as dogges do barke erre girne gnasshe and byte alwayes enuiynge other and tredyng vnder the foote that dogge that is ouer throune and byte him and kyll him yf they can so the pseudoposteles do hate enuy barke ageynst trew preachers of goddes holy worde do byte them both by their slanderous tonges with raylyng iestyng vpon them callyng them loulers heretykes deceyuers of the people abiectes rounagates apostates ragget newfangled knaues and many other lyke names call them trede them vnder their fete and kepe them downe in the myre or in prison bytynge them with bondes cheynes fetters bringyng in and sekyng false witnes agaynst them and all to kyll yf they can the trew preachers teachers setters forth of goddes holy worde these pseudoposteles saint Paule calleth dogges whō he wold thē to eschew flee in no wyse gyue credence to them or to their false doctryne not agreynge with holy scriptures but greatly dissentynge Seconde he mony sheth them to be ware of euyll workers these pseudoposteles he calleth euyll workers not because they denyed good workes but because they preferred their owne good workes as their traditions ceremonies lawes costomes and other decrees made of them selfes without goddes worde aboue the preceptes and commaundementes of god or at the leste made them equail with goddes lawe thynkynge no lesse offence before god to breke one of their tradicions then to breake goddes cōmaundement yea they thought it more offence and greatter puny shment was had for the breakyng of an small tradicion of man then for goddes cōmaundement brokyn examples of this was many both in religion and out of religion before comysares chauncelars and officiales but to al these Christ thretneth euerlastyng wo. Math. 15. Saynge wo be to you that maketh voyde the commaundemēt of god for your traditions Also he calleth pseudoposteles euyll workers bycause they made equall the workes of the lawe as circumcision and other workes of the law with the kepyng of goddes commaundement and thought them as necessary as the other workes of god commaunded and that without the workes of the law no man culde be saued as without circumcision no man to come to eternall saluatiō which saint Paule writeth agayne through out all his epistels and also it was decreed of the apostels Actes 15. Circūcisiō not to be necessary for saluatiō but saluatiō to come to the gentyles without circumcisiō there is no necessite of circumcision to saluation Thridly he calleth pseudoposteles euyl workers that they dyd their workes not in that name or ende they shuld be done for they did all their workes that they myght be sene of men and haue the vayne prayse and glory of the worlde and so they lost their rewarde before god Math. 6. Fynally they dyd their good workes that they shuld merite and deserue the grace of god reconciliation to the father agayne remission of synnes and satisfaction for their synnes and lyfe euerlastyng and that of the merite and wordynes of their outwarde worke so to their workes they attrybuted their iustification and saluation And therfore the apostell moueth them to be ware of such workers of iniquite and not to folowe them nor their workes nor to worke after them Fortly he wylleth them to beware of dissention which these pseudoposteles cause that preache circumcision as a thynge necessary for saluation and without it no man to be saued These preach not circumcision but concision dissention for they preachyng circumcision as necessary to saluation they preache not circumcision but concision and separation from Christ and they seperate the people of god from god and from Christ by their euyll doctrine and he calleth circumcision concision as we alludynge of a good thynge out of order saye it is deformed when other call it reformed chaūging a letter or a sylable kepyng a lyke sounde in the word not moch differyng from wordes before spokē 4. For we are the circumcision euen we that serue god in the spirite and reioyce in Christe Iesu and haue no comforte in the flesshe Here the apostle teacheth carnall circumcision whiche false apostles so much estemed and preached and of necessite inforced and required not to be necessary to saluation as false prophetes dyd saye contendyng vs to be purged from oure synnes and grafted in Christe onely by externall circumcision and not by Christe but Paule here teacheth the contrarye and boldlye pronounceth them to be made the people of god not by circumcisiō but by Christe and to be purged from their synnes onely by Christe and that they are the trewe circumcision that haue mortified and cut awaye all carnall affections and lustes of the flesshe which do worshyp Christe in the spirite serue him by a trewe fayth and by parfyte charyte and reioyce in Christe and haue no confidenre in the flesshe trustynge helth and saluation to come none other way but onely by Christe and by his death to vs all And here he wylleth vs not to reioyce in mē in the lawe ceremonies outward sacrifyces in connynge lernynge in ryches