you of all thynges whome I haue sente vnto you for the same purpose that ye mighte knowe what case we stande in and that he might coumforte your hartes Peace â—e vnto the brethren and loue with faith from God the father and from the lorde Iesus Christ Grace be with al them whiche loue our lorde Iesus Christ vnfaynedly Amen Therfore it standeth vs in hande to pray alway vnto him with continual supplicacions and to desyre this of him from the bottome of our hartes without ceassing in our praiers day and night that al saintes may haue the vpper hand by this sweorde of the spirite And it is also your duetie to helpe me with your prayers and to beseche God that he would geue me plenteous vtteraunce of the gospel whansoeuer I shall preache it and that it would please him to vse my mouth as an instrument vnto his owne glory and to your saluacion so as I may boldly and without shrinking declare vnto al men the mistical doctrine of the gospel wherunto all men are called indifferently And that I be not hindred by suche as labour by all possible meanes that the glorye of the Gospell should not be spred abrod for the doing wherof I am made an embassadour yea euen now being laden with chaynes and suffering excedingly that I may boldely goe about the office committed vnto me And that this mind may still perseuer with me vnto the ende and that by the helpe of Christe I may freely speake as it becummeth me to speake For it is a rebuke for a preacher of the gospel to be afrayd of anything that should hinder him from doyng the office of the gospell To conclude as concernyng the state of myne owne thinges howe the matter standeth with me here you shall knowe all of Tichicus my welbeloued brother and not a brother onely for the sinceritie of his fayth but also a minister and an helper in the gospels businesse whome I haue sent vnto you for this purpose that you might know certainly in what state we are and that you should be much couÌ„forted by his beyng there lest your hartes should be discouraged through myne affliccions For I am so tyed and bounde that the gospell of Christ doeth triumphe notwithstanding euen out of the prieson My prayer is that peace and mutual loue ioyned with sincere fayth may be vnto al the brethren Of faith springeth charitie charitie nourisheth concord These thre with prosperous procedyng graunt vnto you God the father and the lorde Iesus Christe The loue and merciful goodnesse of God be for euer with all them that with an vnfained conscience and vnspotted life loue the lorde Iesus Christe and despysyng the transitory tryfles of this worlde folowe the thynges that are eternall and heauenly And to confirme this mine hartie praier I beseche god grauÌ„t mercifully Amen Thus endeth the paraphrase vpon the Epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians ¶ The Argument vpon the Epistle of Saint Paule the Apostle to the Philippians By D. Erasmus or Roterdaine THe Philippians are in the first parte of Macedonia as it is declared in the. xvi of the Actes a people deducted oute of the citie of Philippos so called of Philip the buyldour of it And Thessalonica is the head citie of the Philippians whiche are worthilye muche praysed of the Apostle bicause they persisted constauntlie in the faythe after they once receyued it and woulde not allowe the false apostles among them wheras the Corinthians and Galathians had receyued them and geuen credence vnto them Unto these Philippians Paule beyng warned of the holy ghost wente and taried among them a good maynye of dayes not without greate trauayll For there Paule was scourged with whippes and was caste with Silas in to pryson â–ª at which tyme the keper of the prison and all his household were Baptized In this citie was also Lydia the purpleseller who fyrst beyng coÌ„uerted receaued Paule into her house There also the souldiours knowing that Paule was a cetezen of Rome desired him of theyr owne mynde to goo whither he woulde and so the name of Christe was notified abroade with luckye prosperous successe And also whan Paule was in prison at Rome these Philippians sent to hym suche thynges as were necessarie for him to lyue with by Epaphroditus as they had doon afore whan he was at Thessalonica as he him selfe witnesseth in this Epistle For the whiche hauyng set them forthe with prayses and commendacions he exhorteth them to perseuer and goo forewarde shewyng them that they ought to reioyce euen in those afflictions which make for the aduauÌ„cement of Christes gospel and that he was not onely not afrayed of death but also that he woulde gladlye wishe it yf Christ so would Than he gyueth them a speciall exhortacion to mutuall concorde whiche can not possible be amonge suche as be stoute stomaked And because they shoulde be the better content he promyseth to sende Tymotheus vnto them and that he will come againe to them shortlye him selfe In the meane tyme he sendeth Epaphroditus whiche was amended of his extreme daungerous sickenesse These he treateth of in the two first chapters for in the thyrd he confirmeth theyr consciences against the false apostles alluryng men euery where vnto the Iewyshe secte whom he calleth dogges the workers of wickednes the enemyes of Christes crosse and makyng their belyes their god and in no place he is more apertely stomaked against them than in this Epistle The fourth chapter is ful of coÌ„mendacions and salutacions but onely that he intermingleth certain monicions here and there by the way and thanketh the Philippians for their liberall gentilnesse shewed towardes him This epistle he wrote from the citie of Rome by Epaphroditus whaÌ„ he was layed the seconde tyme in prison for after his firste defense he was leadde agayne in to prison wherof he maketh reporte in his Epistle to Tymothee The ende of the Argument The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of S. Paule the Apostle to the Philippians â–ª The .i. Chapter The texte Paule and Tymothe the seruauntes of Iesu Christ To all the sayntes in Christe Iesu whiche are at Philippos with the Bishoppes and Deacons Grace be vnto you peace from God our father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ PAule and Timothe felowes in the office of the gospel and seruauntes of Iesus Christe To all the companye of the sayntes that purelye and entierlye professe the name of Christe and to them also that haue the ouersight ministracion of the ChristiaÌ„ flocke at Philippos We wishe grace and peace vnto you from god our father and from the Lorde Iesu Christ The texte I thanke my God with al remembraunce of you alwayes in al my prayers for you praye with gladnes because ye are come into the felowship of the gospel froÌ„ the frist day vnto now And am surely certified of this that he which hath begonne a good worke in you shall performe it vntil the day of
vs Goddes mercy stole for the remission of synnes that are paste therby prouing that Christes righteousnes which commeth on vs thorowe fayth helpeth vs onely Whiche righteousnes sayeth he is now declared thorow the gospell and was testified of before by the lawe and the Prophetes Furthermore sayeth he the lawe is holpe and furdered thorow faithe though that the workes therof with al theyr boste are brought to nought and proued not to iustifye In the .iiii. Chapter after that now by the .iii. fyrste Chapters the sinnes are opened and the waye of faythe vnto rigteousnes layde he beginneth to aunswere vnto certayne obieccions and cauillacions And fyrste he putteth forthe those blynde reasons whiche commonlye they that wil be iustifyed by their owne woorkes are wont to make when they heare that faythe onelye without woorkes iustifyeth sayinge shall menne do no good woorkes yea and yf faythe onelye iustyfye what nedeth a manne to studye for to do good workes He putteth forthe therfore Abraham for an ensample sayinge What dyd Abraham with hys woorkes was al in vaine came hys workes to no profyte And so coÌ„cludeth that Abraham without before all workes was iustified and made ryghteous In so muche that before the worke of circumcysion he was praysed of the scripture and called ryghteous by his fayth onely Genelis .xv. So that he dyd not the worke of circumcision for to be holpe therby vnto ryghteousnes which yet God coÌ„maunded him to do and was a good worke of obedience So in lyke wyse no doute none other workes help any thing at all vnto a mans iustifyinge but as Abrahams circumcysion was an outewarde signe whereby he declared his righteousnes which he had by faith and his obedience and redynes vnto the wyll of God euen so are all other good workes outwarde signes and outewarde frutes of fayth and of the spirit which iustifye not a man but that a man is iustifyed alredy before God inwardly in the herte thorowe faythe and thorowe the spirite purchased by Chrstes bloud Herewith nowe stablysheth Sayncte Paul his doctryne of fayth afore rehearsed in the .iij. Chapters and bringeth also testimony of Dauid in the xiij Psalme whiche calleth a manne blessed not of workes but in that hys synne is not reckened and in that faythe is imputed for ryghteousnes though he abyde not afterwarde without good workes when he is once iustifyed For we are iustifyed and receaue the spirite for to do good workes nether were it otherwyse possible to do good workes except we had fyrste the spirite For how is it possible to do any thynge well in the sight of God while we are yet in captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuyll and the deuyll possesseth vs all together and holdeth our hertes so that we cannot ones consent vnto the wil of God No man therfore can preuent the spirite in doing good but the spirite must fyrste come and wake hym out of hys slepe and with the thunder of the lawe feare him and shewe him hys miserable estate and wretchednes and make him abhorre and hate him selfe and to desyre helpe and then comforte hym againe with the pleasant rayne of the Gospell that is to saye with the swete promyses of God in Christe and stiere vp faithe in hym to beleue the promises Then when he beleueth the promises as God was mercifull to promyse so is he true to fulfyll them and will geue hym the spirite and strength bothe to loue the will of God and to worke thereafter So se we that God onelye whiche according to the scripture worketh all in all thinges worketh a mans iustifyinge saluacion and healthe yea and powreth faithe and belefe lust to loue goddes will and strength to fulfill the same into vs euen as water is powred into a vessell and that of his good will and purpose and not of our deseruinges and merites Goddes mercy in promisinge and trueth in fulfilling his promises saueth vs and not we our selues And therfore is al laude praise and glory to bee geuen vnto God for hys mercy and trueth and not vnto vs for oure merites and deseruinges After that he stretcheth hys ensample out agaynste all other good workes of the lawe and concludeth that the Iewes cannot be Abrahams heyres because of bloude and kynred onely much lesse by the workes of the law but must inheryt Abrahams fayth if they wil be the right heires of AbrahaÌ„ for as much as AbrahaÌ„ before the law both of Moses and also of circumcisioÌ„ was thorow faith made righteous called the father of all them that beleue not of them that worke Moreouer the law causeth wrathe in as much as no man can fulfil it with loue and usie And as longe as suche grudgynge hate and indignacyon agaynst the lawe remayneth in the herte and is not taken awaye by the spirite that commeth by fayth so longe no doute the workes of the lawe declare euidently that the wrath of God is vpon vs and not fauoure Wherfore faythe onely receyueth the grace promysed vnto Abraham And these ensamples were not written for Abrahams sake onely sayeth he but for ouâ—es also to whom yf we beleue faythe shal be rekened lykewyse for righteousnes as he sayth in the ende of the Chapter In the .v. Chapter he commendeth the frutes and workes of faythe as are peace reioysing in the conscience inwarde loue to God and man moreouer boldnes trust confydence and a strong and a lusty mynde and stedfast hope in tribulacion and sufferynge For all suche folowe where the ryghte fayth is for the aboundaunte graces sake and gyftes of the spirite whiche God hathe geuen vs in Iesu Christe in that he gaue him to dye for vs yet his enemyes Nowe haue we then that faythe only before al workes iustifyeth and that it foloweth not yet therfore that a man shoulde do no good workes but that the righte shapen workes abyde not behynde but accompanye faythe euen as bryghtnes doth the sunne and are called of Paul the frutes of the spirite where the spirite is there it is alwaies somer and there are alwaies good frutes that is to say good workes This is Pauls order that good workes springe of the spirite the spirit commeth by faith and fayth commeth by hearing the worde of God when the glad tydinges and promises which God hath made to vs iÌ„ Christ are preached truly and receaued in the grounde of the hearte without wauering or doutynge after that the law hath passed vpoÌ„ vs hath damned oure consciences where the word of God is preached purely and receaued in the hert there is faith and the spirite of God and there are also good workes of necessitie when soeuer occasion is geuen where goddes worde is not purely preached but mens dreames tradicions ymaginacions inuencions ceremonies and supersticion there is no faythe and consequentlye no spirite that commeth of God And where Goddes spirite is not there can be no good workes euen as where an apple tre is not there can
Chapter and arte vnder the crosse and suffring of tribulacion the necessitie of predestinacion will waxe swete and thou shalt well fele how preciouse a thinge it is For except thou haue borne the crosse of aduersitie and temptacion and haste felte thy selfe brought vnto the very brymme of desperacion yea vnto hell gates thou canst neuer medle with the sentence of predestinacion without thine owne harme and without secret wrathe and grudging inwardly agaynst God for otherwise it shal not be possible for the to thinke that God is righteous and iuste Therfore muste Adam be well mortifyed and the fleshely witte brought vtterly to nought yer that thou mayest awaye with this thinge and drynke so stronge wyne Take hede therfore vnto thy selfe that thou drinke not wyne whyle thou art yet but a suklinge For euery learnynge hath her tyme measure and age and in Christ is there a certayne chyldehod in which a man must be content with mylke for a season vntil he waxe stronge and growe vp vnto a perfecte manne in Christ and be able to eate of more strong meate In the .xii. Chap. he geueth exhortacion For this maner obserueth Paul in all his epistles fyrst he teacheth Christ and the faythe then exhorteth he to good workes and vnto contynuall mortifyinge of the fleshe So here teacheth he good workes in dede and the true seruynge of God and maketh al meÌ„ Priestes to offre vp not money and beastes as the maner was in the tyme of the lawe but their owne bodyes with kyllynge and mortifyinge of the lustes of the flesh After that he describeth the out warde conuersacion of Christen men how they ought to behaue them selues in spirituall thinges how to teache preach rule in the congregacion of Christ to serue one another to suffre all thinges pacientlye and to commyt the wrâ—ke and vengeaunce to God in conclusyoÌ„ how a Christen man ought to behaue him selfe vnto al men to frende to foo or what soeuer he be These are the right workes of a Christen man whiche springe out of faithe For faythe kepeth not holy daye nether suffereth anye man to be ydâ—e whersoeuer she dwelleth In the .xiii. he teacheth to honour the worldly and temporall swearde For though that mans lawe and ordinaunce make nor a man good before God nether iustify hi in the hert yet are they ordeyned for the furtherauÌ„ce of the commune welth to mayntene peace to punish the euyl and to defend the good Therfore ought the good to honoure the temporall swerde and to haue it in reuerence though as concerning them selues they nede it not but woulde absteyne from euyll of theyr owne accorde yea and do good with out maÌ„s law but by the law of the spirite which gouerneth the herte and gideth it vnto all that is the wyll of God Fynally he comprehendeth knitteth vp all in loue Loue of her owne nature bestoweth al that she hath and euen her owne selfe on that whiche is loued Thou nedest not to byd a kynd mother to be louyng vnto her only sonne Moche lesse spirituall loue which hath eyes geuen her of God neadeth mans lawe to teache her to do her dutye And as in the begynnynge he dyd put forthe Christe as the cause and auctor of our ryghtewesnes and saluacion euen so here setteth he him forth as an ensample to counterfayte that as he hathe done to vs euen so shulde we do one to another In the .xiiii. chapter he teacheth to deale soberly with the consciences of the weake in the fayth whiche vnderstand not yet the libertye of Christe perfectly ynough and to fauer them of Christen loue and not to vse the libertie of the fayth vnto hynderaunce but vnto the furderaunce and edifyinge of the weake For where suche consyderacion is not ther foloweth debate despising of the Goâ—pell It is better therfore to forbeare the weake a whyle vntyll they waxe stronge then that the learnynge of the Gospell should come al together vnderfote And such worke is the singular worke of loue and where loue is perfecte there must nedes be such a respecte vnto the weake a thynge that Christe commaunded and charged to be had aboue all thinges In the .xv. Chapter he setteth forthe Christe againe to be folowed that we also by hys ensample shoulde suffre other that are yet weake as them that are fraile open sinners vnlerned vnexperte and of lothesome maners and not to caste them awaye forthwith but to suffre them tyll they ware better and exhorte them in the meane time For so dealte Christ in the Gospell and now dealeth with vs dayly sufferyng our vnperfectnes weaknes conuersacion and maners not yet fassioned after the doctryne of the Gospel but smel of the fleshe yea sometime breake forth into outward dedes After that to conclude withal he wysheth them encreace of faith peace and ioye of conscience prayseth them and committeth them to God and magnifyeth his office and admynistracyon in the Gospell and soberly and with greate discrecion desyreth succoure and ayde of them for the poore saynctes of Ierusalem and it is al pure loue that he speaketh or dealeth with al. So fynde we in this epistle plenteously vnto the vttermost whatsoeuer a Christen man or woman ought to know that is to were what the Lawe the Gospell Synne Grace Faith Righteousnes Christ God good workes Loue Hope and the crosse are and euen wherein the pythe of all that pertayneth to the Christen fayth standeth and how a Christen manne ought to behaue him selfe vnto euery man be he perfect or a synner good or bad stronge or weake frende or foo and in conclusion how to behaue oure selues both toward God and toward our selues also And all thinges are profoundely grouÌ„ded in the scriptures and declared with ensamples of hiÌ„ self of the fathers of the prophetes that a man can here desyre nomore Wherfore it appereth euydently that Pauls mynde was to comprehende brefely in thys Epistle all the whole learnyng of Christes Gospell and to prepare an introduccion vnto all the olde testamente For without doute whosoeuer hath this pistle perfectly in his herte the same hath the lyght and the effecte of the olde testamente with him wherefore let euery man without excepcion exercyse him selfe therin diligently and recorde it nyght and daye continually vntyll he be full acquaynted therwith The last Chapter is a chapter of recoÌ„mendacioÌ„ wherin he yet mingleth a good monicion that we shulde beware of the tradicions and doctryne of men which begyle the simple with sophistry and lernynge that is not after the Gospel and drawe them from Christ and noosell them in weake and feble and as Paul calleth them in the pistle to the Galathyans in beggerly ceremonyes for the entent that they would lyue in fatte pastures and be in auctoritie and be taken as Christ yea and aboue Christe and syt in the temple of God that is to wit in the consciences of meÌ„ where God only his worde and his
a chylde I spake as a chylde I vnderstode as a chylde and imagined as a chylde but assone as I became a manne I cast awaye chyldishnes then wholy applying my minde to such thinges as are better vntill that by lytle and lytle I attayne to the beste wherto though I in this present lyfe come not yet must I here doe my endeuour that I may haue it in the lyfe to come A small porciō is it of God which we now by these gyftes vnderstande and that not very clerely neyther but as it were in the glasse of fayth we see but euen shadowes of heuenly thinges and by scriptures as it were in a darke speakyng we haue of the will of God a coniecture But when the hygh perfeccion shall come then shall we behold the trueth selfe openly Now for this time know I God but euen vnperfectly then shall I being present know him presently euen as I am knowē of him For to be knowen of him is to be beloued of him and the more beloued any man is of God somuch more fully throughly shal he enioy the pleasure of that vnspeakable knowledge And albeit for this presēt time other giftes cease as vnprofitable not necessary by reason that the doctrine of fayth is sufficiently establyshed for whose enlarging settling they serued yet in the meane time abide the giftes of faith hope and charitie Fayth wherwith we see a farre of the immortall lyfe to come hope by the which we trust to be partakers therof and charitie whereby we both loue God agayne who hath so muche doen for vs and our neighbour also for Gods sake These thre gyftes excell al other but yet among these is charitie chiefe whom we ought eyther to thanke for our hope and faith or at leastwise without whom these are not to saluacion effectuall The .xiiii. Chapter The texte Laboure for loue and couete spirituall gyftes but moste chiefely that ye maye prophecye For he that speaketh with the tongue speaketh not vnto menne but vnto God For no man he heateth hym Howebeit in the spirite he speaketh mysteries But he that prophecyeth speaketh vnto menne for theyr edifying for theyr exhortacion and for theyr comforte He that speaketh with the tongue profiteth hymselfe he that prophecyeth edifieth the congregacion I woulde that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophecyed BVt these thynges which we haue honourably rehearsed of the excellencie of charitie make not to this purpose either to shewe that other gyftes are to be despised or disdayned but rather to teache that ye shoulde in suche sorte laboure for charitie that ye yet neuerthelesse haue in reuerence and beare a fauour vnto the gyfte of diuersitie in languages and the gyfte also of interpretacion of the woorde moste of al yet endeuouryng to that of bothe whiche is more profitable that is to wete to prophecie declaryng the spirituall sense to the wealthe of the hearers For he that doeth but speake with a tongue speakethe not to men to whome with his voyce he doeth no good but speaketh to god whome he prayseth with wordes not vnderstande For as touchyng the edifying of other yf he be not vnderstande what maketh it mattier whether he holde his peace or speake Thesame manne as inspired with the spirite of god vttereth misteries whiche put case hymselfe vnderstande yet he bestoweth thesame vpon no bodye and put the case he doe good yet he dooeth good but to hymselfe onelye In vayne therfore speaketh he in the congregacion whome no manne heareth and hym heareth not a manne whome he vnderstandeth not and besyde this the spirituall worde of god is not vnderstanden vnlesse a manne perceyue the priueye and misticall sence which the heauenly spirite of God mente by thesame woordes whiche thyng no manne canne doe but by the speciall gyfte of the spirite Contrarie he that doeth the office of a prophete speaketh not onelye to God but also to menne by dyuerse and sondrye wayes profityng them whiles he bothe prouoketh euell lyuers to amendmente and suche as are slouthful to diligence and stiereth vp and comforteth them that are faynte hearted Marke howe great difference there is betwixte one gift and another He that speaketh but with tongues profiteth onely hymselfe But he that by the gifte of prophecie expoundeth the misteries of scripture edifyeth the whole congregacion Nowe then euerye good thyng the more common it is the better it is To rehearse agayne therfore that whiche I before sayed leste ye myghte paraduenture disdayne the gifte of tongues I tell you that it is of it selfe a great thyng and a gyfte of the holye ghoste and woulde wyshe that all ye spake with tongues yf it so seeme good but yet woulde I rather wishe that ye excelled in the other whiche is more perfite The texte For greater is he that prophecyeth then he that speaketh with tongues excepte he expounde it that the congregacion maye haue edifying Nowe brethren yf I come vnto you speakyng with tongues what shall I profite you excepte I speake to you other by reuelacion or by knowledge or by prophecying or by doctrine Moreouer when thynges without lyfe geue founde whether it be a pype or an harpe excepte they make a distinccion in the soundes howe shall it be knowen what is pyped or harped For yf the trompe geue an vncertayne voyce who shall prepare hymselfe to the warre Euen so lykewyse when ye speake with tongues excepte ye speake wordes that haue sygnificacion how shal it bee vnderstande what is spoken For ye shall but speake in the ayer Many kyndes of voyces are in the worlde and none of them are without significacion If I knowe not what the voyce meaneth I shal be vnto hym that speaketh an alient and he that speaketh shal be an alient vnto me Euen so ye for asmuche as ye couete spiritual giftes seke that ye maye excell vnto the edifying of the congregacion Wherfore let hym that speaketh with tonges praye that he maye interprete also For yf I praye with tongue my spyrite prayeth but my vnderstandyng doeth no good What is it then I will praie with the spirite and wyll praye with the vnderstandyng I wyll syng with the spirite and wyll syng with the vnderstandyng For els when thou blessest with the spirite howe shall he that occupyeth the roume of the vnlearned saye Amen at thy geuyng of thankes seyng he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest Thou verely geuest thankes wel but the other is not edifyed I thanke my god that I speake with tongues more then ye all yet had I leuer in the congregacion to speake fyue wordes with my vnderstandyng to the informacion of other rather then ten thousande wordes with the tongue More excellent is he that prophecieth than is he which with a language vttereth holye wordes but suche as no man vnderstandeth excepte peraduenture he that fyrste spake with tongues straight expounde what he sayd that the people maye yet thereby take some profite and be
