their faith in good workes .4 in whome whan ye beleued / ye were sealed with the holy spirite of promes here is shewed what frute dothe come of hearyng of the worde of truthe that by it is gotten faythe / without the whiche no man can please God / and hauynge it all thynges pleaseth God / and these that beleue receyue the spirite of God / as an earnest to put them in suretye that they shall receyue and haue all thynges that be promysed them to haue by goddes word / that is to saye that they shall haue lyfe euerlastynge and the inherytaunce of heauen / and for a suretye of that promise the beleuers receyue the holy ghoste as an oblygacyon for the perfourmaunce of that promyse by the whiche they be made as sure to haue the promyse of god as yf they had receyued it all ready This place maketh agayne them that saye no man can know whether he is in the fauour of God or no / or whether they be worthy hatred or loue of god alledginge for them the sayenge of Ecclesyastes .9 to whome this aunswere I make that men can not knowe of them selfe whether they be in the fauour of god or no / but that they maye knowe by the holy spirite whome they haue that beleue faythfully / yf a man may knowe whether he hathe fayth or no / he may knowe whether he be in the fauour of god or no If he haue true fayth God fauoryth hym / yf he lacke faythe god fauoureth hym nat / so a man maye knowe by fayth the spirite of god gyuen to glorifye vs of goddes fauour and loue towardes vs / and that god fauoureth vs as longe as we shall haue fayth the spiryte of god which faythfull beleuers haue and possesse / so a man may knowe whether he is now at this present time in the fauor of god or no hated or beloued / but what he shal be to morowe / the next day or in time to come no man can tel Therfore he that stādeth in the fauor of god by fayth / by the holy ghoste / let hym loke that he fal nat from god by vnfaithfulnes and incrudelite by vnkindnes / contempnyng of godes word / disobedient to goddes cōmandementes / and so fall from the fauour of god / lose fayth the holy spirite of god / lose lyfe eternal As for the wordes of Ecclesiastes .9 where it is written that no man can knowe whether he is worthy hatred or loue / the wordes are to be vnderstande thus that of good or euil that chance to men in this worlde / no man can knowe whether he is worthy hatred or loue / for goodes and euyls / prosperyte aduersyte chaunce equal to good men and euyl men oftymes it chaunceth that euyl men haue more prosperite then good men / euyl haue ryches / welth / pleasure / good men haue pouertye nede / payne / and punysshmente / wherfore of prosperytie or aduersytie in this worlde is no man to be estemed more or lasse in the fauour of God / seynge these thynges chaunce equally to the good and the euyl / in this worlde / I wolde that euery man shulde not only thynke hym selfe that he is in the fauour of god / but also knowe it surely that god fauoureth hym excepte he thinke so howe can he fauour god for loue yf he dout whether god loue hym or no / or in this thyng be waueryng / thynke some tyme god loue hym somtyme he loueth hī nat The spirite of god is giuen vs to put vs in a suretye that God fauoureth vs / and yf we lacke this spirite / we be nat of Chryste Ro. 8. we haue also receyued the spirite of adopcyon by whome we call father father / and this spirite sheweth to our spirite that we are the chyldē of god Ro. 8 therfore I wolde that euery man shulde certaynly thynke and persuade with hym selfe that he is in the fauour of God / and that god wyll gyue hym euerlastynge lyfe ioye blysse in the worlde to come / which they that beleue nowe haue by fayth / and in the worlde to come shal possesse in dede / then I suppose they wolde contynewe in fayth and shewe theyr faythe by all good workes commaunded in the Scrypture Some also here wyll aske howe shall we knowe whether we haue faith the spirite of god or no / this thyng maye be knowen by the frutes / by the wordes mocyons that they shal perceyue in theyr hartes / yf they perceyue that they be glad to heare goddes worde / to reade it / study it / be glad it goth forwarde for Goddes glory onely / do beleue it to be true / and that God wyll performe and brynge to passe all thynges promysed or thretened in his worde / that he wyll rewarde good men / and punysshe euyll men in the worlde to come / yf they shall perceyue a redynes a towardnes to be obedyente to do Goddes commaundement / ye to do it in dede for god only to the vttermost of theyr power / if these thinges they perceyue in them selues / they be