of fish so he that eateth do not contempne any ordinanunces of hye powers and without offence of the weake in knowlege and for to serue God with all goodnes so thynges that bee indifferent of theimselfes if thei bee taught as necessary to bee kept for saluacion or that it is dedly synne to omitte them then thei are called to perishe For then thei doo hurte then thei are not taken as thei should bee taken and therefore the Apostle saieth here that thei doo perishe because thei are not taken as thinges indifferēt 4 Whiche hath a pretence of wisedom by supersticiō and hūblenes of mynde and by hurt of the body He saieth that the doctryne of Pseudoapostles had a similitude or likenes or apparaunce of holines but not holines in deede that apparaunce it had by three thynges specially That was of supersticion of humblenes of mynd of greate punishement of the body Supersticion was when thei feined to theimself a waie of holines whiche thei followed makyng theim holy followyng that voluntary Religion or Godlines inuented by theimselfes by men or by mannes Tradicions Doctrynes or Ceremonies thynkyng that to bee a more truer worshipping of god then to worship God as was appointed to worshippe God in holy scriptures And of this sort there was verie many that were coumpted holy and more holy then other was onely for kepyng of mānes tradicions and ordinaunces as of this sorte was many Religious men called holy rather then for kepyng of Goddes commaundementes whiche thei skarcely knewe and yet thei were coumpted holy men before the world but this holines was no holines before God but plain supersticion to this holines I would saie supersticion men was more ready to then to bee holy before God in kepyng Goddes commaūdemētes The second cause why the doctryne of pseudoapostles appered holy was because thei that preached appered hūble and meke before the worlde and contempners of the worlde and of worldely honors and riches dispisers of carnall pleasures and lustes was thoughte to care for no worldly thing but for God and for heauenly thynges and yet thei were inwardly vain glorious and would bee coumpted holy and good iuste and righteous that had deserued heauen and heauen to bee their awne for their merites and deseruynges and onely for kepyng of mannes tradicions ceremonies and other inuencions of man of the whiche commeth no holines before God but supersticiō The third thyng wherby Pseudoapostles appered holy was by their greate pain labors and abstinence thei tooke in their bodies as by greate fastyng long praiyng and greate watchyng risyng at Midnight or Cocke crowe long Matyns and Euensonges and other many Ceremonies by the whiche their bodies wer castigate tormented many waies with harde beddes and litle time restyng in them wearyng heire clothe next their skynnes yron aboute their middle beatyng themselfes oftetymes with whippes scorges and suffre other to scorge theim with whippes that thei might suffre pein in their bodies that by that meanes thei might deserue heauen and be worthie the glory eternall but by that meanes thei could not come to eternall glory with God the father whiche requireth none suche thynges at their handes to come to heauen But GOD requireth that thei should bee followers of Christe and suffre paciently affliccions that God sendeth to them or chaunce to them in the worlde and to haue a sure faith and trust in Gods mercie grace and fauor and onely by the mercie of GOD to come to saluacion for Christes sake onely and not for their awne woorkes deedes or merites or other their punishmentes had in their bodies by the which thei obtein no iustice holines nor perfecciō before God the faither although parauenture before the worlde thei were coūpted holy for those thynges But what haue these pseudoapostles obteined before God Any iustice holines Godlines by their supersticion feyned humblenes and by muche maceraciō of their bodies Surely no holines nor iustice with God nor yet no honor in Gods sight but rather dishonor sinne and wickednes for thei haue soughte holines where no holines was to be gotten as of meates drynkes holy daies Ceremonies of mennes Tradicions phantasies and inuencions of chastyng the body out of measure contrary to Gods lawe for thei do not geue the body suche moderate sustenaunce as was necessary for it to preserue it in health to serue the spirit of God and to bryng furthe the workes of the spirite ¶ The .iii. Chapiter THerefore if you haue rysē with