to this ioye and felicyte Truely I thynke no man / but he wolde gyue greate thankes whan he remembreth the benefytes of his callynge / and for that cause saint Paule here compareth these two states to gether that euery one of vs may remember in what case we were in before Christe called vs to his knowledge by his worde / for as these Ephesyans were / so were we / and the same thynge he wryteth to them he writeth to vs / it agreith aswel to vs as to them / and all one thynge / as touchynge our state 2. This place sheweth that al men that came of Adam to be subiecte to synne / and for synne worthy eternall deathe / none able to delyuer them selfe from deathe and dampnacion / of the which we may learne that no man by his owne nature / myght / power / or fre wyll / can saue hym selfe from death and hell / but who someuer be saued that they be saued by the only grace of god and nat by theyr owne merytes / or by the merytes of sayntes departed 3. You see what foloweth syn / deathe / punyshment foloweth syn / as the rewarde for synne / and that these that wante the grace of god can nat but fall to synne / and go from one synne to an other / and walke after the lustes of the fleshe / and applye them selues to the wyll of the deuyll which worketh in euyl men and prouoketh to al vnhappynes vyce / syn / as these Ephesyans dyd before they were called by the worde of god to fayth to knowe Christ 4. In euyll men worketh the prynce of the ayre whiche is the deuyl that entyseth alwaye to euyll / and to do she workes of the deuyll The deuyll is called the prince of the ayre / nat bycause he hathe dominyon and power to rule the ayre at his pleasure or wyl / for that to god doth pertayne / but that he hathe power only of euyl men
A commentary in Englyshe vpon Sayncte Paules Epystle to the Ephesyans / for the instruccyon of them that be vnlerned in tonges / gathered out of the holy scriptures and of the olde catholyke Doctours of the Churche / and of the beste authors that nowe a dayes do wryte Anno. D. 1540 ♣ Per Zanceloâ—um Ridleum Cantabrigenseni ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum A preface of the Author to the reader GRACE MERCYE and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Chryst / be vnto al them that loueth / fauoureth / and promotethe the truthe of Goddes worde Amen ♣ Many and dyuers causes moued me to wryte this Commentary in Englyshe / O gentyle reader for theyr sakes whiche do nat vnderstaÌ„de Latyn but onely rede Englysshe / to helpe the rude and ignoraunce people to more knowlege of God and of his holy worde Because I perceyue fewe or none to go about to open by commentaries or exposicions in Englyshe to the vnlearned to declare the holy Scriptures nowe suffered to all people of this realme to rede to study at their pleasure to their edifyenge and comforte in god by the kynges gracyous lycence / for the whiche thiÌ„g bye thankes is to be gyuen to God and laud praise to the kiÌ„ges highnes that so teÌ„dereth the helth saluacyon of hê subiectes that wylleth they shal lacke nothyng that may be to their comforte and soules helth and specyally that they shall nat lacke the worde of God / whiche is the foode of the soule Math. 4. that saueth the soule Iacobi 1. the armour onely wherby the deuil and all hys temtacyons is withstande / resysted ouercommen Ephesyans .6 the meane wherby God doth saue them that beleue 1. Corin. 1. ye the spyryte and the lyfe .1 that bryngeth the spyryte of God and lyfe euerlastynge Because I could percayue fewe or none to go aboute to open and declare thys worde of lyfe to the Englysshe people vnlearned in tonges that it myghte be lyfe in dede / whyche nowe vndeclared to them but onelye had in the bare Lettre do appere to many rather deathe then lyfe / rather to brynge men in to errours and heresyes / then into the truethe and veryte of Goddes worde / whiche nowe vndeclared bryngeth not so muche the symple / rude / and ignoraunte people frome they re ignoraunte / blyndnes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / false trustes / euyll beleues / vayne superstycyousnes and fayned holynes / in the whyche the people haue bene in blyndnes longe tyme for lacke of knowledge of holye Scripture which the man of Rome kepte vnder the hatche wolde nat suffer to com to lyght to delyuer the seruauÌ„tes of God from ignoraunce and blyndnes / but wolde haue kepte them alway in darkenes / that his vsurped power shulde nat haue ben espied / his worldely glorye menysshed and his profyte decayed Bycause I dyd se none go aboute to delyuer the rude people frome theyr blyndnes ignoraunce or errours by any exposicion in Englishe vpon the Scriptures but many to study rather to continewe them styl in errours and in blynde ignoraunce therfore I as one of the least lerned of al hath set forth and expocision to this Epystel of Saynt Paule to the Ephesyans as afore this in the Epystel of Iude the Apostle of Chrest that the people that can but onely rede Englishe may the better know part of the holsome doctryne of saynt Paule may be delyuered from theyr ignoraunce and blindenes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / euyll oppynions / rooted in theyr hartes / false trustes and vayne supersticyousnes / whiche the holy Ghoste here speakynge in Saynt Paule reproueth and coÌ„demneth / and teacheth nessysarye thynges for mannes saluacyon as you maye here se and reade in thys exposicyon wherein I haue as it hathe pleased God to gyue his grace opened the holy scriptures shewynge the true vse of them / and wherfore they serue And in this thynge to be done I haue vsed the helpe of tonges as of the Greke / Hebrewe and the Latyne tonges / and the helpe of the olde Catholyke Doctours approued by the Churche and also of the beste authors that in these dayes nowe do wryte / and of them al gathered out that after my iudgement shuld declare the Scripture beste and moste for the glory of God and / and for the edyfyenge of the chrystians vnlearned in tonges / as maye be sene throughout all thys Exposycyon ☞ The seconde cause that moued me to this was to dyscharge my conscience knowynge the gyftes of God gyuen to be dyuerse / gyuen to euery man nat to be idle / but to exercyse hym selfe in hys talentes gyuen / to the glory of God and to the profyte of other In this my talente gyuen of God / al thought I knowe it is the leaste of all it is my deutye nat to be idle / but to exercise my talente in all maner of wayes to promote and set forthe Goddes worde to edifie other / to do this thing I thought no waye more to Goddes glorye and to the edyfyenge of other / then to set fourthe an exposycyon of some parte of holy Scripture to brynge men vnlearned to the loue and desyre of holye Scrypture whyche is the true worde of the spyryte of God to the whiche thynge the vnlearned shall be broughte to when they shall se and clerely perceyue so muche holsome doctryne / so many godly vertues shewed in one litle Epystle of Saynt Paule / what godly lessons and Spyrytuall teachynges shulde they haue in the hole Byble yf it were in like maner declared vnto them syth there is so muche heauenly teachynges in one lytle Epystle of Saynte Paule ⧠The thyrde cause was to exhorte other that be muche better learned than I that can do muche better to set fourth some parte of the holy Scripture in Englyshe or in Latyne to shewe the goodnes of God to vs Englyshemen / to shewe that God is the God of Englande as well as of Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countrees And that he hathe shewed hys truethe as well in Englande as in these countreys For God is not the acceptor of personnes or of countres In Englande be men of no lesse wytte / wysedome / learnynge / eloquence / then be in Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countres ye I wyl not speake of more wysedome and learnynge / leaste I shulde be counted percy all to my countre Ye I doubte not but Englyshe men shulde gyue as greate light to the worde of God as euer dyd these countres / yf they wolde applye theyr studye wyttes and myndes to wryte vpon the holy Scrypture and in wrytynge declare it Which thynge many learned men wolde do / yf hye rulers whome God hath set in authoryte to be defenders and promoters of hys worde / wolde excyte and prouoke learned men ther vnto And wheÌ„ a Commentary of the holy scrypture were
to forsake synne in the whiche we haue walked in tymes paste for lacke of knowledge and in that we haue obeyed our olde man and his concupiscence to muche / whiche bryngeth to deathe Gala. 5. and. Roma 8. The affeccion of the flesshe is death Therfore let vs put awaye the olde man with all his carnall desyres or lustes alway redy to synne and to swarne frome the trueth of goddes worde / and brynge to death / and let vs be renued in the spyryte and put on a newe man made after God in all iustice and vertue that moueth vs al alwaye to vertu and goodnes By the putting away of the olde man he vnderstandeth the puttynge away of al sinne / as to put away vanite of minde darkenes / ignorance of god / blynde obstynacye of harte vnsorowfulnes for synne / vncleanes and al other vices / and in their places to putte on vertues / and desyre to folowe goddes worde / knowledge of it / redynesse to apply hiÌ„ selfe to do goddes wyll and pleasure in all trueth and iustice iustice / and suche doth appere to be renued by the spirite of god / whose olde lyfe in sinne doth displease and a newe lyfe in vertue doth please / whose mynde is wyllynge and glad to knowe the trueth and to lyue after the trueth of goddes worde in al vertue and goodnes ⧠Wherfore put awaye lyenge and speake euery man the trueth with his neyghbour for as much as we are membres one of another Be angrye but synne nat let nat the sonne go downe vpon youre wrathe / neyther gyue place to the backebyter / he that hathe stolen / let hym steale no more / but