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
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
A commentary in Englyshe vpon Sayncte Paules Epystle to the Ephesyans / for the instruccyon of them that be vnlerned in tonges / gathered out of the holy scriptures and of the olde catholyke Doctours of the Churche / and of the beste authors that nowe a dayes do wryte Anno. D. 1540 ♣ Per Zanceloâ—um Ridleum Cantabrigenseni ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum A preface of the Author to the reader GRACE MERCYE and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Chryst / be vnto al them that loueth / fauoureth / and promotethe the truthe of Goddes worde Amen ♣ Many and dyuers causes moued me to wryte this Commentary in Englyshe / O gentyle reader for theyr sakes whiche do nat vnderstaÌ„de Latyn but onely rede Englysshe / to helpe the rude and ignoraunce people to more knowlege of God and of his holy worde Because I perceyue fewe or none to go about to open by commentaries or exposicions in Englyshe to the vnlearned to declare the holy Scriptures nowe suffered to all people of this realme to rede to study at their pleasure to their edifyenge and comforte in god by the kynges gracyous lycence / for the whiche thiÌ„g bye thankes is to be gyuen to God and laud praise to the kiÌ„ges highnes that so teÌ„dereth the helth saluacyon of hê subiectes that wylleth they shal lacke nothyng that may be to their comforte and soules helth and specyally that they shall nat lacke the worde of God / whiche is the foode of the soule Math. 4. that saueth the soule Iacobi 1. the armour onely wherby the deuil and all hys temtacyons is withstande / resysted ouercommen Ephesyans .6 the meane wherby God doth saue them that beleue 1. Corin. 1. ye the spyryte and the lyfe .1 that bryngeth the spyryte of God and lyfe euerlastynge Because I could percayue fewe or none to go aboute to open and declare thys worde of lyfe to the Englysshe people vnlearned in tonges that it myghte be lyfe in dede / whyche nowe vndeclared to them but onelye had in the bare Lettre do appere to many rather deathe then lyfe / rather to brynge men in to errours and heresyes / then into the truethe and veryte of Goddes worde / whiche nowe vndeclared bryngeth not so muche the symple / rude / and ignoraunte people frome they re ignoraunte / blyndnes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / false trustes / euyll beleues / vayne superstycyousnes and fayned holynes / in the whyche the people haue bene in blyndnes longe tyme for lacke of knowledge of holye Scripture which the man of Rome kepte vnder the hatche wolde nat suffer to com to lyght to delyuer the seruauÌ„tes of God from ignoraunce and blyndnes / but wolde haue kepte them alway in darkenes / that his vsurped power shulde nat haue ben espied / his worldely glorye menysshed and his profyte decayed Bycause I dyd se none go aboute to delyuer the rude people frome theyr blyndnes ignoraunce or errours by any exposicion in Englishe vpon the Scriptures but many to study rather to continewe them styl in errours and in blynde ignoraunce therfore I as one of the least lerned of al hath set forth and expocision to this Epystel of Saynt Paule to the Ephesyans as afore this in the Epystel of Iude the Apostle of Chrest that the people that can but onely rede Englishe may the better know part of the holsome doctryne of saynt Paule may be delyuered from theyr ignoraunce and blindenes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / euyll oppynions / rooted in theyr hartes / false trustes and vayne supersticyousnes / whiche the holy Ghoste here speakynge in Saynt Paule reproueth and coÌ„demneth / and teacheth nessysarye thynges for mannes saluacyon as you maye here se and reade in thys exposicyon wherein I haue as it hathe pleased God to gyue his grace opened the holy scriptures shewynge the true vse of them / and wherfore they serue And in this thynge to be done I haue vsed the helpe of tonges as of the Greke / Hebrewe and the Latyne tonges / and the helpe of the olde Catholyke Doctours approued by the Churche and also of the beste authors that in these dayes nowe do wryte / and of them al gathered out that after my iudgement shuld declare the Scripture beste and moste for the glory of God and / and for the edyfyenge of the chrystians vnlearned in tonges / as maye be