Chryste seke those thynges that are aboue where Christe is sittyng on the right hande of GOD. Care for those thynges that are aboue and not vpon yearthly thynges For you be ded and your life hid with Christe in God when Christe shall be shewed your life then you with hym shal be shewed in glorie The Apostle exhorteth these Colossians and in them al christians to all holines and Godly conuersacion of life and that of the resurrecciō of Christ willing all men to dye with Christe to arise with Christ As Christ died once he dieth no more so should al men die frō all syn no more to returne again to sinne To arise with Christ is to arise from syn by true penance to walke in a new life a new life knoweth no old sinnes no carnall affeccions no woorkes of darkenes it abhorreth hypocrysy and supersticion and all Idolatrie all filthie lustes desires or pleasures it doth seke iustice not of the lawe nor of the workes of the law nor of ceremonies or Tradicions of menne of mannes Religion nor yet in these thynges putteth any holines or iustice nor thynketh not Goddes honor or worship to stande in outwarde thynges but GOD to bee a spirite and would be worshipped in spirite and in truthe by true faithe in Christ and not only with a worshippe appoynted to worshippe God of man not of god alone 2 Seke those thynges whiche are aboue where Christe is sittyng at the right hand of the father If you be risē with Christ it is youre duetie not to seeke yearthly thynges as worldely honors and promocions dignities or worldly riches but aboue all these thynges to seeke those thynges that are aboue that is the heauenly ioye and blisse life and eternall felicitie and the waies to come to theim that is by true faithe in God by sure hope and perfite Charitie and by other Godly workes appoynted of God to be doen of al thē that shall come to that place where as Christe is sittyng on the right hande of God the father to certifie vs that all thei whiche shall arise with him shal come to that place where as Christ is and that by Christe onely 3 Seke heauenly thynges and not yerthly thynges That thei should more earnestly sette their mindes vpon heauenly thinges more then vpon those thynges that are vpon the yearth or partein to this presēt life by yearthly thynges he vnderstandeth all the lawe workes of the lawe as Circumcision
some will aske a question whether we should do good deedes for hope of eternall life or no To this question maie be made answer thus that we must do good workes appoynted vs of GOD to do principally for God and for his loue because we are his creatures made to do good woorkes and to walke in them lookyng for that rewarde that he hath bothe frely promised will frely geue accordyng to his promise to all thē that with a sure faith and constaunt hope do perseuer and continue in the wayes of the Lorde kepyng his commaundementes Secondely for the rewardes sake promsed vs of God we must do good workes so that in all oure workes we muste moste chiefly and aboue all thynges looke to the will pleasure loue and glory of GOD. Thirdely to our profite glorie or life to come wee muste so in all our workes loke for the glory of God that skarce once wee should remembre oure profit or glory to come for if we seke more our awne profite and glory then the glory of God we bee but mercemarii hirelynges vnworthy that glory immortall life in the worlde to come with Christ whiche glory cānot bee bought by woorkes of vs but we muste come to it onely of the free gifte of God and of his mercie and grace Roma vi Of the whiche before you harde by the true word of the Gospel whiche is come to you as to all the worlde and as it fructifieth throughout the whole worlde so it doeth emonges you since that daie you heard and haue knowen the grace of God by the truthe And as you haue learned of Epaphras our welbeloued seruaunt whiche is for you a faithfull minister of Christ which shewed to vs youre loue in the spirite The Apostle shewed before their mercifulnes to the poore sainctes and faithfull in Christ for hope of reward layed vp for them in heauen now he sheweth how thei gotte that hope that it was by the true preachyng of the Gospell whiche Epaphras preached vnto thē Learne here how hope of heauenly rewarde and life commeth that it commeth by preachyng of the Gospell of Christe whiche is called here the true woorde of the Gospell and the truthe it self If hope of heauenly rewarde commeth by the preaching of the Gospell as it dooeth