be traÌ„slated q. d. they be all chauÌ„ged froÌ„ the holynes to the whiche Chryst dyd call them by benefit dyd inuyte them but they be translated from that holynes be translated after the maner of the Galaâ—hians of whom saint Paule coÌ„playneth saying I merueile that froÌ„ Christ whiche hath called you by grace you are so soone translated in to an other gospell whan there is none other but that some men there be that troubleth you wolde inuerte the gospel of Christ Gala. 1. as these of whom saynt Iude here coÌ„playneth that they translated the grace of god in to wantonnes and they were vtterly translated from all holynes to the whiche Christ had called them so I feare that we christians be traÌ„slated from the doctryne of Christ from the true fayth taught in it by the bysshop of Rome his lawes by decrees statutes traditions of the churche of Rome in to the forgetfulnes of goddes lawe of goddes commaundement in to other maners facions then goddes lawe doth coÌ„maunde or suffereth yea we be farre traÌ„slated by the byshop of Romes lawes amonges vs vsed and vsurped so longe that many one doth thynke hath thought the bishop of Romes lawe to be gods lawe to haue lyke authorite with gods lawe that it byndeth no lesse than gods lawe yea this lawe of the bysshop of Rome hath brought vs so far out of frame that scarse we thynke those thynges ê‘teyne vnto vs whiche gods worde byddeth coÌ„mauÌ„deth vs. Therfore let vs be sory for this translation from Chryste his coÌ„maundement be traÌ„slated agayne to Chryst that we may do those thynges whiche Christ coÌ„maundeth vs that we our warkis may be acceptable before god My mynde is therfore to put you in remembrauÌ„ce / for as moche as ye ons knowe this / how that the lorde after that he had delyuered the people out of Egipte destroyed theym whiche beleued not Iude bryngeth in here iii. eraÌ„ples of these that transgressed the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god was punished for their synne to pluck back other froÌ„ synne for feare of punyshment whiche our lorde wyll gyue to theÌ„ that wyll not cesse froÌ„ synne punishment froÌ„ the begynnynge was euer pÌ„pared deputed for synners as to good men a rewarde in ioy blysse But although good meÌ„ hath euer bâ—n rewarded euyll men punysshed yet there is a differeÌ„ce good men hath ben shal be rewarded by life euerlastyng not of their merites or for the worthynes of their workes but only of the mercy goodnes of god Euyll men hath suffered paynes punyshmeÌ„t for theyr iniquite synnes because they haue done euyll therfore god of his iustyce hath punysshed them and to refrayne other from synne for feare of punyshment here Iude bryngeth in thre examples by the whiche he ê‘swadeth that god wyl punysshe synners that wyl not repent and leaue theyr synne The first example is taken of the people of Israell brought out of Egypte from the great boÌ„dage of Pharao whiche oppressed the people of god with â—tollerable paynes labours Of the whiche people god at the laste had mercy and delyuered theym from theyr bondage brought them sauffe out of Egypte But these people not beleuynge god hath kylled in the deserte Of the whiche we may note the goodnes of god in his people whom he wold saue and delyuer from all bondage perylles Seconde the vnkyndenes of these people not beleuynge the promyses of god seing that god had done so moche for them before as to delyuer them from the bondage and cruelty of Pharao aboue all mans expectation and had punyshed Pharao with all his adherentes with great plages and punyshmentes and at the last drowned hym with all his hoost in the reed see and also had done for them that they thought more then all this had brought theym throughe the reed see as by the drye waye in to the deserte where he fedde them with meate sente from heuen that is to say with maÌ„na had gyuen them drynke out of the peter stone At the last these people for all these thynges not beleuyng goddes promyses but complaynynge grudgynge and murmurynge agaynst god and against Moyses god hath punyshed with deth in the desert for theyr offences Of the whiche we may surely perswade vnto vs yf god haue punysshed these people whom he loued so well for whom he dyd so mothe to whom he shewed suche benefytes yf god haue punyshed them with deth as he dyd for their iÌ„credulite vnbelefe their synnes how moche more is it euideÌ„t that he wyl not suffer false apostels or other offendynge and brekynge his lawes to be vnpunysshed Therfore let all synners beware and repenâ— betyme and leaue synne for yf they do not they may be sure they shal nâ—â— escape without punysshement The aungels also whiche kept not theyr fyrste estate / but lefte theyr owne habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaynes vnder darknes vnto iudgemeÌ„t of the great daye Now Iude bryngeth in the seconde example by the whiche he afrayeth synners froÌ„ synne by feare of payne punyshment And this example is taken of auÌ„gels created of god in a hye glorious nature to whom ê“fited nothing their excellenci of treatioÌ„ for as moche as they dyd