nakednes But the paines which I haue hitherto rehersed appertain onely to bodely affliccion which in the meane season was lykewyse in no lesse trouble and carefulnesse of mynde which I take for suche a multitude of congregacions which I so hartely tender that whatsoeuer chaunceth vnto them I thinke it to chauÌ„ce vnto my self For whose miseries am I not as sory as for myne owne Who is weake and diseased with whose weakenes I am not also gâ—ieued my selfe Who is offeÌ„ded with whose displeasures I am not in mind offeÌ„ded Yf I must nedes bost rather wil I bost of such thinges which shew mine infirmitie than of such as shew my greatnes Let other bost how for yâ— gospels sake they are much made of that they grow riche that vnder Christes tytle they beare great rule more â—uÌ„ly thinke â— it to boast yâ— I for Christes sake haue suffered vilany affliccion The texte The God and farher of ouâ—â— Lorde Iesus Christe whiche is blessed for euermore kneweth that I lye not In the â—ne of Damasco the gouâ—â—nouâ—e of the people vnder kyng â—retas layde watche in the citie of the Damascens and woulde haue caughte me and at a wyndâ—we was I let downe in a basket thorowe the wall and so scaped I his handes God and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe knoweth that I lye nothyng When I was at Damasco he whome kyng Areta father in lawe to Herode hadde made ruler ouer that countreye had layed watche in the citie of Damasco labouryng by all the meanes he coulde to take me to do the Iewes a pleasure and woulde haue kylled me as the auctour of sedicion what shoulde I do Learned had I of the Lorde sometyme in cruell persecucion to flye My mynde gaue me that the tyme was not yet comen to suffer martyrdome but rather that the tyme required to preache the gospell abrode but the tyranne had rounde about besette me so that refuge was there none but that in a basket throughe a wyndowe from the wall I was with a rope lette downe and thus escaped I the rulers handes The .xii. Chapter The texte Doubtlesse it is not expedient for me to boast I wyll come to visions and reuelacions of the Lorde I knowe a man in Christ aboue fourtene yeares a goe whether he were in the bodye I cannot tell or whether he were out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth howe that he was taken vp into the thyrde heauen And I know thesame man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth howe that he was taken vp into Paâ—adyse and heard secrete wordes whiche no maâ— can vtter Of this man will I boast but of my selfe wyll I â—or boast eâ—cepte it be of myne infirmities For thoughe I would bâ—aâ—â— I â—â— â–ª al not be a fole for I would saye the trouth Neuerthelesse I spare you leste any man shoulde thynke of me aboue that whiche he seeth me to be or that he heareth of me And leste I shoulde be exalted out of measure thorowe the excellencye of the reuelacious there was geuen vnto me vnquietnesse thorow the fleshe euen the messenger of Sataâ— to buffer me â–ª because I shoulde not be exalted ouâ— of measure For this thyng besought I the Lorde thryse that it might departe from me And he sayed vnto me my grace is sufficient for the. For my strength is made perfect thorowe weakenesse Very gladly therfore wyll â— â–ª â—â—ioyce of my weakenes that the strength of Christ mayâ— dwell in me THis farre foorth haue we rehearsed suche thinges as declare cure troubles and miseries and suchâ— maâ—iers as in mennes iudgementes brâ—ng vs rather in contempte than in any renoume But nowe whether I should also rehearse other thinges or not I haue not fully determined of whiche yet some falsly boaste theÌ„selues Shoulde I glorie or not Yea sometyme expediente is it to glorie namely since the brifte of myne epistle hath brought me to the visions and reuelacions of the Lorde Iesus of whiche sorte synce false apostles fayne manye and wantonlye boaste them euen agaynste my wyll as one compelled leste in this I seeme behynde theÌ„ I wyll rehâ—arse but onelye one and that not to my glorie neither but to the glorie of god I knowe a certayne manne whiche aboue xiiii yeares a goe was taken vp whether it were in the bodye or without the bodye I cannot tell god knoweth whiche yet was taken vp into the thyrde heauen and â—hence agayne taken vp into paradise and in bothe places hearde secrete woordes whiche no manne can vtter For this mannes sake to whome through gods fre goodnes such blisfulnes befell glory will I but of my selfe boast wil I not sauing in the rehearsing of such thinges as declare my weakenes and infirmitie And yet if I in this matier also minded sumwhat to speake of my selfe since I should neither lie nor of my selfe speake vaingloriously though I haue acknowledged folishnes yet could I not iustly be condemned thereof but yet for your sakes and not for myne owne abstayne I from rehearsing of them leste some thinke more in me thaÌ„ there is and suppose that I am some greater one thaÌ„ either myne actes or my preaching pretende And peraduenture it is not without ieopardie neither to glorye of suche thinges as make vs great and thereby nigh vnto the ieopardie of arrogancie For this cause leste I myghte bee to proude by reason of high reuelacions or els among men be taken for greater than it is expedient I shoulde I haue by the sufferaunce of the moste merciful god gyuen vnto me vnquietnes and affliccion of bodye bothe to put me in remembraunce of my condicion and also to teache all men that I am a mortall manne vnder lyke miseries as other been There is geuen I saye to truble me whiche do Christes seruice the messanger and minister of Satan to resiste my gospell and with mooste cruell persecucions to vexe me as one that on the heade gyueth me buffettes keapyng vnder and suppressyng me leste I mighte to muche bee exalted And because this punishemente exceadynglye disquieted me thryse besoughte I the Lorde that he woulde from this affliccion delyuer me but he seeyng what was better for me than I coulde my selfe he aunswered me after this sorte Paule bee contente with my goodnes towardes thee and desyre nomore As for thyne affliccions appertayne bothe to the magnifying of my glorye as who throughe my ayde canste not bee ouercommen bee the stormes neuer so greate and also to thy saluacion whiche by bodilye affliccions arte in spirituall treasures of the soule dayelye more and more enriched And so dooeth mannes weakenes make perfite the power of God and infirmitie accomplyshe strengthe For when by preachyng of vile and weake personnes the gospell not onelye holdeth on but also flourisshethe agaynste the deuyll and the worlde vsyng agaynste it all kyndes of cruelnesse it maketh a playne profe that this geare is not by anye worldelye
but frealy and playnly and without all deceyte declaryng to al men the bare trouthe without any cloud in this office so vsing our selfes that though no manne prayse vs yet oure lyfe commendeth vs to all menne whiche knowe and are witnesse of oure perfectnes and not onelye to menne whiche maye bee deceyued but also to God whiche seethe all thynges By vs therefore in al places shyneth the trueth of the gospel so that euerye man may see it euedently And yf there be some yet to whome it is not knowen and therefore geueth not them saluacion the faulte is theirs and not ours nor the gospels for as I tolde you of the Israelites so haue they likewyse a vayle caste ouer the eyes of theyr hearte by reason wherof they see not suche thinges as are verye bright but are blynde in the middes of the sonne light For they bryng with them vncleare iyen and suche as are corrupte with worldlye desyres whose vnfaythfull myndes Satan the God of this worlde for theyr God make they hym whiche to hym geue more eare than to the true God hathe blynded couering theyr iyes that to them the bryghtnes of the gospell can geue no light whereby the glory and maiestie is declared not of Moses but of Christe whiche is the image of god the father so that by the sonne which is egall to the father a man maye knowe the father The texte For we preache not oure selues but Christe Iesus to be the Lord and our selues your seruauntes for Iesus sake For it is God that coÌ„maunded the lyght to shyne out of darknes whiche hath stâ—yned in our hertes for to geue the lyght of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Iesus Chryst But we haue this treasure in erthen vessels that the excellency of the power myght be Gods and not oures We are troubled on euery iyde yet are we not without shyfte We are in pouerty â–ª but not vtterly without somewhat We suffer persecucion but are not forsaken therein We are cast downe neuerthelesse we peryshe not We all wayes beare aboute in the body the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the lyfe of Iesu myght also appeare in our body For we whiche â—â—ue are alwayes delyuered vnto death for Iesus sake that the lyfe also of Iesu might appeare in our mortal flesh So then death worketh in vs but lyfe in you Nor auaunce we oure selues by preachyng as some doe teachyng the gospell for our aduauntage or glorie but we preache Iesus Christe oure Lorde his doctrine teache we and not ours for hym labour we as for oure Lorde and mayster what payne soeuer we take so farre from takyng anye thyng arrogaÌ„tly vpon vs that we graunt our selues to be your seruauntes and to ministre the ghospell vnto you neither for feare of you nor yet for hope of auauntage but for Iesus sake for whose loue whereas we are free we euen as seruauntes submitte our selues to all men After lyke sorte were we once in the same blyndnes wherewith some are now diseased stil Nor yet gotte we this light to our selues but god at whose commaundement lyght was fyrste made from whome all light procedeth after that he had expelled the darknes of oure vnderstandyng commaunded that in it the lighte of trueth shoulde appere or rather as he is lighte euerlastyng lightened oure hearte yâ— by vs the glory of his maiestie might more be spread abrode among all meÌ„ beyng more notified by preachyng of the gospel wherein we preache the Lorde Iesus in whose face moste brightly shineth the image and glorie of the father But yet is this greate matier onlye wrought in our soules secretely for touchyng the bodye we seme but vyle abiectes so that we â—arie aboute with vs this preciouse and highe treasure in earthen vessels that is to saye in our sealye bodies subiecte to vilanye and punishment as it hathe pleased god it should be and good cause is there why it so pleased hym For he prouided yâ— we should not be proude by great high myracles wroughte by vs whereby we might clayme some parte therof but know our owne infirmitie and so vnderstande the selfe same highe power whiche is geuen to the apostles not to be wrought by our strengthe but by gods power onely for we touchyng our owne infirmitie are dayly greatly troubled and yet by gods helps we suffer al these troubles and continue not ouercomen we are on euery syde ouerlayed with aduersitie yet are we not withoute shifte we are brought to beggery and in oure beggerye we are not forsaken we suffer persecucion and yet in our persecucion we are not dismayed we are beaten downe and tredden vnder feete but yet so that we peryshe not in that behalfe folowyng the lorde Iesus â–ª as nyghe as we maye whome we preache and setfoorth He once dyed for all men we in that we are daylye and continuallye in ieopardie of death beare aboute in oure bodyes an image of his deathe ready to bestowe this lyfe for your sakes that as we dyeng for you folowe the death of Iesus so maye the lyfe of Iesus wherunto he rose from deathe in oure body be declared whyles we are either by hym delyuered from deathe or by despising oure temporal lyfe playnly testifie and affirme that the deade shall ryse agayne For yf we beleued that when our bodye is once dead it woulde neuer lyue more we woulde not so lytle regarde oure temporall lyfe By thys straunge waye therfore ye see howe the euerlasting lyfe of Christ through the affliccions of our corruptible body is to you the better knowen The difference is in that the violent ieoperdy of death falleth vpon oure body but the fruite of lyfe which groweth by our deathe is yours for whose sakes we put our selues in these ieopardyes The texte But seyng that we haue the same spirite of fayth accordyng as it is wrytteÌ„ I beleued therfore I spoken we also beleue and therfore speake For we know that he which raysed vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus and shall set vs with you For all thynges do I for your sakes that the plenteous grace by thanckes geuen of many maye redounde to the prayse of God Wherfore we are not weryed But though our vtward man peryshe yet the inwarde man is renewed daye by daye For out â—â—â—buiacyon which is momentany lyght prepareth an exceadyng and an eternal waight of glorye vnto vs whyle we loke not on the thynges whiche are sene but on the thynges whiche are not sene For the thynges whiche are seue are temporall but thynges whiche are not sene are eternall And yet for all this we repente vs not of preachyng the gospel for since we haue also euen the same gifte of faythe that ye haue whereby ye loke for life immortall by my preachyng powred into your heartes it foloweth that as Dauid in his misticall psalme sayeth that he therfore spoke because he beleued so feare we
the deuyll as a roarynge lyon walketh aboute sekynge whome he maye deuour whome resyst stedfast in the faithe knowynge that the same affliccions are appointed vnto your brerbren that are in y◠worlde But the God of all grace whiche hath called vs vnto his eternall glorye by Christ Iesus shall his owne selfe after that ye haue suffred a lytle afflicciō make you perfecte settle strength and stablyshe you To him be glorye and domintō for euer and euer Amen By Siluanus a faithfull brother vnto you as I suppose haue I written breffely exhortinge and testifying howe that this is the true grace of God wherin ye stande The congregacion of them whiche at Babilon are companions of your eleccion saluteth you and so dothe Marcus my sonne Grete ye one another with the kysse of loue Peace be with you al whiche are in Christ Iesu Amen Submitte your selues therfore not for dreade of men but because you trust in the mightie hande of God There is no peril leste you shoulde be troden vnder fote perpetually for euer for he shall aduance and exalce you a lofte whan the day of rewardes cōmeth Loke not waueringly about you haue no distrust be not aftayed lest you be tossed in the sourges of sorowes as thoughe you were vndefended and set naught by for he that is hable in all thinges and seeth all thinges hath charche of you wil not suffer any thing of you to peryshe It is the cōmune custoume of youthe to be bēt vnto pleasures vnto ryot vnto wantonnesse But be you sobre watche you in your myndes beyng alwayes readily attētiue and alwayes circūspecte For y◠aduersarie of your saluaciō y◠thursteth after mannes destrucciō sleapeth not but walketh about lyke an hungrye roaringlion sekeyng in euery place whom he may snatche vp to deuour assaieng by all meanes entraunce vnto you sometyme layeng wayte for you by voluptuous pleasures sometyme openly oppugnyng you by persecucions Geue not place vnto him but resiste him with vnshrinkinge stronge hartes You wil say where haue we power against him that is so mightie He that hathe charge of you is mightier than he Put all the whole trust of your hartes vpon him and your aduersaries power shal be nothinge Against the faithles he is strong but against the faithfull he is feble Yf he shoulde assaulte this man or that man parchaunce it might rightly be takē for a sore greuous afflicciō but now doeth he impugne al the whole flocke of the godly with like malicious hatred He persecuteth Christ in you he enuieth all mens saluacion so that the cōmune afflicciō of all shal be the more easely hable to be borne to stande with agreable myndes agaist the cōmune enemy These matters shal shortly haue an ende Nether wil God from whome proceadeth all goodnes leaue you succourles in the meane season but wil throughly perfourme the thing that he hathe begonne in you He hath geuen you suche stomackes that for his sake you should not be afrayed to suffer tormētes wherby he hath called you vnto his glory that neuer shal haue ende He wyll not suffer you to mysse of the victorie yf you wrestle manfully he wil helpe you in your wrestlynge and wyll garnysshe strengthen and establyshe you that beynge tormented for a shorte season you maye atteine the crowne of immortalitie By his ayde we get the victorye of his free gyfte we shal receyue the rewarde For there is nothing wherin we may chalenge any prayse to our selues vnto God alone is al glorye due not onely in this worlde but also into al ages for euer Amē At this present I wil write no further vnto you For of this selfe same matter I suppose I wrote vnto you of late althoughe in fewe wordes by Siluanus a faithfull brother I doubte not but he delyuered the Epistle well and faithfully In it I desired and hartily besought you to perseuer styl in that which you haue begonne that nothing alter your mynde The waye that you haue entred is the very right true waye vnto saluacion Thus ferre you haue proceded forewarde by the goodnes of God Continue styll stedfastly throughe his helpynge ayde tyll you attayne vnto the victorious rewarde of lyfe that neuer shall dye The congregacion of the christianes commende them vnto you euen the congregacion whome God hath chosen out to himselfe together with you in Babilon whiche in the myddes of wicked ydolatrours folowe the godlynes of the gospell and in myddes of most sylthye corrupte lyuers embrace the purenes of cleane conuersacion You are not alone by your selues God hath his electe in euery place In dede those are but a very fewe howbeit they are a fynely tryed sede to encreace the congregacion in tyme commynge more latgely Marke saluteth you whiche is to me as it were my sonne Salute you euery one other with a kysse not after the sorte that is geuē more custumely than hartely but with an holy pure true christiā mynde which is not doone against the hearte but is the signe of a chaste and a pure vpright louer and not a lyeng countrefaicte token And to make an ende of myne Epistle in lyke sorte as I beganne it Grace and peace be alwayes present with you al which beyng engraffed vnto the bodye of Iesu Christ lyue by his spirite that grace maye couple you vnto God and peace maye glewe you together with mutual concorde whiche thing God that is best and most mightye brynge to passe Amen ¶ Thus endeth the paraphrase vpon the first Epistle of S. Peter thapostle ¶ The argument vpon the later Epistle of S. Peter thapostle by D. Erasmus of Roterodame THis Epistle as it appeareth Peter wrote whan he was greatly growē in age and almost at the pittes brinke for in dede he maketh mencion of his death He writeth generallye to all sortes of christianes exhortinge them to purenes of lyfe and by auncient examples and with the terrour of the laste iudgemēt frayeng them from fylthines and he doeth vehemently blame them whiche corrupte the myndes of the symple with peruerse doctrine in denyeng the commynge of Christ ¶ Thus endeth the Argument ¶ The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the later Epistle of S. Peter thapostle ¶ The first Chapter The texte ¶ Simon Peter a seruaunt and an Apostle of Iesus Christ to them whiche haue obtained lyke precious faithe with vs thorowe the rightewesnes of our God and sauioure Iesus Christ Grace be vnto you and peace be multiplied thorow the knowledge of God and of Iesus our Lorde Accordynge as his godly power hath geuen vnto vs al thynges that pertayne vnto lyfe and godlynesse thorow the knowledge of him that hath called vs by glory and vertue by the which are geuē vnto vs excellent and most great promyses that by the meanes therof ye might be partetakers of the godlye nature yf ye flye the corrupcion of worldly luste I Simon Peter in tymes paste a diligent folower of Moyses law and
Paule wrote vnto you so muche the more habundantly as God gaue him the more plenteous gyfte of wysedome and in almost all his epistles exhorteth you to loke for this daye sometyme speakinge after suche a sorte as though the daye of the lorde were already now at hande that he might the rather prycke you forwarde to the studye of godlynes where as that daye because it is vncertaine oughte to be loked for so as thoughe he woulde come this daye but yet after suche wyse that no man prescribe a tyme certaine These and some other matters Paule according to his high wisedom myngled in his Epistles And wheras he spake them most rightly that coulde be yet the ignoraunt and inconstaunt persons wrest them with a peruerse interpretacion as they doe the other scriptures to their owne destruccion that the thing whiche is healthe vnto the good maye be turned throughe their owne faulte in to venome vnto them Therfore brethren sence you are so many waies warned before hande bothe of me and of Paule take hede that you be not deceyued as other are with the fraude of abominable men and fall awaye from your substaunciall stedfastnes whiche you haue expressed yet hitherto but rather geue diligence that you maye continually encrease and goe forewarde in the giftes and knowledge of our lorde and sauiour Iesu Christe vnto whome be glorye bothe now in this lyfe and for euer worlde without ende Amen Thus endeth the Paraphrase vpon the seconde Epistle of thapostle S. Peter THE LYFE OF SAINCT IVDE after Saincte Hierome IVdas the brother of Iames lefte behynde him a litell epistle whiche is of the seuen catholike epistles And because be taketh witnesse in it out of the boke of Enoch which is Apocryphe that is to say without autoritie it is reiecte of many howbeit it hathe ben taken worthye autoritie bothe for the aunciencie and vse of it and is accompted among the holy scriptures ⧠THE ARGVMENT VPON the Epistle of Iude by D. Erasmus of Roterodame HE is vehemently displeased with many wordes agaynst them that being blynded in theyr owne couetous appetites were aduersaries to the Gospell whiche thyng notwithstanding ought to seme no newe matter inasmuch as they were predestinate to this ende and it was spoken of before by the Apostles that that kynde of men shall lutkingly crepe among the flocke of Christyanes Agaynste these sorte he so armeth them that they may forecast bothe to restrayne them eyther with blamyng or saue them by warnyng geuyng Which thing if they possiblye can not doo yet they prepare them selues readyly agaynst the commyng of Christ Thus endeth the Argument ⧠THE PARAPHRASE OF Erasmus vpon the Epistle of Sainct Iude thapostle The texte ¶ Iudas the seruaunt of Iesus Chryste the brother of Iames. To them which are called and sanctified in God the father and preserued in Iesu Christe Mercy vnto you and peace and loue be multiplied Beloued when I gaue all diligence to wryte vnto you of the commen saluacyon it was nedefull for me to write vnto you to exhorte you that ye should continually laboure in the faith whiche was once geuen vnto the saynetes For there are certayn vngodly men craftely crept in of whiche it was written afore tyme vnto suche iudgement They turne the grace of our God vnto wantonues and deuye God whiche is the onely Lorde and oure Lorde Iesus Christe My mynde is therfore to put you in remembraunce for as muche as ye once knowe thys how that the Lorde after that he had deiyuered the people out of Egypte destroyed them which afterward beleued nor The angels also which kepte not theyr first estate but lefte toeyr owne habitacion he hath reserued in euerlastynge chaynes vnder darckenes vnto the iudgement of the greate daye euen as Sodome and Gomor and the cyties aboute them which in lyke maner defiled them selues with fornycacion and folowed straunge sleshe are set forthe for an ensample and suffre the payne of eternall fyer Lykewise these beynge disceaues by dreames defyle the flesh despyse rulars and speake euill of them that are in auctorytie Yet Michael the archangell when he stroue agaynst the deuyll and disputed abouâ—e the body of Moses burst not geue raylynge sentence but sayde the Lorde rebuke the. But these speake euyll of those thynges which they knowe not and what thinges they knowe naturally as beastes which are without reason in those thinges they corrupte them selues Wo bee vnto them for they haue folowed the waye of Cayn and are vtterly geuen to the errour of Balam for lukers sake and perisshe in the treason of Chore. These are spottes whiche of youre kyndnes feaste together without feare fedynge them selues Cloudes they are without water caryed about of wyndes trees withoute frute at gatherynge tyme twyse deed and plucked vp by the rotes They are the ragynge waues of the sea fomynge out theyr owne shame They are wandring stertes to whome is reserued the myst of darckenes for euer Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophecyed before of suche saying Beholde the Lorde shall come with thousandes of saynctes to geue iudgement agaynst all menne and to rebuke all that are vngodly among them of all theyr vngodly dedes whiche they haue vngodly commytted and of all their cruell speakynges whiche vngodly sinners haue spoken agaynct hym These are mutmuters complayners walking after theyr owne lustes whose mouthes speake proud thynges They haue men in greate teuerence because of auauntage But ye beloued remembre the wordes whiche were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christ howe that they tolde you that there should be begylers in the laste tyme whiche shoulde walke after theyr vngodly lustes These are makers of sectes fleshly hauinge no spirite But ye dearely beloued editie your selues in your moste holy faythe prayinge in the holy ghoste and kepe your selues in the loue of God lokynge for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall lyfe And haue compassion of some seperatyng them and other saue with feare pullyng them out of the fyre and haue compassion on the other and hare the fylthy vesture of the slesh Vnto hym that is able to kepe you fte from synne and to presente you fautles before the presence of hys glory with ioye at the commyng of oure Lorde Iesu Christe to God oure sauiour thorow Iesus Christe our Lorde which onely is wyse be glory maiestie domynion and power before all worldes nowe and euer Amen I Iudas Thadeus the seruaunt of Iesu Christe the brother of Iames write this Epistle not to the Iewes onely nor to other newly conuerted but to all men in commune whome the render mercye of God the father hathe of his owne free will sanctified and hathe also without the helpe of the lawe made godly of vngodly and of Idolatours obedient folowers of true religion whom also the bounteous goodnes of God had preserued in Iesu Christ to this ende that they shoulde not auaunt with other into the dongeon of euerlasting damnacion whom
they them selfe haue already assayed Why stande they not rather in a watche take hede lest through theyr owne foly they become againe that they wer once Why enuy they at them whom they might folowe wer it not they had more pleasure to striue then to obeye The texte But Esai crieth concernyng Israel though the numbre of the children of Israel be as the sande of the sea yet the remnaunt shal be saued For he finisheth the worde verely and maketh it shorte in righteousnes For a shorte worde wyll God make in yearth And as Esai sayeth before excepte the lorde of Sabboth had left vs seede we had been made as Sodoma and had been likened to Gomorra Now if through mens owne stubbernes the greatest parte of y◠worlde perishe yet to the fewe that wyl beleue wyl God perfourme as muche as was promised to the whole numbre And neuer shal the tyme be but that this inheritaunce shal haue his successors This did the prophete Esai speakyng of the people of Israel without al colouryng clearely testifye saiyng If the numbre of the Israelites wer as many as the sand of the sea and though through theyr owne foly as many also perished yet shal there some alway remaine whiche shal through fayth be saued For be y◠numbre of them that falleth from God neuer so great yet shal not theyr fal make the promise of God vaine Men in promises are wont to breake theyr credence but God is he whiche wyl fully perfourme al that he promised and that briefely and cōpendiously not with deceite falsely but iustly and truely for as the same prophete Esai sayd the Lord in yearth wyl make a shorte worde Shadowes seme not cleare without suspicion of deceite the law selfe is ful of wordes promisyng grosly represētyng cōmaundyng threatnyng sometimes sometimes cōforting But Christ beyng sent into the worlde euen at once gaue al perfourmed y◠was promised opened al y◠was before hidden in figures brought the great multitude of rules contained in y◠law to y◠onely cōmaūdement of charitie of the gospel And thus spread he abrode the seede of his heauenly doctrine and gospel whiche albeit in many of my countreymen be vnfruitful yet some are there in whom it brought foorth fruit Againe the same prophet a litle before sayeth had not the Lord of sabboth left vs sede we had ben made as Sodoma and likened vnto Gomorra Wherfore though the most part of the Iewes fal from Christ yet wyl not Christ suffre the true and natural sede of Abraham vtterly to perishe The texte What shal we say then we say that the gentiles whiche folowed not righteousnes haue ouertaken righteousnes euen the righteousnes whiche cōmeth of fayth Contrarywise Israel whiche felowed the lawe of righteousnes could not attaine to the lawe of righteousnes Wherfore Euen because they sought it not by fayth but as it wer by the workes of the lawe For they haue stumbled at the stūblyng stone As it is written ▪ beholde I haue put in Sion a stumblyng stone and a rocke that men shal be offēded at And whosoeuer beleueth on him shal not be confounded Synce this is so what shal we say Surely nothyng but as the truth is that is to wete that the gentiles whiche semed farre from righteousnes and without the ceremonies of the lawe haue yet attained the true and perfite righteousnes and not a Iewishe whiche standyng in bodily thinges was nothing but a shadowe onely of christian perfeccion but a holsome an effectual iustice whiche suche haue not as for the workes of the lawe stande muche in theyr owne conceite but suche as through an vnfained fayth submit and yelde them selfes vnto God We may likewyse of the othersyde saye that whiles the people of the Iewes with all theyr power folowyng the iustice of the lawe carnally vnderstanden and stifly cleaue to it with all theyr labour they came not vnto the very law of iustice forasmuche as the same fel from Christ whervnto as to a marke al y◠darke sayinges of Moses law principally directed Here some wyl say how fortuned all this and how ended these purposes so diuersly Without al doubte because God abhorreth suche as are high minded and geueth him selfe his righteousnes to suche as are sobre lowly And therfore y◠gentiles vpō acknowledgyng of theyr owne disease an hūble submission of them selfe to God God receiued y◠proude Iewes of thothersyde whiche falsly vsurped y◠title of righteousnes as theyr owne bearyng them selfe bolde vpon theyr sabboth day kepyng washynges circūcision and suche other small obseruaunces disdainyng to receiue the yoke of fayth hath God set at naught and refused because they denied Christ and deliuered him which is the author of life to death whiche thyng Esai long before knowyng prophecied should be vnder this fourme that Christ whō the law promised should be a sauior by reason of vnbeleif should be vnto the Iewes an occasion of stumlyng and that the same stone whiche should be to the good a sure and a strong defēce shuld be theyr vtter vndoyng whiles they had rather by resistyng stumble at him then with beleif to rest vpon him For so by the prophete Esai speaketh God the father of Christ beholde I putte in Sion a stumblyng stone and a rocke that men shal be offended at but whoso beleueth in it shall neuer be confounded and put to shame as one disapointed of that he loketh for The .x. Chapiter The texte Brethren my hertes desyre praier to God for Israel is that they might be saued For I beare them record that they haue a feruent minde to God warde but not accordyng to knowledge For they beyng ignorant of Gods righteousnes and goyng about to stablishe theyr owne righteousnes haue not been obedient vnto the righteousnes of God For Christ is the fulfillyng of the lawe to iustifie all that beleue ALl whiche thinges brethren speake I with great heauynes because with all my heart I fauer and would them well if I were in any wyse able to do them good beyng in ieopardie of euerlastyng dānacion But now that whiche is the onely thyng I can do in my dayly praiers made vnto God my desyre peticion is that they may once yet amend and not alway continue in suche blyndnes I can not vtterly excuse theyr vnbeleif but yet in the defence of theyr fault some coloure may be made and pretēded As they are not in all pointes in suche sorte straungers to God as the gentiles be so muche the more wishe I that theyr rude beginnynges may once be made perfite that whose shadow they haue for a season borne about with them in theyr bodyes of the same they may now come to the very trueth For albeit they with extreme deuilishnes fastened to the crosse the Lord who was y◠foūtayne of al glorye yet this say I of them and deny not that to Godwarde a certaine zeale and
