Anabaptistes and flee their errours / heresyes / and deceyuable doctrine / that briÌ„geth to death and receyue the true doctrine of Christe that briÌ„geth to lyfe Now I wyl retourne agayne to saynt Paule ☞ So oughte men also to loue thyre wyues euen as theyr owne bodyes he that loueth his wyfe loueth hym selfe For no man yet euer hated his owne flesshe but norissheth and cherisseth it euen as the Lorde dothe also the Congregacion for we are membres of his bodye / of his flesshe and of his bones ⧠⧠♣ The Apostles here sheweth howe the maÌ„ shuld loue his wife eueÌ„ as his owne body / for the man and the wyfe be one body coupled togyther by matrymony a knot nat to be lowsed at maÌ„nes pleasure / who hath euer ben so mad / of so lytle wyth that hath hated hys owne body / were it neuer so deforme or out of facyon / so wayke / so lene / so syckely / so fylthy / and so full of noughtynes / but hath euer cherished norished his owne bodye and hyd the fautes of it / and redy to amende it / so shulde a man be affected towardes his wyfe / as towardes his owne bodye / ye euen as Christe hathe loued his Churche / whiche hath nat put it away when it was a brodel and polluted with fylthynes and synnes / but hath takeÌ„ it to him and hath purged it and made it cleane holy and gay / and hath dissembled many thinges in it / and at the laste healed all hyr sores and diseases and wasshed clere away hyr spottes and sinnes After the example of Christe towardes his churche let the husbande do to the wyfe / and euer haue before his eies what thyng he wolde shulde be done to hê owne body / the same thynge let him do to his wyfe This place reproueth those husbandes that loue nat their wifes / that conteÌ„ne and dispise their wyfes / wheÌ„ they are sycke / nat prouyding for them necessaries / nat comfortynge theÌ„ with all comforte they can / ye this place checketh all them that wyl nat couer and hyde the fautê of their wyues if they be no table crimes and do nat study to refourme and amende they re wyues / and to make them good / vertuouse and holy 2 For we are membres of one body / he sheweth why he called the wyfe the flesshe of the man / it was because the woman was made of the man / of a rybbe takeÌ„ out of the syde of Adam / and the womannes bone was made of a bone of Adam as it is wryten Gene. 2. to the whiche place saynte Paule dothe allude here For this cause that the man shulde nat conteÌ„ne the womaÌ„ as a creature made of a vyler matter then he was of and to certifie the man that he shulde nat contemne his wyfe excepte he shulde contemne hym selfe his owne flesshe this thynge he sheweth that there shulde be more loue bytwene the maÌ„ and the wyfe / no stryfe / no contention / no debate / no contemnynge one another ⧠For this cause shall a man leue father and mother and cleaue vnto his wyfe and they two shall be one flesshe This is a greate secrete I speake of Christe and the Congregacyon Neuerthelesse do ye so that euery one of you loue hê wyfe / euen as hym selfe / but let the wyfe feare hyr husbande ☞ Here the Apostle wylleth that there shulde be more loue bytwene the husbande and the wyfe / then bytwene the chyldren and the parentes he wylleth the soÌ„ne shall preferre the loue to his wyfe aboue the loue to father or mother 2 The Apostle speaketh here onelye of the loue that shulde be bytwene the man the wyfe / of the other deuties of the man to the wyfe it is spoken in other place of scripture / as Peter 1. Pe. 3. sheweth that it is the offyce of the man to dwell with his wyfe / to entreate hyr after knowledge and to liue togither as perpetual felowes of good and euyl / for al theyr lyfe tyme / in peace / concorde / vnite / loue / and dewe obedience accordynge to goddes lawe / prouydynge togyther necessaryes / that they myght lyue holyly and godly and bringe vp their children vertuously in the knowledge of god in loue and feare of god / to order and rule theyr famylye accordynge to goddes wyll gyuynge them example of al goodnes to folowe Peter addeth after knowledge / that is that the man shulde order his wyfe after knowledge wysedome whiche be more in men then in women / for men muste beare the infirmitie of women / and many thiÌ„ges to pardone iÌ„ them and ouer se and wynke at / and dyssemble as they had nat knoweÌ„ or elles there shal be lytle agremente betwene the man and the wyfe / and some tyme to exhorte gentylly / to rebuke sharpely and some time clerely to remyt the matter as he for his wysedome shall se mo he expedient to entreat hyr alway endeuerynge hym to make his wyfe gentle / lowly / obedient / louynge / honest / good / holye / and vertuouse In man it is to supply that lacketh in women / to haue more wytte / wysedome / reason / prudence / counsell / lernyng wayes to prouyde necessaries for theyr lyuynges / and to ordre euery thynge well Also it pertayneth to men sayeth Peter there / to gyue to wemeÌ„ deu honour / that is that the maÌ„ shulde nat contemne or despyce his wyfe / or vse hyr as his hande mayde or seruaunte / but to take hyr as felowe of his perpetual lyfe and as ioynte heyres of God This place of Peter reproueth those men that conteÌ„ne and dyspyse there wyfes / wyll nat vse theyr company at bed or at borde and other conuersacion of lyuynge / but leue theÌ„ forsake them / put them away from them / Also if reproueth all them that vse they re wyfe as theyr hande mayde or seruaunte / that vse muche chydynge or brawlynge or fyghtynge with theyr wyues / or vse do bounch beate read vnder theyr fote their wyues as dogges or swyne / or any other vngodlye wayes do entreate are their wyfes / they be reproued of the Apostle Therfore let all suche frowarde husbandes amende least the plage of god fal on theÌ„ for theyr vngodly entreatinge of their wyues / whoÌ„ they shulde knowe to be felowes with theÌ„ and boughte with the precyous bloude of Chryste / and called to be partakers of the heuenly kyngedome asswell as they that be men Fynally it is the offyce of husbandes to vse the company of theyr wyues to paye deuty as saynt Paule calleth it 1. Corin. 7. sayeng Let the man gyue deuty to his wyfe for the man hathe nat power of his bodye / but the wyfe / lykewyse the wyfe hath nat power of hyr body / but the husbande / Sayncte Paule reproueth all these maryed men / that do nat theyr deutye to theyr wyfes / but wyll take
to syt on his ryghte hande aboue all heauenly powers In Christ was shewed the excellent power of god / aboue all thynges / whiche power god wyl shewe to them that beleueth 2. He sheweth here the glory of Christ to be aboue all the powers / domynyons / or potestates in heauen that we shulde put our truste in Christ / whiche wyll exalte to that place where he is al them that beleue in him and thynketh to come there where Christ is on the right hande of the father onely by Chryste / and nat by theyr owne merytes or deseruinges and to put men in a suretye of that thynge Christe hym selfe was exalted from deathe to lyfe eternal 3. The power and the glory of Christ is shewed in that he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father in heauen aboue all powers rule / dominyon / potestates / and vertues / and aboue all names that is in this world or in the worlde to come / and all thynges are subiected to him and vnder his domynion and power / and he is the heade of the congregatyon whiche is his body Christ is the heade / in whome consisteth the perfeccyon of the hole bodye and he that maketh in the bodye all thynges parfyte 4. This place reproueth the Bysshoppe of Rome and all his decrees that maketh hym heade of the Churche of Chryste / for the hed of the churche of Christ is nat the bysshop of Rome / but Christe whiche maketh all thynges vnparfyte parfite / princes Kinges in their kingdomes worldely / be as heades of theyr subiectes vnder Christ to se euery one be in right order / to goddes wyll and pleasure / and that euery man in euery state and degree do his duty after his calling / for to the Kinges / Princes / and other superior power / it becoÌ„meth euery man to be obedyent / and from their power can no man exempte any of these subiectes by any profession of man / wherfore byshops of Rome exemptyng religyouse men from due obedience to their kinges and Prynces haue done against goddes lawe and saynt Paules doctrine Ro. 13. 1. Pe. 2. Hebre. 