ynoughe in this worlde and than let hym doe with me in an other worlde what he wyll Be thou assured that thou enforcest God to take awaye hys holy spirite and his good gyftes from thee and layest vp wrath in stoare for thy selfe agaynste the daye of wrath whan God shall iudge the secret thoughtes of men by Iesus Christe Thou shalt haue the immortall worme of thy conscience to gâ—awe contynually vpon thee so as fallynge into desperacyon and grudgeynge agaynste God thou shalte begynne thyne hell euen in thys worlde hauynge anguyshe and trouble vpon thy soule for thy wycked lyuynge And at that greate feaste daye whan thou shalte appeare wythoute the weddynge garment of a perfyte faythe garnysshed wyth workes of charitie and good lyuynge Christe the kyng shall commaunde thee to be bounden hande and fote and to be cast into the vtter darkenes where shal be weepyng and gnashyng of teethe for the rewarde of thyne errour and wickednes thou shalte be constrayned perforce to pledge the Deuyll of his own cuppe that is prepared euerlastyngly for hypocrites to drynke vpon whereinto the Lorde God shall rayne snares fyre brymstonâ— storme and tempest Than it wyll not auayle the to repente Than it wylbe to late to crye had I wyste Remembre thy selfe therefore in tyme seyng that God of hys curteous gentylnes by hys holy woord geueth thee so curteous warnynge And take in good parte thys my symple translacyon intended to none other purpose but to thy forwardynge helpe as the Lorde is my wytnesse God sende thee perfyte vnderstandyng gentle reader in hys trueth and well to fate Amen ¶ Thus endeth the Prologe The argument vpon the Epistle of the Apostle Saynt Paule vnto the Ephesians by D. Erasmus of Roterodame EPhesus was sometyme the chiefe citie of the lesse Asia a citie supersticiously geuen to the wurshipping of deuilles and especially of Diana for whiche cause it is called in the actes of the Apostles the wurshipper of Diana not of Diana the huntour vnto whome the Poetes attribute bowe and arowes but Diana with many pappes whome the Grecians call Polymaston and saye she is the nource of all maner of beastes after Hieromes reporting For the temple of Diana at Ephesus was in the greatest estimacion of al the world so much that the Ethnike writours make special mencion of it almost in al their writinges These men geue their whole studies vnto curiouse artes and sciences as we may gather where we reade that at the preaching of the Apostles they brought in theyr bookes of enchauntmente and burned them in the fyer and whan they had coumpted the price they founde it to be fiftie thousand siluerlinges as it is purported in the .xix. Cap. of the Actes And therfore to th entent he might withdrawe them from those great errours he taried still among them three yeares trauaylling all that while to the vttermost of hys power to bring the thyng to passe that myght be to the profitabe forwarding of theyr saluacion albeit many of them made great resistence agaynste him as he specifyeth hymselfe in an other place And there he was cast to beastes lyke as he maketh mencion in his secounde Epistle to the Corinthians And whan he departed from thence he commaunded Timothee to remaine there still amonge them And like as that Citie was full of Curiouse menne and suche as were geuen to magicall artes euen so had it many great learned men in it By reason wherof Paule as he tempereth himselfe according to the maners and natures of all men maketh often mencion of deuils and spirites whan he sheweth the difference of good men and bad Besides these he openeth certaine darke hard sentences For there is none of his Epistles that hath so darke and hidde sentences in it as this to the Ephesians So as it shoulde seme that this Epistle was the chiefest occasion why Petre wrote after this sorte Euen as our derely beloued brother Paule accordyng to the wisedome geuen vnto hym wrote to you yea almoste in euery Epistle speaking of suche thynges among whiche many thynges are harde to be vnderstanden which they that are vnlearned and vnstable peruert as they do other scriptures to theyr owne destruccion Therfore because these men aboade constauntly in the fayth he exhorteth them to continue and goe still forwarde vntill they were become perfite putting them in remembraunce what manier of people they were whan they were addict vnto naughtines did seruice vnto wieked spirites and what they are become now that they are engraffed vnto Christe and teacheth them withall that althoughe the grace of the Gospell was promised vnto the Iewes yet that by the eternall decree of God it was rightfully enlarged vnto the Gentiles also and that he was a minyster ordayned of God to that same office And forasmuche as he wrote thys Epistle being in prison he exhorteth them not to cast downe theyr hartes for his affliccions but rather thinke that they haue so much the more cause to reioyce These thinges he treateth of in the first and seconde Chapters In the other three he prescribeth the fourme of godly conuersacion vnto them shewing what is to be folowed and what is to bee auoyded the duetyes of the husbandes to the wyues and of the wyues vnto the husbandes the offices of parentes to their children and of the children to theyr parentes the dueties of maisters to their seruauntes and of seruauntes to their maisters This Epistle was written from the citie of Rome by Tichicus the Diacone whome he speaketh of in the end of the Epistle calling him a faithful minister Ambrose sayeth furthermore that he wrote it in prieson whan he was caried from Hierusalem to Rome and liued vnder suertie without the tentes in the tenement that he had taken for hyre The ende of the Argument The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of sainct Paule the Apostle to the Ephesians ¶ The .i. Chapter The texte Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God To the sainctes whiche are at Ephesus and to them whiche beleue on Iesus Christ Grace be with you and peace from God our father and from the Lorde Iesus Christe Blessed be God the father of our lord Iesus Christe whiche hath blessed vs with all manier of spyrituall blessyng in heauenly thinges by Christe according as he had chosen vs in him before the foundacions of the worlde were layde that we shoulde be holy and without blame before him thorow louâ— Whiche ordeyned vs before thorow Iesus Christe to be heyrs vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glorye of his grace wherewith he hath made vs accepted thorow the beloued By whom we haue redempcion thorow his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinnes accordyng to the richâ—s of grace wherof he hath ministred vnto vs aboundauntly in all wisedome and prudence And hath opened vnto vs the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure whiche he had
therfore all glorye be to god our father euerlastynglye worlde without ende Amen Salute all them that accordyng to the doctrine of Iesus Christe leade a godly and an vpright cleane lyfe The christian brethren that are with me here at Rome commende them hartelye vnto you And not these onely that are famyliatly conuersaunt with me but all the rest also especially those of the Emperours housholde yâ— haue embraced yâ— doctrine of Christe and are not afrayed to professe Christe for all their â—aging lorde and maister as cruell as he is The gracious sauour and goodnesse of our lorde Iesus Christ be alwayes with your spirite Amen The ende of the Paraphrase vpon the Epistle of Paule to the Philippians The argument of the Epistle of sainct Paule to the Colossians by Des Erasmus of Roterodame THe Colossians are a people of Alia the lesse dwellyng nigh vnto the Laodicians Them had not the Apostle Paul him selfe seen as whiche were instructed in the fayth of Christ either by the preachyng of Archippus or as S. Ambrose sayth of Epaphras who were with this matter put in trust In great leopardy were these people by reason of false Apostles whiche labored to bryng them into a very pestilent opinion teachyng them that the sonne of God was not the meane and author of saluacion but that al menne haue accesse and entrie vnto the father by the healpe of Angels These men sayd further that forasmuche as in the tyme of the olde testament all thynges were done by the ministery and seruice of Angels that Christ the sonne of God was neither comen doune into the yearth nor would come Beside this the same teachers with Christes doctrine myngled Iewishnes and supersticious Philosophie obseruyng and kepyng certain pointes of the lawe supersticiously also honouryng the Sunne the Moone and starres with suche other smal trinkettes of this worlde bearyng the Colossians in hand that they wer also bound to do the same Them biddeth Paule to remembre theyr profession euidently declaryng that whatsoeuer they had vntil that tyme obtained was geuen vnto theÌ„ by none Angel but by Christ the creator of Angels that he onely was head of the churche and that saluacion shuld at nomans hand be sought for but at his in whiche treatise he also defendeth his owne authoritie against suche as laboured to empayre it After whiche he geueth them diligent warnyng to take hede lest they be deceiued with yâ— high wordes of false Apostles or forged visions of angels and so by meane therof fall either to Iewishnes or els into thesupersticion of Philosophie All whiche pointes Paule in the two fyrst chapiters entreateth of In the other two he exhorteth them to vertuous and godly liuyng namely geuyng rules how the wife should vse her selfe towarde her husband how the husband againe should vse his wife after what sorte the father should be towarde his children and the children likewyse towarde theyr fathers the seruauÌ„tes to theyr maisters and the maisters to theyr seruauÌ„tes The last partsauyng that he warneth Archippus of his duetie is all spent in commendacions This Epistle was written out of prison in Ephesus sent by Tychicus as Paule him selfe in this present epistles saieth The latine argumentes shewe that it was also sent thither by Onesimus for so him selfe writeth also in the last chapiter The Greke titles recorde that it was sent from the cytie of Rome and in deede thence sent he Onesimus whom Paule beyng prisoner there had made a christian man The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of the Apostle sainct Paule to the Colossians The fyrst Chapiter The texte Paule an Apostle of Iesu Christ by the wyll of God and brother Timotheus To al saintes whiche are at Colossa and brethren that beleue in Christ PAule an Ambassadour of Iesus Christ and that not by any mans ordinaunce but by the wyll of God the father and Timothe whom for perfite consent in preachyng the gospel I coumpt as my brother to the dwellers at Colossa whiche haue both a confidence in Iesus Christ and also accordyng to his doctrine liue a holy life nowe through like kynde of profession becomen our dearely beloued brethren The texte Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father and the lorde Iesu Christ Grace and peace be there among you from God our father that as ye are freely reconciled vnto him ye may likewyse euen as brethren that haue one comen father one towarde an other of you alwaye norishe mutual vnitie and concorde The texte We geue thankes to God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ alwayes for you in our praiers For we haue heard of your fayth in Christ Iesu and of the loue whiche ye beare to all saintes for the hopes sake whiche is layd vppe in store for you in heauen of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel whiche is come vnto youâ— euen as it is fruiteful and groweth as it is also among you froÌ„ the day in the whiche ye heard of it and had experience in the grace of God through the trueth as ye lerned of Epaphra our deare felowe seruaunt whiche is for you a faythful minister of Christ whiche also declared vnto vs your loue whiche ye haue in the spirite And albeit it hath not yet hitherto been my chaunce to see you yet in my continual praiers made to God and the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both for your sakes I geue him thaÌ„kes for his benefites bestowed vpon you and desyre him also dayly to encrease the same his giftes and also to preserue them after yâ— by Epaphra we heard of your fayth wherby my trust is ye shal be saued not by helpe of Angels but through the free bouÌ„teousnes of our Sauiour Anoynted by whoÌ„ it hath pleased God the father to geue vs al goodnes For him both Annoynted would he haue to be called because of him al shuld receiue helth Sauiour because no maÌ„ should elswhere looke for saluacion And by him not onely perceiued we vnderstode your coÌ„fidence in him but also your charitie ioyned ther with whiche as Christ gaue example ye beare towarde good people earnestly mindyng to do for them not for any hoope of auauntage that ye thinke to receiue therby but in hope of the euerlasting life whiche ye wel knowe is layde vp in heauen for your godlynes And suerly iÌ„to this trust are ye broughte throughe the preachyng of Christes gospell whiche ye persuade your selfe to be a doctrin of suche trueth yâ— albeit it make great promises suche as neuer were heard of before this tyme yet forsomuch as God is the author of them ye thinke that the same cannot be but true And as the same gospel throughout all the worlde hath been dayly more and more enlarged so is it now come to you euery day growyng and encreasyng more and more plentifully spreadyng it self abroade bringyng foorth the fruite of good workes whiche freely growe out of christian
of one body should among your selfes be of one mynde The texte And see that ye be thankeful Let the worde of Christ dwel in you plenteously with al wisedome Teache and exhorte your owne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spiritual songes syngyng with grace in your heartes to the lorde Be not vnthankeful and forgetful of Goddes great goodnes toward you With him should we not now haue been at peace had he not freely forgeuen vs all our sinnes and doeth one brother forgettyng this make battel againe his brother for a lytle displeasure Striue not among your selfe for preeminence in worldly wysedome Let the worde of Christ whiche teacheth thinges belongyng to perfite godlynes dwel and continue in you pleÌ„tifully that in him ye sauer growe wise so that not only your selfe knowe what is to Christ acceptable but be also able one to teache an other if any be out of the way and to geue an other warnyng if he in his dutie be slacke in yâ— meane season at all tyme mery and ioyful in hope of the blâ—sse to come geuyng praise to God in Psalmes in Hymnes and in spiritual songes praisyng God not with our mouth onely but also more speacially with our heart For suche are the songes with whoÌ„ God is delited lest any thinke it a great praise to God onely with his mouth to make a noyse The texte And whatsoeuer ye do in worde or dede do all in the name of the lord Iesu geuyng thankes to God the father by him Fynally whatsoeuer ye do either in worde or dede do it so that it make to the glory of our lorde Iesus so that all your life and conuersacion sauer expresse and resemble him Whyles ye are this wyse doyng if any thing befal you whether it be prosperouse or other wyse be not ther with either proude or dismayed but for all geue thankes to God the father through his sonne by whom he turneth all suche chaunces to oure weale and auauntage The texte Ye wyues submitte your selues to your owne husbandes as it is comly in the lorde Ye husbandes loue your wyues and be not bitter vnto them Ye children obey your fathers and mothers in all thinges for that is well pleasyng vnto the lorde Ye wyues submitte your selues obediently vnto your husbandes so besemeth it suche as haue taken vpoÌ„ them Christes name for whom it is mete in all goodnes to go beyond other Ye husbandes againe loue your wyues whom ye must remembre in suche condicion to be subiecte vnto you that yet to them ye should not be sharpe and bitter Ye children be in all thinges obedient to your fathers and mothers though they commaunde you paineful busines so that the same be not vngodly For it is Christes wyll and pleasure that ye should so do The texte Ye fathers prouoke not your children to aâ—get lest they be of a desperate mynde Ye seruauntes be obedient vnto them that are your bodily maisters in all thinges not with iye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearyng God And whatsoeuer ye do do it heartely as though ye did it to the lorde and not vnto men knowyng that of the lorde ye shal receiue the rewarde of inheritauÌ„ce for ye serue the lord Christ Againe ye fathers abuse not your authoritie vpon your children nor prouoke them so with cruelnes that they dispayre Ye seruauntes in all pointes obeye y our maisters whom by the lawe of man ye are bounde to serue not onely because they see and loke vpon you and for feare as the comen sorte of heathen seruauntes are wonte to do thinkyng that they haue done theyr dueties if they offende not theyr master veyng but a maÌ„ but also with a simple and an vnfamed heart doyng your duetie not only for feare of man but also for feare of God who seeth with what mynde ye do whatsoeuer ye do Nor consider in your seruice what your master beyng but a man deserueth but what seruice soeuer ye do vnto him what kynde of one soeuer he be coumpte it as done to Christ and not to men assuryng your selfe that of him ye shall receiue the rewarde of heauenly inheritaunce though your vnkynde maister geue you nothyng for your labor nor accoumpte you among his children For whiles ye for Christes sake do seruice to vnmete maisters ye serue Christ The texte But he that doeth synne shal receiue for his sinne Neither is there any respecte of persons with God For as the maister yf he against his seruauÌ„t any thing offende though he among men be not punyshed he shall not yet before god escape punishment so the seruaunt that well doth his duetie albeit he haue no rewarde of men whiche with themselues thynke that they to theyr seruauntes are nothyng bound when they haue done theyr dueties yet shal they not loose theyr rewarde at gods hand who putteth no differeÌ„ce betwixte persoÌ„s but betwixt myndes nor coÌ„sidereth a mannes condicion but how wel he doth â–ª The .iiii. Chapiter The texte Maisters do vnto your seruauntes that whiche is iuste and equall knowyng that ye also haue a maister in heauen AGayne ye that are maisters abuse not the authoritie gyuen you by mennes lawes not for any perfeccion of nature to exercise tyranny vpoÌ„ your seruauntes but gyue them that is iust and lawfull departyng with them sufficiently in suche thynges as are for naturall vses necessarye make not for your pleasure to muche of some intollerablye oppressing other assuring your selues that ye are rather with them felowes in seruice thaÌ„ maisters for asmuche as ye haue with them one commen maister in heauen at whose haÌ„de ye shal fiÌ„de like fauer as your selues haue shewed to your seruaÌ„tes The texte CoÌ„tinue in prayer watche in the same with thaÌ„kes giuing praying also for vs that god maye open vnto vs the doore of vtteraunce that we maye speake the misterie of Christe wherfore I am also in these boÌ„des that I maye vtter it as it becommeth me to speke And because I would ye should be more worthie meÌ„bres of Christes body continue in prayer not as dull heauy people by reason of any surfettyng but as sober wakefull in the same also geuyng god thankes so that ye not only desyer of god thinges to saluacioÌ„ profitable but also gyue him thankes for his dayly giftes to the inteÌ„t that wheÌ„ he seeth you both thaÌ„kfull mindefull he maye be towarde you more beneficiall In the meane tyme ye shal also deiyre god for vs that it maye please his goodnes in suche sorte to take awaye al impedimentes that his gospel maye freely be preached that he through faith openyng mennes heartes the misterie maye enter into al mennes mindes which beyng hitherto hidden the father would now haue knowen vnto all as touchyng Christe through whom without helpe of the law he offereth vnto al people saluacion for preaching wherof I lye in these bondes so that nothing lette me among al men to publish sprede abrode
