the doctrine of piety to conclude they would haue neither kinges princes nor magistrates to bee of the church of God M. Luth but vtterly bannishe and expell them M. But we teach thus that as longe as we lyue here one this earth we must bee subiect and obay the magistrate For the faith of Christe doth not disalowe outwarde pollicie and cyuill gouernment And therefore it is not lawfull for any man to withdrawe him selfe from obedience due to the magistrate as our Anabaptistes and popishe Bysshops doe for there be many decrees extant of our hygh Bysshops bearing this title Of ecclesiasticall liberty or freedome Aug. Marâ— A which must needes bee the meere inuentions of Satan if this doctrine of the Apostle doe come from the holy ghoste as it is not of vs to bee doubted 9. Yet Mychaell th'archangell when hee stroue against the diuell The texte and dysputed aboute the body of Moses durst not giue raylinge sentence but sayde the Lorde rebuke thee Yet Mychaell th'archangell M. This is one of the places for the which M. Luth. the olde auncient writers in time past haue reiected this epistle because hee bringeth in here an example which is red in no place of scripture to weete that Mychaell th'archangell did striue with the diuell aboute the body of Moses Some do thinke that herehence this contention grewe for because that many notable thinges are written of Moses how God buried him neither doth any man know yet where his sepulchre is Then that the scripture doth witnesse of him that there arose no prophet in Israëll like vnto Moses whom the Lorde knewe face to face Deut. 34. vers 10. Syth Moses therefore was of so worthy estimation the doctors doe affyrme that an Angel sent from heauen did bury him neither doth any man knowe of his sepulchre to this day And it was done for this cause least the Iewes if they had had the body of Moses being so excellent and so famous a prophet should vpon this occasion haue fallen to Idolatry and that herehence afterward grew this contention strife aboute the body of Moses whereof Iudas maketh mention here when the diuell would haue it knowne where the body of Moses was to geue the people occasion to coÌ„mit Idolatry to the same Caluin C. Furthermore because they thinke this history to bee taken out of some Apocriphall booke hence came it that this epistle was so litle esteemed But whereas the Iewes haue so many things by tradition of the fathers it is no absurdity to say that Iudas declareth that which hath bene receaued from hand to hande many yeares and longe agoe Wee know verely that many foolishe toyes and trifles haue bene receaued vnder this title and name of Tradition as the papists at this day doe reken euery foolishe and vnsauery fable of doting Monckes into this cataloge or kalender But this doth not binder but that they had certaine vnwritten histories That the Lord buried Moses it is out of all coÌ„trouersie that is that his sepulchre was not knowen it was the secret purpose and will of God the cause whereof wee haue already touched What maruaile then is it if Satan goe about so busily to bring to lighte the body of the prophet being hid by the secret counsaile of God But the Angels withstoode him as they are alwayes ready at hand to minister to the Lord. Psal 103. vers 20.21 And truly wee doe see that Satan in all times and ages hath not ceased to laboure very earnestly in this point and to seeke all meanes and to speake prouerbially to tourne euery stone that is to leaue no way vnattempted to geue foolishe and ignorant men an occasion to commit Idolatry to so many bodies as there bee seruantes and saintes of God Wherefore this epistle ought not to be doubted of by reason of this testimony because it is in scripture no where to bee founde It followeth Durst not giue rayling sentence That Mychaell is brought in alone disputinge against Satan it is no newe thinge Wee knowe that there are thowsandes of Aungells alwayes ready at hande to doe the will and commaundement of God Daniell 7. vers 10. For hee maketh his choise of this or that Aungel and appointeth him to doe this or that as pleaseth him It followeth But sayde the Lorde rebuke thee This also is in Zachary Zacha. 3. vers 2. The Lord reproue thee then Satan or brydle thee or keepe thee vnder It is a comparison from the greater to the lesse as they call it M. As if Iudas should say M. Luth. although Mychaell were an Archangell yet durst he not cursse and rayle against the diuell and yet these blaspheminge seducers are not afrayde nor ashamed to treade vnder their feete as it were the powers that are ordeyned of God and to cursse and speake euill of them that are in authority euen to the eyght ninth degree beinge nothinge else but weake and frayle men And this Archaungell feared to vtter any raylinge worde agaynst the wicked diuell reprobate and already damned but sayd onely The Lord reproue thee and rebuke thee Caluin C. This argument Peter hath handled more briefly in his second epistle vers eleuenth 10. But these speake euill of those thynges which they know not and what thinges they knowe naturally as beastes whych are without reason in these things they corrupte them selues But these speake euill of those things which they know not I. Hee hath a respect vnto that sayinge Imlerus A foole aunswereth before hee vnderstandeth Prouerb 1 vers 28. 