thou his Sonne in whom thou reposed greater confidence and trust then in thy â—â—rnal father and mother and that he will in all thy necessitie bee readie to helpe thee euen for Christes sake our onely Mediatoure and Sauiour Suche a Faithe as this commeth not of any humaine power but GOD planteth thâ— same in vs for that Christe with his Blood deserued and merited it to whom therefore be hath giuen this glorie that beyng set on his right hande he by his diuine power might settle and staie a sure faithe in vs. Hitherto therefore wee haue heard how saincte Peter exhorteth vs first to girde vp the loynes of our mynde and also sincerely to walke in a perfecte faithe Then consideryng how deare a price this hath coâ—te Christe that wee should haue our conuersation in feare not bearyng our selues hold vpon this that we are named ChristiaÌ„s sith God is suche a iudge as respecteth no maintes persone one more then an other but iudgeth equally without any parcialitie Now proceedeth he further and endeth this first Chapter saiyng Seeyng your Soules are purified in obeiyng the truthe through the Spirit to loue brotherly without â—â—inyng Loue one an other with a pure harte feruently Beeyng borne a newe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the woorde of God who liueth and indureth for euer For all fleshe is as grasse and all the glorie of man is as the flower of grasse The grasse withereth and the flower falleth awaie But the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer and this is the worde whiche is preached among you SAinct Paule in the fifte to the Galath rekoneth vp the fruites that followe faithe The fruites of the Spirit saieth he are Loue Ioye Peace long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance So also here doeth saincte Peter teache vs whiche bee the fruietes of faithe To witte to purifie our Soules in obeiyng the truthe through the Spirite For where true Faithe is it bryngeth the bodie vnder and in subiection and bridleth the lustes of the fleshe and although it make not a cleare riddaunce and dispatche thereof yeâ— makers it the Bodie subiect to the Spirite and â—s with a bridle qualifieth the wilde motions thereof The same meanyng also hath sainct Paule where he speaketh of the fruictes of the Spirite It is a greate and busie peece of woorke to bryng the Spirite to Maister and beare rule ouer the Bodie and to represse the wilfull affections and fleshlie desires naturally engraffed in vs from our parentes For it is not possible for vs to liue well no not in the state of Wedlocke without speciall Grace I saie nothyng what wee can doe herein beyng without Grace But why saieth he Purifie or make chaste your Soules and not rather your Bodies Surely he full well knewe that the lustes and concupiscences of the fleshe accompainie vs to our Graues and are neuer quenched in vs although wee bee Baptized till our diyng daie Now it is not inough for a manne to conteine hymself from the acte doyng and to be outwardly chaste and a virgine his harte in the meane while boilyng in filthie desires of fleshly lustes but wee must earnestly endeuour our selues with all diligence that our Soules maie bee chaste so that this chastitie maie proceede and come from the harte and that the Soule maie bee at continuall enemitie and warre with all naughtie desires and still fight againste them till it be cleare deliuered from them And it agreeth very well that is here added that we must purifie our Soules in obeiyng the truthe through the Spirit Muche hath been preached and spoken of Chastitie and many Bookes haue been written concernyng it The Aucthours whereof haue taught vs with long Fastyng abstinence from fleshe wine and suche like to quenche these filthie motions of concupiscence and luste Whiche although some what thei helpen therevnto yet could thei not be sufficient neither could thei beate doune the inordinate desires of the flesh Sainct Hierom writeth of hymself that he so punished and pinched his Bodie that he was euen like an Ethiopian yet neuerthelesse he so little therewith profited that he many tymes dreamed he was in Rome in companie of Gentle women and faire Maiders S. Bernard also so punished and with suche abstinence almoste so spoiled his bodie y t it stonke loathsomely as afore I haue declared These holy men were greeuously teÌ„pted for with those outward thinges thei thought thei could restraine and quench their temptations but because the remedies whiche thei vsed were externall and outwarde and were applied outwardlie and not inwardly where in deede the disease was harboured thei could not serue as sufficient and able to maister and kill those desires of the mynde with whiche thei warred But S. Peter in this place sheweth vs a moste true and Soueraigne remedie wherewith to cure this euill to witte Obedience to the truthe through the Spirite Whiche the Scripture in other places also setteth doune as in the 11. of Esaie Faithfulnesse shalbe the girdle of his reynes This is the true Cataplasme wherewith the Reynes are to be girded whose soundnesse must proceede from the inner thinges to the outwarde and not contrariwise from the outwarde to the inner For the Soare whiche we would cure lieth not outwardlie in the kerther or clothes but deeyng bredde inwardlie ragingly raigneth and lyeth in the Bloud Fleshe Marrowe and Veines Therefore it is not the beste waie with outwarde thinges to goe aboute to represse and quenche fleshly concupiscence the bodie with fasting and labours may be brought into greate debility and weakenesse and at leÌ„gth thereby be vtterly marred spoyled and brought vnto death but to bee cased from euill desires it can not But Faithe is able to quenche them and so to keepe them vnder that thei shall bee brought to giue place and yeeld vnto the Spirite So also speaketh the Prophete Zacharie in his 9. Chapter of wine whereof Christe first drinketh whiche maketh them maydens to whom hee drinketh and forecasteth Then arare of other wine is wont to enkindle and stirre vp naughtie desires but this wine to wit the Gospell represseth the same and maketh the harte chast And this is it that S. Peter here meaneth when hee saieth where Truthe is bolden fast in the harte and obedience thereunto giuen through the spirite that that and none but that is the truest cure presentest remedy against this daungerous euil and mischiefe beside which there is none other that can be found so able to driue awaie and qualifie these euill cogitations and vaine thoughtes For wheÌ„ this remedie the Gospell I meane is entered and taken possessioÌ„ within the harte all naughtie leude motions do straightways giue place and vanishe awaie Let hym that wil trie this matter and hee shall duely finde it so to bee as all they that haue made triall thereof doe very well know But the Deuill doth not easely suffer any man to come to that poinct as in harte so to embrace the
Will not here define whether in this place S. Peter speake of an outwarde Incontinencie or no or whether he doe as Sainct Paules order is call all those thynges Fleshly whiche a man yet liuyng in this bodie and carnall life committeth and dooeth without Faithe But I am of opinion that S. Peter in this place vseth an other maner of reason Neither doe I thinke that he taketh this worde Soule in suche a sense as Sainct Paule doeth who taketh it for Spirite But that he somewhat more déepely as I suppose considered the proprietie of the Greeke Howebeit it is not greatly materiall whether a man vnderstande this place as meant of all carnall affections or els onely of an externall and outwarde intemperaunce This profitable lesson notwithstanding is hereby taught vs that no man in this life can be perfectly holie and throughly pure from sinnes This place the Schoole men haue grossely mistaken rouyng farre wide from the true meanyng thereof For thei thinke it to bee onely spoken and meant of theim that bee Sinners As though the holie ones were cleare without all euill lustes and carnall affections But he that will profitablie searche and read the Scriptures must with iudgement and discretion waigh and throughly sifte the nature sense and signification of euery woorde for the Prophetes vse sometymes so to speake of them that be holie as that thei seme to pronounce theim pure and altogether cleare from all maner of Sinnes Againe sometymes thei so speake of theim as that thei confesse theim yet to haue euill affections corrupt motions and to fight against Synne This diuersitie and varietie that in apparaunce seemeth to bee in theim marueilouslie grauelleth and offendeth these greate Rabbines and wonderfullie blindeth their Senses from rightlie vnderstandyng the true meanyng of the Scriptures Thus therefore staye thou thy self and for thy sure conceiuyng of this and suche like places bee at this resolution Thou oughtest to consider Christians after twoo sortes namely accordyng to their inwarde and hidden life to witte Faithe and also accordyng to their outwarde and open life that is to saie the Fleshe Now if thou consider and respecte a Christian accordyng to Faithe he is all pure and without all filthe and vncleannesse but after the flesh he is not so For the woorde of GOD can abide no vncleane thyng to reste in that harte where it is throughlie and faithfullie receiued so that the harte whiche faste cleaueth vnto the Woorde can not but thereby bee throughlie purged and entirely cleansed Therefore in faithe all thynges are perfecte accordyng to that saiyng afore wherein wee are sayed to hee Kynges Priestes and the peculier People of GOD. But for so muche as wee hauyng Faithe are as yet cladde in this fleshe and dwell on this Earth it can not bee but that now and then wee feele within our selues sundrie corrupt and Earthly affections as Impacience feare of Deathe c. And these bee the diseases remainyng yet of the old Manne For Faithe hath not yet here raught to hir perfection nor gotten a full power ouer the fleshe This maiest thou plainlie and euidentlie vnderstande by the Parable Luke x. of a certaine man Who goyng doune from Hierusalem to Hiericho fell among Theeues who robbed hym of his raimente and wounded hym verie sore and departyng lefte hym halfe dead on whom in the ende a certaine Samaritane tooke compassion boūd vp his woundes powred in Oile and Wine sett hym on his owne beaste and brought hym to an Inne and made prouision for hym Here thou seest that this man was cared for his cure prouided for anone after he was wounded and now beeyng out of daunger of Death was lefte sicke in deede but not vnto Death howbeeit he was not as yet fullie healed and cured His life is preserued and he left aliue but yet is he not come to his perfecte healthe he is lefte in the charge of the Phisitious to bee cured and dressed afterward Euen so wee that beleeue haue Christ all and entire and are assured of eternall life but our perfecte and consummate healthe wee haue not yet obteined for some reliques of the old Adam remaineth yet still within vs. To the same purpose serueth that other Parable mentioned by Christe Matth. xiij The Kyngdome of heauen is like vnto Leauen whiche a woman taketh and hideth in three Peckes of Meale till all bee leauened For when the Meale is begonne to bee kneaded the Leauen is all there but it hath not yet sowred and pearced the whole lumpe of Dowe the mixture is not yet fullie perfected yet the Meale is therein still till it bee fullie Leauened and more Leauen maie not bee put vnto it So also whatsoeuer thou oughtest to haue thou haste it alreadie by Faithe whereby thou haste taken holde of the Worde and embraced it but it hath not yet throughlie soaked and pearced into thee and therefore it needes must bee so long in woorkyng vntill thou be whollie renewed And in this sort oughtest thou to discerne and interprete the Scripture And not so to Iumble and mangle the textes thereof as dooe the Papistes Therefore when in the Scriptures thou readest of holie meime that are saied to bee perfecte thou must thus vnderstande it that accordyng to Faithe thei were altogether pure and without synne But all the reste was fleshe and therfore could not bee entierly cleane Wherevpon Christians in their praiers desire to bee dissolued and ridde of this bodie or fleshe that thei maie whollie attaine to an entire puritie Thei that other wise teache neither haue any feelyng nor yet any sounde taste of the same And therevpon it commeth to passe that thei speake euen as thei thinke within themselues and as thei can comprehende by their owne reason and therefore thei can not choose but bee deceiued This hath been a stumblyng blocke to many yea of them that haue been accoumpted worthie and famous for their holinesse and sanctimonie and who haue taught and written verie muche Origene speaketh not one worde hereof in his Bookes Hierome neuer vnderstoode thē Augustine also would haue had small knowledge thereof if he had not so much buckled with the Pelagians Some whē thei speake of holie men thei so muche extol and dignifie them as though either thei had been of some higher degree and excellencie then other Christians or els as though thei had had no feelyng of this Flesh or as though thei had not complained thereof aswel and as muche as wee Therefore saieth Sainct Peter You are all cleane and haue your full righteousnesse there now remaineth nothyng for you but y t you stoutly fight againste these wicked and naughtie affections And so also speaketh Christe Iohn xiij He that is washed needeth not sauyng onely to washe his feete For it is not enough that the heade and handes bee cleane and therefore albeeit he saie that thei are all cleane yet neuerthelesse he requireth theim to washe their feete But what meanyng hath Saincte Peter
