caused he Timothe to be circumcised as we reade in the xvi chapiter whiche yet had in deede a Iewe to his mother when that his father was a Gentile Suche a difficultie was it to make of a Iewe a christian This nacion beyonde all other hadde a speciall vntowardnes nor was there euer founde any that more stiffely abode in theyr religion as Iosephus wryteth in his boke of the defence of the Iewes antiquitie Moreouer as the Iewes were especially hated of al people of the world to of theyr syde abhorred they againe al other nacions as vncleane cursed and deuilishe so farrefoorth that they disdained to talke with them who thought also yâ— their temple was vtterly suspended if any vncircumcised had entered there into Suche proude lookes had they for a lytle skynnes paryng of Forasmuche as therefore there was no likelyhode that the Grecians and Romaines would receiue suche an odious lawe and that the Iewes on theyr side helde on styl Paule fearyng lest by suche deadly contencion and strife a great parte of the fruite of the gospel might perishe be lost lest also the glory of Christ might by minglyng of Moses name be darkned and defaced in euery place specially laboreth vtterly to abrogate abolishe the ceremonies of the lawe and to persuade them that all assuraunce of attainyng saluacion is through Christ onely And as he sharpely but yet louyngly rebuketh the Galathians for that they fell backe to Iewishnes againe so doeth he prepare fortifie the Romaines lest they might elswyse vnware through false Apostles be snared whoÌ„ he wel wyst neuer ceassed eftsones encouragyng theÌ„ styl to continue in that doctrine whiche they had once begunne heartely to enbrace and fauor There was at Rome a great noumbre of Iewes whether they were brought thether by Pompeius Magnus who spoyled Hierusalem and made them captiues orels whether it were because the prouince of Iury appertained to the Romaines it is vncertaine but sure it is that theyr supersticion is by Horace Iuuenale and Senec oftymes reproued With them also was Paule after his comyng to Rome muche troubled as in the last chapiter of thactes of the Apostles it doeth plainely appeare Paule therfore like a runnyng craftesman with a wonderfull discrecion tempereth his tale betwene these two people the Iewes I say and Gentiles labouryng by all meanes possible to allure them vnto Christ as muche as in them lay procuryng that noman at al should perishe to that capitaine whose souldiar he was One whyle therfore chydeth he one sorte another whyle another and anone after againe comfortably encourageth them bothe The Gentiles pride he abated declaryng that neither the lawe of nature nor their Philosophie wherof they were so proude auayled them so but that they fell nethelesse into all kyndes of mischief Checkyng againe and reprouyng the Iewes arrogant myndes whiche through theyr affiaunce in the law had lost the chiefe grounde therof that is to wete fayth in Iesus Christ he teacheth them that the ceremonies of Moses lawe are abolished through the bright beames of the gospell of Christ whom the shadowes of the lawe rudely represented with diuers other thynges as the reste of the sabboth day the displeasure and paine of circumciâ—ion the comyng about of the calendes the holy dayes whiche thrise yerely came againe theyr choyse of meates makyng foule agayne the bathes euerie daye the boucherye of hurtles beastes the religion of their temple polluted with continuall slaughter of beastes and that all these darke shadowes at the lyght of the truthe appearing vanished awaye and that suche onlye are Abrahams chyldren as expresse Abrahams fayth that suche are the righte and trewe Iewes as professe Christes name and that they were verelye circumcised whose myndes were clensed from filthy desyers That true iustice also perfite blisse is equally gyuen to al people through the gospell and onlye faythe in Christe wythoute helpe of the lawe and that notwythstandyng that saluacyon was specially promysed vnto the Iewes yet was it so promysed vnto them that theyr owne Prophetes letted not to prophecye that the same saluacion beyng refused by the Iewes the preachyng of Christes gospell should be spreade abrode among the Gentiles that no man throughe Moyses lawe whom the Iewes carnally obserued obtayned ryghteousnes but throughe faythe as he proueth as well by the example of Abraham as also by diuerse testimonies of the lawe And after that when he hath by this meanes abated yâ— pryde of both partes by taking away this theyr vayne confidences in the profession of the gospel he maketh them equalle in suche sorte ioyous of the Gentiles saluacion that yet lyke a tender father he bewayleth the blyndnes of hys owne countreye men whome toward hym alwayes he founde moste spitefull and so he doeth mitigate this matier whyche was of it selfe harde that he sayeth that all were not blynded promisyng that the tyme should come when they should be of a better mynde amend beyng through the faith of yâ— Gentiles prouoked so to do And here by the way toucheth Paul manye highe dyuerse poyntes of doctrine as of predestinacion of foreknowleage of vocacioÌ„ of grace and merites of fre wyll of the vnsearcheable counsell of god of the lawe of nature of Moses lawe and of the law of synne Lykewyse herein are sondrye allegories as when he maketh two Adams one in whome we are borne to dye another in whome we be regenerate and borne agayne to lyue euerlastyngly WheÌ„ he maketh also two men an inwarde and an outwarde man the inwarde obedient to the spyryte and reason the outwarde subiecte and thrall vnto lustes desyers of whyche two the fyrste he calleth sometyme the body or membres sometyme the fleashe sumtyme the lawe of synne the other sometime calleth he the spirite When he also maketh two deathes that is to wytte the deathe of the soule and of the bodye and the thryde deathe wherein we dye vnto synne and synfull desyres And when he maketh three kyndes of lyfe a bodyly lyfe a spirituall lyfe and a lyfe wherin we lyue eyther iustely or synfully Agayne when he maketh two kyndes of bondage or libertie one wherewith we beyng made free from synne lyue a godly lyfe or els forsakyng ryghteousnes we do seruyce to synne And when he maketh two sortes of Iewishenes two kyndes of circumcision two degrees of AbrahaÌ„s posteritie two partes of Moyses lawe one lyke vnto the body carnall another whiche is spirituall as it were the lyfe of the lawe Two baptismes also of whiche the fyrste is when we at the fontstone are washed froÌ„ oure olde synnes the seconde is wheÌ„ we renouncyng all worldly pleasures dye with Christe Two kyndes of buryinges a bodely sepuiture wherin Christe laye thre dayes buried and a spirituall wherin we sequestring and as it were withdrawyng our selues from worldly busines do reste in hym Two maners of resurreccion the one paste alreadie in Christe and shall folowe in vs the other wherin we beyng quickened agayne
god tourned to our weale and aduauntage The texte ¶ And the gyfte is not ouer one synne as death came through one sinne of one that synned For damnation came of one synne vnto condemnation but the gyfte came to iustifie from many synnes For yf by the synne of one death raigned by the meanes of one muche more they whiche receaue aboundaunce of grace of the gyft of righteousnes shall raigne in lyfe by the meanes of one that is to saye Iesus Christe Agayne thoughe throughe Adams onlye offence damnation entred and through innoceÌ„t Christe saluation yet is not one equal to another For in suche sorte had damnacion her begynnyng that the synne of one man issued into al his posteritie by meane wherof it might in continuauÌ„ce of tyme at the last haue made the whole world thrall to synne but yâ— benefite of god coÌ„trarywyse is in suche sorte gyuen yâ— the sinnes of al the world then gathered together and growen strong are at once by Christes death wyped awaye and not only so but also righteousnes is gyuen And therfore albeit the synne of onlye one man had suche a power that it brought all men vnder the tyranny of death so that all suche as had offended as Adam did could not be but vnder the same yoke that he was yet muche more receaue we through the bountifull and ouer flowyng mercy of god whiche is that all suche as folowyng the example of Christ liue iustlye innocently shall not only be free from the tyranny of synne and death but also through him whiche is the onely authour of our felicitie and welthe raigne themselfes in lyfe euerlastyng The texte ¶ Lykewyse then as by the synne of one there sprang vp euell on all men to condâ—Ì„nation euen so by the righteousnes of one spryngeth good vpon all men to the righteousnes of lyfe For as by one mannes disobedience many became synners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteouse But the lawe in the meane tyme entred in that synne shoulde encrease Neuerthelater where abouÌ„daunce of sinne was there was more plenteousnes of grace That as synne had raygned vnto death eueÌ„ so myght grace raigne through righteousnes vnto eternall life by the helpe of Iesus Christe Herein therfore are bothe lyke that as by the offence of one man syn came into the worlde by meane wherof all became thrall vnto death so through yâ— ryghteousnes of one whiche is deriued into al suche as beleue and submyt themselfe vnto the kyngdom of lyfe are all men of god made righteouse and partakers of the kyngdom of life For as by AdaÌ„ through his disobedience to goddes commaundement many became synners whiles they folowed theyr fyrst fathers traÌ„sgression so shal only Christ which euen vnto the death of the crosse obeyed god his father make many righteouse all suche I saye as are folowers of his obedience But to returne agayne vnto our former purpose yf by suche meanes as we before spake of it pleased god both to take awaye synne also to geue righteousnes lyfe to what purpose was it to geue a law vnable to do any good Whervnto to answer it is to be vnderstanden that in this the lawe dyd good yâ— therby the great mercy of God toward vs became more euident better knoweÌ„ For the more great outragious the power of synne is the more notable is his benefite whiche deliuereth vs from synne Now is by the lawe the tyranny of synne set foorth whiles the same albeit in vaine resisteth it Strong and mightie was this tyranny but muche more mightie was the mercye of God wherof we haue by so muche more perfite experience the greater dauÌ„ger of the sayd tyraÌ„ny we haue hitherto been in And certainly for this also are we bounden to thanke the lawe because therby we perceiue the greatnes of Gods benefite by meane wherof as the deuil through synne winnyng the dominion destroyed mannes soule whiche is very death in dede so should godly life through Gods gifte obteinyng the kyngdome and vpper hande geue life vnto all men through the help of Iesus Christ vnder whom as our lorde and capitaine we reioyce beyng now deliuered from the boÌ„dage of death vnder whose baner we wer not long ago souldiars The .vi. Chapter The texte ¶ What shal we say then Shal we continue in synne that there may be aboundance of grace God forbid How shall we that are dead as touchyng synne liue any longer therin Knowe ye not that all we whiche are baptised into Iesus Christ are baptised to dye with him We are buried then with him by baptisme for to dye that likewise as Christ was raised vp froÌ„ death by the glory of the father euen so we also should walke in a new life For if we be graft in death like vnto him euen so shal we be partakers of the resurreccion knowyng this that our olde man is crucified with him also that the body of synne might vtterly be destroyed that hensfoorth we should not be seruauntes vnto synne For he that is dead is iustified from synne BVt because we before sayd that through the lawe sinne encreased that of sinne this good came that the grace of God more encreased lest by so saying some take occasion to continue in synne and this wyse thynke with him selfe if synne auaunce and encrease Gods grace towardes maÌ„ well done wer it to synne more often that his fre gifte may more and more encrease Herevnto I answer that pitie were it that any man should so thinke When I so sayd I ment and spake of the synnes of our former life whiche God of his goodnes turned to our weale and profite But now after that we are ons brought froÌ„ the tyraÌ„ny of synne into the kyngdome of innocencie God forbid that we should againe departe from our redemer and fall againe headlong into our olde tyrannous subiection Lyfe and death are so quite contrarye one to another that eche one destroyeth the other nor can they after like consideracion stande together Therfore if that as soone as we begynne to liue to Christ warde we be dead towarde the deuil with what reason standeth it that we should still liue to him warde to whom we are already dead If we liue to Christ then liue we not to yâ— deuil And if we through sinne liue vnto the deuil then are we to Christwarde dead But nowe forasmuche as we liue to Christ it foloweth that we are dead to synne whiche he hath by his death vaÌ„quished For mete it is that ye should know since ye haue receiued the baptisme of Christ what the sayd baptisme in vs doth bothe worke and signifie What tyme we are in Christes name baptised we dye with him touchyng yâ— synnes of our former life which synnes are through his death abolished and not onely so but buried also are we with him that by the same baptisme that as he whiche neuer liued synfully diyng
yet for our synnes was raised vppe again to life euerlastyng not by any worldely power but by the mightie power of his father so should we beyng through him raised out of the death of synne becomen dead to our former life leadyng hereafter a newe life walke in the trade of godly conuersacion continually encreasyng vpwarde from better to better For seyng that we are through baptisme planted into Christes bodye and in maner altered into him mete is it that whatsoeuer we see done in him whiche is oure head the same be of vs whiche are his membres either in life expressed or els loked for in tyme to come Rysen is he againe ascended into heauen and setteth in glorye at the right hande of his father All whiche thynges alreadye done in Christ we maye oure selues finally trust to enioye if for this present tyme as muche as in vs lyeth we folowe the same and diligently put them in vre Therfore if we through baptisme dye vnto our former synnes and fleashely lustes therin as we may resemblyng Christes death euen as mete and conuenient is it that we hensfoorth forsakyng the filthynes of synne and diligently exercisyng our selues in godly workes expresse in our liuyng his holy resurreccion To folowe Christes death is neither to kyl our selfes nor yet to hurt oure bodyes but then as ye well knowe dye we with him if to oure old frowarde appetites we haue suche a dull desyre yâ— to them we seame as dead For accordyng to our double generacion we must in our selfes coÌ„ceiue two menne th one olde grosse and like vnto the yearthly Adam thother newe desyrous of heauenly thynges as whiche hath by Christ sent from heauen his beginnyng Our olde man therfore is as it wer destroyed what tyme it was with Christ fastened vpon the crosse whervpon also were extinguished all oure desyres of transitorye pleasures whose whole rable maye well be called the body of synne This bodye of synne is then in vs effectually and holsomely slaine when hurtefull desyres are in suche sorte destroyed in vs that we no more do seruice vnto synne He that after this sorte as I haue now expressed foloweth Christes death is euen become a righteous man and is no longer subiecte vnto synne from whose tyranny he is already deliuered The texte Wherfore if we be dead with Christ we beleue that we also shall liue with him knowyng that Christ beyng raised from death dyeth nomore Death hath nomore power ouer him For as touchyng that he dyed he dyed concernyng synne once And as touchyng that he lyueth he liueth vnto God Lykewyse coÌ„sider ye also that ye are dead as touchyng synne but are aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our lorde Let not synne raigne therfore in your mortal bodye that ye should thervnto obeye by the lustes of it Therfore if as we haue now oftentymes sayd we be to Christ dead so deliuered froÌ„ our former synnes our trust is hereafter through innocent holy life to liue with him so to liue with him that we shall neuer dye more in this also as farre as possible is resemblyng Christ who submitted not him selfe in suche sorte to death that in him death should haue any power after but rose againe to liue euerlastyngly For as touchyng that he dyed vnto synne he dyed but once but touchyng that he nowe liueth he liueth to God his father by whose might he was from death raised to life euerlastyng And as it was in Christ so thynke your selfes once dead to synne by that your olde vâ—cious desyres are destroyed and by that ye are nowe becomen newe men as thoughe ye were raised againe from death to liue a heauenly and an immortall life to Godwarde by whose benefite we are nowe made innocent and holy For if ye this do not ye liue not to Godwarde because that to God noman lyueth but suche as liue godly righteously and in other vertues For synce that we are planted into Christes body and becomen one with him mete is it that we as membres be like vnto our head whiche is Christ And synce that he nowe lyueth to Godwarde for euermore reason it is that we likewyse liue vnto him through the same Iesus Christ our Lorde And as he beyng once raised froÌ„ death suffereth nomore the tyraÌ„ny of death so must ye take hede lest synne beyng nowe once banished out of your soules recouer in you againe the tyranny whiche it hath loste and so renewe his olde title of death As it surely wyll if ye folowe suche beastly desyres with whiche the deuil is wont to allure and bryng vs into our olde bondage The texte Neither geue ye your membres as instrumentes of vnrighteousnes vnto synne but geue ouer your selues vnto God as they that of dead are aliue And geue ouer your membres as instrumentes of righteousnes vnto God For sinne shal not haue power ouer you because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace And see that your membres beyng nowe consecrate vnto Christ do hencefoorth nomore seruice at the deuils mocion whom Christ hath subdued and so to worke vnrighteousnes but rather hereafter so vse your selues that by all your life it may appeare that ye with Christ haue forsaken all deadly synne and workes of death and to be altered into a new life And so shal ye in dede do if hencefoorth all your membres that is to say all the powers of your bodyes and soules be applyed not to vice in the deuils seruice but to righteousnes in the seruice of God For reason requireth that we wholly belong to him to whoÌ„ we haue once bouÌ„de our selues and with him to haue nothyng to do from whom we are now departed and whose yoke we haue once shaken of Nor is it to be feared leste synne wyll we or nil we bryng vs backe againe into our olde bondage because ye are nowe no longer vnder the lawe whiche rather prouoked wylfull desyres then suppressed but vnder Goddes grace whiche as it was able to deliuer vs from the bondage of synne so is it able to kepe and preserue vs that we nomore falle thervnto The texte What then shal we sinne because we are not vnder the law but vnder grace God forbid And yet nowe God forbid that in the meane season any manne should this wyse take my wordes when I sayd ye were free from the lawe either to thynke that forasmuche as the lawe is abolished ye may do as ye liste or that Goddes free goodnes whiche hath pardoned all our olde offences hath also therwith frely geuen vs libertie to do euil But rather so muche the more ought we to abstaine from synne because we are now nomore like slaues coÌ„pelled to do wel as by a law but are as childreÌ„ are wont to be with desertes loue prouoked therto So that your bondage is chaunged and not vtterly taken away In suche sorte haue ye geuen ouer the seruice of the lawe that ye nowe
are become Christes seruauntes whose seruice is all weale and blisse The texte Knowe ye not howe that to whom soeuer ye commit your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of synne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes Ye knowe both kyndes of seruice Now is it partly in your powers to chose whiche ye wyll for both together ye can not The tyme was when thou stodest in a fredome to kepe thy selfe out of bondage but synce thou hast freely made thy selfe another mannes and hast begunne to be obedient vnto him the same must thou onely obey whose seruaunt thou art become They therfore whiche geue them selues vnto synne and to synne become bondeslaues the fruite of that theyr bondage is death On the othersyde suche as to Christ haue dedicated and geuen them selues him must they obeye whiche they shal do to their owne great cōmoditie For by that theyr obedience nothyng shall Christ wynne but therby get they them slues righteousnes that is to wete the wel agreyng and pleasant company of all vertues knitte together The texte God be thanked that though ye wer the seruauntes of synne ye haue yet obeyed with heart vnto the rule of the doctrine that ye be brought vnto Ye are then made free from synne and are becomen the seruauntes of righteousnes I speake grosly because of the infirmitie of your fleshe Glad am I for your sakes and for this geue thankes vnto God that wheras heretofore ye were in this moste miserable bondage wholly geuen to idolatrie and filthy lustes ye are nowe departed from the tyranny of the deuil frely and gladly submittyng your selues to Christes kyngdome and gouernaunce purposyng hencefoorth to liue not as ye are either by wylful desyres or by the law moued but after the new rule of the gospel whervnto ye are brought from your olde errours so brought that ye are become vnder another lawe enfraunchised out of the dominion of synne and thence conueied to serue righteousnes and to do her behestes Nor thynke it harde and paynefull because ye are commaunded to serue righteousnes For as synne and godly life farre differ one from another so are theyr fruites quite cōtrary and the fruites of godly life infinitely more excellente so that if we weighe and consider but euen the thyng selfe muche more cause is there why men shuld more diligently serue God then the deuil For whoso serueth synne serueth the deuil but he that serueth innocencie serueth God But yet wyll not I for a whyle so muche require of you as I might lawfully do but rather temper and measure my writyng to y◠weakenes of them in whom the spirite of God is not yet fully ripe but are rather suche in whō yet the olde naughtie desyres labour to growe vp againe This onely require I that righteousnes be now with you in like condicion as synne before was The texte As ye haue geuen your membres seruauntes to vnclennes and to iniquitie from one iniquitie to another euen so now geue ouer your mēbres seruaūtes vnto righteousnes that ye may be sanctified For when ye were seruauntes of sinne ye were voyde of righteousnes And that as before this tyme you gaue your membres to serue vnclennes and iniquitie so that as blynd desyres led you ye fel frō one iniquitie to another euery day more filthy than other euen so now see that ye likewyse geue your membres to obey righteousnes whose seruauntes ye haue frely made your selfes therin styl encreasyng frō vertue to vertue euery day more pure and holy then other For it is to muche against al reason but that Christ should at lestwyse haue somuche seruice of you as the deuil had before this and as vnreasonable is it but that ye should now begynne to do as good seruice vnder your lady and maistres righteousnes as ye before in another sorte did vnto the tyranny of synne As touchyng your former synful life for your excuse after a sorte some thing may be sayd whiche is that as long as ye were heathens because ye wer bonde seruauntes to synne ye might seme with righteousnes to haue no thing to do nor to be any thyng bounde vnto her as to whom ye had not yet bounde and yelded your selues But now haue ye nothyng to lay for your defence But yet and if the excellent nature of righteousnes selfe moue you not consider and weigh yet the diuerse fruites and profite of bothe seruices you I speake vnto whiche haue of bothe seruices had experience The texte What fruite had ye then in those thinges wherof ye are now ashamed For the end of those thinges is death But now are ye deliuered from sinne and made the seruaūtes of God and haue your fruit to be sanctified and the ende euerlastyng life For the rewarde of synne is death but eternall life is the gifte of God through Iesus Christ our Lorde Cal to your remembraunce what tyme ye were seruauntes vnto sinne and as vile bonde slaues folowed wanton desyres what rewarde I pray you had ye at the laste Euen the synnes selfe haue theyr punishement ioyned vnto them because the same foorthwith all to defile and corrupt the whole man so vilanously and reprochefully defacyng him that since the tyme ye are amēded and as men awaked out of the dronkenes of syn ye are ashamed of your selfes so that your mindes abhorre to thinke vpō your olde noughtie pleasures And though this wages as ye see be not to be desyred yet besyde the last stipend hyre whiche the deuil payeth to suche as do him seruice is death euerlastyng Howbeit in very dede the life whiche in the meane leason is after this sorte ledde is a most shameful death in dede and not a life Nowe consider what a happye chaunge ye haue made whiche beyng deliuered from the tyranny of the deuil are now becomen the seruaūtes of God By this ye see I am sure how vnlike the maisters are But yf this content you not but that ye loke for a rewarde also fyrste of all wheras ye lyued before fylthy and wycked ye now lyue innocent pure and holy whiche only is the verye lyfe and besyde this after that this shorte tyme of your seruice is finished ye shall receyue your laste wages I saye lyfe euerlastyng Cōpare me nowe god with the deuil with vncleannes holynes with euerlastyng death lyfe euerlastyng Euen as I nowe tolde you so it is the rewarde of the deuyll is death whiche he geueth vnto menne for his fylthy and miserable seruice But contrarie for suche as accordyng to theyr abilities serue god is layde vp lyfe immortall not as hyre wages due for the same but as a free gyfte to be gyuen of God the moste mercifull father not for Moses but for Iesus Christes sake oure Lorde whome the father would haue thanked for all his gyftes geuen vnto vs rather then any lawe or circumcision The .vii. Chapiter The texte
of all healthe that you may behold hym in the meane while as it were with iyes not with bodily eiyes but with the iyes of the harte and mynde that see through the light of faithe wherewith the thynges are also seen that are to come whiche cannot be seene with the grosse bodily iyes whereby you maye knowe that which no humayne philosophie teacheth how blissed the enheritaunce is whiche he hath called vs to truste vpon and how excellent yâ— dignitie of this most pleÌ„teous enheritauÌ„ce is which the saynctes shal receyue howe great the largenesse and how excedyng the greatnesse of his power is which he declareth eueÌ„ now in vs the which also as it were with a certain secrete enforcement yâ— cannot be expressed with tongue hath transformed alâ—red vs froÌ„ our olde trade after such sorte that we conteÌ„ne al other thiges trust onely to him coÌ„teÌ„ning those thinges which wese we hope after such thinges of him as we se not such as he hath openly declared before in our head Christ whoÌ„ of his mightie power hauing raised from death to life immortal he hath exalted vnto so high honor that he hath set him on his owne right hand in yâ— kingdoÌ„ of heauen geuen him autoritie ouer al other rule potestate power lordship and euery other name of dignitie or power how excellent so euer it be aboue these afore rehearsed eyther in this worlde or in the worlde to come that he may be lorde not onely ouer bodely and earthly thinges but also ouer spirituall and heauenly thynges So ferre hath he subdued al thinges without excepcion vnder his feete And to make our hope more stedfast and certayn that we shall also come to the felowship of the same glorye for asmuche as he hath made Christe lorde ouer all thinges his pleasure was also that he shoulde be the head vnto al the whole flocke of the beleuing that cleaue so fast to Christe as the whole body is coupled to the head that the one can not be disceuered froÌ„ the other Finally the glory of the head is common to the rest of the members wherunto the head is so set about that it powreth his good nourishment into euery one of them The bodye is not perfit onleÌ„s the head be at it and the head wanteth sum what if the body be not set to perfitly consummate in all his meÌ„bres wherunto Christ doeth seuerally powre his excellent giftes in such wise that by himselfe he fulfilleth all thiÌ„ges and liueth and reigneth now whole and entierely perfit hauing his members vnited vnto himselfe ¶ The .ii. Chapter The texte And you hath he quyckened wher as ye were dead in trespasses and synnes in the whiche in tyme passed ye walked according to the course of this worlde euen after the gouerner that ruleth in the ayre the spiryte that nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbelefe emong whoÌ„ we all had out conuersacion also in tyme past in the lustes of oure fleshe and fuliâ—lled yâ— wyll of the fleshe and of the minde and were by nature the chyldren of wrath euen as well as other But God whiche is ryche in mercye for his greate loue wherwith he loued vs euen when we were deade by sinnes quickened vs together in Christ by grace arâ— ye saued and raysed vs vp together with hym made vs sytte together with hym emong them of heauen in Chryst Iesu That in tymes to come he myght shewe the exceding riches of his grate in kindnes to vs ward thorow Christ Iesu For by grate are ye made safe thorowe faythe and that not of your selues It is the gyite of God and coÌ„meth not of workes lest any man should â—â—ast hym selfe For we are his worckemaÌ„shyppe created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes whiche God ordeined that we should walke in them NOwe marke me this how the father hath begon in a maner to accomplish euen now in you that that is accomplished already in Christ shal be after ward accoÌ„plished in you Christ dyed and rose agayn shall neuer after dye any more Certes he was not subiecte to sinne albeit forasmuche as he tooke vpon him an humaine bodie he was subiecte to mortalitie To be briefe like as sin is a certain death of the soule and the forewarning of eternall death euen so is innocencie a certayne life of the soule and the beginning of eternal life But of this maner of lyfe God that geueth vs his spirite is the prince And the deuil is yâ— autor of death hauing also a spirite of his owne wherwith those that ve enspired are rapt vnto the pleasures of this world and plainely distrust the promisses of eternal lyfe Christ dyed for our offences and rose agayn to make vs sure of the immortalitie to come In the meane tyme after hys exaumple you also being engraffed to Christ through baptisme are dead to your sinnes and wickednes wherein as long as you liued vngodly you were dead in dede for asmuche as you had affyaunce in nothing but noysome shadowes of good thinges wherwith this worlde for a tyme disceaueth suche as wantyng the spirite of God are lead by the spirite of Satan whose tirannye in the meane while is permitted ouer this lower element His spirit I say and he himselfe setteth out as it were his own power in them that hauing no trust in the promisses of the Gospell set theyr whole felicitie in visible and transitory thinges and geue no eare to God the father that allureth them to true felicitie but had leauer serue that wieked cruell maister whome in tymes past you serued and not you alone but all we also For albeit the law restrayned vs from the wurshipping of Images yet our lyfe was altogether defyled with noysome lustes of corporall thynges by the enforcemente whereof we passed of the tyme not doyng those thynges whiche the holy ghoste commaunded but those that our owne mynde geuen to filthie affectes bad vs doe By reason wherof it came to passe that like as they which are encorporated to Christe through fayth appertayne to the enheritaunce that is promised to obedient children euen so we as disobedient children should haue belonged to a ferre contrary enheritaunce that is to say we should haue becomen the companions of hym to whome we had ioyned our selues That death is eternal that is appoynted to the wicked Wherunto we also were subiect asmuche as other touchyng our owne state and condicion We had addicted ourselues vnto it of our owne free choice but it was not in our power to wynde vs agayne out of that most miserable seruitude Nowe you haue heard of our death now you haue harde of our destruccion but whereof commeth lyfe whereof commeth saluacyon Truely not of our desertes nor yet by the benefite of Moses lawe Whence than Surely of the free largesse of God the father whose bounteousnesse and louyng affection is so plenteous and so exceadingly great to mankyndewarde that
suche a foundacion mete and conuenient And take hede that ye wauer not this waye or that waye as euery blaste of newe doctrine moueth you but staÌ„de stedfast and stable in that ye haue once learned and endeuour not only to stande stedfastly but also to encrease euery daye from better to better that your fayth and fruites of godly lyfe beyng dayly more and more augmented ye maye alwayes haue some newe thing to gyue god thankes for whoÌ„ ye must in dede thanke for all that is by you well done The texte Beware lest any man sporle you through Philosophy and disceitfull vanitie after the tradicion of men and after the ordinaunces of the worlde and not after Christe Suche as would bring you froÌ„ your simplicitie watche busely watche muste ye on the other syde lykewyse least beyng as it were enchaunted with the royall and glyttering appacences of theyr Phylosophie ye be â—roÌ„ your sound fayth altred and brought to the vayne deuties of men and so become as it were a spoyle or praye for your aduersaries as ye shall vn doubtedly be if ye turne from the truth of the gospell and beled with the rules of mennes onlye makyng whiche stande in suche thinges as maye with our carnal eyes be sene and in the grosse pointes of this world wher as Christes doctrine is heauenly and spirituall and teacheth the righte and trewe religion whiche standeth in myndes and not in meates and drinkes nor in bodily apparell no nor in keping of dayes nor yet in wasshyng of handes whiche thynges to trewe religion make nothing Suche pointes withdraw vs rather froÌ„ Christe and deuide vs froÌ„ the welspring from whence it were mete we sought for all grace and goodnes The texte For in hym dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodely and ye are complete in him whiche is the head of all rule and power â–ª by whome also ye are circumcised with circumcision whiche is done with out handes for asmuche as ye haue put of the synfull bodye of the fleshe through the circumcision that is in Christ in that ye are buried with hym through baptisme in whome ye are also tysen agayne through fayth yâ— is wrought by the operacion of God whiche raysed hym from death For into hym are not some certayne giftes deriued as oute of the ryuer a litle water runneth into the dyche but in hym resteth and dwelleth corporally the hole fulnes of the godhead so that yf ye haue hym ye nede not to seke either for the shadowes of Moses lawe or the subtile conueyaunce of worldly wisdome The trouth is playnly delyuered vs as al ouâ— sences beare recorde no nede haue we to seke for figures or doubtfull promises Synce ye are once graffed in Christe and framed into one bodye with hym why shoulde you elswher loke to haue any thyng For since he lacketh nothyng would haue all his treasure coÌ„men to al men through hym in hym needes must ye be made complet whither ye lacke wysdome or power For as he is the welspring of wysedome which can neuer be dryed vp so is he the heade of all power rule Nor is ther any power no not of the hyghest order of Aungels I say but that the same to hym boweth his knees Iewes paradueÌ„ture endeuoure to bring you in minde that it is a weightye matier to haue you circumcised as they be â–ª as though the state of mannes body and suche externe thinges brought vs into goddes fauour But rather be in this persuaded that whosoeuer haue Christ enioye with hym all the glorie and commendacion of circumcision And who so haue not Christe to them is all theyr circumcision vayne and vnprofitable They haue but the shadow of circumcision ye therof in your soules haue the verye truthe For sythe the Iewes circumcision meaneth that groce and carnall desyers should be cut out of al theyr soules which now loke for nothyng but heauenly thinges vncircumcised needes must they be whiche with couetous myndes styll labour to haue more which please their bealyes whiche with enuy malice pyne a way which vayngloriously seke for worldly prayse despayre of heauenly rewardes But ye contrarie are through Christ veryly circumcised not with that circumcisioÌ„ which is done with mannes handes but after a spirituall kynde of circumcision Nor haue ye a litle piece onlye of the carnall man pared awaye but from you is cut the whole bodye defyled with syn and all corrupted with carnal lustes that through the spirituall circumcision of Christ Iesus For as he dying forsoke his bodye that was subiect to death rysyng againe receyued a body whiche coulde not dye so are ye in baptisme throughe the spirite of god with hym spiritually dead castyng of all the synnes of your olde lyfe and not only deade with hym but also buried with hym For wheÌ„ synfull desyers are kylled perfite quyetnes of mynde foloweth And after suche forgoyng of your bodyes which were thral to sinne whiche sinne is the very death of the soule ye are through Christe with hym risen agayne free from synne nor for your desertes but only because ye stedfastly beleue in god who by his mightie power restored Christe agayne from death to lyfe and that he also in you by his power worketh that vpon free remissioÌ„ of all your sinnes through the death of his soÌ„ne ye shoulde hencefurthe liue with him subiect to no sin but through innocent vprighte life make haste forwarde to the life that shall neuer haue ende ThaÌ„kes then should god the father haue for all suche thinges whiche he through his soÌ„ne gyueth you Nothing auauntaged it the Iewes because they were circumcised and vncircumcision to you which are Gentiles was no hinderauÌ„ce But to be vncircumcised was therfore a deadly lacke because ye wer wholy gyuen to groce and wycked desyres and therby subiecte to death or rather because ye were without the grace of god who is the lyfe of mannes soule ye were spiritually deade The texte And ye when ye were dead through synne and through the vncircumcision of youre fleshe hathe he qâ—ickened with hym and hath forgyuen vs all oure trespaces and hath put out the hande wrytyng that was agaynst vs contayned in the lawe wryten that hathe he taken oute of the waye and hath fastened it to his crosse and hath spoyled rule and power and hath made a shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his owne persone This kynde of vncircumcision I saye was to both sortes of vs comen whiche god hath with his holy spirite cutte of and taken away forgeuing vs all oure synnes and in suche sorte forgyuyng them that we are oute â—â— the ieopardie of hauyng the same offences any more hereafter to be layed vnto oure charge because we haue aduisedly sworne to be obedieÌ„t to Moses lawe for breache wherof oure aduersary the deuyll myght haue an action agaynste vs as agaynst men bounden by theyr owne hande wryting yea