18. vers 13. a very foole when hee holdeth his tongue is counted wyse and hee that stoppeth his lyppes is esteemed prudent These in like sorte are worthely to bee counted fooles which goe about to defend their ignorance by euill reproches Caluin C. Iudas therefore signifieth that they are very beastly blockishe and dulheaded not knowinge nor vnderstandinge what is worthy of honour neyther what belongeth or appertayneth thereunto notwithstandinge they are thus farre made bolde that they are not ashamed to condemne those thinges that passe their reache â—ug Mar. A. This wee may clearely and euidently see behold in the Pope him selfe and his cornuted or horned Bysshops â—ar Lut. M which knew nothing els but to excommunicate cursse and to deliuer to Satan not onely kinges and Princes of the worlde but God also him selfe and his blessed saintes which thing is to bee seene in the Bull of the supper of the Lorde They knowe or at least they should know that our saluation consisteth of fayth and charity they cannot away to heare their workes spoken against and to be comdemned they cannot abyde to heare vs talke and reason one with another that wee are saued onely by Chrystes workes and merites and therefore doe they blaspheme and speake euill of all chrystian doctrine Aug. Mar. whereof they are ignorante A. The knowledge of tongues also they
like in these our dayes are these phantasticall spirits that terme them selues Lybertines â—iuely â—criptiâ— of theâ—ily of â—e A man would say that they doe nothinge els but thunder For they scorne and disdaine at the common and vsuall kinde of speakinge and haue deuised and fayned to themselues certaine strange and proper kindes and formes of speaches And after they thinke that their schollers be rapte into the heauens sodainely they fall into beastly errours For they fayne that to be the state of innocency where there is no difference betwene honest and vnhonest thinges They fayne that to bee a spirituall life when euery man settinge all feare aparte doth carelessely and to to much giue him selfe to his owne appetite and sensuality They say that wee are made Gods because God doth as it were sucke and sup vp our spirites when they leaue the body This their errour ought to make vs the more carefull with reuerence to imbrace the simplicity of the scriptures least disputing and reasoning thereof more curiously and philosophically then it behooueth vs wee doe not so much as approche vnto heauen but rather fall and bee drowned sodainely in the Labyrinth of dyuerse erroures Bulling B. But it seemeth that this Parable of Iudas was taken out of the prophet Esayes fifty seaueÌ„th Chap. verse 20. where it is thus wrytten The wicked are like the raginge sea that cannot rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauel It followeth They are wandring starres C. So these deceauers are called Caluin because they dazell the eyes with the similitude or likenesse of lighte that soone vanisheth away and pearisheth B. So these false teachers Bullinge doe seeme to them selues to bee brighte shyning starres as who woulde say illuminate Doctors Lightes of the worlde profounde clarkes But because they stand not to their opinion nor follow the constant and knowne truth but are ruled rather by their affections they make shipwracke of the vnwise and ignorant It followeth To whom the miste of darckenesse is reserued for euer B. Now he threatneth them iudgement Bulling that the faythfull may take the better heede of them as if hee shoulde say althoughe they seeme nowe to raygne as Lordes and kynges yet notwithstandinge they shall not escape the iudgement of the Lord. For hee reserueth them to bee punyshed with Satan in that hellishe and eternall darkenes for euer â—erus I. For it is meete and righte that they that deny Chryste the true lighte in deede bee delyuered to perpetuall darcknesse for euer 14. Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied before of such The texte saying behold the Lord shall come with thowsands of saintes M. Luth. Enoch the seuenth M. This place is read no where in scripture which is another reason why some of the fathers haue not receaued this epistle Caluin C. But this prophesie seemeth rather to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say vnwritten or deliuered by tradition then to be taken out of the bookes Apochriphall For it may bee that the auncient fathers commended this worthy sayinge to bee remembred of posterity If any man demaunde seeing that the like sentences are to be found in scripture euery where why Iudas hath not cyted some written testymonies out of some one or other of the Prophets for confirmation thereof The answere is easie That Iudas would only rehearse what the spirit pronounced of them in old time And so doe the wordes here sounde For hee nameth Enoch the seuenth from Adam to coÌ„mend the antiquity of the prophesie to weete because it was extant in the first world M. Luâ— M. But herehence we do learne that God from the beginning of the world hath caused his worde to bee preached vnto some promising thereby grace and saluation to them that belieue but to the vnfaithfull foreshewinge iudgement and damnation euen till Christes ascention from the which time the worde of the Lord hath bene preached openly to all the worlde But before our Sauiour Christes natiuity God hath chosen only to himselfe a certaine lineal desceÌ„t from