tymes doth blysse lâ—nâ—tify men but peraduenture theâ—e that be thus blessed of meÌ„ be cursid of god Of suche that be only sancrifyed of men not of God Iudas doth not here speke but ofsoche as be sanctifyed of GOD wheder they be cursed or blessed of meÌ„ and surely these be sanctyfyed Some peraduenture wyll aske who be they that be blessed and sanctifyed of God trewely all they whome Christe hath sanctyfyed in his bloude wassheth theyr synnes in his bloode that hath faith and doth beleue their synnes only to be taken awaye by Christe his blode shed for their remissyon of syns and whithe wyll beleue surely tyll they dye these be they whiche be truly halowed sanctified in god the father and these be holy and blessed whether men do blesse them or turse theÌ„ other there be that be sanctifyed as of men as of the pope of the cardynals of byshops or of Abbottes but these be not hooly nor blessed excepte that Christe hath sanctifyed them in his blode and haue remyssyon of theyr synnes by Iesus Christe whiche thinge they beleue surely or elles they be not sanctifyed of God nor blessed be they neuer so often tymes blessed of the Popes holy hande and all his thre Crosses with all the myters of his Cardydnalles bysshoppes Oftimes it fortuneth god to curse theym whome men do blysse and the contrary those to be blessed of GOD whoÌ„ men do curse as god doth speake by his Prophet sayenge I wyll blysse your cursynges and contrary I wyll curse youre blessynges For as moche as this Apostell Iudas wrote to them that were aliue whom he sayde was sanctifyed it is euidente this worde sanctum or sanctifycatum in scripture for the most parte to be takynge for hooly men that lyueth that is to say for good faythfull men and not onely for those that be departed hence and called vnto the number of hooly sainctes in heauen whome the churche of Rome hath canonyzat and only calleth sainctes They that after that waies only wyll take this worde sanctumin holy scripture they erre froÌ„ the trueth and giueth greate occasyon of impiete to other and maketh many to erre in takynge of scrypture in the trewe sence These men bringe great darknes to scripture they make scripture darke and wyll not suffer hooly scripture to be ryght vnderstande but do alyenat and plucke awaye from the true and proper sence of the holy ghost the faythfull Christen reader whiche desyreth to haue the true intellygence of scripture Howe can they truely vnderstande saint Paules pistell which he wrote to the samctes that were at Rome yf they wyll take this worde sanctum or sancti for sainctes that be departed Sainet Paull in a maner wrote all his epysteles to sainctes as it doth appere in a maner throughe al his epystels in the beginnynge How can it be but these men whiche taketh sayntes only for them that be departed but they must nedes counte Saincte Paule for an ideot foole which wrote his epystelles to the Sainctes departed whiche coulde not reade them nor yet when they were redde culde heare them or vnderstande theym or any fruyte or profyte take of them or any thyng gather of them to obtayne true fayth or to fassyon good manners to fle synne and iniquytie for Sainctes that be departed be passed the state of this present lyfe It is euydent therfore that Sainct Paule calleth good and faythfull christen men lyuing after the lawe of GOD in fayth and in charyte Saintes althoughe they lyue in this presente lyfe or howe coulde any man truely vnderstande this pystell of Iude whiche Iudas dedycated to sainctes yf sainctes were only taken for sainctes departed this lyfe Iudas thadeus wrote to them that were a lyue wherfore it is manyfest thys worde sainctes must be taken in holy scripture as well for Sainctes being a liue in this present lyfe as for sainctes that be departed For sainctes beinge a lyue taketh saincte Paule this worde sayntes oftymes as it appereth Rom. xv Ephe. pri Colocen pri and ofter it is so taken then other wayes Because many hath not taken this worde saynctes in scrypture for good men lyuynge but only for hooly men departed And also because saint Paul desyreth oftymes the prayers of sainctes for hym as is written Roma xv and sainctes they toke only for sainctes departed seinge there is no scrypture to perswade vs to pray to saintes departed no coÌ„maundmeÌ„t of god lesse in holy scripture that I do remember no promyse that we shal optayne our peticyon yf we praye to the sainctes but all scrypture doth perswade Ye commaunde to praye to God whiche is the gyuer of all that is good he byddeth aske of hym and we shall haue Iacobi primo Math. septi To praye to God perswadeth all holy scripture Math. vi and also promyseth that we shall not aske in vayne but that we shall optayne our peticyon yf we aske as we shulde do and in fayth nothing douttynge but we shall optayne that we desyre yf it be to the glory of God and for our profite to receyue it How prayenge to Sainttes dyd come vp I haue shewed myne opynyon To praye vnto Sainctes