myghtes strength / power or merytes / but to be of god onely / and of his fre grace / and goodnes This place sheweth that we of our owne fre wyll / with out the grace of god / are not able to begynne any good worke / nor to go forth with it / nor to fynysh it / for we of our selfes are not able to thynke any good thought as of our selfe / but all our abylyte is of god 2. Cor. 3. Of our selfe we are not able to wyl any good worke / for god worketh in vs / wylling of good thynges for his good wylles sake Philip. 2. And christe sayth in Iohn 6. with out me you can do no thyng / then what shall we ascribe / to our fre wyll with out christ / and without the grace of god / surely nothynge that is good / euyll commeth of our selfe / and all goodnes of god the father of lyght Iames. 1. And yf these be trew as they be in very dede / then me thynkes that they erre and are to be blamed that saye that we of our fre wyll may do good / maye assent and receyue the grace of god / offered to all men / or not to assent to it / and forsake it yf we lyste / at our pleasure / and fre wyll / oâ— els our wyl they saye con not be fre or called a fre wyll of these men I wolde aske one question whether to assent to the grace of god offered and to receyue it is good or no and yf it be good / as I truste none wyl denye / then it is of god the father / not of vs. Iames. 1. To this question sancte Augustyne make answere / and sayth that in outwarde workes indifferent nother good nor euyll of them selfes / that we haue a certayne fre lyberty to do them / or not to do theÌ„ / as to lyfte vp a straw or to laye it downe agayne but to do any thynge that is acceptable to god / or merytorius as they were wonte to calle workes pertaynyng to our iustification / or to the saluatioÌ„ of a christen man / we can not without the grace of god / nor yet to wyll it / nor to assent to it / it holy hanges of god / and of his grace / and not of vs or of our merytes or good wyll without goddes workyng in vs / and makynge our wyll yll of it selfe good and conformable to his wyll / for the grace of god healeth our euyll wyll / maketh it agreyng to his godly wyll / and so conformable to it / that we wyllyngly and frely and with gladnes do these thynges that god wylleth and coÌ„maundeth / so we holped with the present grace of god of a good wyll and gladly do the workes of god not we do goddes workes but rather the grace of god in vs. Augustin in his boke of grace fre wyll thus sayth Cooperando deus in nobis perficit quod operando incepit quoniam ipse vt velimus operatur incipiens qui volentibus cooperatur perficiens propter quod ait hic apostolus quoniaÌ„ qui operatur in vobis opus bonuÌ„ perficiet vsque in diem Iesu christi vt ergo velimus sine nobis operatur cum auteÌ„ volumus sic volumus vt faciamê° nobiscuÌ„ cooperatur tameÌ„ sine illo vel operante vt velimus vel cooperante cum volumus ad bona pietatis opera nihil valemus Beda hec colligit verba ex augustino in hunc locuÌ„ Pauli 3. As it becometh me to iuge of you all In these wordes the apostle sheweth his harty and louyng mynde towardes these Philippians that he dyd not flatter nor deceyue them with feyned and deceytfull wordes but symply as he thought of them so he spake and iudged of them for he culde thinke none other but that good begynnyng shulde haue a good endynge / and here he teacheth all in theyr yougth to vse and exercyse vertuosnes for as the common sayng is he that in his yougth no vertu wyl vse in age all honour wyll him refuse a sayenge not more coÌ„mon then trew / and also they saye that tymely crowketh the tre that good cammoke will be vse therfore in yougth trew vertu and gette godly learnyng that thou maye haue honour amonges men and glory with god euerlastynge The cause why he thought iuste and conuenient thus to thynke of them because the grace of god leueth or forsaketh no man which before do not leue and forsake god and well doynge and therfore he thought that god wolde not forsake them doyng well and euer goyng for wardes in the knowlege of goddes worde / and in holy workes commaunded by it to be done of the christians and to walke in theÌ„ Ephe. 2 And therfore he thoughte that god wolde worke in them mo and mo good workes and that he wolde not leue them vntyll the hower of death and vntyll the daye of the lorde wheÌ„ he shall come to iudge the quycke and dead and to rewarde all good workes that is to saye all these workes that god hath wroght in vs God is so good and lovynge that these workes whiche he workes in vs he calleth our workes and wyll rewarde them as yf they were onely our workes and not by his grace Esay 36. sayeth / Lorde thou hatst wrought in vs al our workes Also Lyra here sayth as the begynnynge of a meretorius worke is of god so is the contynuance and the ende of it of god The apostle speaketh these wordes not that he wolde make them