y◠life to come measuring all the whole state of blysful life by worldly commodities say let vs eate drinke for to morow we shal dye That we toke in thys lyfe that and nothyng els is our owne for after death we be nothing The philosophers or false Apostles syng suche songes in your eares paraduenture but beware leste with theyr tales they deceyue you and bryng you into a perylouse erroure alwayes remembring what was truly sayd of a certaine poete of yours euyll woordes corrupte good maners Of idlenes and wanton lyuyng groweth this distruste whyles some knowing their owne enormities deny that there shall any resurreccion be in suche blyndenes of synne are they which lyue wyth out regarde of godly lyfe But awake ye through the study of ryghteousnes leauing your pleasures leste ye fal with other into the greate ieopardye of distrust For albeit there be some amonge you whiche swell and are proude of their worldely wysedome yet are they ignoraunt of the hyghest parte of wysedome in that they knowe not God nor beleue that by his might the dead can be restored to life againe not with standing his almyghtie power nor yet remembre that it is an easyer thing to restore that whiche is decayed than of nothing to make somewhat This tell I you not of any displeasure but to the entente ye should for shame hēcefurth nomore geue eare to such as labour to make you beleue such folishe and deuilishe poyntes The texte But some man wyll saye howe aryse the dead with what body shall they come Thou foole that whiche thou sowest is not quyckened excepte it dye And what sowest thou Thou sowest not that body that shal be but bare corne as of whete or of some other but God geueth it a body at his pleasure to euery sede his owne body All fleshe is not one maner of fleshe but there is one maner of fleshe of beastes another of fishes and another of byrdes There is also celestiall bodyes and there are bodyes terrestriall But the glory of the celestiall is one the glory of the terrestriall is another There is one maner glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the starres For one starre differeth from an other in glory So is the resurrecciō of the dead It is sowen in corrupcion it ryseth againe in incorrupcion It is sowen in dishonour it ryseth againe in honour It is sowen in weakenes it ryseth again in power It is sowen a naturall body it ryseth again a spiritual body There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body as it is also wrytten the fyrst man Adam was made a lyuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickenyng spyrite Howbeit that is not fyrste whiche is spirituall but that whiche is naturall and then that whiche is spirituall The fyrste manne is of the earth erthy the seconde manne is the Lorde from heauen heauenly As is the erthy suche are they that are erthy And as is the heauenly suche are they that are heauenly And as we haue borne the image of the erthy so shal we beare the image of the heauenly This say I brethren that fleshe bloud cannot inherite the kyngdome of God Neither doeth corrupcion inherite vncorrupcion Beholde I shew you a misterie We shall not all slepe but we shall all be chaunged and that in a momente in the twinkling of an lye by the last trompe For the trompe shall blowe and the dead shall ryse incorruptible and we shal be chaunged For this corruptible muste put on incorrupcion and this mortall muste put on immortalytie When this corruptible hath put on incorrupcion and this mortall hath put on immortalytie then shal be brought to passe the saying that is wrytten Death is swalowed vp in victory Death where is thy styng Hell where is thy victory The styng of death is synne and the strength of synne is the lawe But thankes be vnto God whiche hath geuen vs victory thorowe our Lorde Iesus Christe Therfore my deare brethren be ye stedfast and vnmouable alwayes ryche in the worke of the Lorde for as muche as ye knowe howe that your labour is not in vayne in the Lorde But now synce it is certaine that a general resurrecciō shal be some curious persō wil aske after what sort shal it be in what kind of bodies shal men rise synce the bodies whiche we now haue are tourned into ashes earth or into some other thing more vile Thou foole which maruailest howe God can once doe in renyuing bodies again that nature dayly worketh in a sede cast into the grounde Thou sowest a drye dead sede into the earth there agayne thesame beyng putrified semeth to dye so finally growyng out of the earth as it were lyueth agayne and groweth nor coulde thesame in any wyse lyue agayne onlesse it be fyrste dead and buried But nowe groweth the sede vppe in another fourme that it had when it was cast into the earth Into the earth is cast a lytle vyle blacke and drye grayne which beeng by continaunce of tyme putrified there in due season groweth vp and becommeth fyrst a tender grasse and then a stalke and so at the laste an eare Of all whiche three there appeared none in that small grayne which thou before dydest cast into the earth Euery sede hath his power which when it is growen vp appeareth so that it may now seme vtterly to be an other where thou in dede knowest it to be the same saue that it is chaunged into a better forme Seest thou not of a lyttle kernell howe greate a tree groweth howe myghtye a stemme there is howe the rootes spreade howe large boughes what a noumbre of braunches howe pleasaunte blosomes and plentefulnes of fruyte there is Of all which there was nothyng when thou dyd cast that sealye small kernell into the grounde And yet at that tyme all these thinges didest thou hope for vpon trust conceiued of y◠workes of nature ▪ and darest thou not vpon trust of Gods almyghtye power surely looke for the lyke to be done by God A kernell it was that thou sowedste and not a tree and yet geueth God to that kernell once quickned a body suche as his pleasure is which geueth euery kynde of sede a speciall property that wheras all growe agayne yet haue they not in all poyntes thesame forme they had before And after lyke sorte is it in all kyndes of beastes wherof euery one hath his seueral sede so that of euery seed euery beaste can not be engendred And though this to all beastes be commen to haue a fleshy body yet is there betwixte one flesh and an other no small difference For the flesh of men is of one maner and the flesh of beastes fyshes and byrdes is of another Lykewise also though such creatures as lacke lyfe be called bodies yet is there a diuerse forme in heauenly bodies and in earthly as in stones water
and earth Yea and as there is of heauenly bodyes one beautie and comlynes and of earthly an other euen so a diuersitie is there among the heauenly bodyes them selfe Fyrste nether is there lyke glory and bryghtnes of the Moone with the sōne nor of other starres with the Moone and briefly euen the verie starres selfe in brightnesse diffre one from another for all are not as bryght as the day starre is Lykewyse at the resurrection all men shall ryse with theyr owne bodyes but yet in an vnlyke glory without doubte as it shal please God to gyue them and as they in this lyfe haue deserued For the vngodly shall rise in one fourme the good in an other Among them also that are good euerie one as he hath in this lyfe vsed hymselfe so shal he excell other in the gloriousnes of his new bodye Yet generally all good men shall haue a muche more actiue bodye than was that which they by death forsoke And as it is in nature to couer the seed vnder the earth the same is in the matier of resurrection the buriall of the deade bodye And that whiche in the seede is growyng agayne is in the bodye rysyng agayne And as in the one that is muche better which groweth vp than was that which was caste into the earth euen so here albeit it be thesame bodye that ryseth agayne yet is it farre vnlike There is sowen as it were a grayne into the earth a body subiect to corruption but thesame shall ryse againe without all corruption There is hydden in the earth a vyle body lothsome but there shall ryse againe a body both gloriouse and honourable There is buryed a bodye whiche euen when it lyued was weake but it shall ryse agayne full of power and myght There is buryed a bodye which albeit were alyue yet were it grosse and heauye and by the reason of that bourdaynouse to the soule gouernour of the same but there shall ryse agayne not a naturall but a spirituall bodye whiche shall to the soule be no let whither soeuer it moue For this is a difference of bodies also one is naturall whiche hath neede of meate and drynke and is weryed with labour whiche is diseased whiche with age weareth awaye which with his grosse and fautie instrumentes ofttimes letteth the intent of the soule which by reason of froward desyers oftentimes prouoketh to vyce to whome yf the soule be obedient and geue ouer the same is as it were tourned into the body and groweth out of his nature into fleshe another is spirituall which being in this lyfe by lytle and lytle purged from sensual appetites and desiers and after by resurrection renewed agayne is in maner transfourmed into the nature of the soule to whom it by godly desyre applyed it selfe that as oure soule obeyng the spirite of god is rauished and in maner transformed into him so maye our bodyes beyng ▪ obedient vnto the soule be pourged and shakyng of his grossenes be purified into such a body as is very lyke to the soule This grosse and earthly body receiued we of our first father Adā which as he was made of earth so was he subiect to earthly desiers But there is an other secōde Adam not somuche the begynner of our natiuitie as of our resurrection which as he hath an heauenly beginning so was he fre from al infeccion of earthly desyers And so reade we in Genesis The fyrste man Adam was made to lyue through y◠benefite of the soule but yet so that the soule beyng as it were bound to the grosse body should do nothing but by bodily instrumentes or at the leaste by some material meane But after him was geuen a seconde Adam which as he was conceaued by the holy gost so should he geue lyfe to his not this grosse lyfe whiche we haue in many poyntes common with beastes but a spirituall and a heauenly lyfe By Christ therfore are we repayred in al poyntes into a better state For that thing whiche is in time firste is also in substance more grosse and that by the order of nature We nowe beare about with vs a naturall bodye and in tyme to come we shall haue a spirituall bodye As the grosse parent of our stocke went before so folowed Christ the begynner of a newe generacion And what sorte of one the earthly parent was suche are his posteritie that is to saye men gyuen to earthly desyres And agayne what kynde of one the heauenly Adam was such are they which are borne agayne in hym that is to wete wholy delyted with heuenly thinges For we must for this state begyn that here which we intende herafter perfitely to enioye As before baptisme in vngraciouse maners we resemblyd the nature of our fyrst father so being borne agayne vnto Christ through baptisme we muste nowe in heauenly lyfe resemble oure heauenly father And yf we this do not neither shall we be here partes of Christes bodye nor in tyme to come gloriously ryse agayne In deede admitted are we into the kyngdom of god but this I tell you brethren that flesh and bloud that is to say men of the first generacion cannot come to the enheritaunce of the kyngdome of God nor the lyfe whiche is with synne corrupted shall haue the inheritaunce of lyfe immortall And because ye shall be ignoraunt of nothyng apertaynyng to the maner of resurreccion beholde I tell you a misterie We shall not all dye for the laste daye shall peraduenture fynde some of vs alyue but yet shall all we be chaunged to the glory of immortall lyfe whiche here after a sorte abstayning from the infeccion of synne through godly conuersacion beginne the immortal lyfe to come This chaunge shal not be made by lytle lytle as we see natural thinges chaunged but in a minute twynkling of an iye at the sounde of the laste troumpe For the troumpe shall blow at the voyce wherof suche as then are dead shall ryse immortall And we whiche shall at that day be found alyue beyng sodaynly chaunged shall lyue after an other sorte that is to say as they doe which are rysen again For necessary it is that before we perfitly possesse the kingdom of heauen we vtterly put of al earthlynes and that this our corruptible body be made incorruptible and this our mortal body become immortall When this is so than shal that verely be perfourmed which the Prophete O see foreseing sayth reioysing at the vtter destrucciō of death ▪ death is swalowed vp through victory Where is now death thy styng ▪ o hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the lawe which by occasion geuing prouoketh vs to sinne When the law is taken away the power of sinne is faynt and feble when sinne is taken awaye the power of death ceaseth by reason that the styng is taken awaye wherwith she is wounte to stryke vs. Vnable were we vtterly to fyght