strength and depende wholye of his helpe And this shall the rather come to passe yf hauyng a Ghospellike fayth you practyse also a Ghospellike charitie knittyng the oue to thother so as it maie vtterlye reste and take rote in your soules to the entent that being established and grouÌ„ded vpon this sure fouÌ„dacion you maye ware greater and greater in your spirite and after a certayn wise be correspondent to the vnmeasurable spirite of God that you maie grow and go forward so perfitely that not onelye with the Iewes but also with the vniuersall multitude of Sayntes whiche are encorporated to the bodye of Christe through the beliefe of the Ghospell you maie bee hable to comprehend how infinitely the goodnesse of God extendeth it selfe and how it is not restrained within narrowe bondes and limittes in heigth reachyng vp to the angels in depth pearcyng downe to the helles in length and breadth spreadyng it selfe vnto all coastes of the worlde and that you maye be hable also to vnderstand the inestimable charitie of Christe towardes mankynde whose knowledge excelleth all the knowledge of man how excellente so euer it be And that you may in these gyftes so encreace that as perfite and lustye membres you maye bee answerably mete for so noble a heade and so hygh a father For lyke as the bodyly byrth hath degrees of ages hath his encreases and hath his measure as long as his growing time endureth euen so this spiritual generacion also hath his childehood hath his springing time and than his perfite lusty growen age For these thynges I saye I praye often vpon my knees vnto God the father Which thinges in dede although thei be greate and far about mannes power yet I desyre them of hym whose power is so myghty that we cannot possibly Imagyne so great a matter but he is hable to dooe muche greatter and is so good and so gentill that he dooeth not onelye accoumplishe our desyres wyth his owne liberalitye but also geueth vs muche more than we can hope for And yet there is nothyng in this behalfe dooen other throughe our merites or powers For we are nothyng elles but the instrument of the diuyne power that woorketh his owne myghte in vs so that all glorye that florisheth in the congregacion is wholy to be ascribed to hys largesse through Christ Iesus by whose participacion the congregacion is endowed with so excellente gyftes and of this glorye there shall bee no ende but it shall endure through all ages to ternally like as the congregacion of Christ shal also haue none end That that I haue sayed is certayne and vndoubtedly true The .iiii. Chapter The texte I Therfore whiche am a prysoner of the Lordes exhorte you that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherewith ye are called with al lowlines and mekenes with humblenes of mynde forbearyng one an other thorowe loue and be diligente to kepe the vnitie of the 〈◊〉 thorowe the bonde of peace being one body and one spirite euen as ye are called in one hope of your calling Let there bee but one Lord one fayth one baptisme one God and father of all whiche is aboue all and thorowe all and in you all NOw inasmuche as ye perceiue from how vyle a condicion vnto what great dignitye from how depe desperacion to what excellente benefites you are called I beseche you for these cheines sakes wherwith I am tyed not for mine own faultes but for the glorye of God and your saluacion that asmuche as remaineth behynde you would conforme youre selues in honest coÌ„uersacion answerably to your professioÌ„ to the mercifulnes that God hath shewed to youwardes And that shal be doen in case the excellencye of your profession make you not to hygh minded nor to fearcely stomaked But see that all the custome of your life resemble in all thynges true modestye gentilnesse and lenyte of mynde so that one disdeyne not an other but euerye one suffre other through mutual charitie rather one bearyng with an others weakenesse for the tyme than whan euerye one goeth about to holde his owne with tothe and nayle you breake concorde and vniforme loue wherwith you are made one and vnited together through the bonde of peace For it is not conueniente that such mennes myndes should be deuided among theÌ„selues that haue so many thynges commune You are al one bodye you depende all of one heade you haue all receiued of one selfe spirite of Christ and you are also indifferentely called all into one hope of inheritaunce There is one lord of al Iesus Christ al haue but one profession of faith there is but one baptisme of al that by the meanes of Christes death is indifferently effectuall vnto all that beleue the Ghospell whether they bee circumcised or vncircumcised Finallye there is but one God and father of al that as the prynce autour of all thynges hath dominion ouer vs all in suche sorte that by his spirite wherewith he gouerneth vs he geueth hymselfe vnto all and kepeth continual residence with vs releuyng and helpyng vs in all thynges so that it is the gifte of onely one what good thyng soeuer we haue The texte Unto euery one of vs is geuen â—race according to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Wherefore he saieth when he went vp on hye he led captiuitie captiue gaue gyftes vnto men That he ascended what meaneth it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earthe He that descended is euen the same also that ascended vp aboue all heauens to fulfill all thinges And the verye same made some Aposties some Prophetes some EuaÌ„gelistes some shepeherdes and teachers to yâ— edifiyng of the saintes to the worke and ministracion euen to the edifiyng of the bodye of Christe till we all come to the vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfeit man vnto the measure of the full perfeit age of Christe This ought in no wyse to hynder our concorde that the giftes of God bee not all after one sorte nor all alyke appearyng in al menne no more than we see the meÌ„bres of the body not agre or to be racked one froÌ„ an other because thei be not indiffereÌ„tly apte al to one vse or fele not al alike the influence of the head But this maner varietie ought rather to be the occasion of vnitie For inasmuch as no meÌ„bre of the body is hable fully to vphold himself of himself it commeth to passe that euerye one muste haue nede of an others offyce so that one maye not contemne an other But this distribucion of gyftes dependeth not of vs but of the wyll of God who distributeth vnto euerye man lesse or more as it semeth expedient in his owne syghte There is no cause why he shoulde bee disdeyned that hath lesse nor why he shoulde exalte hymselfe that hathe more That one is after Goddes measuryng thys other is after Goddes plenteous enlargyng and all by Christe which geueth
an other but all synnes so that we to our powers geue diligence that we may be once voyde of all vices And yf we be not able fully to attayne vnto that for the frayltie of mannes body yet he of his liberal free goodnes shal make good that is wantynge in our strengthes and shall cleanse vs from all our offences who perchaunce suffereth some tokens of our olde former lyfe to remayne stil in vs for this purpose that we should acknowlage our weakenes For in dede he is better content â–ª with a sinner that misliketh him selfe than with a righteous that maÌ„ standeth in his own conceite He would that yâ— saluacion of men shoulde be ascribed vnto his mercy and not to our merytes And nowe hathe he testified that there is no mortall manne on yearth but he offendeth in some thyng And yf we wyl say that we haue no synne in vs we make wod a lyar and say agaynst hym and he that gaynesayeth hym must nedes lye The .ii. Chapter The texte My lytle children these thynges wryte I vnto you that ye synne not And yf any manne sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he it is that obteyneth grace for our sinnes not for our sinnes onely but also for the synnes of all the worlde And hereby we are sure that we know hym yf we kepe his commaundementes He that sayeth I knowe hym and kepeth not his commaundementes is a lyar and the verytie is not in hym But whose kepeth his worde in hym is the loue of God parfecte in dede hereby we know that we are in hym He that sayeth he abydeth in hym ought to walke as he walked THese thynges do I wryte my lytle children not that synne should be coÌ„mitted the more licenciouslye vpon truste of the mercye that is ordayned but that no man shoulde synne at all as muche as in vs lyeth After that Christ hath once forgeuen vs all oure transgressions it is requisite for vs to applie al our studious endeuours to this ende that we may kepe innoceÌ„cie vndefiled And yet if it chaunce vs to slide backe agayne into any sinne ther is no cause why we should despayre of forgeuenes we haue God eÌ„treteable with him we haue a louing patrone a trusty who being the sonne obteyneth whatsoeuer he wyll of the father and wisheth hartylye wel vnto vs which gaue himselfe to saue vs so that we do vtterly and from the botome of our heartes mislike our selues and geue our diligence agayne to better He alone hath nothing to be pardoned of and he it is that maketh intercession for the synnes of his membres and reconcfleth the father whiche is offended vnto vs and causeth hym to bee mercyfull vnto vs not vnto vs onely which haue now embraced hs doctrine but also vnto all mankynde vniuersally yf they with a syncere hearte confesse themselues to be sinners and purpose to leade an innocente lyfe and so purposed go on forward and kepe it substauncially For baptisme doeth not make vs free from the obseruacion of Moses law for that purpose that we shoulde synne afterwarde licenciousâ—y without punishement but that we shoulde more fiâ—mely stycke to the loue of the Gospell whiche causeth more to bee done of the wyllynge than so many lawes of Moses gette perforce of the coÌ„strayned He coÌ„maunded many thinges in a smal rowme that coÌ„mauÌ„ded men to loue their neighbours euen as he dyd vs. He driueth not vs to loue hym agayne but he enticeth vs he prouoketh vs he kindleth vs. Whosoeuer knoweth God aryght cannot chose but loue hym behemeÌ„tly For euery one that professeth God with hys mouthe knoweth not God but he that is kyndled with the flame of gospellyke charitie and doeth wyllynglye and gladly that whiche he dyd perfitely before that we do good euen vnto our enemies and that for the saluacion of our neyghbour we wyll not stycke to staÌ„d in dauÌ„ger of our life he declareth hymselfe to know god But if a maÌ„ make hys boaste that he knoweth god in that that he beinge taught hys principles hath learned the misteries of the fayth in that beinge baptised he hath professed his name neither for al that foloweth the example of his charitie he is a lyar neither hath he yet fully learned to knowe God in asmuche as god is not knowen excepte faythe be garnyshed with charitie And whosoeuer is a lyar Christ whiche is the very trueth selfe dwelleth not in hym and whosoeuer hath not Christ dwellyng in hym is not a liuely membre of his body Faith without loue is a vayne matter and a deade To bee short loue is not idle it omitteth none of those thynges that it knoweth be acceptable vnto hym whoÌ„ it loueth Christ sayd he would not acknowlage hym to be his disciple that woulde not take vp his crosse and folow hym walkyng in yâ— foresteppes of perfite charitie Therfore he that obserueth his saying declareth in dede that he holdeth fast the perfiâ—e and ryght euangelical charitie By trial herof we shal know that we are in his body that we haue receyued hys spirit Wherto doest yâ— make thy vaunt as a meÌ„bre of Christe in that thou art through baptisme receyued into the flock of christiaÌ„s It is not an idle professioÌ„ it is a not fine fingred professioÌ„ It is not the profession that maketh a true membre of Christe but the imitacion He that professeth with his mouthe that he is regenerate in Christ must walke in his fotesteppes He lyued not to him selfe he died not for himselfe He gaue himselfe wholy for vs he dyd good to all folkes he gaue no reuilynge worde agayne to any man but whan he was nayled on the crosse he prayed to the father for them that spake reuilyngly agaynste him This is the gospellike and perfite charitie whiche they ought to folowe in their dedes that professe them selues to be Christes disciples The texte Brethren I write no newe commaundement vnto you but that olde commaundemeÌ„t which ye haue had from the beginning The olde commaundement is the worde which ye haue heard from the beginning Agayne a newe commaundement I write vnto you that is true in hym and the same is true also in you for the darkenes is past and the true lighte nowe shyneth He that saieth howe that he is in the lyght and yet hateth his brother is in darknes euen vntyll this tyme. He that loueth his brother abydeth in the lyght and there is none occasion of euill in him He that hateth his brother is in darkenes and walketh in darkenes and can not tell whither he goeth because that darkenes hath blynded his eyes Dearely beloued thys commaundement of charitie that I wryte vnto you is no newe commaundemente but euen Moses lawe declared it long agoe or rather Christe by it whiche renewed his commaundement in the gospell and so renewed it that he made it peculiarly his owne This quod he is my commaundement that you shoulde loue
and hathe to doe in them whiche being addicte to worldly delices fight agaynst the spirite of Christe The texte Lytell children ye are of God and haue ouercome them for greater is he that is in you then he that is in the worlde They are of the worlde therfore speake they of the worlde and the worlde heareth them We are of God He that knoweth God heareth vs he that is not of god heareth vs not Herby knowe we the spirite of veritie and the spirite of erroure Dearely beloued let vs loue one another for loue commeth of god And euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God â—e that loueth not knoweth not god for God is loue In this appeared the loue of god to vs warde because that God sent his onely begotten sonne into the worlde that we might lyue thorowe him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to make agrement for our synnes There is no cause why you should be afrayed of these sortes of men litell children Forasmuch as you are of god and haue his spirite you haue by him ouercome the Antichristes In dede you of youre selues are but weake but he that dwelleth in you is greater and myghtier than he that dwelleth in the worlde The deuill fighteth agaynst you by hys membres but God by his spirit defendeth you They forasmuche as they perteyne to the fashion of the worlde and haue receyued the spirite of the worlde are wisely skilled in the worlde and talke of worldely matters and their doctrine is acceptable gear vnto them which are also geuen them selues vnto the worlde No man dooeth lyghtly beleue that he is an enemye to those thinges whiche he behemently loueth They loue earthie thynges their doctrine sauoureth of the earth We are of god he that knoweth hym in dede he knoweth him that loueth him herkeneth vnto vs whiche teache heauenly thinges matters worthy of god He yâ— is not of god heareth not vs but abhorreth froÌ„ the gospelles doctrine which biddeth meÌ„ geue away their ryches defye voluptuous pleasures to reioyce in affliccions to esteme euen life it selfe of no value for righteousnes sake to loke for the rewarde of well done dedes in the resurreccion which they either beleue shal not come at all or woulde not haue it to happen which doctryne coÌ„maundeth also through sincere loue to spend euen a mans life for his neighbours sake where as the man of a worldely spirite prouideth for his owne coÌ„moditie at al handes yea euen with wronging of his brother By these tokens therfore you may knowe the true spirite of god from the false spirite of the worlde Therfore dearely beloued forasmuche as we are of god not of the worlde let vs loue eche one other let euery one serue his neighbours profites rather than his own for loue is of god He therfore that is garnisshed with this loue is borne of god doeth truly knowe god And he that is voide of loue hath not yet knoweÌ„ god because god hiÌ„selfe is loue He geueth him selfe vnto vs as often as he geueth vs his loue He hath declared his loue to vs ward that we should also declare ours towards our neighbour But some man wil say we acknowlage the soÌ„nes charitie but wherby doe we knowe the fathers loue towardes vs Forsothe by this that he sent his onely sonne than the whiche he hath nothing more dearer in to this worlde gaue him vnto death that we by his death shoulde atteyne euerlastyng lyfe And this is also a greater and a more notable miracle of loue that beinge prouoked by no good turne of ours he loued vs so e notablie He that loueth his louer agayne is nothing but thankeful and should haue no humanitie except he dyd it We loued the worlde and were turned from the loue of god and yet God loued vs fyrst and of hys owne accorde And when he was iustly offended at oure synnes neyther was there anye manne vpon yearthe boyde of synne that coulde reconcile vs vnto hym for it behoueth hym to be full of grace that muste make intercession vnto hym that is offended for suche as bee malefactors he sente hys sonne downe from heauen to sacrifice hymselfe vnto the father and with thys most pure oblacion to make hym mercyfull vnto vs. What canne be Imagined more notable than thys loue what can be thought more feruent what can be imagined more plenteous The texte Dearely beloued yf god so loued vs we oughte also to loue one another No man hath sene god at anye tyme. Yf we loue one another god dwelleth in vs and hys loue is perfecte in vs. Hereby knowe wee that wee dwell in hym and he in vs because he hathe geuen vs of hys spirite And we haue sene and doe testifie that the father sent the sonne to bee Sauiour of the worlde Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of god in hym dwelleth god and he in god And wee haue knowen and beleue the loue that God hathe to vs. God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in god and god in hym Herein is the loue perfecte in vs that wee shoulde haue truste in the daye of iudgemente For as he is euen so are wee in thys worlde I here is no feare in loue but perfecte loue casteth out feare for feare hath paynfulnes â—e that feareth is not perfecte in loue We loue hym for he loued vs fyrste Yf a man saye I loue god and yet hate his brother he is a liar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whoÌ„ he hath sene loue god whoÌ„ he hath not sene And this commaundement haue we of him that he whiche loueth god shoulde loue his brother also Dearely beloued yf God whiche hathe no nede of vs of hys owne accorde and wyllyngly hath so muche loued vs we ought also after hys example to loue eche one other The sonne of God shewed hym selfe visiblye vnto vs but no man hath sene God the father at any tyme with his bodily eies and yet he is perceyued by the euident tokens of thynges We feele hym angrye we fele hym mercyfull we fele hym to be absent we fele hym to be presente We are hable to testifie our mutuall loue towardes God by none other argumente than yf we loue euery one other lyke as he hathe loued vs. He loued vs frely without cause he loued vs for thys purpose to saue vs. Yf we loue eche one other after such wise god which is loue as I sayed abydeth in vs. It is a coÌ„mune loue to beare good wil to him yâ— deserueth well to loue hym that is hable to requite oure loue and to testifie our good will with one good turne for an other but yâ— loue of god is perfite towardes vs. He loued vs of his own accorde he loued vs being straungers he loued vs of whome no maner requitall coulde returne to hym agayne he loued vs eueÌ„ to the
of the faithfull of all creatures the begynnynge without begynnynge y◠euerlastyng wysdome of god Here marke how hyghly god is dyspleased with suche as be indyfferent neyther who◠nor colde whiche wyll and wyll not not consyderynge the earnest wil and commaūdement of god And wyll suffer nothynge for his sake but are content with the onely shyne and shadowe of godlynes and with the onely name of faythe and obedyence to god Where as Christ wyll haue a more feruent and earnest zeale namely the golde of a stedfast and a constante fayth in all maner of affliccion aduersitie the whyte garmētes of innocencie and purenes of lyfe in their whole conuersacion before god and man y◠bryght and clere iyes of Christen doctrine without any manner of errour That a man beyng riche after this maner may walke before god in his churche with worshyp and honestye and without all dread Whan any mysfortune of this worlde dothe happen vnto the faythfull they ought to thynke vpon these wordes and to be thankefull vnto god in true faythe and charite alwayes studyeng to amende their lyues This is the true repentaunce The lorde is muche more ready to gyue than we are to desyre or to receyue And he delyghteth in vertuous and godly hartes and gyueth them comforte loue and hope and strengthneth their faith that they maye be able to continue and remayne without dreade in the grace and fauour of god This is the very ryght supper of y◠spirite of god withal faithfull beleuers in this world But in the blysse of heauen there shal be the very fruicion and possession of all goodnes and of the most hyghest honour with vnspeakable ioye in god withal the holy sainctes whiche euer haue lyued vertuously in the fauour of god ¶ The .iiii. Chapter The texte ¶ After this I loked and beholde a dore was open in heauen and the first voyce which I hearde was as it were of a trompet talkynge with me whiche sayde come vp hyther and I wyll shewe the thinges which must be fulfylled herafter And immediatly I was in the spirite and beholde a seate was set in heauen and one sate on the seate And he that sate was to loke vpon lyke vnto a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone And there was a raynebowe about the seate in syght lyke to an Emeralde And about the seate were foure and twentye seates And vpon the seates foure and twenty elders syttyng clothed in whyte rayment and had on their heades crownes of golde HEre doth Iohn looke and see in spirite as all y◠prophetes dyd Beholde the fygure whiche representeth vnto thee what heauenly mysteries of the kyngdome of Christ and of the thinges that should happen afterwarde Iohn dyd see in the heauen beyng opened To be in the spirite is asmuche as to be rapte of the spirite of god into an heauēly traunce aboue al mans witte power or capacyte Gods stoole or seate in heauen sygnified the euerlastynge state and continuaunce of the power myght blisse and ryghtuousnes of god The bryghtnes of the precious stones sygnified y◠hyghe maiestye and glory of god bewtyfyed with the knowledge of al thinges The raynebowe sygnifyeth his mercye and pacient sufferynge yet not without mete and condigne reuengeaunce and iustice The .xxiiii. seates and the .xxiiii. elders doe sygnifye y◠most hyghest iustyce and vnsearcheable councell and iudgement of god and that the most speciall frendes of god bothe of the olde and new testament are incorporate into y◠kyngdome of god bothe Patryarkes Kynges Prophetes Apostles and bysshops All are subiect vnto the lorde in all holynes and ready to honour him eternally And al these doe knowledge that they receyued all goodnes and commendacion that they haue of the bountyfull grace of god The texte And out of the seate proceded lyghtnynges and thondrynges and voyces and there were .vii. lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whiche are the .vii. spirites of god And before the seate there was a sea of glasse lyke vnto Cristall and in the myddes of the seate and rounde aboute y◠seate were foure beastes full of eyes before and behynde And the first beaste was lyke a lyon and the seconde beaste lyke a calfe and the thirde beaste had a face as a man and the fourthe beaste was lyke a flying Egle. And the .iiii. beastes had echone of them syre wynges about him and they were full of eyes within And they had no rest daye nether nyght sayinge Holy holy holy Lord god almightye which was and is and is to come The earnest iudgement and commaundement of god shall be opened and made manyfest vnto all the worlde thorowe the gospell whiche shall be fearful and heauy vnto the wycked but ioyfull and welcome vnto the faithfull godly For vnto them it shall come with the gyftes of the plentifull spirite of God whiche shall appeare in their fruites The sea of glasse maye sygnifye vnto vs the aduersityes of this lyfe whiche serue both to y◠glorye of god and also to the syngular profyte of the faithfull for the frutefull exercyse of their faythe The iiii sondry beastes are interpreted by some of the olde doctours but not by all to sygnifye the .iiii. Euangelystes They maye betoken the .iiii. special mysteries of the Christen faythe As the manhode of Christ maye be sygnified by the face of the man And the passion and death of Christ by the calfe appoynted to be slayne and offered And the resurrection from death by the lyon And the ascencion into heauen by the Egle. All whiche misteries of Christ are plentuously set furth in the holy gospelles and Christ and his kyngdome is descrybed in them vnto all the world as a necessarye and a perfyght doctrine The wynges which are spoken of doe sygnifye here lyke as they doe in the .vi. Chapter of Esaye the obedience and reuerence whiche all creatures doe owe of duty vnto y◠lorde whiche vertues the faythful both willyngly and dylygently doe declare withall redynes and swyftnes of their godly and deuout heartes The multitude of the eyes dothe sygnifye the Christen doctrine and wysedome of god wherof is no want nor scarsenes in the churche And this doctrine must be learned and taken out of the holy scripture geuen by god For the whiche cause al godly and blessed myndes as well of the angels as of men shal neuer cease to prayse and exalt the almightye god to be holy in al his workes onely one in his godly substance and yet a Trinite of persons as it is wonderfully declared and expressed bothe by al holy scriptures and also by the heauenly wysedome of the prophetes and other holy men secretely inspired and lyghtned of god euē certein of the heathē also whiche thorowe true fayth doe knowledge and confesse that there is but one onely god creatour of all thinges and ruler and gouernoure foreuer and immutable The texte ¶ And when those beastes gaue glorye and honour and
of god whan he seeth his tyme accordynge as the person place requireth And therfore they bathe receyued one rewarde of saluacion and remayned as it were immortall and are prophecied to come againe in spirite before the latter day of iudgement to resiste and confounde the wycked Antichrist and to heale with the oyle of lenitie suche as are apte to receyue it or els with the fyre of feruente zeale to confounde the wycked enemyes of god bothe with worde deade as Enoche and Elyas dyd by the commaundement and ordinaunce of god in their tyme whan they were vpon the wicked earth Lyke as also suche men might be founde in our tyme with their names writynges and doynges not in one place of the earth moued with the same spirite with the same worde and lyke zeale of god euery one after the gyfte of grace geuen vnto him Moued I saye by the holy goost of a godly mynde and lyke purpose as the nacions people persons and other circumstances required Against these and suche lyke frendes and ministers of god shall many greuous troubles be alwayes deuised and attempted by the wicked malignant churche bothe against their good name bodye lyfe and also against their goodes And they haue no nother refuge succour comforte helpe nor weapon to defende them with but the onely holy eternall and inuyncible worde of god in their mouthes and handes whiche confoundeth all their aduersaries and deadly enemyes whiche euen them selues the longer they mainteyne their euyll and naughtye cause the worse they make it tyll at length they shall vtterly confounde and destroy themselues But these .ii. ministers of the spirite of god workynge in loue and feruentnes with all softnes burnynge zeale lyke vnto Enoche and Elyas they haue power thorowe the spirite of god whiche worketh all thinges in his ministers to procure and obteyne of god grace and vengeaunce accordynge to their faith and zeale to the furtherauÌ„ce of goddes glorye and to the profite and reformacion of the faythfull christen churche as necessitie and conueniencie shall require Euen lyke as Elyas had ouer the water whan as thorowe his prayer he obteyned of god that it shoulde not rayne vpon earth for the space of three yeares And agayne also fyre from heauen against those that mocked and contemned his offyce and testymonie The texte ¶ And when they haue fynisshed their testimonye the beast that came out of the bottomlesse pyt shall make warre against them and shal ouercome them and kyl them And their bodyes shall lye in the stretes of the great citee whiche spiritually is called zodom and Egipte where our Lord was crucified And they of the people and kynredes and tonges and they of the nacions shall se their bodyes thre dayes and an halfe and shall not suffer their bodyes to be put in graues And they that dwel vpon the earthe shall reioyce ouer them and be glad shal sende gyftes one to another for these two prophetes vexed them that dwelt on the earth It hath alwayes from tyme to tyme bene well sene howe this beast hathe behaued hymselfe towarde the messagiers and ministers of god whiche were sent vnto them And specially vnder Achab and Manasses and suche lyke kynges and ydolatrous and hethenysshe priestes whiche serued false goddes whiche persecuted the faythfull ministers of God cursed and contemned them burnt and drowned them so farre as god permytted them Whiche thing was for the best vnto the persons that suffered suche thinges and for the synguler profyte of the faythfull churche and congregacion And yet for all their persecucion the doctrine and workynge of the faythfull was euer vpright and lyuely and their good and holy name with the commendacion of their godly feruent zeale was also wonderfully preserued to the vtter shame and confusioÌ„ of the abhomynable and terryble beast and all his members and lymmes As the examples of the whole world doe testifye and beare wynes And specially euen in our tyme and also the moost true and infallyble storye of the prouydence and of the holy worde of god This citie where Christ is dayly crucified is in figure and symilitude the citie of Ierusalem whiche for sheadyng of the bloude of his Apostles hath receyued her iust and due rewarde as she deserued and lykewyse the wycked churche corrupte and poysoned of Sathan wherin he beareth rule murtheringe the faythfull frendes of God and ministers of the gospell whose holy zeale and truth of God whiche they haue preached they coulde not nor woulde not suffer nor abyde vntyll they were alwayes at length confounded and vtterly destroyed Whiche thinge shall vndoubtedly happen also vnto them whiche doe resist and withstande all christen reformacion of the churche in their state and order Yea they see already before their eyes and smell the indignacion of god his terryble iudgement wherof they haue bene earnestly and faithfully warned but they were neuer affrayd nor abasshed of it At that tyme the holy seruauntes and ministers of god shall be fayne to suffer muche trouble euen the very bytter and moost slanderous death But at length whan all thinges shall be truly discussed all the worlde shall see and perceyue the true doctrine and belefe of the faithfull godly the impietie of the wycked obstinate blinde and vngodly infydels whiche woulde neuer beleue And thus fayth and truth in god shall haue the victorye The texte ¶ And after thre dayes and an halfe the spirite of lyfe from God entred into them And they stode vp vpon their fete and a great feare came vpoÌ„ al them that saw them And they hearde a great voyce from heauen sayinge vnto them Come vp hyther And they ascended vp into heauen in a cloude and their ennemyes sawe them And the same houre was there a great earthquake and the â—enth parte of the citie fell and in the earthquake were slayne names of men seuen M. and the remnaunt wer feared gaue glorye to the god of heauen The seconde woo is past and beholde the thirde woo wyll come anone Howe this beast with her members the wycked hethenyshe prelates and their sworne adherentes haue alwayes in our tyme for a long season cruelly dealt with the ministers of gods word and with the preachers of the truth of the moost sacred gospell it is playne and euident ynoughe at this day vnto all the world and thorowe the cronicles whiche shall be publyshed shall not be hydden vnto our posteritie how whan and by whome dyuerse godlye men haue bene persecuted and murthered and moost shamefully handeled of the spirituall prelates and their sworne adherentes onely for the true doctrine and faythes sake But an other tyme wyll come by the very iudgement and grace of god whan as these holy men and faythfull witnesses of Christ shall be had in hyghe honour and estimacion and shall bryng more to passe with their preaching writinges and monumentes whiche they left behynde them to the profyte and edificacion