13. whiche places commaundeth all subiectes to be obedient vnto the hye powers / for they that resyste powers / they resyst the ordinance of God and these that resyste the ordynaunce of God they take to them selfe Iudgemente and dampnacyon Ro. 13. ¶ The seconde Chapyter to the Ephesyans ANd quickened you also when ye were deade throughe trespacê and synnes / in the whiche in time past ye walked accordynge to the course of this worlde / and after the Prynce that ruleth in the ayre / namely / after the spiryte whiche nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbeleue amonge whome we also had our conuersacyon in tyme paste in the lustes of our fleshe and of the mynde and more naturally the childrenne of wrath euen aswell as other The Apostell compareth the state of these Ephesyans that they were in nowe when he wrote this Epistle to them / with the state condicion of lyfe that they were in before Chryst had called them to fayth by his word preached amonge them / that by the remembraunce of it / they might be prouoked with more gladnesse and harty loue to prayse and laude God / and gyue hym harty thankes that it hathe pleased hym to call them from darknes to lyghte from ignoraunce to knowledge / from syn to iustyce from deathe to lyfe / he saythe whan you knewe nat Chryste / you were deade by trespaces and synnes / beholde in what case they be in the knowe nat Chryste and his holy worde / by trespaces and synnes he vnderstandeth all manner of vyces and synnes / whether they be in thought wyll / acte / or in outwarde dede / when they knewe nat Chryste they were deade by synnes / nowe they knowynge Chryste do lyue / and be called from deathe to the lyfe of grace and of glorye eternal / before they walked in vyce and in synne / nowe they walke in grace and in vertue / before they walked after the maners / lustes and pleasures of this worlde / that is to saye / after the lustes of the fleshe / the lustes of the eyes / and proudnes of lyfe 1. Ioh. 2. Nowe they walke after the good wyll of god and after godes pleasure / before they folowed the prince of the ayre and was obedyente to his wyll this Prynce of the ayre is that euyll spiryte that worketh in sturdy / frowarde / and disobedyent personnes to goddes wyll and that doth nat beleue God but nowe they walke after the wyll of god the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste lorde of heauen and earthe whose spiryte bryngeth and leadeth to all good workes of God who is he that knoweth he is called from synne / death / hel / eternall dampnacion / to iustice / lyfe / heauen / eternal ioy and blisse / wyll nat giue thankes laude and praise to him that brought hym to this ioye and felicyte Truely I thynke no man / but he wolde gyue greate thankes whan he remembreth the benefytes of his callynge / and for that cause saint Paule here compareth these two states to gether that euery one of vs may remember in what case we were in before Christe called vs to his knowledge by his worde / for as these Ephesyans were / so were we / and the same thynge he wryteth to them he writeth to vs / it agreith aswel to vs as to them / and all one thynge / as touchynge our state 2. This place sheweth that al men that came of Adam to be subiecte to synne / and for synne worthy eternall deathe / none able to delyuer them selfe from deathe and dampnacion / of the which we may learne that no man by his owne nature / myght / power / or fre wyll / can saue hym selfe from death and hell / but who someuer be saued that they be saued by the only grace of god and nat by theyr owne merytes / or by the merytes of sayntes departed 3. You see what foloweth syn / deathe / punyshment foloweth syn / as the rewarde for synne / and that these that wante the grace of god can nat but fall to synne / and go from one synne to an other / and walke after the lustes of the fleshe / and applye them selues to the wyll of the deuyll which worketh in euyl men and prouoketh to al vnhappynes vyce / syn / as these Ephesyans dyd before they were called by the worde of god to fayth to knowe Christ 4. In euyll men worketh the prynce of the ayre whiche is the deuyl that entyseth alwaye to euyll / and to do she workes of the deuyll The deuyll is called the prince of the ayre / nat bycause he hathe dominyon and power to rule the ayre at his pleasure or wyl / for that to god doth pertayne / but that he hathe power only of euyl men
A commentary in Englyshe vpon Sayncte Paules Epystle to the Ephesyans / for the instruccyon of them that be vnlerned in tonges / gathered out of the holy scriptures and of the olde catholyke Doctours of the Churche / and of the beste authors that nowe a dayes do wryte Anno. D. 1540 ♣ Per Zanceloâ—um Ridleum Cantabrigenseni ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum A preface of the Author to the reader GRACE MERCYE and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Chryst / be vnto al them that loueth / fauoureth / and promotethe the truthe of Goddes worde Amen ♣ Many and dyuers causes moued me to wryte this Commentary in Englyshe / O gentyle reader for theyr sakes whiche do nat vnderstaÌ„de Latyn but onely rede Englysshe / to helpe the rude and ignoraunce people to more knowlege of God and of his holy worde Because I perceyue fewe or none to go about to open by commentaries or exposicions in Englyshe to the vnlearned to declare the holy Scriptures nowe suffered to all people of this realme to rede to study at their pleasure to their edifyenge and comforte in god by the kynges gracyous lycence / for the whiche thiÌ„g bye thankes is to be gyuen to God and laud praise to the kiÌ„ges highnes that so teÌ„dereth the helth saluacyon of hê subiectes that wylleth they shal lacke nothyng that may be to their comforte and soules helth and specyally that they shall nat lacke the worde of God / whiche is the foode of the soule Math. 4. that saueth the soule Iacobi 1. the armour onely wherby the deuil and all hys temtacyons is withstande / resysted ouercommen Ephesyans .6 the meane wherby God doth saue them that beleue 1. Corin. 1. ye the spyryte and the lyfe .1 that bryngeth the spyryte of God and lyfe euerlastynge Because I could percayue fewe or none to go aboute to open and declare thys worde of lyfe to the Englysshe people vnlearned in tonges that it myghte be lyfe in dede / whyche nowe vndeclared to them but onelye had in the bare Lettre do appere to many rather deathe then lyfe / rather to brynge men in to errours and heresyes / then into the truethe and veryte of Goddes worde / whiche nowe vndeclared bryngeth not so muche the symple / rude / and ignoraunte people frome they re ignoraunte / blyndnes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / false trustes / euyll beleues / vayne superstycyousnes and fayned holynes / in the whyche the people haue bene in blyndnes longe tyme for lacke of knowledge of holye Scripture which the man of Rome kepte vnder the hatche wolde nat suffer to com to lyght to delyuer the seruauÌ„tes of God from ignoraunce and blyndnes / but wolde haue kepte them alway in darkenes / that his vsurped power shulde nat haue ben espied / his worldely glorye menysshed and his profyte decayed Bycause I dyd se none go aboute to delyuer the rude people frome theyr blyndnes ignoraunce or errours by any exposicion in Englishe vpon the Scriptures but many to study rather to continewe them styl in errours and in blynde ignoraunce therfore I as one of the least lerned of al hath set forth and expocision to this Epystel of Saynt Paule to the Ephesyans as afore this in the Epystel of Iude the Apostle of Chrest that the people that can but onely rede Englishe may the better know part of the holsome doctryne of saynt Paule may be delyuered from theyr ignoraunce and blindenes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / euyll oppynions / rooted in theyr hartes / false trustes and vayne supersticyousnes / whiche the holy Ghoste here speakynge in Saynt Paule reproueth and coÌ„demneth / and teacheth nessysarye thynges for mannes saluacyon as you maye here se and reade in thys exposicyon wherein I haue as it hathe pleased God to gyue his grace opened the holy scriptures shewynge the true vse of them / and wherfore they serue And in this thynge to be done I haue vsed the helpe of tonges as of the Greke / Hebrewe and the Latyne tonges / and the helpe of the olde Catholyke Doctours approued by the Churche and also of the beste authors that in these dayes nowe do wryte / and of them al gathered out that after my iudgement shuld declare the Scripture beste and moste for the glory of God and / and for the edyfyenge of the chrystians vnlearned in tonges / as maye be sene throughout all thys Exposycyon ☞ The seconde cause that moued me to this was to dyscharge my conscience knowynge the gyftes of God gyuen to be dyuerse / gyuen to euery man nat to be idle / but to exercyse hym selfe in hys talentes gyuen / to the glory of God and to the profyte of other In this my talente gyuen of God / al thought I knowe it is the leaste of all it is my deutye nat to be idle / but to exercise my talente in all maner of wayes to promote and set forthe Goddes worde to edifie other / to do this thing I thought no waye more to Goddes glorye and to the edyfyenge of other / then to set fourthe an exposycyon of some parte of holy Scripture to brynge men vnlearned to the loue and desyre of holye Scrypture whyche is the true worde of the spyryte of God to the whiche