proude or to be negligeÌ„t to do well but rather that he shulde prouoke them the more to go forwarde in wel doyng to encrease the good hoope he had conceyued and not to lose by negligence the grace of god the assystent helpe and ayde of the lorde 4. Bycause I haue you in my herte as those that are partakers with me of grace in my bondes in defendynge and stablysshyng of the gospel Here be tokeÌ„s of loue towardes them shewed that he remembreth them in herte and in his bondes and presonmeÌ„t which was not for his fautes but for the gospell of god whiche bondes was not to him any shame or rebuke or hinderance to the gospell of god but to his great laude and prayse and to the forderaunce and increasement of the gospell and that by his bondes the gospell was not slaundered but promoted defended and surely confirmed of the whiche we maye learne afflictions persequutions inprysonment bondes chaynes and fetters to the trewe preachers and reachers of goddes worde to be no new thyng to be no shame nor rebuke to suche faythful prechers although fleshe and carnall wosdome other wayes do thynke and iudge flesshe iudgeth affliccions persequucions impresonments to be shamefull to hynder the worde of god but god do make these affliccions to promote his gospell and encrease it and makes the wysedome of the flesshe and of the wordly wysemen to be folyshnes
shulde be trobled to gyue to hym that thyng shulde be very tedyous to the people very troblesom to the pastor Therefore seyng that gods law commaundeth / and god hath so ordynated that he that preacheth the gospell shulde lyue by the gospell 1 Cor. 9. Hye powers and reulers hath done well assignyng to euery pastor his lyuynge in a certanty to be receyued with out troble or besines But wolde to god that the hye powers / that as they haue assigned by theyr godly lawes this thing so they wold se that the people shulde trewly payâ— it / with out all grudge / or murmur to there pastors that trewly feadeth them with goddes holy worde / wolde to god that hye rulers shulde cause euery pastor to do his duety / and suerly to haue his dwety agayne / and no parte of it to be with drawne from him / for the worke man is worthy his meate Math. 10. 3. Grace and peace from god the father and from our lorde Iesu christe be vnto you Here is shewed what thynges Paule and Timotheus desyred to these PhilippiaÌ„s they wysshed not kyngdomes and impyres of this worlde / not wordely honoures / or ryches / not fat benefyces / or bysshoprykes / not hye honours / or wordely dignites / as carnall men wysshes to theâ— frendes / and louers / chyldren / or kynsfolkes / but they wysshed to them the grace / fauour â— and the loue of god / whiche thynges farre passeth all these corruptyble wordely ryches / they also wyshe them peace with god the father / whiche peace commeth not of man / nor of the meâ—yies of man / by warkes / dedes wrought by man / but of the marâ—y and goodnes of god / and this peace with god in theyr conscience hath not euyll men / for they alwaye feare god / and rekeneth him as a cruell iudge which without mercy wyl punishe synners / brekers of his lawes / and therfore sayth the prophete The euyll saye peace peace / and they haue no peace in there coÌ„scieÌ„ce with god / but these that be iustified by faith they haue peace with god / iÌ„ there coÌ„scieÌ„ce â— louely feare god And here we may learne grace / fauour / loue of god / peace with god not to be of our selfes / but to be the gyftes of god frely gyuen them to whome it pleaseth god to gyue these gyftes Here also we maye learne what thynge one christiane shulde desyre to an other / and wyshe in their letters salutatioÌ„s or other wyse most chefly / and before all wordly goodes or ryches / that is the greate fauour of god / and peace in conscience with god / for what thynge in this worlde can be pleasant to that man / that in consciens is not at quietnes with god surely nothyng / and yf thou wyll haue peace with god / se thou be in peace / concord / and vnite with thyne neyghbour / or els thou can not be in peace with god I thanke my god as ofte as I remembre you which I alwayes do in my prayers for you all and pray with gladnes bycause of your felowshyppe whiche you haue in the gospel from the fyrst day vnto now am surely certyfyed of this that he whiche hath begoÌ„ne that good worke in you shall go forth with it vntyll the daye of Iesu christe as it becommeth me to iudge of you all bycause I haue you in my harte as those that are partakers with me of grace in my bondes in defendynge and stablysshynge of the gospell for god is my recorde how I longe after you all euen from the very harte roote in Iesu Christe After the salutation the Apostle begynneth to shewe the thynges that he wolde haue knowen to these Philippians / and first of all he grueth thankes to god for these Philippians / that they had