A COMMENtarie or Exposition vppon the twoo Epistles generall of Sainct Peter and that of Sainct JVDE First faithfullie gathered out of the Lectures and Preachinges of that worthie Instrumente in Goddes Churche Doctour Martine Luther And now out of Latine for the singuler benefite and comfort of the Godlie familiarlie translated into Englishe by Thomas Newton ¶ Imprinted at London for Abraham Veale dwellyng in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Lābe 1581. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HOnourable Sir Thomas Bromeley Knight one of her Maiesties moste honourable priuie Counsell and Lorde Chauncelor of Englande THE translation of these godlie and comfortable Commentaries of Maister Luther vpon the Epistles generall of the blessed Apostles Peter and Jude beeyng fullie finished and brought to an ende it was the easiest matter of many where to bethink mee of a fitte Patrone vnder whom to shield the labours of so worthie an Organe in the Churche of God and myne owne trauailes therein suche as thei bee frō the rancorous rout of suche bawlyng Baalites and arrogant Apistes as with open Iawes will bee readie to barke at the sounde doctrine of Faithe and Maners by hym heerein with a moste bolde spirite maintained and vttered I was I saie soone resolued with my self to settle my choise in your Lordshippe of whose cheerefull acceptaunce suche is your Godlie zeale J could not any whitte doubte And of whose courteous construction of my honest and harmelesse meanyng heerein suche is your honourable inclination J deemed it almoste hainous to put any diffidence or to harbour within mee so muche as a sparke or Mite of the leaste suspition None so wilfullie blinde nor so witleslie bee sotted but hath bothe seene and knowen what a generall benefite it pleased the Lorde in mercie to shewe vnto the worlde beeyng almoste whollie whelmed in the Suddes of Superstition and desperatelie drowned in the Dregges of Jdolatrie by the ministerie of this one man opposyng hymself in defence of the glorious Gospell of GOD againste all the Pedlarie of Pope and Popelynges and againste all the rable of Cozenyng Caterpillers in the Kyngdome of Darkenesse characterized and brended with the marke of the Beast The triflyng trashe and ridiculous rifferaffe of whiche Cacolike Synagogue for so is it muche rather to bee tearmed then Catholike this man with so vehement and zealous a spirite hath so throughlie anatomized and vnripped ◠by suche ineuitable reasons out of the infallible VVorde of God ouerthrowen and confuted that the rotten ragges thereof can not possiblie bee eft soones peeced The crackte credite of suche Motheaten stuffe neuer againe salued nor the totteryng walles of suche a roistyng and ruffianly raigne euer any more after the former galantise be reared vp reestablished In so muche that it maie bee thought that our mercifull God pitiyng the miserable thraldome wherin his people vnder that Romishe Pharao had long laine captiued and in his Justice meanyng at length to ridde the worlde of those deade Flies whiche did nothyng els but corrupte and tainte sweete Ointmentes and as it were to launce those Botches and Biles that so long had festured in the bodie of the Common wealthe of Jsraell appointed and raised vp this man to bee as the Malle that should knocke that blasphemous Goliah in the pate and the Leeche that should applie vnto him his greazed generatiō suche a strong Pill whiche thei should neuer bee able to swallowe His life also conuersation beyng so vnblameable that the starkest Balaamite and spightfullest Rabbine emong them of whiche stampe there neuer wanteth stoare could neuer iustlie reprooue hym of faultes other then suche as generally followe the infirmitie of Man Jn so muche as that reuerend and renoumed Clerke Erasmus whose testimonie herein maie stande for many and the rather for that he somewhat to muche the more pitie for priuate respectes bolstered and plastered the deformities and blottes of the Romishe Clergie pleasauntly by waie of answere to a question mooued vnto hym by the good Duke of Saxony saied that the onely reason why poore Luther was so deadly hated was for none other cause but for that by his preaching and writing hee had taken awaie the Croune from the Pope and Bishoppes and the Beallie from the Monkes and that otherwise he was bothe a Godlie a learned a vertuous and a modest man Jn the compassyng and atchieuyng whereof little meruaile was it though in his Style and maner of writyng he seemed to some to bee ouer crabbed seuere sharpe and bityng For saied he to remooue sharpe grosse diseases God hath sent in this laste age of the VVorlde a sharpe austere Phisition And as wee reade of the Repairers of Battered Hierusalem that with the one hande thei builte the VValles and with the other helde their sweard to bee readie to encounter the enemie So maie wee saie of Luther that he with the one halfe of his studie combated and conflicted with the Aduersaries of Gods truthe and with the other halfe generallie benefited the Churche by pennyng writing sundrie notable enarrations vpon the Sacred Scriptures and Catholique Religion How valiauntlie also hee plaied the Christian Champion againste Meritemongers and all Clouters vp of their Saluation with the Figgeleaues of their owne wretched VVoorkes and condignitie and what an vndaunted Hercules he shewed hymself in choppyng of still those succreasyng heades of that Jtalian Hydra sundrie his learned Bookes plentifullie and at large declare and this VVoorke emong many others doeth sufficientlie attestifie The whiche with all humilitie J heere offer and exhibite vnto your lordship assuring my self that for your approued wisedome you will not onely allowe of it but also for the high Authoritie wherein you are worthilie placed you will accordyngly countenaunce it The Lorde from heauen blesse and strengthen you with his Spirite of zeale fortitude and boldnesse to be a Buttresse and Proppe for the propagation passage and continuaunce of his glorious Gospell emong vs your poore Countreimen of this noble Realme of Englande to the encoragement of all true Professours of the same and to the vtter terrour extirpation and weedyng out of all cancarde aduersaries and malicious Grinnagods beyng not onelie prickes in the feete and Thornes in the eyes but euen splintes in the handes and Daggers at the hartes of all the godlie That by the prudent pollicie and carefull vigilancie of your Honour with others her Maiesties moste Noble and zelous Counsellours all dolledrenche Drones maie bee espied and caste out of the Hiue of the Common wealthe and either bee conuerted least vtterly thei perishe or spedily confounded least thei procure and breed more treacherous annoiance From Butley in Chesshire this first of October 1581. Your L. moste humble Thomas Newton The argument of this first Epistle of S. Peter by M. Luther ¶ Before wee fall in hande with the interpretation of this Epistle it shall bee verie requisite first to laye downe vnto the Reader some briefe admonition whereby he may knowe bothe how it
as siluer and golde from your vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers But with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Whiche was ordeined before the foundation of the worlde but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes Which by his meanes doe beleeue in God that raised him from the dead and gaue him glorie that your faith and hope might be in God Hauing purified your soules in obeying the truthe through the Spirit to loue brotherly without fainyng loue one an other with a pure harte feruently Beyng borne a newe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the worde of God who liueth and indureth for euer For all fleshe is as grasse and all the glorie of man is as the flower of grasse The grasse withereth and the flower falleth awaie But the worde of the Lord endureth for euer and this is the worde whiche is preached among you ¶ The first Chapter Verse 1 Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ to the straungers that dwell here and there throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Elect accordyng to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto the sanctification of the Spirite through obedience and sprincklyng of the blood of Iesus Christ THis is bothe an inscription and subscription Thou seest here in the verie beginnyng that that whiche is here written is the Gospell He saith that he is an Apostle whiche signifieth a Legate or Messenger that doeth by woorde of mouthe the businesse whiche he hath receiued in charge which name beeing so englished of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is now commonly knowne what it signifieth I haue not thought it good by any other phraze or terme to expresse and translate it Howbeeit properly it signifieth hym that declareth something by worde of mouth not a mere carier of letters but a messenger that with liuely voice deliuereth his errand and by wordes vttereth his commission and charge and suche in Latine we call Oratores that is Orators Whereas thē he calleth himself the Apostle of Iesus Christ it is as much as if he had saied I haue charge from Iesus Christ to preache of this same Iesus Christe vnto you Marke here how at the first thei are excluded debarred whatsouer thei be y t preache any of the dreggie and doatyng doctrines of seelie foolishe and vaine men for he is a messenger of Iesus Christ whiche doeth that whiche Christ hath commaunded hym If he preache any other thyng he is not Christes messenger and therefore in no wise to bee heard But if he preache that whiche Christe hath enioyned hym then is he to bee heard and to heare hym is as muche as to heare Christ hymself beyng present To the Straungers Elect. THe Apostle wrote this Epistle to those Countries that are here mentioned Thei were in tyme paste Christian but are now in miserable subiection and slauerie vnto the Turke among whom thou maiest perhaps euen at this daie finde some that faithfullie beleeue in Christe Pontus is a greate and large countrie bordering vpon the sea next vnto it is Cappadocia the borders and limites of whiche twoo countries are almoste conioyned On the hinder parte is Galatia on the former toward the Sea Asia and Bithynia all situate toward the Easte greate and large Countries Paule preached personallie in Galatia Asia whether he did y e same also in Bithynia I doe not certeinly know But in the furthermost two it is certain that he did not preache Straūgers are thei whom we call Forreiners namely such as come frō some other place and not borne in the Countrie wherein wee are Now the Apostle calleth them so because thei had been Gentiles Neither is it to be thought straunge that Peter beeyng the Apostle of the Iewes did neuerthelesse write also vnto the Gentiles The Iewes call those Proselites that is admitted to the state of the Iewes who beeyng not lineallie of their stocke and of the blood of Abraham had notwithstandyng embraced Iudaisme and submitted theim selues to the obseruation of their lawe To these therefore the Apostle writeth who before had been Gentiles and therefore no members of the common wealthe of Israell but beeyng now conuerted to the faithe had adioyned them selues to the faithfull Iewes Wherefore he calleth them Straungers Elect whom vndoubtedly hee none otherwise reputeth then true Christians and to these alone he writeth Whiche maner of callyng theim containeth in it no common doctrine as wee shall hereafter more at large heare Accordyng to the foreknowledge of GOD the Father HE calleth thē Elect but how Surely not of them selues but accordyng to the ordinance of GOD. For it lieth not in our owne powers to bryng our selues vnto heauen nor to haue faithe when wee liste neither will God receiue into heauen all whom so euer Naie hee will verie diligently and circumspectly sifte examine and trie all them that be his Awaie therefore with all mannes doctrine of free will and of all strength in our selues this thing dependeth not of our but of Gods good will and election Vnto sanctification of the Spirite God hath predestinate vs to be holie and that spirituallie These woordes holie and spirituall the Belligods of the Romishe Cleargie haue shameleslie taken from the true professors of the Gospell and entailed the same vnto their Maumetishe Monkerie whiche state thei doe now call holie and spirituall Euen as thei haue doen by this name Churche so that thei will haue none but the Pope and his mitred Bishops to bee the Churche saiyng that the Churche hath commaunded this and that whereas thei in the meane tyme at their pleasures doe and determine what thei liste Holinesse consisteth in nothyng lesse then in this that one bee a Monke a Freere or a Nunne or to bee a Shauelyng and weare a Coule or some peltyng religious habite The word Spirit signifieth that we should be holie in hart inwardly and in spirite before God And this is saied especially for this cause to shewe that nothing is holie but that whiche God maketh holie in vs. For at that tyme the Iewes had many outward sanctifications but the true sanctification thei had not This then is the meanyng of sainct Peter God hath predestinate you to this ende that now at the laste ye should bee holie in deede accordyng as sainct Paule saieth in the fourthe to the Ephesians In righteousnesse and true holinesse that is in holinesse whiche is sincere and altogether entire For suche outwarde holinesse as the Iewes had is nothyng esteemed nor regarded before God After this sort doeth the Scripture call vs holie and Sainctes when wee beleeue beeyng as yet liuyng here on earth But our Rabbines the Papistes haue taken this name from vs saiyng that we are not Holie but that thei onely are Holie whiche are in heauen We must therefore repossesse and againe take this notable name vnto vs. Thou must needes be Holie yet must thou not thinke that thou haste