not the grosse olde testament as the false Apostles teache it and standeth in the knowlege of the letter the administracion whereof was committed to Moses but the newe testamente whiche is heauenly and spirituall and standeth in affeccions of mynde and not in ceremonies The lawe and gospel haue both one maker but the ministerye â–ª of boothe is soondrye and of the two the apostles is of muche more excellencie For the letter committed vnto Moses by reasoÌ„ of certain rules lawes driueth men to death forasmuch as it by occasion both prouoketh to sin and also condeÌ„neth yâ— sinner to death whereas contrarie yâ— spirite whiche is geuen by preachyng the ghospel both forgeueth the offences of our former lyfe and to suche as haue deserued deathe offerethe lyfe Nowe and yf the fyrste lawe whyche beeyng grauen in stone wroughte deathe to the transgressour and gaue no grace was of such great maiestie and glorye that when Moses the seconde tyme broughte downe the tables the Hebrues coulde not beeholde his face by reason of the glorie and maiestie of that whiche was sure once yet to bee abolished why shoulde not muche rather the ministerye of the Gospell haue his honoure and maiestie whereby throughe faythe and the free gifte of the spirite euerlastyng saluacion is geuen Yf the lawe whiche coulde condemne and was not hable to saue hadde suche honoure certainelye muche more honoure desearueth the Gospel by preachyng whereof synne is not onely forgeuen â—ut also rihgteousnesse is geuen In whiche twoo thinges suche difference is there that if a manne more narowelye compare eche one of theym with other that whiche by it selfe is glorious wyll appeare but base beyng as it were darkened with the bryght and excellente glorie of the Gospel For if the lawe whiche was geuen but for a season and shoulde wythin a while after bee abrogate was among menne in suche honoure of muche more dignitie is the lawe of the Gospell whiche is bothe generallye geuen to all menne and shall neuer bee abolished For the newe testament whereby the olde is abrogate Christe hymselfe calleth an euerlasting testamente as I in my other epistle taught you Of whiche thyng wee beeyng moste certainlye perswaded and assured in oure â—eachynges vse no darke riddles but freelye and openlye sette furth the lyghte of the Gospell surelye beleuyng that bothe the glorye of this lawe is suche that it shoulde not bee hidden and ye of that â—ireyngthe and clearnesse of conscience that ye are hable to looke thereupon And therefore wee dooe not as it is read that Moses didde whiche when he broughte downe the seconde tables after that the fyrste were broken couered hys face with a vayle that the children of Israell shoulde not looke thereupon nor deaue thereto for euer synce that euen this was a proufe and significacion to them that the glorie of Moses lawe shoulde bee abolished whiche euen at that time when it was made was not verye glorious for in vayne is that thyng glorious whiche a manne canne not see In this figure was represented the grossenesse of that nacion whiche seeyng sawe not and hearyng hearde not insomuche that whiche was doone in Moses face the same was moste verelye done in theyr heartes whiche in them were blynded beeyng as it were ouercaste wyth the vayle of dulnesse Yea and in this daye the blyndenesse remayneth in that nacion stille so that when they reade the bookes of the lawe they vnderstande theym not and with stubberne myndes of a zeale towarde the lawe refuse hym at whose commyng the lawe selfe graunteth that she shall bee abolyshed Therefore when they in suche sorte reade the olde testament that they wyll not embrace the newe promysed therein holde they not faste Moses vayle nor see by faythe castyng of the same that thorowghe Christe all the darkenesse of the lawe is a brogate Stuâ—bernelye yet stycke they to theyr Moses when he is cumme to whome Moses bade them geue eare Hym reade they in theyr synagoges but they reade hym carnallye sekyng for nothyng but corporall thynges wheras the lawe if menne well loke thereupon is in deede spiritual â–ª Letted are thei doubtelesse euen vntyll this day wyth a vayle cast ouer theyr heartes which is remoued through fayth in the gospell But when the tyme shall come that they shall leaue theyr grosse myndes and receauyng the vniuersall fayth tourne vnto the Lorde then shall theyr vayle be taken away so that they shall see suche thynges as without the bryght eyes of fayth can not be seen â–ª Moses was grosse and carnall but the Lorde Iesus is a spirite not teachyng suche thynges as maye bee seene with oure bodyly iyes but thynges inuisible whiche are by fayth beleued Moses law because it with feare of punishemente kepte menne in ordre was a lawe of thraldome and the vayle also is a token of bondage But where the spirite of the Lorde Iesus is whiche secretelye moueth a manne withoute byddyng and compulsion to leadâ— a Godlye lyfe there is libertie No manne is compelled to beleue but he that beleueth as he shoulde of his own accorde auoydeth filthines and vncleanes of lyfe and foloweth al goodnesse dooyng more wyllinglye by the mocion of charitie than coulde euer begotten of the Iewes wyth feare of punishemente Blinde are they therefore that lacke the iyes of faythe when we throughe pure fayth without vayle beholde the glorye of the Lorde whose brightnes whiles we receyue as a glasse altered are we after a sorte into the same glorye plentifully powring vpon other that brightnes which we receyued of God And as then Moses face by that he talked with god shyned euen as glasse doothe layed againste the sonne so is oure soule euerye daye more and more secrâ—atelye enamoured encreasing from glory to glory by reason of the continual conuersacion of the spirite of God who inuisiblye nowe woorkethe in vs that whiche hereafter shal openlye bee accomplished The fourth Chapter The texte ¶ Therefore seeyng that we haue suche an office euen as God hath hadde mercye on vs wee goe not out of kynde but haue caste from vs the clokes of vnhonestie and walke not in craftines neyther handle we the woorde of God discreatefullye but open the trueth and reporte our selues to euerye mannes conscience in the sighte of GOD. If oure Gospell bee yet hydde it is hidde among them that are loste in whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them whiche beleue not leste the light of the gospell of the glorie of Christe whiche is the image of God shoulde shyne vnto them SYnce then god of his mercy would haue vs to bee ministers and preachers of suche a blisfull state geuyng vnto vs the authoritie of an apostle we execute not oure commission â—louthfullye but as we preache a veraye gloriouse matter so refuse we all clokes whiche are meete for dishonestie and not for glorye neyther leadyng oure lyfe craftely nor with deceitfulnes of woorldely learning corruptyng the woorde of god
of her selfe but of God with all heauenly graces and vertues and with the ornamentes of all perfeccion In this citie of the heauenly and eternall Ierusalem shall the lorde God in Christ dwell as it were with and among his people and deare beloued spowse and well garnyshed or floryshyng bryde with moste hyghe ioye and delyght and endles blisse and felycitie The texte And God shall wipe awaye all teares from their eyes And there shal be nomore death nether sorowe nether criyng nether shall there bee any more payne for the olde thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seate sayed beholde I make al thinges newe And he sayed vnto me Write for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is doen I am Alpha and Omega the beginninge and the ende I wyll geue to hym that is a thirst of the well of the water of lyfe free He that ouercommeth shal inherite all thinges and I wylbe his God and he shal be my sonne Howe and what this blisse shall be can no man expresse But what thynges shall not be there that doeth he declare First there shall be no teares For there shall no maner of aduersitie trouble or vexacion happen vnto any man There is also no maner of decaye nor weakenes neither of the body nor of the soule no maner of sycknes nor infirmitie of complexions no bodyly hurte nor affliccion no dreade nor feare of death no heuy nor greuous temptacioÌ„ no lacke of any thing no myschanuce no weeping nor waylyng nor payne smart nor impediment For in the state of blisse and saluacion is no thought nor sorowe to be taken for any of these thinges For the first and originall occasion of all these miseries the synne of Adam and Eue for whose sake the worlde was created is altogether past and vtterly ceased ended and finyshed together with death and the deuyll thorowe the rightuousnes of our sauiour Christ Thorowe the whiche rightuousnes all mankynde so many as are faithful is reconciled vnto God for euermore Thus hath Christ syttyng vpon the stoole of his kyngdom and glorye ordeyned all thinges newe This must be stedfastlye confessed and beleued of all faithfull christians as an infallyble trueth therfore it is gods commaundement that it shoulde be wrytten for an euerlasting remembraunce for an holsome doctrine and consolacion that all men should beleue the trueth and so beleuynge obteyne blisse and saluacion For this is the ende of all thinges the blisse and saluacion of mankynde in God whiche wyll declare and dystribute his glorye mercye and louynge kyndnes vnto them whiche he hath chosen from euerlasting vnto his honour and glorye whiche is the begynnynge and ende of all thinges that are euer were or euer shal be Vnto all them which in this vale of mysery dyd thirst after rightuousnes and after the glory of god vnto them wyll the grace and fauorable mercye of God gyue the liuing wel and fountayne of all goodnes and the eternal springynge floode of refreshment vnto saluacion and to perpetuall ioy and felicitie in God But these giftes and rewardes must be obteyned with muche labour and trauell yet not properly as desert or merite for suche great euerlastynge rewarde the hyghest goodnes and felicitie can not be purchased with any labour or trauell of man but it must be obteyned and enherited of and by the free grace and mercye of God Vnto them all whiche shall be thus eternally blessed shall Christ the spouse bryde grome of the churche be their Iesus and sauiour and also their God and theyr perfyte satisfaccion in suche maner and wyse that they shall be as his deare children and louyng sonnes and he Christ shall be their father brother God and their euerlastinge kyng and captayne The texte ¶ But the fearfull and vnbeleuynge and the abhominable and murdrers and whormongers and sorcerers and ydolatres and all lyars shal haue their parte in the lake whiche burneth with fyre and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Here foloweth now also the contrary part what Christ the iudge shall ordeine and make with them whiche in this worlde were fearfull and cruell vnto all godly humble and lowly men hiche haue hurte and noyed all men whiche neuer woulde credite nor beleue the holy gospell the holy scripture the euerlastinge worde of God whiche haue handled and dealte abhominably against al kynde and nature and against al loue whiche euen against their natural kynd of very set purpose haue bene murtherers and shedders of innocent bloude whiche haue defyled and stayned the naturall state ordeyned of God with fylthy vnchastnes And haue practised sorcery and witchcrafte contrarye to yâ— honour and lawe of god not without makinge some bande or couenanut with the wicked spirite the arche nemny of God whome they haue serued and obeyed his pleasure and commaundement in setting vp of chapels and altares in seruing honouring worshippinge praying vnto and callynge vpon false goddes vnder the name of sainctes whome they haue sought farre and nere to make their oblacions vnto them against whom the holy prophetes haue alwaies cried out against the false teachers false prophetes and false apostles Theirs and all other lyars and wicked doers part shall be in eternall damnacioÌ„ where nothing is but sorowe angwishe weping and waylyng heuines dystresse delpaite with euerlasting contempt and hatred of God All whiche is the seconde death vnto the whiche men doe come thorowe these forenamed synnes and blasphemies coÌ„mitted in the world without repentance or amendmeÌ„t For the first death is the corporall death of the bodye layed vpon all men of almightye God by reason of synne The texte ¶ And there came vnto me one of the seuen Angels whiche had yâ— seuen vyalles ful of the seuen laste plages and talked with me sayinge come hither I wyll shewe â—hee the bryde the lambes wyfe And he caried me awaie in the spirite to a great and an hye mountaine and he shewed me the great citie holy Ierusalem descending out of heauen from God hauinge the brightnes of God And her shynyng was like vnto a stone most precious euen lyke a Iasper clere as Christ all and had walles great and hye and had twelue gates and at the gates twelue Angels and names wrytten whiche are the names of the twelue tribes of Israel on the East parte thre gates and on the Northsyde thre gates and towardes the Southe thre gates and from the west thre gates and the wall of the citie had twelue foundacions and in them the twelue names of the lambes .xii. apostles Christ is the angell of the great councell whiche thorowe his angels that serue him worketh and bringeth to passe the ordinances of God with punyshmentes and plages of the wicked and vnfaithfull whiche doe hynder and let his ordinances The rewarde dothe he pay him selfe For he him selfe is the rewarde and the crowne of the blessed This Christ our lorde and sauiour talketh here with Iohn his beloued and of a
