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
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
learne to repete one sentence ones or twyse / whiche they wolde haue knowne moste chefely and moste suerly prynted in hart 2. God hathe ordeyned vs that we shulde be his chyldrenne by adopcyon and that not of our deseruynge or merytes but onely by his mercye and grace / and by the merytes of Chrystes passyon / that all the prayse and thanke shulde be gyuen onely to God for it / and nothyng to our selfe he hathe made vs his chyldrenne by adopcyon / that we shulde sue our father in all holynes of lyfe / that we shulde followe hys fotesteppes in our lyfe 3. accordyng to the plesure of his wyl / these he addeth lest any shulde saye that we be made the chyldren of God by adopcyon for our merytes / or for the merites of our Lady / Peter / or Paule or of some other man / and not only for the pleasure of god of whome we haue al thinges that be good / and his wyll only alone is the cause of them and no other cause is to be asked why god hath elected and chosen vs to be his children by adopcyon and heyres of the kyngdome of heauen but only his wyll / marcye / and pleasure / that all prayse and thanke myght alone be giuen to hym and to none other creature / worke dede nor man 4. Vnto the praise of the glory of his grace / here he declareth for what ende he hath elected vs to be his chyldren by adopcyon / that he myght be praysed / glorifyed of all men / whiche hathe made vs synners his welbeloued chyldren / and that by Iesus Christe alone / which hath pacifyed the ire of the father and reconcyled vs to his fauour to whom we be made welbeloued throughe the death of Christ 5. In whome we haue redempcyon thoroughe his bloude forgyuenes of synnes Two thynges is here declared One is that by Cyryste we are redemed from the malediccyon of the lawe from syn deathe hell / eternall dampnacyon and from all captiuite and thraldome of the deuyl and by Christe be restored to the lyberte of the spiryte of god The other that we haue forgyuenes of our synnes onely be Chrystes bloude shed for vs vpon the Crosse Marke the remissyon of synnes is gyuen to vs by the bloude of Christe and nat by the popes pardons / masses and Scala celi by pylgrymages to Paule / Peter Iohan / or Iames / in the yere of Iubilei by the brothered or fraternyte of Chrystoffor of yorke / or of our Lady of Boston nor yet by saynte Fraunces coule Benedictes habyt cope or cote by monkes bootes or by the caruing of fryer obseruates shoyes or knotted gyrdles nor by Syon beades by holy water ringynge of the greate holy belle / or by any suche lyke outwarde ceremony or sacrifyce who so by these thinges thynketh to optayne forgyuenes of their sinnes before god they decieue them selfe they blaspheme Christ they be iniuryous to his bloudeshed vpon the Crosse to take away our synnes to optayne pardon of God for our synnes and to wasshe vs clere from syn as saynt Iohan sayth Apocalyp 1. The bloude of Christe hath wasshed vs from our synnes and Iohan 1. Ioh. 1. The bloude of Christ hath pourged vs from al iniquyte yf forgyuenes of synne be by the bloude of Chryste then it is nat by the Popes bulles / or pardons masses and Scala celi and suche lyke of mannes inuencyons and dreames inuented by mā if by such workes sinnes might haue bene taken awaye then dyed Christ in vayne Gaia 1 If synnes myght haue bene pourged by suche meanes or workes of man than was Chryst a fole that suffered so sharpe a death to saue vs / to take awaye our synnes I suppose Chrystes blessynge to haue bene as good as the byshoppe of Romes blessynge / or any other byshoppes blessyng / but Christ taught vs nat to beleue by suche meanes our synnes to be purged / wherfore they be starke lyes ye blaspheme to Chryst and his holy blod to beleue our sinnes to be taken awaye by any other waye or meane then by Chryst and his holy bloude / wherfor they ar from the true waye that thynke by theyr workes / merites of sayntes or of men alyue or departed / by the vertue of the masse heard or sayde thynkyng the masse to be a sacrifyce to god to take awaye the synne of the people / for there is none other sacrifyce to take awaye synne but Christ whiche hath satisfyed for our synne and is a full satysfaccyon for the synnes of the hole worlde Iohannis 2. and by one oblacyon ones offered vp for vs vpon the Crosse he hath made all them perfyte that shal be sanctifyed for euermore Hebre. 10. 