the same As perauenture some desperate noughtye felowes be amonges vs that thought whoredome / fornycation / adultery / fylthye speakynge and vncomly raylynge / vncomely gesture couetousnes / to be no synnes / nor no displeasure to god / but fornication or lechery to be man hed or propre to man / fylthy raylynge or gestyng to be good pastyme / and that God wolde nat be greately displeased with suche lytyl fautes / so they did extenuat and make lytle or no fautes these crymes and synnes that God called great fautes and obomynable synnes before him / and so cared nothynge for goddes inhibition of these synnes / but played it awaye / laughynge / mockynge and scornynge at goddes commaundemente / that no man shulde do so / or thynke fornicatioÌ„ adulterye whoredome / couytousnes / to be no synnes before god but to knowe them for greate synnes for the whiche God threateneth so greuouse punyshemente as expulsion frome heauen and that none shulde thynke these vices / to be no synne before God The Apostle sayeth that the vengeauÌ„ce of god to come for fornication adulterye / whoredome / couetousnes / and suche lyke vyces aboue rehersed / he threateneth payne and punishment that none shulde haue pleasure any more in theÌ„ / that none shulde commyt them for feare of punyshement / and that none shulde commyt these synnes / and thynke to escape vnpunysshed / or that God wyll wynke at these fautes and suffer them vnpunysshed And nat onely the vengeaunce of god wyl com vpon all them that commyt these fautes and vyces / but also vpon all them / that do consente or approue them any wayes / for lucre vantage / profyte / pleasure / or for feare of man / or that do knowe them to be vsed / and wyl nat correcte and reproue / and studye to amende them that in these damnable synnes offende god / punyshemente vpon these sinners and conseÌ„ters to them for doers and consenters are worthy lyke payne Roma 1. 7 Let vs learne here for what thynges commeth the wrath of god vpon disobedient chyldren Nat for egges eatynge vpoÌ„ the fryday / for eatyng of fleshe vpon same Laurence euen / for breakyng of Thomas Beckectes daye in Christenmasse / nat for eatynge whyte meate in lent / but for fornication adulterye / whoredome / vnclennes / couetousnes fylthy speakyng / and folyshe speakynge whiche often tymes be cause of noughtye maners / for by euyll speakynge the good is corrupted made euyl by euyll coÌ„pany or coÌ„munication of euyl ⧠For some tyme ye were darkenes / but nowe are ye lyghte in the Lorde walke as the Chyldren of lyght for the frute of the spirite is all maner of goodnes and ryghtuousnes and truth and proue what is pleasynge vnto the Lorde / and haue no felowshyppe with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes but rather rebuke them for it is shame euen to name those thynges whiche are done of theÌ„ in secrete But all thynges are manyfeste when they are rebuked of the lyghte for what soeuer is manifest that same is lyght Therfore sayth he Awake thou that slepest and stande vp frome the deade and Christe shall gyue the lyght ¶ Of the vocation of men / nowe he exhorteth them to holynes of lyfe / sayenge you were some tyme darkenes / nowe you belyght in the lorde / and delyuered frome darkenes and from synne Walke therfore as it becoÌ„meth children of lyght to walke in all goodnes / iustice / equite / and trueth / whiche be fruites of the spirit of god / the Apostle willeth alway that we shuld haue before our eies / what we were / and what we are oure selfe without the grace of God / that we are darkenes of the whiche no lyghte dothe come but by the grace of God / we be made lyght in the Lorde and nat by our owne merytes or deseruynges that we shulde brynge furthe workes of lyght to the glorye of god / and to the profyte of other Math. 5. 2. He sheweth howe we shulde walke as chyldren of lyght / that is to brynge forth fruites of the spirite / in al goodnes / iustice and trueth / sekynge alway these thynges that maye please god / hauynge no coÌ„pany with workes of darkenes / but reprouyng them and the doers of euyl that they may repent and amende 3 He sheweth that he is ashamed to tell all there fautes that they secretly do thinkynge theÌ„ to be no synne / but after warde they be examined by the lyghte / they be knowen to be synne / and these that hathe done them are ashamed and repent study to refourme and amende themselfes 4 He moueth men to arise from sleepe and from synne and from deadly workes by repentaunce and amendemente of lyfe and he promyseth that God wyll be mercyfull to all penytente persons and that wyll amende they re lyfe and lyue a newe lyfe ⧠Take hede