christian men the free almes of the Macedonians of them that dwel in Achaia deliuered by them vnto me For so to do they thought good that with a suÌ„me of mony indiffereÌ„tly gathered of suche as were disposed frely to geue to refreshe the pouertie of some that are at Ierusalem whiche beyng poore in substaunce are yet in godly religion riche Noman coÌ„pelled theÌ„ so to do but so thought they in my mynde therin they thought well forasmuche as they are bounden vnto them for religions sake deliuered fyrst vnto them at theyr haÌ„d And for that cause synce the people of IerusaleÌ„ fyrst departed the doctrine of Christ with the geÌ„tiles reasonable it is that they again depart with theÌ„ with some part of theyr mony with suche vile reward recoÌ„pensyng the precious treasure whiche they haue receiued Thone sorte frely departed with suche treasures as belong to yâ— helth of the soules the other frely wyllyngly geue that whiche appertaineth to bodily necessities Therfore as sone as I haue herein done my duetie deliuered this mony to them to whoÌ„ it is purposed for both mynde I to deliuer it my selfe the money sealed lest either any part therof be by some deceitfully takeÌ„ away or els lest my selfe might be suspected as one yâ— hath taken some part therof because I labor in an other mans busines for nothyng I wil in my iourney to Spainward go by you And though I make hastie spede into Spain to preache the gospel vnto them yet wil I not thinke it paineful to tary spende some tyme among you nothyng doubtyng but that when I shal come vnto you I shal so come find you suche yâ— my coÌ„myng shal be to yâ— great glory praise of Christ whiles both ye with godly mindes receiue me merily I through the helpe of God in al pointes satisfie your desyres The texte I beseche you brethren for our lord Iesus Christes sake and for the loue of the spirit that ye helpe me in my busynes with your praiers to God for me that I may be deliuered from them whiche beleue not in Iewry and that this my seruice whiche I haue to do at Ierusalem may be accepted of the saintes that I may come vnto you with ioy by the wyll of God and may be with you refreshed The God of peace be with you al. Amen In the meane season I beseche you for our lorde Iesus Christes sake and for the vnfained charities sake whiche we haue by his spirit receiued that forasmuche as I can not yet presently haue your cuÌ„pany that at lest in your godly prayers peticions made vnto God ye wyl helpe me labouryng trauailyng in suche dauÌ„gerous busines as I do that by his helpe I may be deliuered froÌ„ the misbeleuers that are in Iury suche as resist the gospel of Christ that theyr malice hinder no part of the fruit of our preachyng and that this myne office in deliueraunce of this money whiche I am now about to make at Ieruâ—â—leÌ„ may without any lette be pleasauÌ„t thaÌ„keful to the good deuoute people there that when this is done as I would haue it both my comyng by yâ— wyl of God may be vnto you ioyful that I may after great labors taken be a whyle among you refreshed But to finishe the exhortacion that I begunne I beseche that the God of true peace the father author mainteiner of coÌ„corde may alway abide among you whiche as resisteth goeth farre from proud and sedicious persons so is he gotten kept with mutual coÌ„sent agrement The .xvi. Chapiter The texte I commende vnto you Phebe our syster whiche is a minister of the congregacion of Cenchrea that ye receiue her in the lorde â–ª as it becoÌ„meth saintes and that ye assist her in whatsoeuer busynes she needeth of your ayde For she hath succoured many myne owne selfe Grete Prisca aâ—â—o Aquila my healpers in Christ Iesu whiche haue for my life layd doune theyr owne neckes Vnto whoÌ„ not I onely geue thaÌ„kes but also all the coÌ„gregacions of the gentiles Likewise grete the coÌ„gregacion that is in their house Salute my welbeloued â—penetes whiche is the fyrst fruite of Achaia in Christ â—rete Mari whiche bestowed muche labor ou vs. Salute Andronicus and Iunia my cosyns and prisoners with me also â–ª whiche are well taken among the Apostles and were in Christ before me Grete Amplias my beloued in the lorde Salute VrbaÌ„ out helper in Christ and Stachis my welbeloued Salute â—ppelles approued in Christ Salute them whiche are of Aristobulus houshold Salute Herodian my â—yusman Grete them that be of the houshold of Narcissus whiche are in the lorde Salute â—riphena â—riphosa whiche women labor in the lorde Salute the beloued â—ersis whiche labâ—red muche in the lorde Salute â—ufus chosen in the lorde and his mother and myne Grete Asincritus Phlegon Herman Patrobas Mercurius and the brethren whiche are with them Salute Philologus and Iulia Nereus and his sister and Olimpa and al the saintes whiche are with them Salute one another with an holy kysse The congregacions of Christ salute you BVt yet by these letters I commende vnto you our sister Phebe who went hence vnto you to whom I deliuered these letters to be brought thither who hath with all diligence succoured and sustained the christian congregacion at Cenchris desiryng you so to receiue and vse her as is mete for such a woman to be receiued as for good people hath done muche and to ayde her in al suche thynges as she shall neede to haue your healpe in And surely mete it is that ye helpe her forasmuche as she hath oftymes both succoured many other good people and me also Grete in my name Prisca and her husbande Aquilla whiche is a Iewe of the countrie of Pontus whiche holpe me when I was in ieopardie of the Iewes liyng in watche for me and that did he lest through some naughtie people the preachyng of Christes doctrine might be setted so farfoorth that for defence of my life they put them selues in ieopardy of theyr owne as folke redy to aueÌ„ture theyr liues for the sauegarde of myne for whiche goodnes not onely I geue them thaÌ„kes but with me al the congregacions of gentiles partly because they do for other likewyse as they haue done for me partly because they thynke that the benefite whereby I was saued generally belongeth to all men And salute not them onely but also all theyr family Grete Epenetus for his laudable maners well worthy to be so called to me for this specially beloued because I maye well call hym the fyrste fruites of Achaia as whome of all that countrey I fyrst brought to Christes religion Greete Maria whiche not without ieopardye and payne hath done muche for me Greete ye Andronicus and Iunia bothe my cosyns and also imprysoned somtyme with me whiche are among the Apoposties wel taken and in
cleansed from theyr olde vices and beastelye lustes from pryde throughe ryches and worldlye learnyng and from other diseases by meanes whereof among men debate and dissencion oftetymes arise farre otherwyse than they shoulde whome one God one delyuerer Christ one baptisme one religion one rewarde doeth so dyuersly ioyne and knyt together Once hath Christe frelye taken from you the sinnes of your former lyfe to the entente that hencefoorth by vertuouse exercyse ye shoulde preserue and kepe the godlye state by hym restored vnto you For neyther gote ye it throughe youre owne desertes nor are ye for thesame bounden to thanke youre ryches or Philosophie or the keapyng of Moses lawe eyther but Iesus Christe whiche bothe purged you fyrste with his bloude and after called you to a continuall perfeccion and holynes of lyfe Nor belongen these my woordes onelye to you but generally to all nacions of the worlde that professe the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe whether they bee among the Iewes or among the Gentyles so that they putte no vayne truste in theyr great ryches and possessions but wholy leane and haue a confidence vpon his helpe and succoure There is of all but one churche and christian congregacion all are equallye bounde to Christe onelye bothe for theyr delyueraunce from the moste vilanouse bondage of synne and also for theyr callyng chusyng oute to godlynes of lyfe There is neither place nor countreye that seuereth the ghospell but as all menne haue one Christe so are all his gyftes free to all menne His common grace and peace therfore wyshe I vnto you and to them also whiche bothe no manne els canne geue but he that geueth you all thinges I meane god the father of whome as of the very fountayne all oure weale commeth and oure Lorde Iesus Christe by whome onely his fathers pleasure was to geue you all thynges Grace obtayned shall saue and kepe you vnharmefull and innocente and with an vnharmefull lyfe is ioyned peace and concorde Grace excludeth synne and bryngeth vs into goddes fauoure peace reconcyleth eche one of you to another By the one ye in suche sorte receyue goddes benefite that ye forget not the chief gyuer by the other a declaracion is made that ye are not onelye by name christiannes but also very christiannes in deede By grace partakers are ye of goodes heauenly benefit by peace and concorde according to your abilitie ye bestowe your heauenly gyftes eche one of you vpon another Some thing is there in you by goddes free gyfte for the whiche I am glad in your behalfe and gyue god thankes And some thing againe I mislyke and would wyshe were amended Some are there among you that lyue a christian lyfe and some there bee in whome yet the dregges and fylthynes of theyr olde synfull lyfe remayne styll For as I coumpte youre weale myne owne so yf ought among you bee amisse I thynke my parte therein And therefore on youre behalfe I thanke my God alwayes by whose grace and goodnes Christes free gyfte is in suche plentifull sorte departed among you that whereas heretofore ye buisylye soughte for earthly frayle and transitory riches ye are nowe throughe Christes benefite enriched with heauenlye treasures and suche ryches as shall neuer peryshe but bryng vs vnto the true and perfite weale In token whereof no kynde of language or gyfte of knowledge is there whiche ye haue not obtayned aboundauntly Of late proude were ye of youre vayne Philosophie but synce in the steede of a false ye embraced the true wysedome ye vse your selues discretelye Of late proude were ye by reason of your worldly eloquence highlye standyng in your owne conceytes but synce ye were from aboue inspired with the gifte of tongues ye speake of heauenly matters stedfastlye continuyng in that which ye knowe is beste by meane whereof both the trueth of the ghospel and the faith of Christ is in greatter renoume more strēgthned whiles al mē clearely see perceiue that the fact which is wrought in you was not wrought in you by any worldely policie but by the myght of God which geuing his gyftes vnto vs brought our preaching in credite Insomuche that albeit ye neyther sawe Peter nor Iames whom some coumpt either the only or chiefe Apostles yet no gifte is there wherwith God is wonte to auaunce the ministerie of his Apostles wherin ye ought to thinke your selfes behynde other so farre that euery manne maye well perceyue that notwithstanding the ministers be diuerse yet is the chiefe doer one synce one effecte doeth alwaye folowe And as these giftes are geuen vnto you lyke earnest money or as a pledge of the euerlasting life to come so ye by suche playne and sensible tokens concernyng an hope of thinges that cannot be seen awayte for that daye wherin Christe which nowe yet semeth in his membres to suffre affliccion shall playnly shewe his maiestie and deuyde the godly from the vngodly and deliuer his seruauntes from all trouble and vexacion for desyre of which day ye suffre displeasures and for feare of the same ye doe your dewtie Menne maye peraduenture vnrighteously condemne or quyte but in that day shal God without any wrong at all apoynte you eyther to euerlastyng paynes or euerlasting pleasures But yet distrust ye nothing he for this presente time is your ayder and defender which in that day shal be your iudge Of his goodnesse it is that ye are restored from your olde errours to godly life and as ye haue begūne to leade a godly life and a pure so shal ye likewyse through his goodnesse continew in suche a vertuouse conuersacion that in the fearefull daye of our Lorde Iesus ye be founde blamelesse As my trust is ye shall not by your strength or myne but by the goodnesse of God whiche disapoynteth no man of the hope he standeth in and surely perfourmeth asmuche as he promised The texte ¶ God is faythfull by whom ye are called vnto the felowshippe of his soune Iesus Christe our Lorde I beseche you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe that ye all speake one thyng and that there be no dissencion among you but that ye may be a whole body of one mynde and of one meanyng For it is shewed vnto me my brethren of you by them whiche are of the house of Chloe that there is strife among you I speake of the same that euery one of you sayeth I holde of Paul I holde of Apollo I holde of Cephas I holde of Christe Is Christe deuided Was Paul crucified for you eyther were ye baptized in the name of Paul I thanke God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Caius leste any should saye that I had baptised in myne owne name I baptized also the house of Stephana Furthermore knowe I not whether I baptized any man of you or no. For Christe sente me not to baptize but to preache the ghospell not with wysedome of woordes leste the crosse of Christe
haste a mynde desirouse to reuenge But nowe truely so farre are ye from being lyke to mylde christian men without reuenging to suffre losse or iniurye that euen wilfully ye dooe wrong to other maliciouslye deceaue and oppresse other not onely vnbeleiuers but also such as are by religion your brothers Sauer not suche doinges of the leauen of your olde life Square not suche pointes far both from your learnyng and your profession Whosoeuer professeth Christe professeth Innocencie and to such a lyfe is promised the kyngdome of heauen For neyther is it sufficient to bee dipped in water nor yet to bee graffed into Christe onlesse all youre life bee agreable to Christes doctryne And for none other purpose are ye taken out of this world and planted into the body of Christ but to the ende ye should hencefurthe in godlye lyfe bee lyke vnto Christe youre heade Knowe ye not this that vnrighteousse liuers bee they baptised neuer so muche shall bee excluded from the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen And leste anye manne deceaue hymselfe I tell you agayne and agayne and geue you warnyng that neyther fornicatours nor idolators nor aduouterers nor weakelinges whiche growyng out of mannes kynde lyue after an horrible kynde of bodily luste nor suche as in steade of women abuse men nor theues nor couetous men nor dronkardes neither cursed speakers nor violente pillers of other mennes goodes shal be partakers of the kyngdome of God Nothyng shall your newe name or title auayle you if your life be with your olde vices defiled yea to such is Christe rather an occasion of more grieuous and painfull damnacion The texte And suche were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified by the name of the Lorde Iesus and by the spirite of our God I maye do all thynges but all thynges are not profitable I maye doe al thynges but I wyll be brought vnder no mannes power Meates are ordeined for the bellye and the belly for meates but God shall destroye both it and them Let not the bodye be applyed vnto fornicacion but vnto the Lord and the Lorde vnto the bodye God hathe raysed vp the Lorde and shall rayse vs vp by hys power Suche as I haue nowe rehersed were some of you before that ye were throughe Christ borne agayne I laye not to your charge that which ye were beefore so that ye fall nomore thereto Washed are ye and deliuered from youre olde synnes and that by Goddes free gyfte beeware that ye bee nomore defiled wyth thē By this washyng hath God not only by his bloud restored you to innocente and hurtlesse lyfe but geuen you also holinesse and righteousnes and that not by the power of the law nor for youre desertes but by Iesus Christe in whose name ye were baptised and by the spirite of oure god by whose secrete inspiraciō the sacramētes of Christes churche been effectual So much more then should euery of you endeuour lest ye through youre owne folye lose this benefite frelye geuen vnto you in so doyng neyther thankfull to the geuer nor yet frendelye nor louyng to your selfe In suche thynges as appertayne to naturall necessities I maye dooe all thynges For no man forbyddeth me to vse lyke authoritie as other apostles vse But it is not paraduenture for you alwayes profitable for me to vse my ryght Suche as are fedde and liue wyth youre meate suche as pyll and polle you beeyng euen as they were bondslaues bought wyth your moneye dare not freely warne you of youre faultes leste ye vpon dyspleasure conceaued there wyth bestowe your liberalitie otherwyse I myght also for my labours take rewarde namely since I tooke more paynes than anye other I wanted not authoritie this to dooe but I woulde not dooe that thyng whereby I myghte bee brought vnder any mānes power and subieccion and seame bounde to any of you to thyntente it myghte more clearely appeare bothe that yf I teache anye thyng that I therein seeke your weale and profite and not myne owne and that also yf I dydde with woordes anye thynge chastice you that ye shoulde pacientely heare me For it is a thyng commenlye seene that suche a mannes free speache offendeth not whiche is nothyng bounde to hym whome he reproueth Elles litell mattier maketh it whose meate a manne eate synce menne muste needes haue meate And synce meates are ordayned for the bealye and likewyse bealyes for meates lette euery manne for this tyme satisfye the presente necessitye and neede For wythin a shorte tyme wyll God destroye bothe bealye and meate whiche is that neyther oure bealyes shall wyth houngre trouble vs nor of meates shall there bee anye vse But as we whiche haue professed Christe muste obeye and serue naturall lackes euen as the heathen and vnchristened dooe so shoulde there yet betwene vs in vyce bee none agremente Of meates I forbydde none lette euerye manne eare what he wyll but filthye bodily luste I forbydde Nor is it lyke that as the bealye is appoynted for meate soe the bodye is prepared for carnall pleasure but rather oure bodye is consecrate vnto the Lorde Iesu and he agayne coupled vnto vs. For so hath it pleased hym that by vs as members and hym as heade hys spirituall and misticall bodye shoulde bee made and kyntte together This knotte holdeth not for a litell season Deathe in deede taketh awaye all necessitie of meates but it breaketh not the knotte wherewyth we are ioyned to Christe For as Godde the father raysed the Lorde Iesus oure heade from deathe so wyll he likewyse rayse vppe agayne vs his membres wyth hym with him rewarde vs with life euerlasting For hable is he of power this to dooe albeit some of you thynke the same vnlykelye As therefore oure soule shall not of that immortall lyfe bee partaker onlesse the same for this presente tyme throughe godlye and continuall meditacions haue hadde thesame lyfe in delygente remembraunce so the bodye raysed agayne shall of that glorye haue no parte onlesse thesame for this presente tyme haue beene free from the contagion of synne What a foule syght is it yf the members seame vnlyke the heade whiche is in euery pointe pure and cleane The texte Eyther konwe ye not that your bodyes are the membres of Christe shall I nowe take the members of Christe and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Do ye not know that he whiche coupleth hymselfe with an harlot is become one body For two saieth he shal bee one flesh But he that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirite Remembre ye not how that as I before tolde you your bodyes are the members of Christe What then Sal I nowe become so mad notwithstandyng I know this much with the great reproche of the head to take away the membre of Christe and make thereof the membre of an harlote God forbidde And yet what elles dooth he whiche is conuersaunte with an harlote Knowe ye
.ix. Chapter The texte Am I not an Apostle am I not fre haue I not seene Iesus Christ our lorde Are ye not my woorke in the Lorde If I bee not an Apostle vnto other yet am I vnto you For the seale of myne Apostleship are ye in the lorde Myne aunswere to them that aske me is this Haue we not power to eate and to drinke Haue we not power to leade about a sister to wife as well as other Apostles and as the brethren of the Lorde and Cephas Either onely I and Barnabas haue not power this to do Who goeth a warrefare any tyme at hys own coste Who planteth a vineyarde and eateth not of the fruicte thereof Or who fedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke CAuse therfore hath no man to complayne and say that he is restrained of his libertie But we may not alway onely consider what may be lawfully done but also what is profitable nor straight doe al that may be defended but rather doe as Christian charitie requireth whiche seketh not so much her own pleasures and commodities as other mens How many thinges haue there bene wherein I mighte haue vsed myne autoritie had not charitie otherwise moued me I staied not for lacke of knowledge and well vnderstode what I might doe but more regarded I that which was for you profitable Many thinges did I which I wel wist made litle to godly life and al was to apeace such as I would not haue from Christ withdrawen And many thynges dyd I not whiche I myght haue done had not your profite moued me other wyse And why shoulde I not Am I not an Apostle as wel as they be that of this title auaunce themself Was not I by Christes commaundement sent to preache vnto the gentiles And if I bee an apostle as well as other why haue I lesse apostolique autoritie and power Was it not geuen to me to see our Lorde Iesus Christe if any man thinke it â— great matier as it is to se him as some did after his resurreccion And if apostles be estemed by theyr famous actes what lacke find they herein in me Is it not an apostolique act to bring Corinthe once wholy geueÌ„ to worldly desires to Christes gospell and hys dominyon And thys acte haue I by gods helpe brought to passe Whether I be an apostle to the Iewes or not let them iudge which labour to mingle Moses Christe together if I be not at the least wiâ—e yet am I vnto you an apostle which through my preaching beleued in Christ which sawe the mightie power of god to assist and strengthen my woorde Yf men therfore loke for actes ye I say are my workemanship albeit in dede all the prayse of this act ought to be geuen vnto Christ and not to me Are ye not my testimoniall and seale whereby if nede were I am able to declare that to me for the glory of Christ is committed an apostles office For so aunswere I them that aske how I can proue that I am an apostle Yf I haue among you done asmuch as hath by the chiefe apostles bene done in any place amoÌ„g other why am I not as well an apostle as they be Nowe if mine authoritie be as greate as other apostles is and yf I haue doone asmuche good as they haue what should let me to be of lyke estate and auctoritye with them and synce I haue laboured asmuche as they haue or paraduenture more whye shoulde I not in rewarde bee equalle with theim Were wee onlye amonge other restrained of that libertie to eate and drinke at their costes to whome we preached the gospel Is it for vs onely vnlawful to leade about with vs christian matrones to helpe vs with such necessaries of theirs as it is for thys our life expedient as other apostles do not such I say as are of the meane sort but euen the chiefe apostles the brethren of the lorde I say Iames and Iohn yea and Cephas also whiche among the apostles is of princypall estimacyon Am I and Barnabas therfore onely without lyke autoritie to liue at reste and to preache the gospel at other mens costes because we doe not as they dooe So farre are we from hunting for any riches by preachyng the gospel that we of gift toke not so muche as a simple and a course liuing as we might haue do one lawfully For who is there that at any time goeth on warfare at his own cost Who planteth a vineyard to eate no parte of the fruite of the same vineyard Who fedeth a flocke and in the meane season eateth nothing of the milke of the flocke In euery labor the charge is borne by him for whoÌ„ the worke is done The texte Say I these thinges after the maner of men Saieth not the lawe thesame also For it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not mousel the mouth of the â—xe that treadeth out the corne Doeth God take thought for oxen Saith be it not altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written that he which eareth should care in hope and that he which thressheth in hope shoulde be partaker of hys hope If we sowe vnto you spirituall thinges is it a great thing if we reape your bodely thinges If other be partakers of this power ouer you wherfore are not we rather But what haue I nothing to proue this with but onely natural reason Confirmeth not the wholy law of god euen the same thing that the law of nature speketh Yes surely for Moses lawe forbiddeth saying thou shalt not mousel the oxes mouth when he is lead about to treade out the corne and al because it is vniust thence not to haue foode wherin any creature laboreth But what maketh this for the apostles some will say Thinke ye it likely that god by this lawe onely made prouision for oxen or is there rather in this some deper meaning which belongeth to vs So farre is god from defrauding the laborer of his liuing that he would not that asmuch as oxen should be defrauded therof Wherfore this sentence is not so much written for oxens sake as for ours to teache that whosoeuer laboureth in the painful laborious tillage of the field of the lord should not be depriued of the hope of rewarde whoso in the floore of the lord treadeth out corne beside the hope of rewarde euerlastyng shoulde also with the reward of worldly nede ease his labour And thinke it not a great mater if when we geue you such thinges as make to life euerlasting we again receiue of you such giftes as apparteine to the bodely nede of this transitorye life nor if when we sow vpon you spirituall giftes that we at your handes receiue carnal coÌ„modities Nor cause is there any why such one should vpbâ—aide a man with his benefites which for moste precious treasour geueth but vyâ—e trifles Neither are we endebted vnto you if we receiue such necessaries as
frayltie Ye rather surely trust I that god wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but that he wil in such sort temper the matier and make such a way that if to you any euill chaunce ye shall bee hable to beare it Among you some peraduenture there be whiche for our symplenesse despise vs more fauouring other Apostles by reason of theyr gayer estate and fayre speche but yet are ye not comen vnto the sedicion of Core Some of you there be that to licenciously haunt vnto the feastes of the wicked painims but yet are they not so farre gone as to offer vnto idolles but that ieoperdie is not farre of Wherefore my dearely beloued children alwayes flye from idolatrie For whosoeuer eateth with them bee his conscience neuer so strong yet sheweth he an apparaunce as one that fauoureth theyr supersticion ¶ I speake as vnto them which haue discression iudge ye what I say Is not the cup of blessing whiche we blesse partaking of the bloud of Christe Is not the breade whiche we breake partaking of the body of Christ Because that we though we be many yet are one bread and one body in asmuche as we all are partakers of one breade and of one cup. Beholde Israell after the fleshe Are not they which eaâ—e of the sacrifice partakers of the temple What say I then that the image is any thing Or that â—â— which is offered to images is any thing Nay but this I say that the thinges whiche the gentiles offer they offer to deuile and not to God It nedeth not in this to vse many wordes in perswadyng you forasmuch as of your own wisedome ye sufficiently vnderstand it Iudge your selfe whether I say trueth or not What likenes I pray you is there betwixt our reuerend and wholy feastes and theyr heathen bankettynges Whosoeuer eateth lyke meate with an other semeth to professe fauour the same religion Doeth not that holye cuppe whiche we with thankes geuing consecrate and receiue in remembraunce of Christes death declare a felowshippe that al we are deliuered through the bloude of Christe Doeth not agayne lykewise that holye breade whiche we as Christe both gaue exaumple and commaunded breake among vs shewe a speciall league and felowshyppe betwixte vs and that all wee are vnder one religyon of Christe And as breade is in suche sorte made of an infinite noumber of graynes sothat the same by reason of the myxture can not bee dyscerned and the bodye made of dyuerse partes in suche condycion yet that there is amonge them a feloweshyppe that can not bee broken so when we become all partakers of one bread we in that act declare that albeit we be in nunber neuer so many yet are we in consent of mindes one bread and one body And so likewise such as are partakers of the heatheÌ„ feastes seme also to allow and fauer the felowship of their supersticion Now marke consider you whether it be not like among them also which after the custome of Moses lawe euen vntil this day sacrifice beastes None among theÌ„ but suche as are of the Iewish religion are receiued to the eating of the sacrificed beast and such also as eate of their holy meates seme to fauer to consent vnto their sacrifices But whereto maketh all this some one will say deniest thou Paule that which thou before saidst that is to wit that an idol is nothyng and that which is offered to an idol is nothing No not so but this I say that the sacrifices which the gentiles offer they offer to deuils and not to god so that in the thynge it selfe there is no dyfference but yet theyr intentes cause a diuersitie The gentiles wurship deuils in stede of goddes and beleue that in theyr images their godly power is Whoso therefore with them eateth sacrificed fleshe semeth to be a felow in their wicked errour The texte ¶ I would not that ye should haue felowship with the deuilles Ye can not drinke of the cuppe of the lorde and of the cuppe of deuilles Ye can not bee the partakers of the lordes table and of the table of deuils Either dooe we prouoke the lorde Are we stronger theâ— be I may doe all thinges but all thinges are not expedient I may doe all thinges but al thinges edifye not Let no man seke that whiche is his owne â–ª but let euery manne seke that which belongeth to an other And since ye haue once wholy geuen youre selues to god I woulde ye shoulde with deuils haue nothing to do for whoso professeth godly religion hath with idolaters no conuersacion forasmuch as it besemeth not one man to be vnder diuers religions nor can ye at one time drinke of the blessed cup of Christ and the cursed cup of deuils nor yet be partakers of the lordes table and also of the deuils table if ye this do either with consent of your mindes or with the great slaunder of suche as are weaker There is betwixt Christ and wicked deuils none agrement nor can both at one time be serued without the great reproche and dishonour of Christ What prouoke we him to vengeaunce for the nonce keping company with his enemies Ye can doe him no greater vilannie Be we stronger than he so that we feare not the punishement of the lord being prouoked through such meanes God forbid that any of you should so thinke And idolatrie is suche a detestable vice that we muste not onely be free of the crime selfe but also from al suspicion therof For this perswasion is in maner euen planted in mennes hartes that all suche are of one religion as eate together sacrificed meates I graunt that the thing selfe is without offence but the slaunder ryseth of mens opinions and mistaking whiche thing in this poynt a manne muste diligently beware of Touching meates I maye dooe all thinges but all thynges are not for my neighboure expedient for whose sake I muste sometyme abstayne euen from lawefull thinges I may doe all thynges but all thynges edifye not godlye life Nowe are we by christian charitie commaunded rather to doe that whiche is for the weale of other than to please ourselues I geue menne leaue to vse their freedome but if the same bee with the ieopardye of oure brother more oughte we regarde what is for him expedient than what our selues may lawfully dooe The texte Whatsoeuer is solde in the fleshe market that eate and aske no questioÌ„ for conscience sake For the earthe is the Lordes and all that therein is Yf any of them whiche beleue not byd you to a feast and ye be disposed to goe whatsoeuer is sette before you eate asking no question for conscience sake But and if any manne say vnto you this is offered vnto images eate not of it for his sake that shewed it and for conscience sake The earth is the lordes and all that therein is ConscieÌ„ce I say not thine but of the other For why is my libertie iudged of an other
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
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