let him laboure rather and do some good with his handes that he may haue to gyue to him that nedeth ☞ The Apostle here exhortethe men to to put awaye certayne vyces and to take in theyr places vertue Fyrst he exhorteth men to put away lyenge / by lyeng he vnderstandeth all crafte / sotteltye / falsed / deceyte / in worde or in dede / by the which crafty men deceyueth other that be simple or osuche as feare no crafte / gyle or falsed / in bargaynynge / as in seilynge byenge or in other busynes of the worlde necessarely to be vsed amongeste men in this worlde / and vnderlyenge may be conteyned delayenge of matters to deceyue men / to make them spende more monye for the expedytion of their matters And in this is reproued lawers and all other that delaye matters for lucre sake Here is also reproued all them that falslye accuse and sclaunder other / that go aboute to deceyue another by fayre speakynge / goodly wordes or ê“myses when they intende to do nothynge Here is also reproued all maner of flattery or dissemblynge ye all periury in selliÌ„ge of theyr wayre / whiche vyce is so comonly vsed vnponyshed of god or of man / that in a maner it is counted a vertue / and he to be best seruaunte that can with most periurye and greateste swerynge deceyue his chapman But let suche repent and ameÌ„de them selues / for god wyll nat suffre vnponyshed his holy name so to be taken in vaine / so vnreuerently to be brought for a testimony in a false matter and a dissembled purpose / God wyll nat suffre periurye vnponished / but he wyl eyther punysh it here in this world / or els in the worlde to come or in both / in this worlde / and also in the worlde to come And in this worlde suche periured persons god punysheth ofte with corporall punyshementes / as with pouertye sickenes / diseases / and with vnfaythfulnes that they be leaste beleued / that be moste swerers / men were wonte to cry out of them that dyd eate egges butter / mylk chese / and other lyke white meate in lente seson / and helde their peace at periurye / vnreuerente takynge the name of God in vayne / and bryngynge in it to be wytnesse or recorde in a false matter / for the whiche god threateneth punyshemente Deulero 5. Sayenge he that taketh the nayme of God in vayne shall nat be vnpunyshed / at the breakynge of Goddes lawe / we holde our peace / at the breaken of mannes lawe we crye out / and call them loosers and heretykes that eate white meate in lent season / whiche is a laweful thyng by goddes lawe / and maye lawfully be done / so it be nat done with contempte of the authoryte and with offendicle of wayke persons / and agaynste their conscience / thynkynge that thynge vnlaweful / and yet eate it agaynste conscyence / to take the name of god in vayne is alway vnlaweful / and forbydden by goodes lawe 2 Also the Apostle nat onely forbyddeth lyenge / but he coÌ„maundeth that men shall speake the trueth / and that symply plainly without all dissemblyng in wordes and in dedes / and to kepe the profitable trueth towardes all men alwaye as well in bargaynes as without byenge and sellynge choppynge or chanynge And here the Apostle reachethe that it is the offyce of a faythfull preachers nat onely to reproue vyce vsed amongest men / but also to shewe a medsyne for euery vice / and to heale the vyce with his propre medsyne to set vertu in the place of synne / synne clerely put awaye 3 This place reproueth them that go aboute to deceyue theyr neyghboure by crafte / falsed surelty or by any crafty meanes / and specially these that be symple / trusteth no falsed beleuynge that no man wolde deceyue them / yf they myght / but alacke for petie / that crafte / falsed / and periury / is suffred of rulers and Magistrates vnpunysshed / as they were nat forbyd of God / but at mannes pleasure and wyll / so synne vnpunyshed / is counted oftymes to be no synne / or small synne / ye peradueÌ„ture a vertue a worldely wysdome / and a good wordly polycye / a sygne of a wyse felowe that wylt thryue so to vse crafte / falsed is reckened to be thristey but howe someuer suche shryue before the worlde / they thryue nat before God almyghtye that forbyddeth suche thryfte / and coÌ„dempneth all suche thryuers / ye ieyrers brekers of his lawe 4 He sheweth the cause why we shulde nat vse crafte or falsed one to deceyue another / the cause is that we be membres of one body / one membre doth nat decyue another / nor wyll nat hurte another / but laboureth for another / as the hande dothe nat hurte the heade the legge or the foote but wyll laboure for them and prouyde that they wante nothynge or that they be nat hurte / or any other wayes nooed / and wyll in no wyse deceyue them / so shuld we all do one to another / seynge we be membres of Cstristes bodye / and one labour in trueth for another without deceyte / crafte or falsed as membres doth 6 Be angry but synne nat The Apostle wolde we shulde
wryten approued of learned men worthye pryntynge / it myghte be prynted and set fourth with pryuylege So God shulde be more gloryfyed / his worde better knowen and beleued / greate glory and commendation come to Englande / whiche shulde gyue greate lyght in the true vnderstanding of the scriptures to all the worlde ☞ These and many other causes moued me to wryte thys playne Exposycyon in thys Epystle of Sayncte Paule to the Ephesians Wherfore gentle reader I praye the accepte in good worthe thys my rude dylygence and laboures / whyche was to set fourth openly before euery mannes eyes the mynde of the Apostle Saynte Paule in this Epistle / to shewe what thinge he wolde haue vs to knowe and to do / and what thynge not to do / and howe he seketh alwaye Goddes glorye and the saluacyon of other to teache vs to do suche lyke yf thys Epystle be declared accordynge to the mynde of Sayncte Paule gyue all thankes and prayse to God onely of whome it commethe / and none to the wryter whose mynde is to teache or defende no errour nor heresye / but to teache the truethe of Goddes worde symply and playnely / more regardynge the truethe / then the eloquence of wordes / and by the truethe of the Gospell to profyte euery man yf he can Yf thys Exposycyon do agree wyth the holye Scryptures / as I truste it dothe / take it / yf it do not / refuse it / I wolde not haue my wrytynges or sayenges no farther to be taken then they do agree with the holy Scryptures of God and by them maye be prouyd / and by the holy Scriptures onely to be iudged I am a man and maye erre as well as other hathe done / but I wyll nat be obstynat / yf I shall be gently admonyshed and instructed better by the holy Scriptures of god to whome be all honoure and glorye / worlde without ende Amen ⧠¶ Here endeth the preface of the author THE ARGVMENT OF the Epystle of Sayncte PAVLE to the Ephesyans ✚ IN THYS EPYstel the Apostle Sayncte Paule sheweth the aboundaunt goodnes of God the Father to all men / howe he hathe created and made all men and all thynges necessarye for them / chosen and elected them to etarnall lyfe and glory / and to be heyres of the celestyall kyngedome / onely of hys mere mercy and grace / and nat of the workes merites or deseruynges of any maÌ„ or of any saynt in Heauen / or in earthe / but by Iesus Chryste onely by whome he hathe restored man agayne to lyfe / whiche by the synne of Adam loste the fauour of almightye God lyfe the celesteal kyngedome to the whiche he was created and made / but by Chryste was restored ageyne to the fauoure of God / to lyfe and to heauen all men both Iewes / and Gentyles theyr synnes clerely forgyuen for Christes sake alone / and be made dere beloued and holy in the syght of the father and ryght heyres of the Heauenly inheritauÌ„ce through fayth in chryste Iesus whyche faythe is receyued by the worde of God preched vnto them ⧠Secondely the Apostle teacheth what all men be of them sealues of theyr owne nature / myghtes and powers / surely nothynge els but the chyldren of the Ire / wrath and indygnacyon of god / chyldren of darkenes / of synne / death and of hel And what they are made by Christ agayne / that is that they be made dere beloued to god / chyldren of loue / of lyfe / of iustice and of eternal saluacyon / and that onely by the mercy and grace of god and nat of the merytes of man / but by the merytes of chryst alone ¶ Thyrdly here is shewed howe both the Iewes and the Gentyles be made at one with God the father and amonges them selues by Christ that suffered death to make them at one Also what is there offyce nowe iustified throughe grace by fayth in Christ Iesus / that is to forsake theyr olde lyfe / and to walke in a newe lyfe nat to be idle / but to do good / to do good workê / nat suche as maÌ„ thynketh godd / but suche as god hathe appoynted to be done in holye scripture that men shulde walke in / and to go from one good worke to another / to fle al maner of vice sinne / if nat for the loue of God / yet for feare of the plage of God ¶ Fourthly here is declared the offices deuties of dyuers states of meÌ„ / as of these that be maryed / of Chyldren to theyr parentes of seruauntes to theyr Maysters / of euery ones deutie to another in they re states of leuynge / as you may reade in the v. and .vi. chapiters of this Epystle / wher it is shewed playnly the offyce of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / let the wyfe loke on her deutye to her husbande / learne yt / knowe and do it Also let the man loke on hys deuty and howe he shulde order hym selfe towardes his wyfe / and howe he shulde intrate her that both of them knowynge theyr deuty accordynge to Goddes lawe / maye more wyllyngely and gladly do that thynge that God requyreth of them / and they to please God better and lyue iÌ„ more peace / vnite / concorde and / quietnes Also the chyldren maye here learne theyr deutye / and wherfore that it becommeth them to be obedyent to theyr parentes / because it is Goddes commaundement and the wyll of God that Chyldren shulde obey theyr parentes And also what is the deutye of seruauntes to they re maysters / and of masters to theyr seruauntes / euery one loke on his deutye / and do it gladly and wyllyngely / for in so doynge they do serue God Fynally here is shewed the armoure of chrysten men to fyght agaynste the deuyl and his temtacyons / Last of all the Apostle desyreth these Ephesians to praye for hym / coÌ„mendynge to them Tychicum by whome he sense thys Epystle to these Ephesyans ¶ The fyrste chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians PAVLE an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST by the wyll of God to the sayntes whiche are at Ephesus / to them that beleue on Iesus Chryste Grace be with you and peas from god our father and trom the lorde Iesus Chryste SAynte Paule out of prison wrote this Epistle to these Ephesians / whom he fyrste saluteth with a christiane salutacyon / and after the salutacyoÌ„ he sheweth the causes wherfore he wrote this Epistle Saynte Paule in his Epystles vseth one christiane salutacyon of the whiche we christians may learne howe we shulde one salute and grete another / And what thynges we oughte one to desyre and wyshe to another In this salutacion is wryten the name of him that wryteth the Epystle / the name of them to whom it was wryteÌ„ In the begynnyng saynte Paule setteth his owne name that they myght knowe this Epystle to be wryten of
