and callynge and that only for god / haue no respecte to our selfe Thus we maye heare / knowe what frute commeth of the worde of god preached / that is to saye / throughe the holy spirite is gyuen / certantye of goddes fauour / knowledge of goddes wyll / of our offyce and dutye bothe to god and also to our neighbour and lyfe euerlasting ¶ Wherfore also in so muche as I haue hearde of the fayth whiche ye haue in the lorde Iesu of your loue vnto the sayntes / I cease nat to gyue thankes for you / make mentyon of you in my prayers / that the god of our lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory may gyue vnto you the spirite of wisdome / open vnto you that knowledge of hym selfe and lyghten the eyes of your vnderstandynge that ye may knowe what is the hope of your callynge and what the ryches of his gloryous inheritance is vpon the saintes Saynt Paule here sheweth the offyce of one christen man toward an other / that it is to geue thankes to god for fayth / hope / charyte / other gyftes spirytuall geuen to other of god And in this he teacheth christen men what they shulde do when they heare that the worde of god is puerly truly preached without all dregges of mans inuentyon dreames / or phantasyes / and that other receyue faythe and exercyse the workes of charyte to the pore people / that they shuld gyue laude prayse and thankes to the lorde for it / to desyre of god that they may continue in the truth go forward in it / and encrease euery day more and more in all godly knowlege and spirytual wysdome that they maye knowe what is the hope / that is to saye the thyng that they hoped for / whiche is the heuenly inherytaunce whiche they hope and loke for to the whiche god hath called them / these be the dutyes of a chrysten man one to an other to wysshe and desyre of god / and nat to be sory that so muche spirytuall knowlege of God be shewed to the rude and ignoraunt people as is nowe shewed in our tyme. And here Saynte Paule reproueth those that be sory that there is so muche knowledge of goddes worde shewed and opened to the symple people as is / it checketh also all them that dysswadeth the laye people vnlearned / from the hearynge of the worde of god from the readyng of it / from the study of it 22. Vertue can nat be byd where someuer it is but it wyll be knowen although they wolde it shuld nat be knowen that do vertuously to auoyde prayse of men / as the fayth and charyte of these Ephesians came to Paule in prison / for the whiche Saynt Paule praysed them / and vertue shal not lacke his prayse or reward in this worlde / or at the lesse in the worlde to come 23. Saynt Paule commendeth these Ephesians / nat for theyr goodly temple / nor yet for their noble worshyppinge of Diane / nor yet for their religyouse men called of dyuers sectes / and of dyuerse habytes / for theyr goodly syngynge in the queare / or theyr orgaynes and playeng in their churches / or for other goodly ceremonyes / nor for their tapers / torches / carued paynted / or gylded Images / or for theyr goodly greate belles or multitude of masses or suche lyke / but for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ / and their charyte to the poore people that hathe nede of helpe and socour And Paule cōmendeth them nat bicause he wolde make them proude / but bicause he wolde prouoke them to go forwarde and continue in faythe and charyte / and encrease them euery day more and more / and that they shulde knowe good workes nat to lacke his reward with god in the world to come 4. In this prayer he teacheth vs what thynges we shulde desyre of god in our prayers / that it wolde please God to gyue vs the spirite of spirytuall wysdome and knowledge / that we myght be lyghtened with all godly knowledge / that we myght knowe howe ryche is our hope in the thynge we hope for / the heauenly inherytaunce / vnto the whiche Christ hath bought vs with his preciouse bloude shed for vs / of this place we maye learne that we can not knowe what is our hope / glorye / and inheritaunce whiche we loke for after this present lyfe / except that God shewe it to vs by his spiryte of wysdome and knowledge / and open our eyes that we may see and perceyue it And to optayne this spiryte of God / and that we maye euery daye encrease more and more in this diuyne knowledge / saynt Paule moneth vs to praye to god which alone doth geue this spiryte This place maketh agaynst them that wolde the ignorant symple people shulde haue no furder knowlege of god then be conteyned in the pater noster / and to be contented wtih that knowledge / and desyre no furder / but to leue to hie dyuynes the furder knowledge in the scriptures of god / but let suche blynde gydes and ignorāt teachers put away theyr blyndnes and ignoraunce / and learne better knowlege of god / desyre it in faythe by prayer / by study / by hearyng and