might be disceaued by this meanes also shulde I defyle myne age make it abhominable For though I were now delyuered from the tormentes of men yet shulde I not escape the honde of allmightie God nether alyue ner deed Wherfore I will dye manfully do as it becommeth myne age Wherby I maie peraduenture leaue an exāple of stedfastnesse for soch as be yonge yf I w t a ready mynde manfully dye an honest death for the most worthy and holy lawes When he had sayde these wordes immediatly he was drawen to the tormēte Now they that led him and were mylde a litle afore beganne to take displeasure because of the wordes y t he sayde for they thought he had spokē them of an hye mynde But whē he was in his martirdome he mourned and sayde Thou O LORDE which hast the holy knowlege knowest openly that where as I might be delyuered frō death I suffre these sore paynes of my body but in my mynde I am wel contente to suffre them because I feare the. Thus this man dyed leauynge y e memoriall of his death for an example not only vnto yonge men but vnto all y e people to be stedfast and manly The VII Chapter IT happened also that there were vij brethren with their mother taken compelled by the kynge agaynst the lawe to eate swynes flesh namely w t scourges and lethren whippes And one of them which was y e chefe sayde What sekest thou and what requyrest thou of vs As for vs we are ready rather to suffre death then to offende the lawes of God and the fathers Then was the kynge angrie and bad heare cauldrons and brasen pottes Which when they were made hote immediatly he commaunded y e tonge of him that spake first to be cut out to pull the skynne ouer his heade to payre of the edges of his handes and fete yee and that in the sight of his mother and the other of his brethren Now when he was cleane marred he commaunded a fyre to be made so whyle there was eny breath in him to be fryed in the caudron In the which when he had bene longe payned the other brethren with their mother exorted him to dye manfully sayēge The LORDE God shal regarde the treuth and comforte vs like as Moses testifieth and declareth in his songe sayenge and he wyl haue compassion on his seruauntes So whē the first was deed after this maner they brought the seconde to haue him in derision pulled the skynne with the hayre ouer his heade and axed him yf he wolde eate swynes flesh or he were payned in y e other membres also thorow out his body But he answered boldly and sayde I will not do it And so was he tormented like as y e first And whē he was euē at y e geuinge vp of y e goost he sayde Thou most vngracious personne puttest vs now to death but the kynge of y e worlde shall rayse vs vp which dye for his lawes in y e resurreccion of euerlastinge life After him was the thirde had in derision and when he was requyred he putt out his tonge and that right soone holdinge forth his hondes manfully and spake with a stedfast faith These haue I of heauē but now for the lawe of God I despyse them for my trust is that I shall receaue them of him agayne In so moch that the kynge and they which were with him marueled at the yonge mans boldnesse that he nothinge regarded the paynes Now when he was deed also they vexed the fourth with tormentes in like maner So when he was now at his death he sayde It is better that we beynge put to death of mē haue oure hope and trust in God for he shal rayse vs vp agayne As for the thou shalt haue no resurreccion to life And when they had spoken to the fifth they tormēted him Then loked he vnto y e kinge sayde Thou hast power amōge mē for thou art a mortall man also y i self to do what thou wilt but thinke not y t God hath forsaken o r generacion Abyde the tary styll a whyle thou shalt se the greate power of God how he wil punysh the thy sede After him they brought the sixte which beynge at the poynte of death sayde Be not disceaued o kynge for this we suffre for oure owne sakes because we haue offended oure God therfore marvelous thinges are shewed vpon vs. But thinke not thou which takest in honde to stryue agaynst God that thou shalt escape vnpunyshed This excellent mother worthy to be well reported of and had in remembraunce sawe hir seuen sonnes dye in one daye and suffred it paciētly because of the hope that she had in God Yee she exorted euery one of them in especiall and that boldly and stedfastly w t parfite wyszdome wakynge vp hir wyuysh thought with a manly stomacke and sayde vnto them I can not tell how ye came in my wombe for I nether gaue you breth ner soule no ner life It is not I y t ioyned y t mēbres of yo bodies together but y e maker of y e worlde which fashioned y e byrth of mā begāne all thinges Euen he also of his owne mercy shall geue you breath and life agayne like as ye now regarde not youre owne selues for his lawes sake Now thought Antiochus that she had despysed him therfore he let her go with hir reproues and beganne to exorte the yongest sonne which yet was left not only w t wordes but swore vnto him w t an ooth y t he shulde make him a rich welthy man yf he wolde forsake y e lawes of his fathers yee and y t he shulde geue him what so euer were necessary for him But whē the yonge man wolde not be moued for all these thinges he called his mother counceled her to saue hir sonnes life And when he had exorted her with many wordes she promised him that she shulde speake vnto hir sonne So she turned her vnto him laughinge y e cruell tyraunte to scorne spake w t a boylde voyce O my sonne haue pite vpon me y t bare y e ix monethes in my wombe that gaue the sucke norished the and brought the vp vnto this age I beseke the my sonne loke vpon heauen and earth and all that is therin and considre that God made them and mans generacion of naught so shalt thou not feare this hangman but suffre death stedfastly like as thy brethren haue done that I maye receaue the agayne in the same mercy with thy brethren Whyle she was yet speakynge these wordes the yonge man sayde Whom loke ye for ▪ Wherfore do ye tary I wil not obeye the kynges commaundement but the lawe that God gaue vs by Moses As for the that ymaginest all myschefe agaynst the Iewes thou shalt not escape the honde of God for we suffre these thinges because of oure synnes And though
with the synne for yf thorow the synne of one many be deed yet moch more plenteously came the grace and gifte of God vpon many by the fauoure that belonged vnto one man Iesus Christ. And the gifte is not onely ouer one synne as death came thorow one synne of one that synned For the iudgment came of one synne vnto condempnacion but the gifte to iustifye fro many synnes For yf by y e synne of one death raigned by the meanes of one moch more shal they which receaue the abūdaunce of grace and of the gifte vnto righteousnes raigne in life by y e meanes of one Iesus Christ. Likewyse thē as by the synne of one condemnacion came on all men euen so also by the righteousnes of one came the iustififienge off life vpon all men For as by the disobedience of one many became synners euen so by the obedience of one shal many be made righteous But the lawe in the meane tyme entred that synne shulde increace Neuertheles where abundaunce of synne was there was yet more plenteousnes of grace that like as synne had reigned vnto death euē so mighte grace reigne also thorow righteousnes to euerlastinge life by the meanes of Iesus Christ. The VI. Chapter WHat shal we saye then Shal we contynue in synne that there maye be abundaunce of grace God forbyd How shal we lyue in synne y t are deed from it Knowe ye not that all we which are baptysed in to Iesu Christ are baptysed in to his death Therfore are we buried w t him by baptyme in to death that like as Christ was raysed vp from the deed by the glory of the father euen so we also shulde walke in a new life For yf we be grafted w t him vnto like death then shal we be like the resurreccion also For so moch as we knowe that oure olde man is crucified with him that the synfull body mighte ceasse that hence forth we shulde serue synne nomore For he that is deed is made righteous frō synne But yf we be deed with Christ we beleue that we shal lyue also with him and are sure that Christ raysed from the deed dyeth nomore Death shal haue nomore power ouer him For as touchinge that he dyed he dyed cōcernynge synne once but as touchinge that he lyueth he lyueth vnto God Likewyse ye also counte youre selues to be euen deed concernynge synne and to lyue vnto God thorow Iesus Christ oure LORDE Let not synne reigne therfore in youre mortall bodye that ye shulde obeye vnto the lustes of it Nether geue ye ouer youre membres vnto synne to be wapens of vnrighteousnes but geue ouer youre selues vnto God as they that off deed are become lyuynge and youre membres vnto God to be wapēs off righteousnes For synne shal not haue power ouer you in so moch as ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace How then Shal we synne because we are not vnder y e lawe but vnder grace God forbyd Knowe ye not that loke vnto whō ye geue ouer youre selues as seruauntes to obeye his seruauntes ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of synne vnto death or of obediēce vnto righteousnes But God be thanked that though ye haue bene the seruauntes of synne ye are now yet obedient of herte to the ensample off the doctryne whervnto ye are commytted For now that ye are made fre from synne ye are become the seruauntes of righteousnes I wil speake grosly because of the weaknes of youre flesh Like as ye haue geuen ouer youre membres to the seruyce of vnclennesse from one wickednesse to another Euē so now also geue ouer youre membres to the seruyce of righteousnesse that they maye be holy For whan ye were the seruauntes of synne ye were lowse from righteousnes What frute had ye at that tyme in those thinges wherof ye are now ashamed For the ende of soch thinges is death But now that ye be fre from synne and are become the seruauntes of God ye haue youre frute that ye shulde be holy but the ende is euerlastinge life For death is the rewarde of synne but the gifte of God is euerlastinge life The VII Chapter KNowe ye not brethren for I speake vnto them that knowe the lawe how that y e lawe hath power vpon a man as longe as he lyueth For the woman y t is in subieccion to the man is bounde vnto the lawe whyle the man lyueth but yf the man dye then is she lowsed from the lawe that concerneth the man Yf she be now with another man whyle the manlyneth she shal be called a wedlocke breaker But yf the man be deed then is she fre from the lawe so that she is no wedlocke breaker yf she be with another man Euen so my brethren ye also are deed vnto the lawe by the body of Christ that ye shulde be with another namely w t him which is raysed vp from the deed that we shulde brynge forth frute vnto God For whan we were in the flesh the synfull lustes which were stered vp by the lawe were mightie in oure membres to brynge forth frute vnto death But now are we lowsed from the lawe and deed vnto it that helde vs captyue so that we shulde serue in a new conuersacion of the sprete and not in the olde conuersacion of the letter What shal we saye then Is the lawe synne God forbyd Neuertheles I knewe not synne but by y e lawe For I had knowne nothinge of lust yf the lawe had not sayde Thou shalt not lust But then toke synne occasion at the commaundement and stered vp in me all maner of lust For without the lawe synne was deed As for me I lyued some tyme without lawe Howbeit whan the commaundement came synne renyued but I was deed And the very same commaundement that was geuen me vnto life was founde to be vnto me on occasion of death For synne toke occasion at the cōmaundement and disceaued me and slewe me by the same commaundement The lawe in dede is holy and the commaundement holy iust and good Is that then which is good become death vnto me God forbyd But synne that it mighte appeare how y t it is synne hath wroughte me death thorow good that synne mighte be out of measure synfull by the commaundement For we knowe that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder synne because I knowe not what I do For I do not y t I will but what I hate y t do I. Yf I do now that which I wil not thē graunte I that the lawe is good So then it is not I that do it but synne that dwelleth in me for I knowe that in me y t is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thinge To wyll is present w t me but to perfourme y t which is good I fynde not For y e good that I wyll do I not but the euell which I wil not
thy honde let thy right honde fynde out all theÌ„ y t hate the. Thou shalt make theÌ„ lite a fyre ouen in tyme of thy wrath the LORDE shal destroye theÌ„ in his displeasure the fyre shall consume them Their frute shalt thou rote out of the earth their sede froÌ„ amoÌ„ge the childreÌ„ of men For they inteÌ„ded myschefe agaynst the ymagined soch deuyces as they were not able to perfourme Therfore shalt thou put theÌ„ to flight with thy stringes thou shalt make ready thine arowes agaynst the faces off them Be thou exalted LORDE in thine owne strength so wil we synge and prayse thy power The XXI A psalme of Dauid MY God my God why hast thou forsaken me y e wordes of my coÌ„playnte are farre fro my health O my God I crie in the daye tyme but thou hearest not and in the night season also I take no rest Yet dwellest thou in the Sanctuary o thou worshipe of Israel Oure father 's hoped in the they trusted in the aÌ„d thou dyddest delyuer them They called vpon the and were helped they put their trust in the and were not coÌ„founded But as for me I am a worme and no man a very scorne of meÌ„ and the outcast of the people All they y t se me laugh me to scorne they shute out their lippes and shake their heades He trusted in God let him delyuer him let him helpe hiÌ„ yf he wil haue him But thou art he that toke me out of my mothers woÌ„be thou wast â—â—y hope when I hanged yet vpon my mothers brestes I haue bene left vnto the euer sence I was borne thou art my God eueÌ„ fro my mothers wombe O go not fro me theÌ„ for trouble is harde at honde and here is none to helpe me Greate bulles are come aboute me fatt oxen close me in on euery syde They gape vpon me with their mouthes as it were a rampinge and roaringe lyon I am poured out like water all my bones are out of ioynt my hert in the myddest off my body is euen like meltinge waxe My strength is dried vp like a potsherde my tunge cleueth to my goomes and thou hast brought me in to the dust of death For dogges are come aboute me the couÌ„cell of y e wicked hath layed sege agaynst me They pearsed my hondes and my fete I might haue tolde all my bones as for them they stode staringe and lokinge vpon me They haue parted my garmentes amonge them aÌ„d cast lottes vpon my vesture But be not thou farre fro me o LORDE thou are my sucoure haist the to helpe me Delyuer my soule from the swearde my dearlinge from the power of the dogge Saue me from the lyons mouth and heare me froÌ„ amonge the hornes off the vnicornes So will I declare thy name vnto my brethren in the myddest off the congregacion will I prayse the. O prayse the LORDE ye that feare him Magnifie him all ye sede of Iacob let all y e sede of Israel feare hiÌ„ For he hath not despysed ner abhorred the myserable estate of the poore he hath not hyd his face frome but wheÌ„ I called vnto him he herde me I wil prayse the in the greate congregacion and perfourme my vowes in the sight off all theÌ„ that feare the. The poore shal eate aÌ„d be satisfied they y e seke after y e LORDE shal prayse him youre herte shal lyue for euer All the endes of the worlde shal remembre them selues be turned vnto the LORDE and all the generacions of the Heithen shal worshipe before him For the kyngdome is the LORDES and he shal be the gouernoure of y e Heithen All soch as be fat vpoÌ„ earth shal eate also and worshipe All they that lye in the dust and lyue so hardly shall fall downe before him The sede shall serue him and preach of the LORDE for euer They shal come declare his rightuousnes vnto a people that shal be borne whoÌ„ the LORDE hath made The XXII A psalme of Dauid THe LORDE is my shepherde I can wante nothinge He fedeth me in a grene pasture aÌ„d ledeth me to a fresh water He quickeneth my soule bringeth me forth in the waye of rightuousnes for his names sake Though I shulde walke now in the valley of the shadowe of death yet I feare no euell for thou art with me thy staffe thy shepehoke coÌ„forte me Thou preparest a â—â—ble before me agaynst mine enemies thou anoyntest my heade with oyle fyllest my cuppe full Oh let thy louynge kyndnes mercy folowe me all the dayes off my life that I maye dwell in the house off the LORDE for euer The XXIII A psalme of Dauid THe earth is the LORDES all that therin is the coÌ„pase of the worlde aÌ„d all y t dwell therin For he hath fouÌ„ded it vpoÌ„ the sees buylded it vpon the floudes Who shal go vp in to the hill off the LORDE Or who shal remayne in his holy place EueÌ„ he y t hath innoceÌ„t hoÌ„des a clene herte which lifteth not vp his mynde vnto vanite sweareth not to disceaue He shal receaue the blessinge froÌ„ the LORDE aÌ„d mercy froÌ„ God his sauioure This is y e generacioÌ„ of theÌ„ y t seke him of theÌ„ y t seke y i face o Iacob Sela. Open yo r gates o ye priÌ„ces let the euerlastinge dores be opened y t y e kynge of glory maye come in Who is this kynge of glory â–ª It is the LORDE stroÌ„ge and mightie euen the LORDE mightie in batell Open youre gates o ye prynces let the euerlastinge dores be opened y t the kynge off glory maye come in Who is this kynge off glory It is the LORDE of hoostes he is the kynge of glory Sela. The XXIIII A psalme of Dauid UNto the o LORDE I lift vp my soule My God I trust in y e Oh let me not be confounded lest myne enemies triuÌ„phe ouer me For all they y t hope in y e shal not be ashamed but soch as be scornefull despysers w t out a cause â–ª they shall be put to coÌ„fucioÌ„ Shewe me thy wayes o LORDE teach me thy pathes Lede me in y e trueth and lerne me for thou art the God off my health and in the is my hope all the daye longe Call to remembraunce O LORDE thy tender mercyes thy louinge kyndnesses which haue bene euer of olde Oh remeÌ„bre not y e synnes offences of my youth but acordinge vnto thy mercy thynke vpon me O LORDE for thy goodnesse O how freÌ„dly rightuous is the LORDE therfore wil he teach synners in the waye He ledeth the symple a right and soch as be meke theÌ„ lerneth he his wayes All the wayes of the LORDE are very mercy faith fulnesse vnto soch as kepe his testament and couenaunt For thy names sake O LORDE be mercifull vnto my synne for it is greate
rightuous eateth and is satisfied but y e bely of the vngodly hath neuer ynough The XIIII Chapter A Wyse womaÌ„ vpholdeth hir house but a foolish wife plucketh it downe Who so feareth the LORDE walketh in the right path regardeth not him that abhorreth the wayes of the LORDE In the mouth of the foolish is the boostinge of lordshipe but y e lippes of y e wyse wil be warre of soch Where no oxen are there the crybb is emptie but where the oxen laboure there is moch frute A faithfull wytnesse wyl not dyssemble but a false recorde wil make a lye A scornefull body seketh wyszdome fyndeth it not but knowlege is easy to come by vnto him that wil vnderstonde Se y t thou medle not with a foole do as though thou haddest no knowlege The wyszdome of him that hath vnderstondinge is to take hede vnto his waye but the foolishnesse of the vnwyse disceaueth Fooles make but a sporte of synne but there is fauourable loue amoÌ„ge the rightuous The herte of him that hath vnderstondinge wil nether dispare for eny sorow ner be to presumptuous for eny sodane ioye The houses of the vngodly shal be ouerthrowne but the tabernacles of y e righteus shal florishe There is a waye which some men thinke to be right but the ende therof ledeth vnto death The herte is soroufull euen in laughter and the ende of myrth is heuynesse An vnfaithfull personne shal be fylled with his owne wayes but a good maÌ„ wyl bewarre of soch An ignorauÌ„t body beleueth all thinges but who so hath vnderstondinge loketh well to his goinges A wyse man feareth and departeth from euell but a foole goeth on presumptuously An vnpacient man handeleth foolishly but he that is well aduysed doth other wayes The ignorauÌ„t haue foolishnes in possessioÌ„ but the wyse are crowned with knowlege The euell shal bowe them selues before y e good and the vngodly shal wayte at the â—â—res of the rightuous The poore is hatch euen of his owne neghbours but the riche hath many frendes Who so despyseth his neghbo r doth amysse but blessed is he that hath pyte of the poore They that ymagin wickednes shal be disapoynted but they that muse vpoÌ„ good thinges vnto soch shal happen mercy and faithfulnesse DiligeÌ„t labo r bryngeth riches but where many vayne wordes are truly there is scarcenesse Riches are an ornament vnto the wyse but the ignoraunce of fooles is very foolishnesse A faithfull wytnesse delyuereth soâ—les but a lyar dysceaueth them The fearâ— of the LORDE is a stroÌ„ge holde for vnto his he wyl be a sure defence The feare of the LORDE is a well of life to auoyde the snares of death The increase and prosperite of the comons is the kynges honoure but the decaye of the people is the confucioÌ„ of the prynce Pacience is a token of wiszdome but wrath and haistie displeasure is a token of foolishnesse A mery herte is the life of the body but rancoure consumeth awaye the bones He that doth a poore man wroÌ„ge blasphemeth his maker but who so hath pitie of the poore doth honoure vnto God The vngodly is afrayed of euery parell but the rightuous hath a good hope eueÌ„ in death Wyszdome resteth in the herte of him that hath vnderstondinge and he wyll teach them that are vnlerned Rightuousnes setteth vp the people but wyckednesse bryngeth folke to destruccion A discrete seruaunt is a pleasure vnto y e kynge but one y t is not honest prouoketh him vnto wrath The XV. Chapter A Softe aÌ„swere putteth downe displeasure but frowarde wordes prouoke vnto anger A wyse tonge commendeth knowlege a foolish mouth blabbeth out nothinge but foolishnesse The eyes of the LORDE loke in euery place both vpon y e good and badd A wholsome tonge is a tre of life but he that abuseth it hath a broken mynde A foole despyseth his fathers correccion but he y t taketh hede whan he is reproued shal haue y e more vnderstoÌ„dinge In the house of the rightuous are greate riches but in the increase of the vngodly there is mysordre A wyse mouth poureth out knowlege but y e herte of the foolish doth not so The LORDE abhorreth y e sacrifice of the vngodly but the prayer of the rightuous is acceptable vnto him The waye of the vngodly is an abhominacioÌ„ vnâ—to y e LORDE but who so foloweth righteousnes him he loueth He that forsaketh yeâ—ight strete shal be sore punyshed who so hateth correccion falleth in to death The hell w t hir payne is knowne vnto the LORDE how moch more then the hertes of men A scornefull body loueth not one y t rebuketh him nether wil he come amonge y e wyse A mery herte maketh a chearfull countenaunce but an vnquyet mynde maketh it heuy A wyse herte wil seke after knowlege but y e mouth of fooles medleth with foolishnesse All the dayes of the poore are miserable but a quyete herte is as a coÌ„tynuall feast Better is a litle with the feare of the LORDE then greate treasure for they are not without sorowe Better is a meace of potage with loue then a fat oxe w t euell will An angrie man stereth vp strife but he y t is pacient stilleth discorde The waye of y e slouthfull is full of thornes but y e strete of the rightuous is well clensed A wyse sonne maketh a glad father but an vndiscrete body shameth his mother A foole reioyseth in foolish thinges but a wyse man loketh well to his owne goinges Vnaduysed thoughtes shal come to naught but where as are men y t can geue councell there is stedfastnesse O how ioyfull a thinge is it a man to geue a conuenient answere O how pleasaunt is a worde spoken in due season The waye of life ledeth vnto heaueÌ„ y t a man shulde be warre of hell beneth The LORDE wyl breake downe y e house of y e proude but he shal make fast y e borders of y e wyddowe The LORDE abhoreth y e ymaginacions of y e wicked but pure wordes are pleasaunt vnto him The couetous man wrâ—tteth vp his owne house but who so hateth rewardes shal lyue A rightuous maÌ„ museth in his mynde how to do good but y e mynde of the vngodly ymagineth how he maye do harme The LORDE is farre from the vngodly but he heareth y e prayer of the rightuous Like as y e clearnesse of y e eyes reioyseth y e herte so doth a good name fede y e bones The eare y t harkeneth vnto wholsome warnynge and enclyneth therto shall dwell amonge y e wyse He that refuseth to â—e refourmed despyseth his owne soule but he that submytteth himself to correccion is wyse The XVI Chapter THe feare of y e LORDE is y e right scyeÌ„ce of wyszdome and lowlynes goeth before honor. A man maye well purâ—ose a thinge in his harte but y e answere of y e tonge coÌ„meth of y e LORDE A maÌ„ thinketh all
hath shewed his mercy vnto vs. It is good to hyde the Kynges secrete but to shew and to prayse y e workes of God it is an honorable thinge Prayer is good with fastinge and to geue allmes is better then to hoorde vp treasures of golde For allmes delyuereth from death clenseth synne and causeth to fynde euerlastinge life But they that do synne and vnrighteousnes are y e enemies of their owne soules Wherfore I tell you the trueth and wyll hyde nothinge from you Whan thou praydest with teares and burydest the deed and leftest thy dyner and hyddest the deed in thy house vpon the daye tyme that thou mightest burye them in the night I offred thy prayer before the LORDE And because thou wast accepte and beloued of God it was necessary that tentacion shulde trye the. And now hath the LORDE sent me to heale the and to delyuer Sara y e sonnes wife from the euell sprete For I am Raphael an angell one of the seuen that stonde before God Whā they herde this they were sore afrayed and trembled and fell downe vpon their faces vnto the grounde Then sayde the angell Peace be with you feare not Where as I haue bene w t you it is the will of God geue prayse and thankes vnto him You thought that I dyd eate and drinke with you but I vse meate that is invisible and drynke that can not be sene of men Now therfore is y e tyme that I must turne agayne vnto him that sent me but be ye thankfull vnto God and tell out all his wonderous workes And whan he had spoken these wordes he was taken awaye out of their sight so y t they sawe him nomore Then fell they downe flat vpon their faces by the space of thre houres and praysed God and whan they rose vp they tolde all his wōderous workes Then XIII Chapter THen olde Tobias opened his mouth and praysed the LORDE and sayde Greate art thou o LORDE for euermore and thy kyngdome worlde without ende for thou scourgest and healest thou ledest vnto hell and bryngest out agayne and there is none y t maye escape thy hande O geue thankes vnto y e LORDE ye children of Israel and prayse him in the sight of the Heithē For amonge the Heithen which knowe him not hath he scatred you to the intēt that ye shulde shew forth his maruelous workes cause them for to knowe that there is none other God allmightie but he He hath chastened vs for oure myszdedes and for his owne mercy sake shal he saue vs. Considre then how he hath dealt w t you prayse him with feare and drede and magnifie the euerlastinge kynge in yo r workes I wil prayse him euen in the londe of my captiuyte for he hath shewed his maiesty vnto a synfull people Turne you therfore O ye synners and do righteousnes before God and be ye sure that he wyl shew his mercy vpon you As for me my soule we wil reioyse in God O prayse the LORDE all ye his chosen holde the dayes of gladnesse and be thankfull vnto him O Ierusalem thou cite of God the LORDE hath punyshed the for the workes of thine owne handes O prayse the LORDE in thy good thinges geue thankes to the euerlastinge God that he maye builde vp his tabernacle agayne in y e that he maye call agayne vnto the all soch as be in captiuyte and that thou mayest haue ioye for euermore With a fayre light shalt thou shyne all y e endes of y e worlde shal honoure the. The people shal come vnto the from farre they shal bringe giftes and worshipe y e LORDE in the and thy londe shal they haue for a Sanctuary for they shal call vpon the greate name in the. Cursed shal they be that despyse the all they that blaspheme the shal be condēpned but blessed shal they be y t buylde the vp As for the thou shalt reioyse in y i childrē for they all shal be blessed and gathered together vnto the LORDE Blessed are they all y t loue y e and be glad of thy peace Prayse thou the LORDE o my soule for the LORDE oure God hath delyuered his cite Ierusalem from all hir troubles I wil counte my self happie yf my sede remayne to se y e clearnes of Ierusalē The gates of Ierusalem shal be buylded with Saphyre and Smaragde and all the cōpase of hir walles with precious stones All hir stretes shal be paued w t whyte Marblestone and in all hir stretes shal Alleluya be sunge Praysed be y e LORDE which hath exalted her y t his kyngdome maye be vpon her for euermore Amen And so Tobias made an ende of his talkynge The XIIII Chapter ANd after that Tobias had gottē his sight agayne he lyued two and xl yeares sawe his childers children Now whan he was an hundreth and two yeare olde he dyed was buried honorably in Niniue For whan he was sixe and fiftie yeares of age he lost the sight of his eyes and whā he was thre score yeare olde he gat his sight agayne The residue of his life led he in ioye and increased well in the feare of God departed in peace But in y e houre of his death he called vnto him his sonne Tobias seuen yonge springaldes his sonnes children and sayde vnto them The destruccion of Niniue is at hande for the worde of the LORDE can not fayle and oure brethren that are scatred out of the londe of Israel shal come thither agayne And the whole londe of it that hath bene waist shal be fylled and the house of God that was brent in it shal be buylded againe all soch as feare God shall returne thither the Heithen also shal forsake their Idols come to Ierusalem and dwell there and all the kynges of the earth shal be glad of her and worshipe the LORDE God of Israel And therfore my children heare youre father Serue the LORDE in faithfulnes seke after his will and do the thinge that pleaseth him Commaunde youre children y t they do right geue allmes be myndefull of God and euer to be thankfull vnto him in trueth and with all their power Heare me therfore my childrē and abyde not here but in what daye so euer ye haue buried youre mother besyde me gett you from hence For I se that the wickednes of it shal brynge it to destruccion and ende After y e death of his mother Tobias departed awaye from Niniue with his wife and children and with his childers children came agayne to his father and mother in lawe and founde them whole and in a good age and toke the care of thē And he closed their eyes and was heyre vnto all Raguels goodes and sawe the fifth generacion and childers childrē And whan he was xcix yeare of age he dyed in the feare of the LORDE and his kynsfolkes buried him And all his posterite
and fede me also of that thou hast Awaye thou straunger so that he regardeth his honoure nomore my brother commeth in to my house so he telleth him the necessite of his house These thinges are heuy to a man that hath vnderstandinge namely the forbyddinge of y e house that the leÌ„der casteth him in the teth The XXX Chapter WHo so loueth his childe holdeth him still vnder correccion that he maye haue ioye of him afterwarde and that he grope not after his neghbours dores He y t teacheth his sonne shall haue ioye in him nede not be ashamed of him amoÌ„ge his aquantauÌ„ce Who so enfourmed teacheth his sonne greueth y e enemie â—nd before his frendes he maye haue ioye of him Though the father dye yet is he as though he were not deed for he hath left one behynde him that is like him In his life he sawe him had ioye in him was not sory in his death nether was he ashamed before y e enemies For he left behinde him an auenger agaynst his enemies and a good doer vnto the frendes For the life of childreÌ„ he shal binde the woundes together and his hert is greued at euery crye An vntamed horse wylbe harde and a wanton childe wyl be wylfull Yf thou brynge vp thy sonne delicatly he shal make y e afrayed and yf thou playe with him he shal brynge the to heuynes Laugh not with him lest thou wepe w t him also and lest thy teth be sett on edge at the last Geue him not liberte in his youth excuse not his foly Bow downe his neck whyle he is yonge hytt him vpon the sydes whyle he is yet but a childe lest he waxe stubburne geue no more force of y e and so shalt thou haue heuynes of soule Teach thy childe be diligeÌ„t therin lest it be to thy shame Better is the poore beynge whole stronge theÌ„ a man to be riche not to haue his health Health and welfare is aboue all golde and an whole body aboue all treasure There is no riches aboue a sounde body no ioye aboue the ioye of the hert Death is better then a wretched life or contynuall sicknes The good thinges y t are put in a close mouth are like as whan meate is layed vpon y e graue What good doth the offeringe vnto an Idoll For he can nether eate taist ner smell EueÌ„ so is it also with the riche whom God maketh seke he seith it with his eyes groneth therafter and is euen as a gelded man that lyeth with a vyrgin and sygheth Geue not ouer thy mynde in to heuynes vexe not thy self in thine owne councell The ioye chearfulnes of the hert is the life of man and a mans gladnes is the prolonginge of his dayes Loue thine owne soule and comforte thine hert as for sorow and heuynes dryue it farre from y e for heuynes hath slayne many a man and bryngeth no profit Zele and anger shorten the dayes of the life carefulnes and sorow brynge age before the tyme Vnto a mery hert euery thinge hath a good taist that he eateth The XXXI Chapter TRauayle and carefulnes for riches taketh awaye the slepe and maketh the flesh to coÌ„sume Whan one lyeth and taketh care he waketh euer vp like as greate sicknes breaketh the slepe The rich hath greate labo r in gatheringe his riches together and then with the pleasure of his riches he taketh his rest is refreshed But who so laboureth and prospereth not he is poore and though he leaue of yet is he a begger He that loueth riches shall not be iustified and who so foloweth corrupcioÌ„ shal haue ynough therof Many one are come in greate mysfortune by the reason of golde haue founde their destruccion before them It is a tre of fallynge vnto them that offre it vp and all soch as be foolish fall therin Blessed is the rich which is founde without blemysh and hath not gone after golde ner hoped in money and treasures Where is there soch one and we shal commende him and call him blessed for greate thinges doth he amonge his people Who so is tryed founde perfecte in soch thinges shal be commended and praised Who might offende hath not offended Who coude do euell and hath not done it Therfore shal his good be stablished and the whole congregacion shal declare his allmesses Yf thou sytt at a greate mans table open not thy mouth wyde vpon it and make not many wordes Remembre that an euell eye is a shrew What thinge created is worse then a wicked eye therfore wepeth it before euery maÌ„s face Laye not thine hand vpon euery thinge that thine eye seyth and stryue not with him in the dyshe Ponder by thy self what thy neghboure wolde fayne haue be descrete in euery poynte Eate the thinge that is set before the manerly as it becommeth a man and eate not to moch lest thou be abhorred Leaue thou of first of all because of nurtoure lest thou be he whom no man maye satisfie which maye turne to thy decaye WhaÌ„ thou syttest amonge many men reach not thine haÌ„de out first of all O how well conteÌ„t is a wyse man w t a litle wyne so y t in slepe thou shalt not be seke therof ner fele eny payne A swete wholsome slepe shal soch one haue and fele no inwarde grefe He ryseth vp by tymes in y e mornynge and is well at ease in him self But an vnsaciable eater slepeth vnquyetly and hath ache and payne of the body Yf thou felest that thou hast eaten to moch aryse go thy waye cast it of thy stomack and take thy rest My sonne heare me and despyse me not and at the last thou shalt fynde as I haue tolde the. In all thy workes be diligent and quycke so shal there no sicknes happen vnto the. Who so is liberall in dealynge out his meate many men shall blesse him and prayse him with their lippes and the same is a sure token of his loue and faithfulnes But he y t is vnfaithfull in meate the whole cite shall complayne of him and that is a sure experieÌ„ce of his infidelite and wickednes Be not thou a wine bebber for wyne hath destroyed many a man The fyre proueth y e hard yron euen so doth wyne proue the hertes of the proude whan they be droncken Wyne sorbely droncken quyckeneth the life of maÌ„ Yf thou drynckest it measurably thou shalt be temperate What life is it y t maye contynue without wyne Wyne was made from the begynnynge to make men glad and not for dronkennes Wyne measurably dronkeÌ„ is a reioysinge of the soule and body But yf it be dronken with excesse it maketh bytternes and sorowe vnto the mynde DronkeÌ„nes fylleth the mynde of the foolish with shame and ruyne mynisheth the streÌ„gth and maketh woundes Rebuke not thy neghboure at y
