his heauenly graces and benefites Wee haue the influence of his Diuine power woorkyng in vs whiche promoteth and furthereth vs vnto all thynges that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse that is when wee beleeue wee receiue so many benefites of hym that God bountifully bestoweth vpon vs euen the giftes of his power whiche power is diffused into all and euery our actions bothe is and also effectually woorketh in vs. What soeuer we speake or what soeuer wee doe it is not wee but GOD in vs that speaketh and doeth He is in vs strong mightie and omnipotence yea euen when wee suffer torment and affliction when wee are killed and dye and when before the worlde wee are altogether seelie and weake In somuche that when wee haue not this power of God there is in vs no strength at all no facultie no habilitie Now whereas Sainct Peter saieth that all thynges are giuen vnto vs of his Diuine power his meanyng is not as though wee should bee able to make Heauen and Earth and to woorke Miracles and doe wonders For what good would that doe vnto vs But wee haue all the giftes of his godly and Diuine power in vs so farre as is necessarie and profitable for vs. And therefore the Apostle addeth further these woordes That pertaine to life and godlinesse That is to saie wee haue all thynges by his godlie and diuine power moste abundantly giuen vnto vs that wee should dooe good and alwaies liue in vertuous estate and blessednesse Through the knowledge of hym that hath called vs. THis mightie power and greate grace of God proceadeth not from elswhere then from this perfecte and sounde knowledge of GOD. For when thou throughlie knowest hym for thy God he dealeth with thee as God After this maner also sainct Paule j. Cor. j. saieth In all thynges ye are made riche in hym in all kinde of speeche and in all knowledge as the testimonie of Iesus Christe hath bin confirmed in you so that ye are not destitute of any gift This is the greatest and the moste necessarie gift of all others that God can giue vnto vs whiche wee ought not to exchange for all other riches that is either in Heauen or in Earth For what would it auaile thee although thou couldst goe through Fire and Water without takyng any harme and woorke all kinde of Miracles and wonders if thou shouldest want this For there bee a greate many condemned that haue been able is woorke suche Miracles But this exceedeth and farre surmounteth all Miracles in that God bestoweth and giueth so greate a power vnto vs wherby al our sinnes are forgiuen vs and abolished quite out of remembraunce Death Sathan and Hell beyng vtterlie vanquished and swallowed vp Whereby we possesse our Consciences without feare and haue our hartes ioyful merie and bold without beyng afraied of any thing All whiche the knowledge of GOD that calleth vs doeth affoord and bryng vnto vs. Vnto glorie and vertue AND after what sorte was that Callyng wherewith God called vs Forsooth this God sent his holie Gospell into the World and caused the same to bee proclaimed and preached abroade for the whiche no man euer made any labour no man euer praied or made any entreatie to him but before any one so much as once thought of it he offred and gaue this grace vnto vs and powred the same moste aboundantly vppon vs all that he alone might haue all the glorie and praise and wee enioying suche a benefite should ascribe this power and vertue al onely to him For it is no worke of our owne but his And therefore seeyng that this Callyng is none of our owne neither coÌ„meth of our selues it is not mâ—â—te that we should lift vp our selues in pride as though we had brought it to passe of our selues but he is onely to bee glorified of vs and all thankes are to bee giuen vnto hym for so mercifullie bestowyng and giuyng his Gospell vnto vs and withall also for so strengthenyng vs with power and vertue against Sathan Death Hell and all mischieues at once whatsoeuer Whereby moste greate and precious promises are giuen vnto vs SAinct Peter hath added this to shewe forth and declare the nature and force of Faithe For when we knowe God to bee ours wee haue also with hym by Faith eternall life and the power of God wherby wee ouercome and get the victorie both of Death and Deuill And yet for all this we do not see these things neither yet feele wee them although all thinges be promised vnto vs. We haue al things but thei yet appeare not but in the last daie we shall plainly discouer and see all thinges present and apparantly laied open vnto our eyes Wee beginne here in this Worlde but wee come not to any ful fruition or perfection thereof in this life But we haue this promise that we liue here by the mightie power of God and that after this life we shalbe euerlastingly blessed He that faithfully beleeueth these thinges hath the some as it were alreadie in possession he that beleeueth not hath them not but is sure to perishe eternallie How greate and how precious these promises are Sainct Peter further yet declareth saying That by them ye should bee partakers of the godlie nature in