receaued the fayth of Iesu christe / and that they dyd stande sure and constante in it / not shrynkynge awaye from christ / for no affliccion or persecution / by no craft / or sutteltey vsed by false apostels to brynge them from christes fayth / and in this thynge the apostle teacheth vs to gyue thaÌ„kes to god / for benefytes of god gyuen to other / and not to be sory / as some be for goddes gyftes gyuen aboundantly to other / which they them selfe lacke / and therfore they are sory that other shulde haue that they lacke / as more knowlege / learnyng / or connyng in goddes worde then they / they are blynde and ignorauÌ„t and wolde haue all other as ignorant / and blynde as they be He prayseth them that they were coÌ„med in to the coÌ„munion of the gospel / and made pertakers of saluation by christe / shewed to theÌ„ be the gospell / and this he doth bycause he wolde haue them more desyrous of the gospell / and of the knowlege of christ / and to be more constant in the faythe of christe Virtus enim laudata crescit Vertu commeÌ„ded doth not make good men proude / but more diligent to increase vertu and to attayne vnto it Also we be here taught to pray for other to be glade of gyftes of god gyuen / and specially aboue all thynges for the worde of god purely and sincerely preached / of the whiche commeth faith / for fayth coÌ„meth by herynge / herynge of the worde of god Româ— 10. So these people receyued fayth by the preachyng of saynt Paule / was made pertakers of the gospel / of helth / saluatioÌ„ by christ Actes â–ª 16 2. Frome the firste daye vnto nowe / hauyng this thynge persuaded vnto me / that he whiche hath begonne this good worke in you wyll go forth with it vntyl the day of the lorde This thynge the apostle wolde haue persuaded vnto these Philippians that god which hath begone this good worke in them / that hath called them from infidelite / superstition / idolatre / fornication / auoutre / and from many other gentyll facions / and hethen maners to the fayth of Iesu christ / and to an holy conuersation of lyuynge / he that hath begonne this good worke in them that he wyll go forth and increase them more and more in fayth and trew holynes by the knowlege of goddes holy worde And here he sheweth the coÌ„mune saynge oftymes to be trewe that of good begynniÌ„g coÌ„meth good endyng / and that god contynueth in good men / and obedient persons / these good workes that he hath in them begunne / here we maye learnâ— to iuge these to fynish well / and bryng theyr matters to a good passe that begynne well / yea this place teacheth vs to know that it is god / and not we that begynneth a good worke in vs / and also that it is god that bryng to a good ende a good worke / of the which we learne the begynnyng of fayth / or of good workes and the increasment of them to be not of vs / of our
more ready to do voluntary workes then to fulfyll goddes commaundementes which was agreat token and sygne they thought and iudged voluntary workes to please god better then workes commaunded in holy scrypture for to these workes scarse they culde be brought to by any persuasion to gyue a crowne or a noble to a poore man in sicknes but to gylte an image and to spende xxâ— of the gyltyng they of them selfes were ready enoughe and yet there be suche that had leuer gyue a croune to gylte a image yf they culde be suffered with out blame then xii d. to a poore blynde same man that be in extreme necessite So you se the apostle here requireth of all trewe christians a pure and trew iudgement and excludeth all false and preposterous iudgementes from christes people and that they shulde knowe to iudge amonges good workes yf one be better then an other to chose out the best that beste pleaseth god and with all gladnes of mynde to do it Secondly he desyreth they maye be pure and clere from all vyce and synne from all crafte and falsed from euyll affections of the flesshe from carnall desyres and lustes from pompe pryde and al vanite of the worlde that they be such as nother by worde nor dede do offeÌ„de any that is do not giue iuste occasioÌ„ of euyll / sometymes occasion of euyll maye be taken where no occasion is gyuen as many was offeÌ„dyd by christ that neuer dyd offende neuer dyd synne and yet he was euyll spoken on and was slander and a stonne of offence that is occasioÌ„ of hurte to the scribes pharises and the vnfaithfull Iewes whiche offeÌ„ce come not of christ but of the wyckednes and maliciousnes of euyll meÌ„ that toke occasioÌ„ of hurte where no occasioÌ„ was gyuen and were offended where they shulde not haue ben offended but rather they shulde haue bene offended with them selfes and theyr noughty maners euyll lyuynge peruerse and preposterous iudgemeÌ„tes haue mendyd them then that they shulde haue bene offendyd by christe in whom was no offence nor by hym offence gyuen in worde or in dede Here the