A commentary in Englyshe vpon Sayncte Paules Epystle to the Ephesyans / for the instruccyon of them that be vnlerned in tonges / gathered out of the holy scriptures and of the olde catholyke Doctours of the Churche / and of the beste authors that nowe a dayes do wryte Anno. D. 1540 ♣ Per Zanceloâ—um Ridleum Cantabrigenseni ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum A preface of the Author to the reader GRACE MERCYE and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Chryst / be vnto al them that loueth / fauoureth / and promotethe the truthe of Goddes worde Amen ♣ Many and dyuers causes moued me to wryte this Commentary in Englyshe / O gentyle reader for theyr sakes whiche do nat vnderstaÌ„de Latyn but onely rede Englysshe / to helpe the rude and ignoraunce people to more knowlege of God and of his holy worde Because I perceyue fewe or none to go about to open by commentaries or exposicions in Englyshe to the vnlearned to declare the holy Scriptures nowe suffered to all people of this realme to rede to study at their pleasure to their edifyenge and comforte in god by the kynges gracyous lycence / for the whiche thiÌ„g bye thankes is to be gyuen to God and laud praise to the kiÌ„ges highnes that so teÌ„dereth the helth saluacyon of hê subiectes that wylleth they shal lacke nothyng that may be to their comforte and soules helth and specyally that they shall nat lacke the worde of God / whiche is the foode of the soule Math. 4. that saueth the soule Iacobi 1. the armour onely wherby the deuil and all hys temtacyons is withstande / resysted ouercommen Ephesyans .6 the meane wherby God doth saue them that beleue 1. Corin. 1. ye the spyryte and the lyfe .1 that bryngeth the spyryte of God and lyfe euerlastynge Because I could percayue fewe or none to go aboute to open and declare thys worde of lyfe to the Englysshe people vnlearned in tonges that it myghte be lyfe in dede / whyche nowe vndeclared to them but onelye had in the bare Lettre do appere to many rather deathe then lyfe / rather to brynge men in to errours and heresyes / then into the truethe and veryte of Goddes worde / whiche nowe vndeclared bryngeth not so muche the symple / rude / and ignoraunte people frome they re ignoraunte / blyndnes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / false trustes / euyll beleues / vayne superstycyousnes and fayned holynes / in the whyche the people haue bene in blyndnes longe tyme for lacke of knowledge of holye Scripture which the man of Rome kepte vnder the hatche wolde nat suffer to com to lyght to delyuer the seruauÌ„tes of God from ignoraunce and blyndnes / but wolde haue kepte them alway in darkenes / that his vsurped power shulde nat haue ben espied / his worldely glorye menysshed and his profyte decayed Bycause I dyd se none go aboute to delyuer the rude people frome theyr blyndnes ignoraunce or errours by any exposicion in Englishe vpon the Scriptures but many to study rather to continewe them styl in errours and in blynde ignoraunce therfore I as one of the least lerned of al hath set forth and expocision to this Epystel of Saynt Paule to the Ephesyans as afore this in the Epystel of Iude the Apostle of Chrest that the people that can but onely rede Englishe may the better know part of the holsome doctryne of saynt Paule may be delyuered from theyr ignoraunce and blindenes / corrupte and backewarde iudgementes / euyll oppynions / rooted in theyr hartes / false trustes and vayne supersticyousnes / whiche the holy Ghoste here speakynge in Saynt Paule reproueth and coÌ„demneth / and teacheth nessysarye thynges for mannes saluacyon as you maye here se and reade in thys exposicyon wherein I haue as it hathe pleased God to gyue his grace opened the holy scriptures shewynge the true vse of them / and wherfore they serue And in this thynge to be done I haue vsed the helpe of tonges as of the Greke / Hebrewe and the Latyne tonges / and the helpe of the olde Catholyke Doctours approued by the Churche and also of the beste authors that in these dayes nowe do wryte / and of them al gathered out that after my iudgement shuld declare the Scripture beste and moste for the glory of God and / and for the edyfyenge of the chrystians vnlearned in tonges / as maye be sene throughout all thys Exposycyon ☞ The seconde cause that moued me to this was to dyscharge my conscience knowynge the gyftes of God gyuen to be dyuerse / gyuen to euery man nat to be idle / but to exercyse hym selfe in hys talentes gyuen / to the glory of God and to the profyte of other In this my talente gyuen of God / al thought I knowe it is the leaste of all it is my deutye nat to be idle / but to exercise my talente in all maner of wayes to promote and set forthe Goddes worde to edifie other / to do this thing I thought no waye more to Goddes glorye and to the edyfyenge of other / then to