Paule / that this Epystle myghte be better loued and more estemed amonges the Ephesyans / wheÌ„ they shulde knowe the apostle Paule to haue wryten this Epistle to theÌ„ Whom they knewe surely wolde wryte no thyng to them but that shulde be bothe for theyr comfort and profyte of theyr soules / also to the glory of god What man was saynt Paule before he was conuerted and turned to the faythe of Christe Iesu / it is wryten in the Actes of the apostles .9 22. and Philip. 3. Where it is euident that he was a persecuter of Christes churche / but of a persecutour god made him to be a defeÌ„der and a sure pyller of Christê gospel Which thynge god wrought nat for the merytes of Paule / but of his mere mercy and goodnes / that we shulde dispayre of no man / as longe as he lyueth / but god may call hym agayne to his grace and fauour and of an euyll man may make him a good man / as he made Paule of a persecutour of Christê churche a faythfull preacher and a defender of the gospell of Christe that we shulde gloryfy god Whiche maketh good men of the euyl / and faythful preachers of Christê gospel of persecuters Example in Paule But if synners wyll be made good men of euyll men they muste folowe Paule / they may nat tary nor coÌ„tynue in their noughty lyfe / but leue it / be sory for it / desyre mercy and pardon of god / folowe god when he calleth to amendement of lyfe to truste in the mercy of god / that god wyll be mercyfull to all penitent synners that wyll trust in his mercy that do beleue faythfully that Christe came to saue synners of the which I am one And to be redy to do the wyll of god / what his pleasure is / without al fear of losse of goodê of the worlde / of honours or dignities / or of this present lyfe / after the example of Paule actes .9 And so to walke al our lyfe tyme to goddes pleasure in our callynge .2 An apostle of Iesus Christe Paule was an Apostle nat of men but of Christe Iesus / he was sente nat to be a man pleaser but to please god / of whom he was sent nat to please meÌ„ / but god / to preache the wyll and pleasure of god and nat of man / excepte the wyll of man be accordyng to the wyl of god And as he was sent of god to preache his wyll and pleasure and nat the pleasure of man / nor to synge to men Placebo and coÌ„mendacion so he dyd / he preached goddes wyll boldly without all feare with muche hatred and enuy of men of thys worlde and with muche persecucyon and affliction / as it appereth thoroughout the actes of the apostles .3 in that Paule was an apostle Apostolus is a Greke worde and betokenyth one that is sent furth of another to do a message So Paule dyd nat sende him selfe to preache the gospell of Christe / but he was sent of god appointed to that offyce by Ananias / as is wryten in the actes .9 so it be coÌ„myth other to be called of god and by man that shal be preachers There is .iiii. maners of apostles as saynt Hierome sheweth Gala .1 Fyrste be they whiche be sende of god only / as the prophetes were Secondly be they which be called of god sende also by man As Paule / Titus / Timotheê° was Thirdly be they whiche be nat called of god but sende by man by fauour / loue / money / seruyce / flatery and suche lyke Fourthly be they whiche be nother called of god nor of man / but they thruste them selues in that comon offyce sekyng theyr owne auantage / lucre / profyte / glory / ease / reste / and suche lyke In this place saynte Paule reproueth all them that wyll take on hande this comon offyce as to be the minister of god / and to be his legate / whiche be nat called of god to that offyce whiche seke rather the glory of men and theyr owne lucre theÌ„ the glory of god or the profyte of theyr neyghbour what maner of men they shulde be / and what qualites they shulde haue that shulde be byshoppes saynte Paule declareth 1. Timo. 3. ad TituÌ„ 1. men well lerned in the scriptures of god / able for to teache holsome doctryne / and by the same to ouercome all them that wyll speake agaynste the truthe TituÌ„ 1. men that be sober / sad / descrete that seke onely the glory of god / the saluacyon of other Therfore it becoÌ„meth euery man to tary hys vocacion be he neuer so well learned / leaste he for hys hastynes renne into dampnacyon / takyng vpon him and vsurpyng a comen power before he be called to it by the superior power to whom the vocacion as touchynge the outwarde vocacyon belongeth And if it be so that the hye powers iÌ„ this behalfe be necligente to seke for true ministers of goddes worde / wolde nat haue faythfull preachers of the gospell / or care nat for theÌ„ or care n t whether the people be fed with gods worde or no. Which thyng principally they shulde loke for / prouyde that the people be fed with the worde of lyfe That then he that is called of god / beyng well learned in the holy scriptures / intendyng nothyng els but goddes glory and the peoples saluacyon / may ought to offer hym selfe to the hye powers and desyre theyr authorite and lycence to preache the gospell / as saynte Paule sayth .1 Timo. 3. He that desyreth the offyce of a bishop he desyreth an honest labour If the superior powers wyl nat gyue hym lycence in whom they fynde no faute / then may he whiche is called of god / walke in his callynge / do the offyce that he is called to of god / for a maÌ„ is more bouÌ„de to obey god then man Act. 4. wherfore I wolde no man of his priuate authorite shulde take vpon hym this hye offyce of god / as to preache his worde openly before he be called of god and by man / or at the leaste of god / and attempted by lawful meanes the vocacioÌ„ of man / shewyng him selfe alway obediente to the laufull cyuill ordinaunces 4. The Apostle of Iesus Christ / Paule was the apostle nat of man but of Iesus Christe to preache Christes wyll and pleasure / and nat to please hym selfe or to be a man pleaser / nor to preache mennes phantasies and dreames / maÌ„nes inuencion or mannes doctrines And here in these wordes he reproueth all pseudo apostles whiche study more to please men then God / whiche preache nat Goddes worde puerly and sincerly / but myxyng it with maÌ„nes fantasies and dreames seking lucre / honour / profyte of men / all such S. Paule in these wordes reproueth and wylleth theym onely to be the messengers of Christe Iesus and to seke his wyll
/ althoughe god vse man as an Instrumente to shewe his wyll for our helth profyte But paraduenture some wyll aske / what was this mysterye that god had hyd so longe from the worlde in hym selfe / nowe had shewed it when the fulnes of tyme was come In the which he sendeth his sonne Iesus Chryst to this worlde to be incarnate / by whome he hath restored all thinges in heuen and in earth / and made them perfyte / to this saynt Paule maketh answere here sayinge this mystery was the misterye of the Gospell preached nowe openly to the Gentiles as it was to the Iewes / that the Gentyles shuld be saued by Chryst as the Iewes / and that the lyfe and the inherytaunce of Heauen parteyned / aswell to the Gentyles / as to the Iewes / whiche mistery was hid from a greate part of the Gentyles to Chrystes commynge / to the preachynge of the Apostles after Christes ascencion to heuen / of this we may learne that God doth nat gyue all knowledge of his diuyne wyll at one tyme or all together / but one thynge after an other after longe contynuaunce of tyme / as here you may se that the gospell was longe hyd fro the gentyles by longe tyme and many yeres / that we shulde nothynge meruayle at goddes wyll and pleasure / yf god do shewe nowe in our tyme his gospell more clerely and open it more playnely to vs than it was in our fathers tyme and daies of this we shuld not muse or maruayle / but rather glorifye god that gyueth this knowledge thanke hym hartely for it accepte the gospell with gladnes / gyue credence to it / leue our olde blyndnes / superstityousnes false trustes / backwarde Iugementes and other lyke / by the whiche we haue bene deceyued for lacke of true knowledge of the word of god nowe shewed / thanked be god But yf any wyll be more curyouse than nedeth to aske / why god hath hyd this mystery of his wyll so longe from the worlde and now sheweth it in these laste dayes surely I haue nat to answere but that it is the wyll and pleasure of God so to do whiche hathe alwayes sene what thynge was most profytable for the Gentyles / or elles that he hathe sene that the gentyles before this tyme wolde nat haue