apostle forbyddes to gyue iuste occasion of offence to any man and that not for a daye or two but vnto the daye of the lord that is all your lyftyme holy lyuyng is required of euery good christen maÌ„ and woman Thyrdly lerne that it becommeth all christians to be fulfylled with the frutes of iustice that is verite iustice fayth hope charite all workes of marcy wrought by the spirite of god and not by our merytes deseruynges or suffrages of other but onlye of goddes grace by Iesus Christe our lorde and that to the glory and prayse of god and not for our owne prayse or coÌ„mendation nor that by our workes we shulde merite or deserue goddes grace or fauour reconcyle vs to god satisfy for synne and optayne lyfe euer lastyng of the meryte and wordynes of our workes but good workes we must do to the glory of god to shewe vs thankefull to god of whom we haue receyued so many benefytes to declare our fayth not to be ded to agre to our creation and vocation that we be not created and made to be ydle but to labor profytable labors ordynated not of vs but of god that we shulde walke in and serue god after our vocation as we be called and as god haue commaunded vs shewynge our selfes alwayes obedient to goddes wyll and pleasure I wolde you vnderstode brethreÌ„ that my busynes so happened vn to the greater forderaunce of the gospell so that my bondes in christ are manyfest through out all the iudgemente hall and in all other places In somoch that many brethren in the lorde boldened through my bondes dare more largely speake the worde of god without feare The apostle here declareth more playnely how his imprisonmeÌ„t boÌ„des was no hurte ne dammage to the gospell but rather dyd promote it and set it forwardes that these PhilippiaÌ„s shulde not be offended by Paules bondes in pryson nor yet thynke him to be euyl or an heretyke or sower of euyll seed or false doctryne and for false doctryne to be cast in pryson in featers to his great slander and infamy and to the rebuke of the gospell preached by Paule And here he sheweth two commodites to come to the gospell by his imprisonment and bondes The firste is that by this occasioÌ„ the worde of god come to manye not onely to the commen people that come to him in preson to whom he preached goddes worde and wanne dyuers to christ as Omesymus and dyuers other but also it come to the iudgement hall and into the palles of the hall of Nero the Emperour yea the worde of god was scatered and spred through out al the worlde for at Rome was at that tyme people of all nations that wrote home to theyr countres what thynges was done at Rome they beynge at Rome they wrote of Paule and of his pure and sincere doctryne and how he was caste in preson and in cheynes for the gospell of christe and not for his fautes or iniquites yea Paules constancye in preachyng and settynge forth the worde of god in presonne and in iudgement before Nero a euâ—ll Emperour an enemye and adâ—ersary to goddes gospell and the pacience that Paule hadde in presone and in bondes with all humilite and â—eakenes dyd declare to all good men both in Neroes curte and with out that Paule suffered bondes for Christes gospell and for Chrisâ—e and not for any faute in him The seconde commodyte that come by Paules imprisonment was that some that had receyued Christes gospell and had professed the treweth fauored and loued it yet they were fearfull and for feare of â—erseâ—…tion afflicâ—ions losse of wordly goodes and lyfe durste not boldle and openly professe the trewth and Christes gospell such be manye now a dayes that shrynke a waye from god and from the verite of his trewth other for â—ucre sake worldly for feare of afflictions losse of mennes fauours or of worldly gooddes or for feare of imprisonment or of lyfe but these that were feaâ—rfull and durst not boldly professe Christe and his gospell were made bolde by myne afflyctions and â—ondes and by pacyence they saw in me and set all feare asyde boldly frely and frankely professed Christ and his worde and publyshed it with great boldnes and was of god preserued from the mouth of the lyon as I was and the gospell was promoted by myne imprisonment magred to the hed of the aduersares of goddes worde which though to hynder and let goddes worde and clere to abolysh it and dystroy it by myne afflictions but god frustrated and made vayne all theyr euyll purposes and made them to serue his glory and to promote his worde and set it forth by that meanes that aduersares had compased to destroy goddes worde and his glory so we se that euyll mens purposes commes not alwaye to affecte they atteyne not that