Adam to Abraham and from Abraham to Dauid and so alonge from Dauid to Mary the mother of Christe hee chose some to whom hee delyuered his worde The worde of the Lorde therefore hath alwayes bene preached in the worlde but neuer so openly as in these last dayes After this manner also did our father Enoch preach the word of the Lord which vndoubtedly hee had learned of his father Adam and of the holy ghost It followeth Behold the Lord coÌ„meth C. The preterperfect tence is put for he future tence propehtically Caluin With thousands of Angells By these words he signifieth as well the faithful as the Angells for they shal both together garnish so forth the tribunal seate of Christ when he shal come to iudge the worlde Hee saith thowsandes euen as Daniell also telleth of many times ten thowsandes of Aungells in the seuenth Chap. verse 10. least the multitude of the wicked lyke the raging and vyolent sea should burst in vpon the children of God and carry them away by force and violence while they thinke it will come to passe that the Lord in time will gather together those that bee his parte whereof are nowe inhabitinge the heauens which wee cannot now see with our eyes parte are here nowe in the worlde couered vnder the chaffe 15. To giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all that are vngodly amonge them The texte of all their vngodly deedes which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruell speakinges whych vngodly sinners haue spoken against him M. Luth. To giue iudgement against all men M. He speaketh of the second comminge of Christe for at his first comminge hee came not into the world to iudge the world but that the worlde by him might bee saued Ihon the 3. vers 17. And to rebuke all that are vngodly amonge them C. The vengeance of God that hangeth ouer the heads of the reprobate ought to keepe and conteine the chosen elect of God in feare trembling It followeth Of all their vngodly deedes Hee speaketh of their deedes and wordes because these corruptors did not only much harme and hurt by their wicked vngodly life but also by their vncleane and peruerse doctrine It followeth And of all their cruell speakinges whych vngodly sinners haue spoken against him M. These seducers speake very boldly cruelly against the comminge of the Lord they are impudent M. Luth shamelesse and to too arrogant they mocke and blaspheame him Hee calleth therefore their talking clattering cruell speakings by reason of their obstinate boldnesse their pride and malepartnesse 16. These are murmurers complainers The texte walking after their own lusts whose mouths speake prowde things they haue men in great reuerence because of aduantage These are murmurers C. Now againe he describeth these seducers by their affections Caluin L. These saith hee because
certayne wicked varlets and vngodly persons craftely crepte in amonge the professors of Christes gospell shrowding them selues vnder the name and tytle of Christianity christians who tooke it for a great pleasure to induce those that were yet weake and not throughly stablyshed and setled in the faith to a prophane contempt of God The apostle sainte Iude doth here fyrst declare that the faithfull ought not to bee troubled or dismayde with such subtile kinde of deuises and inuentions wherewith the church of Chryste and of God hath alwayes bene assaulted Imlerus I And therefore this ought not to seeme straunge Whereas now longe agoe the faythfull for this cause and for this intente haue bene fore appointed and predestinated and it hath ben foretolde by the Apostles that such kinde of men will craftely and vnwares creepe in amonge the christian flocke Caluin C. To the ende therefore they should be the more circumspecte and take diligent good heede to themselues to beware of such pestilent and crafty creepers he doth oft exhorte them and B admonish them to coÌ„tinew and perseuere in pure and sincere religion Bullinge and to declare and shew forth the verity and truth of the gospell by good workes Caluin C. But to the intent he may make these crafty and false deceauers the more to be hated Aug. Marâ— and also to be abhorred and shunned A he describeth at large not only their manners Caluin and their corrupted and wicked deuises C but also hee doth seuerely denounce vnto them the vengeance of God to be at hand such as theyr impiety and vngodlinesse doth deserue Bullinger B. But many things for the most parte are taken out of the latter epistle of S. Peter as wee sayd euen now Neyther verely ought that to seeme straunge or newes to any man for wee see euen the latter Prophets to haue red the bookes and sentences of the first yea and often tymes to vse them and to transferre many sentences and wordes of theirs into their owne writing The things therefore that are here briefly touched are handled more at large in the epistle of S. Peter Caluin C. Now if wee weigh consider diligently what Satan goeth aboute to doe in this our age also sithence the renewing and restoring againe of the gospell and what sleights and subtile deuises hee doth practize imagine to ouerthrowe and cleane to subuert the fayth and feare of God the admonitions and instructions that were profitable in Iude his time the same in these our dayes are much more necessary But all these things we shall the better learne by reading of this epistle THE TEXT Vers 1. IVdas the