father of moste famous memory moste valeauntly begonne Certes whan I loke behinde me and call to remembraunce but euen the shorte daies of my tyme how sore we haue bene blynded seduced and hindred from the true waye of Christes doctrine how strongly the wicked delusion of Antichriste according to S. Paules prophecie hath preuailed what sectes of perdicion what deuelishe doctrines what straunge inuencions of corrupte menne what vayne pylgremages what offerynges and lyghtes to stockes and stones what costly deckyng lyckinge censinge and worshipping of ymages what horrible abusing of gods holy sacramentes and good creatures with thousandes moe inconueniences that moste wicked beast of Rome hathe brought specially in to thys youre realme howe shamefully and presumtuously euen after the nature of proude Lucifer he hathe vsurped the Imperiall power therof how horryblye he hathe abused the Maiestie of the kynges your highnesse moste noble progenitours in this your realme of Englande howe cruelly also and vnreuerently he and his hathe dealte with theyr moste Royall personnes yea and howe theâ—ishlye vnder the colour of gods seruyce he hath robbed both them and theyr good herted subiectes of theyr substaunce goodes Thus my moste deare soueraigne whan I remembre this moste lamentable case wherein your graces realme hath bene and considre now againe on the other syde the moste pleasaunt shape and bewtifull face of the same as conceâ—nynge the deare knowlege of god in your Maiesties most gracious proceadinges moste like vnto the prosperous raigne of the blessed kinge Iosias I fynde myselfe most dette bound and so doe all other youre graces trewe subiectes esteme them selues without doubte not onely with all thankefulnesse moste humbly to embrace suche inestymable kyndnesse of God but also to sprede the same abrode and that in suche a godly and quyet sorte as maye serue moste to the sainctifiyng and halowing of hys holy name to the furtheraunce of hys kingdome to the encoraging of other men to increase in the knowlage of his good pleasure and will and gladly to obeye the same Considering then that your Maiestie is in the saide most godlie worke of the Lordes Tabernacle all ready youre worthy counsaillours officers seruauntes and other your heauenly endewed subiectes bothe of the clargie of the laitie bringing to the same some gold some siluer some brasse sum other presentes c. according to the measure of such giftes as Almightie god hath richely reposed in them youre trew and faithfull subiectes the Translatours and Printer of this right fruteful volume coÌ„teining the Paraphrasis of the famous Clarke Erasmus vpon the Epistles of the holy Apostles moste humblye offre vnto your highnesse their trewe and faithfull diligence herein and that with such chereful hertes glad and good willes as they trust youre Royall Maiestie after the ensample of noble Moses will bothe blesse and graciously accepte According as your pryncely benignitie can not but fauoure those that desyre none other wyse to spende theyr time saue onely as may be moste to the glory of god and to the discharge of the duties of the vnfayned loue and obedience that they within hys feare do owe to your grace The comfortable remembraunce of the whiche moste vertuous disposicion in your Royall Maiestie hathe greatly encoraged me as I was desyred moste humblye to wryte thys litle epystle vnto the same and not so muche to be afrayed thus to doe at the respecte of myne owne greate vnworthynesse as I was moued therto thorowe the most plentifull grace of almightie god and incomparable clemencye whiche is so notablye placed in your highnesse For all we your graces trewe faythfull and louynge subiectes that beholde and se how lyke ye are vnto the auncient Kynges and Princes as Moses Iosua Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias and such other in the moste rightfull and wholesome administracion of your highe Imperiall office can not but as to oure greate comforte we finde it all ready euen so still to loke for like prosperous successe of welth felicitie with increase and contynuaunce Whiche in dede muste nedes ensue and folowe amongst vs yf thorowe the wicked perswasyon of Sathan and corrupte examples of the world we our selues increase not in vnthankfulnesse As for your moste Royall Maiestie like as it is called of God to thys supreme office of gouernyng his people and enclyned by the moste blessed mocion of his holy spirite still to excute the same in al gracious wise Euen so proceading therin your highnesse may be assured to haue the same most gracious defence from god with like prosperous increase of his moste excellent giftes that the sayd noble kinges were partakers of The eternall euerliuing god possessor of heauen and erthe strengthen and establish your highnesse in suche sorte as maye be moste to the glory of his holy name to the increase of his kyngdome to the cherefull perfourmynge of hys wyll to the honour and quietnesse of your Maiestie and fynallye to the comforte and welthe of all youre louynge subiectes Your Maiesties most humble and faithfull subiecte Myles Couerdall Amen ⧠A prologe vpon the Epistle of Sainct Paule to the Romaynes FOr as much as thys epistle is the principall and moste excellente parte of the newe testament and moste pure Euangelion that is to saye glad tydinges and that we call Gospell and also a light and a waye in vnto the whole scripture I thinke it mete that euery Christen man not only know it by rote and without the boke but also exercyse hym selfe therein euermore continually as with the dayly breade of the soule No man verely can rede it to ofte or studye it to well for the more it is studyed the easier it is the more it is shewed the pleasanter it is and the more groundely it is serched the precyouser thynges are founde in it so greate treasure of spirituall thynges lyeth hyd therin I will therfore bestowe my laboure and diligence thorow this lytel preface or Prologue to prepare a waye in there vnto so farforth as God shal geue me grace that it maye be the better vnderstande of euery man For it hathe bene hetherto euyll darckened with gloses and wonderfull dreames of Sophisters that no man coulde spie out the entent and meaning of it Which neuerthelesse yet of it selfe is a bryght lyght and sufficient to geue light vnto all the scripture Fyrst we muste marke diligentlie the maner of speaking of the Apostle and aboue all thing know what Paul meaneth by these wordes the Law Syn Grace Faith Righteousnes Flesh sprite such like or els rede thou it neuer so ofte thou shalt but lose thy labour This word Law may not be vnderstand here after the coÌ„mune maner to vse Paules terme after the maner of men or after mans waies that thou wouldest say the law here in this place wer nothing but learning which teacheth what ought to be done what ought not to be done as it goeth with mans lawe where the law is fulfilled with
from our death by sinne walke furthe from vertue to vertue in this presente lyfe begynnyng the lyfe which is without ende and death asmuche as in vs lyeth Of righteousnes also two kyndes of god that is to saye and man of the iudgemente of God and manne of a double prayse before God and before manne After al whiche pointes disputed he passeth ouer to a commen place belongyng to good maners by the example of the partes in a mannes bodye especiallye exhortyng the Romaines to concorde and because peace and vnitie canne not be whereas pryde and malice raygneth he besecheth them with ready myndes eche one to beare with other and so to nourishe and mayntayne mutual loue and good wil. And desyreth the Romaines for a season to beare with the Iewes infirmitie whiche by reason of long custome in the lawe was rooted in them and on the other syde he requireth the Iewes not to enuye at the Gentiles called to the grace of the gospell but rather with godly mynde to folow their fayth christiā libertie wyllyng them synce y◠there is but one God of al one Christe one grace one rewarde to growe all into one bodye that none arrogantlye presume and take vpon hym but yf he haue anye gyfte wherin he surmounteth other to applye the same to the helpe of his neighbour This place handleth saincte Paule diuerslye instructyng theim howe they should vse themselfe towarde supersticious christians or as he calleth them weake and feble howe towarde theyr superioures howe to their inferioures and felowes towarde heathen princes and magistrates after a sorte yet doyng theyr duties and to be shorte howe they should behaue themselfe in prosperitie and howe in aduersitie After whiche sharpe monicion he apeaseth the matier with the Romaines prayse and auaunceth his authoritie and doth them to witte how muche more he had promoted the ghospell than other shewyng what a desyer he hadde to see them promising that he woulde come thither and what lette he had and why he was compelled to differ it praysing the fre liberalitie of y◠Macedonians and Corinthians bestowed vpon the poore and deuoute people couertlye and as it wer with a reuerence prouokyng the Romaines to do the lyke The laste chapiter almoste spendeth he in commendacions and yet this doth he not with names vnsauerly and at auenture heaped together but with euery mannes prayse maruaylously ioyned with hym Finally because he throughly knewe aswell the malapert wylynes of the false Apostles as also the readie simplicitie of the Romaines eftesones he biddeth them to beware of their fayre speache Albeit moste parte of matiers entreated of in this present epistle specially apertayne to that tyme wherin the churche beyng but young secretly encreased myngled with Iewes and Gentiles together subiect than to heathen rulers yet is there in euery place of it somwhat wherof holsome doctrine maye be learned for this our present tyme necessarie as to beware of supersticion the roote originall of dissencion whiche hauyng a colourable apparence of godlynes is to the same moste repugnante and contrarie herein also sumwhat is there of the vayne assuraūce whiche men haue in worldly wysedome and in theyr owne actes and desertes and of the deserte of fayth of auoydyng hyghnes of mynde of bearyng with sumtimes the weakenes of suche as are not yet fully learned of nouryshyng mutuall concorde throughe eche ones diligent seruice towarde another of suffering in some poyntes euyll rulers and vngodlye byshoppes leste by resistence the cōmen order myght be disquieted troubled of ouercomyng euyll dedes with good and charitable meanes to beware in iudgyng such thynges as belong not vnto vs to take well in worth al suche thynges as maye be done of a good minde with a right cōsciēce to beware of craftie flaterie with suche other lyke pointes wherwith this our cōmē lyfe is to ful But as profitable as this epistle is yet hath it asmuche or welnygh more difficultie than profite whiche principally happeneth for thre causes either through the confoundyng of the right order of speache or els by reason of long sentences not well hangyng together or finallye for that the same are oftetymes as a mā maye saye entriked or entangled and not fully finished but imperfect so that therupon Origen expoundyng this epistle many tymes complayneth here and there laboryng and wrastlyng with suche difficulties Whether this happened throughe Tercius which was sainct Paules scribe or els through Paule hymselfe or throughe the interpreter let therin other men be iudges certaynly Paule hymself confesseth his rudenes of speache albeit he denie that he is ignoraunt touching knowledge And besyde this so far was he from sekyng for suche piked speache as in any parte sauered worldly curiositie y◠he thought the same diligētly to be forborne auoyded leste any parte of the glorie of Christes crosse myght therby be deminished And for this cause Origen thinketh it labour loste for any man in his wrytinges to loke for eloquence Hierome in some place graunteth that he had the arte and craftie setting of wordes and sentences together in some place denieth it agayne saiyng affirming plainly y◠his language was greatly corrupted by the rude people of Cilicia where he was brought vp But Austen out of Paules epistles gathereth floures and ornamentes of Rhetoricke Yea and in the actes of the apostles he is called chiefe capitaine of the vvorde and in his fyrst epistle to the Corinthians he sayeth of hymselfe that he spake vvith languages aboue all other And albeit as sainct Hierome sayeth at the same tyme all the Easte parte of the worlde vsed the Greke toungue lykely yet is it that as the frenche men had not suche puritie of the Latine speache as was vsed in the citie of Rome so might there well be a great difference betwene one of Cilicia and another of Athens speakyng or wrytyng Greke Besyde all these difficulties there is another arysyng through the Hebrue speache whose properties Paule almoste in euery place vseth so wrytyng in Greke that yet a man maye by his wrytyng know that he was a Iewe. The second cause of difficultie is through the darkenes of suche matiers as cannot clearely be expressed because none other epistle is there more in tricate and entermedled with deeper priueye misteries insomuche that Paule hymselfe sometyme leauyng his purposed matier is compelled to make exclamacion and saye O the deapnes of treasures Yea for the nonce sometyme so toucheth he some misteries that he only sheweth thē a far of temperyng his oraciō accordyng to the tymes and as theyr capacities serued to whome he wrote He lawe and knewe certayne thynges whiche myghte be tolde to noman knowyng well how farfurth his disciples had nede of lyght meate as mylke is or of strong foode therwith also knew he the degrees of ages in Christe and what was for euerie age meete So dyd the apostle Peter also when he shoulde preache to the rude
you a recompence But now yf the wicked vntollerably vexe thee go not about to defende thy selfe nor yet seke to be reuenged ne call you for worldly socoure defence but with continuall and hartye prayer desyre the help of god If any christian haue lacke let him that hath gyue hym some thyng not louryngly and vnpleasantly as one that gyueth to a crauyng begger but euen as one that rekeneth al he hath commen And not only vse suche liberalitie vpon them that are present but vpon other also whiche are absent Suche as come to you from fer contreyes abrode lette them haue harbroughe leste they either shamefully lacke or be compelled amonge Paynyms to take theyr lodgyng And as it besemeth that oure handes be liberall so is it also conuenient that oure tongues hurte noman Vpon suche as for hate of Christ and his gospel persecute and trouble you ye maye not onely not reuenge but also not somuche as wyshe them any harme Yea euen praye for them rather praye for them I saye that they amende theyr life curse theÌ„ not at al. Suche as ye cannot in dede do good vnto wyshe well vnto them Eche in perfite frendeship assure hymselfe to other whiche maketh both ioye and sorowe commen that youre gladnes your sadnes and teares be alwayes ioyned together In all thynges be of one mynde and of one desyre whether vnto you there fall any prosperouse and lucky chaunce or any aduersitie Be not proude and disdaynful one of you towarde another but let suche one as is superiour frame and temper hymselfe to suche as be his inferiours and vnderlynges The texte Be not wyse in your owne opinions Recompence to no man euyll for euyll Prouide afore hande thinges honest not only before god but also in the sight of all men Yf it be possible asmuche as is in you lyue peaceablye wyth all men Dearelye beloued auenge not your selues â–ª but rather gyue place vnto wrathe â–ª For it is wrytten vengeaunce is myne and I wyll rewarde sayth the Lorde Let none among you so stande in his own conceyte that to hymself in his owne iudgement he seme a stoute felow and one to be wondered at Whoso is suche one wyll neuer lyghtly geue place to an other Yf any man perhappes offende you gyue not checke for checke ne one wrong for an other Though suche doynges among Iewes and Panyms be taken for wel done yet for euil to do euil afore Christ is deuilish so is it for yâ— noÌ„ce to folowe that thou in an other reprouest Stryue ethe with other of you who can do beste and labour not onely that suche thynges as ye do vpoÌ„ testimonie of youre owne consciences only please god but see that it lykewyse be of all men allowed nor offende the weake person with anye acte that semeth euill And let your lyfe be so ferre not only from great ofâ—ences but asmuche as maye be fer from all suspicion of any great offence yâ— euen the very noughtie packes fynde in it nothyng to reproue So shal ye doe yf asmuche as in you is ye be at peace not with christian men only but also with suche as to Christ are straungers Wonderful is the poâ—â—r of this diuine and heauenly vertue as whiche euen compelleth her ennemies both to loue her and also to wonder at her Yf euery maÌ„ labour to be reueÌ„ged of his own griefe peace cannot stedfastly coÌ„tinue Iewes Paynyms vse vengeaunce but yf there be any wrong done vnto you deâ—yre you not to be reuenged but rather gyue place to mennes malyce whiche with thy patience wyll better weare awaye than yf thou with lyke doyng and reuengyng more and more prouoke it If thou with pacience ouercome his furie therin thou gaynest But and yf he in his rage styll continue on let hym not doubte but that he shal be surely punyshed Leaue him to his iudge which hath from vs taken awaye the authoritie to reuenge reserueth it to hymself as whiche in the Deuteronomie speaketh on this wyse vengeaunce is myne and I wyll rewarde sayth the lorde The texte ¶ Therfore yf thyne enemie hunger feede hym yf he thyrste gyue him drynke For in so doyng thou shalt heape coles of fyer on his heade Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with goodnes Yea I saye be so fer from hurting another when thou art hurte that for an euill turne loke thou do a good so that yf thyne enemie happen to be hungrye refreshe and helpe hym with thy meate yf he thruste gyue hym drynke Scarcely is there any nature of suche wyldnes and so beastlye but that it with benefites maye be made tame namely synce by suche meanes euen the very wylde beastes waxe GeÌ„tle Herewith theÌ„ wyn thyne enemye Vpon experience and profe had of thy sufferaunce and godlynes he wyll peraduenture amend and be ashamed lothe and repente his outragiouse fiersnes and beyng ouercommeÌ„ with thy charitie feruently loue â—he agayne By this waye maye all debates be finished wheras by doing lyke for lyke they are withoute ende styll encreased In good dedes it is a godlye thyng to stryue and in them eche one to passe an other is an excel lent poynte but to stryue who can do worste to an other is beastly But as for this saying euen the paynyms selfe graunt But herin shall your prayse specially stande yf with good dedes ye ouercome euill yf with sufferaunce ye ouercome mennes furye yf with fayre speche ye ouercome euill toungued and also wrong with doyng youre duties And in great watche must thou stande lest he which is euill with his noughtines ouercome thy goodnes so farre that thoroughe hym thou begyn to be vnlyke thy selfe and to folowe his trade whome thou reprouest But rather let thy goodnes vanquyshe his wyldnes so that he beyng ouercomen through thyne example be as it were violently pulled into thy parte The .xiii. Chapiter The texte ¶ Let euery soule submyt hymselfe vnto the authoritie of the hygher powers For there is no power but of god The powers that be are ordayned of god Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of god But they that resiste shall receyue to themself damnacion For rulers are not fearfull to them that do good but to them that do euyll Wylt thou be without feare of the power do wel then and so shalt thou be praysed of the same For he is the minister of god for thy welthe But and yf thou do that whiche is euyll then feare for he beareth not the swerde for nought for he is the minister of god to take vengeaunce on hym that doth euyll Wherfore ye must needes obeye not onlye for feare of vengeaunce but also because of conscience And euen for this cause paye ye tribute For they are goddes ministers seruyng for the same purpose BVt nowe and yf prynces and gouernoures of the commen weale for Christes religions sake persecute and trouble you suffer it ye
indued wyth learnyng and rules of good order maye bestowe that they haue for the common profite Fourthly such as worke miracles to kepe vnder and subdue the power of deuyls and to auaunce with them the name and glory of Christe Fyftly suche as can heale diseases And after them suche as can with theyr autoritie and counsel help other that are in trouble through a singuler discreacion kepe the multitude in obedieÌ„ce And laste of al such as by knowledge of the toÌ„gues may be to other profitable This varietie doth not only encourage but also coÌ„pell you to mutual loue concord forasmuch as eche one of you hath nede of others helpe Are al Apostles are al Prophetes are al teachers are all workers of myracles haue all men the gyft of healing doe all men speake diuerse languages haue all men the gyft to expounde No not so but euery maÌ„ hath his owne proper gyft No man must be disdayned but yet must euery man endeuour to be endewed with such gyftes as among these are chiefe and so styll encrease to such as are better For it is not to be supposed that euery man hath his gyfte so geuen vnto him that he is without hope to receiue better And leste ye growe to arrogant of theÌ„ I say vnto you they are the gyftes of the spirite but yet is the holy spirite of God wont with our endeuour prayers to be prouoked both to geue his gyftes and to encrease mayntaine theÌ„ Excellent gyftes are these which I haue nowe rehearsed but suche as may be in vngodly men But I wil shewe you a more excellent waie than al these wherunto euery man must spicially endeuour synce that without it nothyng auayle these gyftes whiche we haue spoken of and whiche ye yet in suche sorte folowe as though there were none other ¶ The .xiii. Chapter The texte Though I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and haue no loue I am euen as â—ounding brasse or as a tynkâ—yng cymball And though I could prophecy and vnderstode all secretes and all knowledge ye yf I haue all fayth so that I can moue mountaynes out of theyr places and yet haue no loue I am nothyng And though I bestowe all my goodes to fede the poore and though I geue my body euen that I burned and yet haue no loue it profyteth me nothyng AHygh gyft is it to speake with tonges for whiche ye specially please your selfe But though I speake with all tonges not of meÌ„ only but to encrease the matter also with the tonge of Angels and haue not a feruent desyre to doe for my neyghbour to bestowe the gyft of God to the profite of all men as vnprofitable shall I bee as brasse that with his vayne sounde breaketh the ayer or as a cymball that with his vnprofitable tinklyng troubleth the eares Yea if I haue also a more excellent gyft than this for example the gyft of prophecie wherby I know all the secrete senses of the scriptures of God if somuch haue chaunced to any one man to vnderstand al yea if therwith â—e ioyned a perfite knowledge of all learnynges haue finally so strong a fayth that I could with thesame moue euen mountaynes out of their places lacke charitie in vayne haue I all the other forasmuch as they profite no body Yf I haue so great a gyft to helpe other yâ— what substance so euer I haue I would be content to bestow it al together for the reliefe of the poore yea if for yâ— ayde of such as are oppressed I would put my body in al ieopardy yea euen to be burned yet yf it may possybly be lacke charitie yâ— is to say a mynde desirouse euen freely to doe wel to other of all my other gyftes haue I none aduauntage By charitie only are we taught how we should vse other giftes which to haue is for a maÌ„ but vayne if he cannot vse them Other gyftes are sometime defaced with ambicion sometime with malyce sometime with dissencion from al which infeccions farre is charitie Eche other gyft hath his owne peculiar coÌ„moditie but charitie can neither be corrupted and her vse is moste commen The texte Loue suffereth long and is courteous Loue enuyeth not Loue doeth not frowardly swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seketh not her owne is not prouoked to anger thinketh no euill reioyseth not in iniquitie but reioyseth in the trueth suffreth al thinges beleueth all thinges hopeth all thinges endureth all thinges Though that prophecyinges fayle either tonges cease or knowledge vanyshe awaye yet loue falleth neuer awaye Charitie is mylde to suffer wronges and also for this present lyfe commodiouse courteouse Charitie enuieth no man but asmuch as she hath bestoweth vpon other Not euill tounged but pleasing euery manne not swelling but lowly humblyng herselfe to other nor thinketh any thing vnsemely for her so that she maye doe good nor seketh her owne priuate lucre nor is thorough iniurye prouoked to reuenge and so farre from doyng wrong for wrong that she not somuche as myndeth to be reuenged so farre from doyng wrong herselfe that she cannot in other abyde it but rather reioyseth she in pure and godly maners and of a readie desyre to doe good suffereth all thynges be they neuer so paynfull so farre from conceyuing any euyll suspicion in any other that he beleueth all thynges and despaireth lyghtly of no man but through a sure trust of amendemente stedfastly contineweth in hope And to be briefe charitie neuer fayleth so farre that after this life when one manne shal haue no nede of an others seruice yet shall charitable loue of myndes abyde styll and neuer cease And in what gyft soeuer for this time a manne encreaseth charitie is neuer awaye but is a perpetuall gyft spread generally through the whole lyfe and state of christian menne though it chaunce prophecying to fayle or tounges to cease or knowledge to be abolished by excesse of more ample knowledge The texte For our knowledge is vnperfecte and our prophecying is vnperfecte But whan that whiche is perfecte is come then that whiche is vnperfecte shal be doen awaye When I was a chylde I spake as a chylde I vnderstoode as a chylde I imagined as a chylde But assone as I was a manne I putte awaye chyldyshnes Nowe we see in a glasse euen in a darke speakyng but then shall we see face to face Nowe I knowe vnperfectly but then shall I knowe euen as I am knowen Nowe abydeth fayth hope and loue euen these three but the chiefe of these is loue For that whiche we of these thynges as yet possesse is vnperfite so that neyther our knowledge neyther vnderstanding of misteries through prophecie is yet ful and perfite But when that is come which is perfite that which is nowe but halfe perfite shall after a sorte be abolyshed Euen as it is in nature so hath christian religion her degrees ages and increase of ages When I was