of thy seruauntes acordinge to y e blessinge of Aaron ouer thy people that all they which dwell vpon earth maye knowe that thou art the LORDE the eternall God which is from euerlastinge The bely deuoureth all meates yet is one meate better then another Like as the tonge taisteth venyson so doth an hert of vnderstondinge marck false wordes A frowarde hert geueth heuynes but a man of experience lifteth him vp agayne The woman receaueth euery man yet is one daughter better then another A fayre wife reioyseth hir huszbande and a man loueth nothinge better Yf she be louynge vertuous withall then is not hir huszbande like other men He that hath gotten a vertuous woman hath a goodly possession she is vnto him an helpe and piler wher vpon he resteth Where no hedge is there the goodes are spoyled and where no houszwife is there y e frēdles mourneth Like as there is no credence geuen to a robber y t goeth from one cite to another So is not y e man beleued that hath no nest and must turne in where he maye abyde in the night The XXXVII Chapter EVery frende sayeth I wil be frendly vnto him also But there is some frende which is onely a frende in name Remayneth there not heuynes vnto death whan a companyon and frende is turned to an enemye O most wicked presumpcion Frō whence art thou spronge vp to couer the earth with falsede disceate There is some companyon which in prosperite reioyseth with his frēde but in the tyme of trouble he taketh parte agaynst him There is some cōpanyon that mourneth with his frende for the bely sake but whan trouble commeth he taketh holde of the shylde Forget not thy frende in thy mynde thynke vpon him in y i riches Euery counceler bryngeth forth his councell Neuertheles there is some y t counceleth but for his owne profit Bewarre of y e counceler be aduysed afore wherto thou wilt vse him for he wil geue coūcell for him self Lest he cast the lott vpon the saye vnto the Thy waye and purpose is good and afterwarde he stande agaynst the and loke what shal become of the. Axe no coūcell at him y t suspecketh y e for an enemie hyde y e councell from soch as hate ye. Axe no councell at a woman cōcernynge y e thinges y t she lōgeth for ner at a fearful fayntharted body in matters of warre or at a marchaunt how deare he wil cheape thy wares towarde his or at a byer of sellynge Or at an envyous man of thankesgeuynge Or at the vnmercifull of louynge kindnes Or at y e slouthfull of workinge Or at an hyrelynge which hath no house of profit or wealth An ydle body wolde not gladly heare speake of moch labo Take no soch folkes to coūcell but be diligēt to seke coūcel at a vertuous man y t feareth God soch one as thou knowest to be a keper of y e cōmaundemētes which hath a minde after thine owne minde is sory for y e whā thou stōblest And holde thy councell fast in thine hert for there is no man more faithful to kepe it then thou thy self For a mās mynde is somtyme more disposed to tell out then seuen watchmen that sytt aboue in an hye place lokynge aboute them And aboue all this praye the Hyest that he wil lede thy waye in faithfulnes trueth Before all thy workes axe councell first and or euer thou doest eny thinge be well aduysed There be foure thinges that declare a chaunged hert wherout there springeth euell good death life a masterfull tonge that bableth moch Some man is apte and well instructe in many thinges and yet very vnprofitable vnto himself Some man there is that can geue wyse and prudent councell and yet is he hated contynueth a begger for that grace is not geuē him of God to be accepted Another is robbed of all wiszdome yet is he wise vnto him self and the frute of vnderstōdinge is faithfull in his mouth A wyse man maketh his people wyse y e frutes of his wiszdome fayle not A wyse mā shal be plēteously blessed of God all they that se him shal speake good of him The life of man stondeth in y e nōbre of the dayes but the dayes of Israel are innumerable A wyse man shal opteyne faithfulnes credence amonge his people his name shal be perpetuall My sonne proue thy soule in thy life yf thou se eny euell thinge geue it not vnto her For all thinges are not profitable for all men nether hath euery soule pleasure in euery thinge Be not gredy in euery eatynge and be not to haistye vpō all meates For excesse of meates bryngeth siknes and glotony commeth at the last to an vnmeasurable heate Thorow glotony haue many one perished but he that dyeteth him self temperatly prolongeth his life The XXXVIII Chapter HOnoure the Phisician honoure him because of necessite God hath created him for of the Hyest commeth medecyne and he shal receaue giftes of the kynge The wiszdome of the phisician bryngeth him to greate worshipe in the sight of the greate men of this worlde he shal be honorably taken The LORDE hath created medecyne of the earth and he that is wyse wyl not abhorre it Was not y e bytter water made swete with a tre that men might lerne to knowe the vertue therof The LORDE hath geuen men wyszdome vnderstondinge y t he might be honoured in his wōderous workes With soch doth he heale men taketh awaye their paynes Of soch doth the Apotecary make a confeccion yet can no man perfourme all his workes For of y e LORDE commeth prosperous wealth ouer all y e earth My sonne despyse not this in thy sicknes but praye vnto the LORDE he shal make the whole Leaue of from synne ordre thy handes a right clēse thine hert from all wickednes Geue a swete sauoured offrynge y e fyne floure for a token of remembraunce make the offrynge fatt as one that geueth the first frutes geue rowme to the Phisician ▪ For y e LORDE hath created him let him not go from the for thou hast nede of him The houre maye come y t the seke maye be helped thorow them whan they praye vnto y e LORDE y t he maie recouer get health to lyue lōger He that synneth before his maker shall fall in to the handes of the Phisician My sonne brynge forth thy teares ouer the deed and begynne to mourne as yf thou haddest suffred greate harme thy self thē couer his body after a conuenyent maner despyse not his buryall Enforce thy self to wepe prouoke thy self to mourne make lamentacion expediently and y t a daye or two lest thou be euell spoken of then cōforte thy self because of the heuynes For of heuynes cōmeth death the heuynes of y e hert breaketh strength Heuynes
posterite As for y e sede y t came vpon him which he loued he brought it not vtterly to naught but gaue yet a remnaunt vnto Iacob and a rote vnto Dauid out of him Thus rested Salomon with his fathers and out of his sede he left behynde him a very foolishnes of the people and soch one as had no vnderstoÌ„dinge namely RoboaÌ„ which turned awaye the people thorow his councell and Ieroboam y e sonne of Nabat which caused Israel to synne and shewed Ephraim the waye of vngodlynes In so moch that their synnes myszdedes had the vpper hande so sore that at the last they were dryuen out of the londe for the same Yee he sought out brought vp all wickednes tyll the vengeaunce came vpon them The XLVIII Chapter THen stode vp Elias the prophet as a fyre and his worde brâ—â—t like a creshett He brought an hoÌ„ger vpon theÌ„ and in his zele he made them few in nombre For they might not awaye w t the commauÌ„dementes of the LORDE Thorow the worde of the LORDE he shut the heauen and thre tymes brought he the fyre downe Thus became Elias honorable in his wonderous dedes Who maye make his boost to be like him One that was deed raysed he vp from death in the worde of y e Hyest he brought him out of the graue agayne He cast downe kynges and destroyed them and the honorable from their seate Vpon the mount Syna he herde the punyshment vpon Horeb the iudgmeÌ„t of the vengeaunce He prophecied recompensynge vnto kynges and ordeyned prophetes after him He was taken vp in the storme of fyre in a charett of horses of the LORDE He was ordeyned in the reprouynges in tyme to pacifie the wrath to turne y e hertes of the fathers vnto the children to set vp the trybes of Iacob agayne Blessed were they that saw the and were garnished in loue for we lyue in life Elias was couered in the storme but Heliseus was fylled with his mouth Whyle he lyued he was afrayed of no prynce and no man might ouercome him There coude no worde disceaue him after his death his body prophecied He dyd wonders in his life in death were his workes maruelous For all this the people amended not nether departed they from their synnes tyll they were caried awaye presoners out of the londe and were scatred abrode in all countrees so that of them there remayned but a very litle people and a prynce vnto y e house of Dauid Howbeit some of them dyd right some heaped vp vngodlynes Ezechias made his cite stronge conveyed water in to it dygged thorow the stony rock with yron made vp a well by the water syde In his tyme came Sennacherib vp and sent Rabsaches lift vp his hande agaynst Sion defyed them with greate pryde TheÌ„ trymbled their hertes and handes so y t they sorowed like a woman trauaylinge with childe So they called vpoÌ„ the LORDE which is mercyfull lift vp their haÌ„des before him Immediatly the LORDE herde theÌ„ out of heauen and delyuered them by the hande of Esay He smote the hoost of the Assirians his angell destroyed theÌ„ For Ezechias had done the thinge that pleased the LORDE remayned stedfastly in the waye of Dauid his father Which Esay was greate faithfull in his visions In his tyme y e Sonne weÌ„te backwarde he lengthened the kynges life With a right sprete prophecied he what shulde come to passe at the last to soch as were soroufull in Sion he gaue consolacion wherwhith they might coÌ„forte them selues for euermore He shewed thinges y t were for to come secrete or euer they came to passe The XLIX Chapter THe remembrauÌ„ce of Iosias is like as whan the Apotecary maketh many precious swete smellynge thinges together His remembraunce shal be swete as hony in all mouthes and as the playenge of Musick by the wyne He was appoynted to turne the people agayne to take awaye all abhominacions of y e vngodly He directed his hert vnto the LORDE in the tyme of the vngodly he set vp the worshipe of God agayne All kynges excepte Dauid Ezechias Iosias coÌ„mitted wickednes for euen y e kynges of Iuda also forsoke y e lawe of God For they gaue their horne vnto other their hono worshipe also to a straunge people Therfore was the electe cite of the SaÌ„ctuary brent with fyre and the stretes therof laye desolate waist for they intreated Ieremy euell which neuertheles was a prophet ordeyned from his mothers wombe that he might rote out breake of destroye that he might buylde vp plante agayne Ezechiel sawe the glory of the LORDE in a vision which was shewed him vpon the charet of the Cherubins For he thought vpon the enemies in y e rayne to do good vnto soch as had ordred their wayes a right And the bones of the twolue prophetes florish from out of their place for they gaue comforte consolacion vnto Iacob and delyuered theÌ„ faithfully How shall we prayse Zorobabel which was as a ringe in the right hande So was Iesus also the sonne of Iosedec these men in their tymes buylded the house set vp the Sanctuary of y e LORDE agayne which was prepared for an euerlastinge worshipe And Nehemias is allwaye to be coÌ„mended which set vp for vs the walles y t were broken downe made the portes barres agayne and buylded oure houses of the new But vpon earth is there no man created like Enoch for he was taken vp from y e earth And Ioseph which was lorde of his brethren the vpholder of his people His bones were couered kepte Seth Sem were in greate honoure amonge y e people and so was Adam aboue all the beastes whaÌ„ he was created The L. Chapter SYmon the sonne of Onias the hye prest which in his life set vp the house agayne in his dayes made fast the teÌ„ple The heyth of y e temple also was founded of him the dubble buyldinge the hye walles of the temple In his dayes the welles of water flowed out and were exceadinge full as the see He toke care for his people delyuered them from destruccion He kepte his cite made it stronge that it shulde not be beseged He dwelt in honoure and worshipe amonge his people and enlarged the intraunce of the house and the courte He geueth light as the mornynge starre in the myddest of the cloudes and as y e Moone whan it is full He shyneth as the Sonne in the temple of God He is as bright as y e rayne bowe in y e fayre cloudes florisheth as the floures and roses in the sprynge of y e yeare as the lilies by the ryuers of water Like as the braunches vpon the mount Libanus in tyme of Sommer as a fyre inceÌ„se that is
that do I. Yf I do now that I wil not then is it not I that do it but synne that dwelleth in me Thus fynde I now by the lawe y t whan I wyl do good euell is present with me For I delite in the lawe of God after the inwarde man but I se another lawe in my membres which stryueth agaynst y e lawe of my mynde and taketh me presoner in y e lawe of synne which is in my membres O wretched man that I am who shal delyuer me from the body of this death I thanke God thorow Iesus Christ oure LORDE So then w t the mynde I serue y e lawe of God but with the flesh the lawe of synne The VIII Chapter THen is there now no damnacion vnto theÌ„ that are in Christ Iesu which walke not after the flesh but after y e sprete For y e lawe of y e sprete y t bryngeth life iÌ„ Christ Iesu hath made me fre froÌ„ the lawe of synne death For what vnpossible was vnto y e lawe in as moch as it was weake because of the flesh y t perfourmed God sent his sonne in y e similitude of synfull flesh by synne daÌ„ned synne in y e flesh that the righteousnes requyred of the lawe mighte be fulfylled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the sprete For they that are fleshly are fleshly mynded but they that are goostly are goostly mynded To be fleshly mynded is death but to be goostly mynded is life and peace For to be fleshly mynded is enemyte agaynst God syth it is not subdued vnto y e lawe of God for it can not also As for theÌ„ that are fleshlye they can not please God Howbeit ye are not fleshly but goostly yf so be that the sprete of God dwell in you But who so hath not the sprete of Christ the same is not his Neuertheles yf Christ be in you then is the body deed because of synne But the sprete is life for righteousnes sake Wherfore yf the sprete of him that raysed vp Iesus from the deed dwell in you then shal euen he also that raysed vp Christ from the deed quyckeÌ„ youre mortal bodies because y t his sprete dwelleth in you Therfore brethreÌ„ we are now detters not to the flesh to lyue after the flesh for yf ye lyue after y e fleshe ye must dye but yf ye mortyfye the dedes of the body thorow the sprete ye shal lyue For who so euer are led by the sprete of God are Gods childreÌ„ for ye haue not receaued the sprete of bondage to feare eny more but ye haue receaued y e sprete of adopcion wherby we crye Abba deare father The same sprete certifieth oure sprete that we are the childreÌ„ of God Yf we be childreÌ„ then are we heyres also namely the heyres of God and heyres annexed with Christ yf so be that we suffer together that we maye be also glorified together For I suppose that the affliccions off this tyme are not worthy of y e glorye which shal be shewed vpon vs. For the feruent loÌ„ginge of y e creature loketh for the appearinge of the children of God because the creature is subdued vnto vanyte agaynst hir will but for his wyll that hath subdued her vpon hope For the creature also shal be fre from the bondage of corrupcion vnto the glorious libertye of the childreÌ„ of God For we knowe that euery creature groneth and trauayleth with vs in payne vnto the same tyme. Not they only but we oure selues also which haue the first frutes of the sprete grone within in oure selues for the childshippe and loke for y e delyueraunce of oure bodye For we are sâ—ued iÌ„ dede howbeit iÌ„ hope but y e hope that is sene is no hope for how can a man hope for that which he seyeth But yf we hope for that which we se not theÌ„ do we thorow pacience abyde for it Likewyse the sprete also helpeth oure weaknesse for we knowe not what we shulde desyre as we oughte neuertheles y e sprete it selfe maketh intercession mightely for vs with vnoutspeakable gronynges Howbeit he y t searcheth the hert knoweth what the mynde of the sprete is for he maketh intercession for the sayntes acordinge to the pleasure of God But sure we are that all thinges serue for the best vnto them that loue of God which are called of purpose For those whom he knewe before hath he ordeyned also before y t they shulde be like fashioned vnto y e shappe of his sonne y t he mighte be the first begotteÌ„ amoÌ„ge many brethreÌ„ As for those whom he hath ordeyned before them hath he called also and whom he hath called theÌ„ hath he also made righteous and whom he hath made righteous them hath he glorified also What shal we saye then vnto these thinges Yff God be on oure syde who can be agaynst vs. Which spared not his owne sonne but hath geuen him for vs all how shal he not with him geue vs all thinges also Who wyl laye enythinge to y e charge of Gods chosen Here is God that maketh righteous who wil then condemne Here is Christ that is deed yee rather which is raysed vp agayne which is also on y e righte hande of God and maketh intercession for vs. Who will separate vs from the loue of God Trouble or anguysh or persecucioÌ„ or honger or nakednesse or parell or swerde As it is wrytten For thy sake are we kylled all the daye longe we are counted as shepe appoynted to be slayne Neuerthelesse in all these thinges we ouercome farre for his sake that loued vs. For sure I am that nether death ner life nether angell ner rule nether power nether thinges present nether thinges to come nether heyth ner loweth nether eny other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu oure LORDE The IX Chapter I Saye the trueth in Christ and lye not wherof my conscience beareth me witnesse in the holy goost that I haue greate heuynesse contynuall sorowe in my hert I haue wyszhed my selfe to be cursed from Christ for my brethren that are my kynsmen after the flesh which are off Israel vnto whom pertayneth the childshippe and the glory and the couenauntes and lawe and the seruyce of God and the promyses whose are also the fathers off whom after the flesh commeth Christ which is God ouer all blessed for euer Amē· But I speake not these thinges as though the worde of God were of none effecte for they are not all Israelites which are of Israel nether are they all children because they are the sede of Abraham but in Isaac shal the sede be called vnto the that is They which are children after the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promes are counted for the sede For this is a worde of the promes
in Christ. The III. Chapter· BEgynne we then agayne to prayse o selues Or nede we as some other of pistles of commēdacion vnto you or letters of commēdacion from you Ye are oure epistle wrytten in oure hertes which is vnderstonde and red of all mē in that ye are knowne how that ye are y e epistle of Christ mynistred by vs and wryttē not with ynke but with the sprete of the lyuynge God not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables of the hert Soch trust haue we thorow Christ to God warde not that we are sufficient of oure selues to thynke eny thinge as of oure selues but oure ablenesse commeth of God which hath made vs able to be mynisters of the new Testament not of the letter but of the sprete For the letter kylleth but the sprete geueth life But yf the mynistracion y t kylleth thorow the letter and was figured in stones was glorious so that the childrē of Israel mighte not beholde the face of Moses for y e clearnesse of his countenaūce which glory neuertheles is done awaye how shal not y e mynistracion of y e sprete be moch more glorious For yf the office that preacheth damnacion be glorious moch more doth the office that preacheth righteousnes exceade in glory For y e other parte that was glorified is nothinge glorified in respecte of this exceadinge glory For yf that which is done awaye be glorious moch more shal y t which remayneth be glorious Seynge then that we haue soch trust we vse greate boldnesse and do not as Moses which put a vayle before his face so that y e children of Israel mighte not se the ende of it that is done awaye But their myndes are blynded For vnto this daye remayneth the same coueringe vntakē awaye in the olde Testament whan they rede it which in Christ is put awaye But euen vnto this daye whan moses is red the vayle hangeth before their hertes Neuertheles whā they turne to the LORDE the vayle shal be taken awaye For the LORDE is a sprete where the sprete of the LORDE is there is libertye But now the glory of y e LORDE apeareth in vs all with open face and we are chaunged into the same ymage from one clearnes to another euē as of the sprete of the LORDE The IIII. Chapter THerfore seynge we haue soch an office euen as mercy is come vpon vs we faynte not but cast from vs the clokes of vnhonestye and walke not in craftines nether corruppe we the worde of God but open the trueth and reporte oure selues to euery mans conscyence in the sighte of God Yf oure Gospell be yet hyd it is hyd in them that are lost amonge whom the God of this worlde hath blynded y e myndes of them which beleue not that y e lighte of the Gospell of the glory of Christ which is the ymage of God shulde not shyne vnto them For we preach not o r selues but Iesus Christ to be the LORDE and oure selues youre seruauntes for Iesus sake For God that cōmaunded the light to shyne out of darcknesse hath geuen a cleare shyne in oure hertes y t by vs y e light of y e knowlege of the glory of God mighte come forth in the face of Iesus Christ. But this treasure haue we in earthen vessels that y e power which excelleth might be of God and not of vs. We are troubled on euery syde yet are we not without shift We are in pouertie but not vtterly without somwhat We are persecuted but we are not forsaken We are oppressed neuertheles we perish not We allwayes be are aboute in oure body the dyenge of the LORDE Iesus y t the life also of the LORDE Iesus might appeare in oure body For we which lyue are alwayes delyuered vnto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might appeare in oure mortall flesh Therfore is death now mightie in vs but life in you But seynge that we haue the same sprete of faith acordinge as it is wrytten I beleued and therfore haue I spokē we also beleue therfore we speake for we knowe that he which raysed vp y e LORDE Iesus shal rayse vs vp also by y e meanes of Iesus and shal set vs with you For all thinges do I for youre sakes that the plēteous grace by the thākesgeuynge of many maye redounde to the prayse of God Therfore are we not weery but though o r outwarde man be corrupte yet the inwarde is renewed daye by daye For oure trouble which is but temporall and lighte worketh an exceadinge and an eternall weighte of glorye vnto vs which loke not on the thinges that are sene but on them which are not sene For y e thinges which are sene are temporall but the thinges that are not sene are eternall The V. Chapter WE knowe surely y t yf oure earthy house of this dwellynge were destroyed we haue a buyldynge ordeyned of God an house not made with handes but euerlastynge in heauen And in the same sighe we also after oure māsion which is from heauen and longe to be clothed therwith so yet yf that we be founde clothed and not naked For as longe as we are in this tabernacle we sighe and are greued for we had rather not be vnclothed but to be clothed vpon that mortalite might be swalowed vp of life But he that hath ordeyned vs for this is God which hath geuen vs the earnest of the sprete Therfore are we allwaye of good cheare and knowe that as longe as we dwell here in the body we are not at home with the LORDE for we walke in faith and se him not Neuertheles we are of good comforte and had leuer to be absent from the body to be at home with the LORDE Wherfore whether we be at home or frō home we endeuoure oure selues to please him For we must all appeare before the iudgment seate of Christ y t euery one maye receaue in his body acordinge to y t he hath done whether it be good or bad Seynge then that we knowe how that the LORDE is to be feared we fare fayre with men but we are knowne well ynough vnto God I trust also that we are knowne in youre consciences We prayse not oure selues agayne vnto you but geue you an occasion to reioyse of vs y t ye maye haue to reioyse agaynst them which reioyse after the outwarde appearaunce and not after the hert For yf we do to moch we do it vnto God yf we kepe measure we do it for youre sakes For the loue of Christ constrayneth vs in as moch as we thus iudge that yf one be deed for all then are all deed And therfore dyed he for all that they which lyue shulde not hence forth lyue vnto them selues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose agayne Therfore hence forth knowe we noman after y
whom he calleth dogges and enemies of Christ and reproueth maÌ„s owne righteousnesse Chap. IIII. He saluteth certayne of them exhorteth them to be of honest conuersacion and thanketh them because of the prouysion that they made for him beynge in preson The first Chapter PAul and Timotheus the seruauntes of Iesu Christ. Vnto all the sayntes in Iesu Christ which are at Philippos with the Biszhoppes and mynisters Grace be with you and peace from God oure father and from the LORDE Iesus Christ. I thanke my God as oft as I remeÌ„bre you which I allwayes do in all my prayers for you all and praye with gladnesse because of youre fellishippe which ye haue in the Gospell from the first daye vnto now and am surely certified of this y t he which hath begonne that good worke in you shal go forth with it untyll y e daye of Iesus Christ as it becommeth me to iudge of you all because I haue you in my hert as those that are partakers with me of grace in my bondes in defendinge and stablyshinge of the Gospell For God is my recorde how I loÌ„ge after you all euen froÌ„ the very hert rote in Iesus Christ. And for the same I praye y t yo loue maye increace more more in all maner of knowlege and in all experience y t ye maye proue what is best that ye maye be pure soch as hurte no mans conscience vnto the daye of Christ fylled with the frutes of righteousnes which come by Iesus Christ vnto the glorye and prayse of God I wolde ye vnderstode brethren that my busynes is happened vnto the greater furtheraunce of the Gospell so that my bondes in Christ are manifest thorow out all y e iudgmeÌ„t hall and in all other places In so moch that many brethren in the LORDE are boldened thorow my boÌ„des and darre more largely speake the worde without feare Some no doute preach Christ of enuye and stryfe but some of good wil. The one parte preacheth Christ off stryfe and not purely supposynge to adde more aduersite vnto my bondes The other parte of loue for they knowe that I lye here for the defence of the Gospell What then So that Christ be preached all maner of wayes whether it be done by occasion or of true meaninge I reioyce therin and wil reioyce For I knowe that the same shal chaunce to my saluacion thorow youre prayer and mynistrynge of the sprete of Iesu Christ as I loke for and hope that in nothinge I shal be ashamed but y t with all coÌ„fidence as allwayes in tymes past eueÌ„ so now Christ shal be magnified in my body whether it be thorow life or thorow death For Christ is to me life death is to me auâ—â—ge But in as moch as to lyue in y e 〈◊〉 frutefull to me for the worke 〈…〉 what I shal chose for both these 〈…〉 harde vpon me I desyre to 〈…〉 be with Christ which thinâ—◠〈…〉 forme but to abyde 〈…〉 nedefull for you And this am I sure of that I shal abyde and contynue with you all for the furtheraunce and ioye of youre faith that ye maye abundauntly reioyse in Christ Iesu thorow me by my coÌ„mynge to you agayne Onely let youre conuersacion be as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ that whether I come se you or els be absent I maye yet heare of you that ye coÌ„tynue in one sprete and one soule labourynge as we do to mayntayne the faith of the Gospell and in nothinge fearinge youre aduersaries which is to them a token off perdicion but vnto you of saluacion and that of God For vnto you it is geuen not onely that ye shulde beleue on Christ but also suffre for his sake and to haue euen the same fighte which ye haue sene in me and now heare of me The II. Chapter YF there be amonge you eny consolacion in Christ yf there be eny comforte of loue yf there be eny fellishippe off the sprete yf there be eny compassion and mercy fulfyll my ioye that ye drawe one waye hauynge one loue beynge of one accorde and of one mynde that there be nothinge done thorow stryfe and vayne glory but that thorow mekenesse of mynde euery man esteme another better then himselfe and let euery maÌ„ loke not for his awne profet but for the profet of other Let the same mynde be in you that was in Christ Iesu which beyinge in the shappe of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputacion and toke vpon him the shappe of a seruaunt became like another man and was founde in his apparell as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen vnto the death of the crosse Therfore hath God also exalted him and geuen him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery kne shulde bowe both of thinges in heauen of thinges vpoÌ„ earth and of thinges vnder the earth and that all tunges shulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the LORDE vnto 〈◊〉 prayse of God the father Wherfore my dearly beloued as ye haue 〈…〉 obeyed not onely in my presence 〈…〉 so moch more in my absence euen 〈…〉 youre awne saluacion with 〈…〉 For it is God which 〈…〉 the wyll and the deed euen of his owne good wyll Do all thinges without murmurynges and disputinges that ye maye be fautles and pure and the childreÌ„ of God without rebuke in the myddes of y e croked and peruerse nacion amonge whom se that ye shyne as lightes in the worlde holdinge fast the worde of life vnto my reioysinge in the daye of Christ that I haue not runne in vayne nether laboured in vayne Yee and though I be offred vp vpoÌ„ the offerynge sacrifice of youre faith I am glad and reioyce with you all be ye glad also and reioyce ye with me I trust in the LORDE Iesus to sende Timotheus shortly vnto you that I also maye be of good comforte whan I knowe what case ye stonde in For I haue no man that is so like mynded to me which with so pure affeccioÌ„ careth for you for all other seke their awne not that which is Iesus Christes But ye knowe the profe of him for as a childe vnto the father so hath he mynistred vnto me in the Gospell Him I hope to sende as soone as I knowe how it wyll go with me But I trust in the LORDE that I also my selfe shal come shortly Neuertheles I thoughte it necessary to sende vnto you the brother Ephraditus which is my companyon in laboure and felowe soudyer and youre Apostell and my mynister at my nede for so moch as he longed after you all and was full of heuynes because ye had herde that he was sicke And no doute he was sicke and that nye vnto death but God had mercy on him and not on him onely but on me also lest I shulde
God maketh with the this daye that he mighte set the vp this daye to be a people vnto himself and that he mighte be thy God as he hath sayde vnto the and as he sware vnto y e fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob For I make not this couenaunt and this ooth with you onely but both with you y t are here this daye and stonde with vs before the LORDE oure God and also with them that are not here with vs this daye For ye knowe how we haue dwelt in the londe of Egipte and how we came thorow the myddes of the Heythen whom ye passed by and sawe their abhominacions and their Idols wodd and stone syluer and golde which were with them Lest there be amōge you man or woman or an housholde or a trybe which turneth awaye his hert this daye from the LORDE oure God to go and to serue y e goddes of these nacions and lest there be amonge you some rote that beareth gall worm wodd so that though he heare the wordes of this curse he blesse him selfe yet in his hert and saye Tush it shal not be so euell I wil walke after the meanynge of myne awne hert that the dronken maye perishe with the thyrstie Then shall not the LORDE be mercifull vnto him but his wrath and gelousy shall smoke ouer soch a man and all the curses that are wrytten in this boke shall lighte vpon him and the LORDE shal put out his name from vnder heauen and shall separate him vnto euell out of all the trybes of Israel acordinge vnto all the curses of the couenaunt that is wrytten in the boke of this lawe So the posterities of youre childrē which shal ryse vp after you and the straungers that come out of farre countrees shall saye whan they se the plages of this londe and the diseases wherwith the LORDE hath smytten it that he hath brent vp all their londe with brymstone and salt so y t it cannot be sowne ner is frutefull nether groweth there eny grasse therin Like as Sodom Gomor Adama and Zeboim are ouer throwne which the LORDE ouerthrewe in his wrath and anger Then shall all nacions saye Wherfore hath the LORDE done thus vnto this londe What greate wrothfull displeasure is this Then shalt it be sayde Euen because they haue forsaken the couenaunt of y e LORDE God of their fathers which he made with them whan he broughte them out of the londe of Egipte and they wēte and serued other goddes and worshipped thē euen soch goddes as they knewe not and whom he had not deuyded vnto them Therfore the wrath of the LORDE waxed whote ouer this londe to brynge vpon it all the curses that are wrytten in this boke And the LORDE thrust them out of their londe w t greate wrath indignacion displeasoure hath cast them into another londe as it is come to passe this daye These are the secretes of the LORDE oure God which are opened vnto vs and oure children for euer y t we shulde do all the wordes of this lawe The XXX Chapter NOw whan all this commeth vpon the whether it be the blessinge or y e curse which I haue layed before the and thou goest in to thine hert beynge amōge the Heithen whither the LORDE thy God hath thrust the and thou turnest vnto the LORDE y e God so that thou herkenest vnto his voyce thou and thy children with all y e hert and with all thy soule in all that I commaunde the this daye then shal the LORDE thy God turne thy captiuyte and haue compassion vpon the and shal gather thy congregacion agayne from amonge all the nacions whither the LORDE thy God hath scatered the. And though thou werest thrust out vnto the vttemost partes of the heauen yet shall the LORDE thy God gather the from thence and from thēce shal he fetch the and shal brynge the in to the londe which thy fathers haue possessed and thou shalt enioye it and he shal do the good and multiplye the aboue thy fathers And the LORDE thy God shall circumcyse thine hert and the hert of thy sede that thou mayest loue the LORDE y t God with all thy hert and with all y e soule that thou mayest lyue But all these curses shall the LORDE thy God laye vpon thine enemyes and vpon them that hate the and persecute the. But thou shalt turne and herken vnto the voyce of the LORDE to do all his commaundementes which I commaunde the this daye And the LORDE thy God shal make the plenteous in all the workes of thine hādes in the frute of thy body in the frute of thy catell in the frute of thy londe to good For the LORDE shall turne to reioyse ouer the to good as he reioysed ouer thy fathers so that thou herken vnto the voyce of the LORDE thy God to kepe his commaundementes and ordinaunces which are wrytten in the boke of this lawe and turne vnto the LORDE thy God with all thy hert and with all thy soule For the commaundement which I commaunde y e this daye is not to wonderfull for the ner to farre ner yet in heauen that thou neadest to saye Who wil go vp for vs in to heauen and brynge it vnto vs that we maie heare it and do it Nether is it beyonde the see that thou neadest to saye Who wyll go ouer the see for vs and fetch it vs that we maye heare it and do it For the worde is very nye vnto the euē in thy mouth and in thine hert that thou do it Beholde I haue layed before you this daye life and good death and euell For I cōmaunde the this daye to loue the LORDE thy God and to walke in his wayes and to kepe his commaundementes ordinaunces and lawes that thou mayest lyue and multiplye and that the LORDE thy God maye blesse the in the londe whither thou goest to possesse it But yf thou turnest awaye thine hert so that thou wilt not heare but fall a waye to worshipe other goddes and to serue them I certifye you this daye that ye shal perishe not lyue longe in the londe whither thou goest ouer Iordane to possesse it I take heauen and earth this daye to recorde ouer you I haue layed before you life and death blessinge and cursinge that thou mayest chose life and that thou and thy sede maye lyue y t ye maye loue the LORDE youre God and herken vnto his voyce and cleue vnto him For he is thy life and thy lōge age that thou mayest dwell in the londe which the LORDE sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to geue them The XXXI Chapter ANd Moses wente spake these wordes to all Israel and saide vnto them I am this daye an hundreth and twētye yeare olde I can nomore go out and in the LORDE also hath sayde vnto me Thou shalt not go ouer this Iordane The LORDE thy
after her And she had a partye garment on for soch garmentes wayre y e kynges doughters whyle they were virgins And whā his seruaunt had put hir forth lockte the dore after her Thamar strowed aszshes vpon hir heade and rente the partye garment which she had vpon her and layed hir hande vpon hir heade and wente on and cryed And hir brother Absalom sayde vnto her Hath thy brother Ammon bene with the Now holde thy peace my sister it is thy brother and take not the matter so to hert So Thamar remayned a wyddowe in brother Absaloms house And whan kynge Dauid herde of all this he was very sory As for Absalom he spake nether euell ner good to Ammon but Absalom hated Ammon because he had forced his sister Thamar After two yeares had Absalom shepe clyppers at Baal Hazor which lyeth by Ephraim And Absalom called all the kynges children and came to the kynge and sayde Beholde thy seruaunt hath shepe clyppers let it please y e kynge with his seruauntes to go with his seruaunte But the kynge sayde vnto Absalom No my sonne let vs not all go lest we be to chargeable vnto the. And he wolde nedes haue had him to go howbeit he wolde not but blessed him Absalom sayde Shall my brother Ammon go with vs then The kynge sayde vnto him Wherfore shall he go with the Then was Absalom so importune vpon him that he let Ammon and all the kynges childrē go with him But Absalom commaunded his yonge men and sayde Take hede whan Ammon is mery with wyne and I saye vnto you Smyte Ammon and slaye him that ye be not afrayed for I haue commaunded you be stronge and playe the men So Absaloms yonge men dyd vnto Ammon as Absalom had commaunded them Then stode all the kynges children vp and euery one gat him vp vpō his Mule and fled And whyle they were yet on their waye the rumoure came to kynge Dauid that Absalom had slayne all the kynges children so that not one of them was lefte Then stode the kynge vp and rente his clothes layed him downe vpon the earth and all his seruaūtes that stode aboute him rente their clothes Then answered Ionadab y e sonne of Simea Dauids brother and sayde Let not my lorde thynke that all the yonge men the kynges children are deed but y t Ammon is deed onely for Absalom hath kepte it in him selfe sence the daie that he forced his sister Thamar Therfore let not my lorde the kynge take it so to hert that all the kynges children shulde be deed but that Ammon is deed onely As for Absalom he fled And the yonge man that kepte the watch lifte vp his eyes and loked and beholde A greate people came in the waye one after another by the hill syde Then sayde Ionadab vnto the kynge Beholde the kynges children come Euen as thy seruaunt sayde so is it happened And whan he had ended his talkynge the kynges children came and lifte vp their voyce and wepte The kynge and all his seruauntes wepte also very sore But Absalom fled and wente vnto Thalmai the sonne of Ammihud kynge of Gesur As for Dauid he mourned for his sonne euery daye Whan Absalom was fled and gone vnto Gesur he was there thre yeare And kynge Dauid ceassed from goinge out agaynst Absalom for he had comforted him selfe ouer Ammon that he was deed The XIIII Chapter IOab the sonne of Ieru Ia perceaued y t the kynges hert was agaynst Absalom and sent vnto Thecoa and caused to fetch from thence a prudent woman and saide vnto her Make lamētacion and weere mournynge garmentes anoynte the not with oyle but fayne thy selfe as a woman which hath mourned longe ouer a deed and thou shalt go in to the kynge and speake so so vnto him And Ioab tolde her what she shulde saye And whan the woman of Thecoa wolde speake with the kynge she fell vpon hir face to the grounde and worshipped and sayde Helpe me O kynge The kynge sayde vnto her What ayleth the She sayde I am a wedowe a woman that mourneth and my huszbāde is deed And thy handmayde had two sonnes which stroue together in the felde and whyle there was noman to parte thē a sunder the one smote the other and slewe him And beholde all the whole kynred ryseth vp agaynst thy handmayden and saye Delyuer him which hath smytten his brother that we maye kyll him for the soule of his brother whom he hath slayne and that we maye destroye the heyre also And thus are they mynded to put out my sparke which yet is lefte that there shulde no name ner eny thinge els remayne ouer vnto my huszbāde vpon earth The kynge sayde vnto the woman Go y e waye home I wil geue a cōmaundemēt for ye. And the woman of Thecoa saide vnto y e kynge The trespace be vpon me my lorde y e kynge and vpon my fathers house but the kynge and his seate be vngiltye The kynge sayde He that speaketh agaynst the brynge him vnto me so shall he touch the nomore She sayde Let the kynge thynke vpon the LORDE his God that there be not to many auengers of bloude to destroye and that they brynge not my sonne to naught He sayde As truly as the LORDE lyueth there shall not one heer of thy sonne fall vpon the earth And the woman sayde Let thy handmayde speake somwhat to my lorde the kynge He sayde speake on The woman sayde Wherfore hast thou deuised soch a thinge agaynst the people of God And how happeneth it that the kynge speaketh soch to make himselfe giltie and causeth not his outlawe to be broughte agayne For we all dye the death and as the water that sinketh in to the earth which is not taken vp And God will not take awaye the lyfe but vnbethynketh himselfe y t euen the very outlawe be not cleane thrust out from him Thus am I come also to speake this to my lorde the kynge in the presence of the people for thy handmayden thoughte I wyll speake to the kynge peraduenture he shall do that his handmayden sayeth for he shall heare his handmayden to delyuer me from the hande of all them that wolde destroye me with my sonne from the enheritaunce of God And thy handmayden thoughte y e worde of my lorde the kynge shall be as a meat offerynge for my lorde the kinge is as an angell of God so that he can heare good and euell therfore shall the LORDE thy God be with the. The kynge answered and sayde vnto the woman Kepe nothynge fro me that I axe the. The woman sayde Let my lorde the kinge speake on The kynge sayde Is not the hande of Ioab with the in all this The woman answered and sayde As truly as thy soule lyueth my lorde O kynge there is els noman nether at the righte hande ner at y e lefte but euen as my LORDE the kynge hath sayde for thy seruaunt Ioab hath commaunded