in deede then what hope of heauenly rewarde can thei haue where as the word of the Gospel is not peached or what hope of heauenly life haue thei that will not here the worde of God preached That contempneth and despiseth it and estemeth it no better then a foolishe tale of Robyn Hoode Guye of Warwicke or Beuis of Hampton surely no hope at al. Learne here also how necessary a thyng for our saluaciō is the preachig of Gods worde that without it seldom be geuen faithe hope or charitie For faithe commeth by hearyng hearyng by the word of God Roma x. And hope commeth by the true woorde of the Gospell as here is shewed and Charitie spryngeth out of true faithe and sure hope The Apostle garnisheth the Gospell with his due laude and cōmendacion callyng it the true woorde that deceiueth no man the truthe it self that none should doubt of it but that euery man that loueth the truth should be glad to here the Gospell preached or taught because it is the truth and putteth away all falsed lies errors and heresies 2 And as it fructifieth throughout the whole worlde so it doeth emōges you He saith the Gospell to fructyfye and encrease throughout all the whole world as emōges thē that thei should more reioyse and be glad as all good menne reioyseth when the Gospell gooeth forwardes and fructifieth and euill men be sory that the Gospell is purely and sincerely preached receiued and beleued but thei geue thankes to God for it Here we learne to be our office to bee glad to here the Gospell of God to bee preached sincerely and to geue God thankes for it 3 Sence that daie you harde and haue knowen the grace of God by the truthe He sheweth how long the Gospell hath fructefied emōges them euen sence that daie thei heard the grace of God and knewe it by the true preachyng of the Gospell And here we maie lerne diuerse good lessons First that faithe is sure and firme that commeth by the worde of truthe Secondly that the sincere preachyng of the gospell not to bee vain or frustrate although it is not knowen how it dooth fructifie and in whō at the first to hym that preacheth yet it goeth not away in vain as the Prophet Esaie saieth Thirdely the benefites or the grace of God bee knowen by the pure preachyng of the Gospell of truth and not of mē or of a multitude of men that call theimselfes the church when it maie be doubted of whether thei bee any membre of the churche or no seyng their workes be so contrary to Christes true Churche Fourthely learne that the grace of GOD and his benefites is surely knowen by the truth of gods word And here it semeth that saincte Paule would haue vs to learne and know Christ and the grace of God by no other thyng but by the truth and to iudge euery thyng by the truthe of Goddes holy worde for the holy ghost is the moste surest declarer of hymself Learne also that Christ and the grace of GOD and Gods benefites is there vnknowen where as the woorde of God is not preached and how can God be loued feared or dread where as he is not knowen Or howe can there be any health or eternall saluacion where as is no loue feare ne dread of God And if it bee life eternall as it is in deede witnes sainct Ihon. xvii to knowe GOD the father and his sonne Iesus Christe then it muste nedes followe that it is death not to knowe God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ and Gods benefites to vs for Christes sake these benefites be vnknowen where as the worde of God is not taught therfore se how necessarie it is for oure saluaciō to haue the worde of God plenteously preached and truly taught that God might be knowē loued feared and dread and his wil and pleasure fulfilled of al men Finally learne here how farr be thei from health life and saluacion that will not here the worde of God but contempneth to here it ye dispiseth it and the true preachers of it slaunders backebites persecutes and as muche as in them lieth goeth aboute to let hinder and vtterly to stoppe and quenche the word of God and to bryng to deathe the faithfull ministers of Gods holy worde the necessarie foode of our soule and yet of the ignoraunt it is thought poyson and death of the soule God turne the hartes of suche and make theim his seruauntes 4 And as you haue learned of Epaphras our welbeloued seruaunt whiche is for you a faithful seruaunt of Christ Now he sheweth who it was that firste preached the gospel to these Colossians not Paule hymself but