to god agaynste Israel saying Lorde they haue kylled thy prophetes and haue digged downe thyne alters and I am lefte alone and they seeke my lyfe But what sayth the aunswer of god vnto hym I haue reserued vnto my self seuen thousand men which haue not bowed their knees to the image of Baal Euen so also at this tyme is there a remnaunt left accordyng to the eleccion of grace Yf it be of grace then is it not nowe of workes For then grace is no more grace But yf it be of workes then is it nowe no grace For then were deseruing no deseruing What then Israel hath not obtayned it whiche he seeketh but the eleccion hath obtayned it The rēnaunte are blynded accordyng as it is written God hath gyuē them the spirite of vnquietnes iyes that they should not see and eates that they should not heare euen vnto this daye And Dauid saithe Let their table be made a snare to take them with all and an occasion to fall and a rewarde vnto them let theyr iyes be blynded that they see not bowe thou downe theyr backe alwaye BVt to what ende drawe all these my wordes Be they to teache that the Gentiles whiche were before this tyme to god straungers are thoroughe fayth taken into goddes familie and that the people of the Iewes whiche was by god fyrste chosen oute is through vnbelief vtterly refused No not so for vnlykely is it that god hath nowe vtterly refused that nacion which he hath hitherto gentely gladly knowledged as his chosen people If god had throughly refused the whole nacion then should not my selfe by kinred an Israelite lineally descended of the stocke of Abraham and appertaynyng to the tribe of Beniamin at this tyme preache Christe So ferre are we from this that god hath refused vs that euen when I for zeale of the law persued good people then god called me furth to preache his gospel At lestwyse that ye forget not whiche is red in the thirde booke of the kynges where the prophete Helias speaketh vnto god complayning vpō and blamyng the Iewes wickednes sayinge Lorde they haue kylled thy prophetes and ouerthrowen thyne aulters I am left alone and they seke for my lyfe After whiche vnmercifull crueltie it myghte seme that god would vtterly haue caste of his people as desperate and paste all amendmente But what was by god aunswered to Helias I haue reserued vnto my self seuen thousande men whiche haue not bowed theyr knees vnto y◠ydoll of Baal As then at that tyme god refused not al his people but of so many euyll left a certayne noumber to honour him after the same sorte happeneth it nowe For the whole people of the Iewes hath not god suffered to be estraunged from him no more then he hath suffered the reste besyde to peryshe in theyr synnes albeit of bothe people very fewe are they whiche do belieue in comparison of them that refuse so to do But yet of his goodnes hath god saued some neither because they were Iewes borne nor yet because they kepte Moses lawe but because he of manye hath chosen them furthe vpon whome his pleasure was to shewe his bountiful grace and mercye Nowe yf he so dyd of his owne bountiful mercy and not for theyr desertes let it not be imputed vnto theyr workes For that whiche is gyuen a man for his labor is rather as hyrewages than a free gyfte But that whiche is gyuen to suche as deserue not that and none els is a free gift Yf the desertes of workes be once accoumpted then is a benefite no lenger a benefite but should muche more be called a rewarde What happened then Surelye this happened that the same whiche the people of Israel vpon confidence of the lawe intended to obtayne for lacke of belief they went there without so that suche onlye obteined as were of goddes eleccion and not they whiche belonged to the circumcised stocke To suche as were not chosen by god neither circumcisiō nor kepyng of the lawe auayled but they were with malyce so far furth blinded that vpon syghte of so many miracles they gaue no credence leyng with theyr bodely iyes Christ whome they had so long loked for yet with the iyes of theyr harte seyng hym not at al. And that we now see done and are for the same sorye the prophet Esai long before prophecied should be Because they refused the holy and humble spirite of Christ therfore hath god gyuen them the spirite of vnquietnes bothe roughe boysteouse and vnrulye so that the wonders they behelde with theyr iyes they deny styl as thoughe they sawe them not and that they heare with theyr eares no more moueth them than yf they hearde them not Suche were they in tyme paste to the prophetes suche were they to Christe hymselfe suche are they vntil this daye towarde the preachers of the gospell This also Dauid replenished with the spirite of prophecie sawe long before and for theyr great stubbernes in this behalfe agaynst the wyll of god prophecieth destruccion mete for suche frowarde people Let theyr table sayeth he become a snare to take them withal and an occasion to fall and into punishment dewe for suche dedes let theyr iyes be so blynded that they see not and alwaye bowe downe theyr backes because they woulde not pleasauntly vse that whiche was layd before them and refused suche thynges as they presently sawe and hearde and were without al godly regarde to loke vp to heauē warde and knowledge toward thē their makers benefite but gyuyng themself wholly to the grosse meaning of the lawe disdayne heauenly doctrine and in regarde of thynges transitory despisen that which is euerlasting The Iewes cary about in their handes the bokes of Moses and vnderstande them not they reade the prophecies and denie that in them is promised But wherto maketh this some man will saye they are blyndfolded they are snared they be bowed downe and become deafe The texte ¶ I saye then haue they therfore stumbled that they should vtterly fall awaye together God forbyd but through theyr fall is saluacion happened vnto the Gentiles for to prouoke them withall Wherfore yf the fall of them be the riches of the worlde and the minishyng of them the riches of the Gentiles howe muche more theyr perfitenes I speake to you Gentiles in asmuche as I am the apostle of y◠Gētiles I wyl magnifie myne office yf by any meanes I maye prouoke them whiche are my fleshe might saue some of them For yf the casting away of them be the recōcilyng of the world what shall the receiuyng of them be but lyfe agayne from death For yf one piece be holy the hole heape is holye And yf the roote be holy the braunches shal be holy also Are they so fallen from god that all hope of rysyng agayne is passed No not so But rather this fall of theyrs chaunced but for a tyme and for you whiche are Gentiles it luckelye
shoulde haue been made of none effecte For the preachyng of the crosse is to them that peryshe folysnnesse but vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God For it is wrytten I wyll destroy the wysedome of the wyse and wyll cast awaye the vnderstandyng of the prudente Where is the wyse Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this worlde Hathe not God made the wysedome of this worlde folyshnesse And it is not to be doubted synce he of his free mercy hath called you vnto him and made you ioynte inheritoures with his onely sonne our Lord Iesus Christe but that he will also fauour you labouring to continew in this godly state that ye fall not frō that honourable inheritaunce wherof ye haue already receiued an earnest peny Hitherto haue I spokē of suche thinges in you for which in your behalfe I doe greatly reioyce wherin I would wishe ye should continew and goe forwarde alwaies as ye haue begūne Nowe harken what I mysselike in some of you what I would were amended and wherein my desyre is ye should be vnlyke your selfes I nede not to teache you what becommeth your profession ye knowe it your selfes sufficiently But onely I beseche you my moste dearly beloued brethrē for our Lord Iesus Christes names sake a name moste to be reuerenced and had in honoure of suche as haue once professed it that there be among you no diuision nor shamefull dissencion but that ye agree in hearte and woorde and through concorde becomeas one perfite bodye whose partes are steadfastly and fast knyt together Worldly wysedome by reason of sectes and dyuerse opinions is into soondrye partes deuided by reason whereof also perpetuall stryfe and contencion is among theyr scholers and folowers mayntayned But Christian wisedome should among al men haue like rules and determinacions of which as there is but one author and maister so fauoureth he not suche small by pathes of carnal sectes and mens opiniōs Mete is it therfore that as the professours of this Philosophie and learning be al of one consent and agrement in mindes so they abstayne also from suche woordes as soūde towardes stryfe and debate To be at an inwarde debate is wicked and vngodly to fyght and braule with woordes is agaynste honestie And leste peraduenture ye might thinke that I haue of this my saying but a vayne suspicion I assure you they were brought vnto me by suche godly and perfite lyuers as are well worthy to be beleued Ye knowe Chloe that notable and godly woman ye knowe her housholde and acquayntaunce whiche are all of thesame trade of lyfe as Chloe theyr ayder is knowen to be By them whiche bothe zeale your welth and in my necessities helpe me heard I that there is stryfe and contencion among you as though ye were a sedicion sorte of people quarellyng among them selfes What other thyng els I pray you meane these woordes whiche are comenly spoken among you whiles as for an example one sayeth I holde of Paul another agayne I holde of Apollo an other sayeth I holde of Cephas an other I holde of Christe What saye you are not these names of sedicions and sectes After lyke sorte such as professe the vayne wisedome of this worlde one boasteth Pithagoras an other Plato one boasteth Aristotle an other Zeno one boasteth Epicurus an other this maister and that maister and euery one of these eche for his owne maister is with other at continuall variaunce We haue but one maister one learnyng one ordinaunce but one purpose and intente and whence come then these diuersities of names Is Christe deuided or from hym selfe disagreyng Why parte and deale we the honoure of our religion whiche is onely dewe to one among menne in so doyng makyng of seruauntes maisters Who gaue you grace to lyue cyghteously Dyd not Christe whiche with his owne bloude washed you Why then forge ye to your selfes any other name than his whose benefite and free gifre this is Geue me leaue so to speake for example was Paul crucified for you Yf all menne and euery manne equally are for this benefite only bounde to Christe synce he generally dyed for all why seke you for the titles and surnames of diuerse menne inmaner geuyng that to them for whiche Christe onely should haue thankes Through baptisme we are planted in Christe and in his name are we baptized from whom all the power of baptisme springeth Why should ye rather than call your selfes Paules scholers than Christes synce ye wer baptized not in Paules name but in Christes Yf vpon such occasion the glory dew to God be taken from him and geuen to menne then thanke I God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Caius whiche I trowe glory nothyng therof but knowledge me as a minister and Christe the chiefe doer It might haue chaunced yf I hadde baptized many that there would haue been some that would haue called themselfes in stede of Christes disciples Paules disciples But no we cometh it to my mynde that I baptized also Stephanas householde as for other that I baptized I remembre none At my being there my mynde more ranne vpon suche thinges whiche more aduaunced christianitie That whiche in baptisme is doen by man is the leaste parte of baptisme The vsuall and accustomed woordes euery man maye pronounce And an easye thyng is it and without ieopardie at all to dyp him in water that is bothe readie and willyng thereto but the very office of an Apostle is by the effectual preaching of Gods woorde to bring a man from his long accustomed lyfe from the lawes and ordinaunces of his countrey to a newe and quite contrarie religion and not to stycke this wyse to doe though he thereby stande in ieopardie of deathe Hereof myght we more lawfully glorye yf we myght chalenge in suche enterprises any thyng as our owne Nor yet speake I this to disalowe baptisme but to preferre that whiche is better and that whereunto I am specially assigned Christe neuer assigned me to this embassie among the Gentiles to be only the minister of baptisme but to setfurth and to publishe by my preaching the glory of his name and to wynne as many as I coulde by the gospell vnto hym Nor yet for so doyng haue I any cause carnally to glorie For God woulde not haue this feate done eyther by the conueyaunce of mannes witte or eloquence wherewith no suche woonder coulde be wrought but would haue this greate enterprise brought to passe by a rude simple and playne preachyng to the entente that all the prayse of this acte should be geuen to God only whom it pleased by the vyle lowe and reprochefull crosse of Christe and preachyng therof to renewe all the worlde Christes crosse semeth to be a lowe try flyng matter but yet such a vyle tryfle is it that it subdueth all the gloriouse maiestie and pompe of this worlde The rnde and wearysh preaching by which we declare to all the