set fourthe an exposycyon of some parte of holy Scripture to brynge men vnlearned to the loue and desyre of holye Scrypture whyche is the true worde of the spyryte of God to the whiche thynge the vnlearned shall be broughte to when they shall se and clerely perceyue so muche holsome doctryne / so many godly vertues shewed in one litle Epystle of Saynt Paule / what godly lessons and Spyrytuall teachynges shulde they haue in the hole Byble yf it were in like maner declared vnto them syth there is so muche heauenly teachynges in one lytle Epystle of Saynte Paule ⧠The thyrde cause was to exhorte other that be muche better learned than I that can do muche better to set fourth some parte of the holy Scripture in Englyshe or in Latyne to shewe the goodnes of God to vs Englyshemen / to shewe that God is the God of Englande as well as of Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countrees And that he hathe shewed hys truethe as well in Englande as in these countreys For God is not the acceptor of personnes or of countres In Englande be men of no lesse wytte / wysedome / learnynge / eloquence / then be in Fraunce / Italye / Germanye / or other countres ye I wyl not speake of more wysedome and learnynge / leaste I shulde be counted percy all to my countre Ye I doubte not but Englyshe men shulde gyue as greate light to the worde of God as euer dyd these countres / yf they wolde applye theyr studye wyttes and myndes to wryte vpon the holy Scrypture and in wrytynge declare it Which thynge many learned men wolde do / yf hye rulers whome God hath set in authoryte to be defenders and promoters of hys worde / wolde excyte and prouoke learned men ther vnto And wheÌ„ a Commentary of the holy scrypture were
to teache the people the gospell symply and and playnely Doctours they taught the people the worde of God and dyd dryue a waye the wolfe frome the flocke of Christe / and so did Pastures / but these offyces be nat so deuyded but one maÌ„ may be an Apostle / a Pprophete / an EuaÌ„gelyste / a Pastoure / a Doctour / they haue diuerse names for the diuersite of there offyces and of their gyftes 2 In that God hathe in his Church so many ministers / he wolde haue some to be heaters and nat all to be Pastoures And in this he reproueth them that wold haue euery man to be preachers Some muste be preachers and some hearers in the congregacion The ministers in the Church they shulde eyther be Apostles / Prophetes or Doctours / or els Leuites decaynes to prouyde for the pore / for Purgatorye prestes or popishe prestes that can do nothing elles but momble or patter ouer a payre of popyshe Mattyns or Masse I finde no place in the scripture / ignorant prestes nat lerned in the scriptures / nat able to teache and to edyfye other by holy doctryne ar nat alowed of saynte Paule to be counted as prestes or Byshoppes / as appereth 1. Timo. 3. Titum 1. 3 For what ende was these ministers in the Church ordayned is here shewed / that it was to instruct other in the trueth / and to edyfye other by holsome doctrine / and nat that they shulde deceyue any be errours / heryses / superstitions / fayned holynes / false trustes / backwarde or peruerse iudgmeÌ„tes / the Churche is edifyed when it is instructed in treu fayth good workes approued by god / al erronious opinions / superstitions errours heryses put awaye / it is distroyed by false opynyons / superstitiousnes / euyl iudgemeÌ„tes errours and heresyes of minysters in the Churche that serue nat for the edyfycatyon of the bodye of Christe I can nat tell for what purpose they serue / as many Purgatorye popyshe priestes that knowe nat Goddes word nor wyl nat lerne it to edifye them selfe other in the trueth / but wyl hynder and let is as much as they can / and speake euyll of Goddes worde as farre as they dare 4. Here he sheweth howe longe it is necessarye to haue Apostles preachers teachers of goddes worde in the Churche of god / they be necessarye tyll we come all to the vnitie of fayth and ful knoweledge of god / and tyll we come to be perfite men in Christe whiche is nat in this worlde / but in the worlde to come / for nowe we haue vnperfyte knoweledge / then we shal haue perfyte knowledge / nowe we knowe by fayth / then we shal knowe face to face He willeth that we shal encrease dayly more more in the knowlege of god / which knowledge encreaseth as our fayth encreaseth as there is encreasynge in age / so there is encreasynge in fayth / of the whiche encresynge is here a similitude taken And he wylleth that men shulde encrease in fayth and in knoweledge of goddes worde / and go forwarde in good workes / as men do encrease in age / and this encreasynge in fayth is by the preachynge of the worde of God whyche maye nat ceasse as longe as we shall lyue in this worlde ⧠That we be no more chyldren wauerynge and caryed aboute wyth euerye wynde of Doctryne