beleued the gospell preached that they shulde be lesse punysshed nat knowynge the gospell than yf they shulde haue knowen it / and nat folowed it / or els that he knewe they wolde haue persecuted the preachers of the Gospell and so shulde haue deserued more greuouse punyshmente or elles that it was decreed of God that all thynges shulde be shewed of god by Chryste and al thynges restored made perfit by Christ ¶ By whome also we are come to the inheritance / we that were therto predestynate before accordynge to the purpose of hym which worketh all thynges after the councel of his owne wyll / that we myghte be to the prayse of his glorye / euen we that there before beleued on Christ on whome also ye beleued / after that ye hearde the worde of truthe namely the gospell of your saluatyon / wherin whan ye beleued / ye were sealed with the holy spirite of ê“mes / whiche is the earneste of our inherytaunce to our redemcyon / that we myght be his owne to the prayse of his glory Saynt Paule here repeteth these thynges that he hath shewed before gathering a somme of them all that is to saye / that we are apoynted of God to eternall lyfe thoroughe Iesus Christ / and he made the chyldren of God by adopcyon not by our strengthe or merytes or by the merytes of any man / but only by the grace of god and the merytes of Chryst And that by the deliberate wyll of God / by whose myght and power all thynges are done / that be good / iuste / laufull / for God wylleth none iniquytie / or synne / but is holy and iust in al his workes / and he wylleth all good thynges .2 That none shulde thinke our heuenly inheritance to come to vs by lote or by chance as God had not prepared yt for vs before the begynninge of the worlde / he saythe this heauenly inherytaunce to haue bene ordeyned for vs by the forewyll of god alway intended of the father towardes vs of his goodnes / by whose wyll and power all good thynges are done / whose wyll no man can resyste or stope his workes / that they be not done / as he hath ordeined them to be done / whose wyll we can nat attaine vnto / and what shal be the effectes of thinges tyl they be done .3 And althoughe al thynges are done by the power of god / yet god is nat the auctor of euyl Ia. 1. god wylleth no syn but he is iust in al his waies holy in al his workes / he wyl that all men shal be saued / to come to the knowledge of the truth therfore they that peryshe shall be dampned / by theyr owne faute / they perysshe and be dampned / and nat by any faute in God / whiche wylleth euery man to be saued / and for that ende be commaundeth the Gospell to be preached vnto al creatures / that they shulde beleue / folowe the Gospel in lyfe and be saued / therfore they that do nat beleue it but contempne and despyse it and thynke it a folyshe and a vayne thinge they be the cause of their owne deathe .4 that we myght be to the prayse of his glorie / we be predestynate of god made adn created nat for our selfe but for the laude and prayse of God / that we shulde gyue all glory to god for al goodnes and prouoke all other to glorifye god and worshyp hym in spirite and truth as it is our offyce and dutye to do .5 euen we that before beleued after that we heard the worde of truthe the gospell of health as who shulde saye / we that beleued in Christ before the word was preached to the Gentyles our offyce is nat only to glorifie god in our selues / but to bryng all other to glorifye god with vs as muche as shall lye in our powre This place reproueth them that dyswadeth men from the worde of god from learnynge of it / from readynge of it / from sermondes by the whiche meanes god hath ordeined men to be brought to glorify god in spirite and in meryte / as he wolde be gloryfyed of all men also he sayth we beleued after that we hearde the worde of truth In these wordes he sheweth howe fayth commeth / that is to saye by hearynge of the worde of truthe accordynge to saynt Paules sayinge Ro. 10. Fayth is of hearinge / and hearyng by the worde of god also he shewith here what is the word of truth it is the gospell of helth and so it is called bycause it bryngeth euerlastinge health to all them that faythfully beleueth shewyng
or lyue euyl and folowe the pleasures of our fleshe or of the worlde / but that we be created to do good workes suche workes nat as we thynke good to vs but suche as god hathe ordynated that we shulde walke in them And here he exorteth men to good workes leaste any shulde thynke faythe sufficient and coÌ„demne good workes / good workes I meane suche as god hathe appoynted vs to do by his holy worde and nat suche worke as men leuynge goddes worde hathe appoynted to serue and please god with all And here in thys place maye fall away pylgrymages / offerynges of caÌ„dels / gyldyng of ymages / and religions of meÌ„ / whiche be workê nat instituted of god but of man and inuented of man without goddes worde / for the whiche voluntary workes many haue contempned and lefte on done the workes coÌ„maunded of god / and preferred wyll workes aboue them 8. He moueth vs here nat to stande styll wheÌ„ we haue done one good worke / but to go forwarde from one good worke to another apoynted of god and nat of our selfe of our good inteÌ„te thought of vs to honour please god with all / when we can nat tell whether god wyll be honoured after that way whiche we haue ymagined to honour him For hys honour do the nat consyst in workes fouÌ„de out by men / but in the workes appoynted in the scripture For if all our newe founde workes were taken away no parte of the workes assygned by God in the scriptures shulde be taken away I meane if al pylgrimagê to paynted stockes / or stones / all gyltyng of ymages / all offeryng vp of candels / al monkes freers / al masses of Scala cesi / al trental masses were taken away / no parte of the workes coÌ„maunded by god shulde be takeÌ„ away / no parte of goddes glory shulde be mynyshed / but rather promoted and set forwarde For these workes fouÌ„de by man hathe hyndered muche the true honour of god that god hathe nat bene truely honored as he shulde be in spirite in trewthe / these wyll workes hathe letted many to do theyr charite where they shulde haue done to the pore people bought by the precious bloude of Christe whiche hathe had nede of the helpe of man Also in that saynte Paule exhorteth men only to do the workes that god hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the scriptures and wylleth that we shall walke in them and go forwarde in them encrease more more / me thynke in these wordê he teacheth workes coÌ„maunded of god to be sufficieÌ„t to opteyne lyfe euerlasting if none of our newe fouÌ„de holy dayes or our wyll workes inuented of our good zeales onely without goddes worde be put to the workes of god / we adde to the workes of god many workes of maÌ„nes inueÌ„cion / as who shulde say goddes workes were nat perfeit excepte man shulde put to some thynge to make theÌ„ perfeyt / as god coulde nat gyue vs healthe and lyfe euerlastynge / excepte that we of our blynde zeales shulde put to some thyng of our addicioÌ„ I do nat speke here agaynst any godly cyuyll ordynauÌ„ce or any godly ceremony yet vsed or may be vsed in tyme to come that be made to set furthe goddes glory / or for any descent or comely ordre to be had amonges men in the worlde / or for any polytyke ende to be vsed amonges christen men as charite requyreth the glory of god better promoted and his worde more regarded and set by / and the charite of the christians more encreased to the coÌ„modyte of all good men ⧠Wherfore remembre that ye whiche afore tyme were Gentyles after the fleshe and were called vncyrcumcision of them that are called circuÌ„cision after the fleshe whiche circumcision is made with haÌ„de that ye at the same tyme were with out Christe and reputed aliauÌ„tes from the coÌ„mon welthe of Israel and were straungers from the testament of promes therfore had ye no hope and were without god in this worlde ¶ To this place saynt Paule hathe spokeÌ„ generally of the grace gyueÌ„ to al meÌ„ nowe begynneth he to speake of the grace of god gyuen more specially to the gentyles when it pleased god onely of his goodnes and nat of the merites of the Gentyles to call them to grace to fayth whiche iustifyeth them / and here the apostle teachithe all preachers after that they haue shewed the general grace of god gyuen frely to al men to apply the grace or the benefites of god more specially to perticuler men / as to them to whom it is spokeÌ„ ti bryng theÌ„ to the remembraÌ„ce of the benefites of god towardes theÌ„ to geue god thankes for theÌ„ by the knowledge of whom came al goodnes / after the example of S. Paule here in thê place which applyeth the grace of god gyuen to the GeÌ„tyles / to these EphesiaÌ„s 2. He moueth these Ephesians to cal to theyr remembraunce the state of lyuynge they were in before the grace of god / and the state they be in nowe after the grace of god gyuen them / whiche thyng if they do they wyll with gladnes gyue harty thankes to god and gloryfy hym for hys goodnes and shewe them selfe thankful to god by all redynes to obey and do goddes commaundementes 3. He sheweth what they were before the gospell was preached to them / and before they had receyued faythe in Iesus Christ Fyrste he sayeth that they had an odious name hated of al good men / that is to say / they were called Preputians which was amongest the Iues as opprobriê° a name as is amongest vs christen men / a Turke or a Sarazyn or vn christeined And the Iues eschewed the company of the Preputians and wolde neyther eate dryncke nor speake with the Preputians and abhorred theyr company as we do the other people or Pagans / and he that wolde vse the company of the Preputians was abhorred of the Iues / as they were angry with Peter that had preched at the coÌ„maundement of god to the Gentyles Actes 1. .2 but nowe you haue an holy name landed magnified of all good men / and also of god the father Also before you were without Christ / that is nat that Christ was nat your sayuour and redemer promysed / but that you knewe nat Christe to be your sauyour and redemer promysed as well to the Gentyles as to the Iues / as apereth in the promyse made to Abraham / that in his sede shulde al the Gentyles be blessed / and that Christ was the expectation of the Gentyles / but this mystery was hyd frome the worlde vnto Christes incarnation that Christe shulde be a sauyour to all men bothe to the Iues and to the Gentyles This mystery was knowen to some bothe of the Iewes and GeÌ„tyles / but they were very fewe in comparyson to them that were ignorant or els it may be sayde that the Iues and the geÌ„tyles that were faythefull and beleued