to your charge al is done for your weale dearly beloued brethren as God is my witnesse whiche knoweth my conscience and as Christ also is my witnesse whose cause I haue in hande I assay all wayes I leaue no meane vnsearched I shape my selfe into al fashions all to bryng you to better frame I nothyng feare these counterfayte Apostles for my owne sake but this feare I leste wheÌ„ I come vnto you I fynde you not such as I would ye were ye agayne fynde me such as ye would not My desyre is to see you in al poyntes faulteles that ye may againe see me mylde and wel pleased But if ye continew to geue eare to some I feare leste I shall fynde among you debate enuying wrathe strife backbytynges whisperinges swellinges discorde so that yf I come agayne I feare leste it chaunce that whom it semed to be seen of you mery and pleasaunt as one sufficiently troubled with your outragiousnes already the Lorde among you bring me lowe agayne so that in steade of a tryumphe I be compelled to morne in all theyr behalfes whiche haue already synned and not repented as yet their vncleanes fornicacion and wantonnes which they haue committed ¶ The .xiii. Chapter The texte Nowe come I the thyrde tyme vnto you in the mouth of two or thre witnesses shall euery woorde be stablyshed I tolde you before and tell you before and as I sayed when I was present with you the seconde tyme so wryte I nowe beyng absent to them whiche in tyme past haue synned and to all other that yf I come agayne I wyll not spare seyng that ye seke experience of Christ whiche speaketh in me which amonge you is not weake but is myghtie in you For though he was crucifyed in weaknes yet lyueth he throwe the power of God And we no dout are weake in him but we shal liue with him by the myght of God amonge you THis shal be my thyrde cummyng vnto you againste which let euery of you be in a readines For I wil no loÌ„ger wynke at matters but minde in them to procede straitly and as the extreme rigoure of the lawe will Whosoeuer shall be accused shall by the wytnes of two or thre either be quited or condemned Once haue I already warned you and agayne nowe warne you and as I sayed when I was present with you the seconde tyme so wryte I vnto you nowe beyng absent not only to them whiche euen at that tyme hadde offended but also to all such as are offenders yf I fynde them vnamended forasmuch as I haue nowe twyse geuen you warnyng I will no more spare you as I haue hertofore done For what meane you Seke ye to your owne displeasure to haue experience whether suche thynges as I speake I speake of my selfe or by the spirite of Christe which by me speaketh vnto you What despise ye hym also as weake He towarde you was not weake though he once were suche vnto the Iewes and Pilate but rather among you he declared himselfe mighty by whose name ye sawe the dead to liue againe deuils to flee and the sycke to be made whole For albeit he once touching the weakenes of nature whiche he had taken vpon hym would he fastened vpon a crosse yet must he not therfore be coumpted as weake He dyed by reasoÌ„ of the infirmitie of his body but he lyueth through the power of God the father Lykewise we Apostles though folowyng the steppes of Christ our maister to vnbeleuers seme feble whyles we are of them beaten emprisoned and reuiled yet through the power of God mightie shal we be by hym againste you yf you with stoubernes prouoke my pacience The texte â–ª Proue your selfes whether ye are in the fayth or not Examen your owne selues knowe ye not your owne selues howe that Iesus Christe is in you excepte ye be cast awayes I trust ye shall knowe that we are not cast awayes I desyre before God that ye doe none euyll not that we should seme commendable but that ye should doe that whiche is honest â–ª and let vs be counted as castawayes We can doe nothyng against the trueth but for the trueth We are glad when we are weake and ye strong This also we wishe for euen your perfectnesse Therfore wryte I these thynges beyng absente leste when I am presente I should vse sharpenes according to the power whiche the Lorde hath geuen me to edifie and not to destroy Finally brethren fare ye well be perfecte be of good comforte be of one mynde lyue in peace and the God of loue and peace â–ª shal be with you Grâ—â—â— on another in an holy kysse All the sayntes salute you The grace of our Lord Iesus Christe and the loue of God and the felowshyp of the holy ghoste be with you all Amen Seke not to haue a profe of vs but rather proue your selfes whether ye continew in the gyft of fayth or els be fallen from it Searche and examine one an other of you Ye had playne experience by your workyng of miracles and by sondrye other gyftes howe that not so muche as in you was Christ weake Yf that power be gone from you it is a plaine profe that eyther your fayth is waxen faynte or that Christe beyng displeased with your euyll lyfe hathe altered his good mynde to warde you Ye knowe not your selfes and wyll ye haue experience of me when youre selfes knowe not whether Christe bee in you or not For he is in you yf the strength of faythe bee in you onlesse peraduenture your faythe beeyng after a sorte safe ye haue through vncleane lyuyng deserued to bee reiected of Christe But howesoeuer the matter goe with you I truste ye shall in vs euidently perceyue that we are not forsaken My faythe is whole and thereby shall Christe in me bee able to punyshe al suche as wyll not with a good will come to amendmente But what sayd I I truste yea rather contrarie muche more wyshe we and desyer God that through your faultes I be not compelled to shewe my power not because we feare leste we be founde weake if we goe about to shewe thesame as some vaynly talke of me this rather is my desyer that we be coumpted as castawayes so that ye be vpright and honeste For yf ye contynewe in fayth and godly lyfe cause haue I none whye to vse my power agaynste you Nor refuse I after thys sorte to seme weake and for thys to bee reakened to haue no power because ye gaue me none occasion to exercise it For agaynste the truth we can do nothyng but whatsoeuer we can doe all is for the truth in somuche that we agaynste innocentes haue no power but agaynste offenders are we of power Yf there be in you nothing founde worthy of correccion ye shall as it were vnarme vs with innocencie declaryng your selfes mightie by reason that ye shal fro me as a weake one take away the power geuen vnto me
of all healthe that you may behold hym in the meane while as it were with iyes not with bodily eiyes but with the iyes of the harte and mynde that see through the light of faithe wherewith the thynges are also seen that are to come whiche cannot be seene with the grosse bodily iyes whereby you maye knowe that which no humayne philosophie teacheth how blissed the enheritaunce is whiche he hath called vs to truste vpon and how excellent yâ— dignitie of this most pleÌ„teous enheritauÌ„ce is which the saynctes shal receyue howe great the largenesse and how excedyng the greatnesse of his power is which he declareth eueÌ„ now in vs the which also as it were with a certain secrete enforcement yâ— cannot be expressed with tongue hath transformed alâ—red vs froÌ„ our olde trade after such sorte that we conteÌ„ne al other thiges trust onely to him coÌ„teÌ„ning those thinges which wese we hope after such thinges of him as we se not such as he hath openly declared before in our head Christ whoÌ„ of his mightie power hauing raised from death to life immortal he hath exalted vnto so high honor that he hath set him on his owne right hand in yâ— kingdoÌ„ of heauen geuen him autoritie ouer al other rule potestate power lordship and euery other name of dignitie or power how excellent so euer it be aboue these afore rehearsed eyther in this worlde or in the worlde to come that he may be lorde not onely ouer bodely and earthly thinges but also ouer spirituall and heauenly thynges So ferre hath he subdued al thinges without excepcion vnder his feete And to make our hope more stedfast and certayn that we shall also come to the felowship of the same glorye for asmuche as he hath made Christe lorde ouer all thinges his pleasure was also that he shoulde be the head vnto al the whole flocke of the beleuing that cleaue so fast to Christe as the whole body is coupled to the head that the one can not be disceuered froÌ„ the other Finally the glory of the head is common to the rest of the members wherunto the head is so set about that it powreth his good nourishment into euery one of them The bodye is not perfit onleÌ„s the head be at it and the head wanteth sum what if the body be not set to perfitly consummate in all his meÌ„bres wherunto Christ doeth seuerally powre his excellent giftes in such wise that by himselfe he fulfilleth all thiÌ„ges and liueth and reigneth now whole and entierely perfit hauing his members vnited vnto himselfe ¶ The .ii. Chapter The texte And you hath he quyckened wher as ye were dead in trespasses and synnes in the whiche in tyme passed ye walked according to the course of this worlde euen after the gouerner that ruleth in the ayre the spiryte that nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbelefe emong whoÌ„ we all had out conuersacion also in tyme past in the lustes of oure fleshe and fuliâ—lled yâ— wyll of the fleshe and of the minde and were by nature the chyldren of wrath euen as well as other But God whiche is ryche in mercye for his greate loue wherwith he loued vs euen when we were deade by sinnes quickened vs together in Christ by grace arâ— ye saued and raysed vs vp together with hym made vs sytte together with hym emong them of heauen in Chryst Iesu That in tymes to come he myght shewe the exceding riches of his grate in kindnes to vs ward thorow Christ Iesu For by grate are ye made safe thorowe faythe and that not of your selues It is the gyite of God and coÌ„meth not of workes lest any man should â—â—ast hym selfe For we are his worckemaÌ„shyppe created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes whiche God ordeined that we should walke in them NOwe marke me this how the father hath begon in a maner to accomplish euen now in you that that is accomplished already in Christ shal be after ward accoÌ„plished in you Christ dyed and rose agayn shall neuer after dye any more Certes he was not subiecte to sinne albeit forasmuche as he tooke vpon him an humaine bodie he was subiecte to mortalitie To be briefe like as sin is a certain death of the soule and the forewarning of eternall death euen so is innocencie a certayne life of the soule and the beginning of eternal life But of this maner of lyfe God that geueth vs his spirite is the prince And the deuil is yâ— autor of death hauing also a spirite of his owne wherwith those that ve enspired are rapt vnto the pleasures of this world and plainely distrust the promisses of eternal lyfe Christ dyed for our offences and rose agayn to make vs sure of the immortalitie to come In the meane tyme after hys exaumple you also being engraffed to Christ through baptisme are dead to your sinnes and wickednes wherein as long as you liued vngodly you were dead in dede for asmuche as you had affyaunce in nothing but noysome shadowes of good thinges wherwith this worlde for a tyme disceaueth suche as wantyng the spirite of God are lead by the spirite of Satan whose tirannye in the meane while is permitted ouer this lower element His spirit I say and he himselfe setteth out as it were his own power in them that hauing no trust in the promisses of the Gospell set theyr whole felicitie in visible and transitory thinges and geue no eare to God the father that allureth them to true felicitie but had leauer serue that wieked cruell maister whome in tymes past you serued and not you alone but all we also For albeit the law restrayned vs from the wurshipping of Images yet our lyfe was altogether defyled with noysome lustes of corporall thynges by the enforcemente whereof we passed of the tyme not doyng those thynges whiche the holy ghoste commaunded but those that our owne mynde geuen to filthie affectes bad vs doe By reason wherof it came to passe that like as they which are encorporated to Christe through fayth appertayne to the enheritaunce that is promised to obedient children euen so we as disobedient children should haue belonged to a ferre contrary enheritaunce that is to say we should haue becomen the companions of hym to whome we had ioyned our selues That death is eternal that is appoynted to the wicked Wherunto we also were subiect asmuche as other touchyng our owne state and condicion We had addicted ourselues vnto it of our owne free choice but it was not in our power to wynde vs agayne out of that most miserable seruitude Nowe you haue heard of our death now you haue harde of our destruccion but whereof commeth lyfe whereof commeth saluacyon Truely not of our desertes nor yet by the benefite of Moses lawe Whence than Surely of the free largesse of God the father whose bounteousnesse and louyng affection is so plenteous and so exceadingly great to mankyndewarde that
the countrey are called Thessalonians They whan they had once receaued the faith persisted in it with suche a constancie that they suffred accordyng to Paules example persecucions euen of their owne Citezens with a glad stomacke and without shrynkyng so as the false Apostles could turne them by no maner of perswasion from the ordinaunce of the gospell And yet Paule beeyng afrayed of it because he knewe the false Apostles ouerth wartnes wel ynough by experience inasmuche as he could not go see them himselfe he sent Timotheus by whome whan he was returned Paule hanyng reporte of theyr constancie prayseth them with thankes geuyng to God This matter he treateth of in the first and second Chapiters In the other three he instructeth them in sondrie offices of godlynesse signifying vnto them as it were with priuie ynclynges that there were some among them whiche were not yet altogether pure from all vncleane demeanoure of lyuyng and that they were not all without suche as beyng geuen to loyteryng were a chargeable burthen to others and a sorte of busye bodyes that disturbe the quietnesse of theyr congregacion he commaundeth to be correcte Moreouer where some were not of a throughly confirmed Iudgement as yet concernyng the resurreccion seyng they bewayled theyr dead frendes as though they had perished and not rather departed vnto better promocions them he enstructeth and confirmeth And on the other syde where some disputed of the daye of the Lordes commyng as though it might well haue bene foreknowen and tolde of before where as it is vncertayne to all men Paule sayeth it shal come sodaynly and whaÌ„ no man looketh for it to the intent we shoulde be the more ready at euery moment This Epistle he wrote from Athenes by Tichicus a ministre after the grekes writinges and our Latine argumentes saye also that Onesimus baxe hym cumpanye howbeit there is no certayne auctour in the commune exemplares ¶ The ende of the Argument The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the first Epistle of the Apostle S. Paule to the Thessalonians The .i. Chapiter The texte Paul and Syluanus and Timethe Unto the congregacion of the Thessolonians in God the father and in the Lorde Iesus Christe Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father and from the Lorde Iesus Christe We geue God thankes alwaye for you all makyng mencion of you in our prayers without ceasyng and call you to remembrauÌ„ce because of the worke of your fayth and labour in loue and because ye haue continued in the hope of our Lorde Iesus Christe in the sight of God our father PAul and Siluanus and Tymothe vnto the congregacion of the Thessalonians coÌ„senting together in God the father and in our Lorde Iesus Christe wishe vnto you grace and peace We reioyce as it is conuenient we should for your good forewardenesse and rendre thankes alwayes vnto God making mencion of all you on the behalfe of you all as often as we talke with God in holy supplicacions in that it can neuer be out of our myndes how diligently you trauayled to defend the profession of your fayth than what exceding labour you toke for the loue that you beare vnto the preachers of the gospel how maÌ„fully and without shrinking you abode al thinges through the hope and expectacion of the rewardes which our Lorde Iesus Christe hath promysed in the lyfe to come vnto them that for his names sake care not for the displeasures of this lyfe You shall not lose the hyre of your well doinges for God our father that seeth vpon what respecte you did them is he that shall paye the hyre The texte We knowe brethren beloued of God howe that ye are electe For our gospell came not vnto you by woorde onely but also by power and by the holy ghost and by much certaintie as ye knowe after what maner we behaued our selfes among you for your sake And ye became folowers of vs and of the Lorde receyuing the woorde with muche affliccion with ioy of the holy ghost so that ye were an ensample to al that beleue in Macedonia and Achaia For from you sounded out the woorde of the Lorde not in Macedonia and in Achaia onely but your fayth also whiche ye haue vnto God spred herselfe abrode in all quartars so that it nedeth not vs to speake any thyng at all For they themselfes shewe of you what maner of entryng in we had vnto you howe ye turned to God from ymages for to serue the lyuing and true God and for to loke for his sonne from heauen whom he â—aysed from death euen Iesus whiche deliuereth vs from the wrath to come You your selfes knowe welbeloued brethren that you were not chaunged by the persuasion of man but that you were chosen to these purposes euen by the will of God Neither yet haue we so slenderly preached the gospell vnto you as nothyng hath been shewed vnto you sauyng bare woordes but the power of God hath confirmed our doctrine euen with euident miracles And the holy gost was also geueÌ„ by vs so that we were behinde in nothing that should in any wise make for the perfite beleuyng of the gospels doctrine For whatsoeuer they of Iewry atteined by other mens preaching thesame did you also atteine at our gospel teaching And in this behalfe how sincerely how humbly and how paynefully we behaued our selfes among you you can tell wel ynough For there was nothing whereby we myght wynne you vnto Christe but we abode it And you for your parte shewed not your selues vnto warde scholars but you folowed streyght after the example of vs yea rather not of vs but of the Lorde Iesu that humbled himselfe so lowe and suffred al thinges that he might wynne vs vnto himselfe For you haue so hartely embraced ouâ— gospell preaching that for the loue of it you haue suffred affliccions paciently howe many and howe greuouse soeuer they were not onely with muche boldenesse but also with muche gladnesse because the holy goste whom you receyued by our preaching as a pledge for the time of the felâ— citie to come hath placed himselfe in your hartes through hope of which felicitie al sorowes become swete whatsoeuer are layed vpon vs for the gospel of Christe And the valiauntnesse of your fayth was so passing excellent that you were an ensample to al the faythfull in the rest of Macedonia and Achaia For the example of that noble chiefe citie moued all mennes mindes so sore that the fame of the gospel sounded as it were the noyse of a Trompet wyde and brode and published the feruencie of your fayth that you haue to Godwaâ—de not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in all other countreys so that nowe we see it is no nede for vs to make reporte of your godlynesse For if we begynne at any time to speake of those matters they are more readye of theyr owne mynde to tell vs being instructed by the commune brute than we can tell them howe we entred
it good to doe that by my moste faythfull companion that I coulde not doe by my selfe and to put him in stede of my selfe Therfore we taried still alone at Athenes and from thence sente Tymothe our brother a tryed minister of God and an helpefelowe of our office which we haue to doe in the gospell of Christ because we had leauer wante the comforte of that so deare a singular and so necessarie a companion for the tyme than to geue occasion that you should thinke we had vtterly geuen ouer lokyng to your state of thinges And verily we haue sente hym not for any cause of our owne but chiefly for your sakes that he myght establishe and comforte your consciences and to shewe you that for all these paynfull affliccions wherewith I am tossed hereawaye and therawaye myne harte is nothing discouraged but the glorye of the gospell is a great deale better auaunced leste any of you shoulde be dismayed by reason of myne affliccions whiche you heare tell of For you must not thinke it any neweltie though these thinges happen to the preachers of the gospell in asmuche as you knewe a good while a goe that I was chosen of god to this same ende that through suffring of affliccions of my body I myght auaunce the name of Christ and so in this behalfe to be like my Lord and maister For euen than whan we were present with you we tolde you the same before that we should suffre affliccion for the gospelles sake And as I tolde you before it should be so you see it now happened like as also you haue knowen it happen before As for me there was nothing hapened vnto me vnloked for nor any thig that I tolde not you of afore so as you haue the lesse cause to be discouraged Wherfore considering that for the great care I take for you euen whan all thing is at the surest I coulde not be quiet but long after you still I sent Tymothe as I sayed afore for this purpose that by hym as well in a maner as I were present there my selfe I might knowe the stedfastnesse of your fayth and might trye yf he that kepeth continuall watche to subuerte them that be good had tempted any of the weaker sorte of you and so in them my labour had been loste The texte But nowe lately when Timothe came from you vnto vs and declared to vs your fayth and loue and how that ye haue good remembraunce of vs alwaye desiâ—yng to see vs as we also desyre to see you Therfore brethren we receiued consolacid by you in al our aduersitie and necessitie through your fayth For nowe are we alyue yf ye stande sted fast in the Lord. For what thankes can we recompence to God againe for you ouer al that ioy that we ioy for your sakes before our God praying nyght and daye exceadyngly that we might see you presently and might fulfyll the thynges which are lackyng vnto your fayth God hymselfe our father and our Lord Iesus Christ shall gyde oure iourney vnto you the Lord also shall increace you and make you flowe ouer in loue one towarde another and towarde all men euen as we do toward you that he may make your heartes stable and vnblameable in holynes before God oure father at the commyng of our Lord Iesus Chryst with al saynâ—tes But whan Tymothe of late returned from you to vs againe and brought vs mery tydinges shewing that you persiste aswell constauntly in your fayth without shrinking as also that your vnfeyned charitie is the same that it was and that our beeyng a sondre hathe not brought vs out of remembraunce with you but that you haue vs in mynde alwayes coÌ„tinually and that you are euer desirous to see vs as we are to see you there is no necessitie nor any sorowe that I am pressed withall but I â—an heare it paciently sence I knewe that you abode constantely in your fayth whiche whan I was afrayed of I was nothing afrayed of my selfe For I thinke that I am altogether safe if your fayth continue safe Nowe we liue and thinke our selfes deliuered from al maner of dauÌ„gter in case you through the helpe of Christ Iesu persiste constantly in yâ— you haue begun It yrketh not me to suffre these euils so that the frutes be answerable in you for whose sakes I abyde them Whiche thyng for asmuche as I perceyue to be in dede so as the gospel groweth in acquayntaunce among the Gentiles dayly more and more what thankes worthy so great a benefite are we able to reÌ„dre vnto God by whose goodnes so excellent ioy wherwith we reioyce withal our hartes for your foreward proceding chaunceth vnto vs euen among these sorowes our God bearyng recorde of the same vnto whose goodnesse you are bounde for that you continue stedfaste of whome oure duetie is in our prayers daye and nighte to desyre this thing in more ample wise that by his mercy we may at one tyme or other see you agayne For with personall presence some thing is doen that nother letters nor messenger how trustie so euer he be can be hable to accomplishe For this cause sake therfore I am desirous to see you to the entent if any gospellyke discipline be wanting I might supplie it and amende it Furthermore my prayer is that where I caÌ„not so doe by meanes of wicked persones God himselfe our father and his sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde would vouchesafe to take awaye those lettes open me a free passage vnto you and also in the meane season so to encreace you with his gyftes that I may see you to my great comforte Which thyng shal be in case he make you aboundaunte and plenteouse in mutuall charitie among your selues and not among your selues only but also towardes all men like as we also haue a certayne excellencie of loue towardes all you beyng ready euen to suffre death for your saluacion and that he would so confirme your consciences that your vprightenesse cannot be blamed on any behalfe not only with menne but muche rather with God the father whom nothing escapeth in the cumming of our Lorde Iesus Christe at which time it shall openly appeare in the sight of all Sainctes not only what euery one hath doen but also with what conscience euery one hath done it ¶ The .iiii. Chapter The texte Furthermore we beseche you brethren and exhorte you by the Lord Iesus â–ª that ye increace more and more euen as ye haue receyued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by our Lord Iesus Christ For this is the will of God euen your holynes that ye should abstaine from fornicacyon and that euery one of you should know how to kepe his vessel in holynes honour not in the luste of concupiscence as doe the hethen which know not God that no man opresse and defraude his brother â—â—â— bargayning because that the Lord is the auenger
