a goo or there vpon To fulfill the lawe to do the workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inwarde affeccion and delectacion and to lyue godly and wel frely wyllingly and without compulsyon of the lawe euen as though there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to the lawe cometh onlye by the workynge of the spirite in the herte as he saieth in the fyrst Chapter Nowe is the spirite none other wise geuen then by faithe onely in that we beleue the promises of God without wauering how that God is true and wyll fulfyll all his good promyses towarde vs for Christes bloudes sake as it is playne in the .i. Chapter I am not ashamed sayeth Paul of Christes gladde tydynges for it is the power of God vnto saluacion to as many as beleue For attonce and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy goste entreth into our hertes and lowseth the bondes of the deuyl whiche before possessed oâ—â—e hertes in captiuitie helde them that we coulde haue no lust to the will of God in the lawe And as the spirite commeth by fayth only euen so faythe commeth by hearygne the worde or glad tydynges of God when Christe is preached how that he is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen again for our sakes as he saieth in the iii.iiii and .x. Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of fayth and fayth and the spirite come of God and not of vs. When we saye faythe bringeth the spirite it is not to bee vnderstande that faith deserueth the spirite or that the spirite is not present in vs before fayth For the spirite is euer in vs and faythe is the gyfte and workyng of the spirite But thorow preaching the spirite beginneth to worke in vs. And as by preachinge the lawe he worketh the feare of God so by preachynge the glad tydinges he worketh faythe And nowe when we beleue and are come vnder the couenaunt of God theÌ„ are we sure of the spirite by the promyse of God and then the spirite accompaineth fayth inseperablie and we begynne to fele his workinge And so faythe certifyeth vs of the spirite and also bringeth the spirite with her vnto the workynge of all other gyftes of grace and to the working oure of the rest of oure saluacion vntill we haue all to gether ouercome synne death hell and Satan and are come vnto the euerlastynge lyfe of glory And for thys cause saye we faythe bryngeth the spirite Hereof commeth it that faythe onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bryngeth the spirite thorow Christes deseruynges the spirite bryngeth luste looceth the hert maketh him free setteth him at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the dedes of the lawe with loue euen as the lawe requireth Then at the last out of the same faythe so workynge in the herte springe all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrde Chapter for after he hath cast awaye the workes of the lawe so that he soundeth as though he woulde breake and disanull the lawe thorow faythe he aunswereth to that myght be layde agaynste saying we destroy not the lawe thorow faythe but mayntyene further or stablyshe the lawe thorow faythe That is to saye we fulfyll the lawe thorow faythe Synne in the scripture is not called that outwarde worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busynes and what soeuer accompanieth moueth or stereth vnto the outwarde dede and that whence the workes springe as vnbelefe pronenes and redines vnto the dede in the ground of the herte with all the powers affeccions and appetytes wherwith we can but synne So that we saye that a man then sumeth when he is caried awaye hedlonge into synne all to gether as muche as he is of that poyson inclynacion and corrupte nature wherin he was conceyued and borne For there is none outwarde synne committed excepte a manne be caryed awaye all together with lyfe soule herte bodye luste and mynde therunto The scripture loketh singularly vnto the herte and vnto the rote and originall fountayne of all synne whiche is vnbelefe in the botome of the herte For as faythe onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirite and luste vnto the outwarde good workes euen so vnbelefe only damneth and kepeth out the spirite prouoketh the fleshe and stereth vp luste vnto the euyll outwarde workes as happened to Adam and Eua in Paradise Genesis .iii. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notably in the .xvi. Chapter of sainct Iohn The spirite sayeth he shall rebuke the worlde of synne because they beleue not in me And Iohn .viii. he sayeth I am the lyght of the world And therfore in the .xii. of Iohn he byddeth them while they haue light to beleue in the light that ye may be the chyldren of light for he that walketh in darkenes woteth not whither he goeth Nowe as Christ is the light so is the ignoraunce of Christ that darkenes wherof he speaketh in whiche he that walketh woteth not whither he goeth that is he knoweth not howe to worke a good worke in the syght of god or what a good worke is And therefore in the .ix. he sayeth as longe as I am in the worlde I am the lyght of the worlde but there cometh nyght when no manne can worke which nyght is but the ignoraunce of Christ in which no man can se to do any worke that pleaseth God And Paul exhorteth Ephesi .iiii. that they walke not as other hethen whiche are straungers from the lyfe of god thorow the ignoraunce that is in them And agayne in the same Chapter Put of saieth he the olde man whiche is corrupt thorowe the lustes of erroure that is to saye ignoraunce And Rom .xiii. Let vs caste away the dedes of darckenes that is to say of ignoraunce vnbeleue And i. Pet .i. Fassion not your selues vnto youre olde lustes of ignoraunce And .i. Iohn .ii. He yâ— loueth his brother dwelleth in light he that hateth his brother walketh in darckenes and woteth not whither he goeth for darcknes hathe blynded his eyes By lyght he meaneth the knowledge of Christ and by darckenes the ignoraunce of Christe For it is impossyble that he that knoweth Christe truly shoulde hate his brother Furthermore to perceaue this thing more clearly thou shalt vnderstande that it is impossible to sinne any synne at all excepte a man breake the first commaundemente before Nowe is the first commaundement deuyded into two verses Thy Lorde God is one God and thou shalt loue thy Lorde God with al thine heart with al thy soule with al thy power with al thy might And the whole cause why I synne against any inferiour precepte is that this loue is not in mine hearte for wer this loue wrytten in my heart and were full and perfecte in my soule it would kepe mine heart from consentinge vnto any synne And the whole and onely cause why
thys loue is not wrytten in our heartes is that we beleue not the fyrste parte that our Lorde God is one God For wist I what these wordes one Lorde and one God meaneth that is to saye yf I vnderstode that he made all and ruleth all and that what soeuer is done to me whether it bee good or bad is yet his will and that he onely is the Lorde that ruleth and doeth it and wist thereto what this worde myne meaneth that is to saye yf myne heart beleued and felte the infinite benefytes and kyndenes of God to me warde and vnderstode and ernestly beleued the manyfolde couenauntes of mercy wherwith God hathe bounde him selfe to be mine wholy and all together with all his power loue mercye and might then shoulde I loue him with all myne heart soule power and myght and of that loue euer kepe his commaundementes So se ye now that as faythe is the mother of al goodnes and of al good workes so is vnbelefe the grounde and rote of all euyll and all euyll workes Finally yf any man that hath forsaken sinne and is conuerted to put hys trust in Christe and to kepe the lawe of god doth fall at a time the cause is that the fleshe thorowe negligence hathe choked the spirite and oppressed her and taken from her the foode of her strength whiche fode is her meditacion in God and in his wonderfull dedes and in the manyfolde couenauÌ„tes of his mercye Wherfore then before all good workes as good frutes there muste nedes be faythe in the heart whence they springe And before al bad dedes as bad frutes there muste be vnbelefe in the hearte as in the roâ—e fountayne pith and strength of all synne Which vnbelefe and ignoraunce is called the head of the serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seed Christ must treade vnder fote as it was promysed vnto Adam Grace and gyft haue this difference Grace properly is Goddes fauoure beneuolence or kinde mind which of his owne selfe without desecuyng of vs he beareth to vs wherby he was moued and enclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other gyftes of grace Gyfte is the holy goost his working whome he powreth in to the heartes of them on whome he hath mercy and whome he fauoureth Though the gyftes of the spirite encrease in vs daylye and haue not yet their full perfeccion yea and though there remayne in vs yet euyil lustes and synne whiche fight against the spirite as he sayeth here in the .vii. Chapter and in the .v. to the Galathians and as it was spoken before in the .iii. Chapter of Gene. of the debate betwene the womans seed and the sede of the serpent yet neuerthelesse Gods fauoure is so great and â—o strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfecte before God For Goddes fauour towardes vs deuydeth not her selfe encreasinge a lytell and a lytell as do the gyftes but receaueth vs whole and al together in full loue for Christes sake our intercessor and mediatour and because that the gyftes of the spirite and the batayle betwene the spirite and euyll lustes are begonne in vs al ready Of this now vnderstandest thou the .vii. Chapter where Paul accuseth him selfe as a synner and yet in the .viii. Chapter sayeth there is no damnacioÌ„ to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the spirite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full kylled and mortified Neuerthelesse in as muche as we beleue in Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the spirite and woulde fayne be perfecte God is so louinge and fauourable vnto vs that he will not loke on suche synne nether will counte it as sinne but will deale with vs according to oure belefe in Christ and according to his promyses which he hath sworne to vs vntyll the synne be full slaine and mortified by deathe Faythe is not mans opynyon and dreame as some ymagin and fayne when they heare the storie of the gospell Which when they se that there folow no good workes nor mendement of liuing though they heare yet can bable many thinges of fayth then they fall from the right waye and saye fayth only iustifyeth not a manne must haue good workes also yf he will be righteous and safe The cause is when they heare the Gospell or glad tydinges they fayne of theyr owne strength certayne ymagynacyons and thoughtes in theyr hertes saying I haue hearde the Gospell I remembre the storie â—o I beleue And that they counte righte faythe which neuerthelesse as it is but mans ymaginacion and faininge euen so profiteth it not nether folow there any good workes or mendement of liuyng But right fayth is a thinge wroughte by the holy gooste in vs whiche chaungeth vs turneth vs in to a newe nature and begetteth vs a newe in God and maketh vs the sonnes of God as thou redest in the fyrst of Iohn and killeth the olde Adam and maketh vs altogether newe in the hearte mynde will lust and in al oure affeccions and powers of the soule the holy gost euer accompanying her and rulinge the hearte Faith is a liuely thing mightie in working valiaunt and stronge euer doing euer frutefull so that it is vnpossible that he whiche is endued therewith shoulde not worke alwayes good workes without ceasing He axeth not whether good workes are to be done or not but hathe done them all redy yeâ— mencion be made of them and is all waye doinge for suche is his nature nowe quicke faithe in his herte and liuely mouinge of the spirite driue him and stere him therevnto Whosoeuer doeth not good workes is an vnbeleuynge person and faythlesse and loketh round about gropinge after fayth and good workes wotteh not what fayth or good workes meane though he babil neuer so many thinges of fayth and good workes Faithe is then a liuely and stedfast truste in the fauoure of God wherewith we committe oure selues all together vnto God and that truste is so surely grounded and stycketh so faste in our heartes that a manne woulde not once doute of it though he shoulde dye a thousande tymes therfore And suche trust wrought by the hooly goost throughe faith maketh a man glad lusty cherefull and true herted vnto God and to all creatures By the meanes whereof willingly and without compulcion he is glad and redy to do good to euery man to do seruice to euery man to suffer all thinges that God may be loued and praysed which hathe geuen him suche grace so that it is impossible to separat good workes from faithe euen as it is impossible to seperate heere and burninge from fyre Therfore take hede to thy selfe and beware of thine owne fantasies and ymaginacions whiche to iudge of faith and good workes will sâ—me wyse when in dede they are starke blinde and of al thinges most folysshe Praye God that he wyll witesafe to
growe no apples but there is vnbelefe the deuels spirite and euyll workes Of thys Goddes spirite and hys frutes haue oure holy ypocrites not once knowen nether yet tasted howe swete they are though they fayne many good workes of theyr owne ymaginacions to be iustyfied with all in whiche is not one crum of true faythe or spirituall loue or of inwarde ioye peace and quyetnes of conscience for as muche as they haue not the worde of God for them that such woorkes please God but they are euen the rotten frutes of a rotten tre After that he breaketh forth and runneth at large and sheweth whence bothe synne and righteousnes deathe and lyfe come And he compareth Adam and Christe together thus wyse reasonynge and dysputynge that Christe muste neades comme as a seconde Adam to make vs heyres of hys ryghtewesnes thorowe a newe spyrytuall byrthe without oure deseruynges euen as the fyrste Adam made vs heyres of synne thorowe the bodely generacyon without oure deseruing Whereby is euidently knowen and proued to the vttermost that no man can bring him self out of synne vnto righteousnes nomore then he coulde haue withstande that he was borne bodely And that is proued herewith for as muche as the very lawe of God whiche of right shoulde haue holpe yf any thinge could haue holpen not onely came and brought no helpe with her but also encreased synne because that the euyll and poysoned nature is offended and vtterly displeased with the lawe and the more she is forbyd by the lawe the more is she prouoked and set a fyer to fulfill and satisfye her lustes By the lawe then we se clerely that we must nedes haue Christe to iustifye vs with his grace and to helpe nature In the .vi. Chapter he setteth forth the chiefe and principal worke of faith the battaill of the spirite against the fleshe howe the spirite laboreth and enforseth to kyll the remnaunt of syn and â—â—â— whiche remaine in the fleshe after our iustifiyng And this chapter teacheth vs that we are not so free from synne thorowe faythe that we shoulde hence forth go vp and downe ydle carelesse and sure of our selues as though there were nowe no more synne in vs yes ther is sin remaining in vs but it is not rekened because of faith of the spirite which fight against it Wherfore we haue ynough to do all oure life 's longe to tame our bodies and to compell the membres to obey the spirite and not the appetites that thereby we myght be like vnto Christes death refurreccioÌ„ and might fulfil our baptisme which signifieth the mortifyinge of synnes and the newe life of grace For this battayle ceaseth not in vs vntill the last birthe and vntill that sinne be vtterly staine by the death of the bodye This thing I meane to tame the body and so forth we are able to do sayeth he seyng we are vnder grace and not vnder the lawe what it is not to be vnder the lawe he hym selfe expoundeth For not to be vnder the lawe is not so to be vnderstande that euery manne maye do what him lusteth But not to be vnder the lawe is to haue a free hearte renewed with the spirite so that thou hast lust inwardly of thyne own accorde to do that which the law commaundeth without compulsion yea though there were no lawe For grace that is to saye Goddes fauoure bryngeth vs the spirit and maketh vs to loue the lawe so is there now no more synne neyther is the lawe nowe any more agaynst vs but at one and agreed with vs and we with it But to be vnder the lawe is to deale with the workes of the lawe and to worke without the spirite and grace â–ª for so longe no doubte synne raygneth in vs thorow the lawe that is to saye the lawe declareth that we are vnder synne and that synne hath power and dominion ouer vs seynge we cannot fulfyll the lawe namely within the hearte for as muche as no man of nature fauoreth the lawe consenteth there vnto and delyteth therein Which thyng is exceading great synne that we cannot consent to the law which lawe is nothyng els saue the will of God This is the ryght fredome and libertie from sinne and from the lawe wherof he writeth vnto the ende of thys Chapter that is a fredome to do good onelye with luste and to lyue well without compulcyon of the lawe wherfore thys fredome is a spirituall fredome whiche destoyeth not the lawe but ministreth that whiche the lawe requyreth and where â–ª with the lawe is fulfylled that is to vnderstande luste and loue wherwith the lawe is stylled and accuseth vs no more compelleth vs no more nether hathe ought to craue of vs any more Euen as though thou were in dette to an other man and were not able to paye two maner wayes myghtest thou be lowsed One waye yf he woulde require nothyng of the and breke thyne obligacion An other waye yf some other good man woulde paye for the and geue the as much as thou myghtest â—arâ—sâ—ie thyne obligacion with all Of this wyse hathe Christe made vs fre from the lawe and therfore is this no wylde fleshely libertie that shoulde do nought but that doeth all thinges and is fre from the crauyng and decre of the lawe In the .vij. Chapter he confyrmeth the same with a similytude of the state of matrimony As when the husband dyeth the wyfe is at her libertie and the one looced and departed from the other not that the woman should not haue power to mary vnto an other man but rather now fyrst of all is she fre and hath power to mary vnto an other man which she coulde not do before tyll she was looced from her fyrst housband Euen so are our consciences bound and in daunger to the law vnder old Adam the flesh as long as he liueth in vs. For the law declareth that our hertes are bounde that we cannot disconsent from him But when he is mortifyed and kylled by the spirite then is the conscience fre and at lybertye â–ª not so that the conscience shall nowe nought do but now fyrst of al cleueth vnto another that is to were Christ and bringeth forthe the frutes of lyfe So â—ow to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfyll the lawe but to be detter to it and not able to paye that whiche the lawe requyreth And to be looce from the lawe is to fulfyll it and to pay that which the lawe demaundeth so that it can nowe hence forth are thee nought Consequently Paul declareth more largely the nature of synne and of the lawe how that thorow the lawe synne reuiueth moueth hir selfe and gathereth strength For the old man and corrupt nature the more he is forboden and kepte vnder of the lawe is the more offended and dyspleased therewith for as muche as he cannot paye that whiche is requyred of the lawe For synne is his nature and of hym selfe he cannot but synne Therefore