4. Accordynge to the ryches of his grace Redempcion and remissyon of sinne hath come vnto vs al by the ryche grace of god and nat by our merytes / dedes / or workes or for any saynt sake liuynge or departed but alone for Christes sake frely / without our merytes or any deseruynges of our parte that all laude and prayse with thankes myght onely be gyuen to God as the auctor of al goodnes 7. whiche hath shed vpon vs aboundantly in all wysdome / also we haue receyued of godes goodnes all spirytuall wysdome / as touchynge the knowledge of godly thinges and all other knowledge necessary for the health of our foule This place somthynge reproueth them that say there is many thynges necessarye for the saluacyon of man that be nat wrytten in holy scrypture / nor yet can be gathered out of the holy scrypture S. Paule Ro. 1. sayth that the gospell is the power of god that workes all health to al them that beleueth This place shewith all learnynge knowledge and godly wysdome to come of god nat of our study diligence and labour / althoughe our study labour is required as lawfull meanes necessarye by the whiche god gyueth knowledge / learnynge / and wysdome / to them that with a pure harte requyreth of hym This reproueth all theym that thynketh they get the learnynge they haue by their owne labour study and paynes / thynke nat that it commeth of god / which giueth these gyftes to them that seke and labour in faythe desyrynge to haue learnynge to glorifye god to profyte them and other accordynge to their talentes .8 whiche hath opened vnto vs the mystery of his well accordynge to his wyll pleasure The time he sheweth whē god gaue to vs this knowledge / and wysdome / by his grace / he dyd gyue it when it pleased hym to shewe the misterye of his wyll hyd longe from the worlde / but at the last shewed by his word declared playnely to the worlde when he pleased / and nat at the pleasure of man / of the whiche we maye learne that the word of god commeth to vs and is clerly shewed at the wyll of God / nat at the wyll of man / or at mannes pleasure
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
to forsake synne in the whiche we haue walked in tymes paste for lacke of knowledge and in that we haue obeyed our olde man and his concupiscence to muche / whiche bryngeth to deathe Gala. 5. and. Roma 8. The affeccion of the flesshe is death Therfore let vs put awaye the olde man with all his carnall desyres or lustes alway redy to synne and to swarne frome the trueth of goddes worde / and brynge to death / and let vs be renued in the spyryte and put on a newe man made after God in all iustice and vertue that moueth vs al alwaye to vertu and goodnes By the putting away of the olde man he vnderstandeth the puttynge away of al sinne / as to put away vanite of minde darkenes / ignorance of god / blynde obstynacye of harte vnsorowfulnes for synne / vncleanes and al other vices / and in their places to putte on vertues / and desyre to folowe goddes worde / knowledge of it / redynesse to apply hiÌ„ selfe to do goddes wyll and pleasure in all trueth and iustice iustice / and suche doth appere to be renued by the spirite of god / whose olde lyfe in sinne doth displease and a newe lyfe in vertue doth please / whose mynde is wyllynge and glad to knowe the trueth and to lyue after the trueth of goddes worde in al vertue and goodnes ⧠Wherfore put awaye lyenge and speake euery man the trueth with his neyghbour for as much as we are membres one of another Be angrye but synne nat let nat the sonne go downe vpon youre wrathe / neyther gyue place to the backebyter / he that hathe stolen / let hym steale no more / but let him laboure rather and do some good with his handes that he may haue to gyue to him that nedeth ☞ The Apostle here exhortethe men to to put awaye certayne vyces and to take in theyr places vertue Fyrst he exhorteth men to put away lyenge / by lyeng he vnderstandeth all crafte / sotteltye / falsed / deceyte / in worde or in dede / by the which crafty men deceyueth other that be simple or osuche as feare no crafte / gyle or falsed / in bargaynynge / as in seilynge byenge or in other busynes of the worlde necessarely to be vsed amongeste men in this worlde / and vnderlyenge may be conteyned delayenge of matters to deceyue men / to make them spende more monye for the expedytion of their matters And in this is reproued lawers and all other that delaye matters for lucre sake Here is also reproued all them that falslye accuse and sclaunder other / that go aboute to deceyue another by fayre speakynge / goodly wordes or ê“myses when they intende to do nothynge Here is also reproued all maner of flattery or dissemblynge ye all periury in selliÌ„ge of theyr wayre / whiche vyce is so comonly vsed vnponyshed of god or of man / that in a maner it is counted a vertue / and he to be best seruaunte that can with most periurye and greateste swerynge deceyue his chapman But let suche repent and ameÌ„de them selues / for god wyll nat suffre vnponyshed his holy name so to be taken in vaine / so vnreuerently to be brought for a testimony in a false matter and a dissembled purpose / God wyll nat suffre periurye vnponished / but he wyl eyther punysh it here