fame and name to men well learned in holy scriptures as Timotheus was and to them that do not seke onely their owne fylthy lucre carnall ease reste or pleasure but aboue althynges these thynges that pert ayne to Iesus Christ and to the health and profyt of other and specially the health of their soules that be committed to their spirituall charge leste the bysshoppes suffer payne for the bloode of them that peryshe by their negligēce and the bloode of such as peryshe be required of their handes which commytted cure of soules to the vnlerned and to the blynde that one blynde shulde lede another and so bothe fall in the diche and that is the great cause why the worlde is so blynde and ignoraunte and haters of goddes worde or so lytell regarde it for as the prest is so is the people for the most parte yf the curate loue god his worde the people do lykewyse loue god and his word yf the curat be ignoraunt and vnlerned blynde both in lernynge iudgement and in affection his flocke oftimes be such like and so both the vnlerned curat or pastor and his flocke hatynge god and his worde shall peryshe in their fautes And the byshoppes that commytted the cure of his shepe to such gready wolfes and lyons 2. For all other seke their owne not that which is Iesus Christ The apostle complay neth of mynisters of the gospell and of other that was about him that sought rather their owne glory and profyt then the glory of god or the profyt of other much more we now in our tyme may complayne vpon such vnfayth full gospellers as they wolde be called which not regarde goddes glory or his worde furder then it do make for their carnall lyberty worly profyt honours and dignites and voluptuous lyuynge and yet they wyll be called gospellers and fauerers of goddes word whē their workes do shew that they fauer goddes worde onely for their carnall pleasures and worldly commodites and make goddes word to serue for their carnall purposes and so they abuse goddes worde but by such talkers and not doers of goddes worde the holy word of god heareth euyll and be euyll reported of For many saith that there is no man so carnall so sensuall so couetous so desyrous of gooddes ryches landes possessions honours dignites so crafty so false in worde and dede so disobedient to all good order as some of these be that wolde be called gospellers or fauorers of goddes worde But although some be suche carnall men and abusers of goddes holy worde despisynge all good ordinaunce for their carnall lyberty to be fulfylled yet the more parte of the gospelers as I trust be good men and vseth the gospell to goddes glory and to the profyt of their owne soules and of other fleyng all carnall lyberte obeynge with gladnes to all good and godly ordynaunces And for one or two euyll all is not to be contempned nor to be rayled on or estemed euyll but he that abuseth a good thynge he is wordy blame rebuke and punish ment and none other 3. But ye know the profe of him for as a chylde vnto the father so he mynistred vnto me in the gospel you know Timotheus wel anough I nede not greatlye to commēde him to you whose learnynge sobryete is knowen well enought to you he hath serued and mynisterd here at Rome to me in presone as the sonne shulde serue his father with as greate dyligence and faythfulnes And him I truste to send shortly vnto you after that I shall know what shal become of me for the apostle loked that he shulde shortly be called before Nero to iustice and then other to be put to death or elles to be delyuered out of prisone and out of bondes but rather he thought he shulde be delyuered from the cruelty of Nero and as sone as this shulde be done he promysed to send to them Timotheus to their comforte and reioyce as he trusted to the lorde to whose wyll he commytted the hole matter teachynge vs so to do in all thynges and not to be sloughfull or negligente in our office or in our vocation Neuerthelesse I thought it necessary to sende vnto you the brother Epaphroditus which is my cōpanion in laboure and felowe souldier and youre apostle my mynyster at my nede for somoch as helonged after you al was full of heuynes because ye had harde that he was sycke And no dowte he was sycke and that nye vnto death but god hadde mercy on him and not of him onely but on me also lest I shuld haue had sorowe vpon sorowe Paule dyd not sēde to the Philippiās now Timotheus whome he commendyd to them so hyghly but one Epaphroditus a faythfull mynister and preacher of the gospell and the apostell and trew pastor of these Philippiās this Epaphroditus brought to Paule in prisone money and other necessary thynges send frome the Philipians to helpe and comforte him in prisone This Epaphroditus Paule dyd sende agayne to the Philippians with much prayse and cōmendations for his diligent seruice to him in prysone and for his faythfull mynistration of the gospel This place sheweth that it is lawfull somtymes and good to prayse faythfull mynisters and diligente in their vocation not that therby they shulde be proude in