throughe the wyckednes of men / and craftynes / wherby they laye wayte for vs to deceyue vs but let vs folowe the trueth in loue and in all thynges growe in hym whiche is the heade euen Christe / in whome all the bodye is coupled togyther / and one membre hangeth by an other throughe out all the ioyntes / wherby one mynystereth vnto an other accordynge to the operacyon as euery membre hath hys measure / and makethe that the body groweth to the edyfyeng of it selfe in loue ☞ The Apostle declareth hym selfe and sheweth when they shal be made perfyte men howe / that is / when they shall nat be chyldren and wauerynge with euerye blaste of doctryne and be drawyng this way and that way he wolde nat haue theÌ„ chyldren that be vnconstant / folyshe / mutable and wauerynge hyther and thyther / but he wolde haue them children in malice and in knowledge men constante in the doctrine of trueth and in fayth / and that they wolde nat suffer them selfes to be deceyued by any doctryne of meÌ„ which shulde come in shepes clothynge and vnder pretence of holynes and vertue / whiche shulde be inwardly gredy wolfes Here the Apostle reproueth these that be vnconstance in doctrine and in fayth / and lyght of credence to euery doctryne nowe folowynge this waye / nowe that waye Newe rather theÌ„ true doctrine pleaseth better for a time and suche there is many / whiche be better pleased with the doctrine of falsed / then with the olde doctrine of trueth / and therfore they get them newe masters of errour and beleueth them and contemneth the olde trueth Maysters of errour be they that hath preached pylgrimage / painting of blockes and stockes offerynge vp of candels to ymages / perdons / and other wyll workes neyther commaunded of God nor of man / leuynge the workes of God commaunded in holy scripture And also these anabaptistes be maisters of errour haue deceyued some by theyr newe doctryne of falsed errour and heresye 2 He sheweth howe these maysters of errour haue deceyued men and broughte from the reueth of holy scripture / by falsed crafte and pretence of vertue and holynes / and of the worshyp of God but these by there pretensed holynes haue deceyued many and brought from the trueth to errour and heresy Suche was the doctrine of them that wolde haue the Byshoppe of Rome to be the heade corner of the Churche of Christe in earth makynge al holynes in fastynge prayeng / halowynge / ryngynge / fyngynge / relygiousnes / rites / ceremonies / customes / or otherwaies brought in by the byshoppe of Rome / and nat spokyng of in scripture Such deceyuable doctrine was the doctrine of them that moued men to put theyr truste and confidence in creatures / in theyr owne workes dedes merites / in sayntes ye incarued and grauen ymages / in pardons / to pylgrimages in masses ad Scala celi / in cotes / coulles / habytes / voyse / showes / boutes / gyrldelles purses / knyfes / and in other such lyke bag gashe and inuentions of man inuented for lucre sake Whiche inuentions hathe bene profytable so Byshoppes of Rome / inuentours and makers of this holines from al suche deceyuable doctrine the Apostle mouethe men to be waere / and take hede of theyr wylye craftynes and sleeth â—â—glynge / by the whiche they haue deceyued simple men that trusted / no euyl nor falsed and wylleth that men shall take that truth and folowe the truthe by charite / and do forwardes by fayth and good workes approued and appointed of god
wryten approued of learned men worthye pryntynge / it myghte be prynted and set fourth with pryuylege So God shulde be more gloryfyed / his worde better knowen and beleued / greate glory and commendation come to Englande / whiche shulde gyue greate lyght in the true vnderstanding of the scriptures to all the worlde ☞ These and many other causes moued me to wryte thys playne Exposycyon in thys Epystle of Sayncte Paule to the Ephesians Wherfore gentle reader I praye the accepte in good worthe thys my rude dylygence and laboures / whyche was to set fourth openly before euery mannes eyes the mynde of the Apostle Saynte Paule in this Epistle / to shewe what thinge he wolde haue vs to knowe and to do / and what thynge not to do / and howe he seketh alwaye Goddes glorye and the saluacyon of other to teache vs to do suche lyke yf thys Epystle be declared accordynge to the mynde of Sayncte Paule gyue all thankes and prayse to God onely of whome it commethe / and none to the wryter whose mynde is to teache or defende no errour nor heresye / but to teache the truethe of Goddes worde symply and playnely / more regardynge the truethe / then the eloquence of wordes / and by the truethe of the Gospell to profyte euery man yf he can Yf thys Exposycyon do agree wyth the holye Scryptures / as I truste it dothe / take it / yf it do not / refuse it / I wolde not haue my wrytynges or sayenges no farther to be taken then they