gretynges to you all with myne owne hande with Paules hande I saye whome ye wel knowe Remēber my bondes whom I beare for your sake and lyue after suche sorte that I of them be not made ashamed The grace of Iesus be alwayes with you Amen Finis The argument of the Epistle of sainct Paule to the Colossians by Des Erasmus of Roterodame THe Colossians are a people of Asia the lesse dwellyng nigh vnto the Laodicians Them had not the Apostle Paul him selfe seen as whiche were instructed in the fayth of Christ either by the preachyng of Archippus or as S. Ambrose sayth of Epaphras who were with this matter put in trust In great ieopardy were these people by reason of false Apostles whiche labored to bryng them into a very pestilent opinion teachyng them that the sonne of God was not the meane and author of saluacion but that al menne haue accesse and entrie vnto the father by the healpe of Angels These men sayd further that forasmuche as in the tyme of the olde testament all thynges were done by the ministery and seruice of Angels that Christ the sonne of God was neither comen doune into the yearth nor would come Beside this the same teachers with Christes doctrine myngled Iewishnes and supersticious Philosophie obseruyng and kepyng certain pointes of the lawe supersticiously also honouryng the Sunne the Moone and starres with suche other smal trinkettes of this worlde bearyng the Colossians in hand that they wer also bound to do the same Them biddeth Paule to remembre theyr profession euidently declaryng that whatsoeuer they had vntil that tyme obtained was geuen vnto thē by none Angel but by Christ the creator of Angels that he onely was head of the churche and that saluacion shuld at nomans hand be sought for but at his in whiche treatise he also defendeth his owne authoritie against suche as laboured to empayre it After whiche he geueth them diligent warnyng to take hede lest they be deceiued with y◠high wordes of false Apostles or forged visions of angels and so by meane therof fall either to Iewishnes or els into the supersticion of Philosophie All whiche pointes Paule in the two fyrst chapiters entreateth of In the other two he exhorteth them to vertuous and godly liuyng namely geuyng rules how the wife should vse her selfe towarde her husband how the husband againe should vse his wife after what sorte the father should be towarde his children and the children likewyse towarde theyr fathers the seruaūtes to theyr maisters and the maisters to theyr seruaūtes The last part sauyng that he warneth Archippus of his duetie is all spent in commendacions This Epistle was written out of prison in Ephesus sent by Tychicus as Paule him selfe in this present epistles saieth The latine argumentes shewe that it was also sent thither by Onesimus for so him selfe writeth also in the last chapiter The Greke titles recorde that it was sent from the cytie of Rome and in deede thence sent he Onesimus whom Paule beyng prisoner there had made a christian man The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of the Apostle sainct Paule to the Colossians The fyrst Chapiter The texte Paule an Apostle of Iesu Christ by the wyll of God and brother Timothcus To al saintes whiche are at Colossa and brethren that beleue in Christ PAule an Ambassadour of Iesus Christ and that not by any mans ordinaunce but by the wyll of God the father and Timothe whom for perfite ronsent in preachyng the gospel I coumpt as my brother to the dwellers at Colossa whiche haue both a confidence in Iesus Christ and also accordyng to his doctrine liue a holy life nowe through like kynde of profession becomen our dearely beloued brethren The texte Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father and the lorde Iesu Christ Grace and peace be there among you from God our father that as ye are freely reconciled vnto him ye may like wyse euen as brethren that haue one comen father one towarde an other of you alwaye norishe mutual vnitie and concorde The texte We geue thankes to God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ alwayes for you in our praiers For we haue heard of your fayth in Christ Iesu and of the loue whiche ye beare to all faintes for the hopes sake whiche is layd vppe in store for you in beauen of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel whiche is come vnto you euen as it is fruiteful and groweth as it is also among you frō the day in the whiche ye heard of it and had experience in the grace of God through the trueth as ye lerned of Epaphra our deare felowe seruaunt whiche is for you a faythful minister of Christ whiche also declared vnto vs your loue whiche ye haue in the spirite And albeit it hath not yet hitherto been my chaunce to see you yet in my continual praiers made to God and the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both for your sakes I geue him thākes for his benefites bestowed vpon you and desyre him also dayly to encrease the same his giftes and also to preserue them after y◠by Epaphra we heard of your fayth wherby my trust is ye shal be saued not by helpe of Angels but through the free boūteousnes of our Sauiour Anoynted by whō it hath pleased God the father to geue vs al goodnes For him both Annoynted would he haue to be called because of him al shuld receiue helth Sauiour because no mā should elswhere looke for saluacion And by him not onely perceiued we vnderstode your cōfidence in him but also your charitie ioyned ther with whiche as Christ gaue example ye beare towarde good people carnestly mindyng to do for them not for any hoope of auauntage that ye thinke to receiue therby but in hope of the euerlasting life whiche ye wel knowe is layde vp in heauen for your godlynes And suerly īto this trust are ye broughte throughe the preachyng of Christes gospell whiche ye persuade your selfe to be a doctrin of suche trueth y◠albeit it make great promises suche as neuer were heard of before this tyme yet forsomuch as God is the author of them ye thinke that the same cannot be but true And as the same gospel throughout all the worlde hath been dayly more and more enlarged so is it now come to you euery day growyng and encreasyng more and more plentifully spreadyng it self abroade bringyng foorth the fruite of good workes whiche freely growe out of christian charitie as it hath done in you growyng styl from better to better euen synce that tyme wherin ye fyrst heard and knewe that through the free goodnes of God all their synnes are forgeuen whiche beleue the gospel if to theyr right fayth they adioyne pure vnfained charitie For so were ye taught by my dearely beloued felow in seruice and messenger of trust Epaphras who hath among you sincerely done myne office after
vs all our sinnes and doeth one brother forgettyng this make battel againe his brother for a lytle displeasure Striue not among your selfe for preeminence in worldly wysedome Let the worde of Christ whiche teacheth thinges belongyng to perfite godlynes dwel and continue in you pleÌ„tifully that in him ye sauer growe wise so that not only your selfe knowe what is to Christ acceptable but be also able one to teache an other if any be out of the way and to geue an other warnyng if he in his dutie be slacke in yâ— meane season at all tyme mery and ioyful in hope of the blisse to come geuyng praise to God in Psalmes in Hymnes and in spiritual songes praisyng God not with our mouth onely but also more speacially with our heart For suche are the songes with whoÌ„ God is delited lest any thinke it a great praise to God onely with his mouth to make a noyse The texte And whatsoeuer ye do in worde or dede do all in the name of the lord Iesu geuyng thankes to God the father by him Fynally whatsoeuer ye do either in worde or dede do it so that it make to the glory of our lorde Iesus so that all your life and conuersacion sauer expresse and resemble him Whyles ye are this wyse doyng if any thing befal you whether it be prospetouse or other wyse be not therwith either proude or dismayed but for all geue thankes to God the father through his sonne by whom he turneth all suche chaunces to oure weale and auauntage The texte Ye wyues submitte your selues to your owne husbandes as it is comly in the lorde Ye husbandes loue your wyues and be not bitter vnto them Ye children obey your fathers and mothers in all thinges for that is well pleasyng vnto the lorde Ye wyues submitte your selues obediently vnto your husbandes so besemeth it suche as haue taken vpoÌ„ them Christes name for whom it is mete in all goodnes to go beyond other Ye husbandes againe loue your wyues whom ye must remembre in suche condicion to be subiecte vnto you that yet to them ye should not be sharpe and bitter Ye children be in all thinges obedient to your fathers and mothers though they commaunde you paineful busines so that the same be not vngodly For it is Christes wyll and pleasure that ye should so do The texte Ye fathers prouoke not your children to anger lest they be of a desperate mynde Ye seruauntes be obedient vnto them that are your bodily maisters in all thinges not with lye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearyng God And whatsoeuer ye do do it heartely as though ye did it to the lorde and not vnto men knowyng that of the lorde ye shal receiue the rewarde of inheritauÌ„ce for ye serue the lord Christ Againe ye fathers abuse not your authoritie vpon your children nor prouoke them so with cruelnes that they dispayre Ye seruauntes in all pointes obeye your maisters whom by the lawe oâ— man ye are bounde to serue not onely because they see and loke vpon you and for feare as the comen â—orte of heathen seruauntes are wonte to do thinkyng that they haue done theyr dueties if they offende not theyr master beyng but a maÌ„ but also with a simple and an vnfained heart doyng your duetie not only for feare of man but also for feare of God who seeth with what mynde ye do whatsoeuer ye do Nor consider in your seruice what your master beyng but a man deserueth but what seruice soeuer ye do vnto him what kynde of one soeuer he be coumpte it as done to Christ and not to men assuryng your selfe that of him ye shall receiue the rewarde of heauenly inheritaunce though your vnkynde maister geue you nothyng for your labor nor accoumpte you among his children For whiles ye for Christes sake do seruice to vnmete maisters ye serue Christ The texte But he that doeth synne shal receiue for his sinne Neither is there any respecte of persons with God For as the maister yf he against his seruauÌ„t any thing offende though he among men be not punyshed he shall not yet before god escape punishment so the seruaunt that well doth his duetie albeit he haue no rewarde of men whiche with themselues thynke that they to theyr seruauntes are nothyng bound when they haue done theyr dueties yet shal they not loose theyr rewarde at gods hand who putteth no differeÌ„ce betwixte persoÌ„s but betwixt myndes nor coÌ„sidereth a mannes condicion but how wel he doth â–ª The .iiii. Chapiter The texte Maisters do vnto your seruauntes that whiche is iuste and equall knowyng that ye also haue a maister in heauen AGayne ye that are maisters abuse not the authoritie gyuen you by mennes lawes not for any perfeccion of nature to exercise tyranny vpoÌ„ your seruauntes but gyue them that is iust and lawfull departyng with them sufficiently in suche thynges as are for naturall vses necessarye make not for your pleasure to muche of some intollerablye oppressing other assuring your selues that ye are rather with them felowes in seruice thaÌ„ maisters for asmuche as ye haue with them one commen maister in heauen at whose haÌ„de ye shal fiÌ„de like fauer as your selues haue shewed to your seruaÌ„tes The texte CoÌ„tinue in prayer watche in the same with thaÌ„kes giuing praying also for vs that god maye open vnto vs the doore of vtteraunce that we maye speake the misterie of Christe wherfore I am also in these boÌ„des that I maye vtter it as it becommeth me to speke And because I would ye should be more worthie meÌ„bres of Christes body continue in prayer not as dull heauy people by reason of any surfettyng but as sober wakefull in the same also geuyng god thankes so yâ— ye not only desyer of god thinges to saluacioÌ„ profitable but also gyue him thankes for his dayly giftes to the inteÌ„t that wheÌ„ he seeth you both thaÌ„kfull mindefull he maye be towarde you more beneficiall In the meane tyme ye shal also desyre god for vs that it maye please his goodnes in suche sorte to take awaye al impedimentes that his gospel maye freely be preached yâ— he through faith openyng mennes heartes the misterie maye enter into al mennes mindes which beyng hitherto hidden yâ— father would now haueknowen vnto all as touchyng Christe through whom without helpe of the law he offereth vnto al people saluacion for preaching wherof I lye in these bondes so that nothing lette me among al men to publish sprede abrode yâ— gospel of Christ which am desirouse so to do freely wtout feare eueÌ„ as he coÌ„mauÌ„ded me The texte Walke wysely towarde them that are without and lose no oportunitie Vse your selues soberly discretly with suche as are to Christes religioÌ„ straungers so that in your maners nothing appeare yâ— maye either moue them to persecute you or withdrawe theyr myndes fauer from the gospel For synce it can not be auoyded but that ye must nedes
to Christe And yf eyther of bothe so doe is it not a great gayne But yf that come not to passe yet wyll God approue thy good wyll whiche intendest suche a thing In the meane season whyles it is vncertayne whether it wyll so be or not let the matrimonie vpon good hope continewe and holde on and let not the diuersitie in religion chaunge the state of your lyfe For neyther doeth baptisme delyuer the wyfe from the ryght of her husbande yf he vse it lawfully nor yet the seruaunte out of the dominion of his maister yf he vse hym as ryght and reason would The texte As the Lorde hath called euery man so let him walke and so ordeyne I in all congregacions If any man be called beyng circumcised let hym not adde vncircumcision If any be called vncircumcised let him not be circumcised Circumcision is nothyng and vncircumcsyon is nothyng but the keping of the commaundementes of God Let euery man abyde in the same callyng wherin he was called Art thou called a seruaunt care not for it Neuerthelesse yf thou mayest be fre vse it rather For he that is called in the Lorde beyng a seruaunt is the Lordes freman Lykewyse he that is called beyng fre is Christes seruaunt Ye are dearly bought be not ye the seruauntes of men Brethren let euery manne wherin he is called therin abyde with God As the Lorde hath geuen euery man in thesame let hym serue Christe In what state of lyuing at the tyme of preachyng the ghospell a manne is founde let hym in thesame continewe Our newe religion abolysheth our olde lyfe but it destroyeth not our olde state of lyfe because christian religion agreeth and standeth with euery condicion of lyfe nor was geuen by God to trouble the ciuile policie of the worlde but to the entente that in euery degree and state of lyfe euery manne myght lyue therin godly and deuoutly This is my councell whiche I not onely teache you but also all other congregacions Nor shall it be for you paynfull to folowe that whiche euery manne foloweth Wherfore yf the inspiracion of Gods holy spirite when he calleth fynde the maryed breake not therefore thy matrimony if it fynde the circumcised without cause art thou why thou shouldest loth thy condicion and seke to bee vncircumcised For nothyng eyther furdereth or hyndereth vncircumcision this newe religion Againe yf thesame fynde the vncircumcised no cause haste thou to wyshe to be circumcised For as touching this newe religion lytle force maketh it whether thou be circumcised or vncircumcised But to both sortes this egally belongeth that eche lyue henceforth after the commauÌ„dementes of God whose rule they haue professed not as carnal desyres moue them Sufficient is it to chaunge thy old euil maners as for to chaunge the condicioÌ„ of thy lyfe nothing neadeth because it is suche a thing as cannot be done without disquietnes and trouble And as I haue sayed that ye shoulde doe being called to god in the state of matrimonie or in the state of circumcision euen lyke wyse muste ye iudge of the state of bondage Suche as at the preaching and receuyng of the gospell are bonde let them bee content with theyr fortune nor thinke themselues delyueryd from theyr maisters dominion because they are delyuered from the tyranny of syn Agayn the fre man whiche is called to christian religion hath no cause to chaunge his state and become bonde But rather let euery man endeuoure yf occasion serue to embrace lyberty and chaunge hys bondage Yf the maister for displeasure borne to Christes name reiecte his seruaunt let the same seke no newe maister nor yet be at displeasure with him selfe because he is maisterles synce he hath Christe to his maister whose free seruaunt he is bee come of a bonde man On the other syde he that is borne fre and borne agayne by baptisme let hym for his state neither bee angrie nor pleassed with hym selfe synce that through baptisme he is become bonde seruaunt to Christ so that after sondrye sortes the bondman is made fre and the fremanne made bonde to th entent that eche of them shoulde with more sobrietie beare theyr fortune Fredome and bondage are such thinges wherof Christe hath in maner no regarde Embrace the better yf thou with bondage be oppressed thinke that albeit thy maister hath vpon thy bodie a certayne power and authority yet thy soule being delyuered from synne is to Christe warde fre Yf thy fredom any thyng make the prowde remember that thou were bought by Christe and bought for no smalle price Thou haste a maister to be had in all feare and honoure beware thou phantasie not that thou art fre and mayst lyue at thy pleasure And he that is to anye man bonde is this farfurthe by Christe made fre that yf hys maister commaunde hym to doe any vngodly seruice he is rather bounde to gyue eare to Christe hys newe Lorde and maister than to hys olde whiche by reason of abuse hath loste his tytle And yet reason it were that suche as Christe with the price of his bloud hath made fre shoulde not with any greuouse maister be oppressed I fauer lybertie yf it maye be had For Christes seruice is perfite libertie That a christian manne shoulde serue an heathen semeth an vnmete thinge And reason were it that suche as are to a christian maister seruauntes shoulde of them bee fauoured as brethren and chyldren because bothe haue one comon maister by whome bothe were with one price redeamed But yet leste vnder the coloure of christian religion the state of the comon weale bee disquieted let euery manne suffer hys condicyon and therein abyde and so abyde in it that in the meane season he remember that goddes commauÌ„dementes muste bee set before the commaundementes of menne Obey youre maisters but yet so that god therwith be pleased whiche payed more for you than they Suche poyntes as I haue taught you of freedome and bondage haue also place in the state of matrimonie and single lyfe For he that is vnder the lawe of matrimonie is after a sorte bound But he that is single is in a more fre state of lyfe Therfore menne muste alwaye folowe that whiche is more commodiouse if it maye be Yf it maye be I saye for we maye not so desyre libertie that for loue therof we fall into a greater ieopardie As concernyng virgins I haue no commaundement of the Lorde yet geue I counsell as one that hath obtayned mercye of the Lorde to be faythful I suppose therfore that it is good for the present necessyte For it is good for a man so to be Art thou bounde vnto a wyâ—e seke not to be loosed Art thou loosed from a wyfe seke not a wyfe But and yâ— thou marye a wyfe thou hast not synned Lykewise yf a virgin mary she hath not synned Neuerthelesse such shal haue trouble in theyr fleshe but I fauoure you Thys saye I brethreÌ„ the tyme is shorte It remayneth that they
say not to be seen as thinges are seen in a dreame or vision so that a man might doubt whether it were so or not but openly before euery mannes iyen to be a man borne of a woman vnder the weakenes of our natures to the entent he would readyly heale our wretchednes whom God would haue to be circumcised suffre all the bondage of the lawe to th ende he would deliuer the Iewes from the burdaine of the lawe whom he founde therto subiecte that noman should thencefoorth like a childe within age liue vnder gouernours but be all called to the libertie of children for bondage is contrary to the name of a childe The texte Because ye are sonnes God hath sent the spirit of his sonne into our heartes which cryeth abba father And because God would of his goodnes euidently declare that we are restored into the fredome of children he puttyng away all feare of punishement hath powred euen into the bottome of our heartes the spirit of his only sonne who is to vs a most certaine witnes that we are Gods children The spirite of seruage sauoreth and cryeth out after one sorte the loue and good mynde of children after an other The one desireth to escape the displeasure of his maister thother with a great confidence crieth O father father The texte Wherfore now thou art not a seruaunt but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou arte also an heyre of God through Christ Wherin it is not to be doubted but that God doeth muche more thākefully knowledge the name of godly loue and charitie than the name of feare If this were not as I say neither would Christ haue called his scholers brethren nor haue taught menne to praye vnto God vnder the name of a father when he teacheth vs to say O our father whiche art in heauen To whom soeuer therfore God geueth the spirite of his sonne the same man is no lenger a seruaunt but a sonne And if he be through Christ his sonne by him likewyse must he be Gods heyre Namely synce whoso by adopcion receiueth an other into the name of his sonne he in so doyng geueth him a right to his inheritaunce The texte Notwithstandyng when ye knewe not God ye did seruice vnto them whiche by nature are no Gods But now after that ye haue knowen God yea rather are knowē of God how is it that ye turne againe vnto the weake and beggerly ordinaunces whervnto againe ye desyre afreshe to be in bondage Ye obserue dayes and monethes and tymes and yeres I am in feare of you lest I haue bestowed on you labor in vain But as the Iewes for a season were with a grosse religion or rather supersticion kept vnder because they should not vtterly slyde from al religion so what tyme the true God was vnknowen vnto you accordyng to the ordinaunces of your elders ye worshipped deuils beleuyng them to be Goddes whiche are in dede none because he semeth muche nigher true religion which is vnder a false than is he that thinketh there is no God at all dispisyng all religion God layeth not to the Iewes charge because they for a tyme liued vnder theyr elders lawes frō whom when they were taught better learnyng they turned to the very right trade of godly conuersacion Nor is your worshippyng of idolles whom ye erroniously supposyng to haue an heauenly power in them had in honour layde against you synce the tyme that by preachyng of the gospell ye knewe the liuyng God or els to speake it better synce the tyme ye were knowen of God ye found him not but he by his holy spirite drewe you vnto him euen as that whereas ye nowe tenderly loue him as a father cōmeth by none other meanes but because he fyrst loued you God fauorably and gentilly forgatte your olde errour but of your owne accorde from the trueth once knowen wylfully to returne againe to the same that offence is outragious and damnable The Iewes beyng taught the true religion forsake theyr ceremonies and wyll ye beyng called frō idolatrie taught by preachyng the gospell what perfite religion is after the receiuyng of the holy ghost cast your selfe againe headlong into a Iewishe bondage so that wheras ye are fre ye had rather to be vnder the grosse beginnynges of this worlde whiche neither are able to make you righteous nor been effectual to saluacion Fall ye not to them againe when Iewishely ye obserue daies monethes and yeres with other suche differences of tyme as though the Iewishe sabboth day the feastes of the newe moone holy dayes and other tymes wherin the Iewes either do certain thinges or abstaine from certaine other as from vnlawful actes any thyng healped onward to saluacion when to christian men all tymes are free to honour God in If ye haue in Christ a sure confidence whence is this supersticion If ye haue not then teare I lest I haue in vaine bestowed so muche labor vpon you for your instruccion Ye fall from Christ if ye myngle with him Iewishenes Suffer not that either I whiche haue by suche great and sundry troubles taught you the gospel lose therin my labor or that ye in vaine haue suffered for Christ sake suche affliccions The texte Brethren I beseche you be ye as I am for I am as ye are Ye haue not hurt me at all Ye knowe how through infirmitie of the fleshe I preached the gospel vnto you at the first And my tēptacion whiche was in the fleshe ye dispised not neither abhorred but receiued me as an angel of God euen as Christ Iesus But rather regarde not the ceremonies of the lawe as ye see me to do but put my trust in Christ onely My selfe sometyme was suche one as ye now he iudgyng that it was an high pointe of godlynes to be circumcised to kepe the Iewishe sabboth day to obserue differences in meates to sacrifice beastes for zeale of whō I then persecuted the churche of God all whiche pointes now reaken I for trifles Wheras I brethren somewhat vehemently complaine vpō you surely this may ye beleue me I seke not myne owne weale but yours I might with the quiet vprightnes of myne owne conscience be with my selfe contented I am not displeased with you for ye haue done me no wronge I pitie to see you go from suche good beginnynges looke rather that ye be stable and constant encreasyng styl from better to better rather than from better to worse What tyme I fyrst preached vnto you the gospell of Iesus Christ I submitted my selfe to your weakenes now an other while rise ye vppe to my strength lose not the gloriouse praise of your fayth Of late when I preached vnto you y◠gospel ye knewe I toke no great royal state vpō me but euen the behauour of a lowe simple and abiecte person I pray you what saw ye me but a sealy mā ready to take harme hated of many for Christes name vnder diuerse troubles and