not kepe theyr innocency in which they were created in but left their innocencye and dyd fall to inyquytie and synne pryde prycked them so greately yf God this noble and excellente creature offendyng I meane Angelles offendynge hath ponysshed and depryuat the heauenly lyght and to euerlastyng darknes hath committed them where they be kepte in perpetuall chaynes in darknes vnto the daye of iudgemente and after euer to be ponyshed yf god hath ponished Angelles offendynge howe moche more other offendynge he wyll ponysshe whiche from theire synnes wyll not cesse This saienge of Iude doth appere to shewe that the Angells was created of God that they shulde lyue in all innocency and kepe their place in heauen deputed vnto them for their inhabytacyon and dwellinge place from the whiche they did fall by synne and was caste hedlynges in to this darke ayre bounde in chaynes of darknes and they be kepte in a darke place whiche is contayned from the heauens aboue vnto the lowe grounde as Faber doch saye and that vnto the daye of iudgement and then they shal be giuen and commytted vnto the eternall punysshemente of hell euer there to be punysshed in paynes euerlastynge Euen as zodom and gomor the Cities aboute them which in lyke maner defyled them selues with fornicacyon and folowed straunge flesshe are seâ— forthe for an ensample and suffer the vengeaunce of eternall fyre The thyrde ensample is here put whiche is of zodomme and gomor and other Cyties polluted in theyr fylthynes therfore punysshed of God for their abhomynacy on and synnes as for fornycacyon adulterye vnclenlynes synne agaynste nature fylthy pollucyonnes and other suche lyke with these synnes
all punyshment for god of his iustice wyll not suffer synne to be vnpunyshed in these that wyll not repent In repentynge he forgyueth and pardonneth moche synne Enoch the seuenth from Adam ê“phecied before of suche saying behold the lord shal come with thousandes of saynctes to gyue iudgemeÌ„t agaynst all men / to rebuke all that are vngodly amoÌ„g them of all their vngodly dedes whiche they haue vngodly coÌ„mitted / of all their cruell spekinges whiche vngodly synners haue spoken against him Lest any man shulde thynke hym to haue spoken any newe thynge of these pseudapostels to be punysshed yf they do not repent he bryngeth in the prophecy of Enoch to coÌ„fyrme his senteÌ„ce sayinge that Enoch was a good man the seuenth from Adam that he ê“phecied paynes and greuous punyshmeÌ„tcs to come vpon euyll men yf they dyd not repent Also Enoch inspired with the spirite of god dyd prophecy the lord for to come with many thousandes of saynctes of the day of iudgemeÌ„t he appereth to speke to gyue iudgement agaynst all euyll men to reproue them of theyr noughty wordes and dedes of theyr noughty euyl wordes agaynst god the professers of his trewthe Of the whiche sayinge it is euydent that god wyll reproue in that day as well euyl wordes as euyll dedes Also Iude here certifieth vs that the day of iudgemeÌ„t wil come in the which day god wyll rewarde good men with hye rewardes euyll men with euerlastynge punyshement He wyll come to iudgemeÌ„t hauyng with hym many thousandes of his sayntes in the whiche day there shall be shewed as well the euyll wordes as the euyll dedes of euery man and shall be made open to all the worlde Of the whiche wordes and dedes euery man shall make a counte for hym selfe and yf they haue done well they shall receyue a rewarde yf they haue done euyll they shall be commytted to payne and punysshement euerlastynge Iude here threttenynge payne euerlastynge to euyll men dyd no newe thynge for Enoch the seuenth after Adam dyd the same Also here is to lerne the goodnes of god whiche prouydeth in all tymes som good men which disswadeth men from synne for feare of punyshement and also whiche hathe shewed mercy grace remissyon of synne to be onely of god that all trust and al confidence shulde be put in god This place of Iude scarse in any other place of scripture is founde therfore some of the fathers longe dyd reiecte this pystell of Iude but this is not ynoughe to reiecte a booke or a pystell for one or other sentence whiche do not differ from other places of scripture yf the sentence dyd differ from scripture then it were a cause outher to doutte of it or to reiecte it or elles no. Saynt Paule brynngeth in Iannem and Mambrem ii Timoth. iii. whiche were the wytches of Pharao whiche resysted Moyses Erodi vii suche men there were whose names be not expressed Exo. vii saynt Paule nameth them shall we saye that theyr names be not as saynct Paule calleth theym because theyr names is not expressed in any other place of scripture that is no sufficieÌ„t cause to say so or to reiect saiÌ„t Paules pistell to Timothe it is sufficient that saynt Paule dothe say it whom we knowe dyd speke by the holy goost the spiryte of god These are murmurers coÌ„playners walking after their owne lustes whose mouthes speketh proude thiÌ„ges they haue meÌ„ in gret reuereÌ„s bicause of auaÌ„tage Iude some thynges omytted before now he addeth of these pseudapostels