to gyue god thankes for whoÌ„ ye must in dede thanke for all that is by you well done The texte Beware lest any man spoyle you through Philosophy and disceitfull vanitie after the tradicion of men and after the ordinaunces of the worlde and not after Christe Suche as would bring you froÌ„ your simplicitie watche busely watche muste ye on the other syde lykewyse least beyng as it were enchaunted with the royall and glyttering apparences of theyr Phylosophie ye be froÌ„ your sound fayth altred and brought to the vayne deuises oâ— men and so become as it were a spoyle or praye for your aduersaries as ye shall vn doubtedly be if ye turne from the truth of the gospell and be led with the rules of mennes onlye makyng whiche stande in suche thinges as maye with our carnal eyes be sene and in the grosse pointes of this world wher as Christes doctrine is heauenly and spirituall and teacheth the righte and trewe religion whiche standeth in myndes and not in meates and drinkes nor in bodily apparell no nor in keping of dayes nor yet in wasshyng of handes whiche thynges to trewe religion make nothing Suche pointes withdraw vs rather froÌ„ Christe and deuide vs froÌ„ the welspring from whence it were mete we sought for all grace and goodnes The texte For in hym dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godhead bodely and ye are complete in him whiche is the head of all rule and power â–ª by whome also ye are circumcised with circumcision whiche is done with out handes forasmuche as ye haue put of the synfull bodye of the fleshe through the circumcision that is in Christ in that ye are buried with hym through baptisme in whome ye are also rysen agayne through fayth yâ— is wrought by the operacion of God whiche raysed hym from death For into hym are not some certayne giftes deriued as oute of the ryuer a litle water runneth into the dyche but in hym resteth and dwelleth corporally the hole fulnes of the godhead so that yf ye haue hym ye nede not to seke either for the shadowes of Moses lawe or the subtile conueyaunce of worldly wisdome The trouth is playnly delyuered vs as al our sences beare recorde no nede haue we to seke for figures or doubtfull promises Synce ye are once graffed in Christe and framed into one bodye with hym why shoulde you elswher loke to haue any thyng For since he lacketh nothyng would haue all his treasure coÌ„men to al men through hym in hym needes must ye be made complet whither ye lacke wysdome or power For as he is the welspring of wysedome which can neuer be dryed vp so is he the heade of all power rule Nor is ther any power no not of the hyghest order of Aungels I say but that the same to hym boweth his knees Iewes paradueÌ„ture endeuoure to bring you in minde that it is a weightye matier to haue you circumcised as they be as though the state of mannes body and suche externe thinges brought vs into goddes fauour But rather be in this persuaded that whosoeuer haue Christ enioye with hym all the glorie and commendacion of circumcision And who so haue not Christe to them is all theyr circumcision vayne and vnprofitable They haue but the shadow of circumcision ye therof in your soules haue the verye truthe For sythe the Iewes circumcision meaneth that groce and carnall desyers should be cut out of al theyr soules which now loke for nothyng but heauenly thinges vncircumcised needes must they be whiche with couetous myndes styll labour to haue more which please their bealyes whiche with enuy malice pyne away which vayngloriously seke for worldly prayse despayre of heauenly rewardes But ye contrarie are through Christ veryly circumcised not with that circumcisioÌ„ which is done with mannes handes but after a spirituall kynde of circumcision Nor haue ye a litle piece onlye of the carnall man pared awaye but from you is cut the whole bodye defyled with syn and all corrupted with carnal lustes that through the spirituall circumcision of Christ Iesus For as he dying forsoke his bodye that was subiect to death rysyng againe receyued a body whiche coulde not dye so are ye in baptisme throughe the spirite of god with hym spiritually dead castyng of all the synnes of your olde lyfe and not only deade with hym but also buried with hym For wheÌ„ synfull desyers are kylled perfite quyetnes of mynde foloweth And after suche forgoyng of your bodyes which were thral to sinne whiche sinne is the very death of the soule ye are through Christe with hym risen agayne free from synne nor for your desertes but only because ye stedfastly beleue in god who by his mightie power restored Christe agayne from death to lyfe and that he also in you by his power worketh that vpon free remissioÌ„ of all your sinnes through the death of his soÌ„ne ye shoulde hencefurthe liue with him subiect to no sin but through innocent vprighte life make haste forwarde to the life that shall neuer haue ende ThaÌ„kes then should god the father haue for all suche thinges whiche he through his soÌ„ne gyueth you Nothing auauntaged it the Iewes because they were circumcised and vncircumcision to you which are Gentiles was no hinderauÌ„ce But to be vncircumcised was therfore a deadly lacke because ye wer wholy gyuen to groce and wycked desyres and therby subiecte to death or rather because ye were without the grace of god who is the lyfe of mannes soule ye were spiritually deade The texte And ye when ye were dead through synne and through the vncircumcision of youre fleshe hathe he quickened with hym and hath forgyuen vs all oure trespaces and hath put out the hande wrytyng that was agaynst vs contayned in the lawe wryten that hathe he taken oute of the waye and hath fastened it to his crosse and hath spoyled rule and power and hath made a shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his owne persone This kynde of vncircumcision I saye was to both sortes of vs comen whiche god hath with his holy spirite cutte of and taken away forgeuing vs all oure synnes and in suche sorte forgyuyng them that we are oute of the ieopardie of hauyng the same offences any more hereafter to be layed vnto oure charge because we haue aduisedly sworne to be obedieÌ„t to Moses lawe for breache wherof oure aduersary the deuyll myght haue an action agaynste vs as agaynst men bounden by theyr owne hande wryting Yea the olde obligacion by ryght wherof the deuyll sued vs hath Christe rased oute assone as we professed the fayth of his gospell through whome the offences of our olde lyfe are forgyuen so that the â—ame are layed to no mannes charge For whatsoeuer myght of vs by ryghte of this wrytyng be requyred that same hath Christe for our sakes payed vpon the crosse where the wrytyng was rente torne and vtterly cancelled Nor haue we
speake As ofte as you denye any thinge denye it with youre whole hearte nether let any thynge elles bee in youre hearte than youre mouthe speaketh that there be no counterfaictynge in you seing you are disciples of the trueth And if there bee any manne sore afflicted amonge you let hym not flee to the remedies of thys worlde to rynges to inchauntmentes to baynes and other easementes of sorowe but let hym turne hym to prayer and lyfte vp hys mynde to God with most assured faithfull trust and he shall fâ—â—de present releaâ—se of his mournyng Agayne if a manne be well content in prosperitie let him not enhaunce him selfe folishely nor behaue hym selfe madlye but let him praise the liberall goodnesse of God in holy songes of thankes geuing Nowe if any manne be punnyshed with syckenes let hym not flee to the remedies of witchecrafte let hym not spende a great sight of money vpon phisicions whose curing is many tymes of suche sorte that it were better pacientlye to departe out of the world but let hym call vnto him the elders of the christian congregacion Let them make theyr prayers to God for the dyseased and annoynte him with oyle not hauyng any prayers of wytchecrafte as the heathen are wont to doe but callyng vpon the name of oure lorde Iesu Christe then the which there is no kinde of enchauntmente more effectuall And let the prayers be done in a trusty faithe and God shall heare and preserue the diseased And there shall not only healthe of bodye bee restored vnto hym if it be expedient for the diseased but also if he bee endaungered with synnes as diseases of bodye spryng for the moste parte of the sorowes of the mynde they shal be forgeuen hym at the elders supplicacions so that the faith of them be commendable that doe praye and of hym for whome they dooe praye The texte Knowledge your fautes one to another and praye one for another yâ— ye may be healed For the feruent prayer of a ryghteous manne auayleth muche Helyas was a man mortall euen as we are and he prayed in hys prayer that it myght not rayne and it rayned not on the earthe by the space of tore yeares and sâ—â—e monethes And he praied againe and the heaueÌ„ gaue raâ—â—â— and the earth brought forth her frute Brethren if any of you do erre from the trueth and anoâ—her conueâ—â—e hym let the same knowe that he whiche conuerteth the synner from goâ—ng astraye out of his waye shal saue a soule from death and shall by de the multytude of synnes And forasmuche as the life of manne consisteth not without light and dayly offences it shal be conuenyentâ— to vse a dayly remedie that you maye bothe releue euery one other with your mutuall prayers and acknowlage euery one hys faulte to other And so shall the remedy be auayleable â–ª if thou acknowlage thy disease and desire helpe Supersticious folkes suppose a secret hydden efficacie to be in theyr enchauntmentes and prayers but in very dede the prayer of a righteous manne is muche worthe whiche through faithe obteyneth what so euer it desireth of God Vpon this condicyon Christe made couenaunt with vs that what so euer we shall aske in a faythfull trusty confidence we shoulde obteyne it onles it be suche a thynge as were beste not to be obteyned Would you fayne haue a doctrine of thys matter Helyas was a pure manne he was a mortall manne as we are and yet at his prayers it rayned not vpon the earthe thre yeares and sixe monethes He prayed agayne that it myght rayne and anone the heauens as hauynge hearde hys prayers gaue rayne and the earthe brought forthe his frute Incase the heauen be obedient to the prayers of one godly manne as though it were bewytched is it any maruayle if God beynge moste readye to forgeue be pleased at the prayers of many Now weight this brethren if it be godly if it be the partes of christyan loue to ease the sickenes of an other mannes bodye through commune prayers how muche more indifferent reason is it that we shoulde succour them that be diseased in mynde For it is no greate matter to obteyne this by prayer that it may be somwhat longer before deathe happen to this man or that man howbeit it muste nedes comme ones but it is a great matter to haue aboyded the disease of minde Therfore if there be any among you that erre from the Gospelles veritie ether to muche cleauyng to the lawe of Moses or be a stubburne folower of heathen relygion deliuered of the elders let no man thinke that he should be dryuen awaye with scoldyng but it behoueth rather to endeuour with all â–ª studies to this ende that he maye turne and reâ—ent from hys errour For who so euer doeth thus shall doo God a greate sacrifice who wisheth not the deathe of a synner but rather that he may turne and lyue For that man doeth a great feate that preserueth the soule from deathe delyuerynge hys brother from synnes wherby he was holden in subieccyon of deathe Nether in the meane â—yme shall he wante hys rewarde for Christe shall forgeue hym hys synnes agayne how many so euer they be that shall kepe his brother from destrucâ—yon ¶ Thus endeth the epistle of S. Iames the apostle The argument vpon the fyrst Epistle of thapostle S. John by Erasmus of Roterodam THat this is Saincte Iohn thapostles epistle whiche wrote the Gospell the very stile of the wordes selfe is a playne argument He maketh muche a dooe in the rehersall of light and darckenes life and deathe hare and loue in often repetinge the wordes as though they were taken out of the sayinge nexte before Of the whiche sorte to open my saying more plainly by example this is one Loue not the Vuorlde nether those thinges that are in the VVorld Yf any manne loue the VVorlde the loue of the father is not in hym for all that is in the VVorlde c. And anon after He is not of the father but of the VVorlde and the Vuorlde passeth aVuaye How often here is the worlde rehearsed Fynally in all hys sayinge there is lesse compendyous shortenes and more open plainesse than in the writynge of the reste of thapostles And as for thepistle it is more euidently plaine than nedeth any argumente like as the two Epistles folowinge are whiche are ascribed to one Iohn a certayne senior and not to Iohn the apostle Thus endeth the Argumente The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the firste Epistle of Sainct Iohn The fyrste Chapter The texte That which was from the beginnyng which we haue herd which we haue sene with our eyes which we haue loked vpon and oure handes haue handled of the worde of the lyfe And â—he lyfe appeared and we haue sene and beare witnes and shewe vnto you that eternall life whiche was with the father and appeared vnto vs. That whithe we haue sene and hearde declare we vnto you that ye also maye haue felowshyp
and of all thinges that he sawe Happye is he that readeth and they that heare the wordes of the prophesye kepe those thinges which are wrytten therin For the tyme is at hande VNto our sauiour Iesus Christe after his manhode was geuen of god his father not onely all sufficiencie and fulnes of grace but also the knowledge and reuelacion of all suche secret mysteries as shoulde happen from tyme to tyme in Christendome vntyll suche tyme as he shoulde come againe vnto the lattre iudgement whiche secretes our sauiour Christ dyd reuele and open throughe his angels vnto his electe seruauntes and specially vnto holy S. Iohn I meane vnto that Iohn whiche bare wytnes of the worde of god and of Iesus Christ and dyd recorde all suche matters and doctrine as he himselfe had sene and lerned Whiche doctrine shall be very profytable vnto euery one that shall reade vnderstande this prophecye so far as he shal endeuer himselfe to lyue therafter preparinge appointynge himselfe thorowe a true faith and a christen conuersacion to please the lorde in this lyfe whiche is shorte and transitorye and the ende therof vncerten ▪ The texte ¶ Iohn to the seuen congregacions in Asia Grace be vnto you peace from him whiche is and whiche was and whiche is to come and from the seuen spirites whiche are before his trone and from Iesus Christ whiche is a faythful witnes and first begotten of the dead and Lorde ouer the Kynges of the earth Vnto him that loued vs wasshed vs from our synnes in his awne bloude and made vs kynges and prestes vnto god his father be glorye and dominion for euermore Amen In lytle Asia were notable churches and congregacions set vp institute of the holy apostles speciallye of S. Paule vnto whiche also S. Peter wryteth confirmeth them in the faythe and vnto the same dothe S. Iohn wryte specially in consyderacion that this doctrine shoulde concerne all churches generally whiche were at that tyme standynge or shoulde afterwarde be institute thorowe out the whole world And he wysheth vnto them all as muche good as he can thincke or dyuyfe from god whiche is onely the gyuer of all good thinges is and remayneth for euer vnmutable ruleth gouerneth all thinges wherunto he vseth the ministraciō seruice of his angels which are infynyte in nombre whiche thing the nombre of seuen dothe sygnifye accordynge vnto the vse of holy scripture And with this eternall father holy spirite one god reygneth our lord Iesus Christ which is appointed to be the ruler of al thīges in heauen earth of al sensyble creatures both gostly as the spirites are bodily He in his mans nature for very loue toward mankinde was sēt for the comforte and wealth of y◠who le world testifyed most faithfully vnto al the world the wil of his father in the gospel accordyng as it was before promysed in all the prophetes that he shoulde be the founder and performer of the newe testament and should be offered vp and dye for the synnes of the whole world and in the resurrectiō or vprisynge againe of the bodye and soule he shoulde goe before all the resydue of the faythfull and be their guyde vnto euerlastynge lyfe whiche lyfe he onely hath meryted and purchaced thorowe his perfyte obedyence vpon the erosse vnto death And therefore is he exalted as concernynge his manhode aboue all creatures and hath receyued the moost worthiest and hyghest name and tytle that can be named eyther in this world or in the worlde to come And he hath purchaced and deserued for all the holy elect children of god the honour and glorye of the euerlastynge kyngdome and also grace to rule and gouerne our selues vertuouslye and to offre vp dayly and continually a pleasant sacryfyce of thanckes geuynge in true faith in god thorow Iesus Christ Vnto hym therfore alone parteyneth all honour and glorye The texte ¶ Beholde he commeth with cloudes and al eyes shal see him and they also which pearsed him And all kynreds of the earth shall wayle ouer him Euen so Amen Euen in despyte and against the wyll and mynde of all them that crucifyed Christ and woulde not take nor knowledge him for a kyng yet he commeth in the hyghest maiestye whiche excelleth all glorye and power of all otherkynges that euer were and nowe sheweth hym selfe and appeareth thorowe fayth vnto all his electe as the very messias and sauiour of the worlde whiche was so long desyered and loked for And whan he shal come at the latter daye to iudge the quycke and the deade than shall all the Iewes and vnfaythful whiche despysed him at his first commynge whan he came with suche humblenes crucyfyeng and putting him to death and woulde not receyue nor knowledge hym for a sauioure and a messias they shall than see him with feare and tremblyng and he shall appeare dreadfull vnto them The texte ¶ I am Alpha and Omega the begynnynge and the endynge sayeth the Lorde almighty whiche is and whiche was and whiche is to come I Iohn your brother and companion in tribulacion and in the kyngdome and pacience in Iesu Christe was in the yle that is called Pathmos for the word of god and for the witnessynge of Iesus Christ This doth Christ speake to declare his godly maiestye and his eternall substaunce his almyghtye power without ende or begynnynge And he speaketh after the maner of the grecians amonge the whiche Alpha is the first letter Omega the last And after this speaketh S. Iohn the Euangelist again of his owne parson without any worldly boasting reioysyng as it becommeth a Christē man not in any honour or ryches of the world nor yet in any holynes the is in himselfe but onely in the affliccions persecuciōs pacience mysery partycypacion of the rightuousnes in Christ wherof he is a witnes a partener in sufferyng for Christes sake which thing hapned vnto him for the gospel by the procurement commaundemēt of Domicianus the Emperour which would haue bene honoured for a God where as Iohn taught that the onely lyuynge god and none els ought to be honoured and called vpon For y◠whiche cause Iohn was banyshed sent into Pathmos where god dyd shewe this reuelacion vnto him bad him wryte it so by that meanes thorow his wryting to set furth to further the glorye of Christ in his banyshemēt more thā euer he had bene able to haue done with his wordes or preachinge onely yf he had styll remayned amonge his frendes in his countrey The texte I was in the spirite on a sondaye and hearde be hynde me a great voyce as it had bene a trempe saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the sast That thou seest wryt in a booke and sende it vnto the seuen congregacions whiche are in Asia vnto Ephesus and vnto Smyrna and vnto Pergamos and vnto Thiatira and vnto Sardis and vnto Philadelphia
a goo or there vpon To fulfill the lawe to do the workes therof and what soeuer the lawe commaundeth with loue lust and inwarde affeccion and delectacion and to lyue godly and wel frely wyllingly and without compulsyon of the lawe euen as though there were no lawe at all Such lust and free libertie to the lawe cometh onlye by the workynge of the spirite in the herte as he saieth in the fyrst Chapter Nowe is the spirite none other wise geuen then by faithe onely in that we beleue the promises of God without wauering how that God is true and wyll fulfyll all his good promyses towarde vs for Christes bloudes sake as it is playne in the .i. Chapter I am not ashamed sayeth Paul of Christes gladde tydynges for it is the power of God vnto saluacion to as many as beleue For attonce and together euen as we beleue the glad tydynges preached to vs the holy goste entreth into our hertes and lowseth the bondes of the deuyl whiche before possessed oâ—â—e hertes in captiuitie helde them that we coulde haue no lust to the will of God in the lawe And as the spirite commeth by fayth only euen so faythe commeth by hearygne the worde or glad tydynges of God when Christe is preached how that he is Gods sonne and man also dead and risen again for our sakes as he saieth in the iii.iiii and .x. Chapters All our iustifying then commeth of fayth and fayth and the spirite come of God and not of vs. When we saye faythe bringeth the spirite it is not to bee vnderstande that faith deserueth the spirite or that the spirite is not present in vs before fayth For the spirite is euer in vs and faythe is the gyfte and workyng of the spirite But thorow preaching the spirite beginneth to worke in vs. And as by preachinge the lawe he worketh the feare of God so by preachynge the glad tydinges he worketh faythe And nowe when we beleue and are come vnder the couenaunt of God theÌ„ are we sure of the spirite by the promyse of God and then the spirite accompaineth fayth inseperablie and we begynne to fele his workinge And so faythe certifyeth vs of the spirite and also bringeth the spirite with her vnto the workynge of all other gyftes of grace and to the working oure of the rest of oure saluacion vntill we haue all to gether ouercome synne death hell and Satan and are come vnto the euerlastynge lyfe of glory And for thys cause saye we faythe bryngeth the spirite Hereof commeth it that faythe onely iustifieth maketh righteous and fulfilleth the law for it bryngeth the spirite thorow Christes deseruynges the spirite bryngeth luste looceth the hert maketh him free setteth him at libertie and geueth him strength to worke the dedes of the lawe with loue euen as the lawe requireth Then at the last out of the same faythe so workynge in the herte springe all good workes by their owne accorde That meaneth he in the thyrde Chapter for after he hath cast awaye the workes of the lawe so that he soundeth as though he woulde breake and disanull the lawe thorow faythe he aunswereth to that myght be layde agaynste saying we destroy not the lawe thorow faythe but mayntyene further or stablyshe the lawe thorow faythe That is to saye we fulfyll the lawe thorow faythe Synne in the scripture is not called that outwarde worke onely committed by the body but all the whole busynes and what soeuer accompanieth moueth or stereth vnto the outwarde dede and that whence the workes springe as vnbelefe pronenes and redines vnto the dede in the ground of the herte with all the powers affeccions and appetytes wherwith we can but synne So that we saye that a man then sumeth when he is caried awaye hedlonge into synne all to gether as muche as he is of that poyson inclynacion and corrupte nature wherin he was conceyued and borne For there is none outwarde synne committed excepte a manne be caryed awaye all together with lyfe soule herte bodye luste and mynde therunto The scripture loketh singularly vnto the herte and vnto the rote and originall fountayne of all synne whiche is vnbelefe in the botome of the herte For as faythe onely iustifieth and bryngeth the spirite and luste vnto the outwarde good workes euen so vnbelefe only damneth and kepeth out the spirite prouoketh the fleshe and stereth vp luste vnto the euyll outwarde workes as happened to Adam and Eua in Paradise Genesis .iii. For this cause Christ calleth synne vnbelefe and that notably in the .xvi. Chapter of sainct Iohn The spirite sayeth he shall rebuke the worlde of synne because they beleue not in me And Iohn .viii. he sayeth I am the lyght of the world And therfore in the .xii. of Iohn he byddeth them while they haue light to beleue in the light that ye may be the chyldren of light for he that walketh in darkenes woteth not whither he goeth Nowe as Christ is the light so is the ignoraunce of Christ that darkenes wherof he speaketh in whiche he that walketh woteth not whither he goeth that is he knoweth not howe to worke a good worke in the syght of god or what a good worke is And therefore in the .ix. he sayeth as longe as I am in the worlde I am the lyght of the worlde but there cometh nyght when no manne can worke which nyght is but the ignoraunce of Christ in which no man can se to do any worke that pleaseth God And Paul exhorteth Ephesi .iiii. that they walke not as other hethen whiche are straungers from the lyfe of god thorow the ignoraunce that is in them And agayne in the same Chapter Put of saieth he the olde man whiche is corrupt thorowe the lustes of erroure that is to saye ignoraunce And Rom .xiii. Let vs caste away the dedes of darckenes that is to say of ignoraunce vnbeleue And i. Pet .i. Fassion not your selues vnto youre olde lustes of ignoraunce And .i. Iohn .ii. He yâ— loueth his brother dwelleth in light he that hateth his brother walketh in darckenes and woteth not whither he goeth for darcknes hathe blynded his eyes By lyght he meaneth the knowledge of Christ and by darckenes the ignoraunce of Christe For it is impossyble that he that knoweth Christe truly shoulde hate his brother Furthermore to perceaue this thing more clearly thou shalt vnderstande that it is impossible to sinne any synne at all excepte a man breake the first commaundemente before Nowe is the first commaundement deuyded into two verses Thy Lorde God is one God and thou shalt loue thy Lorde God with al thine heart with al thy soule with al thy power with al thy might And the whole cause why I synne against any inferiour precepte is that this loue is not in mine hearte for wer this loue wrytten in my heart and were full and perfecte in my soule it would kepe mine heart from consentinge vnto any synne And the whole and onely cause why
thys loue is not wrytten in our heartes is that we beleue not the fyrste parte that our Lorde God is one God For wist I what these wordes one Lorde and one God meaneth that is to saye yf I vnderstode that he made all and ruleth all and that what soeuer is done to me whether it bee good or bad is yet his will and that he onely is the Lorde that ruleth and doeth it and wist thereto what this worde myne meaneth that is to saye yf myne heart beleued and felte the infinite benefytes and kyndenes of God to me warde and vnderstode and ernestly beleued the manyfolde couenauntes of mercy wherwith God hathe bounde him selfe to be mine wholy and all together with all his power loue mercye and might then shoulde I loue him with all myne heart soule power and myght and of that loue euer kepe his commaundementes So se ye now that as faythe is the mother of al goodnes and of al good workes so is vnbelefe the grounde and rote of all euyll and all euyll workes Finally yf any man that hath forsaken sinne and is conuerted to put hys trust in Christe and to kepe the lawe of god doth fall at a time the cause is that the fleshe thorowe negligence hathe choked the spirite and oppressed her and taken from her the foode of her strength whiche fode is her meditacion in God and in his wonderfull dedes and in the manyfolde couenauÌ„tes of his mercye Wherfore then before all good workes as good frutes there muste nedes be faythe in the heart whence they springe And before al bad dedes as bad frutes there muste be vnbelefe in the hearte as in the roâ—e fountayne pith and strength of all synne Which vnbelefe and ignoraunce is called the head of the serpent and of the olde dragon which the womans seed Christ must treade vnder fote as it was promysed vnto Adam Grace and gyft haue this difference Grace properly is Goddes fauoure beneuolence or kinde mind which of his owne selfe without desecuyng of vs he beareth to vs wherby he was moued and enclined to geue Christ vnto vs with all his other gyftes of grace Gyfte is the holy goost his working whome he powreth in to the heartes of them on whome he hath mercy and whome he fauoureth Though the gyftes of the spirite encrease in vs daylye and haue not yet their full perfeccion yea and though there remayne in vs yet euyil lustes and synne whiche fight against the spirite as he sayeth here in the .vii. Chapter and in the .v. to the Galathians and as it was spoken before in the .iii. Chapter of Gene. of the debate betwene the womans seed and the sede of the serpent yet neuerthelesse Gods fauoure is so great and â—o strong ouer vs for Christes sake that we are counted for full whole and perfecte before God For Goddes fauour towardes vs deuydeth not her selfe encreasinge a lytell and a lytell as do the gyftes but receaueth vs whole and al together in full loue for Christes sake our intercessor and mediatour and because that the gyftes of the spirite and the batayle betwene the spirite and euyll lustes are begonne in vs al ready Of this now vnderstandest thou the .vii. Chapter where Paul accuseth him selfe as a synner and yet in the .viii. Chapter sayeth there is no damnacioÌ„ to them that are in Christ and that because of the spirite and because the giftes of the spirite are begonne in vs. Sinners we are because the fleshe is not full kylled and mortified Neuerthelesse in as muche as we beleue in Christ and haue the earnest and beginning of the spirite and woulde fayne be perfecte God is so louinge and fauourable vnto vs that he will not loke on suche synne nether will counte it as sinne but will deale with vs according to oure belefe in Christ and according to his promyses which he hath sworne to vs vntyll the synne be full slaine and mortified by deathe Faythe is not mans opynyon and dreame as some ymagin and fayne when they heare the storie of the gospell Which when they se that there folow no good workes nor mendement of liuing though they heare yet can bable many thinges of fayth then they fall from the right waye and saye fayth only iustifyeth not a manne must haue good workes also yf he will be righteous and safe The cause is when they heare the Gospell or glad tydinges they fayne of theyr owne strength certayne ymagynacyons and thoughtes in theyr hertes saying I haue hearde the Gospell I remembre the storie â—o I beleue And that they counte righte faythe which neuerthelesse as it is but mans ymaginacion and faininge euen so profiteth it not nether folow there any good workes or mendement of liuyng But right fayth is a thinge wroughte by the holy gooste in vs whiche chaungeth vs turneth vs in to a newe nature and begetteth vs a newe in God and maketh vs the sonnes of God as thou redest in the fyrst of Iohn and killeth the olde Adam and maketh vs altogether newe in the hearte mynde will lust and in al oure affeccions and powers of the soule the holy gost euer accompanying her and rulinge the hearte Faith is a liuely thing mightie in working valiaunt and stronge euer doing euer frutefull so that it is vnpossible that he whiche is endued therewith shoulde not worke alwayes good workes without ceasing He axeth not whether good workes are to be done or not but hathe done them all redy yeâ— mencion be made of them and is all waye doinge for suche is his nature nowe quicke faithe in his herte and liuely mouinge of the spirite driue him and stere him therevnto Whosoeuer doeth not good workes is an vnbeleuynge person and faythlesse and loketh round about gropinge after fayth and good workes wotteh not what fayth or good workes meane though he babil neuer so many thinges of fayth and good workes Faithe is then a liuely and stedfast truste in the fauoure of God wherewith we committe oure selues all together vnto God and that truste is so surely grounded and stycketh so faste in our heartes that a manne woulde not once doute of it though he shoulde dye a thousande tymes therfore And suche trust wrought by the hooly goost throughe faith maketh a man glad lusty cherefull and true herted vnto God and to all creatures By the meanes whereof willingly and without compulcion he is glad and redy to do good to euery man to do seruice to euery man to suffer all thinges that God may be loued and praysed which hathe geuen him suche grace so that it is impossible to separat good workes from faithe euen as it is impossible to seperate heere and burninge from fyre Therfore take hede to thy selfe and beware of thine owne fantasies and ymaginacions whiche to iudge of faith and good workes will sâ—me wyse when in dede they are starke blinde and of al thinges most folysshe Praye God that he wyll witesafe to
growe no apples but there is vnbelefe the deuels spirite and euyll workes Of thys Goddes spirite and hys frutes haue oure holy ypocrites not once knowen nether yet tasted howe swete they are though they fayne many good workes of theyr owne ymaginacions to be iustyfied with all in whiche is not one crum of true faythe or spirituall loue or of inwarde ioye peace and quyetnes of conscience for as muche as they haue not the worde of God for them that such woorkes please God but they are euen the rotten frutes of a rotten tre After that he breaketh forth and runneth at large and sheweth whence bothe synne and righteousnes deathe and lyfe come And he compareth Adam and Christe together thus wyse reasonynge and dysputynge that Christe muste neades comme as a seconde Adam to make vs heyres of hys ryghtewesnes thorowe a newe spyrytuall byrthe without oure deseruynges euen as the fyrste Adam made vs heyres of synne thorowe the bodely generacyon without oure deseruing Whereby is euidently knowen and proued to the vttermost that no man can bring him self out of synne vnto righteousnes nomore then he coulde haue withstande that he was borne bodely And that is proued herewith for as muche as the very lawe of God whiche of right shoulde haue holpe yf any thinge could haue holpen not onely came and brought no helpe with her but also encreased synne because that the euyll and poysoned nature is offended and vtterly displeased with the lawe and the more she is forbyd by the lawe the more is she prouoked and set a fyer to fulfill and satisfye her lustes By the lawe then we se clerely that we must nedes haue Christe to iustifye vs with his grace and to helpe nature In the .vi. Chapter he setteth forth the chiefe and principal worke of faith the battaill of the spirite against the fleshe howe the spirite laboreth and enforseth to kyll the remnaunt of syn and â—â—â— whiche remaine in the fleshe after our iustifiyng And this chapter teacheth vs that we are not so free from synne thorowe faythe that we shoulde hence forth go vp and downe ydle carelesse and sure of our selues as though there were nowe no more synne in vs yes ther is sin remaining in vs but it is not rekened because of faith of the spirite which fight against it Wherfore we haue ynough to do all oure life 's longe to tame our bodies and to compell the membres to obey the spirite and not the appetites that thereby we myght be like vnto Christes death refurreccioÌ„ and might fulfil our baptisme which signifieth the mortifyinge of synnes and the newe life of grace For this battayle ceaseth not in vs vntill the last birthe and vntill that sinne be vtterly staine by the death of the bodye This thing I meane to tame the body and so forth we are able to do sayeth he seyng we are vnder grace and not vnder the lawe what it is not to be vnder the lawe he hym selfe expoundeth For not to be vnder the lawe is not so to be vnderstande that euery manne maye do what him lusteth But not to be vnder the lawe is to haue a free hearte renewed with the spirite so that thou hast lust inwardly of thyne own accorde to do that which the law commaundeth without compulsion yea though there were no lawe For grace that is to saye Goddes fauoure bryngeth vs the spirit and maketh vs to loue the lawe so is there now no more synne neyther is the lawe nowe any more agaynst vs but at one and agreed with vs and we with it But to be vnder the lawe is to deale with the workes of the lawe and to worke without the spirite and grace â–ª for so longe no doubte synne raygneth in vs thorow the lawe that is to saye the lawe declareth that we are vnder synne and that synne hath power and dominion ouer vs seynge we cannot fulfyll the lawe namely within the hearte for as muche as no man of nature fauoreth the lawe consenteth there vnto and delyteth therein Which thyng is exceading great synne that we cannot consent to the law which lawe is nothyng els saue the will of God This is the ryght fredome and libertie from sinne and from the lawe wherof he writeth vnto the ende of thys Chapter that is a fredome to do good onelye with luste and to lyue well without compulcyon of the lawe wherfore thys fredome is a spirituall fredome whiche destoyeth not the lawe but ministreth that whiche the lawe requyreth and where â–ª with the lawe is fulfylled that is to vnderstande luste and loue wherwith the lawe is stylled and accuseth vs no more compelleth vs no more nether hathe ought to craue of vs any more Euen as though thou were in dette to an other man and were not able to paye two maner wayes myghtest thou be lowsed One waye yf he woulde require nothyng of the and breke thyne obligacion An other waye yf some other good man woulde paye for the and geue the as much as thou myghtest â—arâ—sâ—ie thyne obligacion with all Of this wyse hathe Christe made vs fre from the lawe and therfore is this no wylde fleshely libertie that shoulde do nought but that doeth all thinges and is fre from the crauyng and decre of the lawe In the .vij. Chapter he confyrmeth the same with a similytude of the state of matrimony As when the husband dyeth the wyfe is at her libertie and the one looced and departed from the other not that the woman should not haue power to mary vnto an other man but rather now fyrst of all is she fre and hath power to mary vnto an other man which she coulde not do before tyll she was looced from her fyrst housband Euen so are our consciences bound and in daunger to the law vnder old Adam the flesh as long as he liueth in vs. For the law declareth that our hertes are bounde that we cannot disconsent from him But when he is mortifyed and kylled by the spirite then is the conscience fre and at lybertye â–ª not so that the conscience shall nowe nought do but now fyrst of al cleueth vnto another that is to were Christ and bringeth forthe the frutes of lyfe So â—ow to be vnder the lawe is not to be able to fulfyll the lawe but to be detter to it and not able to paye that whiche the lawe requyreth And to be looce from the lawe is to fulfyll it and to pay that which the lawe demaundeth so that it can nowe hence forth are thee nought Consequently Paul declareth more largely the nature of synne and of the lawe how that thorow the lawe synne reuiueth moueth hir selfe and gathereth strength For the old man and corrupt nature the more he is forboden and kepte vnder of the lawe is the more offended and dyspleased therewith for as muche as he cannot paye that whiche is requyred of the lawe For synne is his nature and of hym selfe he cannot but synne Therefore
from our death by sinne walke furthe from vertue to vertue in this presente lyfe begynnyng the lyfe which is without ende and death asmuche as in vs lyeth Of righteousnes also two kyndes of god that is to saye and man of the iudgemente of God and manne of a double prayse before God and before manne After al whiche pointes disputed he passeth ouer to a commen place belongyng to good maners by the example of the partes in a mannes bodye especiallye exhortyng the Romaines to concorde and because peace and vnitie canne not be whereas pryde and malice raygneth he besecheth them with ready myndes eche one to beare with other and so to nourishe and mayntayne mutual loue and good wil. And desyreth the Romaines for a season to beare with the Iewes infirmitie whiche by reason of long custome in the lawe was rooted in them and on the other syde he requireth the Iewes not to enuye at the Gentiles called to the grace of the gospell but rather with godly mynde to folow their fayth christiā libertie wyllyng them synce y◠there is but one God of al one Christe one grace one rewarde to growe all into one bodye that none arrogantlye presume and take vpon hym but yf he haue anye gyfte wherin he surmounteth other to applye the same to the helpe of his neighbour This place handleth saincte Paule diuerslye instructyng theim howe they should vse themselfe towarde supersticious christians or as he calleth them weake and feble howe towarde theyr superioures howe to their inferioures and felowes towarde heathen princes and magistrates after a sorte yet doyng theyr duties and to be shorte howe they should behaue themselfe in prosperitie and howe in aduersitie After whiche sharpe monicion he apeaseth the matier with the Romaines prayse and auaunceth his authoritie and doth them to witte how muche more he had promoted the ghospell than other shewyng what a desyer he hadde to see them promising that he woulde come thither and what lette he had and why he was compelled to differ it praysing the fre liberalitie of y◠Macedonians and Corinthians bestowed vpon the poore and deuoute people couertlye and as it wer with a reuerence prouokyng the Romaines to do the lyke The laste chapiter almoste spendeth he in commendacions and yet this doth he not with names vnsauerly and at auenture heaped together but with euery mannes prayse maruaylously ioyned with hym Finally because he throughly knewe aswell the malapert wylynes of the false Apostles as also the readie simplicitie of the Romaines eftesones he biddeth them to beware of their fayre speache Albeit moste parte of matiers entreated of in this present epistle specially apertayne to that tyme wherin the churche beyng but young secretly encreased myngled with Iewes and Gentiles together subiect than to heathen rulers yet is there in euery place of it somwhat wherof holsome doctrine maye be learned for this our present tyme necessarie as to beware of supersticion the roote originall of dissencion whiche hauyng a colourable apparence of godlynes is to the same moste repugnante and contrarie herein also sumwhat is there of the vayne assuraūce whiche men haue in worldly wysedome and in theyr owne actes and desertes and of the deserte of fayth of auoydyng hyghnes of mynde of bearyng with sumtimes the weakenes of suche as are not yet fully learned of nouryshyng mutuall concorde throughe eche ones diligent seruice towarde another of suffering in some poyntes euyll rulers and vngodlye byshoppes leste by resistence the cōmen order myght be disquieted troubled of ouercomyng euyll dedes with good and charitable meanes to beware in iudgyng such thynges as belong not vnto vs to take well in worth al suche thynges as maye be done of a good minde with a right cōsciēce to beware of craftie flaterie with suche other lyke pointes wherwith this our cōmē lyfe is to ful But as profitable as this epistle is yet hath it asmuche or welnygh more difficultie than profite whiche principally happeneth for thre causes either through the confoundyng of the right order of speache or els by reason of long sentences not well hangyng together or finallye for that the same are oftetymes as a mā maye saye entriked or entangled and not fully finished but imperfect so that therupon Origen expoundyng this epistle many tymes complayneth here and there laboryng and wrastlyng with suche difficulties Whether this happened throughe Tercius which was sainct Paules scribe or els through Paule hymselfe or throughe the interpreter let therin other men be iudges certaynly Paule hymself confesseth his rudenes of speache albeit he denie that he is ignoraunt touching knowledge And besyde this so far was he from sekyng for suche piked speache as in any parte sauered worldly curiositie y◠he thought the same diligētly to be forborne auoyded leste any parte of the glorie of Christes crosse myght therby be deminished And for this cause Origen thinketh it labour loste for any man in his wrytinges to loke for eloquence Hierome in some place graunteth that he had the arte and craftie setting of wordes and sentences together in some place denieth it agayne saiyng affirming plainly y◠his language was greatly corrupted by the rude people of Cilicia where he was brought vp But Austen out of Paules epistles gathereth floures and ornamentes of Rhetoricke Yea and in the actes of the apostles he is called chiefe capitaine of the vvorde and in his fyrst epistle to the Corinthians he sayeth of hymselfe that he spake vvith languages aboue all other And albeit as sainct Hierome sayeth at the same tyme all the Easte parte of the worlde vsed the Greke toungue lykely yet is it that as the frenche men had not suche puritie of the Latine speache as was vsed in the citie of Rome so might there well be a great difference betwene one of Cilicia and another of Athens speakyng or wrytyng Greke Besyde all these difficulties there is another arysyng through the Hebrue speache whose properties Paule almoste in euery place vseth so wrytyng in Greke that yet a man maye by his wrytyng know that he was a Iewe. The second cause of difficultie is through the darkenes of suche matiers as cannot clearely be expressed because none other epistle is there more in tricate and entermedled with deeper priueye misteries insomuche that Paule hymselfe sometyme leauyng his purposed matier is compelled to make exclamacion and saye O the deapnes of treasures Yea for the nonce sometyme so toucheth he some misteries that he only sheweth thē a far of temperyng his oraciō accordyng to the tymes and as theyr capacities serued to whome he wrote He lawe and knewe certayne thynges whiche myghte be tolde to noman knowyng well how farfurth his disciples had nede of lyght meate as mylke is or of strong foode therwith also knew he the degrees of ages in Christe and what was for euerie age meete So dyd the apostle Peter also when he shoulde preache to the rude