inuasions that myght perchaunce be intended by forayne or homedwellyng enemies Forasmuch than as al the kinges maiesties obedyent true subiectes are now most straytely debtebounden generally to rendre most humble perpetual thankes to God throughe our lorde Iesus Christ for his excedyng vnspeakeable mercies and most bounteous liberall benignitie powred in most habundaunt wyse vpon vs nowe already sene by manifolde proued miraculous experiences in sendyng vs so godly a yong Kyng in placeing so noble and so religious a Protectour inprouiding so worthy a prudent Coūsail And lyke as we may be most vndoubtedly sure in case we lay fast hold on y◠promisses of god stick hard to his gospel with cōstaūt belefe of our hert with vnfeined cōfessiō of our mouth frame our cōuersaciō wtout grudging agreably to y◠same y◠he wyll cōtinue maintene increase his trasoures blessinges liberal benefites vpon vs Euē so it standeth vs in hāde with al vigilaūt circūspection generally to beware y◠we take not these graces of god so gētly so frely so bounteously geuē vnto vs in vayne lest for oure neglygente vnthankefulnes contemptuous stubburnes outragious licenciousnes and dissolute vnthriftines he withdrawe his blessynges and take away these most precious Iewelles treasours and benefites from vs and so for our owne wicked desertes iustely leaue vs to our selues to worke the thynges that are not conuenyent euen with gredynes and to receyue therfore the rewarde of errour Therefore to be playne with the good reader seyng that our moste bounteouse mercyfull God almyghtye doeth aswell in powryng these hys mooste plentcouse proued blessynges vpon vs Engyshe folkes without our deseruynges as in his longe sufferaunce and wynkyng at our daylye practised naughtines inuite and most gently prouoke vs vnto repentaunce I thinke it not best for vs to mocke on styll with God and to contemne the riches of his goodnes and long suffraunce For God wyll not be mocked for vs. And yet yf a man any thyng earnestly marke the maners of this roiall rufflynge worlde it woulde seme that men thynke that there is no God either that God is a slepe or elles that he is not so greuously displeased with the fylthynes of synne and disobedience as the holy scripture in all places reporteth him to be or at leaste that the scripture is not the woorde whiche declareth the cōmaundement and trueth of God For it is a monstrous mater to marke howe shamelesly the Romyshe ympes slaunder depraue and abuse the moste holy sacred worde of God the Byble and the true preachers and expounders of the same namyng it falsely the newe learnyng and thē new fangled felowes and howe hansomly they vpholde and how stubburnely they continue theyr popyshe baggage of dumme ceremonies idolatrous worshyppynges heathnyshe rites cankred opinions disguysed deuotion missall sacrificeinges faythles phantasied workynges and other trades of countrefaycte supersticious religion estemyng the trueth of God to be a lye and the lying Prophecies of Methodius and other fonde imaginations to be the trueth It it is an horrible thyng also to heare the blasphemous swearyng sturdye disobeyeng traiterous rebellynge false rumours inuentyng deuelishe backbyting slaunders caryeng sedicious murmuring agaynst the trueth and al godly procedynges and to see the hellyshe workes of palpable darkenes that are exercised nowe a dayes Whan was there euer more disdayne and more excesse of costly apparell vsed and lesse clothyng of the poore than nowe Whan was there more haftyng and craftyng to scrape money to gether and lesse succouryng of pore wydowes fatherles children and poore neady impotent persons than now Whan was there at any time more forecast to ioyne house to house and lande to lande and lesse hospitalitie than nowe Whan were there in anye age īo many gorgious buyldynges set vp for wealthye mens pleasures and fewer hospitalles mayntened for poore mennes succours than nowe Whan was there more destroying enclosyng of whole townes villages and cōmins to some one mannes priuate vse for the nourishynge rearyng and stoaring of shepe and brute beastes wherby straunge Realmes are enryched and so lytle studie to maynteyne tyllage and to nouryshe tall yomen to thencrease of the commen strengthe of this theyr owne natyue Realme and to serue to kynges Maiestie in his necessarie affaires than is nowe Whan was there euer more pollyng pylling theuing robbyng extorcionyng brybyng lesse restitucion makyng than nowe Whan was there at any tyme more holsome lawes made for the commē wealth good ordre in euery estate and lesse obserued and obeyed than nowe Whan was swearyng and takyng of othes vpon the holy euāgelistes more solemnely vsed and lesse truth or promysse kept than now Whā was excessyue riotous bankettyng pottecompanyonyng and belychearynge more outragiously vsed and the pore hungriousnes lesse refreshed than now Whan was shameles whoremongyng more licenciously frequented withoute punishement than nowe Whan was holowe herted flatterye and craftye deceauyng more practiced and lesse hertye frendeshyp steryng than now Whā were parentes more negligent in vertuous bryngyng vp of their children and children more disobedient to their parentes than nowe Whan were maisters more vnlouyng or strayterlaced to their seruauntes and seruauntes lesse diligent and trustye to their maisters than nowe Whan was there more quycke bargaynyng among men and lesse true dealyng than nowe To be short whā was there mo ghospell talkers and fewer ghospell walkers than are nowe Whan was there so many ghospell bablers and so fewe ghospell folowers as nowe And finally whan wente Christe in his ministres so diligentlye on preachyng and founde lesse faythe vpon earthe or was lesse entreteyned than now These thynges therfore respectiuely weyghed and conferred together are euydent profes that lyghte is comen in to the worlde and men haue rather loued darkenes than lyght And it is also an aunciente practice of the father of the popes malignaunt churche that most diligent preachyng prelate doctour deuyll whan he can not get him damnable disciples ynowe to sactisfie his gredy lust throughe his poperye by reason of the cleare lyght and powre of the ghospell shynyng forthe to take vpon him to be a fyne forewarder of the ghospels lybertie that is to saye to instigate men in pretense of the ghospell to scrape and cloyne in to their handes as muche possession as they can to thintent that the godly learned preachers and ministres now lyuing beyng once deade and no competent prouysion for preaching nor learned men beyng had there may growe in more blinde popery barbarousnes and ignoraunce in our posteritie than was in or before oure tyme. And so the laste errour shal be worse than the farther For as Salomon sayeth whan preachynge ceaseth the people shall runne hauocke And it is that subtill Satans practise also in pretence of the ghospelles libertie to cause men to make their belies their Goddes as we see dayly alas therfore euery lyghte headded ydle person and euerye raungeyng ruffion shamelesly pampre his paunche with fleshe and
as they that go aboute to please menne but as the seruauntes of Christ dooyng the wyll of God from the hearte with good wyll seruyng the Lorde not menne Knowyng this that whatsoeuer good thyng any manne dooth the same shall he receyue agayne of God whether he be bonde or free And ye masters dooe euen the same thynges vnto them puttyng awaye threatenynges Knoweyng that your master also is in heauen nether is there any respect of person wyth hym LEt autoritie be gouerned by charitie that in any wyse it practise no tirannie And on the other side let reuerent feare holde vnder the lower sort so as through to much sufferaunce they waxe not rebellious For there can no concorde nor quietnes possibly be where all is hauocke without ordre Ouer the wyfe the husband onely hath autoritie But the children are bounden to acknowlege the autoritie both of father and mother Therefore accordyng to this rule you children be curteous and obedient vnto your father and mother at al theyr honeste Christian commaundementes For this doeth euen the equitie of nature also require that we shoulde honour them to whome we are bounden for bringing vs in to the worlde and be kinde vnto thē by whose goodnes we are nourished and broughte vp And to be briefe the very lawe of god commaundeth the same and sayeth honour thy father thy mother And it was not inough to geue that commaundement as it doth in the other commaundementes Thou shalt doe no murther Thou shalt not steale c. But he added also a reward vnto it to allure them the rather to doe theyr duetie although those thinges that are honest ought to be dooen frely without rewarde But what rewarde doeth the scripture promise That it may happen wel vnto the sayth it and that thou mayest be long liued vpon earth Verely it is to be thought that persone not to be worthy of long life that is vnkynde and rebellious agaynst them by whome he hath receiued the vse of his life On the other part you fathers abuse not your autoritie the obedience of your children thinking that you may lawfully do to thē what you lust They are children and not bonde seruauntes Let gentlenes mitigate autoritie You must beware that through waiwardnes of your old age or through strayt dealing or immoderate frowardnes you amend them not but prouoke their stomakes to bee wurse In case they doe amisse by reason of youthe they ought so to be admonished that they may be rather taught than discouraged Let this be the speciallest poynt of your charge so to enforme them with mouicions and instruccions from theyr tender yeares and so to allure them with the exaumples of godlines that it may appeare they were brought vp vnder Christian parentes accordyng to the doctrine of Christe For by this meanes shal they soner be brought to good frame then with threatninges or crueltie if they be taught and not altogether compelled You seruauntes let it appere by you that the profession of the gospel hath made you better and more profitable And the duetie that other doe to their maisters vnto whom they are bounden after the temporall condicion of seruitude loke you on your behalfe doe it much more aboundauntly For the office of baptisme is not to geue this libertie that you shoulde bee in bondage no more but that you shoulde dooe youre bounden seruice the more diligently nor that your will shoulde be to disdayne your maisters because they are become brethren with you in profession but so muche the more you ought to haue them in reuerence and be the more afrayde to offend them Nor do not as the common sorte of seruauntes doth your duetie for feare and in your mynde curse them and watche them but with an vpright sincere conscience obey them considering this with your self that you do this duetie vnto Christ vnto whose wil you are obedient although peraduenture your maisters deserue not that obedience By this meanes shall it come to passe that you shall not be lyke to the common trade of seruauntes that dooe theyr maisters commaundementes while they be presently in syght for feare of displeasure But assone as they thynke no body seeth them than they wil do as they luste In dede thys is to serue vnto the eye and not of a conscience and nothing elles but to couet to please men and not Christe In whose syghte nothing is acceptable that is counterfayetly done or els by coaccion But be you as it becummeth the seruauntes of Christe hartely and faythfully curteous diligent in your dueties doing towardes your maysters not because necessitie enforceth you but because God so willeth you And see you alienate not your selues from doing your dueties albeit you haue croked and wieked mē to your maisters For in dede it is an expediente forwardenes of the Gospell that you shoulde be curteous vnto them so that your obedience turne not vnto vngodlinesse And considre with your selues that you doe that vnto Christ that you doe vnto them for the Gospels sake and that you doe it vnto God and not vnto men inasmuche as you doe it to men for the loue of God And in case you winne them vnto Christe through your diligence it is a righte well bestowed duetie But and if they shew themselues vnthankeful yet know you for a certaintie that no man shall lose the rewarde of his well doing And although he shal not receiue it at mans hand yet he shall once vndoubtedly receyue it of the lord not onely the bondman but also the freeman whatsoeuer good turne he shall hartely bestow vpon an vnthankeful man Now to conclude like as those bondseruauntes that professe Christe ought to be so much the more profitable vnto their maisters euen so is it requisite that christiā maisters be the more gentle in commaunding their seruauntes and in their behauiours to vse themselues in such wise as they may appeare to couet rather to be loued then feared and to be hartely louing vnto theyr bond seruauntes inasmuch as they be receiued into the felow ship of brethren and not alwayes ready to threate and to beate as the common sorte of maisters is accustomed to doe Let your seruauntes perceiue that you are become the more gentle by reason of the Gospel so as they also may the rather be allured vnto that professiō as wel as you if peraduenture they haue not yet alredy professed and considre that maisters autoritie is but a temporali thing and onely established by mans lawe And for all that it becummeth not vs in any wise to disturbe it yet neuertheles there is no respect of persons with god For he maketh neuer a whit the lesse of any mā because he is a bonde seruaunte nor maketh the more of any manne because he is a gentleman borne According to mans lawes you maisters haue power ouer your seruauntes vpon earth but for all that in the meane tyme you haue a maister in heauen as well as they
Knowe ye not brethren I speake to them that knowe the lawe howe that the law hath power ouer a man as long as it endureth For the woman whiche is in subiection to a man is bounde by the lawe to the man as long as he lyueth But yf the manne be dead she is losed from the lawe of the manne So then yf whyle the man lyueth she couple her selfe with an other man she shal be coumpted a wedlocke breaker But yf the man be dead she is free from the lawe of the husbande so that she is no wedlocke breaker thoughe she couple her selfe with an other man ANd good reason is there why we should so doe for Christe hath not onely deliuered vs from the bondage of syn and death but also from the bondage of the lawe whiche was giuen but for a season and hath deliuered not only the gentiles whiche were not to this lawe subiecte but euen the Iewes selfe to which haue hitherto ben vnder Moses lawe That this whiche I haue sayed is trewe maye be proued euen by the wytnes of the lawe it selfe And fyrst what saye ye that are Iewes whiche by reason of the knowledge ye haue in the lawe well perceaue and vnderstande that a man is bounde to the obseruance and kepyng of any lawe euen as ye for example not long synce were bounde to Moses lawe as longe as the same lawe lyueth that is to saye as long as it endureth in his ful power and strength but yf the same be either growen out of vse or els abrogate a man is than no longer bounde therunto For the Iewes bonde towarde the lawe ought no further to be kept then in the bonde of the wyfe to her husbande the same lawe requyreth to be kepte Nowe is the maried woman whiche is vnder her husbandes dominion bounde vnto her husbande as long as he lyueth But as sone as he is once dead she is deliuered from the bonde of that matrimony and after the death of her former husbande straightway at hyr owne libertie Wherfore yf she duryng the husbandes lyfe to whome she belongeth go about to mary another she shal be coūpted a wedlocke breaker as whiche hath forsaken that husbande from whome she myght by no meanes saue onlye deathe be departed But contrary wyse yf she cōtinew in that bādevntyl her husbandes death she is no lēger bound vnto hym but is in suche sorte become her owne woman y◠she may lawfully mary any other whō she wyll For it is not to be supposed that as the maisters title descendeth to his heyre in suche sorte that the seruaunt by the death of his maister chaungeth not his state but his maister that lyke wyse the righte of a husbande vpon his wyfe falleth after his death to an other but the title of mariage reacheth no further than for a mannes owne lyfe Yf it so were that the husbande were immortall the woman shoulde for euer continew bond Now then because Moses lawe in figures and ceremonies was as it were a shadowe of Christ to come it was gyuen to be of force effectual but vntyll the tyme that to y◠bryght lyght shadowes shoulde gyue place vntyl that to the truthe the shadowes of truth shoulde gyue ouer and vanyshe awaye And therfore synce that Moses lawe was as a man might saye a mortall thyng meruayle it is none thoughe it be nowe dead in dede And for this cause as long as the tyme of the lawe continewed the same stode in full power and had full authoritie vpon them whiche had bounde them selfe vnto it The texte ¶ Euen so ye also my brethren are deade concernyng the lawe by the bodye of Christe that ye shoulde be coupled to another I meane to hym that is rysen agayne frō death that we shoulde bring furth fruite vnto god For when we were in the fleshe the iustes of synne whiche were stered vp by the lawe raigned in oure membres to bryng furth fruite vnto death But now are we deliuered from the lawe dead vnto it where vnto we were in bondage that we shoulde serue in a newe conuersation of the spirite and not in the olde conuersation of the letter But nowe haue ye with Moses lawe nothyng to do synce the same is become to you warde dead or yf she lyued styll as she doth not yet are ye at the least to her dead For synce that Christ whiche is the truthe hath shewed his glisteryng beames of the gospell abrogate and abolished is all Moses lawe at the leaste touchyng the carnall meanyng therof And forasmuche as ye are now planted into Christes body coupled vnto hym as y◠wyfe is to her husbande beyng made free frō your former bonde ye are belonging to your newe husbande suche one I saye as is immortal as whiche once rose from death to lyue hereafter for euer insomuche that ye cannot in tyme to come either loke to be maried agayne or to be deuorced for a shamefull vilanye and reproche were it to suche a new husbāde as ye haue gotten in any poynt to hang vpon the olde forasmuche as I saye ye are in this case diligently labour you that as by the lawe whiche for the tyme was as it were your husbande ye brought furth a certayne sorte of fruite not vnlike your husbande so endeuour ye to bryng furth nowe beyng muche better maried then ye before were fruite suche as is conueniente for God youre father in lawe and Christe youre spouse and husbande For as long as we were subiecte to the grosse and carnal law as it wer to a husbande the same seamed as husbandes do to beare rule ouer vs because carnall lustes beyng by reason of the lawe more prouoked had suche power in oure membres that euen lyke slaues we wer drawen to synne and so of that vnhappy mariage vnhappy chyldren had we when that whiche was borne was for nothyng good but to be destroyed and to dye But nowe synce we are delyuered out of y◠bondage of the lawe vnder whome we lyued before or rather because oure lyfe was synfull we lyued not at all but were dead and yet vnder it were we vntyll a certayne time appoynted agaynst reason is it that we shoulde anye longer obeye that carnal husbande that is to wete the letter of y◠law but rather serue oure newe spouse whiche is both heauenly and spirituall not seruyng hym in the olde conuersacion of the letter but in the newe conuersacion of the spirite whiche spirite we haue of hym receyued as a mariage token The texte ¶ What shall we saye then Is the lawe synne God forbid Neuerthelesse I knewe not synne but by the lawe For I had not knowen what luste had meante except the lawe had sayde thou shalte not luste But synne toke occasion by the meanes of the commaundemente and wrought in me all maner of concupiscence For verelye without the lawe syn was dead I once lyued without the lawe But when the