reading of holy scriptures / that they may encrease in more knowledge and teache other better to seke to more knowledge / that they may come to the more knowledge of god / and of the celestyall kyngdome / whiche thinges they know better the more knowledge they haue in the holy scryptures of god Also saynt Paule sheweth here that faythe / charyte / knowledge of godly wysdome may be encreased in sayntes lyuing here in his world / and therfor he exorteth euery man to encrease theyr faythe / theyr charite / theyr knowledge / in the which he sheweth that there is no man so good but that he maye be better encrease in goodnes / in the whiche he exorteth euery one to encrease / euery day be better better ¶ And what is the excedyng gretnes of his power toward vs which beleue accordynge to the working of his myghty powre whiche he wrought in Christ when he raysed him vp from the deade and set him on his ryght hand in heuenly thinges aboue al rule / powre / might and domynatiō and aboue al that maye be named / nat onely in this worlde / but also in the worlde to cōe And hathe put all thynges vnder his fete / hathe made hym aboue al thinges / the head of the congregacyon whiche is his body the fulnes of hym that fylleth all in all The Apostle goeth forth with his prayer for these Ephesyans and desyreth God that they myghte knowe by the spirite of wisdome and knowledge of god that they myght knowe the excellent power of god which god hath declared myghtely in the raisynge vp his sonne Iesus Chryst from deathe to lyfe / and made him
necessary to kepe them / but that health may be without them / nor yet they are nat to be kepte vnder the payne of daÌ„nacyon of the soule For lyfe euerlastynge may be without cyrcumcision and other suche lyke ceremonial and iudicial lawes whiche be abrogate and taken away / that it is in a mannes liberty to kepe them or nat kepe them It is no vertue to kepe theÌ„ nor synne to omytte them And contrary it is no synne to do theÌ„ excepte any shulde haue lyke opynion in them as the Iewes had / that they thynke they muste nedes kepe them orels they can nat be saued / to thynke they be iustified by the keypynge of suche ceremonial and iudiciall lawes and shall obtayne by the meanes of them forgyuenes of synne and eternall lyfe / in that opinion to kepe these lawes is synne after the gospell preached by Christe and hys apostles / as touchynge morall preceptes Christe hathe nat taken them awaye / but that they shall nat be done for feare of the lawe / for feare of hell / and the punyshmeÌ„t therof / but for the loue of god / with al gladnes of herte 3. That of twayne he myght create one newe man in hym selfe For what ende purpose Christe abrogated the ceremonials and iudicial lawes he sheweth / that is that he shulde make of two people one people eternall to him / that the one shulde nat contemne the other / as the Iues contemned the Gentyles before / and the Gentyles the Iues but that they shulde agree in one god Christe Iesus the sauyour of all / and in the true worshyp and faythe by the whiche bothe the Iues and the Gentyles shulde be saued iustified before God and nat thorogh any obseruances of the lawe that all men shulde knowe the lyfe and healthe of man nat to be in cyrcumcision outwarde / in ceremonies / in sacrifices in inuencion and religyon or merites of men nor in the worshyp of ydoles / nor in supersticiousnes of maÌ„nes religion / but alone in Christe that no man shulde reioyce in any other but in the lorde and in the crosse of Iesu Christe Gala. 6. So Christe hathe reconcyled the Iues and the GeÌ„tyles takyng from them bothe / parte of theyr pleasure / from the Iues cyrcumcision / ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes / from the Gentyles idolatry and lechery In the whiche thynges bothe partes had greate pleasure in / so Christe hathe reconcyled the Iewes and the Gentyles in that he toke awaye the hatred and the cause of theyr hatred So I thynke amonges vs nowe shall hatred cease and we shall all be made one / sythe the cause of our hatred is nowe taken away by the kynges magestyes commauÌ„dement The hatred that was amonges vs for the moste parte was for the worshyppynge of stockes / stones / blockes paynted and gylted / nowe these be taken away I soppose a greate parte of our hatred to cease and charite to encrease to the glory of god and the profite of many 4. Howe Christ hath reconciled vs synners to the fauour of the father agayne here is shewed that was by the crosse / that is to say by Christe a full sacrifice and a sufficient oblacion for al the synnes of the worlde / by the whiche oblation of Christê body ones offred vp for all synners / al were made parfit reconciled / had forgeuenesse of synÌ„es made beloued to god the father and heyres of his kyndome by Christ that dyed on the crosse for our redemption