for this cause doeth the Lord so afflict vs that our faith maie be tried exercysed and made manifest to the world that others also maie bee inuited and wonne to the same faithe by our example and wee at the last maie attaine vnto glorie For as wee praise God so will he againe also praise glorifie and honour vs when as those counterfait and liyng Hipocrites who haue contemned the right waie shall be subiect to shame and confusion The Scripture doeth often compare the crosse vnto fire so here Sainct Peter compareth gold which is tried with fire to the triall of faith whiche is made by the crosse and afflictions The fire doeth not diminishe Golde but clenseth and purifieth it that whatsoeuer drossie substaunce is mixed with it maie be separated from it After the same sorte layeth God the crosse vpon all Christians whereby thei maie be as it were scoured and polished And it was well saied of the Apostle That the trial of your faith c. That is your faith must be tried and purified euen as the Worde is pure whereunto alone ye must sticke and trust vnto nothyng els Now this purgyng scouryng and polishyng of vs by the crosse is daily very necessary for vs because otherwise that olde and dull Adam would still to muche hang vppon vs and dull the spirite and make our faith vnpure Suche then is the life of a true Christian that it continually becōmeth better and purer For when through the worde of the Gospell wee doe beleeue wee are iustified and beginne to be purged yet as long as we are in the fleshe we can not be altogither cleane and pure And therefore doeth God cast vs into the middest of the fire that is into affliction ignominie and trouble whereby wee are daily more and more purged vntill suche tyme as wee dye This purgyng wee can attaine vnto by no workes of our owne for how should the outwarde worke purifie the harte within Now when faith is after this sorte tried whatsoeuer was mixed with it or was feined and counterfait must needes bee remoued and separated from it Hereupon at the last when Christe shall appeare shall followe magnificent honour praise and glorie And reioyce with ioye vnspeakeable glorious Receiuyng the ende of your faith euen the saluation of your soules THE Apostle saieth they haue vnspeakeable and glorious gladnesse and ioye because it bringeth with it honour and glorie when as the worlde hath suche ioye whereof cometh ignominie and shame Sainct Peter speaketh here of true spirituall ioye more plainly then thou shalt reade almost in the whole Scripture yet could he not fully vtter declare the same Now these things which haue bin saied are part of the preface wherein the Apostle sheweth both what faith in Christ is and also how the same must be proued and purged by aduersities and afflictions whiche God doth sende It now followeth that this faith is contained and promised in the Scriptures Of the whiche saluation the Prophets haue inquired and searched whiche prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you Searchyng when or what tyme the Spirite whiche testified before of Christe whiche was in them should declare the suffrynges that should come vnto Christ and the glorie that should followe Vnto whom it was reueiled that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they should minister the thinges whiche are now shewed vnto you by thē whiche haue preached vnto you the Gospell by the holy Ghost sent downe frō heauen the which thinges the Angels desire to beholde HEre Sainct Peter calleth vs to the Scriptures wherein wee may see that God of his onely grace and by no merit of ours performeth those thynges whiche he hath before promised For hereunto tendeth the whole Scripture that withdrawyng vs from al confidence in our own works it maie bryng vs to faith and very needfull it is that we he very diligent in learnyng the Scriptures whereby wee maie bee certein and throughly confirmed in faith After the same sorte doeth Sainct Paule also call vs to the Scriptures when as in the first Chapter to the Romanes he saieth that God had promised his Gospel afore by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures Also when as he saieth Rom. 3. that the faith whereby wee are iustified was witnessed before in the Lawe and the Prophets We reade also in the 17. of the Acts that he did the same when he preached of faith to them of Thessalonica whō he called to the Scriptures and expounded the same vnto thē who also on the other side searched the Scriptures daily whether those thynges were so or no which sainct Paule did teach This it behoueth vs to doe also that those thynges whiche we reade in the newe Testament wee maie learne to confirme out of the olde Wherein wee shall see those promises concernyng Christ whereof Christ himself also hath admonished vs Iohn 5. Searche saieth he the Scriptures for they beare witnesse of mee And againe If ye did beleeue Moses ye would also beleeue me for he wrote of mee Those vaine ianglers therefore are not to bee regarded whiche contemne the olde Testament and presumptuously saie that wee haue no more neede thereof when as notwithstandyng out of it alone must be taken the foundation and grounde of our faith For to this ende God sent his Prophets to the Iewes that thei might testifie vnto them of Christe that was to come Wherefore the Apostles did euery where conuince and refell the Iewes out of their owne Scriptures prouyng Iesus to be Christ And for this cause the bookes of Moses and the Prophets are Gospels forasmuche as in them we reade the same thinges foretolde concernyng Christe whiche afterwarde beyng doeu and accomplished the Apostles did preache and write This difference onely there is that whereas the bookes of bothe were committed to writing yet is it not withstanding not so much requisite that the Gospel or new Testament should be contained in writyng as preached by the voyce whiche maie openly publishe and sounde it forth that it maie be heard euery where in the worlde Now whereas it was also written that was more then necessary For whereas the olde Testament doeth speake onely of Christ to come the Gospel is that liuely word and vocall preachyng of Christe who is alreadie come Betweene the bookes of the olde Testament moreouer this difference there is first the fiue bookes of Moses are the summe of the whole Scripture and are peculiarly called the olde Testament Then are there Histories also and Bookes wherein are described the deedes and diuers examples of them whiche obserued Moses lawe and also of them which transgressed the same Lastly there are Prophets whiche haue plaine relation to the writyngs of Moses and haue more largely and in plainer wordes expressed the same Howbeit there is one and the same meaning both of Moses and of al the Prophetes Now whereas it is wont to be saied that the olde Testament is abrogated and reiected it is thus
to require Hee appointeth no certen tyme as the Pope hath doen how long wee must faste but leaueth it to euery ones iudgement so to fast that hee bee alwaies sober that hee doe not so surcharge his bodie with ouermuche eatyng and drinking but that he maie haue the perfect vse of reason and knowe how to vse his senses aright and how to liue profitably and beneficially to others in his vocation For it is a very preposterous absurde and vnprofitable thyng to giue a generall precept hereof vnto the whole people or to the Churche for asmuche as wee are vnlike among our selues one hath a strong bodie another a weake so that it is needefull for one to absteine muche for an other to absteine little that the bodie maie neuerthelesse remaine in health and bee fit to doe good workes Againe there bee some that deale cleane contrarily and thinke thei doe very well in fastyng nothyng at all supposyng that thei maie without respecte of tyme eate what thei will But herein thei doe not well for albeit thei haue somewhat tasted of the Gospell yet haue thei profited little or nothyng like vnto the former For thei haue profited no further but onely to contemne the Lawes of the Pope Thei will not girde vp their mynde and senses as Peter here biddeth neither do thei bridle the desires of their bodie that the sluggishnesse and lasciuiousnesse thereof maie bee repressed It is good to faste howbeit the right Faste in deede is to giue the bodie no more nourishmente then is needefull to preserue it in healthe also to exercise it with labours and watchynges least this old Asse of ours become more wanton and lasciuious then is meete Let hym bee restrained and bridled and obedient to the Spirite whiche Saincte Peter calleth here to bee sober Not as some are wont to faste who so excessiuely engorge and pamper them selues with fishe and the beste sortes of wine at one diner that thei make their beallies like a Taber or Drumme with stuffyng and crammyng them so full Truste perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you SVche is Christian Faithe that with all affiaunce it wholie trusteth to the woorde of God quietly committeth it self vnto it and confidently attempteth whatsoeuer it teacheth Whereupon S. Peter saith then are the loynes of the mynde girded vp then is your faith sincere and sounde when ye doe quietly and confidently commit your selues to the Worde of God and be bolde vpon trust therein hauyng no regarde whatsoeuer thyng of yours commeth into perill whether it bee riches or good name bodie or euen the life it self Excellently therefore hath he in these wordes described a sincere and vnfeined Faithe For Faithe must not be sluggishe and sleepie whiche is rather a dreame then a Faithe but it must bee liuely and effectuall so that one would with all confidence offer him self to all afflictions and troubles whatsoeuer and depende wholy on the Woorde esteemyng indifferently whatsoeuer state God sendeth that wee maie patiently susteine aduersitie as well as enioye prosperitie As for examples sake when I must dye I must confidently commit my self to Christe I muste quietly offer my life for his sake and trustyng to the Woorde whiche can not deceiue I muste boldly and couragiously triumpht ouer myne aduersaries It is needfull moreouer that Faith should passe through without declinyng any waie and that it suffer it self to be hindered and terrified by no meanes that it remoue frō the eyes whatsoeuer it seeth heareth or feeleth Suche a faithe doeth Sainct Peter require whiche consisteth not in thinkyng and woordes but in mightie power and effectuall vertue Further saieth sainct Peter Trust perfectlie on the grace that is brought vnto you that is to saie You haue not deserued this exceadyng greate grace but it is euen freelie offered and brought vnto you For the Gospell whiche declareth and publisheth this grace vnto vs wée our selues haue neither deuised nor found out but the holie Ghost hath sent it frō heauen into the worlde And what thyng is it that is brought vnto vs Forsooth euen the thinges whiche wee haue afore mentioned Namelie that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christe and cleaueth faste vnto his woorde hath together with hym all the benefites and blessynges whiche bee his in so muche that he is thereby euen a Lorde ouer Synne Death Deuill and Helle and is moste certainly assured of euerlastyng life This so greate a treasure is brought home to vs as it were to our owne doores and laied vp in our bosomes without any our owne helpe merite or deseruyng yea euen vnhoped and vnlooked for when we neither knewe of it nor so muche as once thought of any suche matter And therefore the Apostle exhorteth vs that wee should boldlie and vndoubtedlie looke for this Grace because that God whiche offereth and bestoweth the same vpon vs can not in any wise lye By the reuelation of Iesu Christe GOD offereth his Grace to none but by Christ and therefore without this Mediatour lette no mā presume to come into his sight as we haue afore admonished For he will heare no manne but hym that bryngeth with hym Christe his moste deare Sonne to bee his Aduocate and Spokesman as one whom he onely hath respecte vnto and for his sake to all those that by Faithe cleaue faste vnto hym And therefore he requireth at our handes that we acknowledge his Sonne as the persone by whose blood wée are at one with hym and now dare to present our selues before hym For to this ende came our Lord Christ who taking flesh and blood vnto him ioyned hymself with vs that hee might obtaine pardon and purchase Grace for vs at y t hādes of his Father By this faith in Christ were all the Prophetes and Patriarches saued For it behooued all menne generally to beleeue this promise made vnto Abraham In thy seede shall all Nations bee blessed And therefore the Iewes Turkes and all thei that repose any truste in their owne workes hopyng thereby to winne heauen haue no Faithe at all in them And therefore dooeth Peter saie Grace is brought to you but yet by the reuelation of Iesu Christe or to speake it more plainly by this that Iesus Christe is reuealed vnto you In the Gospell it is shewed vnto vs what Christe is that we maie throughly knowe hym namely that he is our Sauiour that he taketh awaie our Sinnes that he deliuereth vs out of all miseries that he reconcileth vs vnto his Father and that without any our workes he doeth iustifie and saue vs. Who soeuer doeth not thus acknowledge Christ is altogether deceiued For albeit thou knowe hym to bee the Sonne of GOD who died rose againe and sitteth now at the right hande of his Father yet hast thou not thereby throughly knowne Christ neither shall this knowyng of hym any whitt auaile thee vnlesse thou proceede a steppe further and bothe knowe and also beleeue that he did all these thynges for thee to helpe relieue and comfort