do agree with the holy Scryptures of God and by them maye be prouyd / and by the holy Scriptures onely to be iudged I am a man and maye erre as well as other hathe done / but I wyll nat be obstynat / yf I shall be gently admonyshed and instructed better by the holy Scriptures of god to whome be all honoure and glorye / worlde without ende Amen ⧠¶ Here endeth the preface of the author THE ARGVMENT OF the Epystle of Sayncte PAVLE to the Ephesyans ✚ IN THYS EPYstel the Apostle Sayncte Paule sheweth the aboundaunt goodnes of God the Father to all men / howe he hathe created and made all men and all thynges necessarye for them / chosen and elected them to etarnall lyfe and glory / and to be heyres of the celestyall kyngedome / onely of hys mere mercy and grace / and nat of the workes merites or deseruynges of any maÌ„ or of any saynt in Heauen / or in earthe / but by Iesus Chryste onely by whome he hathe restored man agayne to lyfe / whiche by the synne of Adam loste the fauour of almightye God lyfe the celesteal kyngedome to the whiche he was created and made / but by Chryste was restored ageyne to the fauoure of God / to lyfe and to heauen all men both Iewes / and Gentyles theyr synnes clerely forgyuen for Christes sake alone / and be made dere beloued and holy in the syght of the father and ryght heyres of the Heauenly inheritauÌ„ce through fayth in chryste Iesus whyche faythe is receyued by the worde of God preched vnto them ⧠Secondely the Apostle teacheth what all men be of them sealues of theyr owne nature / myghtes and powers / surely nothynge els but the chyldren of the Ire / wrath and indygnacyon of god / chyldren of darkenes / of synne / death and of hel And what they are made by Christ agayne / that is that they be made dere beloued to god / chyldren of loue / of lyfe / of iustice and of eternal saluacyon / and that onely by the mercy and grace of god and nat of the merytes of man / but by the merytes of chryst alone ¶ Thyrdly here is shewed howe both the Iewes and the Gentyles be made at one with God the father and amonges them selues by Christ that suffered death to make them at one Also what is there offyce nowe iustified throughe grace by fayth in Christ Iesus / that is to forsake theyr olde lyfe / and to walke in a newe lyfe nat to be idle / but to do good / to do good workê / nat suche as maÌ„ thynketh godd / but suche as god hathe appoynted to be done in holye scripture that men shulde walke in / and to go from one good worke to another / to fle al maner of vice sinne / if nat for the loue of God / yet for feare of the plage of God ¶ Fourthly here is declared the offices deuties of dyuers states of meÌ„ / as of these that be maryed / of Chyldren to theyr parentes of seruauntes to theyr Maysters / of euery ones deutie to another in they re states of leuynge / as you may reade in the v. and .vi. chapiters of this Epystle / wher it is shewed playnly the offyce of the wyfe to the husbande / and of the husbande to the wyfe / let the wyfe loke on her deutye to her husbande / learne yt / knowe and do it Also let the man loke on hys deuty and howe he shulde order hym selfe towardes his wyfe / and howe he shulde intrate her that both of them knowynge theyr deuty accordynge to Goddes lawe / maye more wyllyngely and gladly do that thynge that God requyreth of them / and they to please God better and lyue iÌ„ more peace / vnite / concorde and / quietnes Also the chyldren maye here learne theyr deutye / and wherfore that it becommeth them to be obedyent to theyr parentes / because it is Goddes commaundement and the wyll of God that Chyldren shulde obey theyr parentes And also what is the deutye of seruauntes to they re maysters / and of masters to theyr seruauntes / euery one loke on his deutye / and do it gladly and wyllyngely / for in so doynge they do serue God Fynally here is shewed the armoure of chrysten men to fyght agaynste the deuyl and his temtacyons / Last of all the Apostle desyreth these Ephesians to praye for hym / coÌ„mendynge to them Tychicum by whome he sense thys Epystle to these Ephesyans ¶ The fyrste chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians PAVLE an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST by the wyll of God to the sayntes whiche are at Ephesus / to them that beleue on Iesus Chryste Grace be with you and peas from god our father and trom the lorde Iesus Chryste SAynte Paule out of prison wrote this Epistle to these Ephesians / whom he fyrste saluteth with a christiane salutacyon / and after the salutacyoÌ„ he sheweth the causes wherfore he wrote this Epistle Saynte Paule in his Epystles vseth one christiane salutacyon of the whiche we christians may learne howe we shulde one salute and grete another / And what thynges we oughte one to desyre and wyshe to another In this salutacion is wryten the name of him that wryteth the Epystle / the name of them to whom it was wryteÌ„ In the begynnyng saynte Paule setteth his owne name that they myght knowe this Epystle to be wryten of