wherwith we were to the fleshe endaungered Syth this is so God forbid that we hereafter liue as the fleshe ruleth whiche fleshe should rather to the spirite be obedient RemeÌ„bre that ye be called to life but if ye liue carnally then runne ye headlong to deathwarde but contrary if by the power of the spirit ye suppresse al fleshely desyres after suche mortifiyng of them ye shal liue Nor is it to liue after the gouernaunce of the spirite of God a paynefull profession For albeit the same call you foorth to great weightie enterprises yet are ye glad willyng to vndertake them because by it in you is enkienled a feruent charitie to whom nothyng can be hard nothyng can be but swete pleasaunt As the body liueth with his bodily spirite so dâ—eth the soule through a heauenly If our bodily spirites natural powers be weake and faint the wholle body is made dul heauye but if the same be quicke and lustie the wholle bodye is full of courage So likewyse al suche as are with the spirite of God ledde and moued are his childreÌ„ Suche as are towarde childreÌ„ resemble theyr fathers goodnes with a mery chere and frely doyng al suche thinges as they shal suppose wyll please them Bondslaues because there is betwene them and theyr maisters no natural knotte for feare of punishement abstaine froÌ„ euil beyng violeÌ„tly coÌ„pelled do theyr duties Iewes whiche are with yâ— bondage of the lawe delited this wyse do but ye whiche are once deliuered froÌ„ such boÌ„dage wyl nomore so fal to the same that with feare it be nedeful to compel you Endued are ye with the spirite of God through whom ye are by adopcion receiued into the nuÌ„bre not of seruauÌ„tes but of Gods owne children This spirit putteth vs in suche a sure trust and coÌ„fidence that in all our distresses we may boldly speake vnto God those wordes whiche fathers most gentilly fauourably are wont to geue eare vnto callyng vpoÌ„ him O father father Whiche worde we durst not be so bold in our troubles lameÌ„tably to speake vnto him were we not in assurauÌ„ce both that we are his children that he also is our merciful father as loÌ„g as we liue after his coÌ„maundement not by coÌ„pulsion I saye but of free wyl and gladly For were it so that he accoumpted vs not for his childreÌ„ neuer would he haue geuen vs this his holy spirit This benefite of God therfore whether ye cal it a pledge or token of fatherly loue wel assureth our consciences that we are his children whiche gaue vs this pledge Further then if we be his children not his seruauntes than are we also his heyres The heyres I say of God from whoÌ„ as author begynner al thinges come ioynte inheritors with Christ into whose body beyng graffed we now haue the same father that he hath through him enioy one comen enheritaunce It shal we yet none otherwyse possesse but by goyng the same pathe waye to it by whiche it pleased Christ him selfe to walke He by sufferauÌ„ce of miseries came to the possession of his glorious inheritauÌ„ce he by obedience came to his kyngdome he by reproche came to glory by death attained to life euerlastyng Suffer must we therfore with him that we may of his ioyes be partakers obedient must we be with him that we may with him raigne euerlastyngly suffre must we also worldely shame vilany that with him we in heauen may be glorifyed and finally for a season dye also with him that we may in his kyngdome liue for euer The texte For I suppose that the affliccions of this life are not worthy of the glorye whiche shal be shewed vpon vs. For the feruent desyre of the creature abideth lokyng when the sonnes of God shal appeare because the creature is subdued to vanitie against the wyl therof but for his wyl whiche subdued the same in hope For the same creature shal be deliuered froÌ„ the bondage of corrupcion into the glorious libertie of the soÌ„nes of God For we knowe that euery creature groneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine euen vnto this tyme. These be the wayes and condicions to wynne this inheritaunce by wherof since there shal neuer be an ende the thyng selfe so great that it passeth al mens capacities and estimacion surely if al the affliccions of this life were put vpon one mannes bodye all the same yet were of no weight but euen trifles beyng weighed and compared with the reward of the glory to come whiche men gette in maner bye with suche great displeasures and calamities And though we now already haue an ernest peny of this welthy life to come so that therof nomaÌ„ shuld dispayre yet by reason of oure bodyes subiecte to paynes and death the same is not in euery point perfite and full In the meane tyme by the spirite of God haue we therof inwardly a secrete taste geuen vs but then shall we haue it fully and wholy when our bodies are restored to life and all the miseries of our mortal state are shaken of at what tyme we shall with euerlastyng Christ raigne euerlastyngly For whiche ioyful tyme in the meane season the whole engyne of this worlde ernestly loketh in his maner wishyng for the day wherin after that the numbre of Gods children is fulfilled and restored theyr glory shal plainly appeare whiche beyng yet burdened with theyr mortal bodies are with huÌ„ger with thryst with diseases with diuers paynes and miseries punished yea euen the world selfe after a sorte semeth to be of mannes careful estate partaker because the yearth the water the ayre heauenly bodyes and to be briefe euen the very Angels selfe were by God especially made to helpe mannes necessities And therfore not so muche as the verye worlde selfe shal from suche miseries be free vntyl that Goddes children be sette in perfite fredome so that in the meane season it is in boÌ„dage vnwillyngly For euen in the very dead creatures which haue no life a natural desyre is ther to be made perfite yet abide they nethelesse this boÌ„dage therin obeiyng him at whose pleasure it became subiecte enduryng it so muche the more paciently because it knoweth it selfe not bonde for euer but vnder this coÌ„dicion that as sone as the children of God are fully deliuered from al infeccion of death than shal the worlde no lenger be thral and vnder the displeasures of corrupcion For syth that we see al the elemeÌ„tes of this world so diuersly altered vnder so many corrupcions and see that the Sunne and moone besyde that they almost seme in theyr continual renewyng of corruptible creatures to labor in vayne haue also theyr eclipses synce that the one starres power is also contrary to another synce there is no doubt also but that the whole coÌ„pany of Angels froÌ„ heauen beholdyng our wretchednes are by reason of a pitiful loue borne towarde vs greatly
and in fayth growe stronger whervnto ye shal muche rather bryng him by fauourable meanes than by cōtencious reasonyng and disputacions Considre in suche matters how vnmete a thing it is that suche actes as may without offence be done should streight be taken in the worse parte But to th entent that peace and cōcorde may among you be maintained and stedfastly abyde certaine thinges must be wynked at some thinges must be suffered and some thinges must gently be takē Suche gentle fauorable takyng of thinges vpholdeth and preserueth the felowship of this our comen lite And synce mennes mindes among them selues are sondry and diuers surely in a multitude neuer wyl there be stedfast peace vnlesse in diuers pointes one geue place to an other For he that is without all serupulositie thynketh it lawfull without any difference to eate what meate him lust in that acte nothyng els regardyng but what nature requireth Againe he that is yet weake and somewhat supersticious lest he might chaunce either vpō fishe or other meates forbidden either by the Iewes lawe or offered vp to idols liueth with herbes Suche thinges among you ought not so to be regarded that for them brotherly peace be broken Let him that is strong eateth al meates so vse his strength that yet he dispise not the weaker whiche feareth to eate Let him againe whiche folowyng the weakenes of his mynde abstaineth from certayne kyndes of meate neither judge nor condemne him whiche without difference taketh whatsoeuer is sette before him But rather lette him that is strong beare with the weake in this sence takyng it this errour conceiued and gathered by long custome of his former life cannot sodainly be plucked out of his minde it wyll by litle and lytle weare away as in him godlynes groweth supersticion wyll vanishe and auoyde Lykewyse he that is scrupulous when he seeth an other eate all kyndes of meate let him this wyse thynke with him selfe what matter maketh it to me what this man doeth ▪ and likely it is that he doeth it of a good mynde synce God hath receiued and taken him vnto him and made him his owne at whose pleasure heliueth against whom onely he offendeth if there be in suche thinges any offence as of them selfe are not cuil Now if it be an arrogant point to dispise the weakenes of him that is supersticious and deceiued through rudenes how muche more intollerable pride wyl this be thinke ye if suche one as in y◠fayth is but weake take vpō him to iudge and condemne him that is stronger euen as the rule and custome of vnlearned people is whiche thinke nothing rightful but that them selfe do and thinke all that good that they allowe Maye not a man wel say to suche one what art thou that iudgest and condemnest an other mannes seruaunt There is but one lord and maister of al Iesus Christ To him stādeth he ▪ if he be strong in fayth to him falleth he if he offende as thou thinkest he doeth For he in dede for this shall not fall but rather be stablished to continue in his strong fayth His maister is sufficiently able and mete to strengthen his seruaunt that he stagger not at all The texte This man putteth difference betwene day day an other mā coumpteth all dayes alike Let euery manues mynde satisfie him selfe He that obserueth the day doeth it vnto the lorde And he that doeth not obserue the day doeth it for the lorde also He that eateth doeth it to please the lorde for he geueth God thankes And he that eateth not eateth not to please the lorde withal and geueth God thankes For noue of vs lyueth for him selfe and no man dyeth for him selfe For if we liue we liue vnto the lorde And if we dye we dye vnto the lorde Whether we liue thefore or dye we are the lordes For Christ therfore dyed and rose againe reuiued that he might be lorde of dead and quicke And that I haue now tolde you of the choyse of meates the same in kepyng the sabboth day and feastes of the newe moone is like wyse to be vnderstande For he that is weake and of vnperfite fayth maketh a difference betwixte day and day as though one were holye and the other were not and thinketh it vnlawful in this day to eate certaine meates or to labor whiche man other day might well and lawfully be done On the other lyde he that is perfite and strong in his fayth conceiueth in dayes no suche difference but rather thinketh al the space of his life consectate and halowed to godly conuersacion Breake not for suche pointes christian concorde among you but without condemnyng of other mennes cōsciences let euery one herein do as he iudgeth best specially synce bothe wayes are without synne and with both standeth the chiefe point of our religion Whoso estemeth and iudgeth in his conscience that euery day is like pure and holy doth so to his lorde and to the little belongeth it how well he doeth Lykewyse he that iudgeth that there is betwixte day and day some difference if he be deceiued he doeth it vnto his lorde thou hast therwith nothyng to do Lykewyse he that without difference eateth all kyndes of meate he eateth to his lorde forasmuche as he geueth thankes to God through whose benefite he eateth whose free goodnes made all thynges for mannes vse Againe whoso through the weakenes of his conscience abstaineth from certaine meates he abstaineth to his lorde and nothyng haste thou to do therwith synce he eatyug hearbes and rootes geueth thankes to God as wel as thou doest If God allowe and accepte his thankes geuyng why art thou so bolde vpō him to geue sentence The cause of both is diuers the matter one both one mynde and one lorde is there of both The one geueth thankes for the libertie he hath to eat what he lust knowing that the gospel putteth a difference betwixte mindes and not betwixt meates ▪ the other whiles he shonneth the occasion of surfettyng by the reason of his abstinence he is kept within the bondes of temperaunce In all suche thinges we are equal so that it besemeth no mā in defēce of his doyng to striue with his brother sufficient it is if God approue it to whō the iudgement of such thinges belōgeth as are either vncertain or els suche as must for the tyme be borne with No christian man hath power further vpon other but y◠eche one do good to another Nor liueth any man for him selfe because we are all his whiche from synne brought vs to goodnes and from death restored vs to life No mā therfore either liueth to him selfe or dyeth to him selfe nomore than any mans seruaunt doeth vpō whose life and death his maister hath ful power authoritie Now if the seruaunt liue he liueth not for his owne nor none other mans auauntage but for the auauntage or disauauntage of his maister If he
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„
shoulde haue been made of none effecte For the preachyng of the crosse is to them that peryshe folysnnesse but vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God For it is wrytten I wyll destroy the wysedome of the wyse and wyll cast awaye the vnderstandyng of the prudente Where is the wyse Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this worlde Hathe not God made the wysedome of this worlde folyshnesse And it is not to be doubted synce he of his free mercy hath called you vnto him and made you ioynte inheritoures with his onely sonne our Lord Iesus Christe but that he will also fauour you labouring to continew in this godly state that ye fall not frō that honourable inheritaunce wherof ye haue already receiued an earnest peny Hitherto haue I spokē of suche thinges in you for which in your behalfe I doe greatly reioyce wherin I would wishe ye should continew and goe forwarde alwaies as ye haue begūne Nowe harken what I mysselike in some of you what I would were amended and wherein my desyre is ye should be vnlyke your selfes I nede not to teache you what becommeth your profession ye knowe it your selfes sufficiently But onely I beseche you my moste dearly beloued brethrē for our Lord Iesus Christes names sake a name moste to be reuerenced and had in honoure of suche as haue once professed it that there be among you no diuision nor shamefull dissencion but that ye agree in hearte and woorde and through concorde becomeas one perfite bodye whose partes are steadfastly and fast knyt together Worldly wysedome by reason of sectes and dyuerse opinions is into soondrye partes deuided by reason whereof also perpetuall stryfe and contencion is among theyr scholers and folowers mayntayned But Christian wisedome should among al men haue like rules and determinacions of which as there is but one author and maister so fauoureth he not suche small by pathes of carnal sectes and mens opiniōs Mete is it therfore that as the professours of this Philosophie and learning be al of one consent and agrement in mindes so they abstayne also from suche woordes as soūde towardes stryfe and debate To be at an inwarde debate is wicked and vngodly to fyght and braule with woordes is agaynste honestie And leste peraduenture ye might thinke that I haue of this my saying but a vayne suspicion I assure you they were brought vnto me by suche godly and perfite lyuers as are well worthy to be beleued Ye knowe Chloe that notable and godly woman ye knowe her housholde and acquayntaunce whiche are all of thesame trade of lyfe as Chloe theyr ayder is knowen to be By them whiche bothe zeale your welth and in my necessities helpe me heard I that there is stryfe and contencion among you as though ye were a sedicion sorte of people quarellyng among them selfes What other thyng els I pray you meane these woordes whiche are comenly spoken among you whiles as for an example one sayeth I holde of Paul another agayne I holde of Apollo an other sayeth I holde of Cephas an other I holde of Christe What saye you are not these names of sedicions and sectes After lyke sorte such as professe the vayne wisedome of this worlde one boasteth Pithagoras an other Plato one boasteth Aristotle an other Zeno one boasteth Epicurus an other this maister and that maister and euery one of these eche for his owne maister is with other at continuall variaunce We haue but one maister one learnyng one ordinaunce but one purpose and intente and whence come then these diuersities of names Is Christe deuided or from hym selfe disagreyng Why parte and deale we the honoure of our religion whiche is onely dewe to one among menne in so doyng makyng of seruauntes maisters Who gaue you grace to lyue cyghteously Dyd not Christe whiche with his owne bloude washed you Why then forge ye to your selfes any other name than his whose benefite and free gifre this is Geue me leaue so to speake for example was Paul crucified for you Yf all menne and euery manne equally are for this benefite only bounde to Christe synce he generally dyed for all why seke you for the titles and surnames of diuerse menne inmaner geuyng that to them for whiche Christe onely should haue thankes Through baptisme we are planted in Christe and in his name are we baptized from whom all the power of baptisme springeth Why should ye rather than call your selfes Paules scholers than Christes synce ye wer baptized not in Paules name but in Christes Yf vpon such occasion the glory dew to God be taken from him and geuen to menne then thanke I God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Caius whiche I trowe glory nothyng therof but knowledge me as a minister and Christe the chiefe doer It might haue chaunced yf I hadde baptized many that there would haue been some that would haue called themselfes in stede of Christes disciples Paules disciples But no we cometh it to my mynde that I baptized also Stephanas householde as for other that I baptized I remembre none At my being there my mynde more ranne vpon suche thinges whiche more aduaunced christianitie That whiche in baptisme is doen by man is the leaste parte of baptisme The vsuall and accustomed woordes euery man maye pronounce And an easye thyng is it and without ieopardie at all to dyp him in water that is bothe readie and willyng thereto but the very office of an Apostle is by the effectual preaching of Gods woorde to bring a man from his long accustomed lyfe from the lawes and ordinaunces of his countrey to a newe and quite contrarie religion and not to stycke this wyse to doe though he thereby stande in ieopardie of deathe Hereof myght we more lawfully glorye yf we myght chalenge in suche enterprises any thyng as our owne Nor yet speake I this to disalowe baptisme but to preferre that whiche is better and that whereunto I am specially assigned Christe neuer assigned me to this embassie among the Gentiles to be only the minister of baptisme but to setfurth and to publishe by my preaching the glory of his name and to wynne as many as I coulde by the gospell vnto hym Nor yet for so doyng haue I any cause carnally to glorie For God woulde not haue this feate done eyther by the conueyaunce of mannes witte or eloquence wherewith no suche woonder coulde be wrought but would haue this greate enterprise brought to passe by a rude simple and playne preachyng to the entente that all the prayse of this acte should be geuen to God only whom it pleased by the vyle lowe and reprochefull crosse of Christe and preachyng therof to renewe all the worlde Christes crosse semeth to be a lowe try flyng matter but yet such a vyle tryfle is it that it subdueth all the gloriouse maiestie and pompe of this worlde The rnde and wearysh preaching by which we declare to all the
not this playne poynte that he whiche coupleth hymselfe with an harlote becommeth with the same one bodye For so reade we in Genesis of the manne and wyfe of bothe shall one fleshe and one bodye bee made So that then as in lawefull matrimonye the honeste and godlye consente of two myndes makethe one and the lawefull acte of matrimonye betwixte two maketh one so in vnlawefull coumpainying together euery manne beecommeth that wherwyth he is filthylye coupled As greate enormitie therefore as it is that the womanne deceauyng her housebande should with an aduouterer bee conuersaunte as foule an acte is it that the bodye whiche was once consecrate to Christe shoulde bee coupled with a vyle harlote for he whiche is coupled vnto the Lorde Iesu by reason of a commen consente betwyxte the head and the bodye is with hym made one spirite whiche forasmuche as it is moste pure and cleane is to fylthye and fleashelye luste moste contrarye as whiche from manne taketh awaye the vse of reason alteryng hym as it were into a brutishe and beastelye condicion The texte ¶ Fle fornicacion Euery sinne that a manne doth is withoute the bodye But he that is a fornicatour sinneth againste his owne bodye Either knowe ye not howe that youre bodies are the temple of the holy ghoste whiche dwelleth in you whome ye haue of God and howe that ye are not youre owne For ye are derely bought Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirites whiche are Goddes Dyligentelye therefore flee fornicacion All other synnes by synfull persones wrought and done albeeit they haue theyr beginnyng of the body seame yet ioyned with the harme and dyspleasure of an other mannes bodye nor pollute as it seamethe the whole manne But suche as committeth fornicacion doothe wrong and vilanie to his owne bodye whom he in that foule acte abuseth and defileth The adulterer defileth not the hores body except he also defile his own withoute which the offence is not committed The mannequeller that with his swerde kylleth another without hurte of his own body hurteth another mans seameth but in only one part polluted But fornicacion defileth the whole body as euē the cōmen sorte wel vnderstandeth For after suche acte thesame is woone to vse bathes therwith to washe away such filthines as is therby conceiued An hainouse offēce is it to do wrong or hurt to another mans body but a māto be to his own bodye vilainouse reprocheful semeth apointe of extreme madnes And albeit fornicacion do most specially defile the body yet thynke not therfore y◠the offence is smal For euē the body should also haue his honour forasmuch as it is the māsiō of the soule whiche is immortal which being cleansed with the holy water of baptisme is in suche sorte consecrate to God that it beecommeth the temple of the holye ghoste whiche ye in baptisme receyued whereby ye are so ioyned vnto Christe that ye from hym shall neuer bee soondred And if from fornicacion your owne reproche and hurte nothyng moue you yet lette this moue you that suche actes canne not bee do one without the greate iniurie of Christe Once were all ye his into whose bodye ye were coupled and ioyned He hath from deathe boughte you and made you his owne that ye shoulde be his seruauntes and not your owne men The right title of any bodye that is bought is in the byers hande thesame whoso eyther selleth or handeleth otherwyse than the owners will is dothe wrong to hym to whome thesame bodye beelongeth Nor is it to bee supposed that Christe for a litell boughte vs as he that for oure redempcion spente his moste precious bloude Wherefore synce ye are to God wholye consecrated defile not in reproche of hym youre bodies but beare aboute with you aswell in chaste bodies as in vnhurtefull myndes the holye ghoste and among menne auaunce his glorie Bothe are his keape both chaste leste for your filthines sake among eiuil people Christ whose name ye professe bee eyuill spoken of For as the nobilitee of maisters belongeth euen to the seruauntes so the dishonestie of seruauntes is to theyr maisters reprochfull Wherefore albeeit god bee neyther with prayse made more glorious nor with reproche defamed in dede yet is he after a sorte through his naughtye seruauntes dishonoured and with godly maners and holy life glorified whiles among the commen sorte he is by their lyfe esteamed The .vii. Chapter The texte As concernyng the thinges wherof ye wrote vnto me it is good for a man not to touch a woman Neuerthelesse to auoyde whordome let euerye man haue his wife let euery woman haue her husbande Let the husband geue vnto the wyse due beneuolence Likewyse also the wyfe vnto the husband The wife hath not power of her owne body but the husband And likewise the husbande hath not power of his owne body but the wyfe Withdrawe not your selues one from another except it be with consente for a tyme for to geue your selues to fastyng and prayer And afterwarde come to gether agayne left Satan tempte you for youre incontinencye This I saye of fauoure and not of commaundement For I woulde that all men were as I my selfe am but euery man hath his proper gyfte of God one after thys maner another after that I saye vnto them that be vnmaryed and wyddowes it is good for them yf they abyde euen as I do But and yf they cannot absteyne let them marye For i◠is better to mary then to burne Vnto the maryed commaunde not I but the Lorde Let not the wyfe be seperated frō the husbande If she separate her selfe let her remayn vnmaryed or be reconciled vnto the husband agayne And let not the husband put awaye hys wyfe from hym NOr haue I this muche sayed because I thinke that euery acte of generacion defileth the bodye as some laboure to bring you in mynde to the intente that they lyke hypocrites maye of you bee thoughte to bee holye There is in matrimonye a certayne chaste and lawefull vse but the vnlawefull acte muste generallye of all menne bee auoyded Lawefull matrimonie muste euerye manne so farfurth vse or not vse as is for the preferment of the gospell expediente Wherefore touchyng the questions wherein by letters ye aske myne aduyce these shall be briefly to answere you Fyrste what suche muste doe as are already maryed and then what they ought to doe that are single and widowes what they also muste doe whiche are eyther with paynefull or vnequall matrimony troubled and finally what should bee done in virgins to be maried or not maried Fyrste of all therefore for many causes as the time no we requireth it wer well doen of men wholy for this cause to absteyne from theyr wyues that they maye with more freedome applye Christes gospell and godly lyfe For albeit matrimonie be a holy thyng yet it wrappeth a man will he or not in worldlye care wherein howe muche more laboure is bestowed somuche the