that ye flee the corruption whiche is in the worlde through lust THis benefite wee haue by the power of Faithe that wee thereby are made partakers of God and come into a certein participation and communion of his diuine nature This is suche a sentence as the like ye shall not reade againe neither in the olde Testament nor yet in the newe Howbeit among the Painims and Heathen writers it is often read that wee partake with the very diuine nature it self But what is this nature of God Euerlastyng truth righteousnesse iustice wisedome eternall life peace ioye pleasure and al goodnesse that can bee named He now that is partaker of the nature of God is seized and priuiledged in all these to wit that he shall liue for euer enioye perpetuall and endlesse peace pleasure ioye and mirth bee pure holie iust and able to withstand and supplant Sathan Sinne Death Peters wordes therefore sounde as though he should saie thus Looke how vnpossible it is to take from God euerlastyng life and eternall truth so impossible is it also that these thinges should be taken from you If any man hurt you he must needes also hurt God For he must first oppresse God that seeketh to oppresse a right Christian All these properties are comprehended vnder this worde Diuine or Godly Nature whiche worde be therefore vsed because it containeth in it so large a signification These bee greate and singuler benefites if wee faithfully beleeue the veritie of them But all that is here set doune is as afore was declared Doctrines wherevppon the groundwoorke of our Faith is laide for that whiche here is written is rather to declare and shewe what greate and excellent benefites grow vnto vs through
sundrie whiche would think there were none other life after this and therfore would passe their daies lewdely inordinately and accordyng to the deuises of their own sensuall lustes In deede at Rome and in Italie this Prophesie is long ago fulfilled and thei that come from thence to vs bryng with them this opinion that what filthie and wicked life they leade there the same doe they teach vs and those Countries where they chaunce to inhabite But a little before the latter daie suche maner of men must needes bee as Christe himself foretolde Matth. xxiiij As the dayes of Noah were so likewise shall the commyng of the soonne of man be For as in the daies before the floud thei did eate and drinke marie and giue in mariage euen vntill the daye that Noah entred into the Arke and knew nothing till the floud came and tooke them all awaie so shall also the commyng of the sonne of man be And a litle after in the same Chapter Bee ye readie for in suche a tyme as ye thinke not will the sonne of man come Againe Luc. xxj As a snare shal that day come vppon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Againe Luk. xvij As the Lightening that lighteneth out of the one parte vnder Heauen shineth vnto the other parte vnder Heauen so shal the sonne of man be in his daie That is it shall come merueilous sodainly and moste vnlooked for when as the Worlde shall liue in moste senselesse securitie and the Woorde of God altogether deryded and contemptuously skorned This therefore shalbee a signe and a token of the neere approchyng of the latter daie when as menne shall loosely liue accordyng to their owne wilfull lustes and pleasures and whē as thei shall presumptuously aske Where is now the promise of his commyng The Worlde hath continued thus long and euery thyng is in the same case as it hitherto hath been what straunge thyng shall there now happen Sainct Peter therefore forewarneth vs that we bee not lightly caried awaie with these wicked speeches but rather knowe that thei bee vndoubted signes and tokens that this daie will come and that verie shortlie For this they willingly knowe not that the heauens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the woorde of God Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water THei are suche peruerse and frowarde persones saieth he that thei disdaine and grudge to bestowe any tyme or labor in learnyng the truth in so muche that with a flearyng disdaine thei resiste and can not be brought so muche as euen to reade the Scriptures Yea thei are so wilfull and obstinate that thei will not seeme either to thinke or know how that the same thyng came to passe also in the olde worlde when Noah builte the Arke Namely how that the Earth beeyng separated frō the water was in the beginnyng made by the Woorde of God and how againe the same Earth was whollie ouerflowed and drouned with water and how that menne liued then so secure and carelesse that thei looked for no harme to come vnto theim neither thought of any destruction at hande And yet sodainly the Floud couered theim all Of all whiche these peruerse and froward persones are willyngly and wilfully ignorant The plaine meanyng of his woordes is as if he should saie If God then destroied the Worlde with water and by a terrible example declared that he was able to droune it vniuersallie how muche more will he destroie it now hauyng so