seruant of Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 * Imlerus Caluin Iudas beginneth his epistle afteâ— the maner of the other Apostles C. Hâ— calleth himselfe the seruaÌ„t of Chrisâ— not as 〈◊〉 name is common to all the godâ— myxed one with another but hee calleth hiâ— selfe so in respect of his Apostleship for theâ— are properly and peculiarly iudged to bee thâ— seruantes of Christe to whom he hath inioâ—ned any publique offyce or function So thâ— now wee knowe to what ende the Apostlâ— are accustomed to set forth them selues wiâ—â— this tytle Rashly therefore doth he presume whosoeuer he be that taketh vpon him the office and authority of teaching that is not lawfully thereunto called The callinge therefore of the Apostles is their sufficient testimony because they intrude not them selues into the offyce of teaching by their owne priuate motion and iudgement Neither is this sufficient inough of it selfe to be placed in authority vnlesse they behaue them selues faythfully therein Which then verely they shall doe First if they declare that God is the author of their function and calling wherein they are placed Secondly if they execute the same faythfully according as they are coÌ„maunded But because many doe counterfayte this title namely that they are the seruauntes of Chryst and falsly bragge them selues to bee that from the which they are farre wyde wee must alwayes take good heede and see whether the thinge it selfe be answerable to their profession or not Aug. Mar. Philipp 3. vers 18.19 A. For that is most true that the Apostle S. Paule wryteth Many walke that are the ennemyes of the Crosse of Christ whose ende is destruction whose God is their belly and glory to theyr shame which minde earthly thinges It followeth in the texte The brother of Iames B. Because there were many Iudaes â—ullinger therefore hee addeth this to put a difference betwene him and other that were called after the same name Caluin C. Hee addeth to also his name because it was so famous and so well knowne of the churches for although the doctrine and authority of fayth dependeth vpon no mortall man yet notwithstaÌ„ding this is a great strengthning and setting forwarde of fayth when the integrity and vprightnesse of the man that taketh vpon him the office of a teacher is wel sufficiently knowne vnto vs. Moreouer the authority of Iames is not here set forth vnder a colour as of some priuate man but because he was counted one of the cheifest Apostles Galla. 2. vers 9. among al the churches Thus hast thou both the author of this epistle and also the subscription Nowe it followeth to declare to whom hee wrought this epistle Caluin To them which are called C. By this word called he signifieth all the faythfull because the Lord hath seuered them to him selfe But because this worde calling is nothing els then the effecte of the eternall election it is some times taken for election it selfe Heere in this place it maketh no great matter if thou take it both wayes For without question hee commendeth the grace of God wherewith hee vouchedsafe to make his choyce of them to bee of his flocke and folde He signifieth also Aug. Mar. Ihon. 4.19 that men cannot preuent God neither can they come vnto him at any time till he drawe them A. For hee loued vs first Esay 65.1 And hee is dayly found of them that sought him not and appeareth vnto them which asked not after him It followeth Caluin And sanctified in God the father C. The sence and meaninge of this is that they that are called being wicked and vngodly in them selues Bullinger â—phe 2.3 haue their full sanctification in from God B. For wee are all by nature the children of wrath and vyle bondslaues to Satan But God taking pity vpon vs sent his sonne into the world which loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloude Caluin Aug. Mar. C. All they therefore are sanctified whom God hath regenerated by his spirite A. and grafted into the boâ—â— of his sonne Chryste by fayth And preserued in Iesus 〈…〉 â—rthermore he addeth that we are kept and preserued in Christe Caluin for Satan euery minute moment of an houre syeth alwayes in wayte â—o
they measure felicity in things pertayning outwardly to the body L. Pelycane if any trouble or affliction doe happen vnto them by and by they are offended they waxe impacient they murmur against God they complaine of the shortnes of a mans life that it is subiect to so many diseases miseries and calamities wishing that it were longer not oppressed with so many euills as who would say being without hope of the life to come â—luin C. And because they delight themselues in wicked lusts and desires they become waiward and froward hard to bee pleased they are neuer at quiet Herehence commeth their murmuring coÌ„plaining they are neuer satisfied let men doe what they can to please them It followeth And their mouth speaketh proud things I. That is â—lerus they come in with their high and lofty words they set forth them selues very proudly and braggingly they play the partes of Thrasoes out-right â—ullinger B. They tel vs wonderfull strange oracles concerninge vertues lore neuer heard of before and all to deceaue vs and yet they loue neyther truth nor vertue in dede from the hart It followeth They haue men in great reuerence because of aduantage C. Here he sheweth that they are of a myserable disposition because