but frealy and playnly and without all deceyte declaryng to al men the bare trouthe without any cloud in this office so vsing our selfes that though no manne prayse vs yet oure lyfe commendeth vs to all menne whiche knowe and are witnesse of oure perfectnes and not onelye to menne whiche maye bee deceyued but also to God whiche seethe all thynges By vs therefore in al places shyneth the trueth of the gospel so that euerye man may see it euedently And yf there be some yet to whome it is not knowen and therefore geueth not them saluacion the faulte is theirs and not ours nor the gospels for as I tolde you of the Israelites so haue they likewyse a vayle caste ouer the eyes of theyr hearte by reason wherof they see not suche thinges as are verye bright but are blynde in the middes of the sonne light For they bryng with them vncleare iyen and suche as are corrupte with worldlye desyres whose vnfaythfull myndes Satan the God of this worlde for theyr God make they hym whiche to hym geue more eare than to the true God hathe blynded couering theyr iyes that to them the bryghtnes of the gospell can geue no light whereby the glory and maiestie is declared not of Moses but of Christe whiche is the image of god the father so that by the sonne which is egall to the father a man maye knowe the father The texte For we preache not oure selues but Christe Iesus to be the Lord and our selues your seruauntes for Iesus sake For it is God that coÌ„maunded the lyght to shyne out of darknes whiche hath stâ—yned in our hertes for to geue the lyght of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Iesus Chryst But we haue this treasure in erthen vessels that the excellency of the power myght be Gods and not oures We are troubled on euery iyde yet are we not without shyfte We are in pouerty â–ª but not vtterly without somewhat We suffer persecucion but are not forsaken therein We are cast downe neuerthelesse we peryshe not We all wayes beare aboute in the body the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the lyfe of Iesu myght also appeare in our body For we whiche â—â—ue are alwayes delyuered vnto death for Iesus sake that the lyfe also of Iesu might appeare in our mortal flesh So then death worketh in vs but lyfe in you Nor auaunce we oure selues by preachyng as some doe teachyng the gospell for our aduauntage or glorie but we preache Iesus Christe oure Lorde his doctrine teache we and not ours for hym labour we as for oure Lorde and mayster what payne soeuer we take so farre from takyng anye thyng arrogaÌ„tly vpon vs that we graunt our selues to be your seruauntes and to ministre the ghospell vnto you neither for feare of you nor yet for hope of auauntage but for Iesus sake for whose loue whereas we are free we euen as seruauntes submitte our selues to all men After lyke sorte were we once in the same blyndnes wherewith some are now diseased stil Nor yet gotte we this light to our selues but god at whose commaundement lyght was fyrste made from whome all light procedeth after that he had expelled the darknes of oure vnderstandyng commaunded that in it the lighte of trueth shoulde appere or rather as he is lighte euerlastyng lightened oure hearte yâ— by vs the glory of his maiestie might more be spread abrode among all meÌ„ beyng more notified by preachyng of the gospel wherein we preache the Lorde Iesus in whose face moste brightly shineth the image and glorie of the father But yet is this greate matier onlye wrought in our soules secretely for touchyng the bodye we seme but vyle abiectes so that we â—arie aboute with vs this preciouse and highe treasure in earthen vessels that is to saye in our sealye bodies subiecte to vilanye and punishment as it hathe pleased god it should be and good cause is there why it so pleased hym For he prouided yâ— we should not be proude by great high myracles wroughte by vs whereby we might clayme some parte therof but know our owne infirmitie and so vnderstande the selfe same highe power whiche is geuen to the apostles not to be wrought by our strengthe but by gods power onely for we touchyng our owne infirmitie are dayly greatly troubled and yet by gods helps we suffer al these troubles and continue not ouercomen we are on euery syde ouerlayed with aduersitie yet are we not withoute shifte we are brought to beggery and in oure beggerye we are not forsaken we suffer persecucion and yet in our persecucion we are not dismayed we are beaten downe and tredden vnder feete but yet so that we peryshe not in that behalfe folowyng the lorde Iesus â–ª as nyghe as we maye whome we preache and setfoorth He once dyed for all men we in that we are daylye and continuallye in ieopardie of death beare aboute in oure bodyes an image of his deathe ready to bestowe this lyfe for your sakes that as we dyeng for you folowe the death of Iesus so maye the lyfe of Iesus wherunto he rose from deathe in oure body be declared whyles we are either by hym delyuered from deathe or by despising oure temporal lyfe playnly testifie and affirme that the deade shall ryse agayne For yf we beleued that when our bodye is once dead it woulde neuer lyue more we woulde not so lytle regarde oure temporall lyfe By thys straunge waye therfore ye see howe the euerlasting lyfe of Christ through the affliccions of our corruptible body is to you the better knowen The difference is in that the violent ieoperdy of death falleth vpon oure body but the fruite of lyfe which groweth by our deathe is yours for whose sakes we put our selues in these ieopardyes The texte But seyng that we haue the same spirite of fayth accordyng as it is wrytteÌ„ I beleued therfore I spoken we also beleue and therfore speake For we know that he which raysed vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus and shall set vs with you For all thynges do I for your sakes that the plenteous grace by thanckes geuen of many maye redounde to the prayse of God Wherfore we are not weryed But though our vtward man peryshe yet the inwarde man is renewed daye by daye For out â—â—â—buiacyon which is momentany lyght prepareth an exceadyng and an eternal waight of glorye vnto vs whyle we loke not on the thynges whiche are sene but on the thynges whiche are not sene For the thynges whiche are seue are temporall but thynges whiche are not sene are eternall And yet for all this we repente vs not of preachyng the gospel for since we haue also euen the same gifte of faythe that ye haue whereby ye loke for life immortall by my preachyng powred into your heartes it foloweth that as Dauid in his misticall psalme sayeth that he therfore spoke because he beleued so feare we
with all theyr heartes put theyr affiaunce in the ghospel and beleued also that through the death of Iesus Christe godly lyfe shal all people haue and receyue glory also and saluacion For this purpose lykewyse for a season serued Moses lawe that partly with manacyng of punishmentes partly with hope of promises made therin and partly with rude expressing of Christe to come the Iewes after suche sorte within theyr bondes leste Christe at his commyng should haue fouÌ„d them strayed out into all kyndes of mischiefe neither worthy nor yet apte to receyue the grace of his gospell By the promises then of the lawe had the Iewes a certayne rude knowledge of the misterie of the gospell By the obseruaunce of this lawe then were menne so long stayed and vnderpyght vntyll that was by the ghospell opened whiche the law in shadowes represented that yf men wyll nowe awake they maye clearlye see euen that put in vre wherof they before had but a dreame The texte ¶ Wherfore the lawe was oure scholemaister vnto Christe that we might be made ryghteouse by faythe But after that fayth is come we are no lenger vnder the scholemaister For ye are the chyldren of God because ye beleue in Christe Iesu For al ye that are baptised haue put on Christ The lawe therfore brought not men to perfite righteousnes but was as a scholemaister gyuen to the rude people that whome the regarde of honestie was not yet able to kepe in good order they myghte with feare of punishemente be kept from extreme noughtines that through suche meanes encreasyng by lytle and lytle they mighte be broughte from trustyng vpon theyr olde ceremonies vnto Christ of whome onely they should loke to receyue perfite righteousnes Nowe is not the chylde â—o vnder his scholemaister that the scholemaister with hym muste al waye be at hande but onlye vntyll suche tyme as they beyng more rype and growen vppe to better knowledge euen of theyr owne accorde fall to honestie nor haue nede with feare of punishemente to be kepte from euyll but by theyr fathers encouragyng freelye and wyllyngly study goodnes and honestie an other whyle nowe rulyng theyr scholemaister whose holsome and sharpe correction they for a tyme endured As the father therfore though he tenderly loue his chyldren compelleth them yet for a tyme to be vnder a scholemaister whose maister the chyldren in shorte tyme after shall be so hathe god with sharpenes of the lawe kepte vnder his rude and grosse people vntyll that they concerning the doctrine of his ghospel beyng made their owne menne should no lenger neede to be vnder correccion of theyr scholemaister but lyue freelye as free chyldren vnder theyr moste mercifull father And though it so were that god gaue vnto the Iewes onely a scholemayster yet toke he not them onelye for his chyldren but â—ather coumpted all suche as by faythe in the ghospell are graffed into the bodye of Iesus Christe and endued with his holye spirite to be goddes chyldreÌ„ as soone as they are with Christe made one Nowe yf that wherby we are ioyned vnto Christe generallye belong to all menne what lette shoulde there be why God shoulde not indifferently coumpte all for his chyldren Throughe baptisme haue ye receyued the spirite of Christe and not by circumcision As many then as are baptised are become with Christ ioynte enheriters in that behalfe no poynt inferior to the Iewes boast they themself of the priuelege of circumcision neuer somuche The texte There is no Iewe neither Gentile there is neither bonde neither free there is neither man nor woman for ye are all one in Christe Iesu Yf ye be Christes then are ye Abrahams seede and heyres accordyng to the promyse In thinges that hange vpon mennes fauer the condicion state and persons are regarded but god woulde this benefite of his to be bothe free and also commen to all men Throughe baptisme are we newe borne agayne and sodenly altered as it were into a newe creature And as touching this gyft it is layed to noman nor passed vpon whether he were before baptisme Iewe or Gentile bonde man or free manne or woman All ye through baptisme are belonging to Christes bodie equally partakers of this goddes gifte whiche is from the head conuayed into all the members And yf Christe be the very seede of Abraham by whom god promised his blessyng to all nacions of the worlde forasmuche as ye are planted in Christe nedes must ye be Abrahams posteritie Farther then yf ye be Abrahams posteritie euen lyke heyres ye haue ryght to yâ— promise of god Yf through the felowshyp of Christe ye become goddes chyldren and into it are all receyued through fayth and baptisme necessarily it foloweth that the inheritaunce equallye appertayneth to all men The fourth Chapiter The texte And I say that the heyre as long as he is a childe differeth not from a seruaunt through he be lord of all but is vnder tuters and gouernours vntil the tyme that the father hath appointed euen so we also when we were children were in bondage vnder the ordinaunces of the worlde LOng synce by Goddes promise due was the title of inheritauÌ„ce but now and not before are we receiued into it because as we before sayd as by mannes lawes and ordinauÌ„ces the heyre while he is within age vseth not his right yea he nothing differeth froÌ„ a seruauÌ„t where he is borne to be lorde ouer all but is kept vnder with feare and ruled as other men wyll passyng that tyme vnder creansers gouernours vntyl he be growen vp to that rypenes whiche either the lawe or his father hath appointed so likewyse in tyme past when we were yet not apt to receiue this gift whiche requireth euen heaueÌ„ly mindes our vnderstaÌ„dinges also therto not of streÌ„gth sufficient as yet we were like children with suche certaine grosse lawes as were mete for our infirmities kept in due ordre beyng suche at that tyme as could not sauor heauenly learnyng but rather suche as would with suche thinges be more moued as might with our fleshely iyen be seen as are the material thynges of this world for example differences of dayes differeÌ„ces of meates differeÌ„ces in apparel sacrificyng and killyng of beastes circumcision As long as we were not apt to receiue higher instruccions euen as seruauntes we for a season obeyed and were vnder these The texte But when the time was ful come God sent his sonne made of a woman and made bonde vnto the lawe to redeme them whiche were bonde vnto the lawe that we through eleccion might receiue the inheritaunce that beloÌ„geth vnto the natural soÌ„nes But assone as we came out of wardship and were growen vp to a ryper age when that tyme was paste whiche the euerlastyng father in â—â—s secrete couÌ„sel had appointed he suffered vs no leÌ„ger to be vnder the carnal rules of the lawe but sent for our deliueraunce neither Moses nor prophete but his onely sonne Iesus Christ He sent his sonne I
all thynges Ye housebandes loue your wyues euen as Christe also loued the congregacion and gaue hymselfe for it to sancrifye it and clensed it in the fountayne of water throughe the woorde to make it vnto hymselfe a glorious congregacion withoute spot or wrinkle or anye suche thyng but that it should he holye and withoute blame So ought menne to loue their wyues as theyr owne bodyes He that loueth his wyfe loueth hymselfe For no manne euer yet bāted his owne fleshe but nouryshéth and cherisheth it eue◠as the Lorde dooeth the congregacion For we are membres of his bodye of hys flesh of his bones For this cause shal a man leaue father mother shal be ioyned vnto his wife and of two shal be made one fleshe This is a great secret but I speake of Christ of the congregaciō Neuerthelesse dooe ye so y◠euery one loue his wife euē as himselfe And lette the wyfe feare her husbande Let the wyues therefore acknowledge the autoritie of theyr housebandes and be in subieccion vnto them none otherwyse than the congregacion is in subieccion to the Lorde Iesu For lyke as Christe is the heade of the congregacion euen so is euery housband the head of his own wife Neuertheles like as y◠head hath preeminence ouer the bodye to the entent the health of the body should depende of it euen so is the housebande in autoritye ouer the wyfe not to thintente to vse her cruelly like a tyranne but to prouide for her wealth because hys witte is more substanciall than hers And yet the wife maye not bristle against her housebande because he seeketh at her handes to bee more loued than feared But her duety is to be somuch more in subieccion in al pointes like as the congregaciō is so much the more in subieccion vnto Christ as he hath more lowly submitted himself for the saluacion of her his spouse And on the other parte you that be housbādes a buse not your autoritie lyke tyrannes ouer your wiues but rather vse them with like louyng charitie as Christ hath and doeth loue his congregacion whome beyng an aduouterer and an obstinate rebel he did not onely not caste of but also gaue hymselfe vnto death for the redemyng of her saluacion and so of adefiled one he made her pure and holye and where she was vncleane and foule he made her fayre and goodlye and yet caste her not in the teeth with her vyle filthinesse but washed her cleane with the streame of his own bloud and scoured her in the fountaine of lyfe that worketh profitably by the inuocacion of the name of God so as through his owne diligent goodnes he myght prepare for hymselfe a glorious wife euen the congregacion whiche nowe should neyther haue spotte nor wrincle nor any suche lyke that might be displeasaunt in the housebandes iye but in euery point both fayre and faultles And so it becommeth the housebandes to be lykewise affected to wardes theyr wiues that they leaue nothing vndone whereby they maye make theyr wines perfite Christian woomen and to bee no lesse carefull for their wyues healthe than the head is carefull for the health of the bodye For the wyfe is the housebandes body Admitte thy wyfe be of croked condicions or a nyce wanton or geuen to other vnthriftynesse destroyeher not with ragyng crueltie but heale her and amende her with so bre lenitie Correcte the faulres so as thou loue thy wife neuerthelesse for all that For what would the head doe yf it see his bodye be full of sickenes or disease would it beginne to hate it and for sake it or rather heale it if it coulde and if it coulde by no meanes heale it yet at least beare with it and cherishe it Might it not be thought a great absurditie if the head would wishe euill to his owne bodye He that loueth his wyfe loueth hymself for she is parte of hymselfe what man had euer so litle felyng of the senses of nature to hate his owne bodye What man dooeth not rather nourishe and cherishe hys bodye what a maner a one so euer it bee to make it better and lustier Seyng that the very Ethnikes doe naturally no lesse than so why doeth not Christian charitie worke the same in vs a great deale more inasmuche as we are moued thereunto by the exaumple of Christe who did not forsake his wife the congres gacion though she was disteyned before tyme many sondry wāyes and a very whorishe naughty packe but he clensed her he pyked her and made her perfectly trimme in euery poynt Therefore you house bandes doe the same vnto your wyues that Christe hath dooen vnto vs that are the membres of his body whiche is the congregacion lyke as the wyfe is the bodye of the housebande of whose fleshe and bones she is made to thintente it maye be manifestlye knowen that that thyng oughte in no wyse to bee diuorced asondre that is all one selfe same thing For thus we reade in the booke of Genesis For the wyues sake man shal rather forsake father and mother than forsake his wyfe vnto whom he shall so kepe hymselfe that of twoo there bee made one in moste perfite coupling together both of bodies and soules Nexte after God we are most bounden to father and mother yet the wife is preferred a boue them Herin is ment a certain vnspeakeable great misterie howe that the thyng that was doen in Adam Eue vnder a figure should be performed in effect mistically in Christ and in the congregacion This inseparable cōiuncciō whosoeuer wil wel weigh shal perceiue that there lyeth hidde a great mistery For lyke as Christ is one with the father euen so would he haue all his to be al one with him And albeit this mistery importeth greater circumstaunce than can be nowe presently expressed yet it is inough to haue applyed the exaumple to this ende that euery man should loue his wife none otherwise than he loueth himselfe and considre that both he and she are al one selfesame thing euen as Christ loued his congregacion whome he vnited entierely to himselfe Finally it shall be the wyues parte not only to loue her husband agayn as her companion to liue together but also reuerence him for the autoritie sake that he hath ouer her And than shall hartie loue continue long together goodly in case both parties doe theyr dueties accordingly ¶ The .vi. Chapter The texte Children obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde for that is right Honoure thy father and mother the same is the firste cōmaundement in the promes that thou mayest prosper and liue long on the earthe Ye fathers moue not youre children to wrathe but ye shall bryng them vp through the norter and informacion of the Lorde Ye scruauntes bee obedient vnto them that are your bodely masters with feare and tremblyng euen with the synglenes of youre hearte as vnto Christe not dooyng seruice vnto the eye