muche and so often in plaine and sundrie wordes and in so many seuerall places threatened and promised thesame Heauen and Earth had their Beginnyng and Creation by the Woorde of God thei were not from euerlastyng And the Waters that rested aboue in the Cloudes were by a Firmament separated from the Waters whiche were in Seas and Riuers vpō the Earth belowe So that the Earth which was ouerwhelmed and surrounded with the Deepe was by the Worde of GOD parted from the Waters and became drie lande standyng and beeyng hemmed in by the Waters And that whiche Moses at large describeth is by Saint Peter here but lightly touched By the same Worde of GOD whereby thei were made and created are all thynges therein preserued and gouerned For it is not there Nature so to stande or to remaine in suche situation and therefore if God by his vnspeakable power did not vpholde preserue and gouerne theim all thynges would quickly come to a wrecke and ruine and bee sonedrenched couered and wholly ouerflowed with Water But mightie is thee Worde whiche God spake whē he saied Lette the waters vnder the heauens bee gathered into one place and let the drie lande appeare That it let the Waters depart aside and giue place that the drie lande maie bee seen and that menne maie dwell thereon for otherwise as I saied afore by Nature the water would ouerflowe and couer the whole Earth Whiche that it so commeth not to passe is as straunge a miracle as any is among all the woorkes of God Now saieth Sainct Peter These wilfull flouters and stiffe-necked deriders are so peruerse and incōsiderate that thei maliciously thinke skorne to shewe this honor to the holie Ghost to reade the Scriptures and therein to see how God keepeth preserueth and gouerneth the worlde within the water wherby thei might well perceiue and see that all thynges are in the handes of GOD and therefore sithe he hath once alreadie destroied the world by bringing therevpon the general Deluge so also when it pleaseth him can he doe vnto vs. For the example thereof ought so greatly to mooue eche one of vs that as he then performed that whiche afore he threatened so we should now none otherwise think but that he will surely abide by his woordes and doe that whiche he hath spoken concernyng vs. But the Heauens and Earth whiche are now are kepte by the same Woorde in stoare and reserued vnto fier against the daie of Iudgement and of the destruction of vngodlie menne IN the old tyme when God drouned the whole Worlde in the generall Floude the waters in moste abundaunce gushed out of the Cloudes aboue spouted out of the bowelles of the Earth belowe and on euery side suche streames encreased that nothyng was now to bee seene but Waters the Earth accordyng to her Nature beyng all drouned and couered vnder the Waters But God promised that hee would neuer thence forthe destroie the Worlde with waters any more makyng a couenaunt and giuyng his Rainbowe in the Cloudes for a signe thereof Genes ix Therefore he will nexte consume and destroye it with Fire so that there shall then nothing appeare but Fire as aforetyme there was nothyng seene but water Hereof also S. Paule ij Thess j. When the Lorde Iesus shall shewe hymself from heauen with his mightie Angells in flamyng Fier rendryng vengeance to them that doe not knowe God and whiche doe not obeye vnto the
Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ Againe j. Cor. iij Euery mannes woorke shalbee made manifest for the daie shall declare it because it shalbee reueiled by the Fire Therefore when that laste daie shall like a sodaine flashe of Lightnyng come vppon vs all thynges in this Heauen and this Earth shall in the twincklyng of an eye be consumed to Cinders and sodainly chaunged with Fire euen as in the tyme of Noah all thynges were chaunged with the water and that GOD will not faile in this his threatening commination wherof we ought to take his former dealyng for an infallible token the whiche he hath left vnto vs for a signe Dearely beloued bee not ignoraunte of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeres and a thousande yeres as one daie The Lorde is not slacke concernyng his promise as some men counte slacknesse but is pacient toward vs and would haue no man to perishe but would all men to come to repentaunce But the daie of the Lorde will come as a Thiefe in the night in the whiche the Heauens shall passe awaie with noyse and the Elemētes shall melt with heate and the Earth with the woorkes that are therein shalbe burnt vp IN these woordes S. Peter meeteth with those cauillers of whom he spake afore whiche saie that the Apostles haue foretold many vaine and foolish tales of the latter Daie and that al thinges stande still in the same course and order as thei did before notwithstandyng so long a space of tyme since thei foretold and Prophecied thereof And this place borowed he out of the praier of Moses in the lxxxx Psalme A thousand yeres saieth he in thy sight are as yesterdaie when it is paste This is after twoo sortes to bee vnderstoode and taken One as it