maried careth for the thinges of the worlde how he maye please his wife and is deuyded A woman and a virgin that is syngle careth for the thinges of the LORDE that she maye be holy both in body also in sprete But she that is maried careth for y e thinges of the worlde how she maye please hir huszbande This I saye for youre profit not that I wil tangle you in a snare but for that which is honest and comly vnto you that ye maye coÌ„tynually cleue vnto the LORDE without hynderaunce But yf eny man thinke that it is vncomly for his virgin yf she passe the tyme of mariage and yf nede so requyre let him do what he lyst he synneth not let theÌ„ be coupled in mariage Neuertheles he that purposeth surely in his hert hauynge no nede but hath power of his awne wyll and determeth so in his hert to kepe his virgin doth well Fynally he that ioyneth his virgin in mariage doth well but he that ioyneth not his virgin in mariage doth better The wife is bounde to the lawe as longe as hir huszbande lyueth But yf hir huszbande slepe she is at liberty to mary vnto whom she wil onely that it be done in the LORDE But she is happier yf she so abyde after my iudgment I thinke verely that I also haue the sprete of God The VIII Chapter AS touchinge thinges offred vnto Idols we are sure y t we all haue knowlege Knowlege puffeth a maÌ„ vp but loue edifyeth Neuertheles yf eny maÌ„ thinke y t he knoweth eny thinge he knoweth not yet how he oughte to knowe But yf eny man loue God the same is knowne of him So are we sure now coÌ„cernynge the meates offred vnto Idols that an Idoll is nothinge in the worlde and that there is none other God but one And though there be that are called goddes whether in heauen or in earth as there be goddes many and lordes many yet haue we but one God euen the father of whoÌ„ are all thinges and we in him â–ª one LORDE Iesus Christ by whoÌ„ are all thinges and we by him But euery man hath not knowlege for some make yet conscieÌ„ce ouer the Idoll and eate it as a thinge offred vnto Idols and so their conscience beynge weake is defyled Neuertheles meate furthureth not vs vnto God Yf we eate we shal not therfore be the better yf we eate not we shal not therfore be the lesse But take hede that this youre liberty be not an occasion of fallynge vnto y e weake For yf eny man se the which hast knowlege syt at the table in the Idols house shal not his conscience whyle it is weake be occasioned to eate of the Idoll offeringes And so thorow thy knowlege shal the weake brother perishe for whoÌ„ Christ dyed But whan ye synne so agaynst the brethren and wounde their weake coÌ„science ye synne agaynst Christ. Wherfore yf meate offende my brother I wyl neuer eate flesh lest I offende my brother The IX Chapter AM I not an Apostle Am I not fre Haue I not sene Iesus Christ oure LORDE Are not ye my worke in the LORDE Yf I be not an Apostle vnto other yet am I youre Apostle for the seale of myne Apostelshippe are ye in the LORDE Myne answere vnto them that axe me is this Haue we not power to eate and drynke Haue we not power also to leade aboute a sister to wife as well as other Apostles and as the brethren of the LORDE and Cephas Or haue onely I and Barnabas not power this to do Who goeth a warfare at eny tyme vpon his awne wages Who planteth a vynyarde and eateth not of the frute therof Who fedeth a flocke and eateth not of the mylke of the flocke Saye I these thinges after the maner of men Sayeth not the lawe the same also For it is wrytten in the lawe off Moses Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne Doth God take thought for the oxen Or sayeth he it not alltogether for oure sakes For no doute it is wrytteÌ„ for oure sakes For he that eareth shulde eare vpon hope and he y t throszheth shulde troszhe vpon hope y t he mighte be partaker of his hope Yf we haue sowne vnto you spiritual thinges is it a greate thiÌ„ge yf we reape yo bodely thiÌ„ges But yf other be partakers of this power on you wherfore are not we rather Neuertheles we haue not vsed this power but suffâ—e all thinges lest we shulde hynder the Gospell off Christ. Knowe ye not that they which laboure in the temple haue their lyuynge of y e temple and they that wayte at the altare enioye the altare Euen thus also hath y e LORDE ordeyned that they which preach the Gospell shulde lyue of y e Gospell But I haue vsed none of these thinges Nether wryte I therof that it shulde be done so vnto me for I had rather dye theÌ„ that eny man shulde brynge my reioysinge to naughte For in that I preach the Gospell I neade not boost my selfe for I must nedes do it And wo vnto me yff I preach not the Gospell Yf I do it with a good wyll I shall haue my rewarde but yff I do it agaynst my wyll yet is the office commytted vnto me Wherfore theÌ„ shal I be rewarded Namely therfore that I preach the Gospell and do the same frely for naughte that I abuse not my libertye in y e Gospell For though I am fre from all men yet haue I made my selfe euery mans