against such violent aduersaries were it so we had no strength but our owne thankes therfore be geueÌ„ to God which hath caused that if we wil we may wynne this gloryous victory through Iesus Christe our Lorde whiche for our sakes with his death ouercame death and toke vpon hym to purge our synnes Therfore my dearly beloued brethren synce it is certaine that the resurreccion shal be and synce it is knowen what blysse glory men shall enioy therby which yet no man shal receiue but such as here by forsaking sinne and by godly liuing begynne it doubte not of that ye haue once beleued nor suffer your selfes with the talking of vngodly persons to bemoued from your right receyued fayth but rather apply continually to profite in such thynges as may bryng you into Gods fauoure that ye become euery day better than other preparyng your selfes agaynst the resurreccion to come Nor shrynke ye to take paynes assuryng your selfes that through Christes helpe for transitorie labours ye shall receyue ioyes without ende ¶ The .xvi. Chapter The texte Concernyng the gathering for the sainctes as I haue ordeyned in the congregacions of Galacia euen so doe ye Vpon some Sabboth daye lette euery one of you put asyde at home and lay vp whatsoeuer is mete that there be no gatheringes when I come When I am come whosoeuer ye shall alowe by your letters them will I sende to bring your lyberalitie vnto Hierusalem And yf it be mete that I goe also they shal goe with me I will come vnto you whan I goe ouer to Macedonia For I wil goe thorowe our Macedonia COncerning the gathering for the reliefe through your liberalitie of the sainctes whiche are at Hierusalem as I apoynted vnto the Galathians that money should be gathered for that purpose yf any of his owne free wyll were disposed to bestow any euen so would I haue thesame done among you that in this poynte also ye agree with other congregacions Vpon the fyrste daye of the weke that is to say in the sonday let euery one of you set asyde at home and lay vp asmuche as he for this purpose thinketh mete And for this geue I warnyng here of because that which euery man hath purposed to geue may be in a more readines leste when I come there be then a gathering of money to be made But wheÌ„ I come vnto you thither whom soeuer ye shall chuse as messangers them wil I with my letters send to Hierusalem to carie thither your liberalitie Yf ye thinke it nedefull that I also goe my selfe thither they shall goe with me leste any man myght suspecte that I in any wise goe about my owne busynesse I will see you after that I haue gonne through Macedonia for them mynde I only to see by the waye The texte With you peraduenture I will abyde a whyle or els tarye all wynter that ye maye bring me on my waye whyther soeuer I goe I will not see you nowe in my passage but I trust to abyde a whyle with you yf God shall suffer me I wyll tarye at Ephesus vnto the fyftieth daye For a great doore and a frutefull is opened vnto me and there are many aduersaries Yf Timotheus come see that he be without feare with you For he worketh the worke of the Lorde as I doe let no manne therfore despise him but conuay hym forth in peace that he may come vnto me For I loke for him with the brethren With you peraduenture will I abyde for a whyle and am not sure whether I shal tarie with you al the wynter that at the beginning of the nexte spring ye may bring me furth that I may goe whyther soeuer the busynes of the gospell calleth me had not this been I would haue commen to you now but I would not see you now houerly in my passage For I trust I shall at another tyme haue oportunitie to tarie with you certayne dayes if the Lorde Iesus suffer me In the meane season I will tarie at Ephesus vntil yâ— fyftyeth day The matter reâ—uireth some leysure because that albeit in that place there be a great doore opened vnto me and a great hope of auancing the gospel yet many aduersaries are there Yf in the meane season Timothie come vnto you see that he be put in no ieopardie by any high hearted proude persons He is a young man but yet he is my felow and in preaching the gospel laboureth purely and frely as I doe Let no man therfore despise hym because he is young but rather let hym goe without harme and displeasure as an Apostle and my felowe and of loue bring him furth that he maye come to me For hym looke I for with other brethren of his company The texte To speake of brother â—pollo I certifie you that I greatly desyred him to come vnto you with the brethren but his mâ—nde was not at all to come at this time Howbeit he wil come when he shall haue conuenient tyme. Watche ye stande fast in the fayth quyte you lyke men be strong Let all your busynesse be doeu with loue And whereas ye rather desyred that Apollos should haue been sente vnto you surely it came not of me that he weÌ„t not For I vehemently exhorted hym to go to you with certayne brethren but all was in vayne For certayne consideracions in no wyse mynded he nowe to come to you and yet come wyll he assone as conuenient leysure shall serue Watche agaynst the deceytes of suche as geue you euill counsell Stande faste in the faythe whiche ye haue once receyued quite your selfes lyke meÌ„ agaynst suche thinges as resiste the gospell be stronge and valiaunt Whatsoeuer be doen among you let it be doen with loue and not with contencion The texte Brethren ye knowe the house of Stephana and of Fortunatâ—s and Achaicus how that they are the fyrste fruites of Achaâ—a and that they haue appoynted themselues to minister vnto the saynâ—res I beseche you that ye be obedient vnto suche and to all that helpe and laboure I am glad of the commyng of Stephana and Fortunatus and Achaicus for that whiche was lackyng vnto me on your parte they haue supplyed For they haue comforted my spirite and yours Loke therfore that ye knowe them that are suche I beseche you brethren but what nede we besechynges Ye knowe the householde of Sthephana well worthie of you to be made muche of bothe because thesame as first fruites of Achaia I gotte firste vnto Christe and because they are geueÌ„ to helpe the poore Meete is it therfore that ye againe make muche of them and not only of them but of as many as wyth vs promote the gospell and are partakers of our labours If pleased me well that ye sente hyther Stephana Fortunatus and Achaicus For theyr cumming hyther in all your names supplyed wyth theyr gentilnes that whiche was lacking vnto me on your parte For theâ— coumforted my spirite yea I might saye your spirite as
whiche regardeth nothyng but your weale nor is with any thyng more delighted than with your furtheraunce Suche then know ye bearyng towarde them your speciall fauour The texte The congregacions of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you muche in the Lorde and so doth the congregacion that is in theyr house with whoÌ„ also I am lodged All the brethren grete you Grete ye one another with an holy kysse The salutacion of me Paule with myne owne hande If any man loue not the Lorde Iesus Christ thesame bee Anathema Maranatha The grace of the lord Iesus Christ be with you My loue be with you all in Christ Iesu Amen The congregacions of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla with all the companie of christians which are in theyr house salute you with all their hartes All suche as here professe the name of Christe salute you Beare ye also good wil eche one of you to another and salute one another of you with an holy and a chaste kisse the token of trewe concorde And I Paule salute you and that subscribed I with mine owne hande thereby bothe declaring my loue towarde you and that this epistle is not counterfayte Yf any man loue not the Lord Iesu thesame be Anathema Maranatha forasmuche as he refuseth hym by whome onely he might obtayne saluacion and denyeth that he is come whom euery man knoweth to be come to the great blisse and commoditie of suche as beleue in hym and to the damnacion of suche as beleue not The grace and mercie of the Lorde Iesus Christe be with you And I desyre that as I beare a christian loue towarde you that ye lykewyse vnfaynedlye loue eche one another with that charitie wherwith Iesus Christe hath ioyned and knytte you together Amen The Argument vpon the second Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paule to the Corinthians by Des. Erasmus of Roterodame AFter that Sainct Paule hath at the beginning of this epistle somewhat spoken of his great troubles and affliccions whiche he had suffered for Christes gospelles sake declaryng that in al them god was his coumfort firste he sheweth the causes why he came not agayne to the Corinthians as he had in his other epistle promysed And straight after that bringeth agayne in fauour with yâ— Corinthians the haynouse fornicatour whom he by his former epistle had commaunded to bee geuen ouer to Satan desyring them louyngly to receiue hym vpon hys amendement whome they had banished for his offence And this in maner is all that he doth in the firste and seconde chapter Then reherseth he his greate laboure in preachyng the Gospell by the waye checkyng and reprouyng other false Apostles whiche sekyng for theyr owne aduauntage and glorie in all tymes and places allured men to Moses lawe whiche they in such sort laboured to myngle with the law of Christe as though without it there were no hope of saluacion And therefore preferreth he the lyght of the gospell before the shadowes of Moses lawe eftsones exhortyng them not to the ceremonies of the lawe but to be vpryght of conscience and to leade a christian lyfe shewyng in the meane season how without corrupcion he had preached Christes gospell and what miseries he had suffered for the gospels sake in hope of heauenly reward And beside this declareth in what poyntes christianitie specially standeth Of all whiche matters Paule entreateth in the latter ende of the seconde chapter and in the thirde the fourth fyfte and in the begynnyng of the syxte For in the reste of this chapter and in the begynnyng of the nexte he exhorteth them to knowe theyr owne dignitie and the holines of theyr profession willyng them to absteyne wyth all diligence from the corrupcion and viciouse life of painyms as men with whom they had nothyng to dooe Fourthly he mollifieth the sharpenes vsed in his former epistle praysyng theyr obedience for that they in all poyntes obeyed his epistle notwithstandyng the sharpe earnestnes thereof reioysing that the short heauines wherein he had caste them by his letters had made both that is to weâ—e the Corinthians and hym mearye euen as men are wont to be when they by bitter medicines are restored to health Fyftlye he prouoketh euerye one of them as well by the exaumple of the Macedonians as by dyuers argumentes and recordes of scriptures to bestow according to theyr abilities and as their good wyll was some thyng towarde the reliefe of the sayntes that were at Hierusalem remembryng that he by Peter was commaunded so to doe for yâ— same purpose sending thither Tytus with a coumpanion whiche was as the more parte doth suppose Luke whome he commendeth vnto them and thys dothe Paule in the .viii. and in the .ix. chapter Sixtely the false apostles whom in his other epistle he but priuely checked and taunted he in this playnly opeÌ„ly reproueth which with proud highe lokes toke vpon theÌ„ the honour and dignitie of apostles bringing Paule into disâ—eine saiyng yâ— he was but a â—ase persone as whiche vsed shomakers crafte and that he was rude and vnlearned besyde this ofttymes wronged and beaten Againste them Paule defendeth his authoritie declaryng that at alttymes he had an apostles power and autority which yet he woulde not vse to other mens payne as some did but only to the coÌ„moditie of his hearers the glory of Christ Then because he was compelled somwhat to boast of himself he desireth them first to beare with his folishnes then fyrst he maketh himselfequal with the chief apostles and by an by setieth hymself before them al that for many causes eyther because he more enlarged the doctrine of yâ— gospel or els because he only taught thesame freely as which was nether by him self nor by any of his chargeable to the Achaians or finally because he had for the gospels sake suffered more persecucion than anye of them al coumpting such miseries and troubles as matter to glorie vpon for yâ— which other thought him more to be despised After which of an humble low mind he confesseth his rudenes and barbarousnes in language but yet knowlage and learnyng taketh he vpon him leste they myghte in hym for this finde any lacke Finally because the false apostles among the simple people made greate crakes of fayned visions of angels Paule shewethe them a verye notable and a trewe vision as who was taken vp into the thyrd heaueÌ„ and was there taught such thynges as passed all mennes capacities and of these thynges intreateth he in the x xi xii chapter Seuenthly lest through false apostles they myght fall agayne into theyr old vice he saieth that he purposed to se them agayn eftsones with threateningts warnyng them not to be founde suche in theyr ordre of lyfe as therby he myghte be compelled by vsyng extremitie to be vnlike hymselfe or els leste as he was compelled vehemently by letters to wryte vnto them so myght he beyng present be compelled to vse his autoritie otherwyse than
concernyng thys beneuolence that is minystred by vs vnto the prayse of the same lorde and to stiere vp your prompt mynde For thys we exchewe that any manne shoulde rebuke vs in thys plenteous distribucion that is ministred by vs to the glory of the lorde and make prouision for honest thinges not onely in the sight of the lord but also in the sight of meÌ„ With hym haue wee sent the brother whose faythe and entyrenesse in preachynge the gospell throughout all the congregacions is well tryed and so wel tryed that of all the congregacyons he was chosen out of the reste to bee as it were a felowe and companyon of our iourney to bee my helper in gatheryng money whiche ye of your liberalytye geue to the glorye of the lorde by whose mocyâ—n thys matier is wroughte for a playne declaracyon to all menne of your prompte myndes Dyscrecion would that perfite and tryed menne were put to thys busynesse leste weake personnes conceyue a suspicion that thys great summe of money whiche ye of your free goodnesse geue is not so much gathered for other as for our selues whereas wee thereof take nothing to our selues but the labor trauaile to gather it and to conuay it For wel know we that to gather money specyally if the summe bee great hath an apparentesuspicyon of griedines and aswel knowe we that mennes consciences is with nothyng sooner corrupted The texte We haue sente with them a brother of ours whome we haue ofte times proued diligent in many thynges but nowe muche more diligente The great confidence whiche I haue in you hath caused me thys to dooe partely for Titus sake whiche is my felowe and helper as concerning you Partely because of other whiche are our brethren and the messengers of the congregacions and the glorye of Christe Wherefore shewe ye vnto them the proofe of your loue and of our boasting of you in the sighte of the congregacions â–ª To these two of whome ye haue good experience we haue adioyned the thirde a certain brother of ours whome albeit ye knowe not so well yet in diuerse thynges haue we oft tymes founde hym dilygente and faythfull and in thys businesse more diligent than in other so that I nothyng doubte but that ye will with any summe of money truste them partely vpon consideracion of Titus whiche is my felowe and partaker of the labors whiche I vndertake for your sakes and partely in consideracion also of other adioyned with him whiche besides that they be our brethren are also chosen to dooe this businesse by the voyces of the congregacions by whome the glorye of the gospell is so set foorthe that they may be well called not onely Apostles but also the glory of Christe With these shall ye in such sorte vse your selues that ye nowe specially declare howe greatly ye loue vs that I haue not without cause boasted of you vnto them And suche gentlenes as ye shewe vnto them ye shall shewe toward all congregacions whose messengers they are ¶ The .ix. Chapter The texte ¶ Of the ministring to the saintes it is but superfluous for me to write vnto you for I knowe the redines of your mynde whereof I boaste my selfe vnto them of Macedonia that Achia was prepared a yere agoe and your ensaumple hath prouoked many Neuerthelesse yet haue I sent these brethren lest our boasting whiche I make of you should be in vayne in this behalfe that ye as I haue sayde may prepare your selues leste peraduenture if they of Macedonia come with me and fynde you vnprepared wee I will not say ye shoulde be ashamed in this matter of boasting Wherfore I thought it necessarie to exhort the brethren to come before hand vnto you and to prepare your good blesâ—yng promised afore that it might be readie so that it be a blessing and not a detraudyng HOwe for me to bestow any labour with my letters to moue you to be charitable vpon the poore I thinke it superfluous synce I haue of your readie good myndes suche sure and perfite knowledge that I nothynge doubte to boaste thereof among the Macedonians so farre that by your exaumple not onely Corinthe but welnyghe all Achaia is dysposed ready and well mynded to lyke liberalitie And albeit we were well assured of youre good mynde beefore yet thought we it not amysse to sende these our brethren before lest it happely appeare by some meane â–ª that we haue of you made a vayne boaste in this poynte whiche in other thynges hitherto haue done as I sayde of you Nowe the purpose why we sent them before is that as wee before wrote vnto you the money be gathered in good tyme and that it bee in a redinesse whiche euery man is willyng to geue leste if the Macedonians to whome I haue boasted of you come with me and fynde you vnprepared we bee put to shame as one that hath made a vayne bragge of you I will not saye leste ye bee put to shame as menne in thys vnlike your selues whiche in all other giftes excell other And for thys cause thoughte I it good to desyre these brethren to goe thether vnto you beefore I came myselfe to prepare the contribucion whiche ye had before purposed and appoynted that it mighte be in a more readines wont to be called when we speake Greke eulogia that is to saye a blessyng because euerye benefite shoulde gladlye and without murmuryng be both geuen and taken if it so bee not than is it rather extorcion than a fre gifte He that wil geue let hym freely geue and asmuche as he will Thys poynte I warne you of the more a manne geueth the more rewarde shall he haue The texte Thys yet I say he whiche soweth litle shall reape litle and he that soweth plenteously shall reape plenteously And let euery manne dooe accordyng as he hath purposed in his hearte not grudginglye or of necessitie For god loueth a cherefull geuer God is hable to make you ryche in all grace that ye in all thynges hauyng sufficient vnto the vtmoste may bee ryche vnto all maner of good woorke as it is written He hath sparsed abrode and hath geuen to the poore his righteousnes remaineth for euer He that ministrethe seede vnto the sower ministre bread also for foode and multiply your seede and increase the fruites of your righteousnesse that on al partes ye may be made rich into al singlenes which causeth thorow vs that thankes are geuen vnto God For the office of thys ministracyon not onelye supplyeth the nede of the sainctes but also is aboundaunte herein that for this laudable ministryng thankes might be geuen to God of many whiche prayse God for the obedience of your consentyng to the Gospell of Christ and for your synglenes in distributing to them and to all men and in theyr praiers for you whiche long after you for the aboundaunte grace of god in you Thankes be vnto god for hys vnspeakable gifte Whoso soweth litle shall reape but
strength and depende wholye of his helpe And this shall the rather come to passe yf hauyng a Ghospellike fayth you practyse also a Ghospellike charitie knittyng the oue to thother so as it maie vtterlye reste and take rote in your soules to the entent that being established and grouÌ„ded vpon this sure fouÌ„dacion you maye ware greater and greater in your spirite and after a certayn wise be correspondent to the vnmeasurable spirite of God that you maie grow and go forward so perfitely that not onelye with the Iewes but also with the vniuersall multitude of Sayntes whiche are encorporated to the bodye of Christe through the beliefe of the Ghospell you maie bee hable to comprehend how infinitely the goodnesse of God extendeth it selfe and how it is not restrained within narrowe bondes and limittes in heigth reachyng vp to the angels in depth pearcyng downe to the helles in length and breadth spreadyng it selfe vnto all coastes of the worlde and that you maye be hable also to vnderstand the inestimable charitie of Christe towardes mankynde whose knowledge excelleth all the knowledge of man how excellente so euer it be And that you may in these gyftes so encreace that as perfite and lustye membres you maye bee answerably mete for so noble a heade and so hygh a father For lyke as the bodyly byrth hath degrees of ages hath his encreases and hath his measure as long as his growing time endureth euen so this spiritual generacion also hath his childehood hath his springing time and than his perfite lusty growen age For these thynges I saye I praye often vpon my knees vnto God the father Which thinges in dede although thei be greate and far about mannes power yet I desyre them of hym whose power is so myghty that we cannot possibly Imagyne so great a matter but he is hable to dooe muche greatter and is so good and so gentill that he dooeth not onelye accoumplishe our desyres wyth his owne liberalitye but also geueth vs muche more than we can hope for And yet there is nothyng in this behalfe dooen other throughe our merites or powers For we are nothyng elles but the instrument of the diuyne power that woorketh his owne myghte in vs so that all glorye that florisheth in the congregacion is wholy to be ascribed to hys largesse through Christ Iesus by whose participacion the congregacion is endowed with so excellente gyftes and of this glorye there shall bee no ende but it shall endure through all ages to ternally like as the congregacion of Christ shal also haue none end That that I haue sayed is certayne and vndoubtedly true The .iiii. Chapter The texte I Therfore whiche am a prysoner of the Lordes exhorte you that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherewith ye are called with al lowlines and mekenes with humblenes of mynde forbearyng one an other thorowe loue and be diligente to kepe the vnitie of the 〈◊〉 thorowe the bonde of peace being one body and one spirite euen as ye are called in one hope of your calling Let there bee but one Lord one fayth one baptisme one God and father of all whiche is aboue all and thorowe all and in you all NOw inasmuche as ye perceiue from how vyle a condicion vnto what great dignitye from how depe desperacion to what excellente benefites you are called I beseche you for these cheines sakes wherwith I am tyed not for mine own faultes but for the glorye of God and your saluacion that asmuche as remaineth behynde you would conforme youre selues in honest coÌ„uersacion answerably to your professioÌ„ to the mercifulnes that God hath shewed to youwardes And that shal be doen in case the excellencye of your profession make you not to hygh minded nor to fearcely stomaked But see that all the custome of your life resemble in all thynges true modestye gentilnesse and lenyte of mynde so that one disdeyne not an other but euerye one suffre other through mutual charitie rather one bearyng with an others weakenesse for the tyme than whan euerye one goeth about to holde his owne with tothe and nayle you breake concorde and vniforme loue wherwith you are made one and vnited together through the bonde of peace For it is not conueniente that such mennes myndes should be deuided among theÌ„selues that haue so many thynges commune You are al one bodye you depende all of one heade you haue all receiued of one selfe spirite of Christ and you are also indifferentely called all into one hope of inheritaunce There is one lord of al Iesus Christ al haue but one profession of faith there is but one baptisme of al that by the meanes of Christes death is indifferently effectuall vnto all that beleue the Ghospell whether they bee circumcised or vncircumcised Finallye there is but one God and father of al that as the prynce autour of all thynges hath dominion ouer vs all in suche sorte that by his spirite wherewith he gouerneth vs he geueth hymselfe vnto all and kepeth continual residence with vs releuyng and helpyng vs in all thynges so that it is the gifte of onely one what good thyng soeuer we haue The texte Unto euery one of vs is geuen â—race according to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Wherefore he saieth when he went vp on hye he led captiuitie captiue gaue gyftes vnto men That he ascended what meaneth it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earthe He that descended is euen the same also that ascended vp aboue all heauens to fulfill all thinges And the verye same made some Aposties some Prophetes some EuaÌ„gelistes some shepeherdes and teachers to yâ— edifiyng of the saintes to the worke and ministracion euen to the edifiyng of the bodye of Christe till we all come to the vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfeit man vnto the measure of the full perfeit age of Christe This ought in no wyse to hynder our concorde that the giftes of God bee not all after one sorte nor all alyke appearyng in al menne no more than we see the meÌ„bres of the body not agre or to be racked one froÌ„ an other because thei be not indiffereÌ„tly apte al to one vse or fele not al alike the influence of the head But this maner varietie ought rather to be the occasion of vnitie For inasmuch as no meÌ„bre of the body is hable fully to vphold himself of himself it commeth to passe that euerye one muste haue nede of an others offyce so that one maye not contemne an other But this distribucion of gyftes dependeth not of vs but of the wyll of God who distributeth vnto euerye man lesse or more as it semeth expedient in his owne syghte There is no cause why he shoulde bee disdeyned that hath lesse nor why he shoulde exalte hymselfe that hathe more That one is after Goddes measuryng thys other is after Goddes plenteous enlargyng and all by Christe which geueth
all thynges Ye housebandes loue your wyues euen as Christe also loued the congregacion and gaue hymselfe for it to sancrifye it and clensed it in the fountayne of water throughe the woorde to make it vnto hymselfe a glorious congregacion withoute spot or wrinkle or anye suche thyng but that it should he holye and withoute blame So ought menne to loue their wyues as theyr owne bodyes He that loueth his wyfe loueth hymselfe For no manne euer yet bāted his owne fleshe but nouryshéth and cherisheth it eue◠as the Lorde dooeth the congregacion For we are membres of his bodye of hys flesh of his bones For this cause shal a man leaue father mother shal be ioyned vnto his wife and of two shal be made one fleshe This is a great secret but I speake of Christ of the congregaciō Neuerthelesse dooe ye so y◠euery one loue his wife euē as himselfe And lette the wyfe feare her husbande Let the wyues therefore acknowledge the autoritie of theyr housebandes and be in subieccion vnto them none otherwyse than the congregacion is in subieccion to the Lorde Iesu For lyke as Christe is the heade of the congregacion euen so is euery housband the head of his own wife Neuertheles like as y◠head hath preeminence ouer the bodye to the entent the health of the body should depende of it euen so is the housebande in autoritye ouer the wyfe not to thintente to vse her cruelly like a tyranne but to prouide for her wealth because hys witte is more substanciall than hers And yet the wife maye not bristle against her housebande because he seeketh at her handes to bee more loued than feared But her duety is to be somuch more in subieccion in al pointes like as the congregaciō is so much the more in subieccion vnto Christ as he hath more lowly submitted himself for the saluacion of her his spouse And on the other parte you that be housbādes a buse not your autoritie lyke tyrannes ouer your wiues but rather vse them with like louyng charitie as Christ hath and doeth loue his congregacion whome beyng an aduouterer and an obstinate rebel he did not onely not caste of but also gaue hymselfe vnto death for the redemyng of her saluacion and so of adefiled one he made her pure and holye and where she was vncleane and foule he made her fayre and goodlye and yet caste her not in the teeth with her vyle filthinesse but washed her cleane with the streame of his own bloud and scoured her in the fountaine of lyfe that worketh profitably by the inuocacion of the name of God so as through his owne diligent goodnes he myght prepare for hymselfe a glorious wife euen the congregacion whiche nowe should neyther haue spotte nor wrincle nor any suche lyke that might be displeasaunt in the housebandes iye but in euery point both fayre and faultles And so it becommeth the housebandes to be lykewise affected to wardes theyr wiues that they leaue nothing vndone whereby they maye make theyr wines perfite Christian woomen and to bee no lesse carefull for their wyues healthe than the head is carefull for the health of the bodye For the wyfe is the housebandes body Admitte thy wyfe be of croked condicions or a nyce wanton or geuen to other vnthriftynesse destroyeher not with ragyng crueltie but heale her and amende her with so bre lenitie Correcte the faulres so as thou loue thy wife neuerthelesse for all that For what would the head doe yf it see his bodye be full of sickenes or disease would it beginne to hate it and for sake it or rather heale it if it coulde and if it coulde by no meanes heale it yet at least beare with it and cherishe it Might it not be thought a great absurditie if the head would wishe euill to his owne bodye He that loueth his wyfe loueth hymself for she is parte of hymselfe what man had euer so litle felyng of the senses of nature to hate his owne bodye What man dooeth not rather nourishe and cherishe hys bodye what a maner a one so euer it bee to make it better and lustier Seyng that the very Ethnikes doe naturally no lesse than so why doeth not Christian charitie worke the same in vs a great deale more inasmuche as we are moued thereunto by the exaumple of Christe who did not forsake his wife the congres gacion though she was disteyned before tyme many sondry wāyes and a very whorishe naughty packe but he clensed her he pyked her and made her perfectly trimme in euery poynt Therefore you house bandes doe the same vnto your wyues that Christe hath dooen vnto vs that are the membres of his body whiche is the congregacion lyke as the wyfe is the bodye of the housebande of whose fleshe and bones she is made to thintente it maye be manifestlye knowen that that thyng oughte in no wyse to bee diuorced asondre that is all one selfe same thing For thus we reade in the booke of Genesis For the wyues sake man shal rather forsake father and mother than forsake his wyfe vnto whom he shall so kepe hymselfe that of twoo there bee made one in moste perfite coupling together both of bodies and soules Nexte after God we are most bounden to father and mother yet the wife is preferred a boue them Herin is ment a certain vnspeakeable great misterie howe that the thyng that was doen in Adam Eue vnder a figure should be performed in effect mistically in Christ and in the congregacion This inseparable cōiuncciō whosoeuer wil wel weigh shal perceiue that there lyeth hidde a great mistery For lyke as Christ is one with the father euen so would he haue all his to be al one with him And albeit this mistery importeth greater circumstaunce than can be nowe presently expressed yet it is inough to haue applyed the exaumple to this ende that euery man should loue his wife none otherwise than he loueth himselfe and considre that both he and she are al one selfesame thing euen as Christ loued his congregacion whome he vnited entierely to himselfe Finally it shall be the wyues parte not only to loue her husband agayn as her companion to liue together but also reuerence him for the autoritie sake that he hath ouer her And than shall hartie loue continue long together goodly in case both parties doe theyr dueties accordingly ¶ The .vi. Chapter The texte Children obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde for that is right Honoure thy father and mother the same is the firste cōmaundement in the promes that thou mayest prosper and liue long on the earthe Ye fathers moue not youre children to wrathe but ye shall bryng them vp through the norter and informacion of the Lorde Ye scruauntes bee obedient vnto them that are your bodely masters with feare and tremblyng euen with the synglenes of youre hearte as vnto Christe not dooyng seruice vnto the eye
gloryes sake in stede of true godlynesse they teache Iewyshe obseruations circumcision of the foreskynne choyse of meates dyfference of dayes to the intent that other men beyng burthened with these wares they them selues maye reigne and lyue at ease for all that as though after this lyfe they loked after none other But let the ende of them fraye vs awaye from their condicions For lyke as through slaunderous reproche of man we drawe to eternall glorye and by afflictions of this world preace vnto immortall felicitie euen so they by transitorye pleasures of the worlde procure to them selues euerlastyng destruction bycause in stede of God they honour their belye that can not helpe them and by countrefaicte vayne glorye among men whiche they repose not in Christe but in thinges that they ought to be ashamed of they make spede to euerlastynge shame For what soeuer is earthly is but temporall and countrefayte and what so euer is heauenly is true and euerlastynge But they studye for nothynge elles but those thinges that are of the earthe In them they repose their glorye in them they set their pleasure in them they put theyr hope of helpe and so runne astraye ferre from the marke of the gospell But we that folowe Christ aright though our bodyes be deteyned vpon earthe yet in soule our conuersacion is in heaueÌ„ sighing continuallye thither as our head is gonne afore from whence also through faythe we loke for our lorde Iesus Christ whiche shall rayse vs from death and delyuer vs possession of those thinges that he promyseth vs and shall transforme this vyle naughtye bodye of ours and make it lyke vnto his owne glorious bodye for this consyderacion that the membres which wer felowes of his afflictions in this worlde shoulde be called there into the felowshyp of hys felicitye This matter shall not seme vncredible to any man that wyll dyligentlye pondre the great power of him that shall doo this dede For there is nothinge but he can brynge it to passe in whose hande it is also to subdue all thinges to himselfe at his owne pleasure This power he shall openlye shewe than vnto al men although in the meane season he doo many times kepe it close The .iiii. Chapter The texte ¶ Therfore my brethren dearly beloued and longed for my ioye and crowne so continue in the Lorde ye beloued I praye Euodias and beseche Sintiches that they be of â—ne accorde in the Lorde Yee and I beseche the faythfull rockefelowe helpe the wemen whiche laboured with me in the ghospell and with Clement also and with other my labourfelowes whose names are in the boke of lyfe INasmuche therfore as you are established with the hope of such great hyghe matters my dearly beloued brethren and longed for whose good successe I repute to be myne owne ioye whose victorye I take to be my crowne lyke as you haue begonne see yâ— you so continue suffre not your selues to be draweÌ„ away froÌ„ Iesus Christ Moreouer my welbeloued brethren I eftesones beseche Euodias and I desire Sintiches and eyther of them by them selues that they agree in one true concorde of myndes in promotynge the gospell of Christe And I also require the myne owne true naturall wyfe whiche agreist with me in the trauayle of the gospel helpe these women that were partetakers of my labours and daungers in the gospel and Clement also with the rest that wet my labourfelowes in yâ— gospell Whose names what nedeth me to rehearse inasmuche as they are wrytten in the boke of lyfe and shall neuer be scraped out In that boke are the names of all them wrytten that with their dilygences helpe forewarde the businesse of the gospell of whose nombre you are also The texte ¶ Reioyce in the Lorde alwaye and againe I saye reioyce Let youre softenesse be knowen vnto all men The Lorde is euen at hande Be careful for nothinge but in all prayer and supplycacion let youre pericyons be manifest vnto God with geuynge of thanckes And the peace of God whiche passeth all vnderstandynge kepe your hertes and myndes thorow Christ Iesu For these causes sakes reioyce alwayes euen in the myddes of your afflyctions Againe I eftesones saye reioyce and be of good cheare And how hottely so euer the iniquitie of the wicked rage against you yet let youre patience and modest softenes be knowen and seen vnto all maner of men not only vnto the brethren but to them also that are straungers from Christe so that they beyng prouoked the rather by your good demenoure maye be allured vnto the felowshyp of the gospell For gentilnesse of behauioure wynneth and breaketh the vngodly Couet not in any wise to reuenge you of theÌ„ nor yet enuy not them their pleasaunt delytes For the commyng of Christ is at hande whiche shall rendre vnto you the ioyes of immortalitie for contemnyng the commodities of this worlde And as for them they shall suffre the peynes of their owne fonde folyshenes Lyue you for your parte without care for any thinge But care for this onely that whan Christe shall come he maye fynde you readyly prepared of him depende you entierlye with all youre hartes Yf you haue nede of any thinge truste not to the helpe of the worlde but call vpon god with continuall supplicacions and make your moane to him with feruent desires whan you require any thing And geue him thankes what so euer chaunceth to you prosperitie or aduersite beynge certainlye assured that he wyll also turne your aduersitie into prosperitie For he knoweth well ynoughe what is profytable for you althoughe you aske nothynge But yet he loueth to be called vpon with suche manner of intercessions he loueth to be entreated and as it wer enforced with godly besechinges And so the peace wherby you are reconsyled vnto god beyng a thing of more gracious efficacie than mannes reason is hable to perceaue shall strengthen your hartes and your consciences against all terrouts that can possiblye happen in this worlde For what should that man be afraied of whiche knoweth that God loueth him dearly through Iesus Christ Therfore lyke as I woulde haue you without care of those thinges wherwith this worlde either flattereth or maketh afrayed â–ª euen so you must applye your selues with all your diligent endeuours to ware â—iche in vertues whiche maye make you acceptable to God The texte ¶ Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer thinges are true what soeuer thinges are honâ—â—â— whatsoeuer thinges are iust what soeuer thinges are pure what soeuer thinges are coÌ„â—â—nyent what soeuer thinges are of honeste reporte yâ— there be any vertue yâ— there be any prayse of lernynge those same haue ye in youre mynde whiche ye haue both learned and receaued hearde also and sene in me those thinges dâ— and the God of peace shal be with you I reioyce in the Lorde greatly that nowe at the last youre â—are is reuyued againe for me in that wherin ye were also carefull but ye lacked oportunitie I speake out because