it no robbery him to be equall with god that is by no oniuste tytull he thought he had possessed that honoure and no iniury was done to god the father for Christe is god as the father is god and Christe and the father be one Iohn 17. saith Christ I and my father are one And therfore he knew he shulde not lose that tytul that he shulde be equall with the father in substaunce and deite nor feared not the losynge of it as these do that by robbery or vnlawfully get ony name or tytull of honour or dygnite Christe beynge by nature god thought it no robbery him to be equall with the father If christ dyd humble him selfe our lorde and kynge it is a shame for vs seruauntes and subiectes to be prowde seyng we haue nothyng good but of him by him for his sake as Iohn teacheth Iohn 1. All thynges are by him and without him nothynge is made This place sheweth in Christe two natures that is to saye his dyuyne nature and his humayne nature after his dyuyne nature he is god and alwaye equall to the father after his humayne nature he humbled him selfe and toke the shape of a seruaunte vpon him and in shape and maner of lyuynge was a man and toke all the infirmites of man vpō him synne onely excepted for he neuer sinned nor in him was any crafte founde and thus Christ dyd humble him selfe that by his humblenes he shulde exalte vs and brynge vs to heauen and by his example of humilite reproue our arrogante hartes and stomakes and teache hūblenes of harte mynde in wordes workes not onely christ humbled him selfe ī the shape of a seruante or as a seruaunte but also he humbled him selfe to death and that to the death of the crosse that by his death we shulde be delyuered from death for by death he ouer came death and brought vs that was ded by synne to eternall lyfe vnto the whiche we shulde neuer haue comed if Christ had not suffered death for vs to brynge vs to lyfe Therfore hath god exalted him and gyuen him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery kne shulde bowe both of thynges vnder the earth and that all tonges shulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the lorde vnto the prayse of god the father Because before he shewed the humylyte of Christ and that vnto the death of the crosse that no man shulde thynke Christe alwaye to be in that humblenes of the crosse or thynke that Christe was so receyued of the father of heauen as he was of the worlde nowe he sheweth of the exaltacion or of the glory of christ that folowed his humblenes of the crosse that no man shulde thynke men to lose any honour or glory by humilyte but rather to get therby hye honours with men and great glorye with god For the scrypture sayth Math. 19. That he that humbleth them selfe shall be exalted and he that exalteth him selfe shall be humyliated and made lawe And here of a rewarde that is of exaltyng he exhorteth men to humylyte after the example of Christ Iesus we may be ashamed to be proude whē our lorde and mayster is humble and yf we wyll or desyre to be exalted let vs be humble and lowly in our selfes for the waye to hye honours be by humylite and by the crosse although flesshe and worldly wysedome do not iudge so but the contrarye 2. He sayth that god hath exalted Christe Iesus to hye honours and gyuen him a name aboue all names whiche saynge are to be vnderstanded not so that Christ was not alwaye in hyest honours or that his name was not alwayes aboue all other names after his deite and diuine nature by the which he was lyke to the father one with him ī substāce deyte glory but this is spokē after his humayne nature and after it he was exalted to hye honours and to a name aboue al other names and his name is taken in this place as oftymes in scripture for his powre and maiestye whiche Christ had aboue all other powres maiesty aboue all creatures of the worlde that all creatures in the worlde in heauen and in earth shulde be obedient to him shulde bowe their knees to him and gyue him honour and reuerence and acknowledge him to be lorde ouer all creatures 3. And that all tonges shulde confesse that Iesus Christe is the lorde vnto the prayse of god the father God hath exalted Christ Iesus also that all tonges of angelles of men and of all other creatures shulde confesse Christe Iesus to be lorde ouer all them and that of him haue they helth lyfe and saluation and of none other but of him alone and by him and in him and that vnto the glory of god that all thynges shulde be done to goddes glorye and that o to honour Christ is to the glorye of the father Wherfore my deare beloued as ye haue alwaye obeyed not onely in my presence but now also moch more in my absēce euen so worke out your owne saluation with feare and tremlyng For it is god whiche worketh both the wyll and the dede euen of his owne good wyll Of these wordes that go before he now as it were gathereth a conclutiō after this wise you se what is the loue of Christe towardes you that dyd redeme you from synne death hell the deuyll and all the thraldome of the deuyll and that by no corruptyble thynge but by his precious bloode 1. Peter 1. you also haue barde what was Christes humilite