them agayn that suffreth for theyr sakes for theyr helthe Thus saynt Paule opteyned the fauoure of these Ephesyans and of the gentyles 2 Paule caste in pryson nat for his synnes or any notable fautes or crymes / but because he preached to the Gentyles the Gospell of Christe by the whiche the GeÌ„tyles were delyuered from synne / deathe / hell and eternall damnation and made good / iuste / and opteyned eternal lyfe and partakers of the heuenly inheritaunce / this Saynte Paule sheweth that it is no newe thynge that true preachers of goddes worde to be caste in prisone and suffer paynes for the Gospels sake of euyll men he moueth theÌ„ to take pacieÌ„tly theyr patnes in prysone and afflyccyons that they may be with Paule the prysoner of Christ suffrynge onely for the Gospels sake and nat for theyr owne fautes crimes / or deseruynges 3 Learne here that a good and an holy man saynt Paule ye an apostle of Christ was caste in prisone / nat for no euyll / but for good for preachynge of the Gospel to the saluacion of the people He was caste in prisone of an euyll man and of a cruell tyrante called Nero an Emperour of Rome At whose coÌ„maundement saynt Paul was caste in prison and leyd in fetters / so the good Apostle of God was in pryson / and the euyll tyrante Nero at libertie / so god suffereth in thys worlde the euyll maÌ„ to haue the vpper hande of the good man ye god suffreth that the good is punyshed in this worlde / and the euyll escapes punyshemente / but in the worlde to come the good shal be in ioye / and the euyll in payne This place sheweth playnly that saynte Paule was in pryson when he wrote this Epistle to these Ephesyans / whose helthe he more regarded then his delyueraunce out of prisone 4 These that put saynte Paule in pryson / peraduenture they thought they dyd an acceptable worke or sacrifice to god so doynge / thynkynge Paule a greate malefactour a breker of yeâ—aw they thought it was nat laweful that the Gospel shulde be preached to the Gentyles / ye agayne the lawe of god / that forbad the Iewes to haue company with the Gentyles / or to make mariages with the Gentiles / much more they thought it was nat lawfull to preache the Gospell to the Gentyles / whiche was a thynge hyd from the worlde / neuer herde leson before / therfore they castynge Saynte Paule in pryson thought they dyd an hye sacrifice to god / suche meÌ„ full of theyr good zeales but without goddes worde hath ben amoÌ„ges vs that hath caste men in prison for preachynge that it was lawfull for lay men or lay women to haue the new Testamente in Englyshe / we maye se what blynde zeales without goddes worde dothe / and howe it hathe euer caste the true seruaÌ„tes of God in pryson and brought to trouble / payne / punyshement infamy in the worlde / although they were the newe and faythfull seruantes of god But at the laste god delyuered his seruantes / and punyshed these blynde â—eales and so he wyll do nowe / if they wyl nat repent and amende 5 Accordynge as you haue herde of the office of the grace of God gyuen to me towarde you Here the Apostle sheweth the disposition of the Gospel was commytted to him / nat of him selfe / nor yet of his wyl mynde / merites / or deseruynges but alone of the mere mercy and grace of god / and that when it pleased god to cal him by reuelacion from his inquite and synne as is wryten Actes .9 .22 that the hole prayse and lawde maye be gyuen nat to man / but to god alone / of the whiche we may lerne that true preachers of goddes worde be sente of God / for the saluacyon of men to whome the Gospell is purely preached it is a sure token that god wyll saue those to whome he sendes true preachers of his worde / of the herers part is requyred that they shulde dylygently heare the worde of God / gyue credence to it / and lyue accordynge to goddes doctryne / or elles it profiteth them nothynge / the Gospell truely preached of faythful men sende of god 6 When ye rede it ye may perceyue myn vnderstande in the mystery of Christe / as he shulde saye I haue shewed you before â— I was called to be the minister of god / receyued the knowledge of the Gospel by reuelacion / and that office committed to me of God to preache the Gospell of Christe Iesus to the Gentiles / whiche thyng you may konwe yf you wyll rede that I haue wryten before in these wordes he gyueth them libertie to reade this Epistle / wyllyth that they shuld perfectly knowe what thinges he had writen to them / this place maketh agaynst them that wolde nat the laye people shulde reade the scriptures in there vulgare tonge Saynt Paule wolde haue had his wrytinges knowen of euery one / bothe prest lay man and lay woman / that euery one myght haue profyte by his wrytynge / what profyte I pray you shuld the lay man haue of it if it were nat lawefull for hym to rede it in the language he vnderstandeth 7 In tymes paste this mistery was nat opened to the chyldren of men What was this mystery that was hyd from the chyldren of men in tymes paste It was the open preachynge of Christes gospel as wel to the GeÌ„tyles as to the Iewes and that the Gentyles shulde be saued by / Christe as the Iewes / and that the gentyles perteyned to the heuenly inheritaunce as the Iewes / this mystery was nat knowen to the worlde to Christes incarnacion / and to after his death chefely / it was knowen to a fewe that beleued both of the Iewes and also of the Gentyles whiche was saued by fayth in Christ to come before christes incarnacion / but they were sene in coÌ„parison to them that dyd nat know it / and therfore it was couÌ„ted to be hyd from the worlde / and also these that beleuyd dyd knowe that the gospell shulde come to the Gentyles and by it there saluacyon / yet they knewe it nat so clerely howe it shulde come / and by what meanes / as these that were after Christes incarnacion and beleued in Christe / nor yet there was nat so many before Christes incarnacion that beleued in Christ as was after / for this mistery was shewed muche more playnlye / more clerely to mo after Christes passion then before his passion / for as Saynte Hierome sayeth / that it is another thyng in the spirite to knowe thynges to come / rose them fulfylled in dede This mystery of the gospel to be preached to the geÌ„tiles was so hyd frome men / that the Apostles of Christe dyd nat knowe it at the begynnynge / and dyd doute whether it were lawfull for them to preache the gospell to the Gentyles or no /
or se all his glory / ye no man can perceyue the glorye that god hath ordayned for them that loue him 1. Corin. 2. 4 Here also the Apostle teacheth al prechers to humylyate them selues and to exalte the worde of god / to gloryfie and magfye it aboue al thingê in this worlde / aboue al ryches / honoures / pleasures / profytes / or other goodes mortall in this worlde For there is no riches worldly / worthy to be compared with the worde of God / and be they reprouyd that preferreth wordely goodes ryches / honoures / before goddes worde / and in this manye be offenders / as appereth by outwarde tokens and sygnes that gyue more delygence / laboure payne / and more applyeth theÌ„ selfes to the studye of suche sciences that maye brynge worldly ryches and honoures / then to the konwledge of goddes worde whiche is tokens that men more regardeth worldly ryches then goddes worde This place checketh gentylmen ryche men in the worlde / that put theyr chyldren to the temporall lawe that they may get worldly riches rather then to the study of goddes worde to get heuenly ryches / theyr factes do shewe howe vnkynde they be to God of whome they haue theyr worldly ryches / and also it pertayneth to gentilmen to knowe goddes lawe / that they might rule accordyng to goddes wyll Iosue 1. I wyll nat speke of them whiche openly condemne and be mockers of goddes worde / thynkynge no thing profitable but that / that bryngeth worldly honoures and riches 5 The mystery of god that was hyd froÌ„ the worlde / ye and from the powers in heuen / nowe God hathe made it open to all men / and Angels in heauen / whiche other dyd nat knowe this mistery / or yf they did knowe it / they knew it nat so perfectely before as they dyd after it was preched by the Apostles called and send of god to do that message as by Paule / Peter / and other whiche here be called the Church because they were as the chiefe mynysters in the Churche 6 In that he sayeth this mysterye was opened to the heuenly powers / as to the angels archangels and other in heuen / by the Apostles of Chrste / I thynke the Apostle meaneth nat that the Apostles taught the Angels this mystery of the callyng of the Gentyles to the fayth by the Gospell preached / but rather the contrary / that the Angels taught the Apostles / and brought it from god to the Apostles / for the angels be as seruynge spirites Hebre. 