therfore all glorye be to god our father euerlastynglye worlde without ende Amen Salute all them that accordyng to the doctrine of Iesus Christe leade a godly and an vpright cleane lyfe The christian brethren that are with me here at Rome commende them hartelye vnto you And not these onely that are famyliatly conuersaunt with me but all the rest also especially those of the Emperours housholde yâ— haue embraced yâ— doctrine of Christe and are not afrayed to professe Christe for all their â—aging lorde and maister as cruell as he is The gracious sauour and goodnesse of our lorde Iesus Christ be alwayes with your spirite Amen The ende of the Paraphrase vpon the Epistle of Paule to the Philippians The argument of the Epistle of sainct Paule to the Colossians by Des Erasmus of Roterodame THe Colossians are a people of Alia the lesse dwellyng nigh vnto the Laodicians Them had not the Apostle Paul him selfe seen as whiche were instructed in the fayth of Christ either by the preachyng of Archippus or as S. Ambrose sayth of Epaphras who were with this matter put in trust In great leopardy were these people by reason of false Apostles whiche labored to bryng them into a very pestilent opinion teachyng them that the sonne of God was not the meane and author of saluacion but that al menne haue accesse and entrie vnto the father by the healpe of Angels These men sayd further that forasmuche as in the tyme of the olde testament all thynges were done by the ministery and seruice of Angels that Christ the sonne of God was neither comen doune into the yearth nor would come Beside this the same teachers with Christes doctrine myngled Iewishnes and supersticious Philosophie obseruyng and kepyng certain pointes of the lawe supersticiously also honouryng the Sunne the Moone and starres with suche other smal trinkettes of this worlde bearyng the Colossians in hand that they wer also bound to do the same Them biddeth Paule to remembre theyr profession euidently declaryng that whatsoeuer they had vntil that tyme obtained was geuen vnto theÌ„ by none Angel but by Christ the creator of Angels that he onely was head of the churche and that saluacion shuld at nomans hand be sought for but at his in whiche treatise he also defendeth his owne authoritie against suche as laboured to empayre it After whiche he geueth them diligent warnyng to take hede lest they be deceiued with yâ— high wordes of false Apostles or forged visions of angels and so by meane therof fall either to Iewishnes or els into thesupersticion of Philosophie All whiche pointes Paule in the two fyrst chapiters entreateth of In the other two he exhorteth them to vertuous and godly liuyng namely geuyng rules how the wife should vse her selfe towarde her husband how the husband againe should vse his wife after what sorte the father should be towarde his children and the children likewyse towarde theyr fathers the seruauÌ„tes to theyr maisters and the maisters to theyr seruauÌ„tes The last partsauyng that he warneth Archippus of his duetie is all spent in commendacions This Epistle was written out of prison in Ephesus sent by Tychicus as Paule him selfe in this present epistles saieth The latine argumentes shewe that it was also sent thither by Onesimus for so him selfe writeth also in the last chapiter The Greke titles recorde that it was sent from the cytie of Rome and in deede thence sent he Onesimus whom Paule beyng prisoner there had made a christian man The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of the Apostle sainct Paule to the Colossians The fyrst Chapiter The texte Paule an Apostle of Iesu Christ by the wyll of God and brother Timotheus To al saintes whiche are at Colossa and brethren that beleue in Christ PAule an Ambassadour of Iesus Christ and that not by any mans ordinaunce but by the wyll of God the father and Timothe whom for perfite consent in preachyng the gospel I coumpt as my brother to the dwellers at Colossa whiche haue both a confidence in Iesus Christ and also accordyng to his doctrine liue a holy life nowe through like kynde of profession becomen our dearely beloued brethren The texte Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father and the lorde Iesu Christ Grace and peace be there among you from God our father that as ye are freely reconciled vnto him ye may likewyse euen as brethren that haue one comen father one towarde an other of you alwaye norishe mutual vnitie and concorde The texte We geue thankes to God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ alwayes for you in our praiers For we haue heard of your fayth in Christ Iesu and of the loue whiche ye beare to all saintes for the hopes sake whiche is layd vppe in store for you in heauen of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel whiche is come vnto youâ— euen as it is fruiteful and groweth as it is also among you froÌ„ the day in the whiche ye heard of it and had experience in the grace of God through the trueth as ye lerned of Epaphra our deare felowe seruaunt whiche is for you a faythful minister of Christ whiche also declared vnto vs your loue whiche ye haue in the spirite And albeit it hath not yet hitherto been my chaunce to see you yet in my continual praiers made to God and the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both for your sakes I geue him thaÌ„kes for his benefites bestowed vpon you and desyre him also dayly to encrease the same his giftes and also to preserue them after yâ— by Epaphra we heard of your fayth wherby my trust is ye shal be saued not by helpe of Angels but through the free bouÌ„teousnes of our Sauiour Anoynted by whoÌ„ it hath pleased God the father to geue vs al goodnes For him both Annoynted would he haue to be called because of him al shuld receiue helth Sauiour because no maÌ„ should elswhere looke for saluacion And by him not onely perceiued we vnderstode your coÌ„fidence in him but also your charitie ioyned ther with whiche as Christ gaue example ye beare towarde good people earnestly mindyng to do for them not for any hoope of auauntage that ye thinke to receiue therby but in hope of the euerlasting life whiche ye wel knowe is layde vp in heauen for your godlynes And suerly iÌ„to this trust are ye broughte throughe the preachyng of Christes gospell whiche ye persuade your selfe to be a doctrin of suche trueth yâ— albeit it make great promises suche as neuer were heard of before this tyme yet forsomuch as God is the author of them ye thinke that the same cannot be but true And as the same gospel throughout all the worlde hath been dayly more and more enlarged so is it now come to you euery day growyng and encreasyng more and more plentifully spreadyng it self abroade bringyng foorth the fruite of good workes whiche freely growe out of christian
of one body should among your selfes be of one mynde The texte And see that ye be thankeful Let the worde of Christ dwel in you plenteously with al wisedome Teache and exhorte your owne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spiritual songes syngyng with grace in your heartes to the lorde Be not vnthankeful and forgetful of Goddes great goodnes toward you With him should we not now haue been at peace had he not freely forgeuen vs all our sinnes and doeth one brother forgettyng this make battel againe his brother for a lytle displeasure Striue not among your selfe for preeminence in worldly wysedome Let the worde of Christ whiche teacheth thinges belongyng to perfite godlynes dwel and continue in you pleÌ„tifully that in him ye sauer growe wise so that not only your selfe knowe what is to Christ acceptable but be also able one to teache an other if any be out of the way and to geue an other warnyng if he in his dutie be slacke in yâ— meane season at all tyme mery and ioyful in hope of the blâ—sse to come geuyng praise to God in Psalmes in Hymnes and in spiritual songes praisyng God not with our mouth onely but also more speacially with our heart For suche are the songes with whoÌ„ God is delited lest any thinke it a great praise to God onely with his mouth to make a noyse The texte And whatsoeuer ye do in worde or dede do all in the name of the lord Iesu geuyng thankes to God the father by him Fynally whatsoeuer ye do either in worde or dede do it so that it make to the glory of our lorde Iesus so that all your life and conuersacion sauer expresse and resemble him Whyles ye are this wyse doyng if any thing befal you whether it be prosperouse or other wyse be not ther with either proude or dismayed but for all geue thankes to God the father through his sonne by whom he turneth all suche chaunces to oure weale and auauntage The texte Ye wyues submitte your selues to your owne husbandes as it is comly in the lorde Ye husbandes loue your wyues and be not bitter vnto them Ye children obey your fathers and mothers in all thinges for that is well pleasyng vnto the lorde Ye wyues submitte your selues obediently vnto your husbandes so besemeth it suche as haue taken vpoÌ„ them Christes name for whom it is mete in all goodnes to go beyond other Ye husbandes againe loue your wyues whom ye must remembre in suche condicion to be subiecte vnto you that yet to them ye should not be sharpe and bitter Ye children be in all thinges obedient to your fathers and mothers though they commaunde you paineful busines so that the same be not vngodly For it is Christes wyll and pleasure that ye should so do The texte Ye fathers prouoke not your children to aâ—get lest they be of a desperate mynde Ye seruauntes be obedient vnto them that are your bodily maisters in all thinges not with iye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenes of heart fearyng God And whatsoeuer ye do do it heartely as though ye did it to the lorde and not vnto men knowyng that of the lorde ye shal receiue the rewarde of inheritauÌ„ce for ye serue the lord Christ Againe ye fathers abuse not your authoritie vpon your children nor prouoke them so with cruelnes that they dispayre Ye seruauntes in all pointes obeye y our maisters whom by the lawe of man ye are bounde to serue not onely because they see and loke vpon you and for feare as the comen sorte of heathen seruauntes are wonte to do thinkyng that they haue done theyr dueties if they offende not theyr master veyng but a maÌ„ but also with a simple and an vnfamed heart doyng your duetie not only for feare of man but also for feare of God who seeth with what mynde ye do whatsoeuer ye do Nor consider in your seruice what your master beyng but a man deserueth but what seruice soeuer ye do vnto him what kynde of one soeuer he be coumpte it as done to Christ and not to men assuryng your selfe that of him ye shall receiue the rewarde of heauenly inheritaunce though your vnkynde maister geue you nothyng for your labor nor accoumpte you among his children For whiles ye for Christes sake do seruice to vnmete maisters ye serue Christ The texte But he that doeth synne shal receiue for his sinne Neither is there any respecte of persons with God For as the maister yf he against his seruauÌ„t any thing offende though he among men be not punyshed he shall not yet before god escape punishment so the seruaunt that well doth his duetie albeit he haue no rewarde of men whiche with themselues thynke that they to theyr seruauntes are nothyng bound when they haue done theyr dueties yet shal they not loose theyr rewarde at gods hand who putteth no differeÌ„ce betwixte persoÌ„s but betwixt myndes nor coÌ„sidereth a mannes condicion but how wel he doth â–ª The .iiii. Chapiter The texte Maisters do vnto your seruauntes that whiche is iuste and equall knowyng that ye also haue a maister in heauen AGayne ye that are maisters abuse not the authoritie gyuen you by mennes lawes not for any perfeccion of nature to exercise tyranny vpoÌ„ your seruauntes but gyue them that is iust and lawfull departyng with them sufficiently in suche thynges as are for naturall vses necessarye make not for your pleasure to muche of some intollerablye oppressing other assuring your selues that ye are rather with them felowes in seruice thaÌ„ maisters for asmuche as ye haue with them one commen maister in heauen at whose haÌ„de ye shal fiÌ„de like fauer as your selues haue shewed to your seruaÌ„tes The texte CoÌ„tinue in prayer watche in the same with thaÌ„kes giuing praying also for vs that god maye open vnto vs the doore of vtteraunce that we maye speake the misterie of Christe wherfore I am also in these boÌ„des that I maye vtter it as it becommeth me to speke And because I would ye should be more worthie meÌ„bres of Christes body continue in prayer not as dull heauy people by reason of any surfettyng but as sober wakefull in the same also geuyng god thankes so that ye not only desyer of god thinges to saluacioÌ„ profitable but also gyue him thankes for his dayly giftes to the inteÌ„t that wheÌ„ he seeth you both thaÌ„kfull mindefull he maye be towarde you more beneficiall In the meane tyme ye shal also deiyre god for vs that it maye please his goodnes in suche sorte to take awaye al impedimentes that his gospel maye freely be preached that he through faith openyng mennes heartes the misterie maye enter into al mennes mindes which beyng hitherto hidden the father would now haue knowen vnto all as touchyng Christe through whom without helpe of the law he offereth vnto al people saluacion for preaching wherof I lye in these bondes so that nothing lette me among al men to publish sprede abrode
shal shewe him selfe then shal ye also appeare with him in glory To this world ye seme dead as whiche are neither delited with worldly wealth nor yet regarde suche phaÌ„taâ—ies wherwith the worldly people are delited Wherfore ye liue not here among men yet liue ye with Christ before God though yâ— in the meane season after yâ— iudgement of the world your life be hidden But what tyme Christ shall come againe and shewe both his glory and the glory of his body to all the worlde then shall men see you with your head partakers of glory The texte Mortifie therfore your yearthly membres fornicacion vncleanes vnnatural lust euil concupiscence and couetousnes whiche is worshippyng of idols for whiche thinges sake the wrath of God vseth to come on the children of vnbelief among whom ye walked sometyme when ye liued in them But now put ye also away froÌ„ you al such thinges wrath fiersnes maliciousnes cursed speakyng filthy communicacion out of your mouth In the meane season diligently endeuour that all the body be like vnto the high and heauenly head whose meÌ„bres if they here dye not vtterly to carnal desyres they cannot in heauen liue with Christ The deuil hath also his body whiche I elswhere called the body of synne His membres are fornicacion whiche among worldly people is eueÌ„ praised vnclenues vnnatural luste and suche other desyres more filthy than are mete to be named desyre of hurtful thinges as of glorye honour and vengeance especially desyre of money which synne among al other nighest draweth to the most outragious wickednes of all that is to wete to the worshippyng of idols To these sinnes whosoeuer be subiecte cannot be partaker of the glory of Christ So farre are they from beyng the true children of God whiche are with suche outragious vices corrupted that for the like he fiersely raged euen vpon his owne people the Iewes destroiyng and disenherityng them as disobedient children With suche like horrible vices was your life also once corrupted what tyme ye were not yet through baptisme dead with Christ but liued as your frowarde desyres led you Now synce Christ hath in him lefte nothyng that is mortal and yearthly meete it is synce through him ye are borne againe that ye cast away all the filthynes of your olde and former life And not onely cast away suche great enormities as we now spoke of but also suche thinges wherin the comen sorte of meÌ„ is wont to beare with them selfes as wrath fyersenes maliciousnes cursed speakyng that ye not onely haue your heartes pure from suche desyres but also your mouth cleane froÌ„ al filthy communicacion The texte Lye not one to an other seyng that ye haue put of the old man with his workes and haue put on the newe man whiche is renued into the knowledge and image of him that made him where is neither Gentile nor Iewe circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarus or Sithian bonde or free but Christ is all in all thing Christ is trueth selfe it is not mete that ye beyng his membres should lye one to an other of you And to be briefe synce ye haue put on Christ put of all the old yearthly man with al his workes desyres and put on a new maÌ„ whiche wyl neuer be olde but by reason that in him the knowledge of God dayly more and more encreaseth florisheth and buddeth vp into better and greater after the image of Christ which beyng a new maÌ„ him selfe builded in vs a new man extinguishyng the olde For as many of vs as are planted into Christes bodye are so farre gone from that we were as though we were newe made againe in somuche that now no difference is there betwixt Gentile and Iewe betwixte the circumcised and vncircumcised betwixte the wylde Scithian and the Grecian and man of Athens nor yet betwixt the free and the bonde Among menne suche differences are passed vpon but before God there is of suche thynges no regarde but Christ whiche is indifferently comen to all onely geueth al thinges to al men Christ is to yâ— bondman fredome to the poore man ryches to the wylde and barbarous ciuilitie to the vncircumcised circumcision And to be briefe through him among you are all thinges made equal because none should disdaine other The texte Therfore as electe of God holy and beloued put on tender mercy kyndnes humblenes of minde mekenes long sufferyng forbearyng one an other and forgeuyng one an other if any maÌ„ haue a quarel against an other as Christ forgaue you euen so do ye Wherfore in stede of your vile membres and vnbesemyng Christ put on other membres contrary to those filthy membres which we before rehersed and in stede of them putte on suche as are mete for theÌ„ whom God hath chosen out to be holy and vouchsaued to loue What membres are they some wyl say without doubt suche as Christ him selfe both taught and put in execucion I say tender mercy that ye be in a readynes to help the weakenes of other kyndnes because ye should in comen coÌ„uersacion of life be tractable humblenes of mynd lest ye arrogantly auaunce your selfe before other mekenes lest ye vpon offenders vse crueltie long sufferyng leste ye be hasty to reuenge but beare eche one with other of you eche forgeue other if through mannes infirmitie any thyng be among you by reason wherof one might haue a quarel againe an other It besemeth you to forgeue eche others offences synce Christ who offended no man forgaue vs all our trespaces The texte Aboue all these thinges putte on loue whiche is the bonde of perfitenes And the peace of God rule in your heartes to whiche peace ye are called in one body But aboue all other garmentes especially apparel your selfes with christian charitie who is so farre from hurtyng any man that it laboreth to do euery man good yea to do good for euil This is the perfite most sure bonde wherwith the body of Christ is ioyned together and the membres abide fast whiche would els fal on sonder With charitie wyl folow peace and concorde not the comen peace whiche men speake of but suche as is made and mainteined by the mightie power of Christ stedfastly Let her alway in your heartes wynne and haue the vpper hande let her against malice pride wrath and contencion haue the victory For God hath called you to concorde and hath for that purpose reconciled you all vnto him and made you as it were one body to the entent yâ— ye like membres of one body should among your selfes be of one mynde The texte And see that ye be thankeful Let the worde of Christ dwel in you plenteously with al wisedome I eache and exhorte your owne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spiritual songes syngyng with grace in your heartes to the lorde Be not vnthankeful and forgetful of Goddes great goodnes toward you With him should we not now haue been at peace had he not freely forgeuen
it good to doe that by my moste faythfull companion that I coulde not doe by my selfe and to put him in stede of my selfe Therfore we taried still alone at Athenes and from thence sente Tymothe our brother a tryed minister of God and an helpefelowe of our office which we haue to doe in the gospell of Christ because we had leauer wante the comforte of that so deare a singular and so necessarie a companion for the tyme than to geue occasion that you should thinke we had vtterly geuen ouer lokyng to your state of thinges And verily we haue sente hym not for any cause of our owne but chiefly for your sakes that he myght establishe and comforte your consciences and to shewe you that for all these paynfull affliccions wherewith I am tossed hereawaye and therawaye myne harte is nothing discouraged but the glorye of the gospell is a great deale better auaunced leste any of you shoulde be dismayed by reason of myne affliccions whiche you heare tell of For you must not thinke it any neweltie though these thinges happen to the preachers of the gospell in asmuche as you knewe a good while a goe that I was chosen of god to this same ende that through suffring of affliccions of my body I myght auaunce the name of Christ and so in this behalfe to be like my Lord and maister For euen than whan we were present with you we tolde you the same before that we should suffre affliccion for the gospelles sake And as I tolde you before it should be so you see it now happened like as also you haue knowen it happen before As for me there was nothing hapened vnto me vnloked for nor any thig that I tolde not you of afore so as you haue the lesse cause to be discouraged Wherfore considering that for the great care I take for you euen whan all thing is at the surest I coulde not be quiet but long after you still I sent Tymothe as I sayed afore for this purpose that by hym as well in a maner as I were present there my selfe I might knowe the stedfastnesse of your fayth and might trye yf he that kepeth continuall watche to subuerte them that be good had tempted any of the weaker sorte of you and so in them my labour had been loste The texte But nowe lately when Timothe came from you vnto vs and declared to vs your fayth and loue and how that ye haue good remembraunce of vs alwaye desiâ—yng to see vs as we also desyre to see you Therfore brethren we receiued consolacid by you in al our aduersitie and necessitie through your fayth For nowe are we alyue yf ye stande sted fast in the Lord. For what thankes can we recompence to God againe for you ouer al that ioy that we ioy for your sakes before our God praying nyght and daye exceadyngly that we might see you presently and might fulfyll the thynges which are lackyng vnto your fayth God hymselfe our father and our Lord Iesus Christ shall gyde oure iourney vnto you the Lord also shall increace you and make you flowe ouer in loue one towarde another and towarde all men euen as we do toward you that he may make your heartes stable and vnblameable in holynes before God oure father at the commyng of our Lord Iesus Chryst with al saynâ—tes But whan Tymothe of late returned from you to vs againe and brought vs mery tydinges shewing that you persiste aswell constauntly in your fayth without shrinking as also that your vnfeyned charitie is the same that it was and that our beeyng a sondre hathe not brought vs out of remembraunce with you but that you haue vs in mynde alwayes coÌ„tinually and that you are euer desirous to see vs as we are to see you there is no necessitie nor any sorowe that I am pressed withall but I â—an heare it paciently sence I knewe that you abode constantely in your fayth whiche whan I was afrayed of I was nothing afrayed of my selfe For I thinke that I am altogether safe if your fayth continue safe Nowe we liue and thinke our selfes deliuered from al maner of dauÌ„gter in case you through the helpe of Christ Iesu persiste constantly in yâ— you haue begun It yrketh not me to suffre these euils so that the frutes be answerable in you for whose sakes I abyde them Whiche thyng for asmuche as I perceyue to be in dede so as the gospel groweth in acquayntaunce among the Gentiles dayly more and more what thankes worthy so great a benefite are we able to reÌ„dre vnto God by whose goodnes so excellent ioy wherwith we reioyce withal our hartes for your foreward proceding chaunceth vnto vs euen among these sorowes our God bearyng recorde of the same vnto whose goodnesse you are bounde for that you continue stedfaste of whome oure duetie is in our prayers daye and nighte to desyre this thing in more ample wise that by his mercy we may at one tyme or other see you agayne For with personall presence some thing is doen that nother letters nor messenger how trustie so euer he be can be hable to accomplishe For this cause sake therfore I am desirous to see you to the entent if any gospellyke discipline be wanting I might supplie it and amende it Furthermore my prayer is that where I caÌ„not so doe by meanes of wicked persones God himselfe our father and his sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde would vouchesafe to take awaye those lettes open me a free passage vnto you and also in the meane season so to encreace you with his gyftes that I may see you to my great comforte Which thyng shal be in case he make you aboundaunte and plenteouse in mutuall charitie among your selues and not among your selues only but also towardes all men like as we also haue a certayne excellencie of loue towardes all you beyng ready euen to suffre death for your saluacion and that he would so confirme your consciences that your vprightenesse cannot be blamed on any behalfe not only with menne but muche rather with God the father whom nothing escapeth in the cumming of our Lorde Iesus Christe at which time it shall openly appeare in the sight of all Sainctes not only what euery one hath doen but also with what conscience euery one hath done it ¶ The .iiii. Chapter The texte Furthermore we beseche you brethren and exhorte you by the Lord Iesus â–ª that ye increace more and more euen as ye haue receyued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by our Lord Iesus Christ For this is the will of God euen your holynes that ye should abstaine from fornicacyon and that euery one of you should know how to kepe his vessel in holynes honour not in the luste of concupiscence as doe the hethen which know not God that no man opresse and defraude his brother â—â—â— bargayning because that the Lord is the auenger
sakes And yf they reproue you for your faultes at any tyme yet haue peace with them For he is not worthye to be hated that reproueth a man for his profite The texte We desyre you brethren warne them that are vnruelye comforte the feble mynded lyfte vp the weake be pacient towarde all men Se that none recompence euyll for euyll vnto any man but euer folowe that whiche is good both among your selues and to all men Reioyce euer Praye continually In all thynges geue thankes For this is the wyll of God thorow Christ Iesu towarde you Quenche not the spirite Despyse not prophecyinges Eramen all thynges kepe that whiche is good Abstayne from all euel apperaunce The very god of peace sanctifie you thorowe out And I praye God that youre whole spirite and soule and bodye maye be preserued so that in nothyng ye maye be blamed in the commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ Faythfull is he whiche called you whiche will also do it Brethren praye for vs. Grete all the brethren with an holy kysse I charge you in the Lorde that this Epistle be red vnto all the holy brethren The grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ be with you Amen And thus I beseche you euerye man accordyng to his habilitie to laye your helpyng handes to the forewardyng of their offices Admonishe them that lyue after their owne lustes and disquiet the ordre that you obserue Comforte the weake harted releue the feble be gentill and paciēt towardes all men not onely towardes the Christians but also them that are straungers from Christ Beware that none recompense wrong for wrong nor requite euill dede for euill dede For truely it is vnsemyng to folowe the ecample of naughtie persones in a naughty matier and become lyke condicioned vnto them But rather geue diligence to do good vnto all folkes not onely the christians vnto christians but also vnto all maner of folkes whether they haue deserued it or not deserued it beyng certaynly assured that your diligence shall not be lost for Christ is your suertie In consideracion wherof whatsoeuer chaunceth vnto you reioyce alwayes so that godlynesse bee safe call vpon God with your prayers continually without ceassyng and geue thankes whatsoeuer befalleth you For so it standeth with gods pleasure that there shall be occasion alwayes to rendre thankes vnto the father for his bounteousnes to you warde by Iesus Christe And this furthermore standeth you in hande to take hede of that no variaunce rise among you by reason of euery ones sondrye sortes of giftes Vnto some one chaunceth the gift of tongues to syng in the spirite albeit it is but a gift of the basest sorte yet quenche it not in any wise but cherishe it rather that it maye profyte better and better Vnto some chaunceth the gifte of prophecie to declare the misticall sence of the scripture reiecte it not in any wyse whatsoeuer is spoken Suffre the one paciently that he maye go on forwarde heare the others setence with iudgement but after suche sorte that he be not to muche molested in his speakyng Let no mā make so muche of his owne giftes that he contemne another mannes Trye al thynges but let euery man holde the thing that he iudgeth requisite Whatsoeuer it be that hath the similitude of a good thyng is not to be despised Notwithstandyng it behoueth you to abhorre so muche from euil that you ought to absteyne euen from those thynges that haue the shewe of euill But vnto these matters it shall be your parte to applie all your diligent studies And god the auctor of peace vnto whō is acceptable both the lyke consent of mynde the like speache of wordes that mē do wholy vse together in suche thynges as be honest bryng to passe that you maye be perfitely holy vnspotted so as the soule maye be answerable vnto the spirite the body aunswerable to the soule the spirite selfe answerable to God y◠there be nothyng to fynde you faultie in that you maye styll perseuer in this state of holynesse continually vntil the cumming of our lord Iesus Christ There is no cause for you to distruste of For he is sure of his promyse that hath called you vnto this holynesse to the rewardes of the same he hymselfe shall finishe that he hath begonne and perfourme that he hath promised Brethren helpe you forewarde with your prayers the labours that we go aboute Salute all the brethren with a kysse not suche a one as the commune sorte of salutours doe geue but with an holye kysse and worthy Christian loue I charge you by the Lorde that this Epistle be rehearsed to al the holy brethren The grace and beneuolent fauour of our Lorde Iesu Christe be alwayes with you Amen Thus endeth the paraphrase vpon the first Epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians The Argument vpon the seconde Epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians by Des Erasmus of Roterodame FOrasmuche as Paul coulde not haue libertie to goe see the Thessalonians agayne he confirmeth their consciences by Epistle that they myght manfully suffre the affliccions layed vpon them for Christes sake seeyng that they shall not want reward nor the aduersaries escape punishmēt Againe concerning the daye of the Lordes cumming wherof he touched somewhat in the farther Epistle he warneth them that they be not styrred with the sayinges of some that affirme as though it were at hande and as some thinke signifieth closely that the Empire of Rome must be first dispatched and Antichriste to come after that Moreouer he beateth into theyr heades very earnestly to restrayne suche as with their idlenes nice curiositie haue been disturbours of the commune quietnes and ordre and to enforce them vnto labour in asmuche as Paul himselfe laboured among them with his owne handes This Epistle he wrote from Athens by thesame men that he sente the farther Epistle by as it is recorded by our argumentes The ende of the argumente The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the. ii Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians The fyrste Chapiter The texte Paul Syluanus Timothe Vnto the congregacion of the Thessaloniās in god our father and in the Lord Iesus Christ Grace be vnto you and peace from god our father from the Lord Iesus Christ We are bound to thanke God alwayes for you brethren as it is mete because that your fayth groweth exceadyngly and euery one of you swymmeth in loue toward another betwene your selues so that we our selues boast of you in the congregacions of God ouer your pacience and fayth in all your persecucyons and tribulacyons that ye suffer whiche is a token of the ryghtewes iudgement of God that ye are counted worthy of the kyngdome of God for which ye also suffer It is verely a ryghtewes thynge with God to recompence tribulacion to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shal shewe hymselfe from heauen with