thynge the vnlearned shall be broughte to when they shall se and clerely perceyue so muche holsome doctryne / so many godly vertues shewed in one litle Epystle of Saynt Paule / what godly lessons and Spyrytuall teachynges shulde they haue in the hole Byble yf it were in like maner declared vnto them syth there is so muche heauenly teachynges in one lytle Epystle of Saynte Paule ⧠The thyrde cause was to exhorte other that be muche better learned than I that can do muche better to set fourth some parte of the holy Scripture in Englyshe or in Latyne to shewe the goodnes of God to vs Englyshemen / to shewe that God is the God of Englande as well as of Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countrees And that he hathe shewed hys truethe as well in Englande as in these countreys For God is not the acceptor of personnes or of countres In Englande be men of no lesse wytte / wysedome / learnynge / eloquence / then be in Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countres ye I wyl not speake of more wysedome and learnynge / leaste I shulde be counted percy all to my countre Ye I doubte not but Englyshe men shulde gyue as greate light to the worde of God as euer dyd these countres / yf they wolde applye theyr studye wyttes and myndes to wryte vpon the holy Scrypture and in wrytynge declare it Which thynge many learned men wolde do / yf hye rulers whome God hath set in authoryte to be defenders and promoters of hys worde / wolde excyte and prouoke learned men ther vnto And wheÌ„ a Commentary of the holy scrypture were
wryten approued of learned men worthye pryntynge / it myghte be prynted and set fourth with pryuylege So God shulde be more gloryfyed / his worde better knowen and beleued / greate glory and commendation come to Englande / whiche shulde gyue greate lyght in the true vnderstanding of the scriptures to all the worlde ☞ These and many other causes moued me to wryte thys playne Exposycyon in thys Epystle of Sayncte Paule to the Ephesians Wherfore gentle reader I praye the accepte in good worthe thys my rude dylygence and laboures / whyche was to set fourth openly before euery mannes eyes the mynde of the Apostle Saynte Paule in this Epistle / to shewe what thinge he wolde haue vs to knowe and to do / and what thynge not to do / and howe he seketh alwaye Goddes glorye and the saluacyon of other to teache vs to do suche lyke yf thys Epystle be declared accordynge to the mynde of Sayncte Paule gyue all thankes and prayse to God onely of whome it commethe / and none to the wryter whose mynde is to teache or defende no errour nor heresye / but to teache the truethe of Goddes worde symply and playnely / more regardynge the truethe / then the eloquence of wordes / and by the truethe of the Gospell to profyte euery man yf he can Yf thys Exposycyon do agree wyth the holye Scryptures / as I truste it dothe / take it / yf it do not / refuse it / I wolde not haue my wrytynges or sayenges no farther to be taken then they do agree with the holy Scryptures of God and by them maye be prouyd / and by the holy Scriptures onely to be iudged I am a man and maye erre as well as other hathe done / but I wyll nat be obstynat / yf I shall be gently admonyshed and instructed better by the holy Scriptures of god to whome be all honoure and glorye / worlde without ende Amen ⧠¶ Here endeth the preface of the author THE ARGVMENT OF the Epystle of Sayncte PAVLE to the Ephesyans ✚ IN THYS EPYstel the Apostle Sayncte Paule sheweth the aboundaunt goodnes of God the Father to all men / howe he hathe created and made all men and all thynges necessarye for them / chosen and elected them to etarnall lyfe and glory / and to be heyres of the celestyall kyngedome / onely of hys mere mercy and grace / and nat of the workes merites or deseruynges of any maÌ„ or of any saynt in Heauen / or in earthe / but by Iesus Chryste onely by whome he hathe restored man agayne to lyfe / whiche by the synne of Adam loste the fauour of almightye God lyfe the celesteal kyngedome to the whiche he was created and made / but by Chryste was restored ageyne to the fauoure of God / to lyfe and to heauen all men both Iewes / and Gentyles theyr synnes clerely forgyuen for Christes sake alone / and be made dere beloued and holy in the syght of the father and ryght heyres of the Heauenly inheritauÌ„ce through fayth in chryste Iesus whyche faythe is receyued by the worde of God preched vnto them ⧠Secondely the Apostle teacheth what all men be of them sealues of theyr owne nature / myghtes and powers / surely nothynge els but the chyldren of the Ire / wrath and indygnacyon of god / chyldren of darkenes / of synne / death and of hel And what they are made by Christ agayne / that is that they be made dere beloued to god / chyldren of loue / of lyfe / of iustice and of eternal saluacyon / and that onely by the mercy and grace of god and nat of the merytes of man / but by the merytes of chryst alone ¶ Thyrdly here is shewed howe both the Iewes and the Gentyles be made at one with God the father and amonges them selues by Christ that suffered death to make them at one Also what is there offyce nowe iustified throughe grace by fayth in Christ Iesus / that is to forsake theyr olde lyfe / and to walke in a newe lyfe nat to be idle / but to do good / to do good workê / nat suche as maÌ„ thynketh godd / but suche as god hathe appoynted to be done in holye scripture that men shulde walke in / and to go from one good worke to another / to fle al maner of vice sinne / if nat for the loue of God / yet for feare of the plage of God ¶ Fourthly here is declared the offices deuties of dyuers states of meÌ„ / as of these that be maryed / of Chyldren to theyr parentes of seruauntes to theyr Maysters / of euery ones deutie to another in they re states of leuynge / as you may reade in the v. and .vi. chapiters of this Epystle / wher it is shewed playnly the offyce of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / let the wyfe loke on her deutye to her husbande / learne yt / knowe and do it Also let the man loke on hys deuty and howe he shulde order hym selfe towardes his wyfe / and howe he shulde intrate her that both of them knowynge theyr deuty accordynge to Goddes lawe / maye more wyllyngely and gladly do that thynge that God requyreth of them / and they to please God better and lyue iÌ„ more peace / vnite / concorde and / quietnes Also the chyldren maye here learne theyr deutye / and wherfore that it becommeth them to be obedyent to theyr parentes / because it is Goddes commaundement and the wyll of God that Chyldren shulde obey theyr parentes And also what is the deutye of seruauntes to they re maysters / and of masters to theyr seruauntes / euery one loke on his deutye / and do it gladly and wyllyngely / for in so doynge they do serue God Fynally here is shewed the armoure of chrysten men to fyght agaynste the deuyl and his temtacyons / Last of all the Apostle desyreth these Ephesians to praye for hym / coÌ„mendynge to them Tychicum by whome he sense thys Epystle to these Ephesyans ¶ The fyrste chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians PAVLE an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST by the wyll of God to the sayntes whiche are at Ephesus / to them that beleue on Iesus Chryste Grace be with you and peas from god our father and trom the lorde Iesus Chryste SAynte Paule out of prison wrote this Epistle to these Ephesians / whom he fyrste saluteth with a christiane salutacyon / and after the salutacyoÌ„ he sheweth the causes wherfore he wrote this Epistle Saynte Paule in his Epystles vseth one christiane salutacyon of the whiche we christians may learne howe we shulde one salute and grete another / And what thynges we oughte one to desyre and wyshe to another In this salutacion is wryten the name of him that wryteth the Epystle / the name of them to whom it was wryteÌ„ In the begynnyng saynte Paule setteth his owne name that they myght knowe this Epystle to be wryten of