not in merites of sainctes departed not in masses of Scala caeli but in Christ alone our sauior 3 That wee should make euery manne perfite in Christe Iesu Loke to what ende sainct Paules doctrine doth extende that it was to make euery manne as muche as in hym lied perfite in Christe Iesu that thei should lacke nothyng that perteined to eternall life and felicitie that thyng to be doen by the woorde of GOD that he preached and taughte This place maketh against all them that would kepe men still in their infirmitie and weakenes and would haue thē alwaies weakelynges and not perfite men ye not to increase to perfite men but to bee children waueryng with euery blaste of doctryne nowe ready to receiue this doctryne now that and not able to iudge themselfes in manifest truthes cōtrary to the doctryne of saincte Ihon biddyng vs to proue the spirites whether thei be of God or no 4 For the whiche I labor with al might The Apostle labored with all his power and diligēce to bryng al men to perfeccion in Christ to a full perfite knowlege of Christe and of his benefites that al men should knowe perfitely their health life saluacion to come to theim onely by Christ and that there was no health without Christ And this he did by the mightie power of God workyng in hym or by the ministracion of that woorkyng Godly woorde whiche he preached for God by his worde purely and sincerely preached doth worke therefore it is called a liuely woorde for it geueth life And here wee maie learne that the doctryne of saincte Paule and of other that wrote the holy scriptures not to bee of man although thei that wrote or preached them wer men but of God and of his holy spirite by whose inspiracion thei wrote as Peter saieth ii Peter .i. Learne to attribute to God all thynges that be dooen well of vs and not to our selfes as Paule did here to God workyng in hym and by hym ¶ The .ii. Chapiter FOR I woulde you knew what care I had for you and for thē that are of Laodice and as many as hath not sen my persone in the fleshe that their hartes mighte take cōfort seyng thei be ioyned in charitie in al riches of certain perswasion of vnderstanding in to the knowlege of the misterie of God and the father and of Christe in whō are hid all the treasures of the wisedō and knowlege of God The Apostle here getteth the fauor of these Colossians and of the Laodicenses shewyng his hartes desire was to confort the hartes of them that had not sene hym corporally by the spirite of God and that thei should agre and cleaue together as mēbres in the body surely by a true faith knowyng that all treasures of wisedom and knowlege of God are laied vp in Christe whom if thei should haue thei should lacke nothyng whō if thei lacked thei should haue nothyng whatsoeuer they had wythout Christ This place teacheth one of vs to be carefull for another that we might haue cōforte by the holy ghost and by Gods worde as Paule was for these Colossians and Laodicenses and it reproueth all theim that care not for other whether thei flete or sinke whether thei haue knowlege of Gods worde or no whether thei bee saued or dampned Ye this place reproueth al them that bee haters of Gods worde that care not for it but contēpne and despise it that bee contencious and vncharitable caryng not what chaūce to other so thei be well theimselfes liue in welth and pleasure Learne it is the office of a true pastor to edifie not to destroye to feede not to bryng to deathe to conforte mennes hartes in Christe not to discomfort and discorage theim from Christe or from his holy worde and Gospell 2 When thei shal bee ioyned in Charitie In these woordes is shewed how their hartes shal be cōforted that is when thei shall be compacted and knit together so in charitie that one of theim cannot bee seperated from another that thei be as sure one coupled to another as membres in the body bee ioyned together that thei all thynke and saie one thyng and that also when thei bee ioyned together with a true faithe whiche he calleth here riches of the sure perswasion in the knowlege of the misterye of GOD. And here me thynketh saincte Paule declareth what faithe is that it is riches of sure perswasiō in knowlege of Goddes woorde and that knowlege to bee so sure that it cannot bee false or brought in doubte for faith knoweth the truth of goddes woorde and promises to the whiche it staieth surely and will not be moued from it And here he sheweth that those men that bee doubtfull in their doctryne inconstaunt or waueryng haue not faythe For true faythe