that they maye praye with vs vnto GOD I thynke it not euell I thynke it a very good and laudable custome and maye be well vsed so that men make not sayntes theyr patrones and gyuers of that thynge that they desyre as many hath done in tymes past and put more trust more coÌ„fidence in a saynt then in god therfore they beynge in any peryll or icopardye wolde renne to this image or that image oâ— suche a saint before god Thus the ignorant people hath preferred the sayntes before god put more trust more coÌ„fidence more helpe more succour in a saynt then in god yea I fere me that many hath put their trust helpe and succour in an image made of stone or of wode by mans hande done great reuerence honour to the image beleuynge great vertue great holynes to be in that image aboue other images and therfore that image must haue a veluer cote hanged all with brouches of syluer and moche syluer hanged aboute it on it with moche lyght before it and alwayes candels burnynge before that image whiche candle may neuer go forth nor be put out that light before the image to be put forth it is a great fautâ—and some thinketh that the image wolde take a vengeaunce on suche that shuld do it whiche thynge I wolde no man shulde do in contemnynge the saynt whose image there is but I wolde haue this euyl opynyon out of the symple harte that they shuld esteme images after the valowe as they be and put no more holynes in one image then in an other no more vertue in one than in an other It holdeth the symple people in great blyndnes and maketh them to put great trust great holynes in images because one image is called our lady
darke saienges figures he dyd se the forde c. Thus Moses is hiely coÌ„menâ—ed in scripture as apereth iÌ„ Ero. xviii Iudas here peraduenture dyd take occasion to speke of Moses of these wordes whiche is wrytten Deuterono the laste Chap. where it is playn that after oure Lorde had shewed to Moyses the lande of promyssyon promysed vnto the fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and had sayd that Moses shulde not entre into that lande that was for a mystery that was hydde whiche sainct Paul openeth hebreorum vii sayenge that the lawe dyd brynge no man to perfeccyon that is to saye that the lawe coulde not iustifye ne bringe men to lyfe of Moyses it is wrytten the last of the Deut. that Moyses dyd dye in the lande of moab and was buryed and that no man dyd knowe his sepulchre vnto this daye The sepulchre of Moyses god wolde haue it vnknowne lest the Iewes whiche counted Moises for suche a great and a holy prophet shulde commyt ydolatrye set vp idolatre vpon the sepulchre of Moyses and worshyppe Moyses as God for the Iewes was redy to ydolatre of this doth the contencyon appere to be sprong vp bytwene Michaell and the deuell of the whiche contencyon Iudas here speaketh of the deuell wolde the bodye of Moyses to haue bene shewed to the Iewes that it myght haue bene to them an occasyon of ydolatre Michael wold it shuld not haue bene shewed vnto them that they shulde haue had by it none occasyon of ydolatre but that all ydolatre shulde be vtterly extincted and put awaye here you may learne the desyre of the deuell whiche is to moue to ydolatre to iniquite and sinne good men they alwaye dysswade from ydolatry and synne and taketh away all occasyon by the whiche passage maye be made to ydolatre and synne Saynt Iohn apoca xxii doth speake of a certeyn bataile bytwene Michael the deuyll He sayth there was made a great batayle in heuen Michael archaungell and his aungels dyd fyght with a dragone and the dragone and his angels dyd fyght agaynste Michael but they haue not preuayled nor yet no place of them was found any more in heuen but the battel of whiche it is here spoken was of the bodye of Moyses whiche the deuell wolde haue had worshypped that the Iewes myght haue committed idolatry on it Michael dyd resyst hym this is the meaning of this place after myne opynyon yf it be the true meanynge of Iude take it yf not take their mynde that bryngeth a better sence and I my selfe wyl be glad to learne of better learned then I am for I am of the lest the true vnderstandyng of this place exceppe myne opynyon in good worth till you heare a better But to what purpose bringeth Iude in these but that he wolde teche pseudapostels shulde not speake euell curse wysshe vnto the deuell hyghe powers and suche as be put in authorytye vnder GOD vnto whome it becommeth euerye man for to be obedient by the ordynaunce of GOD and to haue theym in honoure and reuerence and not to speake euell of them Yf Mychaell the Archangell sente of GOD as a comon minyster durste not curse or speke euell of the deuell what boldnes is it pryuate men to curse to speke euell of powers ordynated of GOD. Thys place of Iude dothe appeare to take awaye all euell speakynge from pryuate men of them that be set for comon minysters of the common welth This place doth not inhybyte ne let but comon offycers maye rebuke euell doars and