1. And so when the Apostles dyd preache the gospel and by theyr preaching the GeÌ„tyles were coÌ„uerted from theyr infidelyte to the faith of Christ they dyd se the conuersion of the Gentyles that they dyd nat se before so clerely by what meanes / so by the Apostles this mysterye was made open to the heauenly powers / or elles this speakynge that the Apostle here vseth / is a maner of speakyng by the whiche he meaneth that this mystery was shewed and declared openly and playnly to all the worlde by the Apostles / to whom god shewed this iuystery wheÌ„ hê pleasure was it shuld be shewed and this mystery he also calleth the many folde wysdome of god / whiche god hathe determyned to be shewed by Christe Iesus by whome he made al thinges / and restored to their perfytnes when it was the wyll of the father they shulde be made perfyte and restored to theyr perfitnesse 7 He sheweth also that by Christe we haue boldenes and sure truste wyth al confidence to come to the father and to be partakers of his kyngedome and glorye / and that nat by Peter / Paul / Iohan / Iames or by our workes / dedes or merytes / but onely by Christe Iesus / and for his sake alone Wherfore I desyre that ye faynte nat because of my tribulacioÌ„s that I suffer for you / whyche is youre prayse ¶ The Apostle semeth in these wordes to make answere to his aduersaries whiche spake euyll of him / and slaundered hym / by theyr slaunders and euyl speakyng did plucke many from his doctrine / that they dyd nat gyue credence to him sayenge / yf Paule were the minyster of god and preached purely his Gospel / he shuld nat haue ben caste in pryson and in bondes / his bondes and prysonmente dothe proue hym to be euyll / and a deceyuer of the people / and that god is angry with him / or elles who wolde haue cast hiÌ„ in prison for who wold caste a good man in prison as who shulde saye / no man To these or suche lyke euyll speakynges the Apostle maketh answere exortyng these Ephesyans nat to shrynke from hym or forsake his doctrine for his emprisonment / in fetters bondes or other affliccions whiche he suffered / not for his fautes / but for these Ephesians for their sakes / and for their helthe and saluacyon that he preached the gospell of god to theÌ„ of the which they receiued faith and helth wherfore he sayeth that they shulde nat be asshamed of him for his affliccions / but rather they shuld reioyse for his afflicioÌ„s whiche he suffred for theyr sakes / and for theyr profyte Of these we maye se that these that purely preache the worde of god that they suffer oftimes imprisonment / bondes fetters the other affliccions / nat for none other cause / but that they preache the word of god purely and sincerely 2 Men shuld nat shrynke from the word of god or esteme it the worse or to be false doctrine because they that haue preached it haue ben persecuted / punyshed / caste in prison and put to deathe of the worlde as malefactours deceyuours of the people false preachers For other felycite / let nat true preachers loke for in this worlde of carnall men / then persecution and afflyccion this is the rewarde that they shall haue here where as carnall men do rule / but in the worlde to come / let them loke for an other rewarde in ioy and blysse / and in hope of it may be theyr comforte which hope doth take awaye the greuousnes of theyr myseries and paynfulnes of affliccions here 3 Affliccion or ê‘secutioÌ„ prouyth whether meÌ„ trust surely in god stycke to his word or no / for many there be that for feare of punyshemente and affliccyons do shrynke from god and his worde and biddeth them farwell / whiche beleued as longe as there was no persecutioÌ„ lyke to folow as Christ sayeth Math. 13. Many doth beleue for a tyme / but in tyme of tribulacyon they shrynke fearyng more man then god / and the losse of goodes of this worlde then the losse of heuenly ryches / fearinge more the losse of this presente lyfe then the losse of the lyfe to come / but let all suche repente and amende / for he that leseth hys lyfe in this worlde for me and my Gospel fayth Christe Math. 16. in the worlde to come
/ and to kepe that vnite by charite the bonde of peace One reason is this It becommeth them nat to be at discorde to whome so many thynges be comon / yt becommeth them nat to be of diuers mindes and affections / at debarte and stryfe that be of one body / one spyryte one callynge / one hope / one lorde / one fayth / one baptyme / one God and father / whiche maketh al / in all / as who shulde say / it is nat mete that there shulde be variaunce amongeste them that be membres of one body / al we be membres of Christes body Wherfore it is nat mete that amongeste chrysten men shulde be discorde and debate / but vnitie concorde and euery one to seke as well for the profyte of another as membres in the body speketh laboureth one for another howe deadly warre amongest christen meÌ„ for worldly honoures and pleasures / doth agree with saynt Paule here in this place I wolde lerne of other Also yf we haue the spirite of god / as I truste we haue / or elles we be nat of Christ Roma 8. There shulde be no debate amongest vs / for thal spirite is nat the spirite of contencion / but of peace / we be called in one hope of the heauenly inheritaunce / where as there shal be no discorde nor contention For contentiouse men opteyne nat the kyngedome of god / we be seruauntes to one Lorde / it becommeth nat seruantes to be at contentioÌ„ amongest them selfes / there is one profession of al christians by the which they professe to be seruauntes of god alone / to beleue and trust in him to be obedient to his wyll alwaye / to loke for al necessary thynges / lyfe and saluacion of hym alone / and one baptyme by the which we be made his seruauntes / receyue name and lyueray by the whiche we be knowen to be seruantes onely to god / whiche is our Lorde god / father it becommeth nat seruauntes nor brethren to stryfe / but to haue all loue / peace vnitie / and concorde and euery one for his parte to endeuer hiÌ„ selfe with all his power myght and diligence to do the wyll pleasure of his lorde father / that he may receyue the heuenly inheritauÌ„ce promised to obediente chyldren ♣ Vnto euery one of vs is giueÌ„ grace accordyng to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Therfore sayeth he / he is gone vp an hye and hath led awaye captyuite capptiue and hath gyuen gyftes vnto men that he went vp what is it but he first came downe in to the loweste partes of the earthe he that came downe is euen the same whiche is gone vp aboue all heauens to fulfyll all âš¹ Leaste any man shulde thynke or saye that the diuers gyftes of the spirite shulde hurte or hynder the vnite of the spiryte be cause of debate / and sterre vp stryfe or contencion for the diuersite of the gyftes of god / the Apostle sayeth that these gyftê gyuen frely shulde rather be cause of concorde / then of discorde / seynge nat al gyftes be giuen to one / but to euery one after suche a fashyon and measure that euerye one hathe nede of the helpe of another Therefore it becommeth euery man to be content with his gyfte and nat to contemne another that hathe nat so muche gyuen to him he that hathe muche / muche shall be requyred of hym / and he that hath lesse / lesse shal be requyred of hym / and he that hath moste / he hath nat so much but he hathe nede in some thynges the helpe of other / that none shulde contemne another 2 The distribution of the gyftes of God is nat at mannes wyll / but at the wyl and pleasure of God / whiche geueth them as he pleaseth / to some more and some lesse as he seyth it expedient for his glorye and our saluation therfore let none be dispised because he hath lytle / nor no man proude because he hath much or more then other / let euery one exercise and vse there gyftes gyuen them / to the glory of god and to the profyte of other and so be thankefull to god the gyuer of all goodnes / whiche gyuethe his giftes nat al to one man least he shuld contemne all other men / and abuse the gyftes of god to lucre / to vayne glorye to pryde and arrogancie 3 The Apostle proueth by the testymonye and recorde of Dauyd the prophete in the Psalme 67. That Christe hath ouercommen his enemyes s synne / death / hell and the deuyll / and hathe ascended to heuen and hathe gyuen gyftes to men / as appereth more playnly Roma 12.1 CorÌ„ 12. Here he alludeth and foloweth the maner of conquerours whiche conquere and ouercome theyr enemye get spoyles and ryches of theyr enymies / which they shew and blase theÌ„ abrode that euery man may se them / and then dystrybute them to the people in a triumphe and prayse of victorye So Christe hauynge victory ouer his enemyes / synne / death / hell and the deuyll and robbed them of theyr captyues / he triumpheth ouer them and hath ascended to heauen and gyuen many gyftes of the holy ghoste to men / in laude and prayse of his victory ouer his enemyes 4 In that he asketh / what is that ascended and discended in to lowe partes of the earthe / he expoundeth it him selfe sayenge it is he whiche discended before and ascended aboue all to fulfyll all / that is to saye it is Christe whiche came frome heuen in to the earthe and toke the nature of man vpon hym / and was be come as man and as an abiecte persone and suffred death / ascended to heauen and fulfylled all thynges / restored al thynges / and made al thinges perfyte / by whome we haue free passage to the father be made heyres of the celestiall inheritaunce ☞ And the same hathe set some to be Apostles some to be Prohetes / some to be Euangelystes some to be Shepherdes teachers / wherby the Sayntes might be coupled togyther throughe comon seruyce to the edefyenge of the bodye of Christe tyll we all come vnto one maner of faythe and knoweledge of the sonne of God and become a perfyte man in to the measure of the perfite age of Christe ¶ Of this place we may lerne howe god hath distributed his gyftes and set in hys church diuers ministers for diuers offices and wylleth that euery one shulde vse him selfe in his office accordynge to his offyce / callynge and gyfte Some he calleth Apostles / some Prohetes / some Euangelystes some Doctoures / some teachers Apostles they were called whiche were nat fixed to one place to one people / but wente frome place to place preachyng the Gospel both to the Iewes and the Gentyles Prophetes were they that opened the mysteries of the scriptures and somtyme shewed thiÌ„nges to come EuaÌ„gelystes were they that were deputed