as sainct Paule testifieth This worde Holie signifieth that whiche is onely proper vnto God himself and to hym onely doeth it appertaine the which we commonly doe call consecrated And therefore doth sainct Peter now saie You haue consecrated your selues vnto God and therefore it standeth you vppon so to looke to it that ye suffer not your selues to bee caried awaie againe into the vaine lustes and desires of this worlde but giue you place vnto God that hee maie raigne liue and woorke in you and so shall ye bee holie euen as hee is holie Thus hath he hitherto described the Grace that is offered vnto vs by the Gospell and preachyng of Christe and hath taught vs how againe we ought to behaue our selues toward the same namely to persist and continue in a pure and sincere perswasion of Faithe being well assured that no worke whatsoeuer that we either can doe or deuise can any thing auaile vs toward our saluatiō But where this doctrine is preached then straightwaies reason commeth in and inferreth thus If the case so stande what neede haue I to doe any good worke Then doe these grosseheads enter into this fonde opinion or rather mere madnesse makyng of a right Christian life a carnall licentiousnesse deemyng it lawfull for euery man to dooe what him listeth With suche maner of persones doeth sainct Peter here in this place meete withall and by preuention taketh aforehande from them that their foolishe imagination teachyng vs that Christian libertie without dependyng vpon any good workes is to bee vsed towardes GOD because on hym we are onely to build our Faithe without any Workes for hereby wee attribute vnto hym his due due honour and acknowledge hym for our good God who is bothe iust true and mercifull Suche a Faithe as this deliuereth and offereth vs frō our sinnes and all other mischéeues whatsoeuer Now after that we haue attributed this vnto God al the residue of our liues that we haue to liue we are to bestowe to the benefite of our neighbor to serue and doe good vnto hym The very cheefest principallest worke of all others proceeding and issuyng out of Faith is with our mouthes be readie to confesse Christ and with our bloud also to beare witnesse vnto hym and if the case so require to bestowe our very liues also for his sake And yet hath not God any neede of this or any such worke of ours but therefore must wee doe it that our Faithe beyng thereby throughly tried and manifested maie also drawe and allure others to the like Furthermore there bee other Woorkes which dooe generallie also serue to this ende that wee maye thereby doe good vnto our neighbors all whiche notwithstandyng not wee our selues but God is hee that must worke and bryng the same to passe in vs. Thus haue wee nothyng at all in the worlde of our owne that wee can ascribe in any respecte vnto our selues Hereby now it euidently appeareth how farre of it is that this preaching of the Gospell doeth open any yea neuer so little a windowe to liue carnallie or that euery man maie lawfullie doe what he listeth And therefore saieth Sainct Peter furthermore And if ye call him Father whiche without respect of persone iudgeth according to euery mans woorke passe the tyme of your dwellyng here in feare Knowyng that yee were not redeemed with corruptible thinges as siluer and golde from your vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers But with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Whiche was ordeined before the foundation of the worlde but was declared in the laste tymes for your sakes Whiche by his meanes dooe beleeue in God that raised him from the dead and gaue him glorie that your faithe and hope might be in God THE meanyng of sainct Peter in this place is this Ye are now by Faithe come to this poinct that ye are the Sonnes of God and he your Father Ye haue attained an incorruptible inheritaunce whereof hath beene spoken afore now therefore there remaineth nothing behind but that the veile being taken awaie that may bee openly shewed which earst was hidden This must ye yet expect and looke for till the tyme come that it bee giuen you to see it You therefore are come to this good poinct that you maie with boldnesse and trust inuocate and call vppon God your Father because he is neuerthelesse iust as he that will render vnto euery one without respect of persones accordyng to their workes Let no man perswade hym self for that he is dignified and entitled with this worthie name to bee called a Christian or the Sonne of God that therefore God will spare hym if hee liue without his feare and accoumpt it enough because hee hath suche an excellent name The worlde in deede iudgeth accordyng to respectes of persones not iudgyng all persones equallie and indifferently but spareth suche as bee their Freendes wealthie riche fayre learned wise mightie and in high authoritie But God respecteth none of all these hee dealeth in all thynges with indefferencie bee the persones neuer so high of callyng So did hee in Egipt slea the Childe aswell of the kyng as of the poorest Sheepeheard Exod. 10. And therefore the Apostle here warneth vs that wee lookyng for the like iudgement should stand in feare and not so to vasit our tytle because wee are called Christians that therefore wée should presume that God will any whitt more spare vs then hee wil others For this vaine perswasion long agoe deceiued the Iewes who bragged them selues to bee the Seede of Abraham and the people of GOD. The Scripture maketh no difference accordyng to the fleshe but according to the Spirit Very true it is that God promised that Christ should be borne of the seede of Abraham and that out of hym should come an holie people but it followeth not therevpon that all they bee the children of God whiche descended from the ligne of Abraham Hee also promised saluation to the Gentiles but he saied not that hee would saue all the Gentiles But here now ariseth a question When we say that God doeth saue vs onely by faithe without respect of good workes how happeneth it that Sainct Peter doeth here saie that hee will not iudge accordyng to the person but according to euery mans worke I answere Whatsoeuer wee haue taught concernyng faithe how that it alone doeth iustifie vs before God is without al doubt very true forasmuch as the Scripture declareth and witnesseth the same more plainly then that it can bee denyed Now whereas sainct Peter doeth here saie that God iudgeth accordyng to workes that also is as true But this by the waie muste vndoubtedly bee beleeued that where Faithe is not there neither can any good woorke bee and againe that there is no Faithe where there bee no good workes Therefore thou muste bryng bothe thy Faithe and thy good woorkes into one as in the which being bothe together is comprehended and
Worde of God that he maie feele what a good taste and sauour it hath because hee knoweth full well what great power and mightie efficacie is in it to subdue and beate downe all naughtie desires and euill thoughtes Therefore that whiche sainct Peter here speaketh is as though he should thus saie If you bee desirous to remaine and continue chast it standeth you in hande to embrace and shewe your obedience to the truthe through the Spirite that is to saie It necessarily behooueth you not onely to reade and heare the Worde of God but to embrace the same in your hartes And therefore it is not enough that the Gospell bee once preached or once heard but thou must continuallie cleaue vnto it and followe it For this grace hath the Worde that the oftner a man tasteth it the sweeter it still wareth and the pleasaunter it relisheth For albeit it alwaies teacheth one and the same doctrine concernyng Faithe yet can it neuer bee to the godlie and well disposed mindes sufficiently and enough heard Now addeth the Apostle further To loue brotherly without fainyng TO what ende now must wee leade a chast life to the ende thereby to attaine Saluation No forsooth But to the ende and purpose that wee maie serue and doe good to our neighbors What shall I doe that I maie restraine and keepe vnder my Sinnes I must dutifullie obeye the truthe in the Spirite that is to saie the Faithe of the Woorde of God And why doe I bridle and keepe vnder subiection my Sinnes Forsoothe that I maie dooe good to others For I must first bridle and ouermaister my bodie and fleshe through the Spirite and then shall I bee able to profite and doe good to others Loue one an other with a pure harte feruently THe holie Apostles Peter and Paule doe separate and make a difference betwene brotherly Loue and commō Loue a brotherhood is y t bond wherein all Christians ought to be among themselues euen as brothers without any respect or difference for why we haue all in common one Christe one Baptisme one Faithe and one Treasure I can not bee more worthie then thou that whiche thou haste I also haue finallie I am euen as riche as thou Wee haue one and the same treasure sauyng that I peraduenture receiue it more worthily then thou doest as if I should laie it vpp in Gold thou shouldest kepe it in some filthy rag or vise cloute Therefore as wee haue the grace of Christe and all spirituall blessynges common together so also ought we to haue our bodies liues wealth and dignities common one to an other that one maie serue an others turne and necessitie in all thinges Now hee verie significantlie saieth To loue brotherly without fainyng that is without any glosing hypocrisie or dissimulation whiche terme and phraze the Apostles gladlie vse for that vndoubtedlie thei foresawe that wee would not sticke to call one an other Christian or Brother and yet would falsly feinedly dissemblyngly and altogether hypocritically vndermine one an other We haue erected in the world many Fraternities and Brotherhoodes whiche in very deede are nothing els then starke vanities and mere deceiptes altogether deuised inuented brought into the world by the Deuill himself All whiche are wholy and altogether repugnaunt and contrarie to the Faithe and sincere loue of Brethren Christe is aswell myne as hee is sainct Barnardes thine no lesse then he is S. Francis When thou hearest any therefore saie I shall come to heauen if I be one of the Brotherhood of this or that order answere thou thus It is mere paltrie and counterfaited hypocrisie that thou speakest Christe can not abide any suche trumperie he can brooke none other then a common Brotherhood whiche we haue altogether and wilt thou plaie the notorious foole by breakyng of that to erecte and make to thy self any newe vpstart and peculier Brotherhood This truely could I well abide that thou shouldest erecte one but how not whereby to make any peculier helpe to thy Soule but for a certaine number to come together to contribute and gather some treasure for the reliefe of them that bee in necessitie Therefore all we Christiās haue one Brotherhood which we tooke vpon vs in our Baptisme of the whiche brotherhood there is no Saincte that hath any more then thou or I. For looke with how greate a price he was redeemed with so great am I also bought and redeemed GOD bestowed no lesse for my sake then for the greatest Saincte that is sauyng that he peraduenture embraced this treasure better then I doe That is to saie hath a stedfaster and stronger Faithe then I. Furthermore this woorde Loue hath a larger signification then Brotherlinesse because it reacheth also vnto our enemies and those especiallie whiche are not worthie of Loue. For as Faithe sheweth forthe her woorkyng where she seeth nothyng so also ought Loue to see nothing and there especially to exercise her operation where there is in apparaunce nothyng worthy to bee loued but rather all thynges odious and suche as maie breede and procure loathsomnesse Where there is nothyng that can well be liked of euen there ought the effectes of Loue to shewe forthe yea this ought also to be doen feruently saieth Peter and with the whole harte euen as God loued vs at suche time when wee were in euery respect moste vnworthie of his loue Beeyng borne anewe THirdlie al these thinges are therefore of you to be performed and doen because ye are not now as you were before but you are saieth he borne anewe and therefore newe Men. This was not brought to passe through any your owne workes but you needed a newe Birthe For a new man can not be brought forthe by any power of his owne into the worlde but he must first be begotten and borne What Carpenter is able by his owne Arte to make a Tree but the same must needes of it self first grow out of the groūd Therfore euer as we are not made but borne the Sonnes and children of Adam and haue naturally sucked synne from our Parentes so neither shall wee by our owne industrie and labour euer become the children of God but it behoueth vs by a kinde of newe Birth and regeneration so to be This therefore is the meanyng of the Apostle in this place Seeyng therefore that you are a newe Creature it is verie meete and conueniente withall that you demeane your selues after an other order and practise a newe kinde of life As heretofore ye liued in hatred so now vse your conuersation in Loue and let all thinges be transposed and tourned after an other sorte But how came this new Birthe to passe Not of mortall and corruptible seede but of immortall and incorruptible by the woorde of God whiche liueth and endureth for euer OF a kinde of Seede wee are regenerated and newe borne no otherwise then as we see all other thynges to bee borne and generated of Seede in their kinde If therefore
