knowledge that I haue of your condicions I partelye beleue the reporte It coulde not be auoyded but that there would suche sectes ryse among you Of whiche euill thyng yet this good groweth that by thesame it more playnly appeareth whiche are throughly perfite which whyles other are in a confusion and fyll theyr paunches myldly and so berlye accordyng vnto the Apostles ordinaunces and the olde custome of the churche kepe this holy feaste wherein we represent the laste souper of Christ with his disciples remembryng the league whiche he made with vs and for an exaumple of mutuall concorde of eche one of vs towarde another The texte When ye come together therfore into one place the Lordes supper cannot be eaten For euery man begynneth afore to eate his owne supper And one is hongry and an other is dronken Haue ye not houses to eaâ—e and drynke in Despyse ye the congregacion of God and shame them that haue not What shall I saye vnto you shall I prayse you In this prayse I you not That which I deliuered vnto you I receiued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus thesame nyght in whiche he was betrayed toke breade and whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and sayed Take ye and eate this is my body which is broken for you This doe ye in the remembraunce of me But now is there creapt in amoÌ„g you a very vnsemely vsage that as oft as ye come together the Lordes souper semeth not to bee the great matter that is in hand suche as he made with his disciples but rather some troublous clamorous feast without equalitie because eche maÌ„ riotously and gloutonously not lokyng for other begynneth afore to eate his owne souper Wherupon it foloweth that the poore man is hongry either because he hath nothing to eate or because he cummeth not in season and the ryche man that hath begunne his souper is full and drounken by meanes whereof that spirituall feast is two maner of wayes dishonoured both because through pryde of the ryche men the poore are disdayned whom Christ disdaineth not also because the Lordes souper is with surfetting and excesse defiled At this souper is represented the misterie of christian concorde no bealy nor gut matter for whom prouision should haue been made priuately in mennes owne housen and not in the open assembly Yf ye delyted to fyll your paunches haue ye not housen wherin ye maye so doe out of syght Despise ye so farfurth the open congregacion of christians that in presence therof ye be not ashamed lyke glotons to vse your selfes euen of purpose in the meane seasoÌ„ goyng about to make the poore ones ashamed whiche haue nothing to set at table whyles ye openly setfurth your riottouse and costly fare What shall I herein saye vnto you ye Corinthians Shall I prayse you Certenly I would wyshe I had good cause so to doe for other thinges I much prayse you but in this I caÌ„not prayse you These maners far square froÌ„ that souper of the lord after whose example ye should among you kepe this holy feast I maruayle who they be that haue brought this euill custome amoÌ„g you for I as an Apostle receyued of the Lord that which I also haue taught you which is yâ— our Lord Iesus thesame nyght in which he was betrayed by his disciple and taken toke bread when he had geueÌ„ thankes to God he brake the bread and sayed take eate this is my body whiche is broken for you to be deuided among all The thyng whiche ye see me to doe thesame doe ye herafter in the remembraunce of me Note and marke here all the disciples syt together at table with theyr maister marke howe the table and meate was comon to all not somuche as the traytour Iudas excluded from thesame and one bread equally deuided among all This dyd the Lorde with his disciples and despise ye your brethren and suche as are your felowes in religion The texte After thesame maner also he toke the cup when supper was doen saying This cup is the newe testamente in my bloud This doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembraunce of me For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shall shew the Lordes death tyll he come Wherfore whosoeuer shall eate of this breade or drinke of the cup of the Lorde vnworthely shal be gyltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. But let a man examen himselfe and so let him eate of the bread and drink of the cup. For he that eateth or drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body For this cause many are weake and sycke among you and many slepe After thesame maner when he had distribute the bread he toke the cup also into his handes when the supper was already done saying this cup is the newe testamente through my bloud as often as ye drinke hereof doe it in remembraunce of me In this supper then all dranke of one cup and among you the ryche menne are dronke and the poore are athruste Christ would haue this feast to be kept among you in remeÌ„braunce of his death and as a token of his euerlasting testamente yet is it nowe kepte among you with ryot and dissencion It is a misticall bread wherof al men should in lyke sorte be partakers As the cup also is holy indifferently apertayning to all not prepared to apease mennes bodyly thruste but to represente a secrete matter leste ye myght forgette with what pryce ye were from the synnes of your former lyfe redemed As often therfore as ye resorte together to eate of this breade and to drinke of this cup ye goe about no bealy matter but mistically represent the death of the Lord Iesu whose continuall remembraunce shall cause you to doe your dueties vntyll the tyme he returne to iudge all the worlde Therfore whosoeuer eateth of this bread or drinketh of the Lordes cup otherwise than is worthy of Christ haynously offendeth as which hath otherwise vsed the body bloud of the Lorde than he commaunded it should be vsed for as muche as a thing whiche is moste full of misteries ought with all purenesse and reuerence to be vsed for auoydyng of whiche inconuenience let euery man first trye and examen his conscieÌ„ce before And vpon a through examinacion had let hym then eate of that breade and drinke of the cup. And let hym that vpon examinacion of hymselfe fyndeth an vnmetenesse abstayne rather and make sacrifice to his bealy at home For albeit the body and bloud of the Lord be a healthfull thing yet whosoeuer therof doeth eate or drinke vnworthily thesame turneth to his poyson and destruccion because he without reuerence and with an vnclensed conscience presumed to come vnto so great a misterie without due consideracion had with howe great reuerence the body of the Lorde ought to be receyued When Christe shall come then shall suche be
this matier chalengyng nothyng to hymselfe as his own gaue ouer the whole prayse and glorie to god only whome he by his sure and constant fayth both testified to be true of promise as whiche woulde deceyue no man lykewyse to be almightye as whoÌ„ he thoughte able to perfourme his promise were the same neuer somuche passyng all worldly strength This is the glorie wherwith god is chieflye delighted whiche nedeth no seruice of ours and therfore as the scripture sayeth it was reckened vnto hym for ryghteousnes The texte ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not wrytten for hym onelye that it was reckened to hym for ryghteousnes but also for vs to whom it shal be coumpted for ryghteousnes so that we beleue in hym that raised vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead whiche was deliuered for our synnes and was raised agyue for our iustification Nor is it to be supposed that this was wryten onely for Abrahams sake when it is sayd yâ— his faith was reckened vnto hym for righteousnes for yâ— scripture laboreth not so muche for the auauÌ„cemeÌ„t of AbrahaÌ„s glory only but rather to gyue vs which are of AbrahaÌ„s posteritie an example wherby al the world might vnderstande that as Abraham for his faythe 's sake without healpe or ayde of the lawe obteyned before god to be coumpted for righteouse so should none of vs by kepyng of the law only thynke to haue the same AbrahaÌ„ theÌ„ was called righteouse because he beleued god And surely entry haue we none to ryghteousnes vnles we lykewise beleue in the same god whiche to vs hath brought to passe in Iesus Christ oure lorde whome he raysed from death to lyfe euen that he promised to Abraham in the fygure of Isaac therby declaryng that the fayth of Abraham was no vayne fayth whiche beleued yâ— god was suche one as coulde geue lyfe euen to the deade call agayne suche thinges as are not as thoughe they were Let vs not therfore for our righteousnes and cleannes of lyfe thanke Moses but Christ whiche gaue hymselfe to death to the entent he would freely through fayth forgyue our synnes whiche also rose agayne from death to the entent we shoulde abstayne from deadly synne nor displease hym by committyng agayne suche thynges for which his pleasure was to dye He dyed I saye to kyll synne in vs and rose agayne from death to th entent that by hym fyrst dying to oure olde synnes so furthe with hym and by hym beyng brought and restored into a newe kynde of lyfe we may hereafter lyue vnto yâ— ryghteousnes which we haue through his goodnes receyued The .v. Chapiter