slauation / iustification and lyfe eternall 5. And came and preached peace in the gospell to you that were farre of / that is Christe preached peace and quietnesse in the hertes of the Gentiles whiche was counted farre frome the peace / fauour and loue of god And this peace was wroghte by thre outwarde preachyng of the gospell and the inwardes workynge of the holy goste So was peace broght bothe to the Iewes and the Gentiles throught Christ by no other meanes thaÌ„ by his death of the crosse 6. If Christe hath take away these thynges that was of a necessite coÌ„maunded of god to be kepte because they were no more profitable for the people Howe muche more shuld no man merueyle nowe if some institutions and religions of men be now taken awaye by goddes worde / whiche be nat profitable to man / nor yet to the glory of god / which do cause muche false trustes suê‘stitiousnes / erronious opynions / false iudgementes / backwarde iudgemeÌ„tes / ydolatry / and hyndereth the trewe honour of god and faythe in Christe Iesê° / and hathe made men to put theyr truste of healthe saluation in other then in Christe / and so brought men to death damnation / from the whiche daÌ„natioÌ„ to delyuer vs / Christe suffred death on the crosse / and brought to all beleuers and kepers of goddes coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes lyfe euerlastyng in al ioy blysse ⧠For by hym we bothe haue entraÌ„ce in one spirite vnto the father ¶ Of these thynges that go before saynte Paule nowe sheweth playnely that by Christe only the way to the father of heauen is made open to all men / bothe to the Iues and Gentyles / and that the Gentyles be aswell of the housholde of god as the Iues / and made heyres of the kyngedome of god by Christe / and the waye to the father open to the Gentyles as to the Iewes and that by Christe 2. In that the waye is made open to all men by Christe and by none other / saynte Paule reproueth those that wolde men shulde go and desyre sayntes departed to praye for them that by the intercession of sayntes departed men myght come to the father without Christe We thynke it is folyshnes to leue the waye to the father of heauen appoynted and assygned vs in the scripture and to seke another way not spoken of in the scripture / sythe it is so that we be vncertayne whether that sayntes departed be in that state that they wyll or be meane for vs to the father or no Whether they here vs callynge to them or no Whether they knowe our necessite or no whether they be hard of the father and optayne theyr purpose or no Of these thynges we haue no certaynty by the scriptures / wherfore I thynke it mete in this behalfe to be content with teachynges of the holy scripture which teacheth al necessary truthes for mannes saluacion / and nat to seke another waye to the father then the scripture teacheth Saynte Paule sayeth here that the waye to the father is made open to all men nat by Petre / Paule / Iohan / or Iames / Mary / or Magdelene but by Christ which is the mediato r bytwene god and man 1. Timo. 2. Saynte Paule sayeth there is but one mediato r bytwene vs the father we make many without the scriptures howe do we and S. Paule agree Howe do lyght darcknes agree Forthermore I se as yet no
to forsake synne in the whiche we haue walked in tymes paste for lacke of knowledge and in that we haue obeyed our olde man and his concupiscence to muche / whiche bryngeth to deathe Gala. 5. and. Roma 8. The affeccion of the flesshe is death Therfore let vs put awaye the olde man with all his carnall desyres or lustes alway redy to synne and to swarne frome the trueth of goddes worde / and brynge to death / and let vs be renued in the spyryte and put on a newe man made after God in all iustice and vertue that moueth vs al alwaye to vertu and goodnes By the putting away of the olde man he vnderstandeth the puttynge away of al sinne / as to put away vanite of minde darkenes / ignorance of god / blynde obstynacye of harte vnsorowfulnes for synne / vncleanes and al other vices / and in their places to putte on vertues / and desyre to folowe goddes worde / knowledge of it / redynesse to apply hiÌ„ selfe to do goddes wyll and pleasure in all trueth and iustice iustice / and suche doth appere to be renued by the spirite of god / whose olde lyfe in sinne doth displease and a newe lyfe in vertue doth please / whose mynde is wyllynge and glad to knowe the trueth and to lyue after the trueth of goddes worde in al vertue and goodnes ⧠Wherfore put awaye lyenge and speake euery man the trueth with his neyghbour for as much as we are membres one of another Be angrye but synne nat let nat the sonne go downe vpon youre wrathe / neyther gyue place to the backebyter / he that hathe stolen / let hym steale no more / but let him laboure rather and do some good with his handes that he may haue