so lowe a foundacion We beyng there were hungerbaned and famyshed and among you so poore and nedye that to gette our dayly lyuyng fayne were we to sowe lether we byle and cruelly vexed syncerely and without corrupcion preached Christ vnto you and are ye now come to this to despise vs by other Apostles councell to be so fyerce through full fedyng and by reason of your ryches so puffed vppe with pryde so wranglyng and sediciouse by reason of your dominion and kyngdome Haue ye taken possession of so great ryches for your selfe and thrust vs out of doore that haue sustayned the greatest brunte of this matter Whether ye haue obtayned any great thing or not iudge your selfes Certaynly I would wishe ye had obtayned such a kingdome as were semely for Christe Then would we thrust our selfes into some one parte or other therof to raygne with you because we layed the foundacion For I cannot be brought in minde to thinke that ye would be so vnmanerly as to thrust such out of the company of your welthy state as vnto you were begynners of thesame vnlesse we be vtterly borne to this misery to haue no rewarde at all but despite famine infamie emprisonmente strypes and to be in ieopardie of our life when other menne with theyr false learning gette them selfes so great a renoume Yf an Apostles office should be recompensed with worldly rewardes I thinke we ought of ryght to haue the beste whiche firste of all with so great ieopardyes haue graffed Christe in you The texte For me thinketh that God hath set forth vs which are Apostles for the lowest of all â–ª as it were menne appoynted to death For we are a gasyng stocke vnto the worlde and to thâ— Angels and to men We are fooles for Christes sake but ye are wise through â–ª Christe We are weaâ—e but ye are strong Ye are honorable but we are despysed Euen vnto this time we honger and thryst are naked and are buffeâ—ed with fystes and haue no certayne dwellyng place and labour working with our owne handes We are reuiled and yet we blesse We are persecuted suffre it We are euill spoken of and we praie We are made as it were the filthines of the world the ofscowring of al thinges euen vnto this daie Yf such lawfully raigne emong you as haue builded vpon the good foundacion we layed but meane thynges then thynke we our selues onelye miserable by the wrath of god Theyr ryches and fame of wysedome hathe broughte them in authoritye and to beare a rule among you but vs as it seameth hath Christe called loweste of all to the apostles office to bee punished and to suffre deathes as they doe whiche for theyr mischeuouse deedes are caste vnto wylde beastes to be an exaumple to the people What courte of iudgemente is there whyther we haue not been draweÌ„ what prison is there that knoweth not our trouble What commen place is there wherein we haue not been openly mocked so that we were not onely a gazyng stocke to the worlde whiche defyeth Christe nor onely to men that are worldly wyse but also to the deuils themselfes whiche are with our troubles delighted O the chaunge of thynges tourned vpsidown and contrarye We are foles for Christes sake despysed because we preached yâ— he humbled hymselfe and was fastened to the crosse ye as wyse men vpon coÌ„fidence in Christ do proudely auaunce your selfes We lyke weake and feble for Christes glorye humbled our selfes ye lyke strong are proude and insolente Despised wer we and rascalles ye are noble and honourable We haue no profyte but our payne and trauayle but al the profite is yours For what reward haue we I praye you for so manye daungers and troubles So farre haue we bene vntill this daye from bearyng any great rule as some dooe that coumpt themselfes for chiefe Apostles that we oftetymes lacke meate oftetymes drynke oftetymes clothyng muche lesse gote we by the ghospell any greate ryches Yea and are oftetymes buffited so far were we from obteynyng honour and that whiche is a playne proufe of extreme nede we wander abrode hauing none appoynted dwellyng place nor house of oure owne wherein to suffre and endure our pouertye with somewhat lesse griefe because it is not seen So far from poulyng and pillyng any manne that we gotte our lyuyng with our own handes We seke not for worldelye prayse but rather suche as reuyle vs we blysse and for vnlanyes and reproche oftetymes done vnto vs we on oure side geue prayses So far are we from oppressing that we without complaint suffer cruel persecucion What nede many wordes Other emong you are in great renoume but we for your sakes haue been coumpted hytherto as outcastes of this world moste vyle and leaste set by Yf I as some men doe woulde caste in your teeth my trauayles my ieopardies and labours should I not haue a very good cause to quarell with you The texte I wryte not these thynges to shame you but as my beloued sonnes I warne you For thoughe ye haue ten thousand instructours in Christ yet haue ye not many fathers In Christ Iesu I haue begotten you thorow the Gospel Wherfore I desire you to folow me as I folowe Christ For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timotheus whiche is my dere sonne and faythfull in the Lorde whiche shall put you in remembraunce of my waies yâ— I haue in Christ euen as I teache euery where in all congregacions Some swell as though I woulde come nomore at you But I wyll come to you shortly if God wyll and wyll knowe not the wordes of them whiche swell but the power for the kingdome of God is not in wordes but in power What wyll ye Shall I come vnto you with a rodde or els in loue in the spyrite of softnesse I write not this nowe as one that for youre vnkyndnes hateth you to make you ashamed but rather as a most louyng father warne you as my most dearly beloued children for your owne profite and not for myne For yf by my onely hurte your matters shoulde well goe forwarde I would not passe vpon myne owne losse but would reioyce in you for whose profite I would not sticke to dye But nowe syth I perceiue that ye through your new Apostles become woorse godlye loue compelleth me to warne you of the ieopardie which I coumpte as mine owne Ye Corinthians maie not despise this good will of myne which is very fatherly without any fayning A great difference is there betwene a scholemaister and a father for he for the tyme is cruell to the vnhurtefull age and doth his duety if he doe it at all either for rewardes sake or for feare of eiuill but a father prouoked thorough a naturall loue prouideth for the profite of his childreÌ„ though he ther by beare losses and damage Though ye chaunce to haue yea ten thousande scholemaisters surely ye shall fynde but fewe of them to be fathers And whye shoulde I not
are inspired with the holy gost are not theyr owne men no more then we see rauished men to be But thinke it muche otherwyse in madde men than in suche as haue receyued the spirite of Christe whiche in suche sorte rauysheth the minde that a man is nethlesse his owne man whether the matter require a man to speake or to holde his peace Sober is this inspiracion and nothing els but an enforcemente of a mannes godly mynde to suche thinges as make to Gods glory This spirite should so muche the more serue vnto the common quietnes and so muche be further from contencion because thesame commeth of God whiche is the author of peace and not of confusion and sedicion And synce this is in all congregacions of christian men obserued and kept mete is it also that it be kept in your metynges yf ye wyll haue men to thinke them good leste ye be thought to swarue from other in customes from whom ye dissente not in religion And for this cause lette your wemen in solemne assemblyes holde theyr peace leste yf as that kynde is to muche geuen to babling there aryse an vncomly confusion For wemen are not authorized to preache abrode as chiefe doers of matters but commaunded to be obedient vnto theyr husbandes For in Genesis this speaketh God vnto the woman thou shalt attend vpon thy husbandes will and he shall beare rule ouer the. Let wemen knowledge this lawe not only by coueryng theyr heades but also with silence wherwith womanhead is moste commended Some wyll saye doest thou so farfurth forbid women to speake that thou wylt not suffer them for theyr learnyng to aske a question Vtterly I forbid them in open places to speake but yf there be any thing which they vnderstand not sufficiently and are desyrouse to knowe it let them aske of theyr hushusbandes at home So shall they neyther be defrauded of teaching nor doe any thing vnsemely For surely an vnsemely syght is it to see a woman speake in the chrstian congregacion namely synce so to doe is coumpted a foule thing euen among the paynims What meaneth this ye CorinthiaÌ„s that ye should be greued to kepe that custome whiche is of al other kept The texte Sprong the woorde of God from you Either came it vnto you only If any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophete either spirituall let him knowe what thynges I wryte vnto you For they are the commaundementes of the Lorde But and if any man be ignoraunt let him be ignoraunt Wherfore brethren couete to prophecye and forbydde not to speake with tonges Let all thynges be doen honestly and in order among you Came the gospell fyrste from you that other muste be compelled to kepe your customes or is the gospell come only to you Yf ye neither be the fyrste that receaued the gospel nor the onely menne that professe it why disdayne ye to frame your selfes after the customes of other And yf anye among you be a prophete or seme otherwyse indued with spiritual gyftes let hym be assured that suche thynges as I wryte vnto you are no commaundementes of myne but the Lordes But yf any manne through contencion so vse hym selfe as though he were ignoraunte despising these thinges as though they were but mannes rules let suche one at his owne peryll be ignoraunt surely god wyll lykewyse be ignoraunt of hym and refuse hym I wyll not striue with you in this matier but thinke this sufficient for my parte that I haue giueÌ„ you warnyng To finishe therfore this matier labour brethren to haue the gyfte of prophecie being a gyfte of muche more excellency but so that in the meane season such be not restrayned to speake with tounges which haue no gyfte els so that all thynges bee done comly and in an order as I haue tolde you leste by the contrary any dishonesty or trouble chaunce The .xv. Chapter The texte Brethren as pertaynyng to the Gospell which I preached vnto you which ye haue also accepted and in the which ye contynue by the which also ye are saued I do â—ou to wyt after what maner I preached vnto you yf ye kepe it except ye haue beleued in vayne BVt now because I heare say brethren that some of you doubte of the rysynge agayne of the deade of suche I meane as through a pride in worldly knowledge styll remaynyng in them cannot yet herein bee persuaded touchyng this article I neede to teache you no newe thynge but onely call to your remembraunce the gospell whiche I fyrste taught you and which ye once receaued wherein hetherto ye continewe and by meane wherof ye obtayne saluacion insomuche that it is bothe for me superfluous to teache you thesame agayne whiche I once wel taught you for you also lytle honestie inconstantly to fal backe from that whiche ye once fauoured speaciallye synce ye haue experience that my preaching of the gospel is a doctrine effectuall to saluacion Now is this poynte to beleue the resurrection of the dead the chiefeste parte of the doctrine of the gospell Wherein ye ought so to be assured that ye therof doubte not onles ye haue gyuen credence thereto in vayne as god forbid ye shoulde For what auayled it to fauer and embrace the gospell yf ye denie the principall parte of thesame that is to wete that the deade shall lyue agayne The texte For fyrst of al I delyuered vnto you that which I receaued how that Christ died for our synnes agreing to the scriptures And that he was buried that he arose againe the thyrd day according to the scriptures that he was sene of Cephas theÌ„ of the twelue Aftâ—r that was he sene of mo then fyue hundred brethren at once of which many remayne vnto this day many are fallen aslepe After that appeared he to Iames then to al the Apostles Me thinketh ye should chiefly remember that thing which I fyrst taught you by mouth and nowe reherse vnto you the same by wrytinge being such also as ye once receaued which is that the Lorde Iesus Christe dyed and by hys deathe deliuered vs from synne makyng a mendes for our offences as the scriptures many hundred yeares before sayed shoulde bee that he should lyke a lambe bee led to the slaughter that through hys strypes he might heale our synnes and by his death vpoÌ„ the crosse raigne and suppresse the tyranny of the deuill Besyde thys ye muste also beleue that he not only verely dyed for you but was also buried and the thyrd daye rose agayne which also was long before prophecied in the darke sayinges of prophetes to th entent ye should the better beleue when that is done in dede whiche god by holy men promised should be For this speaketh O see after two dayes and the thyrd day will we ryse againe and lyue in the syght of hym Againe Dauid thys wyse speaketh thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell And because ye should more stedfastly beleue besyde thys I