soch wordes it displeased me sore and I aduysed so in my mynde y t I rebuked the councelers and the rulers and sayde vnto them Wyl ye requyre vsury one of another And I broughte a greate congregacion agaynst them and sayde vnto them We after oure abilyte haue boughte oure brethren the Iewes which were solde vnto the Heythen And wyl ye sell youre brethren whom we haue boughte vnto vs Then helde they their peace coulde fynde nothinge to answere And I sayde It is not good that ye do Oughte ye not to walke in the feare of God because of the rebuke of the Heythen oure enemies I and my brethrē and my seruauntes haue lent them money and corne but as for vsury let vs leaue it Therfore this same daye se that ye restore thē their londes agayne their vynyardes oyle gardens and houses and the hundreth parte of the money of the corne wyne and oyle that ye haue wonne of them Then sayde they We wyl restore them agayne and wyl requyre nothinge of them and wyl do as thou hast spoken And I called the prestes and toke an ooth of thē that they shulde do so And I shoke my lappe and sayde God shake out euery man after the same maner frō his house and laboure that maynteyneth not this worde euen thus be he shaken out and voyde And all y e congregacion sayde Amen and praysed the LORDE And the people dyd so And from the tyme forth that it was commytted vnto me to be a Debyte in the londe of Iuda namely from the twentieth yeare vnto the two and thirtieth yeare off kynge Artaxerses that is twolue yeare I and my brethrē lyued not of soch sustenaunbe as was geuen to a Debyte For the olde Debytes that were before me had bene chargeable vnto the people and had takē of thē bred and wyne and fortye Sycles of syluer Yee and their seruauntes had oppressed the people But so dyd not I and that because of the feare of God I laboured also in the worke vpon the wall and boughte no lōde And all my seruaūtes came thither together vnto y e worke Morouer there were at my table an hundreth and fiftie of the Iewes and rulers which came vnto me from amonge the Heythen that are aboute vs. And there was prepared me daylie an oxe and sixe chosen shepe and byrdes and euer once in ten dayes a greate summe of wyne Yet requyred not I the lyuynge of a Debyte for y e bondage was greuous vnto y e people Thynke vpō me my God vnto y e best acordīge to all that I haue done for this people The VI. Chapter ANd whan Saneballat Tobias and Gosem the Arabian and the other of oure enemyes herde that I had buylded the wall and that there were no mo gappes ther in howbeit at the same tyme had I not hanged the dores vpon the gates Saneballat and Gosem sent vnto me sayenge Come and let us mete together in the vyllages vpon the playne of the cite On◠Neuertheles they thoughte to do me euell Notwithstondynge I sent messaungers vnto them sayenge I haue a greate busynes to do I can not come downe The worke shulde stonde still yf I were necligent and came downe to you Howbeit they sent vnto me as good as foure tymes after the same maner And I gaue the same answere Then sent Saneballat his seruaunt vnto me the fifth tyme with an open letter in his hande wherin was wrytten It is tolde the Heythen Gosem hath sayde it that thou and the Iewes thynke to rebell for y e which cause thou buyldest the wall and wylt be their kynge in these matters and hast ordeyned the prophetes to preach of the at Ierusalem and to saye He is kynge of Iuda Now shal this come to the kynges eares come now therfore and let us take oure councell together Neuertheles I sent vnto him sayenge There is no soch thinge done as thou sayest thou hast fayned it out of thine owne hert For they were all mynded to make us afrayed and thoughte They shal withdrawe their handes from the worke y t they shal not laboure Howbeit I strēgthed my hande the more And I came vnto y e house of Semaia y e sonne of Delaia the sonne of Mechetabeel he had shut him selfe within sayde Let us come together in to y e house of God euē vnto y e myddes of y e tēple sparre y e dores of y e tēple for they wyl come to slaye y e yee euē in the night wyl they come to put the to death But I sayde Shulde soch a mā flye Shulde soch a mā as I am go in to y e tēple to saue his life I wyl not go in For I perceaued that God had not sent him Yet spake he prophecye vpon me neuerthelesse Tobias and Saneballat had hired him for money Therfore toke he the money that I shulde be afrayed and so to do and synne that they might haue an euell reporte of me to blaspheme me My God thynke thou vpon Tobias and Saneballat acordynge vnto these their workes and of y e prophet Noadia and of the other prophetes y t wolde haue put me in feare And the wall was fynished on the fyue twentyeth daye of the moneth Elul in two and fyftye dayes And whan all o r enemies herde therof all the Heithen y t were aboute vs were afraied and their corage failed thē for they perceaued that this worke came of God And at y e same tyme were there many of y e chefe of Iuda whose letters wēte vnto Tobias from Tobias vnto them for there were many in Iuda that were sworne vnto him for he was the sonne in lawe of Sachania the sonne of Arah and his sonne Iohanan had the doughter of Mesullam the sonne of Barachia and they spake good of him before me and tolde him my wordes And Tobias sent letters to put me in feare The VII Chapter NOw whan we had buylded the wall I hanged on the dores and the porters syngers and Leuites were appoynted And I cōmaunded my brother Hanani and Hanania the ruler of the palace at Ierusalem for he was a faithfull man and feared God more then dyd many other and I sayde vnto them Let not the gates of Ierusalē be opened vntyll the Sonne be whote And whyle they are yet stondinge in the watch the dores shall be shut and barred And there were certayne citesyns of Ierusalem appoynted to be watchmen euery one in his watch and aboute his house As for y e cite it was large of rowme and greate but y e people were fewe therin and the houses were not buylded And my God gaue me in my hert that I gatherd together the pryncipall men and y e people to nombre them and I founde a register of their nombre which came vp afore out of the captiuyte whom Nabuchodonosor y e kynge of Babilō had caryed awaie and dwelt at Ierusalem and in Iuda
vanite He shall perish afore his tyme be worne out and his honde shal not be grene He shal be pluckte of as an vntymely grape from y e vyne and shal let his floure fall as the olyue doth For the congregacion of Ypocrites is vnfrutefull the fyre shal consume the houses of soch as are gredy to receaue giftes He conceaueth trauayle he beareth myschefe his body bryngeth forth disceate The XVI Chapter IOb answered and sayde I haue oft tymes herde soch thinges Miserable geuers of comforte are ye all the sorte of you Shall not thy vayne wordes come yet to an ende Or hast thou yet enymore to saye I coude speake as ye do also But wolde God that youre soule were in my soules steade then shulde I heape vp wordes agaynst you and shake my heade at you I shulde comforte you with my mouth and release youre payne with y e talkinge of my lyppes But what shall I do For all my wordes my sorow wil not ceasse and though I holde my toÌ„ge yet wil it not departe fro me And now that I am full of payne and all that I haue destroied wherof my wryncles beare wytnesse there stoÌ„deth vp a dyssembler to make me answere with lyes to my face He is angrie at me he hateth me and gnassheth vpon me with his teth Myne enemy skouleth vpon me with his eyes They haue opened their mouthes wyde vpon me and smytten me vpon the cheke despitefully they haue eased theÌ„ selues thorow myne aduersite God hath geuen me ouer to the vngodly and delyuered me in to the hondes of y e wicked I was somtyme in wealth but sodenly hath he brought me to naught He hath taken me by the neck he hath rente me and set me as it were a marck for him to shute at He hath compased me rounde aboute with his dartes he hath wounded my loynes not spared My bowels hath he poured vpon the grounde He hath geueÌ„ me one wounde vpon another and is falleÌ„ vpon me like a giaunte I haue sowed a sack cloth vpon my skynne and lye with my strength in the dust My face is swolleÌ„ with wepinge myne eyes are waxen dymne Howbeit there is no wickednesse in my hondes and my prayer is cleâ—e O earth couer not my bloude and let my crienge fynde no rowme For lo my witnesse is in heauen and he that knoweth me is aboue in the heyth My frendes laugh me to scorne but myne eye poureth out teares vnto God Though a body might pleate w t God as one man doth with another yet the nombre of my yeares are come I must go the waye from whence I shal not turne agayne The XVII Chapter MY breth fayleth my dayes are shortened I am harde at deathes dore I haue disceaued no man yet must myne eye coÌ„tinue in heuynesse O delyuer me and set me by the who shall then be able to thrust my hondes together Thou hast with holdeÌ„ their hertes from vnderstoÌ„dinge therfore shall they not be set vp an hye He promiseth his freÌ„des parte of his good but his owne childreÌ„ spende it He hath made me as it were a byworde of the comon people I am his gestinge stocke amoÌ„ge theÌ„ My countenaunce is heuy for very anger the membres of my body are become like a shadowe Vertuous meÌ„ therfore shall wel coÌ„sidre this and the innocent shal take parte agaynst the Ypocrite The rightuous wil kepe his waye and he y t hath cleane handes wil euer be stronger stronger As for you turne you get you hence for I can not se one wyse maÌ„ amonge you My dayes are past my thoughtes are vanished awaye which haue vexed myne herte chaunginge the night in to daye y e light in to darcknes Though I tary neuer so moch yet the graue is my house and I must make my bed in the darcke I call corrupcion my father and the wormes call I my mother and my sister What helpeth then my longe tarienge Or who wil fulfill the thinge that I loke for All that I haue shall go downe in to the pytt lye with me in the dust The XVIII Chapter THen answered Baldad the Suhite and sayde when wil ye make an ende of youre wordes Marcke well and considre we wil speake also Wherfore are we counted as beestes reputed so vyle in youre sight Why destroyest thou thy self with anger Shal y e earth be forsaken or the stones remoued out of their place because of y t Shal not the light of the vngodly be put out yee the flame of his fyre shal not burne The light shal be darcke in his dwellinge his candle shal be put out with him His presumptuous goinges shal be kepte in and his owne councell shal cast him downe For his fete shal be taken in the nett and he shal walke in the snare His fote shal be holden in the gilder and the thurstie shal catch him The snare is layed for him in the grounde and a pytfall in the waye Fearfulnesse shal make him afrayed on euery syde that he shall not knowe where to get out Honger shal be his substaunce and myszfortune shall hange vpon him He shall eate his owne skynne yee his owne armes shall he deuoure beynge a firstborne of death All his comforte and hope shal be roted out of his dwellynge very fearfulnesse shall brynge him to the kynge Other men shall dwel in his house which now is none of his and brymstone shal be scatered vpon his habitacion His rotes shal be dryed vp beneth aboue shall his haruest be cut downe His remembraunce shall perish from the earth his name shall not be praysed in the stretes he shal be dryuen from the light in to darcknesse and be cast clene out of the worlde He shall nether haue children ner kynßfolkes amonge his people no ner eny posterite in his countre yonge olde shal be astonyshed at his death Soch are now the dwellynges of the wicked and this is y e place of him that knoweth not God The XIX Chap. IOb answered sayde How loÌ„ge wil ye vexe my mynde trouble me with wordes Lo tentymes haue ye reproued me are ye not ashamed for to laugh me so to scorne yf I go wronge I go wronge to my self But yf ye wil enhaunce yo r selues agaynst me accuse me to be a wicked personne because of the shame that is come vpon me knowe this then y t it is God which hath handled me so violeÌ„tly hath compased me aboute with his scourges Beholde though I crie yet violeÌ„ce is done vnto me I can not be herde Though I complane there is none to geue senteÌ„ce with me He hath hedged vp my path I caÌ„ not get awaye he hath set darcknesse in my gate He hath spoyled me of myne honoure taken the crowne awaye fro my heade He hath destroyed me on euery syde and I am vndone My hope hath he taken awaye
hongrie The LORDE lowseth men out of preson the LORDE geueth sight to the blynde The LORDE helpeth theÌ„ vp that are fallen the LORDE loueth the righteous The LORDE careth for the straungers he defendeth y e fatherlesse and wyddowe as for the waye of y e vngodly he turneth it vpsyde downe The LORDE thy God o Sion is kynge for euermore and thorow out all generacions Halleluya The CXLVI psalme O Prayse the LORDE for it is a good thinge to synge prayses vnto o r God yee a ioyfull and pleasaunt thinge is it to be thankfull The LORDE shal buylde vp IerusaleÌ„ gather together y e outcastes of Israel He healeth the contrite in herte and byndeth vp their woundes He telleth the nombre of the starres and calleth them all by their names Greate is o r LORDE and greate is his power yee his wyszdome is infinite The LORDE setteth vp y e meke bryngeth y e vngodly downe to y e grouÌ„de O synge vnto y e LORDE w t thankesgeuynge synge prayses vpoÌ„ y e harpe vnto o r God Which couereth y e heauen w t cloudes prepareth rayne for y e earth maketh y e grasse to growe vpon the mountaynes Which geueth foder vnto y e catell fedeth y e yonge rauens y t call vpoÌ„ him He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse nether delyteth he in eny maÌ„s legges But the LORDES delyte is in them that feare him and put their trust in his mercy The CXLVII psalme This psalme do the hebrues ioyne vnto it that goeth before PRayse y e LORDE o IerusaleÌ„ prayse 〈◊〉 God o Sion For he maketh fast 〈◊〉 baries of y e gates blesseth y e 〈…〉 within ye. He maketh peace in y e bordâ—â—◠〈◊〉 fylleth y e with y e flo r of wheate He 〈◊〉 synde y e forth his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t vpoÌ„ earth 〈…〉 LORDE ruÌ„neth swiftly He geueth snowe scatereth y e horefrost like ashes 〈◊〉 He forth his yse like morsels who is ghtuous and de his frost He sendeth out â—â—cently he â—emelteth them he bloweth w t hi◠〈◊〉 preserueth y e waters flowe He sheweth 〈◊〉 shalt thou unIacob his statutes 〈…〉 and equi rael He hath not dealt 〈◊〉 Yf wyszdome then nether haue they 〈◊〉 and y e soule delyte in es Halleluya 〈◊〉 councell preserue the The 〈…〉 shal kepe the. That â—Pâ—est be delyuered froÌ„ y e euell waye â—om the man y t speaketh fâ—owarde thines from soch as leave the hye strete and ualkei y e wayes of darcknesse which reioyse 〈◊〉 doynge euell and delyte i wicked thinges whose wayes are croked and their pathes slaunderous that thou mayest be delyuered also from the straunge woman and from her that is not thine owne which geueth swete wordes forfaketh the huszbande of hir youth and for getteth the couenaunt of hir God For hir house is enclyned unto death and hir pathes unto hell All they that go in unto her come not agayne nether take they holde of the wave of life That thou mayest walke in y e good waye and kepe tha pathes of the righuous For the iust shal dwell in the lende and the inno Let them prayse the name of the LORDE for his name only is excellent and his prayse aboue heauen and earth He exalteth the horne of his people all his sayntes shal prayse him the children of Israel euen the people that serueth him Halleluya The CXLIX psalme Halleluya O Synge vnto y e LORDE a new songe let the coÌ„gregacion of sayntes prayse him Let Israel reioyse in him that made him and let the children of Sion be ioyfull in their kynge Let them prayse his name in the dauÌ„ce let them synge prayses vnto him with tabrettes and harpes For the LORDE hath pleasure in his people and helpeth the mekcharted Let the sayntes be ioyfull with glory let them reioyse in their beddes Let the prayses of God be in their mouth and sharpe swerdes in their handes To be auenged of the Heiâ—heÌ„ to rebuke the people To bynde their â—â—nges in cheynes their nobles with lyncâ—â—â—â— of yron That they maye be auenged 〈…〉 as it is written Soch honoure haue 〈…〉 sayntes Halleluya The CL. psalme Halleluya 〈◊〉 Prayse the LORDE in his Sanctuâ—â—◠〈…〉 prayse him in the firmament of 〈…〉 power Prayse him in his noble 〈…〉 him in his excelleÌ„t greatnesse 〈…〉 in the sounde of the trompet 〈…〉 â—poÌ„ the lute and harpe Pray 〈…〉 â—ymbals and daunse prayse him 〈…〉 and pype Prayse him 〈…〉 cymbals prayse him 〈…〉 cymbals Let 〈…〉 y t hath breth 〈◊〉 LORDE 〈◊〉 The Prouerbes of Salomon What this boke conteyneth Chap. I. The wysdome of God calleth vs by the mouth of SalomoÌ„ exorteth vs and geueth vs warnynge to eschue the wicked whose vn godly coÌ„uersacion in worde and worke and punyshment also of the same is here descrybed Chap. II. How wisdome maye be gotten and what profit commeth of it Chap. III. He exorteth us to the feare of God and to pacience he commendeth wyszdome â— requyreth us to cleue vnto the same Chap. IIII. A fatherly exortacion vnto wisdome with the profit therof and how we ought to refrayne the meÌ„bres of oure body froÌ„ euell Chap. V. He exorteth vnto wyszdoÌ„e and to be warre of harlottes he telleth what harme mâ—ye folowe therout wheÌ„ men medle with soch hâ— teacheth men louyngly to cleue vnto their mâ—ried wyues and descrybeth the ende of the vnâ—godly Chap. VI. He warneth men to bewarre of sâ—â—â—tishipe exorteth the slouthfull to laboure sheweth the wikednesse of false tonges and requyreth men to bewarre of aduoutry because it is more perloâ—s then theft or felony Chap. VII He exorteth vnto wiszdome sheweth the condicions of harlottes and what hurt happeneth vnto soch as enclyne to the prouocacioÌ„s and desyres of the flesh Chap. VIII Wyszdome calleth men swetely vnto her and telleth them what treasure and power she hath A coÌ„mendacion and prayse of wiszdome wherout euery maÌ„ is exorted to cleue vnto her Chap. IX Wyszdome crieth vpoÌ„ the ignorauÌ„t and promiseth them greate thinges The foolish maner of a light woman Chap. X. From this chapter forth vnto the XXXI there are described many swete louely and wyse sentences which teach men wyszdome and what profit commeth of it Agayne how men maye auoyde foolishnesse and the hurte therof Chap. XXXI Wyszdome warneth us to bewarre of euell women and descrybeth the coÌ„uersacion maner behauoure of an honest maried wyfe These are the prouerbes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid kynge of Israel to lerne wyszdome nurtoure vnderstondinge prudence rightuousnesse iudgment and equite That the very babes might haue wyt and that yonge men might haue knowlege and vnderstondinge By hearinge the wyse maÌ„ shal coÌ„me by more wysdome and by experience he shal be more apte to vnderstonde a parable and the interpretacion therof the wordes of the wyse and the darcke speaches of the same The feare of the LORDE is the begynnynge of wysdome But
fooles despyse wysdome and nurtoure The first Chapter MY sonne heare thy fathers doctryne and forsake not the lawe of y e mother for that shal brynge grace vnto thy heade shal be â— cheyne aboute thy necke My sonne coÌ„sente not vnto synners yf they entyse the and saye come wyth us let us laye wayte for bloude lurke preuely for the innoceÌ„t wyth out a cause let us swalowe theÌ„ vp like y e hell let us deuoure theÌ„ quycke and whole as those that go downe in to the pytt So shal we fynde all maner of costly riches and fyll oure houses wyth spoyles Cast in thy lott amonge us we shal haue all one purse My sonne walke not thou w t them refrayne y e fote froÌ„ their wayes For their fete ruÌ„ne to euell are haistie to shed bloude But in vayne is y e net layed forth before the byrdes eyes Yee they theÌ„ selues laye wayte one for anothers bloude and one of theÌ„ wolde slaye another These are the wayes of all soch as be couetous that one wolde rauysh anothers life Wyszdome crieth without putteth forth hir voyce in the stretes She calleth before y e congregacion in y e open gates and sheweth hir wordes thorow y e cite sayenge O ye childreÌ„ how loÌ„ge wil ye loue childyshnesse how longe wil y e scorners delyte in scornynge y e vnwyse be enemies vnto knowlege O turne you vnto my correccion lo I wil expresse my mynde vnto you and make you vnderstoÌ„de my wordes Seinge then that I haue called and ye refused it I haue stretched out my honde and no maÌ„ regarded it but all my couÌ„cels haue ye despysed and set my correccioÌ„s at naught Therfore shal I also laugh in yo r destruccion and mocke you when y e thinge that ye feare coÌ„meth vpon you euen wheÌ„ y e thinge that ye be afrayed of falleth in sodenly like a storme and yo r misery like a tempest yee whaÌ„ trouble and heuynesse coÌ„meth vpon you Then shal they call vpoÌ„ me but I wil not heare they shal seke me early but they shal not fynde me And y t because they hated knowlege and receaued not y e feare of y e LORDE but abhorred my councell and despysed my correccion Therfore shal they eate y e frutes of their owne waye and be fylled w t their owne councels for y e turnynge awaye of y e vnwyse shal slaye theÌ„ y e prosperi of fooles shal be their owne destruccioÌ„ But who so harkeneth vnto me shal dwell safely and haue ynough without eny feare of euell The II. Chapter MY sonne yf thou wilt receaue my wordes and kepe my coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes by the that thine eare maye herken vnto wysdome applie thine herte then to vnderstoÌ„dinge For yf thou criest after wyszdome callest for knowlege yf thou sekest after her as after money and dyggest for her as for treasure TheÌ„ shalt thou vnderstonde y e feare of the LORDE and fynde y e knowlege of God For it is the LORDE that geueth wyszdome out of his mouth commeth knowlege and vnderstondinge He preserueth y e welfare of the rightuous and defendeth them y t walke innocently he kepeth them in y e right path and preserueth y e waye of his sayntes Then shalt thou vnderstonde rightuousnesse iudgment and equite yee and euery good path Yf wyszdome entre in to thine herte and y e soule delyte in knowlege then shal councell preserue the and vnderstondinge shal kepe the. That thou mayest be delyuered froÌ„ y e euell waye and from the man y t speaketh fâ—owarde thinges From soch as leaue the hye strete and walke iÌ„ y e wayes of darcknesse which reioyse in doynge euell and delyte iÌ„ wicked thinges whose wayes are croked and their pathes slaunderous That thou mayest be delyuered also from the straunge woman and from her that is not thine owne which geueth swete wordes forsaketh the huszbande of hir youth and forgetteth the couenaunt of hir God For hir house is enclyned vnto death and hir pathes vnto hell All they that go in vnto her come not agayne nether take they holde of the waye of life That thou mayest walke in y e good waye and kepe the pathes of the rightuous For the iust shal dwell in the londe and the innocentes shal remayne in it but the vngodly shal be roted out of y e londe and the wicked doers shal be taken out of it The III. Chapter MY sonne forget not my lawe but se y t thine hert kepe my coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes For they shal proloÌ„ge y e dayes yeares of y e lyfe brynge y e peace Let mercy faithfulnes neuer go from y e bynde theÌ„ about y e necke wryte them in the tables of thine herte So shalt thou fynde fauo r and good vnderstondinge in y e sight of God and men Put thy trust in y e LORDE with all thine herte and leane not vnto thine owne vnderstondinge In all thy wayes haue respecte vnto him and he shal ordre thy goinges Be not wyse in thine owne conceate but feare y e LORDE and departe from euell so shal thy nauel be whole and thy bones stronge Honoure the LORDE w t y e substaunce w t y e firstlinges of all thine encrease so shal thy barnes be fylled with plenteousnesse and thy presses shal flowe ouer with swete wyne My sonne despyse not the chastenynge of y e LORDE nether faynte when thou art rebuked of him For whoÌ„ the LORDE loueth him he chasteneth and yet delyteth in him euen as a father in his owne sonne Well is him that fyndeth wyszdome opteyneth vnderstondinge for the gettinge of it is better then eny marchaundise of syluer the profit of it is better then golde Wyszdome is more worth theÌ„ precious stones all y e thinges y t thou canst desyre are not to be compared vnto her Vpon hir right hande is longe life vpon hir left hande is riches honor. Hir wayes are pleasaunt wayes and all hir pathes are peaceable She is a tre of life to them that laye holde vpon her and blessed are they that kepe her fast With wyszdome hath y e LORDE layed the fouÌ„dacion of y e earth thorow vnderstondinge hath he stablished y e heaueÌ„s Thorow his wiszdome y e depthes breake vp y e cloudes droppe downe the dew My sonne let not these thinges departe from thyne eyes but kepe my lawe and my councell so shal it be life vnto thy soule grace vnto y e mouth Then shalt thou walke safely in y e waye thy fote shal not stomble Yf thou slepest thou shalt not be afrayed but shalt take thy rest slepe swetely Thou neddest not to be afrayed of eny sodane feare nether for the violent russhinge in of the vngodly when it commeth For the LORDE shal be besyde the kepe thy fote y t thou be not taken Refuse not to do good vnto
him that shulde haue it so lonâ—â— as thine hande is able to do it Saye noâ— vnto thy neghboure go thy waye come agayne tomorow wil I geue the where as â—hou hast now to geue him Intende no hurte vnto thy neghboure seynge he hopeth to dwell in rest by the. Stryue not lightly w t eny man where as he hath done y t no harme Folowe not a wicked man and chose none of his wayes for the LORDE abhorreth the frowarde but his secrete is amonge the righteous The curse of the LORDE is in the house of the vngodly but he blesseth the dwellinges of the righteous As for the scornefull he shal laugh theÌ„ to scorne but he shal geue grace vnto the lowly The wyse shal haue hono r in possession but shame is the promocioÌ„ that fooles shal haue The IIII. Chap. HEare O ye children the fatherly exortacioÌ„ take good hede that ye maye lerne wyszdome Yee I shal geue you a good rewarde yf ye wil not forsake my lawe For when I myself was my fathers deare sonne and tenderly beloued of my mother he taught me also sayenge let thine herte receaue my wordes kepe my commaundementes and thou shalt lyue Get the wyszdome get the vnderstondinge forget not y e wordes of my mouth shreÌ„ke not from them Forsake her not and she shal preserue the loue her and she shal kepe the. The chefe poynte of wyszdome is that thou be wyllynge to opteyne wyszdome and before all thy goodes to get the vnderstondynge Make moch of her and she shal promote the Yee yf thou embracest her she shal brynge the vnto honoure She shal makethe a gracious heade and garnish the with y e crowne of glory Heare my sonne and receaue my wordes that the yeares of thy life maye be many I wil shewe the y e waye of wyszdome and lede the in the right pathes So that yf thou goest therin there shal no straytnesse hynder the and when thou runnest thou shalt not fall Take fast holde of doctryne let her not go kepe her for she is thy life Come not in the path of the vngodly and walke not in the waye of the wicked Eschueit go not therin departe asyde passe ouer by it For they can not slepe eâ—cepte they haue first done some myschefâ— nether take they eny rest excepte they haue first done some harme For they eate the bred of wickednesse and driÌ„ke the wyne of robbery The path of the rightuous shyneth as the light and is euer brighter brighter vnto the parfecte daye But y e waye of the vngodly is as the darcknesse wherin meÌ„ fall or they be awarre My sonne marcke my wordes and enclyne thine eare vnto my saynges Let them not departe from thine eyes kepe them euen in the myddest of thine herte For they are life vnto all those that finde theÌ„ and health vnto all their bodies Kepe thine hert with all diligence for there vpon hangeth life Put awaye from the a frowarde mouth and let the lippes of slaunder be farre from the. Let thine eyes beholde the thinge y t is right let thine eye lyddes loke straight before the. PoÌ„dre the path of thy fete so shal all y e wayes be sure Turne not asyde nether to the right hande ner to the lefte but witholde thy fote from euell The V. Chapter MY sonne geue hede vnto my wysdome bowe thine eare vnto my prudeÌ„ce y t thou mayest regarde good councell and that thy lippes maye kepe nurtoure For the lippes of an harlot are a droppinge hony combe and hir throte is softer then oyle But at y e last she is as bitter as worm wod and as sharpe as a two edged swerde Hir fete go downe vnto death and hir steppes pearse thorow vnto hell She regardeth not the path of life so vnstedfast are hir wayes that thou canst not knowe them Heare me therfore o my sonne and departe not froÌ„ the wordes of my mouth Kepe thy waye farre from her and come not nye y e dores of hir house That thou geue not thine hono r vnto another and thy yeares to the cruell That other men be not fylled with thy goodes that thy labours come not in a straunge house Yee that thou mourne not at the last when thou hast spent thy body and goodes and then saye Alas why hated I nurtoure why dyd my hert despyse correccion Wherfore was not I obedient vnto the voyce of my teachers herkened not vnto them that infourmed me I am come almost in to all mysfortune in the myddest of the multitude and congregacion Drinke of the water of thine owne well and of the ryuers that runne out of thine owne spriÌ„ges Let y e welles flowe out a brode that there maye be ryuers of water in the stretes But let them be only thine owne not straungers with the. Let thy well be blessed and be glad with the wife of thy youth Louynge is the hynde and frendly is the Roo let her brestes alwaye satisfie the and holde the euer content with hir loue My sonne why wilt thou haue pleasure in an harlot and embrace the bosome of another womaÌ„ For euery maÌ„s wayes are open in the sight of the LORDE and he poÌ„dereth all their goinges The wickednesses of the vngodly shal catch himself and with the snares of his owne synnes shal he be trapped Because he wolde not be refourmed he shal dye and for his greate foolishnesse he shal be destroyed The VI. Chapter MY soÌ„ne yf thou be suertie for y e neghboure thou hast fastened thine hoÌ„de w t another maÌ„ yee thou art bouÌ„de with thine owne wordes and taken w t thine owne speach Therfore my sonne do this discharge thy self for thou art come iÌ„ to y e neghbours daunger Go thy waye then soone intreate thy neghboure let not thyne eyes slepe ner thine eye lyddes slomber Saue thy self as a doo froÌ„ y e honde as a byrde froÌ„ the hoÌ„de of the fouler Go to the Emmet thou slogarde coÌ„sidre hir wayes lerne to be wyse She hath no gyde no teacher no leder yet in the sommer she prouideth hir meate gathereth hir foode together iÌ„ y e haruest How loÌ„ge wilt thou slepe thou slogish maÌ„ WhaÌ„ wilt thou aryse out of thy slepe Yee slepe on still a litle sloÌ„ber a litle folde thine handes together yet a litle that thou mayest slepe so shal pouerte come vnto the as one y t trauayleth by the waye necessite like a wapened man A dissemblynge person a wicked man goeth with a frowarde mouth he wyncketh with his eyes he tokeneth w t his fete he poynteth w t his fyngers he is euer ymageninge myschefe frowardnesse in his hert causeth discorde Therfore shal his destruccion come hastely vpoÌ„ him sodenly shal he be all to broken and not be healed There be sixe thinges which the LORDE hateth the seuenth he vtterly abhorreth A proude loke
suertye for a straunger hurteth himself but he that medleth not with suerteshippe is sure A gracious womā manteyneth honestie as for the mightie they manteyne ryches He y t hath a gentle liberall stomacke is mercifull but who so hurteth his neghbo r is a tyraūt The laboure of the vngodly prospereth not but he that soweth rightuosnes shal receaue a sure rewarde Like as rightuousnes bryngeth life euē so to cleue vnto euell bryngeth death The LORDE abhorreth a fayned hert but he hath pleasure in them that are vndefyled It shal not helpe y e wicked though they laye all their hondes together but the sede of the rightuous shal be preserued A fayre woman without discrete maners is like a rynge of golde in a swynes snoute The iust laboure for peace and trāquylite but the vngodly for disquyetnesse Some man geueth out his goodes and is the richer but y e nygarde hauynge ynough wil departe from nothinge and yet is euer in pouerte He that is lyberall in geuynge shal haue plenty and he that watereth shal be watered also himself Who so hoordeth vp his corne shal be cursed amonge the people but blessynge shal light vpon his heade that selleth it He that laboureth for honesty fyndeth his desyre but who so seketh after myschefe it shal happē vnto him He that trusteth in his riches shal haue a fall but y e rightuous shal florish as the grene leaf Who so maketh disquyetnesse in his owne house he shal haue wynde for his heretage and the foole shal be seruaunt to the wyse The frute of the rightuous is as the tre of life a wyse man also wynneth mens soules Yf y e rightuous be recōpēsed vpō earth how moch more thē the vngodly y e synner ▪ The XII Chapter Who so loueth wyszdome wil be content to be refourmed but he that hateth to be reproued is a foole A good man is acceptable vnto the LORDE but y e wicked wyl he condempne A man cā not endure in vngodlynesse but y e rote of y e righteous shal not be moued A stedfast woman is a crowne vnto hir huszbonde but she that behaueth herself vnhonestly is a corrupcion in his bones The thoughtes of y e righteous are right but the ymaginacion of the vngodly are disceatfull The talkynge of the vngodly is how they maye laye wayte for bloude but the mouth of y e righteous wil delyuer them Or euer thou canst turne the aboute the vngodly shal be ouerthrowne but the house of the righteous shal stōde A man shal be commended for his wyszdome but a foole shal be despysed A simple man which laboureth and worketh is better thē one that is gorgious and wanteth bred A righteous man regardeth the life of his catell but the vngodly haue cruell hertes He that tilleth his lōde shal haue plenteousnesse of bred but he y t foloweth ydylnes is a very foole The desyre of y e vngodly hunteth after myschefe but the rote of the righteous bryngeth forth frute The wicked falleth in to the snare thorow y e malyce of his owne mouth but the iust shal escape out of parell Euery man shal enioye good acordinge to the innocency of his mouth and after the workes of his hādes shal he be rewarded Loke what a foole taketh in honde he thinketh it well done but he that is wyse wyl be coūceled A foole vttereth his wrath in all the haist but a discrete man forgeueth wronge A iust man will tell the trueth shewe the thinge y t is right but a false wytnesse disceaueth A slaunderous personne pricketh like a swerde but a wyse mans tonge is wholsome A true mouth is euer constāt but a dyssemblinge tōge is soone chaunged They that ymagin euell in their mynde wil disceaue but the councelers of peace shal heaue ioye folowinge thē There shal no mysfortune happen vnto the iust but the vngodly shal be fylled with misery The LORDE abhorreth disceatfull lippes but they that laboure for treuth please him He that hath vnderstōdinge can hyde his wysdome but an vndiscrete herte telleth out his foolishnesse A diligēt hande shal beare rule but the ydle shal be vnder tribute Heuynesse discorageth y e herte of man but a good worde maketh it glad agayne The righteous is liberall vnto his neghboure but the waye of the vngodly wil disceaue them selues A disceatfull man shal fynde no vaūtage but he that is content w t that he hath is more worth thē golde In the waye of righteousnesse there is life as for eny other waye it is the path vnto death The XIII Chapter A Wyse sonne wyll receaue his fathers warnynge but he y t is scornefull wyll not heare when he is reproued A good mā shal enioye the frute of his mouth but he that hath a frowarde mynde shal be spoyled He that kepeth his mouth kepeth his life but who so speaketh vnaduysed fyndeth harme The slogarde wolde fayne haue and can not get his desyre but the soule of the diligent shal haue plenty A righteous man abhorreth lyes but the vngodly shameth both other and himself Righteousnesse kepeth the innocēt in the waye but vngodlynesse shal ouerthrowe the synner Some men are riche though they haue nothinge agayne some mē are poore hauynge greate riches With goodes euery man delyuereth his life and the poore wyl not be reproued The light of the righteous maketh ioyfull but the candle of the vngodly shal be put out Amonge the proude there is euer strife but amonge those that do all thinges with aduysement there is wyszdome Hastely gottē goodes are soone spent but they that be gathered together with the hande shal increase Longe tarienge for a thinge that is dyfferred greueth y e herte but when the desyre commeth it is a tre of life Who so despyseth the worde destroyeth himself but he that feareth the cōmaundement shal haue peace The lawe is a wel of life vnto the wyse that it maye kepe him from the snares of death Good vnderstondinge geueth fauoure but harde is the waye of the despysers A wyse man doth all thinges with discrecion but a foole wil declare his foly An vngodly messaūger bryngeth myschefe but a faithfull embassitoure is wholsome He that thinketh scorne to be refourmed commeth to pouerte and shame but who so receaueth correccion shal come to honoure When a desyre is brought to passe it delyteth the soule but fooles abhorre him that eschueth euell He that goeth in the company of wyse men shal be wyse but who so is a cōpanyō of fooles shal be hurte Myschefe foloweth vpon synners but the rightuous shal haue a good rewarde Which their childers childrē shal haue in possessiō for the riches of the synner is layed vp for y e iust There is plenteousnesse of fode in the feldes of the poore shal be increased out of measure He that spareth the rodde hateth his sonne but who so loueth him holdeth him euer in nurtoure The