abolished whiche is chauÌ„ged for a better nomore theÌ„ we say that the floures are abolished when in theyr steade fallyng froÌ„ yâ— trees there groweth fruit or when in steade of yâ— shadowe there is placed a very body The .iiii. Chapter The texte What say we then that Abraham our father as pertainyng to the fleashe did fynd If AbrahaÌ„ wer iustified by deedes then hath he wherin to reioyce but not with God For what sayeth the scripture AbrahaÌ„ beleued God it was coumpted vnto him for righteousnes To him that worketh is the rewarde not rekened of fauoure but of duety To him that worketh not but beleueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly is his fayth couÌ„pted for righteousnes accordyng to yâ— purpose of the grace of god EueÌ„ as Dauid describeth the blissedfulnes of that maÌ„ vnto whoÌ„ God imputeth righteousnes with out dedes Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is that man to whom the lorde will not impute synne ANd yet if now any maÌ„ stubbernly maintein defend the preseÌ„t state of Moses lawe grosse carnal as it is not onely defeÌ„d it â–ª but also vpoÌ„ a coÌ„fideÌ„ce therin put other in hope to be saued Against him will I for exaÌ„ple reherse no meane Iewe but eueÌ„ AbrahaÌ„ him selfe the first chief of al the circumcised of whoÌ„ as father beginner of theyr stocke the whole nacion of Iewes are wont specially to crake glory And yet is AbrahaÌ„ in very dede touching carnal kynred in suche sorte father to the Iewes that yet he is neuerthelesse father to all suche as in fayth reseÌ„ble him are like vnto him in thimage of the soule not somuche in yâ— image of the body As for circuÌ„cision which as I sayd had his fyrst beginnyng in AbrahaÌ„ was but a pledge marke of al Moses law as a maÌ„ may say a special token wherby Iewes are knowen to be Iewes Let vs now therfore coÌ„sider what AbrahaÌ„ gote that whiche he got by what meanes he obtained it That Abraham fyrst was praised for a righteous maÌ„ yâ— scriptures self beare euideÌ„t recorde But now if he either through circumcision or by kepyng of suche other ceremonies as are in Moses lawe prescribed woÌ„ne that coÌ„mendacion than hath he in dede somewhat wherof to reioyce yet not before God but before men And why before men Vndoubtedly because he gotte it through suche externe and bodily meanes as menne vse to iudge of And why not before God Certainly because he obtained it not for his faythe 's sake wherby we are brought into yâ— fauer of God But now so is it that AbrahaÌ„ euen at Gods owne hand obtained the praise of righteousnes Whervpon it foloweth that he got it not by kepyng of any prescripte ceremony of the lawe but by that fayth wherby all men both Iewes Gentiles must now seke for like praise I meane al suche as are the true children of AbrahaÌ„ Nor require I that ye should herein beleue my wordes vnlesse the scriptures clerely euideÌ„tly testify the same In the .xv. chapiter of Genesis â—o thus is it written AbrahaÌ„ beleued God the same belief of his was vnto him couÌ„pted for righteousnes To him had God promised an ofspring as pleÌ„tiful as is the nuÌ„bre of starres in the firmament whiche yet was in the case that both his wyfe was past child bearyng him self had yet none heire And yet vnlikely as it was without delay beleued he the promise maker not coÌ„sideryng the possibilitie of the thing whiche was promised but rather who was the promise maker for that his sure coÌ„fidences sake was he foorthw t couÌ„pted righteous not for his circuÌ„cision which he had not at yâ— time receiued but for his faythe 's sake was in dede so couÌ„ted not before men but before God who was the onely witnes when this mystery was wrought of whoÌ„ this his fayth was couÌ„ted for righteousnes long before that he had done any good dedes suche I meane as are by Moses lawe coÌ„mauÌ„ded Now that call we properly counted or taken for payed whiche beyng not paied in very dede is by yâ— special goodnes of him that so taketh it rekened for payed Now then if euen yâ— Patriarche AbrahaÌ„ him self was not for his circuÌ„cisions sake couÌ„pted righteous but was loÌ„g before his circumcisioÌ„ for his faythe 's sake accepted of God why should the Iewe in yâ— ceremonies of yâ— law put any affiauÌ„ce to whoÌ„ yâ— same was geueÌ„ but for a season And surely muche lesse should the gentiles therin haue any trust to whoÌ„ the same was not geueÌ„ at all For if vnto yâ— Iew subiect vnto the ceremonies of the law any reward be geueÌ„ for keping of them yâ— semeth payed vnto him as wages due by couenaunt rather then geueÌ„ by any fauer mercy of yâ— geuer as of yâ— otherside if for traÌ„gression of yâ— law the same suffre punishmeÌ„t wel worthy is he therof For as yâ— seruauÌ„t wheÌ„ he hath throughly finished his taske he receiueth his wages so if yâ— same forget to do his duetye he is with siâ—ipes and punishmeÌ„t sharply corrected But to the geÌ„tiles to whoÌ„ the ceremonies of the law are vnknowen or to the Iewes either whiche hauyng forsakeÌ„ the bondage of the lawe are become christian men worke no loÌ„ger now as it wer by tasque but vnfainedly purely put theyr trust in him whiche frely geueth perfite iustice euen to the wicked al whose synnes he hath by his death taken away to suche I say geueth fayth as he did vnto AbrahaÌ„ whiche is that they be accouÌ„pted for righteous not for kepyng of the lawe but for theyr onely faythes sake whervnto no maÌ„ is coÌ„pelled but rather geÌ„tely prouoked allured whiche God doth to the entent that our fayth in Christ should be a thyng of vs frely wrought of no coÌ„pulsion and that our deliuerauÌ„ce through him restoryng of vs into the nuÌ„bre of righteous people shuld be a thyng of Gods fre gifte mercy of no debte To this purpose likewise maketh Dauid both kyng prophete the chiefe glory of the Iewes next after AbrahaÌ„ in whoÌ„ Christ thonly fountaine of our welth saluacion was specially promised vnto vs. For in his .xxxi. Psalme describeth he also this blessedfull state of man declared now by the gospel shewyng yâ— it is not geueÌ„ receiued as due vnto vs for the workes of Moses law but by the fre goodnes of God wherby we are moued drawen to beleue Blessed are they sayeth he whose vnrighteousnes is forgeuen whose synnes are couered Blessed is that maÌ„ to whoÌ„ the Lorde wyll not impute synne By whiche testimony ye se how vnrighteousnes is forgeuen done against Moses lawe And how also sinnes done against yâ— lawe of nature are couered Briefely ye heare perceiue that suche as through Christ haue attayned this blisseful state haue no kynd of sinne layed vnto
this matier chalengyng nothyng to hymselfe as his own gaue ouer the whole prayse and glorie to god only whome he by his sure and constant fayth both testified to be true of promise as whiche woulde deceyue no man lykewyse to be almightye as whoÌ„ he thoughte able to perfourme his promise were the same neuer somuche passyng all worldly strength This is the glorie wherwith god is chieflye delighted whiche nedeth no seruice of ours and therfore as the scripture sayeth it was reckened vnto hym for ryghteousnes The texte ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not wrytten for hym onelye that it was reckened to hym for ryghteousnes but also for vs to whom it shal be coumpted for ryghteousnes so that we beleue in hym that raised vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead whiche was deliuered for our synnes and was raised agyue for our iustification Nor is it to be supposed that this was wryten onely for Abrahams sake when it is sayd yâ— his faith was reckened vnto hym for righteousnes for yâ— scripture laboreth not so muche for the auauÌ„cemeÌ„t of AbrahaÌ„s glory only but rather to gyue vs which are of AbrahaÌ„s posteritie an example wherby al the world might vnderstande that as Abraham for his faythe 's sake without healpe or ayde of the lawe obteyned before god to be coumpted for righteouse so should none of vs by kepyng of the law only thynke to haue the same AbrahaÌ„ theÌ„ was called righteouse because he beleued god And surely entry haue we none to ryghteousnes vnles we lykewise beleue in the same god whiche to vs hath brought to passe in Iesus Christ oure lorde whome he raysed from death to lyfe euen that he promised to Abraham in the fygure of Isaac therby declaryng that the fayth of Abraham was no vayne fayth whiche beleued yâ— god was suche one as coulde geue lyfe euen to the deade call agayne suche thinges as are not as thoughe they were Let vs not therfore for our righteousnes and cleannes of lyfe thanke Moses but Christ whiche gaue hymselfe to death to the entent he would freely through fayth forgyue our synnes whiche also rose agayne from death to the entent we shoulde abstayne from deadly synne nor displease hym by committyng agayne suche thynges for which his pleasure was to dye He dyed I saye to kyll synne in vs and rose agayne from death to th entent that by hym fyrst dying to oure olde synnes so furthe with hym and by hym beyng brought and restored into a newe kynde of lyfe we may hereafter lyue vnto yâ— ryghteousnes which we haue through his goodnes receyued The .v. Chapiter The texte Because therfore yâ— we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with god through our lord Iesus Christe by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in through fayth vnto this grace wherin we stande reioyse in hope of the glorye of the chyldren of god Not that only but also we reioyse in tribulatioÌ„ knowyng yâ— tribulatioÌ„ bryngeth pacieÌ„ce pacience bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed for the loue of god is shed abrode in our heartes by the holy ghost whiche is geuen vnto vs. COnsyderyng that only syn causeth variaunce betwixt god and man now are we certeynly at peace with god because that of wicked synful people we are made ryghteous that neither by Moses law whiche rather encreased oure offeÌ„ces nor for our workes but as our father AbrahaÌ„ was for oure faythe 's sake reconciled vnto god yâ— father whose frende also through fayth Abraham became that neither through Moses but through the only sonne of god our lorde Iesus Christ which with his bloud washed away our offences by his death reconcilyng vs vnto god beyng before yâ— tyme displeased with vs so opened for vs an entrye yâ— we through lyke fayth without either the lawe or circumcision mighte be brought into this grace of god promysed by the ghospell In whiche fayth we stande stedfaste and not only stande with good wyll couragiouslye but also reioyce not only because we are at peace with god but also for that we are pute in sure hope that through oure stedfastnes of fayth we shal in tyme to come enioye the glorie of heauen Nor enuye we the Iewes through the glory of their circumcision and as we enuye them not so mislike we not our fayth the brynger furthe of suche plentifull fruicte nor yet repent we our glory with hope wherof we for this present tyme are aduaunced vnderpyght Whiche glorie albeit it be suche as cannot yet be seene and thoughe without sufferyng of aduersities and troubles we attayne not therunto yet eueÌ„ the same troubles in the meane season recken we a thyng to reioyce and glorye of as whiche we suffer both to our hyghe prayse are also suche as open vnto vs the gate to life euerlasting For this new example hath Christ both geueÌ„ vs by him also taught are we this excellent doctrine that by sufferyng of tribulatioÌ„s the vertue of pacience is strengthened and as the fyer tryeth golde so throughe pacience become we better tryed and proued both of god man Agayne the more tribulatioÌ„s we suffer the surer hope of rewarde stande we in Nor is it to be feared leste this hope mysse disapoynt vs of our belief make vs ashamed before yâ— wicked people because we haue eueÌ„ now therof in hande a moste sure pledge and earnest penye whiche is the meruaylous and vnspeakeable loue of god towarde vs not onlye externally shewed vnto vs but most pleÌ„tifully printed in our heartes in manier coÌ„pellyng vs to loue hym agayne wrought by the holy ghost in steade of the watryshe letter of the lawe gyuen vnto vs as a gage assuryng vs of his promise herafter surely to be perfourmed The texte For when we were yet weake accordyng to the tyme Christ dyed for vs which wer vngodlye Yet scarce wyl any man dye for a ryghteouse man Peraduenture for a good man durste a man dye But god setteth but his loue towarde vs seyng that whyle we were yet synners according to the tyme Christ dyed for vs Muche more then nowe we that are iustified by his bloude shal be saued from wrathe through hym For had not god of his great mercy singulerly loued and pitied vs. Iesus Christ his only sonne had neuer by the wyl of his father descended into earth nor haue taken oure mortall fleshe vpon hym and so haue dyed namely what tyme we were weake thrall and subiecte to beastlye desyres whiche were by the lawe more lyke to be prouoked than to be brydelâ—d and suppressed Bad yet as we then were he loued vs in hope of saluacion yea he loued vs beyng wycked people and deuilyshe ydolaters and so loued vs that for our sakes he wyllyngly suffered death whiche was the greatest euident and moste singuler poynt of loue that euer could be shewed Among men scarcely shal any man fynde
another so frendlye as wyl for his good and wel deseruyng frendes sake suffer death But to graunt that some suche maye some where be founde as for his approued frende wyl paraduenture be contented to dye yet hath god shewed an example passyng all examples of suche earthly loues whom it pleased euen for wycked and vnworthy persons to delyuer his onlye sonne to death Now if god haue for vs beyng wycked people and offenders done thus muche how muche rather wyl he do for vs beyng nowe purged chastised and by the bloud of his sonne reconciled vnto hym that we through sinne fall no more into his displeasure and therby stande in ieopardy of more greuouse daÌ„nation not only for our synful lyfe but also because we should then be vnthankefull Christe dyed for vs but for a season but he rose agayn for euer And as he dyed for vs so arose he agayne for our sakes The texte ¶ For yf when we were enemies we were reconciled to god by the deathe of his sonne muche more seyng we are reconciled we shal be preserued by his lyfe Not onlye this but we also ioye in god by the meanes of oure lorde Iesus Christe by whome we haue nowe obtayned the attonement Now and yf by his death he haue this muche done for vs that where as before that tyme god was with vs highly offended and displeased we haue hym nowe gratiouse and merciful muche rather shal we so through his lyfe be preserued that we nomore fall into his displeasure By his death deliuered are we from synne his lyfe shal preserue vs in innoceÌ„cie his death hath delyuered vs from the power of the deuill his lyfe shall towarde vs continew the loue of his father These are suche euident sygnes of goddes loue towarde vs that they not only put vs in a quyet assuraunce and in a sure hope to be saued from the vengeauÌ„ce of god to come but also gyue vs a lustye courage euen to glorie not of oure deseartes but with thankes geuyng to god the father through whose bountefull mercy we haue receyued this welthy state promysed by hym to be geuen vnto vs neither for the lawes nor for circumcisions sake but through Iesus Christ his sonne by whose meanes we are restored into his fauour agayne to th entent that for all this benefite thankes should be gyuen to noman but to god hymself and to his only sonne Al whiche was done by the meruaylous secrete counsel of god to the ende yâ— the waye meanes of oure restoryng shoulde agree with the waye of oure damnation The texte Wherfore â–ª as by one man syn entred in the worlde and death by the meanes of syn euen so death also went ouer al men insomuche as all men synned For euen vnto the law was syn in the worlde but synne is not imputed where there is no lawe neuerthelesse death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer theÌ„ also that had not synned with lyke transgressioÌ„ as dyd Adam which beareth the similitude of hym that was to come Wherfore as by Adam whiche fyrste transgressed the commaundemente of god synne entred into the worlde and by the meanes of synne death because syn is as it were the poyson of mannes soule by whose occasion synne whiche had his begynning in the fyrst of our stocke issued furthe into all his posteritie whyles eche man folowed the exaÌ„ple of their fyrst parente so through Christe alone in whome by fayth al are borne agayne we receyue innocencie and therwyth lyfe whiche blessednes lykewyse hauyng his begynnyng in one fyrst and new authour of generacioÌ„ Christe is spread abrode amonge all them whiche are throughe faythe knyt vnto hym and in hurtlesse lyfe folowe his steppes But when synne had once ouergone the world and poysoned all mankynde suche was the strength therof that it coulde by no meanes neyther by the lawe of nature nor yet by Moses lawe be vanquyshed so that by the lawe nothyng was done but that suche as hadde offended knewe that they were gylty and worthy of damnation For as to chyldren in whoÌ„ the lawe of nature hath no place by reason of theyr teÌ„der age not able as yet to discerne what is good and what is not syn is not yet imputed no more was it layde vnto the Paynyms charge yf they ought dyd agaynst Moyses lawe Therfore before the lawe gyuen whiche shewed men theyr synnes by reason of the law of nature the world in dede was not vtterly without synne but yet bare men at that tyme with themselfes and as it wer without correctioÌ„ fell to all licenciousnes as though they had ben vtterly lawles Forasmuche as therfore he was not yet comen whiche should take awaye the synnes of the world and vanquyshe the tyrannye of death death which enteryng through Adams offence raygned without any resistence euen vpon them also whiche had not maliciously offended agaynst the coÌ„maundement of god as Adam dyd which euen than bare the ymage and fygure of Christ whiche should come loÌ„g after and yet meane I not that he is in euery poynte vnto Christe lyke but that he in some poyntes bare the ymage of Christ In this poynt lyke that both were the begynners of a generation the one of an earthly the other of an heauenly In this lyke also that a certayne thyng is frome both begynners deriued into theyr posterities but the difference is that from the earthly Adam was the begynnyng of vnrighteousnes and synne but by the heauenly Adam is gyuen all grace and goodnes The texte But the gifte is not like as the synne Fâ—â— if through the synne of one many be dead muche more plenteous vpon many was the grace of God and gift by grace whiche was gyuen by one man Iesus Christ But now as these two are partely like so wer they not equal For besides that elswyse of it selfe it is a thing more effectual to saue then to destroy muche more strong and mightye is Christ to saue then was Adam to condempne so that muche more effectual is Christes obedience to geue life then was the traÌ„sgression of Adam to worke death so that in all pointes Christes goodnes ouerwaigheth the offence of Adam which thyng I monishe you of and say leste any man might thynke the synne of our fyrst parent to be so outragious that he should dispaire of his restoryng again to saluacion For it one mannes synne was of suche power that it made so great a numbre of people thral vnto death of muche more power plentyfulnes more general shal the benefite of God be and his mercyful gift which he hath gyneÌ„ vs by one man lykewyse I meane Iesus Christ yâ— author of godly and innocent lyfe by whome he hath not onely taken awaye the tyranny of death and syn but hath also in steade of syn gyuen righteousnes and in the steade of the tyranny of death the kyngdoÌ„ of life so that the offeÌ„ce of Adam through the great mercy of
Knowe ye not brethren I speake to them that knowe the lawe howe that the law hath power ouer a man as long as it endureth For the woman whiche is in subiection to a man is bounde by the lawe to the man as long as he lyueth But yf the manne be dead she is losed from the lawe of the manne So then yf whyle the man lyueth she couple her selfe with an other man she shal be coumpted a wedlocke breaker But yf the man be dead she is free from the lawe of the husbande so that she is no wedlocke breaker thoughe she couple her selfe with an other man ANd good reason is there why we should so doe for Christe hath not onely deliuered vs from the bondage of syn and death but also from the bondage of the lawe whiche was giuen but for a season and hath deliuered not only the gentiles whiche were not to this lawe subiecte but euen the Iewes selfe to which haue hitherto ben vnder Moses lawe That this whiche I haue sayed is trewe maye be proued euen by the wytnes of the lawe it selfe And fyrst what saye ye that are Iewes whiche by reason of the knowledge ye haue in the lawe well perceaue and vnderstande that a man is bounde to the obseruance and kepyng of any lawe euen as ye for example not long synce were bounde to Moses lawe as longe as the same lawe lyueth that is to saye as long as it endureth in his ful power and strength but yf the same be either growen out of vse or els abrogate a man is than no longer bounde therunto For the Iewes bonde towarde the lawe ought no further to be kept then in the bonde of the wyfe to her husbande the same lawe requyreth to be kepte Nowe is the maried woman whiche is vnder her husbandes dominion bounde vnto her husbande as long as he lyueth But as sone as he is once dead she is deliuered from the bonde of that matrimony and after the death of her former husbande straightway at hyr owne libertie Wherfore yf she duryng the husbandes lyfe to whome she belongeth go about to mary another she shal be coūpted a wedlocke breaker as whiche hath forsaken that husbande from whome she myght by no meanes saue onlye deathe be departed But contrary wyse yf she cōtinew in that bādevntyl her husbandes death she is no lēger bound vnto hym but is in suche sorte become her owne woman y◠she may lawfully mary any other whō she wyll For it is not to be supposed that as the maisters title descendeth to his heyre in suche sorte that the seruaunt by the death of his maister chaungeth not his state but his maister that lyke wyse the righte of a husbande vpon his wyfe falleth after his death to an other but the title of mariage reacheth no further than for a mannes owne lyfe Yf it so were that the husbande were immortall the woman shoulde for euer continew bond Now then because Moses lawe in figures and ceremonies was as it were a shadowe of Christ to come it was gyuen to be of force effectual but vntyll the tyme that to y◠bryght lyght shadowes shoulde gyue place vntyl that to the truthe the shadowes of truth shoulde gyue ouer and vanyshe awaye And therfore synce that Moses lawe was as a man might saye a mortall thyng meruayle it is none thoughe it be nowe dead in dede And for this cause as long as the tyme of the lawe continewed the same stode in full power and had full authoritie vpon them whiche had bounde them selfe vnto it The texte ¶ Euen so ye also my brethren are deade concernyng the lawe by the bodye of Christe that ye shoulde be coupled to another I meane to hym that is rysen agayne frō death that we shoulde bring furth fruite vnto god For when we were in the fleshe the iustes of synne whiche were stered vp by the lawe raigned in oure membres to bryng furth fruite vnto death But now are we deliuered from the lawe dead vnto it where vnto we were in bondage that we shoulde serue in a newe conuersation of the spirite and not in the olde conuersation of the letter But nowe haue ye with Moses lawe nothyng to do synce the same is become to you warde dead or yf she lyued styll as she doth not yet are ye at the least to her dead For synce that Christ whiche is the truthe hath shewed his glisteryng beames of the gospell abrogate and abolished is all Moses lawe at the leaste touchyng the carnall meanyng therof And forasmuche as ye are now planted into Christes body coupled vnto hym as y◠wyfe is to her husbande beyng made free frō your former bonde ye are belonging to your newe husbande suche one I saye as is immortal as whiche once rose from death to lyue hereafter for euer insomuche that ye cannot in tyme to come either loke to be maried agayne or to be deuorced for a shamefull vilanye and reproche were it to suche a new husbāde as ye haue gotten in any poynt to hang vpon the olde forasmuche as I saye ye are in this case diligently labour you that as by the lawe whiche for the tyme was as it were your husbande ye brought furth a certayne sorte of fruite not vnlike your husbande so endeuour ye to bryng furth nowe beyng muche better maried then ye before were fruite suche as is conueniente for God youre father in lawe and Christe youre spouse and husbande For as long as we were subiecte to the grosse and carnal law as it wer to a husbande the same seamed as husbandes do to beare rule ouer vs because carnall lustes beyng by reason of the lawe more prouoked had suche power in oure membres that euen lyke slaues we wer drawen to synne and so of that vnhappy mariage vnhappy chyldren had we when that whiche was borne was for nothyng good but to be destroyed and to dye But nowe synce we are delyuered out of y◠bondage of the lawe vnder whome we lyued before or rather because oure lyfe was synfull we lyued not at all but were dead and yet vnder it were we vntyll a certayne time appoynted agaynst reason is it that we shoulde anye longer obeye that carnal husbande that is to wete the letter of y◠law but rather serue oure newe spouse whiche is both heauenly and spirituall not seruyng hym in the olde conuersacion of the letter but in the newe conuersacion of the spirite whiche spirite we haue of hym receyued as a mariage token The texte ¶ What shall we saye then Is the lawe synne God forbid Neuerthelesse I knewe not synne but by the lawe For I had not knowen what luste had meante except the lawe had sayde thou shalte not luste But synne toke occasion by the meanes of the commaundemente and wrought in me all maner of concupiscence For verelye without the lawe syn was dead I once lyued without the lawe But when the
commaundement came syn reuiued and I was dead And the very same commaundement whiche was ordayned vnto lyfe was found to be vnto me an occasion of death For syn toke occasion by the meanes of the commaundement and so deceyued me and by the same slew me Wherfore the lawe is holye and the commaundement holye and iust and good But nowe feare I leste here any captious persone thynke that I condemne the lawe as the authour of synne because we sayed that whyles we were vnder the lawe we ranne forwarde euen to synne and death For suche one wyll not let to reason the matier and saye that as righteousnes worketh lyfe so to sinne it properly appertayneth to worke death so that then yf the law in vs worketh death either semeth it that the same lawe is synne or at the leste ioyned with synne But god forbid that anye man should so thinke For the lawe is not authour of synne but the vtterer and apeacher therof wherof before the lawe gyuen we wer in manner ignoraunt because eche man fauoured his owne folye thynking that he might lawfully do what so hym lusted thinking it also wel done good to desyre that thyng whiche to haue semed pleasaunt This wyse therfore fauoryng my selfe I was in manner ignoraunt that to desyre any other mannes goodes was synne had not the law sayd vnto me thou shalt not luste And in dede the law was gyuen to suppresse synne but through our folye it chaunced otherwise For whyles the lawe shewed a man his sinnes and gaue no power to resist the same vpon that occasion it folowed y◠mānes desyre to syn was more prouoked euen as the propertie of menne is more to be prouoked to suche thynges as are forbidden Therfore forasmuche as before the lawe was gyuen certayne synnes I knewe not and certayne I knewe but yet in suche sorte that I thoughte I myghte lawfully vse them because they were not forbydden my mynde was but houerly and fayntlye moued to synne euen as we are wonte sklenderlye to loue suche thynges wherof we maye when we luste haue our pleasure But when that by the lawe so many wayes and manners of synne were declared the whole rable of naughtie desyres beyng prouoked throughe that prohibition begonne more vehemently to allure to synne And by this occasion synne toke strength and power whiche before the lawe geuen was but dull and in manner dead so that in the meane season I lyued without lawe or rather I thought that I lyued as one that might freely sinne and do as I lusted But after that I was by the commaundement of the law forbydden to syn my synful vsage was not onely not restrayned but also seemed quyckened and to take strength but as sone as synne was after this sorte quyckened I whiche before thoughte my selfe to lyue was deade by the lawe knowyng my synne and yet neuertheles continewyng in it stil Whervpon it folowed that the meane whiche was prouided and ordeyned for the healpe of oure lyfe tourned to my death not throughe anye faulte whiche the lawe had but throughe myne owne faulte For whereas I was of my selfe gyuen to synne my sycke and diseased mynde takyng occasion of sinne by reason of the prohibition of the law became more desyrous to synne And thus the deuill abusyng a good instrument by occasion ministred throughe the law enticed me to synne and by synne slewe me so that then I knewe my selfe gyltie and thrall vnto another No cause is there therfore why we shoulde reproue the law which as it was gyuen by a good god so layeth it before vs good lawful and holy commaundementes For nedes muste that be good whiche forbyddeth euell The texte Was that then which was good made death vnto me God forbid Naye it was syn that syn myght appeare by it whiche was good to worke death in me that synne by the commaundement myght be out of measure synfull For we knowe that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder synne because I allow not that whiche I doe For what I woulde that do I not but what I hate that do I. Yf I do now y◠whiche I would not I consent vnto the law that it is good so then nowe it is not I that doe it but syn that dwelleth in me For I knowe that in me that is to saye in my fleshe dwelleth no good thinge But some one will againe encounter and saye synce that lyke bryngeth furth his lyke yf the lawe be good how hath it wrought my death whiche is euell and wonte to be engendred of synne Wherunto the aunswer is easye that this reason were stronge were it so y◠the lawe wrought oure death But this is not so but as I nowe sayed farre otherwyse For it is not to be supposed that the lawe is authour of death but rather that synne is cause of our destruction whiche is a thing of suche infeccion and so full of poyson that it turned that whiche of it selfe is good to oure vndoyng by the which euery man maye euidently perceyue how pestilent a thyng syn is through whose contagion suche thynges as are best tourne to worste Wherof as y◠law gaue occasiō so was the same yet in no fault For the lawe as all we do knowe is spirituall and prouoketh vs to goodnes The cause why that commeth not to passe wherabout the lawe laboureth am I I I saye for example to speake of my selfe whiche am carnal and gyuen to synne and by reason of long custome and continuaunce in synne thral and bonde therto euen as the bondslaue bought for money is boūd to his maister so farfurthe that by reason of blyndnes of synne whiche I am in I wote not what I ought to do For I do not y◠whiche my minde and reason telleth me to be honeste though with my heart I desyre it but rather do that whiche is contrarye to honestie and hate as vnhonest beyng vndoubtedly ouercūmē with naughtie desyres And by this maye euen offenders and hurtefull persons vnderstande that the lawe is not to be reproued For yf through fleshlye desyres mouyng I do suche thynges as my mynde and reason condemneth and abhorreth withoute doubte I consente that the lawe is good as whiche forbad suche thynges to be done and vsed as I by the better parte of my reason condemned and disalowed For nedes muste that be good whiche dothe forbid suche thynges whiche though I do folowyng the fleshe yet knowe I well are euyll and nought But some one wyll saye why doest thou not obeye thyne owne reason then beyng suche as doth consent to honestie and feare the from dishonestie syn But nowe forasmuche as for playnes in teachyng to be vsed I haue taken vpon me y◠person of suche one as is yet subiect to vice and noughtie desyres ye muste in onely me by ymagination conceiue two men the one carnal and grosse the other more pure and not so grosse of whiche two the
one maye be called an outwarde manne the other an inwarde The one beyng subiecte to vnlawful desyres is wholly gyuen to synne the other hauyng yet some sparkes of goodnes remaynyng as it maye laboureth to honestiewarde and in the myddes of oure synfull lyfe asmuche as it maye relisteth and withstandeth Nowe in estemyng what we be rather are we that which we be according vnto the better part in vs. As often therfore as our mynde agreyng vnto the lawe endeuoureth towarde honestie and doth yet in dede the contrary me thynketh I do not that whiche I do for who doth that whiche he would not But in my grosser parte there is a forwardnes to synne and a certayne aptnes therunto by meanes wherof it cummeth to passe that thoughe we would well and godly yet do we the contrary And yf by this parte that is to wit my sensuall parte men esteme and measure me I graunt that in me ther is no goodnes The texte For to wyll is preâ—ent with me but I fynde no meanes to perfourme that which is good For the good that I woulde do I not but the euyll whiche I would not that do I. Yf I do that I would not â—hen is it not â— that do it but synne that dwelleth in me I fynde then by the lawe that when I would do good â–ª euyll is present with me For I delyte in the lawe of god after the inwarde manne â—ut I se an other law in my members rebellyng agaynst the lawe of my mynde and subduyng me vnto the lawe of syn whiche is in my members O wretch d man that I am who shall delyuer me froÌ„ this bodys subdued vnto death I thanke god through Iesus Christe our Lorde So then with the mynde I serue the lawe of god but with the fleshe the lawe of synne For albeit by the inclination of reason I desyre that which is honeste yet haue I not power to bryng to passe this my good desyer For whyles fleashly luste pluckyng to euyll and fylthy lyfe hath a greater stroke preuayleth more thaÌ„ doth reason prouokyng to goodnes it happeneth that I do not the good whiche I desyre but rather that I disalowe and condemne that is to saye euyll Nowe and yf a man be not thought to do that thyng whiche he dothe agaynst his wyll synce I do yâ— thing which after the better parte of a man I would not then seme not I the authour of that which I do but rather the readines to synne which is in my grocer parte This towardnes or readynes to synne is not taken from me by the lawe but yf at anye tyme I purpose to folowe and obeye her motion the lawe causeth me to vnderstande that my gryef is throughly rooted and fastened in my soule In dede delyghted am I with honestie and goodnes whiche I see and know by the lawe but of the other syde I fynde in the members of myne outwarde man another law whiche is to the lawe of reasoÌ„ quite contrary and continuallye rebelleth agaynst it So that thoughe reason call me one waye and wylful desyres another waye yet in me that beareth rule whiche is worse and that is ouercommen which is better For so depelye rooted in my fleshe is this towardenes and inclination to synne and of suche power is the custome therof beyng as it were now altered into nature yâ— whyther I wyl or not I am drawen to synne O wretched man that I am which am vnder suche a miserable painfull bondage Who shall delyuer me from this fleashe endaungered to so many synnes and contencions whereby I am continuallye drawen to death Maye not a manne whiche is vnder suche a violent and harde necessitie well and lawfully make suche exclamation Certaynely the greater this vnlucky bondage is the more are we bounde to the goodnes of god whiche hath from suche miseries deliuered vs neyther by the lawe nor yet by circumcision but through Iesus Christ our Lord. And had not god thus muche done for vs euen I which am one man shoulde continually haue bene lykewyse pluckte in sunder and deuided that with mynde I should haue serued the lawe of God desyrous of good thynges and with my fleshe the lawe of synne beyng ouer commen with wanton desyres and with the temptacions therof The .viii. Chapiter The texte There is then no damnacion to them whiche are in Christ Iesu whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirite of life through Iesus Christ hath made me free from the lawe of synne and death For what the lawe could not do forasmuche as it was weake because of the fleshe that perfourmed God and sent his sonne in the similitude of sinneful fleshe and by sinne damned sinne in the fleshe that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfylled in vs whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite WHerfore though now yet some leauynges and dregges of the former bondage stil remaine in some christian men yet shal they through godly endeuour wel suppresse them nor against theyr wylles be drawen into any suche haynous offence by reason wherof suche might deserue to be dampned as are through fayth and baptisme once graffed into Christes body and haue now intended and purposed to liue no longer as wanton and carnal desyres moued ruled them syth that Christes lawe which is spiritual and an authour of life more effectual subduer of death hath deliuered vs froÌ„ synne also death ioyned thervnto All whiche when Moses lawe could not do inasmuche as it was carnal and therfore not effectual God meruailously prouided for our saluacioÌ„ And therfore as I before tolde you that in one maÌ„ there were as it were two men a carnal and a spiritual man so are there in Moses lawe as it wer two lawes the one grosse and carnal the other heauenly spiritual Of the fyrst part of the law was Moses maker whiche as it endured but for a season so was it not of strength and power sufficient to worke out saluacion The other parte of the lawe is spiritual effectual mightie suche as wyl neuer dye whom Christ beyng as it were a seconde Moses made in all pointes perfite And truely very mete was it that this wyse fleshe shuld abolishe fleshe synne should through synne be ouercomen that also death should subdue death For whiche entent God mercyfully beyng of mans saluacion desyrous sent his sonne though in dede farre from all corrupcion of synne endued yet with suche fleshe as other synners haue for he toke the comen nature of menne vpon him and as though he had bene a synner was among synners conuersaunt yea and was euen fastened vpon a crosse among heynous transgressours as though him selfe had been suche one also Insomuche that he in maner toke vpon him the person of synne to this end that he in the likenes of synne might fyrst ouercome synne foorthwith abolishe it beyng