to gyue to him that nedeth ☞ The Apostle here exhortethe men to to put awaye certayne vyces and to take in theyr places vertue Fyrst he exhorteth men to put away lyenge / by lyeng he vnderstandeth all crafte / sotteltye / falsed / deceyte / in worde or in dede / by the which crafty men deceyueth other that be simple or osuche as feare no crafte / gyle or falsed / in bargaynynge / as in seilynge byenge or in other busynes of the worlde necessarely to be vsed amongeste men in this worlde / and vnderlyenge may be conteyned delayenge of matters to deceyue men / to make them spende more monye for the expedytion of their matters And in this is reproued lawers and all other that delaye matters for lucre sake Here is also reproued all them that falslye accuse and sclaunder other / that go aboute to deceyue another by fayre speakynge / goodly wordes or ê“myses when they intende to do nothynge Here is also reproued all maner of flattery or dissemblynge ye all periury in selliÌ„ge of theyr wayre / whiche vyce is so comonly vsed vnponyshed of god or of man / that in a maner it is counted a vertue / and he to be best seruaunte that can with most periurye and greateste swerynge deceyue his chapman But let suche repent and ameÌ„de them selues / for god wyll nat suffre vnponyshed his holy name so to be taken in vaine / so vnreuerently to be brought for a testimony in a false matter and a dissembled purpose / God wyll nat suffre periurye vnponished / but he wyl eyther punysh it here in this world / or els in the worlde to come or in both / in this worlde / and also in the worlde to come And in this worlde suche periured persons god punysheth ofte with corporall punyshementes / as with pouertye sickenes / diseases / and with vnfaythfulnes that they be leaste beleued / that be moste swerers / men were wonte to cry out of them that dyd eate egges butter / mylk chese / and other lyke white meate in lente seson / and helde their peace at periurye / vnreuerente takynge the name of God in vayne / and bryngynge in it to be wytnesse or recorde in a false matter / for the whiche god threateneth punyshemente Deulero 5. Sayenge he that taketh the nayme of God in vayne shall nat be vnpunyshed / at the breakynge of Goddes lawe / we holde our peace / at the breaken of mannes lawe we crye out / and call them loosers and heretykes that eate white meate in lent season / whiche is a laweful thyng by goddes lawe / and maye lawfully be done / so it be nat done with contempte of the authoryte and with offendicle of wayke persons / and agaynste their conscience / thynkynge that thynge vnlaweful / and yet eate it agaynste conscyence / to take the name of god in vayne is alway vnlaweful / and forbydden by goodes lawe 2 Also the Apostle nat onely forbyddeth lyenge / but he coÌ„maundeth that men shall speake the trueth / and that symply plainly without all dissemblyng in wordes and in dedes / and to kepe the profitable trueth towardes all men alwaye as well in bargaynes as without byenge and sellynge choppynge or chanynge And here the Apostle reachethe that it is the offyce of a faythfull preachers nat onely to reproue vyce vsed amongest men / but also to shewe a medsyne for euery vice / and to heale the vyce with his propre medsyne to set vertu in the place of synne / synne clerely put awaye 3 This place reproueth them that go aboute to deceyue theyr neyghboure by crafte / falsed surelty or by any crafty meanes / and specially these that be symple / trusteth no falsed beleuynge that no man wolde deceyue them / yf they myght / but alacke for petie / that crafte / falsed / and periury / is suffred of rulers and Magistrates vnpunysshed / as they were nat forbyd of God / but at mannes pleasure and wyll / so synne vnpunyshed / is counted oftymes to be no synne / or small synne / ye peradueÌ„ture a vertue a worldely wysdome / and a good wordly polycye / a sygne of a wyse felowe that wylt thryue so to vse crafte / falsed is reckened to be thristey but howe someuer suche shryue before the worlde / they thryue nat before God almyghtye that forbyddeth suche thryfte / and coÌ„dempneth all suche thryuers / ye ieyrers brekers of his lawe 4 He sheweth the cause why we shulde nat vse crafte or falsed one to deceyue another / the cause is that we be membres of one body / one membre doth nat decyue another / nor wyll nat hurte another / but laboureth for another / as the hande dothe nat hurte the heade the legge or the foote but wyll laboure for them and prouyde that they wante nothynge or that they be nat hurte / or any other wayes nooed / and wyll in no wyse deceyue them / so shuld we all do one to another / seynge we be membres of Cstristes bodye / and one labour in trueth for another without deceyte / crafte or falsed as membres doth 6 Be angry but synne nat The Apostle wolde we shulde