and callynge and that only for god / haue no respecte to our selfe Thus we maye heare / knowe what frute commeth of the worde of god preached / that is to saye / throughe the holy spirite is gyuen / certantye of goddes fauour / knowledge of goddes wyll / of our offyce and dutye bothe to god and also to our neighbour and lyfe euerlasting ¶ Wherfore also in so muche as I haue hearde of the fayth whiche ye haue in the lorde Iesu of your loue vnto the sayntes / I cease nat to gyue thankes for you / make mentyon of you in my prayers / that the god of our lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory may gyue vnto you the spirite of wisdome / open vnto you that knowledge of hym selfe and lyghten the eyes of your vnderstandynge that ye may knowe what is the hope of your callynge and what the ryches of his gloryous inheritance is vpon the saintes Saynt Paule here sheweth the offyce of one christen man toward an other / that it is to geue thankes to god for fayth / hope / charyte / other gyftes spirytuall geuen to other of god And in this he teacheth christen men what they shulde do when they heare that the worde of god is puerly truly preached without all dregges of mans inuentyon dreames / or phantasyes / and that other receyue faythe and exercyse the workes of charyte to the pore people / that they shuld gyue laude prayse and thankes to the lorde for it / to desyre of god that they may continue in the truth go forward in it / and encrease euery day more and more in all godly knowlege and spirytual wysdome that they maye knowe what is the hope / that is to saye the thyng that they hoped for / whiche is the heuenly inherytaunce whiche they hope and loke for to the whiche god hath called them / these be the dutyes of a chrysten man one to an other to wysshe and desyre of god / and nat to be sory that so muche spirytuall knowlege of God be shewed to the rude and ignoraunt people as is nowe shewed in our tyme. And here Saynte Paule reproueth those that be sory that there is so muche knowledge of goddes worde shewed and opened to the symple people as is / it checketh also all them that dysswadeth the laye people vnlearned / from the hearynge of the worde of god from the readyng of it / from the study of it 22. Vertue can nat be byd where someuer it is but it wyll be knowen although they wolde it shuld nat be knowen that do vertuously to auoyde prayse of men / as the fayth and charyte of these Ephesians came to Paule in prison / for the whiche Saynt Paule praysed them / and vertue shal not lacke his prayse or reward in this worlde / or at the lesse in the worlde to come 23. Saynt Paule commendeth these Ephesians / nat for theyr goodly temple / nor yet for their noble worshyppinge of Diane / nor yet for their religyouse men called of dyuers sectes / and of dyuerse habytes / for theyr goodly syngynge in the queare / or theyr orgaynes and playeng in their churches / or for other goodly ceremonyes / nor for their tapers / torches / carued paynted / or gylded Images / or for theyr goodly greate belles or multitude of masses or suche lyke / but for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ / and their charyte to the poore people that hathe nede of helpe and socour And Paule cōmendeth them nat bicause he wolde make them proude / but bicause he wolde prouoke them to go forwarde and continue in faythe and charyte / and encrease them euery day more and more / and that they shulde knowe good workes nat to lacke his reward with god in the world to come 4. In this prayer he teacheth vs what thynges we shulde desyre of god in our prayers / that it wolde please God to gyue vs the spirite of spirytuall wysdome and knowledge / that we myght be lyghtened with all godly knowledge / that we myght knowe howe ryche is our hope in the thynge we hope for / the heauenly inherytaunce / vnto the whiche Christ hath bought vs with his preciouse bloude shed for vs / of this place we maye learne that we can not knowe what is our hope / glorye / and inheritaunce whiche we loke for after this present lyfe / except that God shewe it to vs by his spiryte of wysdome and knowledge / and open our eyes that we may see and perceyue it And to optayne this spiryte of God / and that we maye euery daye encrease more and more in this diuyne knowledge / saynt Paule moneth vs to praye to god which alone doth geue this spiryte This place maketh agaynst them that wolde the ignorant symple people shulde haue no furder knowlege of god then be conteyned in the pater noster / and to be contented wtih that knowledge / and desyre no furder / but to leue to hie dyuynes the furder knowledge in the scriptures of god / but let suche blynde gydes and ignorāt teachers put away theyr blyndnes and ignoraunce / and learne better knowlege of god / desyre it in faythe by prayer / by study / by hearyng and reading of holy scriptures / that they may encrease in more knowledge and teache other better to seke to more knowledge / that they may come to the more knowledge of god / and of the celestyall kyngdome / whiche thinges they know better the more knowledge they haue in the holy scryptures of god Also saynt Paule sheweth here that faythe / charyte / knowledge of godly wysdome may be encreased in sayntes lyuing here in his world / and therfor he exorteth euery man to encrease theyr faythe / theyr charite / theyr knowledge / in the which he sheweth that there is no man so good but that he maye be better encrease in goodnes / in the whiche he exorteth euery one to encrease / euery day be better better ¶ And what is the excedyng gretnes of his power toward vs which beleue accordynge to the working of his myghty powre whiche he wrought in Christ when he raysed him vp from the deade and set him on his ryght hand in heuenly thinges aboue al rule / powre / might and domynatiō and aboue al that maye be named / nat onely in this worlde / but also in the worlde to cōe And hathe put all thynges vnder his fete / hathe made hym aboue al thinges / the head of the congregacyon whiche is his body the fulnes of hym that fylleth all in all The Apostle goeth forth with his prayer for these Ephesyans and desyreth God that they myghte knowe by the spirite of wisdome and knowledge of god that they myght knowe the excellent power of god which god hath declared myghtely in the raisynge vp his sonne Iesus Chryst from deathe to lyfe / and made him
that lyueth here in the ayre gyue them selfe to serue the deuyll rather then God / and many mo there is that serue the deuil then god / for there is many mo vnfaythfull then faythfull / mo synners then good lyuers / mo that folowe the honours of the worlde / the pleasures of the flesshe / then that truely serueth god by true fayth and faythfull workes of charyte commaunded in the scrypture / mo that abuse the gooddes of the worlde then that vse them as they shulde do / of all abusers of goodes of the worlde the deuyll is the Prynce and captayne / for they do the wyll of the deuyl so we maye learne of whome the deuyll is prynce / what he maketh his seruauntes to do / workes of darcknes / and deathe / and where he vseth his power / here in the ayre where as euyl men lyueth folowyng the lustes of the flesshe / worldely honours / and pleasures of men / sekinge theyr owne pleasure more then goddes glorye / or the profyte of theyr neyghboure 5. Amonge whome we also had our coÌ„uersation / as he shulde say / nat only you Gentiles were deade by syn / going frome one synne to an other doynge the wyll of the prince of the ayre / but also all we Iewes were dead by sinne / had deserued euerlastyng death for our syn worthye to haue bene for euermore excluded the kingdom of heauen / wherfore insomuch the we with you be delyuered from syn / death / hel / eternal dampnacyon / it is is nat to be imputed to our merytes or deseruinges but only to the goodnes of God / to whome we Iewes gyue thankes glorifye god for it / as you Gentyles / for God by his sonne Iesus Christ hathe delyuered vs all from death 6. Men that be out of the fauor of god walke frome one synne to an other / do the lustes of theyr flesshe / and of theyr owne wyll contrary to the wyll of god / here we maye learne what we can do of our selfe / leste to our owne myghtes and powers yf we lacke the grace of God / surely we can do nothing elles but sinne / and folowe the desyres of our corrupte fleshe / as adultery glotony / drunkennes / Enuy / malyce / tancor hatred / pride / couitousnes / error heresy Idolatry / other suche lyke of the which commeth death eternal dampnacion 7. And were naturally the chyldren of wrath aswell as other Saint Paule extolethe the Iewes nothynge aboue the Gentyls as touchyng health iustifycacyon and lyfe euerlastynge / but maketh the Iewes and the Gentyles equall shewing them doth by their owne nature to be children of wrath and of dampnacyon that al prayse and glorye myght be gyuen onely to God for our iustifycacyon / forgyuenes of synne / and the gyfte of lyfe euerlastyng in ioye and blysse and no parte ascrybed to man to mannes myght or power merites or deseruynges ¶ But god which is ryche in mercy throughe his greate loue wherwith he loued vs / euen whan we were deade in synnes hath quyckened vs with Christ for by grace are ye saued and hathe raysed vs vp with hym / and set vs vp with hym in heauenly thinges through Chryst Iesus that in tymes to coÌ„e he myght shewe the excedynge ryches of his grace in kyndenes to vs warde in Christ Iesu The Apostle nowe sheweth howe that bothe the Iewes and the Gentyles deade by synnes haue opteyned lyfe nat by their owne merites / but onely by the grace of god / and that whan all hope of lyfe was paste after mannes iudgement or by the myghtê of maÌ„nes nature for howe coulde there be any hope of lyfe of them whiche were by nature the chyldren