a commune wealthe dependeth of the autoritie of princes and magistrates he woulde not onely not haue their autoritie thoughe they were Ethnykes contemned of the Christianes but also commaundeth them to be prayed for He prescribeth what is comely bothe for men and for women to vse in the open congregacion He paynteth out what a byshop shoulde be and hys householde These he treateth of almoost in al the three firste Chapiters Than he warneth him that he receaue no Iewyshe fables and speaketh of choyse of meates and forbyddyng of mariage And than he teacheth him straightwaies how he shoulde behaue himselfe towardes olde men towardes yongmen towardes olde women towardes yougwomen towardes wydowes as well riche and poore as those that ought to be founde of the commune stocke of the congregacion towardes the yonger women and towardes suche as be as yet of suspecte age Furthermore he prescribeth vnto him what he must commaunde to Maisters what to seruauntes what to ryche men admonyshing him to reiecte with all possyble meanes contencious sophisticall questions that haue nothing but a vayne shewe of learnyng This Epistle he wrote from Laodicea by Tychicus the Deacon Thus endeth the Argument The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the fyrst Epistle of S. Paule the Apostle to Timothee The first Chapter The texte ¶ Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the commyssion of god our sauioure and lorde Iesus Christ which is oure hope Vnto Timothe his naturall sonne in the faith Grace mercy peace from God oure father and from the Lorde Iesus Christe oure Lorde As I besought the to abide â—â—yll at Ephesus when I depatred into Macedonia euen so do that thou commaunde some that they folowe no straunge docrtine uerber geue hede to fables and endles genealogies which brede doute more then godly edifying whiche is by faith for the ende of the commaundement is loue out of apute herte and of a good conscience and of fayth vnfayned from the whiche thinges because some haue erred they are turned vnto vayne iangelynge because they woulde be doctours of the lawe and yet vnderstande not what they speake neyther wherof they affirme PAule an Apostle and messagier lest any maÌ„ woulde suspecte that I goe aboute myne owne busynes or humayne affaires and not a messagier of Moses or anye other man but the messagier of Iesu Christ whiche beyng sent of late in his owne person vpon his fathers message dyd faithfullye finyshe the busynes of hym that sent him And as for me I toke not this message vpon me on myne owne head nether receaued I it of man but was not onely called vnto it by the appointement of the euerlastyng god but I was also dryuen perforce vnto it by his commaundement and autoritie in so muche that it was not in my choyse to shyfte inyne handes of that office as payneful as it is whiche was enioyned vnto me by the autoritie of God the onely au toure of all our saluacion For what so euer the sonne hathe enioyned vs by the fathers autoritie that same doe I take as enioyned of the father himselfe by whome we are also bounden vnto him for our saluacion aswell in that we are redemed by his death from eternal destruccion as also in that we are by his mightye helpe delyuered from the rageyng tempestes of afliccions From the which albeit our chaunce be not to be set at lybertie for a tyme yet there is no cause why we shoulde doubte of our safe preseruacion hauynge Christe to our protectoure whome the father hathe appointed to be bothe the example and autour of oure moost certaynly assured hope For lyke as he whan he was whypped and nayled to the crosse suffred corporal death howbeit he rose anon againe to lyfe that neuer shall dye euen so whan we haue bene oppressed with present sorowes of this worlde he shall one daye restore vs alyue againe to the same immortalitie For this respectes sake Paule beyng streynghtened throughe his autoritie and mayntenaunce and an inuincible Apostle writeth vnto Tymothe his true natural sonne whoÌ„ I haue not chosen quod he out of an other mannes flocke but I begat him my selfe out of these bowels of myne through the gospel whaÌ„ he was yet a strauÌ„gier froÌ„ Christ he for his parte is so like so expressely resembleth this father of his in stedfastnes sinceritie of faith pure teaching of the gospell that it appeareth by euident matier in dede that he is no suche as maye be doubted whether he be myne or not but that he is my natural very owne vndoubted bogotten sonne and therfore a great deale more dearely beloued vnto me thaÌ„ yf I had gotten him of my bodily substaunce after the commune maner as men doe The bodely substaunce begetteth children that shall lyue but a whyle but by the gospell are we borne to lyue alwayes and neuer dye If parentes haue a more peculiar and a nerer hattie loue to suche of their children as be mooste lyke fauoured vnto them than to other and therby doe as it wer knowe them suerly to be their very owne howâ— muche more iust cause haue I to loue this sonne whome I begate vnto Christ through the faithe of the gospell and in whome I beholde the synceritie of my faithe borne new againe as it were Let the Iewes make boaste at their pleasure for geating one companion or other as a childe gotten by adopcion to their Moses I boaste that I haue gotten suche a sonne as this to the faythe of the gospell and vnto Christe For it is expedient that the Iewes synagoge should from hence forthe geue ouer bearing of children And it is tyme that the Gospell spreade forthe his frutefulnes of faith abrode in to the whole vniuersall worlde Nowe than lyke as I haue manyfolde causes to boaste of suche a sonne inasmuche as I maye safely committe vnto him the office of gospell preachinge euen so I thynke there is no cause why he shoulde repente the hauyng either of suche an Apostle or of such a father I haue committed a parte of myne owne office vnto him howbeit god hath geue me autoritie thus to doe soe as he can stande in no doubte touching the charge of the congregacions appointed by me onles peraduenture he dysturst the autoritie of god Nowe what shoulde I beyng a mooste louyng father wyshe vnto so entierly a deare beloued sonne what thinges elles than the same that the supreme gouernour of our lyfe woulde haue vs to be ryche and plentuous of and in the whiche he would fayne haue vs to growe stronge dailye more and more vntyll we be growen vnto such a state as Christ may voutchesafe to knowe vs for his owne lawfull brethren Therfore I wyshe Grace vnto him that he maye perfytely vnderstande that all faithfull beleuers are saued by the free benefite of Christ without helpe of Moses law And not onely grace but mercye also to be alwayes ready with present helpe to succoure hym
god In lyke case some folkes good workes are so manifest that they nede no commendacion of man To suche therfore shall euery man accompany himselfe safely lyke as he ought to absteyne from the companye of them that are openly wycked Furthermore those that ordre theyr lyfe with such subtiltye and in outwarde shewe of godlynes dyssemble the malyce of theyr harte after suche sorte that they deceaue the iudgement of man those we wyll leaue to the iudgement of god For christian godlynes is not ouer muche suspicious The vi Chapter The texte ¶ Let as many seruauntes as are vnder the yoke counte theyr masters worthye of all honour that the name of god and his doctrine be not euyll spoken of Se that they which haue beleuyng masters despyfe them not because they are brethren but rather do seruyce for asmuche as they are beleuinge and beloued and partakers of the benefyte FVrthermore it is not our parte to rebuke the lyfe of them that are straungiers from the profession of Christ it is rather requisite for vs to prouoke them vnto a better mynde with our good turnes than to kyndle them with taunting checkes Religion ought so to be ordred that it seme not to be occasion or sowyng of sedicion In suche affaires as we haue necessarilye to doe with the Ethnikes let theÌ„ perceaue by vs that we are become the more diligente to doe good bycause of religion and not more vnprofytable nor more ouerthwarte For by that meanes they shal be more easylie allured into our felowshyp of religion Therfore as many as beyng bonde seruauntes haue obteined Baptisme let them remembre that they are set at lybertye by manumission from the lordeshyp of synne and not made free from their masters right of autoritie And therfore it is not semely that vpon trust of their profession they shoulde bristle againste their maisters as wycked persons and vnworthye that a Christian shoulde doe seruice vnto them But let them onely consydre that they are their masters and therfore let them esteme them worthye all honour that the name of god and the gospelles doctrine come not into an euyll reporte and hate in case they shall perceaue men become throughe it the more sturdy and more vntractable But let them rather be more diligent in seruice doynge than they were afore and more glade to obeye as doynge seruyce with a good wyll that theyr maisters beyng prouoked with those thinges maye the more easely receyue the gospell preaching Than muche lesse ought those seruauntes that haue Christian maisters to set lesse by them bicause for yâ— profession of the commune saith in stedde of maisters they are become brethren But in asmuche as they withdrawe not their bounden duetie from Ethnike maisters it behoueth them to obey their Christian maisters for two maner of coÌ„sideracions Fyrst in that they are their maisters than in that they are felowes in relygion for stoute statelynes takyng loue for awful maisters beginnyng to be beloued and for threatenyng maisters â–ª become good maisters For more is to be done for yâ— deseruour than for the exactour â–ª more for the louyng maister than imperious coÌ„maundyng maister For that is not properly a bondage but to doe one good turne for an other The texte ¶ These thinges reache echorte If eny man folowe other doctrine and enclyne not unto the wholsome wordes of our Lorde Iesu Christe and to the doctrine whiche is accordyng to godlynes he is puft vp knoweth nothing but wasteth his braynes aboure quetions and stryfe of wordes wherof sprynge enuye stryfe raylynges euyll surmy synges vayne dysputacions of men that hâ—â—e corrupte mindes and that are robbed of the trueth whiche thincke that lucre is godlynesse From them yâ— are soche separate thy selfe Godlynesse is great rychesse yf a man be contenâ— with that he hath For we brought nothynge into the world nether maye we cary any thing out But when we haue fode and ruyment we must therwith be content They that wythe ryche fall into temptacion and snares oâ— the deuyl and into many folysshe and noysom lustes whiche drowne men into perdicion and destruccion For courteousnes of money is the rote of all euyll whiche whyle some lasted after they erred from the faith and tangled them selues with many sorowes But thou man of God flye suche thinges Folowe ryghtewesnes godlynes faith loue â–ª pacience meaknes Fight the good fyght of faith Laye hande on eternall lyfe wherunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses These thinges teache with autoritie vnto these thinges exhorte them that be slacke This doctrine is a true gospellyke doctrine that maketh vnto godlynes of lyfe maketh vs bothe accepted of god and beloued of men Yf any man bryng in a contrarye doctrine vnto this and geueth not himselfe vnto the moost true wordes of the Lorde Iesu Christe nor obeyeth vnto this doctrine whiche beyng agreable vnto the gospell calleth not men vnto supersticious questions but vnto offices of godlynes suche one the lesse true knowledge he hathe the more he taketh vpon him For lyke as knowledge is a modest thinge euen so there is nothing more hyghe mynded or stubburne than folyshe ignoraunce And he yâ— is taken with that dysease and is turned awaye from the synceritie of the gospell outrageth about triflynge questions without consideracion of the lyfe braullyng with wordes which are so lytel auayleable vnto true godlynes yâ— they rather engendre a mischiefe of ChristiaÌ„ godlynes bycause that of suche maner brablyng strifes arryseth enuie whyle by dimynisshynge of other mens autoritie we seke autoritie vnto our selues There aryse also coÌ„tencions whilest by reason of hoot chiding wordes none wyll geue place vnto an other there aryse also scoldinges as often as the mattre groweth in to outrage there aryse also wycked suspicions against god whaÌ„ those thinges that ought to be beleued without questionyng are called by humayne reasonynges in to question as doubtefull thinges And many there be that as it were with a contagiousnes are infected with the rubbyng of this scabbe of men whose myndes are infecte with naughtye couetous lustes and beyng blynded therwith they see not the trueth of the gospel nor conferre their doctrine to this ende but rather they measure godlynes and religion by their owne gayne and woulde haue the thing to seme moost holye not that maketh other men more acceptable to God but that can bryng them selues to be best set by get them mooste auauntage But thou mayest not in any wyse thinke yâ— those men can be ouercommen with any dysputacioÌ„s For lacke knowledge is a stubburne matter And albeit they perceaue the trueth neuer so well yet they acknowledge it not bycause it is not for their profyte in comparison of the thing that they goe about for their owne purpose Sttyue not therfore with them bothe out of fassion and in vayne to But withdrawe thy selfe from their companie Let theim hunt after their pelfe let them make
wherein he euen that ryghteous iudge shall rendre vnto euerye one reward accordyng to their desertes For it is not for me only that this crowne of immortalitie is prepared but for all them also that laye holde vpon his promysses and kepe them selues vpryght and vndefyled waytynge gladlye for â—â—s commyng among whom I trust thou arte one of the chiefe Doo thy diligence to come to me as shortely as thou canst The pryson hyndreth me that I can not walke hyther and thyther to goe aboute the ghospelles busines and I am for saken al mooste of euerye bodye And to be shorte there are some thynges that I am desyrous to commende vnto the by myne owne mouthe â—ore my departyng The texte For Demas hath forsaken me and loueth this preseat worlde and is departed vnto â—hessalonicâ— â–ª Crescens is gone to Galacia â–ª â—itus vnto Dalmacia Only Lucas is with me â—ake â—arke and bryng him with the for he is profitable vnto me for the ministraâ—yon â–ª and Tichicus haue I sent to Ephesus The cloke that I left at Troada with Catpus â–ª â—â—eâ—â—hâ—â— comâ—est bryng with the and the bokes but specially the parchement Alexander the coppersmyth dyd me muche euyll the Lorde rewarde hym accordyng to his dedes of whom be thou ware also For he hath greatly withstande our wordes Demas hath forsaken me hauyng leauer to possesse thys worldes pleasures than in hope of immortal rewarde to be companion of myne affliccions Vpon this purpose he went to Thessalonica Crescens is gone hence into Galacia for busines that he hath there Titus in to Dalmatia Luke onely is with me for he neuer geueth ouer folowyng me what fortune so euer falleth Whan thou comest bryng Marke with thee for I haue nede of his seruice For I haue sent Tichicus about certaine busines vnto Ephesus And whan thou comest bring the cloke with thee that I left behynde me at Troada with Carpus that I maye weare it both in winter in prison also the reÌ„naunt of bokes that I left behynd me there especially those that are writen in perchemeÌ„t Alexander yâ— copper smyth hath not only forsakeÌ„ me in these stormes but hath also done me much sorow It is not my part to reueÌ„ge it but yâ— lord reward him as he hath deserued of whoÌ„ also be thou ware For he did not onely not assiste me but he did also vehemently withstande our sayinges The texte ¶ At my first answeringe no man assysted me but al forfoke me I praye god that it maye not be layde to their charges Not withstandynge the Lorde assysted me and strenghted me that by me the preaching should be fulfylled to the vtmoste and that all the Gentiles shoulde heare And I was delyuered out of the mouthe of the Lyon And the Lord shal delyuer me from all euyll doynge and shal kepe me vnto his heauenly kyngdome To whom be prayse for euer and euer Amen At the fyrst tyme that I was put to make answere at the Emperours barre no man assysted me all were afrayed and forsoke me Ther fell vpon them a certaine humayne toye I woulde not wyshe it to be imputed vnto them For albeit I was destitute of mans helpe the lorde forsoke me not but assisted me and gaue me strength that the preaching of the gospelles faythe should be perswaded to the vtmost by me and that the fame of it shoulde be spreade abrode vnto the eares of all the gentyles For vpon this consyderacion I suppose his wyll was to haue me tossed aboute throughe dyuerse countries at length to be brought vnto Rome so as that gospelles doctrine should be spred yâ— more farther abroade By the helpe of him that is mightier than any tyranne I was delyuered from the moste rageing lyons cheawes And myne assured trust is moreouer that the same lorde wyll delyuer me also hereafter from al the wyckednesse of yâ—â—â—ked that I shall not shrynke by any occasion from the syncerite of the gospell And yf I shall suffre death here yet he wyll preserue his seruaunt souldiour vnto his heauenly kyngdome vnto whome be glorye for euermore Amen The texte ¶ Salute Prisca and Aquila and yâ— housholde of Onesiphorus Erastus abode at Coâ—thum Trophimus haue I lefte at Miletum sicke Do thy diligence that thou maist câ—â—â— before wynter Eubolus greteth the and so do the Pudence and Lynus Claudya and â—â—â— the brethren The Lorde Iesus Christ be with thy spirite Grace be with you Amen Salute Prisilla and Aquila myne hospte and myne hospetes and Onâ—â—phorus househoulde vnto whom I am very muche bounden Erastus taryed styl at Corinthum To conclude I left Tromphimus behinde me at Myletus very euyll at ease Doe what thou canst to come hyther before wynter maâ—â— the waye to make it latte iournayeng Eubelus greteth the well and Pudeâ—â— and Claudia and all the rest of the brethren The lorde Iesus Christe which hathe alwayes assisted me be also with thy spirite Grace be with you Amen This haue I subscribed with myne owne hande that the Epistle maye be the more surely credited Thus endeth the Paraphrase vpon the later Epistle of the Apostle Paule to Tymothie To the right worshipfull master Iohn Hales his seruaunt Leonarde Coxe wysheth long and prosperouse welfare AFter that the Kynges Maiestie had by the aduyse and consent of his moste deare and prudente vncle my lorde protectoure and other of his moste honourable counsayle vpon certaine iuste consideracions put all the preachours within his graces dominions to silence for a space I howbeit of al the vnworthiest yet neuertheles one of yâ— nombre that is by his Maiestie licenced to declare the worde of god to his people thought it not mete for my parte to let this tyme of sylence to passe ouer onely in myne owne pryuate studyes but in the meane tyme to wryte some thinge that myghte be no lesse frutefull to the readers theÌ„ was my tongue afore to the hearers For this purpose I chose vnto me an autour of venerable antiquitie named Marke the heremite who in the Greke tongue had wrytten two ryght vertuouse and godly treatyses the one of the lawe of thâ— spirite and the other of them that thynke to be iustifyed by their workes But whyle I was on hande with this translacion Master Iohn Olde a man of ryght good learnynge and my very frende brought vnto me the paraphrase of Erasmus of Roterdame vpon saincte Paules Epistle to Titus the whiche I had certaineyeares gone translated into englyshe requiryng that I woulde peruse it againe and amende suche faultes as were therin eyther by the printers neglygence or myne ouersyght And so to place the texte with the paraphrase that it might easyly be perceaued what parte of the paraphrase to what parte of the Epistle is correspondeÌ„t And he shewed me also that as the first tome or volume of the same paraphrase vpon yâ— gospelles and actes of the Apostles was all readye printed so was the printer nowe about to go on hande with the