thretned to euyl seruantes / so theyr is a rewarde promysed to good seruantes and a payne to euyll seruauntes / whiche god wyll gyue when he seyth his tyme. ☞ And ye maysters do euen the same vnto them puttynge awaye threatnynges and know that eueÌ„ your mayster also is in heuen neyrher is there any respecte of persoÌ„nes with hym ⧠Here he sheweth the office of maisters to theyr seruauntes / sayeng It is the offyce of the mayster to shewe hiÌ„selffe meke and gentle to his seruantes whome they suffer nat to wante necessaries neyther to wante meate ne clothe / nat to entreate theÌ„ with great hardnes / fearsnes or cruelnes nat to lay great burdiÌ„ges vpon theyr backes / or to put them to iÌ„tollerable labours and paynes / but that the maysters shulde thynke their seruantes to be men made to the symilitude of god / redemed by the preciouse bloude of Christe to be heyres and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen as wel as they Fynally let maysters so order them selfes towardes theyr seruantes and be so louyng / so kynde / so gentle / that of theyr seruaÌ„tes they may be more loued then dred / do more for theyr loue then for feare / or for profyte 2 Puttynge awaye threatnynges / the lorde coÌ„maundeth the maysters nat onely to put away betynges / and punysshementes / but also all cruel threatnynges fears and fell wordes whiche maketh the seruaÌ„tes oftymes to runne awaye and forsake his maister contrary to the lawe of God This place reproueth fears / fell and cruel maysters frowarde to theyr seruauntes / that threate great and greuous plages / punysshementes thynkynge they shall do more with rhough rygorouse meanes theÌ„ with louynge wordes and gentle facyons but such frowarde maisters deceyueth theÌ„ selfe / for gentylnes wyll do more with an honest seruant and with hym that feareth god then any rough wordes or rygorous maners / for there be fewe seruauntes that be amended by bunchynge beatyng or other greuouse punyshement yf he nede muche punysshement it is a token he is an euyll seruant and lytyl regardeth his profyce or his Maysters profyte honestye or worshyppe 3 And knowe that your Mayster is in heuen / he sheweth the cause why maysters shulde entreat theyr seruauntes gently remyt to them plages / punyshemenentes and threatnynges / because god the father which is in heaueÌ„ is the Lorde of the seruauntes as well as he is of the maysters and wyll make the seruauntê equal with the maysters in Heauen / for God dothe nat regarde ê‘sonnes of men / whether they be maysters or seruauntes / but loketh at euery mannes office and deuty / and whom he fyndeth hath done theyr offyce deuty well he wyll rewarde them with a greate rewarde and whom he fyndeth negligent in his offyce not done his deutye / he wyl punyshe whether they be maysters or serseruauntes ☞ Fynally my brethren be strong in the Lorde and in the power of his myght / put on the armoure of God / that ye maye stande stedfaste agaynst the crafty assaultes of the deuyll / for we wrestle nat agaynst flesshe and bloude / but agaynst rule agaynst power namely agaynst the rulers of the worlde of the darkenes of thys worlde / agaynste the spyrytes of wyckednes vnder the Heauen ☞ The Apostle here before hathe exhorted men to the vnite of the spirite / to peace to concorde and hath shewed certayne degrees howe they shall lyue in their state to their deuty / as what is the duety of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / of the chyldren to their parentes / and of the parentes to theyr chyldren of the seruantes to theire maysters / and of maisters to their seruauntes Nowe he sheweth that these that wyl lyue after the rule dyscribed to them of Paule / that soÌ„tyme they shall haue enymies and temptacions of the deuyl whome they muste resyst and ouercome / and here he sheweth what armoure they muste haue to fyght agaynste enemyes / and by what weapons they shal ouer come enemyes Therfore he coÌ„maundeth them to be strong nat in them selfe in their owne myghtes or powers / but in the lorde and in the powers of the lorde by the whiche the enemyes shal be ouercommed yf we be stronge in the Lorde we nede nat to feare enemyes / for the Lorde is stronge ynoughe to ouercome enemyes and all aduersaries / and we by him / for he hath cure of vs and wyll defende vs from enemyes yf we truste in him 2 Put on the armoure of God / that ye may stande stedfaste agaynste the craftye assaultes of the deuyl In these wordes he sheweth with what weapons we shal be armed that we maye stande stedfast and sure agaynste the assaultes and craftes of the deuyll and to ouercome him and his temtations put away / by the whiche he temteth vs / as by carnal pleasure of the fleshe by couetousnes of ryches or of desyres of worldly / honoures by threatnyng or feare of the worlde / or losse of goodes fauour or promotyon by the whiche