of the wrathe of god / and condeÌ„ned to deathe But then god whiche is by nature good / gentyl and mercyfull / ryche in mercy Of his greate charite and loue towarde vs hathe restored vs deade by synne to lyfe agayne by Iesus Christe / and that nat of our good workes / but frely and for Christes sake only / by whome is our lyfe The goodnes of god in this poynt is more to be noted towarde vs. That he hath loued vs whan we were his enemies euyll wycked synners that then he wolde nat suffre vs to perysshe in our synnes / but hath delyuered vs frome deathe to lyfe to be heyres of his kyngdome 2. And that he wolde make vs sure of perpetuall healthe and lyfe He sayeth that god hath quyckened vs raysed vs agayne with Christe and made vs to syt amonge the heauenly company with Christe / and that by the onely mercy grace of god by the which we are saued Here the Apostle speketh in the tyme past for the tyme to come / for the certayntie of the thynge to come by Christe And leaste anye shulde be wauerynge in hope or doubtefull of the promysses of God to be fulfylled as at mannes promysses God wylleth that men shulde be as sure of his ê“misses as yf they were receyued in dede by fayth and hope of them / whiche hope is neuer disceyued 3. The raysyng vp of Christe from death to lyfe maketh vs sure that we shall aryse fromde deathe to lyfe Ye we whiche are in this laste tymes in the whiche thynge is shewed the ryche grace of god / and his myghty power to all the worlde and for all tymes ⧠FOR by grace are ye saued throughe fayth that nat of your selues for it is the gyfte of god nat of workes lest any man shulde boste hym sealfe For we are his workmanshype created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes to the whiche god ordeyned vs before that we shulde walke in them ♣ Here we may lerne of Paule oftymes if nede be to repete one thynge whiche we wolde haue surely knoweÌ„ / and prynted in mennes hertes / specially this thyng / that our saluation coÌ„meth nat of our selfe / of our workes or merites of man / but onely of the grace of god throughe faythe In the which wordes saynt Paule reproueth all theÌ„ that thynke our iustification dothe come by other thynges then by the grace of god by Christe as by prayers / beades halowed at Syon / by masses of Scala celi / by rosaryes of our Lady / by saint Francis gyrdle / cote / coule or habit / hose / shoes or botes / gyrdeles / purse or knyfe / matyns masses or euen songe / or any other suche lyke without the grace of god without fayth of the which cometh lyfe euerlastyng 2. To fayth in the scripture is attributed our iustification / nat because fayth is the author of our iustification For the author of our iustification is Christe / but iustification is attributed to fayth because faythe receyueth the mercy of god beleueth the promysses of god made to iuste men and beleuers to be fulfylled So faythe is the organe the meane by the whiche we perceyue our
necessary to kepe them / but that health may be without them / nor yet they are nat to be kepte vnder the payne of daÌ„nacyon of the soule For lyfe euerlastynge may be without cyrcumcision and other suche lyke ceremonial and iudicial lawes whiche be abrogate and taken away / that it is in a mannes liberty to kepe them or nat kepe them It is no vertue to kepe theÌ„ nor synne to omytte them And contrary it is no synne to do theÌ„ excepte any shulde haue lyke opynion in them as the Iewes had / that they thynke they muste nedes kepe them orels they can nat be saued / to thynke they be iustified by the keypynge of suche ceremonial and iudiciall lawes and shall obtayne by the meanes of them forgyuenes of synne and eternall lyfe / in that opinion to kepe these lawes is synne after the gospell preached by Christe and hys apostles / as touchynge morall preceptes Christe hathe nat taken them awaye / but that they shall nat be done for feare of the lawe / for feare of hell / and the punyshmeÌ„t therof / but for the loue of god / with al gladnes of herte 3. That of twayne he myght create one newe man in hym selfe For what ende purpose Christe abrogated the ceremonials and iudicial lawes he sheweth / that is that he shulde make of two people one people eternall to him / that the one shulde nat contemne the other / as the Iues contemned the Gentyles before / and the Gentyles the Iues but that they shulde agree in one god Christe Iesus the sauyour of all / and in the true worshyp and faythe by the whiche bothe the Iues and the Gentyles shulde be saued iustified before God and nat thorogh any obseruances of the lawe that all men shulde knowe the lyfe and healthe of man nat to be in cyrcumcision outwarde / in ceremonies / in sacrifices in inuencion and religyon or merites of men nor in the worshyp of ydoles / nor in supersticiousnes of maÌ„nes religion / but alone in Christe that no man shulde reioyce in any other but in the lorde and in the crosse of Iesu Christe Gala. 6. So Christe hathe reconcyled the Iues and the GeÌ„tyles takyng from them bothe / parte of theyr pleasure / from the Iues cyrcumcision / ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes / from the Gentyles idolatry and lechery In the whiche thynges bothe partes had greate pleasure in / so Christe hathe reconcyled the Iewes and the Gentyles in that he toke awaye the hatred and the cause of theyr hatred So I thynke amonges vs nowe shall hatred cease and we shall all be made one / sythe the cause of our hatred is nowe taken away by the kynges magestyes commauÌ„dement The hatred that was amonges vs for the moste parte was for the worshyppynge of stockes / stones / blockes paynted and gylted / nowe these be taken away I soppose a greate parte of our hatred to cease and charite to encrease to the glory of god and the profite of many 4. Howe Christ hath reconciled vs synners to the fauour of the father agayne here is shewed that was by the crosse / that is to say by Christe a full sacrifice and a sufficient oblacion for al the synnes of the worlde / by the whiche oblation of Christê body ones offred vp for all synners / al were made parfit reconciled / had forgeuenesse of synÌ„es made beloued to god the father and heyres of his kyndome by Christ that dyed on the crosse for our redemption slauation / iustification and lyfe eternall 5. And came and preached peace in the gospell to you that were farre of / that is Christe preached peace and quietnesse in the hertes of the Gentiles whiche was counted farre frome the peace / fauour and loue of god And this peace was wroghte by thre outwarde preachyng of the gospell and the inwardes workynge of the holy goste So was peace broght bothe to the Iewes and the Gentiles throught Christ by no other meanes thaÌ„ by his death of the crosse 6. If Christe hath take away these thynges that was of a necessite coÌ„maunded of god to be kepte because they were no more profitable for the people Howe muche more shuld no man merueyle nowe if some institutions and religions of men be now taken awaye by goddes worde / whiche be nat profitable to man / nor yet to the glory of god / which do cause muche false trustes suê‘stitiousnes / erronious opynions / false iudgementes / backwarde iudgemeÌ„tes / ydolatry / and hyndereth the trewe honour of god and faythe in Christe Iesê° / and hathe made men to put theyr truste of healthe saluation in other then in Christe / and so brought men to death damnation / from the whiche daÌ„natioÌ„ to delyuer vs / Christe suffred death on the crosse / and brought to all beleuers and kepers of goddes coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes lyfe euerlastyng in al ioy blysse ⧠For by hym we bothe haue entraÌ„ce in one spirite vnto the father ¶ Of these thynges that go before saynte Paule nowe sheweth playnely that by Christe only the way to the father of heauen is made open to all men / bothe to the Iues and Gentyles / and that the Gentyles be aswell of the housholde of god as the Iues / and made heyres of the kyngedome of god by Christe / and the waye to the father open to the Gentyles as to the Iewes and that by Christe 2. In that the waye is made open to all men by Christe and by none other / saynte Paule reproueth those that wolde men shulde go and desyre sayntes departed to praye for them that by the intercession of sayntes departed men myght come to the father without Christe We thynke it is folyshnes to leue the waye to the father of heauen appoynted and assygned vs in the scripture and to seke another way not spoken of in the scripture / sythe it is so that we be vncertayne whether that sayntes departed be in that state that they wyll or be meane for vs to the father or no Whether they here vs callynge to them or no Whether they knowe our necessite or no whether they be hard of the father and optayne theyr purpose or no Of these thynges we haue no certaynty by the scriptures / wherfore I thynke it mete in this behalfe to be content with teachynges of the holy scripture which teacheth al necessary truthes for mannes saluacion / and nat to seke another waye to the father then the scripture teacheth Saynte Paule sayeth here that the waye to the father is made open to all men nat by Petre / Paule / Iohan / or Iames / Mary / or Magdelene but by Christ which is the mediato r bytwene god and man 1. Timo. 2. Saynte Paule sayeth there is but one mediato r bytwene vs the father we make many without the scriptures howe do we and S. Paule agree Howe do lyght darcknes agree Forthermore I se as yet no