therfore howe you walke circumspectely / nat as the vnwyse / but as the wyse / and redeme the tyme / for it is a myserable tyme / wherefore be nat ye vnwyse but vnderstaÌ„de what the wyl of the Lorde is âš¹ The Apostle monisheth meÌ„ to take hede with whome hey walke / with whom they vse company or be conuersaunt / and that the walke circumspectely nat as vnwyse men but as wysemen / and as it becommeth wyse men to do / yf they wyl reproue men / loke that they reproue thinges worthy to be reproued / and that in tyme and place / as becommeth wysemen to do / and as for there workes / loke they be suche as please God / nat of mannes inuention / but ordinated of god for vs to walke in 2 Redemyng the tyme / that is watchiÌ„g all oportunite of tyme to do good / to reproue synne in tyme and place conuenient / or elles amendynge tyme paste / euyll spente in idlenes / in wyl workes omyttynge goddes workes / or in synnes and pleasures of the flesshe or in other euyll workes to the whiche moueth / the worlde / the fleshe / and the noughtye tyme / whiche moueth men to euyll 3 For the dayes be euyl / the dayes be called euyll / because of the malyce of maÌ„ whiche is done vpon dayes / for the dayes are good for they are the creaturê of god / and so are good 4 Therfore be nat vnwyse / but vnderstande what the wyll of the lorde is They are vnwyse that do nat seke tyme place to speake well and to do good / that seke more the glory of man then of God / that desyre to knowe the wyl of man more theÌ„ of god This place sheweth many to be foles that thynke them selfe wyse men / that be more diligent to knowe the law of man then of God / that be well learned in mannes lawe / and ignoraunt in goddes lawe / that be wysemen in maÌ„nes lawe / ideote fooles in goddes lawe This place reproueth all them that be very diligente in
the studye and knowledge of mannes lawe to knowe the wyll of man and howe they shulde come to ryches and goodes in the worlde / but to knowe the wyll of god / and his lawe they be nothyng diligent / ye nor desyrous of yt / it is well yf they be nat aduersaries to Goddes worde / but all suche shewe them selues what they be / perauenture wyse men to the worlde but fooles before god / men that loue more this presente lyfe theÌ„ the lyfe to come This place shulde moue al lawyers and iudges to be deligeÌ„t to knowe goddes lawe / least in there iudgementes they do iudge other wayes then goddes lawe wyll / by the whiche al mannes lawe shulde be ruled / yf goddes lawe shulde be the rule of mannes lawe as it is in dede howe shall they rule well mannes lawe that be ignoraunce in Goddes lawe Surely after my mynde there is nothynge more to the hynderaunce of Goddes worde or more to the destructyon of men soules in this realme theÌ„ that the nobilite and lawers and other that haue rule ouer the people both in the spiritualtye in the temporalty be ignoraunte in goddes lawe / in the whiche it becommeth theÌ„ most cheifely to be lerned / that they might ordre all causes and matters accordynge to Goddes lawe / geltylmen and a greate parte of lawyers be ignoraunt in Goddes lawe And therefore seldome they do loue goddes worde / or the true teachers of yt / and the laye people folowe the gentylmen or rulers As touchynge the spyrytualtye vnder the Byshoppes / rulers be lawyers brought vp in the Byshop of Romes law and for the most parte suche men that be ignoraunt in goddes worde be Chauncellours / Comysaries / Officials / which oftymes do hate Goddes worde and the true preachers of it / and fauoureth as muche as they darre the byshop of Romes lawes and his waies It is a very seldome thing to haue a lawyer a Chancellour / a Commyssary / a Preacher of Goddes worde / a setter forth of it / howe by theÌ„ that be ignoraunte it hathe ben hyndered and letted we haue experience enoughe I pray God that all Byshoppes with al there offycers vnder them may be true fauourers of goddes worde / and ernestly set forwardes and moue and exhorte al men to goddes word and to lyue after yt that God may more more be glorified of al men Amen ⧠AND be nat dronken with wyne wherin is excesse but be ful of the spyryte / and talke amonge youre selfes of Psalmes and Himnes and spyrytuall songes / syngynge and makynge melodye vnto the Lorde in youre hartes / gyuynge thankes alwaye / for all thynges / vnto God the father in the name of our Lorde Iesê° Christ submyttynge your selfes one to another in the fear of god âš¹ The Apostle here forbiddeth dronkeÌ„nes as a cause of fornication or adultry / he monysheth to ware of drinkyng wyne whiche prouoketh to adultery or fornication In these wordes he forbyddeth also al excesse