stoare in heauen but as sone as thy backe is turned frō the preacher thou rūnest on with al thy forcasting studies to muckre vp ryches thou carest not how by hoke or by croke as though thou beleuedest that godlynes should not be rewarded after this life And if any among you thinke him selfe wonderous deuout if he kepe hys handes from stealynge and from fighting and other vyces and yet for all that refrayne not hys tongue from backbyting mysreportes from scoldinges from filthie talkinges nether his harte from vncleane thinkinges hys deuocion is vnprofitable vnfrutefull Perchaūce he is not punished by mans lawes that only talketh of whoredome though he doe it not yet he is become an whoremonger before God that in his minde hath cōmitted whoredōe He suffreth no punishment of men that coueteth an other mans good if he may escape vnpunished but he is giltie of thefte before God y◠hath conceaued thefte in his minde We are estemed after y◠manifest dedes before menne for they see not the mynde But God loketh vpon the inwarde affeccions of the mynde and estemeth vs after them A corrupt mynde is vsed for the moste parte to hurst out in to the tongue Among Christen people a reuiling woorde is a kynde of manslaughter but this is playne that true godlynes can in no wise agree with racklenes of tongue Nether yet is it sufficience vnto Christian religion to haue absteyned from synnyng it behoueth also to abounde in good workes For in dede bonde seruauntes absteyne from doing euill yea for feare of punyshment but those that are right children it becometh to haue loue whiche is no idle loytring matter but effectually working and putteth forthe it selfe frely without compulsion to dooe euery good worke But some woulde saye what dedes than are those that make vs ryght religious in dede Those that smell of the Iewes secte set furthe the prayse of religion in Palles and wyde robes in choise of meates in washinges in longe prayers and other ceremomes which are sometymes not altogether to be contemned if by them as by signes we be warned of those thinges whiche are the propre own matters of godlines but thei are pernicious ware yf a man thinke that he is made religious by meane of thē where as of them selues without exposicion they make a man rather an hipocrite Howbeit the obseruing of thē semeth a religious deuoute matter among men that wickedly repose godlines in visible thinges whiche perchaunce are signes of godlynes but not the cause of godlynes seing that of them selues they are nether good nor euill onles they seme to be suche either through custome or in the opinion of menne where as true godlynes is in the inwarde myndes and expresseth it selfe by farre more certaine sure signes than by ceremonies Will you therfore heare what is true religion with God the father whiche estemeth you not after the iudgement of manne Doubtles thys is the pure and vndefyled religyon that like as we haue by experience proued bothe the mercie and liberall goodnes of God towardes vs euen so muste we agayne bee bothe mercyfull and frendely liberall towardes our neighbour and that not vpon any hope of mutuall good turne to be requited to vs agayne but of a mere and a pure vpright loue loking for the rewarde of our wel doing at the handes of none other but of God whiche is contente to haue it reconed to bee done to him selfe what so euer we bestowe for his sake vpon our brother He is a godly and a pure man among the Iewes that toucheth not caryon that is washed with quycke rennyng water but with God he is godly and pure that succoureth the fatherles children and wydowes in theyr trouble that releueth hys oppreste brother and helpeth the nedye with money Among the Iewes he is vncleane that eateth swynes fleshe But with God he is vncleane whose mynde is infected and defieled with the gredye lustes of thys worlde But a manne will saye what be those lustes In the iudgement of the worlde he is counted vile that is poore And he the more honestlie set by that hathe moste possession of riches and for that cause theyr speciall carke and care is to get to them selues the moste substaunce of money He is reconed a lowete and a henneharted rascall that maketh no querell whan wrong is done vnto him He is counted a foole that doeth a good turne for a badde He is estemed a Ioly ruffler that geueth him selfe to excessyue ryot and he is counted a flyncher that foloweth sobrietie He is taken for a gaye felowe that swelleth in haultynes and loketh an heigth ouer menne of lower estimacion He is counted happye that hathe his matter to succede in this worlde after hys owne purpose that floweth in delicacies and voluptuous pleasures and serueth his paunche and glotonie These are the thinges that in dede make a mannes soule wicked and vncleane and he that absteyneth from them is a religious manne whosoeuer is whosoeuer is not in the sight of God the father who hathe exempted vs from earthy thinges and called vs to heauenly thynges and from the thinges that shall perishe and are casuall vnto the thinges that are eternall and hathe taught vs to esteme the worthynes of manne by the thynges that are good in dede and in all that we haue to doe to geue respecte to none other purpose but to hys glorye at whose only handes the requitall of well doynges is to be trusted for And he doeth not requite the offices of true godlynes with transitorye and sone peryshing rewardes as thys worlde is wonte to doe but he geueth blessednes that neuer shall dye It is a homely person it is a poore body whom thou bestowest thy good turne vpō he is not hable to requite the but yet for al that it is farre better to bestowe it vpon him than vpon an other how ryche or of how greate power so euer he be whiche can requite no profit agayne but a slender one and that but for a small season where as for the reliuing of thy pore brother Christ layeth vp in stoare life euerlasting The .ii. Chapter The texte My brethren esteme not the fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lorde of glory with respecte of persons For yf there come into your company a man wearing a golden ryng clothed in goodly apparell and there come in also a poore manne in vyle rayment and ye haue a respect to hym that weareth the gaye clothynge and saye vnto him Syt thou here in a good place and saye vnto the poore stande thou there or syt here vnder my fote stole are ye not parciall in youre selues and haue iudged after euyll thoughtes Harken my deare beloued brethren Hath not God chosen the pore of thys worlde soch as are rych in fayth and heyres of the kyngdome whiche he promysed to them that loue hym But ye haue despysed the pore Do not riche men execute tyrannye vpon you and drawe you
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
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
helpe of Christe I haue not onely not geuen place to these myscheuous troubles but also that I am preserued for the encrease of your best profite The texte Onely let your conuersacion be as it becommeth the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or els be absent I may yet here of your condicion that ye continue in one spirite and in one soule labourynge as we doo to mayntayne the faythe of ghospel and in nothyng fearynge your aduersaries whiche is to them a cause of perdicion but to you of saluacion and that of God For vnto you it is geuen of Christe that not onlye ye shoulde beleue on hym but also that ye shoulde suffre for hys sake hauynge euen suche a sight as ye sawe in me and nowe heare of me Doo you see nowe howe lytle I regarde myne owne feliâ—itie in comparison of youre commoditie What man is it that woulde not loothe the cares of thys worlde to be in the thyrde heauen Who woulde not desire to be in the vpper paradise and to be delyuered out of these miseries Who woulde not contemne the communication of man whan he remembreth the secrete wordes that were spoken to him aboue Who would not in stedde of so many daungiers so mani ieoperdies so many deathes rather chose to be in the quietnesse that neuer shall haue deathe Neuertheles I set so muche by brotherlye charitie that I regarde more the profyte of others than myne owne desyre And therefore it shal be youre partes to applye youre selues the more diligentlye that you maye doo lykewyse accordynge to my mynde in thys behalfe And that shal be in case you wyl frame your lyfe answerably vnto the ghospell of Christe for whose sake I abyde all these troubles that I be not frustrate of this frute for the whiche onelye thyng I woulde wyshe to be seperated from the moste blessed felowshyppe of Christe Therefore endeuoure youre selues that in case I see you agayne I maye fynde you suche as I woulde wyshe you to be or yf there be anye let that I can not see you agayne yet at least I maye here of you in myne absence that lyke as you haue done alwayes hitherto so continue styll in one spirite whiche you haue commonlye receyued and agree all in one mynde holdyng vp wyth your diligence and prayers the fayth of the ghospell that warreth agaynste the wycked and be not afrayed of any persecution to resiste the enemies of Christe manfullye in euery place whose wycked doynges shall worke nothyng elles but their owne destruction and your saluation and cause the glorye of the ghospell the more to flourishe and theyr owne wycked purposes to proue alwayes worse and worse It is a very goodly thyng to suffer for Christe but it is an excellent thyng by hym to conquere the aduersaries Howbeit we can in no wyse attribute that to oure selues For it is geuen you of God not onelye to beleue in the ghospell of Christ wythout dyssemblyng which I preache but also readyly to suffer for it as you see me doe And shrynke not to abyde the same conflicte for the ghospelles sake that you haue sene me suffer so manye wayes afore whan I was there and you haue harde of me beyng nowe in boundes and in haserd of my heade These thynges happen not by chaunce at all aduentures but are appointed by the goodnesse of God vnto them specially whose godlynes he will haue more notablye sene through the afflictions of this life ¶ The .ii. Chapter The texte If ther be therfore any consolacion in Christ if there be any comforte of loue if there be any felowshyp of the spirite yf there be any compassion mercy fulfyll ye my ioye yâ— ye be lyke mynded hauyng one loue beyng of one accorde and of one mind that no thing be done through strife or of vayne glory but in mekenes of mynd let euery man esteme another better then him selfe Loke not ye euery man on hys own thynges but euery man on the thynges that are other mennes NOwe therefore yf there be anye mutuall consolation among them that haue professed all one Christe If there be anye comfort of brotherly loue that maketh commune whether it be sadnesse or gladnesse among them that the spirite of Christe worketh his efficacye vnto yf there be anye commune louyng affections among you whereby men are commenly greued with their frendes heauynes yf there be any merciful compassions wherby we euen of very natural instincte mourne and be sory for the huâ—tes of them whoÌ„ we loue hartely and suffre for our sakes by all these I besâ—che you O Philippians make good this my ioye which I haue coÌ„ceyued of you Whatsoeuer you owe vnto me in any maner of behalfe I wyll acknowledge it for full paymente in case you sticke together in perfyte concorde of harte in case you haue loue among you one vnto an other in case you be all of one mynde and of one consent For peace and concorde can not possibly continue among them that are hote stomaked and hyghe mynded forasmuche as an hote mynde and a swellynge stomake causeth contention causeth ambition and causeth angre whiche are the very present poysons of brotherly loue and frendshippe that ought to be among men Seyng than you are made all one among your selues by the spirite of Christe and professe the doctrine of Christe see that no thyng be done by contention or vayne glorye that one prouoke not an other by fearce demeanour while none wyll gyue place to an other by meanes whereof among worldly disciples arise chydynges braulinges and dissension And therfore let not wrathe or ambition or pryde be of your counsail for they are very naughtye counsaillours but rather brotherly loue and her companyon modestie of minde so that no man preferre him selfe before an other but thinke euery other better than him selfe and withoute boastes of hys owne doynges be content and gentlye glad of other mennes better qualities And let not euery man respect his owne priuate commoditie for there as they doo so publique concorde is not lyke to continue But let euery man regarde the commodities of others before his own through christian charitie whose propertie is not to seke after the thinges that be her owne The texte Let the same mynde be in you that was also in Christe Iesu whiche whan he was in the shape of God thought it no robbery to be equall wyth God Neuerthelesse he made hym selfe of no reputacion takyng on hym the shape of a seruaunte and became lyke vnto men and was founde in hys apparell as a man He humbled hymselfe and became obedyente vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Wherfore God also hath eralted him on hye and gyuen hym a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euerye knee shoulde bowe bothe of thynges in heauen and thynges in earth and thynges vnder the earth and that all tonges shoulde confesse that Iesus Christe is the Lorde
mynde as a man quite ouerturned and paste all remedy Neyther hast thou any neade to laboure in the condemnynge of him sythen he is condemned by his owne iudgement If he peryshe he is lost and cast awaye by his owne faulte For he cannot laye this excuse for him I was deceyued and went oute of the waye thorowe ignoraunce no man warned me of myne â—â—â—oure This excuse it but vayne For what shal one do to a sicke man that wil take no medicine peraduenture yf he were contemned and not passed on he woulde wexe wyser If he wyll not yet the fewer resorte vnto him the fewer shall the contagion of his madnes infecte The texte When I shall sende Artemas vnto the or Tithycus be diligente to come to me vnto Nicâ—â—opolis For I haue determined there to wynter Bryng zenas the lawear Apollos en theyr iorney diligently that nothynge be lackyng vnto them And let oures also learne to â—â—cell in good woorkes as farforth as nede requireth that they be not vnfruteful All that are with me saluâ—e the. Grete them that loue vs in the fayth Grace be with you all Amen I woulde fayne haue the with me a fewe dayes but I woulde not it should be to the damage of the christian congregacions in Crete which haue bene but late conuerted to the faith and therefore they haue the more nede of a diligente ouerseat whiche maye buylde vpon the foundacion nowe all ready layed Se therefore that thou mete with me at Nicopole But come not afore I send Artemas or Tichicus to thee to be there for thee in my steade leste thy departing shoulde leue Crete destitute and as it were an Orpheline Thou shalte not neade to feare that I wyll in the meane tyme go any where els and so thou to lese thy laboure For I am purposed all this nexte wynter to be at Nicopole whiche is a citie of Trace Whan Zenas sometyme a doctor of Moses law but nowe a noble preacher of the ghospell and Apollos whiche is a man greatlye approued in the doctrine of Christe wyll departe from the bryng them forthward with all the humanite that maye be and see that they lacke nothyng that shal be necessary for their iornaye If these offices of humanitie be exhibited of the Ethnikes that they doo for good maners sake brynge their frende onwarde on his iorney and gyue him at his departyng sufficiently bothe of vytayles and otherthynges necessarye for him in his way I thynke it very right that our men also whiche profelse Christe do learne to vse suche gentyle fashions and to gyue due thankes to them that do deserue it Not that they shuld make them riche with greate gyftes but to geue them suche thinges as be necessarye for their lyuing whan nede shall requyre For seyng that they whiche do not knowe Christe be yet taught of nature to geue them thankes whiche haue done for them truly it is very vnsemely that christian men should be barayne and vnfruteful to them of whom they haue receiued any good turne As many as be here with me commende them vnto the. Do thou agayne coÌ„mende me to as many there as loue me not with worldely affeccion but with Euangelicall and christian loue whiche the commune profession of faythe doeth engendre in vs. The free beneficence of Goddes mercy be with you all for euer Amen ¶ Thus endeth the paraphrase vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to Titus ¶ The Argument vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to Philemon by Erasmus of Roterodame â–ª THis Philemon after the Grekes writing was a Phrigiâ— borne whiche nacion of people is vntractable â—â—anyshe as the Greekes owne prouerbe maketh often mencion Stripes make the Phrigian to amende And yet Paul reconned this Philemon one of hys speciall frendes bycause of his godlynes diligence done to yâ— sayntes And a seruaunt of his one Onesimus had runne away froÌ„ him to Rome and had theuishlye stollen somwhat from him as seruauntes are for the moste parte vsed to doe There whan he had hearde Paule who at that tyme was in bondes he receiued the doctrine of the gospel and serued Paule in prison But lest the maister should be vexed in his mynde for his seruauntes runnynge awaye he sendeth him home agayne with a wonderfull diligence and ciuilitie he reconsileth vnto the Maister his seruaunt that had bene both a runneagate and a piker and offreth him selfe to be suertie to make good what soeuer he had piked at his runnyng awaye This Epistle he wrote from the prison by the sayd Onesimus whom he also calleth his sonne Thus endeth the Argument ¶ The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to Philemon ¶ The .i. Chapter The texte Paule the prysoner of Christe brother Timothee Vnto Philemon the beloued and oute helper and to the beloued Appia and to Archippus oure felowe souldier and to the congregacion that is of thy house Grace be vnto you and peace from God oure father from the Lorde Iesus Christe PAule before this tyme an Apostle and seruaunte of Iesu Christ and nowe his prysoner also for why shoulde not I be glad to be hys prysoner for whose ghospelles sake I weare these bondes not for the punyshement of any euyil that I haue done but as a notable badge of a free valeaunt preacher and also my felowe ghospellpreacher brother Timothee vnto Philemon in the profession of the commune faith a brother singulerly worthye to be beloued and not a brother onely but also my companion in very many affaires partaker in the office of the gospel to his wyfe Appia my moste welbeloued syster as concernyng the kynred of fayth to Archippus our felowe souldier and to the rest of the congregacion whiche is at his house Grace be vnto you and peace from God oure coÌ„mune father froÌ„ his sonne the lord Iesu Christ The texte I thanke my god making mencioÌ„ alwayes of the in my prayers when I heare of thy loue and fayth whiche thou haste towarde the Lorde Iesu and towarde all sayntes so that the fellowshyppe of thy fayth is fruteful in the knowledge of euery good woorke whiche is in you towarde Iesus Christe For we haue great ioye and consolacion in thy loue because that by thee brother the sayntes hertes are comforted In my prayers wherwith I am accustomed to sacrifice daylye vnto God I undre thankes vnto him alwayes on thy behalfe For I ascribe it thankefully vnto him that I heare spoken openly of all men that is to say both the purenesse thy ryght gospelling charitie which thou bearest towardes the lord Iesus not towardes hym only but also towardes al saintes yâ— is to were his meÌ„bres vnto whoÌ„ what so euer is bestowed hys wyl is to reckeÌ„ it done to him self And this I also beseche him to augment his mercifulnes vpon thee that this thy faith whiche is not idle in the may expresse his power dayly more more to enforce
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
this matier chalengyng nothyng to hymselfe as his own gaue ouer the whole prayse and glorie to god only whome he by his sure and constant fayth both testified to be true of promise as whiche woulde deceyue no man lykewyse to be almightye as whoÌ„ he thoughte able to perfourme his promise were the same neuer somuche passyng all worldly strength This is the glorie wherwith god is chieflye delighted whiche nedeth no seruice of ours and therfore as the scripture sayeth it was reckened vnto hym for ryghteousnes The texte ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not wrytten for hym onelye that it was reckened to hym for ryghteousnes but also for vs to whom it shal be coumpted for ryghteousnes so that we beleue in hym that raised vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead whiche was deliuered for our synnes and was raised agyue for our iustification Nor is it to be supposed that this was wryten onely for Abrahams sake when it is sayd yâ— his faith was reckened vnto hym for righteousnes for yâ— scripture laboreth not so muche for the auauÌ„cemeÌ„t of AbrahaÌ„s glory only but rather to gyue vs which are of AbrahaÌ„s posteritie an example wherby al the world might vnderstande that as Abraham for his faythe 's sake without healpe or ayde of the lawe obteyned before god to be coumpted for righteouse so should none of vs by kepyng of the law only thynke to haue the same AbrahaÌ„ theÌ„ was called righteouse because he beleued god And surely entry haue we none to ryghteousnes vnles we lykewise beleue in the same god whiche to vs hath brought to passe in Iesus Christ oure lorde whome he raysed from death to lyfe euen that he promised to Abraham in the fygure of Isaac therby declaryng that the fayth of Abraham was no vayne fayth whiche beleued yâ— god was suche one as coulde geue lyfe euen to the deade call agayne suche thinges as are not as thoughe they were Let vs not therfore for our righteousnes and cleannes of lyfe thanke Moses but Christ whiche gaue hymselfe to death to the entent he would freely through fayth forgyue our synnes whiche also rose agayne from death to the entent we shoulde abstayne from deadly synne nor displease hym by committyng agayne suche thynges for which his pleasure was to dye He dyed I saye to kyll synne in vs and rose agayne from death to th entent that by hym fyrst dying to oure olde synnes so furthe with hym and by hym beyng brought and restored into a newe kynde of lyfe we may hereafter lyue vnto yâ— ryghteousnes which we haue through his goodnes receyued The .v. Chapiter The texte Because therfore yâ— we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with god through our lord Iesus Christe by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in through fayth vnto this grace wherin we stande reioyse in hope of the glorye of the chyldren of god Not that only but also we reioyse in tribulatioÌ„ knowyng yâ— tribulatioÌ„ bryngeth pacieÌ„ce pacience bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed for the loue of god is shed abrode in our heartes by the holy ghost whiche is geuen vnto vs. COnsyderyng that only syn causeth variaunce betwixt god and man now are we certeynly at peace with god because that of wicked synful people we are made ryghteous that neither by Moses law whiche rather encreased oure offeÌ„ces nor for our workes but as our father AbrahaÌ„ was for oure faythe 's sake reconciled vnto god yâ— father whose frende also through fayth Abraham became that neither through Moses but through the only sonne of god our lorde Iesus Christ which with his bloud washed away our offences by his death reconcilyng vs vnto god beyng before yâ— tyme displeased with vs so opened for vs an entrye yâ— we through lyke fayth without either the lawe or circumcision mighte be brought into this grace of god promysed by the ghospell In whiche fayth we stande stedfaste and not only stande with good wyll couragiouslye but also reioyce not only because we are at peace with god but also for that we are pute in sure hope that through oure stedfastnes of fayth we shal in tyme to come enioye the glorie of heauen Nor enuye we the Iewes through the glory of their circumcision and as we enuye them not so mislike we not our fayth the brynger furthe of suche plentifull fruicte nor yet repent we our glory with hope wherof we for this present tyme are aduaunced vnderpyght Whiche glorie albeit it be suche as cannot yet be seene and thoughe without sufferyng of aduersities and troubles we attayne not therunto yet eueÌ„ the same troubles in the meane season recken we a thyng to reioyce and glorye of as whiche we suffer both to our hyghe prayse are also suche as open vnto vs the gate to life euerlasting For this new example hath Christ both geueÌ„ vs by him also taught are we this excellent doctrine that by sufferyng of tribulatioÌ„s the vertue of pacience is strengthened and as the fyer tryeth golde so throughe pacience become we better tryed and proued both of god man Agayne the more tribulatioÌ„s we suffer the surer hope of rewarde stande we in Nor is it to be feared leste this hope mysse disapoynt vs of our belief make vs ashamed before yâ— wicked people because we haue eueÌ„ now therof in hande a moste sure pledge and earnest penye whiche is the meruaylous and vnspeakeable loue of god towarde vs not onlye externally shewed vnto vs but most pleÌ„tifully printed in our heartes in manier coÌ„pellyng vs to loue hym agayne wrought by the holy ghost in steade of the watryshe letter of the lawe gyuen vnto vs as a gage assuryng vs of his promise herafter surely to be perfourmed The texte For when we were yet weake accordyng to the tyme Christ dyed for vs which wer vngodlye Yet scarce wyl any man dye for a ryghteouse man Peraduenture for a good man durste a man dye But god setteth but his loue towarde vs seyng that whyle we were yet synners according to the tyme Christ dyed for vs Muche more then nowe we that are iustified by his bloude shal be saued from wrathe through hym For had not god of his great mercy singulerly loued and pitied vs. Iesus Christ his only sonne had neuer by the wyl of his father descended into earth nor haue taken oure mortall fleshe vpon hym and so haue dyed namely what tyme we were weake thrall and subiecte to beastlye desyres whiche were by the lawe more lyke to be prouoked than to be brydelâ—d and suppressed Bad yet as we then were he loued vs in hope of saluacion yea he loued vs beyng wycked people and deuilyshe ydolaters and so loued vs that for our sakes he wyllyngly suffered death whiche was the greatest euident and moste singuler poynt of loue that euer could be shewed Among men scarcely shal any man fynde