in holy scripture and nat to leue these workes and to folowe our owne dreames or fantases inuention of man without goddes worde 3 The Apostle here goeth furth in his metaphore of buyldynge / by the whiche he wylleth no other thynge but that he wolde mē buyldyng vpon Christ the sure fundacion shulde go forth in true fayth in true knowledge of Christe and in al good workes in charite by the which al vertues be coupled and knyte together / that they myght be a perfyte buyldynge in Christe and come to his glorye / of the whiche also we may lerne that it is the office of a preacher nat onely to reproue vyce and synne / but also to shewe the remedye for thē / how men shall gette true vertue to moue to go forwardes in vertue and in all good workes and dedes commaunded in scripture / after the example of saynt Paule ¶ This I say therfore and testify in the Lord that ye walke no more as the other heythen walke in the vanyte of theyr mynde blynded in theyr owne vnderstandynge beynge straungers frome the lyfe whiche is in god throughe the ignoraunce that is in them because of the blindnes of theyr harte whiche beynge past repentaunce haue gyuen them selfes ouer to wantonnes to worke all maner of vnclennes euen with gredynesse ¶ That the Apostle maye more moue vs to holy lyfe / holy maners and conditions / he setteth before our eyes the fylthye and abominable lyfe of gentyles that knowe nat Christe nor his doctrine / and wylleth that we shulde walke no more after the wayes of gentyls which walke in vanite of theyr myndes folowynge theyr owne imaginaciōs phantises and dreames the lustes and pleasures of theyr owne myndes / whiche be blynded with ignoraunce of the trueth / full of superstitiousnes / vayne holynes false trustes and vayne hopes corrupt iudgementes / so blinded that they can nat or wyll nat se the trueth / but continewe styll in blyndnes / in ignoraunce / in supersticion and in al vyces vsed before and condempned by the holy scripture of God / and wyll nat admytte the trueth to entre they re hartes / nor walke in the truth of goddes worde They be also far frome god / frome eternal lyfe with god for ignoraunce that is in them / blyndnes of hert by the whiche they knowe nat God nor yet wyll or desyre to knowe hym / whiche is moste blyndnes of al / and a greate tokē that god hathe vtterly reyected them and forsaken them / from the which ignorance I pray god saue vs / and from theyr ignorance blyndnes they come to that point that they wyl nat repente of their synnes nat leue them / but contynewe styll in all vnhappynes and myschefe / gyuynge thē selfes to all vnclennes pollutynge them selues with al fylthynes / with vnsaciable gredines with suche degrees and steppes goeth euyl men to all wyckednes / impiete and vngracyousnes / by the which we may knowe in what state they be in that know nat god nor his worde / nor wyl nat folow goddes worde but them selfes in vanite of mynde ignoraunce of God and blyndnes of herte without repentaunce gyue them selfes to all vnclennes 2 The Apostle here vseth great wysdome in that he setteth the fautes of other before theyr face and make them abhomynable in theyr fyght and worthy to be reproued and condēmned / although he might haue layde to theyr charge and haue reproued these Ephesyans for thē that they seynge theyr fautes condempned in other muche more shulde thynke them worthy condempnatyon in them selfe that they condemne in other 3 Marke the gentylnes of saynt Paule in that he desyred them when he myght haue commaunded thē / and his wysdome in that he affraeth them from synne vsed amonges them by the example of other / wylleth they shall nat folowe the vanite of theyr owne mynde / leaste they runne in darkenes and in obstinate blyndes euer desyrynge to synne and contynewe in siue and neuer to forsake fynne and vnclennes whiche is the moste perilous vice that can be a sure sygne that all suche be vtterlye reiected of god and frome his fauoure for euermore of this place we may lerne that these that gyue thē selfe to vanitie of theyr mynde and carnall pleasure and wyll do what fomeauer carnall luste moneth them doth go frō one synne to another and heape vp synne vpon synne / and at the lastes they come to this poynt that they wolde nat forsake synne / nor be sory for it / nor repent / but euer contynewe with vnsaciable luste and desyre to synne Therfore folow nat the vanitie of your owne mynde / but goddes worde Walke nat in ignoraunce but in the lyght of the gospell that so clerely shyneth that you may walke surelye / and in the truth ⧠But ye haue nat so learned Christe yf so be it ye haue herde of hym and are taught of hym euen as the trueth is in Iesu So then as concernynge