hath respecte and relation to God the other as it respecteth Men and the Worlde Againe this life is to be considered after one sort the life to come after an other This life can not bee the life to come because into that none can passe but by Death that is till he ceasse from the functions of this mortall life This present Life consisteth and is preserued by eatyng drinkyng sleapyng digestyng c. all whiche consiste and are doen within the limitation of Houres Daies and Yeres But when thou wilt throughly consider the life to come thou must quight forget and put out of thy cogitation and remembrance all the course of this present life and neuer thinke to make any conference or comparison betweene this Life and it For all thynges in it are as one Daie one Houre one Minute one Moment Seyng therefore that there is no Dinumeration of tyme with God it followeth that a thousande yeres with hym are as one daie and therefore the first manne Adam is as neere to God as he that shalbe laste borne the daie next afore the Generall daie of Iudgement For God respecteth not tyme according as the same is in length but rather as it were aslope as if a man should behold and looke vpō a verie long Tree liyng ouerthwarte or aslope afore hym For so should he with one glaunce of his eye beholde bothe the endes thereof at once whiche he could not doe if he should stande at the one ende and beholde it long wise Now we mortall Creatures can not by our owne reason beholde and consider the Tyme but accordyng to the length by numbryng and addyng yere to yere from Adam till the laste daie But with God all thynges are lapped vp as it were in one bundle and seen with one blushe What we thinke to de long the same with hym is shorte and contrariwise A man when he dieth lieth buried in the Earth and his bodie is consumed into duste neither knoweth he any thyng but when he shall arise againe in the laste daie he shall thinke he hath slept as it were scarcely as houre then shall he see and beholde a greate multitude that liued after hym of whom hee knewe nothyng at all Saincte Peters meanyng therefore is this The Lorde is not slacke to performe his promise as these Mockers and Skorners doe thinke that he is but is pacient and long suffryng therefore be ye ready against the laste daie whiche will come sooner then ye looke for and will sodainly ouertake the wicked Worldlynges as Saincte Paule saieth j. Theis v. When thei shall saie peace and safetie then shall come vppon them sodaine destruction as the trauaile vpon a woman with child and ther shall not escape That daie shall come with suche a noise and shall so sodainly as it were a terrible tempest fall vpon the world that al thinges shalbe consumed in a moment Seyng therefore that all these thinges must be dissolued what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse Lookyng for and hastyng vnto the commyng of that daie of God SEyng that ye know that all these thinges shall passe awaie bothe Heauen Earth and all thinges therein consider and waigh with your selues with what holinesse of life and godlinesse of conuersation ye ought to stande readie against that daie For S. Peter so describeth this daie as that it is euen now at hande against the whiche wee should not onely be in a readinesse but also moste ioyfully and gladly expect and looke for the commyng thereof Yea he would haue vs with moste willing myndes to goe to meete the Lorde in that daie as in whiche wee hope at length to bee clearely ridde and deliuered from the tyrannie of Sinne Death and Hell By the whiche the heauens beyng on fier shalbee dissolued the Elementes shall melt with heate But we looke for newe Heauens and a new Earth accordyng to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse THE Lord by his Prophetes in sundry places hath promised that he will create newe Heauens and a newe Earth as Esay Lxv. Loe I will create newe Heauens and a newe Earth and the former shall not be remembred not come into your mynde Againe Esay xxx The light of the Moone shalbee as the light of the Sunne the light of the Sunne shalbe seuenfold and like the light of seuen daies And Christ saith Matth. xiij that the iust shall shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of their father But how after what fashion al this shall come to passe we cā not tell sauing that it is faithfully promised by him who can not deceiue that there shalbee newe Heauens and a newe Earth in which shall dwell no sinne vncleannesse but righteousnesse and they that bee the children of God as Paule also Rom. viij witnesseth There shalbe nothyng but ioye and perpetuall solace to wit the kyngdome of God and all felicitie Here he that would bee inquisitiue to knowe whether the elect and blessed shal at that tyme bee in the Heauens or on the Earth Truely this place soundeth that thei shal remaine and dwell on the Earth so that al both Heauens and Earth shalbe as one Paradise