them agayn that suffreth for theyr sakes for theyr helthe Thus saynt Paule opteyned the fauoure of these Ephesyans and of the gentyles 2 Paule caste in pryson nat for his synnes or any notable fautes or crymes / but because he preached to the Gentyles the Gospell of Christe by the whiche the GeÌ„tyles were delyuered from synne / deathe / hell and eternall damnation and made good / iuste / and opteyned eternal lyfe and partakers of the heuenly inheritaunce / this Saynte Paule sheweth that it is no newe thynge that true preachers of goddes worde to be caste in prisone and suffer paynes for the Gospels sake of euyll men he moueth theÌ„ to take pacieÌ„tly theyr patnes in prysone and afflyccyons that they may be with Paule the prysoner of Christ suffrynge onely for the Gospels sake and nat for theyr owne fautes crimes / or deseruynges 3 Learne here that a good and an holy man saynt Paule ye an apostle of Christ was caste in prisone / nat for no euyll / but for good for preachynge of the Gospel to the saluacion of the people He was caste in prisone of an euyll man and of a cruell tyrante called Nero an Emperour of Rome At whose coÌ„maundement saynt Paul was caste in prison and leyd in fetters / so the good Apostle of God was in pryson / and the euyll tyrante Nero at libertie / so god suffereth in thys worlde the euyll maÌ„ to haue the vpper hande of the good man ye god suffreth that the good is punyshed in this worlde / and the euyll escapes punyshemente / but in the worlde to come the good shal be in ioye / and the euyll in payne This place sheweth playnly that saynte Paule was in pryson when he wrote this Epistle to these Ephesyans / whose helthe he more regarded then his delyueraunce out of prisone 4 These that put saynte Paule in pryson / peraduenture they thought they dyd an acceptable worke or sacrifice to god so doynge / thynkynge Paule a greate malefactour a breker of yeâ—aw they thought it was nat laweful that the Gospel shulde be preached to the Gentyles / ye agayne the lawe of god / that forbad the Iewes to haue company with the Gentyles / or to make mariages with the Gentiles / much more they thought it was nat lawfull to preache the Gospell to the Gentyles / whiche was a thynge hyd from the worlde / neuer herde leson before / therfore they castynge Saynte Paule in pryson thought they dyd an hye sacrifice to god / suche meÌ„ full of theyr good zeales but without goddes worde hath ben amoÌ„ges vs that hath caste men in prison for preachynge that it was lawfull for lay men or lay women to haue the new Testamente in Englyshe / we maye se what blynde zeales without goddes worde dothe / and howe it hathe euer caste the true seruaÌ„tes of God in pryson and brought to trouble / payne / punyshement infamy in the worlde / although they were the newe and faythfull seruantes of god But at the laste god delyuered his seruantes / and punyshed these blynde â—eales and so he wyll do nowe / if they wyl nat repent and amende 5 Accordynge as you haue herde of the office of the grace of God gyuen to me towarde you Here the Apostle sheweth the disposition of the Gospel was commytted to him / nat of him selfe / nor yet of his wyl mynde / merites / or deseruynges but alone of the mere mercy and grace of god / and that when it pleased god to cal him by reuelacion from his inquite and synne as is wryten Actes .9 .22 that the hole prayse and lawde maye be gyuen nat to man / but to god alone / of the whiche we may lerne that true preachers of goddes worde be sente of God / for the saluacyon of men to whome the Gospell is purely preached it is a sure token that god wyll saue those to whome he sendes true preachers of his worde / of the herers part is requyred that they shulde dylygently heare the worde of God / gyue credence to it / and lyue accordynge to goddes doctryne / or elles it profiteth them nothynge / the Gospell truely preached of faythful men sende of god 6 When ye rede it ye may perceyue myn vnderstande in the mystery of Christe / as he shulde saye I haue shewed you before â— I was called to be the minister of god / receyued the knowledge of the Gospel by reuelacion / and that office committed to me of God to preache the Gospell of Christe Iesus to the Gentiles / whiche thyng you may konwe yf you wyll rede that I haue wryten before in these wordes he gyueth them libertie to reade this Epistle / wyllyth that they shuld perfectly knowe what thinges he had writen to them / this place maketh agaynst them that wolde nat the laye people shulde reade the scriptures in there vulgare tonge Saynt Paule wolde haue had his wrytinges knowen of euery one / bothe prest lay man and lay woman / that euery one myght haue profyte by his wrytynge / what profyte I pray you shuld the lay man haue of it if it were nat lawefull for hym to rede it in the language he vnderstandeth 7 In tymes paste this mistery was nat opened to the chyldren of men What was this mystery that was hyd from the chyldren of men in tymes paste It was the open preachynge of Christes gospel as wel to the GeÌ„tyles as to the Iewes and that the Gentyles shulde be saued by / Christe as the Iewes / and that the gentyles perteyned to the heuenly inheritaunce as the Iewes / this mystery was nat knowen to the worlde to Christes incarnacion / and to after his death chefely / it was knowen to a fewe that beleued both of the Iewes and also of the Gentyles whiche was saued by fayth in Christ to come before christes incarnacion / but they were sene in coÌ„parison to them that dyd nat know it / and therfore it was couÌ„ted to be hyd from the worlde / and also these that beleuyd dyd knowe that the gospell shulde come to the Gentyles and by it there saluacyon / yet they knewe it nat so clerely howe it shulde come / and by what meanes / as these that were after Christes incarnacion and beleued in Christe / nor yet there was nat so many before Christes incarnacion that beleued in Christ as was after / for this mistery was shewed muche more playnlye / more clerely to mo after Christes passion then before his passion / for as Saynte Hierome sayeth / that it is another thyng in the spirite to knowe thynges to come / rose them fulfylled in dede This mystery of the gospel to be preached to the geÌ„tiles was so hyd frome men / that the Apostles of Christe dyd nat knowe it at the begynnynge / and dyd doute whether it were lawfull for them to preache the gospell to the Gentyles or no /
gyue his onely sonne for vs / to brynge vs to euerlastynge saluacyon And also his sonne Christ Iesus dyd shewe the loue of his father towardes vs which was obedyent to the wyll of his father and wyllyngly dyd suffer death to delyuer vs from death / hell / and eternall dampnacion / and brought lyfe to vs. And this same Christe did gyue him selfe an oblation and a thankefull sacrifice for vs to the Lorde / by the which one sacrifice he reconciled vs to the father and made vs wel beloued to hym Here is allusiō to the sacrifices of the olde lawe whiche pacefied the yre or wrathe of god as Noe pacyfied the wrath of a god by an oblation or sacrifyce offered vp to god Gene. 8. And this sacrifice that Christ offered vp to god was a full and a suffycians sacrifice to pacyfie the wrath of God and to take awaye all the synnes of the worlde ones for euer / as saynte Paule sheweth Hebre. 