taught you also howe after that he was rysen agayne he shewed hym selfe playnly and euedentlye to many fyrst to Cephas then to the twelue after that was he sene of more than fyue hundred brethren gathered al together And lest any might doubt of the trewth of this history of all thys noumber many are alyue euen vntyll thys daye and some are dede After this was be sene of Iames whiche was called brother of the Lord and was fyrste byshope of Hierusalem Then was he sene of all the disciples not only of the twelue whiche were fyrste called apostles whiche name was after deriued into many The texte And laste of all he was seue of me as of one that was borne out of due tyme. For I am the leaste of the Apostles which am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the congregacion of God But by the grace of God I am that I am And hys grace whiche is in me was not in vayne but I laboured more abundauntly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me Therfore whither it were I or they so we preache and so haue ye beleued And last of al was he sene of me as of an vnseasonable borne apostle which after the full tyme was at the laste lyke an vnperfite chyld rather caste than wel borne I complaine not because I laste sawe the Lord but coumpte it a greate matter that I deserued to se hym For I am the leaste of the apostles and vnworthie to be called an apostle because I persecuted the churche of god whome the apostles stablysh Vnworthy therfore was I euen asmuche as at laste to be chosen into the felowshype of thapostles but the fre goodnes of god vouchsaued to gyue me this honoure notwithstandyng I deserued it not so that whatsoeuer I am al is of hys goodnes and not of my deseruynge And I suffered not hys grace in me to be either idle or baraine For albeit in order of time I be laste yet in preaching of the gospel am I not behynde thē but haue laboured more than any other of the apostles which I saye leste for thys any myght lesse esteme myne authoritie because I was laste chosen to bee an apostle Howebeit this labor of myne I vouche not as myne but gyue al to goddes goodnes by whose helpe all was wrought To retourne therfore to the matier whether in preachyng the gospell theyr authoritie bee more or myne it lytle forceth sure is it that we with one assent preache one thinge and that whiche we with one assente preached that beleued ye as a sure and an vndoubted doctrine We alwaye teache one thinge this remayneth that ye lykewyse continewe in one beliefe not nowe doubting agayne of that wherupon ye were once agreed The texte If Christ be preached how that he rose from the dead how saye some among you that there is no resurreccion of the dead If there be no rysing agayne of the dead thē is Christ not rysen agayne If Christ be not ryse agayne then is our preachyng in vaine and your fayth is also in vayne ye and we are founde false witnesses of God For we haue testifyed of God howe that he raysed vp Christ whom he raysed not vp yf it bee so that the deade ryse not agayne For yf the deade ryse not a gayne then is Christ not rysen agayne If it be so that Christe rose not agayne then is your fayth in vayne and ye are yet in your synnes Therfore they which are fallen aslepe in Christ are perysshed It in this lyfe onely we beleue on Chryste then are we of all men most miserable But nowe is Christe rysen from the dead and become the fyrst frutes of them that slept For by a mā came death and by a man came the resurreccion of the dead For as by Adam all dye euen so by Chryst shall all bee made alyue but euery manne in his owne order The firste is Christe then they that are Christes at hys commynge Then cometh the ende when he hath delyuered vp the kyngdome to God the father when he hath put downe all rule and all auctoryte and power Yf by all the apostles wytnesses it hath been and is styll preached that Christe the prince and author of resurreccion is rysen agayne from deathe what malapertnes is it that among you some saye that there is no resurreccion of the deade For yf there be none then foloweth it that not so muche as Christ hym selfe is rysen agayne For to what purpose is it that oure heade and capitayne shoulde ryse but to go before and prepare the resurrection of vs his members openyng the way to vs all And yf Christ be not rysen certaynly vayne is our preaching vayne is also your belefe and truste And yf we be certaynly perswaded that Christe is rysen agayne aswell perswaded and beleue must we that we shall ryse agayne for whose restoring to lyfe he rose Yf we ryse not this foloweth that bothe you and I haue not only loste our labors I in preachyng ye in beleuyng but are also founde wrongful agaynst god of whome we falsly reported that he raysed Christe from death whome he raysed not as he in dede raysed him not yf other dead menne ryse not againe For either muste ye beleue bothe or deny bothe because that of the heade and members there is but one resurreccion Yf the deade ryse not for whose sake Christe rose then Christe hymselfe rose not And yf Christe rose not vayne was your belefe that he is rysen and in vayne beleued ye that through a truste and confidence in him ye were made free from synne Wherupon it also foloweth that ye are styll subiecte to your former synnes nor hath baptisme wherby we in the meane season through Christ spiritually ryse agayne from syn wrought anythyng in vs. They also whiche haue dyed with this truste and with this hope haue paciently suffered cruel martyrdome and death are vtterly goen for euer yf there be no hope of resurreccion And yf all oure hope conceaued of Christe reache no further than for the terme of this present lyfe we be not onely wretched people but also more miserable than they whiche to Christ are straungers For they yet haue after a sorte the pleasures of this present lyfe wheras we are both here in trouble for Christes name and shall after this lyfe haue no rewarde yf we ryse not body and soule agayne But god forbyd that any manne to his owne destruccion haue any suche fonde belefe But rather yf ye beleue that Christ is rysen agayne as euery godly manne dothe therof foloweth necessaryly that we shall also ryse againe For in hym began resurreccion whiche shall in vs bee made perfyte and as he takyng agayne his bodye vpon hym rose from deathe so shal we bothe bodye and soule ryse agayne leste otherwyse the heade myght bee deuyded from his members He as prince and capitayne fyrste rose agayne as the
vs the preachyng of the attonement Now then are we messengers in the rowme of Christe euen as thoughe God dyd beseche you thorowe vs So praye we you in Christes stede that ye be reconcyled vnto God for he made hym to bee synne for vs whiche knewe no synne that we by hys meanes shoulde bee that rightewesnes which before God is alowed And therfore what tempestes soeuer befall vs alwayes are we of good there knowing that as longe as we are at home in thys bodylye mansion we straye abrode and are deuided from god to whome by departure out of it we are more nyghly ioyned not meanyng so that god is not for thys presente tyme with vs but that he is not yet so clearly sene as he shall bee then For albeit in the meane season he bee after a sorte seene by faythe yet is it as it were a farre of whiche shall then presently bee seene euen as he is end not obscurely And therfore yf the pleasure of god bee that we in this body shall yet suffer more afflictions in good hope stande we that we shal easyly suffer them in hope of the rewarde to come and yet is thys of vs muche more to bee desyred to departe I saye out of thys bodylye mansion that after suche departure we may be more nyghly ioyned to god Therfore whether we bee compelled to continewe in thys house orels as we muche more desyre to departe hence that is to saye whether we lyue or dye all our endeuoure is to bee allowed of god For vnles a manne departe hence in goddes fauer let hym not loke for the rewarde of immortall lyfe whiche poynte I gyue you warnyng of leste any thinke baptisme a meane sufficent therunto without godly lyuyng As for wycked synners to theyr damnacion they receaue agayne bodyes whiche they here abused in theyr owne synfull lustes and not to the glory of god And as euery mans deseartes haue been for this lyfe suche shall his rewarde be what euery manns deseartes are is a thyng as yet vnkowen but yet must al we in open syght of the worlde appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe where nothyng shal be hydden but euery man shal reape as he hath sowed in hys body and when body and soule are ioyned together enioy suche reward as his workes were whyles he here liued whether they were good or badde We therfore hauing alway that terrible daye before our iyes diligently laboure in all poyntes to please both God man For albeit we deceiue men with some counterfaite kynd of holynes yet doth God throughly knowe vs as which seeth euen the very bottome of our heartes whiche thyng no man can do Howbeit my trust is that I haue in such sort vsed my selfe amoÌ„g you that ye throughly knowe and perceaue the synceritie of my lyfe for with this glorye are we contented For we auaunce not our office agayne eyther because we would of you be more made of or because we seke for any aduauÌ„tage at your handes but forasmuch as I perceiue that some make greate boste for that they were assigned vnto theyr office by chiefe Apostles we geue you occasion to glory lykewyse of vs agaynste them whiche for this respect lytle set by you because ye haue but an abiect and a vile one to your Apostle which albeit sawe not the Lorde in his mortall bodye as other Apostles dyd yet sawe I hym immortall and of hym receiued myne Apostleshyp as other dyd and haue by hys helpe done no lesse than other haue This rehearse I for your sakes because ye shoulde haue some thing wherwith to aunswere them which being not contented with the prayse of their owne conscience for their good dedes with high proude lookes seke for worldly commendacion wheras their consieÌ„ces do inwardly coÌ„demnetheÌ„ Nothing speake we for our own sakes but whether we speake of our great actes and therby seame to be peuishe peuishe are we to godwarde to whose glory we rehearse such thinges as we by his helpe did or yf we kepe a measure in speakyng of our selfes therby seme wise to you are we wise to whose weaknes we teÌ„per our tale We make not our selfes equal with other Apostles by boastyng but the loue of Christ constrayneth vs openly to speake that thing which appertayneth to his glory For to his praise maketh it not to ours if there were by vs through his gyft any thing notable done that all people should the better knowe howe his death was not vnfruitfull forasmuch as it doth indifferentlye profite al people so farfurth that euen by vs whom thei despise it sheweth his power and not by them only which sawe Christ in his manhode nor by such only as haue carnal allyaunce with him But rather this wise reason we the matter with our selfe yf Christe alone indifferently dyed for al than foloweth it that generally all such people were before thrall and subiecte to death as his pleasure was by his death to redeame from death And because he woulde haue all men indifferentlye bounde vnto hym therfore dyed he for all that suche as by hys benefite lyue beyng through hym newe borne agayn shoulde no longer lyue to themselfes but to hym whiche boeth dyed and rose agayne for them By this should men be estemed and not by carnall affinitie Yea and albeit we maye glory our selfes of the stocke of Iewes yet synce that tyme we professed Christes religion we knowe no man because he is one of our stocke but coumpte suche of our kynred as are by lyke fayth ioyned vnto vs. A vayne crake is it therfore whiche some make that they be Christes owne countrey men or els because they are his kynsmen and lyued familiarly with him his fleshe was geuen but for a season presently but now synce that his body is taken awaye and his holy spirite sent his wil and pleasure is to be knowen after the spirite and coumpteth hym nyghest of his kynne whiche hath in his promisses moste affiaunce Nor let any man for this cause lesse esteme vs which are later Apostles because we knew not Christe lyuing here in earth in his mortal body synce that yf we had so knoweÌ„ hym in dede now yet would we haue forgone that knowledge as which hyndred the spirite and woulde nowe synce that he is become spirituall loue hym spiritually Whoso therfore is through baptisme graffed into Christ let hym forsake his olde phantasies nor thinke thys man is a Iewe that man is a Grecian this a bonde man and that is a fre man but remembre rather howe that euery man which is borne agayne to be a newe man is of a carnall man becomen a spirituall Olde thinges are paste and gone and beholde through Christ al thinges are so dayâ—ly made new Away therfore with these wordes this is a GreciaÌ„ this is an aliaunt this is a Iewe this is a worshypper of idoles this is a spoyler of holy places The man hath forsaken