meanes the deuyll vseth to plucke men from god and froÌ„ his worde This armour by the which we shall resyste the deuyll and his temtation / is nat by the lyght of the holy candle halowed of candlemesse day / by strynklynge of holy water / by the ryngynge of the halowed great bell / by hauyng on their body a crosse made on Palsonday ane Agnê° dei called Etheldrede lace aboute their necke by goyng to religion inuented by man / by takynge this habyte or that habyte of religion in this place or in that place / by shiftyng vp within walles and neuer to come out agayne as the deuyll coulde nat come within suche walles / or by catyng of fyshe alway and neuer flesshe These be nat the armoure that the Apostle byddeth to put on to resyste the Deuyll / but he byddeth put on the armoure of god / that is the worde of god by the whiche the deuyl is resisted ouercommed / and al his craftes teÌ„tacioÌ„s be made vayne By this armour Christe ouer came the deuyll Math. 4. to teache vs with what armour we shulde fyght agaynste the deuyll / and howe to ouercome hym and all his temtatyons kepe vs safe from all hurte / or peryll of the temptations of the deuyll 3 For we wrestle nat againste fleshe and bloude / and so furth as he shulde saye we must nat onely fyght againste the temtations of the flasshe and of the worlde / but also againste more cruel aduersaries then these be as agaynst the deuyl / wycked spirites adn all other powers And here the Apostle lyke a valyant and a prudent captayne of warre exhorteth his sogers to be of good chere and to feare nothynge theyr enemyes althoughe they be fears / cruel / crafty in fyghtyng / haue great polycy / in ingynes experience in fyghtynge / he openeth all their crafte
and soteltye / theyr fears cruelnes / and theyr bolde assaultes / that his sogers might knowe theyr aduersaries crafte / and kyll them in theyr owne turne / and beware of theyr malyce / he incourages them to fyght against the deuyl and gyueth them armour to fyght agaiÌ„st him / and moueth them to fyght lyke valiante sogers / and in no wyse to shrynke or gyue place / he sheweth theÌ„ their enemyes agaynst whoÌ„ they shuld fight theyr might and power / their fearsnes and cruelnes yf they be nat resysted manfully with the worde and helpe of god / by the whiche all these aduersaries be sone ouercommed And he speaketh after this maner / stronge enemyes to man is flesshe and bloude / carnall concupiscences and lustes / tyranny of euyll men persecution of the trueth / and the malice of men styrred vp by the deuyll to bryng men from god to deny his trueth but these enemyes be nothynge yf they be compared with the deuyl and his powers / wycked spirites and fyndes whiche as it appereth hath here diuerse names of the diuersite of their offices that they do here in the ayre to hurte men / they be called powers / rulers of darkenes / of this worlde / spirites of wyckednes / by the whiche he meaneth nothynge elles but that Peter sayeth 1. Pe. 5. Our aduersary the deuyll goeth aboute as a rampynge lion sekyng whom he may kyll and deuoure by al meanes and craftes / but resyste hym with the armoure of god / and he shall be ouercommed ⧠For this cause take ye the armoure of god that ye maye be able to resyste in the euyl day and stande perfyte in all thynges Stande therfore and your loynes gyrded aboute with the trueth hauyng on the brest plate of ryghteousnes / shode vpon your fete with the gospell of peace / that ye maye be prepayred Aboue all thynges take holde of the shelde of fayth wherewith ye may quenche the fyre dartes of the wycked and take the Helmet of saluacyon / and the swerde of the spirite / whiche is the worde of God ☞ The Apostle moueth euery christiane man to take the armour of god vpon him and to fyght strongly agaynste the deuyl or elles he shall be kylled and deuoured of the deuyl / whiche is so cruel a tyrant that he saueth none whome he maye ouercom / kyll / and deuoure / there is no mercy at his hande / and he wyl kyll all that do nat resyst hym / if helpeth nat to submyt hymselfe to the deuyls gentilnes he take prisoner with the deuyls magesty But all suche cowardes he wyll boucherlye kyll deuoure Therfore the Apostle exhorteth euery one to fyght manfully agaynste the deuyll / and gyue no place to hym / and to do as valyante sogers that thynke nat to be ouercommed but to ouercome / they put on their armour / they are redy to fyght / with boldenes they shewe them selues before their enemyes redy to fyght and nat to gyue place to theyr aduersaries / they wyl do al thyngê that they may to affray theyr enemyes / and make them to fle and gyue backe / to ouercome them that they may haue victory ouer their enemyes and laude and prayse of the victory / and triumphe in gladnes 2 Before the Apostle vsed a metaphore of sogers for to fyght / nowe he goeth for wardes in the