his waies to be clene but it is y e LORDE y t fashioneth y e myndes Commytte thy workes vnto y e LORDE and loke what thou deuysest it shal prospere The LORDE doth all thinges for his owne sake yee when he kepeth y e vngodly for y e daye of wrath The LORDE abhorreth all presumptuous proude hertes there maye nether strength ner power escape With louynge mercy faithfulnesse synnes be forgeuen and who so feareth y e LORDE eschueth euell When a mans wayes please y e LORDE he maketh his very enemies to be his frendes Better is it to haue a litle thinge w t rightuousnes theÌ„ greate rentes wrongeously gotten A maÌ„ deuyseth a waye in his herte but it is y e LORDE y t ordreth his goinges When y e prophecy is in y e lippes of y e kynge his mouth shal not go wroÌ„ge in iudgment A true measure a true balauÌ„ce are y e LORDES he maketh all weightes It is a greate abhominacioÌ„ when kynges are wycked for a kynges seate shulde be holden vp w t righteousnesse Righteous lippes are pleasauÌ„t vnto kynges and they loue him y t speaketh y e trueth The kynges displeasure is a messaunger of death but a wyse man wyl pacifie him The cherefull countenauÌ„ce of y e kynge is life and his louynge fauo r is as the euenynge dewe To haue wyszdome in possession is better then golde and to get vnderstondynge is more worth then syluer The path of y e righteous eschueth euell who so loketh well to his wayes kepeth his owne soule Presumptuousnes goeth before destruccion and after a proude stomake there foloweth a fall Better it is to be of humble mynde w t the lowly then to deuyde y e spoyles w t y e proude He y t handleth a matter wysely opteyneth good blessed is he y t putteth his trust in y e LORDE Who so hath a wyse vnderstondinge is called to councell but he y t can speake fayre getteth more riches Vnderstondinge is a well of life vnto him y t hath it as for y e chastenynge of fooles it is but foolishnesse The herte of the wyse enfourmeth his mouth and amendeth y e doctryne in his lyppes Fayre wordes are an hony combe a refreshinge of y e mynde health of y e bones There is a waye y t men thinke to be right but the ende therof leadeth vnto death A troublous soule disquyeteth hir selfe for hir owne mouth hath brought her therto An vngodly personne stereth vp euell and in his lippes he is as an whote burnynge fyre A frowarde body causeth strife and he y t is a blabbe of his tonge maketh deuysion amonge prynces A wicked maÌ„ begyleth his neghbo r ledeth him y e waye y t is not good He that wyncketh w t his eyes ymagineth myschefe and he y t byteth his lippes wyl do some harme Age is a crowne of worshipe yf it be founde in the waye of righteousnes A pacient man is better then one that is stroÌ„ge and he that can rule him selfe is more worth then he y t wynneth a cite The lottes are cast in to the lappe but their fall stoÌ„deth in the LORDE The XVII Chapter BEtter is a drye morsell w t quyetnesse theÌ„ a full house and many fatt catell w t stryfe A discrete seruauÌ„t shal haue more rule then the sonnes y t haue no wysdome and shal haue like heretage w t the brethren Like as syluer is tried in the fyre and golde in the fornace euen so doth the LORDE proue the hertes A wicked body holdeth moch of false lippes a dyssemblynge persone geueth eare to a disceatfull toÌ„ge Who so laugheth y e poore to scorne blasphemeth his maker and he y t is glad of another mans hurte shal not be vnpunyshed Childers children are a worshipe vnto the elders and the fathers are the hono r of the children An eloquent speach becoÌ„meth not a foole a dyssemblinge mouth also besemeth not a prynce Liberalite is a precious stone vnto him that hath it for where so euer he becoÌ„meth he prospereth Who so couereth another mans offence seketh loue but he y t discloseth the faute setteth frendes at variaunce One reprofe only doth more good to him y t hath vnderstoÌ„dinge then an C. stripes vnto a foole A sedicious personne seketh myschefe â—ut a cruell messaunger shal be sent agaynst him It were better to come agaynst a she Bere robbed of hir whelpes then agaynst a foole in his foolishnes Who so rewardeth euell for good the plage shal not departe froÌ„ his house He y t soweth discorde strife is like one y t dyggeth vp a water broke but an open enemie is like the water y t breaketh out reÌ„â—eth abrode The LORDE hateth as well him y t iustifieth y e vngodly as him y t condempneth the innoceÌ„t What helpeth it to geue a foole money in his hoÌ„de where as he hath no mynde to bye wyszdome He is a frende that all waye loueth and in aduersite a man shal knowe who is his brother Who so promiseth by the hande is suertie for another he is a foole He y t loueth strife delyteth in synne who so setteth his dore to hye seketh after a fall Who so hath a frowarde herte opteyneth no good and he y t hath an oueÌ„rthâ—â—â—â— tonge shal fall in to myschefe An 〈◊〉 body bryngeth himselfe in to sorowe and y e father of a foole can haue no ioye A mâ—â—y herte maketh a lusty age but a sorowfull â—â—â—de dryeth vp y e bones The vngodly taketh giftes out of the bosome to wraist the wayeâ—â— of iudgment Wyszdome shyneth in y e face of him y t hath vnderstondinge but y e eyes â—â— fooles wandre thorow out all loÌ„des An 〈◊〉 discrete sonne is a grefe vnto his father 〈◊〉 heuynesse vnto his mother y t bare him 〈◊〉 punysh y e innocent and to smyte y e prynces â— geue true iudgmeÌ„t are both euell He is 〈◊〉 and discrete y t tempereth his wordes 〈◊〉 he is a maÌ„ of vnderstoÌ„dinge y t maketh moâ—â— of his sprete Yee a very foole when he holâ—deth his tonge is counted wyse and to 〈◊〉 vnderstoÌ„dinge when he shutteth his lippes The XVIII Chapter WHo so hath pleasure to sowe disâ—â—de piketh a quarell in euery thingâ— â–ª A foole hath no delyte in vnderâ—â—â—â—dinge but only in those thinges wherin 〈◊〉 herte reioyseth Where vngodlynes is theâ—re is also diszdayne so there foloweth shaâ—me dishonor. The wordes of a maÌ„s 〈◊〉 are like depe waters and the well of wyszdoâ—me is like a full streame It is not good 〈◊〉 regarde y e personne of the vngodly or to 〈◊〉 backe y e righteous in iudgmeÌ„t A fooles lipâ—pes are euer brawlinge and his mouth proâ—uoketh vnto batayll A fooles mouth is 〈◊〉 owne destruccion and his lippes are y e 〈◊〉 for his owne soule The wordes of a slaunâ—derer are very wouÌ„des and go thorow
vnto the ynmost partes of the body Who so iâ— slouthfull and slacke in his labo r is y e brother of him y t is a waister The name of y e LORDâ— is a stronge castell y e righteous flyeth vntâ— it and shal be saued But y e rich maÌ„s goodâ—â— are his stronge holde yee he taketh them 〈◊〉 an hye wall rouÌ„de aboute him After 〈◊〉 coÌ„meth destruccioÌ„ and hono r after lowlyneâ— He that geueth senteÌ„ce in a matter before 〈◊〉 heare it is a foole and worthy to be confouâ—â—ded A good stomacke dryueth awaye a 〈◊〉 disease but whaÌ„ y e sprete is vexed who mayâ— abyde it A wyse herte laboureth for knowâ—lege and a prudent eare seketh vnderstondiâ—â—ge Liberalite bryngeth a man to hono r and worshipe setteth him amonge greate 〈◊〉 â–ª The righteous accuseth hiÌ„ self first of all yf his neghbo r come he shal fynde him Thâ— lot pacifieth y e variauÌ„ce parteth y e mightâ— asunder The vnite of brethren is strongeâ— then a castell and they that holde together are like the barre of a palace A mans bely shal be satisfied with the frute of his owne mouth and with the increase of his lippes shal he be fylled Death and life stonde in the power of the tonge he that loueth it shal enioye the frute therof Who so fyndeth a wife fyndeth a good thynge receaueth an wholsome benefite of the LORDE The poore maketh supplicacion and prayeth mekely but the riche geueth a rough answere A frende that delyteth in loue doth a man more freÌ„dshipe and sticketh faster vnto him then a brother The XIX Chapter BEtter is the poore that lyueth godly theÌ„ the blasphemer that is but a foole Where no discrecion is there the soule is not well and who so is swifte on fote stombleth hastely Foolishnesse maketh a man to go out of his waye then is his herte vnpacient agaynst the LORDE Riches make many frendes but the poore is forsakeÌ„ of his owne frendes A false wytnesse shal not remayne vnpunyshed and he that speaketh lyes shal not escape The multitude haÌ„geth vpoÌ„ greate men euery man fauoureth him that geueth rewardes As for the poore he is hated amonge all his brethren yee his owne frendes forsake him he that geueth credeÌ„ce vnto wordes getteth nothinge He that is wyse loueth his owne soule and who so hath vnderstondinge shal prospere A false wytnesse shal not remayne vnpunyshed he y t speaketh lyes shal perishe Delicate ease becoÌ„meth not a foole moch more vnsemely is it a bonde man to haue y e rule of prynces A wyse man putteth of displeasure it is his hono r to let some fautes passe The kynges disfauo r is like y e roaringe of a LyoÌ„ but his freÌ„dshpe is like the dewe vpoÌ„ y e grasse An vndiscrete sonne is y e heuynes of his father a braulynge wife is like the topp of an house where thorow it is euer droppynge House riches maye a maÌ„ haue by y e heretage of his elders but a discrete womaÌ„ is the gifte of the LORDE Slouthfulnes bryngeth slepe an ydell soule shal suffer hoÌ„ger Who so kepeth the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t kepeth his owne soule but he y t regardeth not his waye shal dye He y t hath pitie vpon the poore leÌ„deth vnto y e LORDE loke what he layeth out it shal be payed him agayne ChasteÌ„ y e sonne whyle there is hope but let not y e soule be moued to slaye hiÌ„ For greate wrath bryngeth harme therfore let him go and so mayest thou teach him more nurtoure O geue eare vnto good councell be content to be refourmed that thou mayest bewyse here after There are many deuices in a maÌ„s herte neuertheles the couÌ„cell of y e LORDE shal stoÌ„de It is a mans worshipe to do good better it is to be a poore maÌ„ then a dyssembler The feare of the LORDE preserueth the life yee it geueth pleÌ„teousnes without the visitacioÌ„ of any plage A slouthfull body shuteth his honde in to his bosome so y t he can not put it to his mouth Yf thou smytest a scorneful personne the ignorauÌ„t shal take better hede yf thou reprouest one y t hath vnderstondinge he wil be y e wyser He y t hurteth his father or shuteth out his mother is a shamefull an vnworthy sonne· My sonne heare nomore the doctrine y t leadeth the awaye from the wordes of vnderstondinge A false wytnes laugheth iudgmeÌ„t to scorne the mouth of the vngodly eateth vp wickednes Punyshmentes are ordened for the scornefull and stripes for fooles backes The XX. Chapter WYne is a voluptuous thinge droÌ„ckennes causeth sedicion who so delyteâ—h therin shal neuer be wyse The kynge ought to be feared as the roaringe of a lyon who so prouoketh him vnto anger offendeth agaynst his owne soule It is a mans honoure to kepe himself from strife but they y t haue pleasure in braulinge are fooles eueryone A slouthfull body wyl not go to plowe for colde therfore shal he go abegginge in Sommer and haue nothinge Wyse councell in the herte of man is like a water in the depe of the earth but he that hath vnderstondinge bryngeth it forth Many there be that are called good doers but where shal one fynde a true faithful maÌ„ Who so ledeth a godly and an innocent life happie shal his children be whom he leaueth behynde him A kynge that sytteth in iudgment and loketh well aboute him dryueth awaye all euell Who can saye my hert is cleane I am innocent from synne To vse two maner of weightes or two maner of measures both these are abhominable vnto the LORDE A childe is knowne by his conuersacion whether his workes be pure and right As for the hearinge of the eare the sight of y e eye y e LORDE hath made theÌ„ both Delyte not thou in slepe lest thou come vnto pouerte but opeÌ„ thine eyes thou shalt haue bred ynough It is naught It is naught saye men whan they haue it but whan it is gone they geue it a good worde A mouth of vnderstoÌ„dinge is more worth then golde many precious stones and costly Iewels Take his garment that is suertie for a straunger take a pledge of him for y e vnknowne mans sake Euery maÌ„ liketh the bred that is gotten with disceate but at the last is mouth shal be fylled with grauell Thorow councell the thinges that men deuyse go forwarde with discrecion ought warres to be taken in honde Medle not with him that bewrayeth secretes and is a slaunderer and disceaueth with his lippes Who so curseth his father and mother his light shal be put out in the myddest of darcknesse The heretage that commeth to haistely at the first shal not be praysed at the ende Saye not thou I will recompence euell but put y e trust in the LORDE he shal defende ye. The LORDE abhorreth
vnto straunge goddes And so Ieremy came from Tophet where the LORDE had sent him to prophecie and stode in the courte off the house off the LORDE and spake to all the people Thus saieth the LORDE off hoostes the God of Israel Beholde I will bringe vpon this cite and vpon euery towne aboute it all the plages that I haue deuysed agaynst them for they haue bene obstinate ād wolde not obeye my warnynges The XX. Chapter WHen Pashur the preast the sonne off Emmer chefe in the house of y e LORDE herde Ieremy preach so stedfastly he smote Ieremy and put him in the stockes that are by the hie gate of Ben Iamin in the house of y e LORDE The nexte daye folowinge Pashur brought Ieremy out of the stockes agayne Then sayde Ieremy vnto him The LORDE shall call the nomore Pashur that is excellent and increasinge but Magor that is fearfull ād afrayed euery where For thus saieth the LORDE beholde I will make the afrayed the thy self and all that fauoure y e which shal perish with the swearde off their enemies euen before y t face And I wil geue whole Iuda vnder the power of the kinge of Babilon which shall carie some vnto Babilon presoners and slaye some with the swearde Morouer all y e substaunce of this londe all their precious and gorgeous workes all costlynesse and all the treasure of the kinges of Iuda wil I geue into the hōdes of their enemies which shal spoyle them and carie them vnto Babilon But as for the o Pashur thou shalt be caried vnto Babilon with all thine housholde to Babilō shalt thou come where thou shalt die and be buried thou and all thy fauourers to whom thou hast preached lies O LORDE thou makest me weake but thou refreszhest me makest me stronge agayne All the daye longe am I despysed and laughed to scorne of euery man because I haue now preached longe agaynst malicious Tyranny and shewed them off destruccion For y e which cause they cast the worde off the LORDE in my teth and take me euer to the worst Wherfore I thought from hence forth not to speake of him ner to preach eny more in his name But the worde off the LORDE was a very burnynge fyre in my hert and in my bones which when I wolde haue stopped I might not For why I herde so many derisiōs and blasphemies yee euen of myne owne companyons and off soch as were conuersaunte with me which wente aboute to make me afrayed sayenge vpon him let vs go vpon him to feare him and make him holde his tonge y t we maye ouercome him and be avenged off him But the LORDE stode by me like a mightie giaunte therfore my persecuters fell and coude do nothinge They shal be sore confoūded for they haue done vnwisely they shall haue an euerlastinge shame And now o LORDE of hoostes thou rightuous sercher which knowest the reynes and the very hertes let me se them punyshed for vnto the I committe my cause Synge vnto the LORDE and prayse him for he hath delyuered the soule off the oppressed from the honde off the violent Cursed be the daye wherein I was borne vnhappie be y e daye where in my mother brought me forth Cursed be the man that brought my father the tidinges to make him glad sayenge thou hast gotten a sonne Let it happen vnto that man as to the cities which y e LORDE turned vpside downe when he had longe herde the wicked rumoure of them because he slewe me not as soone as I came out off my mothers wombe and because my mother was not my graue hirselff that the byrth might not haue come out but remayned still in her Wherfore came I forth off my mothers wombe To haue experience of laboure and sorowe and to lede my life with shame The XXI Chapter THese are the wordes that the LORDE spake vnto Ieremy what tyme as kinge Sedechias sent vnto him Pashur the sonne off Melchia and Sophonias the sonne ▪ of Maasia prest sayenge Axe councell at the LORDE we praye the of oure behalfe for Nabuchodonosor the kinge off Babilon besegeth vs yff the LORDE peraduenture will deale with vs acordinge to his maruelous power and take him from vs. Then spake Ieremy Geue Sedechias this answere Thus saieth the LORDE God off Israel beholde I will turne backe the weapens that ye haue in youre hondes wherwith ye fight agaynst the kinge of Babilō the Caldees which besege you rounde aboute y e walles I wil brīge thē together in to the myddest of this cite and I my selff will fight agaynst you with an outstretched honde ād with a mightie arme in greate displeasure and terrible wrath and will smyte them that dwell in this cite yee both mē ād catell shal dye of the pestilence And after this saieth the LORDE I shall delyuer Sedechias the kinge of Iuda his seruauntes his people and soch as are escaped in the cite from the pestilence swearde and honger into the power of Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babilon yee in to the hōdes of their enemies in to the hōdes of those y t folowe vpon their lyues which shall smyte them with y e swerde they shal not pite thē they shal not spare them they shall haue no mercy vpon them And vnto this people thou shalt saye Thus saieth the LORDE beholde I laye before you the waye of life and deeth Who so abydeth in this cite shal perish ether w t the swearde with honger or with pestilēce But who so goeth out to holde on y e Caldees parte y t besege it he shal saue his life and shall wynne his soule for a pray For I haue set my face agaynst this cite saieth the LORDE to plage it and to do it no good It must be geuē in to the honde of the kinge of Babilon be brent with fyre And vnto the house of the kinge off Iuda saye thus Heare the worde of y e LORDE o thou house off Dauid for thus saieth the LORDE Ministre rightuousnes and that soone delyuer the oppressed frō violent power or euer my terrible wrath break out like a fyre ▪ and burne so that no man maye quēch it because of the wickednes of youre ymaginacions Beholde saieth the LORDE I wil come vpō you that dwel in the valleis rockes and feldes and saye Tush who will make vs afrayed or who will come in to oure houses For I will vyset you saieth the LORDE because off the wickednes off youre invencions and will kyndle soch a fyre in youre wod as shall cōsume all that is aboute you The XXII Chapter THus sayde the LORDE also Go downe in to the house of the kinge off Iuda and speake there these wordes saye Heare the worde off the LORDE thou kinge off Iuda that syttest in the kyngly seate off Dauid thou and thy seruauntes ād y e people
sermons then before The XXXVII Chapter SEdechias y e sonne of Iosias which was made kynge thorow Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon reigned in the londe of Iuda in the steade off Iechonias the sonne of Ioachim But nether he ner his seruauntes ner the people in the lōde wolde obeye the wordes of y e LORDE which he spake by the prophet Ieremy Neuertheles Sedechias the kynge sent Iuchal the sonne of Selamia and Sophonias the sonne of Maasia the prest to the prophet Ieremy sayenge O praye thou vnto the LORDE oure God for vs. Now Ieremy walked fre amonge the people at that tyme and was not put in preson as yet Pharaos hooste also was come out of Egipte which when the Caldees that beseged Ierusalem perceaued they departed from thence Then came the worde of the LORDE vnto Ieremy the prophet sayēge Thus saieth y e LORDE God of Israel This answere shal ye geue to the kynge of Iuda that sent you vnto me for councell Beholde Pharaos hooste which is come forth to helpe you shall returne to Egipte in to his owne londe But the Caldees shall come agayne fight agaynst this cite wynne it and set fyre vpon it For thus saieth the LORDE disceaue not yo r owne myndes thinkynge on this maner Tush the Caldees go now their waye from vs No they shall not go their waye For though ye had slayne the whole hooste off the Caldees ▪ that besege you and euery one of the slayne laye in his tent yet shulde they stonde vp and set fyre vpon this cite Now whē the hooste of the Caldees was brokē vp from Ierusalē for feare of the Egipcians armye Ieremy went out of Ierusalē towarde the lōde of Ben Iamin to do certayne busynesse there amōge y e people And whē he came vnder Ben Iamyns Porte there was a porter called Ierias the sonne of Selamia y e zōne of Hananias which fell vpō him toke him sayēge y e mynde is to runne to the Caldees Then sayde Ieremy It is not so I go not to the Caldees Neuertheles Ierias wolde not beleue him but brought Ieremy boūde before the princes Wherfore the princes were angrie with Ieremy causinge him to be beaten to be layed in preson in the house of Ionathas the scrybe For he was the ruler of the preson Thus was Ieremy put in to the dongeon preson and so laye there a longe tyme. Then Sedechias the kynge sent for him called him axed him quietly in his owne house sayenge thinkest thou this busynes that now is in honde cōmeth of the LORDE Ieremy answerde yee y t it doth thou sayde he shalt be delyuered in to the kynge of Babilons power Morouer Ieremy sayde vnto kynge Sedechias What haue I offended agaynst y e agaynst thy seruaūtes or agaynst this people that ye haue caused me be put in preson Where are youre prophetes which haue prophecied vnto you and sayde that y e kynge of Babilō shulde not come agaynst you this lōde And therfore heare now o my lorde the kynge let my prayer be accepte before the sende me nomore in to y e house of Ionathas the scrybe that I dye not there Then Sedechias the kynge commaunded to put Ieremy in the fore entrie off the preson and dayly to the geuen him a cake of bred and els no dighte meate vntill all the bred in the cite was eaten vp Thus Ieremy remayned in y e fore entre off the preson The XXXVIII Chapter SAphatias the sonne off Mathā Gedolias the sonne of Pashur Iuchal the sonne of Selamia Pashur the sonne of Malchias perceaued the wordes y t Ieremy had spokē vnto all the people namely on this maner Thus saieth the LORDE Who so remayneth in this cite shall perish ether with the swearde with honger or with pestilence But who so falleth vnto the Caldees shal escape wynnynge his soule for a pray shal lyue For thus saieth the LORDE This cite no doute must be delyuered in to y e power of the kīge of Babilō he also shal wynne it Thē sayde the prynces vnto y e kynge Syr we besech you let this man be put to death For thus he discorageth the hōdes of the soudyers y t be in this cite the hōdes of all the people whē he speaketh soch wordes vnto thē This mā verely laboureth not for peace of y e people but mischefe Sedechias the kinge answered and sayde lo he is in yo r hōdes for y e kīge maye denye you nothinge Then toke they Ieremy and cast him in to the dongeon off Malchias the sonne off Amalech that dwelt in the fore entre off the preson And they let downe Ieremy w t coardes in to a dongeon where there was no water but myre So Ieremy stack fast in the myre Now when Abdemelech the Morian beynge a chamberlayne in the kynges courte vnderstode that they had cast Ieremy in to the dongeon he went out off the kynges house and spake to the kynge which thē sat vnder the porte off Ben Iamin these wordes My lorde the kynge where as these men medle with Ieremy the prophet they do him wronge Namely in that they haue put him in preson there to dye of honger for there is no more bred in the cite Thē the kynge commaūded Abdemelech the Morian and sayde Take from hēce xxx men whom thou wilt drawe vp Ieremy the prophet out of the dongeon before he dye So Abdemelech toke the men w t him went to y e house of Amalech there vnder an almery he gat olde ragges worne cloutes let thē downe by a coarde in to the dongeon to Ieremy And Abdemelech the Morian sayde vnto the prophet Ieremy O put these ragges and cloutes vnder thine arme holes betwixte thē and the coardes ād Ieremy dyd so So they drewe vp Ieremy with coardes and toke him out of the dongeon and he remayned in the fore entrie of the preson Thē Sedechias the kynge sent and caused Ieremy the prophet be called vnto him in to the thirde entrie that was by the house off the LORDE And the kynge sayde vnto Ieremy I wil axe the somwhat but hyde nothinge fro me Thē Ieremy answerde Sedechias Yf I be playne vnto the thou wilt cause me suffre death yf I geue the coūcell thou wilt not folowe me So the kynge swore an ooth secretly vnto Ieremy sayenge As truly as the LORDE lyueth that made vs these soules I will not slaye the ner geue the in to the hōdes of them that seke after thy life Then sayde Ieremy vnto Sedechias Thus saieth y e LORDE off hoostes the God of Israel Yf case be that thou wilt go forth vnto the kynge off Babilons prynces thou shalt saue thy life and this cite shall not be brēt yee both thou and thy housholde shall escape with youre lyues But yff thou wilt not go forth to the kynge off
Babilons prynces then shal this cite be delyuered in to the hondes of the Caldees which shal set fyre vpon it and thou shalt not be able to escape them And Sedechias sayde vnto Ieremy I am afrayde for the Iewes that are fled vnto the Caldees lest I come in their hoÌ„des and so they to haue me in derision But Ieremy answerde No they shal not betraye the O herken vnto the voyce off the LORDE I beseke y e which I speake vnto the so shalt thou be well and saue thy life But yf thou wilt not go forth the LORDE hath tolde me this planely Beholde all the women that are left in the kynge of Iudaes house shal go out to the kynge of Babilons prynces For they thynke y t thou art disceaued â–ª and that y e men in whom thou didest put thy trust haue gotten the vnder and set thy fete fast in the myre and gone their waye from the. Therfore all thy wyues with their children shall fle vnto the Caldees and thou shalt not escape their hondes but shalt be y e kynge of Babilons presoner this cite shall be brent Then sayde Sedechias vnto Ieremy loke y t no body knowe off these wordes and thou shalt not dye But yf the prynces perceaue that I haue talked with the and come vnto the sayenge O speake what sayde the kynge to the hyde it not from vs and we wil not put the to death Tell vs we praye the what sayde y e kynge to the Se thou geue them this answere I haue humbly be sought the kynge that he will let me lye no more in Ionathas house that I dye not there Then came all the princes vnto Ieremy and axed him And he tolde them after the maner as the kynge bad him Then they helde their peace for they perceaued nothinge So Ieremy abode still in the fore entrie off the preson vntill the daye that Ierusalem was wonne The XXXIX Chapter NOw when the cite off IerusaleÌ„ was taken for in the ix yeare of Sedechias kynge of Iuda in the tenth Moneth came Nabuchodonosor the kynge off Babilon and all his hooste and beseged Ierusalem And in the xi yeare of Sedechias in the fourth Moneth y e ix daye of y e Moneth he brake in to the cite Then all the kynge of Babilons prynces came in sat theÌ„ downe vnder the porte Nergall Sarezer Samgarnebo Sarsechim Rabsaris Nergal Sarezer Rabmag with all the other prynces of the kynge of Babilon And when Sedechias the kynge of Iuda with his soudyers sawe them they fled and departed out of y e cite by night thorow the kynges gardeÌ„ and thorow the porte that is betwene the two walles and so they wente towarde the wildernesse But the Caldees hooste folowed fast after them and toke Sedechias in the felde of Iericho and brought him presoner to Nabuchodonosor the kynge off BabiloÌ„ vnto Reblatha that lieth in the londe off Hemath where he gaue iugdment vpon him So the kynge of Babilon caused the children of Sedechias and all the nobles off Iuda be slayne before his face at Reblatha And made Sedechias eyes be put out and bouÌ„de him with chaynes and sent him to Babilon Morouer the Caldees breÌ„t vp the kynges palace with y e other houses of the people and brake downe the walles off Ierusalem As for the remnaunt of the people that were in the cite and soch as were come to helpe them what so euer was left of the comeÌ„ sorte Nabuzaradan the chefe captayne caried them to Babilon But NabuzaradaÌ„ the chefe captayne let the rascall people and those that had nothinge dwell still in the loÌ„de off Iuda and gaue them vynyardes and corne feldes at the same tyme. Nabuchodonosor also the kynge of Babilon gaue NabuzaradaÌ„ the chefe captayne a charge coÌ„cernynge Ieremy sayenge take and cherish him and make moch off himâ—se thou do him no harme but intreate him after his owne desyre So NabuzaradaÌ„ y e chefe captayne NabusaszbaÌ„ the chefe chamberlayne Nergalsarezer the treasurer and all the kynge of Babilons lordes sent for Ieremy caused him be fet out off the fore entrie off the preson and committed him vnto Godolias the sonne off Ahicam the sonne of Saphan that he shulde carie him home and so he dwelt amonge the people Now whyle Ieremy laye yet bounde in the fore entrie of the preson y e worde off the LORDE came vnto him sayenge Go and tell Abdemelech the Morian Thus saieth the LORDE off hoostes y e God off Israel Beholde the cruell and sharpe plage that I haue deuysed for this cite will I brynge vpon them that thou shalt se it but I wil delyuer the sayeth the LORDE and thou shalt not come in the hondes off those men whom thou fearest For doutles I will saue the so that thou shalt not perish with the swearde but thy life shal be saued and that because thou hast put thy trust in me saieth the LORDE The XL. Chap. THis is the maner how the LORDE intreated Ieremy when Nebuzaradan the chefe captayne had let him go fre from Rama whither as he had led him bounde amonge all the presoners that were caried from Ierusalem and Iuda vnto Babilon The chefe captayne called for Ieremy and sayde vnto him The LORDE thy God spake mightely before off the mysery vpon this place Now the LORDE hath sent it and perfourmed it as he had promised For ye haue synned agaynst the LORDE and haue not bene obedient vnto his voyce therfore commeth this plage vpon you Beholde I lowse the bondes from thy hoÌ„des this daye yf thou wilt now go with me vnto Babilon vp theÌ„ For I will se to the and prouyde for the But yf thou wilt not go with me to Babilon then remayne here Beholde all the londe is at thy will loke where thou thinkest convenieÌ„t good for the to Abyde there dwell Yf thou canst not be content to dwell alone then remayne w t Godolias the sonne off AhicaÌ„ the sonne of SaphaÌ„ whom the kynge of BabiloÌ„ hath made gouernoure ouer y e cities of Iuda dwell w t him amonge the people or remayne where so euer it pleaseth ye. So the chefe captayne gaue him his expeÌ„ses w t a rewarde let him go Then weÌ„te Ieremy vnto Godolias y e sonne of AhicaÌ„ to Masphat dwelt there w t him amonge the people that were left in the londe Now when y e captaynes of the hooste of Iuda which w t their felowes were scatred abrode on euery syde in y e loÌ„de vnderstode y t the kynge of BabiloÌ„ had made Godolias y e sonne of AhicaÌ„ gouernoure in the loÌ„de y t man wife childe yee the poore men in the londe y t were not led captyue to Babilon shulde be vnder his IurisdictioÌ„ They came to Godolias vnto Masphat Namely Ismael the sonne of Nathanias IohaÌ„na Ionathas the sonnes of Carea Sareas the sonne of
remayne And after seueÌ„ dayes the worlde that yet awaketh not shal be raysed vp shal dye corrupte And the earth shal restore those that haue slepte in her and so shall the dust those that dwell in syleÌ„ce and the secrete places shal delyuer those that be committed vnto them And yeâ—ost hyest shal be openly declared vpon the seate of iudgment all misery shal vanysh awaye and loÌ„ge suffringe shal be gathered together But the iudgment shall contynue y e trueth shal remayne and faith shal waxe stroÌ„ge the worke shal folowe and the rewarde shall be shewed the righteousnesses shall watch and the vnrighteousnesses shall beare no rule Then sayde I Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites Moses for the fathers y t synned in the wyldernes he y t came after him for Israel in y e tyme of Achas and Samuel and Dauid for y e destruccion and Salomon for them that came in to the Sanctuary Helias for those that receaued rayne and for the deed that he might lyue and Ezechias for y e people in the tyme of Senna cherib dyuerse other in like maner which haue prayed for many EueÌ„ so now seynge y e corrupte is growne vp and wickednes increased and the righteous haue prayed for the vngodly wherfore shal it not be so now also He answered me and sayde This present worlde is not y e ende there remayneth moch honoure in it therfore haue they prayed for the weake But the daye of dome shal be the ende of this tyme and y e begynnynge of the immortalite for to come wherin all corrupcion vanysheth all volupteousnes is lowsed all myszbeleue taken awaye righteousnes growne and the verite spronge vp Then shall no man be able to saue him that is destroyed ner to oppresse him y t hath gotteÌ„ y e victory I answered theÌ„ sayde This is my first last sayenge y t it had bene better not to haue geuen the earth vnto Adam or els whan it was geueÌ„ him to kepe him that he shulde not synne For what profit is it for men now in this present tyme to lyue in heuynes after death to loke for punyszment O thou AdaÌ„ what hast thou done For though it was thou y t synned thou art not falleÌ„ alone but we all y t come of the. For what profit is it vnto vs yf there be promysed vs an immortall tyme where as we medle w t deadly workes that there is promysed vs an euerlastinge hope where as we o r selues are euell vayne y t there are layed vp for vs dwellynges of health fredome where as we haue lyued euell and that the worshipe of y e Hyest is kepte to defende them which haue led a pacient life where as we haue walked in y e most wicked wayes of all and that there shal be shewed a paradyse whose frute endureth for euer wherin is fredome and medycyne where as we shal not go in for we haue walked in vnpleasaunt places And that the faces of them which haue absteyned shal shyne aboue the starres where as oure faces shal be black and darcke For whyle we lyued and dyd vnrighteously we considered not that we shulde suffre therfore after death TheÌ„ answered he me and sayde This is the consideracion thought of the battayl which man hath vpon earth that yf he be ouercome he shall suffre as thou hast sayde But yf he gett the victory he shall receaue the thinge that I saye For this is the life wherof Moses spake vnto the people whyle he lyued sayenge Chose the life that thou mayest lyue Neuertheles they beleued him not nether the prophetes after him No ner me which haue spoken vnto them that heuynes shulde not reach vnto them to their destruccion like as ioye is for to come ouer those that haue suffred theÌ„ selues to be enfourmed in saluacion I answered then sayde I knowe LORDE that the Hyest is mercyfull in y t he hath mercy vpon them which are not yet in the worlde and vpon those also that walke in his lawe and that he is pacient and longe sufferinge towarde those that haue synned in their workes and that he is liberall to geue where as it requyreth and that he is of greate mercy for he multiplieth his louynge kyndnesses towarde those that are present and that are past and to them which are for to come For yf he multiplie not his mercies the worlde shal not be made lyuynge with those that dwell therin He geueth also for yf he gaue not of his goodnesse that they which haue done euell might be eased the ten thousande parte of men shulde not be made lyuynge And yf the iudge forgaue not those y t be healed with his worde and yf he wolde destroye y e multitude that stryueth there shulde be very few left in an innumerable multitude The VIII Chapter ANd he answered me sayeÌ„ge The most hyest made this worlde for many but the worlde to come for few I wyl tell the a symilitude Eszdras As whan thou axest the earth it shal saye vnto the that it geueth moch moulde wherof erthen vessels are made but litle of it y t golde coÌ„meth of Euen so is it with the worke of this worlde There be many created but few shall be preserued Then answered I sayde Then swalowe vp the witt thou soule and deuoure the vnderstondinge for thou art agreed to herken and to geue eare and wyllinge to prophecie for thou hast no longer space geuen the but only to lyue O LORDE wilt thou not geue thy seruaunt leue y t we maye praye before the and that thou mayest geue sede vnto oure hert and buylde oure vnderstondinge that there maye come frute of it and that euery one which is corrupte and beareth the state and place of a man maye lyue For thou art alone and we all are one workmanshipe of thy handes like as thou hast sayde and like as the body is fashioned now in the childeszbed and thou geuest the membres and thy creature is preserued in fyre and water ix monethes doth thy worke suffre thy creature which is fashioned in her but the thinge that preserueth and it y t is preserued shal both be kepte together whan tyme is the childeszbedd delyuereth y e thinge that is kepte and growne in her For thou hast commaunded the brestes to geue mylck vnto the frute that the thinge which is created and fashioned maye be norished for a tyme and then thou disposest and ordrest it with thy mercy bryngest it vp with thy righteousnes nurturest it in thy lawe and refourmest it with thy vnderstondinge mortifiest it as thy creature and makest it lyuynge as thy worke Seinge then that thou destroyest him which w t so greate labours is created and fashioned thorow thy commaundement thou coudest lyghtly ordene also that the thinge which is made might be preserued And this I speake now of all men in generall as thou knowest