stabished in the present truth For I think it meete as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp by puttyng you in remembraunce Seyng I knowe that the tyme is at hande that I must laie doune this my tabernacle euen as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me I will endeuour therefore alwaies that ye also maye be able to haue remembraunce of these thinges after my departyng For wee followed not deceiuable fables when wee opened vnto you the power and commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ but with our eyes wee sawe his maiestie For he receiued of God the Father honor and glorie when there came suche a voyce to hym from the excellent glorie This is my beloued Sonne in whō I am well pleased And this voyce we heard when it came from heauen beyng with hym in the holy mount Wee haue also a moste sure worde of the Prophetes to the whiche ye doe well that ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the daie dawne and the daie starre arise in your hartes 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 holiemen of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Simon Peter a Seruaunt and an Apostle of Iesus Christ to you whiche haue obteined like precious Faithe with vs by the righteousnesse of our GOD and Sauiour Iesus Christ AS in the former Epistle so in this wee haue bothe a Subscription and an Inscription That wee maie knowe bothe who writeth it and to whom it is written namelie to them that zealously heare the Woorde of GOD and constantly stande by Faithe in the sincere profession of the same But what Faithe meaneth he Euē that saith he whiche is by the righteousnesse of God In whiche woordes he ascribeth Iustification to Faithe onely euen as S. Paule Roma j. saieth In the Gospell the righteousnesse of GOD is reueiled from Faithe to Faithe as it is written The iuste shall liue by Faithe Sainct Peter therefore warneth them to stand readie not to be beguiled nor to suffer the doctrine of Faithe whiche thei had receiued and learned to slippe awaie from thē And whereas he here peculierly speaketh of the Righteousnesse of God he thereby excludeth and putteth backe all humaine Iustice For it is Faithe onely that iustifieth vs before GOD and therefore Faithe is called the Righteousnesse of God For before the worlde it is nothyng accoumpted of nay it is rather persecuted and flatly condemned Grace and peace bee multiplied to you by the knowledge of God and of Iesus our Lorde THis is an vsuall Salutation wont to bee prefixed at the beginnyng of Letters and Epistles The meanyng whereof is thus I wishe vnto you the encrease of Grace and peace and that ye maie bee therewith enriched euery daie more and more Whiche grace issueth and floweth from the knowledge of GOD and of our Lorde Iesu Christ as if he should saie This Grace no manne can haue vnlesse he haue withall the knowledge of God and of our Lorde Iesus Christ Of this knowledge of GOD aswell the Apostles as the Prophetes dooe verie often and almoste continually make mention in the holie Scriptures as Esaie the xj In all my holie hill thei shall not hurte nor destroye for the Earth shalbe full of the knowledge of the Lorde as the waters that couer the Sea That is The knowledge of God shall bee as plentifull and abundaunt as the waters of the swellyng Sea when it breaketh out and surroundeth some whole Countrey And here hence shall suche peace and tranquillitie presently ensue that no man shal seeke to molest or damnifie an other But this is not to knowe God if thou dooe but onely beleeue that God is Almightie and that he hath created and made all thynges and that Christ was borne of the virgine Marie suffred death and rose againe for thus muche doe the Turkes Iewes and Deuilles beleeue But the true knowledge of GOD is this That thou haue a feelyng of hym in thyne harte conscience and that thou be certainly perswaded that God and his Christ is thy God and thy Christ whiche belief the Deuilles and false counterfaite Christians haue not neither can haue Therefore the knowledge of God is nothing els then a sounde and entire Faithe in Christ For when thou thus fullie knowest GOD and Christe thou wilte moste gladlie resigne and committe thy self vnto hym and firmely beleeue and trust in hym aswell in aduersitie as in prosperitie in death aswell as in life This settled confidence and sure trust can not bee in theim that haue euill consciences that is in theim that want true and sincere Faithe For thei knowe GOD none otherwise but that he is the God of S. Peter and of all the Sainctes in Heauen But for their God thei dooe not knowe hym neitheir haue any feelyng of hym but haue hym and take hym rather as their heauie tormentour and angrie Iudge To haue GOD is to haue all Grace all Mercie and all goodnesse that can bee named To haue Christe is to haue a Sauiour and a Mediatour who hath brought vs vnto God and made hym now all ours and at whose handes he hath obtained for vs all Grace and Blessyng All these thynges thou muste drawe and applie to thy self and not doubte but that Christ is thyne and thou Christes And this is the true knowledge of Christ An vmnaried woman seyng a man maie saie