and ryot in eatyng and drynkyng or other bankettynge of the whiche coÌ„meth many incoueniences and greate diseases bothe to the body and soule / of vnreasonable drynkynge or riotynge we se daylye greate syckenes to come to the bodye / as the goute / dropsy / palsey / other diseases many of the body Also dronkennes / adultry / fornication / chydynge / fyghtyng maÌ„ slaughter dothe come of greate drynkyn-whiche be destructyon and deathe of the soule The Apostle here nat onely forbyddeth synne and vyce / but also he forbyddeth the occasion and causes of them 2 Dronkennes oughte to be eschewed for many causes that commeth of it / that bryngeth men to deathe oftymes bothe of the body and of the soule it depriueth men of wytte wisdome and reason and maketh them worse then a brute beaste / yee then aswyne that walters ouer and ouer in the myre Drokennes it causeth many deseases in the body / it bringeth with it idelnes chydynge / braulynge / fyghtyng / murder / ye what myscheife doth it nat bryng with it / death both to body soule It is therfore to be aborred of all men 3 He nat onely reproueth vyce but he sheweth vertue to be taken in the place of vyce / as here he reproueth dronkennes / wylleth me not be fulfylled with the holy ghoste and to synge in their hertes spiritual Psalmes and Hymnes / gyuyng thaÌ„kes to god alwayes for his benefytê / these spirituall Psalmes and Hymnes he setteth for the fruytes of dronkennes And in this me thinke the Apostle willeth that lay men and lay women shulde synge spyritual Pslames and Hymnes as preestes and spirituall men / and gyue thankes to god for all his benefites gyuen to theÌ„ and and in this he sheweth playnely that it is lawefull for laye men and laye women to reade the holy scriptures / to haue them by harte / that they may talke of them / speke of them to theyr edyfieng / and synge spyrituall Psalmes and Hymnes gyuynge thankes to the Lorde / howe shulde they synge spirituall Psalmes and Hympnes excepte that they knewe them before / and had redde them or lerned them This place euidently sheweth that it is lawfull for laymen and lay womeÌ„ to rede the scriptures of god / to talke of them to goddes glorye and to theyr edyfienge The Apostle dothe nat heare speake onelye to mynysters in the Churche / but to all men / to whome he forbyddeth dronkennes and hê fruites / and for them the holy gooste and his fruytes to be receyued with spirituall thankes Psalmes and Hymnes gloryfyenge god alwaye 4. He wylleth that euery man shall be obedieÌ„t one to another in his state and degree and that in the feare of God / that none shulde contemne another thynkyng hym selfe better then other / but euery one humyle him vnder other / and thynke hym selfe worse in his owne syght / and in this he reproueth proude hartes and stomakes and moueth euerye one to mekenes and lowlynes in them selfe ¶ Let the women submytte them selfes vnto their husbandes as vnto the Lorde / for the husbande is the wyues heade euen as Christe also is the heade of the congregacion / and he is the sauyoure of his bodye Therfore as the congregacion is in subiection to Christe / lykewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to thei husbandes in all thinges ¶ Before the Apostle hathe vniuersally taught euery man Nowe he commeth to perticular persons as to the wyfe and the husbande he sheweth ther duetye on to the other But before I wyll shewe of their dewties I thynke it expedient som thiÌ„ge so entreate of matrymonye by the whiche the man and the wyfe be ioyned togyther and the one bouÌ„de to the other by the law of god / and that with suche knottes as caÌ„ nat be lowsed with out the breakynge of goddes law and displeasure of god / except it be for suche causes as by the scriptures may lowse the bounde of
matrymony / as adultery whiche be a cause of deuource / as sayeth Christ Math. 5. Fyrste it is to be shewed for what causes Matrimony was iÌ„stituted and ordinated of god One cause was that mankynde shulde be multiplied to the honour and glory of god by a lawefull meanes bytwene man and woman / thê mene was by matrimony ordinated of god / as appereth Gene. 1. where it is writen / that after god made man to his symylitude / he created the male and the female blessed them and sayd / growe and be multiplied and fyll the earthe / and this was one of the cheife causes of matrymonye Another cause wsa to auoyde adulterye fornication / and that matrymonye shulde be a lawefull remedye agaynste adultery forbodden in the generall coÌ„maundement Thou shalte nat coÌ„myt aduoutry Exo. 20 This cause saynt Paule sheweth 1. Corin 7. Sayeng let euery maÌ„ haue his wyfe to