thretned to euyl seruantes / so theyr is a rewarde promysed to good seruantes and a payne to euyll seruauntes / whiche god wyll gyue when he seyth his tyme. ☞ And ye maysters do euen the same vnto them puttynge awaye threatnynges and know that eueÌ„ your mayster also is in heuen neyrher is there any respecte of persoÌ„nes with hym ⧠Here he sheweth the office of maisters to theyr seruauntes / sayeng It is the offyce of the mayster to shewe hiÌ„selffe meke and gentle to his seruantes whome they suffer nat to wante necessaries neyther to wante meate ne clothe / nat to entreate theÌ„ with great hardnes / fearsnes or cruelnes nat to lay great burdiÌ„ges vpon theyr backes / or to put them to iÌ„tollerable labours and paynes / but that the maysters shulde thynke their seruantes to be men made to the symilitude of god / redemed by the preciouse bloude of Christe to be heyres and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen as wel as they Fynally let maysters so order them selfes towardes theyr seruantes and be so louyng / so kynde / so gentle / that of theyr seruaÌ„tes they may be more loued then dred / do more for theyr loue then for feare / or for profyte 2 Puttynge awaye threatnynges / the lorde coÌ„maundeth the maysters nat onely to put away betynges / and punysshementes / but also all cruel threatnynges fears and fell wordes whiche maketh the seruaÌ„tes oftymes to runne awaye and forsake his maister contrary to the lawe of God This place reproueth fears / fell and cruel maysters frowarde to theyr seruauntes / that threate great and greuous plages / punysshementes thynkynge they shall do more with rhough rygorouse meanes theÌ„ with louynge wordes and gentle facyons but such frowarde maisters deceyueth theÌ„ selfe / for gentylnes wyll do more with an honest seruant and with hym that feareth god then any rough wordes or rygorous maners / for there be fewe seruauntes that be amended by bunchynge beatyng or other greuouse punyshement yf he nede muche punysshement it is a token he is an euyll seruant and lytyl regardeth his profyce or his Maysters profyte honestye or worshyppe 3 And knowe that your Mayster is in heuen / he sheweth the cause why maysters shulde entreat theyr seruauntes gently remyt to them plages / punyshemenentes and threatnynges / because god the father which is in heaueÌ„ is the Lorde of the seruauntes as well as he is of the maysters and wyll make the seruauntê equal with the maysters in Heauen / for God dothe nat regarde ê‘sonnes of men / whether they be maysters or seruauntes / but loketh at euery mannes office and deuty / and whom he fyndeth hath done theyr offyce deuty well he wyll rewarde them with a greate rewarde and whom he fyndeth negligent in his offyce not done his deutye / he wyl punyshe whether they be maysters or serseruauntes ☞ Fynally my brethren be strong in the Lorde and in the power of his myght / put on the armoure of God / that ye maye stande stedfaste agaynst the crafty assaultes of the deuyll / for we wrestle nat agaynst flesshe and bloude / but agaynst rule agaynst power namely agaynst the rulers of the worlde of the darkenes of thys worlde / agaynste the spyrytes of wyckednes vnder the Heauen ☞ The Apostle here before hathe exhorted men to the vnite of the spirite / to peace to concorde and hath shewed certayne degrees howe they shall lyue in their state to their deuty / as what is the duety of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / of the chyldren to their parentes / and of the parentes to theyr chyldren of the seruantes to theire maysters / and of maisters to their seruauntes Nowe he sheweth that these that wyl lyue after the rule dyscribed to them of Paule / that soÌ„tyme they shall haue enymies and temptacions of the deuyl whome they muste resyst and ouercome / and here he sheweth what armoure they muste haue to fyght agaynste enemyes / and by what weapons they shal ouer come enemyes Therfore he coÌ„maundeth them to be strong nat in them selfe in their owne myghtes or powers / but in the lorde and in the powers of the lorde by the whiche the enemyes shal be ouercommed yf we be stronge in the Lorde we nede nat to feare enemyes / for the Lorde is stronge ynoughe to ouercome enemyes and all aduersaries / and we by him / for he hath cure of vs and wyll defende vs from enemyes yf we truste in him 2 Put on the armoure of God / that ye may stande stedfaste agaynste the craftye assaultes of the deuyl In these wordes he sheweth with what weapons we shal be armed that we maye stande stedfast and sure agaynste the assaultes and craftes of the deuyll and to ouercome him and his temtations put away / by the whiche he temteth vs / as by carnal pleasure of the fleshe by couetousnes of ryches or of desyres of worldly / honoures by threatnyng or feare of the worlde / or losse of goodes fauour or promotyon by the whiche meanes the deuyll vseth to