this is a Manne but she can not saie this is my Manne or my Housebande In like sort all of vs can saie This is God But all of vs can not saie that he is our God because wee dooe not all of vs beleeue and trust in hym and comfort our selues onely in hym and by hym This true knowledge of GOD the Scripture tearmeth the face and Countenaunce of the Lorde whereof the Prophetes speake verie copiouslie For thei that see not his face and knowe hym not doe see but onely his hinder partes that is doe see hym as their angrie and displeased God whereas if thei sawe his face that is if thei had the true knowledge of hym by Faith thei should behold and see nothing but Grace and Mercie Wee see here how sainct Peter in this his seconde Epistle purposely entreateth not of Faithe for he largelie discoursed therevppon in his former Epistle but his purpose is in this to write an Exhortation to them whiche beleeue that thei should shewe forthe their Faithe by Good workes For he would not haue Faithe to bee without Good woorkes nor Good woorkes without Faithe But firste he requireth in vs Faithe and Faithe beeyng once surely grounded to shewe foorthe Good woorkes And therefore he addeth According as his godlie power hath giuen vnto vs all thynges that pertaine vnto life and godlinesse WHen wee throughlie knowe God by Faithe wee are possessed of the franke gift of all
and gouerned by others For suche bee the menne that are begotten of Fleshe the Spirite beegetteth other maner of persones Thus hath God in his Scriptures very properly and aptly tearmed and sette them out in liuely colours namely thereby to giue vs to vnderstande and knowe what is to bee thought of them The Asse beeyng a dumme beaste and daiely accustomed to the yoke and burdeÌ„s signifieth the People whiche must bee content bothe to bee snaffled brideled sadled ridden vpon and to goe whiche waie thei are bidden And as this Asse was violently dealt withall and greeuously beaten when she went out of the waie and was forced to goe still forwarde till she came into suche a straite Lane where shee could not any waie either starte aside for the narownesse of the place nor goe on for the Angell that withstoode and stopped her so that she was driuen to fall doune So the poore people so often as thei feele theim selues to be hardly dealt withall and to be caried into vnsuffeâ—able errours and faine would goe aside out of that wicked waie straighwaies these seducyng Balaamites were readie with rigour and violence to bryng them into their erring waie againe and therein compelled and enforced them to goe till it pleased God to open our mouthes and to putte his Woordes therein so that now his name be praised euen young children doe talke of it Whereby their brainsicke madnesse is so notoriously detected that though thei be moste shamelesse and impudent yet can thei not choose but blushe thereat And here out of this place our Balaamites maie very fitly bee answered when as thei bragge and crie out accordyng to their wonted order that it is not meete for the Laie people as thei call theÌ„ to read the Scriptures nor to talke and conferre of the same one with an other but rather to giue eare and hearken what the Generall Councelles doe decree and what soeuer thei agree vpon that onely to bee beleeued and embraced Maie we not thus answere them That GOD speaking by a poore Asse reprooued the Prophete whiche satte on her backe of madnesse Thei now therefore beeyng infatuated and their harte whollie possessed with couetousnesse what marueile is it though God stirre vp the poore common people to declare and shewe foorthe his truthe whom thei hitherto haue surcharged with heauie burdeins and driuen whiche waie thei lifte none otherwise then a dumme seelie Asse seruyng onely to carie burdens This is therefore the similitude that sainct Peter sheweth betweene Balaam and our blinde Popishe Guides These are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about with a tempest SOlomon in the xxv of his Prouerbes vseth a similitude saiyng A manne that boasteth of false liberalitie is like Cloudes and Winde without Raine So saieth sainct Peter here in this place Thei are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about with a tempest that is they boaste of great things but thei performe nothyng thei are like Welles that are stopped and dried vp hauyng in them no water at all and yet thei beare theimselues highly vppon that title and boste themselues to bee the true Welles But the Scripture calleth theim Welles whiche teache and from whom doeth flowe and issue good and wholesome doctrine wherewith the Soules of men maie be refreshed This is the office that thei ought to doe and for this are thei appointed But alas sauyng onely the name there is no suche thyng in theim as likewise thei call theimselues Shepeheardes whereas in verie deede thei be rather rauenyng Wolues Againe thei be as Cloudes caried hither and thither with the winde Not as the thicke and blacke Cloudes that destill and droppe doune Raine vpon the earth but as the thinne