10. By one ablation he hathe made them perfyte for euer that are sanctifyed Therfore they offende that by other sacrifyces then by Christe Iesu / go aboute to pacify the wrath of god / and to take away sinnes as by Masses and Scala celt / of the holy ghost / of the fyue woundes / of requiē or other lyke wayes or meanes / or by any workes of man to be done to swage the wrath of god to deserue the grace of God forgyuenes of synne and lyfe euerlastynge by the vertue of the worke in it selfe / for the which ende good workes are nat to be done / as I haue shewed before ☞ As for whordome and all vnclennes or couetousnes / let it nat be named amongest you as it becommeth Sayntes Neyther fylthynes / nor folyshe talkynge / neyther iestynge whiche are nat comly but rather gyuynge of thankes for be ye sure that no whore monger or vnclean person or couetous persone whiche is a worshypper of Images hathe inheritaunce in the kyngedome of Christe and of God Let no mā deceyue you with many wordes for bycause of these commeth the wrathe of god vpon the chyldren of vnbeleue be nat ye therfore companyons with thē ¶ The Apostle sheweth here certayne vyces that christiane men shulde flee and eschewe As whoredome / vnclennes / and couetousnes / whiche be vyces nat to be named / muche lesse to be done amongest christianes / that shulde be sayntes and al holy in conuersation and lyuyng The Apostle wolde haue bothe the names of these vyces and the vyces them selfe clerely abolyshed and put away / that no man shulde do them / nor yet so muche as name them ones for the vengeaunce of god doth come vpon all fornicatours / vnlcennes / and couetousnes Example in them that perysshed in Noes floude / and at Sodome and Gomorrhe / and of other many of the Israelytes that perysshed in the wyldernes for these synnes Nume 25. The punyshement of them may affraye all other frome these vices / lest they be ponyshed as these were with the plage of god 2 He requyreth of vs an holy conuersation of lyfe / as it becommeth Sayntes 1. faythfull men in Christe Iesu / whome it becommeth to be farre frome al whoredome / fornication / auoutrye or vnclennes in worde or in dede And here the Apostle reproueth all them that hath great pleasure to talke and speake them selfes of whoredome / fornycation / baundrye / or that delyteth to here other speake / talke or rayse vnclensy and so to make thē mery and there gestes to laugh at fylthy and vnclean wordes or songes / it is greatly to be lamented amōgest christen men / that suche sause displeasyng god / shulde please christen mē and that the displeasure of god / shulde be a laughter amongest christyans But these that haue pleasure in fylthy communycacion and delireth therin and wyl vse it or suffer it to be vsed where they maye set it / that they be whoremongers and vnclean in theyr hartes before God Therfore yf they wyl nat so be coōted before mē / whoremongers or vncleane / and laughers at goddes displeasure / ye and auoyd the plage and punyshement of god / let thē leue al fylthy cōmunication filthy deyng / amēde and do no more so / haue pleasure therin no more / suffer these vyces in no other / reproue them / studye to amende youre selfe and other / that you maye auoyde the plage of god for these vyces 3 The Apostle wolde christianes shulde auoyd al vncomely behauer both in word and in gesture that none shulde be prouo / ked to vncleane doynges by vnclean wordes or gestures by the which he reprouith many vnclean songes / louers songes called / that sounde and prouoke to vncleane loue or fylthy pleasure of the bodye he reproueth also vncomly daunces vsed of womē / and al ther indissolute gestures that becommyth nat He reproueth all folysshe speakynge / ydle talkynge / and fayned fables of the whiche commyth no profyte / nor edifyeng to the auditors Also he reproueth all knauery in all scoldynge all raylynge / al vncomly gestynge and al vncomly behauoure / that be nat to the glorye of god / nor yet to the edyfyenge of the hearers nor to helpe to amende euyll doers make them better to seke goddes glorye / and the profyte of other 4 He dissuadeth christians from whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes / and fromē al vice that folowe of these / yf nat for loue of god / yet for feare of punyshementes that folowe these vices / that they shulde abstayne from them / He sayeth that no whoremonger / no fornicatours no vncleane persons / no couetous men shall haue the kingdome of heauen This payne thretened whiche without doubte wyll fal vpon thē yf they do nat amende this payne shewed howe great synnes before god be fornicacion / whoredome vnclennes / couetousnes vncomely raylynge or gestynge for the whiche synnes men be excluded from the kyngedume of Christe of god / they must nedes be great synnes / that shit out from the kyngdome of heauen / howe some euer they be estemed of men in the worlde / gret or small 5 The couetous man is called a worshypper of Images or Idolles / for as the ydolater do whorshyppe ydolles for God / put hope and truste in ydoles so dothe the couetousmā worshyp riches for his God / making more of ryches / then of God louynge ryches better then god / settyng his harte and mynde more vpon ryches then vpon god / puttynge truste and confidence in ryches more then in the prouydence of of god / extollyng hym selfe aboue other by reason of his ryches / substance / or goodes he hath aboue other 6 After that he had monyshed them to flee vices / he byddeth them beware that they be nat deceyued by vayne wordes / of the whiche it aperethe that there was amōgest the Ephesyās some mē of corrupt myndes and iudgementes blynded with synne and obdurated in
the studye and knowledge of mannes lawe to knowe the wyll of man and howe they shulde come to ryches and goodes in the worlde / but to knowe the wyll of god / and his lawe they be nothyng diligent / ye nor desyrous of yt / it is well yf they be nat aduersaries to Goddes worde / but all suche shewe them selues what they be / perauenture wyse men to the worlde but fooles before god / men that loue more this presente lyfe theÌ„ the lyfe to come This place shulde moue al lawyers and iudges to be deligeÌ„t to knowe goddes lawe / least in there iudgementes they do iudge other wayes then goddes lawe wyll / by the whiche al mannes lawe shulde be ruled / yf goddes lawe shulde be the rule of mannes lawe as it is in dede howe shall they rule well mannes lawe that be ignoraunce in Goddes lawe Surely after my mynde there is nothynge more to the hynderaunce of Goddes worde or more to the destructyon of men soules in this realme theÌ„ that the nobilite and lawers and other that haue rule ouer the people both in the spiritualtye in the temporalty be ignoraunte in goddes lawe / in the whiche it becommeth theÌ„ most cheifely to be lerned / that they might ordre all causes and matters accordynge to Goddes lawe / geltylmen and a greate parte of lawyers be ignoraunt in Goddes lawe And therefore seldome they do loue goddes worde / or the true teachers of yt / and the laye people folowe the gentylmen or rulers As touchynge the spyrytualtye vnder the Byshoppes / rulers be lawyers brought vp in the Byshop of Romes law and for the most parte suche men that be ignoraunt in goddes worde be Chauncellours / Comysaries / Officials / which oftymes do hate Goddes worde and the true preachers of it / and fauoureth as muche as they darre the byshop of Romes lawes and his waies It is a very seldome thing to haue a lawyer a Chancellour / a Commyssary / a Preacher of Goddes worde / a setter forth of it / howe by theÌ„ that be ignoraunte it hathe ben hyndered and letted we haue experience enoughe I pray God that all Byshoppes with al there offycers vnder them may be true fauourers of goddes worde / and ernestly set forwardes and moue and exhorte al men to goddes word and to lyue after yt that God may more more be glorified of al men Amen ⧠AND be nat dronken with wyne wherin is excesse but be ful of the spyryte / and talke amonge youre selfes of Psalmes and Himnes and spyrytuall songes / syngynge and makynge melodye vnto the Lorde in youre hartes / gyuynge thankes alwaye / for all thynges / vnto God the father in the name of our Lorde Iesê° Christ submyttynge your selfes one to another in the fear of god âš¹ The Apostle here forbiddeth dronkeÌ„nes as a cause of fornication or adultry / he monysheth to ware of drinkyng wyne whiche prouoketh to adultery or fornication In these wordes he forbyddeth also al excesse and ryot in eatyng and drynkyng or other bankettynge of the whiche coÌ„meth many incoueniences and greate diseases bothe to the body and soule / of vnreasonable drynkynge or riotynge we se daylye greate syckenes to come to the bodye / as the goute / dropsy / palsey / other diseases many of the body Also dronkennes / adultry / fornication / chydynge / fyghtyng maÌ„ slaughter dothe come of greate drynkyn-whiche be destructyon and deathe of the soule The Apostle here nat onely forbyddeth synne and vyce / but also he forbyddeth the occasion and causes of them 2 Dronkennes oughte to be eschewed for many causes that commeth of it / that bryngeth men to deathe oftymes bothe of the body and of the soule it depriueth men of wytte wisdome and reason and maketh them worse then a brute beaste / yee then aswyne that walters ouer and ouer in the myre Drokennes it causeth many deseases in the body / it bringeth with it idelnes chydynge / braulynge / fyghtyng / murder / ye what myscheife doth it nat bryng with it / death both to body soule It is therfore to be aborred of all men 3 He nat onely reproueth vyce but he sheweth vertue to be taken in the place of vyce / as here he reproueth dronkennes / wylleth me not be fulfylled with the holy ghoste and to synge in their hertes spiritual Psalmes and Hymnes / gyuyng thaÌ„kes to god alwayes for his benefytê / these spirituall Psalmes and Hymnes he setteth