auoyde fornication / euery woman haue hyr husbande Aduoutery of the harte is as well forboddeÌ„ / as adultery in outwarde dede or acte / to auoyde all maner of adultery both of the harte of outwarde acte / and for a remedy lawfull for the same it is coÌ„maunded that they shall marye take a wyfe / that haue nat the gyfte of chastyte and of continence The thyrde cause of matrimony is the charite might more be enlarged and amonge straungers more dilated and scatered / that these that were straungers shulde be more couple togyther by charite / as the frendes of the wyfe and the husbande by affinite more ioyned togyther in loue and charite / and for that cause it doth appere that certaine degrees of kinred was forbodden to mary togither amongest whom was loue all redy opteyned coÌ„maundemeÌ„t that mariage shulde be out of certayne degrees of kynne / to make more loue and to dylate charite as appereth Leut. 18. and .10 And also this thing appereth in that / that there is more loue coÌ„maunded to be betwene the man the wyfe / then bytwene the chyldren and the father As it is wrytten Gene. 2. and Nume 18. For this saieth god let the maÌ„ forsake his father and mother / cleaue to his wyfe / and they shal be two in one fleshe To these maye be added many other causes of matrymony / that the wyfe shulde be as an helper to the husbande / and the husbande to the wyfe / that they shulde lobour togyther to prouyde necessaries for them / and their housholde / to brynge vp theyr chyldren vertuously in loue and dreade of god / and in other holsome doctrene or craft for these diuerse other causes that maye be gathered of scriptures was Matrymony ordinated of god / and nat of maÌ„ Therefore he that speaketh agaynst Matrymony / or condemneth it as an euyl thyng / he speaketh agaynst goddes ordinaunce / and condemneth that / that God hym selfe ordynated 2 Nowe I wyl speake sumthinge of the duety bytwene the man the wyfe / whose dueties Sayncte Paule here declareth Fyrste the duety of the wyfe towardes hyr husbaÌ„de he sheweth He sayth it is the deutye of the wyfe to be obedient to hyr husbande in all lawfull and honest thynges / and to be redy and diligent at his lawful coÌ„maundement / and in no wyse disobedieÌ„t to him and his lawful coÌ„maundementes / neyther in word nor yet in dede / nor in any behauour / neyther in mynde nor thought disobedient to hyr husbande And here he ryproueth all women that be disobedient to theyr husbandes / and wyll nat obey theÌ„ but wyll haue theyr husbandes obediente to them / eyther for the nobylyte of theyr stocke they come of / or els for theyr riches or for proudnes of harte and mynde that they wyll 〈◊〉 the rule and domynyon ouer theyr husbandes / contrary to goddes ordynaunce â—â—…d here peraduenture some 〈…〉 aske / why shulde the woman 〈…〉 obedient to the man / then the maÌ„ 〈…〉 To this I make aunswere say that the wyfe shulde be obedient to hyr husbande for many causes / nat the husbande to the wyfe The fyrst cheife cause is / for the ordinaunce of god whiche hath ordinated that the wyfe shulde be obedyeÌ„t to hyr husbande in all thynges lawefull Eph. 5. And they that resyst the ordinauÌ„ce of God / they brynge iudgemente to them self Roma 13. Wherfore it is no lytle taut the wyfe to be disobedient to hyr husbaÌ„de vs to desyre the rule / domynioÌ„ / or maistery ouer hyr husbande / althoughe hyr husbaÌ„d wold suffer it / for she that so doth / she doth resyste the ordinaunce of god / and taketh to hyr selfe dampnation Therfore let womeÌ„ beware they be nat disobedieÌ„t to their husbandes / nor desyre to be mayster ouer them / for in so doyenge they bryng iudgement damnation to them self / although that faute is counted but a lytle faute / before men / yet before god it is a great faute and it must nedes be a greate faute / for the whiche iudgement and daÌ„nation doth folowe The seconde cause why that wemen shulde be obeidiente to men / is for the transgressyon of Eue / whiche was punyshed and al hyr posteryte after hyr / that is to saye all wemen / that they shulde be in subiection to men and the wyfe in obedience to the husbande / for Eues thransgression / whiche payne remayneth styll in wemen shall do for euer / in a sygne of Eues transgressyon as a payne for synne The thyrde cause is / for the infyrmite of wemen / whiche for the moste parte be nat so wyse / wyttye / constante / sobre / dyscrete / patient / sad / well reasoned / stronge in body and for other suche lyke infirmities of wemen / whiche be foolyshe / lyght / vnconstant / hasty / angry / bablynge / full or wordes lyght / of conditions / mutable / vnlerned other suche like infirmities