same similitude teacheth what armour christyan men muste haue to resyst the deuyll and his temptations / carnall concupiscences lustes / and desyres of the worlde And fyrste he shewed that a christiane man may nat be ydle / or sure in himselfe / but to be alwayes as a soger redy to fyght against the deuyll and carnal lustes / and neuer to gyue place to the deuyll but resyst him alwayes in the daye of euyll / that is when the deuyl moueth to euyll by his temtations by carnall lustes worldly desyres / and stande sure be nat ouercomed by no temtation They can nat stande sure vnouercoÌ„med / whiche do nat resyst the deuyll nor fyght with him / but wyll be ouerthrowne at the fyrst meatiÌ„g or temtation / and gyue place to the deuyl and obey him / suche the deuyl kylleth and deuoureth / for he is a rampynge lyon and seketh whom he may deuoure 3 He sheweth howe men shulde stande agaynste the deuyll without peryll / howe they shulde arme them selfe / and what armour is to be put on euery parte that the deuyl may finde no parte naked or vnarmed / where he may pearce with his dart These that go to battel they haue thre maner of weapons / or armour / some armour they haue to couer theyr bodye / some to fyght with all / and some to beare of strokes far from the body Sogers were woÌ„t in batell to arme them seses with a gyrdle of mayle about their bely and loynes / and a breste plate an Helmet and armoure on theyr legges / so that no parte was vnarmed / no place coulde be hurte by weapons So in a christianes warre agaynst the deuyll and his temptations it becommeth a christiane man to be armed with lyke armour / to kepe of strokes woundes Fyrst it becommeth chrysten men to be gyrded with the gyrdle of truth / that is to quenche the lustes and desyres of the flesshe by the trueth and to mortifie them / as saynte Paule doth exhorte Collo 3. sayeng Mortifie your earthly membres / that is adultery / fornication / vnclennes / carnal lustes of the flesshe / couetousnes / and suche lyke that brynge to death They are called in Scripture to haue their loynes gyrded by the trueth / that hath truly vnfaynedly quenched and mortified the concupiscence of the fleshe whiche reigneth in the loynes as authors do wrytte and nat after the maner of hypocrytes / whiche fayne them selfes to be chaste outwardely / be in hart and minde fylthy and foul adulterers / onely absteynynge from outwarde adulterye for feare of punyshement and shame of the worlde / and suche theire is many in the worlde God knoweth of the spyrytualtye whiche rather for shame of the worlde and worldly punyshement / then for feare of displesure of god of eternal paine daÌ„nation doth absteyne froÌ„ the outward acte or dede of adultery which be no lesse adulterers before god / theÌ„ be these that coÌ„mit actual adultery Also here is to be noted the fyrste he wolde we shuld put away adultery carnal lustes and desyres / after them other vyces that be nat so nye vs. For firste is the enemy to be put awaye and eschewed that is moste nye to vs. Therfore concupiscence of the fleshe is to be put away and mortified before al other vices and sinnes 4 Take on the brest plate of ryghteousnes / the brest muste be armed with iustice / whiche is the brest plate of a christiane by the which that is right is gyuen to euery man / and to god
to syt on his ryghte hande aboue all heauenly powers In Christ was shewed the excellent power of god / aboue all thynges / whiche power god wyl shewe to them that beleueth 2. He sheweth here the glory of Christ to be aboue all the powers / domynyons / or potestates in heauen that we shulde put our truste in Christ / whiche wyll exalte to that place where he is al them that beleue in him and thynketh to come there where Christ is on the right hande of the father onely by Chryste / and nat by theyr owne merytes or deseruinges and to put men in a suretye of that thynge Christe hym selfe was exalted from deathe to lyfe eternal 3. The power and the glory of Christ is shewed in that he sytteth on the ryght hande of the father in heauen aboue all powers rule / dominyon / potestates / and vertues / and aboue all names that is in this world or in the worlde to come / and all thynges are subiected to him and vnder his domynion and power / and he is the heade of the congregatyon whiche is his body Christ is the heade / in whome consisteth the perfeccyon of the hole bodye and he that maketh in the bodye all thynges parfyte 4. This place reproueth the Bysshoppe of Rome and all his decrees that maketh hym heade of the Churche of Chryste / for the hed of the churche of Christ is nat the bysshop of Rome / but Christe whiche maketh all thynges vnparfyte parfite / princes Kinges in their kingdomes worldely / be as heades of theyr subiectes vnder Christ to se euery one be in right order / to goddes wyll and pleasure / and that euery man in euery state and degree do his duty after his calling / for to the Kinges / Princes / and other superior power / it becoÌ„meth euery man to be obedyent / and from their power can no man exempte any of these subiectes by any profession of man / wherfore byshops of Rome exemptyng religyouse men from due obedience to their kinges and Prynces haue done against goddes lawe and saynt Paules doctrine Ro. 13. 