in this world / or els in the worlde to come or in both / in this worlde / and also in the worlde to come And in this worlde suche periured persons god punysheth ofte with corporall punyshementes / as with pouertye sickenes / diseases / and with vnfaythfulnes that they be leaste beleued / that be moste swerers / men were wonte to cry out of them that dyd eate egges butter / mylk chese / and other lyke white meate in lente seson / and helde their peace at periurye / vnreuerente takynge the name of God in vayne / and bryngynge in it to be wytnesse or recorde in a false matter / for the whiche god threateneth punyshemente Deulero 5. Sayenge he that taketh the nayme of God in vayne shall nat be vnpunyshed / at the breakynge of Goddes lawe / we holde our peace / at the breaken of mannes lawe we crye out / and call them loosers and heretykes that eate white meate in lent season / whiche is a laweful thyng by goddes lawe / and maye lawfully be done / so it be nat done with contempte of the authoryte and with offendicle of wayke persons / and agaynste their conscience / thynkynge that thynge vnlaweful / and yet eate it agaynste conscyence / to take the name of god in vayne is alway vnlaweful / and forbydden by goodes lawe 2 Also the Apostle nat onely forbyddeth lyenge / but he coÌ„maundeth that men shall speake the trueth / and that symply plainly without all dissemblyng in wordes and in dedes / and to kepe the profitable trueth towardes all men alwaye as well in bargaynes as without byenge and sellynge choppynge or chanynge And here the Apostle reachethe that it is the offyce of a faythfull preachers nat onely to reproue vyce vsed amongest men / but also to shewe a medsyne for euery vice / and to heale the vyce with his propre medsyne to set vertu in the place of synne / synne clerely put awaye 3 This place reproueth them that go aboute to deceyue theyr neyghboure by crafte / falsed surelty or by any crafty meanes / and specially these that be symple / trusteth no falsed beleuynge that no man wolde deceyue them / yf they myght / but alacke for petie / that crafte / falsed / and periury / is suffred of rulers and Magistrates vnpunysshed / as they were nat forbyd of God / but at mannes pleasure and wyll / so synne vnpunyshed / is counted oftymes to be no synne / or small synne / ye peradueÌ„ture a vertue a worldely wysdome / and a good wordly polycye / a sygne of a wyse felowe that wylt thryue so to vse crafte / falsed is reckened to be thristey but howe someuer suche shryue before the worlde / they thryue nat before God almyghtye that forbyddeth suche thryfte / and coÌ„dempneth all suche thryuers / ye ieyrers brekers of his lawe 4 He sheweth the cause why we shulde nat vse crafte or falsed one to deceyue another / the cause is that we be membres of one body / one membre doth nat decyue another / nor wyll nat hurte another / but laboureth for another / as the hande dothe nat hurte the heade the legge or the foote but wyll laboure for them and prouyde that they wante nothynge or that they be nat hurte / or any other wayes nooed / and wyll in no wyse deceyue them / so shuld we all do one to another / seynge we be membres of Cstristes bodye / and one labour in trueth for another without deceyte / crafte or falsed as membres doth 6 Be angry but synne nat The Apostle wolde we shulde
nat be angrye at all / but yf to be it that we be angry / as we be men obiecte to the infirmities of the flesshe / he moueth vs to pacyfie and put awaye this angrye / least it brust out in chidyngê / hraulynges / contenciousnes / fyghtyngê in hat bytynge / or detraction of other / or lest by angry nat pacyfyed / it bryng to wordes / from wordes multiplyed to fyghtynge / so to murdre as oftymes we do se to come to passe Therfore the Apostle wolde that we shulde pacify the ire / put away anger sterred vp by occasion or infirmite of the flesshe clere awaye from our myndes / that no parte of yre or wrathe shulde remayne in herte or mynde or at the leaste it shulde nat remayne tyll sonne set / or go downe Therfore he sayeth / let nat the sonne go downe vpon your wrath / that is pacyfy put away anger and wrath as sone as caÌ„ be / by the helpe of God and be reconcyled in loue with hym / with whome you were angry / and desyre of hym no vengeaunce but leue all vengeaunce to God that wyll punyshe al malefactours that wyl nat repente s. gyue no place to the backebyter He sheweth why we shulde pacify that yre anger of mynde / leaste the deuyl seyng yre and anger remaynge in mynde or harte / shulde styrte vp men to auenge them felfes or moue men to chydyng / brawlyng fyghtynge and so to murdre / for the deuyl doth nat ceasse / but he goeth besylye about as a rampyng lyon searchynge whom he may deuoure and kyll / he ceasseth nat / but he diligently labours to brynge men to eternall deathe / and to death both of body and soule / therfore pacifye yre or wrath / leaste yt bruste vp and brynge mo euyls To be angry some tymes it is lawfull / as with synne and euyll doers that they maye resyst from euyll doynge / repent and ameÌ„de ye nat to be anry with synne is vnlawefull / and oftymes cheresheth euyl doers in theyr noughty doynge and maketh them more bolde to contynewe in euilnesse / and so wynkyng at meÌ„nes fautes is as it were approuynge of euyll doynge 7 He that hath stolen / let hym steale no more He mouyth men to fle thefte or taken away other mennes goodes agaynst the wyll of the mayster Theues be they nat onely that steale / and robbe openly by hye wayes / or other where taken away other mennes goodes / but also al they whiche by crafte / falsed / vsury / myght / power maystershyppe take awaye other mennes goodes / the maysters of these goodes nat knowynge or elles / nat wyllynge / and although all these be nat counted for theues before the worlde / nor be nat punyshed of the worlde for theues / yet before god they be theues / and shal be punysshed and hanged in hell if they do nat repent amende There be other that be theues before god all they that be idle and wyll nat laboure in their callynge / but take the profyte and pleasure in idylnes fyllynge their belyes / whiche god wyl punyshe as theues if they do nat repent and amende / for they be theues before god / although they be counted nat theues of the worlde but honeste men or Goddes feruantes alwaye occupyed in goddes seruice / when god peraueÌ„ture neyther knoweth them to be his seruantes / nor yet their seruice / to be his seruyce / to his honoure and glorye Many suche bely beastes hath this realme founde and cherysshed / and yet dothe And theues of this sorte be in euery contrey / in euery state of men which take the profyte dewe to them and do nat theyr deutye agayne to them to whome they shulde Therfore let euery one amende / and be no more theues before god / that they may scape punishment due for theues / and the wrath of god 8 Let euery man laboure in his callyng that he may haue to gyue to them that nedeth Here is shewed one cause why we shuld labour / that we might haue so helpe them that haue nede But he sheweth nat howe we shulde laboure / in what workes after what facion / he wylleth euery one to worke in his callynge accordynge to hys gyftes giuen him of god Some to labour with hande / some with mynde and studye or counsel or any other way occupie them selfes to the glorye of God and to the profyte of theyr negyhbours / all suche do laboure There is some that thynke no man doth labour but they that do occupy haÌ„dycraftes or workes / but these do nat thynke well of workers / for they be called labourers that do worke to the glory of God / to the profyte of other whether it be by haÌ„de fote / tonge / mynde / studye / counsell / or any other wayes in their callynge / for their is diuers membres in the body / and to euery one is gyuen his gyfte of god to the / profit of other / and to Goddes glorye wherfore me thynke it is nat agaynste goddes lawe that prestes shulde laboure with haÌ„de / specially such as caÌ„ nat preche goddes worde or if they coulde preache / it is nat agaynst goddes commaundement to laboure with hande after the example of Paule whiche laboured with his handes to get necessaries for hym selfe for other / least he shuld be paynful to other / or be slaunder to the gospell lest any shulde thynke be preached for lucre sake / or for to get him a lyuynge rather then to wynne and brynge men to Christ / and also that he wolde gyue other example to laboure and nat to be idle / for these causes other Paule laboured with his hande and dyd get his lyuynge for hiÌ„ selfe and for other / when he myght iustely haue taken it of them to whome he preached / but of his gentylnes and for other causes aboue shewed he remytted his deutye due to him / although a preest / ye a precher of goddes worde maye laboure with his hande and remytte his deuty dewe to him / yet the specialll labour of preestes shulde be to be exercised in the study of the scripture of god / whiche requireth al a mannes labour and diligence that they may haue lernyng / wherby they maye profyte other shewe to the people on the sabboth day The study of the scripture is requered of prestes 1. Timo. 4. rather then sayeng or muÌ„blynge vp of a popyshe payre of Mattyns or Euynsonge without edyfyeng 9 We muste laboure that we may haue to gyue to them that haue nede / and nat onely to gette necessaries for our selfes / or to get vs a quyet or a pleasante lyfe This place maketh agaynst them that say they wolde neuer labour if they might get their lyuynge other wayes / and agaynst all theÌ„ that forsake laboure and giue them selfe to ydlenes / wyl nat labour when they may labour to the glory of god to