sakes And yf they reproue you for your faultes at any tyme yet haue peace with them For he is not worthye to be hated that reproueth a man for his profite The texte We desyre you brethren warne them that are vnruelye comforte the feble mynded lyfte vp the weake be pacient towarde all men Se that none recompence euyll for euyll vnto any man but euer folowe that whiche is good both among your selues and to all men Reioyce euer Praye continually In all thynges geue thankes For this is the wyll of God thorow Christ Iesu towarde you Quenche not the spirite Despyse not prophecyinges Eramen all thynges kepe that whiche is good Abstayne from all euel apperaunce The very god of peace sanctifie you thorowe out And I praye God that youre whole spirite and soule and bodye maye be preserued so that in nothyng ye maye be blamed in the commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ Faythfull is he whiche called you whiche will also do it Brethren praye for vs. Grete all the brethren with an holy kysse I charge you in the Lorde that this Epistle be red vnto all the holy brethren The grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ be with you Amen And thus I beseche you euerye man accordyng to his habilitie to laye your helpyng handes to the forewardyng of their offices Admonishe them that lyue after their owne lustes and disquiet the ordre that you obserue Comforte the weake harted releue the feble be gentill and paciēt towardes all men not onely towardes the Christians but also them that are straungers from Christ Beware that none recompense wrong for wrong nor requite euill dede for euill dede For truely it is vnsemyng to folowe the ecample of naughtie persones in a naughty matier and become lyke condicioned vnto them But rather geue diligence to do good vnto all folkes not onely the christians vnto christians but also vnto all maner of folkes whether they haue deserued it or not deserued it beyng certaynly assured that your diligence shall not be lost for Christ is your suertie In consideracion wherof whatsoeuer chaunceth vnto you reioyce alwayes so that godlynesse bee safe call vpon God with your prayers continually without ceassyng and geue thankes whatsoeuer befalleth you For so it standeth with gods pleasure that there shall be occasion alwayes to rendre thankes vnto the father for his bounteousnes to you warde by Iesus Christe And this furthermore standeth you in hande to take hede of that no variaunce rise among you by reason of euery ones sondrye sortes of giftes Vnto some one chaunceth the gift of tongues to syng in the spirite albeit it is but a gift of the basest sorte yet quenche it not in any wise but cherishe it rather that it maye profyte better and better Vnto some chaunceth the gifte of prophecie to declare the misticall sence of the scripture reiecte it not in any wyse whatsoeuer is spoken Suffre the one paciently that he maye go on forwarde heare the others setence with iudgement but after suche sorte that he be not to muche molested in his speakyng Let no mā make so muche of his owne giftes that he contemne another mannes Trye al thynges but let euery man holde the thing that he iudgeth requisite Whatsoeuer it be that hath the similitude of a good thyng is not to be despised Notwithstandyng it behoueth you to abhorre so muche from euil that you ought to absteyne euen from those thynges that haue the shewe of euill But vnto these matters it shall be your parte to applie all your diligent studies And god the auctor of peace vnto whō is acceptable both the lyke consent of mynde the like speache of wordes that mē do wholy vse together in suche thynges as be honest bryng to passe that you maye be perfitely holy vnspotted so as the soule maye be answerable vnto the spirite the body aunswerable to the soule the spirite selfe answerable to God y◠there be nothyng to fynde you faultie in that you maye styll perseuer in this state of holynesse continually vntil the cumming of our lord Iesus Christ There is no cause for you to distruste of For he is sure of his promyse that hath called you vnto this holynesse to the rewardes of the same he hymselfe shall finishe that he hath begonne and perfourme that he hath promised Brethren helpe you forewarde with your prayers the labours that we go aboute Salute all the brethren with a kysse not suche a one as the commune sorte of salutours doe geue but with an holye kysse and worthy Christian loue I charge you by the Lorde that this Epistle be rehearsed to al the holy brethren The grace and beneuolent fauour of our Lorde Iesu Christe be alwayes with you Amen Thus endeth the paraphrase vpon the first Epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians The Argument vpon the seconde Epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians by Des Erasmus of Roterodame FOrasmuche as Paul coulde not haue libertie to goe see the Thessalonians agayne he confirmeth their consciences by Epistle that they myght manfully suffre the affliccions layed vpon them for Christes sake seeyng that they shall not want reward nor the aduersaries escape punishmēt Againe concerning the daye of the Lordes cumming wherof he touched somewhat in the farther Epistle he warneth them that they be not styrred with the sayinges of some that affirme as though it were at hande and as some thinke signifieth closely that the Empire of Rome must be first dispatched and Antichriste to come after that Moreouer he beateth into theyr heades very earnestly to restrayne suche as with their idlenes nice curiositie haue been disturbours of the commune quietnes and ordre and to enforce them vnto labour in asmuche as Paul himselfe laboured among them with his owne handes This Epistle he wrote from Athens by thesame men that he sente the farther Epistle by as it is recorded by our argumentes The ende of the argumente The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the. ii Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians The fyrste Chapiter The texte Paul Syluanus Timothe Vnto the congregacion of the Thessaloniās in god our father and in the Lord Iesus Christ Grace be vnto you and peace from god our father from the Lord Iesus Christ We are bound to thanke God alwayes for you brethren as it is mete because that your fayth groweth exceadyngly and euery one of you swymmeth in loue toward another betwene your selues so that we our selues boast of you in the congregacions of God ouer your pacience and fayth in all your persecucyons and tribulacyons that ye suffer whiche is a token of the ryghtewes iudgement of God that ye are counted worthy of the kyngdome of God for which ye also suffer It is verely a ryghtewes thynge with God to recompence tribulacion to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shal shewe hymselfe from heauen with
with gentyll remedyes Therfore not onely the iudgement of god touching thy synceritie not onely myne example not onely thyne owne profession and in yâ— thou arte a souldiour of Christ but also suche mennes abominable example ought to kyndle thy harte to doe thyne offyce throughly as thou shouldest doe The .ii. Chapter The texte ¶ I exhorte therfore that aboue all thinges prayers supplicacions intercessions and geuyng of thankes be had for all men for kynges and for all that are in auctorite that we maye lyue a quiete and a peaceable life with all godlynes auâ— honesty For that is good and accepted in the syght of god our sauioure whiche wyll haue all men to be saued and to come vnto the knowledge of the trueth For there is one God and one mediatoure betwene God and man euen the man Christ Jesus whiche gaue hym selfe a raunsome for all men that it shoulde be testifyed at his tyme whenunto I am ordeyned a preacher and an Apostle I tell the trueth in Christ and lye not beynge the teacher of the Gentyls wiâ—â— faith and veritie IT is not ynoughe for the to be without fault thy selfe but it is the parte of a byshop to prescriâ—e also vnto other what is necessarye for them to doe And those ought to be suche thinges as maye appeare worthy an Euangelical conscience To be briefe it standeth them in hande that professe Christ to be moost ferre of â—â—om desyre of reuengement from desyre of hurte doing and from all kynde of dyspleasure Therfore see thou exhorte those that thyne are to begynne the first thing they doe in the mornynge to vse godlynes and to worshyp Christ And first of al let them praye to god to put awaye all thinges that trouble and disquiet the state of Religion and of the commune wealthe Than let them aske of him those thinges that are auayleable to godlye doyng and to the tranquillitie of the commune wealth This doen let them beseache Christe nothing elles against suche as persecute his flocke but his ayde and succoure Laste of all let thankes be rendred vnto him for those thinges that by goddes goodnes haue happened and earnest supplicacions made for the thinges that haue not yet happened And let these be doen not onely for the Christians but for all maner of men also lest Christian loue shoulde appeare to be but a straite laced loue as though it fauoured none but of his owne sorte but set it be extended abrode in moost large maner after thexample of god bothe to the good and to the badde lyke as he beyng parfitely good and beneficiall to all as much as in him is bestoweth his sonne to shyne vnto the iuste and also to the vniust And in asmuche as god geueth vs publique quietnesse by meanes of Ethnike rulers it is reason that thankes be rendâ—ed also for them â–ª And it is vncertayne to vs whether that ruler beyng a wycked ymage worshypper shall in shorte space receyue the gospel For that cause Christian loue wyssheth the saluacioÌ„ of al. The Iewe loueth the Iewe the newly entred into a secte loueth his lyke the Greke loueth the greke the borther loueth the brother the kynsman loueth the kynsman This is not a Gospellyke loue but that is a gospellyke loue that loueth the godlye for Christ and loueth the wycked that they maye once re pente and turne vnto Christ They doe sacrifice vnto deuylles and curse y ou bytterlye And you contrary wyse cleaue harde to the fotesteppes of Christe who whan he was exalted vpon the crosse and was reuiled with such spyght full rebukes as were more greuous than the punyshemente of the crosse selfe he gaue none euyll wordes againe he cursed not bytterly againe but with an excedynge great crye besought the father to forgeue them And praier is to be made not onely for yâ— who le general sorte of meÌ„ but also especially for kinges yea though they be Ethnikes and straungiers from the profession of Christe and for all them that after the publique ordre of the worlde are set in any autoritie And let not this moue you that of them we be afflicted we be beaten we be caste in pryson we be put to death Rather theyr blyndenes is to be pitied and not malyce requitte with malyce Or elles they shalbe neuer the better and we shall ceasse also to be Christians This waye pleased Christe as a waye of mooste speciall efficacie wherwith he woulde haue all dryuen to him selfe And thoughe there be some vpon whom our loue is lost yet wee wyll not geue ouer to be lyke oure selues for al that This world hath his ordre which it is not expedyent that we shoulde dysquyet seyng it is our duetye to procure peace in euery place Their power and autoritie in some purpose doeth seruice vnto the iustyce of God in that they holde vnder the euyll doers with punishementes in that they kept the naughtye ones in their duetie doing in that they put awaye robberyes in that with their martiall powers they defende the publique peace in that they gouerne the commune wealthe with their lawes These thinges albeit they doe not for the loue of Christ yet in a generaltye it is not expedient that the state of the commune wealth shoulde be dysturbed by meanes of vs lest the doctrine of the gospell shoulde seme a sedicious doctrine and than we shoulde begynne to runne in a hatered not bycause we professe Christe but bycause we hynder the publique peace And in case they abuse their power vpon vs at any tyme it is a Christian mans parte to forget the euyll turnes and remembre the good turne In this we are bounden to their autoritie in this we are boundeÌ„ to their defence and marciall powers yea we are rather bounden to God by them in this that we maye be safe from sedicions safe from robbynge safe from battayles and leade a quiet lyfe without trouble It woulde doe well to haue in remembraunce what a greate sea of myschiefes the hurly burly of warre bryngeth in with it and what coÌ„modities peace hath in it Many are the myschiefes that beggerly nede of necessarie thinges procureth Peace bryngeth plentie In peace there is oportunitie to vse godlynesse and warre teacheth all maner of wyckednes Our profession loueth chaste behauiour and in warre who can be safely chaste as he shoulde be And thoughe men for the moost parte abuse the benefyte of peace to wycked sensuall purposes yet for all that let vs vse the publique peace to the seruing of god and integritie of honest manners obeying princes in the meane season in al thinges that they eyther commaunde vs rightely accordinge to their office or elles doe nothing vnto vs but make vs punyshed persons and not wicked persons They take awaye our substaunce but yet no parte of our honestye is dyminished They lade vs with fetters but they drawe vs not away from Christ They slea the body and sende vs ouer to the hauen of immortalitie
am an Apostle he is bothe a brother and most derely beloued brother for the commune faithes sake which maketh vs elike in Christ for the commune enheritaunce sake wherunto we are called indifferently elike for the commune fathers sake for the commune redemers sake in whiche all there is no difference betwene the lorde and the seruaunt betwene the maister and the scholar And yf he for these causes be vnto me most dearely beloued with whome I haue nothyng commune sauyng the kynred of the spirit how much more ought he to be most dearly beloued vnto the vnto whom besydes the boÌ„des of the spirit he is also ioyned after yâ— fleshe Thou wouldest loue a strauÌ„gier if thou seest him become suche a one as Onesimus is But nowe thou shalte loue him for this respecte that where he is of thine owne householde he is proued suche a one as he is And yf thou vouchesafe to haue me to be thy coÌ„panion in the ghospels affaires thou must take him agayne as it were I my selfe For I loue him as my most deare sonne as my highly beloued brother as partaker of my bondes and of the ghospell Other thou must cast of both or hertyly loue both What he hath bene afore tyme it besemeth not to reherse after he is baptised Suppose him to be a newe man newly borne againe vnto the. But if the losse of any thing greue the wherof thou woldest haue ameÌ„des before thou forgeue hym take me suertye for him Requyre it of me whatsoeuer he hath eyther hurt thee or oweth thee I bynde my fidelitie vnto the by this my hande writynge Loe thou haste this Epistle written with my verye owne hande Yf thou thinke me a trustye suertie leate Onesimus alone goe to lawe with me I shal paye the agayne in his behalfe whatsoeuer he oweth the. Thus muche I coulde obteyne I thinke yf I had to do with any other man I am not disposed to reherse at this preset what I might iustly require of the by myne owne autoritie For I wyl not make rehersall here that inasmuch as thou arte become a christian man by my doctrine thou owest me not only that that thyne is but also thine owne selfe Muche lesse wrong thou oughtest to recken it yf I woulde require the to forgyue me what soeuer losse it be that Onesimus oweth thee howbeit I desyre not that onles thou wilte wyllyngly and of thyne owne mynde forgeue it not so muche to set my promise at libertie as that thou shouldest declare thy charitie Wel goe to my brother Onesimus hath his name of fruition who lyke as I loue hym derely and as I woulde with al myne hert haue him praysed vnto the so let it be my chaunce to haue yâ— fruicion of thee not after the maner as among the commune people a frend is glad of his frende but so as an Apostle is ioyous of his disciple that expresseth the doctrine of Christ Thou seest how hartely I loue Onesimus and he hath wel deserued that I should loue him Therfore receyue hym make my herte mery Herein I trouble the with to muche a doe not that I put any distrust in thy charitie but I do it vpona certaine abundaunce of loue that I beare vnto my sonne For in dede I knowe thyne obedience so throughlye â–ª well by thyne olde diligent doinges that I doubt not but thou wilte doe more in this behalf than I require of the. And in the meane whyle receyue Onesimus gentlie eueÌ„ as my pledge and also prepare me lodgyng agaynst I come whiche shall not be long after For I trust that God throughe your prayers wil once restore me agayne vnto you And than I shall presently thanke the for thy gentill receyuyng of Onesimus Epaphras thy countreyman saluteth thee whiche is my felow in pryson and in bondes for Christ Iesus sake Moreouer Marcus Aristarchus Demas Lucas my felowes in office And imagine that they all beseche the for Onesimus as I doe The grace of oure Lorde Iesus Christ be alwayes wyth your spirite Amen ¶ Thus endeth the Paraphrase vpon the Epistle to Philemon The argument of the Epistleto the Hebrues gathered by Des Erasmus of Roterodame NO nacion resisted the gospel of Christe with more obstinate mindes then the Iewes which bare also a speciall malyce agaynste Paule partly for that that he openly professed himselfe to be an Apostle of the heathen whome the Iewes aborred as vnreligious and godles and partly because he semed to abolishe Moses lawe which they conÌ„pted most holy desired the same to be published thorough all the worlde in the stede of the gospell Insomuche that there were some euen amonge them that had receyued Christes doctrine which thought that the obseruacon of the lawe ought in any wyse to be ioyned and coupled with the gospell Wherfore the faythfull at Hierusalem were sondrie wayes vexed and iniured by such as resisted the gospel For the aduersaries beeing commen officers and hauing the publike autoritie in their handes the sincere professours of the gospel were caste into prison were scourged and suffred spoyle and losse of theyr goodes Paul therfore coÌ„forteth these good men by yâ— example of the old sainctes which for the moste parte were exercised with such like or greuouser calamities that their vertue therby might be tried and made more excelleÌ„t But chefely he conforteth them with the example of Christe and hope of the heauenly reward After this he declareth that now that Christes gospell hath shewed furth hir shyning lyght the shadowes of Moses lawe haue vanished awaie and continue no longer And in this place he repeteth many thynges out of the olde testament and applieth them vnto Christ He teacheth further that we ought not to hope for saluacion by kepyng of the lawe which was geuen but for a tyme was vnperfit but by fayth by which those olde notable holy men whose remeÌ„braunce the Iewes had in great veneracion chiefely pleased God In the ende he teacheth certayne rules pertaining to christian maners ¶ The ende of the Argument The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of the Apostle saincte Paule to the Hebrewes The fyrst Chapter The texte God in tyme past diuersly and many wayes spake vnto the fathers by Prophetes but in these laste dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his owne soune whome he hath made heâ—â—e of all thynges by whome also he made the worlde Whiche sonne being the bryghtenes of hys glory and the very ymage of hys substaunce rulynge all thynges with the worde of hys power hath by hys owne persone pourged ouâ—e synnes and sytteth on the ryghte hande of the maiesty on bye beyng so muche more excellent then the Angels as he hath by in heritaunce obtayned a more excellent name then they WHere as in tymes past almyghtie God desyrous for the tender loue he bare towardes vs to prouyde for the health and saluacion of mankynd spake ofterymes diuerslye and many wayes by his Prophetes vnto whome he appeared
declare her worthie praises and price to bee of moste notable estymacyon and value before God and man And forasmuch as the experience of your graces godly frutes of vertuous life and dooinges hathe and dooeth vndenyablye reporte the vnfayned feare and loue of God to be in your harte aswell in your graces moste christian studies and trauailes in the faithfull furtheraunce and aduauncement of the syncere worde of God as in liberall reliuing helping and with moste hartie diligence succouring the poore as the commune patronesse and helper of all nedie succourles settours forth of the Gospell of Christ where in the later ende of thys laste yeare I toke in hande at the request â–ª of your graces humble seruaunt â–ª my speciall good frende Edward whitchurch Printour to translate the Paraphrases of Erasmus vpon certain of Paules epistles whiche were lefte vntranslated for lacke of payne takers in that matter for somuche as the learned menne appoynted to thys purpose of translacion had finished their limited taskes before and now at the like request I haue made the like enterpryse to translate the Canonycall Epistles of S. Peter Iude Iames and Iohn Being encouraged by youre graces muche proued clemencie towardes all menne in generall I am presentlie bolde to dedicate these symple doinges of my rude trauslacion vnto your moste noble and excellent name not as a thing being of it selfe a translacion of basse kinde of thenglishe phrase accordinge to the rude commune Englishe speache of the countrey where I was borne worthie youre graces commendacion but as a moniment and reknowlaginge of my moste bounden duetie of humble thankes geuinge vnto your grace for causinge me to bee called of late to a competent vicatage called Cobâ—â—gton in warwike shire at the humble sute of the reuerende ministre of Goddes worde my singular frende Doctour hugh Latymer and as a constaunt memoriall and token of my duetie to considre vpon what respecte he bestowed his sure your grace youre gracious helping forewardenes towardes me that I shoulde dispence and employe my contynuall studie labours residence trauailes and industries to the earnest performacion and faithfull discharge of that ecclesiastical charge vocacion and office committed vnto me and to content my selfe as indifferentlye with that competent small lyuinge as though it were of muche more reuenues and value Besechynge your grace to take this my moste humble present in good and benigâ—â— parte considerynge that for wante of ryches of eloquence and learnyng to caste in to the commune treasoury amonge the abundaunt ryche dooinges of famous learned men I am readyly glad as an obscure vnlearned person with the poore widow to cast in my two mytes Now touchyng thys notable learned Paraphrast D. Erasmus if hys doinges vpon the Gospelles and Actes of thapostles be so necessarye and holsom playne declaracions of Christes minde and the Euangelistes as the opinion of many learned is they bee his Paraphrases also vpon the pistles are no lesse frutefull ne lesse profytable to geue lyght and ready instruccion vnto mennes consciences aswell to plucke awaye erâ—onyous opynyons if he be redde with aduised iudgement and to teache Christ aright as to banysh pride dronkenes â—reason tumultes sedicion vproares incontinencie ryot idlenes ruffianynge vagabuncie malyce slaunder vncommely talking lyght tales â—nuentynge and carying deuouring of neighbours and couetousnes the rote of al wickednesse whiche horrible vices are now a dayes so licentiously vsed and practiced on all haÌ„des for the most parte hat Gospel like truth liberty is almost vtterly chauÌ„ged in to hellishe iniquitie suche is the deuilles diligent preaching prelacie not only endeuouryng to bring to passe therby to plante and establish his Romysh Antichristianitie with disobedience and other his braunches and states of wickednes agayne partly vnder pretence of a Christen libertie and partly vnder colour of a commune wealth but also to cause the Gospel of Christ the rebukeâ— of disobedience and all other kyndes of vice to beare the blame of false opinions disobedience and naughtie lyuing as though it were thoccasyon or bolsterour of vice To the redresse hereof Erasmus in these epistles is a ready strong interpretour in many necessary places in all I am not hable to affirme knowing that he in hys life tyme was a manne subiecte to infirmitie and imperfeccion according to the naturall condycion of manne as he himselfe speaketh of the great Doctour S. Hierome Homoâ—rat et falli poâ—â—rat et fallere A manne he was and might bothe be deceaued and deceaue And as for my labour in this rude Englishe translacion I toke it in hande for none other ende but only to doe at my hartie frendes vndenyable request a litell parte whiche learned menne hauyng done certayne seuerall partes of the other paraphrases had by occasyon lette vntranslated and that the vnlearned might through diligent reading of these englished paraphrases tast according to the measure of theyr faithe the swetenes of Christe and the vertue of true obedyence and christen liuyng and auoide the deuilles subtill Iuggling eschewe disobedience and sedicious assembling repent of light ruffiaâ—yng and blasphemous carnal Gospelling contemne the world with al his painted flatering and abhorte the to muche wickedly vsed brutish lyuing The Lorde Iesus Christe the onlye autor of saluacyon and healthe contynue and encreace hys moste gracyous gyftes in youre grace to the ende and Ioyfully preserue youre long prosperous healthe in hym Amen The xv of Iulie M. D. xlix ¶ The Canonicall Epistles ¶ The .i. Epistle of saynct Peter The .ii. Epistle of S. Peter The Epistle of S. Iude. The Epistle of S. Iames. The .i. Epistle of S. Iohn The .ii. Epistle of S. Iohn The .iii. Epistle of S. Iohn The Argumente of D. Erasmus of Roterodame vpon the firste Epistle of S. Peter PEter writeth to the Iewes that dwelt here and there in the coastes of the GeÌ„tiles as Iames dyd an Epistle no doubt worthie the chief of the Apostles which is full of apostolike autoritie and maiestie and is comprysed in fewe woordes but full of sentences He exhorteth meune pacientlye to beare the euils that they suffred for malice of the gospell in hope of reward Moreouer he admonisheth them that accordyng to the Prophetes mencioned saynges beyng freely called to so high dignitie they expresse a life worthie of their profession For he sayth christianitie consisteth not in title or baptisme onely but in innocencie of maners for in that they are otherwyse afflicted with sorowes it maketh nothyng to the glory of Christe if they appeare manifestly to suffre for naughtie dedes doing Furthermore he admonisheth such as come in to christianitie that they refuse not to obey magistrates though they â—ee heathens leste beyng prouoked they can neyther be conuerted to Christ but become more fearce and cruell Also that seruauntes denye not their duetie to their maisters though they be heathens For the office of christian goodnes is to suffre al thynges Furthermore he admonisheth the christian women that they contemne
intemperaunce is blamed by youre honest vprightnes They woulde loue the companions of their fylthynes but nowe they rayle vpon you because youre lyfe is not suche as theirs is but yet there is no cause why ye shoulde be moued at their raylynlynges neither are they to be rayled at agayne Let it be ynough for you that you haue a good conscience before God Yf you can by any possible waye conuerte them vnto better you ought to do your diligeÌ„ce howbeit after such sort that you goe not backe from your own syncere vprightnes If they do repent it is to be ioyed at yf their hertes be hardened they rayle and scolde euen agaynst them that wyshe them well referre you the vengeaunce to God whose iudgement no mortall man is hable to escape For he in tyme shall iudge all men not onely the quycke but also the deade the quycke whom Christ at hys commyng shall fynde lyuinge in the bodye the deade whiche before Christes commyng are departed out of this lyfe Notwithstandyng none lyueth in dede but he that lyueth vnto godlynes Those that serue vices and fylthye lustes are dead vnto God And vnto him at his iudgement those that be dead in dede shal rendre accoÌ„pt yf they wil not repent from theyr vices For he that most equall indyfferent iudge shall punyshe them for youre sakes and paye you the full rewardes of your pacient suffraunce In dede he is desirous that all men reuiue vnto gospellike godlynes and for that cause sake he woulde haue the grace of the gospell pâ—â—ached not onelye vnto the Iewes that lyued deuoutly after Moses lawe not onely vnto the Gentiles that lyued honestlye after the lawe of nature but also vnto the dead and vtterly buried in all kyndes of naughtines And vnto theyr darkenes he woulde haue the lyght of the gospell to be layed them he woulde haue taughte with all myldenes and pacience that they also awaking at length myght contemne those thynges wherin being nowe blynde they repose their felicitie and be reputed as dead in bodye with men in that they are not entangled with any affeccioÌ„s of the body but with God they myght lyue in spirite For none is alyue in dede in Goddes iudgement but he that is after this sorte deade There is nothyng of long continuaunce in this worlde and the ende of all thynges shall shoretly come And their voluptuous pleasures shall sone forsake them and your paynefull punishement shall sone haue an ende And also euerlastyng ioye abydeth for you and euerlasting cormentes abyde for them The texte Be ye therfore sobre and watche vnto prayer But aboue all thynges haue feruente loue among your selues For loue shal couer the the multitude of synnes Be ye her berous one to another without grâ—d gynge As euerye man hath receyued the gyfte euen so minister the same one to another as good ministers of the manifolde grace of God If any man speake let hym talke as the wordes of God If any man minister let hym do it as of the habilytie whych God ministreth vnto hym That God in al thynges maye bec glorified through Iesus Christ to whom be prayse and dominion for euer euer Amen Therfore it stondeth you in hande by all meanes that that daye fynde you not slugishly napping nor carelesly snourting by riot and slouthfulnes But rather prepare your selues alwayes ready agaynst that daye and be sobre and watching in continuall prayers For it shall come vnloked for so it is the will of Christ but if it shall fynd thee in them it can not chose but come happyly Sobrietie is an acceptable thyng to God it is a sure mater to watche for God doeth gladlye heare the prayers that are set forthe by temperaunce and watchyng But this is a thyng a greate deale most acceptable of all that you embrace euery one other with continuall and vehement loue releuing euery one other with mutuall good turnes So as he that is the more watchefull maye rayse vp the drowsye snourtour he that is the better learned may instructe the lesse learned he that is yâ— more diligente may warne the sluggarde he that is the more feruente maye prycke vp the colde one and he that is the more perfit maye forgeue him that doeth amysse through infirmitie For this brynnynge charitie towardes the neighboure couereth the multitude of sinnes wherwith we are endaungered to God That whiche we offende agaynste hym is verye well washen awaye by doyng good turnes vnto our neighbours Lyke as euery one hath the fortune of habilitie so lette hym studye to be good vnto hys brother Let him that hath substaunce to do withal shewe himselfe herberous and bestowe vnto them that haue nede not grudgingly nether with murmuryng but gladly and chearefully estemyng himselfe to receyue a good turne whan he geueth and that suche maner of losse of substaunce is a greate gayne with God whiche shal repaye al with vpheaped mesure And thinke this moreouer that whatsoeuer you spende to the helpynge of youre neyghboure is the good gyfte of God geuen to this ende that as it were hauing that chaunce of â—iches commytted to youre credence you shoulde waxe riche in the vsurye of godly workes Vnto some God hath distributed some sondry giftes vnto some other gyftes Let no man take vpon him to haue that whiche he hath of hym selfe let him thynke it to be Gods gyfte whiche he would haue distributed by you vpon other that of doynge good turnes one for an other mutuall loue maye be glewed together amonge youre selues more and more and that there might encreace by occasion vnto euery one the rewarde of godlynes Let no man be discoÌ„tent with him selfe in that he is not endued with this or that gift Let no man also stonde in his owne conceit in that he hath mo qualities geuen vnto him than other haue For so it was the will of the ryche and lyberall gentill God to bestowe his gyftes after sondry sortes No man is Lorde of that whiche he hath receaued he is nothing but the dispoler For the thyng that he disposeth is the lordes And yf he do that faithfully chearefully and desirouslye lette hym not loke for rewarde of man inasmuche as he shall receaue it of God If holsome doctrine chaunce vnto a man if any man haue the gyfte of a fyne learned tongue let him not abuse it vnto gayne vnto pompous statelynes and vayne glorye but vnto the commoditie of his neighboure and to the glory of Christe Let the hearers perceyue his wordes to be the wordes of God and not of men and that he whiche speaketh is nothyng els but the instrumeÌ„t of the voyce of God If any man be more hable to haue ministracion of office than of Doctrine let him administre his gyft so as he chalenge not thautoritie vnto him selfe but ascribe it vnto God that geueth him power and strength to goe aboute the thynge effectually that he taketh in hande And that shall be done to the