which for the most parte be more in wemen then in men Therfore it becommeth the wemen to be obedient to men and be ruled by meÌ„ / as of more wytte wysdome learnynge / iudgement / sadnes sobernes / and other good qualities / whiche for the mooste parte be more in men then iÌ„ wemeÌ„ / for these and other causes it becommeth the wyfe to be obedient to hyr husbande / for a decente order to be had amongest men 3 He sheweth howe the wyfe shulde be obediente to hyr husbande / euen as to the lorde for the wyfes seruynge theyr husbandes in al harty obedience with reuereÌ„ce / do serue the lord god / and do goddes seruyce / goddes coÌ„maundemente / and they please god so doyng / and no seruyce of the wyfe to god caÌ„ please god better / then when she obeyth hyr husbande lowely in harte / wyl mynde / worde and in dede / in all lawfull thinges Therfore let the wyfe be obedyent to hyr husbande nat onely in outward thynges / but
necessary to kepe them / but that health may be without them / nor yet they are nat to be kepte vnder the payne of daÌ„nacyon of the soule For lyfe euerlastynge may be without cyrcumcision and other suche lyke ceremonial and iudicial lawes whiche be abrogate and taken away / that it is in a mannes liberty to kepe them or nat kepe them It is no vertue to kepe theÌ„ nor synne to omytte them And contrary it is no synne to do theÌ„ excepte any shulde haue lyke opynion in them as the Iewes had / that they thynke they muste nedes kepe them orels they can nat be saued / to thynke they be iustified by the keypynge of suche ceremonial and iudiciall lawes and shall obtayne by the meanes of them forgyuenes of synne and eternall lyfe / in that opinion to kepe these lawes is synne after the gospell preached by Christe and hys apostles / as touchynge morall preceptes Christe hathe nat taken them awaye / but that they shall nat be done for feare of the lawe / for feare of hell / and the punyshmeÌ„t therof / but for the loue of god / with al gladnes of herte 3. That of twayne he myght create one newe man in hym selfe For what ende purpose Christe abrogated the ceremonials and iudicial lawes he sheweth / that is that he shulde make of two people one people eternall to him / that the one shulde nat contemne the other / as the Iues contemned the Gentyles before / and the Gentyles the Iues but that they shulde agree in one god Christe Iesus the sauyour of all / and in the true worshyp and faythe by the whiche bothe the Iues and the Gentyles shulde be saued iustified before God and nat thorogh any obseruances of the lawe that all men shulde knowe the lyfe and healthe of man nat to be in cyrcumcision outwarde / in ceremonies / in sacrifices in inuencion and religyon or merites of men nor in the worshyp of ydoles / nor in supersticiousnes of maÌ„nes religion / but alone in Christe that no man shulde reioyce in any other but in the lorde and in the crosse of Iesu Christe Gala. 6. So Christe hathe reconcyled the Iues and the GeÌ„tyles takyng from them bothe / parte of theyr pleasure / from the Iues cyrcumcision / ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes / from the Gentyles idolatry and lechery In the whiche thynges bothe partes had greate pleasure in / so Christe hathe reconcyled the Iewes and the Gentyles in that he toke awaye the hatred and the cause of theyr hatred So I thynke amonges vs nowe shall hatred cease and we shall all be made one / sythe the cause of our hatred is nowe taken away by the kynges magestyes commauÌ„dement The hatred that was amonges vs for the moste parte was for the worshyppynge of stockes / stones / blockes paynted and gylted / nowe these be taken away I soppose a greate parte of our hatred to cease and charite to encrease to the glory of god and the profite of many 4. Howe Christ hath reconciled vs synners to the fauour of the father agayne here is shewed that was by the crosse / that is to say by Christe a full sacrifice and a sufficient oblacion for al the synnes of the worlde / by the whiche oblation of Christê body ones offred vp for all synners / al were made parfit reconciled / had forgeuenesse of synÌ„es made beloued to god the father and heyres of his kyndome by Christ that dyed on the crosse for our redemption slauation / iustification and lyfe eternall 5. And came and preached peace in the gospell to you that were farre of / that is Christe preached peace and quietnesse in the hertes of the Gentiles whiche was counted farre frome the peace / fauour and loue of god And this peace was wroghte by thre outwarde preachyng of the gospell and the inwardes workynge of the holy goste So was peace broght bothe to the Iewes and