of euill doers thei maie bee ashamed whiche slaunder your good conuersation in Christe For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doyng then for euill doyng For Christe also hath once suffred for sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bryng vs to God and was put to death concernyng the fleshe but was quickened in the spirite By the whiche he also went and preached vnto the spirites that are in prison Whiche were in tyme passed disobedient when once the long sufferyng of God abode in the daies of Noe while the Arke was preparing wherein fewe that is eight soules were saued in the water To the which also the figure that now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth not the puttyng awaie of the filth of the flesh but in that a good cōscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ Whiche is at the right hande of God gone into heauen to whom the Angels and Powers and Mighte are subiect Likewise let the wiues bee subiecte to their Housbandes that euen thei whiche obey not the word maie without the woorde bee wonne by the conuersation of the wiues While thei behold your pure conuersation which is with feare SAincte Peter in this place namely speaketh of those Wiues whiche in his tyme had vnbeleeuyng Housebandes and again of suche faithful Housebandes as yet had Heathen and Ethnick wiues For it oftentymes happened in those daies that the Apostles preached the Gospell emong vnbeleeuyng Pagans and Infidelles emong whom it was often seen that the one of the parties to witte either the Housebande or the Wife was conuerted and wonne vnto Christe the other still wallowyng and persisting in errour Now if this charge of Wiues subiection and obedience to their housbandes were so straightly commaunded then how muche more is it behouefull and necessarie to performe and shewe it forth now adaies The office therefore of a Wife saieth sainct Peter is this to bee loyall and subiecte to her Housebande yea though he bee an Infidell and a Heathen And here he inferreth the cause why it is conuenient and behoouefull so to doe That euen thei whiche obeye not the worde maie without the woorde bee wonne by the conuersation of the wiues WHen the Housebande seeth that his Wife liueth orderly innocently and honestlie he is thereby moued and prouoked to embrace the like Christian Faithe and godlinesse And albeeit the office of preachyng bee not committed nor allowed vnto Women yet ought thei neuerthelesse so honestly to demeane and behaue themselues in maners and conuersation that euen thereby thei maie allure and drawe their Housebandes vnto Faithe Wee reade that the vertuous Matrone Monica Mother vnto sainct Augustine conuerted her houseband a little afore his death vnto the Faithe of Christ and after that her Soonne Augustine also But wee must note that this is an externall office and outward charge not to bee doen of any woman with intent thereby to bee iustified For by all this obedience shall not a woman bee saued For euen emong the Heathen Infidelles wee maie finde some Wiues in eche respecte verie duetifull seruiceable and debonaire to their housebandes but that obedience of theirs raught no farther then to content serue and please their housebandes For so did God ordaine and appoincte Genes iij. when he saied to the woman Thou shalt be subiecte to thy Housebande and he shall rule ouer thee whiche is one of the punishmentes that God there inflicted and laied vpon Women But yet this is as I saied afore appertainyng to outward conuersation and belongeth to the bodie not to the Spirite Women haue here greate cause to reioyce in that thei knowe what Worke to doe to please God withall For this is suche a greate treasure as a wife can not haue a greater nor more precious in that she certainely knoweth that when she sheweth suche subiection and obedience to her housebande she highlie pleaseth God therewith and doeth that whiche to hym is right acceptable then whiche knowledge and persuasion what can be tide vnto her more ioyfull and gladsome And therefore she that is desirous to bee a right Christian wise let her thus thinke with her self I will not respect what maner of persone my housebande is with whom I am now coupled in mariage whether he bee Iewe or Gentile good or badde but I will drawe my self to this consideration and respecte onely that God hath appoincted me to bee this mannes Wife and linked me vnto hym in the bandes of Matrimonie and therefore as I am bounde so will I in all poinctes bee subiecte and obedient vnto hym This persuasion beeyng once throughlie settled in her liuyng in suche duetifull obedience all her Workes bee bothe acceptable and commendable If any bee so wilfull and waiwarde whom these reasons doe not moue to suche a one doubtlesse no other persuasions will be auaileable By beatyng a man shall doe no good if he thinke thereby to bryng his wife to be tractable and duetifull for in castyng out one Deuill by beatyng he shall bee sure to beate in twoo as badde or worse as in our common Prouerbe we are wont to saie O that Wiues throughlie knewe this doctrine and exhortation of Saincte Peter how happily and blessedlie should thei liue But our peruerse and crooked Nature is suche that what God commaundeth none are willyng to followe but what mannes idle braine deuiseth after that men runne headlōg Furthermore God hath willed this Commaundement of wiues obedient subiection to their housbandes to bee so firmely and inuiolablie obserued that he hath graūted power and aucthoritie to the housebandes to dissolue vndoe disalowe and to make frustrate and of none effecte any vowes made by their wiues if thei mislike the same As wee read Num. xxx And that for none other cause but to liue therby at home in peace quietnesse and tranquillitie And thus muche firste of the office and duetie of Wiues towarde their Housebands now next the Apostle setteth doune how a Wife ought to behaue her self towardes all others Whose apparailyng let it not be outward as with broided haire and golde put aboute or in puttyng on of apparaile But let the hidde man of the harte bee vncorrupte with a meeke and quiet Spirite whiche is before God a thyng muche set by THis treasure and inward garnishement we maie not thinke here to be commaunded and prescribed onely for Wiues but the same stretcheth ought to bee construed as ment also of Men. Here maie some aske this question Whether these saiynges of Saincte Peter concernyng Womens apparaile bee straightly commaunded or no Wee reade of Queene Esther how that she ware a Croune of gold on her head and putte on her roiall apparaile that was very rich precious and meete for a Quene Esth ij and .v. Iudith also apparailed her self moste brauelie and magnificently Iud. x. But in bothe places we finde it thus explaned that thei did it not for any vaine delite that thei had therein
at one woorde what soeuer is naturally to bee doen in this bodie and is fraile and transitorie To all these died Christe Saincte Paule calleth these the Naturall or Animall bodie for that all other Creatures haue the vse of all these actions as well as we But his fleshe died not in any other sorte but accordyng to the fleshe that is accordyng to those Naturall and corporall functions whiche are done and exercised by the bodie To this life I saie Christe died so that all these functions likewise died and ceassed in hym and hee hymself transported into an other life And beeyng quickened accordyng to the Spirite tooke vnto hym a life Spirituall and supernaturall comprehendyng and possessyng in it self all that life whiche Christe now possesseth as well in Bodie as in Spirite Who now hath not any longer suche a carnall Bodie as he had afore but a Spirituall bodie And thus doeth sainct Paule expounde this place The very same hope wee also at the latter daie to enioye to witt that our fleshe and bloud shall passe and bee altered in to a spirituall life wherein these our Bodies shal no more eate and drinke begette children digest concoct euacuate or any suche like but shall 〈…〉 in Spirite and this bodie shall bee as clearâ— as nâ—w the Sâ—nne is yea 〈◊〉 clearer Fleshe and bloud shall not thenceforth bee naturall there shall then be no suche function either 〈◊〉 or corporall suche as other Creatures now 〈◊〉 aswell as wee These bee in a maner the woordes whiche sainct Paule vseth j. Cor. xv The first man Adam saieth he was made a liuyng Soule and the last Adam was made a quicknyng Spirite And it there followeth That as we haue borne the Image of the earthie and naturall Man so shall we beare the Image of the spirituall and heauenlie From Adam wee haue all the offices and functions naturall euen as brute Beastes haue accordyng to our outwarde senses and faculties But Christe liueth in the Spirit and is fleshe and bloud but not so as he did afore all outwarde functions of bodily Senses are ceassed in hym he neither sleepeth nor watcheth and yet knoweth he all thinges and is in euery place Suche also shall wee bee for he is the first fruictes the oblation and first boxâ—re as S. Paule saieth of the 〈…〉 that is he is the first that arose from the dead and tooke vnto him a spiritual life Therefore Christ doeth now liue accordyng to the Spirite that is to saie He is still very perfect Man but he hath a spiritual Body And therfore that whiche is here saied is not so to 〈◊〉 taken as we vsually doe wheÌ„ we separate Fleshe and Spirite asunder the one from the other but that the Bodie and Fleshe are now spirituall and that the Spirite is bothe in the Bodie and with the Bodie For sainct Peters meanyng is not here that Christe was raised by the holie Ghost but he vseth this worde Spirite after a general maner 〈◊〉 if a man should saie the Spirit doth this or that In whiche wordes is not simplie meant the holie Ghoste but rather that inwarde working and effectuall force whiche worketh in vs by the operation of the holie Ghost By the whiche he also went and preached vnto the spirites that are in person Whiche were in tyme passed disobedient THis place I dooe take to bee as obscure and harde to bee vnderstoode as any in the newe Testament insomuche that I confesse my self not yet to haue founde out the certaine meanyng thereof First the words them selues doe sounde as though Christe had preached vnto Spirites I meane the Soules of them that would not beleeue in the tyme that Noah built the Arke The sense thereof beeyng somewhat harde to conceiue hath hitherto so entangled mee that neither can I aduouche any sounde interpretation of it neither any other as yet that hath takeÌ„ in hand the exposition thereof Some peraduenture will not sticke to take these woordes so as that Christe after his deathe on the Crosse went downe into Hell and preached to the Soules there with whiche vain opinion I meane not here to enter disputation But mee thinkes these wordes doe very well admit an other sense meanyng to wit that our Lorde Christ after his ascension into Heauen came in Spirite and preached albeeit not bodilie For hee speaketh not now with any bodilie voyce as he also vseth none of the other functions of corporall or bodily nature And therefore let vs take the wordes to signifie and meane accordyng as thei sounde that is in Spirite and that he preached to the Spirites in that his spirituall life Wherevppon it also followeth that his preachyng then was spirituall emplantyng the same in their hartes and Soules so that there was no neede for him to goe in bodie and preache with mouth for the same These words of sainct Peter proue not that after he dyed he went doune vnto the Ghosts that are in Hell to preache vnto them For he saieth thus In whiche he went c. Whiche is asmuche as if he had saied After he was deade accordyng to the fleshe and quickened accordyng to the Spirite that is after hee had laied doune and left his life in the fleshe and all other naturall workes and functions of his bodie and had now taken vnto him a spirituall life and conuersation as now he hath and doeth in heauen then hee went and preached to the Spirites c. Now it is most euident and certaine that Christ descended not eftsoones to Hell after he had receiued this his newe glorified life And therefore wee must vnderstande that he made this preachyng after his Ascension into Heauen Seyng therefore that the wordes doe well beare to be vnderstood of a Spirituall preachyng wee are to thinke that S. Peter in this place speaketh of the Office of Christe for that as the worde is outwardly preached by Voyce so worketh he inwardly in the harte Hee enioyned his Apostles to preache the Gospell bodily but yet is hee hymself present spiritually and whatsoeuer the Apostles vtter in outwarde speeche to the bodily eares of men that doethe he speake and preache into the hartes and myndes of them inwardlie And then preacheth hee to the Spirites whom the Deuill holdeth captiue and in thraldome so that wee take this worde went and these wordes preachyng to the Spirites that are in prison accordyng to the accoumpt and computation of God himself because in the sight of Christe thei that haue been long since are euen in the same state as thei bee that now presently liue For his Kyngdome reacheth to the deade aswell as to the liuyng In that life wherein hee now liueth the Beginning the Middle and the ende of the Worlde are conteined and reckened after one and the same accoumpt all as one although in this life these thinges bee not reckened so but eche thyng accordyng to his orderly succession as the Sonne after the Father and so of others All thinges