vnto the death of the grosse for our sakes to bryng lyfe vnto vs all by his death and how he sought alwayes the health and saluation of other do you suche lyke as Christe dyd be humble and meke louyng and charitable alwaye seke the profyt of other and contynew in the same and you shall be exalted with Christ vnto glory not by your selfes but by Christ And here he exhorteth them after this maner derebelouyd hetherto you haue bene obedient to my counsell whiche I dyd gyue you for your heithe both in my presence and absence and you haue bene folowers of Christ walkyng accordyng to your vocatiō now do that I desyre of you for your profyt and here he prayseth them for their trew obedience to him that by that meanes he myght make them nowe more obediente to his holsome counselle and do them with more gladnes So we learne that we shulde do good not onely in the presence of the pastor but also in his absence as the seruaunte is bonde not onely to do well in his maisters presence but also in his absence Ephe. 6. For in so doyng they serue god which is present alwaye and alwaye do se them and loke vpon them and they trewly and faythfully seruynge their maister do serue god So let vs alwaye be obedient to god and to his worde be humble and meke sekynge alwaye thynges profytable to other and we shall
sicknes or other aduersite And this place reproueth euil pastors that be nother loued of their parysh bycause of necgligence of their office and also for their vnprofitablenes amoÌ„ges their flocke Behold the apostell was very carefull for these Philippians he wolde rather lacke the necessaryâ— seruice of Epaphroditus theÌ„ they shuld lacke their comforte and ioye by the absence of him from them for Paule was not sory for the ioye of these Philippians but rather was without sorow and all heuines that he myght do the office of charite the better that is to reioyce with them that reioyceth and wepe with them that wepes 2. Receyue him in the lorde therfore with all gladnes He that byddeth them receyue Epaphroditus sende to them with all gladnes and in the lord and to set moch not onely be him but also be all them that be suche lyke as he is that is faythfull preachers and teachers of goddes worde which be wordy double honour 1. Timo. 5. And reuerence not for their owne sakes but for the worde they preache and for their maysters sakes whose worde and wyll they teache And this place iecketh all them that rayle vpon preachers teachers or setters forth of goddes holy worde and that coÌ„temneth or despyseth such preachers or maketh of them a laughynge mockynge stocke bycause they do not approue the maners and facions of this worlde 3. Make moche of suche for because of the worke of Christ He wylleth them to make moch of Epaphroditus and of such faythfull mynisters of goddes worde that careth not for them selfes but for other and careth not what paine or labours they take so they may profit other yea that careth not for their life 's for the gospels sake as this Epaphroditus refused no laboures to serue Paule in prisone and hadde none or lytell respecte to his owne body and by reason of his great paines he cast him selfe into sicknes that he was nye death he chused rather to serue Paule in prison with the infyrmyte of his body then to be in health to folowe the worldly honours and pleasures of the fleshe 4. To fulfyll the seruyce whiche was lackynge on your parte towardes me Here is the cause shewed why Epaphroditus was so diligent to serue Paule and put him selfe in suche iopardy of syckenes it was to fulfyll their offyce and deuty they ought to haue done to Paule therfore he sayth that deuty you ought to haue done to me this Epaphroditus hath fulfylled it in your presence to me by his seruyce done to me for you therfore you shuld receyue him with gladnes and loue him And here you se what seruyce the people owe to their pastor besydes the gyuynge to him sufficieÌ„t lyuing for him and his necessary mynisters and that one maye supply sometyme the offyce or dewty of another And let euery man be diligent in his office or vocatioÌ„ that he is called to of god and not tender him selfe his flesshe to moch or make to moch of him selfe for we shulde not study to lyue longe but to lyue well for to lyue longe it is not in vs but in god who knoweth the tyme and houre of death whiche be vnknowne to vs nor yet the maner of our death nor the place where we shall dye nothynge is more certayne then that we shall dye but nothynge more vncertayne then the houre place and maner of death Therfore let vs be ready at altymes to dye and loke euery day for death and prepare for it hauynge a sure fayth adorned with hope and charyte and then we shall not care howe sone death come to vs. ¶ The thyrde Chapter to the Philippians MOreouer my bretherne reioyce in the lorde where as I wryte euer one thing vnto you it greueth me not