another so frendlye as wyl for his good and wel deseruyng frendes sake suffer death But to graunt that some suche maye some where be founde as for his approued frende wyl paraduenture be contented to dye yet hath god shewed an example passyng all examples of suche earthly loues whom it pleased euen for wycked and vnworthy persons to delyuer his onlye sonne to death Now if god haue for vs beyng wycked people and offenders done thus muche how muche rather wyl he do for vs beyng nowe purged chastised and by the bloud of his sonne reconciled vnto hym that we through sinne fall no more into his displeasure and therby stande in ieopardy of more greuouse daÌ„nation not only for our synful lyfe but also because we should then be vnthankefull Christe dyed for vs but for a season but he rose agayn for euer And as he dyed for vs so arose he agayne for our sakes The texte ¶ For yf when we were enemies we were reconciled to god by the deathe of his sonne muche more seyng we are reconciled we shal be preserued by his lyfe Not onlye this but we also ioye in god by the meanes of oure lorde Iesus Christe by whome we haue nowe obtayned the attonement Now and yf by his death he haue this muche done for vs that where as before that tyme god was with vs highly offended and displeased we haue hym nowe gratiouse and merciful muche rather shal we so through his lyfe be preserued that we nomore fall into his displeasure By his death deliuered are we from synne his lyfe shal preserue vs in innoceÌ„cie his death hath delyuered vs from the power of the deuill his lyfe shall towarde vs continew the loue of his father These are suche euident sygnes of goddes loue towarde vs that they not only put vs in a quyet assuraunce and in a sure hope to be saued from the vengeauÌ„ce of god to come but also gyue vs a lustye courage euen to glorie not of oure deseartes but with thankes geuyng to god the father through whose bountefull mercy we haue receyued this welthy state promysed by hym to be geuen vnto vs neither for the lawes nor for circumcisions sake but through Iesus Christ his sonne by whose meanes we are restored into his fauour agayne to th entent that for all this benefite thankes should be gyuen to noman but to god hymself and to his only sonne Al whiche was done by the meruaylous secrete counsel of god to the ende yâ— the waye meanes of oure restoryng shoulde agree with the waye of oure damnation The texte Wherfore â–ª as by one man syn entred in the worlde and death by the meanes of syn euen so death also went ouer al men insomuche as all men synned For euen vnto the law was syn in the worlde but synne is not imputed where there is no lawe neuerthelesse death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer theÌ„ also that had not synned with lyke transgressioÌ„ as dyd Adam which beareth the similitude of hym that was to come Wherfore as by Adam whiche fyrste transgressed the commaundemente of god synne entred into the worlde and by the meanes of synne death because syn is as it were the poyson of mannes soule by whose occasion synne whiche had his begynning in the fyrst of our stocke issued furthe into all his posteritie whyles eche man folowed the exaÌ„ple of their fyrst parente so through Christe alone in whome by fayth al are borne agayne we receyue innocencie and therwyth lyfe whiche blessednes lykewyse hauyng his begynnyng in one fyrst and new authour of generacioÌ„ Christe is spread abrode amonge all them whiche are throughe faythe knyt vnto hym and in hurtlesse lyfe folowe his steppes But when synne had once ouergone the world and poysoned all mankynde suche was the strength therof that it coulde by no meanes neyther by the lawe of nature nor yet by Moses lawe be vanquyshed so that by the lawe nothyng was done but that suche as hadde offended knewe that they were gylty and worthy of damnation For as to chyldren in whoÌ„ the lawe of nature hath no place by reason of theyr teÌ„der age not able as yet to discerne what is good and what is not syn is not yet imputed no more was it layde vnto the Paynyms charge yf they ought dyd agaynst Moyses lawe Therfore before the lawe gyuen whiche shewed men theyr synnes by reason of the law of nature the world in dede was not vtterly without synne but yet bare men at that tyme with themselfes and as it wer without correctioÌ„ fell to all licenciousnes as though they had ben vtterly lawles Forasmuche as therfore he was not yet comen whiche should take awaye the synnes of the world and vanquyshe the tyrannye of death death which enteryng through Adams offence raygned without any resistence euen vpon them also whiche had not maliciously offended agaynst the coÌ„maundement of god as Adam dyd which euen than bare the ymage and fygure of Christ whiche should come loÌ„g after and yet meane I not that he is in euery poynte vnto Christe lyke but that he in some poyntes bare the ymage of Christ In this poynt lyke that both were the begynners of a generation the one of an earthly the other of an heauenly In this lyke also that a certayne thyng is frome both begynners deriued into theyr posterities but the difference is that from the earthly Adam was the begynnyng of vnrighteousnes and synne but by the heauenly Adam is gyuen all grace and goodnes The texte But the gifte is not like as the synne Fâ—â— if through the synne of one many be dead muche more plenteous vpon many was the grace of God and gift by grace whiche was gyuen by one man Iesus Christ But now as these two are partely like so wer they not equal For besides that elswyse of it selfe it is a thing more effectual to saue then to destroy muche more strong and mightye is Christ to saue then was Adam to condempne so that muche more effectual is Christes obedience to geue life then was the traÌ„sgression of Adam to worke death so that in all pointes Christes goodnes ouerwaigheth the offence of Adam which thyng I monishe you of and say leste any man might thynke the synne of our fyrst parent to be so outragious that he should dispaire of his restoryng again to saluacion For it one mannes synne was of suche power that it made so great a numbre of people thral vnto death of muche more power plentyfulnes more general shal the benefite of God be and his mercyful gift which he hath gyneÌ„ vs by one man lykewyse I meane Iesus Christ yâ— author of godly and innocent lyfe by whome he hath not onely taken awaye the tyranny of death and syn but hath also in steade of syn gyuen righteousnes and in the steade of the tyranny of death the kyngdoÌ„ of life so that the offeÌ„ce of Adam through the great mercy of
moued and are as farre as may staÌ„de with theyr blessed state sory for our miseries Appeareth it not by this that al natural thynges mourne with vs and like a woman trauailyng with chylde wyshe an ende of labor and sorowes The texte Not onely it but we also whiche haue the fyrst fruites of the spirit mourne in our selues also and wayte for the adopcion of the children of God euen the deliueraunce of our body For we are saued by hope But hope that is seen is no hope For how can a manne hope for that whiche he seeth But and if we hope for that we see not then do we with pacience abide it Now should it seme muche lesse meruaile if suche sorowe befal vnto other creatures syth that euen we also whiche after our sauiours commyng were fyrst of al replenished with the spirit of Christ and that after no meane sorte but fully are yet styl vnder so many miseries partely through diuerse necessities of this life partly through the obstinacie of vngodly people that we ofteÌ„tymes mourne with our selfe and are dayly compelled to be sorye euen for other mennes calamities also desyryng coÌ„tinually in our prayers made to God for that day wherein the whole body of Christ ful and perfite in al his membres shal be deliuered from all noysomnes and of grosse and carnal become spiritual heauenly and immortal In the meane season al the calamities that chaunce vnto vs we abyde suffre in hope of that blisse whiche is promised through Christ Of whom albeit we haue here receiued an earnest penye assuryng vs of saluacion to come yet hath he not presently geuen vs full saluacion but would haue vs to looke for it in the tyme to come Christian mennes perfite weale is in thinges to come wherof we haue a sure hope Now is there no hope in suche thynges as are already present and seen with our iyen but of suche as do not yet appeare If this be not so I pray you tel me of whom was it euer sayd that he hoped to see that whiche he sawe with his iyen already Nor were there in this our life any commendacion of fayth hope if we were euen now preseÌ„tly put in possession of suche thynges as Christ hath promysed vnto vs but then is our fayth well worthye prayse if through the clearenes therof we see suche thynges as with our carnal iyes cannot be perceiued in the meane season continuyng styl in sufferyng paynes with ful hope lookyng for that whiche was once promised And though in the meane season suche bodily affliccions be heauy and payneful yet is it perhapse expedient for vs so to be punished The texte Lykewyse also the spirite helpeth our infirmities For we knowe not what to desyre as we ought but the spirite maketh intercession for vs with grouynges whiche cannot be erpreâ—sed And he that sercheth the heartes knoweth what is the meanyng of the spirit for he maketh intercession for the saintes accordyng to the pleasure of God These troubles our spiritual and inwarde maÌ„ in dede taketh in good worth and striueth with bodily infirmities but the spirit of God stayeth with grace aydyng the weakenes of our fleshe with hope encouragyng vs to suffer al thinges euermore at hand shewyng vs what we ought to desyre and what we should refuse For we of our owne might inclinaâ—ion wote not what is to be desyred nor how we ought to desyre by meanes wherof it oftymes coÌ„meth to passe that in steede of holsome thinges we pray for hurteful euen as it fortuned vnto my self whiche beyng not content with myne affliccions bodily desyred importunely Gods helpe thrise makyng my prayer vnto him that satan by whom at that tyme I was troubled might nomore teÌ„pte me wherin because I desyred of God that whiche was not for me expedient to attaine my tequest toke not effecte And therfore in stede of pleasures receiued I holsome giftes In dede God heareth the peticions of his children so yet that they make no carnal prayer but pray vnto him accordyng vnto the mocion of his blessed spirite secretely mouyug our heartes The same spirite also though we hold our peace is yet a peticioner and meane to God praiyng for vs not as men are wont to do but with sighes vnspeakable The spirite of man sometyme with great mournyng desyreth god to preserue hym from bodely trouble and affliccion or els it desyreth worldlye pleasures and commoditeis muche esteming such thinges as are in very dede but trifles but the heauenly spirite graffed and planted in godly meÌ„nes heartes desyreth of god suche perticions whiche yâ— we lacke are to be desyred of god with syghes vnspeakeable forasmuche as the same obteyned and had bryng with them the verye trew perfit weale and blysse Of men must thou with wordes outwardely pronounced and spoken desyre that thou myndest to obtayne as whiche neither know what we would haue except they heare it nor yet sufficiently vnderstande what is best for vs to be asked but god whiche searcheth euen the moste secret parte oâ— mannes harte throughly loketh into it knoweth though we holde oure peace what oure spirite desireth and pitiyng mannes miseries as often as it maketh intercession for suche as are godly prayeth not as man woulde haue it to do but as goddes holy wil pleasure is And desyreth nothing but suche as apertayne to euerlastyng saluatioÌ„ â–ª and suche thynges as encrease gods honor glory Whosoeuer desyreth such thinges albeit he per adueÌ„ture erre in choyse electioÌ„ yet is his inteÌ„t purpose good Wherfore god graunteth not alwaye yâ— whiche is of hym desyred but yâ— rather which is most profitable to yâ— ende wherunto thou directedst al thy peticions The texte We know that al thynges worke for the best vnto them that loue god which also are called of purpose For those whiche he knewe before he also ordayned before that they shoulde be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of his sonne that he myght be the fyrste begotteÌ„ sonne amoÌ„g many brethreÌ„ Moreouer whoÌ„ he appoynted before theÌ„ also he called And whoÌ„ he hath called them also he iustified whoÌ„ he iustified theÌ„ he also glorified Nor ought meÌ„ to feare leste they beyng ouercoÌ„meÌ„ through the weightâ—nes of outragious persecution vtterly fal froÌ„ hym since we know this for most certayne yâ— what affliccion soeuer chaunce vnto deuoute godly people al the same shal be for the best Suche is gods fauer towardes theÌ„ whoÌ„ he hath of purpose choseÌ„ out and called to this welthy lyfe Endeuour must we and do what in vs lyeth â–ª but th ende of al hangeth of gods ordinaunce God without couÌ„â—el or vnaduisedly choseth none but wel knoweth al such as are his long before he cal them And not only knoweth them whom he calleth â–ª but had also euen at the same tyme surely purposed with himselfe to graffe and plante them into the bodye of his sonne Iesus yea and to
a sobre and of an humble mynde that fyrst he take nomore vpon him than is meere and nexte remembre that all that he hath was geuen him by God not for his workes but for his faythe 's sake geuen not therwith to please him selfe but with the same to do euery man good God doeth in sondrywyse bestow his giftes lest either one should disdaine at an other or lest any man might thynke him selfe sufficiente but let brotherly charitie make eche mannes gifte comen to all other The texte For as we haue many membres in one body al membres haue not one office so we beyng many are one body in Christ and euery manne among our selues one anothers membres Seyng that we haue diuerse giftes accordyng to the grace that is geuen vnto vs if any man haue the gifte of prophesie let him haue it that it be agreyng vnto the fayth Let him that hath an office wayte on his office Let him that teacheth take hede to his doctrine Let him that exhorteth geue attendaunce to his eâ—hortacion If any man geue let him do it with singlenes Let him that ruleth do it with diligence If any man shewe mercy let him do it with cherefulnes Let loue be without disstmulacion Hate that whiche is euil and cleaue vnto that whiche is good Be kinde one to another with brotherly loue In geuyng honour go one before another Be not slouth full in the busynes whiche ye haue in hande Be feruent in the spirite Applye your selues to the tyme. Reioyce in hope Be pacient in tribulacion Continue in praier Destribute vnto the necessitie of the saintes be ready to harbour Blesse them whiche persecute you blisse I say and curse not Be merye with them that are merye wepe also with them that wepe Be of like affeccion one towardes another Be not hye minded but make your selues equal to them of the lower sorte For vnmeete is it that the grace of Christ in you haue lesse power than hath the power of nature in euery beastes body For as in the body of beastes there is of the partes among them self a certaine felowshippe so is there betwixte all suche people as of diuerse sectes and sondrye nacions are shaped into the felowship of Christ For as this sensible bodye albeit it be but one yet is it framed of manye membres together nowe hath not euerye membre like office forsomuche as the iyes haue one the feete another the stomacke and handes another and yet doeth not the iye see onely for it selfe but for the whole body nor the stomacke for it self prepareth not foode but for all the members Now in what condicion the office of euery member is in the bodye in lyke are the sondrie gyftes after diuerse sortes gyuen to diuerse of vs. As then the lymmes whiche are more noble for example the iyes disdayne not the viler but with that they canne do helpe and succoure al or els shoulde the whole bodye vtterlye decaye so lette euery manne be his gyfte singuler or els be it meane for his parte bestowe the same for the weale of the whole bodye synce we are once planted into Christe oure heade and with hym becommen one spirituall bodye For as one member is to another member of the same bodye so is one christian manne to another christian manne But yet hath euery manne as I before sayde sondry gyftes gyuen vnto hym gyuen vnto hym I saye not for his owne desertes but by the liberall bounteousnes of god whiche gyueth euery manne as he knoweth is expediente Let nomanne therfore of his gyfte be proude but discretlye and soberly vse it for the weale of all menne yf he haue the gyfte of prophecie to expounde vnknowen learnynges lette hym accordyng vnto the perfeccion of his fayth whom onelye god regardeth and not his other desertes without disdayne vpon other bestowe this his gyfte or yf he be in suche condicion and place where he maye helpe his brother therin let hym soberly do his dutie yf he haue the gyfte of learnyng lette hym not disdayne to enstructe and teache other or yf he canne out of yâ— Scriptures with preachyng rauyshe menne to pitifull and godlye lyfe and condicions let hym with sobernes vse that his gyft yf he haue gooddes wher with to helpe the poore and nedie lette hym also gyue vnto suche as haue neede and therwith helpe other neither for glorye neither for hope to haue aduauntage therbye but with a liberall and free hearte or yf god haue gyuen hym to beare rule ouer other and therin canne do well lette hym not of that office be anye thyng the prouder but carefull of his charge nor lette hym rule his office for himself but for theyr weale whose charge and gouernaunce he hath taken in hande or yf he helpe the wretched and miserable lette it be done withoute sadnes and louryng for that is a discouraging of hym that is so holpen and beware that with thy benefite thou hyt him not in the teethe but let thy thankeful gyfte be encreased and doubled with a mery looke and cherefulnes so that whatsoeuer ye gyue seme to gyue it euen as it were an other mannes and with all youre heartes Heathen peoples good deedes be all for the moost parte by suche wayes corrupted yea thoughe elswyse they seme to be liberallye done In you lette dissimulacion haue no place but lette there among you raigne loue and charitie whiche neither canne counterfaicte nor dissemble but make euery mannes doynges accepted of god Beware also that ye measure not thynges after youre desyre as noughtie people are wonte to do but esteme and measure thynges by vertue only or vice abhorring all lewdnes stedfastly cleauyng to goodnes And forasmuche as ye are brethren daylye desyre your commen fathers helpe synce ye are all appoynted to one enheritaunce lette eche of you to other through brotherly charitie be readye and well wyllyng Carnall men stryue for preeminence in honour stryue ye eche with other howe one of you maye prefer an other before hymselfe Let noman idely liue to himselfwarde but let euery man for his parte labour to do his dutie nor be slouthfull and â–ª stuggyshe as men that are with the infirmitie of the fleshe faynte but be in spirite couragiouse and feruent Ye haue forsaken your carnalnes and begunne now to be spirituall A fleshly poynte is it to be flouthful for the spirite of god is a thyng of actiuitie and lyuely Withstande not euell personnes but do as the tyme requireth applying youre selfe to that whiche is presente yf anye hurte chaunce auoyde it yf ye can well so doe or els suffer it not with heauye heartes as men that are in wanhope but be in aduersities mery ioyful for hope of the rewarde that is to come This wise in the meane season thynke with your self yf ye any thyng either beare with or forgyue another ye suffer it for goddes sake whiche wyll without doubte with auauntage make