wildernesse Moses intreateth for the people Chap. XIX Like as the wicked are euer synnynge more and more so doth the wrath of God neuer ceasse tyll they be destroyed Of them that were punyshed in the tyme of Loth. The first Chapter O Set youre affeccion vpoÌ„ wyszdome ye that be iudges of the earth Haue a good opinion of the LORDE seke him in the synglenesse of hert For he will be fouÌ„de of them that tempte him not and appeareth vnto soch as put their trust in him As for frowarde thoughtes they separate from God but vertue yf it be alowed refourmeth y e vnwyse And why wyszdome shall not entre in to a frowarde soule ner dwell in the body that is subdued vnto synne For the holy goost abhorreth fayned nurtoure withdraweth himself froÌ„ y e thoughtes that are without vnderstondinge where wickednes hath the vpper haÌ„de he flieth from thence For the sprete of wyszdome is louynge gentle and gracious and wil haue no pleasure in him that speaketh euell with his lippes For God is a witnesse of his reynes a true searcher out of his hert and an hearer of his tonge For the sprete of y e LORDE fylleth the rounde compasse of the worlde and y e same that vpholdeth all thinges hath knowlege also of the voyce Therfore he that speaketh vnrighteous thinges can not be hydd nether maye he escape the iudgmeÌ„t of reprofe And why inquysicion shal be made for the thoughtes of the vngodly and the reporte of his wordes shal come vnto God so that his wickednes shal be punished For the eare of gelousy heareth all thinges and the noyse of the grudginges shal not be hydd Therfore bewarre of murmuringe which is nothinge worth and refrayne youre tonge from slauÌ„der For there is no worde so darck and secrete that it shall go for naught and the mouth that speaketh lyes slayeth the soule O seke not youre owne death in y e erroure of youre life destroye not youre selues thorow the workes of youre awne handes For God hath not made death nether hath he pleasure in the destruccion of the lyuynge For he created all thinges that they might haue their beynge yee all the people of the earth hath he made that they shulde haue health that there shulde be no destruccion in them and that the kyngdome of hell shulde not be vpon earth for righteousnesse is euerlastinge and immortall but vnrighteousnes bringeth death Neuerthelesse the vngodly call her vnto them both w t wordes workes whyle they thinke to haue a frende of her they come to naught for the vngodly that are confederate with her and take hir parte are worthy of death The II. Chapter FOr y e vngodly talke ymagin thus amonge them selues but not right The tyme of oure life is but short tedious when a man is once gone he hath nomore ioye ner pleasure nether knowe we eny man y t turneth agayne from death for we are borne of naught we shal be herafter as though we had neuer bene For oure breth is as a smoke in oure nostrels y e wordes as a sparck to moue oure herte As for o r body it shal be very aszshes y t are queÌ„ched o r soule shal vanish as y e soft ayre Oure life shall passe awaye as y e trace of a cloude come to naught as y e myst y t is dryueÌ„ awaye w t the beames of y e Sonne put downe w t the heate therof Oure name also shal be forgotten by litle litle no man shal haue oure workes in remembraunce For o r tyme is a very shadow y t passeth awaye after o r ende there is no returnynge for it is fast sealed so y t no maÌ„ coÌ„meth agayne Come on therfore let vs enioye y e pleasures y t there are let vs soone vse y e creature like as in youth We wil fyll oure selues w t good wyne oyntment there shal no floure of the tyme go by vs. We wil crowne o r selues w t roses afore they be wythered There shal be no fayre medowe but o r lust shall go thorow it Let euery one of you be partaker of oure volupteousnes Let vs leaue some token of o r pleasure in euery place for y t is oure porcion els gett we nothinge Let vs oppresse the poore righteous let vs not spare the wyddowe ner olde man let vs not regarde y e heades y t are gray for age Let y e lawe of vnrighteousnesse be oure auctorite for y e thinge y t is feble is nothinge worth Therfore let vs defraude the righteous whyâ—he is not for o r profit yee he is cleane coÌ„trary to o r doinges He checketh vs for offendinge agaynst y e lawe slaundreth vs as transgressours of all nurtor. He maketh his boost to haue y e knowlege of God yee he calleth him self Gods sonne He is the bewrayer of oure thoughtes It greueth vs also to loke vpon him for his lyfe is not lyke other mens his wayes are of another fashion He counteth vs but vayne personnes he w t draweth him self from o r wayes as from fylthynes he coÌ„mendeth greatly y e latter ende of the iust maketh his boast y t God is his father Let vs se then yf his wordes be true let vs proue what shal come vpon him so shal we knowe what ende he shal haue For yf he be y e true sonne of God he will receaue him delyuer him from the handes of his enemies Let vs examen him with despitefull rebuke and tormentinge that we maye knowe his dignite proue his pacience Let vs condemne him with the most shamefull death for like as he hath spoken so shal he be rewarded Soch thinges do the vngodly ymagin go astraye for their owne wickednes hath blynded them As for the misteries of God they vnderstonde them not they nether hope for the rewarde of righteousnesse ner regarde the worshipe that holy soules shall haue For God created man to be vndestroied yee after the ymage of his awne licknesse made he him Neuerthelesse thorow envye of the deuell came death in to the worlde and they that holde of his syde do as he doth The III. Chapter BVt the soules of y e righteous are in y e hande of God y e payne of death shal not touch theÌ„ In y e sight of the vnwyse they appeare to dye their ende is takeÌ„ for very destruccion The waye of the righteous is iudged to be vtter destruccion but they are in rest And though they suffre payne before men yet is their hope full of immortalite They are punished but in few thinges neuerthelesse in many thinges shal they be well rewarded For God proueth them fyndeth theÌ„ mete for himself yee as the golde in the fornace doth he trye them receaueth them as a brent
offeringe and when y e tyme commeth they shal be loked vpon The righteous shal shyne as the sparkes y t renne thorow the rede buszshe They shal iudge the nacions haue dominion ouer y e people their LORDE shal raigne for euer They y t put their trust in him shal vnderstonde the trueth soch as be faithfull wil agree vnto him in loue for his chosen shal haue giftes peace But the vngodly shal be punyshed acordinge to their awne ymaginaciōs for they haue despysed the righteous forsaken the LORDE Whoso despyseth wyszdome nurto r he is vnhappie and as for the hope of soch it is but vayne their labours vnfrutefull and their workes vnprofitable Their wyues are vndiscrete and their childrē most vngodly Their creature is cursed Blessed is rather y e baren vndefyled which hath not knowne the synfull bedd she shall haue frute in the rewarde of the holy soules And blessed is y e gelded which w t his handes hath wrought no vnrighteousnesse ner ymagined wicked thinges agaynst God For vnto him shal be geuen y e speciall gift of faith and the most acceptable porcion in y e temple of God For glorious is the frute of good laboure the rote of wyszdome shall neuer fade awaye As for y e childrē of aduoutrers they shal come to an ende the sede of an vnrighteous bedd shal be roted out And though they lyue lōge yet shal they be nothinge regarded their last age shal be without honoure Yf they dye haistely they haue no hope nether shal they be spoken to in the daye of knowlege For horrible is the death and ende of the vnrighteous The IIII. Chapter O How fayre is a chaist generacion w t vertue The memoriall therof is immortall for it is knowne w t God and men When it is present mē take exāple there at and yf it go awaye yet they desyre it It is allwaie crowned holden in hono r wynneth y e rewarde of the vndefyled battayll But the multitude of vngodly childrē is vnprofitable and the thinges y t are planted w t whordome shal take no depe rote ner laye eny fast foundacion Though they be grene in the braunches for a tyme yet shal they be shakē w t the wynde for they stonde not fast thorow the vehemence of the wynde they shal be roted out For the vnparfecte braunches shal be broken their frute shal be vnprofitable sower to eate yee mete for nothinge And why all the children y t are borne of the wicked must beare recorde of the wickednesse agaynst their fathers mothers when they be axed But though the righteous be ouertaken w t death yet shal he be in rest Age is an honorable thinge neuertheles it stondeth not only in the lenth of tyme ner in the multitude of yeares but a mans wyszdome is the graye hayre and an vndefyled life is the olde age He pleased God was beloued of him so that where as he lyued amōge synners he trāslated him Yee sodēly was he taken awaye to the intent y t wickednesse shulde not alter his vnderstōdinge y t ypocrisye shulde not begyle his soule For y e craftie bewitchinge of lyes make good thinges darck y e vnstedfastnesse also wickednes of voluptuous desyre turne asyde y e vnderstondinge of y e symple Though he was soone deed yet fulfilled he moch tyme. For his soule pleased God therfore haisted he to take him awaye frō amonge y e wicked This the people se vnderstonde it not they laye not vp soch thinges in their hertes how y t y e louynge fauo r mercy of God is vpō his saintes y t he hath respecte vnto his chosen Thus y e righteous y t is deed cōdemneth the vngodly which are lyuinge y e youth y t is soone brought to an ende y e lōge life of y e vnrighteous For they se y e ende of y e wyse but they vnderstōde not what God hath deuysed for him wherfore y e LORDE hath taken him awaie And why they se him despyse him therfore shall God also laugh thē to scorne So y t they thē selues shal dye here after but without hono r yee in shame amonge y e deed for euermore For without eny voyce shal he burst those y t be puft vp remoue thē frō y e foundacions so y t they shal be laied waist vnto the hyest They shal mourne and their memoriall shall perishe So they beynge afrayed shall remembre their synnes and their owne wickednesse shal bewraye thē The V. Chapter THen shal y e righteous stonde in greate stedfastnesse agaynst soch as haue dealt extremely w t thē takē awaye their labours When they se it they shal be vexed w t horrible feare shal wonder at the haistynesse of y e sodane health groninge for very distresse of mynde shall saye within them selues hauynge inwarde sorow and mournynge for very anguysh of mynde These are they whom we somtyme had in derision iested vpō We fooles thought their life very madnesse their ende to be w t out honoure But lo how they are counted amonge the children of God their porcion is amonge the sayntes Therfore we haue erred from the waye of trueth y e light of righteousnesse hath not shyned vnto vs and the Sōne of vnderstōdinge rose not vp vpō vs. We haue weeried o r selues in y e waye of wickednesse destruccion Tedious wayes haue we gone but as for the waye of the LORDE we haue not knowne it What good hath o r pryde done vnto vs Or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought vs All those thinges are passed awaye like a shadowe as a messaunger rennynge before as a shippe y t passeth ouer the wawes of the water which whan it is gone by the trace therof can not be founde nether y e path of it in the floudes Or as a byrde y t flyeth thorow y e ayre no man can se eny token where she is flowen but only heareth the noyse of hir wynges beatinge the light wynde partinge the ayre thorow the vehemēce of hir goinge flyeth on shakynge hir wynges where as afterwarde no tokē of hir waye can be foūde Or like as whē an arowe is shott at a marck it parteth the ayre which immediatly cōmeth together agayne so that a man can not knowe where it wente thorow Euen so we in like maner as soone as we were borne beganne immediatly to drawe to oure ende haue shewed no token of vertue but are consumed in oure owne wickednesse Soch wordes shal they that haue synned speake in the hell for the hope of the vngodly is like a drye thistell floure or dust that is blowne awaye w t the wynde like as thynne scomme y t is scatred abrode w t the storme like as y e smoke which is dispersed here there w
The dayes of man are shorte God suffreth longe rebuketh and teacheth all soch as wil receaue nurtoure Chap. XIX Many good lessons of wyszdome Chap. XX. Men ought to geue warnynge to exorte and to rebuke but not to be cruell violent or malicious Of sylence and speakinge how to bewarre of lyes Chap. XXI All maner of synnes ought to be eschued The difference of the wyse and foolish Chap. XXII A foole wyll not be refourmed nor rebuked Be faithfull vnto thy neghboure and frende Chap. XXIII A faithfull prayer vnto God to preserue the mouth and tonge from noysome wordes and oothes the hert from euell thoughtes How greate abhominacion aduoutry is Chap. XXIIII A commendacion of wyszdome Chap. XXV There is nothinge better then an honest verteous woman Agayne there is nothinge worse then an euell vngodly frowarde woman Chap. XXVI A commendacion and prayse of a good honest woman and how noysome an euell wyfe is Chap. XXVII Many goodly sentences Chap. XXVIII Men ought not to take vengeauÌ„ce but euery man to forgeue his neghboure not to beare euell wil ner to stryue What harme commeth of false tongues slaunderers Chap. XXIX How meÌ„ shulde haue compassion and lende vnto their neghbours and how they that borowe ought to behaue them selues agayne Of vnaduysed suertieshipe How euery man ought to be content with that he hath and not to be chargeable vnto other Chap. XXX Who so loueth his children teacheth them nurtoreth them and chasteneth theÌ„ Health is a noble gift Chap. XXXI The misery of the cuvetous How one shulde be haue him self at the table and be measurable in meate and drynke What harme commeth of drynkinge to moch wyne Chap. XXXII To be set in rule dignite shulde not make a man proude and hye minded but to feare to be diligent and faithful vnto them that are committed vnto him c. with other good lessons Chap. XXXIII How God ought to be feared his lawe kepte The difference of dayes and of men The ordringe of children and housholde Chap. XXXIIII The hope of the vngodly is vayne the righteous shal be preserued for he putteth his trust in God which wil not be reconciled with offeringes but with an innocent life Chap. XXXV The offringe that pleaseth God is to kepe his coÌ„maundementes to be thankful mercifull and to ceasse from synne God is the defender of wyddowes fatherlesse and oppressed and heareth their prayer Chap. XXXVI An earnest prayer vnto God for helpe agaynst the enemies The prayse of an honest woman Chap. XXXVII Of true false freÌ„dshipe Good councell ought to be sought at them which are verteous and feare God but first at God himself Of wyszdome and sobernesse Chap. XXXVIII Phisicians and medicyns ought not to be despysed but vsed as a gift of God neuertheles God himself is first to be sought in all sicknesse Men shulde be measurable in mourninge for the deed prepare them selues also vnto death Euery workman ought to be diligent in his laboure and to please God with kepinge his commaundementes Chap. XXXIX Wyszdome and the feare of God excell all other thinges All thinges are made to serue the faithfull Chap. XL. The life of man is a battayll All thinges passe awaie but the trueth abydeth for euer The liberall and louynge condicions of the righteous The vnfaithfullnes and nigardnesse of the vngodly Chap. XLI Death is fearfull vnto the wicked but a ioye vnto the righteous The cursinge of the vngodly A good name is a noble thinge What the thinges be wherof a man ought to be ashamed Chap. XLII Where one ought not to be ashamed The care and bringinge vp of childreÌ„ The power and wyszdome of God Chap. XLIII The beuty of the firmameÌ„t wher by the power and wyszdome of God is knowne shulde by right be praysed Chap. XLIIII A commendacion and prayse of the olde fathers Chap. XLV Of the faithfull worthies and their noble actes Of the presthode and offeringes The punyshment of the sedicious Chap. XLVI The manlynesse of Iosue Caleb Of the rulers in Israel vnto the tyme of faithfull Samuel Chap. XLVII Of Nathan Dauid and Salomon Chap. XLVIII Of Elyas Ezechias and Esay Chap. XLIX The actes of good Iosias The decaye of Ierusalem Of the prophetes and patriarckes Chap. L. A commeÌ„dacion of Simeon the sonne of Onias Chap. LI. A prayer of Iesus Syrac Wyszdome calleth the ignoraunt vnto her The first Chapter ALl wyszdome coÌ„meth of God the LORDE hath bene euer w t him and is before all tyme. Who hath nombred y e sonde of the see y e droppes of the rayne the dayes of tyme Who hath measured the heyth of heaueÌ„ y e bredth of the earth the depenesse of the see Who hath sought out the grounde of Gods wiszdome which hath bene before all thinges Wiszdome hath bene before all thinges and the vnderstandinge of prudence from euerlastinge Gods worde in the heyth is the well of wyszdome and the euerlastinge coÌ„maundementes are the intraunce of her Vnto whom hath y e rote of wyszdome bene declaâ—red Or who hath knowne hir wyt Vnto whom hath the doctrine of wyszdome bene discouered and shewed and who hath vnderstande the many folde entrauÌ„ce of her There is one eueÌ„ the Hyest the maker of all thinges y e Allmightie y e kynge of power of whom men ought to stonde greatly in awe which sytteth vpon his trone beinge a God of dominion He hath created her thorow y e holy goost he hath sene her nombred her and measured her He hath poured her out vpon all his workes and vpon all flesh acordinge to his gift he geueth her richely vnto them that loue him The feare of the LORDE is worshipe and triuÌ„phe gladnesse a ioyfull crowne The feare of the LORDE maketh a mery hert geueth gladnesse ioye and longe life Who so feareth the LORDE it shal go well with him at the last in the daye of his death he shal be blessed The loue of God is honorable wiszdome loke vnto whom it appeareth they loue it for they se what woÌ„derous thinges it doth The feare of LORDE is the begynnynge of wyszdome and was made with the faithfull in the mothers wombe it shall go with the chosen wemen and shal be knowne of y e righteous and faithfull The feare of the LORDE is y e right Gods seruyce that preserueth and iustifieth the hert and geueth myrth gladnesse Who so feareth the LORDE shal be happie and whan he hath nede of comforte he shal be blessed To feare God is the wiszdome that maketh rich and bringeth all good with her She fylleth the whole house with hir giftes the garners with her treasure The feare of the LORDE is the crowne of wyszdome and geueth plenteous peace health He hath sene her nombred her knowlege and vnderstandinge of wyszdome hath he poured out as rayne and them that helde her fast hath he brought vnto honor. The feare
the hatefull Honoure thy father from thy whole herte and forgett not the sorofull trauaile that thy mother had w t the remembre that thou wast borne thorow them and how caÌ„st thou recoÌ„pense them the thinges that they haue done for the Feare the LORDE with all y e soule honoure his ministers Loue thy maker with all thy streÌ„gth and forsake not his seruauntes Feare the LORDE with all thy soule honoure his prestes Geue theÌ„ their porcion of the first frutes and increase of y e earth like as it is commauÌ„ded the geue theÌ„ y e shulders and their appoynted offeringes and firstlinges Reach thine hande vnto the poore that God maye blesse the with plenteousnes Be liberall vnto all men lyuynge yet let not but do good euen to them that are deed Let not them that wepe be without comforte but mourne with soch as mourne Let it not greue the to vyset the sick for that shal make the to be loued What so euer thou takest in hande remembre the ende and thou shalt neuer do amysse The VIII Chapter STryue not with a mightie man lest thou chaunse to fall in to his haÌ„des Make no variauÌ„ce w t a riche maÌ„ lest he happen to bringe vp an harde quarell agaynst ye. For golde siluer hath vndone many a man yee eueÌ„ y e hertes of kynges hath it made to fall Stryue not w t a maÌ„ that is full of wordes laye no stickes vpon his fyre Kepe no company with the vnlerned lest he geue thy kynred an euell reporte Despyse not a man that turneth himself awaye from synne and cast him not in the teth withall but remeÌ„bre y t we are frayle euerychone Thynke scorne of no maÌ„ in his olde age for we waxe olde also Be not glad of the death of thine enemie but remembre that we must dye all the sorte of vs and fayne wolde we come in to ioye Despyse not the sermons of soch elders as haue vnderstandinge but acquaunte thy self w t the wyse sentences of them for of them thou shalt lerne wyszdome and the doctrine of vnderstandinge and how to serue greate men without complaynte Go not from y e doctryne of the elders for they haue lerned it of their fathers For of them thou shalt lerne vnderstandinge so y t thou mayest make answere in y e tyme of nede Kyndle not y e coales of synners lest thou be brent in the fyrie flammes of their synnes Resist not the face of the blasphemer that he laye not wayte for thy mouth Lende not vnto him that is mightier then thyself Yf thou lendest him counte it but lost Be not suertie aboue y e power yf thou be then thynke surely to paye it Go not to lawe w t the iudge for he wyl iudge acordinge to his owne honoure Trauayle not by the waye w t him y t is branelesse lest he do the euell for he foloweth his awne wilfulnes so shalt thou perish thorow his foly Stryue not with him that is angrie and cruell and go not with him in to y e wyldernes for bloude is nothinge in his sight and where there is no helpe he shal murthur ye. Take no councell at fooles for they loue nothinge but the thinges that please themself Make no couÌ„cell before a straunger for thou canst not tell what wyll come of it OpeÌ„ not thine hert vnto euery man lest he be vnthaÌ„full to the and put the to reprofe The IX Chapter BE not gelous ouer y e wyfe of thy bosome y t she shew not some shrewed poynte of wicked doctryne vpoÌ„ the. Geue not the power of thy lyfe vnto a wâ—man lest she come in y i strength and so thou be confounded Loke not vpon a womaÌ„ that is desyrous of many men lest thou fall in to hir snares Vse not the company of a womaÌ„ that is a player and dauÌ„ser heare hir not lest thou perish thorow hir entysinge Beholde not a maydeÌ„ that thou be not hurt in hir bewtye Cast not thy mynde vpon harlottes in eny maner of thinge lest thou destroye both thy self and thine heretage Go not aboute gasinge in euery layne of the cite nether waÌ„dre thou abrode in the stretes therof Turne awaye thy face from a beutyfull woman and loke not vpon the fayrnesse of other Many a man hath perished thorow the bewty of women for thorow it the desyre is kyndled as it were a fyre An aduouterous woman shal be trodden vnder fote as myre of euery one that goeth by the waye Many a man wonderinge the bewtye of a strauÌ„ge woman haue bene cast out for hir wordes kyndle as a fyre Sytt not w t another mans wyfe by eny meanes lye not with her vpon the bedd make no wordes with her at y e wyne lest thine hert consent vnto her so thou with thy bloude fall in to destruccion Forsake not an olde frende for the new shal not be like him A new frende is new wine let him be olde thou shalt drynke him with pleasure Desyre not y e honoure and riches of a synner for thou knowest not what destruccion is for to come vpon him Delyte not thou in the thinge that the vngodly haue pleasure in beinge sure that the vngodly shall not be accepted vntyll their graue Kepe the from the man that hath power to slaye so nedest thou not to be afrayed of death And yf thou commest vnto him make no fawte lest he happen to take awaye thy life Remembre that thou goest in the myddest of snares and vpon the bulworkes of y e cite Bewarre of thy neghboure as nye as thou canst and medle with soch as be wyse and haue vnderstandinge Let iust men be thy gestes let thy myrth be in the feare of God let the remembrauÌ„ce of God be in thy mynde and let all thy talkynge be in the commaundementes of the Hyest In the handes of craftesmen shall the workes be commended so shal the prynces of the people in the wyszdome of their talkynge A man full of wordes is perlous in his cite and he that is temerarious and past shame in his talkinge is to be abhorred The X. Chapter A Wyse iudge wil ordre his people with discrecion and where a man of vnderstandinge beareth rule there goeth it well As the iudge of the people is himself eueÌ„ so are his officers and loke what maner of man the ruler of the cite is soch are they that dwell therin also An vnwise kinge desâ—royeth his people but where they that be in auctorite are men of vnderstandinge there the cite prospereth The power of the earth is in the hande of God and whan his tyme is he shal set a profitable ruler vpon it In the hande of God is the power of man and vpoÌ„ the scrybes shal he laye his honoure Remembre no wronge of thy neghboure and medle thou w t no vnrighteous workes Pryde
is hatefull before God and men and all wickednes of the Heithen is to be abhorred Because of vnrighteous dealinge wronge blasphemies and diuerse disceate a realme shal be trāslated frō one people to another There is nothinge worse then a cuvetous man What prydest thou the o thou earth and aszshes There is not a more wicked thinge then to loue moneye And why soch one hath his soule to sell yet is he but fylthie dōge whyle he lyueth And though the phisician shewe his helpe neuer so longe yet in conclucion it goeth after this maner to daye a kynge tomorow deed For whan a man dyeth he is the heyre of serpentes beastes and wormes The begynnynge of mans pryde is to fall awaye from God and why his hert is gone from his maker for pryde is the origenall of all synne Who so taketh holde therof shal be fylled with cursinges and at y e last it shal ouer throwe him Therfore hath the LORDE brought the cōgregacions of the wicked to dishono r and destroyed them vnto the ende God hath destroyed the seates of proude prynces and sett vp the meke in their steade God hath wythered the rotes of the proude Heithen and planted the lowly amonge them God hath ouerthrowne the londes of the Heithen and destroyed them out of the grounde He hath caused them to wyther awaye he hath brought them to naught and made the memoriall of them to ceasse from out of the earth God hath destroyed the name of the proude and left the name of y e humble of mynde Pryde was not made for man nether wrothfulnes for mens children The sede of men that feareth God shal be brought to honoure but y e sede which transgresseth the commaundementes of y e LORDE shal be shamed He y t is the ruler amōge brethren is holdē in honoure amōge them and he regardeth soch as feare the LORDE The glory of the riche of the honorable and of the poore is the feare of God Despyse not thou the iust poore man and magnifie not y e rich vngodly Greate is the iudge and mightie in hono yet is there none greater then he y t feareth God Vnto y e seruaunt that is disceete shal the fre do seruyce He that is wyse and well nurtoured wyll not grudge whan he is refourmed an ignoraūt body shal not come to honoure Be not proude to do thy worke and dispare not in the tyme of aduersite Better is he y t laboureth and hath plenteousnes of all thinges then he y t is gorgious and wanteth bred My sonne kepe thy soule in mekenes and geue her hir due honoure Who shal iustifie him that synneth agaynst himself Who wil honoure him that dishonoureth his owne life The poore is honoured for his faithfulnes and trueth but y e rich is had in reputaciō because of his goodes He that ordreth himself honestly in pouerte how moch more shal he behaue himself honestly in riches And who so ordreth himself vnhonestly in riches how moch more shal he behaue himself vnhonestly in pouerte The XI Chapter THe wyszdome of him y t is brought lowe shal lift vp his heade and shal make him to sytt amonge greate mē Commende not a man in his bewtye nether despyse a man in his vtter appearaūce The Bey is but a small beast amonge the foules yet is hir frute exceadīge swete Be not proude of thy rayment and exalte not thyself in the daye of thy honoure for y e workes of the Hyest onely are wonderfull yee glorious secrete and vnknowne are his workes Many tyrauntes haue bene fayne to syt downe vpō the earth y e vnlickly hath worne y e crowne Many mightie mē haue bene brought lowe and the honorable haue bene delyuered in to other mens handes Condemne no man before thou haue tryed out the matter and whan thou hast made enquisicion then refourme righteously Geue no sentēce before thou hast herde the cause but first let men tell out their tayles Stryue not for a matter that toucheth not thyself and stonde not in the iudgment of synners My sonne medle not with many matters yf thou wylt be riche thou shalt not gett it and though thou rennest y e waye afore yet shalt thou not escape There is some mā that laboureth and the more he weerieth himself the lesse he hath Agayne some man is slouthfull hath nede of helpe wāteth strēgth and hath greate pouerte and Gods eye loketh vpon him to good setteth him vp from his lowe estate and lifteth vp his heade so that many men maruell at him and geue honoure vnto God Prosperite and aduersite life and death pouerte and riches come all of the LORDE Wyszdome nurtoure and knowlege of y e lawe are with God loue and y e wayes of good are with him Erroure and darcknes are made for synners and they that exalte them selues in euell waxe olde in euell The gift of God remayneth for the righteous and his good wyl shal geue prosperite for euer Some man is rich by lyuynge nygardly and y t is the porcion of his rewarde in that he sayeth now haue I gotten rest and now wyl I eate and drynke of my goodes myself alone And yet he considereth not that the tyme draweth nye y t he must leaue all these thinges vnto other men and dye himself Stonde thou fast in thy couenaunt and exercyse thy self therin and remayne in the worke vnto y e age Contynue not in the workes of synners but put thy trust in God and byde in thine estate for it is but an easy thīge in y e sight of God to make a poore man riche and that sodenly The blessinge of God haisteth to y e rewarde of the rightous and maketh his frutes soone to florish and prospere Saye not what helpeth it me and what shal I haue y e whyle Agayne saye not I haue ynough how can I wante Whan thou art in welfare forget not aduersite and whan it goeth not well with the haue a good hope that it shal be better For it is but a small thinge vnto God in the daye of death to rewarde euery mā acordinge to his wayes The aduersite of an houre maketh one to forgett all pleasure and whan a man dyeth his workes are discouered Prayse no body before his death for a man shal be knowne in his children Bringe not euery man in to thine house for the disceatfull layeth wayte dyuersly Like as a partrich in a maūde so is the hert of the proude and like as a spye that loketh vpon the fall of his neghbo For he turneth good vnto euell and slaundreth the chosen Of one sparck is made a greate fyre an vngodly mā layeth wayte for bloude Bewarre of the disceatfull for he ymagineth wicked thinges to bringe y t in to a perpetuall shame Yf thou takest an aleaūt vnto y e he shal destroye the in vnquietnes and dryue the
thinges doth no hert vnderstonde but he vnderstandeth euery hert and who vnderstandeth his wayes No man seyth his storme and the most parte of his workes are secrete Who wil declare the workes of his righteousnes Or who shal be able to abyde them for the couenaunt is farre from some and the tryenge out of men is in the fulfillynge He that is humble of hert thinketh vpon soch thinges but an vnwyse and erroneous man casteth his mynde vnto foolish thinges My sonne herken thou vnto me lerne vnderstādinge and marck my wordes with thine hert I wyll geue the a sure doctrine planely shal I enstrucke the. God hath sett his workes in good ordre from the begynninge and parte of them hath he sundered from the other He hath garnyshed his workes from euerlastinge and their begynnynges acordinge to their generacions None of thē hyndered another nether was eny of them dishobedient vnto his worde After this God loked vpō the earth and fylled it with his goodes With all maner of lyuinge beastes hath he couered the grounde and they all shal be turned vnto earth agayne The XVII Chapter BOd shope man of the earth and turned him vnto earth agayne He gaue him the nombre of dayes and certayne tyme yee and gaue him power of the thinges that are vpō earth He clothed him with strength and made him after his owne licknes He made all flesh to stonde in awe of him so that he had the dominion of all beastes foules He made out of him an helper like vnto him self and gaue them discrecion and tonge eyes and eares and a hert to vnderstande and fylled them with instruccion vnderstandinge He created for them also the knowlege of the sprete fylled their hert with vnderstandinge and shewed them good and euell He sett his eye vpō their hertes declaringe vnto them his greate and noble workes that they shulde prayse his holy name together reioyse of his wonders be tellinge of his noble actes Besydes this he gaue them instruccion and the lawe of life for an heretage He made an euerlastinge couenaunt with them and shewed them his righteousnes iudgmentes They sawe his glory with their eyes and their eares herde the maiesty of his voyce And he saide vnto them bewarre of all vnrighteous thinges He gaue euery man also a commaundement concernynge his neghboure Their waies are euer before him and are not hyd from his eyes He hath sett a ruler vpon euery people but Israel is y e LORDES porcion All their workes are as the Sonne in y e sight of God his eyes are allwaye lokynge vpon their wayes All their vnrighteousnesses are manifest vnto him all their wickednesses are open in his sight The mercy y t a man sheweth is as it were a purse w t him and a mans good dede preserueth him as the apple of an eye At the last shall he awake rewarde euery man vpon his heade as he hath deserued and shal turne them together in to the nethermost partes of the earth But vnto them that wyll repent he hath geuē the waye of righteousnes As for soch as be weake he comforteth thē suffreth them and sendeth them the porcion of y e verite O turne then vnto the LORDE forsake thy synnes make thy prayer before the LORDE do the lesse offence turne agayne vnto the LORDE forsake thine vnrighteousnes be an vtter enemy to abhominacion lerne to knowe the righteousnes and iudgmentes of God stonde in the porcion that is sett forth for the in the prayer of the most hye God Go in to the porcion of the holy worlde with soch as be lyuinge and geue thankes vnto God Who wil prayse the LORDE in the hell Abyde not thou in the erroure of the vngodly but geue him thākes before death As for y e deed thankfulnesse perisheth from him as nothinge Geue thou thankes in thy life yee whyle thou art lyuynge whole shalt thou geue thankes and prayse God and reioyse in his mercy O how greate is the louynge kyndnesse of the LORDE and his mercifull goodnes vnto soch as turne vnto him For all thinges maye not be in man why the sonne of man is not immortall and he hath pleasure in the vanyte of wickednes What is more cleare thē the Sonne yet shal it fayle Or what is more wicked then the thinge that flesh and bloude hath ymagined and that same shall be reproued The LORDE seyth the power of the hye heauen and all are but earth and aszshes The XVIII Chapter HE that lyueth for euermore made all thinges together God onely is righteous remayneth a victorious kynge for euer Who shal be able to expresse the workes of him Who hath sought out the grounde of his noble actes Who shal declare the power of his greatnesse Or who will take vpon him to tell out his mercy As for the wonderous workes of y e LORDE there maye nothinge be taken from them nothinge maye be put vnto them nether maye the grounde of them be founde out But whan a man hath done his best he must begynne agayne and whan he thinketh to be come to an ende he must go agayne to his laboure What is man Wherto is he worth What good or euell can he do Yf the nombre of a mans dayes be allmost an hundreth yeare it is moch Like as the droppes of rayne are vnto y e see and as a grauell stone is in comparison of the sonde so are these few yeares to the dayes euerlastinge Therfore is y e LORDE pacient with them and poureth out his mercy vpon them He sawe and perceaued the thoughtes and ymaginacions of their harte that they were euell therfore heaped he vp his mercifull goodnes vpon them and shewed them the waie of righteousnes The mercy that a mā hath reacheth to his neghboure but y e mercy of God is vpon all flesh He chasteneth he teacheth and nourtureth yee euen as a shepherde turneth agayne his flock so doth he all them that receaue chastenynge nurtoure and doctryne Mercifull is he vnto them that stonde in awe of his iudgmentes My sonne whan thou doest good make no grudginge at it and what so euer thou geuest speake no discomfortable wordes Shal not the dew coole the heate Euen so is a worde better then a gift Is not a frendly worde a good honest gift but a gracious man geueth them both A foole shal cast a man in the tethe and that roughly a gift of the nygarde putteth out y e eyes Get the righteousnes before thou come to iudgmēt Lerne before thou speake and go to phisick or euer thou be sick examen and iudge thy self before the iudgment come and so shalt thou fynde grace in the sight of God Humble thy self afore thou be sick and in tyme of thy disease shewe thy conuersacion Let not to praye allwaye and stonde not in feare to be refourmed