sene throughout all thys Exposycyon ☞ The seconde cause that moued me to this was to dyscharge my conscience knowynge the gyftes of God gyuen to be dyuerse / gyuen to euery man nat to be idle / but to exercyse hym selfe in hys talentes gyuen / to the glory of God and to the profyte of other In this my talente gyuen of God / al thought I knowe it is the leaste of all it is my deutye nat to be idle / but to exercise my talente in all maner of wayes to promote and set forthe Goddes worde to edifie other / to do this thing I thought no waye more to Goddes glorye and to the edyfyenge of other / then to set fourthe an exposycyon of some parte of holy Scripture to brynge men vnlearned to the loue and desyre of holye Scrypture whyche is the true worde of the spyryte of God to the whiche thynge the vnlearned shall be broughte to when they shall se and clerely perceyue so muche holsome doctryne / so many godly vertues shewed in one litle Epystle of Saynt Paule / what godly lessons and Spyrytuall teachynges shulde they haue in the hole Byble yf it were in like maner declared vnto them syth there is so muche heauenly teachynges in one lytle Epystle of Saynte Paule ⧠The thyrde cause was to exhorte other that be muche better learned than I that can do muche better to set fourth some parte of the holy Scripture in Englyshe or in Latyne to shewe the goodnes of God to vs Englyshemen / to shewe that God is the God of Englande as well as of Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countrees And that he hathe shewed hys truethe as well in Englande as in these countreys For God is not the acceptor of personnes or of countres In Englande be men of no lesse wytte / wysedome / learnynge / eloquence / then be in Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countres ye I wyl not speake of more wysedome and learnynge / leaste I shulde be counted percy all to my countre Ye I doubte not but Englyshe men shulde gyue as greate light to the worde of God as euer dyd these countres / yf they wolde applye theyr studye wyttes and myndes to wryte vpon the holy Scrypture and in wrytynge declare it Which thynge many learned men wolde do / yf hye rulers whome God hath set in authoryte to be defenders and promoters of hys worde / wolde excyte and prouoke learned men ther vnto And wheÌ„ a Commentary of the holy scrypture were
to syt on his ryghte hande aboue all heauenly powers In Christ was shewed the excellent power of god / aboue all thynges / whiche power god wyl shewe to them that beleueth 2. He sheweth here the glory of Christ to be aboue all the powers / domynyons / or potestates in heauen that we shulde put our truste in Christ / whiche wyll exalte to that place where he is al them that beleue in him and thynketh to come there where Christ is on the right hande of the father onely by Chryste / and nat by theyr owne merytes or deseruinges and to put men in a suretye of that thynge Christe hym selfe was exalted from deathe to lyfe eternal 3. The power and the glory of Christ is shewed in that he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father in heauen aboue all powers rule / dominyon / potestates / and vertues / and aboue all names that is in this world or in the worlde to come / and all thynges are subiected to him and vnder his domynion and power / and he is the heade of the congregatyon whiche is his body Christ is the heade / in whome consisteth the perfeccyon of the hole bodye and he that maketh in the bodye all thynges parfyte 4. This place reproueth the Bysshoppe of Rome and all his decrees that maketh hym heade of the Churche of Chryste / for the hed of the churche of Christ is nat the bysshop of Rome / but Christe whiche maketh all thynges vnparfyte parfite / princes Kinges in their kingdomes worldely / be as heades of theyr subiectes vnder Christ to se euery one be in right order / to goddes wyll and pleasure / and that euery man in euery state and degree do his duty after his calling / for to the Kinges / Princes / and other superior power / it becoÌ„meth euery man to be obedyent / and from their power can no man exempte any of these subiectes by any profession of man / wherfore byshops of Rome exemptyng religyouse men from due obedience to their kinges and Prynces haue done against goddes lawe and saynt Paules doctrine Ro. 13. 1. Pe. 2. Hebre. 