The texte Because therfore yâ— we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with god through our lord Iesus Christe by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in through fayth vnto this grace wherin we stande reioyse in hope of the glorye of the chyldren of god Not that only but also we reioyse in tribulatioÌ„ knowyng yâ— tribulatioÌ„ bryngeth pacieÌ„ce pacience bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed for the loue of god is shed abrode in our heartes by the holy ghost whiche is geuen vnto vs. COnsyderyng that only syn causeth variaunce betwixt god and man now are we certeynly at peace with god because that of wicked synful people we are made ryghteous that neither by Moses law whiche rather encreased oure offeÌ„ces nor for our workes but as our father AbrahaÌ„ was for oure faythe 's sake reconciled vnto god yâ— father whose frende also through fayth Abraham became that neither through Moses but through the only sonne of god our lorde Iesus Christ which with his bloud washed away our offences by his death reconcilyng vs vnto god beyng before yâ— tyme displeased with vs so opened for vs an entrye yâ— we through lyke fayth without either the lawe or circumcision mighte be brought into this grace of god promysed by the ghospell In whiche fayth we stande stedfaste and not only stande with good wyll couragiouslye but also reioyce not only because we are at peace with god but also for that we are pute in sure hope that through oure stedfastnes of fayth we shal in tyme to come enioye the glorie of heauen Nor enuye we the Iewes through the glory of their circumcision and as we enuye them not so mislike we not our fayth the brynger furthe of suche plentifull fruicte nor yet repent we our glory with hope wherof we for this present tyme are aduaunced vnderpyght Whiche glorie albeit it be suche as cannot yet be seene and thoughe without sufferyng of aduersities and troubles we attayne not therunto yet eueÌ„ the same troubles in the meane season recken we a thyng to reioyce and glorye of as whiche we suffer both to our hyghe prayse are also suche as open vnto vs the gate to life euerlasting For this new example hath Christ both geueÌ„ vs by him also taught are we this excellent doctrine that by sufferyng of tribulatioÌ„s the vertue of pacience is strengthened and as the fyer tryeth golde so throughe pacience become we better tryed and proued both of god man Agayne the more tribulatioÌ„s we suffer the surer hope of rewarde stande we in Nor is it to be feared leste this hope mysse disapoynt vs of our belief make vs ashamed before yâ— wicked people because we haue eueÌ„ now therof in hande a moste sure pledge and earnest penye whiche is the meruaylous and vnspeakeable loue of god towarde vs not onlye externally shewed vnto vs but most pleÌ„tifully printed in our heartes in manier coÌ„pellyng vs to loue hym agayne wrought by the holy ghost in steade of the watryshe letter of the lawe gyuen vnto vs as a gage assuryng vs of his promise herafter surely to be perfourmed The texte For when we were yet weake accordyng to the tyme Christ dyed for vs which wer vngodlye Yet scarce wyl any man dye for a ryghteouse man Peraduenture for a good man durste a man dye But god setteth but his loue towarde vs seyng that whyle we were yet synners according to the tyme Christ dyed for vs Muche more then nowe we that are iustified by his bloude shal be saued from wrathe through hym For had not god of his great mercy singulerly loued and pitied vs. Iesus Christ his only sonne had neuer by the wyl of his father descended into earth nor haue taken oure mortall fleshe vpon hym and so haue dyed namely what tyme we were weake thrall and subiecte to beastlye desyres whiche were by the lawe more lyke to be prouoked than to be brydelâ—d and suppressed Bad yet as we then were he loued vs in hope of saluacion yea he loued vs beyng wycked people and deuilyshe ydolaters and so loued vs that for our sakes he wyllyngly suffered death whiche was the greatest euident and moste singuler poynt of loue that euer could be shewed Among men scarcely shal any man fynde
he coulde not promote vs to the felowshyp of immortalytie oâ—lesse he were God so was it not mere that he who created all thynges and by whose moderation all thynges were gouerned should suffre yâ— wholy to perishe which he created and made Where were the sonnes kyndome yf he were alone with the father The texte For it became him for whome are at thinges and by whome are all thynges after that he had brought many sonnes vnto glory that he should make the Lord of theyr saluacion perfecte thorowe affliccions For both he that sanctifyeth and they which are sanctified are all of one For whiche causes sake he is not ashamed to call them brethren sayng I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren in the myddes of the congregacion wyl I prayse the. And agayne I wyll put my â—â—ust in hym And agayne beholde here am I and the chyldren whome God hath geuen me Therfore it was thought mete conuenient vnto almightie God the father that the sonne beyng the autoure and chiefe causer of all mennes saluacioÌ„ should after he were trâ—ed and proued by many affliccions not only purchase himselfe thenheritaunce of euerlastyng glory but also bring wyth hym many other chyldren reconciled vnto the father by hys death And therfore he toke vpon hym manneÌ„s body because that beyng manne he might puryfie and pourge manne of hys offences For the priest Christ which puryfieth and men that are cleansed and puryfied as touchyng yâ— nature of man do yssue of the same firste parent lyke as they haue one comen father in heauen Wherfore the sonne of God is not ashamed in the Psalmes to call godly folke hys brethren when he speaketh thus as foloweth I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the myddes of yâ— congregacion wyl I praise thee Doth not he here openly cal his disciples brethren â–ª and againe in a certaine other place I wyl put my truste in him Nowe it is the parte of a proued childe to truste his father with all hys harte Certes sytly the father promissed that he woulde put all thynges vnder hys sonnes fecte there is no doubte but he wyll saue those also with whome the sonne reygneth Agayne in an other place in the Prophete Esaye the Lorde calleth his disciples his children when he sayeth I and my children whom god hath geuen me You heare the vocables or names of kynred The texte For asmuche then as the children are partakers of â—â—she and bloude be also himselfe lykewise toke parte with them that thorowe death he myght expell hym that had lordshyppe ouer death that is to saye the deuyl and that he myght delyuer them whiche thorowe feare of death were all theyr lyfe tyme subduâ—d vnto bondage For he in no place taketh on hym the angels but the seede of â—braham taketh he on hym Wherefore in all thynges it became hym to bee made lyke vnto his brethren that he myghte bee mercifull and a faythfull hye prieste in thynges concernyng God for to pourge the peoples synnes For in that it fortuned hymselfe to bee tempted he is hable to sucker them also that are tempted Because therefore these brethren and children whome he speaketh of be men whiche consiste and haue theyr beyng of fleshe and bloude he that of hys owne nature was heauenly woulde take mans fleshe and bodye vpon hym and therein bee made lyke vnto those whome he woulde call vnto the felowshyp of the eternall kynred that he myghte expell hym who hadde the rule and lordeshyppe ouer death that is to saye the deuyll and sette those at libertie who were alwayes subiect vnto the seruitude and bondage of Satan which thorowe death raigned ouer all mankynde For whosoeuer is in bondage and subieccioÌ„ of sinne thâ— same is subiect vnto death Now Christ neuer gaue any aungell this honour that he woulde take hys nature vpon hym become his brother or his kinseman But according vnto gods promise he tooke on him the sede of Abraham He was borne a Iewe of Iewes a manne of man subiecte vnto all the incommodities and euilles of our nature to thirst hunger heate colde werines payne and death because thys likenes should testifie the true kynred of nature and put vs in a sure beliefe that he woulde not forsake those for whome he had suffered so great euilles displeasures and whom he had ioyned vnto hym with so streighte a bonde of alyaunce or consangâ—â—â—itie Wherefore it was conuenient that he should in all poyntes be made lyke vnto those whome he would haue to be his brethren that he might therby put them in more assuraunce to obtayne pardon in asmuche as he who tooke vpon hym thoâ—yce of an hye priest or bishop to make intercession vnto god to purge al the peoples sinnes and to reconcile mankynde vnto the father shoulde seme by this reason howe he would â—ee mercifull and faythfull to hys not onelye for that he was of the selfe same nature but also because it chaunsed hym to be tryed and proued with innumerable affliccions of this worlde to the intent he shoulde appeare the readyer to succoure those whiche should be bexed with the euils and aduersities of the same The .iii. Chapter Therfore holy brethren partakers of the celestial calling â–ª