and light fleetyng Cloudes in the Aire whiche are tossed and caried about hither and thither out of whom there commeth no Raine at all Euen so likewise doe these Pompous Prelates vaunt and bragge and carie loftie and high countenaunces in the Churche seducyng the worlde with their owne vaint guegawes and Traditions beyng like to light windetossed Cloudes and are contented to swaie whiche waie soeuer Sathan lifteth to carie them and to preache what soeuer maie be to his likyng but not so much as one Worde of the pure and sincere Gospell of God Which Gospell Word because none preacheth but thei that be true Preachers and Teachers therefore are thei in the v. of Esaie and other places of the Scriptures tearmed Cloudes because thei doe destill and lette fall into the hartes of their Auditorie the sweete and comfortable Water of Gods truthe and mercie To whom the blacke darknesse is reserued for euer THey liue now euen at their own pleasures euery thing accordyng to their owne hartes desires prospereth and hath good successe but there is a glommie daie toward them there shall come vpon them euerlastyng darkenesse although now thei neither beleeue it nor feele it For in speakyng swelling wordes of vanitie they beguile with wantonnes through the lustes of the fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour IF ye aske how they can bee called Welles without water and Cloudes without raine sith thei preache very much euery where S. Peter maketh you this answere thei preach in deede and rayne enough and enough but their preachynges are nothyng els then swellyng and proude woordes wherewith they accloye and fill the eares of the poore seelie people whom thei make to beleeue that what thei speake is right good and Catholike whereas indeede there is nothyng more vaine fonde and childishe Thus are our lubberly Monkes wont with braue and plausible words to boaste and vaunt their Obedience Pouertie and Chastitie and all because thei would be thought of the common people to be of all menne the holiest whereas all their doings and preachinges are nothyng but mere iugglynges deceites and collusions not hauyng in theim either Faithe or Charitie And so is also this loftie vaine bragge of theirs that the state and office of a Bishoppe is an estate of perfection whereas thei that bee in that mitred state dooe nothyng but Pompously ieste the streates awaited vppon with a greate retinue of Suiters and Seruauntes as though their were great Lordes and fare like Princes riding vpon braue horses like gallant Caualieres Without any regard had to their Pastorall charge sauyng that now and then thei hallowe a Churche or consecrate an Altar or Baptize Belles for with these and suche like swellyng and vaine wordes their whole Pontificiall Law is full thwackte pestred Thei beguile with wantonnesse through the lustes of the Fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour THE drifte of these Welles and these Teachers is none other but to entangle and catche in their snares the selie Soules that had scarcely afore escaped As namelie children lately Baptized and newly receiued into the Church and washed from their synnes deliuered from Adam and engraffed into Christ them I saie waxyng somwhat bigge
heard and God is moste humbly to bee desired and praied vnto to turne his heauie wrath and plague from vs. For this calamitie and wretchednesse commeth not vpon vs by chaunce or blinde fortune but it is sent vnto vs from God as a plague for our wickednesse and impietie as S. Paule witnesseth ij Thes ij Because saieth he they receiued not the Loue of the truth that they might bee saued therefore shall God sende them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes For if this punishment and reuenge of God had extended no further but to the perishing onely of these false counterfaite and seducing Teachers thēselues it might haue seemed very tollerable but now they hauyng maistered and ouerruled the whole Worlde at their own pleasures they haue caried with them to hell whole multitudes of people that haue beene bewitched and enchaunte◠with their spirituall sorceries There is no remedie therefore for vs to recure this mischiefe but to prostrate our selues before the mercie seate of almightie God in all feare and humilitie moste penitently confessyng our faultes and suppliauntlie imploryng his diuine grace and assistaunce◠that it might please him to vouchsafe to remoue and take awaie this plague from vs. It is earnest and hartie praier wherewith wee must impugne and withstande these false and deceiptfull Teachers for Sathan our Aduersarie the Deuill will not bee driuen awaie with any other weapons ¶ The third Chapter THis seconde Epistle I now write vnto you beloued wherewith I stirre vp and warne your pure myndes To call to remembraunce the wordes whiche were told before of the holie Prophetes and also the commaundement of vs the Apostles of the Lorde and Sauiour This firste vnderstande that there shall come in the laste daies mockers whiche will walke after their lustes And