spightfull enuie and cancarde hatred am I not a greate deale the fitter to deale louingly and gentlie with my neighbour I haue oftentymes afore saied that although by Faith we bee fullie iustified and haue Christe with all his merites fullie our owne yet ought wee to applye our selues to good Workes and to seeke all that wee can the benefite and commoditie of our Neighbour For we are neuer perfectly purged and cleane so long as we dwell in this worlde there is no man but feeleth and findeth in his Bodie a Storehouse of many euill lustes and filthie desires For Faithe beginneth to mortifie Sinnes and to bryng with it an heauenly life but it is not as yet here perfect and strong enough to doe that which it would Euen as Christe reasoned of the Samaritan which was not yet wholly restored to health although his woundes were bounde vp and charge enough giuen for his curyng and looking to so fareth it with vs. For wheÌ„ we beleue our woundes are bound vp that is to saie the infection and disease which by propagation is deriued into vs from Adam is begonne to bee healed whiche is brought to passe as wee see in some remisselie and slowly in other some speedily and quickly accordingly as euery one chastiseth himself and represseth his flesh and hath a fuller measure of Faithe giuen vnto hym And therefore when we haue attained these two Faithe and Charitie our next studie and care ought to be euen vntill wee dye to skowre and pourge these reliques of Synne yet harboroughyng within vs. And therefore saieth sainct Peter Arme ye your selues likewise with the same mynde that is confirme your myndes and strengthen your hartes in this cogitation to dooe as Christ hath dooen afore you For if wee be right Christians wee ought thus to thinke with our selues My Lorde GOD hath suffred for me hath shew his precious blood for me and hath suffred Death on the Crosse for me why should I bee suche a bastarde to bee vnwillyng to suffer any kinde of affliction For if our Lorde hymself issue out into the brunte and breaste of the Battaile how muche more meete is it for vs beyng his poore Seruauntes ioyfully to abide and vndertake any daunger These cogitations would animate vs to pearce into and boldely to aduenture to giue the â—nsect vpon any daungerous assaies what soeuer This woorde Fleshe signifieth not onely the Bodie consistyng of Fleshe and Blood Skinne and Bones but all what soeuer commeth from Adam So saieth God Genes vj. My Spirite shall not alwaies striue with manne because he is but Fleshe And Esaie likewise Chap. xl All Fleshe shall see the sauyng health of God That is it shalbee manifest before all menne in the worlde So also saie wee in our Creed I beleeue the resurrection of the Fleshe that is that all mennesh all arise againe Fleshe therefore signifieth the whole and entire Manne euen as he liueth in this life Now the wâ—â—rkes of the Fleshe are in an excellent order reckoned vp and recoumpted by sainct Paule Gala. v. And not those grosse actions and workes of the Fleshe onely as Fornication but the chiefest and greatest vices that bee as Idolacrie and Heresies whiche bée resiauÌ„t not in the Bodie onely but rather in the Reason Note therefore that Manne together with his Reason Will and all inward motions Soule and Bodie is called Fleshe and that because with al his powers bothe inwardly and outwardly he pursueth and himteth onely for those thynges that are carnall and delightfull to the Fleshe Euen so saieth Saincte Peter in this place that Christ suffred in the Fleshe whereas it is certaine that his Passion was not onely in the Fleshe but in his Soule also whiche adode that moste extreme agoine whereof Esaie speaketh And after the same sorte must we also take this that followeth He whiche suffreth in the Fleshe ceaseth from Synne For this is not the meaning of it that he whiche hath his head chopped of or his bodie onely dismembred ceasseth from synnes but this suffryng in the Fleshe comprehendeth in it what soeuer it bee that aggreeueth and vtterly discontenteth Man or that whiche shalbee his happe willinglie to suffer and beare what Miserie Calamitie Vexation or necessitie so euer it bee For there are a greate sorte that beeyng sounde in bodie are notwithstandyng inwardly in mynde greatly perplexed and disquieted and in harte greeuously tormented Now if these grieues be laied vpon them for Christes cause it is good and commobious for them for he that is afflicted in the Fleshe saith he ceasseth from Synne For this purpose is the Crosse very profitable because thereby Synnes are qualified and greatly alaied For when a Manne once beginneth earnestly and from the verie bottome of his harte to repente it is wonderfull to see how soone and how quickely Luste Enuie hatred and other synnes doe vanishe awaie and ceasse Wherefore GOD hath laied the Crosse on vs thereby as it were to compell and pushe vs forwarde as well to beleeue in hym and to put our thirst in hym as also that wee should reache our helpyng hande one to an other through Loue. That he henceforthe should liue as muche tyme as remaineth in the Fleshe not after the lustes of menne but after the will of God OVr partes and dueties are as in the whole course of our life so by the Crosse and daiely chastifyng of our selues to conquere and subdue our Fleshe and to bryng it in subiection not with intent therby to merite any thyng toward our Saluation but to shewe our selues gratefull and duetifull vnto God Not after the lustes of menne saieth he that is We must not doe it to please either our selues or others thereby For wee must not fashion our selues like vnto this worlde as Saincte Paule writeth in the xij Chapter to the Romaines Whatsoeuer the worlde requireth of vs that must we refraine and forbeare For it is sufficiente for vs that wee haue spent the time paste of the life after the luste of the Gentiles walkyng in wantonnesse lustes drunkennesse in gluttonie drinkynges and in abhominable Idolatries WEE haue alreadie too muche cockered our selues and been too muche giuen to our owne waÌ„ton delites for before wee receiued the Faithe wee spente our tyme and bestowed our liues accordyng to our owne sensuall appetites in no better sorte then very Gentiles And therefore we must striue and endeuour our selues to consecrate and direct the residue of our life according to the will of God and to doe that whiche maie bee acceptable vnto him For we haue our Enemie within our owne bosome wee foster and nourishe hym within our owne fleshe there and from thence the craftie and moste Pestilent enemie as it were out of an ambushe priuily and secretly setteth vpon vs and that not with any grosse and apparaunt vices but rather with the credite iolitie and estimation of the Fleshe which is called by Sainct Paule The wisedome of the Fleshe j. Cor. j. This beeyng now
that wee Christians haue in that wee maie saie the worde whiche I preache is none of myne owne neither is my Faithe myne owneâ— thei are all the workes and the giftes of God He that reuileth and raileth on me reuileth and raileth on God accordyng to Christes owne saiyng Math. x. He that receiueth you receiueth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Sainct Peters woordes therefore are in effect as though hee should saie Knowe ye that the Spirite whiche ye haue is of that power and might that he can easelie auenge himself of his enemies as the Lord himself Exod. xxiij promiseth saiyng If thou wilt has Led vnto my voyce and do all that I speake I will bee an Enemie vnto thyne Enemies And the Scripture in many places calleth the Enemies of Gods people the Enemies of GOD himself And therefore when wee are rayled on for none other cause but for that wee bee Christians and truely honour Christe let vs bee assured that so long as wee stedfastlie beleeue it is not wee that are railed on but the spight and railyng properly reboundeth vnto God And therefore saieth he paciently abide it and reioyce in your mynde is for that which is doen vnto you is doen vnto the Spirite whiche is the Spirite of God And now be proceedeth and giueth good fruiteful 〈◊〉 that we should take heede and not suffer for 〈◊〉 But lette none of you suffer as a Murtherer or as a thiefe or an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters But if any man suffer as a Christian let hym not be ashamed but let hym glorifie God in this behalfe HIs meaning is this Ye haue heard both how ye must needes suffer affliction and also in your affliction how you must behaue your selues alwaies forseen that ye suffer not for your owne ill desertes but for Christe Ye haue heard also how in this our Age the case so standeth that wee are coÌ„pelled to suffer persecution vnder wicked bloudsuckers who notwithstanding beare the name of ChristiaÌ„s So that now a true follower and embracer of the truth of Christe suffering for the sincere profession of Christ is not thought to suffer persecution as a Christian but is rather reputed and taken as an Enemie of Christe for that thei whiche bee the persecutours chalenge to themselues the name and tytle of the true Christians affirmyng aswell as wee that he is blessed and happie which dieth for Christ In this case none but the Spirite is able to discerne who be the true and who be the dissemblyng and counterfaite Christians And therefore thou must be firmely settled in Faithe throughly perswaded in soundnesse of CoÌ„science that thou art before God a right Christian and that thy heauenly Father doeth so accept and take thee whatsoeuer otherwise the Worlde iudgeth of thee When ye are therefore afflicted as Christians let none of you saieth sainct Peter bee ashamed but rather let hym glorifie God for the same Wherein he sheweth that tribulations afflictions and tormentes are thynges so precious that wee ought to giue God hartie thankes therefore and to glorifie his holie name for so greate a domitie in that of his especiall fauour towardes vs of vnworthie he maketh vs worthie to suffer for the profession of his name But alas this bearyng of the Crosse nowadaies in many places is thought in a maner whollie to consist in a garishe carryng aboute of a materiall Crosse after a ioâ—ie ceremonious solempnitie whiche doeth a man as muche good as Saite cast into his eyes It is not the Crosse of Christ that shall faue mee I ought to beleeue it but to beare myne owne If thou in thine harte conceiue and think vppon his affliction thou haste obtained and arte possessed of a right true treasure The Boanes of S. Peter bee holie but what good gette I by that Thou must so striue that thou thy self and thy boanes maie attaine to bee holie which thing thou art sure of when thou art afflicted and suffrest persecution for Christ For the time is come that iudgment must beginne at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shall the ende be of them whiche obey not the Gospell of God HEre he bringeth in two places of the Prophets at once tendyng both to this purpose The first is in the xxv of Ieremie saiyng thus Beholde I beginne to plague the citie where my name is called vpon I will first chastise and punishe my best beloued and dearest children thei must first haue some tryall and experience of this fier of tribulation wherein the iust are proued tried And shall ye that are myne enemies saith Ieremie goe free Ye shall not goe free And againe Cap. xlix Behold thei whose iudgment was not to drinke of the Cuppe haue assuredly drunken and art thou he that shalt goe free Thou shalt not goe free but thou shalt surely drink of it that is to saie I strike and punish those whom I dearely loue to the intent thou shouldest see what I meane to dooe to them that be myne enemies The meaning of whiche wordes are worthie of diligent consideration The holier and godlier children that God hath in this worlde the more ignominiously and cruellie he suffreth them to be dealt withall and massacred in the worlde What then maie the rest looke for The other place is out of the ix of Ezechiel The Prophet there sawe certaine armed men cariyng tooles and weapons of destruction in their hands who were commaunded to smite all that were in the Citie young and olde men women and children that were not marked in their forheades with TAV And vnto them GOD there further saied Beginne ye at my Sanctuarie Assoone as euer the Gospell is preached God beginneth to punishe Sinne that he maie bothe kill and quicken again but he vseth to beate the godly to their no harme but as it were with a Foxetayle as the common Prouerbe soundeth and with a fewe twigges after a motherly affection What shall wee thinke then will he dooe to those that doe not beleeue As though he should saie if he deale so roughly and so seuerely with his welbeloued children wee maie easily gesse what the tormentes shall bee that tarie for the vnbeleeuers And if the righteous scarsely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare THis place is taken out of the xj of the Prouerbes Behold the righteous shall receiue punishment in the earth how muche more then the wicked and the synner If the godlie bee beaten where shall the wicked remaine The verie same here reporteth Sainct Peter saiyng The iuste shall scarce bee saued He is iuste whiche stedfastly beleeueth but no manne persisteth and perseuereth in Faithe without greate labour trouble and sweate he must passe many Pikes taste of many a sharpe brunte and calamitie and go through the fire of many tribulations Where then shall there bee any place for hym that beleeueth not When as Faithe is so violently and forcibly