the conuersacion in tyme paste laye frome you that olde man whiche marreth hī selfe throughe deceyuable lustes but be ye renued in the spirite of youre mynde and put on that newe man whiche is shapen after God in true ryghtuousnes and holynesse ¶ Before he sheweth in what vyces euyll men dyd walke in / as in vanite of theyr myndes in ignorance darkenes in blyndnes of harte without al feare of god / without sory for synne or any repentaunce / but in luste and pleasure euer to contynewe in synne Nowe he sheweth that they haue nat lerned Christ so / that they shulde walke in sīne but that they shulde forsake sīne repente and synne no more / nor folowe no more theyr vanites of mynde or lustes or vnclennes of body / nor other vnlawful desyres of the olde man / but that they shulde put of the olde man and put on the newe mā / and be renued with the spirite of god whiche moueth to all vertu / as to fayth hope / charite / patience / mekenes / long sufferynge / vnite / concorde / peace / rightuousnes / equite / iustice / cleanes / and to all holy conuersacion of lyfe in al trueth 2 This place sheweth / who hath truely lerned Christe / surely all they whiche be taught of Christ to forsake synne / to mortyfye theyr carnall affections / and do put away synne and the olde man with al his carnal lustes and affections / and mortifye thē by the trueth / and walke in the trueth accordynge to the trueth / these that do so it is a sygne that they haue lerned Christe and put awaye the olde man with all his concupiscence and put on the newe man which is made after god by iustice and holynes of the whiche we maye lerne that it is of God that synners repente them of theyr olde euyl and nowe take a newe lyfe and leade an holy conuersacion 3 The true knowledge of Christ / which is the trueth / moueth vs
/ althoughe god vse man as an Instrumente to shewe his wyll for our helth profyte But paraduenture some wyll aske / what was this mysterye that god had hyd so longe from the worlde in hym selfe / nowe had shewed it when the fulnes of tyme was come In the which he sendeth his sonne Iesus Chryst to this worlde to be incarnate / by whome he hath restored all thinges in heuen and in earth / and made them perfyte / to this saynt Paule maketh answere here sayinge this mystery was the misterye of the Gospell preached nowe openly to the Gentiles as it was to the Iewes / that the Gentyles shuld be saued by Chryst as the Iewes / and that the lyfe and the inherytaunce of Heauen parteyned / aswell to the Gentyles / as to the Iewes / whiche mistery was hid from a greate part of the Gentyles to Chrystes commynge / to the preachynge of the Apostles after Christes ascencion to heuen / of this we may learne that God doth nat gyue all knowledge of his diuyne wyll at one tyme or all together / but one thynge after an other after longe contynuaunce of tyme / as here you may se that the gospell was longe hyd fro the gentyles by longe tyme and many yeres / that we shulde nothynge meruayle at goddes wyll and pleasure / yf god do shewe nowe in our tyme his gospell more clerely and open it more playnely to vs than it was in our fathers tyme and daies of this we shuld not muse or maruayle / but rather glorifye god that gyueth this knowledge thanke hym hartely for it accepte the gospell with gladnes / gyue credence to it / leue our olde blyndnes / superstityousnes false trustes / backwarde Iugementes and other lyke / by the whiche we haue bene deceyued for lacke of true knowledge of the word of god nowe shewed / thanked be god But yf any wyll be more curyouse than nedeth to aske / why god hath hyd this mystery of his wyll so longe from the worlde and now sheweth it in these laste dayes surely I haue nat to answere but that it is the wyll and pleasure of God so to do whiche hathe alwayes sene what thynge was most profytable for the Gentyles / or elles that he hathe sene that the gentyles before this tyme wolde nat haue beleued the gospell preached that they shulde be lesse punysshed nat knowynge the gospell than yf they shulde haue knowen it / and nat folowed it / or els that he knewe they wolde haue persecuted the preachers of the Gospell and so shulde haue deserued more greuouse punyshmente or elles that it was decreed of God that all thynges shulde be shewed of god by Chryste and al thynges restored made perfit by Christ ¶ By whome also we are come to the inheritance / we that were therto predestynate before accordynge to the purpose of hym which worketh all thynges after the councel of his owne wyll / that we myghte be to the prayse of his glorye / euen we that there before beleued on Christ on whome also ye beleued / after that ye hearde the worde of truthe namely the gospell of your saluatyon / wherin whan ye beleued / ye were sealed with the holy spirite of ê“mes / whiche is the earneste of our inherytaunce to