loue their husbandes to loue their children to be dyscret chaste housewyfely good obedyente to their husbandes that the word of god be not euyil spoken of Yong men lykewyse exhorte that they be sobre mynded On the same maner thou shalt warne olde wemen that they go apparayled after suche maner as becommeth them that wylbe named christian persones they must not fynde fautes with the lyuyng of other whiche faulte is peculiare to this sex and age They must not be geuen to ouermuche drinkynge of wyne How be it the vse of wyne must not be denyed to age so yâ— it be moderate They must teache maydens and yong wemen suche thinges as be honest no nycenes neyther euyll fasshions and so instruete them that they be wyse and loue theyr husbandes and childreÌ„ that they be sobre and chaste and kepars of their house and playe the good housewyfes For this is the hyest prayse yâ— can be in wemen to be knowen to be subiecte and obedyent to their husbandes that the name of God whose religion they professe be not flaundered thorowe their lewde maners For sithen we see the wyues of heathen men to behaue them selfes â—yghte womanly in suche poyntes belongyng to womanhed what shall the vnfaithful say whan they see our christen wemen worse in this behalfe theÌ„ their wemen are seyng it becometh them in al good maners to excell other Now what thing olde wemen must by thyne instruccion teache yong maydens and yong wyfes that same shalte thou thy selfe teache yong men exhortynge them to be sobre and of moderate affeccions that the heate of youthe ouerthrowe them not hedlonge into vice The texte ¶ In all thinges shewe thy selfe an ensample of good worckes in thy doctrine with honestye grauitie and with yâ— wholsome worde which cannot be rebuked that he whiche withstandeth maye be a shamed hauyng no euyll thinge to saye of you And that thou mayest the more effectuousely perswade these thinges firste of all be thou thy selfe an example vnto them of honest doynges in al that is the dutie of a true christian man to do For no man doeth soner perswade men to folowe his doctrine then he that doeth the same that he byddeth other men to do Thou shalte therfore so teache the youthe that together with thy doctryne thou shewe â–ª thy selfe a lyuely example of a pure and vpright lyfe corrupte with no maner of vyce at al. And that thou kepe suche grauitie that they haue theyr teacher in reuerence and be afeared to offende him Se therfore that thou moderate all thy lyfe and also thy wordes that there maye nothinge be founde in the that maye be contemned that not onely they whiche be vnder thy lore maye obey the but also they whiche afore were against the gospell maye be ashamed of their euyll saying whan they shall se all thinges in the so withoute blame that euen they that lye in wayte for the and seke all the meanes they can to get some occasion to laye somwhat against the can fynde nothing at all to brynge their entent to passe neyther in the nor in thyne The texte ¶ Exhorte seruauntes to be obedyent vnto their owne masters and to please them in all thinges not answerynge againe neyther to be pyckers but yâ— they shewe all good faithfulnes that they maye doe worshyp to the doctrine of god our saueour in all thinges Exhorte seruauntes that they be obediente to their masters and seruiceable in al thinges leste they maye seame thorowe the profession of yâ— christian faithe to be made worse than they were afore and so by them the naughtines of euyll parsons shal be reproched to yâ— gospell Let them not therfore be full of answers against their maysters and euyll wylled to do their commaundementes neither must they be pyekers as the commune sorte of vnthrifty seruauntes be that as they professe the faythe of Christe lykewyse they declare them selfes in all seruice to be done to their maysters to be dyligent and true yea thoughe theyr maisters do but lytle deserue it of them So that thorowe their honeste behauoure they commende and set forthe the doctrine of our saueoure god and that by them mo men maye be drawen to the folowynge therof whan theyse suche as knowledge themselfes to be christians to be more gentle and amyable then other in all their conuersacion The texte ¶ For the grace of god that bryngeth saluacion vnto all men hath appered and teacheth vs that we shoulde deny vngodlynes and wordlye lustes and that we should liue sobrely and righteously and godlye in this presente worlde lokynge for that blessed hope and appearynge of the glorye of the great god and of oure saueour Iesu Christe whiche gaue him selfe for vs to redeme vs from all vnrighteousnes and to purge vs a peculyar people vnto him selfe feruently geuen vnto good workes For in this thorowe the gospell hath shyned the bountefulnes and exceading great mercy of god our saueour whiche was afore vnknowen And it hath not shyned onely to the Iewes but egallye to all men not that nowe beyng delyuered from the burden of Moses lawe we shoulde lyue after our owne wyll but we be taught that after that by baptisme the faultes of our lyfe afore passed be forgeuen vs and that we swerynge to abyde in Christes doctrine haue ones renounced and geuen vp wyeked relygion and worshypping of images and al worldly desires we shoulde so lyue hereafter in this worlde that it may appere manifestly that we be truly new borne againe in Christe and made altogether other meÌ„ than we were afore And where as we tofore were the seruantes of wickednes synne anâ— fylthye concupiscence we must from hence forthe kepe suche moderacion that we be in no wyse oppressed with the desyres of worldly thinges Let vs so obserue the iustyce of liuynge that we do good to euery man as muche as lyeth in vs and that we hurte no man that we maye nowe with a pure conscience geue that honour and worshyp to god that we gaue afore to deuyls And thoughe paraduent are we be punished with pouertie infamie reuilynges enprisonement tormentes and dyuerse other euyls â–ª yet let vs not thynke yâ— oure faith and godly lyuyng is baraine and vnfrutefull nether let vs hunte after rewardes of this worlde whiche in comparison of thinges to come be neyther greate nor of any contynuaâ—ce but let vs â—oke for that greater rewarde of euerlastyng lyâ—e which shall then chaunce when after the ende of this worlde in the whiche the membres of Christ be vexed with many afflictions and ignomies god the father shall open his glorye and magnificence in them that be his true worshyppers all their miseries beyng cleane expussed At the whiche tyme he shal not appeare humble but gloriouse terrible to the wycked And together with yâ— father shal appeare in the same glorie our lord saueouer Iesus Christ geuyng vnto his membres yâ— glorye of immortalitie in yâ— which he now shyneth He bycause
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
the with pleÌ„teousnes to releue mo mo so yâ— there be no office of christian charitie but that thou maye be both acquaynted and tried in it The thynges that thou hast hitherto done already occasion vs to conceaue a more sure confidence in thee that we dare be bolde to recken vpon the in maters of greater weyghte For whan I doe consider that all that Christians haue are comâ—â—ne I am not a little ioyous and euen in these affliccions it was no smal coÌ„forte to me that thou o my brother waste so ready to deserue well of al men by â—â—â—nes of thy loue wherwith thou haste refreshed the sainctes heartes that are â—â—liicted with the sorowes of this worlde For in thys thy doing thou declarest â—y selfe to be a ryght brother The texte Wherfore thoughe I myght be bolde in Christ to commuande thee that whiche was â—y dewtye to do yet for loues sake I rather beseche the though I be as I am euen olde Paul and now a prisoner of Iesu Christ I beseche the for my sonne Onesimus whom I 〈◊〉 begotten in my bondes whiche in tyme passed was to the vnprofytable but nowe profitable both to the and to me whom I haue sent home agayne Thou therefore reâ—â—ue him that is to say myne owne bowels whom I woulde fayne haue retayned with me that in thy steade be myght haue ministred vnto me in the bondes of the ghospell Neuertheles without thy mynde woulde I do nothyng that the good which thou doest should not be as it were of necessitie but wyllyngly Wherfore hauyng the experience of these so many matters whereby thou declarest thy selfe to be a true folower of Christ I trusted excedynglye that I myght obteyne of the what I wyll albeit I commaunded the only as the father his sonne and as an Apostle his disciple namely in a matter of it selfe indifferent and agreable to the gospelles doctryne that thou professest whiche commaundeth that we by experience felynge the mercye of the Lorde in forgeuyng our debte shoulde lykewyse forgeue other yet I had rather to obteyne this at thyne handes by charitie than by myne authoritie and I woulde rather desire the as one brother desyreth another than commaunde the as a maister his scholar And thou shalt not disdayne suche a desyrour For in what thyng canst thou saye me naye that I desyre the yea euen I fyrst Paule whan I speake of Paule I meane maters vnto the that are not small than an olde man And muche is wonte to be graunted to a man for his age sake But thys geare is no nouelties to thee And nowe also a prisoner And in makyng of desyres euen the miserie of the besecher hath no small weight Last of al I am the prysoner of Christe Iesu And to suche a prisoner all ought to beare their fauour that professe the doctrine of Christe To a man that desyreth by so manye wayes thou couldest not saye nay althoughe he shoulde entreate the for anye man But nowe I entreate thee for my sonne whom I loue so muche the more renderly that I begate him not vnto Moses but vnto Christ not to the world but to the ghospell yea and I begate hym in my bondes nowe whan I shall shortely goe out of this worlde For parentes are wonte to loue their chyldren more inwardely whom they begate in their extreme olde age This is euen Onesimus that in tymes past whan he had robbed his mayster tunne a waye frome hym litell agreably to hys owne name that is to wete profytable and trustie nowe is cleane chaunged into an other sort and shal not only be trusly for thy profyte herafter but also he was profytable to me wyth hys seruyce in pryson Therfore I sende him to the home agayne for nowe he is become an other man And yf thou be the man that I trust thou art and yf olde Paule the prisoners commendacion standeth of any effecte with the thou shall receyue Onesimus not nowe as a runneagate seruaunt but as the thynges that I sâ—â— moost stoore by and my syngularly welbeloued sonne It is agaynst my wyll that I sende him home agayne For I had rather kepe him styll with me if it were but for this cause that he should represent thee vnto me in these bondes For I doubt not but inasmuche as thou shewest so muche charitie towardes all others for the ghospelles sake thou woldest in case thou were here minisâ—â—â— also to me in these bondes where with I am tyed for the gospelles sake But nowe he is founde vnsought for by whom thou mayest ministre vnto me beyng absent thy selfe Howbeit I woulde do nothing without thyne aduise â—â—â— yf in vsyng myne autoritie I shoulde do it vpon myne owne head although thou wouldest haue taken my dede in good parte yet thy well doinge should haue the lesse commendacion yf it semed to be ioyned with any necessitie Not I sent him home agayne so as it maye be in thy choyse eyther to kepe hymâ—â—â—â— with the or to sende him to me agayne Yf thou sende him agayne thy doinge shall haue so muche the more prayse in that it is not enforced but freely doâ—â— and of thyne owne mynde The texte For happly he therfore departed for a season that thou shouldest receaue him for euer not now as a seruaunt but aboue a seruasit euen a brother beloued specially to me but how much more vnto the both in yâ— fleshe also in yâ— lord If yâ— couÌ„te me therfore a felow receaue hym as my selfe If he haue done the any hurt or oweth the oughte yâ— laye to my charge I Paul haue writteÌ„ it with mine own hand I wyl tecoÌ„pence it So yâ— I do not say to the how yâ— thou owest vnto me euen thâ—ne own selfe also EueÌ„ so brother let me enioy the in yâ— lord CoÌ„fort my bowels in the lord Trusting in thyn obedience I wrot vnto the knowyng yâ— thou wylt also do more theÌ„ I say Moreouer prepare me lodging for I trust yâ— thorow the helpe of your prayeâ—s I shal be geuen vnto you Ther salute the Epaphras my felowe prysoner in Christ Iesu Marcus Atistarcus Demas Lucas my helpers The grace of our Lorde Iesu Christe be with your spirite Amen Doe not thynke vpon his runnyng awaye He hath recompensed the fault of his sâ—eing with his wel doyng he hath washed it away by baptisme he hath done it away with teares And how wootest thou whether it come so to passeby the dispensacion of Gods prouidence yâ— his fault might turne to good both to vs to him The iudgemeÌ„tes of god be secret Perchaunce he was for this purpose taken away froÌ„ thee for a season that for a seruauÌ„t being but for a season for bonde seruice endurethe no longer than for terme of lyfe thou mightest receyue him for euer It is for euer whatsoeuer the gospel bringeth forth that thou shouldest receiue him againe now not as a bond seruauÌ„t but as a most dere brother Truely vnto me that
shall worke with the wicked and vngodly in the whole worlde according to his nature wickednes And he shall styrte his wicked armye warriers Gog and Magog of whom the Prophetes do muche speake And they are the greate and infinite nomber of the enemyes of God of the holy doctrine of the ghospel and of all holy congregations of true and faythfull Christians whiche are called and are in dede the very true Ierusalem whiche dwell vpon earth as citizens of a fortunate holy quiet and honorable citie and comunaltie Agaynste this holye citie and comunaltie shal sathan fyght a newe batell with his armye and men of warre with all his power myght and wyckednes and shall attempte and goe aboute to ouercome theÌ„ to deceyue them and to make them to forsake the trueth of God and shall worke all meanes to destroye soules And thys shall he doe in the whole worlde He shall spare no laboure to compasse aboute and to besege not the stony citie of Ierusalem in Iewry but as it is sayde before the holye christendome vpon earth the cytie of the faythfull citizins namely the godlye elect But the grace and mercie of God towarde his beloued and the promesse of Christ towarde his churche is greater and stronger than the wickednes and power of Gog and Magog the wycked warrieis agaynst Christ which shall consume them with fyre euen as he did stryke Senacharibs army vpon an hundreth thousande and .iiii. score and .v. thousand in one night thorough one of his aungels and brought them into asâ—hes with the fyre of Goddes vengeaunce and ryghtuous iudgement And euen vpon that shall folowe the generall iudgement of God by the whiche the deuil with all his hoost coÌ„panye shall be throwen into euerlastyng payne damnation which is resembled vnto a lake graue of fyre and brymstone in the whyche the dragon the beast al false prophetes shal be tormented day and nyght that is to say perpetuallye without ende And that shall be the seconde death The texte And I sawe a great white seate and hym that sat on it from whose face fled awaye both the yearth and heauen their place was nomore founde And I saw the dead bothe great and smale stande before God And the bokes were opened another boke was opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged of those thynges whyche were writen in the bokes accordyng to their dedes and the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death hel deliuered vp the dead which were in theÌ„ they wer iudged euery maÌ„ according to his dedes And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire Thys is the seconde death And whosoeuer was not founde writen in the boke of lyfe was cast into the lake of fyre The great general ryghtuous most iust and last iudgement of God whaÌ„ as yâ— who le world shal be iudged is here described by the great and whit stoole Which shall be greuous heuy and intolerable vnto the rebellious disobedyent wycked and obstinate contemners of Gods holy worde the euerlastynge ghospell of Christ But it shall be ioyfull swete pleasant delectable welcome and acceptable as most hartely desyred and loked for vnto the godly faythful humble elcte of God The iudge vpoÌ„ the stoole is our sauiour Iesus Christ dreadful and feareful vnto al the world vnto such earthly meÌ„ which haue set their marke ende loue hope felicitie vpon the earth in those thinges wherin the worlde deliteth as are fleshely lustes pride of life al wickednes lack of loue both toward god the neighbour And therfore the earth sygnifieth yâ— men that dwel vpoÌ„ the earth the deuils which remayne in earth in the ayer which is also called heaueÌ„ which are thrust out of their places habitacions no more found therin but in the place habitacioÌ„ which the iust iudgemeÌ„t omnipotencie of God hath prepared for theÌ„ in the earth that is most wide distant from the kingdom of heauen Vnto this dredfull and terrible iudgement of God shal come stand before the iudgemeÌ„t seate of God and Christ all those whiche were deade both masters and seruauntes great and small hyghe and lowe myghtie and vnmyghtie men and women yong and olde none excepte Than shal the heartes consciences thoughtes and secretes of al men be opened and dysclosed not onely vnto them whiche shal and must than knowledge them selues giltye and worthye of eternall damnacion but also vnto the other For as than shal all wickednes of the conscience be open euydent and manifest For they shall accuse and condemne them selues without any cloke or excuse whan as they shall beholde all men and shall reade with perfyte vnderstandynge and with feare and tremblynge the other great boke of gods rightuousnes and equite of his warnynges doctrine instruccions and threatnynges whiche they haue had sufficiently in this worlde euery one in their tyme thorowe gods mercyfull and fatherly prouision and sendynge but they haue vtterly contemned and despysed them with all the righteousnes godlynes that they haue taught And they woulde nothing regarde nor esteme the holy worde of God which was geuen vnto the worlde in the holy scripture for a perfyte rule and square but they would neuer credyte nor beleue it but rashly against their owne conscience haue refused and contemned it And therfore shall they be wyped out of the regyster booke of the faithfull and of them whiche shall lyue perpetually with God and withal his peculiar electe in eternal ioy blisse And thus they shal remaine continually in the eternall indignacion of God in euerlasting hate enuy most painfull tormentes and great impacience and continuall sorowe in so muche that their eternall death shall also be with corporall payne and tormente of the bodye euen with the whole felowship of the deuyll and that without any ende or ceasynge This iudgement and heuy daye shall no man be able to escape and auoyde whether he be consumed in the earth in the fyre or in the see For all this standeth in the hande of yâ— almightie power of God whiche with one word wyll and commaundement made all elementes heauen and earth and all that is therin And where he sayeth that the hell shoulde geue vp her deade vnderstande therby as in many other places of holy scripture the graues in yâ— earthe or wheresoeuer they be out of the whiche the deade shall ryse vp and they that shall be than alyue as S. Paule saieth shall be changed in a shorte space in the twincklynge of an eye to stande together before the iudgement seate of God with them whiche shall be iudged to euerlastinge lyfe or death But euery one of them whiche shal appeare and shall know them selues manifestly shal iudge them selues accordynge as they haue done after or against the wyll of God in faith or infydelite in loue or contempt of god in the feare of God
also all that is abhominacion vnto the lorde as ydolatry abhominable blasphemies forged lyes false doctrine shall haue no place in the right churche For vnto the right holy churche which is knoweÌ„ onely vnto God and inuisible vpon earthe doe onely the electe children of God perteyne whose names are wrytten in heauen in the booke of the lyuynge ¶ The .xxii. Chapter The texte ¶ And he shewed me a pure ryuer of water of lyfe clere as Christ all procedyng out of the seate of God and of the lambe In the myddes of the strete of it and of eâ—her â—yde of yâ— ryuer was ther wood of lyfe which bare twelue maner of frutes gaue frute euery moneth and yâ—â—eues of the wood serued to heale the people with al. And ther shal be no more cuâ—se but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal se his face his name shal be in their forheades And ther shal be no night there and they nede no candle nether lyght of the sunne for the Lorde geueth them lighte and they shall raygne for euermore CHrist openeth vnto Iohn his deare beloued disciple the secrete misteries of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ expoundeth the visions of the other prophetes as farre furth as is requisite necessary for the christen doctrine And thus Iohn seeth here a pure ryuer of water very clere whiche is the holy scripture the worde of god the doctrine of Christ the holy gospel of our saluacioÌ„ That same is clere vnto al them that haue a pure heart mynde not defyled nor blemished with transitorye loue care of yâ— worlde nor with any temptacions of the flesshe This holy doctrine procedeth commeth out froÌ„ the holy spirite of god and of Christ For he is one God with yâ— father the sonne He is the seate of glorye of omnipotencie of the godheade He procedeth out from the welspring of all wysedom grace mercye and floweth throughe the myddes of al streates of Christes churche which is the citie of god of the lambe And of both sides of yâ— riuer doe staÌ„de glorious bewtiful trees of lyfe which receyue their increase their leaues and frute of the moysture of the riuer And these trees are the holy fathers of the faithful christen churche of the olde new testament whiche by their faith and by their vnderstandynge and readyng of the holy scripture of the lawe of the prophetes and of the gospell haue lyued taught and wrought very frutefully in the holy citie of the churche and haue brought forthe twelue maner of frutes that is to saye many frutes and haue serued god without ceasynge with muche frute and profyte in right and true good woâ—kes and vertuous exercises The leaues frute and sappe of these holy trees were very holsome and soueraine as were also the frutes of the dysciples of the prophetes and apostles For the holy bysshops and preachers of Gods worde dyd make repentance faithfull holy and christen people by their preachinge â—eachinge wrytinge prayers and christen example of lyfe of them whiche were before very hethen And in this churche there is no cursed frute and no meate is vncleane vnto the faithfull For they shall receyue and inioy all maner of frutes and meates with thanckes geuynge and with all temperatenes and measure Neyther shall the holy goost be extingwysshed in the holy churche of God but he shall prouyde ministers of God and shall incorage and comforte them with his ayde and assystence that they shall profyte goe forwarde and procede frutefully in all goodnes and thorowe true faithe they shall knowe the face of God his gracious and mercifull wyll and pleasure in this militant warrfarynge churche but in the heauenly Ierusalem they shall knowe him face to face euen as he is and shall laude and prayse him euerlastingly And these ministers and seruantes of God shall not be ashamed to knowledge and to confesse the name of god the christen faith the holy gospel They shal beare about preache and glorifie the name of Christ openly with ioy delyght and pleasure And neyther Sunne nor Moone shal helpe or adde any thing to this cleare and bright daye of gods knowledge for the spirite of God shall doe all together And the blissed soules in heauen haue their Sunne and Moone the glasse of the godheade the excellent bewty of the glorified and exalted manhode of Christe wherby they shall reygne in blisse for euermore The texte ¶ And be sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithful and true And the Lorde God of saintes and prophetes sent his angell to shewe vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche must shortly be fulfylled Beholde I come shortly Happy is he that kepeth the sayinge of the Prophecy of this boke I am Iohn whiche saw these thinges and hearde them And wheÌ„ I had hearde sene I fell downe to worship before yâ— fete of the angel which shewed me these thinges And he said vnto me sâ— thou â—â— it not for I am thy felow seruaunt the felowe seruaunt of â—hy brethren the prophetes and of them which kepe the saynges of this booke But worshippe God Christ speaketh vnto Iohn and geueth witnesse and testimonye vnto this booke of Reuelacion of secrete misteries that al whiche is written in this booke is certen and true and not to be contemned and taken as any trifle or fable For this booke was ordeyned of God to be spoken thorow an angell vnto Iohn that he should write it and should leaue it behynde him in yâ— faithfull and holy churche of Christ Euen yâ— same god whiche reueled vnto other holy prophetes and men of God thinges that were to come the very same God hath now sent his angel geuen him in commission to open reuele vnto Iohn these visions and prophecies of thinges to come whiche should happen come to passe be fulfilled very shortly yâ— is to say they should shortly begin so happen and come to passe one after another vntil they be all fulfylled Beholde with certen thinges wil I come very shortly The comming of Christ is prophecied vnto vs after suche sorte forme yâ— we should carfully diligently wayte for it continuallye lyke as true faithful seruantes doe waite watche vpoÌ„ yâ— returning of theyr masters doe neuer slepe as Christ teacheth in yâ— gospel And because this boke shoulde not be contemned nor lyghtly estemed in the christen churche therfore Christ sayethe by his messenger and angell that he is happye that is to saye he is the seruaunte of God and pleaseth the Lorde well and shall be partaker of grace and saluacion whiche beleueth this booke â–ª taketh all thinges that are written therin for true holy and estemeth yâ— prophecies of this boke whiche are many and diuerse no lesse than other holy bookes of the prophetes and euangelistes other holy prophecies And where as he saieth â–ª I