emplainted and resiaunt within vs. For God resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble THem that bee so loftie mynded that thei will not yeelde and stoupe God hymself cooleth and deiectâ—th and contrariwise exalteth and aduaunceth those which humble and throwe doune themselues This is a common beaten saiyng in euery mannes mouthe but would God it were aswell vsed and putte in vre in life as it is often and almoste euery where still talked and pronounced with tongue Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hande of God FOrasmuche as God so requireth that ye should submit your selues our to an other see that ye doe it willingly and so he will exalt you but if ye doe it vnwillyngly yet shall ye doe it because he will abate your pride and throwe doune your loftinesse That he maie exalt you in due tyme. THinke ye not that he will tarie long but stedfastly trust ye in hym for ye haue his sure promise that this is the hande of GOD and his blessed will and though in the iudgement of flesh the tyme seeme somewhat long yet neuer haue ye any respect to the tyme but committe your selues to be protected and gouerned by the mightie hand of God which moste assuredly in the ende will exalt you Caste all your care on hym for he careth for you YE haue those promises by the whiche ye maie rest in moste perfecte assuraunce that God will neuer forsake you but still take care for you and therefore abandon and caste awaie your owne carefulnesse and lette the Lorde alone deale for you Suffer hym to take the entier charge and care bothe of you and yours These be moste comfortable and sweete woordes and to a Christian Conscience moste chearfull and amiable And why vseth he so many and suche forcible prouocations and reasons to perswade Humilitie Truely because the Nature of man is so stiffe and so stoute that no man almoste willynglie will abase and deiecte hymself or renounce his owne sensuall phantasies And therefore herein he suigâ—â—â—â—y comforteth vs shewyng how that God dooeth not onely looke to vs but also careth for 〈◊〉 and bestoweth euen all the vowelles of his incomparable loue vpon vs. Bee sobeâ— and watche for your aduersarie the Deuill as a roaryng Lyon walketh aboute seekyng whom he maie deuoure HE admonisheth vs to looke to our selues and goeth about to open our eyes that wee slumber not in slouthe or giue our selues to idlenesse not regardyng how nere we bee to daunger and perill And here wee maie behold and see what this life is and how this worthie Apostle hath depainted and set out the same vnto vs insomuche that there is none hauing his Conscience touched with any feare of God but continually wisheth to bee dissolued and to exchaunge it for that other For here we bee in the kingdome of the Deuill and Sathan And as a trauailer or Straunger that commeth into an Inne where he knoweth there are none but Theeues and Murtherers will looke well to himself and bee very carefull for his owne safetie before he will enter into that house if the case so bee that needes he must goe in and will be sure as neere as he can to arme his bodie from the violence of their furies and will not sleepe muche in that house but stande vppon his guarde that he maie departe thence without harme Euen so and with like daunger liue we here on Earth where Sathan beareth the swaie and is Prince who hath so the hartes of men within the daunger of his power that by them he bryngeth to passe whatsoeuer he listeth It is a terrible matter to thinke thereon and therefore S. Peter herein giueth vs a watchworde to beware and admonisheth vs to be carefull and diligent in looking to our selues saiyng Be ye sober For they that be giuen to drunkennes and surphetting and as Swine care for nothyng but for their bellie are fitte for nothyng that good is And therefore wee must endeuour our selues to haue alwaies in readinesse our Armor of Sobrietie And Watche ye saieth he and that not onely spirituallie but also corporallie For a heauie lumpishe and drowsie body when it hath pampered crammed and ingurged it self with meates and drinks is not fit nor able to resist the Deuill seing it is hard enough for them so to doe which are strong in faith and haue plentifull giftes of the Spirite But what is the cause why wee should so muche giue our selues to Sobrietie and watchfulnesse Because saieth hee your aduersarie the Deuill skuddeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he maie deuour For the Deuill neuer sleepeth he is throughly enured and furnished with guile suttletie and malice and carieth that cancarde stomack against vs that he leaueth no waie vnattempted how he maie molest and ensnare vs yea he well knoweth whiche waie to laie his baytes to catch vs bryng vs vnto his lure and therfore he roameth and trudgeth vp and downe like a roaryng and rampyng Lyon that yelleth and roareth hideouslie and horribly as though he would deuoure all that commeth in his waie And therefore hath sainct Peter left vnto vs in writyng this so necessarie and profitable an admonition wherein he discouereth vnto vs our deadly and infernall Enemie that wee should take heede of hym and with S. Paule not bee ignoraunt of his malicious driftes For in that he skuddeth and walketh about his drift and meanyng is thereby to bryng vs into a negligence and securitie wherein if he maie once lulle vs there straightwaies issue and budde out from thence Anger Wrath Contention Arrogance Shamelesnesse contempt of God and all other mischieues whatsoeuer And here note how he saieth that the Deuill walketh about He setteth not vpon thee directly before thy face where he knoweth thou art fenced and garded but he cowardly lyeth in waite to surprize thee behinde at thy backe or aslope on the one side he pryeth and tooteth within thee and without thee very diligently to espie thee at some vauntage where he maie set vppon thee For when he hath attempted thee one waie if he speede not of his purpose he straightwaies taketh an other in hande If he misse his purpose on this side of thee he flingeth to the other omitting no suttle deuise no craftie ambush no cunnyng pollicie to catche thee in a trippe and so to possesse thee If he finde thee strongly armed and fenced on one parte he planteth his batterie to an other side if he bee disappoincted there he chargeth vpon thee and that with incredible speede in an other place he neuer ceasseth but is in coÌ„tinuall practise of mischiefe for thy ouerthrowe and confusion he neuer taketh any pause or staie but still runneth about not suffryng thee to haue any maner of test or intermission And yet wee as men senselesse and carelesse make no reckonyng of this geare neither watche wee to withstande hym whereby he maie easilie and without resistaunce assaile and ouerthrowe vs. Let euery one
therefore looke diligently and warely to hymself and he shall finde all this to be most true as thei that haue been tempted can not bee ignoraunt And therefore wee are more then twise miserable that liue here so carelesly and retchlesly For if we would enter into coÌ„sideration with our selues of this our life present we should see good cause for vs to crye out and call for help none otherwise then if wee were beset with a nuÌ„ber of murtherous Theeues This caused Iob to saie that the life of man on Earth is a mere Warfare and a continuall temptation or fight But why then will ye saie doth God place vs in this life beeyng so full of miseries Truely for this cause that our Faith maie be exercised and encreased and that we should be the gladder and willinger to departe hence and further that Death might become more sauoueie vnto vs and bee the earnestlier of vs desired Whom resist stedfast in the Faithe WEE must bee sober and watche but yet to this ende that our bodies maie bee fit and readie for the conflict and battaile and yet this is not sufficient to ouercome the Deuill withall These weapons are onely auaileable for this respect that the bodie maie bee the lesse occasioned to sinne But the true weapon wherewith wee must giue the ouerthrowe and foyle to our Eenemie is Faithe For if wee take sure holde of GOD in his Worde and in harte constantly cleaue therevnto by Faithe the Deuill shall neuer bee able to vanquishe vs but like a daunced Cowarde straight waies runne out of the fielde If thou canst saie This hath my Lord my God spoken this I do stedfastly beleue hereupon I staie my self hereunto doe I leane thou shalt see the Deuill quickly like a Micher sneake awaie and departe with whom all beautinesse all ill concupiscence and iuste all wrath all couetousnesse all faint-hartednesse and desperation vanishe and packe awaie also But suche is the â—uctletie and craft of the Deuill that he will hardlie suffer thee to come to that poynct but will vse all the meanes that hee can to plucke this weapon out of thy hande Whiche he easily bryngeth to passe when he hath once ensnared thee in a drowsie slothfulnesse and made thy bodie vtterly vnapt for the battaile and giuen to nothyng els but to lasciuious wantonnes For by that meanes with little adoe he wringeth out of thy hande the Sworde of the Spirite which is the Worde of God as he did by our firste Graundmother Eue. She had the Word of God wherevnto if she had firmely and stedfastly adhered shee had not fallen But when the Deuill sawe her negligently and carelesly to regarde the Worde he easilie pulled it out of her harte and so obteined that whiche he would haue Sainct Peter therefore hath here sufficiently warned vs that wee should striue and fight against the Deuill To which battaile and encountrie it nothyng auaileth to runne vp and doune hither and thither for any good Worke whiche thou of thy self canst doe but this onely must thou haue care vnto that thou constantlie sticke and stedfastly by faithe embrace the Worde of God If the Deuill then approache thee and goe about to hurle thee into pensiuenesse of minde and desperation by reason of thy manifolde sinnes and transgressions before committed betake thou thy self straightwaies to the Word of God wherein remission of all thy Synnes is promised commit thy self wholly thereunto and thou shalt see that he will quickly packe awaie and be gonne from thee Knowyng that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren whiche are in the worlde MEruaile ye not that ye must suffer temptatioÌ„s of the Deuill let this rather comforte you that you suffer not the same alone For there bee a greate many of you and ye are all Brethren and ye must all suffer and endure the same All they take your partes and in this conflict are aiders and helpers vnto you Thus hast thou this former Epistle of S. Peter somwhat largelie expounded In the whiche thou art taught euen fullie and abundauntly the whole summe of Christian doctrine and wherein also thou maiest see Faithe Loue and the Crosse right aptly and copiouslie described and maiest also read many godlie instructions and necessarie premonitions how to wage battaile and continue fight with that greate Dragon the Deuill Whiche Epistle who so euer hath rightly and throughlie learned hath no doubte a riche Storehouse of all suche thynges as any waie concerne sincere and true Christianitie In somuche that he shall not neede any other doctrine or helpe beside this as in deede there is none other Sauyng that God of the aboundaunte store of his mercie and bountie teacheth the same doctrine in sundrie and many other places of the Scriptures For other then this that is here sett doune by sainct Peter there is nothyng that can be taught or that needeth to bee displaied sith he herein hath omitted nothyng of all those thinges whiche are expediente and behoouefull for a Christian to knowe Finallie he here deliuereth the partes of a faithfull Preacher and good Pastour to witte that he should accoumpt it his bounden duetie not onely to feede the Sheepe but also to bee carefull for them and to praie for theim that God maie graciouslie encrease theim in goodnesse and strengthen theim in Faithe whereby thei maie bothe receiue and heare the Word and also digest vnderstande and bryng forthe the fruites therof And thus with a praier in the ende he concludeth saiyng And the GOD of all grace whiche hath called vs vnto his eternall glorie by Christe Iesus after that ye haue suffred a little make you perfect confirme strengthen and stablishe you IN this Praier he commendeth them to God The God saieth he who aâ—â—de is the giuer of all Grace and that not pinchyngly or in parte but who moste liberally and aboundauntly as it were by full heapes powreth all his Graces vpon you who hath called you through Christe that ye should enioy and be partakers of eternal glorie that not for any merite of your own but by through Christ Whom if ye haue ye also haue through Faithe in him not for any merite of your owne eternall life and felicitie He it is that shall make you perfecte that you beeyng by hym strengthened maie growe and stande faste readie to woorke all good woorkes He also shall confirme and stablishe you that you shalbee able to suffer and abide all thynges To hym bee glorie and Dominion for euer and euer Amen THis praise is that Sacrifice whiche the duetie of all vs which bee Christians is to offer He addeth yet a fewe woordes moe By Syluanus a faithfull brother vnto you as I suppose haue I written brieflie exhortyng and testifiyng how that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stande ALthough I am not ignoraunte that ye haue heard and learned these thynges afore so that ye greatlie neede not to bee taught the same againe at my