dye it is to the gayne or losse of his maister whereby it appeareth what a point of malapertnes it is when one seruaunt entermedleth in his felowes matter namely if in the meane season the maister be pleased Now among men no seruaunt is so muche his maisters as we are Christes seruauntes who bought vs neither with golde nor siluer but euen with his owne bloud Whether we fall then to him we fal or if we staÌ„d to him we stand or if we liue to him we liue or if we dye to him we dye Other slaues peraduenture are theyr maisters no loÌ„ger after that they are once dead but we whether we liue or dye are the lordes to whoÌ„ all thynges liue Christ hath not onely power vpon them whiche are aliue but euen vpon them also that are dead as whiche for our saluacion gaue bothe his life and death For he for my cause became man and dyed and after for my sake rose againe from death to thenâ—â—nt that he might be lorde bothe of the quicke and dead If we liue to godlynes we are bounde to him if we dye to synne we are bounde to him He is our lorde he is our iudge The texte But why doest thou then iudge thy brother Either why doest thou dispise thy brother We shal all be brought before the iudgement seate of Christ For it is written as truely as I liue sayth the lorde all knees shal bowe to me and all tongues shall geue praise to God So shal euery one of vs geue accoumptes of him selfe to God Let vs not therfore iudge one an other any more And then why doeth the seruaunt take vpon him any authoritie vpoÌ„ his felowe ouer whom onely God hath power Thou that art somwhat scrupulous with what boldnes I say iudgest thou thy brother whiche is stronger than thou art for that he frely eateth or because he in like sort vseth euery day Or why doest thou whiche art stronger disdaine at and dispâ—se thy weaker brother as though thou were his maister and not rather his felow Why doeth either of you both vsurpe Goddes authoritie and preuent the daye of iudgement One must not iudge an other The onely iudge of all wyll geue sentence vpoÌ„ all For al shal once be brought before yâ— iudgement place of Christ ther by his senteÌ„ce to be quited or coÌ„deÌ„ned who throughly seeth the most hidden secrete partes of our heart Vntyl that day let not one seruaunt play the lorde vpon an other For this honoure hath he for him selfe onely reserued as him selfe sayeth by the prophet Esai as truely as I liue sayeth the lorde all knees shal bowe vnto me and all tongues shal geue praise to God In the meane season let euery man asmuche as he can with all his power endeuoure howe he may for him selfe before this iudge make his accoumpte and take heede that no man iudge others actes to the worse The texte But iudge this rather that no man put a stumblyng blocke or an occasion to fail in his brothers way For I knowe am ful certified by the lorde Iesus that there is no thyng comen of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth it to be comen to him it is comen Iâ— thy brother be greued with thy meate now walkest thou not charitably Destroye not him with thy meate â–ª for whom Christ dyed Cause not your treasure to be euil spoken of For the kyngdome of God is not meate and drynke but righteousnes and peace and ioy in the holy goost For he that in these thinges serueth Christ pleaseth God and is commended of men If we may for this tyme iudge of any thyng let vs for the tyme iudge of this and deuise how one of vs may helpe another and that we neither do any man hurte nor geue occasion of hurte asmuche as we may Let vs comforte them that stagger not make them desperate no nor let vs extinguishe the smolderyng flaxe but enkendle it If the persons dignitie worthynes wer coÌ„sidered the weaker should obey him that is better learned but christian charitie would that the learned should sometyme geue place and beare with the weaker but yet not so that he consent and fauor his errour but either to th entent that he may be amended or els at the lest so stayed that he offende not more greuously And in this matter to speake somewhat of my selfe Moses in his lawe many yeres gon geuen vnto the Iewes noted certaine meates for vncleane and the same meates in his language he calleth comen as a man would say cursed of whoÌ„ men might not lawfully eat certaine meates calleth he cleane whiche euery man might lawfully vse But now know I and am by the spirite of Christ surely persuaded whose pleasure was that the carnal part of the lawe should be abolished that of his owne nature no meate is there vnpure and that there is no choyse of meate at al. But if any be vncleane only to him it is vncleane that so iudgeth of it yâ— is to wete to the weake and scrupulous it is vncleane but to suche one as is strong and a perfite christiaÌ„ nothyng is vncleane but to them that are cleane all thynges are likewyse pure And yet perauenture somtyme it were well done to abstaine froÌ„ that whiche is of it selfe good and pure not because Moses lawe so commauÌ„deth but because brotherly charitte whiche specially belongeth to a christian man so requireth For if for thy bodily foode thy brothers conscience be hurte or greued whom thou shouldest as tendrely loue as thou louest thy selfe then liuest thou to thy self and remembrest not what mutual charitie requireth as whiche regardest not but disdainest the fall ruine of the weake whiche thing thou mightest easly remedy Were it I pray you so great a matter so long to abstaine froÌ„ lawful meates vntil suche tyme as thy neighbor beyng in ieoperdye be holpen therby And albeit thy brother be weaker though he be ruder then thou art yet couÌ„pt him not for so vile as for thy meates sake to suffre him to be destroyed for whose saluacioÌ„ Christ died If suche one as he is the lorde estemed so greatly then should he not of the for a trifle be dispised Nor thynke it sufficient that the thyng thou doest be right wel done but moreouer prouide must yâ— that in it there be no suspicion of euil and beware lest that whiche to the is good turne vnto other mennes harme as it wyl if menne among you see debate and strife for meate and drinke or for suche other smal trifles For as in the world to come in the kyngdome of God I say there shal neither be meate nor drinke whiche are remedyes for this oure mortall state so the doctrine of Christes gospel and perfite christian life standeth neither in differeÌ„ce of meates nor drinkes as which are suche thinges as are not to godlines effectual Rather must we study and haue minde vpoÌ„
the number of the. lxxii famouse in godly religion yea whiche go beyond me in this tytle of dignitie that they professed Christ before I dyd For yf we lawfully honoure suche as were fyrst borne of theyr parentes how muche more lawfully ought we to honoure them that are fyrst borne agayne in Christe Salute Amplia whome for his singular godlynes sake I loue with all my hearte Salute Vrban the felow and helper of my labours in suche thynges as apertayne to Christes gospell and Stachis his felowe whom I tenderly loue Salute Apelles whiche hath by many affliccions sufferyng for Christes sake bene well assayed tryed and founde sure Salute them that are of Aristobulus housholde Salute Herodion my kynsman Greete them that be of the house of Narcissus especially them that are new borne in Christe Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa whiche women with theyr busye labour and care promote the gospell Salute Persis whome I â—yngulerlye loue as one yâ— hath taken muche payne in auauncyng the gospel of Christ Salute Rufus a vertuouse and a religiouse man and his mother whome I coumpte euen as myne owne mother also Salute Asyncritus Phlegon Hermes Patrobas Herman and other brethren that are with them Salute Philologus and his wyfe Iulia Nereus and his syster and Olympa with al good people that lyue with them Salute eche one another of you with a holy kysse with a chaste kysse without dissimulacion and suche one as maketh a playne profe of perfite concorde All the coÌ„gregacions of Christ salute you whose good wyll and loue borne vnto you I well knowe And this thyng I desyre you brethren to beware of them which sowe deuision gyue occasion of euyll among you labouring to bryng you into a newe kynde of doctrine contrarie to that ye haue receyued laboryng to myngle christian religioÌ„ and Iewyshe ceremonies together Knowe suche that vpon the same ye maye auoyde them And it is not hard to know them For they teache not sincerely right doctrine nor go vnfaynedly aboute Christes busynes but go aboute theyr bealyes and other aduauntage whyles they with flatteryng and pleasaunt wordes rather than with holsome deceyue simple mennes myndes whom they easely deceyue vnder the coloure of holynes For your obedience is in euery place spoken of abrode for the whiche I am very glad For the fyrst step to godly lyfe is to be obedient But yet muste euery man diligently take hede whom he doth obeye Simplenes is a thyng worthy prayse but because the same suspecteth nothyng it is oftetymes deceyued Wherfore I would haue you in suche sort to be simple that ye neither hurt nor deceyue any man but yet be wyse well aduysed to folowe suche thynges as are good and to auoyde suche thynges as corrupt godly lyfe I am not ignoraunt that there be many yâ— resiste the gospell of Christ which by Satan labour to let mennes saluacion Some persecute some vnder a false coulour of religion drawe men from Christ allure them to Moses law Do ye nomore but continue on god wyl assiste your endeuoures who being your defeÌ„der no cause haue ye why to feare For as he is mightier so wyll he trede downe breake into pieces Satan your mortal enemie and wyth his power ouercome bryng hym vnder your feete and yâ— within short time The grace of our lord Iesus Christ be alway with you al. The texte Timothie my worke felowe and Lucius and Iason and Sosipater my kynsmen salute you I Tertius salute you whiche wrote this epistle in the lorde Caius my hoste the hoste of al the congregacions saluteth you Erastus the chamberlayne of the citie saluteth you And quartus a brother saluteth you The grace of our lorde Iesu Christe be with you all Amen Timothie of Derbe my companion in preachyng the gospel greteth you with him Lucius and Iason of Thessalonica Sosipater the sonne of Pyrrhus of Beroe my kynsmen And I Tertius salute you whiche for a charitable zeale borne towarde you wrote this epistle whyle Paule endyted it Caius also one among fewe of them that I baptized saluteth you at whose house I nowe lodge and not onlye I but all the congregacion of christiaÌ„ men to whoÌ„ all he is a gentill hoste when nede is And Erastus chamberlayne of the citie of Corinthe saluteth you And also Quartus a brother The fauer of our lorde Iesus Christ be alway with you al which my desyre god graunt to establishe and make sure The texte To hym that is of power to stablyshe you accordyng to my gospel and preachyng of Iesus Christ in vtteryng of the misterie whiche was kepte secrete synce the worlde began but nowe is opened by the scriptures of the prophetes at the commaundemente of the euerlastyng god to stere vp obedience to the fayth published among all nacions to yâ— same god whiche alone is wyse be honour prayse through Iesus Christ for euer Ame. To hym that without my helpe is of power and able to stablyshe confirme you in this kind of life which ye haue by my ghospel learned wherin I preache Iesus Christe by whiche gospell Moses lawe is not vtterlye abolyshed but the secrete purpose of god whiche many yeares paste hath ben hydden is now accordyng to the olde sayinges of prophetes through the brighte lyght of the gospell spreade abrode and opened and that by the ordinaunce and commaundement of god who hathe put vs in truste to preache and declare the same secrete misterie that when the secret point of religion expressed in the gospell is playnly shewed to all men wherby all worshipping of deuils is abrogate and the ceremonies of Moses law cease all shoulde through fayth be obedient and submit themselfe to god who only hath the true wysedoÌ„ to hym I saye geue we thankes through Iesus Christ to whom be glorie and prayse for euer Amen FINIS The Argument and whole mattier of the first Epistle of thapostle saint Paule to the Corinthians by Erasmus of Roterodame COrinthe once the chiefe Citie of Achaia was for the commodiouse hauens therof for it is almoste an Iland the moste famouse and richest marte towne of all Asia The maners of suche Cities are commonly wonte to be verie corrupte and bad partely by reason of the resorte of al nacions whiche bring in rather exaumples of vice than of good maniers and partely also because marchauÌ„â— men aboue other take vpon them to lyue licenciously Therfore albeit the Corinthians had by the preachyng of S. Paule alreadye receaued the gospelle yet remayned there in them some leauynges of theyr former lyfe and properties insomuche that it was to be feared leste they mighte from true christianitie be withdrawen either by Philosophers who disdayned the preachyng of Christes crosse as a base and an vnlearned doctrine or els by false Apostles prouokyng them to Iewishnes Suche a harde matier is it to alter and chaunge one man into a newe maÌ„ bothe from suche customes as the
whiche regardeth nothyng but your weale nor is with any thyng more delighted than with your furtheraunce Suche then know ye bearyng towarde them your speciall fauour The texte The congregacions of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you muche in the Lorde and so doth the congregacion that is in theyr house with whoÌ„ also I am lodged All the brethren grete you Grete ye one another with an holy kysse The salutacion of me Paule with myne owne hande If any man loue not the Lorde Iesus Christ thesame bee Anathema Maranatha The grace of the lord Iesus Christ be with you My loue be with you all in Christ Iesu Amen The congregacions of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla with all the companie of christians which are in theyr house salute you with all their hartes All suche as here professe the name of Christe salute you Beare ye also good wil eche one of you to another and salute one another of you with an holy and a chaste kisse the token of trewe concorde And I Paule salute you and that subscribed I with mine owne hande thereby bothe declaring my loue towarde you and that this epistle is not counterfayte Yf any man loue not the Lord Iesu thesame be Anathema Maranatha forasmuche as he refuseth hym by whome onely he might obtayne saluacion and denyeth that he is come whom euery man knoweth to be come to the great blisse and commoditie of suche as beleue in hym and to the damnacion of suche as beleue not The grace and mercie of the Lorde Iesus Christe be with you And I desyre that as I beare a christian loue towarde you that ye lykewyse vnfaynedlye loue eche one another with that charitie wherwith Iesus Christe hath ioyned and knytte you together Amen The Argument vpon the second Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paule to the Corinthians by Des. Erasmus of Roterodame AFter that Sainct Paule hath at the beginning of this epistle somewhat spoken of his great troubles and affliccions whiche he had suffered for Christes gospelles sake declaryng that in al them god was his coumfort firste he sheweth the causes why he came not agayne to the Corinthians as he had in his other epistle promysed And straight after that bringeth agayne in fauour with yâ— Corinthians the haynouse fornicatour whom he by his former epistle had commaunded to bee geuen ouer to Satan desyring them louyngly to receiue hym vpon hys amendement whome they had banished for his offence And this in maner is all that he doth in the firste and seconde chapter Then reherseth he his greate laboure in preachyng the Gospell by the waye checkyng and reprouyng other false Apostles whiche sekyng for theyr owne aduauntage and glorie in all tymes and places allured men to Moses lawe whiche they in such sort laboured to myngle with the law of Christe as though without it there were no hope of saluacion And therefore preferreth he the lyght of the gospell before the shadowes of Moses lawe eftsones exhortyng them not to the ceremonies of the lawe but to be vpryght of conscience and to leade a christian lyfe shewyng in the meane season how without corrupcion he had preached Christes gospell and what miseries he had suffered for the gospels sake in hope of heauenly reward And beside this declareth in what poyntes christianitie specially standeth Of all whiche matters Paule entreateth in the latter ende of the seconde chapter and in the thirde the fourth fyfte and in the begynnyng of the syxte For in the reste of this chapter and in the begynnyng of the nexte he exhorteth them to knowe theyr owne dignitie and the holines of theyr profession willyng them to absteyne wyth all diligence from the corrupcion and viciouse life of painyms as men with whom they had nothyng to dooe Fourthly he mollifieth the sharpenes vsed in his former epistle praysyng theyr obedience for that they in all poyntes obeyed his epistle notwithstandyng the sharpe earnestnes thereof reioysing that the short heauines wherein he had caste them by his letters had made both that is to weâ—e the Corinthians and hym mearye euen as men are wont to be when they by bitter medicines are restored to health Fyftlye he prouoketh euerye one of them as well by the exaumple of the Macedonians as by dyuers argumentes and recordes of scriptures to bestow according to theyr abilities and as their good wyll was some thyng towarde the reliefe of the sayntes that were at Hierusalem remembryng that he by Peter was commaunded so to doe for yâ— same purpose sending thither Tytus with a coumpanion whiche was as the more parte doth suppose Luke whome he commendeth vnto them and thys dothe Paule in the .viii. and in the .ix. chapter Sixtely the false apostles whom in his other epistle he but priuely checked and taunted he in this playnly opeÌ„ly reproueth which with proud highe lokes toke vpon theÌ„ the honour and dignitie of apostles bringing Paule into disâ—eine saiyng yâ— he was but a â—ase persone as whiche vsed shomakers crafte and that he was rude and vnlearned besyde this ofttymes wronged and beaten Againste them Paule defendeth his authoritie declaryng that at alttymes he had an apostles power and autority which yet he woulde not vse to other mens payne as some did but only to the coÌ„moditie of his hearers the glory of Christ Then because he was compelled somwhat to boast of himself he desireth them first to beare with his folishnes then fyrst he maketh himselfequal with the chief apostles and by an by setieth hymself before them al that for many causes eyther because he more enlarged the doctrine of yâ— gospel or els because he only taught thesame freely as which was nether by him self nor by any of his chargeable to the Achaians or finally because he had for the gospels sake suffered more persecucion than anye of them al coumpting such miseries and troubles as matter to glorie vpon for yâ— which other thought him more to be despised After which of an humble low mind he confesseth his rudenes and barbarousnes in language but yet knowlage and learnyng taketh he vpon him leste they myghte in hym for this finde any lacke Finally because the false apostles among the simple people made greate crakes of fayned visions of angels Paule shewethe them a verye notable and a trewe vision as who was taken vp into the thyrd heaueÌ„ and was there taught such thynges as passed all mennes capacities and of these thynges intreateth he in the x xi xii chapter Seuenthly lest through false apostles they myght fall agayne into theyr old vice he saieth that he purposed to se them agayn eftsones with threateningts warnyng them not to be founde suche in theyr ordre of lyfe as therby he myghte be compelled by vsyng extremitie to be vnlike hymselfe or els leste as he was compelled vehemently by letters to wryte vnto them so myght he beyng present be compelled to vse his autoritie otherwyse than
litle but he that soweth plenteouslye and with a good chere shall lykewise reape that he sowed so that he this doe not because we bad hym but because he in hys hearte hath so purposed For more largely and freely geueth he whiche geueth with a good will More sparingly geueth he whiche geueth with a heuie chere as one compelled But god loueth a chearefull geuer For he that dooeth hys duetie agaynste hys will before hym is coumpted as thoughe he dyd not hys duetie And cause is there none why ye should feare leste ye lose this your almes For God which coumteth that to bee doone vnto hym whiche is for hys loue bestowed vpon hys saintes is sufficiently able albeit ye receyue no recompence of menne to make your almes dedes gaynfully to returne vnto you in that he wil geue you substaunce inough for the mayntenaunce of your lyfe and also enryche and plentifully encrease you in all godlye woorkes For the almes dedes whiche are bestowed to relieue the poore saintes are a good parte of iustice and godlines EueÌ„ as the psalme writer testifieth also he dealed abrode and gaue to the poore for the whiche hys iustice continueth from tyme to tyme perpetually And my prayer is that he which ministreth sede vnto the sower and geueth him bread for hys nouryshmente and substaunce to helpe the poore people mayntayne alwayes your riches eftsones to helpe them and so multiplye your seede and increase the fruites of your righteousnes that ye may be eÌ„riched in al kindes of vertues and therewith alwayes growe forwarde into al synglenesse and gentle dysposicion of hert and that ye dayly regard your money lesse lesse which while they bee bestowed not vpon euerye rascall but vpon the saynctes dooe cause youre lyberalitie to auaunce Goddes glorye in that the Godlye people beeyng refreshed with youre almes doe through vs geue thankes vnto God so that I herein claime some rewarde whiche bryng this matter to passe For in the execucion of this office wee not onelye by youre liberalitie attayne the reliefe of poore men but also the greater your almes is the more geue thankes to God whiche hauyng an experience of youre Godlinesse for this your â—ounteousnesse prayse God in that they dooe perceaue youre obedience to the Gospell with one accorde by reason whereof ye dooe freelye and frankelye deale youre substaunce not onelye to them for whome wee sue at this presente tyme but also to all other For the poore muste bee holpen wheresoeuer they bee Finallye this ensueth that in theyr prayers whiche as thankefull menne they offre vnto God for you they wishe to see you that they maye euidentelye see before theyr face your singular godlinesse whiche they knowe to bee geuen you by god by the greatenesse of your almes wherewith they are refreashed But for this vnspeakeable gifte specially thankes ought to bee geuen to God whych both moueth your mind to geue and prouoketh them not to abuse your giftes to idlenes or riot but to prayse god The .x. Chapter The texte â–ª ¶ I Paule my selfe beseche you by the meekenes and softenes of Christe whiche when I am presente among you am of no reputacion but am bolde towarde you beeing absente I beseche you that I neede not to be bolde when I am presente with that same confidence where with I am supposed to haue bene bolde againste some which repute vs as though we walked carnally For though we walke in the flesâ— yet we â—o not warre fleshly For the weapens of our warrefare are not carnall thynges but thinges mighty in God to caste downe strong holdes wherewith wee ouerthrowe councels and euerye hye thyng that exalteth itselfe againste the knowledge of God and bring into captiuitie all imaginacion to the obedience of Christe are readye to take vengeaunce on all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled Loke ye on thinges after the vtter appearaunce BVt to let passe these thinges to come to other I that am no meane apostle but the verye selfesame Paule whome ye knowe well whiche for your sake bothe haue suffered and dooe suffer so greate troubles doe beseche you for the mekenes softenes and mercie of Iesus Christ whose exaumple folowyng I dooe humble my selfe among you outwardelye so behauyng my self as though I were some rascall and an outcaste not taking vpoÌ„ me an apostles dignitie and authoritie which the false apostles thynke to stande in highe lookes and yet in myne absence as these caytifes quarell fraye you with roughe and cruell letters beeyng bolde vpon youre obedience I beseche you I saye so to redresse youre lyfe that at my cummyng I bee not compelled to execute the selfesame authoritie once agayne which I seame to haue vsed agaynst certaine false apostles which thinkyng me to bee suche as they bee reporte that I carnally lyue among you as a flatterer while I am presente to courye fauel for feare and beeyng absente bâ— letters boaste my selfe as though I feared nothyng Nothyng do I of any carnall minde but whatsoeuer I do â–ª alis for your weale and for the glory of the gospel For though we bee clothed with this mortall fleashe yet warre wee not vnder the rule and gouernaunce of the fleashe but holpen wyth the assistence of the spirite of god As lowe and weake as ye thinke vs yet are we not vnweaponed nor without strength to suppresse the aduersaries of the gospel For the weapons of our spiritual warrefare are not mighty by reason of yron or steele as worldlye mennes are wont to be but mighty by the power of god able to throwe downe all that euerseameth stronglye buylded agaynste hym â—ith these ouerthrow we and tourne vpsyd down al crafty deuises and euery high state of wicked people whiche exalte and auaunce themselfes vpon theyr worldly wisedome agaynst the wisedome of god which we by the gospel professe and not only suppresse but also subdue bryng into captiuitie al worldlye imaginacion to make the same hencefoorth obediente vnto Christe whome it before resisted But and yf any manne stubbernly rebelle readye are wee to reuenge vpon al disobedience which power for your sakes we haue hytherto forborne leste by vsing extremitie vpon such as are among you and such as some of you as yet fauoure supposyng that they bee excellente apostles we myghte trouble your commen quietenesse whiche I will yet hereafter vse paraduenture when I see your obedience growen to suche perfeccion that ye canne quietly be contented that suche shoulde bee excluded out of youre coumpanye as ye were with the punishemente of the haynous and incestuous fornicatoure I tell you that the dignitie and power of an apostle is not a bodily power but a spirituall Are ye yet no wiser but to iudge an apostle by suche thynges as are seene lyke as the commen people esteame a Lorde to bee a gaye felowe by his outewarde ambicious porâ—e gyftes of fortune and bande of men The texte Yf any manne truste in himselfe that he is