they would doe any seruile worke for lucres sake Caluin And coÌ„monly this inequality or greedines by which they differ from other men is to bee seene in such Pesants as these be and yet notwithstandinge when there is no man to check or controule them their insolencie and pryde is intollerable they take much vpon them they are very imperious But such as they feare and stand in awe of if they bee in hope of any thinge to be gotten by them those they doe shamefully flatter and smoth and soothe with sweete and fayre words Bullingâ— B. They speake not according to the truth matter it selfe but such thinges as are pleasaunt vnto them of whom they hope to reape some benefit or coÌ„modity They are therefore clawbacks most shameles flatterers because they haue men in great reuerence admiration for aduaÌ„tage Then the which kinde of men there are none more blind Caluin A. Mar none more wicked C. Person is here taken for any great man or noble man A whereof S. Iames 2. vers 1. 17. The texâ— But yee beloued remember the woordes which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christe 18. How that they told you that there should be mockers in the last time which should walke after their owne vngodly lustes But yee beloued remeÌ„ber I. Now he exhorteth those to whom he writeth Imlerus Bullingâ— B to beware of these deceauers of their great impiety vngodlines Caluin C and therfore addeth the admonitions and forewarninges both of the Prophets of olde time and also of the Apostles sayinge Remember the wordes which were spoken before of the Apostles L. Let this bee an argument of no force Pelyâ—ne against the author of this epistle to proue him to be none of the Apostles sith the old father speaketh here of the Apostles accordinge to the coÌ„mon manner as they that haue preached longe before him so that it is not to be thought iniurious that this author maketh mention of the other Apostles of a singuler modesty whereby his meaning was that men should not so much credit and beleeue him as other of the Apostles speaking and writinge the like and the selfe same things of false preachers and false Apostles â—lling B. And therefore it is diligently to bee noted marked that this worthy Apostle is not ashamed to vse as his owne yea and to alleage also the writinges sayings of his fellowe Apostles But in these our daies a man may finde many proude arrogant fellowes that think great disdaine to vse other mens sayinges bee they neuer so good godly nay they think nothing well spoken or done but that that cometh from them selues It followeth How that they tolde you A. Iudas here speaketh Aug. Mar not onely of the liuely preaching of the worde but also of the wrytings of th'Apostles them selues That there should bee mockers in the last times C. He vnderstandeth that to be the last time Caluin wherein the state and condition of the church being renued hath receaued a firme sure promise of continuance euen to the ende of the world beginninge from the first comming of Christe A of the which matter S. Paule speaketh euery where but specially in the 1. Corin. 10. Aug. Maâ— chap. vers 11. And in the 1. to Tymo chap. 4. vers 1. and 1. of Tymo chap. 3. vers 1. There shall come mockers C. He calleth them mockers after the vsuall maner of speaking in the scriptures Caluin which being drunken as it were with wicked prophaning contemning of the name of God do breake forth into al kinde of beastly behauiour so that no religion can keepe or coÌ„taine them within the limites of their duty the reason is because they feare not at all in their mindes the iudgement to come they haue no hope in them of the blessed and euer during life Euen as at this day the world is full euery where of such Epicures contemners despisers of God which shaking of altogether all reuerence and godly feare doe very wickedly and maliciously scorne and mocke at the doctrine of piety as though it were a tale or fable that is tolde Bullinger B. Of this S. Peter speaketh very plentifully in his second epistle the third Chap. verse the third â—he texte 19. These are makers of sects fleshly hauing not the spirite Caluin These are makers C. Some greeke bookes hath the participle absolutely some doe adde the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the same sence almost for he vnderstandeth such as seuer theÌ„ selues from the church they will haue no discipline exercised therein they are altogether geuen to the flesh and not to the spirite M. Luth. M. Hee alludeth to that saying of Peter they bring in damnable sects For there bee som the study and occupy their braines about nothinge els but how they may cause diuision in the Church of God to breake the vnity of the faith as for the coÌ„mon order taken amongst Christians how euery man may please his neighbour that they lâ—â—â—ot they cannot abyde it but as touching their owne inuentions deuises of their own making which is nothing but hypocrisie and false seruing of God that pleaseth them wonderously well It followeth Fleshly minded Caluin hauinge not the spirite C. Here minde in this place as it signifieth the life of man geuen to fleshlinesse so it is opposite or contrary to the spirite and therefore it signifieth here corruption of nature such as is in men not yet regenerated for this degenerate nature of ours which wee haue receaued and drawne as it were from our first parentes is