seruaunt y t I mighte wynne y e moo Vnto the Iewes I am become as a Iewe to wynne y e Iewes To them that are vnder the lawe I am become as though I were vnder the lawe to wynne them which are vnder the lawe Vnto them that are without lawe I am become as though I were without lawe where as yet I am not without the lawe of God but am in y e lawe of Christ to wynne theÌ„ that are without lawe To the weake am I become as weake to wynne the weake I am become of all faszhions vnto euery man to saue some at y e leest But this I do for the Gospels sake that I mighte be partaker therof Knowe ye not that they which runne in a course runne all yet but one receaueth the rewarde Runne ye so that ye maye optayne Euery one that proueth mastrye absteyneth from all thinges and they do it that they maye optayne a corruptible crowne but we to optayne an vncorruptible crowne I therfore so runne not as at an vncertayne thinge So fighte I not as one y t beateth y e ayre but I tame my body and brynge it in to subieccion lest whan I preach vnto other I my selfe be a cast awaye The X. Chapter BRethren I wolde not that ye shulde be ignoraunt of this that oure fathers were all vnder the cloude
agaynst And whā they had appoynted hī adaye there came many vnto hī in to his lodginge vnto whō he expoūded y e kyngdome of God preached vnto thē of Iesu out of y e lawe and out of the prophetes euē frō mornynge vntyll the euē And some beleued y e thinge y t he sayde but some beleued not But whā they agreed not amōge thē selues they departed whā Paul had spokē one worde Full well hath the holy goost spokē by y e prophet Esay vnto o fathers sayde Go vnto this people and saye With eares ye shal heare not vnderstōde with eyes shal ye se not perceaue For y e hert of this people is waxed grosse they heare hardly w t their eares their eyes haue they closed y t they shulde not once se w t their eyes heare w t their eares vnderstōde ī their hertes and be cōuerted y t I mighte heale thē Be it knowne therfore vnto you y t this saluaciō of God is sent vnto y e Heythē and they shal heare it And whā he sayde y t y e Iewes departed had a greate disputacion amonge thēselues But Paul abode two whole yeares in his owne hyred dwellinge receaued all thē y t came in vnto hī preachinge y e kyngdome of God and teachinge those thinges which concerne the LORDE Iesus with all boldnesse vnforbydden The ende of the Actes of the Apostles wrytten by S. Luke which was present at y e doynges of them The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The Summe of this Epistle Chap. I. Paul declareth his loue towarde the Romaynes sheweth what the gospell is with the frute therof and rebuketh the beestlynesse of the flesh Chap. II. He rebuketh the Iewes which as touchinge synne are like the Heythē yee worse then they Chap. III. He sheweth what preferment the Iewes haue and that both the Iewes and Gētiles are vnder synne and are iustified only by the grace of God in Christ. Chap. IIII. He declareth by the exāple of Abrahā that faith iustifieth and not the lawe ner the workes therof Chap. V. The power of faith hope and loue ▪ and how death raigned frō Adā vnto Christ ▪ by whō only we haue forgeuenesse of synnes Chap. VI. For so moch as we be delyuered thorow christ from synne we must fashion oure selues to lyue as the seruauntes of God and not after oure awne lustes The vnlike rewarde of righteousnes and synne Chap. VII Christ hath delyuered vs from the lawe and death Paul sheweth what the flesh and outwarde man is and calleth it the lawe of the membres Chap. VIII The lawe of the sprete geueth life The sprete of God maketh vs Gods children and heyres with Christ. The abundaunt loue of God can not be separated Chap. IX Paul complayneth vpon the hard hertes of the Iewes that wolde not receaue Christ and how the Heythē are chosen in their steade Chap. X. The vnfaithfulnes of the Iewes Two maner of righteousnesses Chap. XI All the Iewes are not cast awaye therfore Paul warneth the Gentiles that be called not to be hye mynded ner to despyse the Iewes for the iudgmētes of God are depe and secrete Chap. XII The swete conuersacion loue and workes of soch as beleue in Christ. Chap. XIII The obedience of men vnto their rulers Loue fulfilleth the lawe It is now no tyme to folowe the workes of darknesse Chap. XIIII The weake ought not to be despysed No man shulde offende anothers conscience Agayne for outward thinges shulde no man condemne another Chap. XV. The infirmite and fraylnesse of the weake ought to be borne with all loue and kyndnesse after the ensample of Christ. Chap. XVI A chapter of salutacions He warneth them to bewarre of mens doctryne and commendeth vnto them certayne godly men that were louers and brethren in the trueth The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The first Chapter PAVL the seruaunte of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put aparte to preach the Gospell of God which he promysed afore by his