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
vexacions beside this one of a simple and rude language I taught you nothyng but that Iesus Christ was for your sakes faste vpon the crosse at whiche tyme suche was the readynes of your fayth that ye with suche vilenes in my person beyng nothyng offended neither forsooke nor dispised my gospell what tyme by fayth therin I promised you life euerlastyng Yea I say ye receiued me heartely and with great honoure not as Paule but as the angel of God yea as Iesus Christ him selfe because ye perceiued that I brought vnto you no worldely doctrine but a heauenly and godly and that I went not aboute myne owne busynes but labored in Iesus Christes behalfe God therfore Christ worshipped ye in me The texte What is then your felicitie For I beare you recorde that yf it had been possible ye would haue plucked out your owne iyes and haue geuen them to me Am I therfore become your enemie because I tel you the trueth Whiche actes in you well declare the singular fayth ye once had whiche was so ready so sounde and constant that it abated not notwithstaÌ„dyng myne affliccions notwithstandyng my vilenes Ioyful was I for it blessed I iudged you my self lucky in that I had gotten suche good disciples But if ye of suche good beginnynges repeÌ„t you where is your felicitie becomen where is also mine whiche was what tyme I reioysed of you and ye likewyse of me This ought I truely to testifie of you such loue bare ye towarde me that if neede had been ye would haue plucked out euen your iyen out of your heades and haue geuen them vnto me And why now slide ye from me by callyng vnto you newe Apostles to learne of them Iewishnes With flatteryng and coloured wordes they allure and geat your fauor not preachyng suche thinges as helpe to saluacion but suche as make to theyr lucre and auauncement Am I therfore become your enemy because I both plainely and truely taught you suche thinges as I well wyst belonged to your saluacion The texte They are ielouse ouer you amisse Yea they entende to exclude you that ye should be feruent to them warde It is good alwayes to be feruent in a good thyng and not onely when I am present with you But I wel see GalathiaÌ„s wherabout they go some ielously wooe you and as it were enuiyng at me labor to wynne your fauor but yet so do they neither of good ne godly purpose For they do not this to profite but to plucke you backe from the libertie of the gospel into a Iewishnes vnder whiche them selfes are Busily labor they to make other like them to th ende they may seme both to folowe and teache a meruailous and a goodly kynde of doctrine Thinke not that in euery manne euery thyng must be folowed but folowe suche thinges as are good and that coÌ„stantly not onely while I am there present among you but also when I am absent Ye sawe me dispise the ceremonies of the lawe and to preache no thing vnto you but Christ and ye folowed my preachyng while I was present And if that were well done why folowe ye now in myne absence other in suche thinges as are not good The texte My lytle children of whom I trauaile in birth againe vntil Christ be fashioned in you I would I wer with you now and could change my voyce for I stande in a doubt of you Would God ye could with your iyen se the secrete partes of my heart there should ye clearely perceiue with how great griefe I write this O my litle children once begotte I you to Christ not without my great trauaile and paine and now after your swaruyng from Christ labor I to beare you againe vntyl that Christ in you be throughly fashioned I had sowed good seede wherof it was meâ—te that perfite christians should haue growen but by enchauntment I wote not how ye are turned into Iewes and chaunged into an other kynde Christ is heauenly and spiritual and will ye be carnal yearthly But this epistle expresseth not sufficiently the vehemencie of my minde Would God I might be now presently among you with liuely wordes to sette out that I after a sorte signifie by letters the vehemencie of whom would partely with my countenaunce partely with my teares and partely with my voice be encreased To bring you againe to Christ I would chaunge my selfe into all sortes and sometymes speake faire and sometimes require and sometimes chide And accordyng to the varieties of your natures necessitie of the matter would I better apply and temper my wordes And would assaye euery medicine vntyll the tyme I had brought all you to health But now forasmuche as I see some of you fallen to Iewishenes some other in ieopardie of fallyng and some I trust coÌ„stant in my doctrine my minde is in muche care and feare vncertaine with what kynde of letters to reamedie this great harme The texte Tell me ye that desyre to be vnder the lawe do ye not heare of the lawe For it is written that Abraham had two sonnes the one by a bonde mayde the other by a free moman Yea and he whiche was borne of the bonde woman was borne after the fleshe but he whiche was of the free woman was borne by promise But peculiarly to speake vnto suche of you as are contented to fall backe to Iewishnes I beseche you answere me If Moses lawe so greatly please you why folowe ye not the authoritie of it if ye distrust the gospel Euen very Moses lawe selfe would suche as are receiued into the felowship of Christ to be free from bondage of the lawe Ye receiued the lawe but ye geue none eare to that it sayd or if ye gaue eare vnto it ye vnderstande it not because ye cleaue to the litterall meanyng onely and pearce not to the spiritual sence therof For it is written in the booke of Genesis that Abraham the beginner and father of all right beleuers had two sonnes of whom the elder called Ismael he begatte of Agar the bonde maide the yonger called Isaac he had of his lawfull wife Sara He that was borne of the handemaide was borne as children are comenly wont to be and was nothing but Abrahams soÌ„ne euen as the Iewes be be they neuer so farre from Christ He that was borne of the free wife contrarye to the comon course of nature was borne of a barrain mother of an olde father accordyng as God had promised so that them whom age and weakenes of body put in desperacion of hauyng an heyre Gods promise put in perfite assurauÌ„ce to haue a child The fyrst childe therfore was the childe of nature the other was the childe of fayth The texte Whiche thinges are spoken by an alligorie For these are two testamentes the one from the mounte Sina whiche gendereth vnto bondage whiche is Agar for mounte Sina is Agar in Arabia and bordereth vpon the citie whiche is now called
purposed in himselfe to haue it declared when the time was ful come that he might set vp al thinges perfitly by Christ both the thinges which are in heauen and the thinges whiche are in earth euen by him by whome we are made heyrs and were therto predestynaâ—e accordyng to the purpose of hym by whose power all thynges are wrought according to the purpose of his owne will that we which before beleued in Christ should be vnto the prayse of his glorie In whom also we beleue for asmuche as we haue heard the woorde of trueth euen the Ghospell of your saluacion wherin when ye had beleued ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promes which is the earnest of our enheritaunce forthe recouering or the purchased possession vnto the prayse oâ— his glory PAule an apostle not of Moses nor of any man but of Iesus Christe whose businesse I take in hande being sence not vpon myne owne head or by mennes Commissyon but by the Autoritie and commaundemente of God the father whiche by hys sonne hathe commannded me to preache the doctryne of the Ghospell among the Heathens I write this Epistle to al them that leade theyr lyfe at Ephesus and leade theyr lyfe after suche sorte that they applye theyr endeuoure to kepe them vnspotted from the vices and vncleanesses of this world and with a sincere conscience beleue the Ghospell of Iesus Christe not lookyng for rewarde of innocencye and holynesse any where elles than from whence they receiued the example nor waiting for the ende of their felicitie of any other than of whome sprong the beginnyng In the meane season I wish vnto you not as those vse to doe that measure their felicitie by the dignities of thys worlde but I wyshe that God the Autour of all goodnesse whome nowe we may call euen our father not for that that he created vs onely but muche rather that being engraffed vnto the body of Christe we are receaued into the enherytaunce of Chyldren maye daylye encrease in you hys beneficence wherwith he hathe frely deliuered you from the transgressyons of youre olde life and of vngodlye hathe made you folowers of Innocencye and righteousnes and so continue you in concorde that you maye bee of one mynde amonge your selues and that being reconsiled once to God you maye take hede that you breake not in fallyng to synnes agayne the promysse that you couenaunted with hym through Iesus Christ his sonne by whome and with whome he geueth vnto vs al thinges whom also we shal from hensfoorth woorthely call our lorde forasmuche as he hath set vs at libertie from the tirannye of the deuil with the pryce of his holy sacred bloud and taken vs to himselfe and hauing deliuered vs from the deuilles seruitude hath made vs his owne The seruitude is fortunate that vniteth vs to Christ How beit this thyng happened not vnto vs by chaunce nor by oure owne meryte But God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ is altogether to be praised on our behalfe that of hys free fauour hath powred all gentle kyndenesse vpon vs not bestowyng those thinges vnto vs that perteyne to the vse of this lyfe and bodelye susteynaunce onelye but also those excellent giftes that auayle to the saluacion of soule and lyfe immortall which lyfe abydeth vs in heauen through Christ by whome the father hath set heauen gate wyde open And because no manne shoulde be curious to aske how commeth this so an exceadyng fauour from whence cummeth such a wonderfull gentlenes It was so resolutelye determined throughe the goodnes of God by an eternall decree euen before the foundacions of the worlde were layed For euen than he had chosen vs that by hys sonne by whome he created gouerneth and restoreth all thynges our former vicious liuing should be wyped awaye and we be cummen holy and faultles not onely in the syght of men but also of God himselfe who estemeth man according to the secret affectes of the minde and that not with the terror of Moses lawe the seueritie wherof is tryed vnto thys purpose altogether vneffectuall but with the beliefe and loue required in the Ghospell whiche wynneth more of suche as be willyng than the lawe enforced by rigorous compellyng For it is not a perfite seruice that the seruauntes doe constrainedly for feare of inconuenience or for theyr maisters dyspleasure but that that children dooe vncompelled byloue and good affeccyon Which thyng was impossible to bee perfourmed by any strength of vs had not God by hys eternall decree chosen vs into the roume and heritage of children through onely Iesus Christe vnto whome he hath so incorporated vs through fayth and loue that beyng made his members we may be one with him so that by his participacion we attain that thyng that was not due to our deseruynges And therefore we may in no wyse attribute any thankes vnto our selues In asmuche as it stoode with the good pleasure of hym that is naturally good to declare and manifest his free liberalitie bestowed vpon vs more playne and open to the whole worlde We as concerning our own strength could not possibly be any thing els than the enemies of God and very abiect slaues but that he hath reconsiled vs to himselfe by Christ whome he loueth more than can be expressed and of damnable wretches hathe made vs acceptable deare children As long as beyng shared with the daunger of sinne we were meÌ„bers of the deuil we coulde neither loue God nor be loued of God But masmuch as his most dere sonne hath redemed vs with the price of his most holy bloud from the bondage of sin and encorporated vs as meÌ„bers vnto himselfe the father can not possibly choose but loue those whome it pleased him to make partners with hys sonne This benefite is surely inestimable but notwithstanding suche was the will bounteous largesse of almightie god which although it be manifestly appareÌ„t in euery thing yet it more peculiarely abounded vpon vs forasmuche as he openeth vnto vs as a merciful harted father vnto his children the secret mistery of his eternal wil so many long yeres hidden from the world the knowlage wherof is most hygh wisedome and chiefe prudence much more excellent than that knowlege wherin being singularely learned in humayne disciplines ye haue excelled other sortes of men euer vnto this day Mannes wit atteineth the knowlege of the secretes of nature yet whan they are knowen to the vttermost they make no man anything more godly at al. But this secret mistery that we here speake of no reason of mannes mynde coulde attaine onles God himselfe had opened it vnto our knowledge to bring vs to true perfite felicitie But if a man would aske for what cause hath God kept it close so long and now at length manifested it planiely I haue nothing to aunswer but that it so pleased the good wil of him that willeth al for the beste in asmuche as he is
with God long ago yea euen afore the world was made and in a maner opened vnto the prophetes by inspiracion albeit it was not playnly opened to the world as it is now by me that the Gentiles through onely fayth of the Gospel without helpe of Moses law should attayn saluacion yea in so much that the chiefest of the Apostles durst not admit suche as were not circumcised vnto baptisine But nowe it is playnely opened vnto the holye Apostles of Christe and to hys prophetes by inspiracion of the holy goste that the Gentiles through faith are so vnited vnto the Iewes that they are comen in to the felowship of yâ— selfe same enheritaunce and growe in to all one bodye reioycyng in theyr common head Christe and by reason therof are becomen partiners of all the proinisses that abyde suche as beleue the Ghospel of Christ to preache the which Ghospell autoritie is commytted vnto me and I ceasse not to dooe my commaunded office labouring constauntly hitherto in the Ghospels busines euen vnto emprisonmeÌ„tes and fetters not that I am any thing mete of mine owne strength for so painful a busines but he that appoynted that office to me hath laied his owne helping hande to the same And so it is that I being as concerning myne owne habilitie feble and weake am by his benefite strong and full of courage agaynst the stormes of al mischiefes I boast not myne own worthines for I coÌ„fesse that I am the least of Saintes but yet as litle as I am it hath pleased the goodnes of God to putte me in trust with this businesse of moste weightie importaunce that I shoulde publishe and preache among the Gentiles whiche before this time knewe nothyng of God the vnsearcheable richesse of Christ which he offereth plenteously to all men and bryng to lyght the thyng that before was hidden that the benefit of the ghospell is to be dispensed and ministred to all maner of nacions whiche beefore was supposed to be geuen onely to the Iewes although it was otherwyse decreed eternally of God the maker and gouernour of all thynges notwithstanding his will was to haue thys Counsayll of hys diuyne intente to be yet hitherto kepte secrrete whiche in these tymes he woulde so openly manifeste and that by the congregacion wherinto he powred suche aboundaunce of spirituall giftes that his manifolde wisedome whiche with wounderfull deuises disposeth all thinges through death geuyng life through shame exaltyng to glorye through humilitie aduauncyng Goddes maiestie whiche no man in times paste coulde haue Imagined shoulde nowe bee brought to lyght not onely to the brode worlde but euen to prynces and chiefeste of Angelles and deuilles that haue to dooe in the skyes and in the vppermoste parte of the ayer whiche thynges albeit they myght gesse should come to passe that mankynde should once be redemed yet this was not knowen by what reason the wisedome of God had eternallye decreed to bringit to passe whiche thing now at length was openlye knowen whan he sent his sonne into the world who hauing taken vpon him an humain bodye would by vnspeakeable meanes vnite and couple the congregacion to hymselfe whereof our lorde Iesus Christe should bee the head by whome like as Innocencie chaunced vnto vs in that that our sinnes were doen a waye euen so chaunced vnto vs an assured truste also that as children we shoulde not be afraied to approche vnto the father whose displeased countenaunce we durst not afore beholde For what shoulde we bee afrayed of hauyng suche a heade that in no wise suffreth any of his membres to perishe albeit here in the meane season we suffre sum affliccion The texte â–ª Wherfore I desire that ye faint not because of my tribulacions that I suffre for your sakes whiche is your praise For this cause I bowe my knees vnto the father of our lorde Iesus Christ which is father ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth that he would graunt you accordyng to the riches of his glorie that ye maye bee strengthed with might by his spirite in the â—â—â—er man that Christe maie dwell in your hertes by faith that ye beyng rooted and grounded in loue mighte bee hable to comprehende with al sayntes what is that bredth aâ—d length depth and height and to knowe the excellente loue of the knoweledge of Christ that ye mighte bee fulfilled with all fulnes which cummeth of God Vnto him yâ— is hable to doe exceading aboundantly aboue al that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs be prayse in yâ— congregacion by Christe Iesus thorowâ—â—t al generacious from tune to tyme. Amen This secrete counsayle of God forasmuch as I preache boldely in euery place I suffre exceadyng punishemente of such as yet cannot possibly be perswaded of this matter But I beseche you let not myne affliccions whiche I suffre for your sakes anythyng disquiete or dismaye you For there is no cause why you shoulde be ashamed of suche an Apostle though I bee laden with fetters For like as the crosse of Christe is our glorie euen so my fetters which I we are not for any euill dedes but for the sinceritie of the Ghospel are for your honestie and no rebuke For the more displeasures we suffre with a constaunt mynd for the Ghospell of Christe the more entierly we cause the people to beleue that the promises of Christe are not vayne inasmuch as through assured hope of them we faint not for any displeasures of this life And it is not Ioyous to me onely to suffre for the ghospelles businesse but it also becommeth al men that are entred vnto Christe to folowe the example of their autour and head And truely for this cause sake I bowe my knees and praye earnestly euen from the botome of myne harte vnto God our father and the same the father of our lorde Iesus Christe of whome as the supreme head dependeth all spirituall kynred wherby by are incorporated together whether they bee angelles in heauen or faithfull people vpon earth and of whome onely as of the fountaine springeth whatsoeuer is belongyng to true felicitie that like as he hath begonne to declare hys aboundaunte glorye in you so he maye more and more augmente his liberall goodnesse to you ward that as you are engraffed to Christ through baptisme and as it were borne newe agayne so you maye gather courage and strengthe with daylye encrease not accordong to the bodye but accordyng to the mynde and soule that is to saye by the gyfte of the spirite of the father continually encreacyng in vs by whome we are made stronge and valiaunt to withstande al dredes of persecucion and that the constancie of your fayth maye be suche that you thynke surelye that Christe will neuer fayle you but rather dwelle in wardly in your hertes for the faythful trustes sake wherwith you commit your selues wholy vnto him For with such is he most specially presente as distruste theyr owne