gyue his onely sonne for vs / to brynge vs to euerlastynge saluacyon And also his sonne Christ Iesus dyd shewe the loue of his father towardes vs which was obedyent to the wyll of his father and wyllyngly dyd suffer death to delyuer vs from death / hell / and eternall dampnacion / and brought lyfe to vs. And this same Christe did gyue him selfe an oblation and a thankefull sacrifice for vs to the Lorde / by the which one sacrifice he reconciled vs to the father and made vs wel beloued to hym Here is allusiō to the sacrifices of the olde lawe whiche pacefied the yre or wrathe of god as Noe pacyfied the wrath of a god by an oblation or sacrifyce offered vp to god Gene. 8. And this sacrifice that Christ offered vp to god was a full and a suffycians sacrifice to pacyfie the wrath of God and to take awaye all the synnes of the worlde ones for euer / as saynte Paule sheweth Hebre. 10. By one ablation he hathe made them perfyte for euer that are sanctifyed Therfore they offende that by other sacrifyces then by Christe Iesu / go aboute to pacify the wrath of god / and to take away sinnes as by Masses and Scala celt / of the holy ghost / of the fyue woundes / of requiē or other lyke wayes or meanes / or by any workes of man to be done to swage the wrath of god to deserue the grace of God forgyuenes of synne and lyfe euerlastynge by the vertue of the worke in it selfe / for the which ende good workes are nat to be done / as I haue shewed before ☞ As for whordome and all vnclennes or couetousnes / let it nat be named amongest you as it becommeth Sayntes Neyther fylthynes / nor folyshe talkynge / neyther iestynge whiche are nat comly but rather gyuynge of thankes for be ye sure that no whore monger or vnclean person or couetous persone whiche is a worshypper of Images hathe inheritaunce in the kyngedome of Christe and of God Let no mā deceyue you with many wordes for bycause of these commeth the wrathe of god vpon the chyldren of vnbeleue be nat ye therfore companyons with thē ¶ The Apostle sheweth here certayne vyces that christiane men shulde flee and eschewe As whoredome / vnclennes / and couetousnes / whiche be vyces nat to be named / muche lesse to be done amongest christianes / that shulde be sayntes and al holy in conuersation and lyuyng The Apostle wolde haue bothe the names of these vyces and the vyces them selfe clerely abolyshed and put away / that no man shulde do them / nor yet so muche as name them ones for the vengeaunce of god doth come vpon all fornicatours / vnlcennes / and couetousnes Example in them that perysshed in Noes floude / and at Sodome and Gomorrhe / and of other many of the Israelytes that perysshed in the wyldernes for these synnes Nume 25. The punyshement of them may affraye all other frome these vices / lest they be ponyshed as these were with the plage of god 2 He requyreth of vs an holy conuersation of lyfe / as it becommeth Sayntes 1. faythfull men in Christe Iesu / whome it becommeth to be farre frome al whoredome / fornication / auoutrye or vnclennes in worde or in dede And here the Apostle reproueth all them that hath great pleasure to talke and speake them selfes of whoredome / fornycation / baundrye / or that delyteth to here other speake / talke or rayse vnclensy and so to make thē mery and there gestes to laugh at fylthy and vnclean wordes or songes / it is greatly to be lamented amōgest christen men / that suche sause displeasyng god / shulde please christen mē and that the displeasure of god / shulde be a laughter amongest christyans But these that haue pleasure in fylthy communycacion and delireth therin and wyl vse it or suffer it to be vsed where they maye set it / that they be whoremongers and vnclean in theyr hartes before God Therfore yf they wyl nat so be coōted before mē / whoremongers or vncleane / and laughers at goddes displeasure / ye and auoyd the plage and punyshement of god / let thē leue al fylthy cōmunication filthy deyng / amēde and do no more so / haue pleasure therin no more / suffer these vyces in no other / reproue them / studye to amende youre selfe and other / that you maye auoyde the plage of god for these vyces 3 The Apostle wolde christianes shulde auoyd al vncomely behauer both in word and in gesture that none shulde be prouo / ked to vncleane doynges by vnclean wordes or gestures by the which he reprouith many vnclean songes / louers songes called / that sounde and prouoke to vncleane loue or fylthy pleasure of the bodye he reproueth also vncomly daunces vsed of womē / and al ther indissolute gestures that becommyth nat He reproueth all folysshe speakynge / ydle talkynge / and fayned fables of the whiche commyth no profyte / nor edifyeng to the auditors Also he reproueth all knauery in all scoldynge all raylynge / al vncomly gestynge and al vncomly behauoure / that be nat to the glorye of god / nor yet to the edyfyenge of the hearers nor to helpe to amende euyll doers make them better to seke goddes glorye / and the profyte of other 4 He dissuadeth christians from whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes / and fromē al vice that folowe of these / yf nat for loue of god / yet for feare of punyshementes that folowe these vices / that they shulde abstayne from them / He sayeth that no whoremonger / no fornicatours no vncleane persons / no couetous men shall haue the kingdome of heauen This payne thretened whiche without doubte wyll fal vpon thē yf they do nat amende this payne shewed howe great synnes before god be fornicacion / whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes vncomely raylynge or gestynge for the whiche synnes men be excluded from the kyngedume of Christe of god / they must nedes be great synnes / that shit out from the kyngdome of heauen / howe some euer they be estemed of men in the worlde / gret or small 5 The couetous man is called a worshypper of Images or Idolles / for as the ydolater do whorshyppe ydolles for God / put hope and truste in ydoles so dothe the couetousmā worshyp riches for his God / making more of ryches / then of God louynge ryches better then god / settyng his harte and mynde more vpon ryches then vpon god / puttynge truste and confidence in ryches more then in the prouydence of of god / extollyng hym selfe aboue other by reason of his ryches / substance / or goodes he hath aboue other 6 After that he had monyshed them to flee vices / he byddeth them beware that they be nat deceyued by vayne wordes / of the whiche it aperethe that there was amōgest the Ephesyās some mē of corrupt myndes and iudgementes blynded with synne and obdurated in
also in all inwarde thynges as in wyll / in mynde / in harte / in thought and without al murmure / shewe hyr wyllynge and glad obedience to hyr husbaÌ„de / as the wyll coÌ„maundement of god is 4 For the man is the heade of the womaÌ„ Here he sheweth a cause why the woman shulde obeye the man / for the man is the head of the woman / it becoÌ„meth euery one to be obedient to his heade / seyng the man is the heade of the woman / it becommeth the woman to be obedient to the maÌ„ as to hyr heade / the maÌ„ is called the heade of the woman / for as out of the head doth come all necessarye thynges to feade and cherysshe other partes of the bodye wherby they lyue / so it perteyneth to the man to prouyde all necessaryes for the woman that shew maye lyue / the heade hath nat rule ouer the other partes that it shulde vse any tyranny or cruelnes ouer the other ê“tes So the man is the heade ouer the woman / nat that he shulde vse tyranny or cruelnes ouer the woman or vse the woman as they lyste / other wayes then becoÌ„meth or after an vngodly facyon or maner / but that he shulde prouyde all necessaries for the woman / defende hyr / kepe hyr / and saue hyr 5 As the congregacion is in subiectyon to Christe / lykewyse le the wyues be in subiection to their husbandes in all thynges The wyues must be obedient to their husbaÌ„des as the coÌ„gregation is to Christ The congregation onely cleaue to Christ and to none other / onely loueth Christe / heareth Christe and seruyth Christe / and studyeth to please Chrise So muste the wyfe onely cleaue to hyr husbande / be obedyent to hyr husbande / serue hyr husbande please hyr husbande / and kepe hyr selfe to hyr husbande to no mo This place reproueth all those that be disobedient / to their husbandes / do nat serue theyr husbandes wyllyngely and gladly / do nat loue theyr husbandes / but other better then them / or as well as them / that be complayners of their husbandes / nor kepe them onely to theyr husbandes / but wyll haue other besydes theyr husbandes All suche the Apostle here reproueth and willeth they shuld amende ⧠Ye husbandes loue your wyues / euen as Christe loued the congregation / and gaue hym selfe for yt / to sanctyfye it and clensed it in the fontayne of water by the word to make it vnto hym selfe a gloryeous congregation hauyng no spot nor wrynkle nor any suche thynge but that it shulde be holy and without blame ☞ Nowe he sheweth the duetye of the husbande to his wyfe / whose deuty is nat to hapte to contemne or despise his wyfe / but to loue hyr as his owne flesshe and as his selfe to make of hyr / and cheryshe hyr / kepe hyr honestly and se that she want no thynge necessary The Apostle prescribeth a faction or a fourme howe the man shulde loue his wyfe / euen as Christe hath loued his Churche / for the whiche wyllyngely he dyd dye / that he myght pourge / make cleane / and sanctyfie it to hym self / make it a glorious an holy