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
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
submission when we maye awance our selfe aboue other but of humblenes we do not 2. The apostle compareth him selfe with the pseudoposteles and in their glorye of the fleshe he gyueth no place to them as yf any wolde saye I come of the holy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and am circumcised in them wyll reioyce and bost them selfes In the same thynges sayth Paule I maye as well as they reioyce for I come of these holy fathers that is of the israelites y◅ of the trybe of Beniamyn and was circumcised the eyght daye borne of the Iewes and not of the gentyles or proselytes new commed and professed the lawe of the Iewes to kepe And yf any pseudoposteles do bost him of his holy secte or professiō of religion and saye he is of the most holy secte of the pharises the best and holyest religion of all amongest the Iewes of the same maye I reioyce sayth Paule for I am a pharisey and of that religiō a brother or yf any do thynke them selfes famous of zeale and loue they haue to the kepyng of the lawe in thē selfes and in other in that thynge I nede to gyue no place to any man sayth Paule for I kept that law blameles so that no man colde iustly reproue me for it and as tochīg other that was thought to haue transgressed the lawe I persequuted them and brought to prison and to death such was my zeale as touchynge the lawe whiche both I kepte and wolde other shulde haue kepte it This place sheweth vs that Paule was a Iewe borne both of father and mother of the trybe of Beniamyn circumcised the eyght daye of the secte of the pharises a keper of the lawe outwardly without reproche and of a blynde zeale to the obseruacion of the law to haue persequuted christen mē and women as is writen more at large Actes 9. But the thynges that were vantage vnto me haue I counted losse for christes sake yea I thinke all thynges but losse for that excellēt knowleges sake of christ Iesu my lord for whome I haue counted all thynges losse and do iudge them but donge that I myght wynne christ be founde in him not hauynge myne owne ryghtuousnes whiche commeth of the lawe but by the fayth of Christe namely the ryghtuonsnes whiche commeth of God in fayth to knowe hym and the vertue of his resurrection and the felowshyp of his passion that I maye be conformable vnto his deth yf by any meanes I might attayne to the resurrection of the dead Now the apostle do not moch bost him selfe of his kynred the Iewes of the holy fathers he come of of his circumcision of his holy religyon of his diligent kepynge of the lawe outwardely without faute or blame of his zeale of the which he hath auanced him selfe before men and before the world and haue counted these thynges as lucre to him or aauntage and moche to haue helped him to sustice before god but he now bosted not him of these thynges for he knewe they profited him no thynge to trewe iustifycation before god for that iustice before god commethe not to vs of the fleshe of holy fathers of workes of the law of out good blinde zeales wantyng goddes worde but of the mercy of god by Iesus Christ 2. Chynges that were vauntage vnto me haue I coūted losse for christes sake Marke how saint Paule altered and chaunged his iudgement that these thynges which he counted somtime before he came to the trew knowlege of Christe to be vauntage to him and to helpe to iustification before god thes same thinges he after wardes when he came to the trew knowlege of Christ he estemed thē as no helpers to trew iustification before god but rather for hurte and hinderaūce to his iustice in the sight of god So amōgest vs there hath bene many thynges whiche we haue estemed for vertu and to furder our ryghtuousnes be fore god which now we know nother for vertu nor yet to helpe to our iustification before god as was many dyuers religions of men and women their obseruances ceremonies seruyce and traditions more straytly keped amongest them then goddes worde and the breakyng of them more straytly punyshed then the breking of gods law yea how many was in religion that thought they shulde be sauyd by their religion habyte coote coull beryed in their habit with in their monasteries as they called them But let all these not be ashamed to alter and change their iudgementes with Paule and knowe that all these thynges wyll not iustifye them before god without fayth in Christ amendement of lyfe and walkyng in a new lyfe Also how manye hath thought perdons pylgrymages deckyng of Images with golden clothes of sylke veluet dammaske and offerynge vp of candells to thē not to haue bene meritorious workes and be to preferred before workes of mercy commaunded of god or els they wolde not haue bene so ready to do these workes and so loth to do other workes commaunded of god but now let them with Paule acknowlege their ignoraunce and blynd iudgementes and chaunge them as Paule dyd brought to a more trewer knowlege of god and of his treweth and not be ashamed to thynke and iudge other wayes then they haue iudged before when they were in ignoraunce and in blyndnes lackyng trew knowlege of goddes holy worde by the which they are delyuered from their ignoraunce for the whiche laude and prayse be to god euer amen 3. yea I thynke al thynges but losse for that excellent knowleges sake of Christe Iesu my lorde Now he declareth more at large wherfore he counted these thynge hurtfull to him whiche before he counted for his auauntage that was for the excellēte knowlege of Christ and of his treweth whiche he wanted before when he of ignoraunce and of a blynde and wycked zeale persequuted the church of Christ Note here what trewe knowlege of Christe doth it altereth and chaungeth men their iudgementes and maners and maketh these as they were new made agayne and to condemne these workes whiche they before estemed iudged good workes yea it maketh mē to counte all worldly ryches goodes landes and possessions as hurte dunge or duste for Christ and for the knowlege of Christe that he myght wynne to him Christe whome the good men preferreth aboue all worldly riches or treasures that he myght be made iuste onely by Christe Here we lerne of Paule to repete one matter wordy to be noted and surelye prynted in all mennes myndes ones or twyse or thryse yf nede be that it myghte be fyxed and roted more suerly in mens hartes and myndes Here he preferreth Christe and the knowlege of him aboue all ryches or treasures of this worlde shewyng that it is better for vs to lacke all worldly ryches thē to lacke Christ and his word for he that hath Christ he hath all thynges all ryches for in Christe be put all the treasure of the wysedome and knowlege of god Colo. 2. For Christe is our