consider the ambassadour and â—ye priest of our profession Christ Iesus how that he is faythfull vnto hym that put him in the offyce euen was Moses in al his house For looke howe much honoure he that hath builded a house hath more then the house it selfe So muche honoure is he counted worthye of more then Moses For euery house is builded of some man But he that ordeâ—ned all thynges is God And Moses verelye was faythfull in all hys house as a minister to beare witnes of those thynges whiche were to bee spoken afterwarde But Christe as a sonne hath rule ouer the house whose house are we yf we holde fast the confidence and the reioysyng of that hope vnto the ende WHerfore brethreÌ„ now that ye be purified by the bloud of the sonne by the free goodnesse of God called to come to bee partakers of the lyfe celestiall to thentente you maye bee the more answerable vnto his benefites consider howexcellent in dignitie is Iesus Christ the ambassadour and bishop of your profession that is to say of euangelicall fayth and howe purely and vertuously the same behaued hymselfe to godwarde of whome he was ordeyned in the whole congregacion lykewyse as Moyses was commended for that he acquited hymselfe as a faythful minister in all his sinagogue which is the house and familie of god But Christ deserued so much the more honour and dignitie as the maker of the house oughte more to bee honoured then the house it selfe For euerye house is buylded of some man But he that hath ordeyned and made all thinges is god Therefore Moses was so conuersaunt in the house of god that he was a part or member and not the autor and original causer therof
giue some cleanesse and puritie For whatso euer was there done perteyned chiefly vnto the bodye for that it stode in choyse of meates drinke whereas in very dede meate neyther purifieth nor defileth the soule and stode also in diuerse washynges and pourgations of the fleshe whiche were not instituted for this intent that they shoulde gyue manne perfyte ryghtuousnesse but bycause the people shoulde by these rudimentes and fyrste principles fall in vre by lytle and litle with true religion and by shadowes bee brought to veritie and made receyuable of bettre thynges whyche shoulde be opened by the doctrine of the ghospell when tyme shoulde come Here haue ye hearde the effecte of all the religion by reason wherof the Iewes do stande so muche in their awne conceiptes Nowe let vs compare the dignitie of our hie priest with these foresayde thynges The texte But Chryste beyng an hye prieste of good thynges to come came by a greater and a more perfecte tabernacle not made with handes that is to say not of thys buildyng nether by yâ— bloud of goates and calues but by his own bloud he enteed in once into the holiplace founde eternal redempcion For if the bloud of oxen of goates the asshes of a â—â—ng cowe when it was sprinkled purifieth the vnclene as touching the purifing of the flesh howe much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offred hymself wythou â—spot to god pourge your conscience from dead workes for to serue the lyuinge god For Christ beyng an hie priest a promiser and auctour not of corporal purificacion neither of the good thynges of this world whiche haue an ende but of euerlasting and heauenly good thinges entred not by the vayle wrought with mennes handes but by an other tabernacle not made wyth handes that is to saye not of this buyldynge the whyche as menne doe sette it vp so can they pull it downe agayne but by verie heauen entred I say into the places which are verely holy and verely farre from al infeccion of mortalitie not brynginge wyth hym the bloude of goates and calues therewith to pacifie Goddes wrath but his owne precious bloude whiche he shed for vs in the aulter of the crosse wherewyth he redemed not one nationalonelye but all mankynde from all synnes and that not one yeare but for euer vntyl the worldes ende so that they tournynge from their former myflyuynge know Christ and as muche as in them lyethe folowe hym in their lyfe and conuersation For what comparison is it to compare a domme beaste vnto Christe bothe God and man If so be that the bloud of Oxen and Goates or the brent asshes of a younge Cowe sprynkeled vpon vncleane persones clenseth them as touchynge a certayne carnall and figuratiue puritie and holynesse Howe muche more then shall the bloude of Christe who not by corporall fyre but thorowe the eternall spirite desirous of mannes saluation offered not a brute beaste but hym selfe a pure and vndefyled sacryfyce vnto almyghtye God the father puryfie not youre bodyes but youre conscyence from these workes whiche in very dede brynge death vnto the soule Hys death delyuereth vs from endlesse death and hys mooste pure spirite purifieth our spirite whiche was before vncleane In bothe purifications is bloude but yet is there a greate difference In bothe is death but an vnequall death In bothe is a spirite but the one is farre vnlyke the other For what thynge soeuer was there done by shadowes and certayne fygures the same Christ accomplished in dede The texte And for this cause is he the mediator of yâ— new testament that through death which chanced for the redempcion of those transgressyoÌ„s that were vnder the first testamente they whych are called myght receiue yâ— promise of eternal inheritance For where as is a testament there must also of necessytie be the death of hym that maketh the testament For the testament taketh aucthorite when men are dead for it is yet of no value as longe as he that maketh the testament is aliue for whyche cause also nether the first testameÌ„t was or dayned wythout bloude Bycause that he who in the olde testament made intercession and was a mediatour bytwene God and men broughte not the people to the perfyte state of innocencie therefore Christe succeded in his rowme and became a newe mediatoure of a newe testament to th entent that all synnes taken awaye thorow his death the whiche by that first testament coulde not be abolyshed and taken awaye but remayned in suche wise that they broughte vs oute of the fauoure of almyghtie God not onely the Iewes but also all tho whosoeuer haue bene called to Christes felowshippe maye nowe thorowe the doctrine of the gospell receyue the promyse and hope of theternall enheritaunce For wheresoeuer thys worde testament is hearde there must nedes be the death of him that maketh the testamente elles shoulde it be no testamente or yf it were it were of none auctoritie For the death of the testatoure makethe the same of auctoritie whiche hathe not as yet sure strengthe nor is ratifyed so longe as the sayde testatour is alyue Because it lyeth in hys power to altre it yf he wyll Wherefore forasmuche as that olde testament hadde also the name of a testament it was not ordeyned without bloude and death but of a beast and suche a beaste as elswise shoulde haue perished The texte For when Moses had declared all the commauÌ„dement to all the people according to the lawe he toke the bloud of calues and of goates wyth water and purple woolle and ysope and sprynkeled bothe the boke and all the people saying thys is the bloude of the testamente which God hath appoynted vnto you Moreouer he sprinkeled the tabernacle with bloud also and all the ministeryng vesselies And almoste all thynges are by the lawe purged wyth bloude and wythoute shedynge of bloude is no remyssyon For as it is reade in the boke of Exodus whan Moyses had read all the lawe of God vnto the people and declared vnto them what reward they shoulde loke after for kepyng the same and what punishement they should dreade yf they dyd not regarde it accordingly to th entent the couenaunt made betwene God and the people shoulde be confirmed he toke a cuppe and therein myngled the bloude of Calues and Goates wyth water and purple wâ—ll and sprynkled bothe the boke oute of the whiche he read the Lordes commaundementes and lykewyse all the people with â—sope sayeng Thys is the wytnessyng bloude and confirmer of that testament whiche God hathe commaunded you to kepe And was not onely contented thus to doe but sprynkeled also with bloude the tabernacle and all the holy vessels therein whyche they vsed in sacrifices Lykewyse in all other rites and approued customes what thinges so euer were purified accordynge vnto the prescription of Moses lawe were purified with bloude Neyther was there anye remyssion of synnes but by sheddyng of bloude The texte