Churche / without all spot or wrykle / and without all faute or blame So ought the man to loue his wyfe euen as him selfe / and so with loue to embrase hyr that he wolde gladly dye / yf necessite so shulde constrayne hym for hyr sake rather then he wolde suffer hyr to peryshe / he wolde put his lyfe in al ieoperdie and peryll And if he shall at any tyume perceyue his wyfe wrynkled / spotted / or with any vices poluted with syckenes diseases or any other wayes troubled with vyce / synne / or syckenes That then he shuld nat set at lytle or contemne his wyfe / seke to be ryd of hyr / and dyuorsed from hyr / but he shulde then seke all wayes and meanes for remedy for hyr / yf she be diseased with syckenesse / se that she lacke nothynge necessarye for hyr / that hs is able eyther by labour or goodes to get for hyr Prouyde remedies that maye be gotten by mannes helpe / conforte hyr in wordes and dedes / and say she shall lacke nothynge that may do hyr good as longe as you haue one peny / or may get by your labour / yf she be aged / wrinkled or nat fayre / she is nat to be dispised for hir age wrinckle or foulnes / but to be made of and cherysshed / because she is your wyfe gyuen to you of God / to be loued eueÌ„ as you do loue your owne bodye / be she yonge or aged / wrynkled for vnwrynkled / fayre or full / good or badde No man despiseth his owne body / be yt neuer So desformed / aged / wrynkled / foule / fat / wayke syckly or any other wayes deseased so man may nat dispyse his wyfe for hyr infirmities or diseases / but study to remedye them yf it be possible yf thy wyfe be euyll / euyl tonged / spotted with synne and noughty lyuynge other wayes then goddes lawe wyll / it is the deutye of the husbande to correcte refourme and amende his wyfe by alwayes and meanes that is possible / nat to conteÌ„ne hir for hir noughtines / to forsake hyr and leue hyr and take another / to vpbrad hyr of hyr noughtines to blase abrode hyr synnes vyces / to hyr and his rebuke and shame / but to couer hyde hyr synnes and fautes as muche as shall lye in hym / to studye howe by what meanes he maye amende hyr and make of on euyll woman a good woman / whiche thynge may be by gentle exhortation / couÌ„sell and dissuasion frome synne yf nat for loue of god / yet for shame rebuke and confusion of the worlde / for feare of punyshemente of God eyther in this worlde or at leaste in the worlde to come / or els in both So it is the offyce of the husbande yf he haue an euyll wyfe / to studye by his wysedome to make hyr good / to correcte hyr fautes to remedye them / and to make hyr holy and vertuous as Christ pourgeth his churche spotted and polluted with synne and made it holy and fautles in his syght 2 Here is shewed howe Christ hath purged his Churche / truely in the fountayne of water by his worde / althoughe God of his mere mercy and goodnes / without al maÌ„nes desertes or merites / onely for Christes sake hath wasshed and pourged man frome synne / yet he vseth a meane by the whiche he clenseth men frome sine which is by baptyme in water by the worde of god / and so in baptyme is our sinnes take awaye / and we frome synnes purged / clensed and regenerated in a new man / to lyue an holy lyfe accordynge to the spirite and wyll of god / it is nat the water that wasshe vs frome out synnes /
but Christe by his worde and his spirite gyuen to vs in baptyme that washeth away our synnes that we haue of Adam by carnall nature 3 In that the Apostle sayth that Christ hath clenseth his Church in the fountaine of water by the worde / he sheweth playnely that baptyme is a mene wherby Christ taketh away origynall synne maketh al them that be baptysed in the name of the father / the sonne / and the holy ghoste / accordynge to christes institution Math. 28. to be clensed frome al synne of Adam and yf they be of age or they be baptysed throughe fayth in the promyse of God by his worde takyng vpon them baptyme as was many in the Apostles tyme / at the preachynge of the Apostles were conuerted frome theyr synnes beleued in Christe and were christened / and so deliuered from they re synnes and were saued This place of sante Paul maketh against the Anabaptystes that wolde nat haue chyldren to be christened / whiche is a deuyllysshe and a damnable heresye worthy great punyshement yf we ve christen men our office is to bryng euery man as much as in vs is to Christe / that synners may be clensed from theyr synne and be saued Chyldren be borne in synne and shall be damned yf they be nat clensed from theyr synne / althoughe god do pourge vs frome synne onely / yet he vseth meanes wherby he taketh and wassheth away our synnes that meanes sayeth saynte Paule here is by the fountayne of water in the worde of God / by the whiche meanes Christe purgeth his Church and his Congregacion Chyldren are of the Churche or Congregation of God Wherfore chyldren muste nedes be christened / or elles they are nat purged of theyr synnes / nor shall nat be saued without baptyme / whiche is the meane to purge and wasshe them frome theyr synnes And therfore baptyme is counted of saynte Paule to Tyt. 3. the fountayne of regeneration and renuynge of the holy ghoste whiche god hathe powred vpon vs abundantly by Iesus Christ our sauiour This saynge of saynt Paul proueth that chyldren of necessytie muste be christened or elles they can nat be pourged of theyr synnes / nor yet saued by Christ and come to lyfe euerlastynge Wherfore the Anabaptistes that wolde nat haue chyldren to be christened / they shewe them selfes that they wolde nat haue chyldren to be purged from their sinne and be saued / yf they wolde haue chyldren saued / they wold nat denye to them the meanes wherby Christ purgeth his Churche frome synnes and saueth it / which is by baptyme as here appereth Secondly / yt may be prouid by many places of the holy scripture that chyldreÌ„ must nedes be chrystened / or elles they can nat be saued / except god of this absolute power do saue them Besides these places of Paul all redy brought whiche hath euydentely proued that chyldren muste nedes be christened / it also proueth sayncte Iohan. 3. sayenge Excepte a man be borne agayne of the holye ghost and of water / he can nat enter into the kyngdome of heauen To be borne againe of the holy ghoste and of water / it is to be christened / as Paul sheweth to TituÌ„ 3. where as baptyme is called the fountaine of regeneration and of renuyng of the holy ghost Chryldren therfore must be christened / yf they shall entre in to the kyngedome of heauen / and be partakers of lyfe celestial The thyrde reason to proue this same thynge as there was none saued in the tyme of Noes flode / that was out of the shyppe of Noe / but onely those that wâ—â— within the shyp / so in our tyme none is sauyd with out baptyme / this symilitude vseth S. Peter 1. Pe. 3. Therfore chyldren yf they shal be sauyd must be baptised The fourth reason / what was the see and the cloude to the israelites when Moyses was theyr captayne and passed throughe the reade see / the same thynge to vs nowe is baptyme / as sayeth Paule 1. Corin. 10. thyse was a figure of our baptysme / but none of the isriaelites was saued that dyd nat goo throughe the reade se and entred the cloude with Moyses / so shall none be saued nowe that haue nat ben christened / it pertayneth therfore to the saluacion of chyldren that they shal be christened The fyfte reason he that hath nat the spirite of god he is nat of god / nor of Christe RomanÌ„ 3. Chyldren haue the spirite of Christe / yf they be of Christ and shal be saued / the spirite of Christe / and Christ him selfe they receyue by baptyme / wytnessing saynte Paule Gala. 3. where he sayethe Who soeuer are chrystened they haue put on Christe fyrst he sayeth ye that are christened / and then ye haue put on Christe so that christening goeth before the putting on of Christ / chyldren therfore before they receyue Christe they muste be christened ♣ The syxt reason They that wyl nat be obedient to the ordinaunce of God shal be damned Roma 13. Christe hathe ordinated that all people and reasonable creatures shal be christened Math. 28. Marc. 16 chyldren are people and resonable creatures Wherefore it foloweth that children muste be christened or elles they shall be damned iÌ„ hel for euermore But that children shall nat daÌ„ned / it appereth Mat 19. where Christe reproueth his disciples that wolde nat suffer chyldren to come to hym / where he sayeth to his dysciples / let nat these chyldren to come to me / he toke these chyldren in his armes and layde his hande vpon theyr heades and blessed theÌ„ and sayde / of suche is the kyngedome of god Here is tokens that god loued these children / that they please him / that they had fayth / for with out fayth no man can please god Hebru 11. ⧠The seuenth reason Circumcision in the olde law as a necessary ordinauÌ„ce with out the which no maÌ„ masculine was saued Gene. 17. baptyme for vs in the newe law is counted in the steade of circumcision / as no man chylde was saued without circumcision / so none amongest vs shal be saued without baptyme Chyldren therfore must of necessitie be christened / that baptysme to vs in the lawe is in the stede of circumcision / it appeareth in manye places of scripture / as PhilippeÌ„ 3. where S. Paule saythe that we are circumcision / which worshyp god in the sprete This circumcisioÌ„ is that outwarde signe / whereby we shewe our selues to all the worlde that we be seruauntes of god / and that we wyll serue none other but god and Christe Iesus / whose bagge and name we haue / and promysed in baptysme onely to serue hym The eyght reason No man can be partaker of Christe resurreccion / ascension / and glory / except he dye with Christ and be buryed with him / and ryse with Christ We can not dye with Christ / excepte we be fyrst christened in Christ / as sayth Saynt Paule Roma