now a seruaunt and Embassadour of Iesus Christ whose gospel euē as y◠day light wipeth and driueth awaye all the shadowes of the olde testament write vnto all maner of men without parciall excepcion either of people or religiō either of kynde or state or yet condicion For we esteme all people to be kynsfolkes and most nerely ioyned vnto vs whosoeuer haue deserued to be made like vnto vs in the profession of the faith of the gospel by the which we haue atteyned true rightuousnes not by circumcision or by sacrifices of the lawe but by the goodnes of our God and by the deathe of our sauiour Iesu Christ who hath frely pardoned vs our olde synnes to th entēt we should hence forthe folowe gospellyke righteousnes which dooeth not consiste in ceremonies but in true godlines of mynde hath a certaine farre greater perfecciō than the Iewes righteousnes whiche is nothinge but a shadowe of true righteousnes And I praye y◠lyke as you haue yet hitherto gon aboundantlye forwarde in the grace of y◠gospel alwayes somwhat augmentyng in thencreaces of godlynes drawinge nerer brotherly concorde amonge your selues daylye more and more so the liberall goodnes of God woulde vouchesafe to make perfite his gyftes in you which Iewelles encrease so much y◠more largely in you as you grow forewarde into y◠knowledge of God y◠father of his sonne our Lord Iesu Christ the acknowledginge of whome is eternall lyfe For it is the chiefe poynte of saluacion to acknowledge the autor of saluacion that we chalenge no parte therof to our owne desertes and strengthes or to the prescripcions of Moses lawe inasmuche as whatsoeuer is perteyninge to true lyfe and whatsoeuer belongeth vnto true godlynes his diuine power hath bestowed it vnto vs without helpe of circumcision onely by faithe wherby we acknowlage God the father from whome procede all thinges and Iesus Christ by whome onely we haue al thinges geuen vnto vs. These thinges are not geuen throughe our merites but by his free bounteouse gyfte whiche of his owne accorde hathe called vs vnto the benefite of saluacion and to them that were voyde of glory and vertue he hath bestowed bothe his owne glorye and vertue to thintent that wheras being addicte vnto our owne vicious naughtines lyke fylthye vyle slaues we scrued ydoles we shoulde be engraffed vnto Christe and be made bothe pure and glorious hauing y◠wickednes taken out of the waye wherin we were fylthily soyled He hathe translated our vyle naughtines vpon himselfe that he mighte choose vs of his owne free pleasure into the felowship of his glory Our trespasses he hath taken vpon himselfe that we might enioye his innocencye Nowe these same are very great matters but those are farre greater of muche more excellencie that are promissed vs in tyme to come not by the lawe of Moses as we haue often sayed before but by thacknowlageing of Iesu Christ But what is it that is promysed Forsoothe that albeit you perteyne not to the kynredde of the Iewes yet you maye be made with them companions of the diuine nature beyng chosen into the nomber of y◠children of god to possesse thenheritaunce of immortal lyfe so that you set your study vpon a certaine immortalitie by vncorrupte conuersacion in the meane season here in this worlde and flee from al corrupcion of vices and naughtie lustes wherwith a mynde that is infected tēdeth to euerlastinge deathe The texte ¶ And herunto geue all diligence in your faithe minister vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperaunce in temperaunce pacience in pacience godlynesse in godlynesse brotherly kyndnesse in brotherly kyndnesse loue For yf these thinges be amonge you and be plenteous they wyll make you that ye nether shal be ydle nor vnfrutefull in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christ But he that lacketh these thinges is blynde and gropeth for the waye with his hande and hath forgotten y◠he was pourged from his olde synnes ▪ God hathe once geuen innocencye frely and it is not inoughe to mainteine it but applyeng withall studious diligence endeuour your selues to be made riche in well doinges that your faithe be not ydle but that it be accompanyed with good behauiour that nothing be doone or sayed but that whiche is vertuous Than let good behauiour entreteyne knowlage that you maye not onely folowe the thinges that be vpright but also discerne what thinge in what place amonge whome after what sorte and by what meanes ought worthilye to be done Let knowledge be accompanied with temperaunce that the mynde beynge vnmoueably strong against all the wanton enticementes of the worlde maye constantlye without shrinkynge folowe the thing that it hathe iudged to be best Vnto temperaunce let pacience be ioyned that whan you doe wel you maye chearefully suffer sorowes For those men whom the flateringe pleasures of the worlde doe not bringe in to a fine fingred nicenes are somtymes broken with impacient suffring of sorowes with pacience let godlynes be present that what soeuer you doe or suffre you referre it to the glorye of God Let godlynes be accompanied with brotherly charitie that like as you loue God for himselfe euen so for his sake you maye loue all them that professe God And let brotherly charitie be augmented and vpheaped with loue to studye to doe good for all men not onely them that are godly and Christian folkes but also for them that are wicked These are the frutes of an euangelicall faithe whiche yf you haue them aboundauntlye shall brynge to passe that where you haue acknowledged our lorde Iesus Christ throughe faithe it should not be vnprofytable and vnfrutefull vnto you althoughe you haue nothing to doe with circumcision For in these thinges consisteth the whole summe of Christen godlynes and yf any mā want thē he hath professed Christ in vaine forasmuche as he slydeth backe from the light of the Gospell in to his olde former darkenes euen as it were a blynde man that groapeth the waye with his hande and is caried aboute hereawaye and therawaye throughe the mases of worldly lustes neither seeth he the waye to come to the felowship of Christ beynge vnthankefull also for the benefite of Christ of whome where he is once frely clensed from his olde transgressions yet as a man forgetfull of this so exceadynge a mercye he slydeth backe in to the same againe The texte ¶ Wherfore brethrē geue the more diligence for to make your callynge and eleccion sure by good workes For yf ye doe suche thinges ye shall neuer fall Yea and by this meanes an entringe in shal be ministre◠vnto you aboundantly into the euerlastinge kyngdome of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ Wherfore I wil not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembraunce of suche thinges thoughe ye knowe them your selues and he stablished in the present trueth Notwithstandynge I thinke it mete as longe as I am in this tabernacle to stere you vp by putting you in remembraunce for
in like manner his free liberall goodnes hathe nowe called vnto the saluacion of the Gospell Ther is nothing that I can wishe vnto you more fortunate than that the goodnes of God would alwayes multiplie in you his giftes mercie peace and charitie Mercie that you may absent your selues dayly more and more from the vices of your former olde life Peace that you may through godlynes of life nourish the concorde which you haue with God and Charitie that you may through mutuall concorde be all of one mynde and eche one bounteously good to other Dearely beloued forasmuche as the loue of the Gospell maketh all thinges commune whether it bee good that chaunce or whether it be badde namely in those matters that perteyne to eternall saluacion I had so great a defier to write vnto you concernyng your saluacion wherof I am no lesse carefull than if it were myne owne forsomuch as brotherly loue pricketh me forwarde therunto so as I could not forbeare but I must exhorte you in this Epistle to stande harde against the false Aposties for the defence of the sincere faythe whiche was once deliuered of the holye Apostles And not onely to labour in this that you contynue stedfaste in youre faythe but also to laye youre helping handes vnto other that they bee not begyled of the deceauours For it is not possible to thinke what a Iewell the treasour of faythe is and it standeth vs in hande to watche so muche the more warely about vs that it be not turned awaye from vs. For where as we deliuered the Gospelles docttyne vnto you purely and syncerely euen as we receyued it of Christe yet there haue a sorte of wiked ones thruste in them selues among in the meane season vnder pretense of religion and like woolues haue crepte into the lordes shepefold settyng them selues out in a shewe of godlynes where in dede they are very enemyes of true godlines And that thys gayre should not disturbe youre myndes as though it were a newe matter it was thus decreed long a goe by the secret counsail of God thus was it spoken before that there shoulde ryse men which with theyr wiked myschieuousnes shoulde bothe exercise youre godlynes and pull condemnacion vpon them selues they turne the free liberall gifte of our God wherewith he hathe once frely pardoned vs our synnes and set vs at free liberty from the sharpenes of the lawe in to an occaâ—ioÌ„ of wantones where as they ought rather to be prouoked through his beneficyall goodnes bothe to maynteyne and furnyshe the Innocencie frely geuen them with godly studious endeuours and being enflamed with the charitie of the Gospel to do with a good wyll the workes of ryghteousnes more plentiously and more exactely than Moses lawe had appoynted beefore But nowe these men abuse the libertye that is geuen them vnto filthynes and licenciousnes to synne and fall of theyr owne accord backe agayne in to theyr olde bonde seruitude from the which Iesus Christ had redemed theÌ„ with his owne bloud denye God whom they once professed where as he is the onely lord maister of all thinges that are in heauen and in earthe and denye also our lorde Iesus Christ which hathe made vs free to him selfe with the price of his owne sacred bloude It auaileth vs nothing to bee redemed onles we contynue stedfaste to th ende in those thinges wherunto we are called I thinke it not necessary that I should teache you seing you forgette nothing but I only put you in remembraunce lest the thing that you knowe should slyppe out of mynde It auailed the Hebrues in tymes past nothyng at all whom being the figure of the tymes that nowe are Iesus trained out of the hard and miserable bondage of the Egipcians through the reade sea in to libertie but euen the same whome he mercifully presetued whan they cryed vnto him he destroyed agayn after a worse sorte whan they distrusted and murmured againste God in the deserte That which the bondage of Egipte was vnto them the bondage of synnes was vnto vs that whiche Pharao that straight and intolerable lorde was vnto them the deuil was thesame vnto vs vnder whose tyranny for our owne synnes sake we were intangled They puttyng theyr truste in God escaped safely through the myddes of the waters in to libertye and we in beleuing the Gospell haue through Baptisme escaped Satans enterest But like as some of them made not spede with all one fayth in to the lande of promise and vnto them the goodnes of God was not onely vnauaylable but also it turned in to the heape of theyr damnacion euen so vnto vs it auayleth nothyng to haue once set aparte our synnes onles we also growe forwarde with constaunt myndes in to better and better and preace to the enheritaunce of the life of heauen Moreouer I would haue you to remembre this also that it profited not euen the aungelles them selues to be so created that they were companions of the Godhead but assone as they had chaunged that moste fortunate nature through theyr owne wickednes and persisted not still in the condicion they were in he threwe them downe headlong out of heauen and hauyng depryued them of the light of heauen he damned them in euerlasting darkenes in hel And there they are reserued in cheynes that can not be loced vnto the day of the last iudgement wherin beyng condemned they shall be commaunded to euerlastyng paynes Nowe Sodome and Gomorre and the residue of the cities therunto adioynyng where as they florished in all pleynteous wealthe of thynges because they abused the liberall bounteousnes of God vnto riot and outragious luste defilyng them selues with wiked and abominable sortes of filthines are dispatched by the wrath of God being consumed with fyre from heauen to thintente they myght bee an example vnto other that abuse the benefites of Christ vnto the filthynes of life For they shall not escape the like peyne that synne after like sorte Doe not they sinne after like sorte which being deluded with slouening dreames of false pleasures doe not only defile theyr owne bodies but also set naught by theyr rulers and those that are in autorytie and are not afrayed to rayle agaynst them vnto whoÌ„ for thautoryties sake they are in they ought to do reuereÌ„ce But Michael tharchangel whan he had disputacioÌ„ with the deuil coÌ„cerning the body of Moses was yet afrayed opeÌ„ly to speake raylingly to the deuill though he were the moste filthye feende But where he could not abyde his wicked talkyng he moderately tempred his curse after this wyse The lorde quod he rebuke thee Than if Michael were afrayed to speake cursedly to the deuill â–ª howe muche more intolerable a thyng do they that are not afrayed to curse or speake euyl of men that are set in autoritie and dignitie ouer them But these mennes peruersitie is so great that where they haue no cause yet they speake euyl to the and nayle agaynst those thynges
right marke of the whole lawe appeareth as muche as in him is that he will â—â—â—e as ofte as occasion is offred As a man that walketh in the darke â–ª careth not whether he goo â—ute of the waye on the right hande or on the lefte so is he disposed to all manner of errour that hathe once swarued out of the light Therfore he yâ— hath through â—â—atâ—erie preferred the vndeseruing rich man before the deseruing pore man forasmuche as he hathe in thys behalfe broken the laâ—e of loue he is cousen geâ—â—ayn to all naughtynes that is commonly done againste the loue of the neyghbor Nether doeth he lyghtly offende God that is so hardy to defile his lawe in any parte He that ones commaunded charitie did with lyke diligence ones â–ª forbydde â–ª what so euer is repugnaunte againste the loue of the neyghboure For the selfe same that gaue thys lawe Commâ—â—â—ono VVhere â—â—ne ordayned thys Do no murther And if thou absteyne from whoredome and yet committeste murther haste thou not than broken all the whole lawe in that thou hast broken it in one parte The self same one God forbad bothe and forebad them for all one cause that is to saye because they are againste the loue of the neyghbour But he hath not only forbydden those thinges whiche are punnyshed by lawes as thefte murther and whoredome but all manner of thinges vtterly that are contrary to the loue of the Gospell The lawe of Moses would not punnyshe him that estemed lesse the soft sprited pore manne than the proude stately riche manne or him that would wishe euil to his neyghbour But yet the lawe of the Gospell punnysheth him Therfore according to the rule of it frame not only your dedes but also alyour coÌ„municacion and the thoughtes of youre harte that there be nothinge at any tyme that varieth from the loue of the neyghbour Loue is the lawe of libertie not that it is lawfull to synne by meanes of it but in that the euangelical loue causeth the wyllyng to doo of theyr owne accorde the thynge that mannes lawes constrayne the vnwyllyng to doe perforce for feare of peynes Accordynge to thys lawe therfore frame all youre life for somuche as you shall receyue moste high rewarde if you accomplyshe that whiche is prescribed vnto you and contrary wyle you shall suffre moste greuous sore punishmentes in case you ones fall from hym of whome all the whole lawe dependeth You are frely pardoned of the transgressions of your former lyfe The gifte of the heauenly spyrite is frely geuen you by whome you are not onely reconsiled vnto God but also glued together in mutuall charitie The more it is geuen vnto you and is frely geuen without your deserumges so muche the more sharpely shall they bee punnyshed whiche hauinge experyence in them selues of so exceadynge greate mercy of God doe not shew them selues agayne gentil and mercifull towardes theyr neyghbour With what countenaunce shall he aske mercye of God the iudge whiche being a seruaunt sheweth hym selfe vnmercifull towardes hys felowe seruaunt with what mouthe shall he desire to beloued of God whiche doeth not loue hys neyghbour if thou wilt obteyne iudgement myngled with mercy loke thou shewe thy selfe mercifull towardes thy neyghbour whether he be a trespasser or be in necessitie And in dede it is better to decline in to thys parte to leane vnto mercy than vnto iudgement For inasmuch as it is almost altogether of the mercye of God that we haue rather than of his righteousnes we ought to endeuour that we maye rather fynde God mercifull than seuerely strayte He hathe saued vs by hys mercye it is reason also that we be more ready to mercye towardes our neighbour than vnto straytenes For there are many moo wonne by softenes gentylnes and lyberall goodnes than with strayte straungenes that mercy aduaunceing it selfe aboue iudgement maye triumphe in thys behalfe that those whiche hauinge the experience of iudgement shoulde haue peryshed are saued through the benefite of mercy There is none of vs but he falleth daily and shall finde God such a one in condemnyng his faultes as he expresseth him selfe towardes his brother What auayleth it my brethren though a manne saye he hathe faythe yf he haue no dedes Can faythe saue hym If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly fode and one of you saye vnto them departe in peace God sende you warmnes and fode notwithstandynge ye geue them not those thynges whiche are nedefull to the bodye what shall it helpe Euen so faythe if it haue no dedes is dead in it selfe But some manne wil saye thou hast faythe and I haue dedes shewe my thy faythe by thy dedes and I wyll shewe the my fayth by my dedes Beleuest thou that there is one God Thou doest well The deuyls also beleue and tremble But wilt thou vnderstande O thou vayne manne that faythe without dedes is dead Was not Abraham oure father iustified thorow workes when he had offred Isaac hys sonne vpon the aulter Thou seest howe that faythe wrought with his dedes through the dedes was the faith made perfect the scripture was fulfylied whiche sayeth Abraham beleued God and it was reputed vnto hym for tighte wesnes and he was called the frende of God Ye se then howe that of dedes a man is iustifyed and not of faythe onely Likewise also was not Kaab the harlot iustyfyed thorow workes when she had receaued the messagers and had seut them out another waye For as the bodye without the spirite is dead euen so faythe without woorkes is dead also Is it to be thought that the only profession of faythe is ynough of it selfe to obteyne saluacion what is faythe without charytye Charitie is a lyuely thing it ceasseth not it is not idle it expresseth it selfe with good dedes dooing whersoeuer it is present And if they want my brethren shall the vayne name of faythe I praye you saue a manne The faythe is fruteles that worketh not by charitie yea it is no faythe but in title only That which I haue sayed shall more cierely appeare by conference of an example If a manne geue fayre wordes to a brother or a syster that wanteth clothynge or dayly sustenaunce and saye Goe your waye in peace get you heate and get youre bely full of meate and for all his so saying geueth none of those thynges that the bodye hathe nede of is not thys mannes fayre speakynge vnprofytable to the pore nedye folkes They shall starue for colde or bee an hyngred for al hys fayre tale that releueth not theyr necessitie He releueth the in his word of mouth but with his dede he doeth nothing at al. Of like sorte doubtles shall the profession of faith whiche consisteth only in worde and worketh nothynge in dede vee vnauayleable but lyeth slugging like as it were deade neither is it to bee called faythe any more than a deade corps of a manne is worthye to be called a manne The
from the loue whereof he hathe delyuered you with so greate a price he alone is sufficient to accomplishe all thynges What is the cause than that you aske of the worlde parte of youre blessednes Doe you not knowe that God hateth them that halte on bothe sydes He can not abyde a seruaunte that is not contente to serue one onely maister What maried manne is so pacient that canne suffre hys enemye goynge about to wowe hys wyfe to come in her company And haue you thought it possyble for you to please bothe the worlde and God at ones Doe you not vnderstande that like as a wife if she couple her selfe to an whoremonger falleth quite awaye from the loue of her husbande euen so a Christian if â—e assaye to haue frendshyp agayne with the worlde doeth vtterly receaue vnfrendshyp with God who hathe no concord with the worlde This therfore take for a certayntye whosoeuer studyeth to be loued of this world in the same his so doing he maketh him selfe an enemye vnto God There is no concorde betwene lyght and darkenes nor betwene God and Belial A maried husbande can not abyde hys wyfe to be playing with an whoremonger he canne not suffre the loues of wedlocke to be deuyded in partes though he haue maryed a woman of greate possessyon though he haue maried a gentilwoman borne though he haue maryed a woman of neuer so greate wealthe in all thynges And wyll Chryste suffre hys spouse whome he hathe saued from destruccion whome he hathe set at libertye from bondage whome he hathe washen from the fylthynes of synne whome whan she was naked he hathe clothed whome whan she was poore he hathe richely endowed with so many free gyftes to haue a doo with the aduouterer the deuill Thinke you it is written in the holy scriptures for naught that the spirite whiche dwelleth in you lusteth vnto enuie In the lawe of Moses somwhat was geuen to mannes affeccyons they myght without punyshmente hate theyr enemye it was lawfull for them to set theyr forcastes vpon muckryng vp of riches he was taken for no vniuste manne that requitte violence with violence and one despightfull worde with an other But the spirite of the Gospell which now dwelleth in you is full of gelosie and as I may so speake enuious he requireth more for he wyll bee vehemently loued agayne so that for hys sake he will haue wife chyldern yea and euen lyfe contemned He canne not abyde to haue his resting house defyled with worldly lustes he requireth pure cleane thinges he requireth heauenly thynges he leapeth backe he runneth away he is offended if a manne bring the sluttish filthynes of thys world in to hys temple Howbeit like as he requireth of vs a certayne exceadynge greate loue and a greate deale purer loue than Moses lawe dooeth euen so it geueth a more plenteous grace It is a very hard matter to accomplysh that it requireth but it geueth strength to thys ende that we maye easylye doo it There is nothynge harde to the louing willer This same is hys gyfte that we shoulde loue him or rather loue him agayne He drewe vs with hys loue fyrst and whan we were turned from hym he reconciled vs agayn vnto hym He will encrease hys giftes in vs in case we geue our selues all together and wholy vnto him if we depend of hym onely and of none but him if we haue nothyng a doe with this worlde nor with the deuill the prynce of the worlde Whan I speake of the world I meane nothyng elles but wicked gredy lustes of vysyble thynges wherin thys worlde promyseth a certayne false feyned felicitie They are great matters that are required but thei be greater matters that are promised He that is hable lyberally to geue myghty greate thynges the same is hable also to geue encrease of strength he that wil largely geue excellent thinges to them that deserue naught the same will vouchesafe also to geue encrease of strength to them that bee weake Only let vs distruste oure owne helpes and the helpes of this worlde and repose all our whole hope and assured confidence in hym He forsaketh them that arrogauntly truste in theyr owne substaunce and he succoureth them that ascribe nothing to them selues but trust wholy to the goodnes of God In dede thys is the thynge that the lorde spake in tymes paste by Salomon God resisteth the stately hygh mynded and stoute but he bestoVVeth his fauour Vnto the meke and poore castaVVayes The texte Submyt youre selues therfore to God but resyste the deuyll and he wyll flye from you Drawe â—ye to God and he will drawe nye to you Clense youre handes ye synners and pourge your hertes ye wtâ—ueryng mynded Suffer afflyccions and mouâ—â—e and wepe Let poure laughter be tourned to mournynge and youre ioye to heuynes Dumble youre selues in the syght of the Lorde and he shall lyft you vp Backbyte not one another brethren He that backbyteth hys brother and he that iudgeth his brother backbyteth the lawe and iudgeth the lawe But and it thou iudge the lawe thou arte not an obseruer of the lawe but a iudge There is one lawe geuer and iudge whiche is able to saue and to destroye What art thou that iudgest another Go to now ye that saie to date and to moâ—owe let vs gooe into suche a cytye and contynue there a yeare and bye and sell and wynne and yet cannot ye tell what shal happen on the morowe For what thinge is your lyfe â–ª It is euen a vapour that apeareth for a lytell tyme and then vanisheth a waye For that ye ought to saye yf the Lorde wyll and yf we lyue let vs do this or that But nowe ye reioyce in youre boastinges All suche reioysing is euyll Therfore to hym that knoweth how to doe good and doeth it not to him it is synne God would haue you to be most fast ioyned to him shewe your selues obedient as the wife obeyeth her husbande And if the deuill gooe about to diuorce you from the loue of him dryue awaye the aduouterer deuill with his iuggling knackes and he shall geue ouer greuing you He shal be afraied of you if he see you stedfaste and constaunt in the loue of youre brydgrome Christ Therfore disseuer your selues from him whether he feare you or speake you faire and in godly studies and in holy and chast purposes apply your selues to God and he shall applie him selfe to you agayne Whiche waye so euer the lustes of mynde doo leane thider you goe If affeccions carie you vnto honestie and vnto heauenlynes you goo vnto God but and if they drawe you to the enticementes of the fleshe you ryde poste to the deuil You ought euermore to make haste to all one selfe same waye and not to wauer now hither nowe thider If you doo acknowlage Christe to be youre brydesgrome it is requysite that you be cleane Therfore you that yet hitherto are soyled in the filthie puddle of synnes make cleane your