their selfes but more humble and meeke and more studious to increase vertue and good lernynge for the whiche they be commēded of good men although they them selfes thynketh them not to be wordye such commendations For they that desyre prayse or laude of men they lost their rewarde before god Math. 6. They for that desyre be onwordy prayse and they shal lacke their praise of god they desire or loke for of mē 2. It appereth of this place that Epaphroditus whome Paule here calleth his felowe and companyō and the appostell of these Philippians that he was their peculiar and proper pastor assigned and appoynted specially to these Philippians and that he had of thē aboue all thynges necessarye for his lyuynge and that he gathered of them certaine monye or subsydye and caryed it to Paule in prysō and there serued him prouyded for paule such thynges as was necessary for Paule Epaphroditus beynge absente from the Philippians his proper flocke and sent to Paule seruynge him in prison for lacke of other mynisters doth shewe that the proper pastor maye be somtymes absent from his flocke for a tyme and for certayne causes as here Epaphroditus was absēt from these Philippiās so they be absent for lyke causes as he was so that in their absence their fllocke be not lefte without a faythful pastor as Paule left Titus in Cret and Timotheus at Ephesus when he went abrode preachyng the gospell of Christ Iesus to other people and nacions of the gentyls wynnynge them to Christ So I wolde desyre that all pastores and byshoppes that yf they be absent from their speciall cure that they shulde not be ydle lyue in carnall pleasure
and by lande from the power of the deuyll from lyghtnynges tempestes fyre water and all soden deth and some had one patrone some another of the sayntes called yea of theyr images whom they called vpon before god and aboue god As some called vpon saynte Antonye for theyr swyne vpon saynt Mudwyne for theyr kye vpon saynt Loy for theyr horse vpon saynt Roche for the pestilence vpon saynt Iohn shorne for the ago vpoÌ„ s A polyne for the tothe ache vpon saynt Blase for a bone in a mans throte our lades gyrdle was for a full remedye for a woman that labored of chyldebyrth that she shulde be delyuered with out payne and the chylde sure to be christened suche was the truste that many had in our lades gyrdle And this was a meruell that learned prelates and bysshoppes wolde suffer so longe the people thus to be blynded and to haue suche false trustes vayne hopes and so to dyshonour god gyuyng to sayntes that honour and glory truste and confydence that shuld onely be geuen and ascribed to god the gyuer of all goodnes perteynyng to the body or soule The sayntes nor theyr images be not the geuers of good thynges that we haue nede of that we desyre in our prayers but all goodnes cometh of god the father Iacobi 1. 2. with the bysshoppes and ministers He shewyth this Epistle to be wrytten not only to the sayntes that lyue at Philippos that is to the faythfull congregation of christiaÌ„s of the people whome he wolde haue to rede this Epistle and to take comforte and profyte of it red but also it was dedicated to the bysshoppes and decanes that was there of the which it is euident that there was diuers ministers in the churche of Philippos as bysshoppes to teache and instructe them in the lawe of god to feade them with spirituall foode of the soule as necessary to feade the soule as meate and drynke to feade the body and more to be desyred of christen men then corporall foode for the bodye for asmoch as the soule is a more precious thiÌ„g then the body is but wolde to god we were as desyrous of the foode of the soule as of the body then learned men in goddes worde and syncere preachers of it shulde be more regarded and estemed bysshoppes shulde preache ofter then they do they shulde desyre â—o learned men to be aboute them and in theyr dioces and make more of them then they do then the people shulde the better esteme and regarde goddes worde whiche now in a maner be contemned and dispised of the most parte of the people and counted as a thyng of lytell pryce or valewe bycause bysshoppes do not preache them selfes or yf they preache it is very seldome and do not preferre goddes worde before ceremonies or traditions of man Negligence in settynge forth of goddes worde in them to whom it pertayneth to be setters forth of it is a great cause why that it is so lytell regarded why that there is so greate ignoraunce and blyndnes so many euyll opinyons preposterous iudgementes false truste vayne hopes idolatrie and so moche superstition as hath ben and yet is in some partes of this realme and not as yet fully plucked awaye by the verite of goddes holy worde for there is very few syncere preachers of it and fewer lyke to be yf god do not prouyde by some good persuasioÌ„ to the hye powers rulers to whome it perteyneth to prouyde that theyr subiectes perisshe not for lake of spirituall foode of theyr soule for yf they lacke it it must nedes folow that