made a sacrifice for our synnes so diyng as touching the fleshe whiche he had taken he subdued death whiche through the desyres of the fleshe and the fleshely lawe bare rule vpon vs and caused that hencefoorth by abolishyng of the carnal meanyng of the lawe the better parte therof whiche we call the spiritual sence or spirite of it should in steade of the other take place and not worke Gods displeasure as the fyrst did but geue perfite righteousnes to them whiche lede not theyr life after y◠lawe carnally vnderstāden as the Iewes do but after the spiritual heauenly meanyng therof as men renued and through Christ new borne In the Iewes was there nothyng drawen painted but a shadowe of righteousnes but the vndoubted and perfite righteousnes is in vs through Iesus Christ throughly and perfitely wrought The texte For they that are carnal are carnally minded But they that are spiritual are gostly minded To be carnally minded is death But to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because that the fleshely minde is enemy against God for it is not obediente to the lawe of God neither can be So then they that are in the fleshe cannot please God The loue good wyll borne to thinges in vs beyng so greatly chaunged make plaine profe of a newe kynde of profession We se how y◠suche as styl holde on theyr Iewishe supersticion because they be yet carnal are with y◠same carnal vsuages muche delited Cōtrary suche as are graffed in Christ and haue now begunne to lede a spiritual life renouncyng all fleshely desyres are rauished enamoured with like conuersacion as is godly spiritual as we comenly see euery man fauour suche thinges as him selfe is bent vnto Mortall we be as touchyng our fleshe but yet hath Christ which is immortal called vs to life who is him self our life Now is the carnal lawe of the Iewes onely litterally obserued euen against Christ by reason therof worketh death kylleth forasmuche as it is against him whiche is the onely authour of life As in the Iewes thē selfes well appeared who for fauour zeale borne therto put to death y◠author of life righteousnes Of the other syde they whiche despisyng y◠carnal lettre of the lawe folowen the spiritual mocions of God fynde in Christ life nor striue for waterishe ceremonies of the law but gladly folowyng the inclinacions of charitie are with al men at peace concorde Supersticion is ful of ianglyng but true godly pytie is quiet peaceable And meruaile it is none that suche with men are at dissēcion whiche are not at peace with god For nothing els is it for a mā to cleaue stike fast to y◠carnal law whō God would through Christ shuld be abolished y◠in steade therof a spiritual law might ensue take place but to rebel agaist God whiche froward minde of any mā synce it squareth frō Gods pleasure cannot be but against him whiche calleth vs to farre vnlike cōtrary rules actes Let noman therfore thinke it a smal peril ieopardy stubbernly to hang vpō the lettre of the law therin to cōtinue And let vs assure our selfes that it is but a vayne thyng to please men vnles we please God also But suche as stubbernly mainteine Moses law litterally carnally vnderstāden except they forsaking the carnalnes therof fal from it to the spirite neither do please God nor can Let the Iewes exacte and requyre theyr feastes of the new moone and theyr sabboth daies kepyng neuer somuche they shal not attaine to that they loke for The texte But ye are not in the fleshe but in the spirite if so be that the spirite of God dwell in you If any man haue not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his If Christ be in you the body is dead because of synne but the spirite is aliue for righteousnes sake Wherfore if the spirite of him that raised vp Iesus Christ frō death dwel in you euen he that raised vp Christ from death shall quicken your mortal bodyes because of his spirite that dwelleth in you But to you whiche haue with the carnal law nothing to do these thinges nothing belong since y◠ye are becomen spiritual if ye after suche cōdicion lede your life that it please the holy spirite of God to be a dweller in your heartes For whoso is nothyng els but baptised styl belongeth to the carnal kyngdome of the fleshe excepte he taste also Christ be with his blessed spirite inspired Coupled are we vnto Christ not with ceremonies but with that spirite whō whoso lacketh is to Christ but a straunger But now then if Christ be in you syth he is nothyng els but chastitie but trueth but tēperaūce with other vertues how can in you synne haue any place Whoso hath receiued Christ him must the same mā nedes in suche vertuous pointes expresse He as I before sayd once dyed touchyng his fleshe māhed yet liueth he now a life euerlastyng Then fruitfully expresse resēble we him when the body y◠is to say our grosse part whiche with pleasaunt lustes allureth vs to all vnhappines is dead is without al desyre to synne if therwith our spirit also that is to say y◠better part in vs who alway moueth to goodnes and with his mightie power draweth vs to suche thinges as are good righteous be quicke and aliue Therfore if the spirite of God whiche raised Iesus Christ frō death vnfainedly dwel in you the same wyll not be idle A liuely an effectual thyng is the spirit of God wyll accordyng vnto your capacities in you likewise worke as it did in Christ Him it raised from death and suffereth not to dye againe And so wyl the same raise you frō sinne which is very death in dede to life extynguishyng your froward desyres appetites al whiche he wil do by his blissed spirit the author of life which now dwelleth in you The texte Therfore brethren we are detters not to the fleshe to liue after the fleshe For if ye liue after the fleshe ye shal dye But if ye through the spirite do mortifye the dedes of the body ye shal liue For as many as are led by the spirite of God they are the sonnes of God For ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but ye haue receiued the spirite of adopcion wherby we crye Abba father The same spirite certifieth our spirit that we are the sonnes of God If we be sonnes then are we also the heires I meane of God and heires annexed with Christ If so be that we suffre with him that we may be also glorified together with him Vnder this spirit now therfore liue we his subiectes are we it must we obey not the fleshe whervnto we are now deade For assone as we once begunne to be one with Christ we cast of the bondage
and in fayth growe stronger whervnto ye shal muche rather bryng him by fauourable meanes than by cōtencious reasonyng and disputacions Considre in suche matters how vnmete a thing it is that suche actes as may without offence be done should streight be taken in the worse parte But to th entent that peace and cōcorde may among you be maintained and stedfastly abyde certaine thinges must be wynked at some thinges must be suffered and some thinges must gently be takē Suche gentle fauorable takyng of thinges vpholdeth and preserueth the felowship of this our comen lite And synce mennes mindes among them selues are sondry and diuers surely in a multitude neuer wyl there be stedfast peace vnlesse in diuers pointes one geue place to an other For he that is without all serupulositie thynketh it lawfull without any difference to eate what meate him lust in that acte nothyng els regardyng but what nature requireth Againe he that is yet weake and somewhat supersticious lest he might chaunce either vpō fishe or other meates forbidden either by the Iewes lawe or offered vp to idols liueth with herbes Suche thinges among you ought not so to be regarded that for them brotherly peace be broken Let him that is strong eateth al meates so vse his strength that yet he dispise not the weaker whiche feareth to eate Let him againe whiche folowyng the weakenes of his mynde abstaineth from certayne kyndes of meate neither judge nor condemne him whiche without difference taketh whatsoeuer is sette before him But rather lette him that is strong beare with the weake in this sence takyng it this errour conceiued and gathered by long custome of his former life cannot sodainly be plucked out of his minde it wyll by litle and lytle weare away as in him godlynes groweth supersticion wyll vanishe and auoyde Lykewyse he that is scrupulous when he seeth an other eate all kyndes of meate let him this wyse thynke with him selfe what matter maketh it to me what this man doeth ▪ and likely it is that he doeth it of a good mynde synce God hath receiued and taken him vnto him and made him his owne at whose pleasure heliueth against whom onely he offendeth if there be in suche thinges any offence as of them selfe are not cuil Now if it be an arrogant point to dispise the weakenes of him that is supersticious and deceiued through rudenes how muche more intollerable pride wyl this be thinke ye if suche one as in y◠fayth is but weake take vpō him to iudge and condemne him that is stronger euen as the rule and custome of vnlearned people is whiche thinke nothing rightful but that them selfe do and thinke all that good that they allowe Maye not a man wel say to suche one what art thou that iudgest and condemnest an other mannes seruaunt There is but one lord and maister of al Iesus Christ To him stādeth he ▪ if he be strong in fayth to him falleth he if he offende as thou thinkest he doeth For he in dede for this shall not fall but rather be stablished to continue in his strong fayth His maister is sufficiently able and mete to strengthen his seruaunt that he stagger not at all The texte This man putteth difference betwene day day an other mā coumpteth all dayes alike Let euery manues mynde satisfie him selfe He that obserueth the day doeth it vnto the lorde And he that doeth not obserue the day doeth it for the lorde also He that eateth doeth it to please the lorde for he geueth God thankes And he that eateth not eateth not to please the lorde withal and geueth God thankes For noue of vs lyueth for him selfe and no man dyeth for him selfe For if we liue we liue vnto the lorde And if we dye we dye vnto the lorde Whether we liue thefore or dye we are the lordes For Christ therfore dyed and rose againe reuiued that he might be lorde of dead and quicke And that I haue now tolde you of the choyse of meates the same in kepyng the sabboth day and feastes of the newe moone is like wyse to be vnderstande For he that is weake and of vnperfite fayth maketh a difference betwixte day and day as though one were holye and the other were not and thinketh it vnlawful in this day to eate certaine meates or to labor whiche man other day might well and lawfully be done On the other lyde he that is perfite and strong in his fayth conceiueth in dayes no suche difference but rather thinketh al the space of his life consectate and halowed to godly conuersacion Breake not for suche pointes christian concorde among you but without condemnyng of other mennes cōsciences let euery one herein do as he iudgeth best specially synce bothe wayes are without synne and with both standeth the chiefe point of our religion Whoso estemeth and iudgeth in his conscience that euery day is like pure and holy doth so to his lorde and to the little belongeth it how well he doeth Lykewyse he that iudgeth that there is betwixte day and day some difference if he be deceiued he doeth it vnto his lorde thou hast therwith nothyng to do Lykewyse he that without difference eateth all kyndes of meate he eateth to his lorde forasmuche as he geueth thankes to God through whose benefite he eateth whose free goodnes made all thynges for mannes vse Againe whoso through the weakenes of his conscience abstaineth from certaine meates he abstaineth to his lorde and nothyng haste thou to do therwith synce he eatyug hearbes and rootes geueth thankes to God as wel as thou doest If God allowe and accepte his thankes geuyng why art thou so bolde vpō him to geue sentence The cause of both is diuers the matter one both one mynde and one lorde is there of both The one geueth thankes for the libertie he hath to eat what he lust knowing that the gospel putteth a difference betwixte mindes and not betwixt meates ▪ the other whiles he shonneth the occasion of surfettyng by the reason of his abstinence he is kept within the bondes of temperaunce In all suche thinges we are equal so that it besemeth no mā in defēce of his doyng to striue with his brother sufficient it is if God approue it to whō the iudgement of such thinges belōgeth as are either vncertain or els suche as must for the tyme be borne with No christian man hath power further vpon other but y◠eche one do good to another Nor liueth any man for him selfe because we are all his whiche from synne brought vs to goodnes and from death restored vs to life No mā therfore either liueth to him selfe or dyeth to him selfe nomore than any mans seruaunt doeth vpō whose life and death his maister hath ful power authoritie Now if the seruaunt liue he liueth not for his owne nor none other mans auauntage but for the auauntage or disauauntage of his maister If he
knowledge that I haue of your condicions I partelye beleue the reporte It coulde not be auoyded but that there would suche sectes ryse among you Of whiche euill thyng yet this good groweth that by thesame it more playnly appeareth whiche are throughly perfite which whyles other are in a confusion and fyll theyr paunches myldly and so berlye accordyng vnto the Apostles ordinaunces and the olde custome of the churche kepe this holy feaste wherein we represent the laste souper of Christ with his disciples remembryng the league whiche he made with vs and for an exaumple of mutuall concorde of eche one of vs towarde another The texte When ye come together therfore into one place the Lordes supper cannot be eaten For euery man begynneth afore to eate his owne supper And one is hongry and an other is dronken Haue ye not houses to eaâ—e and drynke in Despyse ye the congregacion of God and shame them that haue not What shall I saye vnto you shall I prayse you In this prayse I you not That which I deliuered vnto you I receiued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus thesame nyght in whiche he was betrayed toke breade and whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and sayed Take ye and eate this is my body which is broken for you This doe ye in the remembraunce of me But now is there creapt in amoÌ„g you a very vnsemely vsage that as oft as ye come together the Lordes souper semeth not to bee the great matter that is in hand suche as he made with his disciples but rather some troublous clamorous feast without equalitie because eche maÌ„ riotously and gloutonously not lokyng for other begynneth afore to eate his owne souper Wherupon it foloweth that the poore man is hongry either because he hath nothing to eate or because he cummeth not in season and the ryche man that hath begunne his souper is full and drounken by meanes whereof that spirituall feast is two maner of wayes dishonoured both because through pryde of the ryche men the poore are disdayned whom Christ disdaineth not also because the Lordes souper is with surfetting and excesse defiled At this souper is represented the misterie of christian concorde no bealy nor gut matter for whom prouision should haue been made priuately in mennes owne housen and not in the open assembly Yf ye delyted to fyll your paunches haue ye not housen wherin ye maye so doe out of syght Despise ye so farfurth the open congregacion of christians that in presence therof ye be not ashamed lyke glotons to vse your selfes euen of purpose in the meane seasoÌ„ goyng about to make the poore ones ashamed whiche haue nothing to set at table whyles ye openly setfurth your riottouse and costly fare What shall I herein saye vnto you ye Corinthians Shall I prayse you Certenly I would wyshe I had good cause so to doe for other thinges I much prayse you but in this I caÌ„not prayse you These maners far square froÌ„ that souper of the lord after whose example ye should among you kepe this holy feast I maruayle who they be that haue brought this euill custome amoÌ„g you for I as an Apostle receyued of the Lord that which I also haue taught you which is yâ— our Lord Iesus thesame nyght in which he was betrayed by his disciple and taken toke bread when he had geueÌ„ thankes to God he brake the bread and sayed take eate this is my body whiche is broken for you to be deuided among all The thyng whiche ye see me to doe thesame doe ye herafter in the remembraunce of me Note and marke here all the disciples syt together at table with theyr maister marke howe the table and meate was comon to all not somuche as the traytour Iudas excluded from thesame and one bread equally deuided among all This dyd the Lorde with his disciples and despise ye your brethren and suche as are your felowes in religion The texte After thesame maner also he toke the cup when supper was doen saying This cup is the newe testamente in my bloud This doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembraunce of me For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shall shew the Lordes death tyll he come Wherfore whosoeuer shall eate of this breade or drinke of the cup of the Lorde vnworthely shal be gyltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. But let a man examen himselfe and so let him eate of the bread and drink of the cup. For he that eateth or drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body For this cause many are weake and sycke among you and many slepe After thesame maner when he had distribute the bread he toke the cup also into his handes when the supper was already done saying this cup is the newe testamente through my bloud as often as ye drinke hereof doe it in remembraunce of me In this supper then all dranke of one cup and among you the ryche menne are dronke and the poore are athruste Christ would haue this feast to be kept among you in remeÌ„braunce of his death and as a token of his euerlasting testamente yet is it nowe kepte among you with ryot and dissencion It is a misticall bread wherof al men should in lyke sorte be partakers As the cup also is holy indifferently apertayning to all not prepared to apease mennes bodyly thruste but to represente a secrete matter leste ye myght forgette with what pryce ye were from the synnes of your former lyfe redemed As often therfore as ye resorte together to eate of this breade and to drinke of this cup ye goe about no bealy matter but mistically represent the death of the Lord Iesu whose continuall remembraunce shall cause you to doe your dueties vntyll the tyme he returne to iudge all the worlde Therfore whosoeuer eateth of this bread or drinketh of the Lordes cup otherwise than is worthy of Christ haynously offendeth as which hath otherwise vsed the body bloud of the Lorde than he commaunded it should be vsed for as muche as a thing whiche is moste full of misteries ought with all purenesse and reuerence to be vsed for auoydyng of whiche inconuenience let euery man first trye and examen his conscieÌ„ce before And vpon a through examinacion had let hym then eate of that breade and drinke of the cup. And let hym that vpon examinacion of hymselfe fyndeth an vnmetenesse abstayne rather and make sacrifice to his bealy at home For albeit the body and bloud of the Lord be a healthfull thing yet whosoeuer therof doeth eate or drinke vnworthily thesame turneth to his poyson and destruccion because he without reuerence and with an vnclensed conscience presumed to come vnto so great a misterie without due consideracion had with howe great reuerence the body of the Lorde ought to be receyued When Christe shall come then shall suche be
are inspired with the holy gost are not theyr owne men no more then we see rauished men to be But thinke it muche otherwyse in madde men than in suche as haue receyued the spirite of Christe whiche in suche sorte rauysheth the minde that a man is nethlesse his owne man whether the matter require a man to speake or to holde his peace Sober is this inspiracion and nothing els but an enforcemente of a mannes godly mynde to suche thinges as make to Gods glory This spirite should so muche the more serue vnto the common quietnes and so muche be further from contencion because thesame commeth of God whiche is the author of peace and not of confusion and sedicion And synce this is in all congregacions of christian men obserued and kept mete is it also that it be kept in your metynges yf ye wyll haue men to thinke them good leste ye be thought to swarue from other in customes from whom ye dissente not in religion And for this cause lette your wemen in solemne assemblyes holde theyr peace leste yf as that kynde is to muche geuen to babling there aryse an vncomly confusion For wemen are not authorized to preache abrode as chiefe doers of matters but commaunded to be obedient vnto theyr husbandes For in Genesis this speaketh God vnto the woman thou shalt attend vpon thy husbandes will and he shall beare rule ouer the. Let wemen knowledge this lawe not only by coueryng theyr heades but also with silence wherwith womanhead is moste commended Some wyll saye doest thou so farfurth forbid women to speake that thou wylt not suffer them for theyr learnyng to aske a question Vtterly I forbid them in open places to speake but yf there be any thing which they vnderstand not sufficiently and are desyrouse to knowe it let them aske of theyr hushusbandes at home So shall they neyther be defrauded of teaching nor doe any thing vnsemely For surely an vnsemely syght is it to see a woman speake in the chrstian congregacion namely synce so to doe is coumpted a foule thing euen among the paynims What meaneth this ye CorinthiaÌ„s that ye should be greued to kepe that custome whiche is of al other kept The texte Sprong the woorde of God from you Either came it vnto you only If any man thinke himselfe to be a Prophete either spirituall let him knowe what thynges I wryte vnto you For they are the commaundementes of the Lorde But and if any man be ignoraunt let him be ignoraunt Wherfore brethren couete to prophecye and forbydde not to speake with tonges Let all thynges be doen honestly and in order among you Came the gospell fyrste from you that other muste be compelled to kepe your customes or is the gospell come only to you Yf ye neither be the fyrste that receaued the gospel nor the onely menne that professe it why disdayne ye to frame your selfes after the customes of other And yf anye among you be a prophete or seme otherwyse indued with spiritual gyftes let hym be assured that suche thynges as I wryte vnto you are no commaundementes of myne but the Lordes But yf any manne through contencion so vse hym selfe as though he were ignoraunte despising these thinges as though they were but mannes rules let suche one at his owne peryll be ignoraunt surely god wyll lykewyse be ignoraunt of hym and refuse hym I wyll not striue with you in this matier but thinke this sufficient for my parte that I haue giueÌ„ you warnyng To finishe therfore this matier labour brethren to haue the gyfte of prophecie being a gyfte of muche more excellency but so that in the meane season such be not restrayned to speake with tounges which haue no gyfte els so that all thynges bee done comly and in an order as I haue tolde you leste by the contrary any dishonesty or trouble chaunce The .xv. Chapter The texte Brethren as pertaynyng to the Gospell which I preached vnto you which ye haue also accepted and in the which ye contynue by the which also ye are saued I do â—ou to wyt after what maner I preached vnto you yf ye kepe it except ye haue beleued in vayne BVt now because I heare say brethren that some of you doubte of the rysynge agayne of the deade of suche I meane as through a pride in worldly knowledge styll remaynyng in them cannot yet herein bee persuaded touchyng this article I neede to teache you no newe thynge but onely call to your remembraunce the gospell whiche I fyrste taught you and which ye once receaued wherein hetherto ye continewe and by meane wherof ye obtayne saluacion insomuche that it is bothe for me superfluous to teache you thesame agayne whiche I once wel taught you for you also lytle honestie inconstantly to fal backe from that whiche ye once fauoured speaciallye synce ye haue experience that my preaching of the gospel is a doctrine effectuall to saluacion Now is this poynte to beleue the resurrection of the dead the chiefeste parte of the doctrine of the gospell Wherein ye ought so to be assured that ye therof doubte not onles ye haue gyuen credence thereto in vayne as god forbid ye shoulde For what auayled it to fauer and embrace the gospell yf ye denie the principall parte of thesame that is to wete that the deade shall lyue agayne The texte For fyrst of al I delyuered vnto you that which I receaued how that Christ died for our synnes agreing to the scriptures And that he was buried that he arose againe the thyrd day according to the scriptures that he was sene of Cephas theÌ„ of the twelue Aftâ—r that was he sene of mo then fyue hundred brethren at once of which many remayne vnto this day many are fallen aslepe After that appeared he to Iames then to al the Apostles Me thinketh ye should chiefly remember that thing which I fyrst taught you by mouth and nowe reherse vnto you the same by wrytinge being such also as ye once receaued which is that the Lorde Iesus Christe dyed and by hys deathe deliuered vs from synne makyng a mendes for our offences as the scriptures many hundred yeares before sayed shoulde bee that he should lyke a lambe bee led to the slaughter that through hys strypes he might heale our synnes and by his death vpoÌ„ the crosse raigne and suppresse the tyranny of the deuill Besyde thys ye muste also beleue that he not only verely dyed for you but was also buried and the thyrd daye rose agayne which also was long before prophecied in the darke sayinges of prophetes to th entent ye should the better beleue when that is done in dede whiche god by holy men promised should be For this speaketh O see after two dayes and the thyrd day will we ryse againe and lyue in the syght of hym Againe Dauid thys wyse speaketh thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell And because ye should more stedfastly beleue besyde thys I
taught you also howe after that he was rysen agayne he shewed hym selfe playnly and euedentlye to many fyrst to Cephas then to the twelue after that was he sene of more than fyue hundred brethren gathered al together And lest any might doubt of the trewth of this history of all thys noumber many are alyue euen vntyll thys daye and some are dede After this was be sene of Iames whiche was called brother of the Lord and was fyrste byshope of Hierusalem Then was he sene of all the disciples not only of the twelue whiche were fyrste called apostles whiche name was after deriued into many The texte And laste of all he was seue of me as of one that was borne out of due tyme. For I am the leaste of the Apostles which am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the congregacion of God But by the grace of God I am that I am And hys grace whiche is in me was not in vayne but I laboured more abundauntly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me Therfore whither it were I or they so we preache and so haue ye beleued And last of al was he sene of me as of an vnseasonable borne apostle which after the full tyme was at the laste lyke an vnperfite chyld rather caste than wel borne I complaine not because I laste sawe the Lord but coumpte it a greate matter that I deserued to se hym For I am the leaste of the apostles and vnworthie to be called an apostle because I persecuted the churche of god whome the apostles stablysh Vnworthy therfore was I euen asmuche as at laste to be chosen into the felowshype of thapostles but the fre goodnes of god vouchsaued to gyue me this honoure notwithstandyng I deserued it not so that whatsoeuer I am al is of hys goodnes and not of my deseruynge And I suffered not hys grace in me to be either idle or baraine For albeit in order of time I be laste yet in preaching of the gospel am I not behynde thē but haue laboured more than any other of the apostles which I saye leste for thys any myght lesse esteme myne authoritie because I was laste chosen to bee an apostle Howebeit this labor of myne I vouche not as myne but gyue al to goddes goodnes by whose helpe all was wrought To retourne therfore to the matier whether in preachyng the gospell theyr authoritie bee more or myne it lytle forceth sure is it that we with one assent preache one thinge and that whiche we with one assente preached that beleued ye as a sure and an vndoubted doctrine We alwaye teache one thinge this remayneth that ye lykewyse continewe in one beliefe not nowe doubting agayne of that wherupon ye were once agreed The texte If Christ be preached how that he rose from the dead how saye some among you that there is no resurreccion of the dead If there be no rysing agayne of the dead thē is Christ not rysen agayne If Christ be not ryse agayne then is our preachyng in vaine and your fayth is also in vayne ye and we are founde false witnesses of God For we haue testifyed of God howe that he raysed vp Christ whom he raysed not vp yf it bee so that the deade ryse not agayne For yf the deade ryse not a gayne then is Christ not rysen agayne If it be so that Christe rose not agayne then is your fayth in vayne and ye are yet in your synnes Therfore they which are fallen aslepe in Christ are perysshed It in this lyfe onely we beleue on Chryste then are we of all men most miserable But nowe is Christe rysen from the dead and become the fyrst frutes of them that slept For by a mā came death and by a man came the resurreccion of the dead For as by Adam all dye euen so by Chryst shall all bee made alyue but euery manne in his owne order The firste is Christe then they that are Christes at hys commynge Then cometh the ende when he hath delyuered vp the kyngdome to God the father when he hath put downe all rule and all auctoryte and power Yf by all the apostles wytnesses it hath been and is styll preached that Christe the prince and author of resurreccion is rysen agayne from deathe what malapertnes is it that among you some saye that there is no resurreccion of the deade For yf there be none then foloweth it that not so muche as Christ hym selfe is rysen agayne For to what purpose is it that oure heade and capitayne shoulde ryse but to go before and prepare the resurrection of vs his members openyng the way to vs all And yf Christ be not rysen certaynly vayne is our preaching vayne is also your belefe and truste And yf we be certaynly perswaded that Christe is rysen agayne aswell perswaded and beleue must we that we shall ryse agayne for whose restoring to lyfe he rose Yf we ryse not this foloweth that bothe you and I haue not only loste our labors I in preachyng ye in beleuyng but are also founde wrongful agaynst god of whome we falsly reported that he raysed Christe from death whome he raysed not as he in dede raysed him not yf other dead menne ryse not againe For either muste ye beleue bothe or deny bothe because that of the heade and members there is but one resurreccion Yf the deade ryse not for whose sake Christe rose then Christe hymselfe rose not And yf Christe rose not vayne was your belefe that he is rysen and in vayne beleued ye that through a truste and confidence in him ye were made free from synne Wherupon it also foloweth that ye are styll subiecte to your former synnes nor hath baptisme wherby we in the meane season through Christ spiritually ryse agayne from syn wrought anythyng in vs. They also whiche haue dyed with this truste and with this hope haue paciently suffered cruel martyrdome and death are vtterly goen for euer yf there be no hope of resurreccion And yf all oure hope conceaued of Christe reache no further than for the terme of this present lyfe we be not onely wretched people but also more miserable than they whiche to Christ are straungers For they yet haue after a sorte the pleasures of this present lyfe wheras we are both here in trouble for Christes name and shall after this lyfe haue no rewarde yf we ryse not body and soule agayne But god forbyd that any manne to his owne destruccion haue any suche fonde belefe But rather yf ye beleue that Christ is rysen agayne as euery godly manne dothe therof foloweth necessaryly that we shall also ryse againe For in hym began resurreccion whiche shall in vs bee made perfyte and as he takyng agayne his bodye vpon hym rose from deathe so shal we bothe bodye and soule ryse agayne leste otherwyse the heade myght bee deuyded from his members He as prince and capitayne fyrste rose agayne as the
fyrste fruites of all suche as dye with hope to ryse agayne He began resurreccion other straighte folowed as companyōs of the lordes resurreccion and we in time to come shal folowe them For it is not to be doubted but that he wyll lykewise doe in all his members as he hath done not onely in hym selfe alreadye but also in many holy menne For we muste by imaginacion conceaue two bodyes one subiecte to deathe whiche beganne in Adam another apoynted to lyfe immortall whiche had his beginnyng in Christe Therfore as at the begynnyng through one mannes synne deathe entred whiche being as it were from the heade deriued into the members rageth and infecteth all menne so by one manne whiche was vtterly free from all synne came in resurreccion of the dead For throughe only Adames offence all we that descended of hym are subiecte to deathe and throughe Chrystes only innocencie all suche shal be restored to lyfe immortall as haue desearued to bee ioyned into hys bodye All shall ryse agayne but yet euery manne in his order the fyrste of all is Christe then suche as cleaue vnto Chryste as the partes of the bodye cleaue vnto the heade of whome a certayne goynge out of theyr graues rose with Christe and the reste shall all ryse at hys laste commyng And when the resurreccion of the whole body is done and paste then shall nothynge remayne but an ende of thys worldly alteracions whiche shal not bee before the vtter abolyshment of y◠tyrannye of death what tyme Christe as a victoriouse conquerour shall delyuer vp a quiet and a peasyble kyngdome to god his father to whome by subduyug his enemies he restoreth his dominion and after that he hathe dryuen awaye vtterly from hys whole bodye and brought to nought all the power rule and authoritie of his aduersaries The texte For he muste raigne tyll he haue put all this enemyes vnder hys feete The last enemy that shal be destroyed is death For he hath put all thynges vnder hys feete But when he sayth all thynges are put vnder hym it is manyfeste that he is excepted whiche dyd put all thynges vnder hym When all thynges are subdued vnto hym then shall the sonne also hymselfe be subiecte vnto hym that put all thynges vnder him that God maye be all in al. Elles what do they which are baptised ouer the dead yf the dead ryse not at all Why are they then baptised ouer them yea and why stande we allwaye then in ieoperdye By oure reioysyng whiche I haue in Christe Iesu oure Lorde I dye dayly That I haue fought with beastes at Ephesus after the maner of men what auauntageth it me yf the dead ryse not agayne Let vs eate and drynke for to morowe we shall dye Be not ye deceaued euell woordes corrupte good manners Awake truely out of slepe and synne not For some haue not the knowledge of God I speake this to your shame For so long necessary is it that the sonne shoulde labor and trauayle about the recouery of the kyngdome to god his father vntyl that he haue vtterly subdued all hys enemies and so treade them downe vnderneyth hys feete that there bee no rebellion at all nor feare of euyll Through synne deathe raigneth and through death y◠deuyll When synne is extinguished then shall deathe raigne no longer And albeit in thys lyfe we to our power labour about it yet shal we not fully haue it vntyll that by the laste resurreccion al the power of death shal be quite abolyshed when our laste enemye of all whiche moste stubbernly rebelled shall bee vanquished for euer For by thys waye hathe the father decreed that all thynges shall become subiecte vnto hys sonne as it is wrytten in the psalmes thou haste put all thinges vnder hys feete But when scripture sayeth that all thynges shal be vnder the fete of the sonne it is not to be vnderstanden that the sonne shall only possesse that kyngdom the father being excluded for the kingdom of the father and the sonne is all one kyngdom This new and peculiar kyngdom wherin there shal be no rebellion of synfull desyres against the will pleasure of God the father recouereth vnto himselfe by his sonne which he in such sorte vseth with his sonne in cōmon that nethlesse in the father the authoritie remayneth as in him of whom the sonne receiued the same kingdom which is in suche sorte fully and wholy the sonnes that yet the father loseth nothyng synce of both there is but one will And then when all thinges shal be subiecte to the sonne then shall the sonne selfe wholy that is to saye with his bodye misticall yelde and submitte hymselfe to the father by whom as chiefe doer al thinges became subiecte to the sonne that thencefurth no not in the members shall there any thing be lefte whiche shall to Christe be contrarie but that the whole sonne shall consente with the father of whom as of the first begynner al thinges shall depende to whom as chiefe doer all men shall geue thankes for all that euer in any tyme and place hath been well done Nowe wheras I long synce taught you this and ye lykewyse learned the same what meaneth this that some no we doubt a freshe whether the dead shall liue againe Wherof if there be no hope vayne is their labour which albeit more supersticiously thā godly in steade of the dead receyue baptisme fearyng leste suche one as dyed without christenyng shall not ryse among ryghteouse people And to auoyde thys they prepare one which in steade of the dead maye aunswere that he beleueth and desyreth baptisme These mennes fayth I allowe but their doynges I allowe not For as it is folyshnes to thynke that another mans baptisme helpeth the dead so beleue they truely and well there shall a resurreccion be For yf they thought that the dead mā should nomore ryse againe neuer would they for his sake be so careful Yea we our selfes do folishly which for Christes doctrin dayly put our life in ieopardie if after such greuous tormētes no reward folow Nor are we only in ieopardie but also in maner dye dayly by that we oftetymes stād in some new ieopardie nor are dispached with one kinde of death And as in this my saying I lye not so may I alwaies glory in this reioysing which I haue through Iesus Christ our lorde to whose glory turne al the miseries which we suffer Wheras amōg the Ephesiās for Christes gospel I suffered so much trouble that I could not chose but fyght with be astes as one most surely apointed to dye what profite was there in or what gayned I therby if the dead ryse not again What madnes is it without compulsion to sustaine so many troubles if assone as a mā is once dead it nothing force howe he hath lyued Yf we after our death be paste all hope what remaineth there but y◠we as the wicked persons spake in Esai distrusting the promises of
and earth Yea and as there is of heauenly bodyes one beautie and comlynes and of earthly an other euen so a diuersitie is there among the heauenly bodyes them selfe Fyrste nether is there lyke glory and bryghtnes of the Moone with the sōne nor of other starres with the Moone and briefly euen the verie starres selfe in brightnesse diffre one from another for all are not as bryght as the day starre is Lykewyse at the resurrection all men shall ryse with theyr owne bodyes but yet in an vnlyke glory without doubte as it shal please God to gyue them and as they in this lyfe haue deserued For the vngodly shall rise in one fourme the good in an other Among them also that are good euerie one as he hath in this lyfe vsed hymselfe so shal he excell other in the gloriousnes of his new bodye Yet generally all good men shall haue a muche more actiue bodye than was that which they by death forsoke And as it is in nature to couer the seed vnder the earth the same is in the matier of resurrection the buriall of the deade bodye And that whiche in the seede is growyng agayne is in the bodye rysyng agayne And as in the one that is muche better which groweth vp than was that which was caste into the earth euen so here albeit it be thesame bodye that ryseth agayne yet is it farre vnlike There is sowen as it were a grayne into the earth a body subiect to corruption but thesame shall ryse againe without all corruption There is hydden in the earth a vyle body lothsome but there shall ryse againe a body both gloriouse and honourable There is buryed a bodye whiche euen when it lyued was weake but it shall ryse agayne full of power and myght There is buryed a bodye which albeit were alyue yet were it grosse and heauye and by the reason of that bourdaynouse to the soule gouernour of the same but there shall ryse agayne not a naturall but a spirituall bodye whiche shall to the soule be no let whither soeuer it moue For this is a difference of bodies also one is naturall whiche hath neede of meate and drynke and is weryed with labour whiche is diseased whiche with age weareth awaye which with his grosse and fautie instrumentes ofttimes letteth the intent of the soule which by reason of froward desyers oftentimes prouoketh to vyce to whome yf the soule be obedient and geue ouer the same is as it were tourned into the body and groweth out of his nature into fleshe another is spirituall which being in this lyfe by lytle and lytle purged from sensual appetites and desiers and after by resurrection renewed agayne is in maner transfourmed into the nature of the soule to whom it by godly desyre applyed it selfe that as oure soule obeyng the spirite of god is rauished and in maner transformed into him so maye our bodyes beyng ▪ obedient vnto the soule be pourged and shakyng of his grossenes be purified into such a body as is very lyke to the soule This grosse and earthly body receiued we of our first father Adā which as he was made of earth so was he subiect to earthly desiers But there is an other secōde Adam not somuche the begynner of our natiuitie as of our resurrection which as he hath an heauenly beginning so was he fre from al infeccion of earthly desyers And so reade we in Genesis The fyrste man Adam was made to lyue through y◠benefite of the soule but yet so that the soule beyng as it were bound to the grosse body should do nothing but by bodily instrumentes or at the leaste by some material meane But after him was geuen a seconde Adam which as he was conceaued by the holy gost so should he geue lyfe to his not this grosse lyfe whiche we haue in many poyntes common with beastes but a spirituall and a heauenly lyfe By Christ therfore are we repayred in al poyntes into a better state For that thing whiche is in time firste is also in substance more grosse and that by the order of nature We nowe beare about with vs a naturall bodye and in tyme to come we shall haue a spirituall bodye As the grosse parent of our stocke went before so folowed Christ the begynner of a newe generacion And what sorte of one the earthly parent was suche are his posteritie that is to saye men gyuen to earthly desyres And agayne what kynde of one the heauenly Adam was such are they which are borne agayne in hym that is to wete wholy delyted with heuenly thinges For we must for this state begyn that here which we intende herafter perfitely to enioye As before baptisme in vngraciouse maners we resemblyd the nature of our fyrst father so being borne agayne vnto Christ through baptisme we muste nowe in heauenly lyfe resemble oure heauenly father And yf we this do not neither shall we be here partes of Christes bodye nor in tyme to come gloriously ryse agayne In deede admitted are we into the kyngdom of god but this I tell you brethren that flesh and bloud that is to say men of the first generacion cannot come to the enheritaunce of the kyngdome of God nor the lyfe whiche is with synne corrupted shall haue the inheritaunce of lyfe immortall And because ye shall be ignoraunt of nothyng apertaynyng to the maner of resurreccion beholde I tell you a misterie We shall not all dye for the laste daye shall peraduenture fynde some of vs alyue but yet shall all we be chaunged to the glory of immortall lyfe whiche here after a sorte abstayning from the infeccion of synne through godly conuersacion beginne the immortal lyfe to come This chaunge shal not be made by lytle lytle as we see natural thinges chaunged but in a minute twynkling of an iye at the sounde of the laste troumpe For the troumpe shall blow at the voyce wherof suche as then are dead shall ryse immortall And we whiche shall at that day be found alyue beyng sodaynly chaunged shall lyue after an other sorte that is to say as they doe which are rysen again For necessary it is that before we perfitly possesse the kingdom of heauen we vtterly put of al earthlynes and that this our corruptible body be made incorruptible and this our mortal body become immortall When this is so than shal that verely be perfourmed which the Prophete O see foreseing sayth reioysing at the vtter destrucciō of death ▪ death is swalowed vp through victory Where is now death thy styng ▪ o hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the lawe which by occasion geuing prouoketh vs to sinne When the law is taken away the power of sinne is faynt and feble when sinne is taken awaye the power of death ceaseth by reason that the styng is taken awaye wherwith she is wounte to stryke vs. Vnable were we vtterly to fyght