of Christe but shall tremble and quake for feare and be loathe â—odye wishyng rather still in this life to lye be dred sicke and diseased then once to dye or exchaunge this life for any other Wherefore I will not bee negligent to put you alwaies in remembraunce of these thynges though that ye haue knowledge and bee stablished in the present truth OF this we haue oftentymes spoken afore Albeit GOD hath caused a great light to shine vnto vs in this so mercifull a manifestation of the Gospell so that we both now know what a Christian life is and also what Christian Doctrine meaneth and dooe also see the skope of the whole Scripture to tend to none other ende but this yet neuerthelesse it is expedient and necessarie still to perseuere and go forwarde in preachyng and teachyng without ceassyng and to â—terate inâ—â—lke the self same doctrine from daie to daie if not to learne yet to bee admonished and put in remembraunce of doctrine before learned and receiued For there are twoo Offices in the Church as S. Paule teacheth Rom. xij the one consisteth in Teaching the other in Exhorting He that teacheth let hym take heede to his teaching and doctrine and he that exhorteth to his exhortation Rom. xij Teachyng is where wee laie the foundation of Faithe and preache the Gospell to them that haue not yet heard any thyng thereof Exhortyng or admonishyng is as here sainct Peter saieth to preache to them that haue bothe heard and learned the same afore to encourage them manfully to proceede and continue in their well begonne enterprise and to awake and stirre vp their dull and drowsie natures to goe on forwarde from steppe to steppe and from degree to degree euery daie more and more We are all cladde and laden with this olde rotten Sacke our Fleshe and Bloud which stil pulleth vs doune and draweth vs the wrong waie whereby the Soule is easily â—ulled asleepe and brought into securitie And therefore it is very behâ—mâ—â—ful and necessarie for vs to bee continually exercised euen as a good householder keepeth his Seruauntes and Familie still occupied and calleth vppon them to looke to their businesse leaste they should growe into ydlenesse Now if the dulnesse of our nature bee suche that it must bee called vppon and put in mynde to dooe thinges expedient and behoouefull for externall foode and maintenaunce of the Bodie how muche more conuenient and meete is it that the same bee vsed and putte in practise in matters appertainyng to the Spirite and Soule For I thinke it meete as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stirre you vp by puttyng you in remembraunce SAinct Peter here calleth his Body a Tabernacle wherin the Soule for a time saiourneth and it is a muche like phraze to that whiche is vsed in the former Epistle wher he called the Body of the Woman a Vessell or Droun And after the like sorte speaketh S. Paule ij Cor. v. Wee knowe that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with haÌ„ds but eternall in the Heauens for the whiche we sigh desiryng to be clothed with our house whiche is from Heauen For so long as wee are in this Tabernacle wee sigh and are hurdened c. And againe But wee are comforted and are bold in this that wee knowe that whiles wee are in the bodie wee are absent from the Lorde But wee had leifer to remoue out of the Bodie and to dwell with the Lorde Here wee see S. Paule calleth this Bodie of ours an House makyng two maner of Dwellynges and twoo maner of Peregâ—inatioÌ„s or absences from home By which phraze of speeche Sainct Peter also here in this place calleth this Bodie a Tabernacle for the Soule to soiourne in by whiche name he doeth muche extenuate the reputation that is commonly made of it and also seth it lower then moste parte of men accoumpt of it for he doeth not call it an House but a Tabernacle 〈◊〉 poore Cotage such as seelie Sheepeheardes vse to dwell in The house is slender and contemptible but the treasure that is laied vp and kept in it is riche and precious Seeyng I knowe that the tyme is at hande that I must laie downe this my Tabernacle euen as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me I will endeuour therefore alwaies that ye also may be able to haue remembraunce of these thinges after my departyng SAinct Peter here testifieth of himself that he is assured of eternall life and that by speciall reuelation from the Lorde he knewe when he should dye all which was doen for our sakes and to confirme and strengthen our Faith For it was very expedient and necessarie that there should bee some suche men that had in themselues a certain perswasion and sure knowledge of their electioÌ„ who might establishe laie the foundation of Faith in others whereby it might bee out of all doubt knowen that they preached not the dreames and fantasies of men but the true and sincere Worde of God Whiche men before thei came to that assuraunce and certaintie God throughly tryed and prooued Therefore saieth sainct Peter I will not onely with my liuely voyce admonishe and put you in remembraunce but I will also committ these my admonitions to writyng and leaue my exhortations written for your directions and instructions that after my death aswell as in my life tyme ye maie bee thereof put in minde by others and bee called vpon to obserue and put the same in vre practise Beholde here what a vigilant care this Apostle had for the safegarde and saluation of Soules and yet neuerthelesse wee see through the malice of Sathan what shamelesse shiftes and cogging marchaundize hath been and still is made of them For wee followed not deceiuable fables when we opened vnto you the power and commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christe but with our eyes wee sawe his Maiestie For he receiued of God the Father honor and glorie when there came such a â—oyce to hym from the excellent glorie This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voyce we heard when it came from heauen beyng with hym in the holy mount HEre S. Peter bringeth in the hystorie of the transfiguration of Christe vppon the Mount written by the Euangelist Mathewe Chapt. xvij Wherein is declared how the Lorde Iesus tooke three of his Disciples viz. Peter Iames and Iohn into an high Mountaine and was there transfigured before them his face shinyng as the Sunne and his clothes beyng white as the Light where also there appeared vnto them Moses and Elias talkyng with hym till at length a bright Cloude shadowed them and a voyce comming out of the Cloude saied This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare hym Whiche when the Disciples heard thei fell on their faces and were sore afraide Then Iesus came and touched them and saied Arise be not afraide
and retaine the same sincerelie and soundlie without addyng any thyng therevnto or myngâ—ng any false and erroneous doctrine therwith And therefore S. Peter now afterward addresseth hym self to write against humaine doctrines and newfangled deuises of mannes Idle and fonde imagination But for what cause dooeth he saie Wee haue a moste sure Woorde of the Prophetes Truely I am thus fullie perswaded that wee shall neuer hencefoorthe haue any suche Prophetes as in the old Testamente the Iewes had A Prophete properlie is hee that bringeth the glad tidynges of Iesus Christ and although many of the Prophetes in the old Testament prophecied also of other matters to come yet thei came and were sent of God peculiarly to this ende and purpose to preache and foretell of Christe All thei that beleeue in Christe are Prophetes For thei haue the chief head of that thing whiche Prophetes ought to haue although al of them haue not the gift of Propheciyng For euen as through the Faithe of one Iesus Christ wee are all Brothers Kynges and Priestes so also through Christe wee are Prophetes For wee can all vtter and declare those thinges that appertaine to the glorie of GOD and Christian life wee also so farre as is needefull and expedient for vs can foretell of thynges to come as that there shall bee a daie of generall Iudgement and that wee shall all rise againe from the dead and finally wee vnderstande the whole Scripture This witnesseth S. Paule saiyng You maie all Prophecie one by one j. Cor. xiiij Therefore saieth S. Peter thus We haue suche a worde of the Prophetes as is sure inough of it self Onely see ye that it bee firme and sure to you And ye dooe well if ye take heede vnto it As though he should saie It is verie necessarie and expedient for you to stande sure in it For it fareth with vs in this case of the Gospell muche like as it dooeth with a man that is taken and enclosed in a darke house at Midnight who had neede to haue Candlelighte till it bee daie light that hee maie see whiche waie to goe Euen so the Gospell is as a Candle at Midnight and in the darcke whereas all humaine reason and wisedome is nothyng but mere errour and blindnesse The Worlde is nothyng els but a Kyngdome of darkenesse In this darkenesse God lighteneth vs with his Candle to wit his glorious Gospell whiche directeth our steppes aright that wee maie see whiche waie to goe and walke in this Worlde till suche tyme as the Mornyng appeare and the daie dawne This place doeth also mainly oppugne and beate doune all the foolishe tromperies of humaine doctrines For seyng that the Woorde of God is the Candle and Lanterne that giueth light in darke corners and obscure places wee must necessarily therevpon conclude that al other thinges be mere darknesse For if there had been any other Light beside the Woorde S. Peter would not haue vsed these speeches Neuer consider and waigh therefore how skilfull and wise those menne bee that teache any other doctrine beside the Woorde of God neither let it any whit mooue thee how gloriouslie and galantly so euer thei couche their smothed reasons For where thou feelest and seest the Worde of God to bee absent doubt not but all which thou hearest is mere blindnes and erroneous darkenes Neither lette it any thyng mooue thee in that thei bâ—agge and saie that thei haue the holie Ghost For how can thei haue the Spirite of God which haue not the Word of God And therefore thei doe nothyng els but call Light darkenesse and darkenesse light as it is saied Esaie v. This Woorde of God is the Gospell whereby wee are through Christ redeemed from Sinne Death and Hell he that harkeneth and giueth eare therevnto hath a Linke or a Lampe lighted and kindled in his harte By the which we may see and are enlightened and taught what to our duties is appertainyng But where soeuer this Lampe is absent there wee fall into our owne rotten waies and seeke by Works Merites and deuises of our own Forge to bespeake forsooth make to our selues a nerer waie to Heauen Here now and in suche like cases thou maiest with the helpe of this Lampe iudge and plainly perceiue all these doatyng Inuentions and dreames to bee nothyng but mere darkenesse The aucthours whereof haue not the Light neither can thei abide the Light and therefore thei must needes remaine in darkenesse and continue in blindnesse For this is the Light that teacheth vs what we ought to doe and what thinges be needefull and necessarie to our Saluation whiche be poinctes farre differyng from the wisedome and skill of the Worlde Wee daiely stande in greate neede of this Light and we must giue heede vnto it euen till the laste daie Afterwardes we shall not neede the Worde any longer as a Candle is wont to be quenched and put out when the broad daie light is once appeared So that ye first knowe this that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation For the prophesie came not in olde tyme by the will of man but holie men of GOD spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost HErein S. Peter beginneth to oppugne false and erroneous doctrines and of his words this is the meanyng Forasmuch as ye knowe that wee haue the Worde of God cleaue fast vnto it and suffer not your selues to bee seduced by false Teachers although thei come and saie that thei haue the holy Ghoste For know ye this first that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation Note this saiyng therefore well and thinke not that ye shall euer bee able of your owne reason and industrie to expounde and explane the Scriptures Hereby are throwne doune to the grounde all the proper and priuate interpretations of all the Fathers and strait charge here giuen to the contrarie that no man should relye or leane to any suche explanations If either Hierome or Augustine or any other of the Fathers interprete and expounde any place of the Scripture of themselues or by any of their owne deuised gloses we are if the same be dissonant to the doctrine contained in other textes of the sacred Scriptures vtterly to refuse those their interpretations For S. Peter doth here forbidd any man to interprete and expound the Scripture by his own spirit The true explanation thereof is the woorke of the holie Ghost and he it is that must interprete and expounde the same or els it must be left without interpretation Therefore if any of the auncieÌ„t Fathers can auerre and iustifie his interpretation and exposition by the Scripture and can thereby prooue that the place whiche he expoundeth is so to bee taken and vnderstoode we are reuerently to accept and embrace his saiynges if no we are not bounden to beleeue hym Within the compasse of this Censure also wee maie see how S. Peter noteth and nippeth the spirites of those greate Rabbines Doctors that