therfore this preachers or that preachers buylding endure and abyde in the fyer let suche one looke for no worldely prayse at mens handes but yet sure is he to haue reward of God for whose sake he toke payne but if eythers worke be with fyre destroyed the workeman shall lose his labour and be defrauded of his rewarde although himselfe escape free yet escapeth he as they that out of burnyng conuey themselfes naked for whom there aresteth nothing els to be doen but with charges to buylde agayne vpon the foundacion suche a worke as is meete for the same The chiefe and moste ready waye had been to teache suche as haue professed Christe nothing but that whiche is for a christian man necessarie But if teachers doe not so nor the hearers then must both take double paynes whiche must vnteache theyr scolers that they taught them and to vnlearne those thinges whiche they before learned For there is hope of saluacion as long as Christe the foundacion remayneth Howe agreeth vncleane lyfe with this profession Howe agree colde and waterishe ceremonies with the fyery and burning charitie of Christe Punishement shall they suffre at Gods hande as they haue well deserued whiche with theyr doctrine corrupte you The texte Knowe ye not that ye are the temple of God and howe that the sprete of God dwelleth in you If any man defyle the temple of God him shall God destroy For the temple of God is holy whiche temple ye are Let no manne deceyue himselfe If any manne seme wyse among you let him become a foole in this worlde that he may be wise For the wisedome of this worlde is folyshnes with God For it is written he compasseth the wyse in theyr craftinesse And agayn God knoweth the thoughtes of the wyse that they be vaine Therfore let no man reioyce in men For al thinges are yours whether it be Paul either Apollo either Cephas whether it be the worlde either lyfe either death whether they be presente thynges or thynges to come all are youres and ye are Christes and Christe is Gods Knowe ye not that ye are as a temple consecrate vnto God which the heauenly spirite of God possesseth sanctifieth Yf suche one be punished as doeth defile a temple that is halowed by manne will not God destroy him that defyleth his temple Endeuour must we dilygently that this temple be kepte pure and holy synce God hath once by his holy spirite cleansed and halowed it Kepe it cleane may ye by vnhurtefull lyfe with christian conuersacion and maners But if ye bee to muche desyrouse of honoure or yf ye bee leach â—rouse or geuen to stryfe and debate and to suche other wylfulnes then suspende ye and defile it Sythe then ye are the temple of god buylded with lyuelye stones verye wicked certaynely and vngodlye is he that prouoketh anye of your companye to suche maners condicions and learnynges as are not with Christe agreable Christe deceyueth no manne especiallye none of them that leane to hym Let euery manne beware that he deceyue not hymselfe whyles he vndiscretely trusteth vpon mannes helpe Looke ye not for blysse and felicitie either by your Philosophie or by the lawe Nor lette one manne presumptuously thynke hymselfe better than other because he is in worldlye learnyng excellente but lette hym rather that in worldly reputacion thinketh hymselfe wyse wyselye waxe folyshe that he maye bee wyse in deede Lette hym forsake to be the proude teacher of folyshe wysâ—dome and he shall be meete to be the scholer of verye wyse folyshnes For euen as the ryches of this worlde make not a manne truelye ryche as the honoures of the worlde make not a manne truelye noble and as the pleasures of the worlde make not a manne truely blessed euen so the wysedome of this worlde maketh not a man truely wyse before god whose iudgement no manne can deceyue be he neuer so wyse in the sighte of the worlde God mocketh at this wysedome whiles he declareth it not onely not to be that whereby we attayne saluacion but also to be that whiche hyndereth oure saluacion by reason that it maketh men to be proude and fyerse and therefore very harde to be taught This was long before spoken of in the booke whiche is intitled of the pacience of Iob when of God he speaketh on this wyse whiche compasseth the wise in theyr owne wilines And agayne in the lxiii Psalme the Lorde knoweth the thoughtes of menne that thinke themselues to be wyse that they be vayne and vnable to perfourme suche thynges as they promise Since therfore all the pythe of oure saluacion is altogether of god men maye of this vsurpe no porcion as theyr owne nor geue any parte of this glorye to man as the chiefe doer since the whole shoulde be surrendred to God And synce ye are one bodie ioyned together by mutuall charitie vnmete is it that one of you shoulde sticke to one phantasie and another to another phantasie when all thynges are youres indifferentlye Whether Paule or Apollo or Cephas be of anye authoritie or not this is sure by goddes free gifte they haue one equal authoritie for youre profite or if the worlde bee in a rore agaynste you it shall finallye bee for your profite or if we lyue any longer liue shall we to establyshe you in this learnyng or yf we dye then dye we to strengthen you by oure exaumple or yf we bee in presente pleasures we passe not muche vpon them because they are soone goen or yf thynges to come moue you laboure stoutelye and with a courage towarde them whiche albeit ye see not with youre bodelye iyes yet see ye them with the iyes of your fayth Awaye therfore with names of sectes and diuision since all thynges throughe one chiefe maister are youres equally albeit your selues are not your owne men in suche sorte yâ— ye can geue any man right title vpoÌ„ you but ye long to Iesus Christ to whoÌ„ al we together owe our selues and for Christ are we bounde to god the chiefe Lord and ruler of al thinges whiche by hym hath geuen vs all goodnes The .iiii. Chapter The texte Let a man this wyse esteme vs euen as the ministers of Christe and stewardes of the secretes of God Furthermore it is required of the stewardes that a man be found faithfull With me is it but a very small thyng that I should be iudged of you eyther of maâ—s iudgement No I iudge not myne owne selfe For I knowe â–ª nought by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified It is the Lorde that iudgeth me Therefore iudge nothyng before the tyme vntill the Lorde come which will lighten thinges that are hid in darkenes and â—pen the councels of the hertes And then shall euery man haue prayse of God LEt euery man then that wyll vnfaynedly and truely reioyse glorie and reioyse in his name nor esteme vs as chiefe auctours and maysters but as reason woulde suche shoulde bee regarded
whiche lyke seruauntes are occupyed in Christes affayres and as suche ought to be taken whiche as stuardes bestowe others goodes committed vnto theyr credence the secrete misteries of God I saye and not of men Synce then all suche of what behauour soeuer they be haue taken in hande the orderyng of a verye weyghtie matier but yet another mannes let menne loke for nothyng els in them wherfore they shoulde be had in price but that they faythfully bestowe that wherewith god hath put them in truste for none other intente and purpose but for Christes glorie Deceytfull stuardes are they whiche in stede of godly doctrine teache mennes phantasies and abuse your obedience for theyr lucre and pryde whiche vnder the prentense of the gospell promote and further theyr owne matiers and vnder the shadowe of Christes glory seeke to beare a tyrannouse rule which albeit they blynde mēnes iudgemētes yet deceiue they not god of whome to be allowed is the highest treasure that can be For I coumpte it but a small matier by your onely iudgemētes to be allowed or disallowed ▪ yea or by any mannes iudgement els wh◠soeuer he be It is so impossible that one man shoulde well iudge of another mannes conscience that I dare not geue sentence vpon my selfe whether I deserue to be praysed of god or not Doen haue I the beste that I coulde to accomplyshe the office wherunto I was appoynted and I cannot remembre my selfe of any harme or fraude and yet dare I not thereby clayme to be a righteouse man For it might be that I haue doen some thing vnawares otherwyse than it shoulde haue been eyther by reason that I haue passed my bondes or haue kepte my selfe to muche within them The whiche because it is knowen onely to god he is the onely iudge of my office Let vs make hym iudge then of hydden and vnknowē matiers whose iyes beholde all thynges whiche wyll when he seeth his tyme geue sentence vpon euery matier Vnmete therfore is it that ye beyng but seruauntes shoulde preuēte goddes iudgement iudgeyng men before the time come For it is out of season to geue sentence vpon other vntyll the Lorde come to iudge both heauēlye earthly and thinges vnder the earth Then shall he by his iudgement bring to light all thing that is no we hydden in darkenesse and open that before all mennes iyes whiche nowe being hydden in the priuey corners of mannes harte is not by mennes consciences perceyued Then shall we receiue of him whose iudgemētes are sure and vndeceyueable rewardes according to our desertes He that hath without corrupciō doen his duetie be he of men neuer so litle praysed shall of God receiue an euerlasting rewarde and he that doeth contrary be he neuer somuche made of and praysed among menne shall by the iudgemente of God be putte to shame and suffre punishment The texte These thinges brethren I haue for an ensample described in myne owne person and in Apollos for your sakes that ye might learne by vs that no man counte of hymselfe beyonde that whiche is aboue wrytten that one swell not agaynst an other for any mannes cause For who preferreth the What haste thou that thou hast not receyued yf thou haue receyued it why reioysest thou as though thou haddest not receyued it Nowe ye are full nowe ye are made ryche ye raygne as kinges without vs and I would to God ye dyd raygne that we myght raygne with you But to be playne with you hytherto haue I framed my tale by my selfe and by Apollo not because we are the beginners of any suche secte for neyther take we any thyng vpon vs and among you none is there that braggeth hymselfe to bee of Paules secte or of Apollos but because I perceyued that there are among you diuerse fauourers of diuerse sectes leste some myght haue been prouoked to impaciencie I thought it beste in fayned names to sette furth the matter that when this Epistle shoulde be read openly among you euery man myght secretly examine his owne conscience And so is this matter which would elswise haue caused much spyte and hatred opened in our names that ye maye quietly perceyue howe vncomely certayne of you triumphe and braggue vpon the names of false Apostles and despise euery man in comparison of themselfe surrenderyng vngodly that vnto menne whiche is dewe to God whiche for none other purpose exalte eche of them for their parte the dignitie of their owne Apostle but because themselfes would be had in greater estimacion iudgyng in this euen as folyshlye of themselfe as of them in whose behalfe they doe arrogantly braggue and crake These thynges perhaps myght be suffred yf they were onely folyshe but now syth by them deadly debates aryse the matter cannot bee cloked Ye ought not to esteme menne that supply the Apostles office but as reason would that stewardes and best wars of other mennes goodes should be regarded nor should any manne crake in this mannes name or that synce all that they doe is of God Consideryng these thinges with my selfe I cannot but meruayle why eyther your Apostles are so shamefully desirouse of honour that they clayme vndiscretly that as theyr owne which is Christes or why the disciples rather reioyce and triumphe of a man which is but a seruaunte than of God which is the chiefe doer I prouoke the to aunswere whosoeuer thou bee that standeste in thyne owne conceyte or discontenteste thy selfe because of the counterfayete glorye of hym of whom thou haste receyued baptisme being but a small matter who is authour of this difference that one semeth therby to haue receiued more and an other to haue receiued lesse Yf any of you be baptised yea and that by an Apostle in a golden lauer or in a lauer of preciouse stones or if that be not sufficient by a chiefe Apostle whose porte and wealthe admyt to passe kinges ryches and haue princes to your god fathers who dare saye that this manne hath receyued more than yf he had been baptised in a fygge tree trough by any of Peter the fyshers seruauntes or by any of my seruauntes whiche am a coriar Once agayne I prouoke the to aunswer whosoeuer thou art whiche so west this folishe errour into simple peoples myndes or rather abusest theyr errour whiche ought to be amended tell me yet once at last what is that whereof thou art proude Teachest thou thyne owne learning or others yf thou teache thine owne then preachest thou thyne owne glory and not the glory of Iesus Christ Yf thou preache others learnyng howe durst thou take that vpon the as thyne owne whiche thou haste receiued of God Yf thou beleue that learning to be thine owne whiche God hathe geuen the who is more blinde than thou Yf thou vnderstand that it is none of thyne and doest yet boast and crake thy selfe therof as though it were thyne owne who is more shamlesse than thou Howe great and to what heyght are ye Corinthians come from
And hys will is that you care for youre seruauntes commoditie through reasonable commaunding and not to presse theÌ„ with tirannie These thynges that we haue hitherto treated of tend to this end that you should aswel be lyke vnto your head Christ in holines of life as to agree together among your selues in mutuall concorde The texte Finally my brethren be stronge through the Lorde and through the power of his might Put on all the armoure of God that ye maye stande againste the assaultes of the deuill For we wrestle not against bloode and fleshe but againste rule against power against worldly rulers euen gouernoures of the darckenes of this worlde against spirituall craâ—tyues in heueÌ„ y thinges Whertore take vnto you the whole armoure of God that ye maye be hable to resist in the euell daie and stande perfecte in all thynges Stande therfore and your loynes girde with the trueth hauyng on the brestplate of righteousnes and hauing shoes on youre â—ere that ye maye bee prepared for the Gospell of peace Aboue all take to you the shilde of faithe where with ye maye quenche all the ficrie dartes of the wicked And take the helmet of saluacion and the â—â—â—â—de of the spirite whiche is the woorde of God Now this remayneth for a finall conclusyon that forasmuche as the wieked doe lay sundry engines to ouerthrowe your tranquillitie you must also bee armed with a strong lustie inward conscience to resist them not with the ayde of your owne powers but by the meane of the lorde Jesus your defendour who will not suffer hys bodye to be destitute Verely as for vs we are feble members but he is valeaunt and mightie that hath taken vpon him to be our protectour Desyre therefore of him all maner of spirituall armour and weapons that therwith being in euery poynt surely harnessed you may be hable to stand valeauntly agaynst the assaultes of the deuil For we haue not warre and battayl with men whose wronges our duetie is to ouercome with pacyence But our battayl is with wicked spirites the enemyes and foes of Christe whose champions and instrumentes those are that ragingly assault vs. And by their ministery the princes and powers of deuils geue battail against vs froÌ„ aboue and exercise theyr tirannye vpon suche as bee addycte vnto them throughe the naughtinesse of thys worlde and lay wayte in the darkenes of this worlde for those that loue the lyght of the Gospel Agaynste those I say we must necessarily abyde battayll and they are not onely mightye of strength but also exceadingly perfite in spirituall pollicie and that in the coastes of the ayre so as they may the easelier come vpon vs and so as it is the harder for vs to apprehende them To warre agaynst this kinde of enemies no humayne weapons nor armour can doe any good But it is the onely armour of God that must defende vs from harme Therefore as often as you must entre battayl with your aduersaries doe alwayes as noble warriers are accustomed whan they haue a doe with a daungerous enemie Get on all your harnesse and doe euery thyng accordyngly that whan the daunger of the battayl shal be you may be hable to kepe your place and stedfastly stand vpon the sure rocke Christ Whan menne goe to warre one agaynst an other fyrste they couer themselues on euery syde that they lye not open any way to theyr enemies ordinaunce Than they make ready to beaâ—e backe the inuader The middle partes of theyr bodies because of the tendernes they girde with an Apron of maile The vpper partes they harnesse with a brest plate Upon the legges and feete they weare bootes and an helmet vpon the head Than on the lefte syde a shylde is buckled to kepe of all arowe shot And so in like case you that haue spiritual battayl with wicked spirites continually in steede of the girdle put on trueth to girde vp the loines of your mynde so as you stande vpryghte and shrynke not at any naughtie enticement of false goodes and false opinions For the breste plate put on innocencie and righteousnes to kepe the inward partes of your mynd safe and sure with the mayles of vertue and godlines For bootes to put on the legges and fete loke you haue a sincere affeccion that coueteth after nothing but such thinges as be heauenly and is afrayde of nothyng but onely of vngodlines so as you may be alwayes readilye prepared to defende the Gospell whose defence consilieth not in styrryng of tumulte but in patience and quietnesse And for that cause sake it is called the gospel of peace The preachers wherof the prophete in times past respecting was in an admiracion to considre howe excellently fayre their feete were But we must diligently see yâ— we haue in continual readinesse on euery syde yâ— buckeler of faythe wherby we maye assuredly trust to all the promyses of God What larum so euer happeneth with this buckeler it shal be vaynquished what fyrie dartes so euer our subtill aduersary shall throwe at vs this buckeler shal kepe theim of so as none of theim shal pearce any parte of oure liuely membres For what thing can wounde the soule that defieth death it selfe And if you haue also with this buckler the helmet of a vigilaunt mynde that can take good circumspect hede you nede not in any wise to be afraid of your health Finally haue alwaies in your right hand the sword of the spirite aswel to cut of naughtie lustes from your mindes and to pearce to the inwarde partes of the harte as also to kepe of the resistours of the gospels veritie and to suppresse false head that trueth may preuayle This sworde is the worde of God that pearceth with a constaunt power of fayth not after the maner of mannes cutting reason but rather renneth through than cutteth For the woorde of man is but a weake watrishe woorde forasmuche as it entreateth onely of vayne transitorye matters But the woorde of god is effectual and can skil of nothing out of heauenly thinges and pearceth through vnto the ioyntes of the soule and searcheth euen to the inwarde boanes and marye These be the enemies that Christians haue battail withal wheras with men they are at peace And these are the weapoÌ„s wherwith they defend themselues and get the vietorie not with their own powers but by the helpe of Christ the mightie Captayn through whose luckie ayde theyr batayl hath good successe The texte And praye alwayes with all maner of praier and supplication in the spirite watche therunto with all instaunce and supplicacion for all sainctes and for me that vtteraunce maye bee geuen vnto me that I maye open my mouthe frely to vtter the secretes of my gospet whereof I am messenger in bondes that therein I may speake frely as I ought to speake But that ye may also knowe what condicion I am in and wher I dooe Tichicus the dere brother and faythfull minister in the Lorde shall shewe