13. whiche places commaundeth all subiectes to be obedient vnto the hye powers / for they that resyste powers / they resyst the ordinance of God and these that resyste the ordynaunce of God they take to them selfe Iudgemente and dampnacyon Ro. 13. ¶ The seconde Chapyter to the Ephesyans ANd quickened you also when ye were deade throughe trespacê and synnes / in the whiche in time past ye walked accordynge to the course of this worlde / and after the Prynce that ruleth in the ayre / namely / after the spiryte whiche nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbeleue amonge whome we also had our conuersacyon in tyme paste in the lustes of our fleshe and of the mynde and more naturally the childrenne of wrath euen aswell as other The Apostell compareth the state of these Ephesyans that they were in nowe when he wrote this Epistle to them / with the state condicion of lyfe that they were in before Chryst had called them to fayth by his word preached amonge them / that by the remembraunce of it / they might be prouoked with more gladnesse and harty loue to prayse and laude God / and gyue hym harty thankes that it hathe pleased hym to call them from darknes to lyghte from ignoraunce to knowledge / from syn to iustyce from deathe to lyfe / he saythe whan you knewe nat Chryste / you were deade by trespaces and synnes / beholde in what case they be in the knowe nat Chryste and his holy worde / by trespaces and synnes he vnderstandeth all manner of vyces and synnes / whether they be in thought wyll / acte / or in outwarde dede / when they knewe nat Chryste they were deade by synnes / nowe they knowynge Chryste do lyue / and be called from deathe to the lyfe of grace and of glorye eternal / before they walked in vyce and in synne / nowe they walke in grace and in vertue / before they walked after the maners / lustes and pleasures of this worlde / that is to saye / after the lustes of the fleshe / the lustes of the eyes / and proudnes of lyfe 1. Ioh. 2. Nowe they walke after the good wyll of god and after godes pleasure / before they folowed the prince of the ayre and was obedyente to his wyll this Prynce of the ayre is that euyll spiryte that worketh in sturdy / frowarde / and disobedyent personnes to goddes wyll and that doth nat beleue God but nowe they walke after the wyll of god the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste lorde of heauen and earthe whose spiryte bryngeth and leadeth to all good workes of God who is he that knoweth he is called from synne / death / hel / eternall dampnacion / to iustice / lyfe / heauen / eternal ioy and blisse / wyll nat giue thankes laude and praise to him that brought hym to this ioye and felicyte Truely I thynke no man / but he wolde gyue greate thankes whan he remembreth the benefytes of his callynge / and for that cause saint Paule here compareth these two states to gether that euery one of vs may remember in what case we were in before Christe called vs to his knowledge by his worde / for as these Ephesyans were / so were we / and the same thynge he wryteth to them he writeth to vs / it agreith aswel to vs as to them / and all one thynge / as touchynge our state 2. This place sheweth that al men that came of Adam to be subiecte to synne / and for synne worthy eternall deathe / none able to delyuer them selfe from deathe and dampnacion / of the which we may learne that no man by his owne nature / myght / power / or fre wyll / can saue hym selfe from death and hell / but who someuer be saued that they be saued by the only grace of god and nat by theyr owne merytes / or by the merytes of sayntes departed 3. You see what foloweth syn / deathe / punyshment foloweth syn / as the rewarde for synne / and that these that wante the grace of god can nat but fall to synne / and go from one synne to an other / and walke after the lustes of the fleshe / and applye them selues to the wyll of the deuyll which worketh in euyl men and prouoketh to al vnhappynes vyce / syn / as these Ephesyans dyd before they were called by the worde of god to fayth to knowe Christ 4. In euyll men worketh the prynce of the ayre whiche is the deuyl that entyseth alwaye to euyll / and to do she workes of the deuyll The deuyll is called the prince of the ayre / nat bycause he hathe dominyon and power to rule the ayre at his pleasure or wyl / for that to god doth pertayne / but that he hathe power only of euyl men