commeth of sure knowlege of Gods worde and hath annexed to hym hope and charitie and obedience to do Gods cōmaundementes al respectes of worldly riches fauor or pleasure well or wo set a parte example in Abrahā Isaac Iacob and other holy fathers 3 In Christ bee all treasures of wisedome and knowlege laied vp in score As he would say he that hath Christ he hath al thynges necessary for his saluacion as all wisedome knowlege vertue holines health and life he wanteth nothyng he hath a well of all goodnes euer spryngyng and flowyng ouer he hath treasures that cānot be spent or wasted Here the Apostle reproueth arrogant men and proude Philosophiers that thynketh humain learnyng and knowlege of mannes learnyng to bee preferred aboue the learnyng of Christe Ye here he checketh all theim that bee more studious of humain sciences then thei bee of Gods holy diuinitie Ye all thei be reproued that will spend dayes nightes yeres in the studie of humain Philosophie and will not geue more studie to the knowlege of Gods holy worde by the whiche Christe is gotten by faithe and keped by faithe and he that hath Christ hath all thinges he that lacketh Christ hath nothyng haue he neuer so muche humaine learnyng Philosophie or Poetrie as Tully and Demostenes was found in th ende as thei had had no learnyng because thei lacked Christ and Godly doctryne for al learnyng muste geue place to Christes doctryne as moste chief far excellyng all other learnynges This I saie that none should deceiue you with entisyng woordes although I am absent frō you in the flesh yet in the spirit I am present with you ioyyng seyng your ordre and stedfastnes of your faithe in Christe Now he sheweth for what end he said all treasures of wisedom and knowlege of God to be hid in Christe that it was that thei should not suffre theimselfes to be deceiued by no intisyng wordes of Rethorique or of mannes lernyng or by no other doctrine had it neuer so greate pretense of holines or apparaunce of wisedome and by it to be brought to the degrees of humain Philosophy from the pure clere spring and
and doo not bryng truthe with it This place reproueth all errors heresies lies falsed and all supersticious doctryne that prouoketh men alwaie from Christes doctryne and from the truthe of Gods woorde The third thyng to bee ware of that by it thei bee not deceiued is the tradicions of men by the whiche pseudoapostles went aboute to deceiue men saiyng tradicions of men are either to be preferred aboue Gods word commaundementes or at the least equall with theim Ye thei would haue mennes lawes and decrees kepte and obserued aboue Gods lawes and for the obseruacion of mānes lawes thei breake Goddes commaundementes to whō Christe threatneth woo euerlastyng Math. xv Saiyng woo be to you Hypocrytes that haue broken Gods commaundementes for your tradicions Secōdly thei taught tradicions as necessary to saluacion that without the kepyng of theim thei could not bee saued Thirdly thei thought it dedly synne to omit mannes tradicions and Ceremonies and as like offence to breake mannes tradiciōs as to breake Gods commaundementes Fourthly thei thought tradicions of men to purge menne frō sinne ye to satisfie for sinnes and to bee full satisfaccions for synnes Fiftly thei compted tradiciōs and ordinaunces of men to be holines to make men holy and good to take awaie synne to deserue the grace of GOD to bryng holines to the doers ye life and saluacion Thus deceiuers and pseudoapostles wente about to deceiue these Colossiās and other by tradicions of men which are not to be obserued as necessary for saluacion purgers of synne or satisfaccion for sinne bringers of holines or of eternal life But as thynges indifferent not to bee compared with Gods commaundemētes but to be obserued as far as thei bee helpers to the keping of Gods cōmaundementes and the fulfillyng of Gods will and pleasure and for good ordre and quietnes The fourthe thyng to bee ware of is the Elementes of the worlde by the Elementes some vnderstāde the Sūne the Mone the Sterres or the other elementes thinkyng that there was emonges the Colossiās some that did worship these Elementes as Gods and desired health and salucaiō of theim puttyng trust and confidence in them praiyng to them and desiryng of thē prosperous thynges and of the dispocicion of these Elementes Prophesied thynges to come The Apostle here biddeth them bee ware thei phantasie none suche thyng by these Elementes whiche are no Gods nor are