prophetes in y e holy scriptures off his sonne which was begottē of y e sede of Dauid after the flesh and mightely declared to be the sonne of God after the sprete which sanctifieth sence the tyme that he rose agayne from the deed namely Iesus Christ oure LORDE by whom we haue receaued grace and Apostelshippe amonge all Heythen to set vp the obedience of faith vnder his name of whom ye are a parte also which are called of Iesus Christ. To all you that be at Rome beloued of God and sayntes by callynge Grace be w t you and peace frō God oure father and the LORDE Iesus Christ. First I thanke my God thorow Iesus Christ for you all that youre faith is spoken of thorow out all the worlde For God is my witnesse whom I serue in my sprete in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceassynge I make mencion of you besekinge allwayes in my prayers that I mighte once haue a prosperous iourney by the will off God to come vnto you For I longe to se you that I mighte bestowe vpon you some spirituall gifte to strēgth you that is that I mighte be conforted with you thorow yo faith myne which we haue together But I wolde ye shulde knowe brethren how that I haue often tymes purposed to come vnto you but haue bene let hither to that I mighte do some good amonge you like as amonge other Gentyles I am detter both to the Grekes and to the vngrekes to the wyse and to the vnwyse Wherfore as moch as ī me is I am ready to preach the Gospell vnto you at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God which saueth all that beleue theron the Iewe first also the Greke for in it y e righteousnes that is of value before God is opened which cōmeth out of faith ī to faith As it is wryttē The iust shal lyue by his faith For y e wrath of God is declared from heauen vpon all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of mē which witholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnes because that it which maye be knowne of God is manifest with thē For God hath shewed it vnto thē that the inuisible thinges of God that is his euerlastinge power and Godheade mighte be sene whyle they are considered by the workes from the creacion of the worlde so that they are without excuse in as moch as they knewe that there is a God and haue not praysed him as God ner thanked him but became vayne in their ymaginacions and their foolish hert was blynded Whan they counted them selues wyse they became fooles and turned y e glory of the incorruptible God in to y e symilitude of y e ymage of a corruptible mā of byrdes of foure foted of crepinge
same for he is the minister off God for thy wealth But yff thou do euell then feare for he beareth not the swerde for naughte For he is the mynister of God a taker of vengeaunce to punyshe him that doth euell Wherfore ye must nedes obeye not onely for punyshmēt but also because of conscience For this cause must ye geue trybute also For they are Gods mynisters which māteyne y e same defence Geue to euery man therfore his dutye tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honoure to whom honoure pertayneth Owe nothinge to eny man but to loue one another For he that loueth another hath fulfylled the lawe For where it is sayde Thou shalt not breake wedlocke thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not lust and yf there be eny other commaundement it is comprehēded in this worde Thou shalt loue thy neghboure as thy selfe Loue doth his neghboure no euell Therfore is loue y e fulfillynge of the lawe And for so moch as we know this namely the tyme that the houre is now for vs to ryse from slepe For now is oure saluacion nearer then whan we beleued the nighte is past but the daye is come nye Let vs therfore cast awaye y e workes of darknesse and put on the armoure of lighte Let vs walke honestly as in the daye not in excesse off eatinge and in dronkennesse not in chamburynge and wantonnesse not in stryfe and enuyenge but put ye on the LORDE Iesus Christ and make not prouysion for y e flesh to fulfill the lustes of it The XIIII Chapter HIm that is weake in the faith receaue vnto you and trouble not the consciences One beleueth that he maye eate all thinge but he that is weake eateth herbes Let not him that eateth despyse him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not iudge him that eateth for God hath receaued him Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruaūt He stondeth or falleth vnto his LORDE Yee he maye well stōde for God is able to make hī stōde Some man putteth differēce betwene daye daye but another man counteth all dayes alyke Let euery man be sure of his meanynge He that putteth difference in the daye doth it vnto the LORDE he that putteth no differēce in the daye doth it vnto y e LORDE also He y t eateth eateth vnto the LORDE for he geueth God thākes and he that eateth not eateth not vnto y e LORDE and geueth God thankes For none of vs lyueth to him selfe and none dyeth to him selfe Yf we lyue we lyue vnto the LORDE