Iesus Christ as it becoÌ„meth me so iudge I of you al because I haue you in my berte for asmuche as ye all are companyons of grace wyth me euen in my bondes and in the defendyng and stablyshynge of the gospel For God is my recorde howe greatlye I longe after you all from the very hart rote in Iesus Christ And this I pray that your loue may encrease yet more more in knowledge in all vnderstandyng that ye may accepte the thinges that are most excelleÌ„t that ye may be pure and such as hurte no mans coÌ„science vntyl yâ— day of Christ beyng filled with yâ— fruit of rightewisenes whiche fruit coÌ„meth by Iesus Christ vnto the glory and prayse of God Verely as often as I call vpon God in my prayers as I doo in dede with out ceassyng I make continuall mention of you all with rendryng of thankes and excedyng reioycyng on all your behalfes that euer synce the fyrst entraunce of your profession euen vnto this daye in that you haue releued me wyth your helpe and gentilnes you haue shewed youre selues to be of the felowshyppe of the gospel And my continuall prayer is that you maye encrease in those vertuous doynges more more not doubtyng but God which hath entred these godly partes in you wyl performe yâ— which he hath begon in you vnto the day yâ— Iesus Christ shall come recompence eternall rewarde to well done dedes For so it is conuenient the I should iudge of you through the helpe of God in asmuche as alwayes hitherto I haue had suche experience of youre constaunte and true gospellike loue to me warde as I may easyly gather that of a very good begynnyng shal come a very good ending For the which cause sake my minde is so affectuously set towardes you the euen in these bandes and whaÌ„ I am arraigned at Neroes barre wher I must pleade for my head giltie or not giltie in other mine afflictions through the which yâ— power of yâ— gospel is not hindred nor obscured but coÌ„firmed aduauÌ„ced I haue euer borne you a singuler good will bicause I haue alwayes perceiued you as glad as my self that the word of Christ doth florishe through my painful afflictioÌ„ For god him selfe knoweth froÌ„ whoÌ„ nothing is hiddeÌ„ how disirously affected I am towardes you all not after the maner of mannes affection either to the intente to get anye thyng of you or yet in anye wyse to flattre you for youre lyberalitie shewed to me but I loue you with a pure christiaÌ„ affectioÌ„ for none other purpose but bycause I see that you loue Iesus Christ constauntly purely I thanke God heartely for bestowynge hys gyftes vpon you I beseche hym that this youre charitie may encrease more and more in all knowledge and in all vnderstandyng that you maye knowe vnto whome youre dutie is to minister the offices of charitie For the commaundement of charitie is that you should mynde to doo good dedes And discretion sheweth howe and where you shoulde doo good dedes Than what so euer you shall bestowe for Christes sake vpon the preachers and promotours of the ghospell it is best bestowed of all other bycause you shall receyue it agayne with greate auauntage And for this cause I wyshe and praye that you may alwayes encrease in both these gyftes so as you maye be hable to proue what is best to be done and that you maye be of a sincere affection to geue respecte to nothyng but onelye to Christe and to set out the profession of the ghospell with suche vprightnes of lyfe that you geue not any man occasion to be offended but rather allute all men to the true wourshyppe of God and so perseuer styll vnto the daye of Christes commynge that you maye than appeare ryche and aboundauntlye ful of good workes wherof in this world you make as it wer a seedenesse and shall reape the frute therof at yâ— day with moste plenteous encrease by the meritours goodnes of Iesus Christ not to the glory of you me but to the glorye and praise of god to whoÌ„ as yâ— fouÌ„taine of al goodnes al thinges are to be referred The texte I would ye should vnderstande brethren that the thynges whiche happened vnto me chaunced vnto the great furtheraunce of the ghospell So that my bondes in Christe are manifest thorow out all the iudgement hall and in al other places In so much that many of the brethren in the lorde beyng encouraged thorowe my bondes dare more boldely speake the worde wythout feare Some preache Christ of enuye and stryfe and some of good wyll The one part preacheth Christ of strife and not sincerely supposyng to adde more aduersitie to my boÌ„des Agayne the other part preache of loue because they know yâ— I am set to defend the gospel What then So that Christe be preached anye maner of waye whether it be by occasion or of true meanyng I am glad therof yea and I will be glad For I know that this shall chaunce to my saluacion thorowe your prayer and ministrynge of the spirit of Iesu Christ accordyng to my expectation and hope that in nothyng I shal be ashamed but that with all bold nesse as alwayes euen so nowe also Christ shal be magnified in my body whether it be thorow lyfe or thorowe death For Christe is to me lyfe and death is to me auauntage If it chaunce me to lyue in the fleshe that thyng is to me frutefull for the worke and what I shal chose I wote nor â—or I am coÌ„strained of these two thynges I desyre to be loâ—ced to be with Christe which is moche farre better Neuerthelesse to abyde in the fleshe is more nedfull for you And this am I sure of that I shal abyde continue with you all for youre furtheraunce and ioye of your fayth that your reioysyng maye be the more aboundant thorow Iesus Christe in me by my commyng to you agayne Now to the intent ye may the more amplye be partakers of my ioye I would ye should vnderstand brethreÌ„ that yâ— emprisonmeÌ„t fetters arraignemeÌ„tes and my other calamities wher with I was tossed turmoyled for the gospel of Christ did not only not hinder the sitting abrod coÌ„firming of the doctrine of the gospel but also happened to the great furtheraunce of it did not only not withdraw the faythfull froÌ„ the profession yâ— they had taken vpon theÌ„ but also confirmed theÌ„ in it a greate deale the more made theÌ„ more hartie of a better courage so as they vnderstode yâ— to be most vndoubtedly true yâ— I preache for yâ— which I am not afraied to suffre these thinges made theÌ„ bold to entreprise yâ— lyke by myne exaÌ„ple For this for the most part is the coÌ„men chauÌ„ce that happeneth to matters of honestye of weightye importauÌ„ce the more they are holden vnder and turmoyled hereawaye and thereawaye so muche more they come forwarde appeare not withstaÌ„ding the
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
opinions and dysputacions beynge come in vre the strength of the ghospels doctrine is ouerwhelmed obscured and growen out of vse For the talke of suche men in case it once occupie the eares and myndes of the symple it wyll alwayes crepe further and further none otherwyse than a Canker in a bodye ceasseth not to occupie the nere partes by lytell and lytle tyll it haue marred all So that a myschiefe is muche more to be loked to incontinent at the beginnyng and to be cut of rather than chearished afore it take roote Suppose that I am afrayed of these matters wyth oute cause excepte that wee haue all readye seene in Hymeneus and Philetus the thyng that I am afrayed of For they while they treate of the matter of fayth with humaiue disputacions haue â—â—ted so ferre wyde frome the truth of the ghospell that they haue denyed the chiefe poynte and foundacion of the ghospell saying that the resurrection is already fynished in Christe and none other resurreccion to be loked for on our behalfes than that wherby we are in a maner borne a newe and lyue agayne in our children representyng vs. They consyder not in the meane season that take awaye the resurrection that the feare and hope of rewardes is taken awaye also why che abyde after sondry sortes for the godly and vngodly This myschiefe were the more tolerable but that they beyng subuerted them selues-subuerted the fayth of some other with their doctrine But there is no perill lefte-theyr peruersitie shoulde cleane turne the trueth of the gospel vpside downe though mennes opinions wauer vp and downe yet truely the foundacion of faythe beyng throughe the helpe of Christ cast and defenced standeth firme and can not be shronken with any resistences of heretikes For vnto it is thys sentence engâ—auen as it were a stone and can neuer be scraped out The Lorde knoweth who be his owne and leate euery one departe from iniquitie that professethâ— the name of Christe It is no maruayle though they departe frome Christe that were neuer syncerely ioyned vnto Christe But from these mens doctrine ought euery one to absteyne that haue once beleued the ghospell with a pure fayth In dede it is to be wyshed with all desyres that no suche pestilence spryng vp in the congregation Howbeit it can not possiblye be but in suche a multitude of men we must suffer some naughtie packes myngled among the good Yea and theyr naughtines is turned into good of the godlye in that beyng vered of suche they expresse the constauncie of their fayth more largelye So in a riche mans great house there be not only vesselles of gold and siluer but also of wood and of earthe whereof some be appoynted to honest vse and some to vnhonest This onely difference there is that suche as be naturally of claye or of wood can not be turned in to golde or syluer But in this case forasmuche as it is a matier of the wyll and not of nature he that throughe hys owne vyce hathe made himselfe a vessell of shame maye by the helpe of God begynne agayne to be a vessell of honour And contrarywyse that folower of godlynes that hath bene a golden vessell in the house of God in case throught his faulte he slyde agayne vnto vngodlynes shal be a vessell of shame Vnbelefe desyre of aduauncemente crueltie luste andsuche lyke deseases of mynde make a man to be a vessel of shame From the which who so shal vtterly purge hym selfe and returne vnto innocencie and godlynes no doubte he shal be a vessell of honoure and a pure vessell fytte for excellent good vses and alwayes ready for his lorde as often as nede shall requyre The texte Lustes of youth auoyde but folow righteousnes fayth loue and peace with them that call on the Lorde with a pure heart Falyshe and vnlerned questiones put from the knowyng that they do but gendre stryfe The seruaunt of the Lorde must not stryue but be gentile to all men apte to teache and one that can suffre the euill with mekenes â— can informe theÌ„ that resist the trueth yf that God at any tyme wyl geue theÌ„ repeÌ„taunce for to knowe yâ— truth and that they maye come to theÌ„ selues agayne oute of the snare of the deuill whiche are holden captiue of him at his will I knowe that youth is prouoked with sondrye lustes that maye drawe a man to vncleanesse But thou that exercisest the office of an Elder auoyde all lustes of youthe rather folowe the thynges that worthyly beseme thee righteousenes fayth charitie and peace with them that professe Christe with a pure herte With suche as Hymeneus is haue thou nothynge to doe Innocencie synneth not fayth disputeth not charitie is not statelye peace stryueth not Tâ— be shorte receyue no folyshe and vnlerned questions that haue more ostentacion than wisedom knowyng that of suche nothing elles spryngeth but chyding and braulyng whylest the heate of disputacion breaketh oute alwayes more and more the matter at last groweth vnto rageyng madnesse and so that none wyll geue place to other but had rather moste stubburnely defende the parte that he knoweth to be false than to be taken for the lesse learned With thys kynde of men therfore thou shalte not meddle whan it is not possyble to ouercome them Christe perswaded not the worlde by this waye He ouercame with sobrenesse and gentilnes and his voyce was not hearde in the stretes And so it becometh the seruaunt to folowe his maisters fote steppes and not to be abrauler but peaceable and gentle towardes all men for that man doth perswade with more ease that is praysed for his charitie and sobrenes beynge ready rather to teache than to chyde patient in suffryng euill and not a prouoker and suche a one as correcteth more saddely than sharpely those that be resistoures expressyng himselfe to meane nothyng elles in all his muche a do but to bring them to amendement For no man ought to be despaired of rashely For it maye be that throughe sobre and frendelye correccion God maye geue them repentaunce of their former errours and whan the darkenesse of mynde is wyped awaye they maye acknowledge and embrace the trueth which before they impugned and at laste beyng repentaunte and as it were awakyng frome the heauye slepe of ignoraunce they maye rushe out of the deuilles snare whiche vndoubtedlye are naughtye lustes wherein beyng catched before they were caried about at his pleasure yea euen vnto persecutyng the trueth of the ghospell ¶ The .iii. Chapter The texte This know that in the last dayes shall come perelous tymes For men shal be louers of their owne selues couetous bosters proud curssed speakers disobedient to fathers mothers vnthankeful vngodly vnkynde trucebreakers false accusers riotous searce despisers of theÌ„ whiche are good tray tours heady hye myuded gredy vpon volupreousnes more then the louers of God hauyng a silmilitude of godlynes but haue denyed the power therof and suche abhorre For of this sort
holy scriptures whiche are able to make the learned vnto saluacyon thorowe the fayth whiche is in Christ Iesu All scripture geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to improue to amend to instruct in righte wisues that the man of god maye be perfecte and prepared vnto all good workes But see that thou continue in those thynges whiche thou hast learned of me and be vpright in the office coÌ„mitted vnto the in asmuche as thou knowest the doctrine and ordinaunce that thou hast to be vndoubted in case thou remeÌ„brest both of what autor it proceded and of what teacher thou learnedst it and if thou hast not forgotten the holy scriptures which thou learnedst long a go of thine elders in the tender yeares of thy fyrst childehode whiche scriptures beyng rightly vnderstanden euen without our autoritie are hable to make the learned as ferre as belongeth to the obteynyng of saluation which the gospel promyseth vs not through the obseruacion of Moses lawe but throughe the assured faith wherby we beleue in Christe Iesu â–ª That whiche the gospel partly teacheth to be al ready done the same the olde testament telleth and expresseth before hande shall come And yet it teacheth none other thynge than the ghospell doeth howbeit after an other sorte if it haue a godlye a learned reader There is no reason why we should esteme the bokes of the Prophetes or Moses to be of none effecte after the gospel is published yf through a spirituall vnderstandyng they be applyed vnto Christe and vnto godlynes But al the whole scripture that is set forth vnto vs not by mans witte but by inspiration of the holy gost hath greate profyte eyther to teache the thynges whiche are not vnknowen but with perill of saluation or to reproue them whithe are agaynste the veritie or to correcte and call agayne them in to the waye that erre of ygnoraunce or elles to ordre and informe not in Iewishnes or humayne Philosophie but in true innocencie and vprightenes of lyfe and is so muche auaylable for al thinges that make to the offices of godlynes that the man dedicated to God can be behynde in nothing but to be perfite and fullye furnyshed to all the workes of a Christian lyfe The .iiii. Chapter The texte I testifie therfore before God and before the Lorde Iesu Christe whiche shall iudge the quicke and deade at his apperyng in his kyngdom preache thou the worde be ferueÌ„t in season and out of season Improue rebuke â–ª exhort with al long suffryng and doctrine For the tyme wyl come when they shall not suffre holsome doctryne but after theyr own lustes shall they whose eare itch get theÌ„ an heape of teachers â–ª shal wtdraw their eares froÌ„ the trueth shal be turned vnto fables But watche thou in al thinges suffre afflictions do the worke of an Euangelist fulfyll thyue office vnto the vtmost Be sobre MOreouer I beseche the eftesones by God the father and by Iesus Christ whiche shall iudge the quicke and the dead whose sentence no man shall escape and by his commyng where in he shall come to iudgement not in a lowe estate but myghtie and terrible whiche suffred him selfe here to be iudged and by hys kyngdome whiche no power shal be hable to resiste preache the worde of the ghospel stronglye nether beyng frayed with aduersitie nor lustles in prosperitie Be feruent and earnest in season and out of season For there shal be no tyme but it shall seme in season to the wherin thou mayest haue anye hope to do good in the ghospelles busines Reproue the offender exhorte the sluggarde checke him that still contynueth in errour so as he may be amended with seueritie whiche was not amended with curteous admonicion howbeit checke him so as with the sharpenes of chydyng thou myngle both all lenitie doctrine lest thou seme either to hate him in case thou thoÌ„dre at him with nothing but checkes or elles to chide him without aduisement if thou do nothynge but checke him and teache him not withal For with more ease he is obedient that is perswaded and with a better wyll a man doeth after him that loueth him than him that loueth him not This is rather to be had in vre that we confyrme the consciences of them that ours be forsomuche as herafter shal be as I sayed before a haynous and a perilous tyme wherin some shall departe from the profession of the ghospell and not suffre the true and holsome doctrine of Christe that is contrarie to the lustes of this worlde but lyke as they are of moste fylthie corrupt affeccions that of sondry sortes euen so shal they get lurkyng to themselues sondry new doctours not to teache godlines but that with Iewishe fables and mans inuentions shall â—icle their eares that shal itche with a folishe desyre rather to heare newfangles subtil fyne reasons than mater of profite Vnto their fables they shall conuerte theÌ„selues shal turne their eares froÌ„ the trueth of the gospel But endeuour thou thyself so muche yâ— more vnto yâ— cleane contrarie maner watche beare euery thing for yâ— ghospelles sake shewe thy selfe a right gospel preacher in dede For those that teache their own fantasies though they are named gospell preachers yet veryly they are none The texte For I am nowe ready to be offered and the tyme of my departyng is at hande I haue â—â—ught a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith From hence forth there â—s layed vp for me a crowne of rightwysnes which the lorde that is a ryghteous iudge shall geue me at that day not to me onelye but vnto all them also that loue hys commyng Do thy diligence that thou mayest come shortely vnto me In the ministerie that thou exercisest in my rowme see thou behaue thy selfe so that thou mayest fullye perswade those matters that thou teachest and fasten them throughly in their consciences that they be not lyghtlye shaken out by them that shall goe aboute to teache contrarye thynges Whiche thynge standeth thee in hande so muche the more diligently to loke to in that I shall not helpe you in your trauaylles any longer For I as a sacrifice appoynted to Christ beginne euen now to be offered vp the day afmy death is not long to And I am willyng and glad to be offered vp bothe hauyng a good conscience of my former spent lyfe and beyng assured of my rewarde I haue foughâ—â—â— a ioylye fight I haue fynished a gospellike course I haue done that that was appoynted to the most throughly and faithfully I haue already played my partes nowe for that that is behynde I knowe it is in sauegarde I know that the crowne due to innocencie is layed vp in store for me which the Lorde â—â—all yelde vnto me euen the Emperour whose souldiour I haue bene But he shall not yelde â—â—â—o the in this lyfe wherein is the tyme of fyghtynge but in that daye