one another as I haue loued you Therfore it is neither any new commaundement neither my commaundement that I geue now vnto you ne yet suche a one as you haue not heard of hitherto but it is the selfe same commaundemente that we gaue vnto you by and by in the begynnyng by thautorytie of Christe And yet agayne the same is newe that I write nowe vnto you It was an olde commaundement but it is brought out of vse through the maners of the people The Iewes learned by heart Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God thou shalte loue thy neighbour but yet euery one serued his own gaine Christ renewed thys vnto vs yea and loued vs more than himselfe and â—e loued not his neighbours but he loued his enemies yea those that turned way wardly from him and that were worthy of euyll This albeit I knowe you haue heard of long ago yet it ought to be renewed from tyme to tyme with often rehersall that it maye sticke the more depely in youre mynde seing it is the chief matter of the gospelles profession This was a true commaundement in Christ which performed in dede the thyng that he taughte but it was not true in you as long as you hated your neighbour as long as you recompenced euill worde for euell worde and wrong for wrong But now it is true in you also synce the true sprong vp lighte of the gospelles doctrine hath dispatched awaye yâ— darkenes of your former life hath taught that none is acceptable but he that would loue the good for Christes sake loue theÌ„ also that are bad to this ende that they should be coÌ„uerted vnto Christ Those that folowe this doctrine walke in lyghte offende not in the darkenes of euill lustes The hate of the neighbour powreth darkenes into the mynd Therfore he that is so washeÌ„ and so hath professed Christ that he geueth not ouer to hate his brother he is deceaued in beleuynge that he walketh in light where he is yet in darkenes For God remitteth not him the forgeueth not his brother For it is not ynoughe to haue geuen ouer theft whoredom murdre in baptisme except al holowhartednes be also plucked quite out of yâ— mind in stede of hate charitie come in place He that contynueth styll in the loue of hys neyghbour abydeth in lyghte which is Christ Iesus and stombleth not as walking in darknes For true charitie is so farre of from hurtyng any body that it suffreth all thynges and turneth all thynges into good Contrarywyse he that hateth his brother although he haue geuen ouer to offer vnto images although he haue geueÌ„ ouer to be an vsurour or a churche robber yet he is styl in darkenes seruing his owne blynde lustes he walketh in darkenes neyther seeth he the strayght waye vnto saluacion althoughe the gospell shyne clearely vpon him And all is long of the darkenes of the hate of his brother that hath so blynded his eyes Where hate reigneth there is the iudgement blynde The text Babes I write vnto you howe that your sinnes are forgeuen you for his names sake I write vnto you fathers howe that you haue knowen him that is from the begynning I wryte vnto you yongmen howe that ye haue ouercome that wicked I write vnto you lytle children howe that ye haue knowen the father I haue written vnto you fathers howe that ye haue knowen him that is from the begynnyng I haue written vnto you yonge men how that ye are strong and the worde of god abydeth in you and ye haue ouercome that wicked Se that ye loue not the world nether the thinges that are in the worlde If any man loue the worlde the loue of the father is not in him For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the fleshe and the lust of the eies and the pride of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the worlde passeth awaye and the lust therof but he that fulfylleth the will of God abydeth for euer I loue you euen as a mother loueth her children and write for that purpose partlie reioycynge at your felicitie partly exhortyng you to goe foreward better and better I reioyce at you as my most deare children whom I haue begotten agayne by the sede of the gospels doctrine vnto Christ in that the synnes of your former lyfe are pardoned you and freely pardoned you for none other cause but because you haue professed the name of the lorde Iesu Christe that you shoulde also remembre after his example frelye to forgeue euerye one his neyghbour I write vnto you whom not so muche the processe of age as the grauitie of maners and godly carefulnesse towardes them that be yonger doeth make worthye the name of fathers reioyceing in you that you are not onely endued with a commune maner of wisdome wherby olde men are commended almost because of the experyence of thinges and geue the better counsel to the ignoraunte yong folkes but in that you haue reknowledged Iesus Christe the autor of saluacion whiche not onely is of a greate olde age but also hathe bene alwayes wyth the father You being of great age knowe him that is eternal and the more fully you knowe him so much the more diligently you preache him to them that be of slenderer age Olde folkes do remembre and kepe in mynde many olde auncient thynges and you kepe him in mynde that was before al age I write vnto you yongment which through the strength of faith haue ouercome that wicked vnruly Satan The coÌ„mune sorte of yongmen thinketh themselues happie in that they geue lightly place to no maÌ„ because of their bodyly strength But you are more happie that by reason of youre strength of mynd you could be ouercome neither with enticementes of voluptuous pleasures ne with any terrours of the world Other mens actiuitie florisheth in battail but your actiuitie hath florished more nobly against the assaultes of deuils the fleshe the world I write vnto you childreÌ„ which although for tendernes of your yeares you are not skilled as yet in yâ— knowlage of worldly matters yet you haue already atteined the thiÌ„g yâ— getteth you euerlastiÌ„g felicitie In other childreÌ„ it is yâ— first special tokeÌ„ of wit if they acknowledge their father but you knowe your heauenly father by whom you are regenerate vnto heauen Let euery one maynteyne that he hath and encrease in that he hath For this cause sake I bothe reioyce in euerye one and also warne all and euery orders and states of you that acknowledgeyng your felicitie you geue thankes to God youre autour and hauyng in remembraunce whither you must go preace alwayes forewarde vnto more perfeccioÌ„ I wil rehearse it vnto you therfore that ye can not forget it I haue written vnto you fathers for you knowe him whiche hath nother beginnyng nor endyng that the desyre of this lyfe should in no wyse stiere you seyng you make haste to the life
hygh and excelleÌ„t and so seynge hym we shall also be transformed vnto hys iykenes not onely in myndes but also in bodyes And we see hym nowe howebeit as it were through a myst with the eyes of fayth But then we shal see hym after such maner as cannot be expressed But that thyng whiche we shal be than perfitely we must forcast nowe i the meane tyme to the vttermost of our possible power To thinteÌ„t we may be liÌ„ke hiÌ„ theÌ„ in glory let vs be pure here froÌ„ all fylthynes To thintent we maye see hym than lette vs clense our eies nowe leste when he shall appeare glisterynge bryght he bee vnto vs more dreadfull than amiable For he is not fortunatelye sene but of them that are lyke hym Therefore whosoeuer hath thys confidence in Christe that he shal than be a companion of his glory let hym in the meane time pourge hymselfe with godly studyes cleane from worldlye affeccions lyke as in hym was no maner of fylthynes of thys worlde but is all together pure and heauenlye Therefore it standeth vs in hande with all our possible powers to bend our endeuours to thys ende that nothyng remayne in vs of yearthye dregges And leite no manne flatter hym selfe sayinge It is ynough for me vnto innocency if I traÌ„sgresse in none of those thinges that Moses lawe forbyddeth nor in those thynges that are punyshed by the kynges lawes as felonye sacrilege adultrie murdre but all maner of synne is vtterly to be eschewed For whosoeuer offendeth by any meane although he offende not agaynst the prescriptes of Moses yet he synneth agaynst the lawe of the gospell whiche is a greate deale holyer than Moses law And for thys cause sake Christ came once into the world to shew the waye whereby his comming agayne shoulde become holesome and luckye vnto vs. He came to take awaye once for all not one synne or two but al our synnes where he onely was subiect vnto no maner of synne He once purged vs frely from all synne to make vs lyke manered vnto hymselfe whiche neither any lawe nor any mortall man coulde be hable to do Through baptisme we are engraffed into hys holy sacred body But it is our part for all that to endeuour in the meane tyme that we fall not from our head We are engraffed through his owne free mercy but we shal fall awaye if we slyde backe agayne into oure olde vices He that abydeth in Christ perseuereth in innocencye and is wonderous ware to shunne from all sinne that he may dayly more and more growe in vertues and be made more lyke hys head He that absteyneth not from sinnes although he bee baptised although he be called a christian hath not yet sene fully nor yet knowen hym For who is it yf he sawe with the eies of fayth what greate dignitie it is to be chosen into the numbre of the sonnes of God and what a fylthy shame it is to be geuen to the father deuyll that woulde abyde to be plucked awaye from suche a bodye to departe from suche a father and to go out of kynde vnto so fylthy a tirannye to slyde of his owne accorde awaye from so hygh rewardes vnto so greate miserie The text Babes lette no man deceyue you he that doeth righteousnes is righteous euen as he is righteous He that committeth sinne is of the deuil for the deuyl sinneth sence the beginning For thys purpose appeared the sonne of God to looce the workes of the deuyll Whosoeuer is borne of God synneth not for hys seed remayneth in hym and he can not synne because he is borne of God In this are the children of God knowen and the children of the deuyll Whosoeuer doeth not ryghteousnes is not of God neither he that loueth not hys brother Babes lette no man deceyue you flatteryng you for your professyng the name of christians as though that were ynoughe vnto felicitie He is not iust that speaketh iustice with his mouthe but he that in his lyfe and maners doeth iustice in dede is iuste lyke as Christe also shewed himselfe in his sayinges and doynges an example of all iustice And he that truely and wholy cleaueth fast vnto him absteyneth as much as he possible may from all vncleanes of sinnes and the purenes of maners selfe declareth hym to be the sonne of God whiche is good by nature and knoweth no synne But he that synneth although he haue receyued the sacramentes of Christe yet he is begotten of hys father the deuyl whiche is the prince and autor of all synne Him whosoeuer foloweth is lyke his father in that same thing that he synneth in declareth hymselfe to be his sonne God alloweth no felowshyppe with synnes for he sent his sonne for thys intent into this worlde to vanquisâ—he the woorkes of the deuyll that is to saye all thynges that are contrarye repugnaunt agaynst the charitie of the gospel Of Adam we are all borne endaungered with sinnes of God we are borne agayne by the sede of yâ— gospelles doctrine As longe as the strength of this seede abydeth in a man he synneth not neither can synne that is to wete because the loue of god byddeth hym naye whiche loue rauisheth hym to the studye of well doyng and calleth hym awaye from all desire of offendynge in that he is the very true sonne of God resembling playnly the behauiour and disposicion of his father and head It is not the title it is not baptisme it is not the sacramentes that descerne the children of God from the children of the deuyll but the puritie of lyfe and charitie expressyng and she wyng it selfe in wel doinges It is not idle if it be there He that sheweth not that neither sheweth in his dede that he loueth his brother he is not borne of God If he were alyuely membre of Christes body he woulde haue loued the other membres for whom Christe died The texte For thys is the tydinges that ye beard from the beginninge that ye shoude loue one another not as Cayn whiche was of that wicked and slewe hys brother And wherefore slewe he him Because his owne workes were euyll and hys brothers good Meruayle not my brethren though the worlde hate you We knowe that we are translated from death vnto lyfe because we loue the brethren De that loueth not his brother abideth in deathe Whosoeuer hateth hys brother is a man slear And â—e knowe that no man slear hath eternall life abyding in hym Hereby perceyue we loue â–ª because he gaue his lyfe for vs and we ought to gyue oure lyues for the brethren But whoso hath thys worldes good and seeth his brother haue nede and shutteth vp his compassion from hym howe dwelleth the loue of God in hym Thys is the summe of Christen iustice thys is it that Christe gaue first of all vnto vs this is it which we set forth before al thinges vnto you that you shoulde with louynge one an other declare youre selues to be the soÌ„nes of
holes but there is nothinge so hidden and so close but god pearceth it He knoweth all thinges better than we he knoweth our harte that made our harte He hathe eies in euery place that is present in euery place Dearly beloued yf our harte condemne vs not vnto god yf our mynde be syncere and vprightly playne yf we doe of a mere a pure loue that we doe suche as we shewe our selues towardes our neighbour suche a one shal god shewe him selfe to vs. Yf we gladly and with a good wyll forgeue our brother his faulte God shall easyly forgeue â—s our synnes also Yf we readily geue vnto our nedy brother as often as he desireth our helpe we shal with a sure trusty boldenes aske also of god that whiche shall perteigne to saluacion and necessitie nether shall he denye our askinges Yf we saye vnto him Forgeue us our trespasses as VVe for geue them that trespasse against us and yet hate our brother inwardly shal not our owne conscience by and by crye out against vs with what face â–ª askest thou of god that whiche thou deniest thy neighbour with what mouthe askest thou the couenaunt whan thou thy selfe performest not yâ— condicion He promised to forgeue vs our trespasses yea but so that we doe heartely forgeue our brother his trespases If we saye with the mouthe I forgeue hym and yet kepe euyll wyll styll in oure hearte oure naughty conscience shall take awaye our confidence of obteynynge the thinge that we aske of God If we bydde our brother gently God spede and helpe him nor whan he hathe nede of our helpe we maye not hope that God will helpe seinge we helped not our brother If we turne the deafe eare towarde at hys commaundement he will turne the deafe eare again towardes our prayers It is a shamelesnes not a godlynes to desire fauour of hym whose commauÌ„dementes a man doeth not paâ—se vpon But and if we obserue his coÌ„maundementes if we doe whatsoeuer shall please him and â—o doe that we may be allowed in his eies whiche seeth euery thing hereof shall we conceaue a sure confidence to obteyne Here will the Iewe the supersticious law keper saye vnto me I kepe the sabboth dayes I am washen I faste I absteyne from forbydden meates I dooe not steale God shall heare me But thys is not the commaundement that I talke of which than Forsothe that we shoulde repose all the whole hope and confidence of oure saluacion in Iesu Christ the sonne of God by whome the fathers wyll was to geue all thinges frely vnto vs. Is thys ynough now No forsothe but we must loue eche one other according to his example So he coÌ„maunded but that whiche he commaunded he did fyrst performe himselfe in dede He doeth not yet truly loue Christe that â–ª hateth the membre of Christe he doeth not yet loue Christe that wisheth euil to the man for whome Christe died Therfore he that kepeth that one only commaundement of loue kepeth all With this gâ—ue shall we be fast ioyned to Christ so that he be in vs and we againe in him He by hys spirite shall dwell in oure hartes if charitie bee warme there The spirite of Christ is not the autor of hate but the free geuour of brotherly loue He by the layinge on of thapostles handes is powred in to them that are baptised but he leapeth backe and flyeth awaye if charitye happen to bee quenched out By thys token therfore we shall perceaue that the giâ—te of the spirit which we toke in baptisme abydeth in vs if brotherly loue contynue with vs still Loke howe muche charitie waxeth colde so muche will the holy gooste withdrawe him selfe awaye The .iiii. Chapter The texte Dearely beloued beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites whether they are of god or not for many false Prophetes are gone out into the worlde Herby shall ye knowe the spirite of god Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesshe is of god And euery spirite whiche confesseth not that Iesus Christe is come in the flesshe is not of god And this is that spirite of Antichrist of whome ye haue hearde howe that he should come and euen nowe already is he in the worlde I Haue geuen you a token dearely beloued whereby you may perceaue whether the spirite of Christ be in you or not For there are sondry sortes of spirites in meÌ„ yea but dissembling spirites and naughtie spirites Therfore doe not vt erly beleue euery spirite There are many here and there that boast them selues to haue the spirite of God but trye you whether they procede of God or not Thys worlde hathe also a spirite of hys owne and pretendeth as thoughe it had the spirite of God The spirite of God enspireth the prophetes but there are to manye false prophetes now that are gon out in to the worlde and falsely saye that they speake by the inspiracion of the spirit of God whan they are ledde with the spirit of the worlde Will you therfore haue a more certayne argument of the spirit of God Heare the speaker and you shall vnderstande Euery spirite which confesseth that Iesus Christe the autor of euerlasting saluacion promysed long a goe vnto the worlde is now all ready come hauing receyued a very humayne body like as he had promysed by his prophetes he is of God in that he acknowlageth the sonne of God Contrary wise he that denyeth this forasmuche as he is a lyer he is not of God For no man doeth truly professe the sonne onles he be enspired of the father But those doe not onely denye him which speake against him in woordes openly but also they that lyue after such a sorte as though Christe were not the example of godlynes vnto men or as though he were not the autor of perfite saluacion and so they feine some other Messias to be loked for because Christes doctrine is to muche variable from theyr gredye lustes Yf he woulde haue fauoured the voluptuous pleasures of the fleshe if he would haue promysed great substaunce of riches if he woulde haue geuen honours and empires of yâ— world they would haue long a goe acknowlaged their Messias But now forasmuche as he doeth teache men to despise these thinges enriceth them to take vp theyr crosse and telleth that all felicitie must be loked for in the worlde to come they deny him to be the olde promysed redemer of mankinde and bydde loke for an other that shoulde promyse the coÌ„modities of the bodye and the goodes of this worlde Nether is it ynough to confesse Christ onles we confesse him all wholy and entierly He that dyuideth him either takinge awaye the diuine nature whiche he hath all one with the father or the humaine nature which he toke of a woman hys mother that spirit is not of God but is the spirit of Antichrist of the whiche spirite ye haue all ready hearde that he should come yea he is now come already
looke for Suche men are the very true seruauntes of god fully stablysshed in the right faythe and true loue From the whiche thorowe the grace of god they shall neuer fall For as muche as god is their father and ouerseâ—r whose deare and louynge children they are And they can lacke no treasure neyther corporall nor spirituall eyther in this worlde or in the worlde to come And they lyue blessedly in peace and quientnes of conscience before god readye at the pleasure of god to goe thorowe welthe and woo in this worlde whome no maner of creature can hurte for as muche as the lorde fauoreth them vnto whome they haue vtterly geueÌ„ and committed them selues and haue offred vp vnto him a pleasant sacrifice oblacion in faythe in true Christen loue and perfyght hope For Christ that suffered death for them and redemed them with his bloude will not forsake them but graciously rule gouerne them and thorowe the holy gospel wil instructe them in all rightuousnes which they begynne here in this world and shal enioye the frute therof in the lyfe euerlastyng And thus thorowe yâ— grace mercye of god they shal ouercome al woe and vexacion and remayne pacient in persecucion yea and mery and ioyfull also in him that can strengthen and comforte them whiche dystrybuteth his plentifull grace vnto them to worke al holy vertuous workes For the which also beyng his owne workes he wyll yet crowne and rewarde them as S. Austen sayeth in the kyngdome of heauen eternaliy The .viii. Chapter The texte ¶ And when he had opened the seuenth seale there was sylence in heauen about the space of halfe an houre And I sawe vii angelles standynge before god to them wer geuen seuen trompertes And another angel came and stode before the aulter hauinge a goldeÌ„ senser and muthe of odoures was geuen vnto him that he should offce of the prayers of all saâ—â—â—res vpon the golden aulter which was before the seate And yâ— smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of all saâ—â—â—res ascended vp before god out of the Angelles hande And the Angell toke the senser and fylled it with fyre of the aulter and caste it into the earth and voyces were made and thondrynges and lyghtnynges and earthquake IT hathe ofte bene sene that after great troubles and muche vexacion thorowe the prouysion of god rest and quietnes hath folowed in all tymes And thus shall it continue euen from the ascencion of Christe vntyll the worldes ende that after rayne the sunne shal shyne and afterwarde it wyll be cloudye darcke againe Euen so whan the faythfull haue once ioy in god after the victorye of the dragon then commeth a new dysquietnes and perplexite whan as the wycked Angels and spirites thorowe their membres mynisters shall set vp all abhominacion synne wyckednes hurtefull and noysome vnto the soule as Sathan dyd vnto Iob what tyme he came and accompanyed him selfe with the children of god Here come vii that is to saye very many and those mightye and stronge with power graunted and permitted vnto them to doe harme But Christ the true and faythfull kyng and father of his kyngdome churche and children commeth and standeth as an hyghe pryest at the alter of god with the oblacion of his owne bodye For Christ the lorde is bothe priest altar and the oblacion himselfe and he standeth for his faythfull electe with the golden censers the hyghest loue and humilyte thorowe the whiche he gaue him selfe for the synnes of al the world into the moost bytter and standerous death for a perpetuall reconciliacion for all those that beleue in him Vnto this onely one and eternall priest Christ doe all faythfull holy and blessed christians render and gyue their vnperfyte deuocion thanck es geuynge feruent peticions and prayers their hope loue and fayth All whiche he receyueth in good parte and maketh them acceptable vnto the father with the censers of his prayers and with his swete smellynge rightuousnes and holynes wherwith he is full and aboundant plentuous and sufficient for all the electe from the begynnynge of the worlde vntyll the ende therof And by this meanes and no nother wyse may the prayers of all the holy and faythfull come vnto god namely thorowe the handes and merites of his passioÌ„ so that they take the same with them pleating with god thorowe the same Whiche thing dilyghteth and pleaseth the lord god right well Nowe yf the holy electe shal thus offre vp their necessities praiers vnto god thorowe Christ whiche is the onely medyatour betwene god the father and mankynde than wyll the mercifull god heare them â–ª and shall punyshe the wycked tyrannes and oppressours of the faythfull with his fyerye dartes and thonderboltes and other plages whiche he can and is wont to vse dyuers wayes for the terryble punyshemeÌ„t of the wycked godlesse prynces tyrannes bothe bodely and gostly in so muche that Sathan with his whole kyngdome shal be amased therat The texte ¶ And the seuen Angels which had the seuen trompettes prepared them selues to blowe The first Angell blewe and there was made hadle and fyre whiche were myngled with bloude and they were caste into the earth and the thirde parte of yâ— earth was set on fyre and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all greue grasse was brente And the seconde angell blewe and as it were a great mountayne burnyng with fyre was caste into the see and yâ— thirde parte of the sea turned to bloude and the thirde parte of the creatures which had lyfe dyed and the thirde parte of shyppes were destroyed Christ bringeth his punyshementes to passe thorowe good and euyll angels euen at his owne pleasure For vnto the lorde there is nothing euell nor vnprofytable for as muche as he onely can make good of euyll well ynoughe The first plage of the churche of Christ was in the vnderstandynge and interpretacion of holy scripture whiche euen at the first was assaulted with dyuerse dangerous heresyes whiche sprang vp by reason of yâ— dyuersytie of vnderstandyng amonge the wryters and teachers by reason wherof infynite Schisemes disseÌ„cions â–ª perels and dangerous vproures did sprynge aryse And for this cause were so many councels holden For the christendome suffred great decaye and many swarued there from at suche tyme as god of his mercye gaue peace and quietnes in the churche but for a small season as I sayde before By the trees we shall vnderstande people of all maner of nacions and degrees in yâ— christendome of no small nomber as in the tyme of Athanasius and after The seconde plage foloweth afterwarde against the whote and natural strength and fearcenes of men and specially that whiche was betwene princes and rulers that were assaulted of the wycked fyende with ambicion for power and dominion The whiche the wycked fyende dyd rayse vp after that the godly and holy teachers had rooted out all errours and heresyes This contencion and