and maketh you the surer Beware of dogges beware of euyll workes beware of dyssention For we are the circumcisioÌ„ euen we that serue god in the spyrite and reioyce in Christe Iesu and haue no confydence in the flesshe The apostle speaketh after this sorte hetherto I haue taught you that Christes passion was sufficient for your saluation without the workes of the lawe and that nother circumcision nor sacrifice coÌ„maunded in the law be necessary for your saluation but that you maye be saued by Christe without the workes of the law Now from hence forth se you reioyce in nothyng but in the lorde for as without the sonne there is no lyght so without Christ there is no ioye no peace no iustice no reconciliacion to the father no remission of synne no waye to heauen no truth no lyfe but Christ is all these thynges to the beleuer in god alone therfore reioyce as I haue written before so I wryte styll and I am not asshamed to wryte to you the same thynges of Christe and it is sure for you to truste these thynges And here we lerne of Paule to reherse one thynge ones or twyse specially yf they be thynges necessary to be knowne and shulde be sure fyxed in the hartes and stomakes of the people and therfore it is no rebuke to reherse suche thynges diuers tymes that they may be knowne and iÌ„ mindes fyxed more surely although some saye ouer much of one thynge is nought yet I saye with the apostle that a good tale maye be twyce tolde as this That in Christ be all thynges perteynynge to our saluation without the worke of the law 2. It is sure to you As he wolde saye althought I wryte so ofte one thynge and am not ashamed of it for it is sure for you to know the same thynge and to confyrme you to that doctrine that is alwayes one and lyke it selfe teachyng the treweth and shewynge the waye that bryngeth to lyfe and not apply your selfes to that doctrine that now teacheth one thyng and then another new thynge and is contrary to it selfe and teacheth dyuersites of whiche incertayne doctrine speaketh saint Paule 2. Tino 4. Sayng the tyme shal come when they shall not here hole and holsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall hepe vnto them doctors whose eares do yche and they plucke their eares from the trweth and they shall turne them to fables and lyes Here we maye lerne the propertye of trew doctrine it is alwaye constant and one thynge teache it do not teache nowe one and now another or the contrary it taught before it is alwayes constant to it selfe it sheweth trueth no fables nor lyes as the false doctrine doth teache lyes errours heresy pleasure and lustes of men now one new thynge now another to please men with al and that doctrine trâ—uly is to be suspected that sheweth moche diuersites of religion fayth iustice remyssion of synne dyuers wayes to come to eternall lyfe with Christ Iesu 3. Beware of dogges beware of euyll workers beware of dissencion Thre thynges he monissheth them to beware of and to flee them The first is he wylleth them to beware af dogges he meaneth pseudoposteles whom he calleth dogges for
and therfore their glory shal be turned in to rebuke shame and confusiō that seke rather earthly thynges them heauenly thynges And it is greatly to be feared that the glory of manye pastores bysshoppes prelates hye ruelers maiestrates lawers iudges gentyll men and of other that be in authoryte in great honour and glory hauyng greate ryches landes and possessions it is to be feared that their hye glory be turned into rebuke shame confusion yea into damnacion because they seke earthly thynges and worldly pleasure more then the glory of god and preferreth worldly thynges before godly thynges yea preferreth men and mens commaundement before god and his commaundement I praye god it be not spokē to them at their death as Christ spake to the scribes and pharyses Math. 15. saynge wo be to you scrybes and pharyses for you haue made voyde or broken goddes cōmaundemēt for your traditions I praye god it be not spoken lyke to other wo be to you that haue neglected or broken goddes commaundement to fulfyll your carnall pleasures to get you worldly ryches honours dignites landes and possessiōs and to get them and to mayntayne thē haue not cared what sorow payne or troble haue comed to other haue not cared for god and for his word no furder then it serued for their carnall pleasures or worldly ryches 5. But our conuersation is in heuen from whence we loke for the sauiour Iesu Christe the lorde The apostle settyth him selfe as one contrarye to these pseudoposteles and sheweth his conuersatiō of lyuyng to be contrary to thē as he wold saye they al together sauour earthly thīges their harte and mynde is all vpon the earth and vpon earthly thynges carnall pleasures wordly commodites fyxed my mynde harte wyll study intent and affection is in heauen and vpon heuenly thynges and therfore I