sure sygnes that they be in the fauour of god / haue faith and the spyrite of god / and shal haue lyfe euerlasting / of the contrary part if you perceyue in your selfe no desyre / luste / or wyll to heare the worde of god / to reade it / to studye it / ye thynke it is but folysshenes a vayne thing / an vnprofytable thing or that you care nothynge for it / or that you hate it and enuy it and the professors of it persecute them as auctors of deuyles doctryne / you feele your selfe nothyng redy to obey the commaundementes of god but ready to all pleasure of the flesshe and of the worlde / to do synne and noughtines these be sure tokens that you be out of the fauour of god / lacke fayth and the spiryte of god / and in the hie displeasure with god of these thynges and tokens shewed / you shall knowe whether you be in the fauour of god / more sure than by the fyght of the holy blode of hayles / or by the goyng thoroughe saynt wylfredes nedle / and also yf you be oute of Goddes fauoure / you lacke faythe and the spiryte of god that moueth and stereth men alwaye to all good workes for god only / alone regarding his wyl and pleasure 7. That we might be his owne to the prayse of his glory / for what ende god hath chosen vs made the word of god to be preached to vs / surely for this ende / that we shuld haue faith / receiue the holy spirite / be made sure of goddes fauour towardes vs and that he loueth vs / that we shulde glorify hym agayn / by faith / by loue to hym to our neyghbour to do the workes of god cōmaunded vs to do in the holy scrypture in our vocacyon
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
or lyue euyl and folowe the pleasures of our fleshe or of the worlde / but that we be created to do good workes suche workes nat as we thynke good to vs but suche as god hathe ordynated that we shulde walke in them And here he exorteth men to good workes leaste any shulde thynke faythe sufficient and coÌ„demne good workes / good workes I meane suche as god hathe appoynted vs to do by his holy worde and nat suche worke as men leuynge goddes worde hathe appoynted to serue and please god with all And here in thys place maye fall away pylgrymages / offerynges of caÌ„dels / gyldyng of ymages / and religions of meÌ„ / whiche be workê nat instituted of god but of man and inuented of man without goddes worde / for the whiche voluntary workes many haue contempned and lefte on done the workes coÌ„maunded of god / and preferred wyll workes aboue them 8. He moueth vs here nat to stande styll wheÌ„ we haue done one good worke / but to go forwarde from one good worke to another apoynted of god and nat of our selfe of our good inteÌ„te thought of vs to honour please god with all / when we can nat tell whether god wyll be honoured after that way whiche we haue ymagined to honour him For hys honour do the nat consyst in workes fouÌ„de out by men / but in the workes appoynted in the scripture For if all our newe founde workes were taken away no parte of the workes assygned by God in the scriptures shulde be taken away I meane if al pylgrimagê to paynted stockes / or stones / all gyltyng of ymages / all offeryng vp of candels / al monkes freers / al masses of Scala cesi / al trental masses were taken away / no parte of the workes coÌ„maunded by god shulde be takeÌ„ away / no parte of goddes glory shulde be mynyshed / but rather promoted and set forwarde For these workes fouÌ„de by man hathe hyndered muche the true honour of god that god hathe nat bene truely honored as he shulde be in spirite in trewthe / these wyll workes hathe letted many to do theyr charite where they shulde haue done to the pore people bought by the precious bloude of Christe whiche hathe had nede of the helpe of man Also in that saynte Paule exhorteth men only to do the workes that god hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the scriptures and wylleth that we shall walke in them and go forwarde in them encrease more more / me thynke in these wordê he teacheth workes coÌ„maunded of god to be sufficieÌ„t to opteyne lyfe euerlasting if none of our newe fouÌ„de holy dayes or our wyll workes inuented of our good zeales onely without goddes worde be put to the workes of god / we adde to the workes of god many workes of maÌ„nes inueÌ„cion / as who shulde say goddes workes were nat perfeit excepte man shulde put to some thynge to make theÌ„ perfeyt / as god coulde nat gyue vs healthe and lyfe euerlastynge / excepte that we of our blynde zeales shulde put to some thyng of our addicioÌ„ I do nat speke here agaynst any godly cyuyll