the truth finally in the lawe bondage in the gospel libertie and that it was in the Galathians extreme folishnes after they had tasted of better thynges to fal to worse Whiche pointes saint Paule entreateth of in y◠fyrst the second the third and fourth chapiter then after that he hath very earnestly warned them that by receiuyng circumsicion they should not shamefully cast them selues into the bondage of the lawe he teacheth that christian libertie is not a libertie to do what a manne lust synnefully but a willyng and a ioyfull mynde to do well euen for loue and not because the lawe so cōmaundeth Finally he exhorteth the Galathians to christian concorde to helpe suche as are weake or fallen and to do for suche as haue taught vs christian fayth and that suche workes because they be workes of the spirite are with euerlasting glory rewarded whereas temporal ceremonies deserue but glory temporal incidently bringyng the false Apostles into displeasure and hatred as whiche for nothyng els labored to haue the Galathians circumcised but because they might therof glorye as bryngers to passe of suche an high arte Lyke diseases haue suche now a daies whiche fynde out newe straunge kindes of religions that it may be sayd suche a kynde of men made he All this epistle Paule as it semeth wrote with his owne hand to shewe how tenderly he loued the Galathians whereas in other epistles his maner is nomore but to subscribe The latine argumētes shew that it was written from the cytie of Ephesus but the greke titles reade that it was sent from Rome The paraphrase vpon the epistle of the Apostle sainct Paule to the Galathians by Des Erasmus of Roterodame The fyrst Chapiter The texte Paule an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and by God the father whiche raised him vp from death and all the brethren whiche are with me PAule an Apostle and an Apostle of no meane sorte whiche I say lest either some dispise me as one of lesse reputacion or with the power authoritie of other Apostles abate and suppresse myne For neither was I of any man putte in this commission and office as other some haue been whiche either beyng but disciples vnderlynges to the Apostles auaunce them selues as thoughe they were of the highest sorte or els by vnlawfull meanes procuryng mens fauor violently breake into the office of an Apostle Nor was putte in authoritie to preache the gospel by any excellent person but by Iesus Christ him selfe the sonne of God who not with any mannes eleccion or consent had commaunded me to be the preacher of the gospel but by his owne mouth what tyme he was becomen immortal euen from heauen called me foorth to do this busynes vndoubtedly by the decrees and authoritie of God the father who raised his sonne Iesus from death For he is not therfore to be supposed dead because he is of vs no lenger seen But rather if suche be worthyly taken for high Apostles whom Christ appointed beyng as yet among mortal men mortal then surely should I not be coumpted theyr inferior whom he at that tyme from heauen not as man but euen God called to be his Apostle and messenger For as I am in this point equal euen to the highest Apostles in that I was of the same Iesus Christ institute so this preeminence may I lawfully chalenge that Christ chose them what tyme he was to our bodily infirmities subiect but me called he a sonder to be his preacher what tyme he had put of all condicions of mannes weakenes The texte Vnto the congregacion of Galacia Grace be with you and peace from God the father and from our lorde Iesus Christ whiche gaue him selfe for our synnes to deliuer vs from this present euil worlde accordyng to the will of God our father to whom be praise for euer and euer Amen Paule therfore euen I an Apostle and suche an Apostle write this Epistle to as many of you as through the whole countrey of Galacia consent and agre in Christes doctrine and lest one mans authoritie be of to smale weight not onely I but also as many as are here of whom there is a great numbre whiche with me professe the name of Christ which forsakyng Moses lawe embrace the fayth doctrin of the gospel fyrst wishe you grace and than peace and concorde grace that vpon fre deliueraūce from your old lynnes ye may hereafter liue an innocente and a pure life concord that ye neither dissent frō other congregacions nor yet frō your selues whiche both giftes we muste looke to receiue neither of Moses nor of any other mortal man but of God the father from whō as from a welspring al our welth cōmeth of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ by whō it pleased God to geue vs all thinges whō we must both thanke for all the miseries that we haue escaped also for al the goodnes that we haue obtained vnto For Moses circumcision made no man innocent but Christ of his owne fre goodnes offred him self to death because he would for our synnes make amendes purposyng through the grace of the gospel to supply that which Moses law was not able to do that we through his onely benefite beyng deliuered from synne synfull myndes wherevnto the world is bound may neither be slauishely vnder vnclennes nor mans ceremonies For so hath it pleased God our father by whom beyng fyrst made when after through our foly we fell againe into the bondage of synne we were restored againe like men newe borne of yearthly becomen heauenly and of carnall made spiritual To him therfore of whom al our goodnes floweth honor and glory be geuen not transitory as Moses lawe had but suche as shal neuer haue an ende Amen The texte I meruaile that ye are so sone turned frō Christ whiche called you by grace vnto another gospel whiche is nothing els but that there be some whiche trouble you and intende to peruert the Gospel of Christ Wheras I lately preached this vnto you synce that ye once receiued the same I maruaile not a litle what hath chaūced that ye are fallen frō so good a father so sone fallen frō him which frely forgeuyng al your trespaces hath called prouoked you to euerlastyng saluacion not for your kepyng of the lawe but through the grace bounteous mercy and benefite of Iesus Christ that ye are sodenly fallen againe into the bondage of Moses lawe as it were into an other gospel when in dede beside that whiche we preached vnto you there is no other gospel at all Whence is this so great vnstablenes frō whence is this lightnes to chaunge suche fredome as is freely geuen vnto you with suche wylfull bondage As for your wittes I reproue not but thinke this fault rather to be layd to certain false Apostles whiche beyng rather the preachers of Moses than of Christ abuse your rudenes and trouble you with
al men that you are the veraye ryghte chyldren of God and no bastardes nor vnlawfull chyldren but perfitelye resemblyng youre heauenlye father in youre heauenlye conuersacyon and so ordre youre lyfe in the myddes of a frewarde cruell corrupte nation that youre syncere vpryghtenesse be not spotted in any condicion but rather let youre innocencie of lyfe so shyne amonge their darkenesse as it were certayne lyghtes of the world set before all mennes eyes For you are they of whome Christe speaketh in the ghospell sayeng you are the lyghte of the worlde whiche holde vp the lyuelye woorde of the ghospell that euery bodye maye see and expresse the doctryne of Christe euen in your conuersacion so as I am in assured trust that at the coÌ„ming of Christ I shall also reioyce in you for your constaunt perseuerynge that I haue not laboured in vayne nor runne vnprofitablye in this rase of the ghospel in that I haue wonne suche disciples vnto Christe And I doo not onely not repente my labours whereby I haue offred you as a moste acceptable sacrifice vnto God but also incase I my selfe chaunce to be offred vpon the oblacion and sacrifice of your fayth I shal be gladly contente bothe on youre behalfe and myne owne On youre behalfe in that I haue conuerted you vnto the gospel and offered you as a most acceptable sacrifice vnto Christe and on myne owne behalfe that hauing fynished suche a sacrifice I shall also be offered vp all together my selfe For lyke as I see well that myne afflictions chaunced vnto the furtheraunce of you euen so I knowe that my deathe shall chaunce to the furtheraunce of the ghospell And for this cause sake death shal be euen hartely welcome to me And yf it be conueniente that you shoulde be equall parteners of my ioye you oughte in no wise to be sorye for my death whiche shal bee so pleasauntly welcome to me The texte I trust in the lorde Iesus for to sende Timotheus shortely vnto you that I also maye be of good comforte when I know what case ye stand in For I haue no man that is so lyke minded to me which with so pure affection will care for your matters For al other seke their own and not the thinges which are Iesus Christes Ye know the profe of him how yâ— as a sonne with the father so hath he with me bestowed his setuice in the gospel â–ª Him therfore I hope to send assone as I know how it wil go with me I trust in yâ— lorde that I also my selfe shall come shortly Nowe ye perceyue in what behalfe you are bounden to be glad of my state but I trust throughe the grace of the Lorde Jesu to see you shortly by Tymotheus inasmuche as I can not come my selfe as yet Therefore I sende him euen as it were my selfe to the intent lyke as you are glad now you know what state I am in so I maye be as glad whan Timotheus commeth hither agayne to knowe what state you are in For I thought him chieflye the most mete man to sende vpon this message seyng there is neuer a one of all the rest that contenteth my mynde so wel as he in the ghospelles businesse bicause in applyinge youre necessaries he wyll be as willinglye diligent and faithful as I my selfe For you must vnderstande I haue iuste cause to regarde hym as myne owne sonne There be other whose ministerye I might better sparâ— than his but I woulde sende neuer a one but of throughly tried integritie For all the rest almost seke to be sent on suche messages not to doo so muche good vnto other as to prouide for their owne gayne rather than to wynne vnto Iesus Christe And you knowe that I haue alwayes abhorted suche purposed intentes I thynke it not necessarie that I shoulde prayse hym vnto you bicause you haue all ready seen his demeanour and can remembre afterwhat sorte he behaued him selfe wyth me in the ghospelles affaires and as a ryght sonne did represent me his father in all thynges Hym therefore I truste to sende as soone as I see to what â—nde my matters wyll growe And I truste for all thys by the grace of the Lorde that I my selfe shall also shortely come vnto you The texte But I supposed it necessarie to sende brother Epaphroditus vnto you my companyon in labour and felowe souldier youre Apostle whych also ministreth vnto me at nede For he longed after you all and was full of heuynesse because that ye had hearde saye that he had bene sicke And no doubte he was sicke in somuche that he was nye vnto death But god had mercye on hym and not on hym onelye but on me also leste I shoulde haue sorowe vpon sorowe I sente hym therefore the more dylygently that when ye see hym ye maye reioyce agayne and that I maye be the lesse sorowfull Receynt hym therefore in the Lorde wyth all gladnesse and make muche of suche because that for the worke of Christ he weute so farre that he was nye vnto deathe and regarded not his lyfe to fulfyll that which was lackyng on your part towarde me Furthermore I thoughte thys also veray requisite that Epaphroditus who is bothe my brother and companyon and felowe souldier and youre Apostle shoulde beare Tymotheus companye vnto you to the entente he myghte be commendablye welcome vnto you bothe for my sake and for youre owne who also broughte vnto me youre louyng charitie wherwith you are wonte to releue me at my nedes He was a good while a goe muche desyrous to come see you and was wonderfully afrayed lest it greued you to sore to heare tell that he was so perylouslye sycke It was true that you hearde saye for he was so sooze sycke that he was in ieoperdye of hys lyfe and vearye lyke to haue dyed But God restored hym agayne and had compassyon vpon hys seruaunte and not vpon him onelye but also vpon me that was in ieoperdye whan he was in ieoperdye leste vpon the sorowe that I conceaued by his sickenesse I should haue had double sorowe for the death of so faythfull a felowsouldyour And therfore I was the more diligent to sende hym vnto you specyally that you myghte be glad to see hym well amended agayne and peraduenture not beleue the tale as it was tolde you than that all my sorowe maye be wyped cleane oute of my mynde yf I perceaue you vnfeynedlye ioyous and glad of hys welfare Receyue hym therefore with a louynge Christian affection in all ioyfulnes and haue not hym in price onely but all them also that are lyke him For he whan you sente hym hyther was not onelye nothyng afrayed of Neroes crueltie whome he knewe to be muche greued at me but also for the ghospell of Christe he put him selfe in suche haserde that he was verye lyke to haue died preferrynge the doctrine of the ghospell before his owne healthe for this consideracion that bycause of his beyng awaye he thoughte he