affirmyng them to be murmurers coÌ„playners Yf any man wolde speke against their vsurped power say they that meÌ„ wold destroy al holynes al vertue al goodnes whiche only minysheth their power falsly vsurped if any man shal omyt any thing of their olde tytle by and by they crye out say that god and all his Sainctes is despised contemned and set at nought they cry the contempte of god and disobedyence to his churche when no man contemneth god nor is disobedyente vnto the churche of god nor disobedyent to nothynge that god wolde haue men obedyente to Furthermore they be murmurours agaynst god and his diuyne power yf any afflyccyons incommodites mynysshyng of their authorite ruell of their hye tytles and suche lyke ye they be not affrayed to murmure agaynst god that he suffereth suche thinges to chaunce vnto them contrary to their myndes These perceyuinge theyr lyues to be very shorte they murmoure in their hartes that god created of so shorte life subiect to so many infirmytes and sycnesses wysshynge and desyringe them to lyue euermore in this corporall body in plesure as they nowe lyue withoute any payne and of the lyfe to come vtterly despayringe measurynge all felycytye and pleasure of thys bodye These pseudapostelles be murmurors and complaynors yf euerye thynge do not come to passe after their mynde as God were to be blamed that he punyssheth not straytely theym that resystich and gaynsayeth their noughty wyll and couetouse mynde They murmure agaynste the truth knowne whiche openeth and sheweth theyr hypocrisy symulacyon longe hidde by the which they haue deceyued the worlde longe They murmoure that they can no lenger kepe the symple christen people in supersticyon false and fayned holynes the cause of they re murmurynge is by all coniectures that they can not encrease their ryches and substaunce no more by hipocrisy simulacyoÌ„ false and fayned holynes Their murmuringe sheweth that they be not content with their state and callyng They murmur agaynst other when agaynst theÌ„ haue men iust causes to murmure to complayne sayenge they lyue after theire proper concupyscence and plesure of the flesshe and not after the wyll of god whose mouthes speaketh proud thynges What bostynge wordes and full of vanite they do speake so far wide from the truth They saye they haue power in body soule and that they may make lawes to bynde mens consciences vnder the payne of deadly syn but Christ sayth that men hath power in that body to kyll the soule they can not saith christ Mat. x. feare not he saith these that kylleth the body the soule they can not kyll they haue not that they may do more theÌ„ kyll the bodye Furdermore they saye they haue two swerdes a spirytuall swerde a temporall with the whiche they may smyte whom they lyst wheÌ„ they lust contrary is this their proude sayeng to sainct Paul Ro. xiii which coÌ„maundeth euery man to be obedienc to the cyuill powers which not without a cause bereth the sworde to ponyshe euel doars to make good meÌ„ to lyue in peace and quyetnes Agayne they saye they be exempted from al kynges princys and rulers from all trybute or custum to be payde to Kynges Princys Emperors and that by their owne exempcyon froÌ„ all obedyence of hye powers and rulers And not onely thus they haue exempted themselues but also they haue exempted many other as many relygyouse howses
whiche hath no vnderstandyng Fiftly these that haue no spiryte of god no mynde to good thynges but set theyr myndes to all myschefe to all vnhappynes contemnyng all heuenly thynges and immoderately desyrynge all worldely thynges yea lyuynge so in pleasure as there were neyther god ne deuyl neyther heuen nor hell neyther lyfe nor deathe neyther pleasure nor payne after this lyfe Therfore the apostell Iude sayth they be makers of sectes naturall hauynge no spyryte that is of god yea no sparke of godlynes as is before shewed therfore I do passe ouer that sentence But ye derely beloued edyfye your selues in your moost holy fayth praying iÌ„ the holy goost / and kepe your selues in the loue of god lokyngc for the mercy of our lorde Iesus Chryste vnto eternall lyfe Iude contynueth styll in his exhortation desiryng them to go for wardes in fayth byldynge theym selues vpon fayth by the holy goost prayeng in spiryte kepynge them selues in charite loue of god warkynge the warkes of charite kepyng vnite concorde peace pacience as well in aduersite as iÌ„ prosperite lokynge for the mercy of god whiche bryngeth to euerlastyng lyfe whiche life doth not come of our warkes merytes nor deseruynges but by the onely mercy of god as testifyeth saynct Paule ad Titum iii. sayenge Not of the warkes of iustyce whiche we haue done but by his mercy he hath saued vs. And haue compassion on some separatynge them / other saue with feare pullynge them out of the fyre / and hate the fylthy vesture of the flesshe Iude here sheweth certayne offices of charite towardes synners and first he teacheth howe it becoÌ„meth men to vse them selfe towardes synners that be not obstynate nor obdurate in malyce Secondly as touchynge obdurate synners