from heauen testifie that he was rightuous and by reason of this most goodly testimonye he is now after so many thousand yeares so much renowined and spoken of of all menne that beyng deade he semeth euen to liue and speake He was slayne to his brotherwarde what tyme he was murthered fautelesse but he was not sleyne to God vnto whome his bloude as yet cryed vengeaunce from the earthe The texte By faith was Enoch translated that he should not se death neither was he founde For God had taken hym away For a fore he was taken away he obtayned a good report that he pleased God But without faith it can not be that anye man should please hym For he that commeth to God muste beleue that God is and that he is a rewarder of theÌ„ that seke hym Neither was it any whit preiudiciall vnto godlye Enoch that he was begotten of a wycked father For holye scripture wytnesseth of hym that he was conuersaunt familiar with god euen wheÌ„ he lyued in earth because he pursued by faith not those thinges which are sene but such thinges as are not sene that is to wytte eternall thinges heuenlye for this cause he was taken vp aliue to those thinges that he loued deliuered froÌ„ death For he liued after such a sort before he was taken from the felowshyppe of men that he semed rather to lyue in heauen then in earthe and semed also vnworthye to dye for that he hadde commytted nothyng death worthye to th entent men shoulde firste learne by his example that the open way to immortalitie is by faith and innoceÌ„t lyuing Therfore he was taken awaye bycause he pleased God But he pleased hym chiefely by fayth without the whiche no man pleaseth hym haue he els neuer so many good dedes For whosoeuer desyreth to be brought in fauour with almyghtye God must fyrst of all beleue that God is who can do all thynges and wylleth what is best Then muste he also beleue that God careth for the worlde and that by hym neyther the godly whiche settyng at noughte the visible good thynges of thys worlde searche after God inuisible are defeated of their rewardes be they neuer so muche afflicted and persecuted in this lyfe nether the wicked persones shall lacke their punishementes althoughe they seme here to lyue in prosperitie and haue the worlde at will Therefore Enoch maye thanke his fayth for this I wote nere whether I maye call it glory or felicitie that he is taken awaye from the felowshyppe of men and lyueth with God The texte By fayth Noe beyng warned of God eschued the thynges whych were as yet not sene and prepared the arcke to the â—auyng of his houshold through the whych arcke he condemned the worlde and became heiâ—e of the righteousnes which is according to faith Howbeit Noe shewed a more notable example of faith towardes God euen then this who when he was forewarned by the mouthe of God howe it shoulde come to passe that all kyndes of lyuyng creatures in earth shoulde be destroyed thorow inundation of waters and sawe no apparent argumentes or reasons wherby the saying of God mought be proued bycause the element was fayre and cleare and the people that were feastyng makyng brydeales without any care lawghed to heare these manassyng wordes of the prophecie Yet surely beleuing that it would so come to passe as God had sayde before it should happeÌ„ ordeyned an Arke wherby he both preserued his own houshold coÌ„deÌ„ned other meÌ„ which so mistrusted yâ— wordes of god yâ— they lawghed hym to â—korne as a madde man when he was a framynge the sayde Arke agaynste the commyng of the floude Neyther was he alonely preserued from the flould but also succeded in the prayse of Abell and Enoch his elders who are muche renowmed for that rightuousnesse whiche thorowe faith maketh a man commendable before God The texte By faith Abraham when he was called obtayned to go out into a place whych he shoulde afterwarde receyue to inherytaunce and he went out not knowyng whether he should go By faith he remoued into the lande of promyse as into a strangcouÌ„trey when he had dwelt in tabernacles so dyd Isaac Iacob heires with him of the same promise For he loked for a citie hauing a foundacion whose builder maker is god Nowe howe ofte dyd Abraham gyue an example of a notable faith towardes God First where as there is nothynge more pleasant to man then hys natyfe countrey yet when almyghty God comaunded hym to forsake the same with his affeccions and flyt into an vnknowne lande he made no tarieng but obeyed streight wayes the voyce of God and that prouoked by no other mans example nor put in hope and comforte by any probable reasons how it should so come to passe that after he had forsaken suche landes and patrimonie as he was borne vnto he shoulde possesse by enheritaunce I wot nere what lande wherof as yet he neyther knewe the name nor situation So sure a truste and belefe had he that all should come to passe what so euer God had promysed It proceded of the same fayth that when he came into the lande promysed of God and the matier went not forewarde to hys mynde neyther wyth hym nor his sonne Isaac nor his nephew Iacob where as yet thenheritaunce of thys lande was not promysed to him alone but also to his ofspring and posteritye because he was constrayned oftetymes to fyght with his enemyes and Isaac had muche busynes and trouble with the Philistians and Iacob was dryuen thence by Esau his brother into the couÌ„trey of Mesopotamia froÌ„ whence after he was at the length retourned agayn he was fayne to bye a litle pece of grouÌ„d to pytche his pauillion in yet all these thynges moued not Abraham a whyt to haue any mystrust in God who promised the lande neyther complayned he that he was a bannyshed man and not an enheritour neither regarded he those thynges whiche are sene in earth but heauenly thynges whiche are not sene otherwise then with the eyes of fayth For he perceiued that this was not the lande that God meante of when he made the promes the whiche lande he set so lytle store by that he thought it not necessarie therin to buyld neither house or towne but kepe himselfe and his in tabernacles as a straunger whiche anon shoulde remoue to an other place What dyd he then loke for when he sawe that these promyses were not perfourmed Forsoothe he loked for an other citie whiche was stable and perpetual from whence he should neuer be dryuen out againe farre vnlyke these cyties whiche men do buylde and destroye the maker and buylder wherof was God hymselfe The texte Through faith Sara also receiued strength to conceiue and be with child and was delyuered of child when she was past age because she iudged hym faithfull whych had promised And therfore sprang there of one euen of one whiche was as good as
deade so manye in multitude as are starres of the skie and as the sand the which is bi the sea shore innumerable Moreouer his wyfe Sara when she had bothe an olde man to her husband and her selfe was so stricken with age that her matrice lacked natural strength to drawe mannes sede vnto it and retayne the same dyd neuerthelesse coÌ„ceyue and was deliuered of Isaac mistrusting the strength of nature but yet giuing credence vnto God who by an aungell promysed her a man chylde the nexte yeare She gaue no eare to nature reclaming and barking to the contrarie but onely had a sure belefe that God coulde not lye God promysed Abraham a posteritie equall in nombre to the starres and the sande of the sea shore and yet by the course of nature was there no hope of yssue at all That notwithstandyng he had no mystrust And therfore of this one olde man beyng barayne by reason of age there yssued a posteritie so many in numbre as are the starres of the sâ—ye and the sande in the sea shore For he loked for sonnes and nephewes not after the kynred of bloud but after the imitacion of faith wherby al we are the ofspring and posteritie of Abraham whiche do beleue the promises of the gospel Therfore not onely Abraham but also all his true posteritie were of suche constaunt fayth that very death bereaued not them therof The texte These all died according to faith when they had not receyued the promises but saw theÌ„ a far of and beleued them and saluted them and confessed that they were straungers and pilgremes on the yearth For they that say such thinges declare that they seke a couÌ„trey Also if they had bene myndeful of the countrey from wheÌ„ce they came out they had leasure to haue returned agayne but now they desire a better that is to saye an heauenly Wherefore God hymselfe is not a shamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a cytie For all these dyed when they as yet had not the promysses perfourmed but lawe them a farre of by fayth and beleued them and for greate desyre saluted them puttyng so lytle trust in this lande wherein no man maye lyue anye long space that they confessed them selfes straungers and pylgrymes not onely in Palestyne but in the whole worlde For oftetymes they call this lyfe a pilgrimage and straunge dwellyng And Dauid in the mystical Psalme confesseth himselfe to be a pylgryme on the lande as all his forefathers and elders were and yet reigned he in Palestine and builded there a citie And verely this countre y was compassed about with very narrowe lymites and a great parte thereof came not to the possession of the Hebrues the ofspryng successours of Abraham bycause they coulde not driue out the olde possessioners neyther dyd Moyses entre into the same but behelde and saluted if a farre of from a mountayne when he was aboute to passe out of the world and yet had he no mistrust of the promyses Therefore sence they confesse themselues to be pylgrymes they sufficiently declare that they desyre and long for a countrey What countrey seke they after vnto whom all this worlde is an exile and banishement They forsoke their countrey of Chaldey the whiche if they had so sore longed for it was not so farre of but that they myghte haue had conueniente recourse thider at pleasure Therfore they longed not for that