plucke men from god and froÌ„ his worde This armour by the which we shall resyste the deuyll and his temtation / is nat by the lyght of the holy candle halowed of candlemesse day / by strynklynge of holy water / by the ryngynge of the halowed great bell / by hauyng on their body a crosse made on Palsonday ane Agnê° dei called Etheldrede lace aboute their necke by goyng to religion inuented by man / by takynge this habyte or that habyte of religion in this place or in that place / by shiftyng vp within walles and neuer to come out agayne as the deuyll coulde nat come within suche walles / or by catyng of fyshe alway and neuer flesshe These be nat the armoure that the Apostle byddeth to put on to resyste the Deuyll / but he byddeth put on the armoure of god / that is the worde of god by the whiche the deuyl is resisted ouercommed / and al his craftes teÌ„tacioÌ„s be made vayne By this armour Christe ouer came the deuyll Math. 4. to teache vs with what armour we shulde fyght agaynste the deuyll / and howe to ouercome hym and all his temtatyons kepe vs safe from all hurte / or peryll of the temptations of the deuyll 3 For we wrestle nat againste fleshe and bloude / and so furth as he shulde saye we must nat onely fyght againste the temtations of the flasshe and of the worlde / but also againste more cruel aduersaries then these be as agaynst the deuyl / wycked spirites adn all other powers And here the Apostle lyke a valyant and a prudent captayne of warre exhorteth his sogers to be of good chere and to feare nothynge theyr enemyes althoughe they be fears / cruel / crafty in fyghtyng / haue great polycy / in ingynes experience in fyghtynge / he openeth all their crafte
wryten approued of learned men worthye pryntynge / it myghte be prynted and set fourth with pryuylege So God shulde be more gloryfyed / his worde better knowen and beleued / greate glory and commendation come to Englande / whiche shulde gyue greate lyght in the true vnderstanding of the scriptures to all the worlde ☞ These and many other causes moued me to wryte thys playne Exposycyon in thys Epystle of Sayncte Paule to the Ephesians Wherfore gentle reader I praye the accepte in good worthe thys my rude dylygence and laboures / whyche was to set fourth openly before euery mannes eyes the mynde of the Apostle Saynte Paule in this Epistle / to shewe what thinge he wolde haue vs to knowe and to do / and what thynge not to do / and howe he seketh alwaye Goddes glorye and the saluacyon of other to teache vs to do suche lyke yf thys Epystle be declared accordynge to the mynde of Sayncte Paule gyue all thankes and prayse to God onely of whome it commethe / and none to the wryter whose mynde is to teache or defende no errour nor heresye / but to teache the truethe of Goddes worde symply and playnely / more regardynge the truethe / then the eloquence of wordes / and by the truethe of the Gospell to profyte euery man yf he can Yf thys Exposycyon do agree wyth the holye Scryptures / as I truste it dothe / take it / yf it do not / refuse it / I wolde not haue my wrytynges or sayenges no farther to be taken then they do agree with the holy Scryptures of God and by them maye be prouyd / and by the holy Scriptures onely to be iudged I am a man and maye erre as well as other hathe done / but I wyll nat be obstynat / yf I shall be gently admonyshed and instructed better by the holy Scriptures of god to whome be all honoure and glorye / worlde without ende Amen ⧠¶ Here endeth the preface of the author THE ARGVMENT OF the Epystle of Sayncte PAVLE to the Ephesyans ✚ IN THYS EPYstel the Apostle Sayncte Paule sheweth the aboundaunt goodnes of God the Father to all men / howe he hathe created and made all men and all thynges necessarye for them / chosen and elected them to etarnall lyfe and glory / and to be heyres of the celestyall kyngedome / onely of hys mere mercy and grace / and nat of the workes merites or deseruynges of any maÌ„ or of any saynt in Heauen / or in earthe / but by Iesus Chryste onely by whome he hathe restored man agayne to lyfe / whiche by the synne of Adam loste the fauour of almightye God lyfe the celesteal kyngedome to the whiche he was created and made / but by Chryste was restored ageyne to the fauoure of God / to lyfe and to heauen all men both Iewes / and Gentyles theyr synnes clerely forgyuen for Christes sake alone / and be made dere beloued and holy in the syght of the father and ryght heyres of the Heauenly inheritauÌ„ce through fayth in chryste Iesus whyche faythe is receyued by the worde of God preched vnto them ⧠Secondely the Apostle teacheth what all men be of them sealues of theyr owne nature / myghtes and powers / surely nothynge els but the chyldren of the Ire / wrath and indygnacyon of god / chyldren of darkenes / of synne / death and of hel And what they are made by Christ agayne / that is that they be made dere beloued