for the fruytes of dronkennes And in this me thinke the Apostle willeth that lay men and lay women shulde synge spyritual Pslames and Hymnes as preestes and spirituall men / and gyue thankes to god for all his benefites gyuen to theÌ„ and and in this he sheweth playnely that it is lawefull for laye men and laye women to reade the holy scriptures / to haue them by harte / that they may talke of them / speke of them to theyr edyfieng / and synge spyrituall Psalmes and Hymnes gyuynge thankes to the Lorde / howe shulde they synge spirituall Psalmes and Hympnes excepte that they knewe them before / and had redde them or lerned them This place euidently sheweth that it is lawfull for laymen and lay womeÌ„ to rede the scriptures of god / to talke of them to goddes glorye and to theyr edyfienge The Apostle dothe nat heare speake onelye to mynysters in the Churche / but to all men / to whome he forbyddeth dronkennes and hê fruites / and for them the holy gooste and his fruytes to be receyued with spirituall thankes Psalmes and Hymnes gloryfyenge god alwaye 4. He wylleth that euery man shall be obedieÌ„t one to another in his state and degree and that in the feare of God / that none shulde contemne another thynkyng hym selfe better then other / but euery one humyle him vnder other / and thynke hym selfe worse in his owne syght / and in this he reproueth proude hartes and stomakes and moueth euerye one to mekenes and lowlynes in them selfe ¶ Let the women submytte them selfes vnto their husbandes as vnto the Lorde / for the husbande is the wyues heade euen as Christe also is the heade of the congregacion / and he is the sauyoure of his bodye Therfore as the congregacion is in subiection to Christe / lykewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to thei husbandes in all thinges ¶ Before the Apostle hathe vniuersally taught euery man Nowe he commeth to perticular persons as to the wyfe and the husbande he sheweth ther duetye on to the other But before I wyll shewe of their dewties I thynke it expedient som thiÌ„ge so entreate of matrymonye by the whiche the man and the wyfe be ioyned togyther and the one bouÌ„de to the other by the law of god / and that with suche knottes as caÌ„ nat be lowsed with out the breakynge of goddes law and displeasure of god / except it be for suche causes as by the scriptures may lowse the bounde of
loue hym aboue all other / onely shulde to please hym / to make hyr bodye free to none other / but to hyr husbande alone / to be obedyente to hym with all lowelynes and gentylnes to haue him in feare / honour / and reuereÌ„ce Thus I haue shewed accordyng to the doctryne of S. Paule part of the deuty of the man towardes his wife / of the wife towardes hyr husbande ¶ The syxte Chapyter to the Ephesyans YE CHYLDREN Obey youre elders in the Lorde for that is right honour thy father and the mother that is the fyrste coÌ„maundemente that hathe any promyses that thou mayst prospere and lyue longe vpon earthe And ye fathers prouoke nat youre chyldren vnto wrathe but brynge them vp in nurtour and informacion of the Lorde NOwe the Apostle sheweth of the deutye of chyldren to theyr father and mother / it helpeth muche to obtayne godly vertues / that chyldreÌ„ from their cradel and from their yonge age be vertuously brought vp in nortoure in good / vertues and godlye learnynge / in loue and feare of god / in deu obedience to their parentes in gentil and lowly maners / for as the olde sayenge is The botell wyll kepe the smel or sauour / of that liquore that it first receyued So men for the moste part smell euer of that facyon and maners / and loue waye that they haue bene brought vp in theyr yonge age Therfore it is necessary that chyldren in their yonge age shulde be put to good scole maysters that may and wyll bryng them vp in good holy and vertuous doctryne / and godly maners that chyldren may learne to knowe God theyr creature and maker / of whom al goodnes doth come / to knowe the goodnes and benefites of god towardes them to laude and prayse God / to gyue hym thankes for his benefites to be obedient to father and mother / to gyue to them al honour / nat onely with outwarde gesture as bowynge their knees / puttynge of theyr cappe to their patentes / or askynge theyr blessynges or doynge theyr laufull coÌ„maundementes / and beynge obedient with al glad diligence to do theyr parentes coÌ„maundementes but also that they shulde honour theire parentes with all due honoure in gyuynge and prouydyng for them al necessaries yf they nede / or be pore / or haue nede of the helpe of theyr chyldren / for so this word honour is taken in the scripture nat onely for outwarde reuerence / but also for helpe or sufficience of liuing as Paul sheweth 1. Timo 5. where he sayeth The elders that rule well are worthy double honoure / cheyflye they that laboure in the worde of god 2 In the lord This worde sheweth how chyldren shulde be obediente to theyr elders and to their fathers and mothers / that is to say in the lorde / because the lorde hathe so commaunded / and it is the wyll of the lorde that chyldren shall obey to theyr parentes / or elles in the lorde / that is to say iÌ„ all thynges that pleseth the lorde / that is in al lawful thinges So chyldren obeing theyr parentes gyuyng them deu honour doth serue and please the lorde / and these chyldren that be disobedient to theyr pareÌ„tes do dysplease and offende god 3 For this is iuste / that the chyldren shulde obey they re parentes / helpe and socour their necessite gyuynge deu honoure to them seynge chyldren hathe receyued of theyr parentes theyr beynge / fode and coste of bryngyng vp when they were nat able to helpe them selfe Therfore it is equite that they shuld helpe ther parentes 4 This is the fyrste commaundemente in promyse / to the whiche promyse of rewarde is made of longe lyfe eyther in this lyfe / or in the lyfe to come / or in bothe / as oftymes chaunceth to them that honoure their parentes in this worlde / and the coÌ„trarye is oftymes shewed / that these children that do nat honoure theyr parentes in this worlde but be disobedient to them conteÌ„ne / dispise and wyl nat acknowledge theire father and mother / or kynsfolke / or be so vnkynde vnnaturall chyldren that desyre the â—â—th of their parentes for their profyte / goodes / landes / or riches / it is oftymes sene that these chyldren be of shorte lyfe in this worlde / or dye some euyl death by some myschaunce or euyll fortune called of man / when it is the secrete wyl and workynge of God / whiche wyll nat suffre the contempte of parentes to be vnpunysshed in this world / that al chyldren might learne to be obedient to their parentes / to honoure them / and nat to contemne or dispise them or to wysshe theyr death for any lucre sake / for any honoure or promotion or suche lyke thynge The Apostle promyseth two thynges to these chyldreÌ„ that honoure their parentes / the one is / that all thynges shal be wel to them / and al thynges prosperous The other leÌ„gth of lyfe / contrary to them that dishonoureth there parentes thretteth two thynges / that all thynges shal be euyl to them / and shortnes of lyfe / which thinges yf they chaunce nat alway in this lyfe / yet surely in the lyfe to come they wyl chauÌ„ce / god wyl ê‘fourme his promyse / for god is true in his promyses and wyll perfourme theÌ„ / eyther in this worlde / or in the worlde to come or elles to bothe And although it is red of some chyldren that disobeyed their parentes / that had great ryches or felicite in this worlde and of longe lyfe in whome this threte of god had no place in this worlde / yet with out doubte it had place after this lyfe in them / or elles such disobedient chyldren to theyr parentes was without all felicite of shorte lyfe before god Chyldren that do nat obey their parentes they offend agaiÌ„st the lawe of nature / of equite and iustice againste goddes lawe wryten / whiche all require that children shulde gyue deu honoure to their fathers and mothers 5 And ye fathers prouoke nat your children to wrathe Nowe he coÌ„meth to pareÌ„rentes sheweth what is their deutye towardes their chyldren Fathers and mothers for the mooste parte eyther they are to tender / softe / gentle / or make to muche on them / or elles they are to harde / fel / cruel sharpe / or frowarde with them Fewe or none of theyr pareÌ„tes do knowe how they shulde order or brynge vp their chyldren / but eyther nature moueth them to be to teÌ„der ouer them / and so they make the chyldren to wantonne / selfe wylly / frowarde nat carynge for father or mother / ye disobedient to father and mother and so oftymes it is true that Mantuane sayeth Blanda patrum segnes facit indulgeÌ„tia gnatos To muche pamperynge of rathers maketh slowe and disobedient chyldreÌ„ Therfore it is trewe that Salomon saythe He that spareth the rod he hateth the child And of the contrary part there is some