made partakers of the holy ghost by whome they haue begonne to beleue the blessed promises of euerlastyng lyfe and now as it were to take a saye foretaste of the power of yâ— worlde to come it is not possible I saye for them if they fall agayne thorowe negligence into there former abominable lyfe to be renued by repentaunce the which thing hath once bene done already in baptisme where as the olde manne is once cast away with his dedes and a newe creature commeth out of the bathe or water For suche as requyre to be renued agayne thorowe repentaunce after they haue often tymes fallen againe vnto theyr former sinfull lyuyng what goe they els aboute but as concernyng them selfes to crucyfie the sonne of God a freshe and make as it were a iestyng stocke or mocke of hym He hath once died for vs and we haue once dyed with hym in baptisme He hath once rysen agayne and wyll neuer dye any more In semblable wyse muste we so rise againe with him in a newe lyfe that we fall not eftsones into the dead lyfe once forsaken and by that meanes prouoke God so much the more vnto wrath indignacioÌ„ as he hath the more boâ—ntuously shewed hys lyberalitie vpon vs. Our industrie and diligence ought to be answerable vnto hys liberalytie and boâ—â—teous goodnes towardes vs. He hath put in vs certayne sedes of vertue and goodnesse and therfore we also must do our diligence that the same may growe and come to good The texte For the earth whyche drinketh in the rayne that cometh oft vpon it and bryâ—geth forth herbes meete for them that dresse it receaueth blessyng of God But that grounde which deareth thornes briers is reproued and is nye vnto cursing whose ende is to be burned Neuertheles deare frendes we trust to se better of you and thinges which accompany saluacion thoughe we thus speake For God is not vnryghteous that he shoulde forget your worke and labour that procedeth of loue which loue ye shewe in hys name which haue ministred vnto the saynetes and yet mynyster Yea and we deâ—re that euery one of you shewe the same dylygence to the full stablishyng of hope euen vnto the ende that ye faynte not but be folowers of them which thorowe fayth and pacience receyue the enheritaunce of the promyse For the earth which hath dronken in the rayne that falleth oft vpon it hath brought forth herbes profytable to them that tyll it is praysed of God for that it is not barayne nor kepeth doune and strangleth the sede whych is therin sowed without any frute or profyte But that grounde whych after good seed receiued hath brought forth thornes and thystles is yuell and â—ye vnto goddes cursyng whose ende is not to be mowed downe but to be â—uâ—ned And these thynges speake I dearly beloued only to exhorte you not because the wordes I haue spoken of a baren earth maie well be applied to you Naye rather I haue conceyued a better opynyon of you then so wherby I am ascertayned that by goddes helpe you shall attayne saluacion rather then be damned albeit this similitude vsed I because to styre vp in you the desire of godly chrystian lyuing lost you waxing fainte againe come by litle and litle to vtter confusion God wyll helpe you if you do your endeuoyre to attayne better thynges For he is not vnkynde nor vnrighteous in suche wyse that he wyll forget your good dedes the labour ye haue susteyned not for renownte or vauntage sake but for the loue of his name the which loue ye haue shewed by dedeselfe who both hertofore haue ministred of your goodes benefites vnto the sainctes by whom Christes name is preached and yet do ministre at thys present Furthermore I haue spokâ— these wordes because I am desyrous that ye all among whome there are many the which are fainter then I would they shoulde be perseuer in your doynges and not onely that but also dayly profite more and more tyll ye come to perfeccion that wher as I haue nowe a good hope of you I may haue a sure confidence and belefe perceyuing you styll to go forwarde and to be nothing nye the daunger that such are in as thorow a slowthful faintnesse fall agayne by litle and litle to theyr oldelyfe but rather to folowe the steppes of those who beleuing Christes promyses and hauing sure hope of heauenly rewardes attayne the enheritaunce of the lyfe immortall whych God hath promised vnto hys in yâ— kyngdome of heauen Suche as dystrusting goddes promyses loked backe vnto Egypte forsaken neuer came vnto the lande of behest but Abraham who agaynste all naturall reason constantly beleued goddes promises obtayned that he taried for The texte For when God made promesse to Abraham because he had noue greater to sweare by he sware by hymselfe saying Surely I wyll blesse the and multiply thee in dede And so afterthat he had taried paciently he enioyed the promes For men verely sweare by him that is greater then them selues and an othe to confyrme the thyng is to them an ende of all strife So God wylling very aboundantly to shewe vnto the heyres of promesse the stablenesse of hys councell added an other that by two immutable thynges in whiche it was vnpossyble that God shoulde lye we myghte haue a strong consslacion whiche hâ—ther to haue fled for to holde fast the hope that is sette before vs whiche hope we holde as an auere of the soule both sure and stedfast which hope also cutreth in into those thynges which are wyth in the vayle where the forerunner is for vs entred euen Iesus that is made an hye priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech For God to th entent hys promyse shoulde be the better beleued sware an othe the which amonge menne is wonte to be compted the surest gage that canne be He sware by hymselfe because he had none greater then himselfe to swere by He sware in thys wise I sweare by my selfe because thou dyddest thys thing and sparedst not thy onely begotten sonne Isaac formysake I will blesse the and multyplie thy seede as the starres of heauen and the sande that is in the sea shore Therefore after he hadde perceiued the constancie of thys olde manne who sticked not to sley euen hys owne sonne iâ— whome semed to be al the hope of his of spryng and posteritie he confirmed that thyng by an othe which he promised before For he hauyng to do with man condescended to the fasshions manours of man Men to aggrauate theyr othe doswere by hym that is greater And if they haue any doubte or controuersie amonge theÌ„ selfes the same is discussed ended by the confiâ—macion of an othe And for this cause when God would notably declare the stablenesse of hys counsell vnto the heyres of promyse he added an othe leste any man myght suppose that he wouldelye who had bounde hymselfe wyth two bandes fyrst by promyse and then
Likewise ye wiues be in subiection to your husbandes that euen they whych obey not the word may with out the worde be wonne by the conuersacion of the wiues while they behold your chast conuersacion coupled with feare Whose apparel shal not be outwarde with broyded heare and hanginge on of golde ether in puttinge on of gorgeous apparell but let the hid man which is in the heart be without all corruption so that the spirite be at rest quiet which spirite is before God a thing muche set by For after thys maner in the olde tyme dyd the holy wemen which trusted in God tier them selues and were obedyente to their husbandes euen as Sara obeyed Abraham called hym Lorde whose daughters ye are as long as ye do wel and are not afrayed for any terrour NOwe lyke as free men ought to allure yâ— prynces and publyke magistrates and euen so oughte bonde seruauntes to allure their maisters vnto the fauouryng of the gospell by their obedient diligence whych purchaceth frendship in euery place or in dede not to prouoke them by occasion if perauenture they be vncureable euen so ought the wiues also shewe themselues obedyent vnto their husbandes not onelye yf they be Christians but to them also that haue not yet embraced the doctrine of the gospell For in dede it maye possiblie come to passe that suche as oure preaching doeth not stiere the entier vpryghtnes godlynes womanlynes sobrenes chastitie and sufferaunce of the wyfe maye ouercome and mollyfie them and in conclusion wynne them vnto Christ For whan they shall perceaue theyr wyues maners chaunged through baptisme whan they shall see the examplar of true vertue in them they shall peraduenture be enflamed the affeccion of wedlocke not a lytell forewardyng to the same purpose that as they be felowes of one bedde so they would mynd to be felowes of one profession For syncere good demeanour hath very sharpe pryckes whiche yf a man do marke it nerely bryngeth to passe manye tymes that carnall loue is turned into a spirituall loue That maner of loue is occasioned by welfauourednes of beawtie and behauiour of apparel helpyng the fauour of beawtie forewarde And behauiour is occasioned by the fayre goodlynes of an entier good hearte shynyng in her manners Therfore it behoueth not wyues whiche haue professed Christe to deuise howe they maye set forthe themselues pleasauÌ„tly in their husbandes eies after the coÌ„mune custome with theyr heare craftyly broyded or with puttinge on of precious stones or gold and purple rayment and with other trymmyng of the bodye whiche is shewed outwardly For what other thynge shoulde come of this gayre but that they should loue their wyues body for the vse of fleshely lust And what a porcion of man is the body This rather they ought to studye for that theyr husbandes may be enticed by their goodly garnyshed maners and so to loue the secret hidden mynde and hearte yf they shall perceyue her to be pure and spotted wtâ—â— knacke of viciousnes and if they shall see contrarie to the commune maner of women no lyght affeccion in that woman which women communly haue no intemperaunce no wrath no enuye no seking of preeminence no arroganncie â—o ouerthwart bibble bable but a softe mylde tractable gentyll spirit This is an excellent and a gorgeous apparell in the eâ—es of God By this maner of decking they muste chiefly deserue to haue their husbandes heartes By this kynde of wooing euen certayne holy women in times past which fixed their whole hope not in slyppery and transitorye thinges but in God set forth themselues to please their husbandes not with gold or precious stones or purple but with sobrenes obedient diligence wherby the fearcenes of an husbaÌ„des disposition is most easyly aswaged So Sara obeyed Abraham callyng him Lorde where as she was hys wyfe not his drudgeing hande mayde but submitted her selfe vnder his subieccion for sobrenes sake For althoughe it be not fitte for a man to vse a lordlynes towardes his wife yet there is an autoritie which if he in somthynges abuse yet it standeth with the womans modestie to obeye in place To be briefe lyke as they are Abrahams true and very right sonnes that folowe thexample of his fayth euen so are you Saraes daughters which resemble yâ— excellent good womans maners manly substauÌ„tialnes of mynde trymmyng vp your selues with good workes reposing all youre trust in God hauing the fruicion of his ayde there is no cause at al why you should be afrayed of womans frailtie The texte Lyke wyse ye men dwel with them according to knowlege geuing honour vnto the wyfe as vnto the weker vessel as vnto them that are heires also of the grace of lyfe that your praiers be not hindered And as it is the office of matrones with chast obedience holy maners and wyth mylde softenes to ouercome their husbandes euen so is it your parte O you men in no wise to abuse your autoritie towardes your wyues as meÌ„ playng the tyrannes in that they submit theÌ„selues vnto you but be rather so much the lesse lordely towardes them in yâ— they make them selfes your handemaides They are companions of all your estates and thynges what so euer befalleth Let them perceiue you to be handsome men to lyue withall let your wisdome succour the frailtie of their womankynde And the more stronger you are thaâ— they in the strength of hert body so much more it behoueth you to releue womens infirmitie that by youre instruction by your gouernaunce they maye be made better as it were settyng aparte that kynde they maye waxe manlye in gospellike godlynes For they are not Christian husbandes that haue wyues only to the vse of copulacion but they ought rather to endeuour that their wyues maie be theyr coÌ„panions in fastinge almosededes dooing of watching and of prayeng so that those women which are called to the coÌ„mune reward of eternall lyfe as well as their husbandes maye earnestly set their myndes to do these thynges also communely with their husbandes In christian mariage there is nothing or in dede very lytle to be geuen vnto voluptuousnes very muche vnto Godlynes Wherin yf bothe parties will consent and thereupâ—â— you refrayne froÌ„ bodyly dâ—ale your prayers shal not be interrupted And prayer is a sacrifice wherwith god must be sacrificed vnto euery daye The texte In conclusioÌ„ be ye al of one mynd of one heart loue as brethreÌ„ be piteful be courteâ—â—â— meke not rendring euill for euill or rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowâ—â—â— that ye are thereunto called euen yâ— ye should be heires of yâ— blessing For he that doth lâ—â—â— after lyfe and loueth to se good dayes let hym refraine his tonge from euil and his â—â—â—pes that they speake no guyle Let hym eschewe euil and do good let hym seke peace â—â—â— ensue it For the eyes of the Lorde are ouer the ryghteous and hys eares are open
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
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
angrye with hym that counsailed you aright than to acknowlage your faulte you had rather haue folowed wicked outragious luste than ensue those thinges that bring saluacion Now my deare brethren who so will be coumpted a new man let him be slow to speake swyft to heare and ready to learne of any manne Howbeit let no manne rashly nor ouer hastyly take vpon him to be a teacher And like as he is not voyde of peril to fall that is hastye to speake euen so is that manne inclined to doe iniurie whiche is lightly moued in hys mynde For it is requisite that godly menne bee farre of not only from all reuengement but also from all euill speaking For he shal be the more safe from chyding that maketh no aunswer and he shal do no man wrong that whan he is prouoked is not angrye Among men peraduenture he shall seme a iuste man that requiteth one euil worde with an other one euell dede for an other but yet he shal be a greate deale wyde from the iustice of God who by hys sonne hathe taught vs to speake well of them that backbyte vs to wishe well to them that wishe euil to vs to doe good for them that doe euil vnto vs. These thinges he dooeth not that letteth his tongue runne at large whiche is a warbling membre and a slyppery nor he that hathe wrathe secretly These maner of lustes like as they ouerthrowe and cheoke the sede of Goddes woorde that whan it commeth vp it bring forthe no frute in you euen so doe they lette that it canne not bee sowen in to the fielde of the mynde It taketh no rote in a briery place ne in marice nether in the sande that fleeteth awaye but it requireth a pure a trymme and a substaunciall grounde Therfore if ye will that the sede of the worde of the Gospell that is once cast bring frute in you frute I say not for a season or a commune frute wherwith the bodyes may be refreshed but the eternall saluacion of your soules make cleane the fielde of your harte not onely from the tumulte of euil speaking and of wrathe but also from al gredy lustes wherwith mans mynde is defiled from the thornes of coueteousnes from the grauell of rashenes from the slyme of outragious lust from the stones of pride and wilfulnes For in dede the mynde that is burthened with thys geare is not hable to receaue the worde of the Gospell which knocketh in vayne at the tympane of the eares onles it light depe in to the inwarde partes of the harte And if it once settle in to your myndes it shall not bee baren but shote forthe and shewe it selfe with godly workes The texte ¶ And se that ye be doars of the worde and not hearers onely deceauing your owne selues For yf any man heare the worde and declareth not the same by hys workes he is like vnto a man beholdynge hys bodely face in a glasse For assone as he hath toked on him selfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediatly what hys fasshyon was But who so loked in the parfayr lawe of libertie and continueth therin yf he be nor a forgetfull hearer but a doar of the worke the same shal be happy in hys dede If any in an amonge you seme to be deuout and refrayneth not hys tongue but deceaueth his owne herte this mannes deuocion is in vayne Pure deuociō and vndefiled before God the father is this to visite the fatherles and widoowes in theyr aduersytie and to kepe hym selfe vnspotted of the worlde The Iewes haue their lawe by harte without boke and yet they expresse it not in their life The philosophers do learne perfitely the lessons howe to lyue wel thinke that to bee ynough farre deceauyng them selues where as the felicitie of manne is not in the speaking but in the lyuing But vnto you it ought not to be ynough that being newely instructed you haue heard the Gospelles doctrine that being baptised you are admitted vnto the harder hidden misteries of the Gospelles doctrine that you haue learned ouer and ouer all the whole philosophie of Christe and all hys life ne that you haue receaued the promysse of Immortall life That whiche Christe taught muste bee expressed in outwarde maners That whiche he did muste bee folowed of vs to the vttermoste of oure possible powers It behoueth vs to dye vnto the desires of this worlde and be buried with hym to rise agayne with hym vnto Innocencye to bee caryed with him in to heauen and finally we ought so to lyue vpon earthe as we appeare not vnworthie the rewardes of heauen Will you heare howe that he yeldeth no frute at all whiche heareth the worde of the Gospell but lightly and vnconfiderately He is moste like vnto a man that beholdeth hys face in a glasse He beholdeth but he doeth nothing els but beholde only For he can not chaunge his naturall face nether goeth he any other maner away from the glasse than he came to it Yea inasmuch as he went only for this purpose to see what fauour his face was of he thinketh not of the amending of the faultes of hys fauour but as sone as he goeth awaye from the glasse he remembreth nothing whiche a one he sawe him selfe to be But the glasse of the Gospelles doctrine sheweth not the blemyshes and outbreakinges of the body but it layeth all the diseases of thy soule before thyne eies nether doeth it only shewe them but also healethe them Moses lawe did rather vtter the sores of the soule than healed them For the lawe as concernyng the lettre was imperfecte and frayed menne from euyll by feare rather than caused menne willingly to folowe the thynges that were good But the lawe of the Gospell obteyneth more of the wyllyng and those that bee at lybertie through loue than the lawe of Moses gat perforce And the lawe of the Gospell maketh perfite that it begynneth where the other bryngeth nothyng to perfectyon Whosoeuer therfore will diligently behold bothe his mynde and his life at this glasse and that should he doe continually neuer mouing his eies from the example and doctrine of Christe that is to say whosoeuer heareth the holy word not after suche light sorte that turnyng him self backe by and by to the cares of this worlde he seme to forget that he hearde but frameth all hys life after the rule of it expressing by godly workes that which he sticked fast in the marye of the soule he shall surely be blessed not because he heard the worde but because he did after it in his affeccions and maners Thou hearest Christ saye that the tormente of hell fyre abydeth for him that sayeth vnto his brother thou foole And yet forgetting by and by what thou heardest thou arte ready for a lyght checking worde to fight with him Thou hearest that those riches are to be set naught by whiche are in daunger of mothes and theues and that true riches ought to be layed vp in
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
that neuer shal haue ende I haue written vnto you yongmen because you haue ouercome the ruflynge nycenesse of youth through the valiaunt strengthe of mynde and because you haue with a constaunte heart kepte the worde of the Gospell and haue by the helpe of Christ ouercome the Deuill the continuall enemye of mankynde Continue you styll in victorye contemne styll that whyche you haue hitherto contemned and loue more and more that you haue begon to loue The worlde enticeth by false imaginacions of transitorye goodes and frayeth with a vayne and false shewe of euilles As for you let those thinges fraye you whiche are euill in dede and neuer haue ende And let these thinges catche you that are good in dede and knowe none ende Folowe the lyght of the gospell and loue heauenly thynges whiche the heauenlye father promyseth vnto whom you are regenerate by Christ Flee the darknes of naughtie lustes wherby this worlde layeth bayte with countrefaict goodes It can not possiblie be that you can loue bothe at ones nor serue both at ones There is none agrement betwene God and the worlde there is no concorde betwene lyght and darknes whosoeuer loueth the worlde swarueth from the loue of God the father I speake not of this worlde which god made wherin we liue wil we nil we The wiked gredy desires of vayne thinges wherein the common sort of menne repose their felicitie forgetting the thinges that are truely good in dede I cal the world It is not the place howe farre of so euer it be not the raymente not the meate not the title that exemteth you froÌ„ the world but a mind that is pure from those desires yâ— I spake of And what hath this world that is not noisomly hurtful There are thre thinges yâ— it most chefely deceineth folishe vncircumspect folkes withall the voluptuous pleasure of the fleshe enticementes of the eies and hyghe statelynes and proude galauntnes of lyfe For it obiecteth certayne iugglinges of vayne pleasures to clawe the senses of the bodye withall for a tyme that the mynde maye in the meane while be called awaye from the studie of heauenlye good thynges For the desyre of suche maner of good thynges the heauenlye spirite suggesteth whom God the father geueth vnto his childreÌ„ that are truly regenerate by Christ The deuill hath also a spirite of his owne by whom he suggesteth a pernicious loue of thynges neyther true nor durable vnto them that haue bent themselues throughly vnto this worlde He suggesteth the naughtye sportes of lechery to title the meÌ„bres of the body withal through a folishe and a filthy itching delite He suggesteth the delite of fyne meates drinke to please yâ— paunche the mouth wÌ„al He suggesteth the swetnes of idlenes slepe that the mynde may waxe the more sluggishe throughe custume He suggesteth wanton songes and shameles fables to anoynt the eares withall He suggesteth the wanton enticementes of beawties and sondry kyndes of thinges to beholde to delite the eies withall He suggesteth the pompes and ioylitie of riches the occasions of ambicion Finally he allureth mennes myndes on euery parte awaye from the true and euerlasting good thinges vnto the vayne imaginacions of good thinges Let him that is entangled with the desire of these thinges knowe that he is not moued by the spirite of the heauenly father but by the spirite of the worlde The worlde lyke as it consisteth vpon elementes that endure but for a time euen so geueth it nothing but that whiche shall shortly perishe God like as he is eternall euen so geueth he freely euerlasting rewardes Therefore he that dependeth vpon the succours of the worlde foloweth a certayne felicitie that is both vayne and shall shortly be taken awaie which euen casualtie that commeth vnthought vpon plucketh away in this worlde or at lest age dispatcheth it Truly death that shall come vn to euery man plucketh quite awaye all the dreame of false pleasures Whan the mater is taken awaye the pleasure perisheth and sorowes come in place Whan the man is taken away al is gone to naught and euerlasting torment cometh in place But he that â—beieth vnto the father that calleth him vnto the loue of an heauenly lyfe his felicitie shal neuer haue ende For he that geueth it knoweth none ende The vnhurtfull commodities of this worlde are to be vsed for the tyme yea but smallye but moderately to the necessitie of nature not to the voluptuouse fulfylling of pleasure But the chiefe studye of mynde ought to be turned to the thynges that be eternall whereunto the vse of all other thynges ought also to be referred The text Lytell children it is the last time and as ye haue hearde howe that Antichrist shall come euen nowe are theremany begonne to be Antichristes already wherby we knowe that it is the laste tyme. They went out from vs but they were not of vs. For yf they had bene of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs. But that it might appeare that they werenot of vs. Neuertheles ye haue an oyntment of him that is holy and ye knowe all thynges I haue not written vnto you as though ye knewe not the trueth but as thoughe ye knewe it and knowe also that no lye commeth of trueth Who is a lyar but he that denieth that Iesus is Christe the same is Antichriste that denieth the father and the sonne Whosoeuer denieth the sonne the same hath not the father he that knowledgeth the sonne hath the father also Let therefore abyde in you that same which ye heard from the begynnyng The felicitie of godly men doeth not yet appeare but it shal be manyfestly opened in the commyng of our Lorde Iesu Christ The wicked seme to lyue in the meane time swetely here in this worlde but euerlastinge sorowe heâ—geth ouerthem and that shortly For the laste tyme semeth to be present wherin the course of thinges being turned vpsyde downe those shall rayne with Christe that are formented nowe for Christes sake and they shal be brought to naught whiche be nowe rebelles agaynst Christe You haue hearde that Antichrist shall come who being armed with all the mayntenaunce and iugglinges of this worlde shoulde kepe warre against Christe and by and by when Antichriste is ouercomme againe the body of Christe shal be deliuered from all euils and the membres of the deuill shall be laden with the burthens of all euilles Therfore the commynge of thys Antichrist of whom the Apostles tolde you before semeth not to be farre of For thys worlde hath so muche preuayled agaynste the doctrine of the Gospell that there are begonne euen nowe all readye to be a great sorte that deserue the name of Antichrist whose lyfe and doctrine and all theyr hole studye is agaynst Christ For what appeare they to be elles than Antichristes gentilmen husshers and the last tokens of the plage to come For they do lesse hurt vnto Christes people that be vtterly strauÌ„gers from Christ than those that