acceptinge of personnes shal he vndoo him self Some man promiseth his frende a gift for very shame and getteth an enemye of him for naught A lye is a wicked shame in a man yet shall it be euer in the mouth of the vnwyse A thefe is better then a man that is accustomed to synne but they both shal haue destruccion to heretage The condicions of lyers are vnhonest and their shame is euer with them A wyse man shall brynge himself to honoure with his wordes and he that hath vnderstondinge shall be sett by amonge greate men He that tylleth his londe shal increase his heape of corne he that worketh righteousnes shall be exalted he that pleaseth greate men shall escape moch euell Rewardes and giftes blynde the eyes of the wyse and make him domme that he can not tell mē their fautes Wyszdome that is hyd and treasure that is hoorded vp what profit is in them both Better is he that kepeth his ignoraunce secrete then a man that hydeth his wyszdome The XXI Chapter MY sonne yf thou hast synned do it nomore but praye for thy foresynnes that they maye be for geuen the. Fle from synne euen as from a serpent for yf thou commest to nye her she wyll byte the. The teth therof are as the teth of a lyon to slaye the soules of men The wickednes of man is as a sharpe two edged swerde which maketh soch woundes that they can not be healed Stryfe and wrongeous dealinge shall waist awaye a mans goodes thorow pryde a rich house shal be brought to naught so the riches of the proude shal be roted out The prayer of the poore goeth out of the mouth and commeth vnto the eares and his vengeaunce or defence shall come and y t haistely Who so hateth to be refourmed it is a token of an vngodly personne but he that feareth God wyl remembre himself A mightie man is knowne afarre of by his tonge but he that hath vnderstondinge perceaueth that he shal haue a fall Who so buyldeth his house with other mens cost is like one that gathereth stones in wynter The congregacion of the vngodly is like stubble gathered together their ende is a flamme of fyre The waye of the vngodly is sett with stones but in their ende is hell darcknes and paynes He that kepeth the lawe wyll holde fast the vnderstandinge therof and the ende of the feare of God is wyszdome He that is not wyse wyll not be taught in good but the vnwyse man aboundeth in wickednes and where bytternes is there is no vnderstōdinge The knowlege of the wyse shall flowe like water that renneth ouer and his councell is like a fountayne of life The hert of a foole is like a brokē vessell he can kepe no wyszdome Whan a man of vnderstondinge heareth a wyse worde he shal commende it and make moch of it But yf a volupteous man heare it he shall haue no pleasure therin but cast it behynde his back The talkynge of a foole is like an heuy burthen by the waye but to heare a wyse man speake it is a pleasure Where a doute is in the congregacion it is axed at the mouth of the wyse and they shal pondre his wordes in their hertes Like as a house that is destroyed euen so is wyszdome vnto a foole As for the knowlege of the vnwyse it is but darck wordes Doctryne is vnto him y t hath no vnderstandinge euen as fetters aboute his fete and like mannicles vpon his right hande A foole lifteth vp his voyce w t laughter but a wyse man shall scarse laugh secretly Lernynge is vnto a wyse man a Iewell of golde and like an armlett vpō his right arme A foolish mans foote is soone in his neghbours house but one that hath experience shall be ashamed at the personne of the mightie A foole wyll pepe in at y e wyndow in to the house but he that is well nourtured wyll stonde without A foolish man stondeth herkenynge at the dore but he that is wyse wyll be ashamed The lippes of the vnwyse wylbe tellynge foolish thinges but y e wordes of soch as haue vnderstandinge shal be weyed in the balaunce The hert of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wyse is in their hert Whan the vngodly curseth the blasphemer he curseth his owne soule A preuy accuser of other men shal defyle his owne soule and be hated of euery man but he that kepeth his tonge and is discrete shall come to honoure The XXII Chapter A Slouthfull body is moulded of a stone of claie he that toucheth him must wash his handes agayne A mysnurtored sonne is the dishonoure of the father A foolish daughter shal be litle regarded A wyse daughter is an heretage vnto hir husbande but she that commeth to dishonesty bringeth hir father in heuynes A daughter that is past shame dishonoureth both hir father hir huszbande the vngodly shal regarde her but they both shal despise her the playenge of Musick is not mete where heuynes is euen so is the correcciō doctryne of wyszdome euer vnpleasaunt vnto fooles Who so teacheth a foole is euen as one that gleweth a potsherde together as one that telleth a tayle to him that heareth him not and as one that rayseth a mā out of an heuy slepe Who so telleth a foole of wyszdome is euen as a man which speaketh to one y t is a slepe Whā he hath tolde his tayle he sayeth what is the matter Whā one dyeth lamentacion is made for him because the light fayleth him euē so let mē mourne ouer a foole for he wanteth vnderstandinge Make but litle wepinge because of the deed for he is come to rest but the life of the foole is worse then the death Seuen dayes do men mourne for him that is deed but the lamentacion ouer the vnwyse and vngodly shulde endure all the dayes of their life Talke not moch with a foole and go not with him that hath no vnderstondinge Bewarre of him lest it turne the to trauayle thou shalt not be defyled with his synne Departe from him and thou shalt fynde rest shalt not be drawē back in to his foolishnes What is heuyer then leade And what shulde a foole be called els but leade Sōde salt a lōpe of yron is easier to beare then an vnwyse foolish and vngodly man Like as the band of wodd bounde together in the foundacion of the house can not belowsed euē so is it with y e hert y t is stablished in y e thought of coūcell The thought of the wyse shal nether feare ner be offended at eny tyme. Like as a fayre playstred wall in a winter house an hye buyldinge maye not abyde y e wīde storme euē so is a fooles hert afraied in his ymaginacion he feareth at euery thinge and can not endure He that nyppeth a mans eye bryngeth forth teares and he that
e wyne and despyse him not in his myrth Geue him no despytefull wordes and preasse not vpon him with contrary sayenges The XXXII Chapter YF thou be made a ruler pride not thy self therin but be thou as one of the people Take diligent care for them and loke well therto and whan thou hast done all thy dewtye syt the downe that thou mayest be mery with them and receaue a crowne of honoure Talke wysely honestly for wyszdome becommeth the right well Hynder not musyck Speake not where there is no audyence and poure not forth wyszdome out of tyme at an importunyte Like as the Carbuncle stone shyneth that is set in golde so doth a songe garnysh the wyne feast and as y e Smaragde that is set in golde so is the swetnes of Musyck by y e myrth of wyne Thou yonge mā speake that becommeth the that is profitable and yet scarse whan thou art twyce axed Comprehende moch with few wordes In many thinges be as one that is ignoraunt geue eare and holde thy tonge withall Yf thou be amonge men of hyer auctorite desyre not to compare thy self vnto them and whā an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes therin Before the thonder goeth lightenynge and before nurtoure and shamefastnesse goeth loue and fauoure Stōde vp by tymes and be not the last but get the home soone there take thy pastyme do what thou wilt so y t thou do no euell and defye no mā But for all thinges geue thankes vnto him that hath made the and replenished the with his goodes Who so feareth the LORDE wyl receaue his doctryne and they that get them to him by tymes shall fynde grace He that seketh the lawe shall be fylled withall As for him y t is but fayned he wyll be offended therat They that feare the LORDE shal fynde the iudgment their righteousnes shal be kyndled as a light An vngodly man will not be refourmed but can helpe him self with the example of other in his purpose A man of vnderstondinge despyseth no good councell but a wylde and proude body hath no feare My sonne do nothinge without advisement so shal it not repēt the after y e dede Go not in the waye where thou mayest fall ner where thou mayest stomble against the stone Geue not y i self in to a laborious slypery waye and bewarre of thine owne children In all thy workes put thy trust in God from thy whole hert for that is the kepinge of the cōmaundementes Who so beleueth Gods worde taketh hede to the commaundementes he that putteth his trust in y e LORDE shal wante nothinge The XXXIII Chapter THere shall no euell happen vnto him that feareth God but whan he is in tentacion the LORDE shall delyuer him A wyse man hateth not y e lawe but an ypocryte is as a shyp in a raginge water A man of vnderstondinge geueth credence vnto the lawe of God and y e lawe is faithfull vnto him Be sure of the matter then talke therof Be first wel instructe thē maiest thou geue answere The hert of y e foolish is like a cartwhele and his thoughtes renne aboute like the axell tre Like as a wylde horse that neyeth vnder euery one y t sytteth vpon him so is it with a scornefull frende Why doth one daie excell another seynge all the dayes of the yeare come of the Sonne The wyszdome of the LORDE hath so parted them a sunder and so hath he ordened the tymes and solempne feastes Some of them hath he chosen and halowed before other dayes And all men are made of the grounde out of the earth of Adam In the multitude of scyence hath y e LORDE sundered them and made their wayes of dyuerse fashions Some of them hath he blessed made moch of them halowed them claymed them to himself But some of thē hath he cursed brought thē lowe put thē out of their estate Like as y e claye is in the potters hande all the ordrynge therof at his pleasure so are men also in the hande of him y t made thē so that he maye geue them as it liketh him best Agaynst euell is good and agaynst death is life so is the vngodly agaynst soch as feare God Beholde thus all the workes of the Hyest there are euer two agaynst two and one set agaynst another I am awaked vp last of all as one that gathereth after in haruest In the giftes of God and in his blessynge I am increased haue fylled my wyne presse like a grape gatherer Beholde how I haue not laboured onely for my self but for all soch as loue nurtoure and wyszdome Heare me O ye greate men of the people harken w t yo eares ye rulers of y e congregacion Geue not y e sonne wyfe y e brother frende power ouer the whyle thou lyuest geue not awaye thy substaunce and good to another lest it repent the thou be fayne to begg therfore thy self As longe as thou lyuest hast breth let no man chaunge the For better it is thy children to praye the then y t thou shuldest be fayne to loke in their handes In all thy workes be excellent that thy honoure be neuer stained At the tyme whan thou shalt ende thy dayes and fynish thy life distribute thine inheretaūce The fodder the whyppe and the burden belongeth vnto the Asse Meate correccion and worke vnto the seruaunt Yf thou set thy seruaunt to laboure thou shalt fynde rest But yf thou let him go ydel he shal seke libertye The yock y e whyppe bowe downe the neck but tame thou thy euell seruaunt with bōdes correccion Sende him to laboure that he go not ydle For Idylnesse bryngeth moch euell Sett him to worke for that belongeth vnto him and becōmeth him well Yf he be not obedient bynde his fete but do not to moch vnto him in anye wyse without discrecion do nothinge Yf thou haue a faithfull seruaūt let him be vnto the as thine owne soule for in bloude hast thou gotten him Yf thou haue a seruaunt holde him as thy self for thou hast nede of him as of thy self Yf thou intreatest him euell and kepest him harde and makest him to be proude and to renne awaye from y e thou canst not tell what waye thou shalt seke him The XXXIIII Chapter VNwyse people begyle them selues w t vayne and disceatfull hope and fooles trust in dreames Who so regardeth dreames is like him that wil take holde of a shadowe and folowe after the wynde Euen so is it with the appearinges of dreames Before the face is the licknes of a face Who can be clensed of y e vncleane Or what treuth can be spoken of a lyar Soythsayenge witchcraft sorcery and dreaminge is but vanyte like as whan a womā trauayleth w t chylde and hath many fantasyes in hir herte Where as soch visions come not of God set not
kyndled Like as an whole ornament of pure golde set with all maner of precious stones and as an olyue tre that is frutefull as a Cypres tre which groweth vp an hye Whan he put on the garment of honoure was clothed withall bewtye whan he wente to the holy altare to garnysh the couerynge of the Sanctuary whan he toke y e porcions out of the prestes hande he himself stode by the herth of the altare and his brethren rounde aboute in ordre As the braunches of Cedre tre vpon the mount Libanus so stode they rounde aboute him And as the braunches of the olyue tre so stode all y e sonnes of Aaron in their glory And y t he might sufficiently perfourme his seruyce vpon the altare garnysh the offrynge of the hyest God he stretched out his hande and toke of the drynk offerynge poured in of the wyne so he poured vpon the botome of the aulter a good smell vnto the hyest prynce Then beganne y e sonnes of Aaron to synge and to blowe with trompettes to make a greate noyse for a remembraūce prayse vnto the LORDE Then were the people afrayed fell downe to the earth vpō their faces to worshipe the LORDE their God to geue thankes to Allmightie God They sunge goodly also with their voyces so that there was a pleasaunt noyse in y e greate house of the LORDE And the people in their prayer besought the LORDE the Hyest that he wolde be mercyfull tyll the honoure of y e LORDE were perfourmed Thus ended they their mynistracion and seruyce Then wente he downe and stretched out his handes ouer the whole multitude of the people of Israel that they shulde geue praise thankes out of their lippes vnto y e LORDE and to reioyse in his name He beganne yet once also to praye that he might openly shew the thankesgeuynge before the Hyest namely thus O geue prayse thankes ye all vnto the LORDE oure God which hath euer done noble and greate thinges which hath increased oure dayes from o r mothers wombe and dealt with vs acordinge to his mercy that he wyl geue vs the ioyfulnes of hert peace for oure tymes in Israel Which faithfully kepeth his mercy for vs euermore allwaye delyuereth vs in due season There be two maner of people that I abhorre fro my hert as for the thirde whom I hate it is no people They that syt vpon the mountayne of Samaria the Philistynes the foolish people that dwell in Sichimis I Iesus the sonne of Sirac Eleazarus of Ierusalem haue tokened vp these informacions and documētes of wyszdome and vnderstādinge in this boke and poured out the wyszdome out of my hert Blessed is he that exerciseth him self therin and who so taketh soch to hert shal be wyse Yf he do these thinges he shal be stronge in all For the light of the LORDE ledeth him The LI. Chapter A prayer of Iesus the sonne of Sirac I Thanke the O LORDE and kynge and praise the O God my Sauioure I wil yelde prayse vnto y e name for thou art my defender and helper hast preserued my body from destruccion from y e snare of traytorous tōges and from the lippes that are occupied with leyes Thou hast bene my helper from soch as stode vp agaynst me and hast delyuered me after the multitude of thy mercy and for thy holy names sake Thou hast delyuered me from the roaringe of them that prepared them selues to deuoure me out of y e handes of soch as sought after my life from the multitude of them y t troubled me wente aboute to set fyre vpon me on euery syde so y t I am not brent in the myddest of the fyre From the depe of hell from an vncleane tōge from lyenge wordes from the wicked kynge and from an vnrighteous tonge My soule shal prayse y e LORDE vnto death for my life drew nye vnto hell They cōpased me rounde aboute on euery syde there was no mā to helpe me I loked aboute me yf there were eny man that wolde socoure me but there was none Then thought I vpon thy mercy O LORDE and vpon thy actes that thou hast done euer of olde namely y t thou delyuerest soch as putt their trust in the and ryddest them out of y e handes of the Heithen Thus lift I vp my prayer from the earth and prayed for delyueraunce from death I called vpon the LORDE my father that he wolde not leaue me w t out helpe in the daye of my trouble in the tyme of the proude I praysed thy name contynually yeldinge honoure and thākes vnto it and so my prayer was herde Thou sauedest me from destruccion and delyueredest me frō y e vnrighteous tyme. Therfore wil I aknowlege and praise the and magnifie y e name of the LORDE Whā I was yet but yonge or euer I wēte astraye I desyred wyszdome openly in my prayer I came therfore before the temple sought her vnto the last Then florished she vnto me as a grape that is soone rype My hert reioysed in her then wente my fote the right waye yee from youth vp sought I after her I bowed downe myne eare and receaued her I founde me moch wyszdome and prospered greatly in her Therfore wyll Iascrybe the glory vnto him that geueth me wyszdome for I am aduysed to do therafter I will be gelous to cleue vnto the thinge y t is good so shal I not be cōfounded My soule hath wrestled with her and I haue bene diligent to be occupied in her I lift vp myne handes an hye then was my soule lightened thorow wiszdome that I knowleged my foolishnes I ordred my soule after her she I were one hert from the begynninge and I founde her in clennesse And therfore shal I not be forsaken My hert longed after her and I gat a good treasure Thorow her y e LORDE hath geuen me a new tonge wherwith I wil praise him O come vnto me ye vnlerned dwell in y e house of wyszdome withdrawe not youre selues from her but talke comon of these thinges for youre soules are very thirstie I opened my mouth and spake O come bye wyszdome without money bowe downe youre neck vnder hir yock and youre soule shall receaue wyszdome She is harde at hande is content to be founde Beholde with youre eyes how that I haue had but litle laboure and yet haue founde moch rest O receaue wyszdome and ye shall haue plenteousnes of syluer and golde in possession Let youre mynde reioyse in his mercy be not ashamed of his prayse Wyrke his worke by tymes he shal geue you youre rewarde in due tyme. The ende of Ecclesiasticus other wyse called Iesus the sonne of Syrac The prayer of Azarias and the songe of y e thre children after Theodotios translacion which wordes are wryten in y e thirde chapter of Daniel after the olde text in Latyn
at the left Then was the scrypture fulfilled which sayeth He was coūted amonge the euell doers And they that wēte by reuyled him and wagged their heades and sayde Fye vpon the how goodly breakest thou downe y e tēple buyldest it agayne in thre dayes Helpe y e self now come downe frō the crosse The hye prestes also in like maner laughed him to scorne amonge thē selues with the scrybes sayde He hath helped other himself can he not helpe Yf he be Christ and y e kyge of Israel let him come downe now frō the crosse y t we maye se it beleue And they y t were crucified w t hī checked hī also And whā it was aboute the sixte houre there was a darcknesse ouer the whole lōde tyll aboute y e nyenth houre And aboute y e nyenth houre Iesus cried loude and sayde Eli Eli lamma asabthani which is interpreted My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And some that stode by whan they herde y t they sayde Beholde he calleth Elias Then rāne there one fylled a spōge w t vyneger stickte it vpō a rede gaue hī to drynke sayde Holde styll let se whether Elias wil come and take him downe But Iesus cried loude and gaue vp the goost And the vale of the tēple rent in two peces from aboue tyll beneth The captayne that stode thereby ouer agaynst him whā he sawe y t he gaue vp the goost with soch a crye he sayde Verely this man was Gods sonne And there were wemen there also which behelde this afarre of amōge whō was Mary Magdalene Mary of Iames y e litle the mother of Ioses Salome which had folowed him whā he was in Galile and mynistred vnto hī many other y t wēte vp w t hī to Ierusalem And at euen for so moch as it was the daye of preparinge which is the fore Sabbath there came one Ioseph of Arimathia a worshipfull Senatoure which loked also for the kyngdome of God wēte in boldely vnto Pilate axed y e body of Iesus But Pylate marueyled y t he was deed allready called y e captayne axed hī whether he had lōge bene deed And whā he had gotten knowlege of the captayne he gaue Ioseph y e body And he bought a lynnē cloth toke him downe wrapped hī in y e lynnē clothe layed him in a sepulcre which was hewē out of a rocke rolled a stone before y e dore of y e sepulcre But Mary Magdalene and Mary Ioses behelde where he was layed The XVI Chapter ANd whan the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene Mary Iames and Salome bought spyces y t they might come anoynte hī And they came to the sepulcre vpō a daye of y e Sabbathes very early whā y e Sonne arose sayde one to another Who shal rolle vs y e stone frō y e dore of the sepulcre And whan they loked they sawe that the stone was rolled awaye for it was a very greate one And they wente in to the sepulcre and on the right hande they sawe a yonge man syttinge which had a longe whyte garmēt vpon him and they were abaszhed But he sayde vnto thē Be not ye afrayed ye seke Iesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is rysen he is not here Beholde y e place where they layed him But go ye youre waye and tell his disciples and Peter that he wil go before you into Galile there shal ye se him as he sayde vnto you And they wente forth in all the haist and fled from the sepulcre for there was a tremblynge feare come vpon them nether sayde they eny thinge to eny man for they were afrayed But Iesus whan he was rysen vp early vpō the first daye of the Sabbathes he appeared first vnto Mary Magdalene out of whom he had cast out seuen deuels And she wēte and tolde thē that were with him as they mourned and wepte And whan they herde that he lyued and had appeared vnto her they beleued it not After warde as two of thē were walkynge he shewed himself vnder another figure whan they were goynge vpon the felde And they wente and tolde the other these they beleued not also At the last as the eleuen sat at the table he shewed himself vnto them and rebuked their vnbeleue and y e hardnesse of their hert because they beleued not thē which had sene him rysen And he sayde vnto them Go ye youre waye in to all the worlde and preach the gospell vnto all creatures Who so beleueth and is baptysed shal be saued but who so beleueth not shal be damned As for the tokens which shal folowe thē that beleue these are they In my name shal they cast out deuyls Speake with new tunges Dryue awaye serpētes And yf they drynke eny deedly thinge it shal not hurte them They shal laye their handes vpō the sicke and they shal recouer And the LORDE after that he had spoken vnto them was taken vp into heauen and sytteth at the right hāde of God And they wente out and preached euery where And the LORDE wrought with them and confirmed the worde with tokens folowynge The ende of the gospell of S. Marke The gospell of S. Luke What S. Luke conteyneth Chap. I. The cōcepcion and byrth of Ihon the baptist The concepcion of Christ. The thākfull songes of Mary and Zachary ▪ Chap. II. The byrth circūcision of Christ. How he was receaued in to the tēple how Symeon and Anna prophecie of him and how he was founde in the tēple amōge the doctours Chap. III. The preachinge baptyme and presonment of Ihon. The baptyme of Christ and a rehearsall of the generacion of the fathers Chap. IIII. Iesus is led into the wyldernesse fasteth all the tyme of his temptacion ouercōmeth the deuell goeth in to Galilee preacheth at Nazareth and Caphernaū the Iewes despyse him the deuels knowlege him he cōmeth into Peters house healeth his mother in lawe and doth greate miracles Chap. V. Christ preacheth in the shippe The disciples forsake all and folowe him He clenseth the leper healeth the man of the palsye calleth Mathew the customer and eateth with open synners Chap. VI. He excuseth the disciples that plucke the eares of corne he healeth the man with the wythred hande choseth his twolue Apostles maketh a swete sermon and teacheth to do good for euell Chap. VII He healeth the captaynes seruaunt rayseth vp the wyddowes sonne from death to life enfourmeth the disciples whom Ihon baptist sent vnto him commendeth Ihon and reproueth the Iewes for their vnthankfulnesse He eateth with the pharisee The woman waszheth his fete with hir teares and he forgeueth her hir synnes Chap. VIII Christ with his apostles goeth frō towne to towne and preacheth sheweth the parable of the sede telleth who is his mother and his brother stilleth
they wayted for him And beholde there came a man named Iairus and he was a ruler of the synagoge and fell at Iesus fete besought him that he wolde come in to his house For he had but one doughter vpon a twolue yeare of age and she laye at y e poynt of death And as he wente the people thronged him And a womā hauynge the bloudyssue twolue yeares which had spent all hir substaunte vpon phisicians and coude be healed of none came behynde touched the hemme of his garmēt and immediatly hir yssue of bloude was staunched And Iesus sayde Who hath touched me But whan they all denyed Peter sayde and they that were with him Master the people thronge the and thrust the and thou sayest Who hath touched me Iesus saide Some body hath touched me for Ifele that there is vertue gone out fro me But whan the woman sawe that she was not hyd she came trēblynge and fell downe before him and tolde him before all the people for what cause she had touched him how she was healed immediatly And he sayde vnto her Doughter be of good comforte thy faith hath made the whole go thy waye in peace Whyle he yet spake there came one frō y e ruler of y e synagoges house and sayde vnto him Thy doughter is deed disease not the master Whan Iesus herde that he answered him and sayde Feare not beleue onely and she shal be made whole But whan he came in to the house he suffred no man to go in saue Peter and Iames and Ihō and the father and mother of the mayden They wepte all and sorowed for her But he sayde Wepe not for she is not deed but * slepeth And they laughed hī to scorne knowynge well that she was deed But he thrust them all out and toke her by the hande and cryed and sayde Maydē aryse And hir sprete came agayne she arose straight waye And he cōmaunded to geue her meate And hir elders were astonnyed But he charged them that they shulde tell no man what was done The IX Chapter ANd he called the twolue together and gaue them power and auctorite ouer all deuels and that they might heale diseases And he sent thē out to preach the kyngdome of God and to heale y e sicke and sayde vnto them Ye shal take nothinge with you by the waye nether staff ner scryppe ner bred ner money ner haue two coates And into what house so euer ye entre there abyde tyll ye go thence And who so euer receaue you not departe out of the same cite and shake of the dust from youre fete for a wytnesse ouer them And they departed and wente thorow the townes preachinge y e Gospell healynge euery where Herode the Tetrarcha herde of all that was done by him And he toke care for so moch as it was sayde of some Ihō is rysen agayne from the deed of some Elias hath appeared of some One of the olde prophetes is rysen agayne And Herode sayde Ihō haue I beheaded who is this then of whō I heare soch thinges And he desyred to se him And the Apostles came agayne and tolde him how greate thinges they had done And he toke them to him and wente asyde into a solytary place by the cite called Bethsaida Whan the people knew of it they folowed him And he receaued them and spake vnto them of the kyngdome of God and healed soch as hade nede therof But the daye beganne to go downe Then came the twolue to him and sayde vnto him let the people departe frō the that they maye go in to the townes rounde aboute and in to y e vyllagies where they maye fynde lodgynge meate for we are here in y e wyldernesse But he sayde vnto them Geue ye them to eate They sayde We haue nomore but fyue loaues and two fyszhes Excepte we shulde go bye meate for so moch people for there were vpon a fyue thousande men But he sayde vnto his disciples Cause them to syt downe by fifties in a cōpany And they dyd so and made them all to syt downe Then toke he the fyue loaues and two fiszhes and loked vp towarde heauē and sayde grace ouer them brake them and gaue them to the disciples to set thē before the people And they ate and were all satisfied And there were taken vp of that remayned to them twolue baskettes full of broken meate And it fortuned whan he was alone and at his prayer and his disciples with him he axed them and sayde Whom saye the people that I am They answered and sayde They saye thou art Ihon the baptist Some that thou art Elias Some that one of the olde prophetes is rysen agayne But he sayde vnto them Whom saye ye that I am Then answered Peter and sayde Thou art the Christ of God And he charged them strately and commaunded them that they shulde tell this vnto no mā and sayde For the sonne of man must suffre many thinges and be cast out of the Elders and of y e hye prestes and scrybes and be put to death and ryse agayne the thirde daye Then sayde he vnto them all Yf eny mā wil folowe me let hī denie himself take vp his crosse daylie folowe me For who so euer wil saue his life shal lose it But who so loseth his life for my sake shal saue it For what auauntage hath a man though he wanne the whole worlde and loseth himself or runneth in dammage of himself Who so is ashamed of me and of my sayenges of him shall the sonne of mā also be ashamed whan he commeth in his glory and in the glory of his father and of the holy angels I saye vnto you of the treuth there be some of them that stonde here which shall not taist of death tyll they se the kyngdome of God And it fortuned that aboute an eight dayes after these wordes he toke vnto him Peter Ihon and Iames and wente vp in to amoūt for to praye And as he prayed the shappe of his countenaunce was chaunged of another fashion and his garment was whyte and shyned and beholde two men talked with him Which were Moses and Elias that appeared gloriously and spake of his departynge which he shulde fulfill at Ierusalem As for Peter and them that were with him they were full of slepe But whan they awoke they saw his glory and the two men stondynge with him And it chaunsed whan they departed frō him Peter sayde vnto Iesus Master here is good beynge for vs. Let vs make thre tabernacles one for the one for Moses and one for Elias and wyst not what he sayde But whyle he thus spake there came a cloude and ouershadowed them And they were afrayed whan the cloude couered them And out of the cloude there came a voyce which sayde This is my deare sonne heare him And
there was a man which had lyen sicke eight and thirtie yeares Whan Iesus sawe him lye knewe that he had lyen so longe he saide vnto him Wilt thou be made whole The sicke answered him Syr I haue no man whan the water is moued to put me in to the pole And whan I come another steppeth downe in before me Iesus sayde vnto him Aryse take vp thy bed and go thy waye And immediatly the man was made whole and toke vp his bed and wente his waye But vpon the same daye it was the Sabbath Then sayde the Iewes vnto him that was made whole To daye is y e Sabbath it is not laufull for the to cary the bed He answered them He that made me whole sayde vnto me Take vp thy bed and go y e waye Then axed they him What man is that which sayde vnto the Take vp thy bed and go y e waye But he that was healed wyst not who he was for Iesus had gottē him self awaye because there was moch people Afterwarde founde Iesus him in the tēple and sayde vnto him Beholde thou art made whole synne nomore lest a worse thinge happen vnto the. The mā departed and tolde the Iewes that it was Iesus which had made hī whole Therfore dyd y e Iewes persecute Iesus and sought to slaye him because he had done this vpō y e Sabbath But Iesus answered them My father worketh hither to and I worke also Therfore sought the Iewes the more to slaye hī because he brake not onely y e Sabbath but saide also that God was his father and made him self equall with God Thē answered Iesus and sayde vnto them Verely verely I saye vnto you The sonne can do nothinge of himself but that he seyth the father do For what soeuer he doeth that doeth y e sonne also The father loueth the sonne sheweth him all that he doth and wyll shewe him yet greater workes so that ye shal marueyle For as the father rayseth vp the deed and maketh them lyue euē so the sonne also maketh lyuynge whom he wyll For the father iudgeth no man but hath geuen all iudgmēt vnto the sonne that they all might honoure the sonne euen as they honoure y e father Who so honoureth not the sonne the same honoureth not the father which hath sent him Verely verely I saye vnto you Who so heareth my worde and beleueth him that sent me hath euerlastinge life and cōmeth not in to damnacion but is passed thorow from death vnto life Verely verely I saye vnto you The houre cōmeth is now allready y t the deed shal heare y e voyce of y e sonne of God and they that heare it shal lyue For as the father hath life in him self so likewyse hath he geuen vnto the sonne to haue life in him self hath geuē hī power also to execute iudgmēt because he is the sonne of mā Maruayle not ye at this for y e houre cōmeth in y e which all that are in y e graues shal heare his voyce and shal go forth they that haue done good vnto the resurreccion of life but they that haue done euell vnto the resurreccion of damnacion I can do nothinge of myself As I heare so I iudge my iudgmēt is iust For I seke not myne owne wyll but the wyll of the father which hath sent me Yf I beare wytnesse of my self my wytnesse is not true There is another that beareth wytnesse of me and I am sure that the wytnesse which he beareth of me is true Ye sent vnto Ihon and he bare wytnes of the trueth As for me I take no recorde of mā but these thinges I saye that ye might be saued He was a burnynge and shyninge light but ye wolde haue reioysed a litle whyle in his light Neuertheles I haue a greater wytnesse then the wytnesse of Ihon. For the workes which the father hath geuē me to fynish the same workes which I do beare wytnesse of me that the father hath sent me And y e father him self which hath sent me beareth wytnesse of me Ye haue nether herde his voyce at eny tyme ner sene his shappe and his worde haue ye not abydinge in you for ye beleue not him whom he hath sent Searche the scripture for ye thinke ye haue euerlastinge life therin and the same is it that testifyeth of me and ye wil not come vnto me that ye might haue life I receaue not prayse of men But I knowe you that ye haue not the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receaue me not Yf another shal come in his awne name him wil ye receaue How can ye beleue which receaue prayse one of another and seke not the prayse that is of God onely Ye shall not thynke that I wyll accuse you before y e father there is one y t accuseth you euen Moses in whō ye trust Yf ye beleued Moses ye shulde beleue me also For he hath wryttē of me But yf ye beleue not his wrytinges how shal ye beleue my wordes The VI. Chapter AFter this wente Iesus ouer the see vnto the cite Tiberias in Galilee And moch people folowed him because they sawe the tokens that he dyd vpon thē which were diseased But Iesus wēte vp in to a mountayne and there he sat with his disciples And Easter y e feast of the Iewes was nye Then Iesus lift vp his eyes and sawe y t there came moch people vnto him and he sayde vnto Philippe Whence shal we bye bred y t these maye eate But this he sayde to proue him for he himself knewe what he wolde do Philippe answered him Two hundreth peny worth of bred is not ynough amonge thē y t euery one maye take a litle Thē sayde vnto hī one of his disciples Andrew y e brother of Symō Peter There is a lad here y t hath fyue barlye loaues and two fishes but what is that amōge so many Iesus sayde Make the people syt downe There was moch grasse in the place Then they sat thē downe aboute a fyue thousande men Iesus toke the loaues thanked and gaue them to the disciples the disciples gaue to them that were set downe Likewyse also of the fishes as moch as they wolde Whan they were fylled he sayde vnto his disciples Gather vp the broken meate that remayneth that nothinge be lost Thē they gathered and fylled twolue baskettes with the brokē meate that remayned of the fyue barlye loaues vnto them which had eaten Now whan the men sawe the token y t Iesus dyd they saide This is of a trueth the Prophet y t shulde come in to the worlde Whan Iesus now perceaued that they wolde come and take him vp to make him kynge he gat him awaye agayne in to a mountayne himself alone At euen wente his disciples downe to y e see and entred in
Symon Peter sayde vnto theÌ„ I go a fyshinge They sayde vnto hiÌ„ We also wil go w t the. They weÌ„te out entred into a shippe straight waye And y t same night toke they nothinge But whaÌ„ it was now morow Iesus stode on the shore but his disciples knewe not y t it was Iesus Iesus sayde vnto theÌ„ ChildreÌ„ haue ye eny thinge to eate They answered hiÌ„ No. He sayde vnto theÌ„ Cast out the nett on y e right syde of the shippe ye shal fynde TheÌ„ they cast out coulde nomore drawe it for y e multitude of fishes TheÌ„ sayde y e disciple whoÌ„ Iesus loued vnto Peter It is the LORDE Whan Simon Peter herde that is was the LORDE he gyrde his mantell aboute him for he was naked and sprange in to y e see But other disciples came by shippe for they were not farre froÌ„ londe but as it were two hundreth cubytes and they drewe the net with the fiszhes Now whan they were come to londe they sawe coles layed and fysh theron and bred Iesus sayde vnto theÌ„ Bringe hither of the fyshes that ye haue taken now Symon Peter stepped forth and drew the nett to the londe full of greate fyszhes and hundreth and thre and fyftie And for all there were so many yet was not the net broken Iesus sayde vnto them Come and dyne But none of the disciples durst axe him Who art thou For they knewe that it was the LORDE Then came Iesus and toke y e bred and gaue it theÌ„ and the fyszhe likewyse This is now the thirde tyme that Iesus appeared vnto his disciples after that he was rysen agayne from the deed Now whaÌ„ they had dyned Iesus sayde vnto Symon Peter SymoÌ„ IohaÌ„na louest thou me more then these do He sayde vnto him Yee LORDE thou knowest y t I loue the. He sayde vnto him Fede my laÌ„bes He sayde vnto him agayne the seconde tyme SymoÌ„ IohaÌ„na louest thou me He sayde vnto him Yee LORDE thou knowest y t I loue ye. He sayde vnto him Fede my shepe He saide vnto him y e thirde tyme Symon IohaÌ„na louest thou me Peter was sory because he sayde vnto him louest thou me And he sayde vnto him LORDE thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue ye. Iesus sayde vnto him Fede my shepe Verely verely I saye vnto the Whan thou wast yoÌ„ge thou gerdedst thyselfe and walkedst whither thou woldest But whaÌ„ thou art olde thou shalt stretch forth thy handes and another shal gyrde the and lede the whither thou woldest not But this he sayde to signifye with what death he shulde glorifye God Whan he had spoken this he sayde vnto him Folowe me Peter turned him aboute and sawe the disciple folowinge whom Iesus loued which also leaned vpoÌ„ his brest at the supper and sayde LORDE who is it that betrayeth the WhaÌ„ Peter sawe him he sayde vnto Iesus LORDE but what shal he do Iesus sayde vnto him Yf I wil that he tary tyll I come what is that to the Folowe thou me Then wente there out a sayenge amonge the brethren This disciple dyeth not And Iesus sayde not vnto him He dyeth not but Yf I wil that he tary tyll I come what is that to the This is the same disciple which testifyeth of these thinges and wrote these thinges and we knowe that his testimony is true There are many other thinges also that Iesus dyd which yf they shulde be wrytteÌ„ euery one I suppose the worlde shulde not contayne the bokes that were to be wrytten The ende of the Gospell of S. Ihon. The Actes of the Apostles wrytten by S. Luke the Euangelist What the Actes conteyne Chap. I. The ascension of Christ. Mathias is chosen in the steade of Iudas Chap. II. The commynge of the holy goost The sermon of Peter before the coÌ„gregacion at Ierusalem and the increase of the faithfull Chap. III. The halt is restored to his fete Peter preacheth Christ vnto the people Chap. IIII. The Apostles are takeÌ„ and brought before the councell They are forbydden to preach but they turne them vnto prayer and are more obedient vnto God then vnto men Chap. V. The dyssemblynge of Ananias and Saphira is punyshed Miracles are done by the Apostles which are taken but the angel of God bryngeth them out of preson They are brought before the councell The sentence of Gamaliel The apostles are bett they reioyse in trouble Chap VI. Ministers or deacons are ordened in the congregacion to do seruyce in necessary thinges of the body that the Apostles maye wayte onely vpoÌ„ the worde of God Steuen is accused Chap. VII Steuen maketh answere to his accusacion rebuketh the hardnecked Iues and is stoned vnto death Chap. VIII Saul persecuteth the ChristeÌ„ The Apostles are scatred abrode Philip commeth in to Samaria Simon magus is baptised he dyssembleth Philip baptiseth the chamberlayne Chap. IX Paul is conuerted and confoundeth the Iues â–ª Peter rayseth Tabitha Chap. X. The vision that Peter sawe How he was sent to Cornelius The Heithen also receaue the sprete and are baptised Chap. XI Peter sheweth the cause wherfore he wente to the Heithen Barnabas and Paul preach vnto the Heithen Agabus prophecieth derth for to come Chap. XII Herode persecuteth the christeÌ„ kylleth Iames and putteth Peter in preson whoÌ„ the LORDE delyuereth by an angell The shamefull death of Herode Chap. XIII Paul and Barnabas are called to preach amonge the Heithen â–ª Of Sergius Paulus and Elymas the sorcerar Paul preacheth at Antioche Chap. XIIII Paul and Barnabas preach at Iâ—â—nium some beleue some stere vp sedicion Aâ— Listra they wolde do sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul which refuse it and exorte the people to worshipe the true God Paul is stoned after that commeth he to Derba lystra I conium and to Antioche Chap. XV. Variaunce aboute circumcision The Apostles pacifie the matter at IerusaleÌ„ Paul and Barnabas preach at Antioche Chap. XVI Timothy is circumcised Paul preacheth at Philippos and there is he put in preson Chap. XVII Paul coÌ„meth to Thessalonica where the Iues set the cite on a roore Paul escapeth and commeth to Athens where he preacheth the true and vnknowne God Chap. XVIII Paul preacheth at Corinthum contynuinge there a yeare and a half goeth agayne in to Syria commeth to Ephesus Cesarea and Antioche Of Apollos Aquila and Priscilla Chap. XIX Of the xij men whom Paul baptised at Ephesus and what miracles were done by him Demetrius moueth sedicion in the cite Chap. XX. Paul goeth in to Macedonia and in to Grekelonde At Troas he rayseth vp a deed body At Ephesus he calleth the elders of the congregacion together committeth the kepinge of Gods flocke vnto them warneth theÌ„ for false teachers maketh his prayer with them and departeth to shippe Chap. XXI Pauls iourneye by shippe Of Philippe the EuaÌ„gelist and Agabus the Prophet which warneth Paul not to go to Ierusalem He remayneth stedfast in his purpose and is taken in the