honours worldly wysedom or policye but he that wyl reioyce let him reioyce in the lorde Hieremi 9 Gala. 6. He wolde also we shulde not trust in the fleshe in carnall sacrifices and in outwarde workes to truste to be saued by them by the wordynes of the outwarde worke but that we shulde trust to be saued onely by the marcy of god and by Iesus Christ onely Thoughe I haue wherof I myght reioyce in the flesh yf any other man thynke that he hath wherof he myhht reioyce in the fleshe moch more I whiche was circumcised on the eyght daye one of the people of Israell of the trybe of Beniamyn an hebreue of the hebrues as concernyng the law a pharisey as concernyng feruentnes I persequuted the congregacion and as tochyng the ryghtuousnes whiche is in y◠law I was vnrebukeable Here is more at large expressed what it is to trust in the fleshe by the fleshe he vnderstandeth circumcision workes of the law the stocke of Iewes he came of his fathers as Abraham Isaac and Iacob the holy secte of the pharises and their holy institution of lyuyng his good zeale he had to kepe the lawe of Moyses for the which he persequuted thē that openly professed Christe or Christes religion defēded in the which thynges outwardly yf anye man myght reioyce or trust in them moche more sayth Paule he him selfe myght reioyce and trust in them and gyue no place to no man in these thynges but other to be equall without the pseudoposteles or els to excede them all Marke that it helpeth moche to affirme any thyng when he that affirmeth maye declare him selfe equall to them that wolde extolle them selfe aboue other as here the apostle shewed him selfe to be equall with the pseudoposteles bostynge thē selfes as farre aboue Paule when they were inferiours to him as tochynge the fleshe we lerne here that it is good to take example of our selfe yf we wyll teach humilyte and
iustice holynes wysdome redemptiō the lyght the waye the veryte and the lyfe by whome commeth all goodnes therfore he that hath Christ he hath all thynges and he that wanteth Christe he hath nothynge and yf we lose Christ we shall lose lyght iustice the waye to the father treweth and lyfe And I am soore afrayed that we shal lose Christ shortly from amongest vs in so moche that the knowlege of Christ and of his holy word is so lytell estemed or regarded specially of bysshoppes and hye rulers who shulde most regard it and prowyde that there shuld be many to preache and teache Christ and his doctryne and for suche prouyde honest lyuynges with quietnes or els there shal be none or fewe that wyll or shal be able to preache and teache Christes gospell and so shall Christ be taken awaye from vs and the people peryshe 4. And be founde in him not hauyng myne owne ryghtuousnes whiche commeth of the lawe but by fayth of Christe He goeth forwarde shewynge wherfore he contemned all worldly gooddes that he myght wynne to him Christ that he might be iustified by christ and not by the lawe his merites or suffrages of other Here Paule maketh two iusticies the one of the lawe after the whiche he walked when he persequuted the churche of god and was without blame before men of that iustice none is made iuste before god The other iustice is of trew fayth in Christe Iesu that worketh by charite at all oportunite and occasion geuen of the which is iustification receyued and had as by the meane for god is he which iustifyeth Roma 8. And by whom we be saued onely of his mercy through faith and not of our workes leste we shulde reioyce Ephe. 2. And yet we may not cease frō doyng of good workes whiche necessaryly be required of vs to walke in as to repent of our furder lyfe in synne to amende our lyfe forsake synne haue fayth hope charite and fynally to walke in a new lyfe in all vertu and godlynes 5. To know him and the vertu of his resurrection and the felow shype of his passion yet he contyneweth shewynge wherfore he counted all his for dounge or dust that he myght haue trew iustice by fayth in Christe that is remyssion of sinnes and lyfe euerlastyng which they opteyne with Christ whiche trewly knoweth Christe his resurrection and the vertu therof before made pertakers of his passion that haue dyed with Christe and be beryed with him that haue died from their synnes returne no more agayne to them but ded from euyll lyfe by the spirite of god and walke in a new lyfe suche shall come to the knowlege of Christes refurrection be made partakers of his glory for that ende Paule contempned all worldly ryches pleasures that he myght come to the resurrection of the ded that is that he myght be partaker of immortall glory with Christe the cause of the resurrection of all them that be ded in Christ the author of all their ioye and glory And that he myght come to that glory which they now haue that died in Christe Thus Paule contempned worldly thynges for the excellēt knowlege of Christ to wynne Christ to fynde ryghtuousnes in Christ to know the vertu of Christes resurrection and the felowshyp of his passion to be made