Fyrst as touchynge all synners it becommeth no man to be gladde to reioyse of any synne of any vyce in any man but to be sory for all vyce and for all synne done or iniury done to any or by any man Secondly gentylnesse mercy pytye compassyon and pardon is to be vsed in suche as by neglygence by ignorance and by infyrmytye of nature be fallen to synne to rebuke them softly and gentylly for theyr synne to shewe theym the daunger of it to exhorte theym to forsake theyr synne and to abhorre it to take and enbrace vertue and to shewe the fruytfull commodytyes of vertue and of goodnesse And this is to be done as longe as there is hope of amendemente But yf so be that they be so obstynate so obdurate in malyce that they wyll by no gentyll exhortation nor gentyll admonition be plucked from theyr noughtynesse but wyll contynue styll in errour in heresye and in noughty doinges then be you sory for theym praye god for theym to conuerte and mollyfye theyr obstynate hartes and turne theym to some grace separate your selues from theym haue no medlyng with theym let theym be clere separated from the company of good men that they may be at the last confounded and ashamed with theym selues seynge that euery good man forsaketh theyr companye and that for theyr noughtynesse Let this thyng be done with all diligence and with all humanitye Let nothyng be omytted in you of your dewtye to wynne them and at the lest that theyr soules may be sauffe in the daye of the lorde yf it be possyble Many there be whiche sore complayneth of some men called spirytuall men for theyr tyrannye crueltye and vnmercyfulnesse as touchynge suche as hathe erred from the faythe from the gospell and from holy customes receyued whom they saye the bysshoppes hath burned not offeryng mercy pardon or gentylnesse to them whiche thynge they thynke to haue ben a great cause that they were so styffe in theyr euyll opynyon for the whiche they haue suffered deathe for or els bycause the punysshement was so opprobryouse that they shulde haue suffered Yf they wolde haue forsaken theyr euyll opynyon that they hadde leuer haue dyed then to haue suffered suche an opprobryous punysshement whiche shulde haue ben an immortall ignomynye to his name for euer and to haue ben a cause that no man shulde haue gyuen credence vnto his wordes afterwardes yf he hadde spoken neuer soo trewe and nothynge but the gospell of god Peter denyed his mayster Chryste and dyd forsake hym and sayd he neuer knewe hym and that with an othe Afterwardes he was penytente and God dyd forgyue hym hys synnes he was not compelled to beare a faggotte for his offence for to be a sygne of an immortall ignomynye of his name Furthermore yf God shulde punysshe vs for euery lyttell faute or offence done agaynst his goodnesse and make vs repentynge to beare a faggot I suppose there wolde be many faggottes borne in a yere or elles fewe repenters I do not here speake of suche as hathe ben imprysonned and vngentylly and vnmercyfully handeled by some spirytuall men not for errours or heresye or for these thynges that haue ben coÌ„trary to the holy scripture contrary to the worde of god contrary to holy customes receyued contrary to suche thynges as agreeth with goddes worde But for wordes spoken agaynst abuses of thynges vsed and because they haue ben vsed the simple vnlerned people and vntaught thynketh men to speake agaynste the thynges vsed when men speaketh agaynst the abuses And of that it commeth that dyuers trewe preachers is and hath ben endited of symple people of heresye as they call it when these symple people dothe not knowe whiche is heresye whiche is the gospell whiche is trewth whiche is falsehede Therfore yf it wolde please the hye powers and rulers to whome it pertayneth to do to mytygate the rygorousnesse of that lawe whiche to penytent personnes deputeth that they shuld beare faggottes or els chaunge that punysshemente in to some other punysshemente and also wolde punysshe all accusers and sclaunderers of other for heresye with lyke punyshment yf they coulde not proue it For nowe many men be accused and be sclaundered of heresye and that for malyce for enuye for desyrynge men to do theyr dewtyes to preache and teache the people of god gods worde to feâ—de with it as the people dothe feade them with tythes of theyr benefyces For this cause men be euyll spoken on haue iniuryes done to theym be sclaundered and be accused of erroure and heresye and suche men be accused whiche be best learned whiche hath taken moost paynes to sette forth Goddes worde trewly purely and syncerely whiche neuer in alle theyr lyues dydde preache erroure ne heresye whiche I dare be bolde to say doth loue error or heresye worse then any of them that doth accuse hym such as be ydle them selues and wyll take no payne no labours to teache theire flocke coÌ„mytted to their cure but wyll syt all the daye and night at the tauerne at ale houses eatynge drinkynge feastynge and makynge good chere and at cardes and dyse passynge the tyme in pleasure and then is a tyme conuenyent to speake euell to rayle to