the Gentiles throught Christ by no other meanes thaÌ„ by his death of the crosse 6. If Christe hath take away these thynges that was of a necessite coÌ„maunded of god to be kepte because they were no more profitable for the people Howe muche more shuld no man merueyle nowe if some institutions and religions of men be now taken awaye by goddes worde / whiche be nat profitable to man / nor yet to the glory of god / which do cause muche false trustes suê‘stitiousnes / erronious opynions / false iudgementes / backwarde iudgemeÌ„tes / ydolatry / and hyndereth the trewe honour of god and faythe in Christe Iesê° / and hathe made men to put theyr truste of healthe saluation in other then in Christe / and so brought men to death damnation / from the whiche daÌ„natioÌ„ to delyuer vs / Christe suffred death on the crosse / and brought to all beleuers and kepers of goddes coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes lyfe euerlastyng in al ioy blysse ⧠For by hym we bothe haue entraÌ„ce in one spirite vnto the father ¶ Of these thynges that go before saynte Paule nowe sheweth playnely that by Christe only the way to the father of heauen is made open to all men / bothe to the Iues and Gentyles / and that the Gentyles be aswell of the housholde of god as the Iues / and made heyres of the kyngedome of god by Christe / and the waye to the father open to the Gentyles as to the Iewes and that by Christe 2. In that the waye is made open to all men by Christe and by none other / saynte Paule reproueth those that wolde men shulde go and desyre sayntes departed to praye for them that by the intercession of sayntes departed men myght come to the father without Christe We thynke it is folyshnes to leue the waye to the father of heauen appoynted and assygned vs in the scripture and to seke another way not spoken of in the scripture / sythe it is so that we be vncertayne whether that sayntes departed be in that state that they wyll or be meane for vs to the father or no Whether they here vs callynge to them or no Whether they knowe our necessite or no whether they be hard of the father and optayne theyr purpose or no Of these thynges we haue no certaynty by the scriptures / wherfore I thynke it mete in this behalfe to be content with teachynges of the holy scripture which teacheth al necessary truthes for mannes saluacion / and nat to seke another waye to the father then the scripture teacheth Saynte Paule sayeth here that the waye to the father is made open to all men nat by Petre / Paule / Iohan / or Iames / Mary / or Magdelene but by Christ which is the mediato r bytwene god and man 1. Timo. 2. Saynte Paule sayeth there is but one mediato r bytwene vs the father we make many without the scriptures howe do we and S. Paule agree Howe do lyght darcknes agree Forthermore I se as yet no
or se all his glory / ye no man can perceyue the glorye that god hath ordayned for them that loue him 1. Corin. 2. 4 Here also the Apostle teacheth al prechers to humylyate them selues and to exalte the worde of god / to gloryfie and magfye it aboue al thingê in this worlde / aboue al ryches / honoures / pleasures / profytes / or other goodes mortall in this worlde For there is no riches worldly / worthy to be compared with the worde of God / and be they reprouyd that preferreth wordely goodes ryches / honoures / before goddes worde / and in this manye be offenders / as appereth by outwarde tokens and sygnes that gyue more delygence / laboure payne / and more applyeth theÌ„ selfes to the studye of suche sciences that maye brynge worldly ryches and honoures / then to the konwledge of goddes worde whiche is tokens that men more regardeth worldly ryches then goddes worde This place checketh gentylmen ryche men in the worlde / that put theyr chyldren to the temporall lawe that they may get worldly riches rather then to the study of goddes worde to get heuenly ryches / theyr factes do shewe howe vnkynde they be to God of whome they haue theyr worldly ryches / and also it pertayneth to gentilmen to knowe goddes lawe / that they might rule accordyng to goddes wyll Iosue 1. I wyll nat speke of them whiche openly condemne and be mockers of goddes worde / thynkynge no thing profitable but that / that bryngeth worldly honoures and riches 5 The mystery of god that was hyd froÌ„ the worlde / ye and from the powers in heuen / nowe God hathe made it open to all men / and Angels in heauen / whiche other dyd nat knowe this mistery / or yf they did knowe it / they knew it nat so perfectely before as they dyd after it was preched by the Apostles called and send of god to do that message as by Paule / Peter / and other whiche here be called the Church because they were as the chiefe mynysters in the Churche 6 In that he sayeth this mysterye was opened to the heuenly powers / as to the angels archangels and other in heuen / by the Apostles of Chrste / I thynke the Apostle meaneth nat that the Apostles taught the Angels this mystery of the callyng of the Gentyles to the fayth by the Gospell preached / but rather the contrary / that the Angels taught the Apostles / and brought it from god to the Apostles / for the angels be as seruynge spirites Hebre. 