Yf we dye we dye vnto the LORDE Therfore whether we lyue or dye we are the LORDES For therto dyed Christ and rose agayne and reuyued that he mighte be LORDE both of deed and quycke But why iudgest thou y e brother Or thou other why despysest thou y e brother We shal all be broughte before y e iudgmēt seate of Christ. For it is wryttē As truly as I lyue sayeth the LORDE all knees shal bowe vnto me all tūges shal knowlege vnto God Thus shal euery one of vs geue acomptes for himselfe vnto God Let vs not therfore iudge one another eny more But iudge this rather y t nomā put a stomblinge blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers waye I knowe am full certified in y e LORDE Iesu y t there is nothinge cōmen of it selfe but vnto him y t iudgeth it to be cōmen to him is it cōmen But yf y e brother be greued ouer y e meate thē walkest thou not now after charite Destroye not w t thy meate him for whom Christ dyed Se therfore that youre treasure be not euell spokē of For the kyngdome of God is not meate and drynke but righteousnes peace and ioye in the holy goost He that in these thinges serueth Christ pleaseth God is cōmended of mē Let vs therfore folowe those thinges which make for peace thinges wherwith one maye edifye another Destroye not y e worke of God for eny meates sake All thinges truly are cleane but it is euell for y t mā which eateth w t hurte of his cōscience It is moch better y t thou eate no flesh and drynke no wyne nor eny thinge wherby thy brother stombleth or falleth or is made weake Hast thou faith haue it with y e selfe before God happye is he that cōdemneth not him selfe in y t thinge which he aloweth But he that maketh conscience of it and yet eateth is dampned because he doth it not of faith For what so euer is not of faith that same is synne The XV. Chapter WE that are stronge ought to beare y e fraylnesse of them which are weake and not to stonde in oure awne consaytes Let euery one of vs ordre himselfe so that he please his neghboure vnto his welth and edifienge For Christ pleased not himselfe but as it is wrytten The rebukes of them which rebuked the are fallen vpon me What so euer thinges are wryttē afore tyme are wrytten for oure learnynge that we thorow pacience and comforte off the scriptures might haue hope The God of pacience and consolacion graunte you to be like mynded one towarde another acordinge vnto Iesu Christ that ye beynge of one mynde maye w t one mouth prayse God the father of oure LORDE Iesu Christ. Wherfore receaue ye one another as Christ hath receaued you to the prayse off God But I saye that Christ Iesus was a mynister of the circumcision for the trueth of God to cōfirme the promyses made vnto the fathers and that the Heythen mighte prayse God because of mercy as it is wrytten For this cause wyl I prayse the amōge the Gētyles and synge vnto thy name And agayne he sayeth Reioyse ye Heythen with his people And agayne Prayse the LORDE all ye Gentiles and laude him all ye naciōs And agayne Esay sayeth There shal be the rote of Iesse and he that shal ryse to rule the Gentyles in him shal the Gentyles trust The God off hope fyll you w t all ioye and peace in beleuynge y t ye maye be plenteous in hope thorow y e power of the holy goost I my selfe am full certified of you my brethren that ye youre selues are full of goodnes fylled with all knowlege so that ye are able to exhorte one another Neuertheles brethrē I haue somwhat more boldly wrytten vnto you as one that putteth you in remembraunce for the grace that is geuē me of God ▪ that I shulde be a mynister of Iesu Christ amonge the Heythen to declare the gospell of God that the Heythen mighte be an acceptable offerynge vnto God sanctified by the holy goost Therfore maye I boost myselfe thorow Iesu Christ that I medle with thinges perteyninge vnto God For I durst not speake
and all passed thorow the see were all baptised vnder Moses in the cloude and in the see and dyd all eate of one spirituall meate and dyd all drynke of one spirituall drynke but they dronke of the spirituall rocke that folowed thē which rocke was Christ. Neuertheles in many of them had God no delyte for they were smytten downe in the wyldernesse These are ensamples vnto vs y t we shulde not lust after euell thinges as they lusted Nether be ye worshippers off ymages as were some of them Acordinge as it is wryttē The people sat downe to eate and drynke and rose vp to playe Nether let vs commytte whordome as some of them cōmytted whordome and fell in one daye thre twenty thousande Nether let vs tempte Christ as some of them tempted him and were destroyed of serpētes Nether murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed thorow the destroyer All these thinges happened vnto thē for ensamples but they are wryttē to warne vs vpon whom the ende of y e worlde is come Therfore let him that thinketh he stondeth take hede lest he fall There hath yet no tēptacion ouertaken you but soch as foloweth the nature of man