agaynst And whā they had appoynted hī adaye there came many vnto hī in to his lodginge vnto whō he expoūded y e kyngdome of God preached vnto thē of Iesu out of y e lawe and out of the prophetes euē frō mornynge vntyll the euē And some beleued y e thinge y t he sayde but some beleued not But whā they agreed not amōge thē selues they departed whā Paul had spokē one worde Full well hath the holy goost spokē by y e prophet Esay vnto o fathers sayde Go vnto this people and saye With eares ye shal heare not vnderstōde with eyes shal ye se not perceaue For y e hert of this people is waxed grosse they heare hardly w t their eares their eyes haue they closed y t they shulde not once se w t their eyes heare w t their eares vnderstōde ī their hertes and be cōuerted y t I mighte heale thē Be it knowne therfore vnto you y t this saluaciō of God is sent vnto y e Heythē and they shal heare it And whā he sayde y t y e Iewes departed had a greate disputacion amonge thēselues But Paul abode two whole yeares in his owne hyred dwellinge receaued all thē y t came in vnto hī preachinge y e kyngdome of God and teachinge those thinges which concerne the LORDE Iesus with all boldnesse vnforbydden The ende of the Actes of the Apostles wrytten by S. Luke which was present at y e doynges of them The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The Summe of this Epistle Chap. I. Paul declareth his loue towarde the Romaynes sheweth what the gospell is with the frute therof and rebuketh the beestlynesse of the flesh Chap. II. He rebuketh the Iewes which as touchinge synne are like the Heythē yee worse then they Chap. III. He sheweth what preferment the Iewes haue and that both the Iewes and Gētiles are vnder synne and are iustified only by the grace of God in Christ. Chap. IIII. He declareth by the exāple of Abrahā that faith iustifieth and not the lawe ner the workes therof Chap. V. The power of faith hope and loue ▪ and how death raigned frō Adā vnto Christ ▪ by whō only we haue forgeuenesse of synnes Chap. VI. For so moch as we be delyuered thorow christ from synne we must fashion oure selues to lyue as the seruauntes of God and not after oure awne lustes The vnlike rewarde of righteousnes and synne Chap. VII Christ hath delyuered vs from the lawe and death Paul sheweth what the flesh and outwarde man is and calleth it the lawe of the membres Chap. VIII The lawe of the sprete geueth life The sprete of God maketh vs Gods children and heyres with Christ. The abundaunt loue of God can not be separated Chap. IX Paul complayneth vpon the hard hertes of the Iewes that wolde not receaue Christ and how the Heythē are chosen in their steade Chap. X. The vnfaithfulnes of the Iewes Two maner of righteousnesses Chap. XI All the Iewes are not cast awaye therfore Paul warneth the Gentiles that be called not to be hye mynded ner to despyse the Iewes for the iudgmētes of God are depe and secrete Chap. XII The swete conuersacion loue and workes of soch as beleue in Christ. Chap. XIII The obedience of men vnto their rulers Loue fulfilleth the lawe It is now no tyme to folowe the workes of darknesse Chap. XIIII The weake ought not to be despysed No man shulde offende anothers conscience Agayne for outward thinges shulde no man condemne another Chap. XV. The infirmite and fraylnesse of the weake ought to be borne with all loue and kyndnesse after the ensample of Christ. Chap. XVI A chapter of salutacions He warneth them to bewarre of mens doctryne and commendeth vnto them certayne godly men that were louers and brethren in the trueth The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The first Chapter PAVL the seruaunte of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put aparte to preach the Gospell of God which he promysed afore by his prophetes in y e holy scriptures off his sonne which was begottē of y e sede of Dauid after the flesh and mightely declared to be the sonne of God after the sprete which sanctifieth sence the tyme that he rose agayne from the deed namely Iesus Christ oure LORDE by whom we haue receaued grace and Apostelshippe amonge all Heythen to set vp the obedience of faith vnder his name of whom ye are a parte also which are called of Iesus Christ. To all you that be at Rome beloued of God and sayntes by callynge Grace be w t you and peace frō God oure father and the LORDE Iesus Christ. First I thanke my God thorow Iesus Christ for you all that youre faith is spoken of thorow out all the worlde For God is my witnesse whom I serue in my sprete in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceassynge I make mencion of you besekinge allwayes in my prayers that I mighte once haue a prosperous iourney by the will off God to come vnto you For I longe to se you that I mighte bestowe vpon you some spirituall gifte to strēgth you that is that I mighte be conforted with you thorow yo faith myne which we haue together But I wolde ye shulde knowe brethren how that I haue often tymes purposed to come vnto you but haue bene let hither to that I mighte do some good amonge you like as amonge other Gentyles I am detter both to the Grekes and to the vngrekes to the wyse and to the vnwyse Wherfore as moch as ī me is I am ready to preach the Gospell vnto you at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God which saueth all that beleue theron the Iewe first also the Greke for in it y e righteousnes that is of value before God is opened which cōmeth out of faith ī to faith As it is wryttē The iust shal lyue by his faith For y e wrath of God is declared from heauen vpon all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of mē which witholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnes because that it which maye be knowne of God is manifest with thē For God hath shewed it vnto thē that the inuisible thinges of God that is his euerlastinge power and Godheade mighte be sene whyle they are considered by the workes from the creacion of the worlde so that they are without excuse in as moch as they knewe that there is a God and haue not praysed him as God ner thanked him but became vayne in their ymaginacions and their foolish hert was blynded Whan they counted them selues wyse they became fooles and turned y e glory of the incorruptible God in to y e symilitude of y e ymage of a corruptible mā of byrdes of foure foted of crepinge
true preacher is diligent he corruppeth not the worde of God he preacheth not himselfe but seâ—eth the honoure of Christ yee though it be with the parell of his life Chap. V. The rewarde for suffringe trouble Chap. VI. An exortacion to receaue the worde of God with thank fulnesse and amendmeÌ„t of life The diligence of Paul in the gospell and how he warneth them to eschue the company of the Heythen Chap. VII He exorteth theÌ„ to receaue the promises of God than fully The CorinthiaÌ„s are commended for their obedieÌ„ce and loue towarde Paul Chap. VIII IX He putteth them in remembraunce to helpe the poore sayntes at Ierusalem acordinge as the Macedonians dyd Chap. X. He toucheth the false apostles and defendeth his auctorite and callynge Chap. XI Paul vnder sufferauÌ„ce coÌ„mendeth himselfe and defendeth his auctorite agaynst the false prophetes Chap. XII Paul is takeÌ„ vp in to the thirde heauen and heareth wordes not to be spoken off Chap. XIII He promiseth to come vnto them and exhorteth them so to ordre them selues that he maye fynde them parfecte and of one mynde The seconde Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians The first Chapter PAul an Apostle of Iesu Christ by the will of God and brother Timotheus Vnto the congregacion of God which is at CorinthuÌ„ with all the sayntes which are iÌ„ all Achaia Grace be with you and peace froÌ„ God oure father and from the LORDE Iesus Christ. Blessed be God the father of oure LORDE Iesus Christ the father of mercy and y e God of all comforte which comforteth vs in all oure trouble in so moch y t we are able to comforte them that are in eny maner of trouble with the same comforte wherwith we oure selues are comforted of God For as the affliccioÌ„s of Christ are plenteous in vs euen so is o coÌ„solacion plenteous by Christ. But whether we haue trouble or comforte it is done for youre welth Yf it be trouble it is done for youre coÌ„forte and health which health sheweth hâ—r power in that ye suffre the same affliccions which we suffre Yf it be comforte it is done also for youre comforte and health Therfore is oure hope fast for you in as moch as we knowe that like as ye are partakers of the affliccioÌ„s so shal ye be partakers also of the consolacion Brethren we wolde not haue you ignoraunt of oure trouble which happened vnto vs in Asia for we were greued out off measure passynge strength so that we euen dispared of life and had concluded in oure selues y t we must nedes dye But this was done because we shulde not put oure trust in oure selues but in God which rayseth vp the deed to life agayne which delyuered vs from so greate a death and yet delyuereth daylie On whom we trust that he wil delyuer vs here after also by the helpe of youre prayer for vs that on oure behalfe many thankes maye be geuen by many personnes for the gifte that is geuen vs. For oure reioysinge is this euen the testimony of oure conscience that in synglenes godly purenesse not in fleshlye wyszdome but in the grace of God we haue had oure conuersacion in the worlde but most of all with you For we wryte nothinge els vnto you then that ye rede and also knowe Yee I trust that ye shal fynde vs vnto the ende euen as ye haue founde vs partly For we are youre reioysinge eueÌ„ as ye also are oure reioysinge in y e daye of the LORDE Iesus And in this confidence was I mynded the other tyme to come vnto you that ye mighte haue yet another pleasure more to passe by you into Macedonia to come againe out of Macedonia vnto you to be led forth to Iewrye warde of you Whan I thus wyse was mynded dyd I vse lightnesse Or are my thoughtes fleshly Not so but with me yee is yee and nay is naye O faitfull God that oure worde vnto you hath not bene yee and naye For Gods sonne Iesus Christ which was preached amonge you by vs namely by me and Siluanus and Timotheus was not yee and naye but in him it was yee For all the promyses of God are yee in him are AmeÌ„ in him to the prayse of God by vs. But it is God which stablysheth vs w t you in Christ and hath anoynted us and sealed us and geuen the ernest of the sprete in oure hertes The II. Chapter BVt I call God to recorde vnto my soule that to fauoure you withall I came not agayne vnto Corinthum Not that we are lordes ouer youre faith but we are helpers of youre ioye for ye stonde in faith But I determyned this w t my selfe that I wolde not come agayne to you in heuynes For yf I make you sory who is it that shal make me glad but the same which is made sory by me And the same haue I wrytten vnto you lest whaÌ„ I come I shulde take heuynes of them of whom I oughte to reioyse for somoch as I haue this confidence in you all that my ioye is the ioye of you all For in greate trouble and anguysh of hert wrote I vnto you with many teares not y t ye shulde be sory but that ye mighte perceaue the loue which I haue most specially vnto you But yf eny man haue caused sorowe the same hath not made me sory but partely lest I shulde greue you all It is sufficient that the same man is so rebuked of many so that from hence forth ye oughte the more to forgeue him and to comforte him lest he be swalowed vp in ouer moch heuynesse Wherfore I exhorte you that ye shewe loue vpoÌ„ him For therfore dyd I wryte vnto you also that I mighte knowe the profe of you whether ye were obedieÌ„t in all thinges But loke vnto whoÌ„ ye forgeue eny thinge I forgeue hiÌ„ also For I also yf I forgeue ought vnto eny maÌ„ that forgeue I for youre sakes in the rowme of Christ lest we shulde be preuented of Sathan For his thoughtes are not vnknowne vnto vs. But whaÌ„ I came to Troada to preach y e Gospell of Christ and a dore was opened vnto me in y e LORDE I had no rest in my sprete because I founde not Titus my brother but I toke my leue of them and wente awaye into Macedonia Yet thankes be vnto God which allwaye geueth vs the victory in Christ and openeth y e sauoure of his knowlege by vs in euery place For we are vnto God the good sauoure of Christ both amonge theÌ„ y t are saued amonge theÌ„m y t perishe To these y e sauoure of death vnto death but vnto y e other the sauoure of life vnto life And who is mete therto For we are not as many are which choppe chaunge w t the worde of God but eueÌ„ out of purenesse and out of God in y e sighte of God so speake we
haue had sorowe vpon sorowe I haue sent him therfore the more haistely that ye mighte se him and reioyce agayne and that I also mighte haue the lesse sorowe Receaue him therfore in the LORDE with all gladnes and make moch of soche for because of the worke of Christ he wente so farre that he came nye vnto death and regarded not his life to fulfyll that seruyce which was lackynge on youre parte towarde me The III. Chapter MOROVER my brethren reioyce in the LORDE Where as I wryte euer one thinge vnto you it greueth me not and maketh you the surer Bewarre off dogges bewarre of euell workers bewarre off discension for we are the circumcision euen we that serue God in the sprete and reioyce in Christ Iesu and haue no confidence in the flesh though I haue wherof I mighte reioyce in y e flesh Yf eny other mā thynke that he hath wherof he mighte reioyce in the flesh moch more I which was circūcysed on the eight daye one of the people of Israel of the trybe off Ben Iamin an hebrue of the Hebrues as concernynge the lawe a Pharise as concernynge feruentnes I persecuted the cōgregacion and as touchinge the righteousnes which is in the lawe I was vnrebukable But the thinges that were vauntage vnto me haue I counted losse for Christes sake Yee I thynke all thinges but losse for that excellent knowleges sake of Christ Iesu my LORDE for whom I haue counted all thinge losse and do iudge them but donge that I mighte wynne Christ be founde in him not hauynge myne awne righteousnes which commeth of the lawe but by the faith of Christ namely the righteousnes which commeth of God in faith to knowe him and the vertue of his resurreccion and the fellishippe of his passion that I maye be conformable vnto his death yff by eny meanes I mighte attayne to the resurreccion from the deed Not that I haue attayned vnto it all ready or that I am allready perfecte but I folowe yf I maye comprehende that wherin I am comprehended off Christ Iesu. Brethren I counte not my selfe yet that I haue gotten it but one thinge I saye I forget that which is behynde and stretch my selfe vnto that which is before preace vnto y e marck apoynted to optayne the rewarde of the hye callynge of God in Christ Iesu. Let vs therfore as many as be parfecte be thus wyse mynded and yf ye be otherwyse mynded I praye God open euen this vnto you Neuertheles in that wher vnto we are come let vs procede by one rule that we maye be of one accorde Brethren be ye y e folowers of me and loke on thē which walke euē so as ye haue vs for an ensample For many walke off whom I haue tolde you often but now I tell you wepynge euē enemies of the crosse of Christ whose ende is damnacion whose God is the bely whose glory shal be to their shame which are earthly mynded But oure conuersacion is in heauen from whence we loke for the Sauioure Iesu Christ y e LORDE which shal chaūge o r vyle body y t it maye be like fashioned vnto his glorious body acordinge to y e workynge wherby he is able to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe The IIII. Chapter WHerfore my brethrē dearly beloued longed for my ioye my crowne contynue so in the LORDE ye beloued I praye Euodias beseke Syntiches that they be of one mynde in the LORDE Yee and I beseke the my faithfull yoc◠felowe helpe the wemen which haue laboured with me in the Gospell with Clement with my other helpers whose names are in the boke of life Reioyce in the LORDE allwaye agayne I saye Reioyse Let youre softnes be knowne vnto all men The LORDE is euen at honde Be not carefull but in all thinges let yo r peticions in prayer and supplicacion with geuynge of thankes be knowne before God And y e peace of God which passeth all vnderstōdinge kepe youre hertes and myndes in Christ Iesu. Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer thinges are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest what soeuer thinges are iust what so euer thinges are pure what soeuer thinges pertayne to loue whatsoeuer thinges are of honest reporte yf there be eny vertuous thinge yf there be eny laudable thinge haue those same in yo r mynde which ye haue both lerned and receaued and herde and sene in me those thinges do and the God of peace shal be with you I reioyse greatly in y e LORDE that now at the last ye are reuyued agayne to care for me as ye cared for me afore but ye lacked oportunyte I speake not this because of necessite for I haue lerned in what soeuer estate I am therwith to be contēte I can be lowe and I cā be hye Euery where and in all thinges I am mete both to be full and to be hongrie to haue plentye and to suffre nede I can do all thinges thorow Christ which strēgtheth me Notwithstondinge ye haue done well that ye bare parte with me in my tribulacion But ye of Philippos knowe that in the begynngnge of the Gospell whan I departed fro Macedonia no congregacion bare parte with me concernynge geuynge and receauynge but ye onely For vnto Tessalonica ye sent once and afterwarde agayne vnto my necessite Not that I seke giftes but I seke the frute that it be abūdaunt in yo r rekenynge For I haue all and haue plentye I was euen fylled whā I receaued of Epaphroditus that which came from you an odoure of swetenes a sacrifice accepted pleasaunt vnto God My God fulfyll all yo r nede acordinge to his riches in glory ī Christ Iesu. Vnto God and oure father be prayse for euer and euer Amen Salute all y e sayntes in Christ Iesu. The brethrē that are with me salute you All the sayntes salute you but specially they that are of the Emperours house The grace of oure LORDE Iesu Christ be with you all Amen Wrytten from Rome by Epaphroditus The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Colossians The summe of this Epistle Chap. I. He geueth thankes vnto God for their faith loue and hope prayeth for their increase and sheweth how we are the kyngdome of God optayned by Christ which is the heade of the congregacion Chap. II. What greate care Paul toke for all congregacions He exhorteth them to be stedfast in Christ to bewarre of false teachers and worldly wyszdome and descrybeth the false prophetes Chap. III. He putteth them in remembraunce of the spirituall resurrecciō to laye asyde all maner of corrupte lyuynge to be frutefull in all godlynesse and vertue and sheweth all degrees their dutye Chap. IIII. He exhorteth them to be feruent in prayer to walke wysely vnto them that are not yet come to the true knowlege of Christ and so saluteth them The first Chapter PAul an Apostle of Iesu Christ by the will of God
and brother Timotheus To y e sayntes which are at Colossa and brethren that beleue in Christ. Grace be with you and peace from God oure father froÌ„ the LORDE Iesus Christ. We geue thankes vnto God and the father of oure LORDE Iesus Christ prayenge allwayes for you sence we herde of youre faith in Christ Iesu and of youre loue to all sayntes for y e hopes sake which is layed vp in stoare for you in heauen of the which ye haue herde before by the worde of trueth in the Gospell which is come vnto you eueÌ„ as it is in to all the worlde and is frutefull as it is in you sence y e daye y t ye herde and knewe the grace of God in y e trueth as ye learned of Epaphras oure deare felowe seruaunt which is a faithfull mynister of Christ for you which also declared vnto vs youre loue in the sprete For this cause we also sence the daye y t we herde of it ceasse not to praye for you desyre that ye mighte be fulfylled with the knowlege of his will in all wyszdome and spirituall vnderstondinge that ye mighte walke worthy off the LORDE to please him in all thinges and to be frutefull in all good workes and growe in the knowlege of God to be strengthed w t all power acordinge to the mighte of his glory to all pacience and longsufferynge with ioyfulnes and geue thankes vnto the father which hath made vs mete for the enheritaunce of sayntes in lighte Which hath delyuered vs froÌ„ the power of darknesse translated vs in to the kyngdome of his deare sonne in whom we haue redempcion thorow his bloude namely the forgeuenes of synnes Which is the ymage of the inuisyble God first begotteÌ„ before all creatures For by him were all thinges created that are in heauen and earth thinges vysible and thinges inuysible whether they be maiesties or lordshippes ether rules or powers All thinges are created by him and in him and he is before all thinges and in him all thinges haue their beynge And he is the heade of the body namely of the coÌ„gregacion he is the begynnynge and first begotten from the deed that in all thinges he mighte haue the preemynence For it pleased the father that in him shulde dwell all fulnesse and that by him all thinges shulde be reconciled vnto himselfe whether they be thinges vpon earth or in heauen that thorow the bloude on his crosse he mighte make peace euen thorow his owne selfe And you which were in tymes past straungers and enemies because youre myndes were set in euell workes hath he now reconcyled in the body of his flesh thorow death to make you holy and vnblameable with out faute in his awne sighte yf ye contynue grounded and stablished in the faith and be not moued awaye from y e hope of the Gospell wherof ye haue herde which is preached amonge all creatures y t are vnder heauen wherof I Paul am made a mynister Now ioye I in my sufferynges which I suffre for you and fulfill that which is behynde of the passions of Christ in my flesh for his bodyes sake which is the congregacion wherof I am made a mynister acordinge to y e Godly office of preachinge which is geuen vnto me amonge you that I shulde richely preach the worde of God namely that mystery which hath bene hyd sence the worlde beganne and sence the begynnynge of tymes but now is opened vnto his sayntes to whom God wolde make knowne the glorious riches of this mistery amoÌ„ge y e Heythen which riches is Christ in you eueÌ„ he that is the hope of glory whoÌ„ we preach and warne all men and teach all men in all wyszdome to make euery man parfecte in Christ Iesu Wherin I also laboure and stryue acordinge to the workynge of him which worketh mightely in me The II. Chapter I Wolde ye knewe what fightinge I haue for youre sakes and for them of Laodicea and for as many as haue not sene my personne in the flesh that their hertes mighte be comforted and knytt together in loue to all riches of full vnderstoÌ„dinge which is in the knowlege of the mystery of God the father and of Christ in whom are hyd aâ—l the treasures of wyszdome and knowlege This I saye lest eny man shulde begyle you with entysinge wordes For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I present with you in the sprete ioyenge and beholdinge youre order and the stedfastnes of youre faith in Christ. As ye haue therfore receaued Christ Iesu the LORDE euen so walke in him and be roted buylded in him and be stedfast in faith as ye haue learned be plenteous in the same in geuynge thankes Bewarre lest eny maÌ„ spoyle you thorow philosophy and disceatfull vanite after the tradicions of men and after the ordinauÌ„ces of the worlde and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godheade bodely and ye are complete in him which is the heade of all rule and power in whom also ye are circumcysed with circumcision without handes by puttynge of the synfull body of the flesh namely with the circumcysion of Christ in that ye are buried with him thorow baptyme in whom ye are also rysen agayne thorow faith that is wrought by the operacion of God which raysed him vp from the deed And with him he quyckened you whan ye were deed in synnes and in the vncircumcision of youre flesh and hath forgeuen vs all synnes and put out the handwrytinge that was agaynst vs coÌ„tayned in the lawe wrytten and that hath he taken out of the waye and fastened it to the crosse And hath spoyled rule and power and hath made a shewe of them openly and triumphed ouer them in his awne persone Let no man therfore trouble youre consciences aboute meate or drynke or for a pece of an holy daye as the holy daye of y e newe Mone or of the Sabbath dayes which are the shadowe of the thinges that were for to come but the body selfe is in Christ. Let no man make you shote at a wronge mark which after his owne chosynge walketh in humblenes and spiritualtye of angels thinges which he neuer sawe and is vayne and puft vp in his owne fleshly mynde and holdeth not himselfe to the heade wherof the whole body by ioyntes and couples receaueth norishment and is knyt together and so groweth to the greatnes that commeth of God Wherfore yf ye be deed with Christ from the ordinaunces of the worlde why are ye holden theÌ„ with soch tradicions as though ye lyued after the worlde As whan they saye Touch not this taist not that handle not that All these thinges do hurte vnto men because of the abuse of them which abuse commeth onely of the commaundementes and doctrynes of men which thinges haue
haue wedowes let them make prouysion for theÌ„ and let not the congregacion be charged that they which are righte wedowes maye haue ynough The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honoure most specially they which laboure in the worde in teachinge For y e scripture sayeth Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of y e oxe y t treadeth out y e corne And The labourer is worthy of his rewarde Agaynst an Elder receaue none accusacion but vnder two or thre witnesses TheÌ„ that synne rebuke in the presence of all that other also maye feare I testifye before God and the LORDE Iesus Christ and y e electe angels that thou obserue these thinges without haistie iudgment and do nothinge parcially Laye hondes sodenly on no maÌ„ nether be partaker of other meÌ„s synnes Kepe y e selfe pure Drynke no lenger water but vse a litle wyne for y e stomackes sake and because thou art oft tymes sicke Some meÌ„s synnes are opeÌ„ so that they maye be iudged afore hande but some mens synnes shal be manifest herafter Likewyse also good workes are manifest afore haÌ„de and they that are other wyse can not be hyd The VI. Chapter LEt as many seruauntes as are vnder the yocke counte their mâ—sters worthy of all honoure that the name of God and his doctrine be not euell spoken of Se that they which haue beleuynge masters despyse them not because they are brethreÌ„ but rather do seruyce for so moch as they are beleuynge and beloued and partakers of the benefite These thinges teach and exhorte Yf eny maÌ„ teach otherwyse and agreeth not vnto the wholsome wordes of oure LORDE Iesus Christ and to the doctryne of godlynes he is puft vp and knoweth nothinge but waysteth his brayne aboute questions and stryuynges of wordes wherof sprynge envye stryfe raylinges euell surmysinges vayne disputacioÌ„s of soch men as haue corrupte myndes and are robbed of the trueth which thynke that godlynes is lucre From soch separate thy selfe Howbeit it is greate avauÌ„tage who so is godly and holdeth him content with that he hath For we broughte nothinge in to the worlde therfore is it a playne case y t we can cary nothinge out Whan we haue fode and rayment let vs therwith be content For they that wylbe riche fall in to the teÌ„ptacion and snare and in to many foliszhe noysome lustes which drowne men in destruccion and damnacion For Couetousnes is the rote of all euell which whyle some lusted after they erred from the faith and tangled them selues with many sorowes But thou man of God flye soche thinges folowe righteousnes godlynes faith loue pacience mekenes fighte a good fighte of faith laye honde on eternall life where vnto thou art called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses I geue the charge before God which quyckeneth all thinges before Iesu Christ which vnder Pontius Pilate witnessed a good witnessynge that thou kepe the commaundement without spot vnreproueable vntyll the appearynge of oure LORDE Iesus Christ which appearynge at his tyme he shal shewe that is blessed and mightie onely the kynge of all kynges and LORDE of all lordes which onely hath immortalite and dwelleth in a lighte that no man can attayne whom no man hath sene nether can se. Vnto whom be honoure and empyre euerlastinge Amen Charge theÌ„ which are riche in this worlde that they be not proude ner trust in the vncertayne riches but in the lyuynge God which geueth vs abundauntly all thinges to 〈◊〉 them That they do good that they be rich in good workes that they geue and distribute with a good wyll gatherynge vp treasure for them selues a good foundacion agaynst y e tyme to come that they maye laye honde on eternall life O Timothy kepe that which is committed vnto the and avoyde vngoostly vayne wordes and opposicions of science falsly so called which whyle some professed they haue erred as concernynge the faith Grace be with the Amen Wrytten from Laodicea which is the chefest cite of Phrigia Pacaciana The seconde Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to Timothy The summe of this epistle Chap. I. Paul exhorteth Timothy to stedfastnesse and pacience in persecucion and to continue in the doctryne that he had taught him A commendacion of Onesiphorus Chap. II. Like as in the first chapter so here he exhorteth him to be constant in trouble to suffre manly and to byde fast in the wholsome doctrine of oure LORDE Iesus Christ. Chap. III. He prophecieth of the parelous tymes setteth out ypocrites in their culours telleth vs what they be within for all their fayre faces outwardly Persecucion for the gospell Chap. IIII. He exhorteth Timothy to be ferueÌ„â— in the worde and to suffre aduersite maketh mension of his awne death and byddeth Timothy come vnto him The first Chapter PAul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the wyll of God to preach the promes of y e life which is in Christ Iesu. To my deare sonne Timotheus Grace mercy and peace from God the father and from Christ Iesu oure LORDE I thanke God whome I serue fro my fore elders in a pure conscience that without ceassynge I make mencion of the in my prayers night and daye and longe to se the whan I remembre thy teares so that I am fylled with ioye whan I call to remembraunce the vnfayned faith that is in the which dwelt first in thy graundemother Lois and in thy mother Eunica And am assured that it dwelleth in y e also Wherfore I warne the that thou stere vp y e gifte of God which is in the by puttynge on of my handes For God hath not geuen vs the sprete of feare but of power and of loue and of right vnderstondynge Be not thou aszhamed therfore of y e testimony of o r LORDE nether of me which am his presoner but suffre thou aduersite also w t the Gospell acordinge to the power of God which hath saued vs and called vs with an holy callynge not acordinge to oure dedes but acordinge to his owne purpose and grace which was geuen vs in Christ Iesu before the tyme of the worlde but is now declared openly by the appearynge of oure Sauioure Iesu Christ. Which hath taken awaye y e power of death and hath brought life and immortalite vnto lighte thorow the Gospell whervnto I am appoynted a preacher and an Apostell and a teacher of the Heythen for the which cause I also suffre these thinges neuertheles I am not ashamed For I knowe whom I haue beleued and am sure that he is able to kepe that which I haue commytted vnto his kepynge agaynst that daye Holde the after y e ensample of the wholsome wordes which thou heardest of me concernynge faith and loue in Christ Iesu. This hye charge kepe thou thorow the holy goost which dwelleth in vs. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned
reserued vnto fyre agaynst the daye of iudgment and damnacion of vngodlymen Dearly beloued be not ignoraunt of this one thinge how that one daye is with the LORDE as a thousande yeare and a thousande yeare as one daye The LORDE is not slacke to fulfyll his promes as some mē counte slacknesse but is paciēt to vs warde and wyl not that eny mā shulde be lost but that euery man shulde amende himselfe Neuertheles the daye of the LORDE shal come euen as a these in the night in the which daye the heauens shal perishe with a greate noyse and the Elementes shal melte with heate and the earth and y e workes that are therin shal burne Yf all these thinges shal perishe what maner persons then ought ye to be in holy cōuersacion and godlynes lokynge for and hastynge vnto the commynge of the LORDE In the which the heauens shal perishe with fyre and the elementes shal melt with heate Neuertheles we loke for a new heauen and a new earth acordynge to his promes wherin dwelleth righteousnes Wherfore dearly beloued seynge that ye loke for soch thinges be diligent y t ye maye be founde before him in peace without spot and vndefyled and counte the long sufferynge of oure LORDE youre saluacion Euen as oure dearly beloued brother Paul acordinge to the wyszdome geuē vnto him wrote vnto you yee speakinge ther of allmost in all Epistles wherin are many thinges harde to be vnderstonde which they that are vnlerned and vnstable peruerte as they do the other scriptures also to their awne dānacion Ye therfore beloued seynge ye knowe it before hande bewarre lest ye also be plucte awaye thorow the erroure of y e wicked and fall from yo r owne sted fastnes But growe in grace and in the knowlege of oure LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ. To him be prayse now and for euer Amen The first Epistle of the Apostle and Euangelist S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle Chap. I. True wytnesse of the euerlastinge worde of God The bloude of Christ is the purgacion from synne No man is without synne Chap. II. Christ is oure aduocate Of true loue and how it is tryed Chap. III. The synguler loue of God to warde vs and how we agayne oughte to loue one another Chap. IIII. Difference of spretes and how the sprete of God maye be knowne from the sprete of erroure Of the loue of God and of oure neghbours Chap. V. To loue God is to kepe his commaundemētes Faith ouercommeth the worlde Euerlastinge life is in the sonne of God ▪ Of the synne vnto death The first Chapter THat which was from y e begynnynge which we haue herde which we haue sene with o r eyes which we haue loked vpon and o r handes haue handled of the worde of life and the life hath appeared and we haue sene and beare wytnes and shewe vnto you y e life that is euerlastinge which was with the father and hath apeared vnto vs. That which we haue sene herde declare we vnto you that ye also maye haue fellishippe with vs and that oure fellishippe maye be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ. And this wryte we vnto you that youre ioye maye be full And this is the tydinges which we haue herde of him declare vnto you that ▪ God is lighte and in him is no darknes at all Yf we saye that we haue fellishippe with him and yet walke in darknes we lye and do not the trueth But yf we walke in lighte euen as he is in lighte then haue we fellishippe together and the bloude of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all synne Yf we saye that we haue no synne we disceaue oure selues and the trueth is not in vs. But yf we knowlege oure synnes he is faith full and iust to forgeue vs oure synnes to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes Yf we saye we haue not synned we make him a lyar and his worde is not in vs. The II. Chapter MY litle children these thinges wryte I vnto you that ye shulde not synne and yf eny man synne we haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christ which is righteous and he it is that optayneth grace for oure synnes not for oure synnes onely but also for the synnes of all the worlde And hereby are we sure that we knowe him yf we kepe his cōmaundemētes He that sayeth I knowe him and kepeth not his cōmaundemētes is a lyar and the trueth is not in him But who so kepeth his worde in him is the loue of God perfecte in dede Hereby knowe we that we are in him He y t sayeth he abydeth in him oughte to walke euen as he walked Brethren I wryte no new commaundement vnto you but that olde commaundement which ye haue herde from the begynnynge The olde cōmaundement is the worde which ye haue herde from the begynnynge Agayne a new cōmaundemēt wryte I vnto you a thinge that is true in him also in you for the darknesse is past and the true lighte now shyneth He that sayeth he is in lighte and hateth his brother is yet in darknesse He y t loueth his brother abydeth in the lighte and there is none occasion of euell in him But he y t hateth his brother is in darknes and walketh in darknes and can not tell whither he goeth for y e darknes hath blynded his eyes Babes I wryte vnto you that yo r synnes are forgeuen you for his names sake I wryte vnto you fathers how that ye haue knowne him which is from y e begynnynge I wryte vnto you yonge mē how that ye haue euercome the wicked I wryte vnto you litle children how that ye haue knowne the father I haue wrytten vnto you fathers how that ye haue knowne him which is frō the begynnynge I haue wrytten vnto you yonge men how that ye are stronge and the worde of God abydeth in you and ye haue ouer come that wicked Se that ye loue not the worlde nether y e thinges that are in the worlde Yf eny man loue the worlde the loue of the father is not in him for all that is in the worlde namely the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pryde of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the worlde passeth awaye and the lust therof But he that fulfylleth the wyll of God abydeth for euer Litle children it is the last houre and as ye haue herde that Antechrist shal come euen now are there many become Antechristes allready wherby we knowe that it is y e last houre They wente out frō vs but they were not of vs for yf they had bene of vs they wolde no doute haue contynued with vs. But * that they maye be knowne 〈◊〉 that they are not all of vs. But ye haue the anoyntinge of 〈…〉 holy ye knowe all thīges