1. And so when the Apostles dyd preache the gospel and by theyr preaching the GeÌ„tyles were coÌ„uerted from theyr infidelyte to the faith of Christ they dyd se the conuersion of the Gentyles that they dyd nat se before so clerely by what meanes / so by the Apostles this mysterye was made open to the heauenly powers / or elles this speakynge that the Apostle here vseth / is a maner of speakyng by the whiche he meaneth that this mystery was shewed and declared openly and playnly to all the worlde by the Apostles / to whom god shewed this iuystery wheÌ„ hê pleasure was it shuld be shewed and this mystery he also calleth the many folde wysdome of god / whiche god hathe determyned to be shewed by Christe Iesus by whome he made al thinges / and restored to their perfytnes when it was the wyll of the father they shulde be made perfyte and restored to theyr perfitnesse 7 He sheweth also that by Christe we haue boldenes and sure truste wyth al confidence to come to the father and to be partakers of his kyngedome and glorye / and that nat by Peter / Paul / Iohan / Iames or by our workes / dedes or merytes / but onely by Christe Iesus / and for his sake alone Wherfore I desyre that ye faynte nat because of my tribulacioÌ„s that I suffer for you / whyche is youre prayse ¶ The Apostle semeth in these wordes to make answere to his aduersaries whiche spake euyll of him / and slaundered hym / by theyr slaunders and euyl speakyng did plucke many from his doctrine / that they dyd nat gyue credence to him sayenge / yf Paule were the minyster of god and preached purely his Gospel / he shuld nat haue ben caste in pryson and in bondes / his bondes and prysonmente dothe proue hym to be euyll / and a deceyuer of the people / and that god is angry with him / or elles who wolde haue cast hiÌ„ in prison for who wold caste a good man in prison as who shulde saye / no man To these or suche lyke euyll speakynges the Apostle maketh answere exortyng these Ephesyans nat to shrynke from hym or forsake his doctrine for his emprisonment / in fetters bondes or other affliccions whiche he suffered / not for his fautes / but for these Ephesians for their sakes / and for their helthe and saluacyon that he preached the gospell of god to theÌ„ of the which they receiued faith and helth wherfore he sayeth that they shulde nat be asshamed of him for his affliccions / but rather they shuld reioyse for his afflicioÌ„s whiche he suffred for theyr sakes / and for theyr profyte Of these we maye se that these that purely preache the worde of god that they suffer oftimes imprisonment / bondes fetters the other affliccions / nat for none other cause / but that they preache the word of god purely and sincerely 2 Men shuld nat shrynke from the word of god or esteme it the worse or to be false doctrine because they that haue preached it haue ben persecuted / punyshed / caste in prison and put to deathe of the worlde as malefactours deceyuours of the people false preachers For other felycite / let nat true preachers loke for in this worlde of carnall men / then persecution and afflyccion this is the rewarde that they shall haue here where as carnall men do rule / but in the worlde to come / let them loke for an other rewarde in ioy and blysse / and in hope of it may be theyr comforte which hope doth take awaye the greuousnes of theyr myseries and paynfulnes of affliccions here 3 Affliccion or ê‘secutioÌ„ prouyth whether meÌ„ trust surely in god stycke to his word or no / for many there be that for feare of punyshemente and affliccyons do shrynke from god and his worde and biddeth them farwell / whiche beleued as longe as there was no persecutioÌ„ lyke to folow as Christ sayeth Math. 13. Many doth beleue for a tyme / but in tyme of tribulacyon they shrynke fearyng more man then god / and the losse of goodes of this worlde then the losse of heuenly ryches / fearinge more the losse of this presente lyfe then the losse of the lyfe to come / but let all suche repente and amende / for he that leseth hys lyfe in this worlde for me and my Gospel fayth Christe Math. 16. in the worlde to come