our redemcyon / that we myght be his owne to the prayse of his glory Saynt Paule here repeteth these thynges that he hath shewed before gathering a somme of them all that is to saye / that we are apoynted of God to eternall lyfe thoroughe Iesus Christ / and he made the chyldren of God by adopcyon not by our strengthe or merytes or by the merytes of any man / but only by the grace of god and the merytes of Chryst And that by the deliberate wyll of God / by whose myght and power all thynges are done / that be good / iuste / laufull / for God wylleth none iniquytie / or synne / but is holy and iust in al his workes / and he wylleth all good thynges .2 That none shulde thinke our heuenly inheritance to come to vs by lote or by chance as God had not prepared yt for vs before the begynninge of the worlde / he saythe this heauenly inherytaunce to haue bene ordeyned for vs by the forewyll of god alway intended of the father towardes vs of his goodnes / by whose wyll and power all good thynges are done / whose wyll no man can resyste or stope his workes / that they be not done / as he hath ordeined them to be done / whose wyll we can nat attaine vnto / and what shal be the effectes of thinges tyl they be done .3 And althoughe al thynges are done by the power of god / yet god is nat the auctor of euyl Ia. 1. god wylleth no syn but he is iust in al his waies holy in al his workes / he wyl that all men shal be saued / to come to the knowledge of the truth therfore they that peryshe shall be dampned / by theyr owne faute / they perysshe and be dampned / and nat by any faute in God / whiche wylleth euery man to be saued / and for that ende be commaundeth the Gospell to be preached vnto al creatures / that they shulde beleue / folowe the Gospel in lyfe and be saued / therfore they that do nat beleue it but contempne and despyse it and thynke it a folyshe and a vayne thinge they be the cause of their owne deathe .4 that we myght be to the prayse of his glorie / we be predestynate of god made adn created nat for our selfe but for the laude and prayse of God / that we shulde gyue all glory to god for al goodnes and prouoke all other to glorifye god and worshyp hym in spirite and truth as it is our offyce and dutye to do .5 euen we that before beleued after that we heard the worde of truthe the gospell of health as who shulde saye / we that beleued in Christ before the word was preached to the Gentyles our offyce is nat only to glorifie god in our selues / but to bryng all other to glorifye god with vs as muche as shall lye in our powre This place reproueth them that dyswadeth men from the worde of god from learnynge of it / from readynge of it / from sermondes by the whiche meanes god hath ordeined men to be brought to glorify god in spirite and in meryte / as he wolde be gloryfyed of all men also he sayth we beleued after that we hearde the worde of truth In these wordes he sheweth howe fayth commeth / that is to saye by hearynge of the worde of truthe accordynge to saynt Paules sayinge Ro. 10. Fayth is of hearinge / and hearyng by the worde of god also he shewith here what is the word of truth it is the gospell of helth and so it is called bycause it bryngeth euerlastinge health to all them that faythfully beleueth shewyng
and to call Gentyles to saluacion by the gospell without circumsion and other ceremonies necessary to be obserued / to instructe the Apostles of Christ in this matter was the holy Ghoste sente to them and gyuen in Pentecost / and also this mysserye was opened to them by vysions / as to Peter Actes 10. and that by the wyll of God / and of goddes goodnes / of the whiche we maye learne to glorifie god nowe as the Apostles dyd when they sawe the mystery opened that was hyd froÌ„ the begynnynge of the worlde to theyr tyme So let vs nowe glorify god that hath now in our tyme opened and shewed more playnly and more clerely the trueth of his worde longe hyd / obserued and darkened by mannes traditions and inuentyons / then it was in our fathers tyme / and nothynge meruayle at the goodnes of God / but shewe oure selues more thankefull to god gyuynge him thankes for his benefites and prayse to hym as the author of all goodnes / and knowe surely that the truth comes nat to lyght / nat for our merites or deseruynges / but of the goodnes of god as after Christes passion came to the GeÌ„ntyles the gospel and the trueth of it by the Apostles yf meÌ„ wolde consydre this place wel / and deply wey it / they shulde se clerely howe lytle effecte and strength be reasons made of carnall men by the whiche some as yet can nat thynke or be persuaded in theyr hertes that this ys the trueth that is nowe adaies preached by true and faithfull preachers in this realme They grouÌ„de theyr reasons ofte tymes / of men / and of customes / sayeng howe caÌ„ it be thought that god wolde suffer the trueth