not the grosse olde testament as the false Apostles teache it and standeth in the knowlege of the letter the administracion whereof was committed to Moses but the newe testamente whiche is heauenly and spirituall and standeth in affeccions of mynde and not in ceremonies The lawe and gospel haue both one maker but the ministerye â–ª of boothe is soondrye and of the two the apostles is of muche more excellencie For the letter committed vnto Moses by reasoÌ„ of certain rules lawes driueth men to death forasmuch as it by occasion both prouoketh to sin and also condeÌ„neth yâ— sinner to death whereas contrarie yâ— spirite whiche is geuen by preachyng the ghospel both forgeueth the offences of our former lyfe and to suche as haue deserued deathe offerethe lyfe Nowe and yf the fyrste lawe whyche beeyng grauen in stone wroughte deathe to the transgressour and gaue no grace was of such great maiestie and glorye that when Moses the seconde tyme broughte downe the tables the Hebrues coulde not beeholde his face by reason of the glorie and maiestie of that whiche was sure once yet to bee abolished why shoulde not muche rather the ministerye of the Gospell haue his honoure and maiestie whereby throughe faythe and the free gifte of the spirite euerlastyng saluacion is geuen Yf the lawe whiche coulde condemne and was not hable to saue hadde suche honoure certainelye muche more honoure desearueth the Gospel by preachyng whereof synne is not onely forgeuen â—ut also rihgteousnesse is geuen In whiche twoo thinges suche difference is there that if a manne more narowelye compare eche one of theym with other that whiche by it selfe is glorious wyll appeare but base beyng as it were darkened with the bryght and excellente glorie of the Gospel For if the lawe whiche was geuen but for a season and shoulde wythin a while after bee abrogate was among menne in suche honoure of muche more dignitie is the lawe of the Gospell whiche is bothe generallye geuen to all menne and shall neuer bee abolished For the newe testament whereby the olde is abrogate Christe hymselfe calleth an euerlasting testamente as I in my other epistle taught you Of whiche thyng wee beeyng moste certainlye perswaded and assured in oure â—eachynges vse no darke riddles but freelye and openlye sette furth the lyghte of the Gospell surelye beleuyng that bothe the glorye of this lawe is suche that it shoulde not bee hidden and ye of that â—ireyngthe and clearnesse of conscience that ye are hable to looke thereupon And therefore wee dooe not as it is read that Moses didde whiche when he broughte downe the seconde tables after that the fyrste were broken couered hys face with a vayle that the children of Israell shoulde not looke thereupon nor deaue thereto for euer synce that euen this was a proufe and significacion to them that the glorie of Moses lawe shoulde bee abolished whiche euen at that time when it was made was not verye glorious for in vayne is that thyng glorious whiche a manne canne not see In this figure was represented the grossenesse of that nacion whiche seeyng sawe not and hearyng hearde not insomuche that whiche was doone in Moses face the same was moste verelye done in theyr heartes whiche in them were blynded beeyng as it were ouercaste wyth the vayle of dulnesse Yea and in this daye the blyndenesse remayneth in that nacion stille so that when they reade the bookes of the lawe they vnderstande theym not and with stubberne myndes of a zeale towarde the lawe refuse hym at whose commyng the lawe selfe graunteth that she shall bee abolyshed Therefore when they in suche sorte reade the olde testament that they wyll not embrace the newe promysed therein holde they not faste Moses vayle nor see by faythe castyng of the same that thorowghe Christe all the darkenesse of the lawe is a brogate Stuâ—bernelye yet stycke they to theyr Moses when he is cumme to whome Moses bade them geue eare Hym reade they in theyr synagoges but they reade hym carnallye sekyng for nothyng but corporall thynges wheras the lawe if menne well loke thereupon is in deede spiritual â–ª Letted are thei doubtelesse euen vntyll this day wyth a vayle cast ouer theyr heartes which is remoued through fayth in the gospell But when the tyme shall come that they shall leaue theyr grosse myndes and receauyng the vniuersall fayth tourne vnto the Lorde then shall theyr vayle be taken away so that they shall see suche thynges as without the bryght eyes of fayth can not be seen â–ª Moses was grosse and carnall but the Lorde Iesus is a spirite not teachyng suche thynges as maye bee seene with oure bodyly iyes but thynges inuisible whiche are by fayth beleued Moses law because it with feare of punishemente kepte menne in ordre was a lawe of thraldome and the vayle also is a token of bondage But where the spirite of the Lorde Iesus is whiche secretelye moueth a manne withoute byddyng and compulsion to leadâ— a Godlye lyfe there is libertie No manne is compelled to beleue but he that beleueth as he shoulde of his own accorde auoydeth filthines and vncleanes of lyfe and foloweth al goodnesse dooyng more wyllinglye by the mocion of charitie than coulde euer begotten of the Iewes wyth feare of punishemente Blinde are they therefore that lacke the iyes of faythe when we throughe pure fayth without vayle beholde the glorye of the Lorde whose brightnes whiles we receyue as a glasse altered are we after a sorte into the same glorye plentifully powring vpon other that brightnes which we receyued of God And as then Moses face by that he talked with god shyned euen as glasse doothe layed againste the sonne so is oure soule euerye daye more and more secrâ—atelye enamoured encreasing from glory to glory by reason of the continual conuersacion of the spirite of God who inuisiblye nowe woorkethe in vs that whiche hereafter shal openlye bee accomplished The fourth Chapter The texte ¶ Therefore seeyng that we haue suche an office euen as God hath hadde mercye on vs wee goe not out of kynde but haue caste from vs the clokes of vnhonestie and walke not in craftines neyther handle we the woorde of God discreatefullye but open the trueth and reporte our selues to euerye mannes conscience in the sighte of GOD. If oure Gospell bee yet hydde it is hidde among them that are loste in whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them whiche beleue not leste the light of the gospell of the glorie of Christe whiche is the image of God shoulde shyne vnto them SYnce then god of his mercy would haue vs to bee ministers and preachers of suche a blisfull state geuyng vnto vs the authoritie of an apostle we execute not oure commission â—louthfullye but as we preache a veraye gloriouse matter so refuse we all clokes whiche are meete for dishonestie and not for glorye neyther leadyng oure lyfe craftely nor with deceitfulnes of woorldely learning corruptyng the woorde of god
seke vpon the succour of the lawe specially synce we well knowe that through the benefite of the lawe no man before God is made righteous If menne were what nede were it to resorte to the fayth of the gospel The texte If while we seeke to be made righteous by Christ we our selues are found sinners is Christ then the minister of sinne God forbid And if after our once receiuyng the fayth of the gospel we be neuertheles found subiecte to synne so that we nede yet an other remedy as muche as we had nede of beyng vnder Moses lawe and beyng disapointed of the hope we stoode in so that we now againe are compelled to seke vpon the lawe that of vs was forsaken what shal we say shal we say that Christ whom we beleued to be the author of perfite iustice is the minister of vnrighteousnes who not onely deliuereth vs not from our olde vnrighteousnes but is also an occasion of encrease therof and not onely geueth vnto vs not the welthy state whiche we loked for but also causeth our coÌ„demnacion to be more grieuous forasmuche as vpoÌ„ hope of him we forsoke the lawe whervnto if we againe be compelled to returne we might seme not without fault vnaduisedly to haue forgone it of whiche fault Christ semeth the very occasion But God forbid that any man so iudge of Christ or thinke that the grace of his gospel doeth lacke any perfeccion so that towarde the attainement of saluacion we should nede to seeke somewhat out of Moses law The texte For if I haue builte againe the thinges whiche I destroyed then make I my selfe a trespacer For I through the lawe haue been dead to the lawe that I might liue vnto Christ For to returne againe to Moses after we once haue receiued the lawe of the gospel it is a certain fallyng away from Christ and reproche to the gospel yea what Iewe or straunger soeuer so doeth therin declareth he him selfe also to be a transgressour of Moses lawe For if the lawe any thyng made to saluacion why forsoke he it if it nothyng made why falleth he to it agayne If the buildyng throwen doune with myne owne handes I begynne euen from the foundacion to buylde the same againe whiche I erste destroyed shewe not I therin my foly whiche sette that vp againe whiche I vnaduisedly destroyed No cause is there then why after we haue once embraced the fayth of the gospel by whom the goodnes of Christ would we should receiue perfite righteousnes and saluacion to regarde the succour of the grosse lawe whervnto we are now no lenger bonde For as the death of either of the two maried deliuereth the partie that is left on liue froÌ„ the bonde of matrimony so had I whiche am a Iewe with the lawe somewhat to do as long as that mutual right endured that is to say as long as the lawe liued vnto me and I liued to the lawe The texte I am crucified with Christ Neuerthelesse I liue yet now not I but Christ liueth in me The life whiche I now liue in the fleshe I liue by the fayth of the sonne of God whiche loued me and gaue him selfe for me I dispise not the grace of God For if righteousnes come of the lawe then Christ died in vaine But assone as through the death of Christ and the sacrament of baptisme I became prentice to the spiritual lawe of fayth I was in maner to the grosse and carnal lawe dead yet not so dead that I liued not but so dead that I begunne to liue after a better way and condicion Hitherto liued I to Moses but now liue I to God For God is a spirite As Christ liued before a mortal man hauyng a body subiecte to miseries as ours is so he beyng now dead to the fleshe and also to the world liueth to God the father free from all corrupcion and miseries of death But I whiche through baptisme am crucifyed with Christ and also dead with him am so farre from beyng bonde to these grosse and carnal rather than spiritual and godly obseruaunces that to them I am dead For I liue not grosse and carnal as I once was subiect also to worldly desires Dead is Saule the stoute deâ—ender of the law persecutor of the gospel and yet through the spirite of Christ haue I receiued life now muche better Or rather I liue not my selfe whiche of my selfe am nothyng but carnal but in me liueth Christ whoâ—e holy spirite at his wyll and pleasure gouerneth all myne actes But wheras I am not yet free from all contagion of death but haue stil a body somewhat subiecte to mannes weakenes the discoÌ„modities of this mortall life yet in maner liue I a life immortal conceiued in my soule through sure hope assuryng my selfe vpoÌ„ the promise of the sonne of God through whose bounteous mercy I haue receiued yâ— gift of fayth through fayth righteousnes through righteousnes life euerlastyng not by keapyng of the grosse lawe but through the singular goodnes of Christ who of his owne good wyll loued me deseruyng no suche thyng so greatly that for my synnes he suffered the punishement of the crosse and for my welth gaue him selfe to death Free is all that he geueth His pleasure was that for our saluacion we should to him be beholdyng and not to the kepyng of the lawe He it is whiche frely geueth this benefite to all men He it is whiche taketh a way synne and geueth pure and innocent life Were not I most vnkynde yea were I not spitefull against Christ if I refused his offre And refuseth he not it who after baptisme receiued loketh backe againe for helpe of the lawe as though to abolishe al the synnes of the worlde and to geue euery manne euerlastyng saluacion Christes death were not sufficient If through innocent and hurtleslife we become immortal whence I pray you rather loke we to receiue both by confidence in the law or by the fre mercy of Christ If by his free mercy why hang we styl on the lawe If by keapyng of Moses then is Christ dead in vayne forasmuche as that for whiche his pleasure was to dye by his death we geate not The third Chapiter The texte O ye folishe Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not beleue the truth To whoÌ„ Iesus Christ was described before the eyes now among you crucified COmenly among men for your folishenes and childishnes are ye euil spoken of but this may I truely say O ye folishe Galathians whiche would be brought in to an opinion so farre from all reason that where the Iewes through the fayth of the gospel preached vnto them are deliuered froÌ„ the burden of the law ye beyng free menne borne wyl wilfully cast your selfe into bondage â–ª The harme whiche is herein done I lay not wholy to your charge but blame your lightenes to beleue easynes to be persuaded but much more blame I the malice
concerning the conuersacion in time paste to late from you that olde man whiche is corrupte according to the deceanable lustes Now of all these matters that I haue gone about to open vnto you with so many similitudes this is the whole Sūme I do not onely monish but also desyre and beseche you for the lorde Iesus sake vnto whom you are endebted for your saluacion that as soone as you are once encorporated vnto hym frame your selues lyke vnto hym not onely in the synceritie of faith and veritie of doctryne but also in vpryght integritie of lyfe Whan you were of the noumbre of the gentyles you were answerablye lyke vnto theyr condicion But no we you are becomme other men and regenerate into Christe it becommeth you also to be of other maners The gentyles forasmuche as they haue not receiued the trueth of the Gospel are leadde with vaine opinions woorshpping dumme Images in the steade of God and mesuring theyr felicitie after the temporal commodities of this worlde And the cause why they worshippe dead wares and truste in transitorye thynges is that they haue no knowledge of the true eternal lyfe whiche is God And forasmuche as he cannot be sene but onely with the scourediyes of the soule for that cause he is not seen of them whose harte is abscured yea rather blynded with the darkenes of naughtye lustes and cloudes of infidelttie And beyng geuen ouer to theyr owne naughtines are growen at length to so high mischeafe that as men out of hope to returne to amendement and as those that fele not theyr own vyle miserye renne headlong into al kindes of abominacion and insaciable lustes to dooe all thyng that fylthye is tuen so ferre that it were shame also to speake of But the doctryne of the Gospellis ferre difference from suche kinde of menne For of it you haue not learned folishe humayne opinions but Christe hymselfe the fountayne and example of all Innocencie in case you haue truely herd him speake in wardly are truely taughte by his spirite that you to your powers maye diligently folowe those thynges that were truelye in Iesu that is to wete lyke as he was vtterlye voyde of all synne and nowe hauyng conquered death dwelleth in the glorye of Immortalitie euen so you beyng also regenerate vnto hym put of the old man that representeth the fyrste originall poyson afreshe through naughty venemous lustes The texte To be renewed also in the spirite of your mynde and to put on that newe man whiche after God is shapen in righteousnesse and true holmes Wherefore put awaye lying and speake euery man trueth vnto his neighbour for as muche as we are membres one of another Be angry and synne not let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath neyther geue place vnto the backebyter Let hym that stole steale no more but let hym rather labour with his handes the thing whiche is good that he maye geue vnto hym that nedeth Forasmuche as you are engraffed vnto the newe man Christe throughe baptisme bee you also renewed with hym not after the bodye but after the mynde wherein the spirite of Christe dooeth moste chieflye woorke and laying awaye the maner of youre olde cankered lyfe put on the newe man whiche was made after a certayne spirituall sorte lately in you by the woorke manshippe of God yea made as it were by a certayne transformacion that vnrighteousnes being abolished Innocencie shoulde succede and the vnclennesse of humayne lustes beyng taken oute of the waye the holinesse of the Gospelles veritie shoulde take place Loke therefore that you folowe that holines in euery condicion and see the you desceaue not one an other with countrefaict speache nor liyng but that euety one consider with himself the thing that true is deale truely with his neighbour remēbring that inasmuche as we are al mēbres of one bodye no man can hurte an other but he muste nedes also hurte hymselfe It is a great perfeccion not to be moued with angre but in case through the frailtie of mannes nature any rage of angre come in your minde remēbre as the holy psalmographe geueth warning so to restrayn your angre whan it would barste out that it breake not out into scoldyng or iniurie or malicious hatred And lette not your angre be onely vnhurtefull but also let it remayne so litel whyle with you that it bee sooner out of your stomakes than the sunne from besydes the earth leste whan the earth in the night season is naturally colde you contrarie wise chaufe youre selfes in the meane tyme hootelye with angre There is nothyng but concorde that is hable to defende you safelye agaynste the assaultes of the deuyll and yf it bee broken through malice and displeasures one agianste another you open a wikette for your enemye to breake in to your vtter destruccion Where as concord is the deuyll is feble and where discorde is there is he myghtye so that yf you geue place to malice you must perforce geue place also to hym He that after the olde naughty facion of lyuyng robbed and polled others now let hym absteyne not onelye from other mennes goodes but also geue awaye liberallye of hys owne And if he haue not to dooe with all let hym not disdeyne to get with his honeste hande labours wherewith to succoure suche as be nedye The texte Let no fylthy communicacion procede out of your mouth but that which is good to edyfye withall as oft as nede is that it may minister grace vnto the hearers And greue not ye the holy spirite of God by whom ye are sealed vnto the daye of redempcion Let all bytternes and fearsnes wrathe and roryng and cursed speaking be put away from you with all maliciousnes Be ye courteous one to another mercyfull forgeuyng one another euen as God for Christes sake hath forgeuen you It is not ynoughe to kepe still the handes continente excepte the tongue be also vnhurtefull Many pestilent mischeafes a naughty tongue is woont to occasion with filthy communicacion it infecteth with backebiting it infameth with false accusacion it destroyeth with lying and periurie it desceaueth Let no euil communicacion therefore procede out of your mouthe For such as the speache is such is the minde yf you be of a pure mynde it besemeth not impure communicacion to procede out of it And it is not ynoughe for a Christian mannes cōmunicacion to be vnhurtefull but it ought also to bee of suche sorte that it bee spoken in season and to so good purpose as it maye bee commodious vnto the hearers But in case you doe otherwyse you shall not onely offende menne with vnprofitable vnseasonable and noysome communicacion ▪ but also the holy spirite of God that dwelleth in Christian hartes by whome youre soules and bodyes are as it were marked vnto God And it is furthermore conueniente for you to bryng foorth that marke safe and fayre in that daye whan you shall receyue the rewarde of your Innocencye at whiche
daye you shal bee dysseuered from the coumpanye of the eiuyll And trewelye thys spyryte is dryuen awaye and dyspleased with all kynde of vncleanesse and canne not abyde to haue a dooe wyth wrathe wyth reuengement nor with filthye communicacion he is peaceable gentyll and bounteous and yf you haue truelye receyued hym let al bitternes swelling and fearcenes be ferre from your conuersacion Let angre loude speakyng and scoldyng be so fer from you that no leauen of malice remayne in youre stomake whereof these manner of myscheafes are woont to budde out But rather bee you tractable and gentill among youre selues readye to haue mercie to pardone and to forgeue euery one other yf any thyng chaunce to bee dooen amyste through errour and mannes imbecillitie to forgeue I saye for Christes sake forasmuch as God hath forgeuen you your offences by Christe once for al how beit the lord hath forgeuen his seruauntes vpon this condicion that after his exaumple we should also euery one forgeue oure felow seruauntes For concorde can not possibly in any wyse continue among men onles thei can beare paciently euery maÌ„ with the faultes of others The .v. Chapter The texte Be ye therfore folowers of God as dere chyldreÌ„ and walke ye â—â— loue euen as Christ loued vs and gaue hymselfe for vs an offeryng and a sacrifice of a swete sauer to God As for fornicacion and al vnclennesse or couetousnes let it not be once named among you as it be commeth sayntes or filthynesse or foolishe talkyng or testyng whiche are not comly but rather geuyng of thankes For this ye knowe that no whoremonger eyther vncleane persone or couetous persone whiche is a worshipper of ymages hath any inheritaunce in the kyngdome of Christe and of God Let no man deceyue you with vayne wordes For because of suche thynges commeth the wrath of God vpon the chyldren of disobedience Be not ye therfore companions of them Ye were sumtime darkenes but nowe are ye lyghtm the Lorde Walke as children of lyght For the fruite of the spirite consisteth â—â— al goodnesse and righteousnesse and trueth Accepte that which is pleasyng vnto the Lorde THan forasmuche as by the holy goste you are the children of God see that you bee lyke your father in holines of lyfe that you maye worthylye bee loued of hym for euer For truely thus shal he shewe hys loue towardes you perpetuallye yf you she we loue among your selues one vnto another And howe aboundauntelye greate the fathers loue was towardes vs it appeareth playnelye by hys sonne who loued vs so enteirlye muche that not onelye he hathe frely pardoned al our sinnes but also offred himself vnto death vpon the crosse to thintente where God the father was before displeased and angred with vs he should by meane of this sacrifice and offreyng of good sauour that smelleth swete in his prefence become louyng and mercifull vnto vs. This louyng charitie in case we folowe as it becommeth vs to doe we shal not onely be tractable yf any thyng shall chaunce to be committed agaynste vs but also we shall not drede if occasion so require for the commoditie of our neighboure to putte our lyues in daunger But nowe to what purpose neede we to speake earnestly vnto you touchyng suche vyces as be to filthye and to grosse as whoredome and al kinde of vncleanes and insaciable desyre of money from the which monstreous abominacions a Christian mannes conuersacion oughte to be so ferre alienate that it wer shame to haue theÌ„ once spoken of among theÌ„ For there be some thinges so execrable that an honeste pure harte woulde euen abhorte once to thinke of theÌ„ And it becoÌ„meth saynctes to be not only of honest cleane coÌ„uersacion but also to bee chaste mouthed of pure communicacion And we may not thinke it ynoughe to be pure of woorde and cleane of lyfe onely excepte we abhorte also to talke of foolishe friuolous fables and vayne flirtes and iestes whiche as in other they maye be tolerated or commended so truely in Christians they are nothyng â—â—â—â—e nor congeuenâ—e For Christians in theyr moste spedye Iournaye to heauen haue constinuall baâ—ayle with byees and so daungerous battayle that they canne haueno laysure to applye suche tryfles and sportes but rather they haue to wepe And whan the mynde woulde make merye because of good successe and well spedyng it oughte to make metye in hymnes and thankes geuyng to God Howebeit I knowe well ynough there be philosophers that teache Carnal copulacion out of mariage to be no sâ—â—â—â— because it is not punished by mannes lawe And that couetous besyre of money is no faulte because there is no temporall peyne appoynted vnto it But I woulde haue you vnderstande for a certayntye that whosoeuer is an who reâ—onger or spotted with any kynde of vncleanelustes or geuen to Couetousnes whiche forasmuche as he reposeth his principal felicitie in dumme transitorie substaunce is reckoned liteâ— better than a woorshipper of Images shal not be admitted into the enheritannce of Immortal lyfe that God hath promised his to â—nherite commoÌ„ly with Christ And if you thinke that this paine is but light than geue credence to them that goe aboute to perswade vnto you that those synnes are but lyght Suffer not your selues to be deceyued wyth sâ—che maner of vayne friuolous communicacion but take hede rather to the doctryne of the Gospell seyng that for suche maner of synnes althoughe they be not punished with mannes law yet the vengeaunce of God commonly falleth vpon the children of disobedience for distrusting the promysses of the heauenly father and â—â—posyng theyr felicitie in suche kynde of thinges Onte you diuorted youre selfes from suche mennes company and professed Christ It standeth you therfore in hande to beware that your conuersacion be not lyke vnto the â—â—â—ghtynesse of them that professe one waye and lyue ferre wyde an other waye The darkenes of Ignoraunce hath bene yet hitherto the occasion of erroure And the trueth of the Gospel is sprongen vp and wyped awaye all darkenes And you in tymes paste walked as in the darke night and committed the shameful vyces that are doen in the night But nowe God by the lyghte of the Gospel hath enlumined your hartes that you maye clerelye descerne howe a bominable the thynges are now that before appeared to be pleasaunt swete The nighte hath no shame and couereth many thynges that no man woulde bée bolde to dooe in the clere day Therefore see you ordre your conuersacion all together after suche sort as you forgette not to consider that you lyue in the daye and are alwayes seene to theiyes of God He that taketh a Iourneye in the night many tymes stombleth because he seeth not where he shoulde goe by And the daye on the other parte hath this commoditie it sheweth what is to be folowed and what is to be auoyded For it teacheth vs in euery condicion to flee from malice cursed speakyng and dissimluacion and in steede of
wordes euer spoken or els this that is redde in an other Psalme Sytte on my ryght hand till I make thine enmies thy footestole Therfore neither autoritie to create neither the maiestie of a kindome is geueÌ„ vnto angels but they all howe greate so euer they be are spirites appoynted to serue the which are often tymes sente into the worlde to assiste suche as shal be thenheritours of euerlastyng saluacion Such vndoubtedly are the disciples and folowers of Christe The .ii. Chapter The texte Wherfore we ought to geue the more erneste heâ—e to the thynges that are spoken vnto vs leste at any tyme we peryshe For yf the worde which was spoken by angels was stedfaste And euery transgression and disobedience receyued a iuste recompence of rewarde howe shall we escape yf we despyse so greate saluacion whiche at the fyrst beganne to be preached of the Lorde hym selfe and was confirmed vnto vs warde by them that hearde iâ— God beating witnesse therto both with signes and wondres also with dyuers myracles gyftes of the holy ghost accordyng to hys owne will For vnto the aungels hath he not subdued the world to come wherof we speake but one in a certayne place witnesseth saing What is man that thou art mind full of him Or the sonne of man that thou visitest hym Thou madest hym a litell lower then the angels thou haste crowned hym wyth houour and glory and haste sette hym aboue the workes of thy handes Thou haste putte all thynges in subieccion vnder hys feete In that he put all thynges vnder hym he lefte nothing that is not put vnder him Neuertheles we se not yet al thinges subdued vnto him but hym that was made lesse then the angels we se that it was Iesus which is crowned with glory and honour for the suffering of death that he by the grace of God should taste of death for all men MOreuer that I haue so largely declared the dignytie of oure sauiour is for this entent that the greater he is whome the father hath sent into the worlde for our saluacion the more dilygent hede we maye geue to such thynges as he hath spoken vnto vs leste at any tyme we forgette those thynges which the father hath taught and shewed vs by hym Highest is he that sent hym and a greates ambassadoure coulde he not send Hys pleasure was that this shoulde be the last ambassade or legacion neyther is there any hope of saluacion if we despise this and sette it at naught as our elders and forefathers despised Moses the prophetes The greater that the ambassadour is the greater that the cleâ—encye and gentlenesse of God is towardes vs the greuouser shall the faute of oure dysobedience or els negligence be excepte we do after hys wordes and teaching For yf al that God hath hither to commaunded vnto our elders by hys Prophetes or aungels who shewed vnto Moses goddes commaundementes be of weight and autorytie And if those were worthely punyshed that dysobeyed suche thynges as were by them commaunded bycause he semeth to despyse God who so despyseth hys messengers howe shall we then escape punishmente if we despise and sette at naught not Moses coÌ„maundementes but so ready saluacion so notable so euydeut and suche as is frely brought vs not by Moses nor yet by aungels or Prophetes agaynst whome there may be some suspicion of vanitie or lying by one meanes or other ymagyned but by the sonne of God hym selfe who spakenot vnto vs a farre of out of a cloude either in a dreame or by any other waye wherin there myght be any suspicion of deceyte or legerdemayne but was openly heard seene handeled and conuersaunte alonge tyme amonge men declaryng by very many and moste euydente argumentes proofes that he was the very sonne of God and offeryng perfite saluacion vnto al the whole worlde thorowe faith of the gospel And where as the belefe of this so great a thing beganne first to be taught and preached vnto the worlde by our Lord Iesus Chryst him selfe who was not alonely the preacher of euerlasting saluacion but also yâ— autoure therof afterward the same was confirmed of them that were wytnesses of all thynges that he sayde and dyd whyles he was conuersaunte with them and leste theyr preachyng shoulde haue bene of small autorytie and litle regarded God him self coÌ„firmed theyr wordes with diuerse signes of miracles and wonders and other merueylous gyftes the whiche that heauenly spirite diuersly dystributed vnto hys as he thought expediente for mannes saluacion by all which thynges it appered very manyfestly that all thys that was done was nothing partayning to mannes power but to the vertue and power of God and that he who firste hym selfe afterwarde by his disciples shewed these thinges was not a man onely but God couered with the habite of mannes body And also that he was not an aungel the mistical Psalme playnly declareth witnessyng of Christ on this wise what is manne that thou art mindfull of hym or the sonne of manne that thou careste for him Thou haste humbled him a litle while lower then angels And streight wayes it foloweth Thou haste crouned him with glory honour and set him aboue the workes of thy handes Thou haste putte all thynges in subieccion vnder hys feete c. Or euer yâ— God created the eâ—rth it was then decreed by hys godly determynacion that whatsoeuer shoulde be â—â—erin the same shoulde be vnder the obeysaunce and subieccion of Iesu Christe It is not read that God gaue the seignory or Lordshippe of all the worlde in the which aungels are also conteined to any of the aungels For he that sayed All thynges are to be put vnder hym excepted nothyng that is not to be put in subieccion And the prophecie of thys Psalme is partely fulfylled and partely to be accomplished in the world to come For as yet we see not all thynges vnder his subieccion As yet the wicked do rebell and there is a greate conâ—â—ycte bytwene the churche and the worlde But thys we see nowe fulfylled that Iesus who when he was here afflycted wyth diuerse formentes and in conclusion suffred the punyshment of the crosse and for mans cause â—asted that whych by mannes iudgement is moste bytter and dyspleasauÌ„t but tasted it in such wyse yâ— he was not ouercome therwyth semed here by to be made lower then aungels who are neyther subiecte to death nor any greife or payne we see I saye that Iesus is nowe crowned wyth so great glory and honour that yâ— world perceiueth how he beyng a fauâ—elesse parsonne and free from all synne suffred punyshment of death accordyng to the wyl of God wylling by thys meanes to pronyde for mannes safetie For hys death was not a punyshment for any offence by hym commytted but was the mere fauour of God towardes mankynde whom he woulde of hys free beneficence and greate lyberalytie haue to be redemed by yâ— death of his moste innocent soÌ„ne Iesus Christ And as
he coulde not promote vs to the felowshyp of immortalytie oâ—lesse he were God so was it not mere that he who created all thynges and by whose moderation all thynges were gouerned should suffre yâ— wholy to perishe which he created and made Where were the sonnes kyndome yf he were alone with the father The texte For it became him for whome are at thinges and by whome are all thynges after that he had brought many sonnes vnto glory that he should make the Lord of theyr saluacion perfecte thorowe affliccions For both he that sanctifyeth and they which are sanctified are all of one For whiche causes sake he is not ashamed to call them brethren sayng I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren in the myddes of the congregacion wyl I prayse the. And agayne I wyll put my â—â—ust in hym And agayne beholde here am I and the chyldren whome God hath geuen me Therfore it was thought mete conuenient vnto almightie God the father that the sonne beyng the autoure and chiefe causer of all mennes saluacioÌ„ should after he were trâ—ed and proued by many affliccions not only purchase himselfe thenheritaunce of euerlastyng glory but also bring wyth hym many other chyldren reconciled vnto the father by hys death And therfore he toke vpon hym manneÌ„s body because that beyng manne he might puryfie and pourge manne of hys offences For the priest Christ which puryfieth and men that are cleansed and puryfied as touchyng yâ— nature of man do yssue of the same firste parent lyke as they haue one comen father in heauen Wherfore the sonne of God is not ashamed in the Psalmes to call godly folke hys brethren when he speaketh thus as foloweth I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the myddes of yâ— congregacion wyl I praise thee Doth not he here openly cal his disciples brethren â–ª and againe in a certaine other place I wyl put my truste in him Nowe it is the parte of a proued childe to truste his father with all hys harte Certes sytly the father promissed that he woulde put all thynges vnder hys sonnes fecte there is no doubte but he wyll saue those also with whome the sonne reygneth Agayne in an other place in the Prophete Esaye the Lorde calleth his disciples his children when he sayeth I and my children whom god hath geuen me You heare the vocables or names of kynred The texte For asmuche then as the children are partakers of â—â—she and bloude be also himselfe lykewise toke parte with them that thorowe death he myght expell hym that had lordshyppe ouer death that is to saye the deuyl and that he myght delyuer them whiche thorowe feare of death were all theyr lyfe tyme subduâ—d vnto bondage For he in no place taketh on hym the angels but the seede of â—braham taketh he on hym Wherefore in all thynges it became hym to bee made lyke vnto his brethren that he myghte bee mercifull and a faythfull hye prieste in thynges concernyng God for to pourge the peoples synnes For in that it fortuned hymselfe to bee tempted he is hable to sucker them also that are tempted Because therefore these brethren and children whome he speaketh of be men whiche consiste and haue theyr beyng of fleshe and bloude he that of hys owne nature was heauenly woulde take mans fleshe and bodye vpon hym and therein bee made lyke vnto those whome he woulde call vnto the felowshyp of the eternall kynred that he myghte expell hym who hadde the rule and lordeshyppe ouer death that is to saye the deuyll and sette those at libertie who were alwayes subiect vnto the seruitude and bondage of Satan which thorowe death raigned ouer all mankynde For whosoeuer is in bondage and subieccioÌ„ of sinne thâ— same is subiect vnto death Now Christ neuer gaue any aungell this honour that he woulde take hys nature vpon hym become his brother or his kinseman But according vnto gods promise he tooke on him the sede of Abraham He was borne a Iewe of Iewes a manne of man subiecte vnto all the incommodities and euilles of our nature to thirst hunger heate colde werines payne and death because thys likenes should testifie the true kynred of nature and put vs in a sure beliefe that he woulde not forsake those for whome he had suffered so great euilles displeasures and whom he had ioyned vnto hym with so streighte a bonde of alyaunce or consangâ—â—â—itie Wherefore it was conuenient that he should in all poyntes be made lyke vnto those whome he would haue to be his brethren that he might therby put them in more assuraunce to obtayne pardon in asmuche as he who tooke vpon hym thoâ—yce of an hye priest or bishop to make intercession vnto god to purge al the peoples sinnes and to reconcile mankynde vnto the father shoulde seme by this reason howe he would â—ee mercifull and faythfull to hys not onelye for that he was of the selfe same nature but also because it chaunsed hym to be tryed and proued with innumerable affliccions of this worlde to the intent he shoulde appeare the readyer to succoure those whiche should be bexed with the euils and aduersities of the same The .iii. Chapter Therfore holy brethren partakers of the celestial calling â–ª consider the ambassadour and â—ye priest of our profession Christ Iesus how that he is faythfull vnto hym that put him in the offyce euen was Moses in al his house For looke howe much honoure he that hath builded a house hath more then the house it selfe So muche honoure is he counted worthye of more then Moses For euery house is builded of some man But he that ordeâ—ned all thynges is God And Moses verelye was faythfull in all hys house as a minister to beare witnes of those thynges whiche were to bee spoken afterwarde But Christe as a sonne hath rule ouer the house whose house are we yf we holde fast the confidence and the reioysyng of that hope vnto the ende WHerfore brethreÌ„ now that ye be purified by the bloud of the sonne by the free goodnesse of God called to come to bee partakers of the lyfe celestiall to thentente you maye bee the more answerable vnto his benefites consider howexcellent in dignitie is Iesus Christ the ambassadour and bishop of your profession that is to say of euangelicall fayth and howe purely and vertuously the same behaued hymselfe to godwarde of whome he was ordeyned in the whole congregacion lykewyse as Moyses was commended for that he acquited hymselfe as a faythful minister in all his sinagogue which is the house and familie of god But Christ deserued so much the more honour and dignitie as the maker of the house oughte more to bee honoured then the house it selfe For euerye house is buylded of some man But he that hath ordeyned and made all thinges is god Therefore Moses was so conuersaunt in the house of god that he was a part or member and not the autor and original causer therof