speake As ofte as you denye any thinge denye it with youre whole hearte nether let any thynge elles bee in youre hearte than youre mouthe speaketh that there be no counterfaictynge in you seing you are disciples of the trueth And if there bee any manne sore afflicted amonge you let hym not flee to the remedies of thys worlde to rynges to inchauntmentes to baynes and other easementes of sorowe but let hym turne hym to prayer and lyfte vp hys mynde to God with most assured faithfull trust and he shall fâ—â—de present releaâ—se of his mournyng Agayne if a manne be well content in prosperitie let him not enhaunce him selfe folishely nor behaue hym selfe madlye but let him praise the liberall goodnesse of God in holy songes of thankes geuing Nowe if any manne be punnyshed with syckenes let hym not flee to the remedies of witchecrafte let hym not spende a great sight of money vpon phisicions whose curing is many tymes of suche sorte that it were better pacientlye to departe out of the world but let hym call vnto him the elders of the christian congregacion Let them make theyr prayers to God for the dyseased and annoynte him with oyle not hauyng any prayers of wytchecrafte as the heathen are wont to doe but callyng vpon the name of oure lorde Iesu Christe then the which there is no kinde of enchauntmente more effectuall And let the prayers be done in a trusty faithe and God shall heare and preserue the diseased And there shall not only healthe of bodye bee restored vnto hym if it be expedient for the diseased but also if he bee endaungered with synnes as diseases of bodye spryng for the moste parte of the sorowes of the mynde they shal be forgeuen hym at the elders supplicacions so that the faith of them be commendable that doe praye and of hym for whome they dooe praye The texte Knowledge your fautes one to another and praye one for another yâ— ye may be healed For the feruent prayer of a ryghteous manne auayleth muche Helyas was a man mortall euen as we are and he prayed in hys prayer that it myght not rayne and it rayned not on the earthe by the space of tore yeares and sâ—â—e monethes And he praied againe and the heaueÌ„ gaue raâ—â—â— and the earth brought forth her frute Brethren if any of you do erre from the trueth and anoâ—her conueâ—â—e hym let the same knowe that he whiche conuerteth the synner from goâ—ng astraye out of his waye shal saue a soule from death and shall by de the multytude of synnes And forasmuche as the life of manne consisteth not without light and dayly offences it shal be conuenyentâ— to vse a dayly remedie that you maye bothe releue euery one other with your mutuall prayers and acknowlage euery one hys faulte to other And so shall the remedy be auayleable â–ª if thou acknowlage thy disease and desire helpe Supersticious folkes suppose a secret hydden efficacie to be in theyr enchauntmentes and prayers but in very dede the prayer of a righteous manne is muche worthe whiche through faithe obteyneth what so euer it desireth of God Vpon this condicyon Christe made couenaunt with vs that what so euer we shall aske in a faythfull trusty confidence we shoulde obteyne it onles it be suche a thynge as were beste not to be obteyned Would you fayne haue a doctrine of thys matter Helyas was a pure manne he was a mortall manne as we are and yet at his prayers it rayned not vpon the earthe thre yeares and sixe monethes He prayed agayne that it myght rayne and anone the heauens as hauynge hearde hys prayers gaue rayne and the earthe brought forthe his frute Incase the heauen be obedient to the prayers of one godly manne as though it were bewytched is it any maruayle if God beynge moste readye to forgeue be pleased at the prayers of many Now weight this brethren if it be godly if it be the partes of christyan loue to ease the sickenes of an other mannes bodye through commune prayers how muche more indifferent reason is it that we shoulde succour them that be diseased in mynde For it is no greate matter to obteyne this by prayer that it may be somwhat longer before deathe happen to this man or that man howbeit it muste nedes comme ones but it is a great matter to haue aboyded the disease of minde Therfore if there be any among you that erre from the Gospelles veritie ether to muche cleauyng to the lawe of Moses or be a stubburne folower of heathen relygion deliuered of the elders let no man thinke that he should be dryuen awaye with scoldyng but it behoueth rather to endeuour with all â–ª studies to this ende that he maye turne and reâ—ent from hys errour For who so euer doeth thus shall doo God a greate sacrifice who wisheth not the deathe of a synner but rather that he may turne and lyue For that man doeth a great feate that preserueth the soule from deathe delyuerynge hys brother from synnes wherby he was holden in subieccyon of deathe Nether in the meane â—yme shall he wante hys rewarde for Christe shall forgeue hym hys synnes agayne how many so euer they be that shall kepe his brother from destrucâ—yon ¶ Thus endeth the epistle of S. Iames the apostle The argument vpon the fyrst Epistle of thapostle S. John by Erasmus of Roterodam THat this is Saincte Iohn thapostles epistle whiche wrote the Gospell the very stile of the wordes selfe is a playne argument He maketh muche a dooe in the rehersall of light and darckenes life and deathe hare and loue in often repetinge the wordes as though they were taken out of the sayinge nexte before Of the whiche sorte to open my saying more plainly by example this is one Loue not the Vuorlde nether those thinges that are in the VVorld Yf any manne loue the VVorlde the loue of the father is not in hym for all that is in the VVorlde c. And anon after He is not of the father but of the VVorlde and the Vuorlde passeth aVuaye How often here is the worlde rehearsed Fynally in all hys sayinge there is lesse compendyous shortenes and more open plainesse than in the writynge of the reste of thapostles And as for thepistle it is more euidently plaine than nedeth any argumente like as the two Epistles folowinge are whiche are ascribed to one Iohn a certayne senior and not to Iohn the apostle Thus endeth the Argumente The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the firste Epistle of Sainct Iohn The fyrste Chapter The texte That which was from the beginnyng which we haue herd which we haue sene with our eyes which we haue loked vpon and oure handes haue handled of the worde of the lyfe And â—he lyfe appeared and we haue sene and beare witnes and shewe vnto you that eternall life whiche was with the father and appeared vnto vs. That whithe we haue sene and hearde declare we vnto you that ye also maye haue felowshyp
Euphrates muche vnlyke vnto the holy Iordan or vnto the flode Syloa that is to say the prymatyue churche of the Apostles And there is no hope of grace nor of recouerye or saluacion in her For in this Euphrates there is nothing that is sounde and good but all together full of death destruccion with yâ— helpe of his iii. or foure streames whiche went out from him It is easy to vnderstande what and who they were whiche went out after the decaye of the holy christen churche or after S. Austins or S. Ambrose tyme after the fyue monethes that is to saye after fyue hundreth yeares went out eueÌ„ at one tyme namely at the tyme of the councel holden at Laterane and were redy to murther and flaye the thirde parte of mankynde And they with their felowes dyd greuously hurte them in person in goodes in conscience in bodye and in the prosperyte and welth of their soules thorowe horryble errors in faithe relygion and outwarde ceremonies thorow mans ordinaunces and tradicions bothe against the manyfest holy worde of god also against the ordinaunce of the holy prymatiue churche of the Apostles And here the great nomber of these horsemen doth open the vnderstandinge vnto the reader that all men maye easyly perceyue what they are commyng vp in maner about one tyme. But their frutes shall shewe and declare that sufficiently Out from among these horsemen came their captains ridyng vpon hyghe horses and mules with highe pompe pretendinge highe wysdom gostly power But yet these holy brethren the maynteyners of Christes churche as they pretende do ryde with harnes and sallets armed and prepared with many ordinaunces decrees and statutes by the whiche alas what remedye the christen faythe is lytle furthered But it is well fensed and armed with habbergions one ryng folded in a nother fower folde These were set on fyre with a furious madnesse against the pure and syncere doctrine and profession of the gospell yelowe for very enuye hatered and malyce and also for very fylthye desyre and couetousnes of golde whiche thinges goe alwayes together And againe sauering of brymstone in their hipocritishe filthy chastitie vnmete odious for any christeÌ„ harte to thiÌ„cke vpon muche lesse for any christen eares to heare or any christen tong to speake Their pompe and power to subdue the symple and humble dysciples of Christ contemners of this wycked world is lyke vnto the power and myght of Lyons by the wytte of man not able to be resysted or withstanden And yet their power is not in their handes and armes but in their mouthes Out of the whiche commeth cursynge suspendyng excommunicating and threatenynge with fire and feare of hell and purgatorye with suche lyke firebrandes of brymstone Oh how many right godly and faythfull constant men and wemen haue bene murthered wtin these foure or fiue hundreth yeares of these horsemen whose power was onely in their mouthes For to the performauÌ„ce of their spiritual tirannie they dyuised spies serchers whiche they called inquisitores hereticae prauitatis to spye out suche as they toke for heretykes as Saule was one at suche tyme as he raâ—ed so spitefully against the faithfull from Ierusalem to Damasco Their tayle lyke vnto the tayle of a Scorpion or a Basiliske are those whiche goe after them and folow their example Princes Lordes and temporal Magistrates whiche are assistent vnto them to execute their tyrannye bothe otherwyse speciallye at general councels whiche for their pleasures euen thoughe they be Emperours yet they must breake their promyses of free pasporte and passage against bothe their honour and othes in any matters that concerne their spiritual state pompe lyberties ordinauÌ„ces be they neuer so much against the holy worde of God The texte And the remnant of the men which were not kylled by these plages repented not of the dedes of theyr handes that they shulde not worshyppe deuyls and ymages of golde and syluer and brasse and stone and of wood which nether can se nether heare nether go Also they repented not of theyr murther and of theyr sorcery nether of theyr fornicacyon nether of theyr thefte Howe heuy and terryble is the might and power of the deuil of Antichrist yea how many of the faithfull electe of God haue bene tormented and slayne by them bothe in their bodies and consciences And yet euen in their tyme there wer many that remayned alyue whiche the mercifull hande of God dyd preserue in all godlynes and thorow his ayde and helpe they escaped the handes of these tyrannes Euen in lyke maner as there dyd also many remayne in their wicked purposes in their cruel tyrannye in their godles blasphemous lyfe whiche not withstanding would be bothe called and also estemed taken for holy and spiritual men And yet they beleue not yâ— they haue any nede to repent therfore they procede goe forwarde with their tradicions of men yâ— transgressioÌ„ wherof they punishe more sharply than the transgression of any commaundement of God For yâ— doe they esteme in maner lyghter thaÌ„ nothing taking it for suche a synne as may well ynoughe be dyspensed with remitted And thus in the meane tyme they please serue and honour the deuel with their ydolatry supersticion and inuocacion of sayntes vnto whome they praye say Our father in heauen halowed by the name euen vnto the very images bothe of men wemeÌ„ Whiche thing the very lyuing deuyl taught them as thoughe the saintes shoulde desire any suche thing and not rather be dyspleased therwith vnto the whiche sainctes also they make and set vp images of golde syluer stone and woode euen vnto those true sainctes also which were martired and put to death for speakynge and preaching against suche heathnyshe customes and toke it for very wicked and abhominable supersticions and diuil lyshnes to inuocate and honour suche false goddes And they doe these thinges so manifestly that they can not nor wil not denie it No they haue no vnderstaÌ„ding therof For they theÌ„ selues are eueÌ„ lyke vnto their false goddes and become so madde and so farre out of their wittes that they can no more heare nor see thaÌ„ their ydols and false goddes can And they wil heare of no repentaunce at al muche lesse wil they performe any But they wyll rather confirme and mainteyne their deuillyshe ydolatrye and false religion with sword and fyre murther and poyson yea and sometime they are not ashamed to practyse sorcerye witchecrafte to mainteyne their wickednes againste yâ— true faith religioÌ„ And they wil lyue in whordom whosoeuer say nay eueÌ„ of force beyng extreme enemyes vnto holy matrimony And thus they bleare and blinde the whole worlde with their falsehede lyeng and all to mainteyne their possessions and infinite blasphemyes whiche â—â—â—eâ—e of their ydolatry with worldly force and tyrannye as they haue euer done ¶ The .x. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe another mightie Aungell come doune from heauen