remembre that whaÌ„ I was yet with you I told you these thinges And now you know what is the let that Christ cummeth not In dede that the wicked man as I saied afore may in his propre tyme openly practise his tyranny vpon the Sainctes For now wickednesse worketh his crueltie vnderhand by him and the deuill by wicked menne rageth against the professours of the gospell and as you perceyue by my tellyng there is nothyng that letteth the aduersarie of Christe from shewyng himselfe openly but only that in the meane while euery one should holde still that he holdeth vntil that kingdome wherwith all other are holden in subieccion be dispatched quyte out of the waye And as soone as that shall come to passe than shall that wicked one shew himselfe abrode openly furnished with al kynde of iuggling castes and wylie disceytes to bryng mankynde to destruccion But for all his rageing with his deuilish spirite the Lord Iesus shall cheoke him with the mightie blast of his mouthe and for all his bostyng of his false counterfaite shew of diuinitie the Lorde shall obscure and abolishe him with the excellente clearenes of his cummyng euen as monstreous sightes of the night time and vayne appearaunces of thinges vanishe and goe a waye at the shynyng out of the bright sonne beames The texte Euen hym whose cumming is after the workyng of Satan with all lying power signes and woonders and with all deceyuabâ—enes of vntyghtewesnes among them that perish because they receyued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued And therfore God shall sende them strong delusion that they should beleue lyes that all they might be damned whiche beleued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrightewesnes But we are bounde to geue thankes alwaye to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord for because that God hath from the begynnyng chosen you to saluacion thorow sanctifyeng of the spirite and thorow beleuyng of the trueth wherunto he called you by oure Gospel to obtayn the glory of our lorde Iesu Christ For that wylie deceiuer shall at his cuÌ„ming be furnyshed with the spirite of Satan for the Deuil shal practise his crueltie by him And to the intente he maye the more cruelly worke his myschiefe he shall not onely be armed with a puyssaunt great power to make mens consciences afrayed but also with lyeng countrefaict castes of signes and wondres wherin he shall pretende to folowe Christ euen as the learned enchauntours folowed the example of Moses among the Egipcians To be briefe there shall be no kynde of fraude but he shal be perfitely conyng in it to worke wickednesse Howbeit it shal not availe him in any wise but only to the hurting of such as perishe though he were not through their owne vnbelefe For thus their obstinate rebellion against Christ demeriteth this is a reward worthy their desertes that seing they receiued not Christ by whom they might haue been saued who for his charitie sake was desyrous to haue al meÌ„ne saued for his trueth sake opened playnly the thinges that belonged to saluacion now by the suffraunce of God falsehead taketh place with theÌ„ in stede of trueth tyranny for charite a destroyour for a saue our and so as thei shal beleue a wicked maÌ„s lyenges inasmuch as thei refused to beleue the sonne of God that preached nothing but truth Thus shal it come to passe that where thei should otherwise haue also perished because of their obstinate mysbelefe than it shall manifestly appeare in all mennes sight that they are iustly damned forasmuche as they spightfully forsoke Christe and gaue credence at the first woorde to a craftie deceiuour and a wicked person This stormy tempest lyke as it shal declare them worthy damnacioÌ„ so shall it sette forth your stedfastnesse more clearely By reason whereof we are bounde to rendre alwayes thankes vnto God my christianly welbeloued brethren in that he suffred you not to continue still in errour but chosed you vnto saluacion from the beginning not by the meanes of Moses law but by his owne spirite the geuer of holynes and by your obedience wherwith you beleued the trueth simply and playnly Besydes this lyke as he chosed you eternally from the begynning so dyd he call you by our gospell preaching to the intent the saluacion of you whiche beleued whan the Iewes beleued not should growe to the glorye of our Lorde Iesus Christe The texte Therfore brethren stande fast and kepe the ordinaunces which ye haue learned whether it were by oure preachynge or by Epistle Oure Lorde Iesu Christ hymselfe and God our father which hath loued vs and hath geuen vs euerlastyng consolacyon and good hope thorowe grace comforte youre hertes and stablyshe you in all good saying and doynge The gospell that I delyuered vnto you was the true and very right gospell so that there is none other that you ought to loke for Therfore stand fast in it brethren and holde the thinges that we delyuered vnto you and that you learned of vs eyther by our preachyng or by our Epistle Vnto those it shall be your parte to applie your endeuour with all watching diligence Moreouer the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and god oure father which loued vs of his owne accorde and called vs vnto saluacion and by his spirite hathe geuen vs eternall consolacion euen in these affliccions to loke in good hope for the rewardes of the life in heauen not by meanes of our deseruinges but by his owne free mercie conforte your hartes more and more and establishe and confirme you to perseuer in all goodnes both in worde and in dede The .iii. Chapter The texte Furthermore brethren praye ye for vs that the worde of God maye haue passage and be gloryfyed as it is also with you and that we maye be delyuered from vnreasonable and froward men For al men haue not fayth but the Lord is faythfull which shall stablyshe you and preserue you from cuyll We haue confydence thorowe the Lorde to you warde that ye bothe do and wyl do the thynges which we commaunde you And the Lorde gyde your hertes to the loue of God and pacience of Chryste FVrthermore brethren like as we in oure supplicacions to god helpe foreward the busynesse of your saluacion euen so it is reasoÌ„ that you in semblable case set forward the thinges that I goe about with your prayers to him also that like as the doctrine of the gospel had spedy prosperous encrease among you so it may runne abrode and be published among all menne For the more spedynesse whereof praye you that we maye through his helpe be delyuered from suche men as be peruerse and frowarde whiche hyndre withall theyr possible meanes that the doctrine of Christe be not sowen without lette or hinderaunce For all they beleue not the Gospell that heare the Gospell and yet there is no cause why you should not beleue for all theyr wicked endeuours They spurne against the Gospell but they
the gayne of saluation whiche is preached by the ghospel encreaceth also For so is it Goddes pleasure to declare his myghtye power We haue sene in the heade what we maye trust vpon in our selues The texte Remember that Iesus Christ of the sede of Dauid tose a gayne from death according to my gospell wherin I suffte trouble as an euyll doaâ— euen vnto bandes But the word of god was not bounde Therefore I suffre all thynges for the electes sakes that they myght also obtayne that saluacion which is in Christ Iesu with eternal glory It is a true sayinge for yf we be dead with hym we shall also lyue with hym If we be pacient we shall also reigne with him If we d eny hym be al so shal denye vs. If we beleue not yet abyderh he faythful He cannot denye himself Of these thinges put them in remembraunce and testifye before the Lorde that they folowe no contencious wordes whiche are to no profite but to the peruerting of the hearers It is requisite to haue in remembraunce as thou knowest that Christe Iesus beyng made mortall man of the sede of Dauid hath enhaunced the glorye of the ghospell throughe suffrynge of rebukes and after the punishemente of the crosse was exalted to the rewarde of immortalitie This is the ghospell that I preache yet hitherto without shrynkynge beyng neyther afrayed of the Iewes malice nor of the Gentyles feare And for the ghospelles sake I am afflicted with many displeasures of them both yea euen vnto pryson and bondes as thoughe I were an euyll dooer And for all that I doo not so geue ouer the preachyng of the ghospell My bodye is bounden yetto but â—â— toungue that preacheth Christ could not be bounden And beyng a prysoner as muche as doeth possyblie lye in me I allure as many as I can vnto Christ of what sorte so euer they be It maketh no matier to me what I suffre so that I maye encrease some gaynes to the ghospell of Christ For this cause sake I suffre all thynges wyllynglye beyng assured of mine owne saluacion and that they also throughe preachynge of the ghospell shall atteyne saluation whoÌ„ God hathe appoynted to this felicitie whiche saluation is offered to all men not throughe Moses lawe but throughe Iesus Christe who lyke as he hathe suffred for vs so lykewise it becometh vs to suffre for his gospelles sake and for the saluacion of our brethren and lyke as he throughe sondry afflictions and spyghtefull entreatyng was exalted to the glorye of heauen euen so muste we preace to the same ende by the same waye This matier vnto manye semeth hard vncredible but vnto vs it ought to be vndoubted For yf we bethrough baptisme dead together with Christ vnto the lustes of this world or also yf we perseuer in the professyon of baptisme so it chaunce vs to be turmoyled with the sorowes of this world it shal come to passe that we shal also liue with Christ yâ— is to wete we shall be coÌ„panions of immortalitie with him whiche were coÌ„panyons of death with him And yf we suffer wyth hym and for his glorie we shall vndoubtedly reigne with him also For god is of most perfite equitie wil not suffre those to be shut out from the felowshippe of reygnyng whom he would haue to be felowes of sorowes suffryng Yf we professe him boldely in this worlde before men he shall acknowlege vs also in his Maiestie But and if we shall denye him for he denyeth him that refuseth his crosse it shall come to passe that in the laste daye we shall heare that terrible voice I knowe you not It we put our trust in him we do for our owne wealthe but if we distrust him he shall haue no losse For concernyng our opinion of him there commeth neyther wynnyng nor losyng to him therof He of his owne nature is true and can not chose but be lyke hymselfe Whether we beleue or beleue not that shall come to passe that he hath promysed to the godly lyfe that neuer shal dye and to the vngodlye deathe that shall neuer haue ende Thys is the foundacion of the ghospelles doetrine Of this see thou warne all men wythoute disputyng and wrangglyng with humayne argumentes but charge them by the Lord Iesus the autor of this doctrine and the witnesse of thy monicion yea and the reueÌ„get of vngodlynes excepte they will repent beyng warned By this manner of sadde earnest charge geuyng thou shalt doo more good than with disputing Mynde not in any wise to stryue with wordes after the maner of Sophisters nor couet with humayne reasones to affirme the thinge that oughte to be perceaued by faythe For that matter doeth not onely auayle nothyng to the furtheraunce of godlynes but also it weakeneth the strength of faythe and at length subuerteth the myndes of the hearers that euerye thinge is called in to question and with philosophicall reasones the thyng now set vp now throwen â—â—â—ne whereof it is not lawfull to doubte and so ariseth question vpon question that there is nether ende nor measure of questionyng The texte â–ª Study to shew thy selfe laudable vnto god a workeman that neadeth not to be ashamed destributyng the word of truth iustly As for vngostly vanites of voyces passe thou ouer them for they wylencreace vnto greater vngodlynes and their wordes shall frete euen is both the disease of a Cancre of whose nomber is Dimeneus and Philetus which as â—â—â—â—nyng the truth haue erred saying that the resurteccion is past already and doe â—â—â—roy the fayth of some But the sure ground of god standeth styl and hath this scaâ—e the Lord knoweth them that are hys And let euery man that calleth on the name of christ depart from iniquitie Notwithstandyng in a great house are not onely vesselles of gold and of sâ—â—uer but also of wood and of yerth some for honoure and some for dishonour If a man therfore purge hym selfe from suche men he shal be a vessel sanctified vnto honouer mete for the vses of the Lorde and prepared vnto all good workes See that thou rather let suche maner of wranglynges passe and studye to shewe thy selfe a ghospellyke workeman not a disputour but a woorkeman laudable not vnto men but vnto God and behaue thy selfe so in the ghopels affayres as he that hath chosen thee nede not to be ashamed of thee And that shalte thou doe in case thou wylte thwyte of vayne fonde disputacions and teache faith to be the summe total of the ghospels doctrine and yf thou brushe awaye the brambles of doubtefull questions and deuyde and dystribute the worde of God wyth vprighte iudgemente propoundyng onely those thynges that properlye belong to the matier of saluation and of Godlynes Moreouer reiecte boldely vayue brablyng of wordes whiche yf they be once receyued venome appeareth by lytle and lytle and they shall growe alwayes to wickednes more and more and at length the mater shall come to that ende that mans
mynde as a man quite ouerturned and paste all remedy Neyther hast thou any neade to laboure in the condemnynge of him sythen he is condemned by his owne iudgement If he peryshe he is lost and cast awaye by his owne faulte For he cannot laye this excuse for him I was deceyued and went oute of the waye thorowe ignoraunce no man warned me of myne â—â—â—oure This excuse it but vayne For what shal one do to a sicke man that wil take no medicine peraduenture yf he were contemned and not passed on he woulde wexe wyser If he wyll not yet the fewer resorte vnto him the fewer shall the contagion of his madnes infecte The texte When I shall sende Artemas vnto the or Tithycus be diligente to come to me vnto Nicâ—â—opolis For I haue determined there to wynter Bryng zenas the lawear Apollos en theyr iorney diligently that nothynge be lackyng vnto them And let oures also learne to â—â—cell in good woorkes as farforth as nede requireth that they be not vnfruteful All that are with me saluâ—e the. Grete them that loue vs in the fayth Grace be with you all Amen I woulde fayne haue the with me a fewe dayes but I woulde not it should be to the damage of the christian congregacions in Crete which haue bene but late conuerted to the faith and therefore they haue the more nede of a diligente ouerseat whiche maye buylde vpon the foundacion nowe all ready layed Se therefore that thou mete with me at Nicopole But come not afore I send Artemas or Tichicus to thee to be there for thee in my steade leste thy departing shoulde leue Crete destitute and as it were an Orpheline Thou shalte not neade to feare that I wyll in the meane tyme go any where els and so thou to lese thy laboure For I am purposed all this nexte wynter to be at Nicopole whiche is a citie of Trace Whan Zenas sometyme a doctor of Moses law but nowe a noble preacher of the ghospell and Apollos whiche is a man greatlye approued in the doctrine of Christe wyll departe from the bryng them forthward with all the humanite that maye be and see that they lacke nothyng that shal be necessary for their iornaye If these offices of humanitie be exhibited of the Ethnikes that they doo for good maners sake brynge their frende onwarde on his iorney and gyue him at his departyng sufficiently bothe of vytayles and otherthynges necessarye for him in his way I thynke it very right that our men also whiche profelse Christe do learne to vse suche gentyle fashions and to gyue due thankes to them that do deserue it Not that they shuld make them riche with greate gyftes but to geue them suche thinges as be necessarye for their lyuing whan nede shall requyre For seyng that they whiche do not knowe Christe be yet taught of nature to geue them thankes whiche haue done for them truly it is very vnsemely that christian men should be barayne and vnfruteful to them of whom they haue receiued any good turne As many as be here with me commende them vnto the. Do thou agayne coÌ„mende me to as many there as loue me not with worldely affeccion but with Euangelicall and christian loue whiche the commune profession of faythe doeth engendre in vs. The free beneficence of Goddes mercy be with you all for euer Amen ¶ Thus endeth the paraphrase vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to Titus ¶ The Argument vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to Philemon by Erasmus of Roterodame â–ª THis Philemon after the Grekes writing was a Phrigiâ— borne whiche nacion of people is vntractable â—â—anyshe as the Greekes owne prouerbe maketh often mencion Stripes make the Phrigian to amende And yet Paul reconned this Philemon one of hys speciall frendes bycause of his godlynes diligence done to yâ— sayntes And a seruaunt of his one Onesimus had runne away froÌ„ him to Rome and had theuishlye stollen somwhat from him as seruauntes are for the moste parte vsed to doe There whan he had hearde Paule who at that tyme was in bondes he receiued the doctrine of the gospel and serued Paule in prison But lest the maister should be vexed in his mynde for his seruauntes runnynge awaye he sendeth him home agayne with a wonderfull diligence and ciuilitie he reconsileth vnto the Maister his seruaunt that had bene both a runneagate and a piker and offreth him selfe to be suertie to make good what soeuer he had piked at his runnyng awaye This Epistle he wrote from the prison by the sayd Onesimus whom he also calleth his sonne Thus endeth the Argument ¶ The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to Philemon ¶ The .i. Chapter The texte Paule the prysoner of Christe brother Timothee Vnto Philemon the beloued and oute helper and to the beloued Appia and to Archippus oure felowe souldier and to the congregacion that is of thy house Grace be vnto you and peace from God oure father from the Lorde Iesus Christe PAule before this tyme an Apostle and seruaunte of Iesu Christ and nowe his prysoner also for why shoulde not I be glad to be hys prysoner for whose ghospelles sake I weare these bondes not for the punyshement of any euyil that I haue done but as a notable badge of a free valeaunt preacher and also my felowe ghospellpreacher brother Timothee vnto Philemon in the profession of the commune faith a brother singulerly worthye to be beloued and not a brother onely but also my companion in very many affaires partaker in the office of the gospel to his wyfe Appia my moste welbeloued syster as concernyng the kynred of fayth to Archippus our felowe souldier and to the rest of the congregacion whiche is at his house Grace be vnto you and peace from God oure coÌ„mune father froÌ„ his sonne the lord Iesu Christ The texte I thanke my god making mencioÌ„ alwayes of the in my prayers when I heare of thy loue and fayth whiche thou haste towarde the Lorde Iesu and towarde all sayntes so that the fellowshyppe of thy fayth is fruteful in the knowledge of euery good woorke whiche is in you towarde Iesus Christe For we haue great ioye and consolacion in thy loue because that by thee brother the sayntes hertes are comforted In my prayers wherwith I am accustomed to sacrifice daylye vnto God I undre thankes vnto him alwayes on thy behalfe For I ascribe it thankefully vnto him that I heare spoken openly of all men that is to say both the purenesse thy ryght gospelling charitie which thou bearest towardes the lord Iesus not towardes hym only but also towardes al saintes yâ— is to were his meÌ„bres vnto whoÌ„ what so euer is bestowed hys wyl is to reckeÌ„ it done to him self And this I also beseche him to augment his mercifulnes vpon thee that this thy faith whiche is not idle in the may expresse his power dayly more more to enforce
testamente not lyke the testamente whiche I made wyth their fathers in the day when I toke them by the handes to leade them oute of the lande of Egipte bycause they contynued not in my testament I againe for my part regarded them not sayth the Lorde For thys is the couenaunte that I wyll make wyth the house of Israell sayeth the Lorde when I wyl not graue my lawes in stones or bokes as hath bene proued in vayne but wyll put them into theyr myndes and wryte them in their heartes And I wyl be verely theyr God and agayne they shall be vetely my people Neyther shall they gyue my doctrine by hande one to an other in suche wise that euery man shall be compelled to enstructe hys neyghboure and euery one his brother sayinge knowe the Lorde bycause that not onelye then a fewe Iewes but all the people of the worlde shall knowe me from the leaste vnto the greatest that I wyll be made mercyfull by thyntercessyon of my sonne and forgyue theyr synnes and trespasses neyther wyll I any more thynke vpon theyr wycked dedes Ye haue hearde hys wordes who promiseth a newe testament bycause the olde was vnprofytable Nowe that whiche is called new that is to say spiritual signifieth that the olde that is to wytte the carnall muste be taken awaye and dysanulled Elles coulde not thys testamente be called newe excepte that whiche was before were worne oute and waxen olde Nowe that that is worne oute and waxen olde is nye gone forasmuche as it draweth by lytle lytle to an ende ¶ The .ix. Chapter The texte The olde testament then had verâ—â—y ordinaunces and seruynges of God and worldly holynes For there was a foretabernacle made wherin was the lyght the table and the shew breade whych is called holye But wythin the seconde vayle was ther a tabernacle whyche is called holyest of all whyche had the golden seuser and the Arke of the testament ouerlayde rounde about wyth golde wherin was the golden pot wyth MaÌ„na and Aarons rodde that sprong and yâ— tables of the Testament Ouer the Arke were the Cherubins of glorie shadowyng the scate of grace Of whyche thynges we can not nowe particularly speake SOme man wyll here saye what was the religion of the olde temple a vayne religion Nay not so In tymes past that olde temple also whose religion is nowe at an ende and gonne by the succession of euangelicall veritie had certayne approued customes and prescribed ceremonies the whiche made an vtwarde shewe of iuste and perfyte liuyng It had also a certain holynesse but the same was a worldlye holynesse for that it stoode in vtwarde thynges and visible Of the whiche kynde of holynesse there semed also a great deale to be among the Paynyms and Gentiles But the buyldynge of the temple was suche that one parte therof was counted more holye then an other tyll a man came vnto that parte whiche semed holyest of all For in the fyrste place there was made a tabernacle wherin were kepte with much reuerence the lyght the table and the seuen holye lonues whiche they called the shewe bread by reason they were wonte to be set out for a shewe on the holy table And this parte of the temple they called onely holye bycause it was so seuered from vnholy thynges that it was yet verye farre from those thynges whiche were accompted moste holye But wythin the seconde vayle whiche parted this parte of the temple from other there was an other tabernacle that for the excellencye of holynesse was called holyest of all and in thys were conteyned certayne of the holyer sorte of relyques as the golden Censer the Arcke called the Arcke of the testamente couered townde about wyth plates of golde hauynge in it the golden potte wherin Manna was reserued a monument of an aunciente myracle wrought what tyme the Hebrues beyng very hongry there rayned a newe kynde of meate downe from heauen and Aatons todde the whiche by a wonderfull myracle neuer harde of before bare leaues after it was cut from the stemme and budded out into flowers wherof afterwarde came Almons There were in it also the tables called the tables of the testamente bycause in them were the commaundementes grauen with Goddes fyngre Ouer thys were ymages with wynges called Cherubynes representing the Maiestie and glorye of God whyche ouershadowed the mercy seate with their wynges all the whiche thinges had a certayne signification of holier thinges afterwardes dysclosed by the ghospell But it were to long to speake of euery of the premysses particularly and to shewe what was meante and sygnified by the same It shal be sufficient for vs to compare theffecte or pythe of the whole matter to the priesthode of Christe The texte When these thynges were thus ordayned the priestes went alwayes into the firâ—â— tabernacle which executed the seruice of the bolie thinges But into the second went the bye pryest alone once euerie yere Not wythout bloude whych he offred for hymselfe and for the ignorances of the people Wherewith the holy ghost this signified that the way of holye thynges was not yet opened whyle as yet the first tabernacle was standynge Whyche was a simily tude for the tyme then present in whyche were offred gyftes sacrifices that could not make the minyster perfect as pertaynyng to the conscience wyth only meates and drinkes and diuers washinges and iustifyenges of yâ— fleshe which men ordayned vntyl the tyme of reformacion Nowe when the temple was thus deuyded and the holy reliques bestowed in their places all priestes indifferently whiche executed the cetemouies belongynge vnto the sacrifices entred dayly into that fyrst tabernacle But into that seconde whiche was very holy went the hie prieste who was chiefe in dignitie among the priestes alone once euery yeare and no oftener and that not wythout the bloud of a beaste whiche he there offred first for his owne synnes and then for the synnes of the people edmmytted by errour and ignoraunce By the whiche thinges as it were by certayne darke fygures the holye ghoste sygnified that at that tyme there was as yet no open waye or entraunce vnto those places whiche are in verye dede holye and haue no manour of earthly infeccion For while the hie byshoppe entred into the most secrete parte of the temple and as yet that fyrst tabernacle was standynge whiche hadde a symylytude of those tymes in the whiche the people were by certayne grosse ceremonis kepte howe so euer it were in the Iewyshe religion lest they shoulde haue fallen to greater enormities there were certayne grosse and vulgare ceremonies done by the commen sorte of priestes in the sayd tabernacle Gyftes were offred beastes were kylled and offred vp in sacrifice the whiche thynges had so a certayne similitude of purificacion that they coulde not yet make those perfitly cleane as touching the conscience and soule wherby God estemeth vs who vsed them althoughe as concernynge the bodye and estymation of the worlde they semed to
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
to destribute forget not for with suche sacrifices God is pleased Obeye them that haue the ouersyght of you and submit your selfes vnto them for they watch for your soules euen as they that must geue accoÌ„ptes that they maye do it with ioye not with griefe For that is an vnprofytable thinge for you We offre not vp our sacrifyce within the walles but goe in lyke manoure out of the citie with oure hye priest Christe and contynuallye offre a certayne sacrifice pleasaunt and acceptable vnto God thorowe hym not any beast not corne of the fildes but the fruite of lyppes of lyppes I saye not alonelye of the bodye but also of the sowle by the whiche we acknowlage the benefytes of God towardes vs and hauynge Christes crosse in remembraunce tendre thankes for the remyssion of oure synnes and so manye gyftes as we are endued with all Of this aulter the Iewes are not partakers who abyde styll with in the walles and loue nothyng but that whiche is carnall Nowe learne you also an other kynde of sacrifice worthye to by a sacrifice of the ghospell whiche we muste continally make to please almyghtie God with all Oure neyghboure is to be holpen with our benefites and yf the same be in necessitie then ought we to succour him with â—haide of our goodes and substauÌ„ce For by suche sacrifices goddes fauour is sooner obteyned then by the triflyng obseruaunces and constitucions of the Iewes without regarde of our christian brother Obey you those whiche haue the ouersyghte of you submyttynge youre selfes vnto them althoughe they be euell persons so long as they go not aboute to enforce you to vngodlynesse For when they doe accordynge to their office and vocation they watche for youre soules inasmuche as they prouide for your soule health and saluacion and that with their owne peryll bycause they shall gyue an accomptes of their ministration vnto almyghtie God from whome all power commeth You shall greatlye ease them of their burthen yf you shewe your selfes obsequious and obedyent vnto them to thentente that what so euer they do they maye doe it with righte good will and gladly rather then with euell wyll and grudgyng For that is bothe greuous vnto them and also vnto you vnprofitable It greueth them that they haue taken so muche payne without any profite On thother syde it is not expedient for you to prouoke goddes wrath agaynst you thorowe your dysobedience The texte Praye for vs. For we â—eust we haue a good conscience among all men desire to lyue honestly But I desyre you the more that ye so do that I maye be restored to you the fâ—â—er The God of peace that brought agayn from death our Lorde Iesus the greate shepherd of the shepe through the bloude of the euerlasting testament make you perfecte in al good workes to do his will bryng to passe that the thing whych ye do maye be pleasâ—â— in his syght through Iesus Christ To whom be prayse for euer while yâ— world endureth Amen Praye ye vnto God for my brethren and me For as it semeth I ought to be nombred among your good pastours and byshoppes Whether I be alowed of all men or no I cannot tell yet I trust I haue demeaned my selfe as honestye and good conscience woulde amonge all those whiche are desyrous to lyue after the rule of the gospell And this do I the more earnestly desyre you to do to th entent I maye the soner be restored vnto you agayne In the meane season I lykewyse praye for you that it maye please God thauctour of peace whiche hath raysed agayne from death that chiefe shepeherd and pastour of his shepe our Lorde Iesus Christe who when he was relyued entred into heauen thorowe his bloude there to make intercession for vs vnto the father with the whiche bloude he hath hallowed the newe and euerlastyng testament I praye for you I say that it maye please him to make you perfite in all good workes to thentente you maye satisfie and accomplyshe hys will and that it maye further please him to bryng to passe that the thinge whiche ye do may be pleasaunt and acceptable in his sight and that thorow his sonne Iesus Christ who is alwayes present and setteth forth oure sacrifices vnto whom all glorie is due not onely in this present lyfe but also for euermore Amen There is nothyng that we can chaleÌ„ge and ascribe vnto our selfes for our well doinges It is his gyfte and commeth of him what so euer we doe wherewith God is pleased The texte I beseche you brethren suffre the worde of exortacion for we haue written vnto you in fewe wordes Ye knowe our brother Timothe that he is at lybertie with whom yf become shortly I wyll se you Salute them that haue the ouersyght of you all the saintes They of Italy salute you Grace be with you all Amen These thinges haue I written for your exhortacion desyryng you to take in good parte that I haue done of a good mynde and purpose I haue written vnto you in fewe wordes as he who purposeth shortly to see you You shal vnderstande that Timothe is not with me at this present For I haue sent him to an other place If he retourne shortly I wyll come with him and se you Haue me commended to all suche as haue the ouersyghtâ— of you and furthermore to the whole companye of saynctes or good christians The Italians salute you The grace and fauour of god be with you all Amen ¶ Thus endeth the Paraphrase vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues To the right Excellent and most vertuous Lady Anne Duchesse of Somerset her graces moste humble Orator Iohn olde wisheth true felicitie and continuaunce of health in Christ Iesu oure only saueour COnsyderyng moste vertuous and excelleÌ„t Ladye that the holy goste playnlie commendynge by the mouthes of the moste worthy kinges of famous memorie Dauyd and Salomon the myghtye effectuous working vertue and necessary holsomnes of the feare of God which is the right foundacion and groundworke of godly wysedome sayeth amonge other specyalâ—yes of sondry mencioned states of persones in a vehement admiâ—acy on of praise that the woman whiche feareth the Lorde shal be so muche commendacion worthie and be estemed for so excellent a treasour and Iewell that her price is farre beyonde the vttermoste coastes because that hauynge that sure grounde worke of wisedome she like a dyligent skilfull house wife employeth the stocke and whole substaunce of her qualities and trauaile in those necessatie â–ª dooinges from tyme to tyme which make to the furniture of true religion and the glory of God suppressing of vice aduauncement of christian vertue and to the reliefe of the nedy especially those of the householde of faithe so that in her labours and ordrely forcaste of well dooinges procedinge from vertue to vertue as thoccasion and necessitie of matter perswadeth the pillers and turâ—ettes of heauenly wisedome shynynge and glistringe in the eies of the beholders