once professed a christian lyfe priuely loueth worldly thinges and doth not with pure minde and affeccion hasten vnto the reste promised The texte Seyng then that we haue a greate hye priest which is entred into heauen euen Iesus the sonne of god let vs holde the profession of our hope For we haue not an hie priest which cannot haue compassion on our infirmities but was in all pointes â–ª tempted like as we are but yet without synne Let us therefore goe boldely vnto the seate of grace that we maye obtayne mercie and finde grace to helpe in tyme of nede Seeyng then we haue an hye priest who is verely great Iesus Christ the sonne of god whiche after the sacrifice made for our reconciliacion entred not into the moste secrete parte of the temple made with handes but into heauen to make the father mercifull vnto vs Let vs abide stil in our professioÌ„ folowing the way that he hath shewed vs and hastening to those thynges whiche he hath promised Let not his greatenesse feare vs but his mercye rather encourage vs. Trueth it is that he dwelleth in heauen but he was before a man conuersaunt in earth Let vs not therefore ymagyne that we haue an hye priest which caÌ„not take compassion on our infirmitie He was tempted withall kynde of euils the which oure lyfe ys combred with all howbeit he retourned agayne into heauen a conquerour to th entent yâ— we trustyng on hys ayde shoulde not be weried or ouercome with affliccions but couragiously goe thorowe vnto the reste of euerlastyng felicitie the whych he came vnto For he was for no other cause afflicted beaten spytte vpon and crucified as an harmfull person where he was innocent and gyltlesse but onely to pourge vs who are in very dede hurtfull caytifes and inners from al oure sinnes and iniquities He hath not thaâ—â—ged hys affeccion towardes vs so that we tourne hym not awaye from vs by oure owne vicyous behauioure and frowardnesse Therfore trustyng on hys mercy let vs goe vnto hys seate not hys terrible but appesable seate whych is ready to helpe and not to destroye vs let vs come boldly putting no doubtes to obtaine mercy at his handes wherby dure synnes maye be pardoned and grace also geuen that maye furnyshe vs with heauenly gyftes and helpe vs so ofte as nede shall require For we muste desire no aydes but of hym onely of whome we truste to haue ouâ— rewardes The .v. Chapter The texte For euery hye presâ—e that is taken from amonge men is ordained for men in thinges pertayning to God to offer giftes and sacrifrces for sinne which can haue compassion on the ignoâ—aâ—â—te and on them that erâ—e out of the waye â—oâ—asmuch as he hym selfe also is compassed with infyrmitie And for the same infyrmities sake he is bounde to offer for sinnes as well for hym selfe as for the people And no man taketh honoure vnto him selfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron FVrthermore it is an vsage amonge the Iewes that euery hye priest chosen from amonge men be ordayned for thys purpose yâ— in such businesses as chaunce betwene God and man he as a mediatoure betwene both maie make intercession for menne in such wise that yf God be any thyng dyspleased wyth mennes offences he may appease his wrath by giftes and sacrifices duely offred the which hie priest for the dignities sake of hye priesthoode canne in suche wise do muche with God that he is not yet free from mannes infirmitie to theâ—tent he maye be the readyer to take compassion on them who haue sinned thorowe erroure and ignoraunce in asmuche as he hym selfe is subiecte vnto the same infirmitie in that he is of the selfe same nature that they he of For suche are sooner sory for other mennes euils and dyspleasures as haue them selues learned mercy and compassion by the tastyng of lyke euils aduersities and he is gladder to reamedy other mennes errours and offences which falleth oftentymes hym selfe or at the leastwyse is in ieopardie to fall And for thys cause Moses priest ought as well to offre sacrifice for hys owne synnes as he offreth for the peoples offences Nowe Christ had so a tommune nature with vs subiecte vnto paynes and death that he was notwithstandyng with out all manour of synne He had experience of payne who neuer knewe any synne Furthermore accordyng to the ordinaunces of Moses lawe no man taketh vpon him and vsurpeth the honourable ministracion of hye priest hod of hys owne accorde but he onely taketh it in hande that is called thereunto by goddes commaundement lykewyse as Aaron was called For he semeth vn worthâ— of honour whoso by reason of ignoraunce ambiciously desireth digintie and that man is not meete for a rowme or ministracion whych intrudeth hym selfe into the same The texte Euen so Christ also glorifyed not him selfe to be made the hye prieste but he that safed vnto hym thou art my sonne thys daye haue I beâ—otten the gloryfyed hym As he saieth also in another place thou art a Prieste for euer after the order of Melchisedech Whâ—che in the dayes of his fleshe when he had offered vp praiers suppsicacions â–ª with strong criyng and teares vnto him that was able to saue â—iâ— from death and was heard because of his reuerence thoughe he were ehe sonne of God yet learned he obedience â–ª by those thynges whych he suffered anâ— he beyng perfecte was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto al them that obeyed hym and is called of God an hye priest after the order of Melchisedech And herein also Christ gaue vs an ensample of a lawfull bishop For he toke not vpon him of his owne accord the glorious dignitie of an hie priest but was allowed of hys father who firste acknowledged Iesus to be hys true sonne when he sayed Thou art my sonne thys daye haue I begotten the. And also he ordeâ—neth hunanon after a true and lawful hie priest when he sayeth Thou art a priest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Ye haue hearde howe he was ordeyâ—ed Nowe herken howe he was tempted and proued When as yet he had a mortall body in earth he offred prayers and supplicacions vnto god the father who could haue preserued him from the punyshment of the crosse excepte he had bene more desyrous to prouyde for mannes safetie by the death of hys sonne He offred them with seruent affeccion greate crying and plentifull teares and was hearde by reason of hys charytie and soueraygne dignitie with the father He obteyned hys desyre For hys wyll and desyre was not to escape the punyshment of the crosse but to procure vs soule health by hys death He felte greate feare he felte the torment anguyshe of death but the loue that he bare towardes mankynde preuayled He was the sonne and coulde haue obtayned any thyng of the father if he had desired it but thus was it thought to be more conuenyent for our health that he beyng afflicted with
giue some cleanesse and puritie For whatso euer was there done perteyned chiefly vnto the bodye for that it stode in choyse of meates drinke whereas in very dede meate neyther purifieth nor defileth the soule and stode also in diuerse washynges and pourgations of the fleshe whiche were not instituted for this intent that they shoulde gyue manne perfyte ryghtuousnesse but bycause the people shoulde by these rudimentes and fyrste principles fall in vre by lytle and litle with true religion and by shadowes bee brought to veritie and made receyuable of bettre thynges whyche shoulde be opened by the doctrine of the ghospell when tyme shoulde come Here haue ye hearde the effecte of all the religion by reason wherof the Iewes do stande so muche in their awne conceiptes Nowe let vs compare the dignitie of our hie priest with these foresayde thynges The texte But Chryste beyng an hye prieste of good thynges to come came by a greater and a more perfecte tabernacle not made with handes that is to say not of thys buildyng nether by yâ— bloud of goates and calues but by his own bloud he enteed in once into the holiplace founde eternal redempcion For if the bloud of oxen of goates the asshes of a â—â—ng cowe when it was sprinkled purifieth the vnclene as touching the purifing of the flesh howe much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offred hymself wythou â—spot to god pourge your conscience from dead workes for to serue the lyuinge god For Christ beyng an hie priest a promiser and auctour not of corporal purificacion neither of the good thynges of this world whiche haue an ende but of euerlasting and heauenly good thinges entred not by the vayle wrought with mennes handes but by an other tabernacle not made wyth handes that is to saye not of this buyldynge the whyche as menne doe sette it vp so can they pull it downe agayne but by verie heauen entred I say into the places which are verely holy and verely farre from al infeccion of mortalitie not brynginge wyth hym the bloude of goates and calues therewith to pacifie Goddes wrath but his owne precious bloude whiche he shed for vs in the aulter of the crosse wherewyth he redemed not one nationalonelye but all mankynde from all synnes and that not one yeare but for euer vntyl the worldes ende so that they tournynge from their former myflyuynge know Christ and as muche as in them lyethe folowe hym in their lyfe and conuersation For what comparison is it to compare a domme beaste vnto Christe bothe God and man If so be that the bloud of Oxen and Goates or the brent asshes of a younge Cowe sprynkeled vpon vncleane persones clenseth them as touchynge a certayne carnall and figuratiue puritie and holynesse Howe muche more then shall the bloude of Christe who not by corporall fyre but thorowe the eternall spirite desirous of mannes saluation offered not a brute beaste but hym selfe a pure and vndefyled sacryfyce vnto almyghtye God the father puryfie not youre bodyes but youre conscyence from these workes whiche in very dede brynge death vnto the soule Hys death delyuereth vs from endlesse death and hys mooste pure spirite purifieth our spirite whiche was before vncleane In bothe purifications is bloude but yet is there a greate difference In bothe is death but an vnequall death In bothe is a spirite but the one is farre vnlyke the other For what thynge soeuer was there done by shadowes and certayne fygures the same Christ accomplished in dede The texte And for this cause is he the mediator of yâ— new testament that through death which chanced for the redempcion of those transgressyoÌ„s that were vnder the first testamente they whych are called myght receiue yâ— promise of eternal inheritance For where as is a testament there must also of necessytie be the death of hym that maketh the testament For the testament taketh aucthorite when men are dead for it is yet of no value as longe as he that maketh the testament is aliue for whyche cause also nether the first testameÌ„t was or dayned wythout bloude Bycause that he who in the olde testament made intercession and was a mediatour bytwene God and men broughte not the people to the perfyte state of innocencie therefore Christe succeded in his rowme and became a newe mediatoure of a newe testament to th entent that all synnes taken awaye thorow his death the whiche by that first testament coulde not be abolyshed and taken awaye but remayned in suche wise that they broughte vs oute of the fauoure of almyghtie God not onely the Iewes but also all tho whosoeuer haue bene called to Christes felowshippe maye nowe thorowe the doctrine of the gospell receyue the promyse and hope of theternall enheritaunce For wheresoeuer thys worde testament is hearde there must nedes be the death of him that maketh the testamente elles shoulde it be no testamente or yf it were it were of none auctoritie For the death of the testatoure makethe the same of auctoritie whiche hathe not as yet sure strengthe nor is ratifyed so longe as the sayde testatour is alyue Because it lyeth in hys power to altre it yf he wyll Wherefore forasmuche as that olde testament hadde also the name of a testament it was not ordeyned without bloude and death but of a beast and suche a beaste as elswise shoulde haue perished The texte For when Moses had declared all the commauÌ„dement to all the people according to the lawe he toke the bloud of calues and of goates wyth water and purple woolle and ysope and sprynkeled bothe the boke and all the people saying thys is the bloude of the testamente which God hath appoynted vnto you Moreouer he sprinkeled the tabernacle with bloud also and all the ministeryng vesselies And almoste all thynges are by the lawe purged wyth bloude and wythoute shedynge of bloude is no remyssyon For as it is reade in the boke of Exodus whan Moyses had read all the lawe of God vnto the people and declared vnto them what reward they shoulde loke after for kepyng the same and what punishement they should dreade yf they dyd not regarde it accordingly to th entent the couenaunt made betwene God and the people shoulde be confirmed he toke a cuppe and therein myngled the bloude of Calues and Goates wyth water and purple wâ—ll and sprynkled bothe the boke oute of the whiche he read the Lordes commaundementes and lykewyse all the people with â—sope sayeng Thys is the wytnessyng bloude and confirmer of that testament whiche God hathe commaunded you to kepe And was not onely contented thus to doe but sprynkeled also with bloude the tabernacle and all the holy vessels therein whyche they vsed in sacrifices Lykewyse in all other rites and approued customes what thinges so euer were purified accordynge vnto the prescription of Moses lawe were purified with bloude Neyther was there anye remyssion of synnes but by sheddyng of bloude The texte
It is nede then that the simily tudes of heuenly thinges be purified wyth such thinges but that the heuenly thinges themselfes be purified wyth better sacrifices then are those For Christ is not entred into the holye places that are made with handes whyche â—e similitudes of true thinges but is entred into very heuen for to appere nowe in the sight of god for vs not to offre himself often as the hye priest entreth into the holy place euery yere wyth strange bloud for theÌ„ must he haue often suffred sence the worlde began But now in the ende of the worlde hath he apeted once to put synne to slyght by the offeryng vp of hymselfe And as it is apoynted vnto all men that they shall once dye and than coÌ„meth the iudgement euen so Christe was once offered to take awaye the synnes of many and vnto them that loke for hym shall he appere agayne withoute syune vnto â—â—luation And truely it was conuenient that suche thynges as in earth represented the similitude and shadowe of heauenly thynges shoulde be done with suche manour of grosse and carnall purifications But when veritie was once come to lyght then was it mete that the heauenly sacrifices them selfes should be made with better oblacions and cause a trewer puritie For as I haue sayde euen all that Christe did in earth is heauenly For trewely he entred not in to the holye places made with handes whiche are rather supposed holye then be holy in dede and maye be tourned vnto a prophane vse and were nothyng els but certayne shadowes and fygures of thynges that were verelye holye but entred into verye heauen where as dwellethe God immortall wyth hys holy angels before whom he as a leful Byshoppe maketh intercessyon for all mennes synnes purchasyng hymselfe fauourable audience wyth hys owne bloude whiche of his mere and free charitie he shedde for vs and that dyd he with so effectuall a sacrifice that it shall not be nedefull for hym euery yeare to do the same agayne as the hye pryest of the olde testamente entred in to the moste secrete parte of the temple yearely Nether is it anye marueyll that the sacryfice made by the hye prieste of Moyses was not of lyke efficacye sence he was bothe subiecte vnto synnes and offred vp a beastes bloud and not his owne If Christe had bene suche an hye prieste then sythe there hathe soo manye ages and yeares begonne agayne sence the creation of the worlde he shoulde of necessytye often tymes haue offred vp a sactifyce lyke as the priestes of the olde testament dyd Nowe was he suche a one that it was sufficieute for hym once to offre vp himselfe and once with the sprinkeling of his own blode to take awaye the synnes of all ages vntill the worldes ende And that was done not from the begynnynge of the woorlde but nye the ende of the same when it was openly knowen to euery man that al the world was defyled with synne and that there was no remeady but of God onelye bycause it shoulde manyfestly appeare howe effectuall a pryest and of what greate vertue and power he was who with one sacrifice pourged so greate an heape of synnes and lefte behynde him a ready and an easye remedye whych was that the same sacrifice shoulde be sufficient for al menne tyme once of measure that woulde not make them selfes vn worthye therof For he toke vpon hym not only their synnes who manye yeares byfore put hope of saluatyon in hym but also theyrs who would manye yeares after beleue his ghospel Wherefore there is not why the worlde shoulde loke after an other priest or an other sacrifice to pourge synnes but as it is appoynted to al men that they shall once dye without hope to retourne agayne into this lyfe wherein we ofttymes fall and ofttymes are pourged agayne and as there is nothynge loked for after euerye mannes deathe but that extreme iudgement wherby endelesse rewardes shal be adiudged bothe to good and badde so lyke wyse Christe who dyeng once was offered vp for all the world takyng vpon him as moch as in hym laye all mennes synnes bycause he woulde be punyshed for all woulde haue nothyng remayne after this lyfe but that last iudgement wherin he shall appeare agayne vnto the world not as before lyke a sacrifice appoynted to be slayne or lyke a worker of myschiefe and one worthy of punishement but as a glorious persone and one that knoweth no maner of synne he shall I saye appeare to their blysse and saluation who beyng nowe purified thorow his death perseuer in good and vertuous lyuyng tyll he come agayne not to be offred vp but a iudge desired of the good and dreadefull to the wicked ¶ The .x. Chapiter The texte For the lawe hauygâ— the shadowe of good thinges to come not the very fashion of the thinges themselfes can neuer with those sacrifices which they offer yere by yere comynually make the commers thereunto perfect For woulde then not those sacryfices â—â—â—â—eased to haue bene offered bicause that the offerers once purged shoulde haue had no more conscience of synnes Neuertheles in those sacrifyces is there no mencion made of synnes euery yere For the bloud of oxen and of goates cannot take a way synnes FVrthermore the cause why the hye priest of the olde testament coulde not do the lyke was by reason that that lawe forasmuche as it had not the lyuely and true fashion but onely a certayne shadowe of good thynges whiche rather sygnyfyed somewhat then brought anything to effecte could neuer wyth her vsuall sacrifice of beastes all though they were by those priestes contynually offred yeare by yeare make suche perfite as came to pacifie God wyth vneffectuall oblacions by the mediacion of weake priestes For yf perfeccyon myghte haue bene attayned thereby â–ª shoulde not the same sacrifices once offreo haue ceased tobe offred any more Now in these sacrifices when so euer they be offred agayne there is mention made a freshe of the former synnes whiche thyng playnly declareth that they haue no confydence in one sacrifyce Els for what purpose dyd they euerye yeare offre agayne newe sacrifices if one had so pourged from all synne that no conscience therof had remayned in those whiche had once offred and bene pourged For seyng that synne is the maladie of the soule and not of the bodie a grosse and bodely sacrifice as is the bloude of Oxen and Goates can in no wyse take awaye the dysease of the mynde The onely spirituall and heauenly sacrifyce of Christe is able to doe this thynge sufficiently the whiche thorowe fayth and Baptisme so taketh awaye at once all the synnes of our former lyte be they neuer so manye neuer so heynous that there remayneth no feate or reâ—â—orse in conscience so that we wyl only beware that we fal not agayne into out olde enormyties and detestable dedes For soo farre wyde is it from the trewth that God was made mercifull by reason that
suche wyse that God moughte seme euen for this purpose to haue taken them away from the company of men lest they beyng men of pure and chast conuersation should haue ledde their lyues among defyled persons and synners Therfore they wandered aboute in wylde mountaynes hauynge no certayne habitacion or dwellyng place to resorte vnto vsyng Dennes and Caues of the earth in the stede of houses The texte And these al thorow faith obtayned good report receiued not the promyse bicauâ—â— god had prouided a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfâ—â—â—â— And all these before named albeit they haue not yet obteyned the rewarde promysed them for their godly lyuynge whiche rewarde shal be geuen them â—â— the generall resurreccion of the bodyes Yet haue they deserued perpetuall prayse for the constantnesse of their fayth Some man wyll here saye Why hath not euery man his rewarde by and by gyuen him after death For soothe it hath so pleased almyghtye God that all the whole bodye of Christe shall receiue the glory of immortalitie together For we are all membres of the same body and suche as haue gone before vs do gladly tarye for vs to th ende that they maye wholy and ioyntly with theyr bodyes and all the felowshyppe of theyr brethren entre into thenheritaunce of eternal glory and be conioyned vnto their heade ¶ The .xii. Chapter The texte Wherefore let vs also seyuge that we are compassed wyth so great a mult ytude of wytnesses laye a waye all that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs run with pacience vnto the battaill that is set before vs loking vnto Iesus yâ— aucrâ—or and finisher of our faith which for the ioye that was set before hym abode the erosse despysed the shame and is set downe on the right hande of the throne of God Consyder therefore howe that he endured suche speaking against hym of sinners lest ye shoulde be werted faint in your mindes For ye haue not yet resisted vnto bloud striuing agaynst sinne And haue forgotten the exhortacyon whych speaketh vnto you as vnto children My soune despise not thou the chastenyug of the Lorde nether faiute when thou art rebuked of hym for whom the Lord loueth hym he chasteueth yea he sourgeth euery sonne that he receyueth â–ª SEyng then we are compassed with so great a companye and as it were with a cloude of those who euen in the olde testamente witnessed by sufferyng of suche euels as are before rehearsed that they beleued the promyses of God with all their harte let vs also encouraged by their examples see that we caste frome vs the burthen or fardell of corporall thynges and bodelye lustes whiche letteth the mynde laden with cares to desyre thynges celestiall and put awaye synne that helde vs faste on euery syde and fynally beyng incensed and set a fyre with the hope of heauenly thinges runne manfully in this â—â—ase that is set before vs and by no afflyccions nor any withdrawynge of the mynde be stayed and holden backe from runnyng the course that we haue begonne neuer castyng our eyes asyde from Iesu Christe who as he is the verye cause that we haue conceyued this belefe on God so wyll he fynyshe what he hath begonne in vs. Let vs considre what waye he entred in and whitherto he came who whereas he myght by reason he was innocent and gyltlesse haue escaped death and bene as much without all payne and passion as he was without all synne yet he despysynge the ioyes of this worlde suffred death and to th entent his death should be the greuouser hauyng reproche ioyned therwith he suffered the death of the crosse For men make not so muche a doo to suffre a glorious death Ye see whiche waye he entred in Nowe whitherto came he By despisyng of this lyfe he attained immortalitie By despisyng and settyng naught by worldly reproche he attayned euerlastyng glorye in heauen where he nowe sytteth on the ryght hande of the royall throne of God the father When ye withall haste auaunce youre selfes to come to be partakers of this glorie thorowe reproche and dyuerse paynful afflictions then lest you dyscouraged in your myndes shoulde at any tyme by thenforcemente of wearynesse ceaseto runne in the raase that is sette before you considre with your selfes how that youre capytayne who neuer knewe anye manoure of synne dyd neuer thelesse to shewe vs an example of true pacience endure so greate rebukes so muche shame and vylanye suche mysreportes and false accusacions that he let the wycked Iewes compell hym to suffre the very punyshement of the crosse Be not ye therfore dysmayed who beynge not cleane withoute synne do suffre lesse dyspleasures and persecution Better it were for a man to dye a thousande tymes then to fall agayne into his former synfull lyfe Howbeit you who haue hytherto suffred small persecution and aduersitie haue not as yet resisted sinne vnto sheadyng of bloud the whiche synne fierslye assaulteth you stryuynge agaynst it and yet you do by and by suppose that God hath forsaken you and remembre not what the mercyfull father speakethe vnto you as vnto his children in the mysticall prouerbes comfortynge you and with swete and gentle wordes exhortyng you to greate and valiaunte courage of mynde My sonne sayth he despise not thou the chastenyng of the Lorde neither despaire thou when soeuer he rebuketh thee For whom the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth with the euels and aduersities of this lyfe and scourgeth euerye sonne that he receyneth The texte If ye endure chastenyng god offereth hymselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes What soÌ„ne is he whom the father chasteneth not If ye be not vnder correccyon wherof al are partakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes Therefore seynge we haue had fathers of our fleshe whych corrected vs we gaue them reuerence shall we nowe not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirites lyue And they verely for a feawe daies nuttered vs after theyr own pleasure but he nurtereth vs for our profite to the intent that he may minister of his holines vnto vs. No maner chastening for the present time semeth to be ioious but greuous neuertheles afterwarde it bringeth the quiete fruit of righteousnes vnto them whyche are exercised thereby If ye paciently endure such chastenyng God acknowledgeth his sonnes and offreth him selfe to you agayne as a mercyfull and louing father doeth not exclude you from thenheritaunce of the lyfe celestial Thynke you that you are therfore hated and nothyng regarded of God bycause ye are afflicted with the euels of this world Nay rather this ought to be an argument that ye are appoynted to be the heyres of the fathers enheritaunce For what father is he that doeth not some whiles chasten his sonne whom he acknowledgeth for his owne Furthermore syth that all vertuouse men and good lyuers whom God eyther doth or hath dearly loued haue bene by temporall
which ye reioyce though now for a season if nede requyre ye are in â—euâ—nes thorow manyfold temptacions that â—he tryall of your fayth being muche more precious then golde that perysheth though it be tryed with fyre might be founde vnto laude glory and honour at the appering of Iesus Christe whom ye haue not seen and yet loue hym in whom euen nowe though ye see him not yet doe you beleue and reioyce with say vnspeakable and gloryous receiuing the ende of your fayth euen the saluacion of your soules For this so passing a great benefite his liberalitie is to be praysed of whom by Christ coÌ„meth vnto vs whatsoeuer it be that maketh vs truly blessed And that is not Moses but God himselfe the same the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which whan we were lytle fortunately borne of Adam that is to say borne to synne borne to death hath begotten vs new againe into innocencie and hath begotten vs vnto life that neuer shall dye being prouoked by no merites of ours but stiered frely of his owne mercye wherin he most chiefly exceadeth and this hath he done not by yâ— ayde of Moses lawe but by the costeous gyft of his owne soÌ„ne Iesus Christ whom he would haue to suffre death to thintent where we were els desperate wretches he might diliuer vs froÌ„ the tyranny of synne death And him he called anon froÌ„ death to lyfe that we beyng in this worlde dead to worldly lustes hauing remembraunce as it were before our tyes of the resurreccioÌ„ after his exaÌ„ple in vprightnes of conuersacion might haue an assured a ready hope that we also shal once be exempt out of these sorowes atteine with Christ vnto yâ— euerlasting enheritaunce whiche lyke as he beyng our head hath already atteyned so shal al we also folowe as many as be engraffed to yâ— meÌ„bres of Christ are made worthy by folowing of his craÌ„ple to be called his brethren the chyldreÌ„ of yâ— selfe same father that he is that like as we suffre commune affliccions with him so should we haue reward also together with him As long as we were the sonnes of the synful Adam an infortunate enheritauÌ„re abode vs. But as sone as we were made yâ— sonnes of God we make spedy haste to yâ— enheritauÌ„ce of heauen For it besemeth yâ— seing we are borne from heauen we should behold heaueÌ„ly thinges seing we are borne of God we should folo we nothing but godlines They yâ— serue the world goe about to haue rewardes yâ— are transitory wage that is slyppery but for vs there remayneth yâ— happyâ— enheritaunce after these temperal affliccioÌ„s which can neither be corrupted with death ne defited with wearines or heauines ne yet fade a way by age or sluttishnes There is no cause for vs to be afrayed of leste any man should in the meane whyle take this so plenteous an heritage out of our handes We haue an assured fayth full promyse maker And in his haÌ„des it is safely kept layed vp in stoare for vs in heauen howbeit after suche sort that for al that there must an assured hope and as it were a certayne pledge remayne in the meane time with men vpoÌ„ earth not with al maner of men but with you such like as you are buto whom the spirite of Christ is geuen in stede of a gage which albeit ye are for yâ— time tossed on euery syde with condry stormes of sorowes yâ— the frailtie of maÌ„is vtterly vnhable of himselfe to beare out yet by the succour of God which is mighty in al thinges you are preserued not through your owne merites but by fayth vnfained trust wherby you dout not but froÌ„ the last time after yâ— which there shal be no more of this confusion of humayne matters but the euill meÌ„ being appointed to their tormeutes shal be hable to do no body harme the good being safe froÌ„ al inuasions of sorowes shal haue the fruicioÌ„ of euerlasting rest For now yâ— rewardes lye hiddeÌ„ many times after the coÌ„mune peoples estimacioÌ„ thei are in wurse condicioÌ„ yâ— be of yâ— better those seme to perish which are most specially in sanegarde thei seme to florish which most chiefly goe to naught In this worlde there is time to exercise godlines the reward hath his time prescribed vnto it which it behoueth not to preueÌ„t In yâ— meane seasoÌ„ let it be ynough for vs yâ— euerlasting felicitie is kept in safegarde for vs which neither mannor deuil can be hable to take away froÌ„ vs before haÌ„d so yâ— we shrinke not from yâ— fayth wherby we ought to condeÌ„ne mortal mens matters depende wholy of heauen Let there be in yâ— meane seasoÌ„ fearce folkes which being rebels to god trust to the aydes of yâ— world let theÌ„ for yâ— time stampe stare ouer you as though you wer ouercomeÌ„ left succoutles But whan yâ— day shal come the discourse of thiges turned vp side down they shal be tormeÌ„ted you shal reioyce like coÌ„querours yea you ought to reioyce eueÌ„ now also through yâ— vndoubted lokiÌ„g for of so passig a great felicitie For it ought not to seme vnto you a greate or a greuous matter though by affliccions and griefes that are but shorte and shall soone haue an ende you come to the blissed that neuer shall decaye And perchaunce these persecucions also shall once haue an end which notwithstanding as often as they come in vre are to be borne with a myghtye stoute stomake and without dismaying for the glory of God in hope of the lyfe to come For after suche wyse doeth the wysedom of God in prouiding for your commodities permitte that the sinceritie and stedfastnes of your faith may be tried through sondry assaultes of sorowes For yf golde which elles were a thing both lost and would goe to naught be tryed out not only by the touche stone but also is assayed by the fire to thintente it maye thenceforth bee had in so muche the more price as it is the more exactely fyned much more wil God haue your faith wherunto so high honour of duetie belongeth to be tried with sondry experimentes to thintent that whan it shal glister out of these flames of sorowes and affliccions and being farre more pure and more glittering than any golde though it be neuer so fyne it may be precious in the syght of God and that all the matter at length may grow in to cleane contrary condicion that is to were that the thyng which semed to be layed vpon you in this worlde vnto reproche may chaunce vnto prayse and that which semed vnto vilany may be turned vnto glory that whiche semed to be layed vpon you to put you to dishonestie may be turned in to habuÌ„daunce of honour in that day whan Iesus Chrst whose power worketh nowe in you by secrete meanes shal she we forth him selfe openly vnto all men and rendre vnto euery man rewarde
and right true sonnes that trust in the promises of god the father and do after his prescribed commaundementes and neuer slyde agayne into their olde conuersacion whiche than through the ignoraunce of the Gospelles doctrine was endaungered with worldly concupiscences For it is conuenient that you diffre from them in affectes and maners from whom you dissent in profession The worlde is naught and from it you are already exempted and engraffed vnto Christ which is righteous holy and Innocent and to this ende are you chosen and called of the father the fountayne of al holines that like as you are in your profession so should you in al your life and doinges be pure vpright and vnblameable For the father will not acknowledge any to be his sonnes but those that be like manered vnto him For in dede this same thing he ment whan he spake to our auncetours Leuitici the xix Chapter Be you holy for I the lord your God am holy The puritie of Moses lawe could not haue ben ynough for you to absteine from touching of dead bodyes to haue your fete washen to absteine from the acte of matrimony God will haue all oure conuersacion and all our whole harte to be fre from al spottes of synnes For in dede these are the thinges that make vs playnly impure in the sight of god And although you cal vpon God by the name of a father crieng for his helpe in al thinges yet if you lyue in a filthy conuersacion you may not trust that he wil be mercifull vnto you or acknowledge you for his children seyng he estemeth noman eyther for his kynred or for his estates sake but onely after the merites of his conuersacion For nether shal the Iewe be pure if his conscience be defiled ne yet shall the vncircumcised be vnpure if he leade a godly and an innocent life The texte For as muche as ye knowe how that ye were not redemed with corruptible thynges as syluer and golde from youre vaine conuersacion whiche ye receauch by the tradicion of the fathers but with the precious bloude of Christe as of a lambe vndefiled and without spotte which was ordeyned before hande euen before the woorlde was made but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes which by his meanes do beleue on god that raysed him vp from death and glorifyed hym that ye myght haue faythe and hope towarde God euen ye whiche haue purifyed your soules thorowe the spirite in obeyng the truthe with brotherly loue vufayned se that ye loue one another with a pure herte feruently for ye are borne a newe not of mortall seed but of immortal by the word of god which lyueth and lasteth for euer For al flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the floure of grasse The grasse wyddereth and the floure falleth awaye but the worde of the Lorde endureth euer And this is the worde which by the gospel was preached vnto you Therfore it remayneth that you which are desirous to haue this father mercifull vnto you haue his vnauoydable iudgemēt alwayes before your eies while you liue in this exile so order your cōuersaciō that there be nothing wherfore the father may be offended iustly shut you out of the inheritaūce of the celestial countrey as vnnaturall disobedyent children The greater the price is wherwith Christe hath frely redemed you so muche the greater hede ought you to take lest for your wilfulnes and vnthankefulnes you be turned agayn into your former bonde thraldom There is none more myserable a bondage than to bee the slaue of synne Those that for a litle money are made fre frō theyr maisters bondage become of bondmē fre men watch about them by al meanes lest for theyr vnthankefulnes they may be drawen agayne into the bondage that they were in before and will you than commit that offence to fall again into y◠old tyranny to be willingly the bond slaues of Moses lawe had rather serue vaine obseruaunces that your elders deliuered from one to an other vnto you than to obey the gospel of God seing you knowe that you were deliuered once from them not with a commune tryfling price as golde or syluer but with an offring muche more holy than Moses lawe knoweth of For you are not made cleane with the bloud of a calfe sprinkled but with the precious bloud of Iesus Christe who like a lābe cleane without any spotte pure and vndefiled from all filthinesse of synne was offred for our synnes on the aultare of the crosse Nether yet was that done by chaunce at all auentures but the sonne of God was appointed to make this sacrifice from euerlastyng and before the makyng of the worlde that he might through his deathe reconcile the father vnto vs howbeit the secret deuice and decre of Goddes purposed mynde which was many long yeares vnknowen to the worlde is now at length in these later times openly manifested and a new matter is set forth before mennes eyes to loke vpon whiche in the purposed mynde of God was not new And it was geuen for your saluacion sake vnto whom Christe that was made man dyed and is preached bestoweth thus muche that wher as you had a vayne truste vpon the ceremonies of the lawe now distrusting your selues you must put your whole trust in God the father who like as he would haue Christe to dye to wype awaye your synnes euen so hathe he raysed him vp from death and for the paynfull trauailes of this life which he suffred he gaue him the glory of immortalitie to thentente that as you haue beleued that whiche he hath done in folowing his example you might also trust surely to haue the same reward to be bestowed on you in that you put your whole affiaūce in God which what he hath already perfourmed in his sonne the same also will he vndoubtedly performe in al them which lyue after suche sort that they may be worthyly accompted among the membres of Christ in to whose body you are engraffed synce that you were regenerate through baptisme in to hym Before that tyme you did after your owne lustes that is to say embraceing carnall shadowes of thinges in stede of true ryght thinges but now since you haue clensed your soules not with the obseruacion of Moses purgeing sacrifices but in that you haue through faith obeyed the trueth of the gospell whiche by the spyryte of Christe hath purged your consciences you must endeuour your selues both to be correspondente vnto the head Christe in vprightnes of life and be answerably like vnto the concorde of the body by an excedyng and a playne brotherly and an vnfeyned loue among your selues that lyke as Christ loued you not after a commen sort nor after a carnall maner of loue euen so should you loue euery one other with a spiritual loue New kynred requireth new affeccion Before this tyme you Iewes loued Iewes after a carnall affeccionate loue but now beyng by a