the people shall runne hedlyng into errours heresies idolatrie many false trustes and vayne hopes and call that is good euyl and euyl good light darkenes / and darkenes lyght swete to be sower sower swete and so coÌ„dempne that is good and godly doctryne for heryse and in so doynge condempne them selfes to euerlastyng deth and dampnatioÌ„ As Esyas 5. sayth / wo be theÌ„ that call good euyll and euyll good lyghte darkenes and darkenes lyght so for lacke of knowlege of goddes holy worde of trew and syncere preachers of goddes holy gospell the people shall perishe and hate theyr owne saluatioÌ„ There fore I pray god that hye powers ordynated of almyghty god chefly to set forth his glory and to promote his worde to the saluation of Christes people derely bought by no corruptyble pryce as by golde or syluer but by the precyous blode of the vnspotted lambe Iesus christ 1. Pet. 1. that they wold diligently loke vpon the helth and saluation of the soules of theyr people subiected to them yea of theyr owne helth saluation for of them a cownte shal be required to whom they haue commytted the cure of christes flocke and whether they were diligent in seynge christes people truly feade with the breade of lyfe or no and yf any of the spirituall pastours haue bene nygligent or haue had euyll ministers vnder them as euyll chancelers or officyalles that nother knoweth goddes worde them selfes nor be preachers of it yea scarse fauorers of it but rather aduersaries enemyes to goddes holy trweth and no setters forth of it but bynderers all that they might then it pertayneth to hye rulers to reforme suche negligent bysshoppes and prelates and to commaunde them to loke better vpon there cures and se that they be such as saynt Paule 1. Timo. 3. wolde haue and to haue chauncelers officialls comysaries / suche as knoweth goddes worde be preachers of it and setters forth of it vnder them or els yf they wolde not be reformed to loke diligently vpon theyr cures as they shulde aboue all thynges to make theÌ„ bysshoppes or prelates quoÌ„dam and to set in their stedes suche as both culde and wolde teache preache godes word sincerely as dyd Titus and Timotheus bysshoppes ordynated of saynt Paule / which diligenly taught theyr people holsome doctryne and were not negligent in their offyces and had seruauÌ„tes accordyng that was bothe sobre / dyscreat / and learned in goddes worde / and also louers of it / whych thynges are greatly to be desyred in our bysshoppes and in their chancelars officials and comysaries At Philippos was not only bysshoppes abydyng and dwellynge amonges them preacheynge trulye the doctryne of god / and therfore had of the Philippians / all necessaryes abundantly / and had in great honour and estimation for the wordes sake that they preached / and for the lordes sake whose faythfull seruantes they were / but also there was decanes whole office was to prouyde for the pore / that the pore shulde not wante necessary meate / drynke / cloth / or logyn / suche was the frute of the gospell that Paule had preached amonges these Philippians / which was desyrous of it and so obedyent to do that thyng that pertayned to the office of christenmeÌ„ / that they with great gladnes kepte bysshoppes to teache theÌ„ / and decanes to prouyde for the poore
respecte to the world and lyfe to come 3. For many walke of whome I haue told you often but nowe I tell you wepynge He sheweth the cause of this admonition wherfore he exhorted them to folowe him and such other that walked in the way of trewth and in innocente lyuynge that they shulde not be deceyued by no pseudoposteles that walke not after Christes doctryne but after them selfes their owne immaginations and phantasies after men and traditions of men and not after Christes doctryne whom to eschew and to fle their company and wycked wayes I both present with you and also absente frō you hath monyshed you bothe by worde and by letters Here we learne of Paule that it is not enoughe to shewe what shulde be done but also it must be shewed what shulde be avoyded and eschewed that good thynges myght be taken and euyll thynges refused and forsaken And as the apostle had shewed them before to beware of these walkers in iniquite and to fle them and their wyckednes so he doth nowe exhorte them agayne with wepyng teares so sore he lamented that there shulde be such euyll walkers and deceyuers of other that they shulde take hed of pseudoposteles and to fle their false and deceyuyng doctrine Here we may se that there was in Paules tyme pseudopostles deceyuers of the people and preachers of false doctrine not agreynge to holy scryptures and that it greuyd Paule moch there shuld be such So it is now in our tyme there be some false teachers clothed in shepes skinnes but within they be gready wolfes pretendyng moche holynes but lytyll in very dede shewynge whō we shulde eschewe and fle and as it greued the apostle suche to be in his tyme so it greueth all good men that there shulde be any pseudoposteles amongest the