so longe to be hyd from his people / and suffer men so longe to be deceyued with falsed To this I aunswere and saye / the Gentyles might so haue sayde to god But none said so but those that wolde nat receyue the gospel / beleue it and be saued The faythfull asketh no cause of the wyll of god / but studye to knowe goddes wyll and to do it Also they say / was theyr nat as holy men in tymes paste as is nowe / aswell learned as is nowe / as wyse men as now be / why wolde nat god shewe to them his trueth / as nowe Of the wyll of god I wyl nat dispute / I can gyue no cause of his wyl / why he wyll this thinge / and why that thynge he wylleth all thynges to the beste / to his glory and to our profite It is ynough for me to konwe that god wylleth this thyng and that he gyueth his gyftes of his mercye and goodnes / and nat for the merytes of men The knowledge of the trueth / it is the gyfte of god gyuen at the wyl of god nat of man / and gyuen when it please the god to gyue it / and when god seyth it most for his glory and for the profyte of man / So the wâ—… of god is the cause of the truth now shewed to the worlde and nat the holynes of fathers the lerninge or wysdome of men / and of our partye is receyued that we shulde take the truth now shewed with gladnes gyuynge to god herty thankes to lyue after the trueth / as these Ephesyans that was faythfull dyd ¶ Vnto me the leaste of all sayntes / is thê grace gyueÌ„ that I shuld preache among the hethen the vnsearcheable riches of Christe and to make all men se what is the felowshyppe of the mystery whiche from the begynnyng of the worlde hath ben hyd in god Which made al thinges throughe Iesus Christ to the entente that nowe vnto rulers and powers in heauen myght be knowen by the congregacion the manyfolde wysdome of god accordynge to the eternall purpose which he hath shewed in Christ Iesu our lorde by whoÌ„ we haue boldnesse entraunce in all confidence throughe fayth on hym ¶ The Apostle repeteth the same thyng he hathe spoken before / but in other wordes / of the whiche he teacheth that one seÌ„tence may be spoken of the precher diuers tymes without a faute / specyally if it be suche a sentence as is mete to be surely fixed and rooted in the hertes of the hearers and be for theyr profyte to be knowen surelye 2 Lerne here mekenes and lowlynes of harte of this Apostle saynt Paule Which so dyd humble him selfe and set him vnder other / that he called hym selfe leaste of all saitê or Apostles / nat worthy be to callyd an Apostle of Iesus Christe / because he dyd persecute the Churche of Christe / as he sayth 1. CoriÌ„ 15. But yet he was made the Apostle of Christe / althoughe he sumtyme before his conuersion dyd persecute Christis churche Of the whiche we maye lerne what a Lorde is god / whiche of hys goodnes doth make a faythfull preacher and defender of his worde / of a persecuter / A sure pyller of his Churche / of a plucker downe of it Of the whiche we maye lerne the goodnes of god towardes sinners / his power / nat to dyspayre of no man as long as he shall lyue here in this worlde But God maye by his grace tourne him from his synnes and noughtynes / and brynge him to goodnes / and make of an euyll maÌ„ a good man / and the true seruaunt of god and to condempne the olde sayenge / ones euyll alway euyll / whiche is an euyll sayenge and worthy to be condempned / and abolyshed 3 The Apostle sayeth / it was gyuen to him of the grace of god that he shulde preache the vnsearcheable ryches of Christe amongeste the hethen And these vnsearcheable ryches was the mystery of the gospell that Saynte Paule preached to the Gentyles by whose preachinge the Gentyles receyued fayth / and was brought to eternal saluacion Beholde what the Apostle calleth the mystery that was hid from the world so long in god / he calleth it the vnsearchable ryches of Christe They be called vnsearcheable ryches bycause no man can come to the true knowledge of them of his owne myghtes / powers / workes / merites / or deseruinges without the grace of God Or elles they be vnsercheable bycause no man opteineth them al / but euery one that beleueth opteyne one parte or an other of the ryches of god / that is sufficieÌ„t for his saluacion For if one mortal maÌ„ shulde possesse all the ryches of God / he wolde be to proude / he wolde condempne euery other man and thynke hym selfe to haue nede of no man / but euery man to haue nede of his helpe / and he of no man / nor yet of goddes helpe / wolde make him selfe equall with Christe and with God the father Whiche thiÌ„ges god wolde nat / therfore he gyueth to no mortal man all his riches as he dyd to Christe Iesus After this waye the ryches of god be called vnsearcheable / for no man can haue all goddes ryches /
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
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