1. Pe. 2. Hebre. 13. whiche places commaundeth all subiectes to be obedient vnto the hye powers / for they that resyste powers / they resyst the ordinance of God and these that resyste the ordynaunce of God they take to them selfe Iudgemente and dampnacyon Ro. 13. ¶ The seconde Chapyter to the Ephesyans ANd quickened you also when ye were deade throughe trespacê and synnes / in the whiche in time past ye walked accordynge to the course of this worlde / and after the Prynce that ruleth in the ayre / namely / after the spiryte whiche nowe worketh in the chyldren of vnbeleue amonge whome we also had our conuersacyon in tyme paste in the lustes of our fleshe and of the mynde and more naturally the childrenne of wrath euen aswell as other The Apostell compareth the state of these Ephesyans that they were in nowe when he wrote this Epistle to them / with the state condicion of lyfe that they were in before Chryst had called them to fayth by his word preached amonge them / that by the remembraunce of it / they might be prouoked with more gladnesse and harty loue to prayse and laude God / and gyue hym harty thankes that it hathe pleased hym to call them from darknes to lyghte from ignoraunce to knowledge / from syn to iustyce from deathe to lyfe / he saythe whan you knewe nat Chryste / you were deade by trespaces and synnes / beholde in what case they be in the knowe nat Chryste and his holy worde / by trespaces and synnes he vnderstandeth all manner of vyces and synnes / whether they be in thought wyll / acte / or in outwarde dede / when they knewe nat Chryste they were deade by synnes / nowe they knowynge Chryste do lyue / and be called from deathe to the lyfe of grace and of glorye eternal / before they walked in vyce and in synne / nowe they walke in grace and in vertue / before they walked after the maners / lustes and pleasures of this worlde / that is to saye / after the lustes of the fleshe / the lustes of the eyes / and proudnes of lyfe 1. Ioh. 2. Nowe they walke after the good wyll of god and after godes pleasure / before they folowed the prince of the ayre and was obedyente to his wyll this Prynce of the ayre is that euyll spiryte that worketh in sturdy / frowarde / and disobedyent personnes to goddes wyll and that doth nat beleue God but nowe they walke after the wyll of god the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste lorde of heauen and earthe whose spiryte bryngeth and leadeth to all good workes of God who is he that knoweth he is called from synne / death / hel / eternall dampnacion / to iustice / lyfe / heauen / eternal ioy and blisse / wyll nat giue thankes laude and praise to him that brought hym to this ioye and felicyte Truely I thynke no man / but he wolde gyue greate thankes whan he remembreth the benefytes of his callynge / and for that cause saint Paule here compareth these two states to gether that euery one of vs may remember in what case we were in before Christe called vs to his knowledge by his worde / for as these Ephesyans were / so were we / and the same thynge he wryteth to them he writeth to vs / it agreith aswel to vs as to them / and all one thynge / as touchynge our state 2. This place sheweth that al men that came of Adam to be subiecte to synne / and for synne worthy eternall deathe / none able to delyuer them selfe from deathe and dampnacion / of the which we may learne that no man by his owne nature / myght / power / or fre wyll / can saue hym selfe from death and hell / but who someuer be saued that they be saued by the only grace of god and nat by theyr owne merytes / or by the merytes of sayntes departed 3. You see what foloweth syn / deathe / punyshment foloweth syn / as the rewarde for synne / and that these that wante the grace of god can nat but fall to synne / and go from one synne to an other / and walke after the lustes of the fleshe / and applye them selues to the wyll of the deuyll which worketh in euyl men and prouoketh to al vnhappynes vyce / syn / as these Ephesyans dyd before they were called by the worde of god to fayth to knowe Christ 4. In euyll men worketh the prynce of the ayre whiche is the deuyl that entyseth alwaye to euyll / and to do she workes of the deuyll The deuyll is called the prince of the ayre / nat bycause he hathe dominyon and power to rule the ayre at his pleasure or wyl / for that to god doth pertayne / but that he hathe power only of euyl men