but for an other couÌ„trey better then it wherin they myght liue for euer quite exempte and deliured from all greuous sorowes and paynes of this wretched worlde This was that heauenly countrey into the whiche God called them out from theyr owne for the loue wherof he wylled them so to lyue in this worlde as thoughe they were not therin And for this cause almyghtie God where he is the maker soueraigne Lorde of all men calleth himselfe speciallye the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob For he is properly the God of those that haue put their whole trust and all aydes of felicitie in him And vnto suche hath he prepared not an earthly but a celestiall citie in the whiche they reygne alwayes in blysse with him for whose sake they contemned all thynges The texte By faith Abraham offered by Isaac when he was proued and offered hym being his only begotten sonne in whom he had receiued the promisses And to hym it was sayd â—â— Isaac shall thy sede be called for he considered that God was hable to rayse hym up agayn from death Therefore receiued he hym also for an ensample of the resurreccy on By faith dyd Isaac blesse Iacob and Esau concernynge thynges to come Was not this also a notable exaumple of fayth in Abraham that when God tryeng howe vnfaynedly he trusted hym commaunded hym to offre vp in sacrifice his sonne Isaac where as he was hys onely sonne and he in whose name the posteritie was promysed for these were the wordes of the promyser Thy sede shall be called in Isaac yet he without further delaye dyd as he was coÌ„mauÌ„ded to do not reasonyng here with himselfe on this wise Of whom shal I haue posteritie if I sley hym in whom onely resteth all the hope of my posteritie But he consydered this in his mynde that God who made the promyse coulde not lye and that he was able yf it pleased hym to reyse his deade sonne the multiplier of his stocke euen from death And because he beleued the resurrection of the dead it was therfore gyuen him to bryng home his sonne againe with him beyng as it were restored to lyfe notwithstaÌ„dyng he was as much as in the father laye dead who euen then represented by a certayne figure the resurrection of Iesu Christe to come This was also a manyfest example of a mynde hauyng a great confidence in God that when Isaac saye on hys death bedde and had not as yet receyued the felicitie promysed of God yet was he bolde to promyse the same to Iacob and Esau his sonnes when he blessed theÌ„ both foreseyng both theyr lyues and the contrarie rewarde that eche of them shoulde haue So quycke of syght is faith that she seeth euen those thinges as present whiche are farre distant from the bodely senses The texte By faith Iacob when he was in dying blessed bothe the soÌ„nes of Ioseph and boâ—â—â— hymselfe toward the toppe of his scepter By faith Ioseph when he dyed remembred the departynge of the children of Israel and gaue commaundement of his bones It came of lyke faithe that Iacob at the hower of his death blessed all the sonnes of Ioseph not ignoraunt what was to come who crossynge hys armes layed his right hande vpon Ephraim beyng on his left syde and his lefte haÌ„de vpon Manasse standynge on hys ryghte syde nothynge doubtynge but that woulde come to passe which the holy ghost tolde him before shoulde happen But this faithfull olde man saw a greate deale farther what time he kyssinge the toppe of the sceptre
not their husbandes though they be heathens but study by their owne maners to prouoke them vnto better He warneth the husbandes to beare with their wyues and to absteyne somtymes from hauing to do with them so as they may the more apply them selues to praier Than he prouoketh men alter the example of Christ to suffre displeasures and not to ymagine howe to requyte wronge with wronge but to deuise howe to ouercome their euyll doers with softenes and well doynges And these matters he treateth of in the thre first Chaptres and in the beginning of the fourth After these he exhorteth men vnto newenesse of life and dissuadeth from the heathens vices He allureth men vnto sobrenesse vnto watching to continual prayers and aboue other vnto mutuall charytie vnto hospitalitie and to do good turnes one for an other Agayne he enticeth men paciently to suffer persecucions layed vpon them for Christes name sake Than he informeth bishops and in them the people vnder their charge In the ende he reporteth that he wrote an other epistle vnto them by Siluanus which was loste This epistle it appeareth he wrote from BabiloÌ„ for in the name of that churhe he saluteth them if any man allowe not the vnderstanding of Rome by Babylon The paraphrase of D. Erasmus of Roterodame vpon the first Epistle of S. Peter Peter an Apostle of Iesu Christ to them that dwell here and there as strangers thorow out Pontus Galacia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia electe accordyng to the â—oreknowledge of God the father thorowe the sanctifying of the spirite vnto obedience and spriâ—eâ—lyng of the â—loude of Iesus Christe Grace be with you and peace be multiplyed PEter somtyme a disciple and a contynuall gâ—â—st but nowe an Embassadour and Apostle of Iesu Christ to all them that dwell here and therein the coastes of litell Asia at Pontus Galacia Cappadocia and in that parte that is properly named Asia whiche the Ephesians haue and Bithiâ—â—a whome either the stormy tempestes of warres haue in tymes paste scatred abroade some to on place some to an other or elles whome the rageing cruellie of them which hated the name of Christe hathe giltelessy dryuen out of the places where their fathers dwelt before them and â—re by that meanes nowe comfortles amonge straâ—nge nacions as it were danyshed men beyng in dede for feare of men thrust out of their natyue countrey but yet not excluded ne banyshed neither depryued frome the offyce of Ghospell preathing which God the prince of al men bestowed chiefly vnto the lande and nacion of Iewes after suche a sorte that he woulde for al that haue it commune to all them whome soeuer he hath chosen For lyke as those are neuer the better for being borne and leading their life at Hierusalem which fet naught by the doctrine of Iesus Christ euen so shal it defâ—aâ—de no man in that he dwelleth amonge the vncircumcised and prophane Gentiles so that in stede of Moses lawe he embrace the grace of the ghospell For it is not the obseruacion of the lawe whâ—t with the Iewes are commonely puffed vp that bringeth true saluacion neither kynredde or place but the free eleccion of God He is a ryght Iewe in dede wihche what countrey soeueâ— he dwell in or what kynred soeuer he is borne of acknowledgeth Iesus Christe to be the aâ—tour of true saluacion which dyed not for one nacion of people alone but for the whole vniuersall worlde But in yâ— we so acknowlege him we are not endebted to the meâ—tte of obseruing the lawe but vnto the free goodnesse of God whiche choseth out of al maner of nacions calleth vnto the lyberal fredome of the gospell whome soeuer it standeth with hys pleasure to â—all vntoit For it neither came of late sodaynly in to hys mynde to saue al maner of mortal men by thys meane ne yet enforced with our wel doinges helayth this vp as a reward for vs as though we had so merited but this was deâ—reed of god the father by his eternal couÌ„saill that he would opeÌ„ the porte of saluacioÌ„ not to the Iewes only but to al nacions vniuersally not by circuÌ„cision not by keping yâ— custome of the sabboth neither by choise of meates ne yet by other ceremonies of Moses lawe which are corporal matters nothing but certain shadowes of spiritual thinges that were geueÌ„ for a time but by true sanctificacion of the spirite which the spiritual lawe of yâ— gospel geueth vnto vs by yâ— which we are truly purged in dede from all oure synnes not for because we haue obserued the prescriptes of the olde law but because we playnly readily put our trust in the promisses of the ghospell not by sprinkling of the bloud of a calfe as it hath been hitherto wont to be done according to the custome of the law but by the sprinking of the precious bloud of the vndefiled and most acceptable sacrifice to God Iesus Christ whose vndeserued death wypeth cleane awaye from vs all the transgressions of oure former conuersacion once for al and after we be borne a new as it were into him through baptisme it restoreth vs vnto a new life And forasmuch as baptisme hath exempted vs from this world engraffed vs into the participacion of heauenly rewardes I will not pray for those goodes in getting and heaping together wherof the toylers of the world thinke theÌ„selfes fortunate but those goodes rather which purge vs cleane from erthly contagious infeccions and make vs worthy the prince of heauen Christ that is to say Grace that in distrusting your owne merites and in putting no confideÌ„ce in the ceremonies of the lawe you may looke for true saluacion of the freÌ„ bounteous liberalitie of God and in purtyng vnfayned trust in the ghospell And besides this I wishe Peace that beyng frely reconsiled to God by the bloud of Christe you may haue concorde both among your selfes and with all other not only hurting no body but also perdonyng other mennes fanites and requityng good turnes for euill the chaunce of which goodes lyke as you haue frely receyued of God euen so it staÌ„deth you in hand to apply your selfes vnto godly studies that you may waxe riche in the encreasing vsury of good workes more and more not onely persisting stedfast in that you haue begonne but also going forward dayly better and better vntill the day come wherin the rewarde of immortalitie shal be openly geuen wherof you haue now conceiued a certaine assured hope out of the ghospell of Christe that we should therby chalenge no prayse vnto our selues The texte Blessed be God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe which according to his aboundant mercy begatte vs agayne vnto a lyuely hope by that that Iesus Christs rose agayne from death to an iuheritaunce immortall and vndefyled and that perisheth not referâ—ed in heauen for you whiche are kept by the power of God thorowe fayth vnto saluacion which is prepared already to be shewed in the last time in the