punysshe them as it shal be thought most expedyent for the amendment of them that be euell to auoyde more inconuenyence Also this sayeng of Iud doth take away al vengeance in word or in deâ—e from priuate men monishe them to remit al vengeaunce to god whiche wyl not suffre synners to escape vnpunysshed Iudas vseth here an argumeÌ„t of the lesse to the more after this maner If aungels durst not curse euyl men moche more men shuld not curse or speake euyll of good men moche lesse they shulde speake euyll of good men beynge in authoritye If our fore fathers dyd longe reiect this pystel of Iude for this place whiche in scripture scarse iÌ„ any other place coulde be fouÌ„de how moche more now shulde men reicet the sayinges or writynges that with holy scripture I do not saye do not agre but playnly doth repugne with scripture farre dissent froÌ„ the scripture nor yet this doctryne doth not so far discorde from the scripture and so far contrary to the truthe but they gete some patrones which with all myght power wyll defende this doctryne as holy and good as they do whiche set vp the vsurped power of the byshop of Rome aboue kyngê princis and emperours that by the ordynauÌ„ce of god as god his holy scripture dyd gyue to the bysshop of Rome a secular power aboue kynges princis and emperours here in this worlde when it is euydent by scripture the bysshop of Rome to haue none other power but at the pleasure of princis then in the mynystration of the worde of god to preache goddes worde purely and sincerely to reproue by it euyll men as to do suche thynges as becommeth a preacher a bysshop a minister of godâ— worde to do other power dothe not Scripture attribute to the bysshop of Rome nor suffer hym to vse Scripture wylleth hym to be a bysshop and to do the office of a bysshop and not to playe the prynce the kynge the emperour the lorde and so forth as Peter byddeth i. Pet. v. Feade as moche as is in you the flocke of Christ not playinge the lorde in the cleare that is to saye in the elected of god so forth The lorde rebuke the. Mychaell wolde not rebuke the deuyll but remytted all vengeaunce to god teachynge other in theyr proper cause to commyt vengeaunce to god which shall iudge ryght and punyshe euyll doers Therfore it is not conuenyent that men shulde desyre vengeaunce of euyll doers seynge that god wyll punysshe malefactours and auenge all iniuryes done to god or to men yf these malefactours wyll not repent and be sory for theyr offences paste These wordes of Iude do not appere to be of one that desyreth auengemeÌ„t but rather of hym that sheweth what is to come of god that the lorde wyll rebuke hym that stereth prouoketh men to euyll But these speake euyll of these thynges whiche they knowe not In to these thinges whiche they knowe naturally as beastes withoute reason they corruppe them selues Iude pueth these false doctors more bolder then aungels for they dare take vpon them to curse powers ordeyned of god whiche thyng the auÌ„gels wolde not do in men And leest these false doctors shuld say they had a iust cause to speke euyl or to curse powers rulers and other not obeyenge their lawes preceptes Iude sayth they curse not hauyng a iust cause but that they do not vnderstand
¶ An exposition in the epistell of Iude the apostel of Christ wherein he setteth playnly before euery mans eyes false apostels and theyr craftes by the which they haue longe deceyued symple christian people ¶ The argument IN thys pystell Iude monysheth men to take hede and beware of pseudapostels and of theyr false doctryne shewynge perswadynge to all men that god wyll not suffer these pseudapostels and al them that assenteth and agreeth to their deceyuable doctryne and folow them in maners of lyuynge to escape vnpunyshed And that men shall knowe these pseudapostels that they may beware of them the better and of theyr lyenge doctryne whiche bryngeth to confusion and dampnation Iude describeth these pseudapostils sheweth certayne of theyr propertyes by the which they may be knowen although they go craftyly to warke and sleyghtly hathe crepte in amonge men with moche fayned and pretensed holynes pretendyng in wordes to seke the glory of god the auancement of his worde the profyte of other whan they seke theyr owne glory theyr owne auancement theyr owne profyte lucre and auaÌ„tage Iude threteth to these pseudapostels and to all theyr adherentes folowers of theyr false and deceyuable doctryne euerlastyng woo payne and dampnation that he myght dysswade them from synne deuyllyshe doctryne yf not for loue yet for feare of punyshment for god wyl not suffer synne to be vnpunyshed Of these pseudapostels and of their deceyuable doctryne vsed in the pystell you may se and reade this is the somme of the pystell But I praye you reade this pystell to your edyfyenge and admonition to beware of false doctryne as the author of this exposition in this pystell of Iude wylleth and desyreth and setteth forth this rude and homely exposition