ordynauÌ„ce or any godly ceremony yet vsed or may be vsed in tyme to come that be made to set furthe goddes glory / or for any descent or comely ordre to be had amonges men in the worlde / or for any polytyke ende to be vsed amonges christen men as charite requyreth the glory of god better promoted and his worde more regarded and set by / and the charite of the christians more encreased to the coÌ„modyte of all good men ⧠Wherfore remembre that ye whiche afore tyme were Gentyles after the fleshe and were called vncyrcumcision of them that are called circuÌ„cision after the fleshe whiche circumcision is made with haÌ„de that ye at the same tyme were with out Christe and reputed aliauÌ„tes from the coÌ„mon welthe of Israel and were straungers from the testament of promes therfore had ye no hope and were without god in this worlde ¶ To this place saynt Paule hathe spokeÌ„ generally of the grace gyueÌ„ to al meÌ„ nowe begynneth he to speake of the grace of god gyuen more specially to the gentyles when it pleased god onely of his goodnes and nat of the merites of the Gentyles to call them to grace to fayth whiche iustifyeth them / and here the apostle teachithe all preachers after that they haue shewed the general grace of god gyuen frely to al men to apply the grace or the benefites of god more specially to perticuler men / as to them to whom it is spokeÌ„ ti bryng theÌ„ to the remembraÌ„ce of the benefites of god towardes theÌ„ to geue god thankes for theÌ„ by the knowledge of whom came al goodnes / after the example of S. Paule here in thê place which applyeth the grace of god gyuen to the GeÌ„tyles / to these EphesiaÌ„s 2. He moueth these Ephesians to cal to theyr remembraunce the state of lyuynge they were in before the grace of god / and the state they be in nowe after the grace of god gyuen them / whiche thyng if they do they wyll with gladnes gyue harty thankes to god and gloryfy hym for hys goodnes and shewe them selfe thankful to god by all redynes to obey and do goddes commaundementes 3. He sheweth what they were before the gospell was preached to them / and before they had receyued faythe in Iesus Christ Fyrste he sayeth that they had an odious name hated of al good men / that is to say / they were called Preputians which was amongest the Iues as opprobriê° a name as is amongest vs christen men / a Turke or a Sarazyn or vn christeined And the Iues eschewed the company of the Preputians and wolde neyther eate dryncke nor speake with the Preputians and abhorred theyr company as we do the other people or Pagans / and he that wolde vse the company of the Preputians was abhorred of the Iues / as they were angry with Peter that had preched at the coÌ„maundement of god to the Gentyles Actes 1. .2 but nowe you haue an holy name landed magnified of all good men / and also of god the father Also before you were without Christ / that is nat that Christ was nat your sayuour and redemer promysed / but that you knewe nat Christe to be your sauyour and redemer promysed as well to the Gentyles as to the Iues / as apereth in the promyse made to Abraham / that in his sede shulde al the Gentyles be blessed / and that Christ was the expectation of the Gentyles / but this mystery was hyd frome the worlde vnto Christes incarnation that Christe shulde be a sauyour to all men bothe to the Iues and to the Gentyles This mystery was knowen to some bothe of the Iewes and GeÌ„tyles / but they were very fewe in comparyson to them that were ignorant or els it may be sayde that the Iues and the geÌ„tyles that were faythefull and beleued
he shall fynde euerlastynge lyfe in ioy and blysse ♣ For this cause I bow my knees vnto the father of our Lorde Iesê° Christe Whiche is the true father ouer all that is called Father in heuen and in earthe that he grauÌ„t you accordynge to the ryches of his glorye to be strengthed with power by his spirite in the inwarde men that Christe maye dwell in youre hertes by faythe that ye beynge rooted and grounded in loue / maye be able to comprehende with all Sayntes / what is the bredth and length and the depth and the heyght to knowe the loue of Christe whiche loue yet passeth al knowledge that ye may befylled with all maner of fulnes of God ¶ Saynte Paule moueth and gyueth example to al Bishoppes / Pastoures / Curates / and to all whome cure of other is coÌ„mytted / that they shulde praye for their flocke committed to theyr spirituall charge / and desyre of god that they shrynk nat from fayth and from goddes word for feare of persecution and affliction / or for loue of worldly goodes / pleasurê or riches / whiche oftymes plucketh men froÌ„ god from his worde / and that they maye haue true fayth and contynue in it / louynge God aboue al thinges in this worlde / preferring his worde aboue all worldely ryches / honoures / or pleasures In this prayer he sheweth that Byshoppes and Pastoures / haue nede to praye thus for there flocke / yee euery one of vs to pray for an other that we shrynke nat from God and his worde by infidelite / vnkyndnes or by other synnes Also in this prayer he sheweth that one of vs shulde desyre an other to praye for vs / and to whom our prayer shulde be made / nat to Peter or Paule IohnÌ„ or Iames / but to god whiche is the gyuer of all goodnes / and for what thynge prayers at to be made for some certayne thynge that we haue nede of / and that is profitable to the helth of the soule / as here it was necessary / that Paule shulde praye that they myght contynue in fayth / and in the loue of god nat shrynke from fayth for feare of affliccions / or for loue of worldly riches or pleasures And this is to be desyred of god alway / and euery one shulde desyre thê of God for an other as a thynge very necessary for euery one So was the comon prayers made to god / for necessities to be opteyned by prayer of god / to put awaye euyls that appeared to approche to men at the wyll of god / and when suche necessitie was the people gathered togyther desyred the helpe of god fastyng that ther prayers shulde be with more deuocion and more feruent / that they myght escape the euyll that was lyke to come and fal amonges them They fasted without mete or drynke that theyr prayer myght be more deuoute / but nowe is true prayers true fastynges almoste all put awaye / and our prayer and fastynge at full of superstition and fayned holines / for what an holy fast is it to absteyne frome flesshe / and fyll theyr bely with fysshe for flesshe / is fysshe more holyer then flesshe who made that holynesse yf fysshe be more holsome for mannes body then flesshe / euery man can iudge / I thiÌ„ke that ther be few phesycyoÌ„s that wyll so saye Therfore lette vs faste a true fast from al sinne and pray in fayth askyng thynges mete to be asked for Christes sake / and without doute we shall optayne our desyre of god / for so he hath promysed the performaunce of our desyre and he wyll perfourme his promyse 2 In that Saynte Paule dyd bowe his knees to God / he sheweth the feruentnes of his mynde and of his prayer to God / whiche was shewed euer by this exterior gestour / of the whiche we maye lerne that it is lawefull to shewe our inwarde hertes and mynde by exterior gesture and sygnes whiche of tymes sheweth the good deuotion of the herte / but in these exterior signes in prayenge hipocrites do passe muche theÌ„ that truely pray in fayth / in spirite / in truth Therfore of these exterior signes is nat al wayes the herte to be Iudged 3 Here we may lerne / that we haue nede of feruente prayer to God in fayth that we may coÌ„tinue in fayth in charite in the fauoure of god / in the truth of his worde and encrease iÌ„ it euery day more and more whiche thyng we can nat of our selfe with out the grace of God of whome we haue that we contynewe in fayth / in charite / in the fauour of god / whiche thinges god gyueth for the moste parte by faythful prayer Therfore let vs faythfully pray and oftymes / that we maye contynewe and encrease in al goodnes / but we be slacke and dull to praye faythfully to god / therfore it is no meruayle yf God take his grace froÌ„ leue vs to oure selfes and suffer vs to folowe our owne carnall and sensuall lustes and desyres and so to fall to all noughtynes and synne / it is a token that our fayth is faynt and scarse luke warme / ye I feare me it is colde and almoste frosen vp hole / that it brynketh fourth no mo good workes / specially nowe when it is shewed so playnely what maner of workes pleaseth god beste / and howe they shulde be done / for god onely 4 In that he mouyth vs to pray to him of whome all thynges was made and are ruled and gouerned / whiche is our father he gyueth vs boldenes maketh vs bolde to praye to hym trustyng our father wyll nat denye to vs that is profytable for vs / but wyll be muche more gladder to graunt our lawefull petition / then we be to praye and desyre of him that is for our helth and saluacyon 5 What charite sainte Paul had / is here playnely shewed in that he desyred that these Ephesians myght be encreased in the ryches of god that is to saye in fayth / hope / charite / patience / mekenes in the truth in the spirite of God / by whome they shulde be made stronge in fayth / that they refuse no persecution no affliccyon so that they myght promote goddes glory the truth of his gospel / to the saluacioÌ„ of meÌ„ he desyreth also that they myght be made so strong by the spirite iÌ„ the inward maÌ„ / that Christ myght dwell in they re inwarde harte by fayth roted in charite that bryngeth forth good workes of the spirite of god at all occasion gyuen / he desireth that they myght know the length the bredth / the heygth / the deapnes of god / that is to saye that they myght knowe god perfytely / as men knoweth a thynge perfetly when they knowe the length / the bredth / the heyth / and the deapnes / and that they myght haue the loue of god / whiche passeth al knowledge and that they
the profyte of other For what purpose and ende good workes are to be done it is shewed Ephe. 2 Where the Apostle sayeth We are nat iustifyed of workes / leaste any shulde reioyse but by grace through fayth There yf you please you may se my mynde ⧠Let no fylthy communication procede out of youre mouthe but that whiche is good to edifye with all / when nede is / that it be gracious to heare / and greue nat the holy spirite of God / wherwith ye are sealed vnto the daye of redemptyon let al bitternes and fearfulnes and wrath / and roryng and cursed speakynge be farre from you with all malyciousnes / but be ye curteous one to another mercyfull and forgyue one another euen as god hathe forgyuynge you in Christe ⧠The Apostle exhorteth men to flee al vncleane spekynge and all fylthy communication / and wylleth thē to speake clenly honest wordes to the edyfyenge of other in Christe / and nat to make sadde the holy gooste whiche is greued at fylthy communication and vncleane wordes / whiche be sygnes of a fylthy and vnlceane harte / for of abundaunce of harte the tonge speaketh The Apostle forbyddeth all fylthy communication or vncleane wordes in all companyes of men / as t dyner or souper or any other bankettes / and in these wordes he reproueth mynstrels / gesters or raylers / that vse fylthy or vncleane wordes / songes / raylynge or gestynge to delyte the eares of the heaters / with baudye songes or rebaldry wordes / ye the Apostle reproueth all them that haue pleasure in suche vncleane wordes or songes / in the whiche many haue pleasure and can nat be mery without they haue a gester that can make hym and al gestes merye with fylthy wordes / and vncleane communycation / with the whiche great mennes rables be furnyshed / and theyr gestes made merye glad at the whiche greate men do laughe So the breakynge of goddes cōmaundemente is counted a pastyme and a pleasure But let all suche take hede / for it wyl be no pastyme at the last day / when we shall make answere for euery idle worde Math. 12. Muche more we shall make aunswere for euery noosome worde / and vnprofytable / therfore let euery man refrayne his longe from speakyng of fylthy wordes / and his eares from hearynge of vncleane commucacion / and from pleasure in the same / in this poynt we shal nat prouoke God to powre his vengeaunce vpon vs / nor yet feare the reckeynynge at the laste daye for nosome and vncleane wordes / but let our cōmunication be to the glorye of god / to the edyfyeng of another 2 Fylthy communycatyon greueth the holy ghost gyuen to vs to be as surenes of the heauenly inheritaunce promysed to vs of god Yf we faythfully beleue walke in goddes commaundementes / accordyng to his pleasure 3 He exhorteth men also to put awaye al bytternes / yre / wrathe / malyce / enuye / hatred / raylyng / and cursed speakyng one of another and al blasphemy agaynst god and al other vices with the affections and concupyscence of the flesshe / and wylleth that we shulde put vertue in theyr places as gētylnes / mekenes / mercifulnes redynes one to forgyue another / that they might opteyne of god mutuall mercy forgyuenes of theyr sinnes ¶ The fyfthe Chapiter to the Ephesyans ⧠BE YE the folowers therfore of God as deare chyldren and / walke in loue euen as Christe loued vs / and gaue hym selfe for vs an offeryng and sacryfyce of a swete sauoure vnto God IN the ende of the Chapiter that goeth before he exhorteth vs to mutuall forgyuenes by the example of god the father Nowe goeth he forwardes with the same exhortacion mouyng vs to be folowers / nat of this world / the fleshe or the deuyl nat of sayntes departed but in these thynges that they were folowers of God / but that we shulde be folowers of God and to folowe his fote steppes This place reproueth al them that wyll nat be folowers of god / but of them selfe / of theyr