confirmable to Christes death that he myght come to the resurrection i. vnto that glory that they haue that died in Christe To teache vs to do suche lyke to him and to count all worldly thynges nothyng in comparyson to Christes gospell to these holy thynges we optayne by Christe Note that I haue attayned vnto it all ready or that I am all ready perfecte but I folowe yf I maye comprehende that wher in I am comprehended of Christe Iesu Bretherne I counte not my selfe yet that I haue goten it but one thynge I saye I forget that which is be hynde and stretche my selfe vnto that whiche is before and preese vnto the marke apoynted to optayne the rewarde of the hye callynge of god in Christe Iesu Although Paule had optayned ryghtuousnes by fayth before god yet he thought him selfe not perfecte without all synne whiche no man can be lyuyng in this synfull fleshe as sayth the Euangelyst saynt Iohn 1. Iohn 1. Therfore euery one must study to mortyfye carnall affections and put away all synne by the spirite of god that he myght attayne trewe iustice before god and to be as perfecte as is possible for him to be in this corporall body Here we maye learne of Paule that holy menne in this lyfe was not without all synne and carnall affections nor in all thynges perfecte as here Paule confesseth him self not to haue attayned all iustice before god nor yet to be perfecte but to labor and endeuour him selfe with all his myghtes powers to come to perfection so let vs study and with all dylygence inforce our selfe to come to perfection that we maye be holy and godly and so without fawte or blame that these synnes whiche be in vs be not imputed to vs of god for synnes that we maye be blessed for he is blessed not he that hath no synne but he to whome god imputeth not his synne as sayth Dauyd in the. 31. psalme 2. I forget that which is behynde and stretche my selfe vnto that which is before Here the apostle sheweth playnely that he had not attayned as yet that thynge he desyred but that he with all diligence study and laboure counted to come to it and optaine it and therfore he forget these thinges that was behinde him as all worldly thynges as holy fathers circumcision kepyng of the lawe his holy religion his zeale of the lawe and such like and dyd loke at these thynges whiche was before his eyes that was vnto the glory and lyfe to come And here he taketh a similitude of these that runne in a renke for a wager suche runners do not loke behynd them to se how moch grounde they haue runne but they loke before them and vnto the place they runne desyryng victory and the wager promysed to the wynners so let vs all not loke behynd vs that is to oure olde synfull lyfe and to the waye of perdicion in the whiche we haue runne in tymes past but loke before vs that is to amende our lyfe forsake synne and let vs walke in a newe lyfe desyrynge iustyce onely by Christe and with diligence and study let vs indeuour our selfes to come to the eternall lyfe promysed to suche as shall walke in the commaundements of god and kepte them iustly and so runne in the renke of this world tyll he come to the ende and optayne vyctory ouer all his enemyes and receyue the wager promysed to such as shall runne trewly accordynge to their vocation that is euerlastynge glory and lyfe in Christ Iesu and by Christe our onely redemer and sauyour Let vs therfore as many as be perfecte be thus mynded and yf ye
in such ioye glory as no tonge can tel nor eye hath euer seen nor heare harde nor mans hartâ— can not compasse that glorye and ioye that god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2. But to these ioyes and felycytes we can not attayne vnto excepte we firste dye and be delyuered from our mortall bodyes these thynges yf we wyll consyder them well and deaply in our hartes wey them there is no cause why we shulde feare death of the body but rather we shulde desyre it as Paule and other holy men dyd desyrynge to be out of this corruptible and noughty body and to be present with god 3. I desyre to be lowsed and to be wtih Christe Paule desyred to be dyssolued from his mortall body that he myghte be with Christ so shulde we do and not to feare death but desyre death yf it were so the wyll of god for death is not to be feared to good meÌ„ but rather to be desyred for the death of good men sayth the prophete is precious in the syght of the lord And therfore many good men hath desyred death and to be delyuered from this body lode with synne that they myght be with god and with Christe Iesu in glory 4. But to abyde in the flesshe is more nede full for you Paule sheweth here although it were better for him selfe to dye then lyue yet he sayth that it shulde be more profyt for these Philippians that he shulde lyue then dye and that they shulde haue more profyt by his lyfe then by his death by the which sayng he doth appere to saye that sayntes can not profyt men so moche beynge ded as yf they were lyuing and so there prayers not to profyt men here lyuing so moch as dyd