saie Where is the promes of his comming for since the Fathers died all thynges continue alike from the beginnyng of the creation For this thei willyngly knowe not that the Heauens were of olde and the Earth that was of the water and by the water by the woorde of God Wherefore the worlde that then was perished ouerflowed with the water But the Heauens and Earth whiche are now are kepte by the same Woorde in store and reserued vnto fire against the daie of Iudgemente and of the destruction of vngodlie men Dearely beloued bee not ignoraunt of this one thyng that one daie is with the Lorde as a thousande yeres and a thousande yeres as one daie The Lorde is not slacke cōcernyng his promise as some men count slackenesse but is pacient toward vs and would haue no man to perishe but would all men to come to repentaunce But the daie of the Lorde will come as a Thief in the night in the whiche the Heauens shall passe awaie with a noyse and the Elementes shall melte with heate and the Earth with the woorkes that are therein shalbe burnt vp Seeyng therefore that all these thinges must bee dissolued what maner persones ought ye to bee in holie conuersation and godlinesse Lookyng for and hastyng vnto the commyng of the daie of God by the whiche the Heauens beeyng on fire shal be dissolued and the Elementes shall melt with heate But we looke for newe Heauens and a newe Earth accordyng to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloued seyng that ye looke for suche thinges bee diligent that ye maie bee founde of hym in peace without spot and blamelesse And suppose that the long sufferyng of our Lorde is saluation euen as our beloued brother Paule accordyng to the wisedome giuen vnto hym wrote to you As one that in all his Epistles speaketh of these thinges emong the whiche some thynges are harde to bee vnderstande whiche thei that are vnlearned and vnstable peruert as thei doe also other Scriptures vnto their owne destructiō Ye therefore beloued seeyng ye knowe these thynges before beware least ye be also plucked awaie with the error of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse But growe in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to hym bee glorie bothe now and for euermore Amen This secōd Epistle I now write vnto you beloued wherwith I stirre vp and warne your pure mindes To call to remembraunce the wordes which were tolde before of the holy Prophets and also the cōmaundement of vs the Apostles of the Lorde and Sauiour IN this Chapter wee are admonished to bee in a readinesse and euery minute of an hower to looke for the last daie And first S. Peter declareth vnto them how that he hath not written this Epistle to theim purposely and with intent to laye doune vnto them the foundation of Faith for that had he laied doune very substancially effectually and sufficiently afore but to excite and stirre them vp and to admonishe and put them in remembraunce that thei forgett not those thinges whiche thei had afore heard and receiued but rather that thei should perseuere in that sinceritie of mynde and vnderstandyng whiche was requisite fitte expediente and appertinent vnto true Christianitie For the office and duetie of all true Preachers is not onely to teache but also continually to admonishe and exhort Because so long as wee bee clad with this fleshe and bloud wee haue greate neede to haue the Worde of God to dwell plentifully in vs to raigne beare soueraigne authoritie in vs whereby wee maie resist the motions suggestions delites and concupiscences of the Fleshe and with faithfull constancie valiantly subdue resist and striue against the lustes thereof This first vnderstande that there shall come in the last dayes mockers whiche will walke after their lustes And saie Where is the promise of his commyng for since the fathers dyed all thynges continue alike from the beginnyng of the creation THere bee some yet at this daie very waueryng and ficklemynded being caried awaie through certaine reasons sette downe in a Booke entituled and written of Antichrist in whiche Booke is declared that before the latter daie men should fall into suche grosse and Deuilish errour as to denye God and to mocke deryde all that thei heare preached of Christe and of Domesdaie And this saiyng is true from whence soeuer it was borowed But it ought not so straictly to bee taken as though the whole World should fall into suche a generall Apostacie and so vniuersally blaspheme God but that the greater parte and portion thereof should fall awaie For we see it now plainly come to passe and more and more dailie will it burst out that when and where the Gospell shall be published and openly preached among men many wicked shall be wraie themselues and the inward hartes of many shalbe openly detected whose wickednesse and impietie now secretly lurketh is dissimuled And the number now adaies is not small that beleeue little or nothyng of the latter daie neither thinke that euer it will come Of suche mockers and skorners S. Peter here forewarneth vs tellyng vs that there should be