and right true sonnes that trust in the promises of god the father and do after his prescribed commaundementes and neuer slyde agayne into their olde conuersacion whiche than through the ignoraunce of the Gospelles doctrine was endaungered with worldly concupiscences For it is conuenient that you diffre from them in affectes and maners from whom you dissent in profession The worlde is naught and from it you are already exempted and engraffed vnto Christ which is righteous holy and Innocent and to this ende are you chosen and called of the father the fountayne of al holines that like as you are in your profession so should you in al your life and doinges be pure vpright and vnblameable For the father will not acknowledge any to be his sonnes but those that be like manered vnto him For in dede this same thing he ment whan he spake to our auncetours Leuitici the xix Chapter Be you holy for I the lord your God am holy The puritie of Moses lawe could not haue ben ynough for you to absteine from touching of dead bodyes to haue your fete washen to absteine from the acte of matrimony God will haue all oure conuersacion and all our whole harte to be fre from al spottes of synnes For in dede these are the thinges that make vs playnly impure in the sight of god And although you cal vpon God by the name of a father crieng for his helpe in al thinges yet if you lyue in a filthy conuersacion you may not trust that he wil be mercifull vnto you or acknowledge you for his children seyng he estemeth noman eyther for his kynred or for his estates sake but onely after the merites of his conuersacion For nether shal the Iewe be pure if his conscience be defiled ne yet shall the vncircumcised be vnpure if he leade a godly and an innocent life The texte For as muche as ye knowe how that ye were not redemed with corruptible thynges as syluer and golde from youre vaine conuersacion whiche ye receauch by the tradicion of the fathers but with the precious bloude of Christe as of a lambe vndefiled and without spotte which was ordeyned before hande euen before the woorlde was made but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes which by his meanes do beleue on god that raysed him vp from death and glorifyed hym that ye myght haue faythe and hope towarde God euen ye whiche haue purifyed your soules thorowe the spirite in obeyng the truthe with brotherly loue vufayned se that ye loue one another with a pure herte feruently for ye are borne a newe not of mortall seed but of immortal by the word of god which lyueth and lasteth for euer For al flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the floure of grasse The grasse wyddereth and the floure falleth awaye but the worde of the Lorde endureth euer And this is the worde which by the gospel was preached vnto you Therfore it remayneth that you which are desirous to haue this father mercifull vnto you haue his vnauoydable iudgemēt alwayes before your eies while you liue in this exile so order your cōuersaciō that there be nothing wherfore the father may be offended iustly shut you out of the inheritaūce of the celestial countrey as vnnaturall disobedyent children The greater the price is wherwith Christe hath frely redemed you so muche the greater hede ought you to take lest for your wilfulnes and vnthankefulnes you be turned agayn into your former bonde thraldom There is none more myserable a bondage than to bee the slaue of synne Those that for a litle money are made fre frō theyr maisters bondage become of bondmē fre men watch about them by al meanes lest for theyr vnthankefulnes they may be drawen agayne into the bondage that they were in before and will you than commit that offence to fall again into y◠old tyranny to be willingly the bond slaues of Moses lawe had rather serue vaine obseruaunces that your elders deliuered from one to an other vnto you than to obey the gospel of God seing you knowe that you were deliuered once from them not with a commune tryfling price as golde or syluer but with an offring muche more holy than Moses lawe knoweth of For you are not made cleane with the bloud of a calfe sprinkled but with the precious bloud of Iesus Christe who like a lābe cleane without any spotte pure and vndefiled from all filthinesse of synne was offred for our synnes on the aultare of the crosse Nether yet was that done by chaunce at all auentures but the sonne of God was appointed to make this sacrifice from euerlastyng and before the makyng of the worlde that he might through his deathe reconcile the father vnto vs howbeit the secret deuice and decre of Goddes purposed mynde which was many long yeares vnknowen to the worlde is now at length in these later times openly manifested and a new matter is set forth before mennes eyes to loke vpon whiche in the purposed mynde of God was not new And it was geuen for your saluacion sake vnto whom Christe that was made man dyed and is preached bestoweth thus muche that wher as you had a vayne truste vpon the ceremonies of the lawe now distrusting your selues you must put your whole trust in God the father who like as he would haue Christe to dye to wype awaye your synnes euen so hathe he raysed him vp from death and for the paynfull trauailes of this life which he suffred he gaue him the glory of immortalitie to thentente that as you haue beleued that whiche he hath done in folowing his example you might also trust surely to haue the same reward to be bestowed on you in that you put your whole affiaūce in God which what he hath already perfourmed in his sonne the same also will he vndoubtedly performe in al them which lyue after suche sort that they may be worthyly accompted among the membres of Christ in to whose body you are engraffed synce that you were regenerate through baptisme in to hym Before that tyme you did after your owne lustes that is to say embraceing carnall shadowes of thinges in stede of true ryght thinges but now since you haue clensed your soules not with the obseruacion of Moses purgeing sacrifices but in that you haue through faith obeyed the trueth of the gospell whiche by the spyryte of Christe hath purged your consciences you must endeuour your selues both to be correspondente vnto the head Christe in vprightnes of life and be answerably like vnto the concorde of the body by an excedyng and a playne brotherly and an vnfeyned loue among your selues that lyke as Christ loued you not after a commen sort nor after a carnall maner of loue euen so should you loue euery one other with a spiritual loue New kynred requireth new affeccion Before this tyme you Iewes loued Iewes after a carnall affeccionate loue but now beyng by a
rather sticke still vnto Moses than vnto him and haue reiected him not willyng to haue hym put in the buylding that they purposed to buylde he is contrary wise a reproche and a very destruccion For him that they disdeyned to haue in their buylding god wold haue to be head stone of the corner by whom he might knyt together and conteyne as it were the wall on eithersyde that is to saye both the sortes of people of the Gentiles and of the Iewes by whose strong defence the buylding should be safely preserued against all assaultes him should who so euer were aduersaries vnto this new buylding stumble at and â—â—ne against And they stumble whosoeuer be offended at the worde of the Gospell and beleue it not seing Moses lawe made them ready before hande to this ende that they shoulde beleue the gospell as sone as the thing was truly performed in dede that the lawe signified in shadow Therfore those that haue disallowed Christ god hathe also disallowed them agayne But as for you whom they reiecte with Christ he hath made that chosen kynred wherof Moses spake in tymes past that holy nacion and peculiar people whom god hath take to him selfe with an excellent price that like as the people of the Hebrues being deliuered in tymes paste by Moses leading from the tyranye of Egipt and conueied through so many daungerous matters into the lande that they had long hoped vpon preached vnto the worlde the goodnes of god shewed to them warde euen so you hauing in remembraunce his fre liberalitie towardes you also should