far other maner regenerate not of a mortall an earthly seede after the bodye but of an immortall and a heauenly sede by the worde of God which lyueth and endureth for euer whose gospel you haue beleued you shall loue the brethren with a heauenly loue Moses lawe was geuen for a tyme. But the worde of God hathe brought forthe the lawe of the gospel vnto vs whiche neuer shall perishe The thing that procedeth from men is but for a season but the thing that cometh from heauen is euerlasting as Esay sayd before Al fleshe is as grasse and all the glory of man as the floure of the fielde The grasse is wythered and his â—loure fallen awaye but the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer This is the eternall worde of the eternall father whom the shadowes of the former lawe in tymes past paynted out vnto vs but nowe he is openly declared by the preachers of the gospell and not onely vnto you but vnto all them that receyue Christe with a syncere vpright fayth ¶ The .ii. Chapter The texte Wherfore laye a syde all malicioushes and all gile and fayâ—ednesse and enuy and all backbytyng and as newe borne babes desyre ye that mylke not of the bodye but of the soule which is without disceite that ye may grow there by vnto saluacion yf so be that ye haue tasted howe gracyous the Lord is to whom ye come as vnto a liuing stone disaâ—â—wed of men but chosen of God and precyous and ye as â—â—ing stones are made a spirituall house an holy priesthood for to offer vp spirituall sacrifyces acceptable to God by Iesus Christe FOrasmuche as you are lately borne againe by an heauenly generacion through the doctrine of the gospell caste all the vices of your former conuersacion quyte away from you yf there were any malyce yf there were any deceite yf there were any holowe heartednesse yf there were any enuy yf there were any backebytyng or cursed speakyng and from henceforthe as babes newe borne gredely couete that mylke not of the body but of the soule the mylke that knoweth no deceyte and is fitte for your age which is more harmelesse than strong euen the mylke of the ghospels ordinaunce For the ghospels doctryne hath his principles it hathe his infancye it hathe his dyet mete for weake tendre age it hath also his farther growinges finally it hath his perfite groweÌ„ age Those first thinges are not to be supped lothesomly but gredily yea and thrustily neyther yet must you lyngre continually in them but to procede from them stil vnto thinges of more perfeccion For in dede it were euen a straunge thing if a man borne of his mother should be alwaies a babe and couet nothing els but mylke And it behoueth you also to ware bigge tyll you growe vnto perfite saluacioÌ„ and not alwaies to sticke still in making the foundacions but to ryse by lytle and lytle vnto the perfite buyldyng of the house For in case according to the psalme wryters counsell you haue tasted that the Lorde Iesus is swete it is requisite for you to bee prouoked with that taste to sette your appetites vpon greater thynges In humayne buyldynges the stones neyther chaunge theyr place ne grow any bigger But in this buyldyng which standeth vpon liuing stones the chiefe principall stone whereof and the stone that conteyneth all thynges is the liuyng and eternall Iesus Christe whiche of late after the psalme writers prophecying was cast away of menne that is to were of the phariseis who holding of their teÌ„ple that should go to naught had no knowledge of this heaueÌ„ly building howbeit he was chosen by the iudgement of God and had in muche price there is nothing to hinder but that it may procede forward to the perfite finishyng of the buildyng Therefore you must necessarily goe through forewarde encrease of vertues vnto Christ the liuing stone the chosen stone the stone preciously sette by in the sight of God that you also being grounded vpon suche a foundacion may be builded vpon by litle and litle vntyll you bee made spirituall temples muche more holy than the teÌ„ple that the Iewes brag of and in the which temples muche more wholy priesthood is exercised than was vsed in that temple For in it the leuites and priestes offered vp beastes but in these spirituall temples you your selues offer vp spirituall sacrifices moste acceptable to God who as he is a spirite and not a bodye so doeth he delyte in spirituall sacrifices that you should nothing mynde the rites of Moses now being worne out through the preachyng of the Gospell in stedde of sundrye kyndes of brute beastes you slea worldly and brâ—tish affectes lecherous lustes pryde wrath enuie desyre of reuengement ryot and couetousnes and in stedde of incense you offer pure prayers flying out of the aulter of a pure herte into heauen These are the sacrifices that are offered at al seasons in the spirituall temple and are at al tymes acceptably welcome vnto God For those sacrifices of Moses are now all ready growen in to a lothesomenes as the prophet Esaye beareth recorde But these maner of sacrifices are contynually allowed through Iesus Christ by whose commendacion the diligent seruice doinges of the Chrystians are acceptable vnto the father The texte Wherfore it is contayned also in the scripture behold I put in Sion a stone to be layed in the chiefe corner electe and precious and he that beleueth on him shell not he confouÌ„ded Vnto you therfore whiche beleue he is precious but vnto them whiche beleue not the stone whiche the buylders refused the same is begunne to bee the head of the corner and a stone that men stomble at and a rocke wherat they be offended whiche stomble at the woorde and beleue not that wheron they were set But ye are a chosen generacion a royall priesthod an holy nacioÌ„ a people which are wonne that ye shuld shew the vertues of hym that called you out of darkenes into his meruelous syght which in tyme past were not a people but are nowe the people of God which some tyme had not obtayned mercye but no we haue votayned mercye There is no cause why you should be in any mystrust as long as ye cleaue fast vnto the head Chryst as long as you stande harde vpon the noble and â—nmoueable ston Christ of whom god spake in tymes past by the mouthe of Esaye Beholde I put in Sion a ston to be placed in the chief corner tryed chosen â–ª and precious â–ª And he that shall put his trust in hym shall not be ashamed And that whiche he spake of before hand we se now al ready perfourmed For the selfe same one stone was precious and â—olsome vnto some and to some hurtfull and noysome vnto you he is iustly precious because you are grouÌ„ded surely vpoÌ„ him because you put your whole trust in him and are preserued by his ayde agaynste al stormes of tempestes But vnto them that had
asmuche as I am sure that shortly I must put of this my tabernacle â–ª euen as our Lorde Iesus Christ shewed me I wyll euer also geue my diligence that ye maye haue wherwith to stere vp the remembraunce of these thinges after my departinge And therfore brethren let it not make you to lyue in a securitie and to be careles in that the goodnes of God hathe whan you deserued nothing called you vnto the profession of the gospell hauynge once pardoned all the synnes of your former lyfe but endeuour your selues so muche the more that the goodnes of God wherwith he hath called you wherwith he hath chosen you be nâ—t turned to your destruccion and heape of damnacion in case beyng forgetful of his bounteous gentilues you be tombled backe in to yâ— same state from whence he raunsomed you with his owne death But procure rather with well doinges that God seine not to haue called and chosen you in vaine And some parte of this mater lyeth euen in you For yf you consyder from whence God hathe called you to what thinges he hath called you and what rewardes he hathe set forthe for you and yf you wyll preace therunto by these meanes whiche I haue declared a lytell before you shall neuer slyppe out of the right course of godlynes For yf you preace this waye Goddes assistinge helpe shal be plenteouslye present with you and shal succour you with his riche relyefe that at length beynge conquerours of this worlde you maye atteyne to the euerlastinge kyngdome of our Lorde and sauiour Iesu Christ to possesse with him the treasures of heauen for whose sake you haue set naught by the treasures of yâ— earthe The rewarde is exceadynge great but it must be procured with exceadynge greate diligence Wherfore I wyl neuer cease to geue you warnynge of these maters althoughe I suppose it not necessarie seynge you both doe and remembre what you ought to doe and are also confirmed nowe by longe processe of godlynes in the acquainted knowledge of the trueth a great while whiche hauynge embraced you constantlye folowe yet hitherto notwithstandyng to thintent you maye more and more watche styll in that you haue begonne I recken it my parte that remembringe my lordes precepte â–ª whiche commaunded me yâ— beynge conuerted my selfe I shoulde confirme my brethren as longe as I lyue among you beyng a straunger vpon earthe in yâ— tabernacle of this sely body I should stere vp pricke forewarde the studye of godlynes in you and in dede so muche the more because I knowe I shall shortly be stripped out of the dwellynge of this sely bodye and chaunge this exile of the earthe for yâ— fraunchised free citie of heauen For our Lorde Iesus Christ signified so vnto me whome I serue yet hitherto as a souldier in this tabernacle Nowe therfore I shall geue dilygence that these matters maye in the meane space be so surely fixed in youre hartes with often admonicion that you maye remembre them after my deathe whan I can not warne you by worde of mouthe For seyng the thinge is most certaine that you haue receyued of vs it behoueth you not to swarue from it The texte ¶ For we haue not folowed deccatfull fables when we opened vnto you the power and commynge of our Lorde Iesus Christ but with our eyes we sawe his maiestie euen then verely when he receaued of God the father honour and glory and when there came suche a voyce to him from the excellent glorye This is my deare beloued sonne in whome I haue delyte This voyce we hearde come from heaueÌ„ when we were with him in the holy mount We haue also a right sure worde of prophecie wherunto yf ye take hede as vnto a light that shyneth in a darcke place â–ª ye do well vntil the daye dawne and the day starre aryse in your heartes So that ye first knowe this that no prophecye in the scripture hath any priuace enterpretacion For the scripture came neuer by the wyll of man but holy men of God speake as they were moued by the holy ghost For our doctrine was not suche gayre as the philosophers teache whose drifte is to perswade by crafulye conueyed fables and humayne subtilties the thing that they them selues vnderstande not and dysagree also amonge them selues But we haue in no wyse folowed these wayes in openynge vnto you the power and comminge of our lorde Iesu Christ and in preachinge vnto you his maiestie whiche we haue sene with these iyes For he vouchedsafe to exhibite vnto certaine of his owne afore his death some special token with what mightie power and with what glorye he shall once come to iudge the quicke and the dead and what wonderfull felicitie he shal geue vnto them that loue him stedfastlye For where God the father endued him all wholy with glorye and honour insomuche that his countenaunce shoone as bright as the sunne and his clothes were more white than the snowe so farre that mannes iyes coulde not abyde to beholde the heauenly syght and there came also an exceadynge most honourable testimonie of the fathers voyce whiche was brought downe from highe vnto him from the glorious maiestie of yâ— father And it was after this sorte This is my welbeloued sonne whiche hathe delyghted my mynde heare him There coulde haue ben no witnesse geuen eyther more fully or more excellent And it was pronounced not of any prophet but of the fathers owne maiestie These thinges we haue sene with our iyes these haue we hearde with our eares whan we were present with him in the holy mount Thabor If so be that the prophetes playne oracles be in a great weightie estimacion among you which prophecied by figuratyue darke shadowes of Christ of much more grauitie ought so euident a declaracion by the father himselfe of his sonne be The prophetes agree with the fathers voice yf a man doe rightly interprete them They with their promisses prepare as it were mennes myndes to the trueth of his gospell in that they shadowe and as it were couertly poynt out the thing that the gospell doeth openly preache Therfore I doe not disallowe that the Iewes beyng vehementlye geuen to the prophetes prophecienges seke there for the commynge of Messias For it is a steppe somewhat vnto the faythe of the gospel to beleue that Christ shoulde come For a man shall the more soner beleue that Christe is come yf he be parswaded that he shoulde come Therfore there is good hope of him that beynge not yet lightened with the lyght of the Gospell is attentiue vnto the prophetes as to a candell appearinge in a darcke place For it is better to haue some lyght than no light tyll the sunne come and the daye dawne to dryue awaye all darkenes and to obscure euen that candell and that the daye sterre of gospell preachinge maye shyne bryght in your hartes whiche declareth that the sonne is at hande The sayinges of the prophetes are to this vse profytable yf
in like manner his free liberall goodnes hathe nowe called vnto the saluacion of the Gospell Ther is nothing that I can wishe vnto you more fortunate than that the goodnes of God would alwayes multiplie in you his giftes mercie peace and charitie Mercie that you may absent your selues dayly more and more from the vices of your former olde life Peace that you may through godlynes of life nourish the concorde which you haue with God and Charitie that you may through mutuall concorde be all of one mynde and eche one bounteously good to other Dearely beloued forasmuche as the loue of the Gospell maketh all thinges commune whether it bee good that chaunce or whether it be badde namely in those matters that perteyne to eternall saluacion I had so great a defier to write vnto you concernyng your saluacion wherof I am no lesse carefull than if it were myne owne forsomuch as brotherly loue pricketh me forwarde therunto so as I could not forbeare but I must exhorte you in this Epistle to stande harde against the false Aposties for the defence of the sincere faythe whiche was once deliuered of the holye Apostles And not onely to labour in this that you contynue stedfaste in youre faythe but also to laye youre helping handes vnto other that they bee not begyled of the deceauours For it is not possible to thinke what a Iewell the treasour of faythe is and it standeth vs in hande to watche so muche the more warely about vs that it be not turned awaye from vs. For where as we deliuered the Gospelles docttyne vnto you purely and syncerely euen as we receyued it of Christe yet there haue a sorte of wiked ones thruste in them selues among in the meane season vnder pretense of religion and like woolues haue crepte into the lordes shepefold settyng them selues out in a shewe of godlynes where in dede they are very enemyes of true godlines And that thys gayre should not disturbe youre myndes as though it were a newe matter it was thus decreed long a goe by the secret counsail of God thus was it spoken before that there shoulde ryse men which with theyr wiked myschieuousnes shoulde bothe exercise youre godlynes and pull condemnacion vpon them selues they turne the free liberall gifte of our God wherewith he hathe once frely pardoned vs our synnes and set vs at free liberty from the sharpenes of the lawe in to an occaâ—ioÌ„ of wantones where as they ought rather to be prouoked through his beneficyall goodnes bothe to maynteyne and furnyshe the Innocencie frely geuen them with godly studious endeuours and being enflamed with the charitie of the Gospel to do with a good wyll the workes of ryghteousnes more plentiously and more exactely than Moses lawe had appoynted beefore But nowe these men abuse the libertye that is geuen them vnto filthynes and licenciousnes to synne and fall of theyr owne accord backe agayne in to theyr olde bonde seruitude from the which Iesus Christ had redemed theÌ„ with his owne bloud denye God whom they once professed where as he is the onely lord maister of all thinges that are in heauen and in earthe and denye also our lorde Iesus Christ which hathe made vs free to him selfe with the price of his owne sacred bloude It auaileth vs nothing to bee redemed onles we contynue stedfaste to th ende in those thinges wherunto we are called I thinke it not necessary that I should teache you seing you forgette nothing but I only put you in remembraunce lest the thing that you knowe should slyppe out of mynde It auailed the Hebrues in tymes past nothyng at all whom being the figure of the tymes that nowe are Iesus trained out of the hard and miserable bondage of the Egipcians through the reade sea in to libertie but euen the same whome he mercifully presetued whan they cryed vnto him he destroyed agayn after a worse sorte whan they distrusted and murmured againste God in the deserte That which the bondage of Egipte was vnto them the bondage of synnes was vnto vs that whiche Pharao that straight and intolerable lorde was vnto them the deuil was thesame vnto vs vnder whose tyranny for our owne synnes sake we were intangled They puttyng theyr truste in God escaped safely through the myddes of the waters in to libertye and we in beleuing the Gospell haue through Baptisme escaped Satans enterest But like as some of them made not spede with all one fayth in to the lande of promise and vnto them the goodnes of God was not onely vnauaylable but also it turned in to the heape of theyr damnacion euen so vnto vs it auayleth nothyng to haue once set aparte our synnes onles we also growe forwarde with constaunt myndes in to better and better and preace to the enheritaunce of the life of heauen Moreouer I would haue you to remembre this also that it profited not euen the aungelles them selues to be so created that they were companions of the Godhead but assone as they had chaunged that moste fortunate nature through theyr owne wickednes and persisted not still in the condicion they were in he threwe them downe headlong out of heauen and hauyng depryued them of the light of heauen he damned them in euerlasting darkenes in hel And there they are reserued in cheynes that can not be loced vnto the day of the last iudgement wherin beyng condemned they shall be commaunded to euerlastyng paynes Nowe Sodome and Gomorre and the residue of the cities therunto adioynyng where as they florished in all pleynteous wealthe of thynges because they abused the liberall bounteousnes of God vnto riot and outragious luste defilyng them selues with wiked and abominable sortes of filthines are dispatched by the wrath of God being consumed with fyre from heauen to thintente they myght bee an example vnto other that abuse the benefites of Christ vnto the filthynes of life For they shall not escape the like peyne that synne after like sorte Doe not they sinne after like sorte which being deluded with slouening dreames of false pleasures doe not only defile theyr owne bodies but also set naught by theyr rulers and those that are in autorytie and are not afrayed to rayle agaynst them vnto whoÌ„ for thautoryties sake they are in they ought to do reuereÌ„ce But Michael tharchangel whan he had disputacioÌ„ with the deuil coÌ„cerning the body of Moses was yet afrayed opeÌ„ly to speake raylingly to the deuill though he were the moste filthye feende But where he could not abyde his wicked talkyng he moderately tempred his curse after this wyse The lorde quod he rebuke thee Than if Michael were afrayed to speake cursedly to the deuill â–ª howe muche more intolerable a thyng do they that are not afrayed to curse or speake euyl of men that are set in autoritie and dignitie ouer them But these mennes peruersitie is so great that where they haue no cause yet they speake euyl to the and nayle agaynst those thynges
were shamefully handled it was meate and drinke to youre stomakes But the matters beinge turned ersye versye they haue the fruicion of those pleasures that neuer shall decaye and you bewayle youre shorte and folyshe fyne fyngred pleasures in euerlasting tormentes The texte Be pacient therfore brethren vnto the commyng of the Lord. Beholde the husbande manne wayteth for the precious frute of the earthe and hathe longe pacience there vpon vntill he receaue the early and latter â—ayne Be ye also pacyeâ—t therfore and settle youre heartes for the commynge of the Lorde draweth â—ye Grudge not one agaynste another brethren lâ—ste ye be damned Beholde the iudge standeth before the dore Take my brethren the Prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersitie and of pacyence which spake in the name of the Lorde Beholde we counte them happye whiche endure ye haue heard of the pacience of â—ob and haue knowen what ende the Lord made For the Lord is very pytiefull and mercyfull But aboue all thinges my brethren sweare not nether by heuen nether by earth nether any other othe Let your yee be yee and youre nay naye lest ye fall into ypocrisy If any of you be veâ—ed let hym praye If any of you be mery let hym singâ— Psalmes if any be dyseaâ—ed among you let him call for the elders of the congregacion let them pray ouer hym anoynt hym with oyle in the name of the Lorde and the prayeâ— of faith shal saue the sicke the Lord shal raise hym vp and yf he haue coÌ„mitted synnes â–ª they shal be forgeuen hym Therfore brethren cast not downe your hartes be not sory for your chaunce haue no enuye at the ryche folkes whiche seme to haue thinges as they would haue deuise no reuengement against them but pacientely suffer them vnto the commyng of the lorde Now is the tyme of sowinge than shal be the time of reaping The rewardes of youre godlynes doo not yet appeare but yet they are in sauetie to be deliuered in theyr tyme. Beholde he that is a tyllour of grounde what labour taketh he to his owne coste and all in hope that the grounde shal in his tyme yelde the thinge that it receyued with aduauntage And yet the profite of the groundes is not in euery place certayne If it be not fauourable wether and seasonable rayne in tyme to moysten the grounde that is tilled and at the latter ende to kepe the corne whan it waxeth bigge from the heate the husbande loseth hys labour And where he taketh longe labours here vpon good hope of frute in tyme requireth not that it shoulde by and by appeare vp whiche he hathe sowed how muche more is it reason that you should paciently suffre the displeasures of thys lyfe for the frute of Immortalyties sake namely seinge your rewarde is in sauetie so that you in the meane while make a good sedenes And therfore after the example of the husbande confirme you and plucke vp your stomackes strongly vpon good and sure hope beinge nether desirous of reuengement nether wearye of well doinge The lorde will comme bothe to take vengeaunce vpon the wicked and to rewarde you with immortalytie for your temporall affliccyons Nether is that daye longe to it shall come soner than it is loked for Therfore my brethren let no man thynke hym selfe the more vnfortunate in that he is â—â—â—moiled with many sorowes nether let any manne enâ—y hiÌ„ that lyueth more at hartes ease For nether is he that suffreth the greater griefe forsaken of God but is exercised vnto greater rewardes nether is thys manne therfore the more beloued of God because he lyueth in more quietnes but he wyll haue some whose godlynes should ease other mennes miseries Let not therfore that vngodly mourning â—â—e token of malice and infydelitie be amonge you that you be not condemned For suche kynde of sorowfull mournynges are the fore tokens of a mynde that wryeth downe vnto desperacyon let the shortenes of the tyme comforte you Beholde the iudge standeth at the doore the rewardes are in a readynes for euery one accordinge to the desertes of hys lyfe paste In the meane tyme garnyshe youre myndes with the examples of holy fathers if these thinges sholde haue happened to none but you there had ben matter perchaunce for you to maruaile at The prophetes suffred more greuous matters which opened the true sayinges of God vnto the wicked And like as the wicked riche men at that tyme â–ª could not abyde the prophetes sayinges euen so they canne not abyde the Gospelles doctrine nowe because it is contrary and repugnaunt agaynste theyr studyes Yet no manne bewayleth the prophetes chaunce no manne thynketh them vnhappye in that they suffred emprisonmentes and fetters nor in that they were slayne with sondrye kyndes of tormentes but we iudge them happye in that they were slayne for righteousnes sake You haue hearde tell of the noble example of pacience of Iob. What a sorte of sorowes suffred he by the cruel assaultes of Satan you haue marked hys wrestlyng and you haue marked hym also getting the victorie through the lordes helpe by whose goodnes for euery thynge that was taken from hym by the malyce of Satan he receyued agayne twise as muche The lorde forsoke not his stowte champion but in laying vpon hym so many sorowes he wolde haue his pacience recorded and seene yea and that mercyfull lorde and of his owne nature ready vnto clemencye turneth vnto vs an other mannes malyce into the heape and vauntage of felycitie Let youre mynde bee pure and playne and let youre harte and youre mouthe gooe bothe together Let no man with feyned wordes deceaue his neighbour but especyally my brethren sweare not lest by lytell and litell you accustume your selues to forsweare you Amonge Iewes and heathens for fidelyties sake there is an othe put betwene But amonge Christians whiche ought nether to distrust any manne nether be in will to deceaue it is a vayne thyng to sweare Who so euer is accustumed to sweare is cousyn garmayne to the perill of forswearyng Be you afrayed not onely to sweare by God in humayne affaires and in lyght matters but also absteyne from al kynde of swearing that you sweare nether by heauen nether by earthe or any other thynge that the commune people esteme for holy and religious Who so euer dare be bolde to lye without swearinge he dare do the same also when he sweareth if he luste To be brief he that is a good manne will beleue a manne without swearyng and he that naught is will not truste a manne though he sweare But amonge you that are furnyshed with Gospellike playnesse there is nether place of dystrustinge ne to ymagin deceate But let youre playne communicacion bee regarded for no lesse true and stedfaste than any maner of othe of the Iewes or Paganes how holy so euer it bee As often as you confirme any thynge confirme it with all youre harte and performe in dede the thinge that you
with the worlde and we are in hym truely in that we folowe hys doctrine and promyses with an vpryght conscience as longe as wee are in hys sonne Iesus Christe whome he sent into the worlde for that intent He is the true god whiche onely ought to be honoured and the true lyfe whiche onelye oughte to bee desyred Lytell chyldren yf you doo truelye knowe the true God beware of false goddes and vayne Images whyche the worlde hathe in honoure He wurshyppeth an Idole that maketh moneye hys God He wurshyppeth an Idole that maketh hys bely hys God He wurshyppeth an Idole that for worldelye honoures sake despysethe the commaundementes of GOD. There be manye suche kyndes of Images Beware you of all yf you wyll abyde in the wurshippe of the true God Whyche humble prayer of myne he vouchesafe to make good by whose goodnes wee are delyuered from oure erroures Amen Thus endeth the Paraphrase vpon the fyrste epistle of Sainct Iohn The Paraphrase of Erasmus of Roterodame vpon the Seconde Epistle of Iohn The text The elder to the electe lady and her children whom I loue in the trueth and not I onely but also all that haue knowen the trueth for the truthes sake whiche dwelleth in vs and shall be in vs for euer With vs shall be grace mercie and peace from god the father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ the sonne of the father in trueth loue I reioysed greatly that I founde of thy children walkynge in trueth as we haue receaued a commaundement of the father And now beseche I thee lady not as thoughe I wrote a newe commaundement vnto the but that same which we haue had from the beginninge that we should loue one another And this is the loue that we should walke after his commaundement This cōmaundement is that as ye haue heard from the begynning ye should walke init For many deceauers are entred into the world which confesse nor that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh This is a deceauer and an Antichrist Loke on your selues y◠we lose not that we haue wrought but that we may haue a ful reward Whosoeuer transgresseth bydeth not in the doctrine of Christ hathe not God He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father the sonne If there come any vnto you bring not this learning him receaue not to house nether bid him god spede For he that byddeth him god spede is partaker of his euil dedes Behold I haue tolde you before y◠ye should not be ashamed in the day of the Lord. I had many thinges to write vnto you neuerthelesse I would not wryte with paper ynke but I trust to come vnto you and speake with you mouth to mouth that oure ioye maye be full The sonnes of thy electe syster grete the. Amen I Iohn being an elder wryte vnto the electe lady and to her sonnes also whome I loue syncerely nether doe I thus alone but al that are with me which haue knowē the trueth of the Gospelle nether doe they loue them for any other cause but that they vnderstande the synceritie of the Gospelles profession which we folowe to remayne in vs and shall remayne in vs for euermore Grace mercie and peace be alwayes encreased from God the father and from the Lorde Iesu Christe vnto you that perseuer still in the trueth of the Gospelles doctrine and in mutuall loue one to another I was wonderfully glad whan I perceaued that thy sonnes folowing theyr mothers godlynes contynued still in the truthe of the Gospelles doctrine and not gaue herkenynge vnto false doctours that goe about to turne many awaye from it where the father gaue vs thys in cōmaundement that we shoulde geue eare to the doctrine of hys sonne and that we shoulde not goe out of his fotesteppes Therfore it is no nede nowe ladye for me to instructe thy godlynes with new commaundementes only let vs continue still in that whiche was deliuered from the begynninge that we shoulde loue eche one other with a mutual and a true Christian loue But this beneuolence the consent and all one facion of godly life amonge oure selues must procure that we may lyue in all one purposed studies after the commaundement of God which enioined vs nothing so diligētly as mutual loue amonge oure selues There is no true loue amonge the wiked nor among them that be of vnlike facions Therfore I geue no new commaundement but I geue you warninge diligently to continue still in that which you haue already receaued longe a goe and not to suffre youre selues by any subtilties of the false prophetes to be plucked awaye For in dede there are manye deceauers in the worlde whiche denye that Iesus is Christe whiche shoulde come into the worlde accordinge to the prophetes prophecienges He that teacheth thus is a deceauer and Antichriste him self Christes aduersarie Let euery one take hede to hym selfe leste if he forsake that whiche he hathe well begonne he lose all the frute of those thinges whiche he hathe hitherto done well but let vs geue diligence that we may receaue the full hyre which happeneth not but to them that perseuer still vnto theende Whosoeuer swarueth from the trueth and abydeth not still in the doctrine of Christe he is estraunged also from God the father in that he swarued from the sonne But he that constauntly foloweth his doctrine is in his so doinge dearely beloued both vnto the father and to the sonne The one canne neyther be had nor forsaken without the other Thys is the true doctrine whiche you haue receaued of true recorde bearours from the begynnyng But if any man come vnto you and bringeth a contrary doctrine to this to carye you away from the Gospelles veritie you ought not onely to take no hede vnto him but also he ought not so muche as be admitted in to your house if he desyre lodging nor to be bidden God spede if he chaūce to mete you in the way For it is daunger lest he infecte the household with his familiaritie and for hys lodging requite an euill turne and lest of bidding him God spede there arise communicacion And in dede euil communicaciō corrupteth good maners To be shorte he that saluteth and kepeth company with such a maner deceauour he semeth to be a companyon of his euill dooinges For he geueth a courage vnto the wicked whan he seeth him selfe any whit regarded with them whome he goeth about to subuerte and geueth an outwarde shewe of euill vnto other as though he semed to fauour the naughtynes of hym whose familyaritie he doeth not abhorre There were many other thinges whiche I was desyrous to wryte vnto you concerning these matters howbeit I had rather open them to you presentlye than to put them in wryting For I truste shortly to come see you and talke with you presently mouth to mouthe that the Ioy whiche I haue conceaued of youre constaunt synceritie maye bee more pleynteous and full whan I shall bothe