I haue 〈…〉 vnto you as though ye knewe not y e trâ—eth but ye knowe it are sure y t no lye coÌ„meth of y e trueth Who is a lyar but he y t denyeth y e Iesus is Christ The same is y e Antichrist y t denyeth the father y e sonne Whosoeuer denyeth the sonne the same hath not the father Loke what ye haue herde now from y e begynnynge let the same abyde in you Yf y t which he herde from the begynnynge shal remayne in you then shal ye also abyde in y e sonne and in the father And this is the promes y t he hath promysed vs eueÌ„ eternall life This haue I wrytteÌ„ vnto you coÌ„cerninge theÌ„ that disceaue you And the anoyntinge which ye haue receaued of him dwelleth in you ye nede not y t eny maÌ„ teach you but as the anoyntinge teacheth you all thiÌ„ges euen so is it true is no lye And as it hath taughte you eueÌ„ so abide ye therin And now babes abyde in hiÌ„ y t whaÌ„ he shal appeare we maye be bolde not be made ashamed of him at his commynge Yf ye knowe y t he is righteous knowe also that he which doth righteousnes is borne of him The III. Chapter BEholde what loue the father hath shewed on vs y t we shulde be called the childreÌ„ of God Therfore y e worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him Dearly beloued we are now y e childreÌ„ of God and yet hath it not appeared what we shal be But we knowe y t when he shal appeare we shal be like him for we shal se him as he is And euery man y t hath this hope in him pourgeth him selfe euen as he is pure Who so euer coÌ„mytteth synne coÌ„mytteth vnrighteousnes also and synne is vnrighteousnes And ye knowe that he appeared to take awaye oure synnes and in him is no synne Who so euer abydeth in him synneth not who soeuer synneth hath not sene him nether knowne him Babes let no man disceaue you He that doeth righteousnes is righteous euen as he is righteous He that commytteth synne is of the deuell for the deuell synneth sence y e begynnynge For this purpose appeared the sonne of God to lowse the workes of the deuell * Who so euer is borne of God synneth not for his * sede remayneth in him he caÌ„ not synne because he is borne of God * By this are the children of God knowne the children of the deuell Who so euer doeth not righteousnes is not of God nether he 〈◊〉 loueth not his brother 〈◊〉 this is the tydinges which ye haue 〈◊〉 the begynnynge that ye shulde 〈◊〉 one another * not as Cain â–ª which was of the wicked and slewe his brother And wherfore slewe he him euen because his awne workes were euell and his brothers righteous Maruayle not my brethren though the worlde hate you We knowe y t we are traÌ„slated from death vnto life because we loue the brethren He that loueth not his brother abydeth in death Who soeuer hateth his brother is a mansleyer And ye knowe that a mansleyer hath not eternall life abydinge in him Hereby haue we perceaued loue that he gaue his life for vs and therfore ought we also to geue oure lyues for the brethreÌ„ But he y t hath this worldes good seyth his brother haue nede and shutteth vp his hert froÌ„ him how dwelleth the loue of God in him My litle children let vs not loue with worde nether with tonge but with y e dede and with the trueth Hereby knowe we that we are of the verite and can quyete oure hertes before him But yf oure hert condemne vs God is greater theÌ„ oure hert and knoweth all thinges Dearly beloued yf oure hert condemne vs not then haue we a fre boldnes to God warde And what so euer we axe we shal receaue it because we kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes and do those thinges which are pleasaunt in his sighte And this is his coÌ„maundement that we beleue on y e name of his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement And he that kepeth his commaundementes dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby knowe we that he abydeth in vs euen by the sprete which he hath geuen vs. The IIII. Chapter DEarly beleued beleue not ye euery sprete but proue the spretes whether they be of God For many false prophetes are gone out in to the worlde Hereby shal ye knowe the sprete of God Euery sprete which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And euery sprete which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not off God And this is that sprete of Antechrist off whom ye haue herde how that he shal come and euen now allready is he in the worlde Litle children ye are off God and haue ouer come them for greater is he that is in you then he that is in the worlde They are off the worlde therfore speake they off the worlde and the worlde herkeneth vnto them We are of God and he that knoweth God herkeneth vnto vs he that is not of God heareth vs not Hereby knowe we the sprete of trueth and y e sprete of erroure Dearly beloued let vs loue one another for loue commeth of God And euery one y t loueth is borne of God and knoweth God He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue By this appeared the loue of God to vs warde because that God sent his onely begotten sonne in to this worlde that we mighte lyue thorow him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to make agremeÌ„t for oure synnes Dearly beloued yf God so loued vs we oughte also to loue one another No man hath sene God at eny tyme. Yf we loue one another God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfecte in vs. Hereby knowe we that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath geuen vs of his sprete And we haue sene testifye that the father sent the sonne to be the Sauioure of the worlde Who soeuer now confesseth y t Iesus is the sonne of God in him dwelleth God and he in God and we haue knowne and beleued the loue that God hath to vs. God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Here in is the loue perfecte with vs that we shulde haue a fre boldnesse in the daye of iudgment for as he is eueÌ„ so are we in this worlde Feare is not in loue but perfecte loue casteth out feare for feare hath paynefulnes He that feareth is not perfecte in loue Let vs loue him for he loued vs first Yf eny man saye I loue God yet hateth his brother he is a lyar For he that loueth not his brother whom he seyth how can he loue God whom he
seyth not And this coÌ„maundement haue we of him that he which loueth God shulde loue his brother also The V. Chapter WHo so euer beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God And who soeuer loueth him that begat loueth him also which was begotten of him By this we knowe that we loue Gods children whan we loue God and kepe his commaundementes For this is the loue of God that we kepe his commaundementes and his commaundemeÌ„tes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouer commeth the worlde and this is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde eueÌ„ oure faith Who is it y t ouercommeth the worlde but he which beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God This is he that coÌ„meth with water and bloude euen Iesus Christ not with water onely but with water and bloude And it is the sprete that beareth wytnes for the sprete is the trueth For there are thre which beare recorde in heauen the father the worde and the holy goost these thre are one And there are thre which beare recorde in earth the sprete water and bloude and these thre are one Yf we receaue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the wytnesse of God which he testifyed of his sonne He that beleueth on y e sonne of God hath the wytnes in him selfe He that beleueth not God hath made him a lyar And this is that recorde euen y t God hath geueÌ„ vs euerlastinge life And this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne of God hath life He that hath not the sonne of God hath not life These thinges haue I wrytteÌ„ vnto you which beleue on the name of the sonne of God that ye maye knowe how that ye haue eternall life and that ye maye beleue on y e name of the sonne of God And this is the fre boldnesse which we haue towarde him that yf we axe eny thinge acordinge to his wyll he heareth vs. And yf we knowe that he heareth vs what so euer we axe then are we sure that we haue y e peticions which we haue desyred of him Yf eny man se his brother synne a synne not vnto death let him axe and he shal geue him life for theÌ„ y t synne not vnto death There is a synne vnto death for the which saye I not that a man shulde praye All vnrighteousnes is synne and there is synne not vnto death We knowe that whosoeuer is borne off God synneth not but he that is begotteÌ„ of God kepeth himselfe y t wicked toucheth him not We knowe that we are of God the worlde is set alltogether on wickednes But we knowe that the sonne of God is come and hath geuen vs a mynde to knowe him which is true and we are in him y t is true in his sonne Iesu Christ. This is the true God and euer lastinge life Babes kepe youre selues from ymage The seconde Epistle of S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle He wryteth vnto a certayne lady reioyseth that her children walke in the trueth exhorteth theÌ„ vnto loue warneth them to bewarre of soch disceauers as denye that Iesus Christ came in the flesh prayeth them to contynue in the doctryne of Christ and to haue nothinge to do with them that bringe not this lernynge THE Elder To y e electe lady and hir childreÌ„ whom I loue in the trueth not I onely but all they also that haue knowne the trueth for the truthes sake which dwelleth in vs and shal be with vs for euer Grace mercy and peace be with you froÌ„ the LORDE Iesus Christ y e sonne of the father in the trueth and in loue I am greatly reioysed that I haue founde amonge thy children them that walke in y e trueth as we haue receaued a commaundement of the father And now lady I beseke the not as though I wrote a new commaundement vnto the but the same which we haue had from the begynnynge that we loue one another And this is the loue that we walke after his commaundementes This is the commaundement as ye haue herde froÌ„ the begynnynge that we shulde walke therin For many disceauers are come in to the worlde which confesse not y t Iesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a disceauer and an Antechrist Take hede to youre selues that we lose not that which we haue wrought but that we maye receaue a full rewarde Who so euer transgresseth and abydeth not in the doctryne of Christ hath not God he that abydeth in y e doctryne of Christ hath both the father and the sonne Yf eny man come vnto you and brynge not this doctryne receaue him not in to the house nether salute him for he that saluteth him is partaker of his euell dedes I had 〈◊〉 any thinges to wryte vnto you neuertheâ—â—â—â— I wolde not wryte w t papyre and ynke 〈…〉 to come vnto you and to 〈…〉 mouth that oure ioye 〈…〉 â—hildren of thy electe sister The thirde Epistle of S. Ihon. The summe of this epistle He is glad of Gaius that he walketh in the trueth exhorteth him to be louynge vnto the poore christen in their persecucion sheweth the vnkynde dealynge of Diotrephes and the good reporte of Demetrius THE Elder To the beloued Gaius whom I loue in the trueth My beloued I wysshe in all thinges that thou prospere and fare well euen as thy soule prospereth I reioysed greatly whan the brethren came and testified of the trueth that is in y e how thou walkest in the trueth I haue no greater ioye theÌ„ to heare that my childreÌ„ walke in the trueth My beloued thou doest faithfully what so euer thou doest to the brethren and to strauÌ„gers which haue borne witnesse of thy loue before the congregacion and thou hast done well that thou dyddest brynge them forwarde on their iourney worthely before God For because of his names sake they wente forth and toke nothinge of the Heythen We therfore oughte to receaue soch that we mighte be helpers vnto the trueth I wrote to the congregacion but Diotriphes which loueth to haue the preemynence amonge them receaued vs not Wherfore yf I come I wil declare his dedes which he doeth ieastinge vpoÌ„ vs with malicious wordes nether is he therwith coÌ„tent Not onely he himselfe receaueth not the brethreÌ„ but also he forbyddeth them that wolde and thrusteth them out of the congregacion My beloued folowe not y t which is euell but that which is good He that doeth well is of God but he that doeth euell seyth not God Demetrius hath good reporte of all men and of the trueth yee and we oure selues also beare recorde and ye knowe that oure recorde is true I had many thinges to wryte but I wolde not with ynke and pen wryte vnto the. But I trust shortly to se the and so wyl we speake together mouth to mouth Peace be with the. The louers salute the. Grete the louers
by name The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Hebrues The summe of this epistle Chap. I. How God dealt louyngly with theÌ„ of the olde tyme in sendynge them his prophetes but moch more mercy hath he shewed vs in that he sent vs his owne sonne Of the most excellent glory of Iesus Christ which in all thinges is like to his father Chap. II. He exhorteth vs to be obedient vnto the new lawe which Christ hath geuen vs and not to be offended at the infirmite and lowe degre of Christ why it was necessary that for oure sakes he shulde take soch an humble state vpon him that he might be like vnto his brethren Chap. III. He requyreth vs to be obedient vnto the worde of Christ which is more worthy then Moses The punyshment of soch as wyll nedes harden their hertes Chap. IIII. The Sabbath or rest of the Christen Punyshment of vnbeleuers The nature of the worde of God Chap. V. Christ is oure hye prest the seate of grace and more excellent then the hye prestes of the olde lawe Chap. VI. He goeth forth with the thiÌ„ge that he beganne in the latter ende of the fyfft chapter and exhorteth them not to faynt but to be stedfast and pacient for so moch as God is sure in his promesse Chap. VII He coÌ„pareth the presthode of Christ vnto Melchisedech but to be farre more excellent Chap. VIII The office of Christ is more worthy then the prestes office of the olde lawe which was vnperfecte and therfore abrogate Chap. IX The profit and worthynesse of the olde Testament and how farre the new excelleth it Chap. X. The olde lawe had no power to cleÌ„se awaye synne but Christ dyd it with offerynge vp his body once for all An exhortacion to receaue this goodnesse of God thaÌ„k fully with pacience and stedfast faith Chap. XI What faith is and a commeÌ„dacion of the same The stedfast beleue of the fathers in olde tyme. Chap. XII An exhortacion to be pacient and stedfast in trouble and aduersite vpon hope of euerlastinge rewarde A commeÌ„dacion of the new Testament aboue the olde Chap. XIII He exhorteth vs vnto loue to hospitalite to thinke vpon soch as be in aduersite to manteyne wedlocke to avoyde cuvetousnesse to make moch of theÌ„ that preach Gods worde to bewarre of straunge lernynge to be content to suffre rebuke with Christ to be thankfull vnto God and obedient vnto to oure heades The first Chapter GOD in tyme past dyuersly many wayes spake vnto y e fathers by prophetes but in these last dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne whom he hath made heyre of all thinges by whom also he made the worlde Which sonne beynge the brightnes of his glory the very ymage of his substaunce bearinge vp all thinges with the worde of his power hath in his owne personne pourged oure synnes and is set on the righte hande of the maiestie on hye beynge eueÌ„ as moch more excelleÌ„t theÌ„ y e angels as he hath optayned a more excelleÌ„t name then they For vnto which of the angels sayde he at eny tyme Thou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten the And agayne I will be his father he shal be my sonne And agayne whaÌ„ he bryngeth in the fyrst begotteÌ„ sonne in to the worlde he sayeth And all the angels of God shal worshippe him And of the angels he sayeth He maketh his angels spretes his mynisters flaÌ„mes of fyre But vnto y e sonne he sayeth God y e seate endureth for euer euer the cepter of y e kyngdome is a right cepter Thou hast loued righteousnes hated iniquyte wherfore God which is thy God hath anoynted the with the oyle of gladnesse aboue y e felowes And thou LORDE in y e begynnynge hast layed the foundacion of the earth and y e heaueÌ„s are the workes of thy handes they shal perishe but thou shalt endure they all shal waxe olde as doth a garmeÌ„t and as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them and they shal be chaunged But thou art y e same and thâ— yeares shal not fayle Vnto which of the angels sayde he at eny tyme * Syt thou on my righte haÌ„de tyll I make thyne enemies thy fote stole Are they not all mynistry 〈◊〉 spretes sent to mynister for 〈…〉 which shal be heyres of saluacion 〈…〉 The II. Chapter WHerfore we ought to geue the more hede vnto the thinges which we haue herde lest we periszhe For yf the worde which was spokeÌ„ by angels was stedfast and euery traÌ„sgression and dishobedience receaued a iust recompence of rewarde how shal we escape yf we despyse so greate a saluacion which after that it beganne to be preached by the LORDE himselfe was confirmed vpon vs by them that herde it God bearynge witnesse therto with tokens wonders and dyuerse powers and giftes of the holy goost acordinge to his awne wyll For vnto the angels hath he not subdued the worlde to come wherof we speake But one in a certayne place witnesseth sayeth What is man that thou art myndefull of him or the sonne of man that thou vysitest him After thou haddest for a litle season made him lower theÌ„ y e angels thou crownedst him with honoure and glory and hast set him aboue the workes of thy handes Thou hast put all thinges in subieccion vnder his fete In that he subdued all thinges vnto him he lefte nothinge that is not put vnder him Neuertheles now se we not all thinges yet subdued vnto him But him which for a litle season was made lesse then the angels we se that it is Iesus which is crowned with honoure and glory for the sufferynge of death that he by the grace of God shulde taist of death for all men For it became him for whom are all thinges and by whoÌ„ are all thinges after y t he had broughte many children vnto glory that he shulde make the LORDE of their saluacion perfecte thorow sufferynge for so moch as they all come of one both he that sanctifieth they which are sanctified For the which causes sake he is not ashamed to call them brethren sayenge I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the myddes of the coÌ„gregacion wil I prayse the. And agayne I wyl put my trust in him And agayne beholde here am I and my children which God hath geuen me For as moch then as the children haue flesh and bloude he also himselfe likewyse toke parte with them y t he thorow death mighte take awaye y e power of him which had lordshippe ouer death that is to saye y e deuell that he mighte delyuer theÌ„ which thorow feare of death were all their life tyme in 〈…〉 boÌ„dage For he in no place taketh on him 〈◊〉 â—ngels but y e sede of Abraham tabeth he on him Wherfore in all thinges it became him to be made like vnto
those beestes whose bloude is broughte in to the holy place by y e hye prest to pourge synne are brent without the tētes Therfore Iesus also to sanctifye y e people by his awne bloude suffred without y e gate Let vs go forth therfore out of the tentes and suffre rebuke with him for here haue we no contynuynge cite but we seke one to come Let vs therfore by him offre allwayes vnto God the sacrifice of prayse that is to saye the frute of those lippes which confesse his name To do good and to destribute forget not for w t soch sacrifices God is pleased Obey them that haue the ouersighte off you and submytte youre selues vnto them for they watch for youre soules euen as they that must geue accōptes therfore that they maye do it with ioye and not with grefe for that is an vnprofitable thinge for you Praye for vs. We haue confidence because we haue a good cōscience in all thinges and desyre to lyue honestly But I desyre you y e more abundauntly that ye so do y t I maye be restored vnto you the more quyckly The God of peace that broughte agayne frō the deed oure LORDE Iesus the greate shepherde of the shepe thorow the bloude of the euerlastinge Testament make you perfecte in all good workes to do his wyll workynge in you that which is pleasaunt in his sighte thorow Iesus Christ to whom be prayse for euer and euer Amen I beseke you brethren suffre the worde of exhortacion for I haue wrytten vnto you in few wordes Knowe o r brother Timotheus whom we haue sent from vs with whom yf he come shortly I wil se you Salute thē that haue the ouersighte of you and all y e sayntes The brethren of Italy salute you Grace be with you all Amen Sent from Italy by Timotheus The Epistle of S. Iames. The summe of this epistle Chap. I. He exhorteth to reioyse in trouble to be feruent in prayer with stedfast beleue to loke for all good thinges from aboue to forsake all vyce and thankfully to receaue the worde of God not onely hearynge it and speakynge of it but to do therafter in dede True religion or deuocion what it is Chap. II. He forbyddeth to haue eny respecte of personnes but to regarde the poore as wel as the ryche to be louynge and mercifull and not to boast of faith where no dedes are for it is but a deed faith where good workes folowe not Chap III. What good and euell commeth thorow the tonge The dutye of soch as be lerned The difference betwixte the wyszdome of the gospell and the wyszdome of the worlde Chap. IIII. Warre and fightinge commeth of volupteousnesse The frendishipe of the worlde is enemyte before God An exhortacion to flye slaunder and the vanite of this life Chap. V. He threateneth the wicked rych mē exhorteth vnto pacience to bewarre of swearynge one to knowlege his fautes to another one to praye for another and one to laboure to brynge another to the trueth The first Chapter IAmes the seruaunt of God and of the LORDE Iesus Christ sendeth gretinge to the xij trybes which are scatered here there My brethren counte it exceadynge ioye whē ye fall in to diuers temptacions for as moche as ye knowe how y t the tryinge of youre faith bringeth pacience and let pacience haue her parfect worke y t ye maye be parfecte and sounde lakinge nothinge Yf eny of you lacke wyszdome let him axe of God which geueth to all men indifferentlie and casteth no man in the teth and it shal be geuē him But let him axe in faith and wauer not For he that douteth is lyke the wawes of y e See tost of the wynde and caried w t violence Nether let y t man thinke that he shal receaue eny thīge of y e LORDE A wauerynge mynded mā ys vnstable in all his waies Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce in y t he is exalted and the rich in y t he is made lowe For euē as the flo r of y e grasse shal he vanyshe awaye The Sonne ryseth w t heat and the grasse wydereth his floure falleth awaye and the beautie of the fassion of it periszheth euen so shal the ryche man perisshe with his abundaunce Happy is the man that endureth in tēptacion for when he is tryed he shal receaue the crowne of life which the LORDE hath promised to them that loue him Let no man saye when he is tempted y t he is tempted of God For God tēpteth not vnto euell nether tēpteth he eny man But euery mā is tēpted drawne awaye entysed of his awne cōcupiscēce Thē whē lust hath conceaued she bringeth forth synne synne when it is fynished bringeth forth deeth Erre not my deare brethrē Euery good gifte euery parfait gift is from aboue and cōmeth downe from y e father of light with whom is no variablenes nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes Of his awne will begat he vs with the worde of life that we shulde be the fyrst frutes of his creatures Wherfore deare brethren let euery man beswifte to heare slowe to speake and slowe to wrath For the wrath of mā worketh not that which is righteous before God Wherfore laye aparte all fylthines all superfluite of maliciousnes receaue with meknes y e worde y t is grafted in you which is able to saue youre soules And se that ye be doers of y e worde not heares only deceauinge youre awne selues For yf eny heare the worde and do it not he is like vnto a mā that beholdeth his bodily face in a glasse For assone as he hath loked on him selfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediatly what his faszhion was But who so loketh in y e perfect lawe of libertie and continueth therin yf he be not a forgetfull hearer but a doar of the worke the same shal be happie in his dede Yf eny man amonge you seme deuoute refrayne not his tōge but deceaue his awne herte this mannes deuocion is in vayne Pure deuocion and vndefiled before God the father is this to visit the frendlesse and widdowes in their aduersite and to kepe him selfe vnspotted of the worlde The II. Chapter BRethren haue not the faith of oure LORDE Iesus Christ y e LORDE of glory in respecte of persons Yf ther come in to yo r cōpany a mā w t a goldē rynge and in goodly aparell ther come in also a poore man in vyle raymēt ye haue a respecte to him y t weareth the gaye clothinge saye vnto hī Sit thou here ī a good place saye vnto y e poore stonde thou there or sit here vnder my fote stole are ye not parciall in youre selues and haue iudged after euyll thoughtes Harken my deare beloued brethrē Hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde which are ryche in
thou art fallen and repent and do the fyrst workes Or elles I wyl come vnto the shortly and wil remoue thy caÌ„delstycke out of his place excepte thou repent But this thou hast because thou hatest y e dedes of the Nicolaitans which dedes I also hate Let him y t hath eares heare what y e sprete saith vnto the congregacions To him that ouercommeth will I geue to eate of the tree of life which is in the myddes of y e paradise of God And vnto the angell of the congregacion of Smyrna wryte These thinges saith he that is fyrst and the last which was deed and is aliue I knowe thy workes and tribulacion and pouerte but thou art ryche And I knowe the blaspheny of them which call them selues Iewes and are not but are the coÌ„gregacion of Sathan Feare none of tho thinges which thou shalt soffre Beholde y e deuell shal cast of you in to preson to tempte you and ye shal haue tribulacion x. dayes Be faithfull vnto the deeth and I wil geue y e a crowne of life Let him that hath ears heare what the sprete saith to the congregacions He that ouer coÌ„meth shal not be hurte of the seconde deeth And to the angell of the congregacion in Pergamos wryte This sayth he which hath the sharpe swearde with two edges I knowe thy workes and where thou dwellest euen where Sathans seat is and thou kepest my name hast not denyed my faith And in my dayes Antipas was a faithfull witnes of myne which was slayne amonge you where Sathan dwelleth But I haue a fewe thinges agaynst the that thou hast there theÌ„ that manyntayne the doctryne of Balaam which taught in Balak to put occasion of syn before the children of Israell that they shulde eate of meate dedicat vnto ydoles and to commyt fornicacion Euen so hast thou theâ—â— that mayntayne y e doctryne of the Nicolaytans which thinge I hate But be coÌ„uerted or elles I wil come vnto the shortly and wil fight agaynste theÌ„ with the swearde of my mouth Let him y t hath eares heare what the sprete saith vnto the coÌ„gregacions To him that ouer commeth wil I geue to eate maÌ„na that is hyd and wil geue him a whyte stone in the stone a newâ— name wrytteÌ„ which no man knoweth sauinge he that receaueth it And vnto the angell of the coÌ„gregacion of Theatira write This saith the sonne of God which hath his eyes lyke vnto a flame of fyre whose fete are like brasse I knowe thy workes and thy loue seruice and faith and thy pacience and thy dedes which are mo at the last then at the firste Notwithstondinge I haue a feawe thinges agaynst the that thou sufferest that woman Iesabell which called her selfe a prophetisse to teache and to deceaue my seruauntes to make them committ fornicacion and to eate meates offered vp vnto ydoles And I gaue her space to repeÌ„t of her fornicacion and she repented not Beholde I wil cast her into a bed and them that commit fornicacion with her in to gret aduersite excepte they turne from their dedes And I wil kyll her childreÌ„ with deeth And all the coÌ„gregacioÌ„s shal knowe y t I am he which searcheth the reynes and hertes And I wil geue vnto euery one of you acordynge vnto youre workes Vnto you I saye and vnto other of theÌ„ of Thiatyra as many as haue not this lernynge and which haue not knowen the depnes of Sathan as they saye I wil put vpoÌ„ you none other burthen but y t which ye haue already Holde fast tyll I come and whosoeuer ouercoÌ„meth and kepeth my workes vnto y e ende to him wil I geue power ouer nacions and he shal rule them with a rodde of yron and as the vessels of a potter shal he breake them to sheuers EueÌ„ as I receaued of my father so wil I geue him y t mornynge starre Let him y t hath eares heare what the sprete sayth to the coÌ„gregacions The III. Chapter ANd wryte vnto the angell of the congregacion off Sardis this sayth he that hath the seuen spretes of God the seuen starres I knowe thy workes thou hast a name that thou lyuest and thou art deed Be awake and strength the thinges which remayne that are redy to dye For I haue not founde thy workes perfecte before God Remember therfore how thou hast receaued and hearde and holde fast and repent Yf thou shalt not watche I wil come on the as a these and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wil come vpon y e Thou hast a fewe names in Sardis which haue not defyled their garmentes and they shal walke with me in whyte for they are worthy He that ouercommeth shal be clothed in whyte araye and I wil not put out his name out of the boke of life and I wil coÌ„fesse his name before my father and before his angels Let him y t hath eares heare what the sprete sayth vnto the congregacions And wryte vnto y e angell of the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ of Philadelphia this sayth he y t is holy and true which hath the keye of Dauid which openyth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth I knowe thy workes Beholde I haue set before the an open doore and no man can shut it for thou hast a lyttell strength and hast not denyed my name Beholde I shal geue some of the congregacion of Sathan which call them selues Iewes and are not but dolye Beholde I wil make them that they shal come worshippe before thy fete and shal knowe that I haue loued the. Because thou hast kept the wordes of my pacience therfore wil I kepe the from the houre of temptacion which will come vpon all the worlde to tempte them that dwell vpoÌ„ the earth Beholde I come shortly Holde that which thou hast that no maÌ„ take awaye thy crowne Him that ouer commeth will I make a pyllar in the temple of my God and he shal goo no more out And I will wryte vpon him the name of my God and the name of y e cite of my God newe Ierusalem which coÌ„meth downe out of heauen from my God and I will wryte vpoÌ„ him my newe name Let him that hath eares heare what the sprete saith vnto the congregacions And vnto the angell of the coÌ„gregacion which is in Laodicia wryte This sayth Amen the faithfull and true witnes the begynnynge of y e creatures of God I knowe thy workes y t thou art nether colde nor hot I wolde thou were colde or hote So then because thou art bitwene bothe and nether colde ner hote I wyll spew the out off my mouth because thou saist thou art riche and incresyd with goodes and hast nede of nothinge and knowest not how thou art wretched miserable poore blynde and nakyd I counsell the to bye of me golde tryed in the fyre that thou mayste be riche and whyte rayment that thou mayste be clothed that
and wrath of allmightye God And hath on his vesture and on his thyghe a name wrytten Kynge of all kinges and LORDE of all lordes 〈◊〉 I sawe an angell stonde in the Sonne and he cryed with a lowde voyce sayenge to all the fowles that flye by them yddes vnder the heauen Come and gaddre youre selues togedder vnto the supper of the gret God that ye maye eate the fleszhe of kynges and of hye captaynes and the fleszhe of mighty men and the fleszhe of horsses and of theÌ„ that syt on them and the fleszhe of all free men and bondmen both of small and greate And I sawe the beeste and the kynges of y e earth and their warriers gaddred togedder to make battayle agaynste him that sat vpon the horsse and agaynst his sowdiers And the beeste was taken and with him that false prophet that wrought myracles before him with which he disceaued then that receaued the beestes marke and them that worszhipped his ymage The 〈◊〉 were cast in to a ponde of fyre burnynge w t brymstone and the remnaunte were slayne with the swearde of him that sat vpon the horsse which swearde proceded out of his mouth and all the foules were filled with their fleszhe The XX. Chapter ANd I sawe an angell come downe from heauen hauinge the keye of the bottomlesse pyt and a gret chayne in his honde And he toke the dragon that olde serpent which is the deuell and Satanas and he bounde him a thousand yeares and cast him in to the bottomlesse pyt and he bounde him and set a seale on him that he shuld disceaue the people nomoare tyll the thousand yeares were fulfilled And afâ—â—r that must he be lowsed for a littell 〈…〉 〈…〉 seates and they sat vpon 〈…〉 was geuen vnto 〈…〉 the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnes of Iesus 〈◊〉 for the worde of God which had not woâ—â—shipped the beest nether his ymage nether had raken his marke vpon their forheaâ—des or on their hondes and they lyued and raygned with Christ a thousand yeare brethe other of the deed men lyued not agayne vntill the thousand yeare were fyniszhed This is that fyrst resurreccion Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the fyrst resurreccion On soch hath the seconde deeth no power but they shal be the prestes of God and of Christ and shall raygne with him a thousand yeare And when the thousand yeares are expyred Sathan shal be lowsed out of his preson and shal go out to deceaue the people which are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog to gadder them togedder to batayle whose nombre is as the sonde off the see and they went vp on the playne of the earth and compased the tentes of the sayntes aboute and the beloued cite And fyre cam doune from God out of heauen and deuoured them and the deuell that disceaued them was cast into a lake of fyre and brymstone where the beest and the false prophet were and shal be tormented daye and night for euermore And I sawe a gret whyte seate and him that sat on it from whole face fled awaye both the earth and heauen and their place was nomore founde And I sawe the deed both gret and small stonde before God And the bokes were opened and another boke was opened which is the boke of life and the deed were iudged of tho thinges which were wrytten in the bokes accordinge to their dedes and the see gaue vp her deed which were in her and deeth and hell delyuered vp the deed which were in them and they were iudged euery man accordynge to his dedes And deth and hell were cast in to the lake of fyre This is that second deeth And whosoeuer was not founde wrytten in the boke off life was cast in to the lake of fyre The XXI Chapter ANd I sawe a newe heauen and a newe earth For the fyrst heauen and the fyrst earth were vaniszhed awaye and there was nomore See And I Ihon sawe that holy cite newe Ierusalem come downe from God out of heauen prepared 〈…〉 garniszhed for hyr huszband And 〈…〉 a greate voyce from the seate sayen 〈…〉 the tabernacle of God is with 〈…〉 and he wil dwell with them And they 〈◊〉 his people and God himselfe shal be with theÌ„ and shal be their God And God shal wipe awaye all teares from their eyes And there shal be nomore deeth nether sorowe nether shal there be eny more payne for y e olde thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seate sayde Beholde I make all thinges newe And he sayde vnto me wryte for these wordes are faithfull and true 〈◊〉 sayde vnt◠〈◊〉 it is done I am 〈…〉 begynnynge and 〈…〉 that is a thyrst 〈…〉 He that 〈…〉 I wil 〈…〉 But 〈…〉 and murthurers and whormongers and sorcerers and ydolaters all lyars shal haue their parte in the lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone which is the seconde death And there came vnto me one of the seuen angels which had the seuen vials full of the seuen last plages and talked with me sayenge come hydder I wil shewethe the bryde y e laÌ„bes wyfe And he caryed me awaye in y e sprete to a greate and an hye mouÌ„tayne and he shewed me the greate cite holy IerusaleÌ„ descendinge out of heauen from God hauynge the brightnes of God And her shynynge was lyke vnto a stone most precious euen a Iaspar cleare as cristall had greate and hye walles and had twolue gates and at y e gates twolue angels and names wrytten which are the twolue trybes of Israel on the est parte thre gates and on the north syde thre gates and towarde the south thre gates and from the west thre gates â–ª and the wall of the cite had twolue foundacioÌ„s and in them the names of the lambes twolue Apostles And he that talked with me had a golden rede to measure the cite with all and the gates therof and the wall therof And the cite was bylt foure square and the length was as large as the bredth of it and he â—â—asured the cite with the rede twolue M. furlonges and the length and the bredth and y e heyth of it were equall And he measured the wall therof an cxliiij cubittee after y e measure of a man which the angel had And the buyldinge of the wall of it was of Iaspar And the cite was of pure golde like vnto cleare glasse and y e foundacioÌ„s of the walles and of y e cite were garnyszhed with all maner of precious stones The fyrst foundacion was a Iasper the seconde a Saphyre y e thyrde a Calcedony the fourth a Smaragde the fyft a Sardonix the sixt a Sardâ—os the seuenth a Crysolite the eyght berall the nynth a Topas the tenth a Crysoprasos the eleueÌ„th a Iacyncte the twelfte an Amatist And the twolue gates were twolue pearles and euery gate was of