glorifie among al men the wonderfull power of god which by a new meane hauyng conquered the enemies of your saluacion hathe deliuered you out of the darkenes of ignoraunce and vicious lyuing into his woÌ„derful light of the gospels trueth by the which all the errours of the gentiles and shadowes of the Iewes are cleane wyped away Vnto you therfore hathe chaunced this honour that they which persecuted Christ surely reckoned vpoÌ„ to them selues yet cleane contrary the matters being turned vpside downe the thing chaunced that Osee sayd before should come The people which before were the most abiectes that is to say far of from god is now a peculiar people vnto god And the people whom god had reiected as vnworthy of his mercy hath felt by experience the mercy of god without helpe of circâ—cision of the lawe and is receiued through the only gospel like faith into the felowship of the sonne of god The texte Dearlye beloued I beseche you as straungers and pylgrems abstayue â–ª from fleshly Iustes whiche fyght agayâ—ste the soule and se that ye haue honeste conuersacyon amonge the Gentyles that where as they backbyte you as ouyll docâ—s they maye se youre good woorkes and prayse God in the daye of disitacyon Submytte youre selues therfore vnto all manner ordynaunce of manne for the Lordes sake whether it â—ee vnto the Kynge as vnto the â—heâ—e heed other vnto rulars as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punishment of euel dowars but for the laude of them that do well For so is the wyl of God that with wel doyng ye maye stoppe the mouthes of foulyshe and ignoraunte men â–ª as fre and not as hauyng the libertye for a cloke of malicyousnes but euen as the seruauntes of God Honoure all men Loue brotherly felowshipe Feate God honoure the kyng Seruauntes obey your masters with feare not onely yf they be good and courteous but also though they be frowarde For this is thaÌ„ke worthy yf a man for conseyence towarde God endure grefe and suffer wronge vndeserued For what prayse is it yf whell ye be buffeâ—ed for your fautes ye take it paciently But and yf when ye do wel ye suffer wrong and take it paciently then is there thanke with God Than sence ye acknowlege the singular liberalitie of god towardes you whome he hathe redemed with the price of bloud whom he hathe reconsyled vnto himselfe by the deathe of his sonne whome his will was to haue to bee the membres of his onely begotten and the lyuyng stones of the heauenly buylding whome he hathe chosen into the right of children and called into the enheritaunce of immortalitie I beseche you deately beloued to frame youre selues in holynes of life like vnto your owne dignitie like vnto the gentil goodnes of god and vnto so high a rewarde You are regenerate vnto heauen being in this woorlde as foryners and straungers make spede thither where your countrey is where the enheritaunce of heauen is layed vp in stoare for you that you be not called away froÌ„ this desyre by earthlye and grosse appetites which with all manner of engynes make warre and â—atail agaynste the spirite which is gredyly desyrous of heauenly thinges Let your conuersacion accorde with your profession that your maners may allure vnto Christe other folkes also that are paganes among whome you lyue vnto whome it is so muche requisite for you to geue no maner of occasion that they maye rightfully iudge euil of the ghospelles doctrine yf they shoulde perceaue you in the commune custome of life to bee no whit better than other be that the entier vprightenes of your manners and wel doing towardes all menne may stoppe theyr backbyting reportes wherwith they speake euil of you for malice that they beare to Christ and for the hate of religion whiche they suppose to be wicked supersticion whiche thinges euidently perceaued they shal repent also and acknowlege their owne errour being inspired with the mercye of god whan it shal please him whiche hathe chosen you to draw them to him also and that they maye than by your godly workes glorifie him whome before they abhorred because they knew him not This worlde hathe also an order of his owne whiche by occasion of religioÌ„ ought not to be disturbed as much as may be sauing the glory of christ Euen so Christ would haue you to be free from synnes that you shoulde neuertheles suffer euery thing willingly for the gospelles busynes sake obeying and submytting your selues not only vnto Christian magistrates but vnto the heathen magistrates also whether he be a kyng you must obey him as most excellent in the publike autoritie whether they be rulers you muste obey them as by whom being sent to trauail abroade the king administreth the matters of the coÌ„mon wealth Nether let it moue you that they bee heathens that thei be Idolatours but acknowledge their office that is necessarye vnto the coÌ„mune wealthe which consisteth of sondry kyndes of men and religions For they beare rule with autoritie to restrayne offenders and wicked persones by feare of punyshement to allure those that bee good with rewardes to doe theyr duetie You haue not nede of their fearing inasmuch as you do of your owne accorde more than mans lawes require They haue no nede of mannes commendacion whom the rewarde of heauen maketh feruent and yet it is requisite also to acknowlege
kingdome of Christ set forwarde thorowe the infynite mercye grace of god whiche beareth rule in all the children of the kyngdome of Christ in all the electe both in this lyfe in the kyngdome of heauen For the kyngdome of heueÌ„ taketh his begynnyng here in this world in the coÌ„gregacion of the faythful it shal dayly increase thorow the word of god vntyl it be made perfyght in the euerlastynge kyngdome of god with all the electe in heauen The texte ¶ And I behelde and I hearde the voyce of many angels about the throne and about the beastes and the elders and I hearde thousande thousandes sayinge with a loude voyce Worthy is yâ— lambe that was kylled to receyue power ryches wysdom and strength and honour glorye blessing And al the creatures which are in heauen on the earth vnder the earth and in the see and all that are in them hearde I saying blessyng honour glorye power be vnto him that sytteth vpon the seate vnto the lambe for euer â—ore And the foure beastes sayd Amen And the .xxiiii. elders fell vpon their faces and worshypped him that lyueth for euermore The very meanyng of S. Iohn is here in this place as it is in his gospell to proue the faythe of the godheade of Christ against all heretyckes And for this cause he ascrybeth vnto Christ in this place so many dyuine names and properties apperteynyng onely to yâ— godheade first yâ— he shal be inuocate prayed vnto not onely of yâ— patryarkes prophetes but also of al angels whoÌ„ no creature doth excel in worthynes but onely yâ— euerlastyng the very true onely one god And thus he setteth furthe yâ— godly worthines of yâ— meeke crucified Christ of the Lambe yâ— was slayne offered vp Vnto whoÌ„ for his humblenes eueÌ„ vnto yâ— crosse suche a name is geueÌ„ as is aboue all names And therfore the knees of all creatures both in heaueÌ„ in earth in hel shal bowe vnto him For vnto him perteyneth all power yâ— is to saye all omnipotency or all myghtines all ryches and spiritual treasures to distrybute yâ— same accordynge vnto his wil all wysdome whiche is lyke equall with yâ— omniscieÌ„ce ful knowledge of al thinges of the father All strength ouer aboue al yâ— might power of all this wyde world All honour prayse laud for his excedyng mercy goodnes for his infynite benefites Vnto whome as vnto their creatour al creatures are made subiect Not onely vnto him yâ— sitteth vpoÌ„ yâ— stoole but also vnto yâ— Lambe whiche is Christe very true god maÌ„ And vnto him with yâ— father the holy gost apperteyneth al laud and honour for euer and euer whiche is the onely one god Whiche thing shall be also ascrybed and geuen vnto hym with the vnyforme and full assent of all the holy electe bothe in heauen and in earth ¶ The .vi. Chaptre The texte ¶ And I saw when yâ— lambe opened one of yâ— seales I hearde one of the .iiii. beastes say as it were the noyse of thonder come see I saw And beholde there was a white horse and he yâ— sat on him had a bowe a crowne was geuen vnto him he went forthe conqueryng and for to ouercome And when he had opened the seconde seale I hearde the seconde beaste say come se And there went out another horse that was redde power was geueÌ„ to him yâ— sat theron to take peace from the earth and that they shoulde kyll one another And there was geuen vnto him a great swearde THe seuen special articles and misteries of yâ— christen faith maye be opened eueÌ„ lyke as .vii. seales thorow yâ— holy goost in yâ— holy scripture of yâ— olde newe testameÌ„t As yâ— excellent clerke Erasmus doth proue by diuerse testimonies in his paraphrases vpon the .xxiiii. Chapter of luke But yet we maye vnderstande the openynge of these seales after an other maner First by yâ— white horse may be vnderstaÌ„de yâ— first state of yâ— christeÌ„ churche which was altogether pure without blemyshe or faut holy well armed ready prepared yea also as swyfte as an horse vnto al godlines At yâ— which tyme yâ— kyngdome of Christ did most floryshe and increase in yâ— who le world He yâ— sytteth vpoÌ„ this horse hathe a crowne vpoÌ„ him of yâ— kyngdome of heaueÌ„ with a bowe of yâ— euangelycal doctrine wherwith he hath conquered ouercome blessedly yâ— errors of ydolatry slayne them with a glorious triumphe victorye By yâ— seconde seale vnderstaÌ„de yâ— state of yâ— kyngdome of Christ in yâ— tyme of yâ— martirs froÌ„ the time of S. SteueÌ„ vntil the tyme of CoÌ„stantyne the Emperour Whan as yâ— churche was paynted with bloode thorow out yâ— hole world thorow yâ— tyrannye of the Romyshe Emperour Not with standynge yâ— at the same tyme also yâ— Iewes suffred extreme calamities great plages of death vnder the reygne of Tytus Vespasyan Adriane All which maye be sygnified by yâ— deade horse by yâ— great sworde For the Romyshe Emperours did coÌ„tinually slaye one an other besydes yâ— diuerse of theÌ„ peryshed otherwise also And this may be wel vnderstaÌ„deÌ„ by him yâ— sitteth vpoÌ„ yâ— red horse The texte ¶ And when he had opened the thirde seale I hearde yâ— thirde beaste say come and se and I behelde lo a blacke horse he that sate on him had a payre of balances in his hande And I heard a voyce in yâ— myddes of the foure beastes say a measure of wheate for a peny and thre measures of barly for a peny and oyle and wyne se thou hurte not By the thirde seale the beast by the blacke horse thou mayest vnderstande the great dearth which happened vnto the christians the heathen yâ— Iewes and the Romaines at suche tyme as eyther Claudius or Traianus reygned Emperours Althoughe the prouidence of god did alwaye prouyde sufficieÌ„t noryshement for those yâ— were his as it appeareth euydently to them yâ— reade the Cronycles of that tyme. The balances maye betoken the penury want of vytels for as muche as they were compelled to wey measure how much euery one should haue dayly for his parte to lyue with For the measure of wheate is vnderstande to be the porcion that was allowed for one man for his dayes spending The texte ¶ And when he had opened the fourth seale I hearde the voyce of the fourth beaste saye come se and I looked And beholde a pale horse his name yâ— sate on him was death â—ell folowed after him power was geuen vnto them ouer the fourthe parte of the earth to kyl with swearde with honger and with death that commeth of vermen of the earth By the fourthe seale the beast the voyce and the pale horse mayst thou vnderstande the heretykes whiche dyd dyuerse wayes and a longe tyme vexe the holy churche with false
of this world of spiritual prelates and religious monkes and friers c. For all these and other suche lyke are the hornes crounes and the great tayle of this dragon whiche watcheth studieth and seketh all wayes and meanes to hurte and hynder the true faithe the christen lyfe and the holsome doctrine that is to saye our sauiour Christ in the faithfull And for this cause the doctrine of the gospell and the christen faithe hathe bene fayne to suffer muche continually euen from the beginnyng of the worlde and immediately after the christen faith was first taught preached And therfore many holy and faithfull christianes haue bene fayne to flee and yâ— trueth of the gospel in continuaunce of tyme was straunge and vnknowen vnto the moost parte of the hyghe learned doctours and potentates throughout the worlde Althoughe the true christen faithe was alwayes preserued thoughe it were in fewe and in abiecte persons of slender reputaâ—ion And this continued a longe space namely from the tyme of Constantine the Emperour whan as the christen churche semed in maner to haue escaped all daunger and perill of decaye and destruccion vntil our tyme wherin she appeareth againe wonderfully after a straunge maner in despite of al tirannes and of all the power of hell And nombring from that tyme of Constantine I meane vntyll our tyme euen this nomber of yeares shall euydentlye appeare reckenynge dayes for yeares as it is a commune thing in scripture If any man can finde out any plainer vnderstanding of this place for in suche darke and obscure places of scripture no man ought to be frowarde or contencious let them take it and folowe it The texte ¶ And there was a great batayle in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and preuayled not nether was their place founde any more in heauen And the great dragon that olde serpent called the deuell and Sathanas was cast out Whiche deceaueth all the worlde And he was cast into the earth and his angels were cast our also The power of God the holy worde of God and the spirite of Christ which we maye vnderstande by Mychaell who by interpretacion is who is lyke god and Gabriel the strength of God hath in all ages and tymes bene dryuen to holde batel with Lucifer and Sathan with the pryde of mans wysdome whiche haue hindred the true honour of God the true seruice religioÌ„ of God the true faith and haue euer withstanden the holy and pure gospell But this worde of God hath alwayes had the victorie althoughe with muche labour and daunger and sometyme not without harme and losse but not of the electe whiche thing shall continue vntyll suche tyme as our sauiour shall haue his wil and pleasure of this battell and with the breath of his mouthe shall slaye the sonne of the dragon the damnable Antichrist For the whiche thing we ought continuallye to call vpon the mercye and goodnes of God in a stedfast and perfight hope and confidence as he hath taught vs halowed bee thy name Thy kingdome come Thy wyll be done no lesse in earth than it is infalliblye in heauen For the haÌ„de of God is not shortened but is able to gyue whatsoeuer he hath commaunded vs to aske and â—o praye for The peace also and quietnes of the elect and faithfull to lyue in godlynes maye be wysshed to be more perfight as is also promysed thorowe the prophetes than it hath bene hitherto for lacke of the true sounde doctrine of the gospel no smal space althoughe the very perfyght peace can not be obteyned but onely in heauen in the eternall quiet kyngdome of Christe The texte ¶ And I hearde a loude voyce saying in heauen is nowe made saluacion and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ For the accuser of oure brethren is caste downe whiche accused them before our God daie and night And they oeurcame him by the bloude of the lambe and by the worde of their testimonye and they loued not their lyues vnto the death Therfore reioyce heauens and ye that dwell in them Wo to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the deuil is come downe vnto you whiche hathe great wrathe because he knoweth that he hath but a shorte tyme. Thus throughe the spirite of Christ with the continual and sincere preaching of the gospel Sathan and his champioÌ„ Antichrist are ouercome And thus shal the voyce prayse and thankesgeuing of the faythful be heard in the churche as it is here written now is Saluacion thorowe faithe and the strength thorow loue and the kyngdome or dominion in the churche become gods Nowe maye all men see the power of gods worde the iudgement of Christ against the deuel whiche would haue roted out yâ— rightuosnes of faith in Christ would haue directed and appointed christen men vnto the rightuosnes of workes and to the hope of their owne satisfaccion wherby he woulde alwayes haue founde occasion to accuse all men before God vnder a false pretence But the preachinge of the gospell hath disclosed this suttell falsehede and all suche lyke and declareth that onely the bloude of the lambe and nothing els can wype and washe awaye the synnes of all the worlde yf they trust in god thorowe Christ with a true lyuely faith thorowe the grace and mercye of God and the rightuousnes of Christ which he dystributeth vnto al his faithfull electe and maketh them partakers therof That by this meanes Sathan can haue no quarell against the workes of the faithfull whiche lyke thankfull parsons remayne and continue stedfastly in their true faith in al maner of affliccion aduersitie eueÌ„ vnto very death And therfore the true ioye of all godly consciences waxeth and increaseth in the churche And so their blisse and saluacion beginneth in this worlde thorow faith which faith worketh an innocent and a godly lyfe thus continueth euerlastingly in heauen But on yâ— contrarye parte woo vnto them whiche seeke their rightuousnes by men at certen places certaine times certaine workes and certaine meates for they can neuer fynde any true rightuousnes but thorowe the falsehede wickednes of yâ— deuil they fall eyther into desperacion or els into presumpcioÌ„ wherunto SathaÌ„ applieth al his study yâ— they fall not froÌ„ his kingdoÌ„ nor escape out of his fingers For he seketh nothing but yâ— damnacioÌ„ of such The texte ¶ And when the dragon saw that he was caste vnto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forthe the man childe And to yâ— woman were geuen two winges of a great Egle yâ— she might flye into yâ— wildernes into her place where she is nourished for a tyme times and halfe a tyme from the presence of the serpent And the dragon caste oute of his mouthe water after the woman as it had bene a ryuer because she shoulde haue bene caught of the floude And the earth holpe the