to god / chyldren of loue / of lyfe / of iustice and of eternal saluacyon / and that onely by the mercy and grace of god and nat of the merytes of man / but by the merytes of chryst alone ¶ Thyrdly here is shewed howe both the Iewes and the Gentyles be made at one with God the father and amonges them selues by Christ that suffered death to make them at one Also what is there offyce nowe iustified throughe grace by fayth in Christ Iesus / that is to forsake theyr olde lyfe / and to walke in a newe lyfe nat to be idle / but to do good / to do good workê / nat suche as maÌ„ thynketh godd / but suche as god hathe appoynted to be done in holye scripture that men shulde walke in / and to go from one good worke to another / to fle al maner of vice sinne / if nat for the loue of God / yet for feare of the plage of God ¶ Fourthly here is declared the offices deuties of dyuers states of meÌ„ / as of these that be maryed / of Chyldren to theyr parentes of seruauntes to theyr Maysters / of euery ones deutie to another in they re states of leuynge / as you may reade in the v. and .vi. chapiters of this Epystle / wher it is shewed playnly the offyce of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / let the wyfe loke on her deutye to her husbande / learne yt / knowe and do it Also let the man loke on hys deuty and howe he shulde order hym selfe towardes his wyfe / and howe he shulde intrate her that both of them knowynge theyr deuty accordynge to Goddes lawe / maye more wyllyngely and gladly do that thynge that God requyreth of them / and they to please God better and lyue iÌ„ more peace / vnite / concorde and / quietnes Also the chyldren maye here learne theyr deutye / and wherfore that it becommeth them to be obedyent to theyr parentes / because it is Goddes commaundement and the wyll of God that Chyldren shulde obey theyr parentes And also what is the deutye of seruauntes to they re maysters / and of masters to theyr seruauntes / euery one loke on his deutye / and do it gladly and wyllyngely / for in so doynge they do serue God Fynally here is shewed the armoure of chrysten men to fyght agaynste the deuyl and his temtacyons / Last of all the Apostle desyreth these Ephesians to praye for hym / coÌ„mendynge to them Tychicum by whome he sense thys Epystle to these Ephesyans ¶ The fyrste chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians PAVLE an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST by the wyll of God to the sayntes whiche are at Ephesus / to them that beleue on Iesus Chryste Grace be with you and peas from god our father and trom the lorde Iesus Chryste SAynte Paule out of prison wrote this Epistle to these Ephesians / whom he fyrste saluteth with a christiane salutacyon / and after the salutacyoÌ„ he sheweth the causes wherfore he wrote this Epistle Saynte Paule in his Epystles vseth one christiane salutacyon of the whiche we christians may learne howe we shulde one salute and grete another / And what thynges we oughte one to desyre and wyshe to another In this salutacion is wryten the name of him that wryteth the Epystle / the name of them to whom it was wryteÌ„ In the begynnyng saynte Paule setteth his owne name that they myght knowe this Epystle to be wryten of
loue hym aboue all other / onely shulde to please hym / to make hyr bodye free to none other / but to hyr husbande alone / to be obedyente to hym with all lowelynes and gentylnes to haue him in feare / honour / and reuereÌ„ce Thus I haue shewed accordyng to the doctryne of S. Paule part of the deuty of the man towardes his wife / of the wife towardes hyr husbande ¶ The syxte Chapyter to the Ephesyans YE CHYLDREN Obey youre elders in the Lorde for that is right honour thy father and the mother that is the fyrste coÌ„maundemente that hathe any promyses that thou mayst prospere and lyue longe vpon earthe And ye fathers prouoke nat youre chyldren vnto wrathe but brynge them vp in nurtour and informacion of the Lorde NOwe the Apostle sheweth of the deutye of chyldren to theyr father and mother / it helpeth muche to obtayne godly vertues / that chyldreÌ„ from their cradel and from their yonge age be vertuously brought vp in nortoure in good / vertues and godlye learnynge / in loue and feare of god / in deu obedience to their parentes in gentil and lowly maners / for as the olde sayenge is The botell wyll kepe the smel or sauour / of that liquore that it first receyued So men for the moste part smell euer of that facyon and maners / and loue waye that they haue bene brought vp in theyr yonge age Therfore it is necessary that chyldren in their yonge age shulde be put to good scole maysters that may and wyll bryng them vp in good holy and vertuous doctryne / and godly maners that chyldren may learne to knowe God theyr creature and maker / of whom al goodnes doth come / to knowe the goodnes and benefites of god towardes them