not to be worshipped as God but as the creatures of God made and ordinated for the behaulfe and commoditie of man in this world Other some vnderstandeth by Elementa mundi the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall lawes of the old Testament thynkyng thē to be necessary for saluacion that none could be saued without the obseruyng of theim as some thought Act. xv And emonges the Galathians Gala. iiii But Peter and Iames and the residue of the Apostles of Christ thought legall Ceremonies and sacrifices not necessarie for saluacion but saluacion mighte well enough bee had without them ye without al Ceremonies For Ceremonies now vsed in the Churche bee no holy thynges of themselfes thei make no manne holy thei bee no workers nor workes of our saluacion thei be ordinated to signifie and represēt other thynges signified by theim And here the Apostle biddeth them beware of suche as did call thē to the lawe and not to Christe to the Ceremonies or woorkes of the lawe and of man decreed and not of God commaunded and here he willeth theim to beware of all theim that exhort men to Ceremonies old customes voluntarie woorkes lawes statutes decrees tradicions of men rather then Gods commaundementes 3 For in Christ dwelleth al fulnes of the Godhedde corporally Now he sheweth the cause why he moued theim too followe Christ and his doctryne alone and none other doctryne contrary to this doctrine it was because all fulnes of God as of holines vertue wisedom grace mercie peace goodnes iustice and of al perfeccion did remain in Christ abundauntly and perfitely that it should not nede to require of any other any goodnes holines iustice or righteousnes but of Christe onely and alone of whom is all goodnes by whom and in whom equall to the father in substaunce deite might and power By whō thei are fulfilled with all goodnes iustice and righteousnes that thei haue no neede to seke any good thyng of the lawe of woorkes of the lawe of Ceremonies or of tradicions of men for thei haue Christ in their hartes rooted by true faithe in the whiche is all the treasures of the wisedom of God the father laied vp for vs and in hym doth dwel all fulnes of God the father and he hath fulfilled all thynges bothe the law and the imperfeccion of the law he hath taken it awaie and made it perfite and vs by hym to performe the lawe By whom you are circumcised with circumcision not made by handes when you put awaie the bodye of synnes of the fleshe by the circumcisiō of Christe buried together with hym by Baptisme in the whiche also with hym you haue risē by faith of the woorke of God whiche hath raised hym from the dedde The Apostle sheweth these Colossians although thei were Gentiles to be Circumcised by Christe not after the Circumcision of the fleshe but by the circumcision of the spirite of God without the handes of manne whiche he thought not necessary for theim but that without the exterior Circūcision of the fleshe the Gentiles might be saued as well as the Iewes that was circumcised in the fleshe And here he sheweth two circūcisions the one outwardes made in the flesh by mennes handes cuttyng awaie a round pece of the skynne of the secrete members and this circumcision was not necessarie to saluacion after the Gospell was opēly preached after Christes passion but was abrogated and left as indifferent not necessary to saluaciō theother circūcision was the inward circumcisiō by the spirit of God by the whiche the whole body of synne was mortified put awaie clerely by the spirit and by faith in Christ and this circumcision is necessarie to saluaciō that is by the spirite of God to dye from synne and no more to returne again to synne as Christe died once and dieth no more so wee should dye from sinne and sinne no more but walke alwaies in a newe life and put on Christ veritie truthe iustice and holines and walke alwaie in these vertues followyng Christe in all goodnes and Godlines in veritie and iustice and in cuttyng awaie from the harte all euill desires thoughtes carnall affeccions lustes and concupiscenses whiche did arise of the flesh and not of the spirite of GOD and this is the Circūcision of Christ whiche is our Baptisme by the whiche we bee wasshed from all our sinnes by the workyng of the holy Ghoste in it accordyng to the promise of God and therfore baptisme is called the wasshyng of regeneracion and renewyng of the holy ghoste to Tite .iii. In the whiche baptisme we be purged from all our synnes