them with the other For this is the will of the most hyghe God youre Prynce that you geue none occasion vnto their inconsiderate ignoraunce whereby they myghte proueably call the gospelles profession to blame if they perceaued you to set naught by their autoritie That whiche other doe for feare of the lawes do you willyngly of your owne accorde yea more habundauntlye than other doe that you maye declare youre selues to be ryght free men in dede For he is free that of his owne mind and willyngly doeth as he shoulde doe rightly God forbydde that you should abuse the pretence of the gospelles veritie to synne more licenciously You owe not bonde seruice vnto men but inasmuche as you are the seruauntes of God you shall submitte youre selues for his glories sake vnto all men gladlre and willynglye If any duetie therfore if any honour be duely belongyng euen to them that be heathens either for the publike office sake that they beare or for affinitie sake do that throughly vnto all men lest they being anye whit offended be broughte more farther of from the profession of the gospell yet for all that it is reason that you loue them specially whom the commune profession hath made brethren vnto you Feare God whose eies no man can begile And concernyng the kyng there is no cause why you should be afrayed of him seing he is dreadfull to none but to euyll doers but yet acknowledge hys autoritie in those thynges that he exacieth of you without hynderaunce of godlynes He demaundeth custome paye it him he exacteth tribute geue it him That which those that be free ought to do to the Magistrates thoughe they be heathens bonde seruauntes ought to do vnto their maisters from seruing of whoÌ„ baptisme maketh them not free But they ought rather with greater reuerence to acknowledge them not onely yf they be good and sobre men but also if they be sore men and harde sharpe men lest peraduenture beyng offended with your frowarde maners doyng otherwise than you ought to doe they laye the fauite vnto the profession and be dryuen the more farther of from it whereunto they ought rather to be encensed and allured by your honest behauiour Some wyl saye It is a sore mater to beare the tyrannye of Prynces it is a sore mater to abyde the crueltie of maisters For Prynces spoyle exacte and punyshe and maysters wyth whyppes and buffeâ—tes all to teare them that are faultles These maters woulde ryghtly seme not worthye to be borne if it were ascribed vnto them and not rather vnto God Their wickednes deserueth not thus muche that these thynges should be suffred at their handes but so is the wil of God that youre goodnes shoulde turne their maliciousnes in to the glorie of Christ For after suche sorte is your pacience acceptable to God whan beyng afflicted vndeseruedly you suffre neuertheles contentedly not for feare of men but for the glory of God Communely there is no despyght more impaciently taken than whan men are not faultye But among Christians it is ferre otherwise for among them like as euery one is the beste euen so doeth he couet to be mooste acceptable vnto God And the more inwaâ—â—â—ly he loueth God so muche the more chearfullye he suffreth whatsoeuer â—pperteyneth to the glorye of God But what garmercye were it yf you suffre whan you are buffetted for naughtye doynges The conscience of the faulte teacheth thys that euery man can abyde his deserued peynes and holde his peace But whan you suffre patiently the sorowes that are done vnto you for weldoinges you come in fauour with god for whose cause sake you suffre wyllynglye The texte For hereunto verely were ye called for Christ also suffered for vs leuinge vs an ensample that ye shoulde folowe his steppes which dyd no sinne nether was there gyle founde in his mouth â–ª which when he was reuiled reuiled not agayne when he suffered he thretened not but committed the vengeaunce to hym that iudgeth righteouslye whyche hys owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body â—n the tree that we beinge delyueted from synne shoulde lyue vnto righteousnes By whose stripes ye were healed For ye were as shepe going astray but are nowe turned vnto the shepherd and byshop of your solles Your innocencie might disdaynfully grudge at this but that Christe beyng innocent suffred greater haynous peines for your sake This is your profession vpon this condicion are you called into his body that you myghte folow the example of suffryng which he hath left vnto you and entring in by the same fotesteppes you might thrust in vnto euerlastyng glory by the same way that he atteyned vnto it What sorowe was it that he suffred not whiche was crucified with theues And what is more innocent than he which not only commytted no faulte at all but also there was no maner of gyle at any tyme found in his tongue whaÌ„ they bitterly reuiled him he gaue none euill wordes again but rather besought the father to forgyue them Whan he was bounden whan he was beaten whan he was nayled on the crosse he threatened no vengeaunce but referred all vengeaunce vnto the father whiche iudgeth not of affeccion but accordynge to iustice Christe in the meane tyme playng the intercessour and not the on settour As for vs albeit we now folowe innocencie yet with our naughtye synfulnes we had afore tyme iustely deserued the vengeaunce of God But Christe forasmuche as he was indaungered with no synne yet he caryed the burthen of our synnes vpon his owne bodye that he myghte ease vs of oure burthen and was offred on the tree of the crosse as a brent offerynge for oure synnes and by hys vndeserued death he put awaye the deathe that was due vnto vs that we shoulde in the meane tyme folowe the example of his death and resurreccion and that beyng dead vnto our olde synnes and lustes wherunto we were addicte and dyd seruice we shoulde lyue from henceforth vnto innocencie vnto the which he being the fountayne of all innocencie hath consecrated vs whiche hathe taken ouâ—e wickednes him selfe that he myght geue his righteousnes vnto vs. We had offended and he was beaten The fault was ours and the punyshement lyght cruelly vpon him So yâ— accordyng to Esayes prophecie we were made whole by his stripes Him therfore you are bounden to thanke for youre innocencie and in that God imputeth not the synnes of your former lyfe you are bounde to thanke his bondes his scourgeinges his woundes his crosse and his death For ye were scatred before tyme lyke shepe withoute a keper strayenge some one waye some an other as euerye mannes phantasye ledde him thynkyng you myghte lawfullye do whatsoeuer lyked youre selfe but you are nowe conuerted from youre olde erroure vnto Christe Iesus the shepehearde and Curate of youre soules Yf you folowe hym in sufferynge afflyecyons of sorowes wythoute deseruynge you shall throughe hys leadynge come vnto the glory of immortalitie ¶ The .iii. Chapter The texte
worlde thynketh is losse and it is blessednes whatsoeuer they thynke is sorowfulnesse Therefore it is in you to bryng to passe that no violence of sorowes can do you harme by any waye Whatsoeuer the naughtynesse of men shall take awaye from you the free larges of God shall restore it agayne with excedyng great vauntage So that yf you haue the fruicion of God you haue no cause to be afrayed of mens threatnynges or to be disquieted with the violence of sorowes neyther be you troubled in your mynde in the myddes of the stormes of affliccions as though you were destitute of Goddes helpe Neither speake you cursedly vnto men that punyshe you throughe ignoraunce but rather glorifie you the lorde God in your heartes whiche to his seruauntes turneth all thynges in to the best whethersoeuer chaunseth ioye or aduersitie Therefore he is euer worthye to be praysed albeit a man can not alwaies with worde of mouthe yet with affeccion of the heart he maye euery where and at all tymes Hys enemyes are not to be prouoked with scoldynges but wheresoeuer anye hope shall offre it selfe that they maye be drawen vnto Christe be you prompte and ready to answere whosoeuer desireth to knowe with what confidence and throughe what hope you set naught by the commodities of this life and suffre the incommodities so paciently And that do you not disdeignefully nor tauntynglye as thoughe you were offended at them but with al mildenes and reuerence that is to say vsing a good conscience of your owne althoughe you can not be hable to perswade them For it is not ynoughe for Christians to speake thinges that are true and worthy of Christ but also to speake after suche sorte that the verye reason of your talke maye declare that you are not in hande with your own busines but that you respecte the glorie of Christe and the saluation of them whiche you speake vnto This shal be the surest argument to make them ashamed which slaundre your conuersation that you leade accordyng to Christes doctrine as thoughe it were a countrefaict and a naughty conuersacion For countrefaicte vertue althoughe it otherwise begile men with his iuggling yet whan it commeth once to suffring of punishementes it breaketh out and bewrayeth it self There is nothing but a good conscience and a conscience that dependeth wholy of God that is hable chearefully to beare all thinges and to be so farre froÌ„ intendyng reuengement that he goeth about also to do good to them of whom he is punished The texte For it is better yf the wyll of God be so that ye suffre for well doing then for euil doing For asmuche as Chryst hath once suffred for sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs vnto God and was killed as pertaining to the fleshe but was quickned in the spirit In which spirit he also went and preached vnto the spirites that were in prison whych somtyme had ben disobedient when the long suffering of God was once loked for in the daies of Noe while the Arke was a preparing wherin a few yâ— is to say viii solles were saued by the water lyke as baptisme also now saueth vs not the puttynge away of the fylth of the fleshe but in that a good conscience consenteth to God by the resurreccion of Iesus Christ whyche is on the righte hande of God and is gone into heauen Aungelles powers and myght subdued vnto hym Let it not moue you that you harmeles folkes suffre sorowes at their handes whiche be harmedoers but rather it is in that behalf the more easely to be borne whatsoeuer is done vnto you For it is better for you if it be the wyll of God that you suffre these thinges that you suffre for wel doyng than for euil doyng For he that is punysshed for his euil dedes suffreth that he hath deserued but the punyshementes that you suffre turne to the glory of Christe and to the heaped encreace of your felicitie It is a gloriouse thynge for you to folowe thexample of your prince Thus he aduaunced the glory of God the father he beyng all together without synne was taken bounden beaten spytte vpon crucified and dyed for our synnes where as he had no synne at all The ryghtuous for the vnryghtuous the faultes for the faultye suffred paynes gladly obeyng the fathers will that he myghte presente vs that were synners cleane and without spotte vnto the father that we also folowyng his example shoulde lyue harmeles amonge harmedoers and that we beynge made good shoulde suffre for the wealth of them that naught are He dyed onely once for all and for temporall affliccion was endowed with lyfe euerlastynge that we beyng once redemed from synnes shoulde not slyde backe agayne to the same It is Christ than that hath made vs cleane being delyuered to death for the weakenes of the humaine body which he had receiued but he was raised to life agayne by the power of the spirite whyche coulde not be ouercome wyth any affliccions For the same tyme that his dead body was closed in the graue he being alyue in spirite pearced vnto the helles lyke as vnto men endued with mortall bodye he preached the doctryne of the gospell in his bodylye presence which those that beleued attayned saluacion and those that refused to beleue purchaced to them selues the heape of eternal damnacion euen so his body beyng laied aparte his spirite went vnto them which being deliuered of their bodies lyued in the helles and preached vnto them that nowe is the time present wherein they should receyue the rewarde of their godlines for yâ— in tymes past they â—earing the iustice of god nether reuenged them selues of euilles liued faultles among the faultye and declared that they suffred condyng punyshementes which in the daies of Noe when the Arke was furnisshed the floude was loked for that God being prouoked by mortall mennes wickednes would send vpon them beleued not but abused the gentilnes of God when they sawe the thing that he threatned put of for a certayn of yeares Therfore when the floude came it destroyed all except a very fewe that is to saye no moe but onely eight persons which according to Noes counsel went into the arke were not drowned in the floud And therefore euen in those tymes faythe wanted not hâ—â— rewarde For God suffred not those to perishe that trusted in him with al their whole herâ— Neither can the vnbeleuers escape yâ— vengeauÌ„ce of God although you be no reuengers For it is ynough for you that you obeye God but as for the punyshement of the rest refeâ—re that to hym Nowâ— that whiche Nâ—es Aâ—ke was vnto them is baptisme vnto you that same thyng that the floud was vnto them is the eternal punishement vnto the wicked and preached vnto them that obey not the gospel It was ynough for Noe to haue tolde them of the floud that was to come It was ynough to haue shewed by what meanes they myght escape the daungier
because it is not furnyshed with the same thinges anon as the hote sunne is broken out is destitute of his iuyce wherwith it nourished that fayrenes of the floure for the time And so whā it faynteth in the stalkes it doeth nether nourishe ne susteyne his floure but withereth ageth dyeth falleth away where as a litell before it delited mens eies with so greate a fauour Because therfore no christyan shoulde glorye in those thynges that are nether of sure grounde nor longe enduring let him rather respecte the thinges that are eternall and that are delectable in the sight of God let him rather studie to bee a braunche alwayes grene than a herbe that with a lyght hurte will by and by dye Doest thou see nowe the flower that is sprongen how fayre how goodly how pleasaunte of colour and how swete it is what a gorgiousnes of grene leaues what a glistring what a iuyce what youthe hathe it And anone at a blaste of the southe winde and with the heate of the sunne what fading what ageing what dieng hathe it The floure is sene to spring to come forewarde to be at the best to age and to dye all in one daye And like vnto it is riche mens felicitie He that nowe ruffleth in purple shyneth in gold glistereth in precious stones hathe a great trayne wayting on hym is caried in a charet and is honoured as it were a certaine God among men if fortune blowe backewarde he shall ether bee wyped besydes al his goodes be banished to goe on begging or lye crieng in prison or be trussed vp with a tyburne typper and fede rauens or if none of these thynges happen vnto him yet death shall come vnthought vpon and sodainly dispatche al his galaunt araye It is the parte of the heathens to measure felicitye by these maner of goods which ouer that chei depend vpon fortunes chaunce ouer that thei as nothing elles doeth forsake vs whan we departe hence if thei bee not set naught by bring destruccion It is the office of Christians to folowe those thinges wherby eternall goodes are gotten vpon which nether fortune nether age nether deathe hath any enterest For no manne is blessed because he is riche but he shall be surely blessed if for the profession of the Gospelles sake he haue ben spoyled of those thynges that he had in possession yf he haue defyed the pleasures of thys lyfe whiche he had abundaunce of and suffre tormentes and emprisonmentes for Christes sake if he endure for hys sake in all sorowes euen vnto death with an vnshrinkyng harte interpreting on thys wise that the more he is pressed with the sorowes of thys worlde so muche the more he is loued of God whiche tryeth the pacience of his obedient seruaunte to hys owne glorye that he maye bothe bee an example vnto other to de fie thys worlde and after he hathe valeauntly behaued hym selfe in the conflicte and hathe shewed a lesson of true vertue and of fayth he maye weare the Palme and crowne not of oken bowes and of laurell for they doe wither also after suche sorte as they receyue which hunt after rewarde and prayse of menne but the crowne of immortall lyfe whiche is promysed not of a man that canne deceaue but of God him selfe But he hath promysed it not to them that haue muckred vp the greatest substaunce of riches not to them that haue excelled other in bodyly strength not to them that haue shedde moste bloude but to them that for hys sake haue defied the goodes of thys worlde and haue valeauntly suffred the displeasures of this worlde The texte Let no man saye when he is tempted that he is tempted of God For as God cannot be tempted to euyll so neyther he hym self tempteth any man But euery man is tempted when he is drawne a way entysed of hys own concupiscence Then when lust hathe conceaued she bryngeth forth synne synne whē it is fynyshed bryngeth forth death Do not erre my deare brethren Euery good gyfte and euery parfecte gyfte is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lyghtes with whome is no variablenesse nether is he chaunged vnto darkenes Of hys owne will begat he vs with the worde of trueth that we shoulde be the fyrste trutes of hys creatures Wherfore deare brethren let euery man be swyfte to beare slowe to speake slowe to wrath For the wrathe of man worketh not that whiche is ryghteous before God Wherfore laye aparte al fylthynes superfluytie of malicyousnes and receaue with mekenes the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue youre soules Whether a man loue God purely the pleasures of this worlde dooe trye but muche more doeth the hurly burly of affliccions And it is in vs that being furnyshed with the helping ayde of God we maye nether become tendre nycelynges through vayne pleasures ne moued with terrible turmoylinges But if a manne be moued with the delices of the worlde from the right state of mynde or if a man be led by the sorow of afflicciōs out of true godlines he hath nothing to laie vnto Goddes charge He y◠getteth the victorie getteth the victory by the helpe of God and he that is ouercomme is ouercome through hys own faulte For God doeth not geue menne occasyon to synne but the thynge that he geueth according to his own goodnes for the nouryshment and encreace of godlines our mindes being corrupte and as it were cralled with affeccions turneth to thoccasyon of theyr owne destruccion For God doeth somtymes geue vs the vse of habundaunce of goodes and the commodities of life to the intent that being prouoked by his liberall goodnes we should tendre thankes vnto him Againe he suffreth vs somtymes to bee afflicted with aduersities that he may both make our godlines more notably seene encreace our rewarde And if the matter turne to the cotrary parte it is our faulte not his For like as he being by nature good can not bee prouoked with any euilles euen so doth he entice noman vnto euil The thing is of vs that turneth the goodnes of God vnto oure euil He geueth pleintie of meates he geueth the liquor of wyne that beyng moderately refreshed we shoulde geue prayses to the maker And shall he that is dronken with wyne call God vnto the lawe no in no wyse let him accuse his owne mynde whose vicious gredynes entised and drewe him to dronkenes Ther is a certayne readynes vnto vice graffed in oure hartes of our fyrste parentes vice and that is as it were a sede of synne And if it bee receaued in to the harte and receaue nourishment than the mynde hathe as it were all ready conceaued synne And onles the vicious desire be dryuen out of mynde the stynking smell of it groweth and waxeth strong by litell and litell till deadly synne be cōmitted Whiche whan it is in his nombres consūmately done beginneth to bring forthe frute it self agayne And the frute
with vs and that oure felowship maye be with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ And thys wryte we vnto you that ye maye reioyce and that youre ioye may be full VVE write not vnto you dearely beloued brethren of stender or meane thinges or of thinges vnknowen but of a newe matter howbeit so newe vnto vs that with God it was from euerlasting This is the worde of God euen Iesus Christe bothe God and manne whiche where he was alwayes the sonne of God woulde of late be the sonne of a mayden and which after hys diuine nature was inuisible to mans eies vouchesafed to take vpon hym an humayne bodye and did vouchesafe to be famyliarly conuersaunte among men that he might â—arye vs vp from the darkenes of our ignoraunce to the lyght of Gospelliâ—â— knowlage and that we myght begynne to beholde him with the eies of our mynde whome we haue presentlye fâ—ne with the eies of our bodye In dede the vnbelefe of mannes harte required that the truthe shoulde bee credited by grosse outwarde experimentes but yet the godlynes of them is more preferred by his owne worde whiche where they neyther had sene him with theyr eyes nâ— handled him with theyr handes yet were moste certaynly perswaded and beleued that he is the sonne of God and thonly autor of mannes saluacyon It is our parte therfore to declare that whiche we haue moste certaynly proued by our bodyly sences vnto those that chaunced not to see it and yet it is expedient to beleue that none ought to trust to haue life nor euerlastinge saluacion but he that beleueth the Gospelles doctrine wherof we are both witnesses and preachers It is not the worde of manne nether of lyght importaunce but it is the worde of God and of heauen that geueth euerlastyng lyfe to them which geue obedient hearyng vnto it and deliueâ—ing from the deathe of sinnes from what so euer relygyon from what so euer kynde of lyfe they shall turne them selues vnto it Of this matter that we speake of we speake of most assured credence yâ— is to wete euen the thing which we yâ— were continual waitours heard with our eares saw with our eies nether sawe we afarre of or passinge by but we loked presently on to the full And to cause a thinge to be credited these are two princypall chief sences and if that also bee but a small matter we did not only heare hym teaching prayinge commaundyng wyndes and deuilles and the father sondry tymes bearing witnes vnto the sonne and we sawe hym not only worke myracles suffre deathe and ryse agayne but also we haue handled with these handes of oures For whan he was rysen agayne from deathe to thyntente to make vs beleue steofastlye that he was no vayne phantasie but euen the lame manne alyue agayne whome we had sene before dead he caused vs to handle him with our handes and laying to our fingres he shewed vs the places of his woundes Mannekynde was deade bycause it was in thraldome of vices and synnes and he suffred deathe for our wickednes that through his goodnesse we myght lyue vnto Innocencie We were in doubt also our selues whan we sawe hym dead whan we sawe hym buried but whan he rose again from death he gaue vs sure hope of life Mankynde had had no maner of hope of eternall life except he had caused vs to see him with oure cies and if he had not plucked awaye all doubtefulnes froÌ„ vs by most manifestly apparent experimentes He beinge manne suffred paynes for our synnes and the same being God dooeth frely gene immortall lyfe to them that put theyr faythfull trust in hym He lyued alwayes with the father and this life was alwayes determinately purposed for vs by the sonne howbeit this counsail was not yet publyshed vnto the world albeit the nacion of the Iewes and yet none but they loked for it by the prophetes oracles as it were in a dreame In the meane while deathe reigned lyfe laye hydden Some tixed theyr hope in Moses some in worldly wisedome but the saluacion and life of all people was Iesus Christe the worde of God the father the teacher of Innocencye and the geuer of Immortalitie For none lyueth but he that lyueth godly nether dooeth any escape deathe â–ª but he that atreyneth Immortalytie At leyngth thys Iesus christe manifested him selfe vnto the world by hym selfe shewing him selfe playnly to all the senses of man and so thrusting him selfe in to the consciences of menne And therfore he would haue vs to be lokers on and witnesses of all thinges that he did on earthe â–ª to thintent they myght be faithfully published by our preachinge throughout all the whole vniuersall worlde that like as we by Iesus haue obteyned lyfe and saluacion in case we perseuer still in the Gospelles doctrine euen so shoulde you also come with vs in to the felowshippe and company of this saluacion in case you geue credence to our witnesse bearing â–ª concernyng the thinge that you neither hearde nor sawe of hym but learne it by our preachinge We are nether vayne witnesses ne yet vncommaunded He had vs to bee faithfull witnesses and we recorde vnto all men with the greate daunger of our head none other thinge than we haue most euydent experience of with all the sences of the bodye We are happye in that our eares and eies haue made vs beleue and yet you are neuertheles happye if you geue credence vnto hys witnesse bearers Our faithe hathe glued vs vnto Christe and made vs the children of God and membres of Christe And your faith also shall engraffe you vnto the same bodye that being ioyned with vs in the feloweshippe of faithe you myght make one bodye And so shall it come to passe that we shall not only bee all of one mynde amonge our selues as the membres of one bodye but we shall also haue peace and league with Iesus Christe and by hym with God hys father from whome we were before farre different that like as the sonne is at moste perfite consent communion of al thinges with the father euen so we also by perfite agrement of the profession of the Gospell shoulde bee heaped togyther in to one bodye of Christe to be made partakers of all the goodes of our heade I know you are ioyous of so happye a feloweship but yet I put you in remembraunce agayne of these thinges in writing to thintent you myght reioyce more fully if euery manne be not all together ioyous of hys owne saluacion but all mens felicitie make euery one glad For thys dooeth christen charitie cause that euery manne must be as glad of other mennes commodities as of his owne The moe that this felicitie is commune vnto the more abundaunt shall euery ones ioye bee Among vs there shall no being of one mynde stande together substauncially excepte we be fast glued together with mutuall charitie We canne not possibly haue peace with God except we be answerably like vnto our head Iesus
Christe what so euer he hathe he ascribeth it vnto the father and what so euer we haue it behoueth vs to ascribe it vnto Christe Christe is the true lyght that procedeth from the father of all lyght We canne not bee the membres of Christe except we bee bright nether canne we haue lyght onles we bee transformed into him and contynue stedfastly vnto the ende in his feloweship Trueth and Innocencye is the lyght of the mynde and synnes and wycked lustes are the darkenes where lyght is there is life where darkenes are there deathe is The texte And this is the tydinges which we haue hearde of hym and declare vnto you that God is light and in him is no darckenes at all If we saie that we haue felowship with him and walke in darckenes we lye and do not the trueth But and yf we walke in light euen as he is in light then haue we felowship with him the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all synne If we saye that we haue no synne we deceaue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. If we knowledge our sinnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeue vs oure synnes and to clense vs from all vnrightewesnes If we say we haue not synned we make hym a lyar and hys worde is not in vs. What is the matter than whiche we shewe vnto you that you myght the more fully reioyce In dede it is that whiche we haue heard euen of him and hauing heard it we make it cōmune vnto you that God forasmuch as he is altogether and of his own nature good all wise al pure and al light life nether is ther any darkenes in him In vs the matter standeth not after such sorte but we haue muche darkenes euen of our selues in case we haue any light we are endebted in that all to gether vnto him by whose free liberality we are deliuered from our olde synnes and being deliuered from the darkenes of our former ignoraunce we haue learned by the Gospelles doctrine to liue godly after Christe our heades example If any manne boast that he is through baptisme engraffed to the body of Christe and hathe therby felowshippe with God the father where as in the meane while he liueth yet in errours vices of hys former lyfe dooeth playnly lye For seing as I sayed before God is farre from all maner felowship of darkenes how can he possibly haue any thynge a dooe with hym that lyueth yet still all together in errour and olde vices For he is clene out of the waye that thinketh he can atteyne Innocencie by any other meanes than by Christ agayne he is deceaued that thinketh it ynough for him to be washen in baptisme except he be answerably like vnto his professiō through Innocencie of life he that thinketh thus is deceaued and he lieth that sayeth it For Christe is the trueth whiche hathe nothing a doo with lyers The fyrste steppe vnto light is for a manne to acknowlage his darkenes and the fyrst stepping forthe of a manne vnto Innocencie is to acknowlage his sinnes Will ye heare therfore by what token we maye knowe that we haue true feloweshippe with God Doubtles euen by thie if like as he is light and voyde of all darkenes euen so shall we absteyne after his example from the darkenes of all errours and vices framyng all our conuersacion after the light of the Gospell and yf like as the sonne hathe most high concorde with the father euen so shoulde we also lyue Innocently and be all of one mynde amonge our selues The father will not laye the traunsgressions of our olde life vnto our charge whiche are ones doone awaye all the sorte of them by the precious blood of his sonne Iesu Christe so that we from henceforthe absteyne from all synne as muche as in vs lyethe The blood of Christe hathe washed awaye all fylthynes and hathe washen it away from all folkes yea but he hathe washen none but those that acknowlage theyr faultes Yf we saye that we are not endaungered with synne we deceaue our selues we lyue in errour we wandre in darkenes and Christe which is light whiche is trueth is not in vs. For if he were truly in vs in dede he would dispatche awaye thys darkenes of arrogaunt ignoraunce And if it shall chaunce vs after receyuing of baptisme to slyde backe agayne through mannes weaknes in to any synne and as it were a myste obscure our light we muste beware that arrogauncie withdrawe vs not farther and farther of and leade vs agayne from light in to our olde darkenes Yea we muste geue dilygence that through discrete sobrenes we maye be admoued vnto the light that shall dispatche awaye all darknes If the brother perchaunce doo trespasse agaynste the brother let eyther forgeue other hys trespasse that God maye forgeue them also the trespasses that are done agaynste him For in dede God hathe vpon this condicion promysed to forgeue vs what so euer we haue offended againste him if we forgeue our brothers fault and exacteth hys debte euen to the vttermoste farthinge of him whiche hauyng hys lorde mercifull vnto him shewed him selfe smally mercifull towardes his felowe seruaunt that is to saye he iudgeth him vnworthye the mercye of God seinge he ones frely forgaue him all his trespasses that will not pardone a smale offence vnto hym agaynst whome he eyther trespasseth euery daye or elles maye trespace That man wyll easyly forgeue hym that trespasseth agaynste hym whiche wyll remembre howe many wayes he offendeth both agaynst God and agaynst his neyghbour And as it is a very hard matter for a man to do so as he offende in nothing euen so is it a verye easye mater to amende suche offences with forgeuing one an other Forgeue thou thy neighbour and thy neyghbour shall forgeue thee agayne and God shall euen as it were of very couenaunt forgeue you both I speake of those faultes that chaunce euen among them that are good yea but among men and those faultes that obscure the lyght of the Gospelles veritie rather than extinguyshe it For God forbydde that manslaughter or whoredome or sacrilege shoulde chaunce vpon their life that are ones chosen among the chyldren of God There is nothing that allureth more the mercie of God and swageth his wrath than yf a man acknowlage his faulte to God If he that is a fearce cruel man forgeue him that acknowlageth his faulte how muche more shall God do so which is more mercifull than any man He is by nature readyly bent vnto mercie and hath promised vs forgeuenes vpon this condicion forgeue and it shal be forgeuen vnto you If he would not forgeue in that he is good yet he shuld forgeue because he is iust of faithful credence See that thou accomplyshe the prescribed condicion and he shal not forget his couenaunt If we with our whole harte forgeue our neighbour that offendeth vs God shall also forgeue vs not onely one synne or
Christ that is to say him of whom we must nedes aske al the succoures of our salnacion and beleueth that in his hearte he is borne of god and is called alredy into the nūmbre of the sonnes of God In dede he can not chose but loue the is a sonne Thā whosoeuer loueth him heartely that is y◠father loueth him also the was borne of him that is to wete his brother with whome he hath all one commune father By this tokē we proue that we doe truly loue y◠children of God yf we first loue God him selfe heartely For there is nothing truely loued except it be loued for his sake Than that we loue God it shall euidently so appeare yf we kepe his commaundementes and kepe them chearfully and gladly for his commaundementes are none otherwyse greuous For what is greuous to the louer what is greuous to him that goeth post haste to suche maner rewardes The worlde obiecteth terrible appearaunces of euilies pouertie vanyshement slaunder enprisonmentes whippinges deathes It is a great fraye but the victorie is made readye For what soeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde But with what furnitures doeth he ouercome y◠worlde with riches with garisons of men with engines of warre with worldly learning no no they ouercome the worlde as cruelly rageing as it is throughe a stedfast onely faithe wherwith they committe them selues wholy vnto God their protectour Thy riches are snatched awaye yea but what sayeth faithe to that Thou haste a treasure in heauen Thou art throwen out to be a vanished man yea but the countrey of heauen loketh for his countreyman Thy body is turmoyled with tormentes yea but with them are bought euerlasting ioyes Death is deuised for the yea but after it shall folowe lyfe that neuer shall dye Who is it than that ouercometh the worlde not a lorde not the riche man not a philosopher not a kyng but he who soeuer he be that beleueth verely that Iesus is the sonne of God Beleue that which he hath promised and it shal nothing moue thee whatsouer the worlde purposeth against thee He ouercame the world first atteyned immortalitie he came into this world hauīg takē our mortal body to get the victorye for vs to shew the meane of victorye getting to cause y◠rewardes to be certaynely reckoned vpon But with what furnitures came he armed withall He came by water and bloude euen Iesus Christe by water that he myght washe vs cleane from our synnes by bloude that he myght geue vs immortall lyfe Hys owne wyll was to be baptised beinge cleane voyde from all synne that he myght frelye geue vnto vs innocencye hys owne wyll was to dye on the crosse that he myght open vnto vs the waye vnto immortalitie He dyd not onelye testifie by these two tokens that he was Christ and the sauiour of the worlde in that he receyued baptisme as a synfull man in that he dyed as a malefactour where he one onely none among all but he was Innocent from all synne but the spirite also appearynge in the likenes of a doue bare recorde of him that it was he whō the father had geuen to be the sauyour of the worlde For the spirite is also the trueth as the father and the sonne is there is one trueth of all like as there is one nature of all For there are three in heauen that beare recorde vnto Christ the father the worde and the spirite the father whiche sending once and eftsones a voice downe from heauen testified openly that he is his dearly beloued sonne in whom nothing coulde doe amisse the worde whiche hauing done so many miracles whiche in his death and resurreccion declared him selfe to be the true Christ bothe God and man the peacemaker betwene God and men the holy gooste whiche descended vpon his head whan he was baptised and that after his resurreccion fell vpon his disciples And of these three there is all one most perfite agrement the father is the autor the sonne the messanger the holy goost the remembrauncer There are three thinges also on earthe that beare recorde vnto Christ his humayne spirite whiche he put from him one the crosse the water and the bloode that ranne out of his syde whan he was deade And these three witnesses doe agree The other declared him to be God these recorde that he was man Iohn also bare witnesse And yf we receyue witnesse of men it is reason that the witnesse of God be of more importaunce with vs. For the testimonie of God the father is manifest Thys is my VVelbeloued Sonne in VVhom I am pleased heare him What thing can be spoken more plainly or more fully he that beleueth truly in goddes sonne Iesus Christ and hath reposed al the succours of his lyfe in him so that trusting in his promisses he contemneth all thinges that this worlde can make a shewe of whether they be amiable or dreadfull hathe a witnesse in him selfe and beareth witnesse vnto the sonne of God For whan throughe thinspiracion of the spirite of Christe he defieth euen deathes for his loue he beareth no trifling witnesse vnto mē that they are no vaine thīges that Christ hath taught and promised He that trusteth not in god but putteth his trust in the worlde he as muche as in him is maketh god a lyer whiche hath promised felicitie vnto them that woulde herkē vnto his sonne Iesu Christ where as he in his conuersaciō teacheth that felicitie is to be asked of the worlde cleaueth so vnto the cōmodities of this lyfe as thoughe nothing of a man remayned after the deathe of the bodye The father cryeth Heare him And his lyfe that beleueth not sayeth Heare the worlde For whan the sonne prayed the father that those whiche beleued or shoulde beleue in him might haue eternall lyfe the fathers voyce was heard testifiyng as by the sound of a trompet that his prayers should be allowed The father therfore hath geuen vs euerlastyng lyfe shewinge of whome it should be asked euen of his sonne Iesus Christe His doctrine who soeuer embraceth his example whosoeuer foloweth hys promises whosoeuer trusteth vnto he bothe possedeth the sonne and hath life the pledge wherof he kepeth in the meane time euen the spirite of god throughe the vndoubted confidence whereof he is bolde to call God father He that is a straunger from the sonne is estraunged also from lyfe The texte These thinges haue I written vnto you that beleue on the name of the sonne of god that ye maye knowe howe that ye haue eternall lyfe and that ye maye beleue on the name of the sonne of god And thys is the trust that we haue in hym that yf we aske any thyng accordinge to hys wyll he heareth vs. And yf we knowe that he heare vs whatsoeuer wee aske we knowe that we haue the peticions that we desire of hym If any man see his brother sinne a synne not vnto death let hym aske and he shall geue hym
lyfe for them that sinne not vnto death There is a synne vnto death for whiche saye I not that a man shoulde praye All vnrighteousnes is sin and ther is a synne not vnto death We knowe that whosoeuer is borne of god synneth not but he that is begotten of god kepeth himselfe and that wicked toucheth hym not We know that we are of god and the worlde is all together set on wickednes We knowe that the sonne of god is come and hath geuen vs a mynde to knowe hym whiche is true and wee are in him that is true through his sonne Iesus Christ This same is very god and eternal lyfe Babes kepe your selues from images Amen These thinges therfore doe I repete and beate vnto you with so many wordes lest any man shoulde persuade vnto you the contrarye But take it for a sure and an vndoubted certayntie that it is true whiche you haue beleued that euerlastynge lyfe is ordayned for you throughe Iesus Christe whose ioyned felowe heires you are You haue already the ryght clayme and gage and shall haue possession of the thyng selfe in hys tyme. Therefore you that beleue in the sonne of God beleue stedfastlye and put youre sure trust in hym daylye more and more He wyll not fayle you in the promyses of euerlastyng lyfe that fayleth you not nowe euen in thys lyfe For in dede the spirite of Christe geuethe this confidence vnto you that whatsoeuer you shal aske in y◠name of the sonne you should obtaine it if ye aske according to hys wyll that is yf you be suche when you come to praye as he woulde haue you to come that is to saye pure from all maner hate of your brother For he obteyneth nothyng at goddes hande of whom his neyghbour obteyneth not forgeuenes of his fault And if you aske those thinges that are auaileable to the lyfe of heauen and make to the glorye of Christ Or elles we for the moste parte knowe not what we shoulde aske of God and many tymes for holsome thynges we desire hurtfull thynges yf the spirite of Christe put vs not in mynde what were expedient for vs to aske but as ofte as we aske after thys sorte we are sure that god heareth oure prayers we are sure that he wyll frely geue vs whatsoeuer we shall aske So hath he promised vs and is hable to performe whatsoeuer he promiseth and wyll performe whatsoeuer is holsome for vs. Neither shall he onely encrease his giftes in vs being prouoked therunto by oure prayers but also he wyll pardon vs oure daylye offences without whome the feblenes of mans nature can scarcely be hable to endure longe and he shall not onely pardon euery one hys offences yf he desire pardon but he shall also heare the brother praying for the brothers offences so that the sinne bee of suche sorte that it doeth not quenche out brotherly loue althoughe it doe somewhat obscure it For there is a synne that cannot bee imputed vn to weakenes nor be healed with lyght and easye remedies as whan a manne vpon a sette malyce persecuteth the christen felowshyppe where he hymselfe hath professed Christe and in pretence of religion goeth aboute to subuert religiō The desperate frowardnes of suche a one deserueth not the prayer of godly menne and yet perfite charitie prayeth also for suche wyshynge for those thynges that cannot possiblye be done There is no manne that prayeth for the deuyll because he doeth wittynglye throughe malyce oppugne them whome God woulde well vnto Perhappes no prayer should also be made for them that are translated into hys affeccion and are rather to be shunned that they doe no harme than to bee releued with prayers excepte they shewe an hope of their repentaunce Suche a disease nedeth more strong remedies and is greater than can bee taken away by dayly praiers wherby lighter offences are taken away which are done of feble weakenes not of purposed frowardenes Whatsoeuer is committed besyde perfite righteousnes is sin but there be many differences of synnes There is some synne whiche althoughe it demynyshe and blotte innocencye yet it vtterlye quencheth not out christian charytye as whan by occasion we ouershote a worde agaynste oure frende whiche we are sory for by and by that it ouer shot vs whan a sodayne angre hath russhed out at a worde that wee woulde wyshe by and by myghte bee called backe agayne whan throughe the swetenes of meate or drynke receyuyng wee take somewhat more then the necessitie of nature doeth require And to pardon these offences God is easie yf he bee called vpon with mutual prayers Suche maner of faultes of children those that be gentyll parentes doe for the moste parte wynke at whiche woulde not suffre greater offences Albeit there is none so lyght a faulte that ought to be neclected Whatsoeuer is done amysse is euyll and to bee eschewed of godlye folkes and yf it bee neclected it drawethe by lytell and lytell vnto deathe But lyke as spedye remidy oughte to be had for these lighter offences whiche men are scarce hable to auoyde euen so god forbydde that he whiche hath once renounced the worlde and dedicated hymselfe vnto god shoulde be tombled backe agayne into anye greate notable cryme By professing of the gospel we are made the childrē of God and membres of Christ And it is not conuenient that the children should diffre so greatly from the father and the membres from the head Therfore he that throughlye vnderstandeth that he is borne of god taketh more hede that he doe no euyl than of deathe it selfe and kepeth hymselfe that he haue nothynge a doe with that naughtie lorde deuill whom he serued before together with the worlde Lyke as Christe beynge once dead rose agayne to lyfe and rose agayne to lyfe neuer to dye any more euen so he that throughe baptisme is once dead vnto the worlde and risen againe to newnes of lyfe with Christ it is not mete for hym to doe that thynge agayne for the whyche Christe must dye agayne Let them be affrayed of the worlde whiche are not truely borne againe of god which haue not with al the pith of their whole heartes receyued the seede of the gospelles doctrine We knowe that wee are truely of god whome neyther the euyll thynges nor the good thynges of thys world can seperate from Christe The whole world is set all together on naughtines Whiche waye soeuer a man turneth hym there is occasion offred of thynges to turne vs awaye quite from the innocent vpryghtnes of lyfe But from the worldes enchauntmentes the sonne of god hathe once delyuered vs whiche came into the worlde for thys cause to exempte vs out of the contagious infeccion of the worlde He hathe dryuen awaye the darkenes of oure former ignoraunce and hathe geuen vs an vnderstandyng that is lyghtened with the lyght of the gospell to thintent we should knowe the true god the free geuer of al righteousnes who onely had nothyng a doe