doctrine And haue made it as it were pale bleaked for very sorow heuynes And this myschiefe hath preuayled in very many landes and in the whole christendom which was at that tyme as great as euer it was And than were dyuerse godly byshops and other Christians persecuted to death in all places for the true faythes sake The trees ¶ And wheÌ„ he had opened the fyfte seale I sawe vnder the aulter the soules of them that were kylled for the word of god for the testimonye whiche they had they cryed with a loude voyce saying How long tariest thou Lorde holy true to iudge and to auenge our bloude on them yâ— dwel on the earth And long whyte garmentes were geueÌ„ vnto euery one of them And it was sayd vnto them yâ— they should rest yet for a lytle season vntyl the nomber of their felowes brethren of them yâ— should be kylled as they were were fulfylled The fyfte seale and the aulter with the soules vnder it maye sygnifye the ryght godly Christen men whiche syghe crye yâ— they might ones see the true honour of god shyne floryshe al rightuousnes to increase And yâ— to procede of yâ— very true fayth true vnderstandynge of the word of god and againe they crye also against the tyrannous gouernour of yâ— wycked magistrates Vnto them is geuen comforte of conscience stedfast trust coÌ„fidence in yâ— promyses of god which can not deceyue them yf they crye earnestly ferueÌ„tly For yâ— is a token of the redempcioÌ„ great comforte yâ— is at hande And in yâ— meane tyme yâ— very same doe obteyne saluacioÌ„ of their soules immediately after their death in yâ— ioyes of heauen wheras they doe wyllyngly and paciently wayte after the resurreccion of their bodyes at suche tyme as the nomber of their felowes shal be accomplisshed and fulfylled Whiche tyme and nomber is onely knowen vnto the lorde The texte ¶ And I beheld wheÌ„ he had opened the syxt seale and lo there was a great earth quake and the sunne was as blacke as sacke clothe made of heare And the mone wexed all euen as bloude the starres of heaueÌ„ fell vnto the earthe eueÌ„ as a fygge tree casteth from her her fygges when she is shaken of a myghtye wynde And heauen vanysshed awaye as a scroll when it is rolled together And al mountaynes yles were moued out of their places And the kynges of the earth the great men the ryche men the chefe captaynes the myghty men euery bondman euery free man hyd them selues in deÌ„nes in rockes of the hylles sayd to the hylles rockes fall on vs byde vs froÌ„ the preseÌ„ce of him that sytteh on the seate and from the wrathe of the lambe for the great day of his wrathe is come and who is hable to endure This syxte seale maye be vnderstande of the great mysery and affliccion which shal aryse be procured thorow anty christ which shal be a very enuy of Christ and of all true holynes whiche shal esteme make himselfe a god And he shall set furthe in al thinges his owne glorye honour pompe iust pleasure against the holy word of god And all this shall he doe with all wylfulnes tyrannye false doctrine hypocritical and supersticious holynes with mans ordinaunces and he shal haue wonderful successe ther with And therfore there shall great affliccions aryse in the world and terryble earthquakes shal be sene whiche shal euidently declare the greuous myseries whiche shal ensue ther vpon And all these thinges shal be knowne accordyng vnto the maner of the scripture the prophetes and of Christ himselfe also thorow yâ—â—â—lypse darckenyng of the sunne â–ª of the Moone and tokens of bloode thorow the fallynge of the starres WhaÌ„ as in the holy state vnderstande yâ— spiritualty standerous persons shal reygne whiche shall blemyshe that ordre state with wyckednes shal do muche hurt bothe vnto the bodyes and soules of them for whose welth and saluacions sake they ought by dutye and office wyllyngly and gladly to gyue and to loose their owne bodyes and lyues For truth it is yâ— after the tyme of the heretikes the enemye of Christ that hell hounde Mahomet dyd aryse in the East parties of the worlde And the maynteyners of ydols and ymages monkery false religions daÌ„nable perpetuall vowes purgatory byeng sellyng of masses for mony the pryde pompe of the spiritualtie specially of yâ— sea of Rome of her decrees cursyng of Emperors Kynges theft robberies warres murthers in finite without noÌ„ber which brought suche misery slaÌ„der heuines as no tong can expresse these I say did aryse in yâ— west partes of yâ— world And this wyl the holy goost sygnifye expresse in this place with suche wordes as men doe vse whaÌ„ they wyl expresse the hyghest sorowes perplexites myseries of any tyme. ¶ The .vii. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I sewe foure Angels stande on the foure corners of the earth holdyng the foure wyndes of yâ— earth yâ— the wynde should not blowe on yâ— earth nether on the see nether on eny tree And I saw another angel ascende from the rysinge of the sunne which had the seale of the lyuynge god and he cryed with a loude voyce to the foure Angels to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth the sea saying hurte not yâ— earth nether the sea nether the trees tyll we haue sealed the seruauntes of our god in their forheades THis perteyneth also vnto the syxt seale as a syngular comforte vnto yâ— right faithfull whiche are tossed and persecuted in this worlde for the truthes sake and for godlynes By these iii.angelles are vnderstande noysome ministers whiche goe aboute to hynder bothe the lyfe and doctrine of the gospel and the true faith These are yâ— messengers of Antichrist scattrid thoroweout the whole worlde they doe great hurte vnto al men of euery degre whiche is sygnified by the earth the sea the trees The holy angel which ascendeth from the rysing of yâ— sonne hath the token or seale of the lyuyng god is our lord Iesus Christ which hath not onely coÌ„maunded the gospel to be preached vnto al creatures but also thorowe his godly power he doth hinder such as would stop or let it And this he doth thorow his ordinary ministers as wel of yâ— spirituall as also of the temporall sorte And for this cause some men haue vnderstanden by this angell the good Emperour Constantyne But it maye also be some other by whome out fauiour Christe dothe further and set for the the doctryne of the gospell and a Christen lyfe againste all tyannes and Antychrystes This angell therfore shall delyuer the electe children of god from the myddes of the wycked worlde and shall marke or seale them with the token or marke of the blessed whiche is fayth loue and innocency
and by these he shall make them to be knowen vnto the whole christen congregacion The tâ—â—â—◠¶ And I hearde the nombre of them whiche were sealed and there were sealed an C. and xliiii â— of at the crybes of the children of Israel Of the trybe of Iuda were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Ruben were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Gad were sealed twelue M. Of the trybe of Aser wer sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Neptalim were sealed twelue M. Of the trybe of Manasses were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Symeon were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Leuy were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Isacar were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Zabulon were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Ioseph were sealed xii M. Of the trybe of Beniamin were sealed xii M. Thus hathe our sauiour Iesus Christ chosen into his churche coÌ„gregacion not onely out of the gentyles or heathen but also out of the Iewes of all trybes generacions Out of the whiche euen before the passion of Christ there were infynite noumbres scattered dyspersed abrode thorow out the whole world which were conuerted vnto the christen faithe receyued the baptisme or christendome As the holy Apostles also preached first vnto the Iewes the syncere pure christen faith And the nombre of those Iewes the were conuerted by them was doubtles greate throughout the whole world in continuaunce of tyme increased But here in this place after the customeable vse of the holy scripture is marked or sealed a certen appoynted prescribed nomber for an vncerten an vnprescrybed nomber but yet a full and a perfyght nomber For. xii times xii thousande doe make an hundreth and. xliiii thousande For what cause certen are not here rehersed amonge the. xii trybes it is not necessarye to searche For there are euen as many true christians more also thorowe yâ— wyll of god conuerted vnto the true faythe out of yâ— trybe or flocke of Iacob And more shal be dayly conuerted whan as the Christen religion shal be restored and reformed after the rule and square of holy scripture as it was first bylded of the Apostles bysshops of the prymatyue churche The texte◠¶ After this I behelde and lo a great multitude which no man coulde nombre of al nations people and tonges stooe before the seate and before the lambe clothed with longe whyre garmentes palmes in their handes cryed with a loude voyce saying saluacioÌ„ be assâ—râ—bed to him that sytreth vpon the seate of our god and vnto the lambe And all the angels stode in the compase of the seate of the elders of the foure beastes fell before the seate on their faces worshypped god saying Amen Blessing and glorye wysdom and thankes and honour and power and myght be vnto out god for euermore Amen As was before sayd there wer many turned vnto the christeÌ„ faith out of the tribes of the Israelites after yâ— fleshe But there were many more yea infynite nombres out of all other heatheÌ„ people tounges nacions which eueÌ„ froÌ„ the antyquyte as bothe Sybylla Mercurius also more euydeÌ„tly certeinly yâ— patriarke Iacob in ye. xlix of Genesis lykewyse all the prophetes doe testifie dyd looke and wayte for the sauiour Messias Out of the which the christendome did dayly increase waxe greater in yâ— who le worlde thus they became right children of Abraham Israel after the faith to yâ— glorye prayse of god Where vnto al the holy patriarkes had alwayes more respect thaÌ„ eyther to yâ— lande of Chanaan or to the temple of Ierusalem or yet to yâ— circumcision cuttyng of the foreskynne of their bodily but vnnaturall and dysobedient children and posterite Yea or fynally to all maner of Iewyshe ceremonies For those christians that were conuerted froÌ„ the heatheÌ„ in the whole world dyd imbrace receyue the gospel very desyrously feruently framing their lyues in euery condicion therafter reformyng forsakyng their olde heathnyshe synfull lyfe maners pacient in all maner of affliccions Constant and faythfull euen vnto deathe for the true saythe and relygions sake againste ydolatrye supersticion and false religion And for this they haue receyued euerlastyng blisse wherin they laude honour god in the ioyes of heauen euerlastyngly As they also doe no lesse so long as they remayne in the warrefare of this transitorye lyfe wherin they walke as beyng marked and chosen out in all innocencie vertue and godlynes thus euen vpon earth they possesse their soules with pacience in all maner of assaultes and temptacions with a true confidence in god and with a quiet conscience And by this meanes they take here a tast of the blissed hope and loue vntil they obteyue euerlastynge saluacion The texte ¶ And one of the elders answered saying vnto me what are these whiche are arayed in longe whyte gatmentes and whence came they And I sayde vnto him Lorde thou wotest And he sayde to me these are they whiche came out of great tribulacion and made their garmentes large and made them whyte by the bloude of the lambe therfore are they in the presence of the seare of god and serue him daye and nyght in his temple and he that sytteth in the seate wylld well amonge them They shall honger no more nether thirst nether shall the sunne lyght on them nether eny heate â—or yâ— lambe whiche is in the myddes of the â—eare shall fede them and shall leade them vnto fountaynes of lyuynge water and God shall wype awaye all teares from their eyes A certen elder asked S. Iohn to geue him occasion to teache and to instructe him what he iudged and thought of those blessed ones whiche he saw in suche honour with god garnysshed with whyte garmentes And Iohn made a quicke answer sayeng that all those whiche doe cleaue vnto Christe with a true and a perfyght faith and for the faithe and truthes sake suffer paciently wyllingly what aâ—â—lyctioÌ„ so euer god shal sende vnto them thei shal be in great honour and estimacioÌ„ with god And they are suche as asscâ—ybe al their perfightnes vertue and godlynes not vnto their owne workes nor yet vnto their owne fulfyllyng of the lawe wherin they must nedes knowledge them selues gyltye and synful but all together vnto the merytes of the healthsome passion of Christ whiche is and shall euer be their rightuousnes in whome they put their trust and confydence and for his sake they are readye to suffer whatsoeuer god shall lay vpon them These are the holy blessed whiche beginne in this lyfe to haue a delight in godlynes euen with a free spirite And thorowe faythe they are sure of the grace and mercye of god which shal continue for euer towarde them at length they shall haue the cleare fruicion of all goodnes and shall fully possesse that which they doe here hope and
shoulde all together be fulfylled that all prophetes dyd euer prophecye of the kyngdome of Messias the sauiour of the whole worlde whiche is the hyghest misterye Of the whiche thinges all patriarkes and prophetes yea and the apostles also and Christ him selfe dyd speake namely of the tyme of the kyngdome of heauen that was commyng and of the commynge of Christ in his highest honour and glorye whiche shal be manifest and knowen vnto all men and vnto the whole world The texte ¶ And the voyce whiche I hearde from heauen spake vnto me againe and sayde go and take the lytle boke whiche is open in the hande of the angell which standeth vpon the sea and vpon the earth And I went vnto the angell and sayde to him geue me the lytle boke and he sayd vnto me take it and eate it vp it shal make thy belly bytter but it shal be in thy mouthe as swete as hony And I toke the lytle boke out of his hande and eate it vp and it was in my mouthe as swete as â—onâ— and assone as I hade eaten it my bellye was bytter And he sayde vnto me thou must prophecye againe amonge the people and nacions and tongues and to many kynges At this place myght the begynnyng of the .xi. muche more conueniently haue bene appoincted but it is no matter Iohn in the person of all faithfull christians and specially in the person of them whiche should be teachers in the churche of god as the holy bysshops and other apostolicall men heareth the voyce of God speakinge thus vnto him If thou wylt doe and performe thy office and vocacion truly and iustly than goe thy waye and appointe thy selfe therunto withall thy might and power and take in thy hande the holy open and mooste cleare cronicle booke of the holy gospell and worde of God receyue the same and the holy vnderstandinge therof from the holy goost thorow feruent praier And reade therin with faythe loue and moost earnest zeale of Christ hym selfe But he telleth him before that he shoulde not onely reade or synge it wryte or endyte it but that he shoulde with a moost gredy desyre euen deuoure it vp as a foode from God and as the heauenly breade of all faythfull beleuers and that â—e dygest it in to his bowels as a moost cleane and holsome foode Whiche thing can not come to passe with out bytternes of repentaunce and of sorowe and heuynes of the hearte and conscience And specially vnto him that knoweth so muche of the wyll of God and feleth that his spirite is so weake and frayle and his fleshe so wylde and dysobedient and his mynde so stubbourne and obstinate against the spirite of god Or els it may be thus vnderstandeÌ„ that whan a man vnderstandeth the worde of god and knoweth that it ought to be spred furth vnto other that is to saye to the whole churche of God and that the truth ought to be spoken vnto the blynde worlde and that it can not yet be done with out great perell danger of bodye and lyfe than is it doutles bytter vnto him But yet not withstandinge it is swete in the mouthe thorowe the comforte and ioye of the truth and thorowe the ioyful promes of the gospell of rightuousnes and holynes thorow Christ the sauiour of the whole world in al tymes Al this did Iohn in a vision and toke also further instruccion thereof as foloweth ¶ The .xi. Chapter The texte ¶ And then was geuen me a rede lyke vnto a rodde and it was sayd vnto me Ryse meat the temple of god and the aulter and them that worshyp therin and the quier whiche is within the temple cast out and meate it not for it is geuen vnto the Gentiles the holy citie shall they treade vnder fote xiii monethes And I wyll geue power vnto my two witnesses and they shall prophesye a thousande two hundered and .ix. dayes clothed in sacke clothe These are two olyue trees and two candelstyckes standynge before the God of the earth And yf any man wyll hurte them fyre shall procede out of their mouthes and consume their enemies And yf any man wil hurte them this wyse must he be kylled These haue power to shut heauen that it rayne not in the dayes of their prophesyinge and haue power ouer waters to turne them to bloude and to smite the earth with all maner plages as often as they wyll THe lorde doth teuele and shewe vnto Iohn that he wyll vysyte and reforme his churche beyng so sore fallen and decaied whaÌ„ tyme shal be thorowe apostolical men and godly parsons which haue eaten vp and dysgested the booke of god and with great swetnes and plesantnes haue bene feruent and earnest to further and to set furth the wyl of God And thus he geueth hym a â—eâ—wande in his hande as he dyd also vnto Ezechiell to measure to serche out the rightuousnes of the churches and the state of euery one And specially of them whiche by reason of their office and vocacion ought to haue a speciall respecte and regarde to the seruyce of god among the whiche the bysshops and the highe most speciall doctors and teachers of the churche whiche are vnderstande and ment by the quiere for as muche as they are maisters and rulers of the quiere were the mooste wicked and vngodly And they are compared and lykened vnto the heathen and were geuen and delyuered vp vnto them to be punysshed For the heathen and vngodly and supersticious people geuen to al ydolatrie whether they be spiritual or secular they shal treade down destroy and defyle the churche of Christ a long time whiche is to be vnderstande by the xlii monethes the is to saye .iii. yeares an halfe whiche might well sygnifye .iii. hundreth yeares an halfe from the tyme that muche false doctrine many supersticious ceremonies came first into the churche against the manifest worde of God Whiche thinges sprang vp thorow yâ— pompe pryde couetousnes and presumpcion of the spiritual prelates watchmen as they named them selues and so ought to haue bene in dede by their office callyng The two witnesses of repentaunce amendement of lyfe which should take the gospel in hande againe and should restore bryng forthe the booke againe are Enoche Elyas For in the wicked tyme of the Cainites before Noes floode Enoche studyed went about without doubte bothe with word dede to reforme the world to reduce them vnto the true faith in God perfyght loue to their neyghboure againe Wherunto he was moued by the holy goost whiche did worke speake in him yea parauenture also did write thorowe him For there were once bokes of Enoche whiche nowe are not to be gotten And lyke wyse did Elyas also in yâ— time of the lawe but with a wonderfull zeale feruentnes both in word deed thorow the mocion of the holy goost whiche worketh in the ministers
of the churche and to the true vnderstandynge of the truth in all landes and nacions of the earth than euer they dyd in their lyfe tyme as it is euydent that it so happened vnto the holy prophetes and martirs And than shal all the wicked enemies and contemners of the worde of god and of Christes true religion treÌ„ble and feare the iudgement of god not vnworthely and they shall vndoutedly receiue their due rewarde that they haue deserued for the extreme cruelty whiche they haue shewed and declared against the faythfull ministers and seruauntes of God Whiche rewarde they shal receyue with feare tremblynge sorowe smart and paine despaire and with euerlasting shame and confusion folowing Whether any suche thinge hath hitherto or maye hereafter happen let euery true christen harte that trusteth in the mercye of god well consyder and wey by him selfe ¶ The .xii. Chapter The texte ¶ And the seuenth angell blewe and there were made great voyces in heauen saying the kyngdoms of this worlde are our lordes and his Christes he shall raygne for euer more And the .xxiiii. elders whiche syt before God on their seates fell vpon their faces worshipped God sayinge we geue the thankes O Lorde God almightye which arte and wast and art to come for thou hast receaued thy great might and hast raigned And the nacions were angry and thy wrath is come and the tyme of the dead that they shoulde be iudges and that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruauntes the prophetes Sainctes and to them that feare thy name small and great and shouldest destroye them whiche destroye the earth AL this maye be well referred vnto the texte and vision that went before to this purpose that after all matters before mencioned once past there shoulde be an vniuersall godlynes and christen order eyther thorowe the generall preaching of the gospel thorow out yâ— who le world or els thorow the godly lyfe peace and felicitie whiche maye be at that tyme vpon earth As it is possible inoughe thorowe the grace of god and many good christen heartes doe trust and hope that it shall come to passe Or els it maye be vnderstande after the last iudgement of our sauiour Christ of the quietnes whiche shall than immediately folowe after the cruell persecucion of Antichrist as this blessed and comfortable angel preacheth and declareth with his trompet For sure it is that before the latter daye the kyngdome of Christ shall appeare and be receyued of all nacions and yles of the earth euen of the Iewes also whiche at length shal receyue knowledge of their errour and shall confesse their obstinacy and the wickednes of their belefe and conuersacion whaÌ„ they shall see the grace and knowledge of God manifestly reueled in all tongues and speches thorowe the holy worde of god and shal perceyue the kyngdome of Christ the true Messias not to consist in the strayght and narow corner of Canaan nor in the vnhappy citie of Ierusalem whiche is vnhappye by reason of the dyuision and vnquietnes that is in it but in the whole wyde worlde wherin shall be one onely felowshyp and congregacion of the seruauntes of the onely one and almyghtie god whom alone all the holy prophetes of whose faythe the Iewes haue alwayes made so highe boast haue honoured and praysed and lyke wyse the whole regiment and flocke of theirs and the whole worldes Messias and Sauiour whiche was before the creation of the worlde and hath appeared in the worlde in al humylite more than .xv. hundreth yeares almoost longer than the lawe of Moyses dyd endure and continue among the Iewes from the tyme of their delyueraunce out of Egipte vntyll the commynge of Christ whan he toke his manhode in the tyme of the reygne of Herode whan as their regiment and gouernaunce toke an ende What lyes soeuer they feyne of their lande and regyment in Vtopia whiche they name Caspâ—a wherof they must shortly be a shamed and holde their peace and confesse their deceyte falsehede presumpcion damnable lyes of their Talmude of all their false myserable blynde guydes and Rabbynes whose falsehede is nowe open and manyfest vnto all the worlde for as muche as their bokes are made common thorowe the benefyte of printynge vnto all men of learnynge and knowledge So that this myserable people as the holy apostle S. Paule prayeth hath that thing fulfylled vnto them whiche they hoped for and whiche was promysed of God in their tyme vnto their generacion Euen so maye it come to passe vpon earth and that right sone that the honour and glorye of the kyngdome of Christ and of God shall appeare which shal rule for a tyme vpon earth and after yâ— latter iudgement in heauen in euerlastynge blisse As than al holy patriarkes prophetes apostles and all the martirs that euer haue bene shall haue honour and glorye whiche they shall offre vp vnto the euerlastinge and very true God in the sight of all Goddes electe in euerlastinge blisse in yâ— kyngdome of God and of his Messias our sauiour Iesus Christ according to the doctrine of the infallyble moost true word of god But the wicked and vngodly heathen shall haue no part of this honour glorye and blisse but shall suffer and be damned euerlastingly in eternall wrath enuy hatred malyce and despayre For suche is the righteous iudgement of God ouer all men bothe quicke and deade good and bad Euery one shall be rewarded accordyng to his workes and desertes after the iust iudgement of almyghtye God without all maner of parcialytie or respecte of persons whether they be of high or lowe estimacion in the worlde whether they be riche or poore and of what lande or contrey so euer they be For than the holy and faithful shal receiue of Christ euerlasting saluacion for their trust faith and loue towarde God and contrarye wyse the wicked and vngodly tyrannes aduersaries persecutours of the faithfull seruantes of God for their obstinate blyndnes infydelitie and contemninge of Goddes holy wyll and worde shall peryshe for euer and shall remayne euerlastingly cursed and damned withal wicked spirites Thus farre as semeth vnto me doe the visions and prophecies reache that are hetherto past and mencioned in this boke But nowe that whiche foloweth is another reuelacion pertayning to an other tyme. For a man must not seeke any other order of yâ— scripture in this boke whiche is compact together of many and diuerse visions without any obserued order than in other writinges of the prophetes as they that are learned doe knowe well ynoughe The texte ¶ And the temple of god was opened in heauen and there was sene in his temple the arcke of his testament and there folowed lyghtnynges and voyces and thondrynge and earthquake and muche hayle Here might the .xii. chapter well begynne and these wordes myght be vnderstande and taken for a preparacion vnto the very glorious and newe reuelacioÌ„ which is nowe as I sayde before opened vnto
vnto the lorde desierous of his mercye and grace and beloued of him from euerlastinge and ordeyned vnto his kingdome as ioyfull and desierous first frutes whiche men doe eate with a great lust desire and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge as it ought to be Their faithe is so acceptable and pleasant before God as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope without the which it can not be decketh and hydeth all thâ—ir synnes howe many howe great and howe greuous so euer they were And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes euen their synnes also and all maner of thinges hapned and ended vnto the best As it hapned vnto Dauid Peter Paule and Marie Magdalene and vnto al holy sainctes and elect sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour For althoughe all men and all sainctes are synners before God yet for the lambes sake in whome they truste they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God The 〈◊〉 ¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kynredes and tonges and people saying with a loude voyce Feare God and geue honoure to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshyp him that made heauen and earth and the sea and fountaines of water And there folowed an other angell sayinge Babilon is fallen is fallen that great citie for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her fornicacion The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell are ofte called angels as they maye well be Of the whiche the kyng Christ sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth That the holy and sincere doctrine the gospell might sone and frutefully flye throughe the christen churche Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore haâ—e and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede and with great power throughe his ministers and deputies And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe For the voyce and trueth therof is this bothe open and cleare that God onely is the lorde and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consciences lyghtned with gods worde do confesse And the loude voyce of the gospell soundeth thus Feare God as godly children doe their moost louynge father honour him onely for all grace and goodnes can come from none but from him onely and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement that it be not resisted against all wickednes vngodlines vngraciousnes And worship him onely with inuocacion that hath made heaueÌ„ and earth and al that is therin Against this gospell dothe the dragon euermore speake with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes whiche syns Caims tyme hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth because they thincke and imagine that it wyll be an hinderauÌ„ce vnto their pompe pryde vngodly and abhominable lyuinge But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised against this lambe the worde of God against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes as well the Babilonicall confusion as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye The holy gospell rightly vnderstande shall beate downe confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen The texte ¶ And the thirde angell folowed them saying with a loude voyce If any man worship the beast and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forheade or on his hande the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyshed in fire and brymstone before yâ— holy angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no rest daye nor night whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his name Here is the pacience of sainctes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist resisting and withstandinge the gospell and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute studieth to banysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp in the temple of the christeÌ„ churche as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche but were absent and had forsaken it and had broken his promisse And as thoughe the gospell were in his I meane Antichristes power and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde infydelitie and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe couetousnes pleasure pastime and to bleare and deceaue the simple He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe And besydes this he byndeth them with a wicked othe and a deuillyshe vowe against all godlynes and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god without all maner of shame and feare Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast or eyther worship or maynteyne him they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup powred out of God and redye at hande wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes of Christ him selfe and of the apostles with as muche shame opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of yâ— wrath of God goyng forwarde in
their wickednes without repentaunce and neuer returning backe vntil their last howre vntyll their very death than is it not possyble but that their damnacion begon here in this worlde in all myschefe wickednes and without sorowe repentance or amendment leauynge example vnto their posterite to committe and to maynteyne lyke wickednes it is not possible I saye but that the smoke of their payne torment shall ascende vp from euerlasting to euerlastinge without any maner of rest daye or night with all those which dyd euer helpe vnto suche vngodlynes or consent vnto it opened such a dore vnto wickednes and woulde be extolled and praysed therfore with their Antichristes marke contrarye to the holy token of gods electe whiche they haue in their foreheades namely the holy worde of God for the whiche they haue suffered muche payne and opprobrye but with excedynge great pacience for Iesus sake The texte ¶ And I hearde a voyce from heauen sayinge vnto me wryte Blessed are the deed which herafter dye in the Lorde euen so sayth the spirite that they rest from their laboures but their worckes folowe them In so great danger of the faithful vnder the iurisdiccion of Antichristes abhominacion with his .ii. hornes and vnlawfull vsurped power vpon bodye and soule vtterly against the worde of god whiche is the onely comforte of al faithfull soules is it necessary that some comforte come vnto them from heauen aboue whiche the lambe sendeth vnto all true christians thorowe the holy gospell which the spirite of God writeth in their hartes to beleue stedfastlye that it can not be otherwyse in this worlde but that all they whiche wyll folow Christ must beare the crosse euen vnto death as Christe the innocent lambe dyd but afterwardes shall they see nothing but euerlastinge saluacion merited purchased vnto them thorowe the passion and death of Christe to the iustificacion and merite of eternall saluacion of all the electe Whiche comforte shall be muche greater in their soules in the kynkdome of Christe than is possible for al the merites of man to deserue or obteyne And speciallye at suche tyme as the glorified bodye shall be ioyned and vnited againe vnto the blissed soule after the latter daie And therfore the good workes of the faithful as thei doe not goe before their faith and loue but are onely the frutes of them euen so shall they not preuent the merite of Christ for all electe from euerlastinge but as the spirit of Christ saythe they folowe and come after them whan they haue obteyned rest and peace thorowe the free grace and mercye of God and thorowe the merite of Christes rightuousnes after this I saye thorowe faithe haue folowed good workes out of an humble and obedient heart whiche workes the lorde wyl graciouslye crowne as his gyftes and receyue and rewarde them as acceptable vnto him The texte ¶ And I loked and beholde a whyte cloude and vpon the cloude one syttinge lyke vnto the sonne of man hauinge on his heed a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe spckle And another angell came out of the temple cryinge with a loude voyce to him that sate on the cloude Christ in thy syckle and reape for the tyme is come to reape for the corne of the earthe is rype And he that sate on the cloude thrust in his syckle into yâ— earth and the â—arth was reaped Althoughe the right faithfull garnyshed with good workes after yâ— worde of God were euermore sure of their saluacion yet not withstandynge the iudgement of God whan his tyme is come goeth forwarde against all suche thinges as are set vp against the worde of God As it was readye at hande at one tyme by reason of the obscuringe and blyndinge of gods worde amonge yâ— Iewes thorowe the cursed Talmud wherunto they gaue more faith and credence and cleaued more earnestly vnto it than vnto the lawe of God and to the prophetes And lykewyse among the christians specially among the hyghe bysshops and prelates with their glorious tytles of Popes Patriarkes Cardinals Primates and suche other orders of the whiche one euer desiered to be aboue a nother sekyng alwayes their owne glorye lust pompe honour and dignitie and not the wil of God faithe godlynes of lyfe nor yet the gospell whiche they haue alwayes pretended falsely and craftilye to colour and cloke their myschefe and wickednes As concerninge the Turkes faithe we can saye but lytle what their greatest faut wickednes and beastlynes is we haue had more knowledge by writinges than by any profe or experience But it is to be feared yf God be not mercifull vnto vs we shall learne it soner than we woulde In the myddest of all this thorowe the trompet of the gospel beyng blowen out in our tyme after a wonderfull sorte thorowe the spirite of Helyas whiche appeareth commeth abrode plentuouslye and effectuouslye is rysen and daylye ryseth suche a mouynge and sterringe vp of mens hartes suche a knowledge of the truth such a lyght and lanterne of doctrine and such a iudgement of Antichristes workes suche a feare of the wrathe of God so that there is a good hope that yâ— holy and holsome seede of gods worde so plentiously sowne and spred abrode shall not returne againe without great frute and edifâ—enge of the faithe and the lyfe of men For as for the Iewes whether they wyll or no they must nedes despaire of their workinge their faithe their doctrine and of all their state whan as they see that the whole kyngdome of heauen whiche they take to be theirs peculiarely to be taken from them and to be made common vnto all them that feare God thorowe the whole worlde more than euer was founde by them Euen so also amonge the christians the doctrine and profession of the holy gospell true faythe and all godlye vertues shall waxe and increase in the heades and rulers of the christendome as it shall also be ioyfullye receyued of all true Christen subiectes notwithstandynge that the nomber of them shall alwayes be least And also the knowledge vnderstandinge lernynge and readynge of the holy scripture shall somwhat increase amonge the spirituall prelates as it shoulde be hoped for and with most earnest and feruent prayer desired and called for of god And it is well to be thought and to be beleued that the Lord wyll doe his parte also euen in suche wyse as is here promysed so yâ— Antichrist beyng thus put to shame but yet remayninge styll impenitent shall be reaped downe with the syckle of gods worde thorowe the spirite of Helyas and shall be cut downe thresshed not to the destruccion but to the profyte edificacion and saluacioÌ„ of the world This hath our Lorde and sauiour Christ brought to passe whiche is alwayes the heade of the churche who is not onely present therwith but also doth graciouslye rule and gouerne it edifieth and helpeth it and he with and roteth out the enemies and aduersaries with the sickle of his