loke not for worldly ryches or pleasures but for our lorde Iesus Christe whiche shall alter and chaunge our vyle and corruptyble bodies subiected to corruption and carnall affections and shall make it an immortal body cōformable to his glorious body make it a gracious body in the daye of iudgement when he shall exalte this corruptible body with the soule to īmortall glory ioye and blysse The soules of them that be ded in Christe nowe are in glory the body lyeth in the earth and rotteth vnto the daye of iudgement and then shall aryse with the soule be ioyned agayne and shall then receyue glory This place reproueth all them that set their hartes to moch vpō this world of worldly honours ryches and carnall pleaces and not hath their hartes lokynge vp to heauen desyryng heauenly ioyes and blysse ye this place iecketh them that denyeth the resuerection of the body and the immortalyte of the soule and the last daye of iudgement in the which the mortall body shall be made immortall and a gloryous body conformable and lyke to Christes body as towchynge the immortalyte glory ioye euerlastynge felicite and blisse 6. Accordyng to the workyng wherby he is able to subdewe all thynges vnto him selfe Lest any shulde ascrybe the resurrection of the body to any myght or power of the body or of the soule be sayth that god worketh this thyng of his omnipotent power by the whiche he worketh all thynges good and hath al thynges subiected to him and as he created and made all thynges of nothynge so easely he maye gather together the bodyes lyenge in the dust of the earth and ioyne them agayne with their soules and make them to aryse immortall bodies and receyue lyfe ioye and saluation And this hope haue good men and loke for that daye of the generall resurrection that they maye be made lyke to Christe oure sauyour in immortalite in glory by Christe ¶ The fourth Chapter to the Philippians THerfore my bretherne dearly belouyd and longed for my ioye and my crowne contynew so in the lord ye beloued I praye Euodias and beseke Syntiches that they be of one mynde in the lord yea and I beseche that my faithfull yock felowe helpe the wemen which haue labored with me in the gospell with Clemente and with my other helpers whose names are in the booke of lyfe Because before he had taught them that Christ was our onely iustice resurrection and lyfe whiche thynge they knewe by fayth in Christ where in they were very constant and sure now he exhorteth them to constancy in trew fayth by certayne knowlege of Christes doctryne and desyreth them to stande in the lorde and be constaunt in him and as they haue begone in the lorde so he wolde haue them contynew in the lorde and not to turne from the lorde to the lawe or to workes of the law or to nedy ceremones or to tradicions of men that culde not iustifye them nor purge them from their synnes and these thynges now he thought he myght desyre of them for as moch as they were deare beloued to him his ioye comforte and his delectation and therfore be ryght he thought he myght desyre more of them then of his enymes 2. I praye Euodias and beseke Sentiches that they be of one mynde in the lorde He desyreth two wemē Euodias and Sentiches to be of one mynde and no longer at discorde for it appereth that these two wemen dyd not agre but were at debate and that the one enuied the other and therfore the apostle studeth to take from them their debate and to reconcile them to gether againe and to ioyne them to gether in mutuall beneuolence and loue one to another Here we lerne that discorde or debate maye aryse amongest good frendes and fauorers of the gospell but that displeasure or discorde is to be teased or quenced by other frendes as shortly as can be possible that these that were at discorde maye be a◠concorde and agre in the lorde Iesu 3. I beseche the my faythfull yockfelowe helpe the wemen whiche haue labored with me in the gospell Here the apostle desyreth a trew kynde and faythfull woman in the lord whiche hath labowred with him and take payne with him in the gospell when he preached with great payne and labor this womā dyd take payne and labour with him whether she was his wyfe as somme authors do thynke or it was some other good woman it maketh no great matter nor of it I wyll not dispute but leue it to other to iudge I thynke rather it was a woman then a man all though some translate this worde in the masculyne gender and not in the femynyne gēder and that the apostle desyreth one woman to helpe another and these that labowred with him That dyd mynistre to him meate drynke cloth fyre and other necessares he calleth thē here cooperatores euangelii cum illo that is felowes or workers with him in the gospell that they mynistred to him preaching the gospell or in prisō these thynges he had nede of Amonges whome he nameth on Clemens of his gentylnes and trewe harte and mynde