to laude and prayse God / to gyue hym thankes for his benefites to be obedient to father and mother / to gyue to them al honour / nat onely with outwarde gesture as bowynge their knees / puttynge of theyr cappe to their patentes / or askynge theyr blessynges or doynge theyr laufull coÌ„maundementes / and beynge obedient with al glad diligence to do theyr parentes coÌ„maundementes but also that they shulde honour theire parentes with all due honoure in gyuynge and prouydyng for them al necessaries yf they nede / or be pore / or haue nede of the helpe of theyr chyldren / for so this word honour is taken in the scripture nat onely for outwarde reuerence / but also for helpe or sufficience of liuing as Paul sheweth 1. Timo 5. where he sayeth The elders that rule well are worthy double honoure / cheyflye they that laboure in the worde of god 2 In the lord This worde sheweth how chyldren shulde be obediente to theyr elders and to their fathers and mothers / that is to say in the lorde / because the lorde hathe so commaunded / and it is the wyll of the lorde that chyldren shall obey to theyr parentes / or elles in the lorde / that is to say iÌ„ all thynges that pleseth the lorde / that is in al lawful thinges So chyldren obeing theyr parentes gyuyng them deu honour doth serue and please the lorde / and these chyldren that be disobedient to theyr pareÌ„tes do dysplease and offende god 3 For this is iuste / that the chyldren shulde obey they re parentes / helpe and socour their necessite gyuynge deu honoure to them seynge chyldren hathe receyued of theyr parentes theyr beynge / fode and coste of bryngyng vp when they were nat able to helpe them selfe Therfore it is equite that they shuld helpe ther parentes 4 This is the fyrste commaundemente in promyse / to the whiche promyse of rewarde is made of longe lyfe eyther in this lyfe / or in the lyfe to come / or in bothe / as oftymes chaunceth to them that honoure their parentes in this worlde / and the coÌ„trarye is oftymes shewed / that these children that do nat honoure theyr parentes in this worlde but be disobedient to them conteÌ„ne / dispise and wyl nat acknowledge theire father and mother / or kynsfolke / or be so vnkynde vnnaturall chyldren that desyre the â—â—th of their parentes for their profyte / goodes / landes / or riches / it is oftymes sene that these chyldren be of shorte lyfe in this worlde / or dye some euyl death by some myschaunce or euyll fortune called of man / when it is the secrete wyl and workynge of God / whiche wyll nat suffre the contempte of parentes to be vnpunysshed in this world / that al chyldren might learne to be obedient to their parentes / to honoure them / and nat to contemne or dispise them or to wysshe theyr death for any lucre sake / for any honoure or promotion or suche lyke thynge The Apostle promyseth two thynges to these chyldreÌ„ that honoure their parentes / the one is / that all thynges shal be wel to them / and al thynges prosperous The other leÌ„gth of lyfe / contrary to them that dishonoureth there parentes thretteth two thynges / that all thynges shal be euyl to them / and shortnes of lyfe / which thinges yf they chaunce nat alway in this lyfe / yet surely in the lyfe to come they wyl chauÌ„ce / god wyl ê‘fourme his promyse / for god is true in his promyses and wyll perfourme theÌ„ / eyther in this worlde / or in the worlde to come or elles to bothe And although it is red of some chyldren that disobeyed their parentes / that had great ryches or felicite in this worlde and of longe lyfe in whome this threte of god had no place in this worlde / yet with out doubte it had place after this lyfe in them / or elles such disobedient chyldren to theyr parentes was without all felicite of shorte lyfe before god Chyldren that do nat obey their parentes they offend agaiÌ„st the lawe of nature / of equite and iustice againste goddes lawe wryten / whiche all require that children shulde gyue deu honoure to their fathers and mothers 5 And ye fathers prouoke nat your children to wrathe Nowe he coÌ„meth to pareÌ„rentes sheweth what is their deutye towardes their chyldren Fathers and mothers for the mooste parte eyther they are to tender / softe / gentle / or make to muche on them / or elles they are to harde / fel / cruel sharpe / or frowarde with them Fewe or none of theyr pareÌ„tes do knowe how they shulde order or brynge vp their chyldren / but eyther nature moueth them to be to teÌ„der ouer them / and so they make the chyldren to wantonne / selfe wylly / frowarde nat carynge for father or mother / ye disobedient to father and mother and so oftymes it is true that Mantuane sayeth Blanda patrum segnes facit indulgeÌ„tia gnatos To muche pamperynge of rathers maketh slowe and disobedient chyldreÌ„ Therfore it is trewe that Salomon saythe He that spareth the rod he hateth the child And of the contrary part there is some