for that intent onely that these that be vnlerned myght se and perceyue the better with what deceyuable doctryne men haue ben deluded and deceyued many a daye that men myght receyue Christis doctryne and of his apostelles whiche bryngeth to lyfe ioye and blysse and leue the doctryn of pseudapostelles whiche bryngeth to deathe to hell and to the deuyll Folowe Christ his doctryne and you shall haue lyfe with hym in glorye To hym be glorye alwaye Amen ¶ The pistle of saynet Iude. IVdas the seruaunt of Iesus Christe the broder of Iames to them which are called and sanctified in god the father and preserued in Christ Iesus mercy vnto you peace and loue be multiplied They that wylleth and desyreth to vnderstande the holy scripture of god trewly purely sincerely these thynges they must consider and euer haue before theyr eyes Fyrst that they knowe who spekes for in holy scripture there be many that spekes soÌ„tymes spekes god somtymes the deuyll somtymes Christe and his apostilles somtymes the scribes the phariseis somtymes Peter somtymes Paule somtymes Iudas soÌ„tymes Anna Cayphas and Pylate therfore it is coÌ„uenient to consider who spekes lest one be taken to speke whan another spekes as Christ to speke whan the deuyll spekes or contrarye the deuyll to speke whan Christ spekes and so of the other For although all holy scripture was written by the spirite of god whiche is the spirite of trewthe yet there is in holy scripture that spekes many â—as is shewed before therfore it is mete to consider who spekes SecoÌ„dly they must consider to whom specially scripture dothe speke of what affection disposition and nature they be to whom it is spoken Thyrdly for what cause purpose and inteÌ„t the wordes of scripture chefely was spoken and what the holy goost wolde perswade or disswade in that place of scripture by those that spekes Finally what is the clere sentence and proper vnderstandynge of that scripture spoken that it may be open playne and euident to all men what is the trewe sence meanynge of the wordes of holy scripture in that place spoken These circuÌ„stances noted the holy scripture shal be more casyer to vnderstande and knowe The author that wrote this pistle by the inspiration of the holy gooste was Iudas Thadeus one of the .xii. apostels of Christ Iesus whom saynt Mathewe reckeneth amonges the .xii apostels of Christ Math .x. But there was two men that was called Iudas bothe apostilles of Christ the one dyd appere to the outwarde opinion and estimation of men to be entierly beloued hye in the fauour with his lorde and mayster Christ Iesus ye and hyer in fauour than any of the other of the xii apostels Ye he dyd appere to be so hyghly beloued with Chryste Iesus that he preferred hym before all other of the apostels and made hym as stewarde and ouerseer of his house and made hym his purse bearer yea also Christ wolde haue hym to be so nye familier with hym that he wold haue hym to eate with hym and to put his hande in Christis dyshe But this Iudas so hyghly beloued of his mayster lorde kynge Christ Iesus as an vnkynde yea moost vnkynde of all dyd betray his mayster so louyng kynde gentyl and solde hym to the wicked cruel iewes to be crucified This Iudas that betrayed Christ was not the author of this pystell for that Iudas was called Iudas Ischarioth There was an other called Iudas Lebbeê° or Thadeus one of the apostils of Christ called the brother of our lorde Iesus because he was the sonne of the syster to the mother of Christ as is wrytten Marc. vi This Iudas called the brother of Christ was the author that wrote this pistell as the begynnynge of the pistell dothe shewe To whom it was written the salutatioÌ„ sheweth to those that were called sanctified preserued in our lorde Iesus Chryste for what cause intent this pistel was written what is conteyned in the pistell in the processe of the pistell god wyllynge it shall be made open euideÌ„t to al good christen reders that with a pure harte stomacke in fayth desyreth to knowe the wyll pleasure of god wyll take the paynes to rede this homely declaration of this holy spirituall pystell of saynet Iude and marke diligently the holsome counsels spiritual lessons that saynt Iudas teachethus in this pistel Saynt Iudas diuideth this pistel in a salutatioÌ„ a narratioÌ„ as lyra sheweth after the example of saynt Paule in his pistels In the salutation he sheweth who was the author of the pistell what was his office to do to whom it was written what thynges he desyreth to theym to whome he wrote this pystel The auctor vseth a salutacyon in the begynning of his pystell after the fassyon and maner of them that vseth to wryt pystelles And also lesse any shulde counte hym without good humanyte as to speake to any of sadde and weyghty matters whom he dyd not salute at the left before And also he vseth this salutacyon to teache vs Christen men and women one to salute an other to desyre and wyshe one to an other suche thynges as he desyreth that is