faith doe spring want lacke of ryght good workes Euen so came it to passe at Ephesus by yâ— meanes of yâ— false apostles as Paule did before prophecye vnto them at Myletus For yâ— which cause yâ— Lorde requireth exhorteth them to ameÌ„de threatneth them before after yâ— maner of al the prophetes that he wyll els punyshe and condemne them As concernynge the secte of the Nycholaites reade yâ— xxix chapter of yâ— thirde booke of Eusebius Chronicle Whosoeuer thorow true faith loue shall ouercome yâ— teÌ„ptacions assaultes of the enemy the same shall receyue and enioy the euerlastinge reward of blisse yâ— fruicion of god yâ— heuenly father the pleasant sight of the countenauÌ„ce of Iesus Christ in euerlastinge ioye which he nameth in this place yâ— tree of lyfe The texte ¶ And vnto the angel of the congregacion of Smyrna wryte These thinges sayth he that is first and the laste which was dead and is alyue I knowe thy worckes and tribulacion and pouerâ—ie but thou art ryche And I knowe the blasphemy of them whiche call them selues Iewes and are not but are the congregacion of Satan Feare none of those thinges whiche thou shalt suffre Beholde the deuyll shall caste some of you into pryson to tempte you and ye shall haue tribulacion ten dayes Be faithfull vnto the death and I wyll geue the a crowne of lyfe Let him that hath eares heare what the spirite sayth to the congregacions He that ouercommeth shall not be hurte of the seconde death The false apostles whiche were conuerted from the Iewes vnto the faythe were also at Smirna very busye and vnquiet in maynteynyng the ciâ—cumcysion and other Iewyshe ceremonies Against the whiche the trew apostles and their dysciples as Paule and suche other were fayne to fyght and stryue by reason wherof all the churches in the world were in perplexyte and dysquieted In this place Christ speaketh vnto them of Smirna and calleth them poore in affliccions and ryche in faythe and vertue And thus he teacheth here that it is the worcke of the deuyll and not of man whansoeuer thou arte caste into any perplexyte vexacion or pryson for the faythe and truthes sake And therfore be the more pacient seyng the heauenly father permytteth suche power vnto Sathan against the. Euen so dyd it happen in this citye vnto yâ— good bishop Polycarpus one of Iohns dysciples whiche was burnt of the vnfaythfull for the truth and the christen faythes sake Of this ye maye reade more in the. xiiii and xv Chapter of the. iiii boke of Eusebius chronicle By the seconde deathe vnderstande euerlastynge deathe and damnacion as the first death is yâ— deathe of the bodye and of synne from the whiche we shall be delyuered and be raysed vp againe thorowe a trewe faythe and confydence in the mercye of god ioyned with a perfyght repentaunce The texte ¶ And to the messenger of the congregacion in Pergamos wryte This saythe he whiche hath the sharpe swearde with two edges I know thy worckes and where thou dwellest euen where Satans seate is and thou kepest my name and hast not deuyed my fayth And in my dayes Antipas was a faithfull wytnes of myne whiche was â—â—ayne amonge you where Satan dwelleth But I haue a fewe thinges against the because thou hast there them that maynteyne the doctrine of Balam whiche taught in Balake to put occasyon of synne before the children of Israell that they shoulde eate of meate dedycate vnto ydoles and commyt fornicacion Euen so hast thou them that maynteyne the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate But be conuerted or els I wyl come vnto thee shortly and wyll fyght against them with the swearde of my mouthe Let him that hath eares heare what the spirite sayeth vnto the congregacions To him that ouercommeth wyl I geue to eat Manna yâ— is byd wyl geue him a whyte stone and in the stone a newe name written whiche no man knoweth sauynge he that receaueth it As coÌ„cerning this church we reade of no maner of accion or worke of faith therof But in al notable cities where right ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ were bothe yâ— christened vnchristened Iewes did styre vp cause much sedicion tumult as their accustomed maner was And they prouoked also the lyuetenauntes of Rome alwayes to hate persecute yâ— right true christiaÌ„s As it happened in this citie vnto the deare faithful seruant of god Antippe which with out doubt preached yâ— gospel truly syncerely therfore was faine to suffre death In such cities wher gods word is coÌ„demned al godly men in continual perell danger of their lyues goodes wher meÌ„ doe both blesse curse for money as Balaam did where abhominable fylthines whoredoÌ„ is mainteined suffered ydolatry set vp wher holy matrimonye is had in no estimacioÌ„ there without doubte dwelleth yâ— deuil For these are no small synnes but very odious and hateful vnto god But they maye repent and amende and so obteyne mercye of god and thorowe the grace and ayde of god they maye withstande and ouercome suche damnable and outragious enormyties whiche thing yf they doe not let them loke for nothinge more sure than eternall damnacion This ought to moue the hartes of all men and to feare and shrugge them that they maye repent and amende their lyues By Manna vnderstande the worde of god and true harty loue And to cleaue faste vnto Christ with a strong and a stedfast faith whiche thing is a syngular pleasure and delyght vnto the godly and faithfull and a very poyson vnto the vngodly vnfaithfull By the white stone is sygnified the eleccion and appoyntment vnto euerlastyng honour before god and all sainctes bothe in this worlde and in the worlde to come with the testimonye of a good conscience that feareth god and of a right harty ioye And also the euerlastynge peace rest and sure confydence in the grace and fauoure of god vnto euerlastynge lyfe The texte ¶ And vnto the messenger of the congregacion of Thiatira wryte This saith the sonne of god whiche hath eyes lyke vnto a flamme of fyre and hys fete are lyke brasse I knowe thy worckes and thy loue seruyce and fayth and thy pacieÌ„ce and thy dedes whiche are moo at the last then at the fyrst Notwithstandynge I haue a feawe thinges agaynste the because thou sufferest that woman Iesabell whiche called her selfe a prophetise to teache and to deceaue my seruauntes to make them commyt fornicacyon and to eate meates offered vp vnto ydoles And I gaue her space to repent of her fornicacyon and she repented not Beholde I wyll cast her in to a bedd and them that coÌ„myt fornicacyon with her into great aduersitye excepte they â—uâ—ue from theyr dedes And I wyll kyll her chyldren with death Here learne that the sonne of god whiche hath the two edged swearde the first and the laste whiche is deade and yet lyueth which hathe
looke for Suche men are the very true seruauntes of god fully stablysshed in the right faythe and true loue From the whiche thorowe the grace of god they shall neuer fall For as muche as god is their father and ouerseâ—r whose deare and louynge children they are And they can lacke no treasure neyther corporall nor spirituall eyther in this worlde or in the worlde to come And they lyue blessedly in peace and quientnes of conscience before god readye at the pleasure of god to goe thorowe welthe and woo in this worlde whome no maner of creature can hurte for as muche as the lorde fauoreth them vnto whome they haue vtterly geueÌ„ and committed them selues and haue offred vp vnto him a pleasant sacrifice oblacion in faythe in true Christen loue and perfyght hope For Christ that suffered death for them and redemed them with his bloude will not forsake them but graciously rule gouerne them and thorowe the holy gospel wil instructe them in all rightuousnes which they begynne here in this world and shal enioye the frute therof in the lyfe euerlastyng And thus thorowe yâ— grace mercye of god they shal ouercome al woe and vexacion and remayne pacient in persecucion yea and mery and ioyfull also in him that can strengthen and comforte them whiche dystrybuteth his plentifull grace vnto them to worke al holy vertuous workes For the which also beyng his owne workes he wyll yet crowne and rewarde them as S. Austen sayeth in the kyngdome of heauen eternaliy The .viii. Chapter The texte ¶ And when he had opened the seuenth seale there was sylence in heauen about the space of halfe an houre And I sawe vii angelles standynge before god to them wer geuen seuen trompertes And another angel came and stode before the aulter hauinge a goldeÌ„ senser and muthe of odoures was geuen vnto him that he should offce of the prayers of all saâ—â—â—res vpon the golden aulter which was before the seate And yâ— smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of all saâ—â—â—res ascended vp before god out of the Angelles hande And the Angell toke the senser and fylled it with fyre of the aulter and caste it into the earth and voyces were made and thondrynges and lyghtnynges and earthquake IT hathe ofte bene sene that after great troubles and muche vexacion thorowe the prouysion of god rest and quietnes hath folowed in all tymes And thus shall it continue euen from the ascencion of Christe vntyll the worldes ende that after rayne the sunne shal shyne and afterwarde it wyll be cloudye darcke againe Euen so whan the faythfull haue once ioy in god after the victorye of the dragon then commeth a new dysquietnes and perplexite whan as the wycked Angels and spirites thorowe their membres mynisters shall set vp all abhominacion synne wyckednes hurtefull and noysome vnto the soule as Sathan dyd vnto Iob what tyme he came and accompanyed him selfe with the children of god Here come vii that is to saye very many and those mightye and stronge with power graunted and permitted vnto them to doe harme But Christ the true and faythfull kyng and father of his kyngdome churche and children commeth and standeth as an hyghe pryest at the alter of god with the oblacion of his owne bodye For Christ the lorde is bothe priest altar and the oblacion himselfe and he standeth for his faythfull electe with the golden censers the hyghest loue and humilyte thorowe the whiche he gaue him selfe for the synnes of al the world into the moost bytter and standerous death for a perpetuall reconciliacion for all those that beleue in him Vnto this onely one and eternall priest Christ doe all faythfull holy and blessed christians render and gyue their vnperfyte deuocion thanck es geuynge feruent peticions and prayers their hope loue and fayth All whiche he receyueth in good parte and maketh them acceptable vnto the father with the censers of his prayers and with his swete smellynge rightuousnes and holynes wherwith he is full and aboundant plentuous and sufficient for all the electe from the begynnynge of the worlde vntyll the ende therof And by this meanes and no nother wyse may the prayers of all the holy and faythfull come vnto god namely thorowe the handes and merites of his passioÌ„ so that they take the same with them pleating with god thorowe the same Whiche thing dilyghteth and pleaseth the lord god right well Nowe yf the holy electe shal thus offre vp their necessities praiers vnto god thorowe Christ whiche is the onely medyatour betwene god the father and mankynde than wyll the mercifull god heare them â–ª and shall punyshe the wycked tyrannes and oppressours of the faythfull with his fyerye dartes and thonderboltes and other plages whiche he can and is wont to vse dyuers wayes for the terryble punyshemeÌ„t of the wycked godlesse prynces tyrannes bothe bodely and gostly in so muche that Sathan with his whole kyngdome shal be amased therat The texte ¶ And the seuen Angels which had the seuen trompettes prepared them selues to blowe The first Angell blewe and there was made hadle and fyre whiche were myngled with bloude and they were caste into the earth and the thirde parte of yâ— earth was set on fyre and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all greue grasse was brente And the seconde angell blewe and as it were a great mountayne burnyng with fyre was caste into the see and yâ— thirde parte of the sea turned to bloude and the thirde parte of the creatures which had lyfe dyed and the thirde parte of shyppes were destroyed Christ bringeth his punyshementes to passe thorowe good and euyll angels euen at his owne pleasure For vnto the lorde there is nothing euell nor vnprofytable for as muche as he onely can make good of euyll well ynoughe The first plage of the churche of Christ was in the vnderstandynge and interpretacion of holy scripture whiche euen at the first was assaulted with dyuerse dangerous heresyes whiche sprang vp by reason of yâ— dyuersytie of vnderstandyng amonge the wryters and teachers by reason wherof infynite Schisemes disseÌ„cions â–ª perels and dangerous vproures did sprynge aryse And for this cause were so many councels holden For the christendome suffred great decaye and many swarued there from at suche tyme as god of his mercye gaue peace and quietnes in the churche but for a small season as I sayde before By the trees we shall vnderstande people of all maner of nacions and degrees in yâ— christendome of no small nomber as in the tyme of Athanasius and after The seconde plage foloweth afterwarde against the whote and natural strength and fearcenes of men and specially that whiche was betwene princes and rulers that were assaulted of the wycked fyende with ambicion for power and dominion The whiche the wycked fyende dyd rayse vp after that the godly and holy teachers had rooted out all errours and heresyes This contencion and
of her selfe but of God with all heauenly graces and vertues and with the ornamentes of all perfeccion In this citie of the heauenly and eternall Ierusalem shall the lorde God in Christ dwell as it were with and among his people and deare beloued spowse and well garnyshed or floryshyng bryde with moste hyghe ioye and delyght and endles blisse and felycitie The texte And God shall wipe awaye all teares from their eyes And there shal be nomore death nether sorowe nether criyng nether shall there bee any more payne for the olde thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seate sayed beholde I make al thinges newe And he sayed vnto me Write for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is doen I am Alpha and Omega the beginninge and the ende I wyll geue to hym that is a thirst of the well of the water of lyfe free He that ouercommeth shal inherite all thinges and I wylbe his God and he shal be my sonne Howe and what this blisse shall be can no man expresse But what thynges shall not be there that doeth he declare First there shall be no teares For there shall no maner of aduersitie trouble or vexacion happen vnto any man There is also no maner of decaye nor weakenes neither of the body nor of the soule no maner of sycknes nor infirmitie of complexions no bodyly hurte nor affliccion no dreade nor feare of death no heuy nor greuous temptacioÌ„ no lacke of any thing no myschanuce no weeping nor waylyng nor payne smart nor impediment For in the state of blisse and saluacion is no thought nor sorowe to be taken for any of these thinges For the first and originall occasion of all these miseries the synne of Adam and Eue for whose sake the worlde was created is altogether past and vtterly ceased ended and finyshed together with death and the deuyll thorowe the rightuousnes of our sauiour Christ Thorowe the whiche rightuousnes all mankynde so many as are faithful is reconciled vnto God for euermore Thus hath Christ syttyng vpon the stoole of his kyngdom and glorye ordeyned all thinges newe This must be stedfastlye confessed and beleued of all faithfull christians as an infallyble trueth therfore it is gods commaundement that it shoulde be wrytten for an euerlasting remembraunce for an holsome doctrine and consolacion that all men should beleue the trueth and so beleuynge obteyne blisse and saluacion For this is the ende of all thinges the blisse and saluacion of mankynde in God whiche wyll declare and dystribute his glorye mercye and louynge kyndnes vnto them whiche he hath chosen from euerlasting vnto his honour and glorye whiche is the begynnynge and ende of all thinges that are euer were or euer shal be Vnto all them which in this vale of mysery dyd thirst after rightuousnes and after the glory of god vnto them wyll the grace and fauorable mercye of God gyue the liuing wel and fountayne of all goodnes and the eternal springynge floode of refreshment vnto saluacion and to perpetuall ioy and felicitie in God But these giftes and rewardes must be obteyned with muche labour and trauell yet not properly as desert or merite for suche great euerlastynge rewarde the hyghest goodnes and felicitie can not be purchased with any labour or trauell of man but it must be obteyned and enherited of and by the free grace and mercye of God Vnto them all whiche shall be thus eternally blessed shall Christ the spouse bryde grome of the churche be their Iesus and sauiour and also their God and theyr perfyte satisfaccion in suche maner and wyse that they shall be as his deare children and louyng sonnes and he Christ shall be their father brother God and their euerlastinge kyng and captayne The texte ¶ But the fearfull and vnbeleuynge and the abhominable and murdrers and whormongers and sorcerers and ydolatres and all lyars shal haue their parte in the lake whiche burneth with fyre and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Here foloweth now also the contrary part what Christ the iudge shall ordeine and make with them whiche in this worlde were fearfull and cruell vnto all godly humble and lowly men hiche haue hurte and noyed all men whiche neuer woulde credite nor beleue the holy gospell the holy scripture the euerlastinge worde of God whiche haue handled and dealte abhominably against al kynde and nature and against al loue whiche euen against their natural kynd of very set purpose haue bene murtherers and shedders of innocent bloude whiche haue defyled and stayned the naturall state ordeyned of God with fylthy vnchastnes And haue practised sorcery and witchcrafte contrarye to yâ— honour and lawe of god not without makinge some bande or couenanut with the wicked spirite the arche nemny of God whome they haue serued and obeyed his pleasure and commaundement in setting vp of chapels and altares in seruing honouring worshippinge praying vnto and callynge vpon false goddes vnder the name of sainctes whome they haue sought farre and nere to make their oblacions vnto them against whom the holy prophetes haue alwaies cried out against the false teachers false prophetes and false apostles Theirs and all other lyars and wicked doers part shall be in eternall damnacioÌ„ where nothing is but sorowe angwishe weping and waylyng heuines dystresse delpaite with euerlasting contempt and hatred of God All whiche is the seconde death vnto the whiche men doe come thorowe these forenamed synnes and blasphemies coÌ„mitted in the world without repentance or amendmeÌ„t For the first death is the corporall death of the bodye layed vpon all men of almightye God by reason of synne The texte ¶ And there came vnto me one of the seuen Angels whiche had yâ— seuen vyalles ful of the seuen laste plages and talked with me sayinge come hither I wyll shewe â—hee the bryde the lambes wyfe And he caried me awaie in the spirite to a great and an hye mountaine and he shewed me the great citie holy Ierusalem descending out of heauen from God hauinge the brightnes of God And her shynyng was like vnto a stone most precious euen lyke a Iasper clere as Christ all and had walles great and hye and had twelue gates and at the gates twelue Angels and names wrytten whiche are the names of the twelue tribes of Israel on the East parte thre gates and on the Northsyde thre gates and towardes the Southe thre gates and from the west thre gates and the wall of the citie had twelue foundacions and in them the twelue names of the lambes .xii. apostles Christ is the angell of the great councell whiche thorowe his angels that serue him worketh and bringeth to passe the ordinances of God with punyshmentes and plages of the wicked and vnfaithfull whiche doe hynder and let his ordinances The rewarde dothe he pay him selfe For he him selfe is the rewarde and the crowne of the blessed This Christ our lorde and sauiour talketh here with Iohn his beloued and of a
thryches of his goodnes Agaynste the daye of vengeaunce For whosoeuer hath sinned without lawe shall also c. Whan the the lorde shal iudge the secretes of meÌ„ c. A light of theÌ„ whiche wander in darkenes For the name of god is euil spoken of among the GeÌ„tyles But if thou be a breaker of the lawe the circumcision c. Neither is it circumcision whiche is outwarde in the fleshe c. Whaâ— prefermâ—nt then c. What then though sum of them dyd not c. For if the trueth of god appere more excellent thorough my ly That al mouthes may be stopped and that all the worlde c. WhoÌ„ God hath â—et fâ—rth to be the obteiner of mercy c. Therfore we holde that a man c. Do we then destroy the law through fayth c. If Abraham wee iustified by dedes theÌ„ hath he wherin to reioyce but not with God To him that worketh is the rewarde not reakened of fauer but of duetie c. Blessed are thei whose vnrighteousnes is forgeuen How was it then rekened And he receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale c. And he receiued the signe of circuÌ„cision That he should be the father of all tâ—em that beleue For yf they whiche are of the lawe bee heyres thaÌ„ is faythe but vayne c. Therfore by fayth is thinheritaunce geuen c. I haue made the a father of manye nacions c. And calleth those thynges which be not as thoughe they wer Which Abraham contrary to hope beleued in hope Accordyng to that whiche was spoken euen so shall thy seede be Neuertheles it is not written for hym onlye Because therfore that we are iustified by fayth â–ª we are at peace with god And reioyse in hope of yâ— glorie of the chyldren of god For when we were yet weake accordyng to the tyme Christe died for vs. Not onelye this but we also ioye in god c. wherfore as by one man â–ª syn entred in to the world But synne is not imputed where therâ— is no lawe But the gifte is not lyke as the synne For if by the synne of one death raigned by yâ— meanes of one muche more c. For as by one mannes disobedience many became synners so by the obedience c. That as syn raigned vnto death euen so c. Shal we continue in sine God forbid â—now ye not that all we whiche are baptised into Iesus Christ are baptised to dye with him Euen so shall we be partakers of his resurreccion That hence foorth we should not be seruantes vn to synne c. For as touchyng that he dyed he dyed concernyng synne once Let not sinne raigne therfore in your mortalbodies And geâ—e ouer your meÌ„bres as instrumeÌ„tes of righteousnes vnto God c. His seruauntes ye are to whom ye obey c. Ye haue yet obeyed with heart vnto yâ— rule of yâ— doctrine of that ye be brought vnto For when â—â— wer seruauntes of sinne ye wer voyde of all righteousnes For the ende of those thinges is death For the rewarde of syn is death but eternal life is the gifte of god c. Know ye not c. howe that the lawe hath power ouer the maÌ„ c. For the woman which is in subiection to a man c. So then if while the maÌ„ liueth she couple herselfe with an other c. EueÌ„ so ye also my brethreÌ„ are dead concerning yâ— lawe c. But now are we delyuâ—â—â—â— fâ—om th◠〈◊〉 deâ—◠〈◊〉 it Neuertheles I knewe not synne but by the lawe For sinne loke occasion by yâ— meanes of the commaundement c. wherfore the lawe is holye and the commaundement holy Naye it was synne yâ— syn might appere by it whiche was good c. But I am carnall solde vnder synne If I do now that which I would not I consent c. For I know that in me c. dwelleth no good thyng For to wyl is presente with me but I fide no meanes to perfourme c For I delyghte in the lawe of god c. O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me c. For the lawe of yâ— spirit of life through Iesus Christ hath made me fre from the law of synne and death And sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfall fleshe To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace So then they that are in yâ— fleshe can not please God If any man haue not the spirit of christ the same is none of hâ—s c Wherfore if â— the spirite of him that raised vp Iesus Christ from death c. For if ye liue after the flesh ye shal dye c But ye haue receiued the spirite of adopcion â–ª c. This spirite certifieth our spirit that we are the sonnes of God For I suppose that the affliccions of this life are notworthy c. For yâ— ferneÌ„â— desyre of the creature abydeth lookyng when yâ— soÌ„nes of God shal appeare â–ª c. For we know that euery creature grâ—neth with vâ— also â–ª c. For we are saued by hope but hope that is seen is no hope For we know not what to desyre as we ought But yâ— spirit maketh intetcession c. And he that search â—â— the hertes knoweth â—â—â—at is the meanyng of the spirite â–ª For these wâ—â—che he knewe before he also ordâ—yâ—ned before And whome he hath called them also he iustified c. If god be on out side who caÌ„ be againste vs It is god yâ— iustifieth who is he yâ— can condeÌ„ne c. Who shal separate vs froÌ„ the loue of god Neuertheles in al theâ—e thiÌ„ges wâ— ouercum through hym that loued vs. Neyther heighte nor loweth c. I say yâ— truth â—n Christ and lâ—e not my coÌ„science also bearing me witnesse c. For I haue wishâ—dde my self â—â— be cursed froÌ„ Christ c. To whome pertayneth yâ— adopcion of the chyldren and the glory c. Whose also are the fathers and they of whom as coÌ„ceâ—nyng the fleshe Christe came They are not all Israelites whiche are of Israel c. But in Isaac shal thy seede bâ— called c. They whiche are yâ— chyldreÌ„ of the fleshe are not the chyldren of god c. Rebecca was with child by one euen by our father Isaac That the purpose of God by election might stande What shal we say then Is there any vnrighteousnes with god For yâ— scripture sayth vnto Pharao euen for this purpose haue I stered yâ— vp c. But O man what arte yâ— whiche disputest with god shal the work say to the workmâ—n c. Hath not the potter power ouer the claye euen of the same luÌ„pe c. Euen so God willyng to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen suffered with long pacience the vessels of wrath c. I wyl cal theÌ„ my people whiche were not my people c. Though the numbre of yâ— children of Israel be as the sand
is the lawe death to him torment and martyrdome Not that the law is euill but because that the euyll nature cannot suffre that which is good cannot abyde that the law should require of him any good thinge Lyke as a sicke man cannot suffre that a man should desire of him to run to lepe and to do other dedes of an whole manne For whiche cause S. Paul concludeth that where the lawe is vnderstande and perceaued of the beste wise there it doeth no more but vtter synne and bring vs vnto the knowledge of our selues and thereby kyll vs and make vs bonde vnto eternall damnacion and detters of the euerlasting wrathe of god euen as he wel fealeth and vnderstandeth whose conscience is truely touched of the lawe In such daunger were we yer the law came that we knewe not what synne ment nether yet knewe we the wrathe of God vpon synners tyll the lawe had vttered it So seest thou that a man must haue some other thing yea and a greater and a more myghty thinge then the lawe to make hym ryghteous and safe They that vnderstande not the lawe on this wise are blinde and go to worke presumptuously supposyng to satisfie the lawe with workes For they knowe not that the lawe requireth a fre a willinge a lusty and a louynge hearte Therfore they see not Moses ryght in the face the vayle hangeth betwene and hydeth hys face so that they cannot beholde the glorye of hys countenaunce how that the lawe is spirituall requyreth the hearte I may of myne owne strength refraine that I do mine enemy no hurte but to loue hiÌ„ with al mine heart and to put awaye wrathe cleane out of my mynde can I not of myne owne strength I maye refuse money of myne owne strength but to put awaye loue vnto riches out of myne hearte can I not do of mine own strength To abstayne from adultery as concerning the outward dede can I do of myne owne strength but not to desyre in mine hearte is as vnpossible vnto me as is to chose whether I will honger or thurst and yet so the lawe requyreth Wherfore of a mans owne strength is the lawe neuer fulfilled we muste haue thereunto goddes fauoure and hys spyryte purchased by Christes bloude Neuerthelesse when I saye a man maye do many thynges outwardly clene againste his hearte we muste vnderstande that man is but dryuen of diuers appetites and the greatest appetite ouercommeth the lesse and carieth the man awaye violently with her As when I desire vengeaunce and feare also the inconuenience that is lyke to folowe yf feare be greater I absteyne yf the appetite that desireth vengeaunce be greater I cannot but prosecute the dede as we se by experience in many murtherers and theues which though they bee brought into neuer so great perill of death yet after they haue escaped do euen the same againe And commen wemen prosecute their lustes because fear and shame are awaye when other whiche haue the same appetites in theyr heartes abstayne at the lestewaye outwardly or worke secretly being ouercome of feare and of shame and so lykewyse is it of al other appetites Furthermore he declareth how the spirite and the flesh fight together in one manne and maketh an ensample of him selfe that we myght lerne to knowe that worke aright I meane to kyll synne in oure selues He calleth both the spirite and also the flesh a lawe because that lyke as the nature of Goddes lawe is to dryue to compell and to craue euen so the fleshe dryueth compelleth craueth and rageth agaynste the spirite and will haue her lustes satisfied On the other syde dryueth the spirite cryeth and fighteth agaynste the fleshe and wyl haue his luste satisfied And this strife duâ—eth in vs as longe as we lyue in some more and in some lesse as the spirite or the fleshe is stronger and the very man his owne selfe is both spirite and the flesh which fyghteth with his owne selfe vntyll synne bee vtterly slaine and we all together spirituall In the .viij. Chapter he comforteth such fighters that they dispaire not because of suche flesh either thinke yâ— they are lesse in fauour with God And he sheweth how that the synne remaining in vs hurteth not for there is no daunger to them that are in Christe whiche walke not after the fleshe but fyght agaynste it And he expoundeth more largely what the nature of the flesh and of the spirite is and how the spirite cometh by Christe which spirite maketh vs spyrituall tameth subdueth and mortifieth the fleshe and certyfieth vs that we are neuerthelesse the sonnes of God and also beloued though that synne rage neuer so moche in vs so long as we folowe the spirite and fyght against synne to kyll and mortifye it And because nothynge is so good to the mortifiynge of the fleshe as the crosse and tribulacion he comforteth vs in our passions and affliccions by the assistens of the spirite which maketh intercession to God for vs myghtely with gronynges that passe mans vtteraunce so that mans speche cannot comprehende them and with the mourning also of the creatures with vs of greate desire that they haue that we were looced from synne and corrupcion of the fleshe So se we that these thre chapters the vj.vii.viij do none other thing so muche as to dryue vs vnto the right worke of faithe which is to kil the olde man and mortify the fleshe In the ix.x and .xi. Chapter he treateth of Goddes predestinacion whence it springeth all together whether we shall beleue or not beleue be looced from synne or not bee looced By whiche predestinacion oure iustifying and saluacion are clene taken out of oure handes and put in the handes of God only which thinge is moste necessary of al. For we are so weake and so vncertaine that if it stode in vs there would of a truth no manne be saued the deuyll no doute would deceaue vs. But now is God sure that his predestinacion cannot deceaue him nether can any man withstande or let him and therefore haue we hope and trust agaynst synne But here must a marke be set vnto those vnquyet busye and hie clyming spirites howe farre they shall go whiche fyrste of al bringe hither their hye reasons and pregnant wyttes and begyn fyrst from an hye to serch the botomlesse secretes of Goddes predestinacion whether they bee predestinate or not These muste nedes ether caste them selues doune headlong into desperacion or else coÌ„mit them selues to fre chaunce carelesse But folow thou the order of this epistle and noosell thy selfe with Christe and lerne to vnderstande what the lawe and the gospell meane and the office of both two that thou mayest in the one knowe thy selfe and how that thou hast of thy selfe no strength but to sinne and in the other the grace of Christ And then se thou fight agaynste sinne and the fleshe as the .vii. fyrst Chapters teache the. After that when thou art come to the .viij.
that it bringeth forthe is the naughtiest frute of all euen deathe euerlasting And this is the most heauy frute of that pleasure that is delectable in outwarde appearauÌ„ce and promysing swete geare I wote not what while it hydeth vnder the bayte of pleasure the very angling hoke of death Like therfore as thys lower worlde hath nothing pure and perfite in euery parte but the good thinges are corrupt with the badde and the thinges that are of gladnes are enterchaungeably myngled with sadnesse corrupcion enfecteth the ayer disease and age decayeth the strength of bodye darkenes hyndreth the fauour of light euen so in our myndes as longe as they are entangled with these bodyes there is scarcely any thynge in all partes blessed and pure but it is corrupt with some spotte of humaine desires or with the darkenes of errour and ignoraunce But what so euer naughtynes is in vs we ought to impute it vnto oure selues and not to God For if we were of pure affeccions if we put oure truste with oure whole harte in God if we breathed with all oure inwarde powers vnto the thinges that are euerlasting and heauenly what so euer shoulde bee layed agaynste vs in this life whether it were mery or sory it woulde turne to the increace of Godlynes Therfore deare brethren doe not you as the commune sort of folish men doeth who to thintent they may excuse theyr synnes pleade with the maker of nature at law as though he were the autor of synne Farre be this errour from you whiche haue learned the Gospells philosophie Like as God of his owne nature is purely and moste chiefly good euen so doeth there nothing procede from him but that whiche is good Yf any naughtynes therfore be in vs let vs not ascribe it vnto God but vnto oure owne selues and yf any good thyng yf any true lyght yf any vndefyled wysedome be in vs let vs ascribe it wholy vnto God the autor Yf this grosse worlde haue any lyght it hathe it of the heauenly bodies and especially of the sunne What true knowlage so euer is in vs what pure and syncere affeccion so euer be in vs it ariseth not of vs for we are nothyng elles but synners and ignoraunt persones but it procedeth from aboue what so euer is truly good it commeth from the autor of all goodnes what so euer lawfull and perfite thing there be and such thing as maketh you acceptable vnto God it cometh from the fountayne of all perfeccion what so euer is truly light the father and prince of all true light sendeth it vnto vs froÌ„ him self These thinges he bestoweth not vpoÌ„ oure desertes but he geueth them vnto vs frely as he is liberall of nature They are giftes rather than rewardes it is a liberall larges rather than a hire It is not right therfore that we chalenge any thing therof vnto vs but for our naughtynes let vs call vpon the mercie of God for goodnes bicause it is not ours let vs geue thankes vnto his liberalitie Like as he of his owne nature is the beste euen so he cannot geue but the thynges that are beste lyke as he is vnchaungeable and alwayes like hymselfe so there is nothing with him that is obscured with any course of darkenes This our daye is taken awaye of the night folowing and caste about with cloudes goyng betwene humayne wisedome is darkened with errours of opinions mans vprighteousnes is infected with naughty desires With him there is no mixture of euylles no courses of darkenes It behoueth vs therfore also to conforme our selues to the vttermost of our powers according to his simplicitie that geuing our selues vnto godly studyes and being apte more and more to receyue his giftes we maye be as it were transformed in to hym For it is conuenient that children resemble the nature of their parent We haue vnthirftyly resembled Adam the prynce of this grosse and corrupt birthe He being obscured with the darkenes of synnes hath begotten vs that are entangled with darkenes In that we lothe heauenly thinges in that we are gredy of earthy thinges we resemble the disposicion of hym In that we are blynde in that we doe at al auentures as yâ— blinde man casteth his staffe and in that we fall it is of our carthy parent But the father of heauen hathe more happyly begotten vs agayne that being as it were created newe agayne we myght conforme our selues like vnto our newe bâ—â—the in Innocencie of life and knowlage of euerlasting trueth That earthy father being seduced with the false deceatefull promisses of the serpent begate vs. vnto darkenes And this heauenly father begate vs agayne not of the corrupt sede of our earthye father but of the most pure sede of the eternall and trueth speaking worde The serpentes worde was a lyeng worde and casie downe manne from the state of Innocencie But the worde of the Gospelles doctrine is trâ—â— whereby we are chosen into the enheritaunce of Immortalitie and called in to the felowe shippe of Iesu Christe the sonne of God He was the true light preceding of the moste high light whose doctrine hathe made bright mens myndes and set them free from the doctrine of this worlde And the heauenly worde is of suche efficacie that it doeth not onlye chaunge vs but transformeth vs as it were vtterly in to other men abhorryng now the thynges that we loued muche before and loue that we before abhorred And this is the honoure that the heaueÌ„ly father worthyed vs withal not prouoked by our merites but of his own free goodnes wherby he so determyned from euerlasting that he woulde by suche meanes as hathe not ben hearde tell of make a newe creature in the earthe and woulde that we shoulde bee as it were the fyrst frutes of thys newe estate in that we are called amonge the fyrste vnto the doctrine of the Gospell Forasmuche than as God hathe endued vs with thys honour frely it remayneth that we conforme oure selues lyke vnto hys hounteous goodnes to the vttermost of our power againe we are frely admitted vnto this felicity but we might fall from it agayne for all that through our owne fault onles we studie to kepe through godly forcastes that which is frely geueÌ„ It were of non effecte for vs to be chosen through baptisme and professing of the Gospelles doctrine in to the felowship of the sonne of God excepte we frame oure selues through chast and cleane maners like vnto our profession That like as euerlastyng lighte hathe geuen vs light by the sonne of God so muste all oure life beare witnes that we belonge to the felowship of light We once caste of the olde manne with hys errours with his affectes with hys vices now it is reason that we ensue the cleane contrary thynges Heretofore you had rather seme maisters than disciples for so ambicion perswaded you that the commune people woulde recon him the better learned that was moste ful of bablyng you had rather haue ben