owne mind wyl and pleasure / folowers of the worlde of worldly honoures and pleasures / and gyue them selfe holy to the worlde and to worldely facions and maners / or wyll folowe theyr sensual pleasures of theyr flesshe and the lustes or desyres of it This place reproueth all them that wyl nat folow God / nor his holy worde / but wyl folowe them selfes / there wyl workes / there owne good zeales / or intentes / or workes inuēted of them selfe or of men / and leue the workes commaunded of God vndone / as many hathe done prefertynge pardons / pylgrimage / payntynge of stockes or stones / aboue workes commaunded of God to be done This place also reproueth all them that wyll nat be folowers of God / but they wyll go before god or els wyll be felowes or rhecinat with god Some their is that go before god / that preferreth men before God / or mennes lawe mennes decrees traditiōs / statutes / religiousnes / ceremonies or other lyke ordinaunces inuented by man preferrynge these thynges aboue goddes lawe / or goddes commaundemente / and wyll punysshe muche more greuously the breakyng of mannes lawe / mannes tradition / a dum ceremonye brokyng or omitted / thē the breakyng of goddes cammaundement / all suche do nat folow god / but go before god There be some also that wyll go equall with god and be checkmate with hym / whiche he they that make mānes traditions / lawes or ceremonies inuented of man equall with goddes lawe / and thynke them selfe as well boūde to kepe mannes traditions or ceremonies as goddes lawe / suche there hath ben many in religion / and I feare there is as yet that so thynke / that thynk it is deadly sine to omytte any part of mannes traditions ceremonies / or customes vsed / this thynge maketh me so to beleue / because theyr is more punyshement for a tradition of man omytted then for breakynge of goddes cōmaundementes / and more cryeng out of a mannes law broken then for the breking of Goddes lawe / and many that thynke mannes lawe byndeth as well the consciēce / as Goddes lawe / and all one thynge to omytte the one as the other All suche folowe nat god / but go cheke by cheke with god and make man equal with god Al suche the Apostle here reproueth / and al thē that wyl twyne to much on the ryght hād or left hāde nat folowe Christe streight forthe declynynge to nother hande 2 He wylleth that we shulde walke in loue as dere beloued children / yt behoueth chyldren to folowe their father to shewe their father in maners / conditions in al goodnes / and it is a shame for the sonne to shrynke frome the vertue of his father / in loue therfore it behoueth vs to folowe our father of heauen / whiche of his great loue to vs / dyd
the same As perauenture some desperate noughtye felowes be amonges vs that thought whoredome / fornycation / adultery / fylthye speakynge and vncomly raylynge / vncomely gesture couetousnes / to be no synnes / nor no displeasure to god / but fornication or lechery to be man hed or propre to man / fylthy raylynge or gestyng to be good pastyme / and that God wolde nat be greately displeased with suche lytyl fautes / so they did extenuat and make lytle or no fautes these crymes and synnes that God called great fautes and obomynable synnes before him / and so cared nothynge for goddes inhibition of these synnes / but played it awaye / laughynge / mockynge and scornynge at goddes commaundemente / that no man shulde do so / or thynke fornicatioÌ„ adulterye whoredome / couytousnes / to be no synnes before god but to knowe them for greate synnes for the whiche God threateneth so greuouse punyshemente as expulsion frome heauen and that none shulde thynke these vices / to be no synne before God The Apostle sayeth that the vengeauÌ„ce of god to come for fornication adulterye / whoredome / couetousnes / and suche lyke vyces aboue rehersed / he threateneth payne and punishment that none shulde haue pleasure any more in theÌ„ / that none shulde commyt them for feare of punyshement / and that none shulde commyt these synnes / and thynke to escape vnpunysshed / or that God wyll wynke at these fautes and suffer them vnpunysshed And nat onely the vengeaunce of god wyl com vpon all them that commyt these fautes and vyces / but also vpon all them / that do consente or approue them any wayes / for lucre vantage / profyte / pleasure / or for feare of man / or that do knowe them to be vsed / and wyl nat correcte and reproue / and studye to amende them that in these damnable synnes offende god / punyshemente vpon these sinners and conseÌ„ters to them for doers and consenters are worthy lyke payne Roma 1. 