godlynes oppressours of the innocent frendes of God To be shorte all they whiche beare the marke token of the dragon of the beast whiche is infidelyte misbelefe in Christ lyke as faith in yâ— crucified Christ is the sure marke and token of al the electe These vnfaithfull must lyue eternally in the ponde of fyre and they shall be ponisshed vexed painfully with vnspeakeable sorowe and heuines euen yâ— deuel his seruaÌ„tes together And although some come out of this life with yâ— sworde without faith yet their damnacioÌ„ did begin here shal continue euerlastingly ¶ The .xx. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe an Angell come downe from heauen hauynge the kaye of the bottomlesse pit and a great chayne in his hande And he toke the dragon that olde serpent whiche is the deuil and Satanas he bounde him a thousande yeares cast him into yâ— bottomlesse pit he bounde him and set a seale on him that he shoulde deceaue the people nomore tyl the thousande yeares were fulfylled And after that he must be loced for a lytell season THis chapter maye be taken as it wer for a rehersal of the visions reuelacions that were before mencioned And by the waie it describeth againe yâ— honour and maiestie of Christ of gods worde and the power of the holy gospell and the benefites of Christ addeth therunto the last iudgemeÌ„t of the deade whiche shall dye .ii. deathes This angel that commeth from heauen is Christ whiche shoulde come in to this worlde as was promised vnto the firste man in the beginnynge of the worlde that he shoulde treade the old serpent vpon the heade Whiche is nothing els but that he shoulde take his power from him whiche the iust and rightuous God hath suffered him to exercise againste man for the synne of the first dysobedience and transgression Whiche power Sathan hath alwayes exercised and practised with all wicked disceyte and dyuerse errours and specially with ydolatrye after the whiche doe folow blindnes and all maner of synnes This power hath Christ mightily and with force taken from Sathan the deuyll thorowe his rightuousnes and humblenes euen vntyll the crosse satisfieng for all the pryde transgression disobedience and vnfaithfulnes of Adam and Eue. And thus he hath bounde him with the chayne of his well deserued power that is to say hath hindered him of his proude tyrannye shameful wicked power against the faithful electe of god This band should indure a thousande yeares yâ— is to say a long tyme namely euen yâ— tyme of the right Christen faith which after yâ— saying of yâ— olde fathers should indure for .ii. thousande yeares but it is vncerten from what tyme men should begin to teken these yeares that the faith in this tyme should be sore assaulted whiche hath alwayes bene at this point euen in the tyme of yâ— Iewes in yâ— olde testameÌ„t and amoÌ„g gods owne people hath sometime increased and somtime fallen dedecaied And according therunto might SathaÌ„ exercise his power at some tyme more thaÌ„ at a nother And thus thorow Christ Sathan is alwaies bonde vnto the right faithfull But whan the faithe decayeth and goeth backewarde and the falsehede desceite and dysobedience of man increaseth so that gods word is more and more contemned and forsaken than dothe Sathans power increase againe as it hath ofte come to passe that he maye deceyue the people the heathen the vnfaithfull againe and so vse his power and tyranny againe as loÌ„g as there is lacke and want of true faithe in this worlde The texte ¶ And I sawe seates and they sat vpon them and iudgement was geuen vnto them and I sawe the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesses of Iesu and for the worde of God whiche had not worshipped the beast nether his ymage neyther had taken his marke vpon their forheades or on their handes and they lyued and raygned with Christ a M. yere but the other of the dead men lyued not againe vntyll the thousande yere were finysshed This is that first resurreccioÌ„ Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurreccion For on suche shall the seconde death haue no power but they shal be the Prestes of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousande yeres The seates to iudge Sathan and his companye are appointed of Christ vnto the holy apostles and vnto other electe the soules of them whiche for the lambes sake wer beheaded that is to say after diuers maners and fasshions put to death for the gospelles sake whiche woulde not make any oblacions vnto ydols nor false goddes nor woulde not worship the beast that is to saye Antichrist nor woulde not feare nor honour his ymage but dyd manfully fight for the holy gospell and for the true doctrine and religion of the Apostles All these shall haue seates in the kyngdome of Christ to iudge the whole companye and courte of Sathan and to conuince them of their wickednes blasphemies and damnable errours whiche shal be open and manifest vnto the worlde thorowe the gospel And this their condemnacion beyng openly and manifestly knowen and their godles tyrannye shall â–ª be their death from the whiche they shall not ryse vp againe tyll a thousande yeares be past This manifest iudgement victory and honour obteyned with Christ is vnto them the first resurreccion namely a great honour and felicitie not onely in heaueÌ„ with Christ but also vpon earth in the kingdom of Christ which he hath vpon earth with his spirite in the congregacion of the holy electe And they are happy and blessed and their lyfe is euerlasting both in the heuenly company and also in the holy churche congregacion of the faithful godly soules vpon earth For they are the most deare beloued the most acceptable and of highest reputacion with Christ the lord and kynge of heauen as right prestes and ministers ought to be amonge vs and they shall rule and reigne with Christe vnto the ende of the worlde vntyll the last daye of the latter iudgement and in the seconde resurreccion and vntil the last and eternall iudgement of the wicked and damned blasphemers The texte ¶ And when the thousande yeares are eâ—piâ—ed SathaÌ„ shal be losed out of his preson and shal go out to beceaue the people whiche are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog togather them together to battayle whose nombre is as yâ— sande of the see they went vp in the playne of yâ— earth and compassed the centes of the sainctes about the beloued citie And fire came downe from God out of heauen and deuoured them and the deuyll that deceaued them was cast into a lake of fyre and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet shal be tormented daye and night for euer more A lytle tyme before the last day shall Sathan obteyne power againe tyll the ende of the worlde and shal exercyse and practyse it and
speciall trust and loue towardes him he sheweth him his spouse and wyfe and nameth her the lambes wyfe but it is the christen churche the felowship of all saintes and holy electe This christen churche is in .ii. maner of states In the first state she is mylitant euer striuynge and fightyng euer in warrefare assaulted with much trouble and vexacion sorowfull vnperfyte and euer waxyng and increasynge And in the other state she is triumphant victorious euer triumphinge quiet free without care or sorowe for any vexacion perfyte heauenly blessed and euerlasting Of bothe these states for certen fewe properties the earthly Ierusalem the citie of the Iewes is set for a figure comparison example and counterpane Whiche Ierusalem of the Iewes lyeth vpon an hyll hath .xii. gates and great hyghe walles and lyeth on highe towarde the whole lande rounde about on euery behalfe Of the whiche they that wyll knowe more maye reade Iosephus which writeth largely therof Nowe here speaketh Christ of the spirituall Ierusalem in her double state It lyeth also highe for as muche as it is highly indewed with gods grace and glorious giftes for whose sake almightie God sent his onely begotten sunne vpon earth to clense and to make her pure to bylde her to bewtifie and to garnyshe her and to make her glorious euen for an euerlastynge kingdome and for a deare beloued spouse for him selfe This citie is great for it reacheth vnto all the endes and coastes of the worlde and it is also holy for it is sanctified with the holy and blessed presence of Christ with his precious hearte bloode which was shedde in the highest loue and obedience towarde god and mankynde and that washeth a waye the synnes of all the worlde in that are al the faythful purged clensed This descending of the heuenly citie Ierusalem or holy chrysten churche sygnifieth the comon felowshyp and participacion of the churche â—riumphant that reygnyth in victory with the churche mylytant that contyneweth and remaineth in battel and warrefare For they bothe are one churche deuided and sondred in .ii. onely in this worlde by reason of the tyme. For that churche whiche is nowe militant and lyeth in warrefare vpon earthe shal shortly be in heaueÌ„ victorious and triumphant This churche both vpon earthe and in heauen hathe one godly glorye al honour vertue prayse might and blisse commeth vnto her from God The light of this churche is the most precious stone namely vpon earth faythe with loue and in heauen trueth and saluacioÌ„ in Christ The walles which defende preserue and kepe this citie is the faith and belefe in the holy worde of god by the whiche the faithfull beleuers are kept and preserued The .xii. gates maye we take and vnderstande for the .xii. articles of the holye Christen faythe vpon the gates the xii apostles or patriarkes or prophetes whiche haue their glorious and holy names not onely written in heauen aboue all other holy saintes but also vpoÌ„ earth in the militant or warrefaring chutch These gates of the articles are wel and orderly set and appointed of the father of the sunne of the holy gost of the grace and rewarde of redempcion The .xii. foundacions of these walles maye be taken for the bokes of the olde and newe testament vpon the whiche the wall of the christen churche the holy faithe whiche is but one bothe of the christianes of the olde and of the newe testament bothe of the prophetes and of the Apostles is and ought to be founded and grounded And where as the Apostles are here more named than the prophetes it is done for this purpose for as much as thorow the Apostles the doctrine of the prophetes and the gospell promysed in the prophetes was spredde abrode and publyshed in the whose wyde worlde whiche gospell the prophetes dyd preache and wryte onely vnto the children of Israel and to their neighbours the people nexte about them of the lande of Israell and againe because the apostles were witnesses in their owne parsons of the slaying and death of the lambe The texte ¶ And be that talked with me had a golden rede to measure the citie with all and the gates therof and the wal therof And the citie was buylt foure square and the length was as large as the bredth and he measured the citie with the rede twelue â—â— furlonges and the length and the bredth the heyght of it were equall And he measured the wall therof an cxliiii câ—bytes the measure that the angell had was after the measure that man vseth And the buildyng of the wal of it was of Iasper And the citie was pure golde lyke vnto cleare glasse and the foundacions of the wall of the citie were garnished with all maner of precious stones The first foundacion was Iaspis the seconde Saphire the thirde a Calcedony the fourthe an Emeralde the fyfte Sardoniâ— the syrie Sardoes the seuenth Crysolite the eight Beral the nynth a Topas the tenth a Chrisoprasos the eleeuenth a Iaciute the twelue than Amâ—chist In the .xliiii. of Ezechiell and lykewyse in zacharie doe we reade of yâ— mystery of this holy citie whiche is here described as thoughe it shoulde be measured how long how brode and howe highe it were But it is done of Christ after the maner of a vision and as it were in a misterie For Christ knoweth his churche well inoughe and all whiche are the rin or belong therunto The golden reed is as it were a golden met wonde and it signifieth the right square of the holy scripture whiche onely declareth and sheweth certenly and truly what is ryghte or croked wel or amisse in the religion and doctrine ceremonies and dyscipline of the churche And where as the citie lyeth foure square it sygnifieth the .iiii. quarters of the worlde in the whiche the almightie God hath alwayes had his peculier electe faithful folowers and obseruers of the true loue of God and of the neighbour wherin consisteth the lawe and the prophetes and also the commaundement of Christ the sauiour of the whole worlde The length is from the east to the west the bredth is from the northe to the south and the higth is euen from the earth to the heauen So that heauen and earth and the whole churche both triumphant in heauen militant vpon earth are full of the glory of God of the power and kyngdome of Christ whiche the father gaue him whan as he dyd set him at his right hande in the moost hyghe honour glorye and blisse for a mirrour vnto all faithfull and holy electe An hundreth and .xliiii. is a full and a perfite nomber euen .xii. tymes .xii. And it signifieth all perfeccion of the grace of God the holy goost and of all true and perfite vertues whiche true faithe onely preserueth and maketh good and perfight and also acceptable vnto God The true faithe and belefe which hath alwaies bene preached and preserued in the holy churche as well by the Israelites as by the