plages of the seuen angels were fulfylled Nowe as the gospell is come abrode in to the worlde thorowe Christ and his Apostles to the synguler profite of the faithfull and elect and to the saluacion of their soules euen so is it a stomblynge stone offence coÌ„demnacion an hurte or losse vnto the wicked and speciallye vnto the kyngdome and dominion of Rome for a long space whiche hath resisted it with force with dyuerse assaultes of body goodes and possessions against the true faith and with cruel tyranny whiche the almightye and rightuous god at his tyme hath alwayes taken in hande to punyshe most greuouslye and hath brought it also to passe The openynge of the tabernacle of testimonye is the manifest fulfillynge in the newe testament of those mysteries and secretes whiche were hydden and sygnified in the olde testament vnder diuerse ceremonies The seuen angels whiche came out of the temple are the multitude of ministers and preachers of the gospell which serueth vnto the wicked for the increase and augmentacioÌ„ of their damnacion For the whiche cause they maye be called plages as Christ was called of Simeon a fall but to the comforte of saluacion vnto the electe These angels and euangelical preachers must be pure in al their conuersacion and must haue their breastes girded about with faith and loue with all the harte soule and mynde garnysshed with all godly vertues To one of the angels dothe Christ geue thorowe the .iiii. beastes as is also sygnified in the .iiii. Chapter power to bringe furthe and to publyshe abrode the gospell whiche maye be signified by the vyals full of the wrathe of God against the wicked and vnfaithfull But full of grace and mercye vnto the faithfull whiche abyde and suffer bothe payne and ioye welth and woe And thus is the temple of God the Christen churche fylled with swete smellinge smoke of the prayse honour and goodnes of God truly confessing and knowledginge the power and might of God And the churche of Christ coulde not be at rest nor coulde not quietly prosper vntyl these .vii. plages came forthe of the which plages the gospel beyng preached by the ministers of God wherof there were a great multitude sent of god was the occasion ¶ The .xvi. Chapter The texte ¶ And I hearde a great voyce out of the temple saying to yâ— seuen angels go your wayes poure out your vyalles of wrathe vpon the earthe And the first angell went and powred out his vyalle vpon the earth and there fel a noysome and a sore â—otche vpon yâ— men which had the marke of the beaste and vpon them which worshipped his ymage And the seconde angell shed out his vyalle vpon the see and it turned as it were into the bloude of a dead man and euery lyuinge thing died in the see And the thirde angell shed out his vyalle vpoÌ„ the riuers and fountaynes of waters and they turned to bloude And I hearde an angell saye Lorde whiche art and wast thou art righteous and holy because thou hast geuen suche iudgementes for they shed out the bloude of sainctes and prophetes and therfore hast thou geuen them bloude to drincke for they are worthye And I hearde another out of the aultar saye euen so Lorde God almightie true and righteous are thy iudgementes THe mercye of God vouchsaued to preserue augment to prosper the regiment of the Romaynes at yâ— beginninge of yâ— whiche whan it was in most quietnes the tyme was come that Christe shoulde be borne And God offered his grace vnto this kyngdome and sent them his holy gospell thorowe the holy apostles to the synguler welth and profyte bothe of that kyngdome and also of yâ— who le earth out of yâ— which yâ— world might lerne peace loue humilitie pacience gentilnes temperance and all true vertues and speciallye faithe in the one onely God and hope of saluacion in tyme to come also true christen loue one to another This dothe the gospel and all writynges of the apostles exhort and moue men vnto mooste earnestly But this so holy and profytable doctrine and inuincible trueth hath the dragon alwayes withstanden and resysted with his beast the Empire and regiment of Rome the first and seconde wherof is spoken before And for this cause this kingdom hath wel deserued many and diuerse punishementes whiche the lorde God hath permitted thorow his ministers of rightuousnes whiche are to be vnderstande in this place by the angels and the vials full of plages whiche are come and fallen vpon the dysobediente and the contemners and despysers of faithe loue and of the trueth The firste plage is fallen vpon all ydols and false goddes whiche they had set and packed together in one tempel of Pantheon that is to saye all goddes But the ydolatrye of these false Goddes was subuerted and ouer throwen thorowe out the whole Empire of Rome thorowe the holy gospel as the Chronicles doe euidently testifye Thus dyd the religion and gods seruice of the Romaynes first fele the wrathe of God againste their wylles but all hapned vnto the faithfull for the best to the honour and glorye of God and to the furtheraunce and profyte of the Christen churche and congregacion The seconde plage of the seconde angell is the seconde iudgement of God againste the regiment of Rome and this is imbeselynge and diminyshe of their power and dominion â–ª many landes and people fallynge from them and that with muche bloude sheddynge of the Romaynes as it is playnely mencioned in the stories as of Nero Domicianus and Iulianus and dyuerse other The thirde plage maye be vnderstande of the destruccion of the citie of Rome thorow yâ— Gothes wandales and other enemyes of the Romaynes â–ª which had no maner of lettes or hynderaunce neyther of hylles nor of dales of see nor of waters neyther by any host or power of men nor yet by any strength or keping of cities Of this plage of the Romaines al stories make mencion at large And as than had yâ— bloody kyngdom of Rome an end for the whiche cause the angel crieth iustly lorde thou art rightuouse c. The angell of the waters may be taken for the angell of God whiche did gather together suche a great multitude of people which came altogether against this kyngdom because it had so long plaged al people and shed so muche holy martirs bloode for the true and christeÌ„ faithes sake which must nedes be reueÌ„ged And therfore is this rightuous and manifest iudgement of God praysed againe the seconde tyme and preached of goddes angels with highe thanckes geuynge The texte ¶ And the fourthe angell powred out his vyall on the sunne and power was geuen vnto him to vexe men with heate of fyre â–ª And the men raged in great heate and spake euyll of the name of God whiche hath power ouer those plages and they repented not to geue him glorye And the fyfte angell â–ª powred out his vyalle vpon the seate of the beast and
suttyltie falsede crafte of suche miracles as are or haue ben done wherby as it hath ben is euident inoughe they haue begyled bothe riche kinges princes and yâ— who le world of their goods possessions thorow their false doctrine And they fight and kepe batel alwayes against yâ— holy gospel as Gog and Magog did against Ierusalem with dyuerse victories and triumphes but they shal be ouercome at length thorowe the power of gods worde and of yâ— gospell reueled and come to light thorowe the spirite of Enoche Helyas of the whiche is before mencioned in the great daye of God the almighty which shall come at suche tyme as no man is ware of and whan all men thincke to be most sure eueÌ„ at suche tyme as the wickednes of these .iii. spirites shal be most strong and at the highest As than shall the godly ministers of the gospel indewed and strengthned with the spirite of Helias ioyfully come furthe against these deuils and against al maner of errours bothe of the faith and of the outwarde lyfe As than shall those be happye whiche watche and are careful with great diligence for the christen doctrine and religion whiche are clothed with the power of the holy goost and with a right zeale whiche set furthe the workes of God as dyd Helyas not onely with wordes and wrytinges but also with lyfe deedes examples continuaunce and constantnes in goodnes without any pryde or desyre of vayne glorye that no man shall euer see any shame by them But the iudgemeÌ„t of God hath gathered the .iii. vncleane spirites into one place into the eternall fyre of damnacion and euerlastinge shame payne and confusion whiche is prepared and promysed to the deuyll and his angels For Harmagdon maye sygnifye as muche as the iudgement of curse The texte ¶ And yâ— seuenth angel powred out his vyalle into the ayre And there came a voyce out of heauen from the seate sayinge it is done And there folowed voyces thonderynges and lightninges and there was a great earthquake suche as was not sence men were vpoÌ„ the earth so mightye an earthquake and so great And the great citie was deuyded into thre parties and the cyties of al nacions fell And great BabiloÌ„ came in remembraunce before God to geue vnto her the cuppe of the wyne of the featcenes of his wrathe Euery yle also fled awaye and the mountaynes were not founde And there fâ—ll a great hayle as it had bene talentes out of heauen vpon the men and the men blasphemed God because of the plage of the hayle for it was great and the plage of it sore This seuenth angell is more harde vncerten to interprete and to expounde than all the other Lyke as it is more vncerten to wryte of thinges to come than of suche thinges as are alredy past It may wel be a great feare in tyme to come that yâ— kyngdom of the Turkes for a short space shal be a great plage sorow an heuy iudgemeÌ„t ouer the corrupte decayed christeÌ„dome Whiche plage may here be founde marked out of these wordes yâ— it shal happeÌ„ come to passe before suche tyme as the Lambe his ministers shal rule vpon yâ— earth that both Iewes heathen shal be conuerted vnto Christ yâ— it may be sayde it is al done and so vp yâ— the full end of the worlde to come the terrible iudgement of God to fal vpoÌ„ one sorte parte of men whiche shall than be a lyue whiche is yâ— first parte And the other part is of them whiche shall ryse vp vnto euerlastynge saluacion And yâ— thirde is of them which are already damned which is and shal be the greatest part Vnto whom this iudgemeÌ„t all that shal goe before or come after it shal be more fearful terrible thaÌ„ any hart can thincke or any toung expresse which terrible heuy thing is here sygnified as muche as is possyble by the terryble voyces thonders lightninges earthquakes ouerthrowing of the greatest mightiest cities kingdomes as BabiloÌ„ Rome were What thing can be thought or ymagined more terrible fearfull Whiche thing this cursed and damnable worlde shall and muste suffer by the rightuous iudgemente of God and it muste fele the great wrathe of God forasmuche as it hath alwayes despised the blessed gospel and Christ our sauiour and redemer And therfore the great and heauye stroke and plage of gods rightuous iudgement shal fal vpon the worlde and yet shall it not amende them but as damned parsons shall cast and set them into euerlastinge blasphemye of God wherin they are hardened and wil not amende Whiche is the highest greatest plage that the lorde God maye or wil sende vpon his enemies ¶ The .xvii. Chapter The texte ¶ And there came one of the seuen angels which had the seuen vialles talked with me saying vnto me come I wil shewe thee yâ— iudgement of the great whore that sytteth vpon many waters with whome haue committed fornicacion the kynges of the earthe and the inhabiters of the earth are droncken with the wyne of her fornicacion And the spirit caried me away into the wildernes And I saw a woman syt vpon a rose coloured beast full of names of blasphemye whiche had seuen heades and ten hornes And the woman was arayed in purple and rose coloure and decked with golde precious stone and perles and had a cup of golde in her hande full of abhominacions and fylthines of her fornicacion And in her forheade was a name wrytten a mistery great Babilon the mother of whordome and abhominacions of the earth And I saw the wyfe droncken with the bloude of sainctes and with the bloude of the witnesses of Iesu And when I sawe her I wondred with great marueyle ONe of the seuen angels whiche spake of the seconde kyngdome and iurisdiccion of Rome of yâ— beast with .ii. hornes commeth now againe wyll speake more largely sufficiently of Antichrist whiche is his chiefe pricke â–ª marke wherat he wil shote Whom he nameth here with a new name the great whore whiche wil be yâ— head chiefe gouernour of many nacioÌ„s whose special abiding is in yâ— lande named Italy which lieth in yâ— see in maner as yâ— lesser Asia dothe With this pompous suttil deceightfull shameles lecherous proude state of yâ— papacy haue kinges coÌ„mitted whordoÌ„ almost these thousaÌ„de yeares beyng sometyme frendes together and sometyme enemyes sometyme one in his chiefe fauour and sometyme another And thus haue all Christen kyngdoms suffred them selues to be ruled and ledde yea to be put in feare and againe in coÌ„forte and ioy by him what with his suspendinge and cursynge vntyll he crepte so farre into the churche of God and became the highest desolacion and decaye therof that euer was This woman vpon the rose coloured beast is not onely arayed with red scarlet robes â–ª lyke as his Cardinales are otherwyse than euer Christ or his
her was founde the bloude the prophetes and of the sainctes and of all that wer slayne vpon the earthe Suche a nother thing dyd Ieremy also prophecye of the kingdome of BabiloÌ„ and euen as he prophecied so came it to passe And euen so doubtles shall â—â— lykewyse come to passe vnto this proude presumpcion and lykewyse vnto all vngodly tyrantes whether they be of the spiritualtye or of the temporaltie An heuy and greuous iudgement shall take and ouerthrowe the mightye of the worlde whiche mysuse their power and might Yea and it shall vtterly fall and decaye with all their ioy lust pryde and tyrannye whiche they haue vsed in the tyme of their gouernaunce And specially the spirituall ministers of god whiche for their office and vocacions sake ought to haue done and taught otherwyse And lykewyse suche handy craftes as haue serued ydols ydolatrie and maynteined false goddes and false goddes seruyce inuented onely for lucre and for no godlynes shall also haue an ende And lykewyse the ydel priestes with suche as depende vpon them an vnprofytable kynde of people and al suche thinges as haue ministred occasion vnto worldly lustes pleasures and delyciousnes shall haue lyke end and fall as Tyrus Babilon and Nynyue of the whiche the prophetes make mencion As Rome the Romyshe Empire also had once Muche more shall it happen lykewyse vnto the Papacye and yâ— courte of Rome and to yâ— prelates whiche ought to be spiritual as they also name them selues but in very in dede are more carnall and worldly than any other What godly men haue bene destroyed for the truthes sake in councels and at Rome it is so euydent that it neadeth not here to be rehersed ¶ The .xix. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I herde the voyce of muche people in heauen sayinge Alleluya Saluacion and glorye and honour power be ascribed to the Lorde out God for true and righteous are his iudgementes for he hath iudged the great whore whiche dyd corrupte yâ— earth with her fornicacion and hath auenged the bloude of his seruauntes of her hande And againe they sayde Alleluia And smoke rose vp for euermore And the xxiiii elders and the foure beastes fell downe and worshypped God that sate on the seate sayinge Amen Alleluya And a voyce came out of the seare sayinge prayse our Lorde God all ye that are his seruauntes and ye that feare him bothe small and great IF a man might so say what dothe the punishment of the wicked tyrantes and their damnacion helpe or profyte the godlye and faithfull christians whiche are persecuted of the dragon of the beast and of yâ— false prophetes for the true faithe and religions sake euen vnto deathe Hete in this place is a sufficient and perfight answer vnto this question For thus it is sayde the same godly ministers and faithfull witnesses of Christe the crucified and slaine lambe they doe nothynge els in heauen in their immortall soules but synge thankes and laudes vnto God almightie styrring prouokyng and exhortynge one a nother with lyke affeccion and zeale to prayse God For Alleluia is nothinge els but prayse God Allelu is as muche to saye as prayse ye And ya is one of the names of the lorde God wherby he is named of whiche names there are dyuerse Nowe here maye we learne with what maner of wordes we shoulde and shall prayse God bothe here and also in heauen Namely thus all saluacion and goodnes whiche may be profitable vnto vs and maye be desyred of God and againe all laude and prayse for al maner of benefites and goodnes perteyneth onely vnto the mooste mercyfull eternall and almightye onely one God and must be ascribed vnto him Honour whiche is a profession and a declaracion of al vertue and godly kindnes and loue and of al mighte power and omnipotencye is due onely vnto the true onely and eternall God creatour and maker of all creatures For all his workes and iudgemeÌ„tes are right commendable holy and true without all maner of parcialitye and specially for as much as he hathe subdued and brought downe the glorious and proude tyrantes bothe of the spiritualtie and of the temporaltie and hath sent them to eternall damnacion And hathe caused their wickednes and abhominacion also to come to lyght in this worlde to the synguler comforte of the faithfull electe that were oppressed of them And thus they cease not to gyue lawdes and thanckes vnto God saying continually Alleluia But the smoke is the true oblacion and the right sacrifice whiche the holy sainctes doe offer in heauen euerlastinglye and performe also vpon earthe in the holy churche euen vntyll the latter daye I meane geuynge of thanckes and acknowledging the goodnes of God as is before sayd This oblacioÌ„ sacrifice is made coÌ„tinually without ceasynge with infynite and vnspeakeable ioy of al holy patriarkes prophetes Apostles mattirs and of the whole heauenly felowship and of all them whiche euer from the beginning haue pleased the lord God with faith loue hope and obedience But the maner and the ceremonies with the wordes reuerence and ioy whiche the holy and faithfull electe do vse dothe the holy scripture describe after the maner capacite of men in suche wyse as may be best vnderstande and perceyued of vs. Amen is as muche as that God is the trueth faithful in keping of all his promises and wordes And here maye we learne that we shoulde not name nor esteme the holy and faithfull saintes as princes and rulers of heaueÌ„ for as muche as they name them selues but seruantes of God and are no better and that also not by merite and deserte but onely by the grace and eleccion of god And also some are also greater and higher than other as Abraham parauenture than Isaac and Ioseph than Simeon Peter than Philip but that ought not curiously to be serched out of man In heauen shall we see and knowe perfitely the cause and occasion of the iudgement of God but not in this lyfe The texte ¶ And I hearde the voyce of muche people euen as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of stronge thoâ—dringes saying Alleluia For the Lorde our god omnipotent raigneth Let vs be glad and reioyce and geue honour to him for the mariage of the lambe is come and his wyfe made her selfe readye And to her was graunted that she should be aâ— rayed with pure goodly raynes For the raynes is the rightewesnes of saintes And he said vnto me write happy are they which are called vnto the lambes supper And he said vnto me these are the true sayinges of God And I tell at his fete to worship him And he said vnto me se thou do it not For I am thy felow seruaunt and one of thy brethren euen of them that haue the testimony of Iesus Whorship God For the testimonye of Iesus is the spirite of prophecye This maye be vnderstande of yâ— holy faithful saintes vpon earth whiche
after the manifest ioyfull preachinge of the gospell as muche as is possible in the whole world whan as both Iewes and Turkes shal become Christen shal prayse thancke the almighty God for suche syngular grace and mercie which hath hitherto bene hindered kept downe with such force and violence by Antichrist As thaÌ„ shal the glory prayse of god increase in yâ— christen churche which is the kingdome of Christ And thorow the gospell promysed vnto Christ the bridegrome â–ª which church as a faithful and deare beloued spouse which here in this world loueth honoureth Christ as muche as she can shall be fylled and satisfied with all goodnes in eternall blisse and saluacion The sylken aray is the innocency of lyfe in this world thorow yâ— grace of Christ and in heauen it is the immortal glorificacion of body soule For than shall man be right blissed whaÌ„ as he shal be fully satisfied in god thorow Christ with aboundaÌ„ce plentuousnes of all benefites and goodnes which can be desiered or wyshed That same is yâ— euerlasting supper of the mariage of Christ wherwith Christ shal honour his electe make them blissed And in al this whiche Iohn seeth in this vision it is said also vnto him yâ— al these thinges visions reuelacions came vnto him from God to the honour of God whiche he as a true faithfull minister should further with al diligence But as Iohn would haue worshipped yâ— parson of yâ— angel whiche spake vnto him yâ— angel would in no wyse suffer him like as no saint neither in heaueÌ„ nor in earth wil suffer any such thiÌ„g nor take it vpoÌ„ theÌ„ nor yet in good worth For god onely must be worshipped froÌ„ whoÌ„e onely al goodnes commeth and must be desired and looked for of him onely The angels wil be takeÌ„ estemed for nothiÌ„g els but for brethreÌ„ freÌ„des felow seruauÌ„tes of yâ— onely one coÌ„mon general lord felowes withal them yâ— beleue in Christ are ready for his sake vnto al goodnes to suffer al maner of thiÌ„ges eueÌ„ vnto death But this is the right perfyte and sure wysedome which the worldly wyse doe not knowe neyther desyre nor regarde The texte ¶ And I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon hym was called faythfull and true in ryghteousnesse dyd iudge make barrell His eyes were as a frame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that noman knew but he himselfe And he was clothed with a vesture dypt in bloude and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers whiche were in heauen folowed him vpon whyte horses clothed with white pure raynes and out of his mouth went out a sharpe two edged swerde that with it he should smyte the hethen And he shall rule them with a rodde of yron and he trode the wynefat of fearsnes and wrathe of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name writteÌ„ King of Kinges and Lorde of Lordes The spirite of God must speake with men after the maner of men yf he should be vnderstande And therfore he describeth the maiestie of Christ euen after the maiestie of an Emperour For the highe powers are wont to be honoured euen as Christ is here described with his honour laude and name For he is yâ— word of God wherwith this S. Iohn beginneth his gospel and wherby all thinges are made whiche is also God and manne the obiecte of faith that is to saye the thing wherunto yâ— faith of al electe hath her respecte And he is also the rightuous iudge ouer all that euer is in heauen or in earth whiche hath a fyerye and burning zeale and hate against all wicked whiche contemne and despyse his worde but crowneth all the godly and faithfull with the crowne of his rightuousnes His name is vnknowen vnto all the world the trueth wherof he would not expresse before Pilate and yet trueth gods worde is all one thing This rightuousnes of Christ is signified by the sworde althoughe the worde of God also doth perce thorowe the inwarde harte and mynde of the faithfull as it is written in the .iiii. to the Hebrues But here the sworde is taken for the rightuousnes in gods kyngdome wherwith Christ ruleth the kingdom whych hys father hath geuen hym for his herytage as Dauid sayth For like as he hath ioy in euerlastynge blisse with his wariers hoost that folowe him euen so doth he presse and treade downe all the wicked with eternall damnacion before whome also he trode yâ— presse vntil his vesture was blody But they toke it for a mocke and a folyshe yesâ— as it was vnto the Iewes a slander But yet their knees must bowe vnto him not onely the angels and men in heaueÌ„ and earth but also they that are in hell shall be troden of him with the wrathe of God almightie For without dout he is the king of all kynges and lorde of all lordes The texte ¶ And I sawe an Angel stande soche sonne and he cryed with a loude voyce saying to all the foules that flye by the myddes of heauen come and gather your selues together vnto the supper of the great God that ye maye eate the fleshe of kynges and the fleshe of â—ye captaines and the fleshe of mightie men and the fleshe of horses and of them that syt on them and the fleshe of all fre â—â—â— and bonde men and of small and great And I sawe the beast and the kinges of the earth and their warriers gathered together to make batayle against him that sat on the horse and against his souldiers And the beast was taken and with him that false prophet that wrought miracles before him with whiche he deceaued them that receaued the beastes marke and them that worshipped his ymage These bothe were cast into a ponde of fire burnynge with brimstone and the remnaunt wer slayne with the swearde of him that sat vpon the horse whiche swearde proceaded out of his mouthe â–ª and all the foules were fulfylled with their fleshe Lyke as Chryst maketh a supper vnto hys chyldren and seruauntes in heauen euen so doth he also beynge the sonne of ryghtuousnes make a supper vnto the deuylles to al dampned sowles In euerlasting supper of al bitternes vnblessydnes wherof they maye eate and be partakers altogether And there is than desperacion hate enuye wrathe and murmuringe againste God and all kyndes of euil whiche are sygnified by corporall thinges accordynge to our capacite and after suche wyse as men maye be most moued therby yâ— they must of necessitie marke and consyder it And it is to be noted that S. Iohn seeth these gestes of the deuell in hell that they are the destrâ—yers of yâ— worlde tyrantes of all maner of degrees the beast with .ii. hornes the dragon false prophete all enemyes of gods trueth religion and of all maner of
the spirit and the bryde say come And let him that heareth say also come And let him that is a thirste come And let whosoeuer wyll take of the water of lyfe free Lyke as almightie God saieth vnto Moyses I am the God of thy fathers â–ª c. euen so saieth the angell here in the person of Christe by the inspiracion of Christes spirite that this prophecy was opened and reueled euen of Christ him selfe thorowe the angell vnto holy Iohn and therfore all men ought to credyte and beleue all these sightes visions and reuelacions And they ought also to be propouned and preached vnto the congregacions for their edifienge that the faithfull maye take diligent hede and beware of the terryble and shameful perels daungers and euyls which shal preuayle in the christen church and shortly aryse and beginne as is alredy happened and shall daylye be fulfylled more and more one after a nother as is before sayd But now howe Christ is yâ—â—oole of Dauid marke this wel for as much as for his sake Dauids kingdom was preserued and his posterite also was preserued in the extreme and troblesome affliccions of the Iewishe nacion vntyll suche tyme as Christ our lorde sautout was borne of the stocke and progeny of Dauid For not withstandynge all the synnes wherwith Dauid dyspleased God and dyd in maner greater and more heynous synnes than Saule dyd yet coulde he vse the helpe of no nother thing fauynge onely of faith in the promes of God whiche assured and promised him that Christ the lorde and promised Messâ—as should be borne of his seede wherin he might well reioyse bothe for him selfe and also for al his posteritie other Kynges and Lordes And therfore our lord sauiour Christ is the tooâ—e and generacion of Dauid by reason of his manhode but concernyng his godheade he hath an vnknowen rysinge vp and begynnynge and an vnknowen commynge furthe of an euerlastinge birthe And lykewyse Christ accordynge to his manhode is a bryght mornynge starre whiche should drawe and allure the eyes of al men vnto him as vnto the risyng vp vnto blisse and vnto all saluacion All this is the voyce of Christ â–ª the brydegrome And now foloweth the voyce and desyre of the bryde and spouse whiche out of a true faithe and an heartye desyre and zeale in all faithfull and electe desireth and wyssheth after the seconde comminge of Christ vnto the latter iudgement and so consequently to inioy the participacion of the blessed and perfyte kyngdome in heauen with all faithfull electe bothe with bodye and soule For all the electe children of God doe hunger and thirst after the honour and glorye of Christ in the kingdome of heauen as well they that are vpon earthe as they that are already in heauen â–ª for they wyshe and desyre in their spirite the fulfyllyng of gods wyll and pleasure wherunto with all humblenes and submission they doe vtterly submitte their wyll for they knowe that his wyll is best and moost perfyte And this desire and wyshe of the faithfull electe â–ª pleaseth God well And althoughe he wyl not heate them at suche tyme as they desyre euen at the very same Moment yet he dothe promyse vnto them his gracious ayde and mercye in the meane tyme whiche he wyll doutles performe And all of mere grace and mercye without any maner of deserte The texte ¶ I testifye vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecye of this booke yf any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plages that are written in this booke And yf any man shall minishe of the workes of this prophecye God shal take awaye his patre out of the dooke of lyfe and out of the holy â—â—â—â—e and from the thinges whiche are written in this boke He whiche testifieth these thinges saithe be it I come quâ—â—ly Amen Euen so come Lorde Iesu The grace of our Lord Iesu Christe be with you all Amen In this place first after the speakynge of Christ and againe after the speakynge of the holy bryde and of the christen churche maye the holy Apostle S. Iohn speake these wordes in his owne parson as he dyd in the begynnynge of the booke to warne and exhorte al men there by yâ— no man adde any thing vnto this booke as a new vision no more than to any other booke of holy scripture nor take any thing there from as thoughe any thing might be mysunderstande therin and so refused as vnholy and not good For God wyll not suffer any suche thing to be vnpunysshed nor vnaduenged this is the very intent meanyng of these wordes And therfore such men doe amysse and synne very greatly whiche doe refuse this whole booke as thoughe it were not autentical where as it is euident yâ— it hath bene alwayes songe and reade in yâ— holy churche from the begynnynge to the ende Now are those bookes called Apocripha and vnautenticall whiche men might well reade out of the churche priuately by them selues but not in the churche and congregacion Nor it is not lawfull to confirme and mainteyne any maner of doctrine concerninge our faithe and relygion by the auctoritie of any suche vnautenticall bookes except it were in all pointes conformable vnto other holy scriptures And now that that foloweth here after where as he sayeth he which testifieth these thinges saieth c. These wordes maye be referred vnto that that goeth before where Christ speaketh of the callynge of the bryde Euen the same Christe sayeth here at the last ende againe yea I come without doubte take no thought nor thincke it not long the tyme is not long vnto me whiche am that I am Amen that is to saye without any doubt After this dothe holy S. Iohn conclude and ende this booke after the maner of the apostles desiring eâ—nestly the commynge of the kyngdome of Christ â–ª very quickely as all faithfull Christians doe The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with all faithfull electe Christians whiche shall be vntyll the ende of the worlde and specially with them whiche reade this booke with faithe and an holy Christen desyre and mynde Amen ¶ The ende of the Reuelacion of S. Iohn thus brefely expounded by the seruaunt of Christ Leo Iude a minister in the churche of Tigury and translated out of the high Duche by Edmonde Alen. Num. xii Eccle. xlv Hebr. iii. Marke xii Luâ— xxi â— Cor. viii Put aparte for yâ— gospel By whoÌ„ we haue receiued grace and Apostleship c. Grace be with you c. For I loue to see you that I might c. I am debter bothe to the grekes and vngrekes For I am not ashamed of the gospel Abacuâ— â—â— Which withhold yâ— truthe â—n vnrighteousnes c. Because that whan they knew god c. And as they regarded not to knowe God c. Whiche men though they knewe the righteousnes of God c. But we are sure that the iudgement of God c. Either dispisest thou