7 Let vs learne here for what thynges commeth the wrath of god vpon disobedient chyldren Nat for egges eatynge vpoÌ„ the fryday / for eatyng of fleshe vpon same Laurence euen / for breakyng of Thomas Beckectes daye in Christenmasse / nat for eatynge whyte meate in lent / but for fornication adulterye / whoredome / vnclennes / couetousnes fylthy speakyng / and folyshe speakynge whiche often tymes be cause of noughtye maners / for by euyll speakynge the good is corrupted made euyl by euyll coÌ„pany or coÌ„munication of euyl ⧠For some tyme ye were darkenes / but nowe are ye lyghte in the Lorde walke as the Chyldren of lyght for the frute of the spirite is all maner of goodnes and ryghtuousnes and truth and proue what is pleasynge vnto the Lorde / and haue no felowshyppe with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes but rather rebuke them for it is shame euen to name those thynges whiche are done of theÌ„ in secrete But all thynges are manyfeste when they are rebuked of the lyghte for what soeuer is manifest that same is lyght Therfore sayth he Awake thou that slepest and stande vp frome the deade and Christe shall gyue the lyght ¶ Of the vocation of men / nowe he exhorteth them to holynes of lyfe / sayenge you were some tyme darkenes / nowe you belyght in the lorde / and delyuered frome darkenes and from synne Walke therfore as it becoÌ„meth children of lyght to walke in all goodnes / iustice / equite / and trueth / whiche be fruites of the spirit of god / the Apostle willeth alway that we shuld haue before our eies / what we were / and what we are oure selfe without the grace of God / that we are darkenes of the whiche no lyghte dothe come but by the grace of God / we be made lyght in the Lorde and nat by our owne merytes or deseruynges that we shulde brynge furthe workes of lyght to the glorye of god / and to the profyte of other Math. 5. 2. He sheweth howe we shulde walke as chyldren of lyght / that is to brynge forth fruites of the spirite / in al goodnes / iustice and trueth / sekynge alway these thynges that maye please god / hauynge no coÌ„pany with workes of darkenes / but reprouyng them and the doers of euyl that they may repent and amende 3 He sheweth that he is ashamed to tell all there fautes that they secretly do thinkynge theÌ„ to be no synne / but after warde they be examined by the lyghte / they be knowen to be synne / and these that hathe done them are ashamed and repent study to refourme and amende themselfes 4 He moueth men to arise from sleepe and from synne and from deadly workes by repentaunce and amendemente of lyfe and he promyseth that God wyll be mercyfull to all penytente persons and that wyll amende they re lyfe and lyue a newe lyfe ⧠Take hede therfore howe you walke circumspectely / nat as the vnwyse / but as the wyse / and redeme the tyme / for it is a myserable tyme / wherefore be nat ye vnwyse but vnderstaÌ„de what the wyl of the Lorde is âš¹ The Apostle monisheth meÌ„ to take hede with whome hey walke / with whom they vse company or be conuersaunt / and that the walke circumspectely nat as vnwyse men but as wysemen / and as it becommeth wyse men to do / yf they wyl reproue men / loke that they reproue thinges worthy to be reproued / and that in tyme and place / as becommeth wysemen to do / and as for there workes / loke they be suche as please God / nat of mannes inuention / but ordinated of god for vs to walke in 2 Redemyng the tyme / that is watchiÌ„g all oportunite of tyme to do good / to reproue synne in tyme and place conuenient / or elles amendynge tyme paste / euyll spente in idlenes / in wyl workes omyttynge goddes workes / or in synnes and pleasures of the flesshe or in other euyll workes to the whiche moueth / the worlde / the fleshe / and the noughtye tyme / whiche moueth men to euyll 3 For the dayes be euyl / the dayes be called euyll / because of the malyce of maÌ„ whiche is done vpon dayes / for the dayes are good for they are the creaturê of god / and so are good 4 Therfore be nat vnwyse / but vnderstande what the wyll of the lorde is They are vnwyse that do nat seke tyme place to speake well and to do good / that seke more the glory of man then of God / that desyre to knowe the wyl of man more theÌ„ of god This place sheweth many to be foles that thynke them selfe wyse men / that be more diligent to knowe the law of man then of God / that be well learned in mannes lawe / and ignoraunt in goddes lawe / that be wysemen in maÌ„nes lawe / ideote fooles in goddes lawe This place reproueth all them that be very diligente in