Neuertheles God is faithfull which shal not suffre you to be tempted aboue youre strength but shal in the myddes of y e temptacion make a waye to come out that ye maye beare it Wherfore my dearly beloued fle from worshippinge of Idols I speake vnto them which haue discreciō iudge ye what I saye The cuppe of thākesgeuynge wherwith we geue thankes is it not the partakinge of the bloude of Christ The bred that we breake is it not y e partakinge of y e body of Christ For we many are one bred one body in as moch as we all are partakers of one bred Beholde Israel after the fleszhe They y t eate the sacrifices are they not partakers of the altare What shal I now saye then Shal I saye that the Idoll is eny thinge Or that it which is offred vnto the Idoll is eny thinge Nay But this I saye that loke what the Heythen offre that offre they vnto deuels and not vnto God Now wolde I not that ye shulde be in the fellishippe of deuels Ye can not drynke of the cuppe of the LORDE and of the cuppe of the deuels Ye can not be partakers of the LORDES table and of the table of deuels Or wyl we prouoke the LORDE I maye do all thinges but all thinges are not profitable I maye do all thinges but all thinges edifye not Let noman seke his awne profit but let euery man seke anothers welth What soeuer is solde in the fleshmarket that eate and axe no question for conscience sake For the earth is the LORDES and all y t therin is Yf eny of thē y t beleue not byd you to a feast and yf ye be disposed to go what soeuer is set before you that eate axinge no question for conscience sake But yf eny man saye vnto you This is offred vnto Idols thē eate not of it for his sake that shewed it and for hurtinge of conscience The earth is the LORDES and all that therin is Neuertheles I speake of consciēce not thine but of y e other For why shulde my liberty be iudged of another mās cōscience For yf I take my parte w t thankesgeuynge why am I euell spoken of for y t thinge wherfore I geue thankes Therfore whether ye eate or drynke or what so euer ye do do all to y e prayse of God Be not ye an occasion of fallinge nether to the Iewes ner to the Gentyles ner to the congregacion of God euē as I also please all men in all thinges not sekinge myne awne profit but the profit of many that they mighte be saued Folowe ye me as I do Christ. The XI Chapter I Commende you brethren that ye remembre me in all poyntes and kepe the ordinaunces euē as I delyuered them vnto you But I certifye you that Christ is the heade of euery man As for y e man he is the heade of y e woman but God is Christes heade Euery man that prayeth or prophecieth and hath eny thinge on his heade shameth his heade But euery woman that prayeth or prophecieth with vncouered heade dishonesteth hir heade For it is euen a lyke moch as yf she were shauen Yf the womā be not couered let hir heer also be cut of But yf it be vncomely for a woman to haue hir heer cut of or to be shauen then let hir couer hir heade Neuertheles the man oughte not to couer his heade for so moch as he is the ymage and glory of God but the womā is the glory of the man For the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man Nether was the man created for the womans sake but the womā for the mans sake Therfore ought the woman to haue a power vpon hir heade for the angels sakes Neuertheles nether is the man without y e woman nether the woman without the mā in the LORDE For as the woman is of the man euen so commeth the man also by the woman but all of God Iudge ye by yo selues whether it be comly y t a womā praye before God bare headed Or doth not nature teach you y t it is a shame for a man yf he weere lōge heer a prayse to y e womā yf she weere lōge heer For hir heer is geuē heer to couer her withall But yf there be eny man amōge you that hath lust to stryue let him knowe that we haue no soch custome nether the congregacions of God But this must I warne you of I commende it not that ye come together not after a better maner but after a worse First whan ye come together in the congregacion I heare that there are discensions amonge you and I partly beleue it For there must be sectes amonge you that they which are perfecte amonge you mighte be knowne Now whan ye come together the LORDES supper can not be kepte For whan it shulde be kepte euery mā taketh his awne supper afore And one is hōgrie another is dronkē Haue ye not houses to eate and drynke in Or despyse ye y e cōgregacion of God and shame them that haue not What shal I saye vnto you Shal I prayse you in this prayse I you not That which I delyuered vnto you receaued I of the LORDE For the LORDE Iesus the same nighte in the which he was betrayed toke the bred gaue thankes and brake it and sayde Take ye eate ye this is my body which is broken for you This do in the remembraunce of me After the same maner also he toke y e cuppe whan supper was done and sayde This cuppe is the new Testament in my bloude this do as oft as ye drynke it in the