woman and the earth opened her mouth and swalowed vp the ryuer which the dragon cast out of his mouth And y◠dragon was wroth with y◠woman wēt and made warre with the remnaunt of her sede which kepe y◠cōmaundementes of God and haue the testimonye of Iesus Christe And I stode on the sea sande After that Sathan whiche is a spirite of lyes marketh the power of faithe whiche commeth springeth of gods worde howe Christ beyng borne in the faithful doth waxe increase in them thorowe holy godly workes acceptable vnto god than he goeth about to persecute y◠gospel the true holsom doctrine and the spirite of Christ in the electe But the circumspecte quickesyghted and highe flyeng Eagle of gods spirite resisteth the dragō geueth might power with his grace vnto the Christen soule to flee into a sure place whiche is y◠contempt of this worlde the loue of the world to come the solitarines of a quiet conscience in y◠crosse of Christ the comfort in y◠remembraunce of gods word With these wynges she escapeth from Sathan and from al his spirites snares and suggestions This foode noryshment is geuē throughe the grace mercy of god vnto all the electe children of God from such time as the word was firste writen throughe Moyses and afterwarde declared throughe y◠prophetes and fulfilled through Christ preached in al y◠world throughe y◠apostles in our tyme throughe the mercye goodnes of God renewed againe for a thousande and .ii. thousande yeares y◠is .iii. thousande yet lōger how lōg so euer it please God which wil not haue it hidden vnknowen vnto vs. And for this cause the nombre of the yeares both in this boke in other is obscure not without a synguler cōsideracion As y◠disciples of Helyas receyuing it of their maister also sayde y◠.ii. thousande yeares were past before the lawe that the lawe of Moyses should continue lykewyse .ii. thousande yeares the kingdome of Messias vpō earth also about .ii. thousande yeares not so precisely reckened nor fullye accomplyshed as the Rabbines interpreters of y◠Iewes doe for the most part cōfesse declare But the serpēt which he named before a dragō doth neuer seace since y◠tyme of Adam Eue to persecute y◠faith in y◠worde of God the secret misterie of Christ For y◠merciful rightuous god taketh vseth y◠falsehede wickednes o◠Sathan euē for a game a sport as a mā may say And the more y◠Sathan goeth about to hinder the worcke grace of god the performaunce of his promises the more doeth his damnacion his wrath enuy and malyce increase and gods grace throughe his mercye is the more aboundantlye multiplyed in all men and the true rightuousnes of the holy and blessed seede our sauiour Christ is the more perfight and effectuous and maketh more hast to the full and perfyght blisse and saluacion of all faithfull electe Althoughe notwithstandinge the infinite wickednes of Sathan neuer ceaseth and is euer more angrye deuyseth continually one mischefe vpon anothers necke against the faithful but all to their furtheraūce honour profite at length yea to the preseruacion of y◠trueth of the eternal worde of God to the furtheraunce and confirmacion of y◠true faith loue hope against y◠whiche the olde serpente is wont continually to fight with al his felowship companie of wicked spirites and of all kyndes of blasphemies and vices whiche are his seede generacion lyke as all maner of vertues grace holynes innocencye saluaciō are y◠frutes of gods worde of the spirite of Christ out of the whiche dothe spring obediēce and obseruacion of the cōmaundementes of God so farre as the weakenes and imperfightenes of man is able The whiche weakenes y◠sauiour of mankynde and y◠first borne of y◠children of God doth accomplyshe helpeth the lacke of mans weakenes for y◠which cause he became man our brother y◠he might the better knowe our infirmitie and weakenes And thus was this vision reueled vnto me as I thought standinge vpon the sande of the sea ¶ The .xiii. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe a beast ryse out of y◠sea hauing seuen heades and ten hornes and vpon his bornes ten crownes and vpon his heade the name of blasphemye And the beaste whiche I saw was lyke a catte of the mountayne his fete were as the fete of a beare his mouth as y◠mouth of a lion And the dragon gaue him his power and his feare great auctorite BY this beast which was sene to ryse vp in the raging sea of this worlde is signified y◠kingdome of Rome vnder y◠dominion of whiche kingdom Christ was borne suffred his passion vnder y◠same kyngdōe also S. Iohn did write both this boke and his holy gospel For this kingdom obteyned power dominion ouer many nacions landes and ouercame very many kinges Whiche thinges came not to passe for y◠vertue godlines of y◠Romaynes for they knew not their Lord God much lesse did they honour him For they dyd ascribe their wealth good fortune successe their victorie not vnto y◠true lyuing God but vnto their false goddes And diuerse Emperours of Rome haue set out them selues also for goddes haue suffred oblacions sacrifices to be made done vnto them And thus haue they blasphemed y◠true god creatour gouernour of al thīges whose seruice religiō yea his temple priesthode and sacrifices they did vtterly abolishe subuert most spitefully contemptuously and set vp al false religiō ydolatrie to please y◠people For whose pleasure they buylded set vp a churche of Pantheon for y◠honour of all sainctes goddes whiche remaineth at Rome vntil this day The errours riches blasphemous vices of y◠who le world which wer gotten in batel are like vnto a cat of y◠mountayne with her many speckles spottes whiche with her smacke souour draweth many beastes vnto her which she destroieth Euē as the Romaynes vnder y◠pretēce of their glorious name title haue gottē great power auctoryte wherby they haue oppressed hurt y◠who le world in so much y◠at length it was intollerable The Beare hath a weake heade but very strōg feete which signifieth y◠power of his tyrannye the weakenes feblenes of their captaines of their Emperours which for y◠most part haue had shamful endes after their wicked shameful liues And it was as spoilful gredy to deuour as a Liō had his power might strēgth of all mighty god but yet they haue not cōfessed it nor ascrybed it vnto him but vnto their own ydolles and false goddes and vnto Lucifer the kyng and head of their false goddes whiche is here named a dragon and wyll be estemed and taken for a Lorde of
vnto the lorde desierous of his mercye and grace and beloued of him from euerlastinge and ordeyned vnto his kingdome as ioyfull and desierous first frutes whiche men doe eate with a great lust desire and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge as it ought to be Their faithe is so acceptable and pleasant before God as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope without the which it can not be decketh and hydeth all thâ—ir synnes howe many howe great and howe greuous so euer they were And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes euen their synnes also and all maner of thinges hapned and ended vnto the best As it hapned vnto Dauid Peter Paule and Marie Magdalene and vnto al holy sainctes and elect sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour For althoughe all men and all sainctes are synners before God yet for the lambes sake in whome they truste they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God The 〈◊〉 ¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kynredes and tonges and people saying with a loude voyce Feare God and geue honoure to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshyp him that made heauen and earth and the sea and fountaines of water And there folowed an other angell sayinge Babilon is fallen is fallen that great citie for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her fornicacion The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell are ofte called angels as they maye well be Of the whiche the kyng Christ sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth That the holy and sincere doctrine the gospell might sone and frutefully flye throughe the christen churche Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore haâ—e and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede and with great power throughe his ministers and deputies And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe For the voyce and trueth therof is this bothe open and cleare that God onely is the lorde and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consciences lyghtned with gods worde do confesse And the loude voyce of the gospell soundeth thus Feare God as godly children doe their moost louynge father honour him onely for all grace and goodnes can come from none but from him onely and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement that it be not resisted against all wickednes vngodlines vngraciousnes And worship him onely with inuocacion that hath made heaueÌ„ and earth and al that is therin Against this gospell dothe the dragon euermore speake with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes whiche syns Caims tyme hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth because they thincke and imagine that it wyll be an hinderauÌ„ce vnto their pompe pryde vngodly and abhominable lyuinge But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised against this lambe the worde of God against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes as well the Babilonicall confusion as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye The holy gospell rightly vnderstande shall beate downe confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen The texte ¶ And the thirde angell folowed them saying with a loude voyce If any man worship the beast and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forheade or on his hande the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyshed in fire and brymstone before yâ— holy angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no rest daye nor night whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his name Here is the pacience of sainctes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist resisting and withstandinge the gospell and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute studieth to banysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp in the temple of the christeÌ„ churche as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche but were absent and had forsaken it and had broken his promisse And as thoughe the gospell were in his I meane Antichristes power and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde infydelitie and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe couetousnes pleasure pastime and to bleare and deceaue the simple He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe And besydes this he byndeth them with a wicked othe and a deuillyshe vowe against all godlynes and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god without all maner of shame and feare Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast or eyther worship or maynteyne him they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup powred out of God and redye at hande wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes of Christ him selfe and of the apostles with as muche shame opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of yâ— wrath of God goyng forwarde in
their wickednes without repentaunce and neuer returning backe vntil their last howre vntyll their very death than is it not possyble but that their damnacion begon here in this worlde in all myschefe wickednes and without sorowe repentance or amendment leauynge example vnto their posterite to committe and to maynteyne lyke wickednes it is not possible I saye but that the smoke of their payne torment shall ascende vp from euerlasting to euerlastinge without any maner of rest daye or night with all those which dyd euer helpe vnto suche vngodlynes or consent vnto it opened such a dore vnto wickednes and woulde be extolled and praysed therfore with their Antichristes marke contrarye to the holy token of gods electe whiche they haue in their foreheades namely the holy worde of God for the whiche they haue suffered muche payne and opprobrye but with excedynge great pacience for Iesus sake The texte ¶ And I hearde a voyce from heauen sayinge vnto me wryte Blessed are the deed which herafter dye in the Lorde euen so sayth the spirite that they rest from their laboures but their worckes folowe them In so great danger of the faithful vnder the iurisdiccion of Antichristes abhominacion with his .ii. hornes and vnlawfull vsurped power vpon bodye and soule vtterly against the worde of god whiche is the onely comforte of al faithfull soules is it necessary that some comforte come vnto them from heauen aboue whiche the lambe sendeth vnto all true christians thorowe the holy gospell which the spirite of God writeth in their hartes to beleue stedfastlye that it can not be otherwyse in this worlde but that all they whiche wyll folow Christ must beare the crosse euen vnto death as Christe the innocent lambe dyd but afterwardes shall they see nothing but euerlastinge saluacion merited purchased vnto them thorowe the passion and death of Christe to the iustificacion and merite of eternall saluacion of all the electe Whiche comforte shall be muche greater in their soules in the kynkdome of Christe than is possible for al the merites of man to deserue or obteyne And speciallye at suche tyme as the glorified bodye shall be ioyned and vnited againe vnto the blissed soule after the latter daie And therfore the good workes of the faithful as thei doe not goe before their faith and loue but are onely the frutes of them euen so shall they not preuent the merite of Christ for all electe from euerlastinge but as the spirit of Christ saythe they folowe and come after them whan they haue obteyned rest and peace thorowe the free grace and mercye of God and thorowe the merite of Christes rightuousnes after this I saye thorowe faithe haue folowed good workes out of an humble and obedient heart whiche workes the lorde wyl graciouslye crowne as his gyftes and receyue and rewarde them as acceptable vnto him The texte ¶ And I loked and beholde a whyte cloude and vpon the cloude one syttinge lyke vnto the sonne of man hauinge on his heed a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe spckle And another angell came out of the temple cryinge with a loude voyce to him that sate on the cloude Christ in thy syckle and reape for the tyme is come to reape for the corne of the earthe is rype And he that sate on the cloude thrust in his syckle into yâ— earth and the â—arth was reaped Althoughe the right faithfull garnyshed with good workes after yâ— worde of God were euermore sure of their saluacion yet not withstandynge the iudgement of God whan his tyme is come goeth forwarde against all suche thinges as are set vp against the worde of God As it was readye at hande at one tyme by reason of the obscuringe and blyndinge of gods worde amonge yâ— Iewes thorowe the cursed Talmud wherunto they gaue more faith and credence and cleaued more earnestly vnto it than vnto the lawe of God and to the prophetes And lykewyse among the christians specially among the hyghe bysshops and prelates with their glorious tytles of Popes Patriarkes Cardinals Primates and suche other orders of the whiche one euer desiered to be aboue a nother sekyng alwayes their owne glorye lust pompe honour and dignitie and not the wil of God faithe godlynes of lyfe nor yet the gospell whiche they haue alwayes pretended falsely and craftilye to colour and cloke their myschefe and wickednes As concerninge the Turkes faithe we can saye but lytle what their greatest faut wickednes and beastlynes is we haue had more knowledge by writinges than by any profe or experience But it is to be feared yf God be not mercifull vnto vs we shall learne it soner than we woulde In the myddest of all this thorowe the trompet of the gospel beyng blowen out in our tyme after a wonderfull sorte thorowe the spirite of Helyas whiche appeareth commeth abrode plentuouslye and effectuouslye is rysen and daylye ryseth suche a mouynge and sterringe vp of mens hartes suche a knowledge of the truth such a lyght and lanterne of doctrine and such a iudgement of Antichristes workes suche a feare of the wrathe of God so that there is a good hope that yâ— holy and holsome seede of gods worde so plentiously sowne and spred abrode shall not returne againe without great frute and edifâ—enge of the faithe and the lyfe of men For as for the Iewes whether they wyll or no they must nedes despaire of their workinge their faithe their doctrine and of all their state whan as they see that the whole kyngdome of heauen whiche they take to be theirs peculiarely to be taken from them and to be made common vnto all them that feare God thorowe the whole worlde more than euer was founde by them Euen so also amonge the christians the doctrine and profession of the holy gospell true faythe and all godlye vertues shall waxe and increase in the heades and rulers of the christendome as it shall also be ioyfullye receyued of all true Christen subiectes notwithstandynge that the nomber of them shall alwayes be least And also the knowledge vnderstandinge lernynge and readynge of the holy scripture shall somwhat increase amonge the spirituall prelates as it shoulde be hoped for and with most earnest and feruent prayer desired and called for of god And it is well to be thought and to be beleued that the Lord wyll doe his parte also euen in suche wyse as is here promysed so yâ— Antichrist beyng thus put to shame but yet remayninge styll impenitent shall be reaped downe with the syckle of gods worde thorowe the spirite of Helyas and shall be cut downe thresshed not to the destruccion but to the profyte edificacion and saluacioÌ„ of the world This hath our Lorde and sauiour Christ brought to passe whiche is alwayes the heade of the churche who is not onely present therwith but also doth graciouslye rule and gouerne it edifieth and helpeth it and he with and roteth out the enemies and aduersaries with the sickle of his
am Iohn it is as muche to say as thus yf ye beleue my preaching of Christ in other matters because I am the same Iohn whiche was conuersaunte and lyued with Christ than beleue me in this booke also because of the visions syghtes and sayinges which I haue seene hearde my selfe and haue written in this booke And I knowe also and am assured that this angell was an holy angell and therfore I for feare and reuerence woulde haue worshipped him as a seruaunt and minister of God and I dyd also worship him and fell downe at his feete to worship him that I might seme to shewe thankefulnes vnto him for the infinite benefite and grace that he reueled and opened vnto me suche highe and holy secrete misteries But he woulde not accept and receyue suche honour and worship at my handes nor was not content therwith wherby I am taught that I should vtterly honour and worship none but onely the almighty God And althoughe the nature and dignitie of angels be higher than the state and dignite of man yet by the reason of the manhode of Christ and by the reason of the saluacion of mankynde thorowe Christ the nature of man is exalted aboue all angels And therfore from hence forthe the angell wyll not be hygher estemed than as a felowe seruaunt of all men vnto the lorde And lykewyse our sauiour Christ nameth himselfe a felow brother of his disciples and that also after the resurreccion And also the angel nameth Iohn in this place a brother and felow of yâ— apostles onely for this booke and sheweth how acceptable they are vnto the lorde namely reputed euen as the brethren of Christe whiche doe esteme this booke and beleue the wordes whiche are written therin And therfore no man ought to esteme this booke lightly nor to contemne it for as much as in many places it teacheth the misteries of Christ very euidentlye Althoughe in dyuerse thinges prophecied in this booke whiche haue not yet beue sene to be fulfylled because they concerne this tyme of ours the latter tyme it is somewhat darke and obscure The texte ¶ And he sayde vnto me seale not the sayinges of the prophecye of this boke For yâ— tyme is at hande He that doeth euyll let him do euil styll and he whiche is fylthye let him be fylthye styl and he that is righteous let him be more righteous and he that is holy let him be more holy And beholde I come shortly and my rewarde is with me to geue euery man according as his dedes shadie I am Alpha and Omega the begynnyng and the ende the first and the last Blessed are they that doe his commaundementes that theyr power maye be in the tree of lyfe and maye entre in thorowe the gates into the citie For without shal be dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers and murcherers and ydolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh leasynges In the olde testamente before the commynge of Christe the Prophetes were partly commaunded to seale their prophecyes for lyke as the fulfyllynge of suche thynges as were prophecyed and promised was fatte of euen so myght many dyuers opynyons be amonge the interpreters But here in this place the angell commaundeth Iohn that he should not seale the boke for as muche as suche matters as are prophecied therin shoulde be fulfylled very shortly As it is euydent that dyuerse of them were fulfylled immediately yea euen the great and notable vision of the subuersion and destruccion of the citie of Ierusalem and of the death and banyshment of the Iewes was alreadye fulfylled for the whiche cause he dyd prophecy nothing of it but of dyuerse other thinges which were yet to come he dyd prophecye And therfore also after this booke he wrote his holy gospel of the godheade of Iesus Christ against certen heretikes And therfore he saieth the tyme is at hande for the whiche cause men must suffer the wicked to worke accordynge vnto their wickednes for they shall not practyse it long Men must suffer the wicked Iewes and hethen whiche so wylfullye and maliciouslye doe noye and persecute the faithfull christians to take theyr pleasure Let the false apostles heretikes and hipocrites whiche pretende great holynes althoughe they be shamefully defyled as well inwardly as out wardlye let them remayne defyled and wicked it shall shortely haue an ende the iudgement of God hangeth ouer their heades But he that doeth well and rightlye nedeth not to feare the iudgement and comming of Christ He that is holy thorowe true faithe and loue towarde Christ the same desiereth ernestly from day to daye the commynge of Christ vnto the last and generall iudgement And as sone as he seeth any of those tokens happen which haue any lykelyhode of the approchinge of the end of the worlde and whiche shoulde come to passe before than he lyfteth vp his heade and sygheth and wysheth for the commynge of Christ most desierously that he might be sone rid and delyuered from yâ— myserp and wretchednes of this worlde But now thou Iohn marke and take good hede I wyll come shortly and bringe the rewarde with me for al them that haue laboured and done eyther good or euyll For the tyrannes and workers of iniquite wyll I punyshe with dystresse plages and all other blasphemers lykewyse I am the begynnynge of all thinges I haue created the worlde because I am the worde by the whiche God hath created all thinges And I am also the end for the last daye shall be my daye whan as I shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade They performe and doe gods commaundementes which in true faith and loue indeuour themselues with al diligence to doe the wil and pleasure of God with holy workes vertuous exercises whansoeuer they haue any trouble or a ouersite than they call and praye vnto god for grace and mercye for Christes sake whose rightuousnes they take for the oblacion and ransome for their synnes offerynge vp vnto him the sacrifice of thankesgeuynge with a true and perfyte faythe in the mercye of God thorowe Christ Iesus Suche true faithfull men are lyke vnto a frutefull tree that begynneth to budde out whiche in due tyme bryngeth furthe muche fruite And suche true faithfull beleuers can onely enter thorowe faythe into the Christen churche here vpon earthe and whan the tyme commeth they shall also enter in to the heauenly churche But the vnfaithfull doe shewe and declare also theyr frutes of all wyckednes and fleshely lustes wherin they defyle them selues euen lyke swyne and become shameles in theyr synnes lyke very dogges For the whiche cause they can not enter in to the righte christen churche and congregation neyther sorcerers inchanters whoremongers murtherers worshippers of ydols nor any suche as make lyes of malyce and of an euyll conscience The texte ¶ I Iesus sent myne angell to testifie vnto you these thinges in the congregacions I am the rote and the generacion of Dauid and the bright mornynge starâ—e And
c Hath not God made the wisedom of this worlde folishnes For the Iewes require asigne c. We preach Christe crucified c. The folishnes of God is wyser theÌ„ mâ—n God hath chosen the foâ—yâ—â—e thinges of the worlde to confounde the wyse Wâ— haue not receyued the spirite of the worlde He that is spirituall discusseth al thynges I haue plaÌ„ted Apollo watered Let no man deceiue you He compasseth the wise in theyr craftimes Ye are Christes Christe is goddes It is the Lorde that iudgeth me What haste thou that thou haste not receyued Wherefore I desire you to folowe me as I folowe Christe The kindome of God is not in wordes yf any that is called a brother bee a fornicatoure I maie doâ— all thing But al thinges are not profitable Let not the bodye bee applied vnto fornicacion For ye are dearely boughte Let euery man haue his owne wife Wythdrawe not your selfes one froÌ„ another excepte it be with consent for a time Euery man hathe his proper gift of god If they cannot abstayne lette theÌ„ marry for it is better to marry than to burne Let not the wyfe be seperated froÌ„ the husbaÌ„d For the vnbeleuâ—ng husband iâ— sanctified by the wyfe c. But and yf the vnbeleuing depart let hym departe Ye are derely boughte be not ye the seruauntes of men Lykewyse if a virgine marrye she hathe noâ— synned I would haue you without care This speake I for your profite not to tangle you in a snare He that ioyneth his virgine in mariage doeth well Knowledge maketh a man swell but loue edifieth We are sure that an image is nothyng Meate maketh vs not acceptable to god Wherfore if meate hurte my brother â–ª c. Haue I not seene Iesus Christ our lorde But woe is it vnto me if I preache not the gospell Let rather him that thinketh he standeth c. For why is my libertie iudged c. The maÌ„ is yâ— womans head c. Neither was the maÌ„ created for the womaÌ„s sake Let a man eâ—amâ—â— hymselfe so let him eate of the breade and drinke of the cup. He that prophecieth speaketh vnto men for theyr edifying Let hym that speaketh with toÌ„gue pray that he may interprete also Prophecy serueth not for them that beleue not but for them which beleue For God is no causer of strife but of peace For yf the deade ryse not againe theÌ„ is Christ not rysen agayne By out reioysing whiche I haue in Christe Iesu out lorde I dye dayly All fleshe is not one maner of flesh The fyrste manne is of the earth earthly Death is swalowed vp in victorie c. For our preachyng to you was not yea and naye c. Not that we be lordes oâ—eâ— youre fayth But we haue this treaâ—ure in earthen vessels We are knowen wel ynough vnto God For if we be to feruente to God are we to feruente Therfore yf any man be in Christe he is a new creature God was in Christe and made agremente betwene the world and hymselfe By the armoure of ryghteousnesse I promise vnto you like rewarde as vnto children We haue huâ—t â—o maÌ„ we haue defrauded no man God that comforteth the abiecte comforted vs by the cuÌ„myng of Titus Godly sorowe causeth repentaunce vnto saiuacion There was geuen vnto me vnquietnesse thorowe the fleshe For my strengthe is made perfect thorow weakenesse For in nothing was I inferioure vnto the chiefe Apostles For I seâ—â— not yours but you Dyd I pyll you by any of them whoÌ„ I sent vnto you We can do nothyng againste the trueth but for the trueth But â—y Iâ—sê° Christ and by God the father Whiche called you by grace vnto an other gospel Either go I aboute to please men For if I had hitherto studied to please men c. For I neither receiued it nor learned it of man I communed not of yâ— matur with fleshe and bloude I wâ—t vp by reuelacion coÌ„muned â—â— them And that because of incuÌ„mers c. I withstode hym openâ—y He dyd eate with the GeÌ„tiles And yâ— other Iewes disseÌ„bled aswelas he If thou beyng a Iew. c A man is not iustifyed by the dedes of the lawe Is Christ theÌ„ the minister of synne Not I but Christ liueth in me c. I dispise not the grace of God c. That ye should not beleue yâ— truth To Abraham and his seede were the promises made For if the inheritaunce cuÌ„ of the law c. The lawe was addeâ— because of transgressioÌ„ But yâ— scripture concludeth all thinges vnder sinne That we mighte be â—â—de righteous through feyth For ye are yâ— chyldren of god because ye beleue it For ye are al one in Christ Iesu Thaâ— we through eleccion myghte receyue thinheritaunce But now after that ye haue knowen God c. How is it that ye turne againe vnto the weake beggerly ordinauÌ„ces c. Ye haue not hurt me at al. I would I wer with you now â— coâ—â—â— chaunge my voyce Abraham had two soÌ„nes c. For these are two testameÌ„tes â–ª c. But Ierusalem whiche is aboue â—s free c. Put awayâ— the bond womanne wtâ—â—â— sonne As manye of you as are â—â— stified by the lawe c. Who was a lette to you yâ— ye should not beleue the truthe Why do I thâ—n suffer persecucion For the lawe is fulfilled in one word c. The fleshe lusteth coÌ„trary to yâ— spirit The dedes oâ— the fleshe c. are thâ—se adultrie c. Consideryng thy selfe lest yâ— be tempted Beare ye one anothers burdaine Be not deceiued God iâ—m not mocked When the time â—o come we shâ—l reape without weâ—â—yn â— Wherby the worlde is cruâ—â—â—ified vnto me I vnto the world I beare in my bodye the markes of yâ— lorde Iesu Grace be vnto you â— peace Blessed bee God the father According as he had chosen vs. Through loue Which ordayned vs. To the praise of the glory of his grace In al wisdome and prudence According to his good pleasure That â—e may to his prayse In whome we also Which is yâ— earnest Vnto the praise of his glorye May geue vnto you yâ— spirite of â—â—sedome He hath wrought in Christe c. And hath made him aboue all thinges the head In the children of unbeliefe And were by nature the childreÌ„ of wrathe But God whiche is riche in mercie By grace are ye made safe Iâ— is the gift of god For we are his workemanship Vnto good workes whiche god ordayned Hauing no hope Gene .xxii. But nowe by the meanes of Christ Iesu For be is ouâ— peace Through his fleshe Making peace To you which were a ferre of By â—â—uelation shewed he this mestery vnto me Vnto me the least of al Saintes is this grace geuen c. That he â—â—ulâ— graunt you accordiÌ„g to yâ— riches oâ— his glory which is father of all Ye beeyng rooted and grounded in loue myght bee hable to coÌ„prehende Unto hym that is hable The houseband is the wiues head