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
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
losse of his onely begotten sōne If we loue our neighbour in a semblable wyse than the loue of God is perfite in vs declaryng also that God hymselfe is in vs. Lyke as all one spirite knytteth the membres of the body together and maketh them one body euen so the spirite of god doeth in a maner glue together and knytte bothe vs with hym and euery one to other and as it were dryueth perforce all into one And yf the spirite of god which inspireth into our heartes y◠loue of our neighbour be stronge in vs doubtles we knowe by thys token bothe that we abyde in God and God lykewyse in vs. Therefore he is an enemie vnto loue that denyeth Iesus to be the sonne of God whiche gaue hymselfe to redeme mankind But of this matter we were euen lookers vpō we sawe it with our eies we hearde it with our eares we handled it with our handes and of a matter so many waies prouedly knowē we beare witnes to the whole worlde that god sent his sonne to saue the world with his death in case it woulde repent from his olde errours and ordre the life of it from henceforthe accordyng to the rule of the gospell For he dyd not onely sende hym to saue the nacion of the Iewes but he gaue hym also to be a sauiour to al the whole worlde He therfore that confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of god whom the prophetes had prophecied before shoulde come he abydeth in God and god in him For he knoweth the trueth and embraceth loue He acknowlageth not the loue of God towarde him that doeth no expresse it in his neighbour But as for vs we haue both knowen by experience and beleue with our harte and confesse wyth oure mouthe and expresse in oure workes the dedes that God hath bestowed vnto vs. It remaineth that we shoulde perseuer in that whiche is begonne and not to offende so as God be not bothe plucked awaye from vs and wee drawen awaye from God God as I sayed before is loue Therfore he that continueth styll in loue continueth styll in God and God lykewyse in hym because the mutuall knotte of the spirite of God abideth Wyl you also haue an other token geuen you whereby you maye trye whether the loue of god bee perfite in you If we know our owne conscience to be good and that we dreade not the daye of iudgement wherein they shall be seperated from Christe that haue not folowed Christ They shall quake when they shal heare that horrible voyce Departe from me But we looke for that daye with a trusty boldenes that is to were knowyng to our selues y◠lyke as he was conuersaunt in the world euen so are we also in the worlde He toke no maner of spotte of the worlde but cleansed the worlde from it owne fylthynes and drewe it as muche as in hym was into hys purenes Euen so wee also to oure powers are not onely not mingled with y◠worlde but also we rather driue it with teachyng of the gospell and chaste examples of lyfe vnto Christe The dreade of goddes iudgemente spryngethe out of an euyll conscience Feare therfore agreeth not with loue For loue encreaseth assured confidence which yf it be perfite shal dryue quite out of minde al feare But it is glad as often as that daye of iudgemente commeth in his mynde first hauyng a very good opinion of the good God and hauing it selfe a good conscience Loue causeth gladnes feare causeth formentynge sorowefulnes Moreouer he that is afrayed declareth hymselfe therin not yet to be perfite in loue As much as wāteth vnto loue so much encreaseth to feare For he is afrayed lest he shall not fynde God the iudge mercyfull vnto hym seyng he shewed hymselfe vntractable vnto his neighbour That daye shal openly declare who hath bene a true louer in thys worlde We loue God and no meruaile seyng he first loued vs. For we coulde not be hable to loue hym excepte he drewe vs vnto hymselfe with hys loue Thys same therefore that we loue God is hys benefite Finally in that we loue God we testifie it in louinge oure neighbour in whome he wyll be loued If a man wyll saye I loue God when he hateth hys brother he is a lyar For when the wycked of whom for the moste parte they doe not onely not loue God but also they beleue not that God is yet for al y◠they after a sort loue their neighbour either because he is their kynsman or ailiaunce or because he is acquaynted and familiar with them or at the leaste because man seeth the other to be a man lyke as the very beastes loue euery one hys own kynd by the instincte of nature howe shall he loue God whome he hath not sene at any tyme whan he hateth hys neyghboure whom he seeth Furthermore howe standethe it together that he loueth God that passeth not vpon the commaundementes of God If a man woulde crye I loue the kyng and for al y◠setteth naught by the kynges proclamacions would there any man beleue hym we haue thys speciall commaundement of oure Emperoure that he whiche loueth God shoulde also loue hys brother whether he bee good or badde Yf he be good let hym loue Christ in hym yf he be badde let hym loue hym to thys ende that he maye be conuerted vnto Christ The .v. Chapter The texte Whosoeuer beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God And euery one that loueth hym whiche begat loueth hym also whiche was begotten of hym By thys we knowe that we loue the children of God when we loue God and kepe his commaundementes For thys is the loue of God that we kepe hys commaundementes and hys commaundementes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde And thys is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde but he whiche beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God This Iesus Christ is he that came by water and bloud not by water onely but by water and bloude And it is the spirite that beareth witnes because the spirite is trueth For there are thre whiche beare recorde in heauen the father the worde and the holy ghost And these thre are one And there are thre whiche beare recorde in earth the spirite and water and bloud and these thre are one Yf we receyue the witnes of men the witnes of God is greater For thys is the witnes of God that is greater whiche ▪ he testifie of his sonne He that beleueth on the sonne of God hath the witnes in himselfe He that beleueth not god hath made hym a lyar because he beleued not the record that god gaue of his son And thys is the recorde howe that God hath geuen vnto vs eternall lyfe and this lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath lyfe he that hath not the sonne of god hath not lyfe WHo soeuer beleueth that Iesus is
shoulde all together be fulfylled that all prophetes dyd euer prophecye of the kyngdome of Messias the sauiour of the whole worlde whiche is the hyghest misterye Of the whiche thinges all patriarkes and prophetes yea and the apostles also and Christ him selfe dyd speake namely of the tyme of the kyngdome of heauen that was commyng and of the commynge of Christ in his highest honour and glorye whiche shal be manifest and knowen vnto all men and vnto the whole world The texte ¶ And the voyce whiche I hearde from heauen spake vnto me againe and sayde go and take the lytle boke whiche is open in the hande of the angell which standeth vpon the sea and vpon the earth And I went vnto the angell and sayde to him geue me the lytle boke and he sayd vnto me take it and eate it vp it shal make thy belly bytter but it shal be in thy mouthe as swete as hony And I toke the lytle boke out of his hande and eate it vp and it was in my mouthe as swete as â—onâ— and assone as I hade eaten it my bellye was bytter And he sayde vnto me thou must prophecye againe amonge the people and nacions and tongues and to many kynges At this place myght the begynnyng of the .xi. muche more conueniently haue bene appoincted but it is no matter Iohn in the person of all faithfull christians and specially in the person of them whiche should be teachers in the churche of god as the holy bysshops and other apostolicall men heareth the voyce of God speakinge thus vnto him If thou wylt doe and performe thy office and vocacion truly and iustly than goe thy waye and appointe thy selfe therunto withall thy might and power and take in thy hande the holy open and mooste cleare cronicle booke of the holy gospell and worde of God receyue the same and the holy vnderstandinge therof from the holy goost thorow feruent praier And reade therin with faythe loue and moost earnest zeale of Christ hym selfe But he telleth him before that he shoulde not onely reade or synge it wryte or endyte it but that he shoulde with a moost gredy desyre euen deuoure it vp as a foode from God and as the heauenly breade of all faythfull beleuers and that â—e dygest it in to his bowels as a moost cleane and holsome foode Whiche thing can not come to passe with out bytternes of repentaunce and of sorowe and heuynes of the hearte and conscience And specially vnto him that knoweth so muche of the wyll of God and feleth that his spirite is so weake and frayle and his fleshe so wylde and dysobedient and his mynde so stubbourne and obstinate against the spirite of god Or els it may be thus vnderstandeÌ„ that whan a man vnderstandeth the worde of god and knoweth that it ought to be spred furth vnto other that is to saye to the whole churche of God and that the truth ought to be spoken vnto the blynde worlde and that it can not yet be done with out great perell danger of bodye and lyfe than is it doutles bytter vnto him But yet not withstandinge it is swete in the mouthe thorowe the comforte and ioye of the truth and thorowe the ioyful promes of the gospell of rightuousnes and holynes thorow Christ the sauiour of the whole world in al tymes Al this did Iohn in a vision and toke also further instruccion thereof as foloweth ¶ The .xi. Chapter The texte ¶ And then was geuen me a rede lyke vnto a rodde and it was sayd vnto me Ryse meat the temple of god and the aulter and them that worshyp therin and the quier whiche is within the temple cast out and meate it not for it is geuen vnto the Gentiles the holy citie shall they treade vnder fote xiii monethes And I wyll geue power vnto my two witnesses and they shall prophesye a thousande two hundered and .ix. dayes clothed in sacke clothe These are two olyue trees and two candelstyckes standynge before the God of the earth And yf any man wyll hurte them fyre shall procede out of their mouthes and consume their enemies And yf any man wil hurte them this wyse must he be kylled These haue power to shut heauen that it rayne not in the dayes of their prophesyinge and haue power ouer waters to turne them to bloude and to smite the earth with all maner plages as often as they wyll THe lorde doth teuele and shewe vnto Iohn that he wyll vysyte and reforme his churche beyng so sore fallen and decaied whaÌ„ tyme shal be thorowe apostolical men and godly parsons which haue eaten vp and dysgested the booke of god and with great swetnes and plesantnes haue bene feruent and earnest to further and to set furth the wyl of God And thus he geueth hym a â—eâ—wande in his hande as he dyd also vnto Ezechiell to measure to serche out the rightuousnes of the churches and the state of euery one And specially of them whiche by reason of their office and vocacion ought to haue a speciall respecte and regarde to the seruyce of god among the whiche the bysshops and the highe most speciall doctors and teachers of the churche whiche are vnderstande and ment by the quiere for as muche as they are maisters and rulers of the quiere were the mooste wicked and vngodly And they are compared and lykened vnto the heathen and were geuen and delyuered vp vnto them to be punysshed For the heathen and vngodly and supersticious people geuen to al ydolatrie whether they be spiritual or secular they shal treade down destroy and defyle the churche of Christ a long time whiche is to be vnderstande by the xlii monethes the is to saye .iii. yeares an halfe whiche might well sygnifye .iii. hundreth yeares an halfe from the tyme that muche false doctrine many supersticious ceremonies came first into the churche against the manifest worde of God Whiche thinges sprang vp thorow yâ— pompe pryde couetousnes and presumpcion of the spiritual prelates watchmen as they named them selues and so ought to haue bene in dede by their office callyng The two witnesses of repentaunce amendement of lyfe which should take the gospel in hande againe and should restore bryng forthe the booke againe are Enoche Elyas For in the wicked tyme of the Cainites before Noes floode Enoche studyed went about without doubte bothe with word dede to reforme the world to reduce them vnto the true faith in God perfyght loue to their neyghboure againe Wherunto he was moued by the holy goost whiche did worke speake in him yea parauenture also did write thorowe him For there were once bokes of Enoche whiche nowe are not to be gotten And lyke wyse did Elyas also in yâ— time of the lawe but with a wonderfull zeale feruentnes both in word deed thorow the mocion of the holy goost whiche worketh in the ministers
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
and shall stande a farte of for feare of her punishmeÌ„t saying Alas alas that great citie BabiloÌ„ that mighty citie for at one houre is thy iudgemeÌ„t come And the merchauntes of the earth shal wepe and wayle in them selues for no man wyll bye theyr ware any more the ware of golde and syluer and precious stones nether of pearle raynes and purple and skarlet and al thynne wod and al maner of vessels of yuery and all maner vessels of moost precious wodâ—e and of brasse yron and synamon and odoures and oyntmentes and franckynsence and wyne and oyle and fyne â—â—ouâ—e and wheate beastes and shepe and horsses and charettes and bodyes and soules of men With this Babylon haue princes and prelates yea whole kyngdoms coÌ„mitted whordome For she hathe receyued and geuen them yea hathe set them in and out And all for worldly gayne and for honour sake without any respect of rightuousnes onely for money brybes For there was neuer founde more shamefull marchandyse than that whiche they of the Popes courte specially the Curtysans haue exercysed many yeares with other mennes goodes and with nothing els but with leade and syluer with parchement and byshoprikes with sellyng of their Pallium and Robes whiche shoulde be a spirituall iurisdiccioÌ„ and with first frutes c. Yea there is no ende of suche marchaundyse lyke as in the texte all thinges are named whiche are of any pryce So that in the Popes churche there was nothinge but for mony not so muche as the water or salte of the see nor oyle nor breade nor creame c. All must serue for holynes and for the maintenaunce of the couetousnes of the spiritualtye To be shorte reade but onely a boke that is called the Popes Fayre there is his marchandyse well descrybed and proued by the customes and lawes of the Romaynes The texte ¶ And the apples that thy soule lusted after are departed from the. And al thinges which were deâ—â—tie and had in pryce are departed from the and thou shalte fynde them nomore The maâ—ch aunâ—es of these thinges whiche were wexed ryche shall stande a farre of from her for feare of the punishment of her wepinge and waylinge and saying Alas alas that great cytie that was clothed in raines and purple and scarlet and decked wâ—tâ— golde and precious stones and pearles for at one houre so great riches is come to naught First of all there was muche holynes and muche good example and doctrine in the holy churche of Rome as S. Paule testifieth in his Epistle to the Romaynes and there were many holy byshops and martirs which loued yâ— trueth vnto whome the gospell was a synguler ioy delyght comforte and glorye But in processe of tyme it was turned vpsyde downe So yâ— there was nothing lefte in the rulers and heades of that churche but onely the name of the churche Al that was perfyght godlye and holy was lost and gone And at length their marchandyse whiche they inuented woulde no more be estemed amonge yâ— true godly christianes For they haue inoughe of those thinges whiche these marchauntes doe promyse of the grace and mercye of God and of his word And therfore the Romanystes doe meruell and frete againste the gospel because it bringeth no nother ware with it but her olde ware that is to saye humylite lowlynes pouertye sorowe contempte whiche all men doe flee and abhorte And it maketh an ende also of all worldlye pompe and honour ioy and pleasure ydlenes and wantonnes The outwarde and glorious supersticous wil bryng no more profyte or aduantage precious garmentes and perles wyll not become the professours of the gospell Coules and shauen crounes wyll no longer be taken for holynes of them that haue any vnderstandynge and knowledge Peter and Iohn and all the Apostolicall ministers of Christ wyll contemne and despyse golde and syluer For Christ hath taught them faith loue and truth pouertye and lowlynes The texte ¶ And euery shyppe gouerner and all they that occupyed shyppes and shypmen whiche worke in the see stode a farre of and cryed when they sawe the smoke of her burnynge sayinge what citie is lyke vnto this great citie And they â—ast dust on their heades cryed wepynge and waylynge and sayde Alas alas thaâ— great citye wherin were made riche all that had shyppes in the see by the reason of her costlynes for aâ— one â—oure is she made desolate Reioyce ouer her thou heauen and ye holy Apostles and prophetes for god hath geuen you iudgement vpon her Thus dothe the lorde God shewe and aduenge him selfe of all violent and tyrannous pryde and presumpcion of them whiche perswade them selues that there is no God but they or els that he hath no care of those thinges that are vpon earth Wheras it is euident and manifest out of gods worde what hathe alwayes bene the ende of all proude and presumptuous kyngdoms Whiche the spiritualtye should best haue knowen and haue taught other also And speciallye he that hath had and woulde haue suche a byshoprike And woulde also kepe it vntyll he shoulde peryshe together with it because he hathe not ordered him selfe therin after the wil of god nor after the right rule and square of gods worde and of holy scripture nor hath not done that thinge that his offyce and vocacion hath required as he ought to haue done as it is euident vnto all men They haue desyred and studyed onely to haue great power and dominion vpon yâ— who le earth in all nacions and yles onely for honour and gayne with very small studye or dilygence to rule the worlde well and godlye or to further gods honour and the saluacion of the soule onely And for this cause doeth all the worlde wonder at suche a great and horrible fall And they that seke study after dignite honour and auctorite after worldly lucre they tremble for feare and mourne and bewayle the heuy iudgement of God and their worldly hynderance But the holy and faithfull whiche not onely vpon earth regarde and seke the honour and glorye of God whiche they doe chefely desyre but also in heauen whiche haue the fruicion and perfyght syght and knowledge of the rightuousnes of God they prayse God hartely for the rightuous iudgement whiche is reueled vnto the worlde The texte ¶ And a mightie angell toke vp a stone lyke a great milstone and cast it into the see sayinge with suche violence shall that great citye Babilon be cast and shal be founde no more And the voyce of harpers and musicions and of pypers and tromperters shal be hearde no more in the and no craftes man of whatsoeuer crafte he be shal be founde any more in the. And the sounde of a myll shal be hearde no more in the and the voyce of the brydgrome and of the bryde shal be hearde no more in the for thy marchauntes were the great men of the earth And with thyne â—â—ch auntment were deceaued al ancions and in
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