their pure preachynge of the gospell when they lyued vpon hearth and in their corporall bodyes 5. And this am I sure of that I shall abyde and contynewe with you all for the furtheraunce and ioye of your fayth that ye maye abundantly reioyse in Christe Iesu through my commynge to you agayne Not howe sure Paule was that he shulde retourne agayne to thes Philippians and abyde and contynew amonges them and that to their profytes bothe to the increasemente of their fayth and also to their greatter reioyse in god by his commyng to them here we learne that god shewethe sometyme to some these thinges that do folow as here paule sheweth his delyueraunce and commynge to these Philippians and the profyt of his commyng Also this place wylleth that the commynge of the byshop or pastor to his cure shulde not be without spirituall profyt for his flocke that it shulde be to the increasment of fayth by pure and syncere preachynge of goddes worde and that they shulde more and more reioyse in god knowynge goddes benefites the better by the worde of god purely preached by the byshoppe pastor or curate And this place doth somethyng reproue these bysshoppes that be duÌ„me and wyl not preache when they come into their diocese that wyll not feade their people with the foode of the soule but suffer them to perysse without foode for them how shulde byshoppes increase the trew faith of the people that wyll not preache to the people goddes worde for as fayth commeth by hearynge of goddes worde so it is increased by the same worde And as Paule more regarded these thynges that shulde be profytable to other then to him selfe so shulde all other do both byshoppes pastores curates and all the laye people but alas for petye few or none seketh others profyt but their owne and so they be well lyue in ease rest pleasure they care not what become of other what paynes or tormentes other suffer but let euery one amende this faute and study to be profytable as well to other as to him selfe for we be not borne for our selfes alone but to gloryfye god and to profyt other by wordes consell workes and dedes as god hath gyuen his gyftes and talentes for that purpose not all gyftes be gyuen to one but to dyuers that euery one shulde be an helper to an other and euery one nedes healpe of another Onely let your conuersacion be as it becommeth the gospell of Christ that whether I come and se you or els be absent I maye yet here of you that ye contynew in one spirite and one soule laborynge as we do to mayntayne the fayth of the gospell and in nothyng fearynge your aduersares whiche is to them a token of perdicion but vnto you a tokeÌ„ of saluation and that of god Now the apostle exhorteth them that they wolde lyue as it becommeth the profession of the gospell and as it becommeth christians that haue professed Christe in baptyme and him to serue their liftyme and to frame them selfe after Christes doctrine that whether he come vnto them or be absent from them preachynge Christe to other people nations and countres accordyng to his vocation and callynge of god And heare the apostle teacheth all men to lyue as it becommeth christians to lyue whether their bysshop pastor curate be present with them or absent from them that they maye optayne eternall lyfe prepared by Christ in heauen 2. That ye contynewe in one spirite and one soule laborynge to mayntayne the fayth of the gospell as we do To what thynge he exhorted theÌ„ to specially here is shewed that they shulde contynew in one spirite that is in spirite of vnite and concorde with all dilygente studyeng to maintayne defende and increase the fayth of the gospell that is fayth in Christ gotteÌ„ by the gospell preached Ro. 10 And to helpe them that labor for to set forth or preache Christes gospell and to helpe soâ—our and comforte them yf it shall happen these that preache Christes gospell or other wayes sette it furth to be caste in preson in fetters and chaynes as oftymes chaunces to them and here he calleth them that putteth theÌ„ selfes in iopardy of losse gooddes fauour of men and daunger of imprisonment and death of body to maintayne the fayth of the gospell to fyght for the fayth of it and to feare no aduersares nor yet their tormentes or punyshmentes for the gospell sake knowyng that they are blyssed before god that suffer for Christe and for his gospell Iohn 12. And shall fynde lyfe with Christ how so euer they be here in this world estemed or counted or waht cruell death soeuer they shall suffer here for the gospell 3. And in nothynge feare your aduersares whiche is to them a token of perdition but vnto you a token of saluation and that of god That none shulde thynke they suffered hurte or dammage of their aduersaries whiche cast in preson or put to death the faythfull preachers or setters forth of the gospell he saith that persequution imprysonmeÌ„t or other cruelnes of enymes vsed to good mynisters of goddes worde to be to them no hurt but profyt no perditioÌ„ but saluation to them that pacyenly for the