people to pulle and plucke the people of god from goddes worde and his treweth 4. They be enymyes of the crosse of Christ whose ende is damnatiō whose god is their belye and whose glory shal be to their shame whiche are earthly mynded Now he discrybeth these pseudoposteles in their owne clothynge and apparell Firste he sayth they be enymyes of the crosse of Christ for they ascrybe to the lawe to workes of the lawe as to circumcision sacrifyces and ceremonyes of the law to workes and traditions of men merytes of sayntes the grace of god frely gyuen reconcylyation to the father remyssion of synne satisfaction for synne lyfe euerlastynge which thynges shulde be ascrybed onely to Christ that suffered vpon the crosse death to optayne these thynges to vs therfore they ascrybynge these thynges to other thynges then to Christ alone be enymyes to the crosse of Christ or that preache the law ceremonies or sacryfyces of the lawe in the sted of Christ and ascrybe iustice or ryghtuousnes forgyuenes of sinne to any other thyng then to Christ or to Christes passion they be enymyes of the crosse of Christe such ware they that brought vs the bysshope of romes perdones masses at scala celi to go hyther and thyther on pylgrymage to set vp candles before images to say fyue pater nosters fyue aue maries and a crede before this image or that image in this place rather then in that place promysynge to vs by these thynges to be released from the paynes of purgatory so manye dayes lentes and yeares yea promysyng by these thynges ones in our lyfe and at the houre of death cleare remyssion of all our synnes both a pen◠et a culpa so they called their remyssion promysed but these be enymyes to the crosse of Christ ascrybynge to the inventions of man these thinges that onely shulde be attributed to Christ alone and to none other Secondly he saith their ende is perdition shewynge to what ende and purpose the doctryne of pseudoposteles brynge that it bryngeth to death and damnation therfore they and their deuylyshe doctryne are to be eschewed and auoyded of all good men lest men be brought by them and with them to death and damnation both of body and soule Thirdly he saith their god is their belye in this he sheweth for whose sake they preached the lawe and the workes of the lawe and dyd all thinges they dyd that it was for their bely whome they preferred before god or his treweth that they myght lyue easyly in quiet rest pleasure honour and in all delyciousnes of lyfe and haue all thynges at their wylles and pleasures honoured and had in great reputacion aboue all men And that other dyd for goddes cause these bely beastes dyd it for their belye sakes and as other good men doth preferre god aboue all thynges so dyd these slo belyes preferre their belyes aboue all thynges of such saint Paule speaketh Roma 16. And byddes vs beware of them saynge bretherne I beseche you that you wolde consyder them which causeth debate and offendycle against the doctryne whiche you haue learned and that you turne from them for they be suche that serueth not Iesu Christ but their belyes and by flattery and fayer speakynge deceyue the hartes of the symple of them also he speaketh Gala. 6. saynge These that after outwarde face wolde please you in the fleshe they wolde compelle you to be circumcised onely for this ende that for the crosse of Christ they shulde not suffer Let men therfore loke about whether there be such preachers teachers yea suche that pretende to fauour goddes worde and wolde haue the name of setters forth of it and wolde be counted to do all thynges for goddes worde sake and yet they do it for thē selfes and for their belyes sake for they do not worke for the glory of god but for them selfe and for their bely sakes that they myght lyue in ease reste quietnes in welth and in all carnall pleasures in honour and dignyte get worldly gooddes riches landes and possesiōs and haue all thynges at wyll and pleasure se yf there be any such amonges vs and praye god for them that at length yea shortly they maye be chaunged and turned to god and to seke ernestly goddes glory the saluation of other more then their owne glore woldly profyt carnall lyberty or pleasure Fortly he sayth their glory shall be to their shame he noteth these pseudoposteles to be ambicious and vayne gloryous desirynge laude and prayse of the worlde and to be honoured of al men but their glory shall be turned into their rebuke shame and confusion for their hole institution of lyuyng their hole doctryne sauoreth nothynge els but earth and carnall thynges as circumcision carnall workes of the lawe chosynge of meates difference of dayes mans tradicions ceremones and such lyke thynges whiche they teache and affirme for no other cause but that they them selfes shulde suffer no afflictions no parte of the crosse of Christe but that they myght lyue in welth and pleasure and in worldly honours They seke not heauenly thynges as fayth hope charite paciente meaknes the glory of god helth lyfe and saluation of other